As always, I am inspired by Funny About Money, fave blogger, who put together a post on frugal and green cleaning supplies. Anyone who knows me is rolling on the floor laughing at the thought of my expertise in anything domestic: I am probably in the bottom 1% of the population in terms of housekeeping skills.
Still, no one would deny my reading skills. And it was a happy day when I discovered Don Aslett, cleaning expert and scourge of clutter. I find his books real motivators. Nothing like owning a cleaning service (as Don does) to make you see the true cost of clutter.
Don is also a wonderful writer. He has zillions of books now. In fact, my one gripe with him is that his numerous books (many on overlapping topics) constitute a kind of clutter in themselves. His two greatest are
From the first you learn to de-clutter. From the second, you learn how to clean. Don says you only need three products, all of which can be bought as concentrates and diluted.
He even sells the products on-line. Usually, I don't trust such products, but so great is my love of and trust in Don that I WOULD buy one of his cleaning kits. However, Mr. FS pointed out that you could get the same cleaners at Home Depot. Here is his Green Cleaning Kit (around $45):
* 1 Quart Foam N Flush
* 1 Quart Tub N Tile
* 1 Tub N Tile Spray Bottle
* 1 Quart Max Clean
* 1 Max Clean Spray Bottle
* 3-pack Window Cleaner
* Window Cleaner Spray Bottle
* Toilet Bowl Caddy - holds Foam N Flush & Johnny Mop
* 1 Johnny Mop
* 1 Shaw';s Pad
* 1 Grout Brush
* 2 Multipurpose Microfiber Towels
* 1 Large White Scrubber
* 1 Ready-to-Use X-O+
* Cleaning Caddy
Check out his mini-essays too.
I spend a lot of time reading, including much that is obscure and high brow. But there is a place on my shelf for Don Aslett. His books have probably done as much to enrich my life as The Elements of Style.
Custom Search
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Reuse, Recycle: Preservation and Aesthetics
Usually, I write about my little adventures: the canned tomatoes that were cheap at Big Lots, the neat sweater I got at Goodwill. I do think there's an aesthetic, as well as a financial, dimension to frugality, but that's a point that is sometimes hard to explain.
Here is an instance of frugality on that larger scale (too large to be practiced by the likes of me) in my very hometown. I still sometimes feel like an alien here even after 20 years. Yet I would never have seen such beautiful buildings and such a beautiful landscape had I not moved here with Mr. FS so many years ago.
Check out the pictures. Beautiful!
Are there any old buildings like this where you live?
Here is an instance of frugality on that larger scale (too large to be practiced by the likes of me) in my very hometown. I still sometimes feel like an alien here even after 20 years. Yet I would never have seen such beautiful buildings and such a beautiful landscape had I not moved here with Mr. FS so many years ago.
Check out the pictures. Beautiful!
Are there any old buildings like this where you live?
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Frugal Soulmates: Product Lifecycles
I started reading blogs a while back because I was in search of Frugal Soulmates. I only have one at work. I did have a frugal friend for a while, but I'm afraid she was frugal by necessity: she moved when her chronically underemployed husband got a lucrative job as dean somewhere. She is, as far as I can tell, frugal in name only.
My search coincided with the financial meltdown and frugality blogs were everywhere. Now not so much. We keep hearing about frugal fatigue. Financial pages report that consumers are a-spending again. Some of the frugality bloggers have hit it rich and a certain--I don't know--energy has seeped out of their blogs, which are going through the motions.
There are still so many blogs I love. And I was gratified to discover that the editor of Architectural Digest lunches on peanut butter sandwiches, same as I do. Now I've learned that some people don't replace products as quickly as they used to. Even sock darning is back (not by me; I am a non-sewer).
So check out this article: from the rich guy who doesn't replace his Jaguar as often, to the woman trying to rescue a blouse with soy sauce (overkill imho), to the people who keep their computers a bit longer than they used to: these are my people. Are they yours?
