Frugal kitchen tips. . . .

By the end of March, I was committed to not making a trip to the grocery store to replenish my refrigerator and cupboards (I will admit to purchasing more coffee---it gets ugly around my house when there's no coffee). I started cruising the recipe sites (like Allrecipes), where I can enter the ingredients I have and want to use, and the site spits out a few recipes that might work for me. In this way, I was able to make it through March, and even made use of some items in the refrigerator that would have gone bad had I not used them up. . .

In any case, this end-of-month desperation not only resulted in my spending a bit more time in the kitchen, it also inspired me to search for other ways I could save money in and around that crucial room; after a search of my beloved internets, here's what I found:

• Challenge yourself. Last month, Money Saving Mom challenged herself to eat from the pantry for two weeks! With a husband, two little girls, and a little one on the way, going two weeks without a trip to the grocery store is the definition of a challenge, but she made it through! This is similar to what I did, although with just myself to feed, I think my challenge was probably a little easier.
• Make use of the freezer. I have three sad, BLACK bananas on my counter. I never ate them, yet I can't seem to throw them in the composter yet. A friend suggested making banana bread, but I think they're even past that use (these are some OLD bananas, folks). What I didn't know is that I could have peeled and frozen those bananas before they got really bad. Apparently, freezing fruits and vegetables is a time-honored way of preserving them until you need them, and there are many ways to go about doing this, according to this website.
• Apropos of that last bullet, growing your own fruits and veggies can be a great way to save money during the summer and fall months. And knowing how and when to freeze them is a wonderful strategy to enjoy your bounty throughout the year! I've started my seeds and am (im)patiently awaiting my first tomato of the season. According to this CNN article, many Americans are growing what's being called 'Recession Gardens' this year. I think this is one of the few positive reactions to our dismal economic environment.
• Don't forget the leftovers! Since I'm usually so busy during the week, I've been trying to make a large batch of something (lasagne, stir fry, a casserole, etc) on the weekend. That way I have a nice Sunday dinner, but more importantly, I have lunches for the rest of week, making it much less likely that I'll go 'round the corner to Chipotle for a $7 burrito!
• Mom was right when she told you to eat your vegetables. A diet that is lower in red meat and higher in fruits, grains, and vegetables is not only healthier for you, it's cheaper! You may even live longer, according to research. I recently came across an article that shows that people who eat proportionally more red meat are more likely to die from cancer and other diseases.
• Eat locally, and eat with the season. I can't tell you how many times I've paid three times more for a piece of fruit in January, that grows in my area (or at least the western United States) in the summer. Where is that winter peach coming from? Probably someplace very far south of Portland, that's for sure. So not only am I paying a premium for the fruit, my craving is adding to carbon emissions to get the darn thing here!

I'm sure there are many more ways to save money in the kitchen, these are just my favorites, and the most realistic for my life. Perhaps you're into drying fruit, or canning, or raising chickens, and if so, I commend and admire you!

Frugal energy use. . .

I've been toying with the idea of getting one of those 'Kill-A-Watt' devices, that you can hook up to various electronic appliances to see how much electricity they're using. However, since I'm on The Compact this year, this purchase would eat into my six 'freebies' (six items that I can purchase new, so I don't go completely crazy) unless I could find a used one.

When I was using the MagicJack phone system a few weeks ago, I had to keep my computer on all the time. It really bothered me! In fact, it bothered me so much that I sent it back with a 'thanks very much but I want a refund' message. I wondered how much electricity my computer was using just being on but idle during the evening or day when I was sleeping or at work. Of course I turned to the trusty internet to answer my questions. . .

First, I found this article on the green section of Yahoo that discussed the facts and myths surrounding standby electricity use. I was surprised to learn that set-top cable boxes and DVR machines are the worst offenders as far as drawing power even though they're technically not in use! Although these items can't really be shut off (the whole idea of a DVR is to work when you're not around, after all!) there are other ways consumers can reduce their utility 'footprint' around the house.

Probably the most helpful resource for consumers wanting to decrease their utility bills is this comprehensive list from the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Researchers actually tested and measured the energy usage of a variety of products---when they were on, when they were in 'sleep' mode (as with a computer), and when they were off but still using power for some reason (such as the coffee maker with a clock). The results are pretty fascinating (and maybe the fact that I'm so interested in this has just exposed my inner nerd, but I don't care).

I was particularly interested in the results for a desktop computer (which I was using with the MagicJack). For example:

• The average watts consumed by a computer that is on, but idle: 73.97
• The average watts consumed by a computer that is off: 2.84
• The average watts consumed by a computer that is in sleep mode: 21.13

Since it's impossible to put the computer 'to sleep' with the MagicJack, my computer was consuming quite a bit of energy while I was at work or asleep, just to keep my "free" phone service working! Not worth it from a financial standpoint, or from an environmental standpoint, in my opinion.

