FOMO: fear of missing out
A fairly new acronym for me. It was used quite often in the recent mania regarding the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I read all the blog posts. I even bought something: a set of underwear for Frugal Son.
I get excited by sales as much as the next person. Probably more. I was raised by two sale-addicted parents. I am, in fact, writing this while taking a break from my on-going and inefficient efforts to declutter.
BUT--back to FOMO. As a little experiment, I put some of the most-touted items from the Anniversary Sale on my Nordstrom Wishlist. Guess what?
Though most of the items sold out, many have now reappeared...at even lower prices. The two Brahmin bags, the two Longchamp bags, various sweaters: all are now 50% off. One sweater I coveted is 65% off.
They are, of course, selling out even as I type. Still, seeing that Wishlist helped me a lot. I can wait till next year.
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Showing posts with label Blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blogging. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Why Keep Working?
The Great Recession knocked down the stock portion of my retirement accounts by almost 50% and led to the firing of the three tenured French teachers. In a panic, I discovered the Firecalc site (Financial Independence/Retire Early??) and learned from their easy to use calculator that even with my much-diminished accounts and even if both Mr FS and I were let go because our program was eliminated, we WOULD NOT END UP DEAD in the STREETS. We would have a very, very, very humble retirement, to be sure, but we would NOT DIE in some Dickensian institution for the impoverished.
That comforted me. Fast forward, and--though no raises in all that time--we are still working and our equity portions have, as they say, recovered. Also we now have a combined age of 124, rather than a combined age of 110. Our life expectancy has--perforce--gone down. So a fairly humble retirement probably looms, but not as humble as it looked in 2008-09.
The people who post on Firecalc are either eager to retire ASAP or ecstatic to have done so. Many seem to be or have been highly paid folks in IT, engineering, and so on. Some even had a stock option windfall. WORK is a dirty word on the site and is humorously typed as w*rk.
Then, while goofing around recently, I read some blogs that I don't usually visit. A common theme was the lack of structure and meaning in retirement. And that is precisely why I keep working: not just because of the structure and meaning (teaching is meaningful work however you slice it), but because of the goofing around.
I should mention that because of serious budget issues (Great Recession again), there are no classes on Friday--to save on energy. Hence our schedule. We teach two VERY LONG DAYS a week, and can then do the rest of our work at home. And, since we don't teach in the summer (we are FRUGAL), we have a lot of flexibility there too. I think if we were working 50 weeks a year, 5 days a week, I would be longing to retire.
Another thing: teaching is like a mortgage. When I began, I was always in a panic. I would read twenty articles to figure out how to teach a little sonnet. Now I know how to teach many, many things. And teaching new things is not an occasion for so much anxiety. The time I spent in preparation a long time ago has "paid off" after all these years.
So why keep working? If I retired, I would have to find meaningful pastimes. Every day. I would goof around too much. I would feel guilty.
As it is, the meaning and purpose are taken care of by my job. In between tasks, I can goof around without (too much) guilt. I can even write a blog post.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Thrift Store Treasures: Reality Check
The wonderful Hostess of the Humble Bungalow made a visit to my blog (so honored to have her). She left a comment to the effect that I must have the best thrift stores in the whole wide world. Time for a reality check.
Interestingly (and I think related, so bear with my rambling), Hostess was hit with a blog comment of the nasty kind, jeering at the lovely life she chronicles in her blog. According to the anonymous commenter, Hostess had things so easy blahblahblah. Hostess, of course, responded with the truth: that a blog leaves a lot of stuff out. In her case, she chooses to feature the beauty in everyday life. She omits a lot. The blog is not one's WHOLE life.
In a similar vein--though not, thankfully, responding to nasty comments--I have to say that the thrift store treasures I mention now and then are the highlights of many, many hours of mostly fruitless wandering. It is a wandering I find pleasurable, though I would probably go a lot less if I didn't find a lot of things needed by family and friends. Most of what I find is very workaday stuff (potholders for Frugal Son's new abode, for instance).
So here is an incomplete accounting.
I started going to thrift stores around 1980 in Bloomington, first to clothe myself and then to make a bit of money to replace my TA income. I then moved to Houston, where the thrift stores were too far from where I--carless--lived. There were incredible yard sales (I lived in a prosperous area), but Houston is full of very poor people, so the competition was tremendous. I then moved to a small town in Michigan, with a little college in the midst of a town decimated by factory closings. The thrift store was--not surprisingly--incredibly depressing. Then I moved to a small town in Indiana, with a surprisingly good thrift store (though it was the most disgusting thrift store I have ever seen). One summer, I was in a seminar in Evanston, which had probably the best thrift stores I have ever frequented (combo of extremely affluent college students--transient population--and extremely affluent residents). And now I'm near New Orleans.
Here are the high points of my acquisition, in no particular order:
--the recent cache of Italian stuff (Pucci, Dolce, Leger, Missoni)
--a Chloe dress which amazingly fits my daughter (featured on blog a while back)
--2 vintage Gucci bags (little fabric GG ones, with stripes)
--1 alligator Mark Cross vintage bag (WHERE IS IT???)
--Hermes scarf (Feux de route)
--Hermes cashmere sweater
--Dries van Noten blazer and cashmere sweater
--numerous lesser cashmere sweaters
--a Missoni sweater that my daughter wears (she looks good in orange)
--brown Chanel loafers
--maybe 5 Hermes ties and 5 Ferragamo ties
OK, that's perhaps 40 super-amazing items. In 34 years. One-point-something PER YEAR.
Interestingly (and I think related, so bear with my rambling), Hostess was hit with a blog comment of the nasty kind, jeering at the lovely life she chronicles in her blog. According to the anonymous commenter, Hostess had things so easy blahblahblah. Hostess, of course, responded with the truth: that a blog leaves a lot of stuff out. In her case, she chooses to feature the beauty in everyday life. She omits a lot. The blog is not one's WHOLE life.
In a similar vein--though not, thankfully, responding to nasty comments--I have to say that the thrift store treasures I mention now and then are the highlights of many, many hours of mostly fruitless wandering. It is a wandering I find pleasurable, though I would probably go a lot less if I didn't find a lot of things needed by family and friends. Most of what I find is very workaday stuff (potholders for Frugal Son's new abode, for instance).
