Monthly Archives: March 2011
The Mighty Flexible Greenback, Part 2
| March 14, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under cooking, food, Have Fun, Inspiration, inspired life series, Money, organization, Sustainable Living |
Last week I wrote about saving money by uncovering hidden fees and other sneaky money-zappers. I for one get a little ache in my stomach when thinking about combing through statements and making phone calls. So I’m glad that’s over. This week is a little more fun – the challenge is to lower food and household expenses and I think I’ve come up with some creative ways to do it.
First step: Take inventory - grab a notepad and jot down the items in your kitchen, linen closets, laundry and bathroom. Almost out of dish soap or toilet paper? Make a note. You can even go so far as to estimate how long it takes you to go through each item so you can calculate these costs into your monthly and yearly budgets (but if that seems a little too anal-retentive, just having an idea of what you use and don’t use often is good enough)
Save on food - I’ve never been a coupon clipper, but spending a little time perusing the local circulars could save you a wad of cash and give you an excuse to try something different (i.e., brussel sprout sale). Now that you know what’s in your pantry and fridge, I challenge you to create a budget mealplan based on weekly grocery specials. I limit my shopping to 1-2 stores and then visit the farmer’s market once a week, so I end up shopping 2-3 times which makes buying food a part of my lifestyle and I like it. I feel connected to what I’m eating and I make less bad decisions that way. Visit LocalHarvest to find a farmers market near you.
How about getting free food? Yes, free. Plant a garden. My black thumb quickly became a little greener when I realized how much money I could save by growing some of my staple ingredients myself. I have a small patio and I’m betting you at least have a window in your place, so no excuses. Herbs are expensive to buy and many like basil, thyme, cilantro and oregano are called for in tons of dishes. You can buy starter plants for about $2-$3 at any nursery or Home Depot and once you learn to love them they’ll love you back over and over again.
Have an old clove of garlic that sprouted a tail? Don’t throw it away! Bury it in some soil and grow a whole new head. Lettuce is one of the simplest things to grow, and fresh lettuce would probably inspire you to eat more salad.
The 3 cloves I planted last week are sprouting already
Red, orange and yellow peppers average $1.50 per pepper and I buy all three on a weekly basis! That means I could save almost $20 a month by planting $9 worth of plants once. Add in the bi-weekly herbs at $3 a bunch and that’s a nice chunk off the monthly grocery bill. Having an organic garden means cheap and safe food.
If you’re not keen on gardening, why not share a CSA basket with a friend or neighbor? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, which collaborates with local farms to distribute whatever it is that they’re growing right now. What it means for you is a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly baskets of fresh goodies delivered to your door. It helps keep local, family owned farms in business and many, whether certified or not, use organic practices. The prices are comparable to what you would pay in-store but if you opt to split it with someone it’s actually cheaper, and you won’t be left with a bunch of parsnips one week that you don’t know what to do with…
If you do have a couple things growing, look for a local food swap. This will allow you to get rid of your extra produce in exchange for things that other people grow.
Save on household items -
Why bother keeping up with the Jones’s (or Kardashians) when you can just borrow their cool stuff? It’s kind of a lame reference, but what I’m getting at is the concept of sharing instead of topping. Household equipment like kitchen gadgets, vacuums, even folding tables and chairs for your upcoming dinner party can be pricey items that take up space and rarely get used. Rather than running to Target with a credit card, hop online to Neighborgoods.com or Neighborrow.com and find a local sharing network. You can list items you’re in need of and things you’re willing to lend out to a responsible ‘neighbor’ – anything from food processors to books and music. It’s free and safe, and you may even make some new friends.
If you are in the market to purchase something, check Craigslist first. You can find amazing deals on gently used items and the process can be entertaining because you never know what you’ll stumble across. The best time to look is late in the week or early weekend mornings; that’s when people decide to finally get rid of the ____ that’s been sitting by the door for a month. It’s also a good time to look for estate and garage sales, but get out early while the deals are happening.
Online shopping can save you a lot of money and time because it’s easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. Between the low overhead of online storefronts, the competitive nature of the industry, and coupon websites like couponcabin.com, retailmenot.com and delio.com you can find discounts and deals like free shipping. I try to support small businesses and shop for fair trade, organic and recycled/reclaimed materials, all of which are easy to find online these days. Another bonus is that you can read reviews and feel confident about what and who you’re buying from.