It's also important to point out that while none of the individual products on the Lawrence Lab table was a huge energy 'vampire', when the energy use of those appliances are taken as a whole, you can see how decreasing the standby power of just a few (or all) would make a difference.

Yet another reason to avoid pre-packaged foods. . .

As part of my frugal adventure, I've cut my grocery bills by buying less pre-packaged foods and cooking more of my own meals from scratch. Not only does this save me money, it cuts down on the amount of plastic and other items that go straight to the landfill (even recycling is a drain on resources. . .).

Now, as if to add more weight to this, I came across an article in the Los Angeles Times that discusses the toxins that are present in food packaging. Carcinogenic toxins! The EPA is considering regulating this type of packaging (great for the environment and great for us) but this hasn't happened yet.

So, just one more reason to buy fresh foods and avoid those packaged mini-pizzas and other 'convenience' foods. Not only will they steal money from your wallet, they may also steal your health. . . .

Watch out for price increases. . . .

We're all struggling with the price of gas---now that it's well over $4.00 a gallon, I know I've changed my commute habits in the past month to drive even less than I did before. But what other products might potentially increase in price as a result of the high price of oil? Some items you might not expect, like:

Lipstick: 100% of the ingredients and probably much of the packaging in lipstick are made from petroleum products.

Paper: while paper is mostly derived from trees, as you would imagine, what you may not know is that 25% of its production relies on petroleum products (such as the process of turning pulp into paper).

Tupperware: resin, which is used in the production of this plastic product, is set to increase by about $5 million in 2008, leading to at least a slight increase in the price of this ubiquitous product.

Asphalt shingles: the price of re-roofing your house just went up. Asphalt shingles are made out of what's left when crude oil is refined. Might want to consider getting that new roof now, rather than waiting!

Shampoo: everything from the plastic for the bottle to the actual ingredients in your sweet smelling shampoo could be derived from petroleum products. Even the glue on the back of the label is made out of a petroleum product!

Tires: 62% of a tire comes from petro-ingredients, including the artificial rubber and the carbon blacking.

Pretty much anything made out of plastic could increase in price over the next years. So how can you avoid spending more on household goods?

• Try to avoid purchasing items packaged in plastic, for example laundry detergent, or purchase products that have been 'concentrated' and therefore downsized in terms of their packaging.
• Attempt to purchase items in packaging that can be re-used; did you know you can buy your shampoo from some beauty supply stores, and just bring in your own containers?
• Use both sides of your paper when printing; re-use paper for taking notes, making grocery lists, and composting.
• Think about replacing things like tires and roofs sooner rather than later, to avoid paying higher prices that are sure to come.
• Avoid non-essential items that contain petroleum products. This would be difficult for me, a lipstick fanatic. I feel naked without it. Then again, I had no idea it was filled with oil products.

Again, I'm seeing an overlapping benefit to saving money and helping the environment. The less plastic products I purchase and throw away (or even recycle), the better for the environment. At the same time, by reusing my old tupperware and using my lipstick down to the nub I'm saving money, which is always a good thing.

Not to beat a dead horse, but. . . .

Okay, I swear this will be the last post (for awhile, anyway) about the joys of public transportation and the potential for saving hundreds of dollars by ditching the car. I just have to share a website I found, through the night job, of course! It's called 'The World Carfree Network', and it's an entire movement, begun in Europe ten years ago, to support government and citizen investment in alternate transportation options. The best part, they're holding the first U.S. conference ever, in Portland next week: 'Carfree: towards carfree cities'.

I won't be able to attend, unfortunately, due to both my day job and my night job (I'm working six days a week for the foreseeable future), plus the fact that the registration fee is $440! Even by using my student status, I'd be paying $125 for the week. However, it appears that the conference will be broadcast over the internet at some point, so I intend to check out the video link for (hopefully) free access to the information presented at the conference.

I'm hoping that events like this will convince not just big cities, but also suburban and rural areas, that public transportation is a worthwhile investment. I relocated from a relatively rural area two years ago in order to be in a location that provided ample bus and light rail systems, but I don't think everyone should have to move to a city to benefit from money-saving commute options.

In the meantime, for my rural and suburban readers, how about carpooling? This is something I could have done before I lived in Portland---but driving my car gave me such a feeling of independence (and gas prices were still low enough) that I just never followed up on the opportunities. Now that I'm relying more and more on public transportation, I get that same feeling of freedom by leaving my car in the garage. . . .

