Thoughts

(July 2019 The great recession is in the past but many still live together after experiencing the advantages. Those who were hurt by the problems with the job market and high student debt still may live with family members for several years.) (2009)The poor economy is changing the way many people live their lives. For some, the positives may outweigh the negatives. Families are moving in together, with multiple generations in one household for economic reasons. Americans tend to be independent and want to live on their own but in some other cultures, it is normal for multiple generations to live together in a house. Multiple generations living together can have many benefits if they get along. 1. Sharing expenses. 2. Shared child care. 3. Senior citizens are not alone and are kept busy.Someone can help them if needed. 4. Many things can be shared to make life easier depending on the people themselves. 5. A supportive environment.

Economic Recession 2009

(June 2019 Update. I wrote this during the recession. Everything is fine again. The stock market is higher than it has ever been. Frugality is still a good idea since recessions tend to come and go. Many lives and businesses were impacted by that recession. Students who graduated with certain degrees, including technology and any of the social sciences or arts, were less likely to get jobs in their field of study. By the time the economy improved, their skills were outdated and younger grads got the jobs. For many, the damage was permanent. The job market openings went away temporarily, just a few years, but the increasing student debt did not and will probably contribute to the next bubble in the economy. Time will tell. On a positive note, Christmas emerged just fine.) We are being told our economy could fall into a depression. There are those who are so far in debt, minor changes in the way they live would not help. The housing bubble has burst and many cannot afford the homes they live in, that coupled with increased job loss at all levels. At 7%, that leaves almost 93% still employed of those who are not disabled, retired or children. That's pretty good. The stock market is going down. Not too many years ago there was a push for people to invest in their own private pension plans which are tied to the stock market in various ways. Even for people who own no stocks at all, the stocks affect their retirement accounts. It will go back up. The main people who will be affected by this are those reaching the retirement age in the next couple of years. The market will go back up but those caught in this time period may have to work longer. Most people are cutting back on their spending. We got into that pattern when gasoline prices got very high and the habit has continued even though gas prices went back down quite a bit, less than half of what they were. Gas cost so much, people quit going places, which meant they weren't shopping as much or doing anything else that cost money. Then there is the "Grinch" who wants to steal Christmas. People are buying less because of the economy. At the same time, the secularists, particularly in the public schools, are wanting to downplay Christmas and are working very hard at it. School boards are getting very testy and insulting to parents and others who want to keep Christmas and call it Christmas. They have decided to have only "winter" breaks and "winter" programs in honor of a season. Mentioning Christmas is taboo because somebody might get offended and this is a squeaky clean, no religious value system known as secular humanism. They will tell you they are the "State" and there is to be a separation between church and state. If there is no Christmas, there will be no Christmas gifts which will save everybody a lot of money and headaches. Poor children will not longer feel bad about getting less than other kids because nobody will be getting anything. Is that called socialism? We can get rid of whole industries based on the Christian celebration of Christmas. After all, who gives gifts for a winter non event or non holiday? Think of the economic havoc we could reek if the the masses did as the public schools assert is right. Nothing for anybody. I hope the anti Christmas crowd does not prevail, but it appears it will, since the majority of our children go to public schools that denounce God as a problem to them (they are state and Christ is church) and will grow up to believe that God only belongs in a tiny corner of their lives. Eventually society will fall in line and Christmas as we know it will fall by the wayside. It already is. No Christmas celebration as we now know it is sad but it is economical. We can still go to church to worship, to pray, to remember the birth of Christ and sing and even have a bit of a meal there. Gifts are not essential and never were, neither are the decorations, neither are all the special Christmas food and cookies and candies. So let the state run public schools kill the holiday and the economies surrounding it, all the while denying they are doing so. It's only winter now. I think it is sad and wrong, but there is nothing I can do. It is happening so slowly, nobody will realize this economic impact of the public school policy until it is too late.

Use The Internet

Many places offer discounts and bargains. Before you pay for anything, search the internet to see if you can get a discount or bargain. There are many coupon and discount sites that will pop up if you google what you want.