So here is an incomplete accounting.
I started going to thrift stores around 1980 in Bloomington, first to clothe myself and then to make a bit of money to replace my TA income. I then moved to Houston, where the thrift stores were too far from where I--carless--lived. There were incredible yard sales (I lived in a prosperous area), but Houston is full of very poor people, so the competition was tremendous. I then moved to a small town in Michigan, with a little college in the midst of a town decimated by factory closings. The thrift store was--not surprisingly--incredibly depressing. Then I moved to a small town in Indiana, with a surprisingly good thrift store (though it was the most disgusting thrift store I have ever seen). One summer, I was in a seminar in Evanston, which had probably the best thrift stores I have ever frequented (combo of extremely affluent college students--transient population--and extremely affluent residents). And now I'm near New Orleans.
Here are the high points of my acquisition, in no particular order:
--the recent cache of Italian stuff (Pucci, Dolce, Leger, Missoni)
--a Chloe dress which amazingly fits my daughter (featured on blog a while back)
--2 vintage Gucci bags (little fabric GG ones, with stripes)
--1 alligator Mark Cross vintage bag (WHERE IS IT???)
--Hermes scarf (Feux de route)
--Hermes cashmere sweater
--Dries van Noten blazer and cashmere sweater
--numerous lesser cashmere sweaters
--a Missoni sweater that my daughter wears (she looks good in orange)
--brown Chanel loafers
--maybe 5 Hermes ties and 5 Ferragamo ties
OK, that's perhaps 40 super-amazing items. In 34 years. One-point-something PER YEAR.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
St Patrick's Lost and Found: Geaux Saints
As we await our certified letter's redelivery, we continue to suffer dental stress and distress. How about St Patrick's Day (and the traditional New Orleans parade the Saturday preceding) as a stress-reliever? Celebrations were marked by things lost and found, but the stress of the lost was far outweighed by the de-stress and delight of the found. This is turning out to be a year of saintly interventions: I can now add St Patrick to St Anthony (the prayer of a thrift store customer to St Anthony led to immediate recovery of my grandmother's bracelet.) As the signs and tee shirts of football fandom proclaim in New Orleans:
THE LOST: The New Orleans St Patrick's Day parade is huge and noted for its throws: in addition to the usual beads and flowers, spectators vie for cabbages, potatoes, and carrots. So exciting! A frugal parade! Unfortunately, the parade was running rather late and Mr FS and I had to head home before the big floats with the cabbage-givers rolled by. Not to worry: we had Frugal Son in attendance. He wanted cabbage for his homemade kimchi, which is not a traditional Irish recipe. But Poor Frugal Son. He had a bag of seven cabbages. He walked a few steps away for a few seconds to say hello to a friend. When he turned around, the bag was gone. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
THE FOUND: As our group of four crossed Magazine Street en route to our chosen parade spot, I felt eyes upon me. I looked into the eyes of a young man. We were locked in a stare. Finally, he mouthed "Dr Frugal???" I ran over and he gave me a hug, reminding me that he had taken classes from me. I asked him to remind me of his name and he said "My name is Josh, but you always called me another name, which you said suited me better." As we walked away, I retrieved my memory from the file cabinet in my brain. Josh was a psychology major who took one of the dreaded (to many students) required literature courses. He was very smart and more interested than most. He fell in love with Paradise Lost and always vowed he would take a Milton course if it was offered while he was in school. A few years later, the course was offered and--lo and behold--there he was. He held his own with the advanced English majors too.
As we walked back from our stint at the parade, we came to Magazine Street once more. And there he was again. He came over and said "I always loved you as a teacher." And I said "I always loved you as a student." Another hug and then I remembered. I said, "Isn't funny? I always called you PATRICK."
LOST AND FOUND: A few years ago, I was whining in this very space about how I wanted a second Hermes scarf. Amazingly, a blogger with a beautiful spirit sent me one and, also amazing, it arrived on my birthday. The scarf was designed by Kermit Oliver, the only American to design Hermes scarves. When you read about him and view his artwork, it is clear that he too has a beautiful spirit. In addition to gifting the world with remarkable images, he has suffered tragedy beyond my efforts to process. Any powers of empathy I possess are not sufficient.
This scarf has come in handy. I wear it when I teach Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, whose plot hinges on the gift of a green scarf. I also wear it on St Patrick's Day. And when I looked for it in my scarf area, IT WAS NOT THERE. I looked and looked. Even though I am a certified slob, I always keep my two Hermes scarves in their place. This one is especially valued because of the giver and because of the artist.
I suffered through several hours before and after work of looking in various unlikely places. Then I found it. It had slipped from its spot (HOW???), crossed to the other side of a small closet, and ended up next to Mr FS's socks. Oh, how I hugged that precious piece of silk to me! Just like poor Sir Gawain, for whom, unlike for me, taking the scarf was a sin.
I'd say that in the LOST AND FOUND of St Patrick's celebrations, I have received much more than I lost. Frugal Son mentioned that the mom of one his friends might give him a few cabbages from her parade stash. So we may have kimchi after all.
THE LOST: The New Orleans St Patrick's Day parade is huge and noted for its throws: in addition to the usual beads and flowers, spectators vie for cabbages, potatoes, and carrots. So exciting! A frugal parade! Unfortunately, the parade was running rather late and Mr FS and I had to head home before the big floats with the cabbage-givers rolled by. Not to worry: we had Frugal Son in attendance. He wanted cabbage for his homemade kimchi, which is not a traditional Irish recipe. But Poor Frugal Son. He had a bag of seven cabbages. He walked a few steps away for a few seconds to say hello to a friend. When he turned around, the bag was gone. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
THE FOUND: As our group of four crossed Magazine Street en route to our chosen parade spot, I felt eyes upon me. I looked into the eyes of a young man. We were locked in a stare. Finally, he mouthed "Dr Frugal???" I ran over and he gave me a hug, reminding me that he had taken classes from me. I asked him to remind me of his name and he said "My name is Josh, but you always called me another name, which you said suited me better." As we walked away, I retrieved my memory from the file cabinet in my brain. Josh was a psychology major who took one of the dreaded (to many students) required literature courses. He was very smart and more interested than most. He fell in love with Paradise Lost and always vowed he would take a Milton course if it was offered while he was in school. A few years later, the course was offered and--lo and behold--there he was. He held his own with the advanced English majors too.