What I’ve discovered is that saving money is about changing the way you think about money and the way you see your lifestyle. I’m not just trying to pinch pennies, I’m trying to take back control over what I spend money on. I want a certain quality of life, regardless on how much expendable income we have. By doing things like growing basic foods, meeting community members and buying from local and/or small businesses I am creating something that feels a little more human, and saving money then becomes the perk.
Join me next week for Part 3 of this series – it’s all about fun.
Free Design for an Inspired Reader
| March 10, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under Design, giveaways, Have Fun, interiors, redefine home |
I’m the kind of gal who likes to make connections – I believe every step we take is intertwined with our past and leading us into our future. So several months ago, as I was retracing the web that brought me to where I am today, I had an Aha moment.
image from shamaniclightwork.com
I decided to combine my love of being an Interior Designer with my love of being an E-Preneur and start an E-Design program through Redefine Home.
I spent a couple weeks planning out how the program would run – that is, how to give design clients exactly what they need from afar. After combing through all my best (and worst) projects, I think I’ve come up with a great program. The concept is simple, the prices are affordable, and I get to work with clients across the globe instead of just down the street.
Meanwhile, I’ve been trying to come up with a way to say thank you to my loyal readers. The blog has been growing quickly over the last 6 months and I’m excited to see so many familiar names and I LOVE all the feedback I’ve been getting. This is truly rewarding.
Once again I’m making a connection. You obviously like design, and chances are if you’re reading my blog that you identify with my style and design philosophy. So I’ve decided to do a giveaway for a Custom Room Design to one lucky reader.
From now until March 31st, write a comment on this post telling me which room you would have re-E-designed and general ‘vision’ for the space. On April 1st I’ll do a drawing to select a winner at random. You can only enter once, but please feel free to pass along the love to your friends and fellow bloggers. If this goes well I might just do it again 
For complete details on the program and package options, visit Redefine Home Interiors. Send me your feedback, questions at linsi@inspired-design-daily.com. Good luck and thanks for reading!
Designing a Dog-Friendly Garden
| March 9, 2011 | Posted by Morgan G under Design, Guest Bloggers, plants and gardens |
That smiling fool is our Aussie Shepherd mutt, Occy. We once considered renaming him Freeloader, but realized we were just jealous. Jealous that, without uttering a single human syllable, he’s got us shelling out cash for toys, preparing Canine Crudites in our kitchen and scooping up his Number Twos in public.
The real truth is: the warmth, laughter and love that this creature brings into our home is priceless.
As we rework our backyard to make it more liveable and productive, Occy’s comfort, safety and happiness are key. Sure comfort and safety make sense, but why work your yard around your pet’s happiness? Bored, unhappy dogs are more apt to engage in the following behaviors: chewing, digging, whining, excessive barking, and fighting. The minor tweaks it takes to make a garden or yard dog-friendly, are well worth the effort.
Of all the research I’ve done on the topic of dog-friendly outdoor spaces, I present to you and your special Freeloader, the gems:
Gardens bring joy to dogs, too. From Dogscaping, BowTie Press.
1. Proper Pathways
Whether they race on it or pace on it, your dog probably already has a favorite pathway in the yard. Hint: if you have a grass lawn, it’s that balding strip of it. It’s important for dogs to have such a path that’s at least three-foot wide and free of large obstructions like pots or picnic tables. You can work with the already existing path or against it (guess which one is easier?), but you’ll make great gains aesthetically and functionally by ‘giving’ the path to Freeloader. Make it yours, too, by defining it with decomposed granite, an inlaid pebble pathway or sunken stepping stones.
2. Shady Areas, the good kind
Providing shade is, of course, especially important if your pooch is an outdoor-only animal, but, really, all living things need a retreat from the heat. Pay attention to the patterns of light and shadow in your yard during the winter and summer months to get an understanding of where to place your shade elements, then use your good taste to choose from trees, arbors, trellises and awnings to fit the look and feel of your yard.
A Retriever's hideaway. From Belulah Design Blog.
3. A Secret Garden
Look. Freeloader is nuts about you. Nuts. Still, every now and then, we all need some alone time. A secret garden is much like an outdoor den – a quiet, covered spot where your dog can stop putting on that “I’m so loveable” act for you and just reeeelax. A SG sounds fancy, but, dogs aren’t like us. No need for hidden speakers to emit the trance-inducing voice of Enya or bowl of cucumber water. Occy’s SG consists of two medium-sized Ginger Lily bushes (and he’s a 60-pound boy). He fits neatly between them and when he’s there, I swear he feels invisible. Place your dog’s SG spot strategically, and it will also serve as a shady area. Occy’s SG is super shady and located at the end of his path.
