Two Frog Home

While we were waiting for news on the house on Saturday, we tried hard to just zone out.  The best way to do that seems to watch the boob tube.  We don’t watch a ton of television and I’m always surprised by the commercials when we do. 

The first was for Home Depot (I think) talking about a new line of outdoor furniture, made and designed by an interior furniture company.  The idea being that you can make your outdoors an extension of the indoors “in style”.  Part of the tag line said something to the effect of “have the coolest yard in the neighborhood”.  While nice outdoor furniture may be a nice addition, it doesn’t have anything to do with how cool your yard and/or home is, you and your attitude do that not the things contained on your property.  Our outdoor furniture is a mish mash of items found second hand and/or given to us, one of neighbors has the matching set with the big gazebo, etc.  yet in the summer our yard seems to be the gathering place of the block, not because of the furniture but because of the hospitality and gardens (expectations of home baked goodies probably don’t hurt either).

All this brings me to Frugality Tip #2: Don’t Buy the Hype.

Beware of commercials and ads, their sole purpose is to entice you.  We all need things from time to time, even want things and that’s ok, but be sure you want it because you want it not because of some hollow promise from an ad agency.  Don’t buy the hype, realize that materialism is a reflection of who you are inside, is that what you want the rest of the world too see when they look at you?  Be sure your spending habits reflect your belief system.  Is it really the furniture that people come for when they visit?  Remember that its not money most folks want, they want love and attention, give that and the returns to you will be much greater than some high from nice furniture or from that shopping spree.

My dear friend, Audrey, recently watched the documentary The Future of Food.  She raved about it to me, knowing how passionately I oppose Genetically Modified Foods.  I hadn’t seen the movie, but she got a bunch of people together and we all bought copies of the DVD (discount pricing for orders over 20).  I told her I’d take two, even though I hadn’t seen the movie, I knew if she was asking it was worth it.  I got one copy for Jeff and I and another for a friend’s birthday.

I watched the movie and I have to say its compelling, frightening, and hopeful all at the same time.  Get a copy of this DVD if you have any question about risks and benefits to genetically modified foods and the role of biotechnology companies in what you put into your body.  You won’t regret the time you spend watching it. 

I’ve written a few posts lately about making educated choices and in one post I know I wrote that sometimes we have no control over choices being made.  Genetically Modified Foods is one such choice for us here in the U.S.A., because we have no labeling laws we don’t know for sure what we’re eating.  That’s horrifying to me.  What’s more horrifying is the cross-pollination of GM crops into non-GM crops, meaning no matter how well intentioned I am in keeping seed or buying heirloom seeds, the test plot 20 miles away could contaminate my garden.  Don’t even get me started on Terminator technology and how that could effect our food supply.

I can’t stress the importance of buying from trusted, local sources whenever possible strongly enough.  In the end, I truly believe we can have a food revolution by simply doing what generations before us have done, grow and eat locally produced foods from growers who are also neighbors and stewards of our communities.  This may be the only way we can stop GM crops from taking over, cross pollination has already begun in things like corn, soybeans, and wheat, lets stop it before it gets into any more of our food supply. 

I don’t live my life in ignorant bliss.  However, there are times when I daydream about doing just that.  Once you start to get educated about voluntary simplicity, frugality, genetically modified foods, sustainable choices, peak oil, etc. etc. its hard to close your eyes and go on living in ignorant bliss.  Sometimes, though it seems like it’d be easier, albeit irresponsible.

I’m very comfortable with my life and choices, however; I am aware that as I continue to learn and grow there are new depths to pursue.  I enjoy being challenged which is probably why I enjoy the new depths and levels of my various life choices, however; every now and then I just want to take the easy way out and not think about it.  I don’t want to think about whether or not what I’m doing is kind or responsible or wise - I just want to do it.  Don’t you just see the teenager stomping her feet, “I want what I want and I want it now!”?   

There are times when I don’t want to scrape the last morsel of peanut butter out of the jar before opening the next one.  Even though it’d be wasteful on so many different levels.  I don’t want to think about the money or food waste, I just want to take the lazy way out.  I never do, however; because I just can’t let myself, once Pandora’s box has been opened there’s no putting everything back.  However, we can’t tackle everything at once, so perhaps it comes down to educated choice.

I see people all around me living in ignorant bliss, and they seem happy.  But that’s the rub isn’t it?  They seem happy.  Is ignorance ever really bliss?  I’d venture to say, rarely.  Sometimes during family dramas I’d rather just not know, but other than that, I doubt that ignorance for any sustained period of time can lead to sustained bliss.

With every bit of research and knowledge comes choices.  I can choose to be ignorant of the treatment of factory raised, hormone filled chickens and save a bit of money (and not worry about using the bones for stock, etc.) or I can choose to eat meat less often and spend the money on locally raised humanely treated organic chickens for a bit more (and not waste one little bit, by making stock, eating all leftovers, etc.).  Sometimes choices are made for us, based on circumstances and budgets.  I understand that, but that’s not the focus of this rambling little rant.  