Saving money on your commute. . . .

As I was eavesdropping on the light-rail (Max) system the other day, as I often do, I listened in on a conversation between two gentlemen discussing their commute. They talked about how long it normally takes to get to work via driving versus public transportation (not much less, when traffic lights and other drivers are taken into account), and more importantly, they went into great detail (to my delight) about how much they're saving by riding the Max versus driving their "gas guzzlers" (their words, not mine).

One of the men explained that he pays $20 a week to ride the Max (clearly, he doesn't have a TriMet pass, as I think this might save him some money), while it costs him $57 per week to fill his SUV's gas tank each week! That's a $37 a week savings, which would be, let's see, $148 in savings per month! Each of the men felt that riding the light rail system was a much better option than spending the money filling their gas tanks.

A few weeks ago, I broke down the cost of riding the Max versus how much it would cost me to drive to work, including gas and parking. I calculated that I save over $100 a month by not driving to work! It appears that with the recent rise in gas prices, which aren't supposed to decrease any time soon---if at all---Americans are seeking public transportation options and driving less than ever before! According to this article on CNN, Americans drove 11 billion miles less this March than in March of 2007! That's a 4.2% decrease! Meanwhile, Americans took an astounding 10.3billion trips on public transportation in 2007, an increase of 2.1% over the year before.

Although this may be an unpopular opinion, I'm kind of happy to see gas prices rise to the levels they have (we've enjoyed artifically low prices for decades anyway). If the rise in prices forces local governments to invest in public transportation options for people in suburban and rural areas, and if people are then enticed into saving energy by carpooling, driving less, and weatherizing their homes to save on heating and cooling costs, then a $2 or $3 rise in gas is a benefit to the environment. So far, I've been able to keep my gas usage steady: my home gas bill was $4.24 last month, which is even lower than it usually is in the summer, and my auto fuel cost has hovered around $40 a month, although I'm having to be more and more creative about getting around without using my car.

Being green to save green. . . .

Last month, I wrote a post illustrating how little garbage I've created, since I began living more frugally. I'm much more conscious of what I buy, and therefore, the items that I throw away.

In doing some additional reading about even more ways to save money, I compiled a list of behaviors that will not only contribute to your pocketbook, they will help you live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle!

Line dry: The book I'm currently reading describes all of the resources and energy that go into creating a cotton t-shirt (growing the cotton, picking the cotton, transporting it, making it into cloth, etc); did you know that just drying that t-shirt in the machine over the life of the garment results in double the resources used? Kind of astounding, really. According to this website, you could potentially save $135 a year by not using the dryer!

Cloth diapers: Think you can't save money this way? Well, Trent over at The Simple Dollar actually analyzed this, and found that if you do it right, you actually can experience savings! And think of all the plastic you'll keep from sending to the landfill.

Invest in a thermos or re-usable hot/cold cup: This alone has probably saved me hundreds already. Because I bring my own coffee to work, I have no need to go to the local coffee-shop, where I'm likely to purchase an overpriced muffin along with my overpriced mocha! Added to this is the fact that I'm not using cardboard or styrofoam coffee cups. Think of the other foods you can put in a thermos: soups, tea, chili, anything you'd like to stay warm (or cold)!

Let the lawn go: While pretty, lawns are some of the most environmentally unfriendly plants to have in your yard. They use lots of water, and if you have a gas-powered mower or edger, you're adding to the pollution in your neighborhood. I won't even go into the dangers of pesticides getting into the storm drains and thus into local streams and rivers. Let your lawn go a few more weeks before cutting it. Let it go brown in the summer---it'll come back, I promise! Better yet, plant wildflowers, succulents, or other unthirsty plants in its place!

Collect that rainwater: Along with the lawncare, consider getting a rain barrel or other water collection device, so you can put that rainwater to good use in your garden. I dread my water bill every quarter, and am always looking for ways to conserve. Get Rich Slowly actually has an interesting post on this as well. . . .

Start a carpool: Many, many people don't have access to great public transportation, like I do. How about getting together with your coworkers (or people who work in your general area), mapping out where you all live, and learning whether you might be able to help each other save some money (and the environment) by carpooling to work?

I know some of you out there (you know who you are) have been living frugally for years; can you think of things that you do or have done that can help save money and reduce pollution at the same time?

Frugal support, part deux. . . .

Wednesday, I met with a small group of people in the Portland area who are also pursuing increasingly frugal habits, attempting to spend less, save more, and basically reduce our own contributions to a society filled with overconsumption and waste.