4. Dedicated Loo
Establish a potty zone and you’ll be the envy of many a dog owner. Yes, this requires training, but trust, it’s a way neater trick than Roll Over. If you’ve got a male dog, consider adding a vertical, post-like element to the area, but keep it pretty bare as dogs are typically drawn to bare areas. Nope, Freeloader’s secret garden and potty zone can’t be the same.
Aussie Shepherds, Callie and Teddy, in their ornamental garden. From Country Living.
5. Plant Selection
Pets and plants can coexist! Be smart about your selection and you can have a thriving garden and pup on your hands.
For Your Sake:
- In a meeting of little plants and big paws, the little plants are gonna loose. With new landscape, start with larger plants, like 5-gallon or bigger. They are more expensive at first, but the extra upfront cost pays off since you aren’t going to be buying replacements.
- Love little plants? That’s fine. Plant them in raised beds, containers or hanging pots.
- Plant brittle or delicate-stemmed plants in the center of other plantings to protect them.
- Really love grass? Bermuda and Kentucky Blue put up the best fight against pounding paws.
For Freeloader’s Sake:
- Use organic gardening products and practices. Please. Common commercial pesticides were born of warfare chemicals like Agent Orange. It just does not make sense to spread them about our living spaces.
- Place plants with thorns and spines out of reach.
- Consult the ASPCA’s Toxic Plants list to ensure you aren’t exposing your pet to toxic plants. Unfortunately, there are a lot them, but the ASPCA also provide a list of non-toxic plants to help you identify alternatives. Some of the most common toxic plants are: tomato, onion, garlic, hibiscus, hydrangea, sweet pea, many lilies, cyclamen, azalea, lemon trees and lime trees.
Love (and have) a lot of these? So do we. Luckily, Occy isn’t a plant eater, but we still plan to put any toxic plants way out of his reach in containers and raised beds.
Additional Safety Tips
- Never leave gardening products – organic or otherwise – out where Freeloader can enjoy them. This applies to outdoor grilling items as well.
- If you have a water feature, make sure it’s circulating. Standing water attracts mosquitos and can lead to bacteria growth.
- If you have a pool, by golly, teach your dog to swim.
- Avoid cocoa bean mulch.
- If you have a compost pile, take measures to ensure your dog doesn’t have access to it.
- Quickly remove any mushrooms from your yard.
Tracking garden scents makes for a happy hound. From Dogscaping, BowTie Press.
Note: Please keep in mind that your dogs’ needs depend largely on their breed, which affects exercise-level, perceived ‘job’ (carrier, burier, digger, guardian, etc.) and personality.
Sometimes, great guardians come in little packages. Thomas J. Story, for Sunset.
Thanks so much, Linsi, for the guest spot! For any follow-up questions or comments, visit me here.
Cheers! Morgan
How To Entertain Sustainably
| March 8, 2011 | Posted by Nicole L. under food, Gather, Guest Bloggers, Sustainable Living |
Some seasons are just better for parties. Of course you’ve got holiday parties held October through December, and Summer parties starting on Memorial Day through Labor Day. Even the most well-planned party can produce a lot of unnecessary waste. Since we are in the lull of party-season, now is a good time to talk about how to tread a little lighter on the planet when throwing your next shin-dig.
Step One:) Use Evite or another email invitation service.
You don't need to waste all this paper - use email!
I know, I know – stationery is lots of fun. But if you’re buying cutesy invitations from Target or Staples 1.) they’re made of paper which may or may not be recyclable, 2.) it will create extra waste and 3.) the ink is probably toxic. Unless the package says specifically, “non-toxic ink” or “recyclable” it probably isn’t. Plus, the invitation service will send your guests a convenient little reminder to ensure they don’t forget to show up.
Step Two:) Break out the China
Go ahead, break 'em out.
You might not have actual China stoneware, but that’s okay! Go into your cupboards and pull out all the stoneware you have. Don’t have enough? Get yourself to the local Goodwill or a flea market to pick up extra plates, bowls, cups and glasses. Don’t worry about matching, but do try to coordinate colors and shapes for that funky, eclectic look. Whatever you do, just don’t use paper or plastic to serve your guests – and don’t forget cloth napkins.
Step Three:) Skip Party City
Just ... no.