As we walked back from our stint at the parade, we came to Magazine Street once more. And there he was again. He came over and said "I always loved you as a teacher." And I said "I always loved you as a student." Another hug and then I remembered. I said, "Isn't funny? I always called you PATRICK."
LOST AND FOUND: A few years ago, I was whining in this very space about how I wanted a second Hermes scarf. Amazingly, a blogger with a beautiful spirit sent me one and, also amazing, it arrived on my birthday. The scarf was designed by Kermit Oliver, the only American to design Hermes scarves. When you read about him and view his artwork, it is clear that he too has a beautiful spirit. In addition to gifting the world with remarkable images, he has suffered tragedy beyond my efforts to process. Any powers of empathy I possess are not sufficient.
This scarf has come in handy. I wear it when I teach Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, whose plot hinges on the gift of a green scarf. I also wear it on St Patrick's Day. And when I looked for it in my scarf area, IT WAS NOT THERE. I looked and looked. Even though I am a certified slob, I always keep my two Hermes scarves in their place. This one is especially valued because of the giver and because of the artist.
I suffered through several hours before and after work of looking in various unlikely places. Then I found it. It had slipped from its spot (HOW???), crossed to the other side of a small closet, and ended up next to Mr FS's socks. Oh, how I hugged that precious piece of silk to me! Just like poor Sir Gawain, for whom, unlike for me, taking the scarf was a sin.
I'd say that in the LOST AND FOUND of St Patrick's celebrations, I have received much more than I lost. Frugal Son mentioned that the mom of one his friends might give him a few cabbages from her parade stash. So we may have kimchi after all.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
A Gift from Alaska to Serbia: Thanks, Donna
Everyone knows that gifts are as wonderful to give as to receive. Miss Em, dear daughter, will be far away in Serbia (mostly Novi Paar) till at least June. She is under the watchful eye of the Fulbright Program, but still...
She is a teaching assistant of English--and a bit embarrassed to be called Professor by one and all. She has been the recipient of much generosity, in a poor country (by US standards) where even highly skilled professionals (like doctors) cannot find employment.
Since I love to find stuff for people, I have been on high alert. I wrote about the gifts of a non-stick pan (about $70 in Serbia!) and Fidji perfume soon going off to their new homes in the suitcase (lent by yours truly) of Mr. C.
Now I'm looking for smaller things. So far, I have acquired Opi nail polish that was at a good price at Big Lots. I will be on the look out for small items from Bath and Body Works, which are coveted by many young women. And now: some handmade earrings from Alaska! How cool is that?
Thinking "How cool would that be--something from Alaska for someone in Novi Pazar?," I did something uncharacteristic: I entered a blog contest. Donna Freedman's contest. Donna wrote a wonderful post several years ago on how one could live on $12,000 a year (or around that sum) and--NEWSFLASH--be happy. I can't seem to find that post anywhere, so instead will link to her current blog, which is the repository of much wisdom.
Must be karma. Thanks again Donna.
She is a teaching assistant of English--and a bit embarrassed to be called Professor by one and all. She has been the recipient of much generosity, in a poor country (by US standards) where even highly skilled professionals (like doctors) cannot find employment.
Since I love to find stuff for people, I have been on high alert. I wrote about the gifts of a non-stick pan (about $70 in Serbia!) and Fidji perfume soon going off to their new homes in the suitcase (lent by yours truly) of Mr. C.
Now I'm looking for smaller things. So far, I have acquired Opi nail polish that was at a good price at Big Lots. I will be on the look out for small items from Bath and Body Works, which are coveted by many young women. And now: some handmade earrings from Alaska! How cool is that?
Thinking "How cool would that be--something from Alaska for someone in Novi Pazar?," I did something uncharacteristic: I entered a blog contest. Donna Freedman's contest. Donna wrote a wonderful post several years ago on how one could live on $12,000 a year (or around that sum) and--NEWSFLASH--be happy. I can't seem to find that post anywhere, so instead will link to her current blog, which is the repository of much wisdom.
Must be karma. Thanks again Donna.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Can You Get Rich With Burritos?
Even though I read lots of blogs dealing with (supposedly) frivolous topics, I am at heart a frugal girl. Married--thank heavens--to a frugal guy. And the parent of--even more thank heavens--two frugal offspring.
As a frugal girl, I crave contact with other frugal types. Sadly, with the exception of my colleague Merton, I have no one to discuss such topics as "What is the best stock-up deal at Piggly Wiggly this week?" Yes, even though I am a teacher of literature and love to show my students how certain words reverberate through Hamlet, I find such discussions compelling.
Needless to say, the blogosphere was a godsend to frugal girl in search of frugal friends. Sadly, most of the frugality blogs seemed to devolve into "Make more money blogs" stuffed with ads for payday loans. Then I discovered Mr Money Mustache. Get it?
A lot of people must be in search of frugal friends, because his posts get 100 comments! He's a guy who saved 3/4 of his engineer's salary for about 10 years and retired. Not to sit around, but to do other stuff. And yes, he has a family. While I don't aspire to early retirement (in fact, MR FS and I are at the age OF retirement), I believe in frugality as a general principle. So I've been blissing out reading through his posts. Ahhhhhhhhh.
One of his themes is "Get rich with." Get rich with the library. Get rich with your bicycle. These are not new ideas. Even the great Amy D of Tightwad fame admitted there was nothing new under the frugal sun. But how much more compelling to say "Get rich with" rather than "Save money with."
I have some new frugal apprentices this year: Miss Em's friends Mr C and his roommate C. They are Americorps volunteers. Mr FS and I send Miss Em off with 100 frozen homemade bean and cheese burritos each semester. We learned last year that Mr C was eating a lot of them.
