Pillow Case

Ceci n'est pas a blog, folks.
I've been writing about various trivial things and will post here as I complete. They are for me.
Older posts remain.

Note to self and universe: I have had to give up thrift stores for the greater good of decluttering. It is tough. Approaching 6 months.


Another difficult part of my decluttering process is LINENS. I love percale sheets, the kind that used to be ordinary and are now impossible to find--200 or so thread count COMBED cotton percale. So I pick them up when I see them. Since they are white, they can be bleached. If one cares. I do not.

I have such linens bursting out of baskets in the few storage areas of my old house. I made a pile, Marie Kondo style.

Well, I didn't get rid of many. I have a lot. Everything sparked joy, sadly. Even the old Cannon twin sheets marked with a hospital laundry code. I figure I won't have to buy linens again for the rest of my life. I did separate by size and function.

My best surprise was at the bottom of a pile. It was a king size case (I don't have a king bed or pillow). Of course, I have no recollection of buying it. It was yellowed. It felt so good. I peered inside to see if there was a label. There was: D Porthault. A $200 pillow case. I imagine its mate was thrown out because of some minor damage and the orphan went to the thrift store where it was sold for 99 cents. 

I washed it and put it on my pillow, a down pillow that was likewise thrifted after I learned that you can wash down items in the machine in hot water. You can. There are loads of down pillows available because pillows have the "EWWWW" factor written about by many thrifting experts. The pillow case looked ridiculous as it is way too big for the pillow. My pillow will not be featured in Architectural Digest. 

Still, it felt delicious.

Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care,

The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, 

Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, 

Chief nourisher in life's feast.

Housekeeping: Does Anything EVER Wear Out?

I am in the 1% of housekeeping--the bottom 1%. There are many things I can't do (fold, sew, e.g.) or don't do (iron): other things I do seldom AND badly. 

One of the things I do seldom and badly: getting rid of things. I have a wee bit of motivation because Miss Em is returning after a year abroad. She left behind too much stuff also, but at least she's an excellent folder and organizer.

Stuff I will NOT need to buy for at least 5 years

towels

bed linens

pillows

furniture

pots and pans

kitchen equipment

I should probably add clothing to that list, but am sure I will be enticed by many things. Still, it's amazing how little really wears out. 

Example: Mr FS got a beautiful shirt at Marshall Field (a definite blast from the past) in Chicago in about 1986. We were at a conference so I remember the date. Even at half price, the shirt was a splurge for us at $25. It remained a favorite for many years (very interesting chambray fabric). He must have worn it for almost 25 years. Finally, the collar shredded. We were ecstatic!

Another still-used item: cloth diapers. We bought our diapers second-hand (so a bit shredded from the get-go) from the very diaper service used by Mr FS's family back in the day. Both our kids used them. Then--after much searching--we found someone who wanted SOME of the diapers for her little one. We still had a lot left.

Miss Em uses them to wipe off her paint brushes. She loves them. They should last another 20 years.

Have you had anything wear out lately?

Win-Win-Win: Energy Bills

Sometimes it's hard to measure savings because there are so many variables. Frugal Son has provided me with a case where savings can be measured. Remember about a year ago, we were looking to buy a house in New Orleans with the money Mr FS inherited when his father died? We wanted a place Frugal Son could live 9his living circumstances were not great at the time0 and we figured he could find some roommates.

Well, we did buy a house and good thing, because prices have soared and we could not buy the same house now. A near twin next door (25 sf bigger and fixed up a bit more nicely) just sold for more than 20% more than what we paid. And FS is happy with his two roommates and also cool with having the tiniest and least desirable room (and hence the lowest rent).

Frugal Son is also frugal in both practical and philosophical ways. We hit on a way to get the roommates to be mindful of energy consumption. They would pay based on the previous owner's bills and we would reimburse them the difference if it was lower.

Note: the figures below are a bit off because Frugal Son also urged us to install solar. Which we did. Solar adds $45 a month to the utility costs. (Louisiana has very good tax credits for solar. The solar companies sell the tax credits to no doubt horrible companies. We were too nervous to purchase the system ourselves--it's a big investment).