While the group was small, it was interesting and included the following (names and genders have been changed to protect the frugal):

John: recently moved to Portland, and while the transition has been a smooth one, he wants to learn how to live on less and save more. He shared some of his strategies, which include using coupons, lighting his home with candles in the winter to reduce energy usage (this sounds so cozy), and taking public transportation when he can.

Ann: has been living by the tenets of Your Money or Your Life for the past two years. As a result of insight gained from the book, she decided to sell her house and now rents an apartment. She is also a fan of the Tightwad Gazette, which is a wonderful (though giant) book of hundreds (possibly thousands) of frugal tips. This is someone I think I can learn from.

Jeff: Jeff is an entrepreneur, and was primarily interested in issues related to consumerism, greed, and more 'global' problems. The rest of the group, including myself, were more interested in discussing what we, as individuals, can do to live more frugally. Still, an interesting person.

Mike: Mike is married with a child, and, like John, also recently relocated to the Portland area. He is also a member of a "green parenting" group, which sounds interesting. Although he's been in the city for a short time, he's already made contact with other vegans and those interested in forming a food co-op.

This was our first meeting, and I sincerely hope we can manage to get together again. I'm definitely going to suggest meeting with one or more of the people who were there to discuss voluntary simplicity and frugal issues in more depth.

Frugal veggies. . . .

Apropos of my new interest in Urban Homesteading, I found an article today that discusses the concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). This is a system in which community members work on a local farm for a specified amount of time (for example, two hours a week) in exchange for free produce.

This sounds like a great option for people who live in apartments---I have a small yard, big enough to grow tomatoes, zucchini, and lettuce (my beans are just about ready to put in the ground). I know people who don't have the luxury of a yard, though, and since I'm considering a move to a condo or apartment (I'll discuss this on the blog later when I've thought this through a bit), I felt sad at the 'loss' of space for vegetable growing.

I was curious about opportunities for this in my area, and just did a basic google search on CSA and Portland. It turns out there's a book called Sharing the Harvest, which is described by our local Powell's Bookstore as a must-read for people who are considering either growing their own backyard harvest, or joining a CSA. The authors came to Powell's and spoke on March 10 (darn, I missed it!).

Another valuable bit of information is a link to the Dancing Roots Farm, which offers memberships to individuals who want fresh produce grown locally. According to the website, the cost is $435 for 26 weeks of fresh vegetables (from late May through Thanksgiving). No work on the farm is required. Other benefits? Farm fresh eggs, food preserving workshops (I need this), free range meat orders, and u-pick blackberries. As evidence that the CSA movement is taking off, all the memberships for 2008 are sold out!

I encourage you to do a basic search in your own area. Do you have access to this type of membership through a local farm? What is the cost? Would it be worth it to you and your family to have locally grown, fresh produce available? Can you see yourself working 2 or 3 hours a week on a farm in exchange for produce?

Frugal side effects. . . . .

Pictured to the left is my accumulation of trash for the month of May. This bag represents the items that couldn't be composted or recycled, and as you can see, the bag is quite small---about the size of a full-grown cat---and it isn't even full yet! I estimate that I will get away with this one bag of trash, plus one from the bathroom, for the entire month!

About three months ago, I switched from weekly trash pickup to monthly service, saving myself about $12 a month--this made me nervous at first (I imagined smelly garbage overflowing from the trash can, raccoons and feral cats setting up shop outside my house, and neighbors picketing in my driveway in opposition), but soon I realized that I could probably get away with even less frequent trash pickup (unfortunately, there aren't any plans for service every two months. . . .)

Now, granted, I live alone, and when friends and family come to visit, they generally don't bring their garbage with them, but one of the reasons my trash accumulation has decreased so substantially is due to a frugal lifestyle.

I'm paying greater attention to the items I purchase: I buy in bulk, and often bring my own bags or re-use packaging (like Quaker oats tubs); I shun pre-packaged food or items that are individually wrapped (these are usually more expensive anyway); I compost tons of vegetable scraps and shredded paper; I fill my recycling tub religiously (this is still picked up weekly).

When I started thinking about simple living, frugality, and downsizing my expenditures last year, I never considered the fact that I would also be minimizing my footprint on the earth. I was so focused on my debt, my income, my expenses (and the widening gap between those last two), that I didn't pause to consider the positive side effects of living a more frugal life. Now I can see that I'm not only bringing more 'green' to my bank account, I'm greening the environment too!

The Urban Homesteading movement. . . . .

One of my all-time favorite articles in the past couple of weeks was written by Lynnae, at Being Frugal. The reason I loved it so much is because it introduced me to a brand new term, called 'Urban Homesteading'.

