Yankee 2.0 : consumption

Lease to own office equipment. A success (for me)

Anne Cross — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:54:00 GMT

Two years ago, I took out a lease to own contract with Dell computers for a laptop, software, and digital video camera for my training company. I needed the equipment, didn't have the money to buy it outright, and didn't want to use a credit card to pay for it. I didn't splurge by getting the top of the line models, but I didn't get the cheapest ones either (which I might have done had I been paying cash). The equipment has been quite reliable, and when I've had (two) problems with it, they sent someone to my office to fix it. I also have an additional year's worth of that "we'll fix anything" service plan (I'm notorious for dropping or spilling things on laptops, so this is one time extended warranty was totally worth the peace of mind).

Last week, I made my final lease payment. So now I own this equipment! I'm sure for some people, a two-year old laptop would seem outdated, but for my business, it works just great (although I'm hoping the new Windows OS is better than Vista, which it now has -- I'm really a Mac user, but thought (correctly) the PC laptop would be good for integrating into workplace systems where I was using it.

Anyway, this is a long rambling post -- just wanted to share my success about leasing office equipment. It's really nice not to have that bill anymore, and it's nice to have good equipment for my business. For me, lease to own was a good decision.

No more junk

Anne Cross — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:32:00 GMT

This year, I have gotten rid of a lot of junk. I look around my house now, and I see fewer things, but the things I see, I enjoy and value. I'm trying these days not to let anymore junk into my life.

What's some of the junk that has left my life in 2009? Damp, empty boxes that had sat in my basement for years "for when I sell things on ebay." Old paperwork that I no longer needed to keep. Clothes that didn't fit or had just worn out. Stuff I had duplicates of in the kitchen. Presents given to me that I never liked but was holding onto out of a sense of obligation to the giver. Lots and lots of junk left my life this year. And lots of stuff that wasn't junk at the level of an empty, damp cardboard box, but that I no longer had need of. I sold a bunch of stuff on CL, ebay, and at a tag sale -- made about $1,000 from selling things (!). I donated lots of things to thrift stores (the point of entry into my life of much of it to begin with). I gave things away on Freecycle.

I've bought some new things over the past few months, but they've been things I needed, and they haven't been junk. My preferred shopping places are still flea markets, tag sales, and thrift shops. But when in the past I would greedily load up my car with lots and lots of stuff, now I carefully consider any potential purchase. I've put lots of things down that I would have brought home before. Buying nothing, or buying one thing for $5.00 that is really precious, useful, and beautiful is much better than spending $20.00 on stuff just to have lots of stuff around. There is a much greater sense of peace in my house now. I've always hated clutter, and having all that junk (even if it was tastefully arranged, or hidden out of view in the basement) was definitely a form of clutter.

I know that this new relationship to the things in my life is related to the new relationship that I've developed with money over the past few years. I never used to think I would get to this place. I feel mature! I feel like I'm in control of my material life -- money, clothing, things -- all the "stuff" is under my control, instead of me being unable to control spending, collecting things, having debt, and bill paying. I like it a lot better this way.

I still feel a sense of excitement when I see a tag sale sign or pull up to the flea market. But I can take a step back and examine what I really need or want, and it's much more easy to walk away.

"Transumers not really consumers" -- I disagree.

Anne Cross — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 14:56:00 GMT

I just read an AP article in my local newspaper about "Transumers" -- people who are transient consumers. They don't purchase and consume things, they rent or lease consumer items that are then passed on to the next transumer. Sounds sort of green and sustainable, right? It was billed as a new econonmy type thing. Well, the person featured in the photo and the lead off to the article is budgeting $800 per month to rent designer pocketbooks.

Here's the article: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/06/29/ap6598975.html

Yep, that's right, $800 per month, every month, for pocketbooks, presumably so she isn't seen with the same pocketbook. What???? I admit, I love pocketbooks, but I doubt that in my forty years of loving pocketbooks I've spent a total of $800.00 Another example given is "Wear Today, Gone Tomorrow" where you can rent a designer dress for $49.00 for a week (plus a $10.00 cleaning fee). So that's $60.00 for a dress that you can only wear once, plus someone else has already worn it!

Is it just me, or does this seem like the ultimate antithesis of thrift? How is it that this is a positive reaction to the "economic downturn" (great depression two)? "Less treasure, more pleasure" was the subtitle to this article. Sheesh!