Guess what? Mr C is a very smart fellow, having achieved knockout scores on his SATs and--we hope--on the MCAT. He learned how to make burritos himself. Then C started eating them. Now they make burritos together.
Can you get rich with burritos? They cost around 30 cents a piece. If you eat two or three for dinner a few times a week instead of the usual more costly options, well...you do the math. I may ask Mr C to work it out: he majored in Economics.
As a frugal girl, I crave contact with other frugal types. Sadly, with the exception of my colleague Merton, I have no one to discuss such topics as "What is the best stock-up deal at Piggly Wiggly this week?" Yes, even though I am a teacher of literature and love to show my students how certain words reverberate through Hamlet, I find such discussions compelling.
Needless to say, the blogosphere was a godsend to frugal girl in search of frugal friends. Sadly, most of the frugality blogs seemed to devolve into "Make more money blogs" stuffed with ads for payday loans. Then I discovered Mr Money Mustache. Get it?
A lot of people must be in search of frugal friends, because his posts get 100 comments! He's a guy who saved 3/4 of his engineer's salary for about 10 years and retired. Not to sit around, but to do other stuff. And yes, he has a family. While I don't aspire to early retirement (in fact, MR FS and I are at the age OF retirement), I believe in frugality as a general principle. So I've been blissing out reading through his posts. Ahhhhhhhhh.
One of his themes is "Get rich with." Get rich with the library. Get rich with your bicycle. These are not new ideas. Even the great Amy D of Tightwad fame admitted there was nothing new under the frugal sun. But how much more compelling to say "Get rich with" rather than "Save money with."
I have some new frugal apprentices this year: Miss Em's friends Mr C and his roommate C. They are Americorps volunteers. Mr FS and I send Miss Em off with 100 frozen homemade bean and cheese burritos each semester. We learned last year that Mr C was eating a lot of them.
Guess what? Mr C is a very smart fellow, having achieved knockout scores on his SATs and--we hope--on the MCAT. He learned how to make burritos himself. Then C started eating them. Now they make burritos together.
Can you get rich with burritos? They cost around 30 cents a piece. If you eat two or three for dinner a few times a week instead of the usual more costly options, well...you do the math. I may ask Mr C to work it out: he majored in Economics.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
A Gift from singlemomrichmom: Early Retirement Extreme
Waiting on my doorstep: a package from Canada. Hmmmmm. Yes! A book sent to me by the great blogger singlemomrichmom: her copy of the fascinating tome by the very interesting Jacob, of earlyretirementextreme.
I'm thrilled to have the book. Jacob brings the brains of a physicist to questions about how we might want to live. For a taste of his way of thinking: he has a post titled not How much do you need to retire, but How little do you need to retire?
I'm probably too old to retire very early, plus I like my job. Still, it's inspiring to see what one can do.
So thanks to Jacqjolie for her generosity. Check out her blog: it's a great read.
I'm thrilled to have the book. Jacob brings the brains of a physicist to questions about how we might want to live. For a taste of his way of thinking: he has a post titled not How much do you need to retire, but How little do you need to retire?
I'm probably too old to retire very early, plus I like my job. Still, it's inspiring to see what one can do.
So thanks to Jacqjolie for her generosity. Check out her blog: it's a great read.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Be Patient, Please. Intermittent Internet Access for a Few More Days
Thanks. I am out in the boonies.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Two Amazing Reads on PF and Frugality: John Bogle and Une Femme
Oh, how I love John Bogle of Vanguard. He is an inventor and proponent of index funds and investing principles so simple that a 5 year old can comprehend. I just read an interview with him that, as always, impressed me. Bogle, by the way, saved my sanity during the financial meltdown, when I witnessed all my savings/investments lose tons of money. In one of his books, he says "Things always revert to the average." That's the argument for index funds also.
Next up: the great blogger Une Femme d'un Certain Age. I discovered her blog over a year ago when I strayed from my usual reading on frugality. Well! As the Wife of Bath says (paraphrased), women do tend to wander by the way. Une Femme is a writer of great talent, with a great eye for style as well. She also writes on more serious subjects, even when she seems to be writing only on style.
Anyway, yesterday when I returned to the blog world after having been out of town for a good bit, I discovered that Une Femme took on the topic of----FRUGALITY. And, guess what? She was inspired by one of my posts. I am so honored.
Her post is one of the best statements I've seen on frugality, which has to do with good use of resources--not just money, but time, stuff, and so on.
I wish Une Femme would write a book. In the meantime, Bogle has penned many. Here is one I've read.
And this one.
Next up: the great blogger Une Femme d'un Certain Age. I discovered her blog over a year ago when I strayed from my usual reading on frugality. Well! As the Wife of Bath says (paraphrased), women do tend to wander by the way. Une Femme is a writer of great talent, with a great eye for style as well. She also writes on more serious subjects, even when she seems to be writing only on style.
Anyway, yesterday when I returned to the blog world after having been out of town for a good bit, I discovered that Une Femme took on the topic of----FRUGALITY. And, guess what? She was inspired by one of my posts. I am so honored.
Her post is one of the best statements I've seen on frugality, which has to do with good use of resources--not just money, but time, stuff, and so on.
I wish Une Femme would write a book. In the meantime, Bogle has penned many. Here is one I've read.
And this one.
Friday, November 12, 2010
A Gai Shan Life: Wonderful Blog
I wish I knew what "A Gai Shan Life" means. Does everyone know but me?
Whatever. This is a great blog. Like Funny About Money (probably found this blog through her blog, back in the day), Revanche has many interesting things to say about money, frugality, and stress. She went through a period of unemployment (now over) without stressing too much, owing in part to her frugal ways.
That alone would make her a great role model (even though she's probably half my age). BUT she also is responsible for the (financial and other) care of her parents. She has already had more challenges than I have and she is meeting them with flair and aplomb.
She does get to have some fun too. She loves food, travel, and fashion.
What can I say? She is sooooo admirable. I loved reading about her trip to Chicago: this included budgeting and all that jazz, but some great food pics from this city of great restaurants.
Read around her blog: you will find something wonderful.