Urban homesteading is the practice of growing one's own fruits and vegetables (and learning to preserve them), making do with what's around the house rather than running out to 7-Eleven or Target for an overpriced plastic doo-dad, and spending time on making food from scratch, rather than purchasing packaged food. In short, urban homesteading is about frugality!

More people than you think are probably already heading in the direction of urban homesteading. In fact, last week while eavesdropping (because that's the kind of person I am) on the bus, I listened to a very interesting conversation between two women, both of whom raised chickens---both for the meat and for the eggs. They talked about how much better tasting fresh eggs are, and also mentioned that they often sell the eggs they won't use themselves, thereby passing their bounty on to others in their neighborhoods.

Contrary to what you might think, an urban homesteader isn't someone who wants to 'live off the grid', sew all of her garments, or grow cotton to be made into fabric. These aren't tie-dyed hippies with unwashed hair (not that there's anything wrong with that. . .). Instead, urban homesteaders are like the two women I saw on the bus: they looked like they were heading off to respectable jobs downtown, they were well-dressed and well-spoken, and obviously knowledgeable about raising chickens.

In reading further about this growing phenomenon, I came across another website devoted to the topic, called Reality Sandwich, which says:

"We are not alone, and we didn't invent this idea. Urban homesteading is a movement, a quiet movement of sensible people making the smart choice of disconnecting ourselves in healthy ways from an increasingly untenable reality and creating our own culture from the ground up. We live better, we eat better, we're saving the planet. What's not to love?"

I would amend that last statement to: "we live better, we eat better, we're saving the planet, and we're saving money". This summer, in an effort to minimize my trips to the supermarket, I'm increasing my 'crop' of vegetables in my little garden. Last year, I feasted on the most amazing tomatoes, and by July I hope to be eating lettuce, zucchini, more tomatoes, and beans! According to this news story, I'm not alone in this; more and more Americans are growing their own food in urban settings.

By the way, if you think you can't grow amazing vegetables on a small lot, see this video, about a seriously green family who grew 6,000 pounds of food on a 1/5 acre lot! To read more about the Dervaes family, check out their blog, here.

I remain fascinated by this topic, for many reasons. It speaks to my growing commitment to frugality and simple living, while being inherently good for the environment. I'll be reading more about this as time permits, and will share any interesting ideas or tips that I discover! If you have any comments about urban homesteading, I'd love to hear them!

Frugal transportation. . . .

As I gazed out the window of the bus this morning, watching frustrated drivers jockeying for position on the road, I wondered to myself: "What's stopping these people from jumping on a bus or the light rail system? Don't they know how much money they could be saving"? Then I stopped to consider: I actually don't know whether I'm saving any money at all by taking public transportation to work---it's just something I've assumed.

I don't really question whether I'm saving money---I must be---I just don't know how much. And I want to know! So, I set about using my limited math skills to work out how much I'm saving by NOT driving my car in to work each day.

According to Yahoo maps, I live about 10 miles from work, so my daily round trip mileage would be in the 20 mile range. My car gets around 20 mpg in the city. Not great, but not bad either, especially for a 13 year old sedan. So basically, I'd be using one gallon of gas each day I drove to and from work. That would equal 20 gallons a month (1 gallon per day, five days per week, assuming four weeks in the month). At around $3.75 for a gallon of gas, I'd be spending a minimum of $75 a month just to gas up my car to get to work!

And I'm not done yet! Incredibly, a parking pass at my university costs $93 a month! A month!!! Now, that's just ridiculous. I'm up to $168 a month just for the privilege of fighting morning and afternoon traffic (also ridiculous) to get to work. This doesn't include money spent on auto maintenance associated with putting more miles on a car: tire replacement, more frequent oil changes and tuneups, for example. I can't even begin to estimate those costs.

And guess how much my monthly pass for the TriMet system costs me? $31. And, get this: it's taken out of my check pre-tax!! So, really, it probably costs me less than that when the tax savings is added in. Now, granted, my pass is subsidized by the university. For a comparable pass without an employer discount, a commuter would pay $76 a month. Still a great deal!

I have to admit, I do drive to the transit center closest to my house to park. This is about four miles roundtrip. So that's 20 miles (or one gallon of gas) a week. Which means that I should add $15 to my TriMet pass cost (4 gallons of gas for the month times $3.75 per gallon of gas) for a grand total of $46.

So, in summary, the "inconvenience" of taking public transportation (which really isn't much of an inconvenience at all) is saving me a grand total of $122 a month! More, if I were willing to add auto maintenance costs into the equation (I'm not). Even a driver paying the full $76 for a TriMet pass would save $92, assuming they also drive 10 miles each way in a vehicle that gets around 20 miles to the gallon.

