Tag: frugal

  • Might Be Good For Something-itis

    The handle came off the kettle this morning: My husband said, “Maybe this would be a good time to get that electric kettle we’ve been talking about [for the last several years, on account of electric kettles are more efficient, I’ve heard.]” “Sure,” I said. “But I think I’ve got a handle that will do…

  • Faster Food

    Feeling contrary and sick, I don’t want to talk about the election or Osama bin Laden today, so I’m going to talk about food instead. Here is my strategy for using convenience foods that don’t have extra ingredients to put dinner on the table in under half an hour. These are not gourmet meals, but…

  • Paying Attention for $$$!

    (I’m going to tell you how much I spend on utilities, in real dollars! Eventually.) This is a part of my daily life that has been growing for years, so I think it deserves a mention. It’s partially frugal, partially environmental, and partially an exercise in testing limits – how little can we use? It…

  • The Price Of Gas!

    Oh! It is time to run in circles and flap our hands! Gas is going up! Food will cost more! Who could ever have predicted this??? Here is one of the places where the division between structural analysis and the personal impact becomes glaring. It has become apparent to me over the last few years…

  • Who Wants to be a Billionaire?

    I’ve had this song stuck in my head since I went dancing last weekend: (Contains the word “fuck” a couple of times. Visuals completely acceptable in public.) [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aRor905cCw] I started off thinking, “But, I don’t want to be a billionaire.” Now that I’ve read the lyrics, and watched the video, I’m smitten. Love the song,…

  • Costuming my Life

    I spent the morning at the mall. There is no place quite so effective at bringing out my internal war over frugality (and the economy of my home) and responsibility (and the economy of the world). This is the site where these two things come into conflict. My usual solution to this conflict is to…

  • Everything I need to Know I Learned from My Mechanic

    Today, my mechanic added a useful skill to my repertoire. Specifically, he taught me how to start a car with a burned out starter motor, and it does not involve hotwiring. What is more, he did this over the phone, thus saving me the $50 tow fee to get my car from my back yard…

  • Car Makes another Play for the Bank Account!

    Last fall, I went to purchase a mattress for the youngest member of our family. I went to the furniture store, gave them my number, and then realized that I had left my wallet at home, so I said I would come back for it the next day. I went out, got into my car,…

  • Appliance Shopping with The Dilettante

    “Hi. I need a new fridge. What’s the smallest one you’ve got that is Energy Star rated?” This has been my opening line for the last four months in every appliance store in Sydney. Nobody was able to answer it. Not one salesperson on any floor in this town was able to point me at…

  • Mama Wants a Table Saw

    On Friday, I built my son a new bed. Mostly. This is the semi-room that we refer to as “The Nook”. It is a 7’2″ by 7’3″ alcove off the main hallway. We suspect that it held a TV at some point before we lived here, since there is still a co-axial cable running through…

  • Wood Heating – Fantasy and Reality

    The crackling fire, the comforting warmth against the icy blast. The woodstove is one of my favourite parts of our rural lifestyle. I have one of those lovely iron wood racks next to the main stove: This is what the actual wood pile looks like: (All the stuff in front of it was already stored…

  • Birthdays are a-comin’ in

    Loud sing cuckoo? Eleven years ago this evening, I was hanging out in a hospital room waiting for this labour thing to get going already. It did, I became a mom as a result, and tomorrow we get to celebrate my son’s continued trip around the planet. All awesome. But for me, a birthday is…