Whatever. This is a great blog. Like Funny About Money (probably found this blog through her blog, back in the day), Revanche has many interesting things to say about money, frugality, and stress. She went through a period of unemployment (now over) without stressing too much, owing in part to her frugal ways.
That alone would make her a great role model (even though she's probably half my age). BUT she also is responsible for the (financial and other) care of her parents. She has already had more challenges than I have and she is meeting them with flair and aplomb.
She does get to have some fun too. She loves food, travel, and fashion.
What can I say? She is sooooo admirable. I loved reading about her trip to Chicago: this included budgeting and all that jazz, but some great food pics from this city of great restaurants.
Read around her blog: you will find something wonderful.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Re-Introducing Funny About Money
OK: not quite the New Year, but time to clean up and do things with intention.
First up: let's re-introduce Funny About Money. Funny was my first favorite blogger. She writes about money and stress. She faced unexpected unemployment and is winning. She lives in a Housing Bubble state and is hanging on. She is, in truth, a role model.
My favorite recent post of hers concerns eldercare--when YOU are the elder. Funny finds some hope among a group of 80-somethings she met, all of whom have retained a large measure of independence and all of whom are living on their own. A dark glimmer of hope, indeed.
This is something we all need to think about.
If you can't quite face elder issues, you can always check out her apple turnovers.
And I must mention her super writing skills; through this blog, one certainly experiences the pleasure of the text.
Who are your favorite bloggers?
First up: let's re-introduce Funny About Money. Funny was my first favorite blogger. She writes about money and stress. She faced unexpected unemployment and is winning. She lives in a Housing Bubble state and is hanging on. She is, in truth, a role model.
My favorite recent post of hers concerns eldercare--when YOU are the elder. Funny finds some hope among a group of 80-somethings she met, all of whom have retained a large measure of independence and all of whom are living on their own. A dark glimmer of hope, indeed.
This is something we all need to think about.
If you can't quite face elder issues, you can always check out her apple turnovers.
And I must mention her super writing skills; through this blog, one certainly experiences the pleasure of the text.
Who are your favorite bloggers?
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Check out "I Am the Working Poor" and Maybe Win Some Books
A while back I was whining about needing more frugality blogs to read. Some of my favorites have closed down, alas. Somehow, I happened upon "I am the Working Poor." This is a thoughtful, wonderfully written blog, with much food for thought.
The blogger is giving some books away. These are famous frugality books. I don't want to win the books because I've already read them, and have a serious book accumulation problem.
But if YOU want to win them--or even if you just want to read the blog--go HERE.
The blogger is giving some books away. These are famous frugality books. I don't want to win the books because I've already read them, and have a serious book accumulation problem.
But if YOU want to win them--or even if you just want to read the blog--go HERE.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Frugal Gems: My Foot, My Tutor*
I put out a call a while back for some new-to-me frugality blogs. I was afraid my blogroll was getting kind of unbalanced: all the stylistas are still blogging, but many of the frugalistas (or frugalistos) have ceased, sadly. Thanks to all who came through with suggestions: I will report back soon.
Interestingly, I have discovered frugal gems in other sorts of blogs. Frugality is all around us, it seems.
First up, let's look at Mary of SimplyForties. Mary writes about frugality all the time, in fact, but she somehow fell off my radar. Anyway, in the way of the blogworld, she kindly commented on MY blog, so I took a look at hers.
What a (re)find. There she had a great post on plantar fasciitis , an afflcition that seems to, well, afflict everyone, including women who have never worn high heels or pointy toes. (Not fair.)
Here Mary articulates a basic law of frugality: in her discussion of orthotics, she notes: According to a study done by the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine custom orthotics are no more effective than off-the shelf orthotics so you might want to try the $50 Dr. Scholl's variety before investing in pricier models.
Frugal Maxim: Try the low cost version before the high cost. This applies to things besides orthotics. Try the over-the-counter mouthguard ($30) before the custom one your dentist offers to have made for you ($$$$????). Try the low-cost state university before NYU (you can transfer later).
Sometimes, the low cost version isn't satisfactory, but at least you KNOW FOR SURE.
Thank you, Mary. I shall return.
*Do you recognize the quotation: "My foot, my tutor"? Two possible answers.
Interestingly, I have discovered frugal gems in other sorts of blogs. Frugality is all around us, it seems.
First up, let's look at Mary of SimplyForties. Mary writes about frugality all the time, in fact, but she somehow fell off my radar. Anyway, in the way of the blogworld, she kindly commented on MY blog, so I took a look at hers.
What a (re)find. There she had a great post on plantar fasciitis , an afflcition that seems to, well, afflict everyone, including women who have never worn high heels or pointy toes. (Not fair.)
Here Mary articulates a basic law of frugality: in her discussion of orthotics, she notes: According to a study done by the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine custom orthotics are no more effective than off-the shelf orthotics so you might want to try the $50 Dr. Scholl's variety before investing in pricier models.
Frugal Maxim: Try the low cost version before the high cost. This applies to things besides orthotics. Try the over-the-counter mouthguard ($30) before the custom one your dentist offers to have made for you ($$$$????). Try the low-cost state university before NYU (you can transfer later).
Sometimes, the low cost version isn't satisfactory, but at least you KNOW FOR SURE.
Thank you, Mary. I shall return.
*Do you recognize the quotation: "My foot, my tutor"? Two possible answers.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Another Request: New (to me) Personal Finance Blogs?
My second request: personal finance or frugality blogs that are new, wonderful, quirky, whatever.
Why do I ask? Well, I was looking at my Blogroll and noticed that most of the blogs-I-like-to-read are of the lifestyle genre. That is because many of the personal finance and frugality blogs that used to share space with the lifestyle ladies are no more. How I miss Chance of Roomfarm! And the others!
So: any suggestions for new friends to replace the old? Not the ones everyone knows about already, since everyone knows about them.
Any that are obscure, quirky, fun, intelligent? They don't have to be NEW, since I have not patrolled the entire blogosphere. I need to jazz up my reading, as well as my Blogroll.
Thanks again.
Why do I ask? Well, I was looking at my Blogroll and noticed that most of the blogs-I-like-to-read are of the lifestyle genre. That is because many of the personal finance and frugality blogs that used to share space with the lifestyle ladies are no more. How I miss Chance of Roomfarm! And the others!