Add about $200 to the lower number. Isn't that amazing? And one roomie just moved out. We returned his deposit with a nice "energy" bonus.

The below numbers reflect both saving through consciousness (TRYING to use less) AND through technology. In New Orleans the big energy usage comes in summer. This past winter, we had horrible cold, so the bills may be even lower next year if we have a more normal winter.

 Email from Frugal Son:

On the Entergy bill from June 2013:  "Current 12 months actual bill: $2,658"

On the Entergy bill from May 2014:  "Current 12 months actual bill: $806"

That means we're PAYING less than a third compared to previous owners and since the cost / kWh actually goes down with higher consumption it means we're probably using about 1/4 as much energy!

A Hays Town: In the Midst of Stress, Beauty (Frugal for Me)

After a day so stressful I could hardly speak (the stressful pinnacle was notice of a certified letter from the Dreaded Dentist), Mr FS and I went to a musical event organized by some music-loving acquaintances. After Katrina, this pro-active, supportive of musicians duo began hosting soirees in their home. They invite VERY good musicians (lots of choose from in the area) and the guests bring a dish to share and about $15 a head to pay the musicians. This being Louisiana, the food is as good as the music. We count ourselves fortunate to be on the guest list of these events.

Now the events are hosted by many people, at least those with homes big enough (ours is not) to accommodate 25 plus guests plus a musician or three. Yesterday, we were in a home designed by A Hays Town, an eminent architect who died in 2005 at 101 years of age. Most of Town's homes are very large, built for very wealthy people. This one was of more human (to me) dimensions.

Town is famous for using old regional materials: wood and bricks especially. This house was designed for some friends and so was more modest than his usual work. The front part of the house was a cottage from the 1830s (moved from South Louisiana), onto which was appended an addition of old bricks and wood (old bricks and wood=frugal!!). I can hardly describe how beautiful the home was.  One guest said the house even smelled good.

The current owners bought the house from the original owners after Katrina. I am glad I got to visit (and we were all told we could visit any time). While we were all waxing ecstatic about the privilege of living in such a masterpiece, the owner said the house was extremely high maintenance. The husband mows the 7.5 acres with a tractor (ugh). The house itself takes a lot of care.

I might fantasize about living in such a beautiful space, but I see that the beauty is a frugal experience for visitors, but not for the owners. Still, it has long been my fantasy to be INSIDE one of Town's homes and now I have realized that fantasy.


I own this beautiful book, which some madman donated to Goodwill many years ago.

For more views of Town's houses, you can google about. I like the interiors better than the exteriors, most of which are too massive for my humble aesthetic.

In Praise of Hoarding

Like many others, I am engaged in my perpetual New Year's resolution task: decluttering. I may have a worse than average clutter problem, perhaps because I am the child of a crazed thrower-outer, who got rid of many things I wanted, including a Steinway grand piano (this was not thrown out, of course). And another perhaps: maybe my mother's over-active discarding explains my love of thrift stores, from which I can rescue the unloved and unappreciated. After seeing a thick vintage cashmere cardigan languishing at Goodwill for a month because it has a small hole at the wrist, I feel called upon to provide a home. In fact, I am wearing this sweater right now; it has been a good friend in our unusual bitter cold the last few days.

Of course, I can't keep every slightly damaged item that comes my way. Still, I was glad of my hoarding instincts a few times this past year. And I should honor a few wonderful things.

To wit: the Lands' End down jacket that I lent Mr C as he went off to visit Miss Em in Serbia. I also gave him some wool underwear and some heavy gloves. And a suitcase. He is a med student living on loans, so any bit of savings is, I am sure, much appreciated.

Frugal Son is living in a New Orleans raised house with high--14 foot--ceilings. That makes for expensive heating! Thanks to the thrift store, I was able to supplement his blanket with a lovely second down comforter (and don't tell me about bed bugs! you can machine wash and dry down). Not only that, but his roommate requested a down comforter and I found a king-sized one the very next day!

If you go to thrift stores during a cold snap, you will find bare cupboards: there are a few ratty coats, ugly sweaters, and so on. I know. I saw.

But if--like a squirrel in a cold climate--you look for things you MIGHT need and that would be VERY EXPENSIVE to buy for short uses, well, hoarding may be the way to go.