Slow Down on Your Race To The Grave

Slow down and sit for a while. There is no charge for this restorative experience and it may save your health. Look around you at nature and the beautiful world we have. Sit on a park bench or at an outdoor cafe and watch the people go by. Notice their expressions and the variety of shapes and styles people have. See if you can figure out their nationality by their looks. Think about how an artist would see them. Notice how they move, whether fluid, halting or some other way. Watch the birds and listen to their different calls. Listen to any breeze and the noise it makes as it passes. Look at the clouds in the sky and the patterns on the sidewalks or paths. Enjoy the trees, the flowers, the plants. Notice any smells in the air and see if you can focus on individuals smells. See how many different ones you can detect. Notice the feel of the air and the temperature. How are you sitting there, slumped, straight or otherwise. Notice how you body feels as you sit and watch the world go by. As you concentrate on your surroundings and your senses, your heart should relax and it will be good for you mind, soul, spirit and body. Be alive while you live. If you have a child, watch them play as you observe your surroundings. Teach them to see the things in their environment and to slow down. Go for a walk in nature, or just for a walk through your neighborhood. Most people live in safe places. (If you live in a dangerous place, consider moving. The stress of forever living in danger, plus the possible air pollution and other factors are robbing you of your quality of life and peace.) Walk around your neighborhood and take in all of the details. Notice the people, the cars, the landscaping, the architecture, the various pavements, the smells, the sounds and how you feel as you walk around. Walk each day for your daily "constitution" as the old timers called it. There is no need to hurry. Slow walking has benefits too in feeding the soul and calming the mind. Notice tiny changes from day to day as you take the same path. If you are lucky enough to have a nature center or a park nearby, enjoy all the sights, scents and sounds that are there in abundance. Look at the birds, the squirrels, the chipmunks, the bugs, and any other wildlife that may be around. Enjoy the clean air and the feel of the ground under your feet. Teach your children to do the same. Find a place on your porch or in your yard to sit out and enjoy nature and your neighborhood. You worked hard for your home, so slow down and enjoy it. If you sit in the front yard, you may notice other people and make new friends. There will not be many, but there will be a few. Do these things to take care of yourself instead of going places you really do not want to go with people that you don't care much about while spending money you do not have on things you don't care much if you have or not. Relax instead of mindlessly watching TV shows that you really don't care much about and add nothing to your life while being tempted to buy things you do not really want or need. Slow down, nurture your soul, lift your spirit and live while you are alive. Life is not about stuff and a frenzy of activity. It's about relationships and health.

Food - Bone Soup

Bone soup is very popular right now. It is inexpensive to make and can be high in vitamins and minerals. The bones include marrow and cartilage, which contain the ingredients used to make up supplements for treating aches and pains and bone and joint problems. It is very healthy for people of all ages. Home made bone soup is far healthier than store bought, canned and packaged, broth. Making bone soup is easy. While there are many recipes online, this is the simple way I make it. Bones can be from chicken, turkey, beef, pork, mutton or even duck. For a darker broth and a richer flavor, (my preference) brown the bones in the oven first before boiling, but it is not necessary. Put the bones, with a bit of meat on them if possible for more flavor, in the crock pot and cover with water. I prefer the have the crock pot at least 1/3 full of bones. Let them cook all day in the crock pot. I add salt and a teaspoon of vinegar to dissolve some of the calcium into the broth. I cook it at least 10 to 12 hours. If too much water evaporates, a bit of boiling water can be added (not cold water which can crack a crock pot). If the bones are small, such as with chicken, duck or turkey, I remove them before adding other ingredients. Sometimes, I put the cooked broth in a glass container in the refrigerator over night. If desired, fat that rises to the top as it cools can be skimmed. As it cools, some bone broths will turn to a jell. That's all the healthy stuff. Once the bone broth is ready, any vegetables can be added as desired. Possibilities include, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, greens such as spinach, mushrooms, potatoes, corn, peas, beans, tomatoes, root vegetables, squash and anything else you like. Do not add all of those ingredients at once. Add flavors you like that compliment each other. Adding a starch food, such as rice, noodles, pasta, spaghetti or potatoes is very good, inexpensive and filling. I like to add herbs and spices to my broth, depending on my mood at the time. A broth can be made spicy by adding cayenne or red pepper flakes to the broth. (I am not fond of spicy food.) I like a bone soup, either chicken or beef, cooked with rice, a handful of mushrooms and sometimes a bit of celery or onion. It's wonderful comfort food and not expensive. In Asia, where noodles are king, bone soup will be made of pork bones, and noodles and a few vegetables, such as a carrot or green onions, will be added to the cooked broth. It is very inexpensive. If you choose ingredients that are inexpensive, and that you like, this soup is very economical and satisfying.