So: any suggestions for new friends to replace the old? Not the ones everyone knows about already, since everyone knows about them.
Any that are obscure, quirky, fun, intelligent? They don't have to be NEW, since I have not patrolled the entire blogosphere. I need to jazz up my reading, as well as my Blogroll.
Thanks again.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Almost famous!
Well, I finally got up the courage to submit a post to the Carnival of Personal Finance. I wasn't very brave, since the editor, Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, is a friendly and amiable blogger.
Anyway, great stuff there. And I'm glad to have the chance to read blogs not normally on my radar screen.
Another thank you goes to the divine Imogen of the blog Inside Out Style. You see, Imogen mentioned my blog post of last Friday, and I got a whole bunch of readers. Thanks to the readers and, of course, to Imogen.
Those of you wondering why I am even mentioning a blog on style and image. Well, aside from the fact that I am grateful for the plug, Imogen does a lot of good in the world. For instance, she explained why I (an H body-type) hate tucking things in. I am so happy! I suffered needlessly.
So...Frugality, Personal Finance, Image Consulting--all trying to bring some good to the world.
Anyway, great stuff there. And I'm glad to have the chance to read blogs not normally on my radar screen.
Another thank you goes to the divine Imogen of the blog Inside Out Style. You see, Imogen mentioned my blog post of last Friday, and I got a whole bunch of readers. Thanks to the readers and, of course, to Imogen.
Those of you wondering why I am even mentioning a blog on style and image. Well, aside from the fact that I am grateful for the plug, Imogen does a lot of good in the world. For instance, she explained why I (an H body-type) hate tucking things in. I am so happy! I suffered needlessly.
So...Frugality, Personal Finance, Image Consulting--all trying to bring some good to the world.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
OT or not OT: That is the Question
The other day, one of my fave bloggers, Funny About Money, took up the question of a blogging glass ceiling, since generally, the guys make the big bucks and the gals do not. She wondered if part of the reason lay in the tendency of the female personal finance bloggers to go off-topic. She did a compare/contrast and discovered that the guys stayed on topic, while the women did not.
Yours truly was one of the test blogs under examination. Funny listed my topics--pantry organization, children's books, other stuff--most of which seem to be OT, especially compared to the fellows who were taking up such classic personal finance topics as buying gold or ye olde Roth vs. Traditional IRA. First I confessed: guilty as charged. After all, women have long been thought to be blabbermouths who cannot stay on topic. Example: Chaucer's Wife of Bath.
Part of the humor of Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Prologue (oops--there I go into the literature AGAIN) is that Chaucer really is spot on in presenting a woman who (in modern paraphrase) "wanders by the way" and frequently says (again in modern paraphrase) "Oh, where was I. Oh yeah. I was talking about my fourth husband."
Oh yeah, personal finance. After my confession of off-topicness, I thought for a bit. First, I don't profess to be a personal finance blogger: I write about frugality. My supposedly OT post on children's books was about how many of the most beloved children's books are about frugality. The pantry post was related to the idea of stockpiling or "investing" in your pantry--a frugal habit endorsed by many, including Funny's very own SDXB. That post was also about using up stuff that was getting old--also a frugal principle.
So, IMHO not OT at all. There is some overlap between personal finance and frugality. In fact, frugality has allowed me to participate in the personal finance world--in real life. Even aside from that, I would guess that learning to stockpile sale items in your pantry is of more immediate use to many of the debt-ridden and unemployed than any meditation on whether or not one should invest in gold. In fact, you can't invest in gold unless you have quite a wad of excess cash. If I had only $1200.00 to my name, I wouldn't buy an ounce of gold.
It would be better to practice frugality and get an immediate 20-100% return on your $1200. Everyone has heard--via Dave Ramsey--of the debt snowball with its variation the debt snowflake. Well, it works the other way with frugality. Not as rapidly--because your return on savings and frugal practice generally is not as big as the drag of debt.
So here's a double assertion. I was not OT because I write on frugality, not personal finance. And I was not OT because frugality is a branch of personal finance.
The rest is silence.
Yours truly was one of the test blogs under examination. Funny listed my topics--pantry organization, children's books, other stuff--most of which seem to be OT, especially compared to the fellows who were taking up such classic personal finance topics as buying gold or ye olde Roth vs. Traditional IRA. First I confessed: guilty as charged. After all, women have long been thought to be blabbermouths who cannot stay on topic. Example: Chaucer's Wife of Bath.
Part of the humor of Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Prologue (oops--there I go into the literature AGAIN) is that Chaucer really is spot on in presenting a woman who (in modern paraphrase) "wanders by the way" and frequently says (again in modern paraphrase) "Oh, where was I. Oh yeah. I was talking about my fourth husband."
Oh yeah, personal finance. After my confession of off-topicness, I thought for a bit. First, I don't profess to be a personal finance blogger: I write about frugality. My supposedly OT post on children's books was about how many of the most beloved children's books are about frugality. The pantry post was related to the idea of stockpiling or "investing" in your pantry--a frugal habit endorsed by many, including Funny's very own SDXB. That post was also about using up stuff that was getting old--also a frugal principle.
So, IMHO not OT at all. There is some overlap between personal finance and frugality. In fact, frugality has allowed me to participate in the personal finance world--in real life. Even aside from that, I would guess that learning to stockpile sale items in your pantry is of more immediate use to many of the debt-ridden and unemployed than any meditation on whether or not one should invest in gold. In fact, you can't invest in gold unless you have quite a wad of excess cash. If I had only $1200.00 to my name, I wouldn't buy an ounce of gold.
It would be better to practice frugality and get an immediate 20-100% return on your $1200. Everyone has heard--via Dave Ramsey--of the debt snowball with its variation the debt snowflake. Well, it works the other way with frugality. Not as rapidly--because your return on savings and frugal practice generally is not as big as the drag of debt.
So here's a double assertion. I was not OT because I write on frugality, not personal finance. And I was not OT because frugality is a branch of personal finance.