Back to decluttering! Wish me luck this time

A Gift from Me to Me: Plastic Storage Bins

I put the gift in the subject line, lest you read this post in search of nifty Mother's Day gifts. Yes: I am going to treat myself to plastic storage bins. Clear ones. The bliss of it.

For lo these many years, Mr FS and I have relied on cardboard boxes. Not only because we are TOOOOO frugal, but because we moved a lot in our earlier years together. So it's just a question of habit. A few days ago, I looked at the boxes anew, with their markings: fabric, pillows, whatever. My favorite are the markings of Mr FS, because he is a terrible speller. In our early days together, I was his spellcheck.

Cardboard boxes--ugh. Even after all these years on the job, I am still amazed to be middle-class. Those years of terror in graduate school really did me in, I'm afraid, permanently. But check these out: I am going to buy 6 or so.

Aren't they beautiful?



Do you have any real or metaphorical "cardboard boxes" in your life?

Frugal B*tch: C'est Moi

Whoa. I haven't posted for a long time. No disasters, fortunately, just mind-numbing stress of various sorts. Accompanied by exhaustion. Just in case you're wondering or worrying: I am still frugal. Today, I am inspired to write because--while following my frugal path--I got the death stare from a few employees at Home Depot.

I was trying to buy a large utility shelf for Frugal Son. Poor guy. In addition to inheriting some good stuff from me (fast reader, good at taking standardized tests), he also inherited my extreme problems with order and clutter. After reading a zillion books, I kind of know what to do, but--as always--the divide between theory and praxis remains. If someone had told me about all these things when I was in my 20s, I would have kissed their feet. Frugal Son, however, is extremely resistant to advice, something he inherited from my father, another slob.

Frugal Son lives in a tiny space with a tiny closet (maybe 3 feet wide) and hardly any other storage space. And people of our ilk don't hang things up anyway--we drop. So I bought Frugal Son 2 overdoor hooks (wonderful!).

Then I told him I was getting him a utility shelf for his birthday. He actually did not refuse this time. I went to Home Depot armed with the knowledge that they had 9 in stock. When I got there--10 minutes later--I could find but two, both broken.

I summoned three employees. After looking everywhere, they found a display model. I asked about the other 6. "I guess we need to update the computer inventory." UGH. I said that I checked so that I wouldn't waste time and that I felt I deserved a discount on the floor model. To which the youngest employee said, "We'll give you a discount if you get us a raise." To which I (inspired) said, "You're getting paid for being here. I am losing money by not being at work." This silenced the young sassy one.

I once again asked the oldest employee if I could have a discount, and he agreed! So $35 reduced to $20. Mollified, I said, "I'm sorry if I seemed a little crabby." To which: SILENCE. And a DEATH STARE. And eyes that said "B*TCH." He hated me.

Whatever. I love the shelf!

By the way, overdoor hooks and a utility shelf are two of the most useful organizing devices for hopeless cases. I learned that from a wonderful genius, whose books I have recommended before.




P.S. Many thanks to readers who left comments during my long silence.

The Best, Most Frugal Organizing Tool

How's that for an enticing title? Well, I have the answer: it is the plastic dishpan. This kind.

Amazon pic just for reference. I buy them for $1 or so. They are available at any Dollar Store. Interestingly, they are usually priced HIGHER at thrift stores.

I am the opposite of organized. I would never even think of this by myself. No, like most of what I know, I learned it from a book. This one, which is as much consulted as the OED.

This chick LOVES dishpans. She uses them for children's books (face forward, stand upright) and just about everything else: socks, toys. I bought 20 after reading her book and guess what--after almost 20 years, I am STILL using them. For vitamins and other drugstore items. For gloves and hats. For spices. ETC.

If you buy them all in the same color, you can line them on a shelf and they do not look too horrible. Even better, they make a closed shelf into a dresser. And you can use them in a dresser drawer as a divider.

Who needs the Container Store? The dishpan is a gift of the frugal universe, right up there with dried beans. You can have as much as you want and they are GOOD. Enough. I see I am getting carried away.

Do you have a tool as good as the dishpan? Or almost?