I get almost all of my clothes second-hand (just like those designer handbags and dresses are, if someone else has worn them). I wonder what someone paying $800 per month for handbags thinks about second-hand clothes? Does she really she's using used goods?

The article also talks about renting tools and bicycles and using Netflix for movies -- but these sensible programs were overshadowed for me by the profligate rentals.

What I'm doing differently

Anne Cross — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:11:00 GMT

There have been so many stories in the news, on blogs -- everyhwere -- about what people are doing differently in the midst of this "economic downturn," and lots of speculation about what habits will last and what will disappear once the economy recovers.

I started living within my means over a year ago, and made many of the changes talked about in the news. I cancelled my cable, got rid of the Internet at home, went to cheap-o telephone service, cancelled my beloved artisan bottled water delivery, put all my electronics on power strips, and eventually paid off my credit cards (such a good feeling with all the news about increased fees for good customers). These are (I hope, I hope, I hope) life habits that I will always maintain.

But I'm still looking for ways to stretch my dollars. I'm going to greatly expand my vegetable garden this summer (we had frost last night, so I won't be planting until after Memorial Day, just like all the old Yankees advise) and do itas much by swapping as possible. I have set myself a $20 limit for plants this season. I'm sewing more to mend things that I might have turned into rags before (mostly pillowcases and socks).The home-made cleaning and health and beauty products are a huge savings, and I continue to research recipes for things I can make myself. I always look for free first, second hand next, and buying new as a last resort.

And I'm using coupons more. There aren't usually that many coupons I can use, but there are usually a few (some weeks go by with nothing in the Sunday paper for me), and when there's a coupon for batteries or toilet paper or some other common staple, I make sure to cut it out and file it in my little coupon file. The grocery stores around here have started putting triple coupon or $1.00 double coupon promotions on, so I make use of those and am building up a stock of those products. Plus, eggs and frozen pizzas sometimes appear in coupons. And I'm looking on manufacturers web sites for coupons for items I use. And I NEVER use a coupon for something I wouldn't have bought anyway unless it is free.

Lastly, I've started entering sweepstakes. I'm sure more and more people are joining me, so the odds are poor, but somebody's got to win, right? I always check my receipts for sweepstakes opportunities (CVS, Home Depot), and enter online. Parade magazine and Cooking Pleasures magazine also have ongoing sweepstakes, where you can log in every day and enter. It takes less than five minutes a day, and I could really put either a paring knife or $50,000 to good use.

I wonder what other frugalistas are doing differently in the "downturn"?

A year of thrift

Anne Cross — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 12:10:00 GMT

It was in February of 2008 that I decided to change my relationship with money. I was sick of living week to week, always being scrambling to pay bills, being in debt and being generally stressed over money. I bartered with a life coach for a couple of sessions, but quickly realized I didn't need someone else to tell me what to do. I knew what I needed to do! I was always listening to shows about personal finance and debt, I had gone through the Dave Ramsey thing (and paid off a bunch of debt, yet there it was again, creeping up on me) -- I knew what I needed to do, and I finally decided to just do it.

I put myself on a weekly budget of $200.00 which I took out in cash each Friday. This was to cover human food, pet food, gas for the car, and any shopping (clothes, household goods, books, etc.) and entertainment (coffee, meals out, movies) for me for one week. Anything left over would go into savings. I went back on to the snowball model to pay off my credit cards, and a few months earlier had started an IRA which had a monthly debit from my checking account (so I couldn't skip paying it).

One year in, I am in much better shape. I have paid off all my "little" credit card debts (Care Credit -- which provided much-needed funding for a pet operation and Sleepy's -- for a new bed), which eliminated a couple thousand dollars of debt and freed up a few hundred each month for other expenses. I started saving for the first time since I was a teenager. I usually had something left over from my $200 allowance and even if it was $1.00, I put that money into my passbook savings each week. I have depleted it a couple of times (once to fix a collapsed celing in my house, twice for my weekly allowance), but hey, it was savings, not debt! And then I've gone back to putting money into it and have continued my savings habit.I just completed a mortgage re-finance which also rolled in a large credit card (around $9500), and a home equity loan.This monthly payment will be less than what I had been paying (due to the great interest rate) and will eliminate two additional bills from my life.

I cancelled non-essential expenses. I got rid of cable tv (which was only costing me $6.00 per month, but I decided was non-essential), and a few months ago cancellled my spring water delivery (which was $40 per month, but was delicious mineral water and supported a local business). And I downsized my home telephone service to something that is local-only, per-call rate and is very inexpensive.