My history: a computer bought from now-defunct Swan company that lasted for almost 20 years (!), replaced because of lack of memory; our 1998 Toyota Camry, our "new" 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid; a few pieces of furniture that we bought for temporary use---in grad school. Oops. We tend to keep things too long.
Mr FS bought a shirt at Marshall Field's in Chicago when we were there for a job-hunting convention in the early 1980s. It finally started developing holes a few years ago and has become a rag. Mr. FS also has wool dance tights on which he spent a pretty penny when he took a dance class in Nice circa 1977.
I'm using my grandmother's linen dishtowels though they are more hold than towel.
From big to small, I love using things up--sadly, we use very little up nowadays.
What's your longest-serving object?
My search coincided with the financial meltdown and frugality blogs were everywhere. Now not so much. We keep hearing about frugal fatigue. Financial pages report that consumers are a-spending again. Some of the frugality bloggers have hit it rich and a certain--I don't know--energy has seeped out of their blogs, which are going through the motions.
There are still so many blogs I love. And I was gratified to discover that the editor of Architectural Digest lunches on peanut butter sandwiches, same as I do. Now I've learned that some people don't replace products as quickly as they used to. Even sock darning is back (not by me; I am a non-sewer).
So check out this article: from the rich guy who doesn't replace his Jaguar as often, to the woman trying to rescue a blouse with soy sauce (overkill imho), to the people who keep their computers a bit longer than they used to: these are my people. Are they yours?
My history: a computer bought from now-defunct Swan company that lasted for almost 20 years (!), replaced because of lack of memory; our 1998 Toyota Camry, our "new" 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid; a few pieces of furniture that we bought for temporary use---in grad school. Oops. We tend to keep things too long.
Mr FS bought a shirt at Marshall Field's in Chicago when we were there for a job-hunting convention in the early 1980s. It finally started developing holes a few years ago and has become a rag. Mr. FS also has wool dance tights on which he spent a pretty penny when he took a dance class in Nice circa 1977.
I'm using my grandmother's linen dishtowels though they are more hold than towel.
From big to small, I love using things up--sadly, we use very little up nowadays.
What's your longest-serving object?
Friday, February 25, 2011
Psychomachia: Another Good Deal (from Chico's this time)
Sorry readers. I KNOW I have too much stuff. I KNOW that I don't need anything. I KNOW that spending does not really involve saving. I KNOW that temptation often puts super bargains in my path. I KNOW it's hard not to peek at emails offering good deals, even though I should delete.
You know: the little angel and the little devil from Tom and Jerry? That's a modern version of psychomachia, or the battle for the soul, from a medieval work of the same name.
If you took a British lit course in college, you may know it from Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, where the good and bad angels make frequent appearances, and where Doctor F always chooses the WRONG PATH.
OK, I've given you enough time to choose the right path. But in case you need anything from the dreaded Chico's (where I have been subject to poor customer service both in store and on-line!), there is a good deal around. First of all, as stylish blogger DejaPseu noted a few days ago, the Chico's ponte pants that I like are on sale for $39. NOT BAD.
But, if you spend a total of $50 at Chico's (and they just reduced some of their sale items), you can use this code: 4373, which will give you $25.00 off a purchase of at least $50.00.
You do have to pay for shipping, if you are not in the Passport Club (which requires spending $500, a level I have not yet reached in 5 years). But WAIT! My mother is a Passport member, so if I use her number, I get free shipping. If you have a friend in the blessed Passport sorority order for you, you get free shipping too. I think the shipping charge is worth it though. I hate driving to stores.
OK, I succumbed. And I succumbed last week to the other good deal (though everything I got was for other family members).
It is fun to get new things, even if we don't end up looking like Helen of Troy (or a succubus version of her), as presented in these famous lines from Doctor Faustus:
Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
Her lips suck forth my soul: see where it flies!
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
The code is only good till 2/27. btw.