# 60 Decluttering as Frugality

As I declutter my home and put things in order, I am finding things that I can use. By using what I have already, I save. When things are a bit too cluttered, items can be lost and it costs extra to buy a duplicate of something you have because you cannot find the original (some people will buy several because they lose the items many times in clutter).

Amazing

The more I go to thrift stores, (second hand stores) the more I wonder why people would pay a lot of money for many kinds of things. I see things, like new, for a quarter or fifty cents or a dollar that cost quite a bit more new. Some of it is in the original package still. Bunches and bunches and bunches of everything one can think of.

I don't want all that stuff. It is overwhelming. Every once in a while I buy an item if I like it. All that stuff brings to mind thoughts of "what is really valuable in life anyway?" Some of these things come from the estates of people after they die or have to downsize and go into a nursing home. There is a kind of emptiness in owning just to possess things. You can imagine some things for sale there were never used because they were being kept for "good". They should have treated themselves and used what they liked instead of settling for lesser things.

The things of the world pass away but our souls are eternal. Thrift stores are a wonderful place to get whatever is needed inexpensively. But they remind me of the words of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. Some of what we humans chase after is not worth it, like chasing after the wind.

Utility Bills Price Increase

The Springfield City Utilities are raising their rates on electricity, water and gas some each year for 3 years starting this October 2010. My figures look different than theirs using the same numbers but expressing it in a different way.

Electric for the average user costs $68.21 now.
In Oct 2013, it will cost $86.22
$86.22 - $68.21 = $18.01 or a 26.4% increase above today's price.

Gas for the average user is $60.78 now.
The 2013 price will be $74.53
$74.53 - $60.78 = $13.75 or a 22.6% increase above today's amount

Water for the average user is $20.83 right now
In 2013 the same customer will pay 28.09 for the same amount
$28.09 - $20.83 = $7.26 or a 34.8% increase over the current price.

The quest for a frugal person is to cut back on usage by that amount without sacrificing quality of life. The utility company doesn't really want customers to do that because they are counting on the extra money. From a financial standpoint, they probably want us to use slightly more, not less.

Here are some random ideas to cut usage. Not all will be practical for anybody, especially if you live in a neighborhood association area.

Water
Use water saver shower heads.
Take short showers.
If you are a really sedentary person, if you have lots of trouble with dry skin or if you don't stink and aren't filthy, don't take a bath or shower every day. It wasn't too many years ago people only bathed once a week. (If somebody tells you you stink, do us all a favor and take a quick shower anyway)
Use dishpans to hand wash dishes then throw the dish water out on the garden or flowers like grandma used to do. The soap in the water kills the bugs on the vegetables without using poisons.
Only wash full loads of clothes. Wear clothes more than once if they are not dirty or stinky. Some items can be worn many times unless you are sloppy or work with snotty nose kids who wipe their faces on you and slobbering animals. Get overalls for dirty jobs and wear them over and over to protect your clothes.
Reuse towels instead of washing after each use.
Use mulch and compost in your gardens and flower beds to retain moisture so they do not need as much water.
If you do not own a low volume flush, there are kits available to make them use less water.
Wait until the dishwasher is full to run it.
Replace drippy faucet washers and fix leaks to stop water loss.
Do not leave water running while you leave the room or do other things. Turn it off when not in use.