The rest is silence.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Good Advice: Stand strong against Discounts
Two of my favorite bloggers wrote on the same subject recently: Budgeting in the Fun Stuff wrote on succumbing to a "special." This was in response to a post over at Gai Shan Life on being similarly suckered by discounts. Erghhhh. If these two frugal role models succumb to such sales tactics, what hope is there for the rest of us?
Oh, make that three frugal role models. I received a 30% off coupon for Banana Republic. Good May 18. Oh, be still my heart! Luckily, Banana is in the next town, which has become a miserable drive owing to the population increase over the years--with a spike post-Katrina.
Then there is my mother and Chico's. Chico's always has $25.00 of $100.00 or $20.00 off $80.00 coupons. Even my mother, who loves to shop (and return--it's a disease) noticed that your total always comes to JUST UNDER the threshold, so you actually need to spend more. I used to get these coupons from Chico's. I seem to have been removed from the mailing list after I complained about bad customer service. That's OK. Chico's is in the next town too.
Then there is Mr. FS. His only weak spot is Bike Nashbar, which frequently has free shipping if you buy X. Of course, this necessitates much figuring and computing to achieve the optimal purchase.
You have to figure: if the discount is sent to you, it must be good for the company, right? They're not doing you a favor.
Thanks fellow bloggers for the good advice. I am throwing away my 30% off coupon. RIGHT NOW.
Oh, make that three frugal role models. I received a 30% off coupon for Banana Republic. Good May 18. Oh, be still my heart! Luckily, Banana is in the next town, which has become a miserable drive owing to the population increase over the years--with a spike post-Katrina.
Then there is my mother and Chico's. Chico's always has $25.00 of $100.00 or $20.00 off $80.00 coupons. Even my mother, who loves to shop (and return--it's a disease) noticed that your total always comes to JUST UNDER the threshold, so you actually need to spend more. I used to get these coupons from Chico's. I seem to have been removed from the mailing list after I complained about bad customer service. That's OK. Chico's is in the next town too.
Then there is Mr. FS. His only weak spot is Bike Nashbar, which frequently has free shipping if you buy X. Of course, this necessitates much figuring and computing to achieve the optimal purchase.
You have to figure: if the discount is sent to you, it must be good for the company, right? They're not doing you a favor.
Thanks fellow bloggers for the good advice. I am throwing away my 30% off coupon. RIGHT NOW.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Book P-review: Possum Living
****UPDATE: Re comment below that refers to another blogger talking about the book. It seems that the book was discussed on Oprah! Well. Truly it must be the zeitgeist, because I don't watch Oprah nor do I read the blogger. I saw the book mentioned on Amazon, under "People who are interested in X book, might also be interested in Possum Living." Isn't it strange? Harmonic convergence.
I love reading books about frugality, not so much because I learn many frugal tips (since I know many already), but because I sometimes need a bit of affirmation from the universe. I have exhausted all the books in my local library on the topic. I just requested Possum Living, which is a reprint of a book published around 30 years ago, written by "Dolly Freed" (took me a while to realize that is a pseudonym).
Why a p-review? I don't know. Perhaps because I read a bit on-line. Also, it sometimes takes a while for the library to order the books I request, especially in the present budget crisis.
The gist is that Dolly and her Dad lived on a biggish piece of rural property 40 miles from Philadelphia. She was (illegally) removed from school and spent her teen years in the library, eventually becoming a NASA engineer. They lived a life of fishing, gardening, swapping, napping, and so on. They lived on around $1400/year.
Now many of us can't be possums. We are locked into high property taxes and other "necessary" expenses. Dolly and her Dad lived a version of extreme frugality. But her point was that she and her Dad looked perfectly middle-class.
Dolly shows that IT CAN BE DONE. How about if you don't want to be a possum? What about a semi-possum life? I think that would be available to many of us.
I started thinking about fun family activities. How about possum weekend? That could consist of eating the food in your pantry, cooking up some soup, going for a walk, whatever. How I wish my children were little; we could have had a lot of fun.
Many of my fave bloggers are already living a semi- or occasional possum life. I wrote about Simple in France a few days ago. And Revanche, a city girl, newly re-employed after a lay-off, and with heavy family responsibilities (financial and emotional), shows that even in expensive California, you can practice frugality by making chicken soup.
Have you read Possum Living? Are you ever a possum?
I love reading books about frugality, not so much because I learn many frugal tips (since I know many already), but because I sometimes need a bit of affirmation from the universe. I have exhausted all the books in my local library on the topic. I just requested Possum Living, which is a reprint of a book published around 30 years ago, written by "Dolly Freed" (took me a while to realize that is a pseudonym).
Why a p-review? I don't know. Perhaps because I read a bit on-line. Also, it sometimes takes a while for the library to order the books I request, especially in the present budget crisis.
The gist is that Dolly and her Dad lived on a biggish piece of rural property 40 miles from Philadelphia. She was (illegally) removed from school and spent her teen years in the library, eventually becoming a NASA engineer. They lived a life of fishing, gardening, swapping, napping, and so on. They lived on around $1400/year.
Now many of us can't be possums. We are locked into high property taxes and other "necessary" expenses. Dolly and her Dad lived a version of extreme frugality. But her point was that she and her Dad looked perfectly middle-class.
Dolly shows that IT CAN BE DONE. How about if you don't want to be a possum? What about a semi-possum life? I think that would be available to many of us.
I started thinking about fun family activities. How about possum weekend? That could consist of eating the food in your pantry, cooking up some soup, going for a walk, whatever. How I wish my children were little; we could have had a lot of fun.
Many of my fave bloggers are already living a semi- or occasional possum life. I wrote about Simple in France a few days ago. And Revanche, a city girl, newly re-employed after a lay-off, and with heavy family responsibilities (financial and emotional), shows that even in expensive California, you can practice frugality by making chicken soup.
Have you read Possum Living? Are you ever a possum?
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Lucy Marmalade's Pink Pearls and Other Gifts
How can I resist? I just dote on Lucy Marmalade PLUS she's wearing some beautiful pink pearls PLUS her ensemble illustrates the magpie approach to fashion: here and there, high and low. Also, she's learning about gifts--both receiving and giving.