You know: the little angel and the little devil from Tom and Jerry? That's a modern version of psychomachia, or the battle for the soul, from a medieval work of the same name.
If you took a British lit course in college, you may know it from Marlowe's Doctor Faustus, where the good and bad angels make frequent appearances, and where Doctor F always chooses the WRONG PATH.
OK, I've given you enough time to choose the right path. But in case you need anything from the dreaded Chico's (where I have been subject to poor customer service both in store and on-line!), there is a good deal around. First of all, as stylish blogger DejaPseu noted a few days ago, the Chico's ponte pants that I like are on sale for $39. NOT BAD.
But, if you spend a total of $50 at Chico's (and they just reduced some of their sale items), you can use this code: 4373, which will give you $25.00 off a purchase of at least $50.00.
You do have to pay for shipping, if you are not in the Passport Club (which requires spending $500, a level I have not yet reached in 5 years). But WAIT! My mother is a Passport member, so if I use her number, I get free shipping. If you have a friend in the blessed Passport sorority order for you, you get free shipping too. I think the shipping charge is worth it though. I hate driving to stores.
OK, I succumbed. And I succumbed last week to the other good deal (though everything I got was for other family members).
It is fun to get new things, even if we don't end up looking like Helen of Troy (or a succubus version of her), as presented in these famous lines from Doctor Faustus:
Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
Her lips suck forth my soul: see where it flies!
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
The code is only good till 2/27. btw.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
LL Bean 30% off EVERYTHING: Fair to Post?
Now that I've recovered from my multiple ailments, my mind is racing through things important (Shakespeare, Henry James), necessary (committee work), and trivial (frugal musings of various sorts).
A few days ago, LL Bean sent out a 15% off EVERYTHING code to a lucky few. A LUCKIER few got a 30% off EVERYTHING. There are numerous free shipping codes available too. I was in neither lucky camp.
Still, I read about it on a site I seldom look at: Slickdeals, which I learned about from a frugal colleague, and which offers deals mostly of the electronic variety. I checked Facebook to see if LL had publicized the code that way. No. A woman did write to complain that she, a good customer, got 15%, while her husband, who never buys anything, got 30%. LL responded that they were trying to entice people who didn't buy much.
Well, thanks a lot! I guess I fall into neither the buying nor the non-buying category, though I did spend a couple of hundred dollars there this year. In my fantasy world (promoted by Bean's publicity machine), LL offers FAIR everyday prices, with a FAIR profit.
If that's true, how can they fling around a 30% off everything code? Is it FAIR to LL to use a code you find posted on the internet? Is it FAIR to post the code? Is it FAIR to offer some customers a better price than others?
I know not the answers to these questions. I did buy Mr. FS a pair of boots and Miss Em a travel backpack for her trips this summer and beyond. I used the code.
It's good through today, I think. I am considering getting some of their sheepskin slippers! Oh, and how about a kayak? I've always wanted one to use in Massachusetts, where we have a house on a lake (we generally borrow the neighbor's kayak, but that is sometimes awkward).
FAIR to POST? If you want it, the code is JPA4393. Free shipping (if you don't have the Visa offered by LL) is LL3039329. FAIR? What is FAIR anyway? And how has FAIRNESS changed in the age of the internet?
And now for some beauty, via Shakespeare:
From fairest creatures we desire increase,
that thereby beauty's rose might never die
or, more disquieting,
And every fair from fair sometime declines
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed.
Can one even talk about FAIRNESS in the context of big business, marketing, consumer awareness, and so on?
A few days ago, LL Bean sent out a 15% off EVERYTHING code to a lucky few. A LUCKIER few got a 30% off EVERYTHING. There are numerous free shipping codes available too. I was in neither lucky camp.
Still, I read about it on a site I seldom look at: Slickdeals, which I learned about from a frugal colleague, and which offers deals mostly of the electronic variety. I checked Facebook to see if LL had publicized the code that way. No. A woman did write to complain that she, a good customer, got 15%, while her husband, who never buys anything, got 30%. LL responded that they were trying to entice people who didn't buy much.