Missing in Action: The Problem, The Cure

I guess I've been Missing in Action. Not really, of course, but my poor little diminished blog! A busy and stressful year, but no more than usual.

Lately, I've been plagued by objects Missing in Action.

To wit: before we went to Florida to visit my mother, I searched for my favorite long-wear-over-leggings tank top (my MOST worn item on trips) and couldn't find it. Still can't. OK, it's all pilly I admit, but the closest thing I've been able to find is a long Eileen Fisher tank. Can you imagine if I also lost that after spending $148 on it?

Then, Miss Em and I helped my organized shopaholic mother clear out her excess, to the tune of 15 handbags. UGH. I packed them up and will bring to consignment for my mom. One I planned to keep was a black Coach bag. When I got home, it was nowhere to be found, though the ugly ones were all present. Where is it?

Then, En route to meeting up with her back to school ride, Miss Em and I stopped at Walgreens for some OTC meds. We bought one mistakenly, so I said I'd return it today. I thought I put it in my purse with the receipt. the receipt is there, but the meds are not. Did they fall off my lap at the drop-off point?

I know this is an affliction of middle age. I used to have an excellent memory, with some photographic capacity, so I could find anything. No more.

The cure, I'm afraid is the usual. Decluttering.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for dealing with the affliction of objects Missing in Action? Advice appreciated.

For Now: Twenty Years Later

Books directed to messy people like me caution against the For Now habit. Oh, I'll just leave this box on the table for now. And then, of course, the box attracts a lot of other clutter, as in the Broken Window Theory.

As I look around my house preparing to figure out what to bring from the California home of my late in-laws (at great expense), I see many For Nows of another sort. For instance, when Mr FS and I first came to Louisiana, it was unclear if I would be employed. We lived in a very cheap rental house with our new baby and almost no furniture.

I bought some on sale chairs at Pier One: they were WAY on sale, knock-offs of Parisian cafe chairs. I was in love. Sadly, they were of typical Pier One quality and one chair broke within a week, necessitating the return of all (no, I explained to Mr FS, one cannot have a set of three chairs).

On a walk with little Frugal Son, I passed a used furniture store where I saw 4 sturdy (key word after the flimsy Pier Ones) restaurant-ish wooden chairs for $12 each. They are actually nice looking, in a utilitarian way. I bought them FOR NOW.

Twenty-odd years later, I still have them. It occurs to me that if any nicer chairs wend my way, it should be easy enough to send the still sturdy chairs to a new home.

Looking at my stuff with a critical eye is the only bright spot in this dreadful process. I am sorry that I did not schedule regular inspections over the years.

Do you have any For Nows in your home?

More Advice for the Low Salary Grad: Live Like You Should Have When You Were a Student

Honestly, if a recent grad is making only $1000/month in a worthy endeavor, STAYING OUT OF DEBT is of the utmost importance. I would say: Live like a student. Except for the fact that most students live like they are middle- and upper-middle class people, either on the parental dole or getting into debt. So my advice is Live like you should have when you were a student. Every bit of debt you avoid is a blessing for your future. The recent grad of my acquaintance asked me what he should stockpile. After the rice and beans recommended yesterday, I would pick up some canned tomatoes and cheese. Best place for cheese is Costco or Sam's Club. Or Trader Joe's. So now you won't die of starvation. Any more advice?

Advice for the Recent Grad: Low Salary Genre

Ahhhhh. The recent grad. Time for advice: get a no-fee credit card, contribute to your 401k, get a Roth IRA, blahblahblah. But what about the recent grad of the low salary type? the Vista volunteer who will be making $1000/month at a worthy endeavor? (In the meanwhile studying for MCATS) I already gave the grad two books. And I say it's also time to learn basic frugal skills, which are a necessity when you have little and allow you to get more out of your money even if you are a well-paid physician. The grad asked me to help him save money on basic household expenses. To start, I say: buy a big bag of dried beans. Then buy a big bag of rice. Both are investments that will pay off. What would you advise?