Again, I'm no math whiz, so I can't vouch for the accuracy of my addition and subtraction (we won't even go into multiplication and division). If you see a glaring error, please let me know! If not, consider your own transportation costs---is there a way you could realize substantial savings by taking the bus, walking, or biking to work?

Finally Frugal's Weekly Roundup. . . .

In honor of Earth Day, my weekly roundup will focus on green issues (with a little money saving advice thrown in, of course!)

Cash Money Life published a great post that includes 12 daily activities to save Mother Earth---and save yourself some cash, as well!

Debt Free Revolution writes about re-using plastic containers. I refill my water bottles again and again---I no longer buy packs of water, because they're just not environmentally friendly. Plus, bottled water is expensive---and is just tap water anyway!

Get Rich Slowly tells us how to stop junk mail---an incredible waste of trees and resources!

Sasha at Consumerism Commentary wrote a wonderful post about paying more for certain things because it's the right thing to do. She calls it ethical consumerism.

Generation X Finance comments that perhaps the consequences of rising food costs will be beneficial to us as a society.

Punny Money is 'right on the money' when he writes about the 55,000 "eco-terrorists" who purchased Hummers last year.

Paula over at Queercents discusses the cost of going green, and the personal choices we can all make to both save money and help the earth.

I hope you enjoy all of these posts as much as I did! Happy weekend, everyone!

Frugal driving. . .

The average cost of gas shot upwards of $3.50 a gallon yesterday, and there is some major squawking going on in the news, in blog posts, and in other online forums! As I drove the 3 miles home from the transit center today, I realized that I'll have to go over my budgeted $30 for gas this month---which is still not a lot compared to SUV (or other gas guzzling) drivers out there who are paying upwards of $300 a month to keep their vehicles going. I'm glad I was able to switch wireless providers, as the added $20 a month will more than cover my higher gas costs. Eventually, I'm going to buy a used, lightweight bike, and ride to the transit center in good weather.

When I read the comments about how much rising gas prices are affecting budgets, I can definitely empathize and relate---up to a point.

But really, we in the United States have been incredibly lucky to have had extremely low-priced gas for years---when I studied abroad in Europe (twice, 15 and 20 years ago), gas was over $4.00 a gallon! That was about four times more than Americans were paying at the time. Who knows how much gas costs now in Europe---but I can tell you, there are far fewer Cadillac Escalades on European roads, and many more efficient, smaller cars.

Second, everything else being equal, an additional $75 or $100 shouldn't be killing anyone's budget---if it is, I'd have to question what they're driving, what they've been spending on other areas (like mortgage, eating out, and vacations), and whether they're driving efficiently in the first place. The problem is, food prices are going up too---that means we're getting a double whammy in terms of how far our money is being stretched.

I guess the real bummer is that higher gas prices are here to stay. We will never see $2 gas again. So given this new environment, how can you save money at the pump?

Ditch the SUV and buy an efficient, used car. Yes, I know, there are people with families, and dogs, and stuff that they need to carry around in their car. Europeans and others outside the U.S. seem to get by without driving a Ford Excursion; I think Americans can probably survive it too.

Walk, bike, or take public transportation. Yes, I know it might take a little longer to get to and from work. Slow down. Enjoy the trip. Catch up on your reading. Take the opportunity to downshift. Make walking home or riding the bus a time to connect with your partner or your kids, if you are bringing them home from school or daycare.

Keep your tires inflated. This is something I rarely pay attention to. Luckily, I have a neighbor across the street who gives me a yell when he notices that my chronically-low back tire is looking dangerous.

Get a tuneup. Yep, this costs some money. But it might save you more than that in better gas mileage. Plus, your car will last longer over the long run.

Avoid idling. Now, this just annoys me. Walking past a line of idling cars at the transit center waiting for their human 'pickup', makes me crazy! It makes me want to knock on the window, shake my finger, and give 'em a piece of my mind. I don't do it, because I don't have a death wish. Turn the car off when you're not driving it.

Combine trips. I used to be one of those people who would run to Target, go home, remember something I needed at the grocery store and go out for that, come home again, then run out to the library. All of these places are within a two mile radius of my house. Making lists before leaving the house has helped me to group my errands within one trip, meaning fewer back and forth trips.

Slow down. Your parents were right. Slow is better. Not only is it safer to drive the speed limit, you'll be increasing your car's efficiency and reducing the amount of fuel your vehicle uses.

These are just some of the many tips that are floating around the internet right now. Can you think of any that I've missed?

Carnival of Environmental Issues. . .

My post, 'End of Suburbia', was included in the Carnival of Environmental Issues, over at Wiggly Wigglers website. Thanks, Wiggly!