Ugh – just avoid this place at all costs. Everything in this forsaken store is cheap, plastic and made in a sweatshop. Do you seriously need giant sunglasses, massed-produced Mardi Gras beads and fake casino chips to make your party memorable? The answer is no. Don’t even get me started on a little thing called “gem scatters.” Imagine, there is a factory somewhere, pumping out little plastic trinkets for us to toss around our party and then toss in the trash – so wasteful! The only thing you need to do to prepare your place is give it a good cleaning and arrange the furniture in a way that encourages conversation and gathering. Maybe add some fresh flowers and you’re done.
Step Four:) Serve some sustainable eats
Bread + Tomatoes + Olive Oil = Yum!
You don’t have to be vegetarian to enjoy good, plant-based fare. Whip up some bruschetta (always a crowd favorite) or make some dark chocolate fondue. Animal products produced by conventional means are not easy on the planet and are a major polluter. If you’ve got a primarily omnivorous crowd, substitute Yves ground round for beef and serve veggie tacos. Yves is the real deal; if my boyfriend doesn’t know the difference, neither will your guests.
Just remember: you’re not Martha Stewart, and you probably wouldn’t want to be anyway, so don’t worry about making everything perfect. Just relax and enjoy your party!
Nicole Longstreath goes ballistic over gem scatters. She also writes smartmouth – a sassy blog about sustainable living, community-building and liberal politics.
The Mighty Flexible Greenback, Part 1
| March 7, 2011 | Posted by Linsi Brownson under Inspiration, inspired life series, Money |
We all know the basics of fiscal responsibility – spend less than you make, put extra in savings, pay off debts right away, etc. But what do you do when there’s just too much month left at the end of the money?
The only answer is to cut costs. I know it’s easier said than done…trust me. But somehow it has to be done.
The first step, no surprise here, is getting organized. In my recent post Money Matters I mentioned Mint.com and Pageonce.com as tools for putting your finances in black and white (and red). After getting mine established I could immediately see more clearly.
Even though most of our expenses are fixed, there is still room for improvement on the miscellaneous fees, etc. that come from not being fully aware of our spending and bill paying habits.
I’ve been doing lots of research, and have divided this into a 3 part series because I have so much to talk about – bear with me here because Part 1 is about taking care of business, but parts 2 and 3 have some great ideas for saving money on food, household goods and having fun. Let’s get down to business.
Set up reminders for your monthly bills - I use Google calendar for everything, but a lot of banks offer email reminders too. Apple and Android phones have free and cheap apps like Remember the Milk, which you can use online or on your phone and it will help you out with anything in your to-do list. Even if you have all or most of your bills on autopay, when money is tight it’s good to know what’s going out when.
Know what you signed up for – Banks and credit cards are notorious for hidden programs and fees that we don’t know about or don’t remember agreeing to. Look through your statements carefully and call to question anything that looks odd. Even if you’re only paying $6 a month for payment protection, that adds up over time. And if you’re going to pay for it, make sure it will actually help if you need it. You’re better off reading the fine print now than throwing money away on something that only causes more stress once you try to cash in.
That said, if you have something like a rewards program through your bank, which also costs monthly or annual fees, it might be worth having in place. As long as you understand how it works (some only count credit charges, some debit) it can be a great way to save money later. Keep track of your points and visit the rewards site regularly. They offer special deals daily or weekly on certain brands, etc. and nowadays all the top brands are part of it.
My tip: if money is really tight, cash in your rewards for gift cards at places you regularly shop. Most programs offer additional incentives (like 2-10% cash back or additional points) when you buy a gift card. So let’s say you cash in for a Target gift card. Not only is this (basically) free money to spend on necessity items, but you get another reward.
Don’t get bullied - by your bank, credit card, mortgage lender or student loan manager. It’s daunting and stressful to even think about spending an hour on the phone with a person who may actually be sitting on the other side of the world (and not speak great English). These companies have the research to prove that you’re unlikely to call about a problem under $100, so it’s no surprise that most fees total up to about that much.
I hate the idea of throwing money away, especially to a company that thinks I’m too lazy or ignorant to do anything about it. If and when you call, most companies are quick to reverse fees, lower rates (slightly less common these days but it still happens) and work with you to make your payment options more palatable. But you have to make the effort. Set aside one morning when you’re feeling confident and make a few phone calls. I can almost guarantee that you’ll feel a weight lifted by lunchtime.
Find more money – If only! Actually, it is possible. I recently re-learned (because I knew and totally forgot about it) that you can find out if you have unclaimed property from the State Treasuries. You could have tons of stuff – cash, land, forgotten cd accounts that would all be like winning the lottery if you discovered them in a time of need. Check out Unclaimed.org to search your state.
Stay tuned for the next installment where we talk about ways to save money on food and household goods.
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