Words of Wisdom and Warning: Decluttering

As a messy clutterbug AND a teacher, I have a double whammy: teachers often let personal tasks pile up and get to them only after the semester is done. So, stuff and jobs have been piling up. Adding to the emergency is that Miss Em will be bringing home two people: her friend Mr C AND his twin brother, also Mr C. So, we have been cleaning. And, of course, as all teachers know, cleaning is a great way to avoid the real task: grading student work. For emergency assistance, I went to the library (note: LIBRARY, friend of frugal and messy) and checked out two books by my favorite clutter guru, Susan Pinsky. Here is the warning and, for me, motivation. According to Susan P, most of the clients who hire her for a hefty hourly fee do so for one task: to go through their STUFF and motivate them to get rid of it. She does not spend most of her time creating clever organizing systems. No: she holds up item after item and says Go or Stay? Susan P is not a big fan of frugality because she says it leads to clutter (and I gotta admit, she has a point). But I am WAY TOO CHEAP to pay someone to stand next to me and say Go or stay. So I'll do it myself. Here's the drill. Read a few pages of Pinsky. Put some stuff in the donation bag. Grade a few papers. REPEAT. How's your decluttering going? Or are you a paragon of no-clutter? If so, wish me luck.

Can You Bargain on Furniture?

In spite of my frugal ways, I am not good at bargaining. I guess I have a fear of rejection! I've heard here and there that it is possible to bargain in furniture stores. As an early-bird planner, I am already thinking about the couch I will buy in a year or two. So far, I like one at Crate and Barrel. When we were in Boston, we walked right by a CandB. We went in and tried the sofa. We liked it. The nice sales guy (Kenny) said that, instead of buying on-line, I should give him a call. The shipping is shockingly expensive, so I'm hoping for a deal of some sort. So the question is: can you bargain at a store like Crate and Barrel? Yay or Nay?

Big Lots Coupon! Plastic Storage Bins! Happiness!

The great thing about being frugal is that it doesn't take much to make me happy. That is because I have many make-do "systems" in my house that I have been making do with for many, many years. Add to that the fact that both Mr FS and I are terrible at decluttering AND at organizing: any little improvement makes a big difference.

So the confluence of two forces.

First, I read an organizing book that recommended plastic storage tubs so that you could see the contents. I guess most normal people know this.

Second, Big Lots has one of their 20% off coupons today! I missed the last two since I was out of town. The sale started early, so I bought two 66 quart bins ($8.00 each after the discount) and-WHOA-they are great. Big Lots is about 1/2 mile from my house, so it's no problem to return and get a few more today.

They look so good. They hold so much. And they replace cardboard boxes of various sizes with legends like Sentimental Sweaters (knit by deceased family members--no we are not getting rid of them). The we have the labels written by Mr. FS. He is better than I am at most things--and a good cleaner to boot--but his labels are terrible. To wit: medium good misc Fall 2008.

See, with the plastic containers, you can SEE the contents.

I also buy food at Big Lots. They have tons of Bob's Red Mill at the moment. It's not much cheaper than on Amazon, but with the coupon, it's a little cheaper.

Have any little things made you happy lately?

Shoe Polish Question for Chanelistas, Frugalistas, and Fashionistas

Now and again I mention that I have a pair of Chanel loafers courtesy of Goodwill. They are the comfiest shoes I've ever put on--alas, since I doubt I will be buying a replacement.

Anyway, they are rather scuffed by now and two of my students--who were admiring the interlocked C's on the front--told me I should polish them. Naturally, polishing shoes is one of the skills I am lacking. I am sure I can figure it out.

Question: can I use any old shoe polish or is there a particular polish for super-expensive footwear?

Frugal in France: Rags

If you're trying to save up for your trip to France--or wherever--try this French tip: use rags. I have been in 3 French homes and have seen not a single paper towel or napkin. Chez Daniele and Jacques, there are at least 10 piles of neatly folded rags. Well, some are napkins. Others are dishtowels. The most threadbare are bonafide rags.

As a connoisseur of dishtowels, I love the assortment. My favorites are the old raggedy linen towels.

Wait! In our clean-up before leaving, we spot a roll of paper towels. It was under stuff in the kitchen drawer. We dare not use it. I wonder what Daniele and Jacques use it for.

How much money could you save using rags I wonder.