These choices vary for everyone because we’re all at different levels of knowledge and experience.  There is also a line in the sand for many of us.  We’re willing to do “this”, but not “that”, or our partners aren’t willing.  We get to a point where we just can’t figure out how to go any deeper as well.  I’ve been there: I know what’s its like to get to a point where you just can’t cross that next line (toilet rags instead of paper is a path I’m just not ready to travel, yet for instance).  I want goats, Jeff doesn’t.  We’re very frugal, I don’t simply see where we could cut back without compromising other priorities (like local & organic).  I do believe it is important, however; to tackle each item as you can and to take each item one step at a time.  It can be overwhelming, heart wrenching, and sometimes frightening not to mention hard and sometimes completely foreign to chose “this” over “that”.

The biggest choice of all, however; is to remain ignorantly blissful or to get educated.  I don’t truly believe that’s an either / or type of question.  I believe we can be blissfully educated.  I believe I’m getting there, educated I mean, I’m blissful.  I think we have to choose education and work that we love and be good at it, while realizing we can’t accomplish every single thing in a day, a week, a year, or a lifetime.  That’s hard for me, I want to get everything accomplished, but sometimes its good to remember that so much of life is in the journey not the destination.  That needs to be my choice today, focus on the journey not the destination or what needs accomplished to get to that destination.

100 Things :: 11) I bring my lunch.

I almost called this one - I brown bag it.  However, I bring my lunches in beautiful, reusable handmade tote bags, not the disposable plain brown paper sacks.

I do bring my lunch to work everyday and I pack Jeff’s too.  We also pack our lunches when we go for hikes, scenic drives, various festivals, etc.  It just seems a better way to ensure our health and our frugal nature.   It also seems the most ethical way to keep disposable items from getting into landfills.

Our lunches are pretty standard - soups in winter, salads in summer.  We usually have some kind of fruit, fresh in season, home canned when not in season.  We pack wraps and sandwiches on occasion.  We don’t generally have leftovers for lunch, however; because we save those for dinner.  I like to include homemade bread, biscuits, muffins, etc when I can as well.

I like packing Jeff’s lunch too in that I find it a great way to connect with him in the middle of a hectic work day even when we aren’t eating a meal together.  Occasionally I tuck a little love note or treat in his bag too, just because.

I’m grateful for my little tote bag sitting in the office kitchen/break room because its an insurance policy of a little bit of home in my office.  It’s also a promise of a healthy nourishing break mid-day to just rejuvenate and in some small way reconnect with my love.

100 Things - #9 I never leave home without my coffee mug.

I do always take my coffee mug with me whenever I leave home.  We have coffee every morning, but sometimes there’s just need for more and I like to have my travel mug with me instead of using the disposable cardboard and/or styrofoam kind.  There are several gas stations in the area that sell coffee refills for 50 cents a cup, too, making my travel mug a slightly more frugal choice, because the same places charge 99 cents or more if you use their disposable containers.  There are several gas stations that sell my favorite locally roasted coffee too for 50 cents a refill, the roaster’s cafes sell the exact same thing for $1.50 a mug.  I know how to bargain hunt. 

On weekend yard sale trips or scenic drives, Jeff and I both take our mugs along and these are the times when we splurge on fancier drinks like a latte, occasionally.  Though we’ll drink plain drip gas station variety as well.  Like my cloth shopping bags, I’m just glad to know there is a coffee mug in the car, just in case.

100 Things - #4 I use cloth shopping bags.  That probably doesn’t come as a surprise to many regular visitors to this blog, but it is none-the-less one of a 100 things about me.

I’ve been using cloth shopping bags for many years now.  I love the convenience and sturdiness of them and have a wide collection.  My cloth bag collection includes many handmade sweeties, treat bags from conferences/seminars, thrifted goodies, and even a few found at various locations over the years that I took home and washed for future use.

I make it a practice to bring groceries in from the car, unpack the bags, and take the cloth bags right back out to the car.  This way I always have the cloth bags with me and I don’t forget them at home when I go to the grocery store, library, or farmer’s market.  On more than one occasion, I’ve been grateful to have these bags in my back seat, they’ve come in handy for more reasons than my shopping trips.

At some point last fall, I made the decision to withdraw from all of my volunteer activities and focus more of my attention, time, and love on home and the people in my life.  While, I like to think my loved ones were never robbed of any of my attention or affection, I can see now how much more of me is available by tightening up my focus.

