More Things We Do that Seem Normal to us but has Friends and Family Members thinking we are Not...

Hi! This is a spin off this post I wrote a while ago about the things that have become habit here at my house (like not watching tv and not using paper towels) but have our friends and family scratching there head and talking about us as "odd"and "eco freaks"..

(Just as a side note, people tend to think we are deprived. I don't really picture myself as that. Not to mention, I am actually kind of lazy.)

1.) Social Media

Other than this blog, I don't participate in any social media. (Unless email counts?) I had a facebook, but to be honest I didn't find it useful. It contributed to my dissatisfaction with my life. And I've never had a twitter. I will never forget the first time we had a friend over who was talking about twittering something, and my husband and I assumed "twittering"was some kind of sexual slang.. I guess we are getting old. (My husband has a facebook.)

2.) Wash and Re-use plastic bags

Yeah, I know plastic isn't that great. But if I buy something that comes in a plastic bag I am going to try to use it rather than sending it straight to the trash. We have a hook in the kitchen that is meant for hanging paper towels, but since we don't use paper towels it has become my plastic bag dryer. I just hang the bag on it. People really seem to think this is weird. (And you get this odd sort of pity that maybe you are so poor you can't afford a box of Ziploc.)

3.) Cloth Diapers

I get a lot of questions about this. The first I always get asked is if I use a diaper service. This puzzles me. I think that this would negate the savings/environmental impact of using cloth if I paid someone to come in a truck, haul the diapers away, wash them, and bring them back.

Really, as I said, I am kind of lazy and I do not find cloth diapers to be difficult. I use Fuzzi Bunz Pocket diapers and wipes. I keep a bag in the bathroom where I put the dirty diapers, and I wash them about every other day. Washing them is not hard. First, I run them on a cold rinse, then I add soap and wash them in warm water. Then I toss them in the dryer (when it isn't 4 degrees out maybe I'll even line dry them).

4.) I don't wash my clothes

Well, unless them smell bad. Or have stains on them. But, I wear them a lot before I wash them, and if they get a small spot I will use a rag and just scrub that spot. This is pure laziness disguised as eco-friendly.

I just want to share these things because it really isn't that hard to make changes. If I can do it, so can you. :)

Katie

Weekly Spending Report 2.7.14, What do you keep your thermostat on?

It's a new month! I decided to be a little more specific in my money breakdown categories, so you can get and idea of where all the money is going, and what areas I am trying to target to spend less.
Just how little can a family of 4 in the Northeastern United States live on comfortably? I am set out to see!

I want to add also that we found out my son qualifies for reduced lunch at school. I am unsure whether or not we will use this benefit. Most of the time I pack my son's lunch anyway.

So here is the breakdown:

$900.00 - housing
$169.56- Electric - That is a doozy. In the summer I had it down to 100.00.
$584.00- Heating Oil - we have had an unusually cold winter and I had the tank filled. Ouch!
$20.00- Church
$121.05- Groceries
$49.50- Gasoline for Car
$20.00- Kid 1 School Fundraiser
$10.00-Take out
$41.90- The Honest Company Cleaning Bundle

Total for Week One:
 $1916. 11

Wow! The total for the first week is almost my total for all of last month. The Heating oil really did us in. I am hoping that that is it for the winter, but since out temperatures have been so low, who knows? We keep our thermostat set at 67*Fahrenheit during the day, and 65 at night. We used to keep it lower, but with the baby we have had to bump it up a little.
 In the summer, I set it at 80. We do not have central air conditioning but do have window boxes. This year I am thinking of only having the boxes in the bedrooms, and toughing it out for the rest of the house.

What temperature do you keep your house?

Have a great weekend!

Katie

What I'm Reading 2.4.14

Yesterday we had yet another snow day and kid 1 was home from school. I don't get much done when he's home, but we sure do have fun :)


So, what I'm reading:


Books:


1.) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen


I am a big Jane Austen fan and I have not read this in a while. It is free on kindle!




2.) Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits ( Jane Austen takes the South) by Mary Jane Hathaway





Being a big Jane Austen fan, I am always happy to read books based on hers. I downloaded this for free on kindle and I really enjoyed it.




3.) Believing God Day by Day: Growing your Faith all Year Long by Beth Moore







This was yet another free download on kindle. I like to have a daily devotional reading.