Electric and Gas.
-Same as savings for washers and dishwashers. Only run them when they are full.
-Electric dryers (gas too) Pull clothes before completely dry and let them finish air drying on the hanger.
-Use a clothesline for as many things as possible. If you live in a neighborhood that is more aesthetically aware than environmentally friendly, a clothesline in the garage or a clothes rack in a bathroom or laundry room can work. I use an umbrella type line that collapses when not in use. It is in a patio umbrella stand so I can move it around or remove it easily. Ace hardware sells the umbrella type clotheslines here but walmart does not.
-Turn out lights and all electricity using devices when not in room.
-Use low wattage energy saver light bulbs in lights that stay on a lot such as a porch light. Some people like to use these everywhere but for some with vision problems, the quality and type of light is hard to see by. Also, the lights contain mercury and may be a health hazard over the long term. Proponents say they don't break, but they do. They also smoke in some outlets and they do not work at all with a dimmer switch.
-Or use bulbs with a lower wattage.
-For those who are not too proud, in fixtures using 3 or 4 bulbs, use one less for a 25% to 33% savings. Leave a burned out bulb in one.
-LED lights are on constantly on many things like TV's, DVD players, stereos etc. They draw small amounts of electricity continually but it can add up. Put all such devices on surge protector strips and turn off the strip when not in use.Want to see how many such devices you have? At night turn out all the lights and look around the rooms for little red lights. Some experts say those little lights emit something that interferes with our sleep patterns so are not very healthy over time. But that's a frugal health issue and somebody somewhere will say "there is no evidence" and "you can't prove it". Can't disprove it either. So I'll continue to do my own thing.
-If you have to replace your furnace or air conditioner, get an energy saving model. They do not save you any cash for many years so don't go out and buy one you don't need. Sometimes there are rebates for the energy efficient models.
-Use solar lights near the home entrances instead of porch lights if you are in a low crime area.
-Trees that lose their leaves in winter and shade the house in summer save electricity. Plants near the house can do the same thing. Shade house in summer and protect from wind and the elements in the winter.
-In summer, close shades and curtains to keep the hot sun from worming the house even more. In winter, open shades to allow the suns rays to warm the house.
- Buy and use insulated curtains and shades to keep heat out in summer and cold out on winter nights. Insulated windows are good if you have them but they are not cost effective to purchase as it will take many years to recover the extra cost of purchase.
-Caulk around windows and doors to reduce heat and cooling loss.
-Replace your furnace filter regularly.
- Insulation in the walls and attic should be increased if need be. It is expensive and the person living from paycheck to paycheck cannot afford it. Like any other major home improvement, the savings take a long time to show up.
-In winter, use a crock pot to cook meals. It uses very little electricity and warms whatever room it is in over a few hours.
- Turning down the furnace several degrees and using a space heater for the room you are in can cost less than heating the whole house a few extra degrees.
-Close vents in the foundation of the house in the winter to keep cool air under the house to a minimum.
- In older houses, the electric switch plates and outlets on the outer walls are not insulated. Small insulators for them are very inexpensive and easy to install.
- Turn down the hot water heater. Put a special blanket on it to retain heat longer and reduce heat loss. Take shorter showers.
- Wash most clothing in cold water.
- Cook several items at once in the oven and on the stove.
- In summer, cook outside as often as possible or choose foods that require little or no cooking such as salads, sandwiches, etc.
- Use a programmable thermostat. No good for us right now because people are here 24/7 coming and going. With sons in college, working night and early morning shifts, etc, there is no off time. But for normal households, this works well.
- I put skirts on the bottom of my doors going outside to keep the wind from coming under the door like they do in motels. If it were not an old house, it might not be an issue.
- On really hot days, I put up the patio umbrella on the back patio near the house to provide a tiny bit more shade to the house.
- I'm considering an acceptable wind break on the front porch and back patio by the doors.
- Insulating the garage doors from the heat and cold.
- Check the chimney for heat and air loss.
- For the super cheapie person. Turn off everything you can, turn the heat down in winter or the ac up in summer and go spend your time in a public building using your computer or whatever. Use their water, electric, etc instead of yours. If you can shower in another location, such as a gym you belong to, all the better.