I realize we’re only in the second month of 2008, but I can feel a real shift in my thinking and my attitude and my energy level for that matter.  I owe that in great part to the “cutting out of fat” from my time and energy.  The activities I was involved in were worthwhile, very much so, but the participation was weak and I was carrying more of a load than I expected.  I came to a point where I realized that if it wasn’t important enough for someone else to step up and help out - its not important and it had to be cut from my life.

I’ve spent these first weeks of 2008 changing my focus to God, home, and loved ones, denying any requests for my presence or time away from those.  It’s not easy for me to say no.  I had an email from one of the organizations and I said I would be happy to review plans via email and give my input but I would not attend any meetings.  They’ve stopped emailing me, and that’s fine.  If I can’t help on my terms, I’m not helping.  Is that selfish?  Maybe, but in the long run I want to know I made a difference mostly in my home and those people who are put in my path.  I can’t make that difference when I’m out trying to save my community when my community doesn’t think it needs saving.

I’m so much more content right now and I can attribute that to less distractions and more focus on what and whom I enjoy.  Focus on my own goals and not those of the organization I’m volunteering for - its not the right season in my life right now to focus on goals other than those that are important to my family.  I struggled with that for a while, I felt selfish and uncaring.  However, I’ve accepted that I can only give so much and I want to give that to what I value most.  That acceptance has given me so much freedom in spirit and mind and I’m so grateful.

Now that we are officially debt free, for the moment anyway.  We’ve been thinking more about our money.  We are a very frugal couple.  We have a good emergency savings, small IRA accounts, and a savings for a house down payment.  However, with the interest rates dropping so is the rate on our savings accounts.  I’ve started doing some reading and investigating on the world of investing and personal finance.  I admit that while I’m a fairly intelligent person, I’m completely dumbfounded and almost overwhelmed by the stock market, mutal funds, etc.  I honestly want to understand it better, I’m unwilling to just take an advisor’s word on what to do with my hard-earned money.  I figure its going to take some time, I may need to take a course or two but I’ll get more comfortable with all these concepts, I hope.  

I’ve started reading personal finance and frugality blogs a little more and have found some wonderful references there for books and other websites.  If you have a favorite book, website, blog, etc. on personal finance and investing please let me know.  I have a great library system here and if they don’t have it I can usually request it from another library.

Also, you have until 5PM (MST) today to enter in my care package giveaway if you are so inclined.  Please enter by commenting on that post.  Folks outside the US can enter, but I will most likely not include edibles (baked goods) if I ship outside the US due to shipping times and freshness issues.

I finished reading The Waste Makers by Vance Packard and wanted to recommend it again.  It was written in 1960 but many of thoughts are very relevant today.

Sound familiar?:

Still, as the sixities have begun with something less than jet-powered take-off, most American citizens are not particularly apprehensive that they would fall into really serious trouble because of thier debts.  They feel that the federal government - whether Democrat or Republican - is emotionally committed to make it safe for them to continue spending.  And it has become increasingly probable that if a notable lag in consumption does develop the federal government will be under massive pressure to manipulate interest rates in such a way that saving will be discouraged and spending encouraged.

He writes in another chapter, something that I continue to worry about and feel that Packard would be even more dismayed about if he was still alive:

A final price that must be considered in assessing the implications of the current drift of American society under the impact of an economy based on ever-mounting consumption is the change it may be producing in the character of the people involved… It is unrealistic to assume that all such pressures are not producing changes at a deeper level than mere spending habits.  For example, a person who finds himself induced to spend beyond his income habitually does not wish to feel guilty about his excesses and welcomes a system of morality that condones such habilts.  Much of the average American’s consumption has been channeled into frivolous or playful or whimsical outlets, which also requires rationalizing… These new pressures are causing ever more people to find thier main life satisfactions in their consumption role rather than their productive role.  And these pressures are bring forward such traits as pleasure-mindedness, self-indulgence, materialism, and passivity as conspicuous elements of the American character.

I could quote on and on but will spare you most of that and say that this is a book worth reading.  It’s not all gloom and doom, Packard does offer some suggestions for hope and change.  He also talks about a movement of the citizens towards change and to me that is obviously the voluntary simplicity movement.  I understand that it’s almost trendy right now to say you believe in simple living; however, I’ve met enough folks in real life and even more online to know that there are good people out there fighting this culture of commercialism and over-consumerism that threatens to ruin so many.

I’ll close this entry with one last quote from The Waste Makers:

The central challenge seems to be this: Americans must learn to live with their abundance without being forced to impoverish their spirit by being damned fools about it.

That very boring photo contains my college loan payment.  The last college loan payment I’ll ever make!  Jeff and I have been slowing paying this bugger off - always more than the minimum payment but in the last 6 months we really stepped it up.  Today, we wrote a check for what amounts to 3 payments and are finished with that puppy.

We are now, officially debt free. 

At least until we find a house to buy…  However, until we find that house we’re socking at least the minimum college loan payment away to pay down any mortgage we’ll incur.