End of surburbia. . . .

I watched a great documentary this weekend, called 'End of Suburbia'. It was made in 2004, and discusses the issue of peak oil (the theory that we've extracted the greatest amount of oil from the earth that we ever will, and from now on oil production will decrease). America's extreme depenence on oil and natural gas is mentioned again and again, and the consequences of slower oil production are dire.

What I found so fascinating, is that in 2004, the 'oil experts' basically predicted the situation in which we find ourselves in 2008: extended war in the Middle East, high food prices due to increase in ethanol demand, worldwide recession, and high gas prices.

The documentary was frightening, but it also made me consider what I can do now to help wean myself, at least, off oil and gas and help save money on food. Here's what I'm doing already, and what you can do too:

1. Use public transportation, if it's available. I moved to Portland, in part, because I wanted to live somewhere with a great bus, light rail, and bike lane system. I drive less than 5,000 miles a year, and possibly less than 3,000. I'm considering buying a lightweight bike so that I can ride to the transit center rather than driving and parking, to decrease my car use even further. As a side benefit, I'm saving tons of money on gas!

2. Grow your own food. Last year I planted three tomato bushes that grew to about 7 feet tall! I had tomatoes coming out my ears, and was able to give away much of what I grew. This year, I hope to plant more than tomatoes: lettuce, squash, cucumbers, and beans may be added to my little vegetable plot. Growing and buying food locally is something that the documentary mentioned several times.

3. Be conscious of energy usage in the home. Because I've been trying to save money on utilites, I've kept my thermostat at 58 degrees this winter. Yes, I was cold! But not as cold as I thought I'd be: I wore layers, including a hat, and tried to keep moving while in the house. I was also more aware of unplugging the TV/DVD, powering down the computer when I didn't need it, and unplugging the microwave. I saved money, but perhaps more importantly, I'm learning to live with less energy, something that won't be an option in the future, according to the documentary. In other words, we'll be forced to live more consciously, because the choices available and the costs of energy usage will be prohibitive.

4. Bring your own bags! To the grocery store, that is. Many stores will give you a 5 cent refund if you've brought your own bags. Plastic bags aren't biodegradable, and they're made with petroleum products to boot, so cutting back now and bringing your own bags to the grocery store will save money and help keep plastic out of our garbage bins and waterways.

5. Go vegetarian. Okay, I have to admit, I haven't gone totally vegetarian. But, to be honest, the only time I really eat meat or poultry products is when I'm eating out---either at a restaurant or at a friend's house. Eating less meat is great for the pocketbook and also for the environment: raising just one cow uses an astronomical level of energy and natural resources. Is that burger really worth it?

While most of my lifestyle changes have been driven by a need to save money, I realize that I, too, am doing my part to decrease my carbon footprint. What are you doing? More importantly, what creative tips can you give me and my readers about this issue?

The new epidemic: Affluenza. . . .

I've been waiting for literally three months for a PBS documentary called Affluenza to become available at my local library. I think when I placed my hold on it, there were 46 people ahead of me! Needless to say, I had totally forgotten about it when I read a post on WiseBread with a link to the documentary on YouTube!

The piece is about 10 years old, which isn't really a problem because the comments about American consumerism still hold true today. Note that in one of the segments, gas is shown at $1.28 a gallon!!! Wow. The most disturbing part, I think, is a segment in which a Disney marketing guru talks about 'owning' and 'branding' children----so they'll buy Disney products rather than some other company's plastic, throwaway toy. Basically, this documentary is a commentary on the U.S. 'earn and spend' mentality, how we got here, and what the consequences will be for our economy and our environment. I also own the book, which I promise to review at some point in the near-ish future.

The documentary has been divided into six parts on the YouTube site, probably because the entire video would have been too long to post. I've created links to each of the six parts:

Affluenza: Part 1 of 6
Affluenza: Part 2 of 6
Affluenza: Part 3 of 6
Affluenza: Part 4 of 6
Affluenza: Part 5 of 6
Affluenza: Part 6 of 6

Snarky note: Ted Haggard, of the New Life Church in Colorado is also briefly featured, talking about how to have a successful marriage/family life: he's the big-time pastor who was accused of homosexual relations with a gay man.

Frugal utilities . . . .

One of my goals since last fall has been to consistently use less energy---both electricity and natural gas. I've been successful in this, although on the electricity side my bill was larger last month than it was a year ago----not because I used more energy (I used less) but because the per-Kilowatt price increased.

This just means that I need to decrease my energy usage even more, in order to make up for the increased price of electricity. How can I do this?