The challenge for me is to see if I can use less utilities so my bill does not go up with the price increases. Now a mathematician will tell me I am wrong but I don't care. It's just a rule of thumb. I added all 3 percentages together, divided by 3 and came up with an approximate overall increase of about 28% over the next 3 years. It's going to be a challenge to cut that much. Time to go to the hardware stores and browse the aisles.

Sleep

Sleep is good. It keeps you healthy. And that saves money.

Old Fashioned Ways

A slower lifestyle can be both money saving and healthier. Think about the way people lived 40, 50 or more years ago. There are some things we would not want to do without, such as air conditioning. But there are other things that might matter less.

Spend more time walking outside and less time walking around stores buying things you do not really need. Get more fresh air.

Spend more time with people and visiting than doing things that cost a lot of money. In the end, the quality of your relationships will be a major determinate in the quality of your life.

Do less. Have less. Yes, you can. Your life is not the sum total of what you possess. It sometimes gets in the way of life because you have to tend the stuff rather than enjoy peace and rest and relationships.

Drink lots more water. It is inexpensive and it is much healthier. You'll live longer with less ailments.

Dry your clothes out on a clothesline. The sun does a better job of killing bacteria and germs than bleach and with no harmful fumes like bleach.

Eat food as close as possible to the way they occur in nature. It costs less to eat a banana than a banana creme pie from the frozen food aisle and it is healthier. Eat your fruits and vegetables. Avoid processed cheeses and cured or processed meats. Many of our current health problems are the result of our dietary habits. It costs a whole lot less to eat 5 to 7 fruits and veggies a day than it does to take lifelong medications, have surgeries and deal with all the medical needs stemming from our bad food choices. There's a lot less pain and suffering too.

Bake, boil and broil your foods rather than fry them. If appropriate, eat foods raw, such as carrots. You save money by saving your health. Heart trouble and diabetes and knee surgeries are expensive.

Eat at home. Simple, healthy meals are much better for you than the salt and fat laden items served in restaurants. Eating sitting at a table and not rushing leads to better digestion. Saves money on the anti acid pills.

Turn off the a/c or heat when the weather is nice and open your windows to let in fresh air. Unless you live in a very polluted city or have severe lung problems already, this is healthy. And healthy is frugal.

Buy clothes that can be washed at home. Do not purchase clothes that must be dry cleaned. Dry cleaning is not frugal. Dry cleaners use chemicals on the clothing to clean them. Over time you are exposed to these chemicals which are considered not very good for your health. Healthy is frugal.

Worshiping the Lord is frugal. How? People who attend church and have faith in the Lord live longer, are happier and are healthier than those who do not. Researchers have concluded this. Why? People in church have friends and social contacts. Those correlate to a better life. They have faith and purpose and life has meaning. Things that make one healthier. People who are faithful in worship tend to have healthier lifestyles than those who do not, drinking, smoking, doing drugs, and other high risk behaviors tend to be avoided more. Prayer is time of quiet and tends to slow down the heart rate so the body is more relaxed, a healthy thing. Singing lifts the spirits and stimulates chemical reactions in the body that encourage better health. It also gives the lungs a work out and increase dopamine in the brain which lead to a sense of well being.

Frugal Living

There are so many good coupoons available for restaurants and businesses right now, both printed and on line. Why pay full price when the same meal can cost half as much?

#59 Halving

Look for ways to divide things in half for savings.

I found a special on big dog bisquits, but my dog eats medium ones, so I bought them and break them in half for my dog to eat.

Some people order a prescription double dose of what they need and split the pills so they last twice as long for the same price.

There are people who cut a dryer sheet in half and only use half for each load of laundry. For clothes that are not really dirty, half the amount of laundry soap may be enough.

There are times when a product is on sale and you and a friend can split it half and half, each getting what you need and only paying half.

