Gardening season for me. It seems the down economy is making it a trend.
I remember reading that the Freakonomics writers calculated that many hobbies, including gardening, actually cost more for the end product than would buying it. I disagree. While my hourly rate for freelance work would be $40.00, I'm doing my gardening on my off days. I'm also getting a workout that I won't have to pay my gym to get. Add on the collective savings of composting my food waste, and oil savings from not buying factory farmed food, and it should add up. I'll have to carry my calculator around this year.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
OK, just a quick one here. I've been reading about the popularity of blogs with "cheap living" advice, a lot of stuff I've been doing for ages. (see: http://zenhabits.net/2007/08/the-cheapskate-guide-50-tips-for-frugal-living/ and: http://beingfrugal.net/)
However, there are a few things out there worth *not* being cheap about.
Organic food: It might be more expensive at the cash register, but that's because it's not subsidized by the Department of Agriculture the same way factory farmed food is. It's also healthier in the long run.
Buying Fair Trade: I can't say this enough. Whether making sure what you buy is from a democracy, or looking for a Fair Trade label, this also pays off in the long run. When a worker is paid enough to live on, they can actually contribute back to the economy.
Supporting Local Business: I'll brown bag my lunch all week so I can have a dinner out at the Greek restaurant down the block from me; I'll also buy most of my clothes at thrift shops so I can support the indie boutiques. Remember, small businesses altogether employ more people than WalMart and pay them better.
However, there are a few things out there worth *not* being cheap about.
Organic food: It might be more expensive at the cash register, but that's because it's not subsidized by the Department of Agriculture the same way factory farmed food is. It's also healthier in the long run.
Buying Fair Trade: I can't say this enough. Whether making sure what you buy is from a democracy, or looking for a Fair Trade label, this also pays off in the long run. When a worker is paid enough to live on, they can actually contribute back to the economy.
Supporting Local Business: I'll brown bag my lunch all week so I can have a dinner out at the Greek restaurant down the block from me; I'll also buy most of my clothes at thrift shops so I can support the indie boutiques. Remember, small businesses altogether employ more people than WalMart and pay them better.
Monday, March 09, 2009
OK, so I haven't been Catholic since I was 13, but I've been reading a lot of interfaith tracts about a universalist practice of Lent. I thought, yes! Secular Lent! Get rid of the dogmatic guilt, and use it as a pre-spring time to clean some garbage out of my life.
So, I'm trying to quit procrastinating. This has not been easy since Mardi Gras was two weeks ago, and I haven't made a blog post about it until today. However, I did start to finish a quilt that's been a backless top until now, I'm purging junk off my dining room table that's been sitting around since last summer, and keeping priorities straight with my sewing - like making the curtains before cutting out a shirt.
Maybe I'll start using some more of the downtime to get going with my Etsy.com site.
On Politics: Can I go on about the delusions of the right wing any more than has been said by any other blogger? I'm getting sick and tired of the "Obama recession" - that started at the end of 2007! I'll apologize to Rush later.
On Pop: It was so nice of all the NYC radio stations to play U2 all week - good of them to help out a struggling young band. I mean, I respect their musicianship and all; I probably won't turn the songs off the radio, but let's be real. Do they really need the help? How about some airplay and CD sales of an African artist instead of having charity money filtered through Bono?
So, I'm trying to quit procrastinating. This has not been easy since Mardi Gras was two weeks ago, and I haven't made a blog post about it until today. However, I did start to finish a quilt that's been a backless top until now, I'm purging junk off my dining room table that's been sitting around since last summer, and keeping priorities straight with my sewing - like making the curtains before cutting out a shirt.
Maybe I'll start using some more of the downtime to get going with my Etsy.com site.
On Politics: Can I go on about the delusions of the right wing any more than has been said by any other blogger? I'm getting sick and tired of the "Obama recession" - that started at the end of 2007! I'll apologize to Rush later.
On Pop: It was so nice of all the NYC radio stations to play U2 all week - good of them to help out a struggling young band. I mean, I respect their musicianship and all; I probably won't turn the songs off the radio, but let's be real. Do they really need the help? How about some airplay and CD sales of an African artist instead of having charity money filtered through Bono?
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