• Unplug appliances when not in use: I've been trying to unplug the microwave and the TV/DVD when not in use, but I think I'm going to start also unplugging the coffeemaker and possibly the computer (this makes me nervous, for some reason) when I'm out of the house.
• Lower the thermostat on the water heater to 120 degrees: I've been meaning to do this for ages. What's stopping me is that my water heater is under the house, in the crawl space. Along with hundreds (I'm sure!) of cobwebs and spiders and who knows what else. I need to bite the bullet and just climb down there and DO IT.
• Take short showers instead of baths: Wow. This one is hard. Especially in the cold months, there's nothing I love more than a hot bubble bath, with a good book and a glass of wine. I'm going to try to limit my baths to a few (3) times a week. I'll search the Salvation Army for an egg timer to limit my showers, too.
• Use compact fluorescent bulbs: Happily, I already do this. I had my local utility provider come to my house last year for an 'energy audit', and unbeknownst to me, this included about ten free CFL bulbs (he would have given me more, but I felt guilty!) as well as low-flow showerhead and faucet for the kitchen sink!

I'll start these new habits on April 1st, to see if this makes any difference in my April/May energy bill, compared to last year.

What's going on in the blogosphere. . . .?

It's pretty quiet in my personal finance world, so I thought I'd create a compilation of recent posts from other personal finance and/or frugality blogs:

Lynnae at BeingFrugal posted a great article with suggestions for frugal spring break activities. For those with kids, there are some helpful tips on how not to blow the budget while entertaining the children.

Along the same lines, FrugalMomLA has posted some links to websites for the pre-Kindergarten to grade 2 kiddos.

J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly asks the question, "how to live simply, without looking cheap"? Something I've struggled with as I attempt to have a social life while living frugally.

Meanwhile, Moolonomy explains why a penny saved is actually better than a penny earned.

The Simple Dollar (which I haven't visited for quite some time) reviews a book called The Little Book that Builds Wealth. This is book five of a series of investment books by Wiley Publishing. Today, maybe I'll do a search of the site for a review of the first in the series, so as not to miss anything.

As for me, I'm all set to go out and help and friend celebrate her birthday tonight, and am planning to eat before I go----and I'll be driving, so that means my alcohol consumption will be limited. I'm hoping to keep the entire evening under $10, including the drink I plan to buy for the birthday girl.

Enough!

Sigh. I arrived back in Portland from Mexico last night, and am now preparing to get back to work. After a week of relaxing on the beach, eating freshly-caught fish (and drinking freshly-blended margaritas), and meeting new friends and getting reacquainted with old ones, sitting in front of my computer just seems wrong somehow!

Anyway, now that my Mexican interlude is over, it's back to the daily grind, and I realized I've never written about my night job---the one that is allowing me to repay my debt more quickly.

My moonlighting job involves web research related to environmental health, and many times I come across articles that are relevant to me (and to the planet!) vis à vis consumerism and waste. Here's just one example:

Last week The Herald published an interesting opinion piece, written by John Naish, the author of Enough: Breaking Free from the World of More. This is not a book that I have personally read (nor have I even heard of it) but it sounds like something that would appeal to me as a person who is attempting to live a simpler life. Mr. Naish explains that we often purchase items when we’re unhappy or anxious, as a way to fulfill some emotional need.

In fact, studies have shown that the ‘feel good’ chemical dopamine is activated when we’re on the ‘hunt’ for a new item. Interestingly, this chemical reward is highest when we’ve located our item and are considering a purchase. Once we’ve sealed the deal and the purchase is complete, the dopamine effect flattens, and we are hit with ‘buyer’s remorse’.

Naish suggests two ways we can help ourselves control the urge to splurge:

Attitude Adjustment: we need to stop thinking that some thing is going to make us happy, even though we are already surrounded by enough stuff in our homes and offices to provide satisfaction for years to come. The key here is expressing gratitude for the things we already own, instead of striving to own more. In fact, Mr. Naish cites a study that provides evidence that those of us who are more appreciative and grateful exhibit more happiness and less need to assuage our emotions with retail therapy.

Decide to Have Enough: related to the attitude (and behavior) adjustment noted above, is the idea of simply deciding that what I have is already enough. Obtaining more and more stuff can make us less happy, because we spend time, energy, and money on searching for, purchasing, cleaning, maintaining, and insuring the stuff that we bring into our lives. This gets in the way of spending quality time with our families and other loved ones---the ‘thing’ that really brings happiness (and doesn’t add one iota to global warming, I might add).

J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly also recently wrote about the concept of ‘enough’, and how being satisfied with what we have can be the key to personal wealth. Check it out!

“You can never get enough of what you don't need to make you happy.” ~Eric Hoffer