I buy almost everything used. Clothing, household products, books (if not simply borrowed from the library), etc. When I can't buy it used, I TRY to buy it from the source, especially for food. I buy my milk and eggs directly from a dairy, and get as much produce straight from farmers (besides what I can grow myself).

What has fundamentally happened is that I've changed my thinking. I used to operate in scarcity/fear mode, but now I feel like I'm in abundance/security mode. I have plenty of stuff (in fact, I got rid of a lot of stuff over the winter), I make big batches of food and freeze some, so I know I have plenty of food, I have enough money to make ends meet; I pay my utility bills as soon as they arrive so I don't worry about paying them; I live in a city with lots of free entertainment and I'm a block from the library; I have plenty of ways to keep busy, and as I pay down my mortgage (which is now, apart from my blasted student loans my only debt), I will eventually own my home and be even more secure.

I love doing what I can by myself -- soap and cleaning things, food, mending clothes and sheets, fixing clocks, resuing things -- it helps with the feelings of security and independence, but it's nice to be part of a community (like this one) where other people are likeminded and trying to reduce their consumption. I feel much less wasteful, too. I used to be proud of how much I recycled each week. Now I'm happy to see how little is in my recycling bin, since it means I'm consuming that much less.

While anything is possible, I am pretty confident that the changes I've made are lasting ones. My outlook on life has changed so fundamentally and completely that I don't think I will ever go back to my old ways of profligate spending. I used to feel a reward sensation when I bought something, but now I feel that same sensation when I put money into the bank. I like going to the thrift store and walking out empty-handed because I know that I don't need a single thing there.

It has been an interesting journey so far. I can't wait to see what February 2010 looks like!

Homemade toothpaste

Anne Cross — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:55:00 GMT

I looked into a lot of recipes and did some experimenting until I found one that I LOVE. It took a bit of getting used to, because it is salty, but now I really really love it. I don't like mint or cinamon flavored things, and never liked the taste of toothpaste. I make mine with cardamom, clove, and bergamot oils and I LOVE the way it tastes. Did I mention I love it?

Yet another store-bought item out of my life!

Here is the recipe:

6 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt (for abrasion)

4 teaspoons glycerine

1/2 teaspoon hydrogen peroxide

15 drops of essential oils (for flavor, not an "essential" ingredient)

Mix everything together and dip your brush in!

One caveat -- be sure that the essential oils you use are safe forconsumption!

Unexpected benefit of home-made stuff

Anne Cross — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:19:00 GMT

I've been slowly transitioning from store-bought to home-made for my personal and house cleaning needs. When one thing runs out (shampoo, laundry soap, etc.), I find a recipe and make it myself. I have pretty good supplies in store of most things, so it really is a slow process.

I noticed a benefit today that I hadn't expected -- it's the calming presence of the absence of labels and brands. I was sitting in the tub (don't have a shower) and looking at the glass jars of shampoo, conditioner (the vinegar rinse), and body wash that I made. No labels -- no writing (well there's some chinese writing on the old soy sauce pourer I use for my vinegar rinse, but it's faint and I don't understand it) -- no brands! I'm in a marketing-free environment in my bath tub and it's really nice.

I make a point of not displaying any company logos on my clothing (if they want to pay me to advertise for them, they can), and it's really nice to be lessening the corporate advertising in my home. I'm looking forward to the day when all of my products are hand-made and I can be almost completely free of advertising within my home.

Waste not, want not?

Anne Cross — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:28:00 GMT

As I was doing some baking for my annual New Year's Day brunch, I managed to finish up a jar of ground nutmeg. I have a tin of whole nutmegs, and I was glad to finish off the ground stuff so I could switch over to the less-processed variety. A friend of mine was hanging out in the kitchen with me, and I told her it made me feel virtuous to have used the whole container. "Huh," she replied.

This friend (who is a fellow-traveller in trying to reduce debt) earns about three times what I do and has about the same amount of monthly expenses, but is often caught short on bills and definitely lives paycheck to paycheck. A little while after the nutmeg discussion, she mentioned that she would like to buy some new eyeshadow. I had some sort of reaction which led her to say that she didn't think that using eye makeup until it was empty was a virtue. This got me thinking about waste and want.

I do think that using something up is virtuous, and that throwing something away that is perfectly good is a waste. I have eyeshadow that I remember buying in 1994 -- it doesn't go bad, and it really does last almost forever.

