Frugal Living Journal – Another Day In Paradise

December 10, 2009 By 1 Comment

I love where we live!  We get 300 days of sunshine a year.  Now that doesn’t mean we get 300 FULL days of sun but the sun does shine for a good part of the time.  But Here it is in December and it is COLD and yet sunny.  My view of the Olympic Mountains is unsurpassed.

Part of a frugal outlook is appreciating the beauty all around you.  People actually pay money to come to where we live!   So in a way, we live in “paradise”.  Who needs to pay for an expensive vacation when all you need to do is plan a trip to the mountains or visit the ocean on the weekend. [Read more...]

Filed Under: frugal tips

Frugal Journal – Expanding our Recycling and Garbage routine

November 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

OK.  You know we are severely recycling when it takes a family of 9 two weeks to fill a 60 gallon garbage can!!  Last week we started having our trash hauled – reasoning: to save us gas and time.  All things being equal, it cost us the same to have someone else pick up and take it away.

How do we do it?  I have a bin in the kitchen that holds the day’s cans and packaging as well as rinsed and squashed milk jugs.  That is emptied at least every other day.

I also have paper recycle boxes near my copier and by the back door.  So, when I look in my trash can next to my desk it contains a broken rubber band and mechanical pencil that doesn’t work anymore and the wrapper from new Post it notes.  Whereas the paper recycle next to my desk is already half full after a week of sorting.

All this type of thing tells me how foolish were all those earlier years.  Now I won’t dwell on the past but will endeavor to learn and change.  I hope that my kids will see the sense in it and carry on in their own lives.

Next time I’ll talk turkey – it’s that time again.

Filed Under: frugal tips, money saving ideas