Blogs:


1.) Stupid vs Cancer @ The Art of Simple


This has become my mantra.


2.) Why I took my kid's toys away and why they won't them back @ Living Well Spending Less


I would love to do this. I am interested in how her kids developed more gratitude for the things they have after. We are struggling with gratitude and a big case of the "I want that" right now. I wonder if I could get my husband on board?


Happy Monday  Tuesday!


Katie

Weekly Spending Report 1.31.14, January Spending Wrap Up, Goals For Next Month

Here's the Stats for Week 4:

24.00- Pizza Night
(1 regular pizza for me and kid 1, 1 gluten free for Mike)
21.00 - Bota Box Wine
I decided to try this, since it is equivalent to 4 bottles of wine and said it is good for a month. It isn't bad! (I only drink wine a glass or two at a time, so I like that it lasts long)
35.00- Church Stuff
32.00 - Fruit basket gift for my aunt and uncle
92.72- Groceries
53.00- Gas (oh! that darn car!)
20.00 - Sushi take out ( I had an attack of laziness and didn't make dinner)

Total For Week:
$277.72

The month of January has come to a close. Here is my total spending for the month:
$2158.34

That is pretty low for a family of 4! Can I get it lower? This month I am going to try to focus lowering our take-out food bill- as that eats up a lot of our money (just last week alone we spent $44.00.) My challenge to myself is to spend no more than $25.00 next month. Challenge accepted!


 I want to add that my family has no debt. We have been blessed by generous family members, and smart parents who taught me how to be a good steward of our money. My husband received a small inheritance from his grandparents, which we used to pay off his student loan. My husband and I have budget meetings, we have one shared checking account and we make our financial decisions together. When we spend more than about $20 on something, we consult the other to get the "okay" on purchasing. This means there are no surprises on the bank statement at the end of the month (and unhappy spouses).

Have a great weekend!
(What will the groundhog say?? (for my US friends))

Katie

What I am Reading 1.29.14

Life has the habit of getting away from me, and it has been a while since I have updated what I am reading. I love reading. I am literally one of those people who doesn't watch television. And I feel like a total nerd (and somewhat pretentious) saying "I don't watch tv, I read!" But I do. I really do.

Books:

1.) The Bible
I am still on track with my Bible in a year reading plan. I am still in Matthew for the new testament but have moved on to Exodus in the old testament (and every time I open it up I start singing the "Exodus" song by Bob Marley. Anyone else do this? Or is it just me?)

2.) The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough To Break the Rules by Carolyn Custis James




I love the tagline of this book. "Loving God Enough to Break the Rules". Cool. I am reading this in my women's bible study, although due to the weather I haven't been in a while. We have had a crazy cold winter here in Pennsylvania so far. As I speak (type?) it is 11 * F.


3.) 32 Going on Spinster by Becky Monsoon





This was a free download on kindle that was unexpectedly great! It made me laugh so hard and I keep recommending it to people I know because I want someone to talk about it with. (If you read it please comment!!)


Blogs:

1.) Living Simply Free Good News Monday by Lois Field

Lois's blog is in my top 5 favorite blogs. It inspires me. I find it to be so helpful without condescending. This article brought me back to the book I read this summer, "Garbology" by Edward Humes.

2.) I'm Sort of Panicking because we're getting rid of our tv by Sarah Mae

This inspired me to cut down on my son's screen time even more. We are trying to limit the WII to 45 minutes a day. (I know.)

3.) Don't Homeschool? Take home to School by Katrina Ryder

This made me feel better about not homeschooling. It seems everyone with a blog homeschools. I do not. I am not against it. If my son was having problems in school I would consider it an option. But, here's the thing- my son goes to a local public school. It is a great school. He likes his teachers, and he likes his friends. He is happy. Son happy = mommy happy. I sat in his class this week to observe, and it reaffirmed that this is what works for him right now.


Well, it's hump day folks. Enjoy the rest of your week!

'till next time

Katie

Weekly Spending Report, One Car Family, Keeping Stuff vs. Getting Rid of Stuff 1.24.14

Hello, it's that time again for the spending report. Tracking all my expenses has made me see how much money I am really spending, and even though I am not buying anything new, I am thinking for the coming months each month I will target an area to reduce spending (such as groceries, gas, etc.)