As I've been becoming more frugal and mindful about spending, I've tried to separate needs from wants, and have tried to examine what I really want when I think I want a thing. Is it really eyeshadow that is wanted, or is it glamour? Is it really new shoes that are wanted, or is it to give the appearance of wealth and sophistication? And every time I give my hard-earned money to someone else, I try to be conscious that the same money could be going towards bill payoff or savings so that I won't have to work as much in the future. Certainly, I need groceries, I need heat, electricity, etc. And sometimes buying a new pair of shoes (or eyeshadow) feels great! But in consciously wasting as little as possible (by not throwing things away, by using things up, by buying just what i need for groceries, and cooking up what's in the fridge), I notice that my wanting is also reduced.

Simplifying

Anne Cross — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:46:00 GMT

As I was clearing out my penultimate remaining junk room (such a danger in a big house -- just stashing stuff in piles and closing the door to deal with "later"), I was listening to NPR and there was a feature on people who are called "the new simplifiers" -- people choosing to get rid of excess, opting to limit their usage and material footprint on the world -- dollar stretcher type people.

I was doing my own part to simplify -- I made a huge box of old paperwork to be shredded (old contracts, students' records, bank records -- things that couldn't just be recycled), tested all the old ink pens (most didn't work and I threw them out, but made a big pile of the ones that did), and put all the office supplies in a box and brought it down to my office space (I will never have to buy another paper clip as long as I live, made a HUGE box of things to bring to Savers (before the end of the year, so I get my charity tax credit), and listed a few things on freecycle (already got emails from people for two of the things -- including empty boxes and packing peanuts).

At some point in a more prosperous future, this room will be a bathroom. I think having all that junk in there blocked me from thinking about it becoming that, and having it really empty should help the transformation occur (if only removing all the junk would make the $3,000 or so it will cost to turn it into a bathroom magically appear!)

I also have an ever-increasing pile of things that I think have some sort of value and that I hope to sell on ebay. The pile is sort of daunting, though, and I think I might embrace the holiday spirit and just box them up and bring them to Savers or list them on Freecycle. I'm really ready to have all this excess material "stuff" out of my environment.

Simplify! Simplify!

Christmas 2008, so far, so free!

Anne Cross — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:27:00 GMT

Well, my friends and I are not exchanging gifts (and I have no family), so that's a big expense gone. But there are lots of other things that creep in during the holidays that often tempt me to spend money that could otherwise be put towards bills, debt, savings, all sorts of things. So here's what I've done so far this year to resist:

No new decorations. I have *plenty* of ornaments, snow globes, etc. I usually buy some live greens, but this year, I just picked up some pine branches in the woods and trimmed some of my own and my neighbor's shrubs (with permission, of course) and stuck 'em in pots of dirt. I've been watering them, and they look great. I resisted the sale of wreaths at my school, and am slowly putting out some of my existing odds and ends for decorations. Very low-key, and FREE.

Christmas cards -- I always buy Christmas cards. I love stationery, and love sending letters and cards, and always buy cards after Christmas (and always pick up lots of greeting cards at the thrift stores I go to, and they often have holiday cards in them), so I have a stockpile of them. Plus, I always get some in the mail from charities. So this year, I used my existing stock and STILL have plenty left over for next year. I won't buy any more cards until they are close to running out. No hoarding! I also used those return address labels that charities always send out. I do have to buy stamps, but the rest has been FREE.

No work gifts, secret santas, or raffles. I'm just opting out. I don't want the junk that comes with these totally un-Christmas-like traditions (and that I always re-gift), and I don't want to spend $10.00 for a pointless gift exchange. I've just said "no," and it feels really good.

No big splashy parties. I am going to one friend's house for Christmas Eve dinner, another's for Christmas night, and I'm hosting a brunch on New Year's Day. These are all potlucks (and gift-free), and except for the one I'm hosting, the cost will come out of my normal grocery budget. I can't think of a better way to spend the holidays -- with people I love, sharing food together that we have created. Just like Thanksgiving!

Making a little money, too. I'm still listing stuff on Ebay and Craigslist, and what doesn't sell I'm just giving away on Freecycle or at the thrift store. Ten dollars here or there will help pay for the brunch (and will definitely pay for the postage stamps), and maybe get me to be in fact at $0.00 for Christmas 2009.

I feel like I'm more in touch with Christmas by opting out a bit of the consumption.