Some restaurants have very large servings for a good price. Split a meal. Some restuarants charge extra to put it on two plates for you but almost none charge you if you split it yourself. Splitting it yourself gives you more control over the amounts of each item that each person gets in accordance with their preferences. For large servings and small appetites, you might even want to consider splitting an entree 3 ways. Ditto for desserts.

#58 Dollar stores

Check out the "everything for a dollar" type stores. They sell many things, that cost as much as $3 to $5 at other stores, for a dollar each.

#57 Bird Feeder Kit

I bought a bird feeder kit at the hardware store for a little over $2. It amounted to a handle and a cap that fastened to a 2 liter bottle with a place for the birds to land, a small saucer for the birds to feed out of and small openings for the seed to drop through. The birds are loving my cheap, 2 liter plastic bottle, bird feeder.

#56 Bring Your Own Bags

I've started bringing my own bags shopping and stores take off a nickel a bag. One of our stores had a special sale, 3 for $1 cloth bags and I had coupons for a few dollars off any purchase from another offer. At that rate I save around a dollar a week, sometimes less.

While I am at the store, I shop in all the bargain bins for reduced merchandise of the things we can use. If it is not half price or lower, I do not consider it a very good bargain since it is overstocks, discontinued items, items close to or past date, dented boxes and cans, ripped bags and that sort of thing. Recently I was able to get bird seed that had been repackaged due to ripped bags at a very good price. Birds don't care even if the ripped bags had to be gathered off the floor.

#55 Fresh Herbs

Grow your own fresh herbs in a small flower bed or in indoor pots. Small plants or seeds are inexpensive and will grow and furnish you with fresh herbs, sometimes for years to come if they are perennials.

#54 Rent

When you need something for one event or task, check into renting what you need rather than buying it and storing it. This might be party or entertaining supplies, home or yard improvement equipment or tools, sports equipment, special clothes for a special occassion, camping supplies and more.

#53 Birthdays

Make your own birthday cakes from scratch or from a box mix. The ones you make yourself taste great, cost less and are probably healthier (bakery cakes often contain a lot of shortening or fats). Decorate with inexpensive candies in the frosting.

Start some traditions such as a birthday table cloth or placemat, a special plate for the birthday person (one plate that birthday people get to use it on their birthday) possibly from a dollar store, maybe an inexpensive birthday hat for the birthday person, maybe an inexpensive banner that appears whenever a person in the house has a birthday, a few balloons on the table or in a place where they can be seen, and maybe making the birthday person's favorite meal on their day. Making someone feel special has more to do with getting special attention than it does spending a lot of money.

#52 Offspring

Instead of rushing around to take the kids to all their various activities, limit the number of activities they participate in to those that are most important to them. Decide to live a lower key life. It will save you money on gas, on equipment, on travel expenses, on registration and other fees and many more related expenses.

Everybody needs "down time" just to relax. People who are constantly on the go develop stress related illnesses like migraines, ulcers, acid reflux and many other things. People who do not stop to rest and let their mind and bodies renew themselves pay for it in less creativity, less ideas, often more heart troubles and may even go to an earlier grave. The effects of long term stress are well documented.

Overscheduling kids does not give them the opportunity to make choices. As an adult, they will not be able to do everything. Limit setting ability is best taught early. When a kid is overscheduled, the world of the family revolves around them. That is setting them up for an unrealistic idea about how life works. Not only that, all that overtending of the children sends Mom (and Dad)to an early grave and to a host of stress related conditions on the way. Parents do not usually give birth to children so they can become slaves to them. That's crazy. Past generations did not behave that way.

Save money on medications for stress, anxiety, reflux, headaches, body aches, sleep problems and much more for the whole family by slowing down and letting your body and soul renew themselves.

#51 At Home

Spend more time at home. Fix your meals there. Do not go shopping for recreation. Do not cruise town and do unnecessary driving. Enjoy your family. Enjoy your home. Spend time out in your yard. Rearrange your furniture if you have the health. Be content with what you already have. Use up those things you have been saving. Adopt a simpler lifestyle.