Here is the breakdown:

2.99 - Kindle Book ( ah! I failed again)
10.00- Church
133.36- Groceries
13.00- Bottle of wine (Francis Ford Coppola Chardonnay, my favorite. we all have our vices)
9.15- ice cream playdate with kid 1
29.97- toilet paper. I find this funny that I spent 30 bucks on tp, and they deliver to my house in this huge box. I order it from amazon, it is plastic free and made from recycled paper. This will last us a couple months.
41.28- formula ordered from Amazon. I am breastfeeding, but I like to have formula on hand just in case.
35.28- gas for my husband's car
17.00- kid 1 haircut + tip
We all get our hair cut twice a year at Hair Cuttery. In between they are subjected to me and my scissors.

Total: 291.73

We have two cars. They are both paid for. Mike's is a '98 Camry that keeps on truckin', and I have a 2002 Passat which likes to give me problems because cars hate me. I would love to be a no car family. We live in the 'burbs, so public transit is not an option. I think we could probably become a one car family- with Mike being a traveling musician, he kind of needs a car. (Although I have had daydreams of him riding a bike with his drumset in a little cart behind him. I don't know how safe this would be on I95 ha ha.). The temperature around here has also been low, right now it is a balmy 10*F with a wind chill of -3*F. I suppose if I was super hardcore I could walk/ride a bike in this. But I've got a newborn. (He is my excuse for everything.)  Are you a one car/no car family?

The other thing I want to touch on is stuff. I prefer a minimalist approach. If I lived alone my house would be quite Spartan. I like empty spaces. Clutter gives me anxiety.

My loving husband on the other hand, is a different story. He never gets rid of stuff. Now- he doesn't buy stuff much, (he has actually shown interest in the compact.), but he doesn't part with stuff. He is a "we might be able to use this" guy. And let me tell you, nothing makes him happier than to use something that I had previously tried to get rid of - "I told you honey!!" So, I state my case for minimalism, and he states his case for savealism (saving stuff?), and I actually have to admit some of his reasoning makes sense to me.

The biggest one was that we might as well keep it and try to use it, rather then sending it to a landfill and have to buy something else later. This makes sense, as I more and more think that donating stuff to thrift stores is just dumping your problem on someone else (not that I never think we shouldn't donate, otherwise, where would I buy my clothes?) but- thrift stores usually have an overabundance and have to throw things out. I love that he has the creative ingenuity to see the possibilities in things and what they can become - to make them into something new. ( I do not possess this.) I have mentioned before almost nothing in our house is new.

What do you think?

Have a great weekend!

Katie

When simplifying becomes keeping up with the Jones's

Wait, you might say. That title doesn't make any sense! Keeping up with the "Jones" is acquiring more stuff, and simplfying is getting rid of stuff. Yes, it is different, but the mentality can become the same.

Hear me out.

When we get caught up in keeping up with the Jones's, it usually involves buying a fancier car, newer bigger house, and whatever shiny doodad is in style (Iwhatevers). I know. I have been caught in that storm before. "I should have a coach purse. and Uggs boots. Not some dumb other purse".

 Most people (if you live in the United States) can benefit from getting rid of stuff. But, you can become too focused on the goal of getting rid of stuff as well.

I was in the process of decluttering when this thought occured to me,

"Why should I get rid of something I use just so I can have less?"

So why am I saying simplfying can become like "keeping up with the Jone's "? Well, sometimes getting rid of stuff, I feel I have to keep simplfying. Until I eventually "arrive". I think it's the same feeling that we get when getting caught in the keeping up mentality. When we acquire those shiny doodads, suddenly we will "arrive". We will be happy.

But I realized, once again, my simplfying was becoming focused just on the stuff itself. When I reexamine the reasons of why I want to live simply, it has nothing to do with stuff and things. I want to live simply so I don't have to work tons of hours. I want to have time to spend with my family. I want to live simply so I have the time to develop meaningful relationships. I want to give back.

Because it is not about what you acquire (or what you get rid of). In the end it's about developing the relationships in your life. It is about being able to give more.

Do you ever get caught up in things? Caught up in the perfection and lose sight of the actual goal?

I know I do. I'm working on it.

Katid