Hmmmm. Is part of the bliss of having a daughter that I have another person on whom to bestow thrift store finds? A rather disquieting thought. But check out this post: Lucy is wearing a Missoni sweater I thrifted a while back (yes, the famous Goodwill). Orange is not my color, so I couldn't wear it. I even tried to sell it on Ebay; would you believe that no one was interested? It has the label and all...
Perhaps there is an element of karma in the fact that Lucy and I have different coloring. Maybe that Missoni sweater was just waiting for her to appreciate it (she turned it down the first few times).
And Lucy's posts are early Mother's Day gifts to me. Thanks Lucy M.
Hmmmm. Is part of the bliss of having a daughter that I have another person on whom to bestow thrift store finds? A rather disquieting thought. But check out this post: Lucy is wearing a Missoni sweater I thrifted a while back (yes, the famous Goodwill). Orange is not my color, so I couldn't wear it. I even tried to sell it on Ebay; would you believe that no one was interested? It has the label and all...
Perhaps there is an element of karma in the fact that Lucy and I have different coloring. Maybe that Missoni sweater was just waiting for her to appreciate it (she turned it down the first few times).
And Lucy's posts are early Mother's Day gifts to me. Thanks Lucy M.
Monday, April 26, 2010
A Stroll Through Some Blogs: Simple in France saying NO
As I thought about strolling through some of my favorite blogs--both old and new (to me)--I decided to first highlight Simple Life in France, whose guest post I read yesterday at Early Retirement Extreme. That post is now on her own blog as well. Perhaps because Simple is living in France, with her French husband, I thought of being a stroller in French, a language that exists in some deep part of my memory, courtesy of some outstanding teachers, M. Giordano, M. Moore, and M. Danon, to name only the three best.
The word flaneur came to mind, although its use in cultural studies, owing to the work of Walter Benjamin and others, takes it in other (theoretical) directions from just strolling about. Needless to say, in the age of the internet, I googled flaneur and found a site devoted to the concept. Here is an epigraph from the Arcades Project Project that does seem to apply to my stroll through the blogosphere: "Taking a walk is a haeccity . . . Haecceity, fog, glare. A haecceity has neither beginning nor end, origin nor destination; it is always in the middle. It is not made of points, only of lines. It is a rhizome". (1000 P 263)
Simple in France's post (on both blogs) is about saying NO. She perceptively points out that saying NO to things you don't really want is the easy part; it's dealing with friends and family that is difficult. Of course, one can find new friends (sometimes--true frugal friends are rare); one has to deal with one's family.
In my comment on ERE's blog, I mentioned my recent moment in class. I had gotten there a few minutes early, and everyone was exclaiming over the BIG diamond on someone's engagement ring. I feigned interest, and then a student inquired about the location of my ring. I said I didn't have one. "Why?" I answered that I hadn't wanted one.
This admission led to a long moment of rather uncomfortable silence, followed by one student saying "That's neat." I think she was trying to make me feel better.
Then another student said, "You ARE Emersonian." I was so happy! A real life example.
Emerson says, Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.
That, like saying NO, is the easy part. The harder part is dealing with friends and family. Emerson is aware of that: A man must know how to estimate a sour face.
Simple in France recounts some of the sour faces--and comments--she received when she discovered that she actually preferred some aspects of the frugal life. Believe me, my $30 wedding (that was for the license and the German measles test) did not elicit admiration from family members. Neither did my decision NOT to let my kids go on the yearly overpriced Disney tip with their schoolmates.* Some of my NO moments were so shocking to my family that--even in this space of relative anonymity--I will not share them.
What is interesting is that saying NO is understood when followed by "We can't afford it." And I find that in a cowardly way, I sometimes say that for--as Mr. FS says--"protective coloration." But when you say NO for the reason that something is not worth it (in general or to you), you will get those sour faces.
*** I wrote a post long ago about how I did not let my kids go on the Disney trips, but did happily spring for school trips to Japan.
The word flaneur came to mind, although its use in cultural studies, owing to the work of Walter Benjamin and others, takes it in other (theoretical) directions from just strolling about. Needless to say, in the age of the internet, I googled flaneur and found a site devoted to the concept. Here is an epigraph from the Arcades Project Project that does seem to apply to my stroll through the blogosphere: "Taking a walk is a haeccity . . . Haecceity, fog, glare. A haecceity has neither beginning nor end, origin nor destination; it is always in the middle. It is not made of points, only of lines. It is a rhizome". (1000 P 263)
Simple in France's post (on both blogs) is about saying NO. She perceptively points out that saying NO to things you don't really want is the easy part; it's dealing with friends and family that is difficult. Of course, one can find new friends (sometimes--true frugal friends are rare); one has to deal with one's family.
In my comment on ERE's blog, I mentioned my recent moment in class. I had gotten there a few minutes early, and everyone was exclaiming over the BIG diamond on someone's engagement ring. I feigned interest, and then a student inquired about the location of my ring. I said I didn't have one. "Why?" I answered that I hadn't wanted one.
This admission led to a long moment of rather uncomfortable silence, followed by one student saying "That's neat." I think she was trying to make me feel better.
Then another student said, "You ARE Emersonian." I was so happy! A real life example.
Emerson says, Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.
That, like saying NO, is the easy part. The harder part is dealing with friends and family. Emerson is aware of that: A man must know how to estimate a sour face.
Simple in France recounts some of the sour faces--and comments--she received when she discovered that she actually preferred some aspects of the frugal life. Believe me, my $30 wedding (that was for the license and the German measles test) did not elicit admiration from family members. Neither did my decision NOT to let my kids go on the yearly overpriced Disney tip with their schoolmates.* Some of my NO moments were so shocking to my family that--even in this space of relative anonymity--I will not share them.
What is interesting is that saying NO is understood when followed by "We can't afford it." And I find that in a cowardly way, I sometimes say that for--as Mr. FS says--"protective coloration." But when you say NO for the reason that something is not worth it (in general or to you), you will get those sour faces.
*** I wrote a post long ago about how I did not let my kids go on the Disney trips, but did happily spring for school trips to Japan.
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