Well, thanks a lot! I guess I fall into neither the buying nor the non-buying category, though I did spend a couple of hundred dollars there this year. In my fantasy world (promoted by Bean's publicity machine), LL offers FAIR everyday prices, with a FAIR profit.
If that's true, how can they fling around a 30% off everything code? Is it FAIR to LL to use a code you find posted on the internet? Is it FAIR to post the code? Is it FAIR to offer some customers a better price than others?
I know not the answers to these questions. I did buy Mr. FS a pair of boots and Miss Em a travel backpack for her trips this summer and beyond. I used the code.
It's good through today, I think. I am considering getting some of their sheepskin slippers! Oh, and how about a kayak? I've always wanted one to use in Massachusetts, where we have a house on a lake (we generally borrow the neighbor's kayak, but that is sometimes awkward).
FAIR to POST? If you want it, the code is JPA4393. Free shipping (if you don't have the Visa offered by LL) is LL3039329. FAIR? What is FAIR anyway? And how has FAIRNESS changed in the age of the internet?
And now for some beauty, via Shakespeare:
From fairest creatures we desire increase,
that thereby beauty's rose might never die
or, more disquieting,
And every fair from fair sometime declines
By chance or nature's changing course untrimmed.
Can one even talk about FAIRNESS in the context of big business, marketing, consumer awareness, and so on?
Monday, February 21, 2011
No Posts: A Multiple Choice Exam and a Beautiful Sentence
Why no posts? In 25plus years of teaching, I have never given a multiple choice exam. Here goes. My first.
a. Because I was in California visiting my father-in-law.
b. Because there's no internet access.
c. Except at the public library.
d. The weather was cold and stormy.
e. I was VERRRRRY sick the whole time.
f. With various weird--and I hope unrelated--symptoms.
g. I could go on.
The answer, as so often on such exams, is ALL OF THE ABOVE.
Since I didn't go anywhere, I didn't spend any money. Oh, by request, we bought Miss Em several giant chocolate bars from Trader Joe's.
As always, the best things in life are free: we saw a rainbow and my father-in-law, a very brainy guy still at 92, uttered the following sentence:
I like the Prokofiev piece even though it lacks the structural transparency and integrity of the Beethoven
Is it not worth a plane ticket and several days to hear a sentence like that one?
a. Because I was in California visiting my father-in-law.
b. Because there's no internet access.
c. Except at the public library.
d. The weather was cold and stormy.
e. I was VERRRRRY sick the whole time.
f. With various weird--and I hope unrelated--symptoms.
g. I could go on.
The answer, as so often on such exams, is ALL OF THE ABOVE.
Since I didn't go anywhere, I didn't spend any money. Oh, by request, we bought Miss Em several giant chocolate bars from Trader Joe's.
As always, the best things in life are free: we saw a rainbow and my father-in-law, a very brainy guy still at 92, uttered the following sentence:
I like the Prokofiev piece even though it lacks the structural transparency and integrity of the Beethoven
Is it not worth a plane ticket and several days to hear a sentence like that one?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
What I have in common with the Editor of Architectural Digest: Thrift!
Every now and again, I get a free subscription to this luxury magazine via unusable Frequent Flier miles. My subscription just ended, and I'm too cheap to subscribe; I can always read it at the library.
I was interested in this article about the chic and beautiful new editor, who is supposed to bring the magazine to a younger, hipper readership. I guess that is not me.
Read this piece on the New editor
Another frugal soul mate: I eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day.
Do you have a frugal soul mate?
I was interested in this article about the chic and beautiful new editor, who is supposed to bring the magazine to a younger, hipper readership. I guess that is not me.
Read this piece on the New editor
Another frugal soul mate: I eat peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day.
Do you have a frugal soul mate?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