Yet Another Organizing Tip: Sock Solution

I keep reading Susan Pinsky (both books) and her organizing tips really clear my head. I have many of the classic ADD characteristics. Luckily, ADD was unknown back in my early days or I would have been medicated right out of any creativity I had. An earlier lifesaver for me was Sidetracked Home Executives (the classic whose writers allowed the mega successful Flylady to use their method and terms)

I am so proud of the SOCK SOLUTION. That is because I did this myself BEFORE I read Pinsky. Not for me: I don't wear socks very often, but for Frugal Son. Even the most organized people lose socks: the SOLUTION is to buy zillions of identical socks in one or two colors.

I thought of this! Frugal Son has been in sock misery for years. For his birthday, I bought him 40 or so pairs of socks in his chosen color. These are junky socks from Big Lots, but that's OK: he's happy. After a year or so, I will get him a new batch.

It's not often that someone like me comes up with a solution worthy of a professional organizer. I am beaming with pride.

Do you have any little tips like that?

Washing dishes: Too Much Detergent or Too Little Phosphate?

Funny About Money is a constant source of inspiration. She was complaining about the poor job her low-phosphate dishwasher detergent did. It left a yukky film.

I rolled my eyes. Easy for me, since Mr. FS does the dishes. I recalled reading a New York Times article about how a lot of the gray in washed clothes comes not from dirt, but from detergent residue. Could dishes be the same? NYT to the rescue! Some think we DO use too much detergent.

But then, using the killer research skills honed in graduate school (not really--no computer searches in those days), I discovered an article wherein many complained about the low-phosphate (and greener) dish detergent.

Who knows? As usual with me, I am able to remain GREEN AND FRUGAL by virtue of my low housekeeping standards. Oh yeah, also because Mr FS does the dishes.

I've written about my dishwashing fantasy before. When I stayed in a humble abode in Italy, I adored the dishwashing system. A cabinet over the sink with a dish drainer built in. You washed the dishes in the sink, then put them in the rack, which served both to dry and to store.

Compare to the convenient dishwasher. First, most people rinse. Then they start filling the dishwasher. Then they wait till it is full (Mr. FS), which takes a long time. OR they run the dishwasher when it has a mere handful of dishes (mother of FS). Then you have to put the stuff away. More steps than in the Italian system.

In search of a picture, I discovered that the Italian system is also the Finnish system.

Interestingly, my brother-in-law--like Mr FS--does the dishes. When he and my sil redid their kitchen, they took out the dishwasher. He is a scientist and decided that dishwashers were space hogs and not terribly efficient anyway.

Several years ago, I read the autobiography of Isabella Rosselini. It turns out that she, like her mother Ingrid Bergman, is an obsessive neat freak. She had a long section on her housekeeping habits, including a section on la vaiselle, dishwashing.

Amazingly enough, I just found this excerpt for you!

Paint Colors and the Quest for Frugal Beauty

What with root canals, taxes (oops), and packing, my head is spinning. Mr. FS is doing some interior painting also.

Here are the colors we're using. The 2 front rooms of our house were painted a beautiful terracotta when we moved in. We would have been too chicken to stray from white, but we learned that terracotta goes with everything. Frugal Son is having a minor crisis over any change; Mr FS is apprehensive, and I am too--a little--but I think we need to step out of the terracotta comfort zone.

The entry way and study will remain terracotta. The entry will turn to a deeper tone: Sherwin Williams REDDISH.

That's not the bold move. Susan-the-color-expert suggested blue for the living room. She picked out the tiniest bit of blue from my grandmother's little Oriental rug and this is what we have: Benjamin Moore JAMESTOWN BLUE.

Oh, I feel like J. Alfred Prufrock: Do I dare/Disturb the universe? But J Alfred (I just re-read that poem after 20 or so years) is a big baby. I'll be like Britomart instead. Over the doorways (how appropriate!) in the House of Busirane (a very bad place, Faerie Queene Book 3) are the words Be bold, be bold. Of course, Britomart also sees the words Be not too bold.

I don't think I need to worry about that. My quest for beauty is not in the same league as Britomart's quest in Book 3, which culminates in the rescue of Amoret from the magician Busirane.

What's been your boldest move in the quest for beauty?