http://www.simplelivingforum.net/ Hints and tricks for more frugal living, rants and raves on the stuff you bought en-US Fri, 24 May 2013 19:42:07 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.simplelivingforum.net/images/misc/rss.png http://www.simplelivingforum.net/ http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8218-Esty-Thrift-Core&goto=newpost Sun, 19 May 2013 15:34:26 GMT Not sure if this is the correct place for this question. I sell items on e-bay and I generally have success with de-cluttering the items that I... Not sure if this is the correct place for this question. I sell items on e-bay and I generally have success with de-cluttering the items that I inherited from clearing my late mother and late aunts homes. I suppose you would term the items Retro.

This afternoon I came across, via another Thrifty Living blog, what I think is a division of Esty namely Thrift Core. Is this correct? How does it work? Do you sign up and list items there? Is it easy to do and does it only work Sateside?

One person's "shop" looked like the contents of my kitchen cupboard! ]]> iforonwy http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8218-Esty-Thrift-Core http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8186-Lower-cost-chiropractic-care&goto=newpost Wed, 15 May 2013 18:46:43 GMT After putting it off far too long I called the clinic associated with the Palmer School of Chiropractic near me. A visit is $25, and I had 5 x-rays... After putting it off far too long I called the clinic associated with the Palmer School of Chiropractic near me. A visit is $25, and I had 5 x-rays for just $125. They also offer a discount for military and treat 20% plus disabled veterans for free. For people with very very low incomes it can also be free. It's a teaching facility so I had a 'real' chiropractor, and intern and a student all helping me. I feel 100% better after just two treatments. ]]> reader99 http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8186-Lower-cost-chiropractic-care http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8141-College-Grad-Gift-Suggestions&goto=newpost Fri, 10 May 2013 02:43:10 GMT OK I'm hoping some of you have advice for this one...

Our very artsy niece is graduating from college (theater arts major). I want to give her a gift that will teach her about money and investing (all the stuff that I didn't know about until I hit my 30s), maybe a book or something, but a gift that's not too boring either. We are big Dave Ramsey debt-free living fans but I think his Christian POV might scare her off at this point in her life. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks. ]]> HumboldtGurl http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8141-College-Grad-Gift-Suggestions http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8115-Amy-D-s-daughters-interviews-how-growing-up-in-the-Tightwad-household-impacted-them&goto=newpost Mon, 06 May 2013 15:33:52 GMT This morning I found this blog post from someone who "tracked down the Dacyczyn daughters to see how growing up in the Tightwad household impacted them. Jamie is the eldest Dacyczyn daughter, and her interview will appear in two parts."

The blog's name is The Frugal Shrink; first interview appears on May 6, 2013. ]]> gail_d http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8115-Amy-D-s-daughters-interviews-how-growing-up-in-the-Tightwad-household-impacted-them http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8106-What-have-you-mended-recently&goto=newpost Mon, 06 May 2013 01:08:31 GMT I have a lovely old quilt whose binding has simply worn out. I am in the process of re-binding the edges of the quilt. What have you mended... I have a lovely old quilt whose binding has simply worn out. I am in the process of re-binding the edges of the quilt.

What have you mended recently? ]]> Florence http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8106-What-have-you-mended-recently http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8104-Tea-Loose-or-Bags&goto=newpost Mon, 06 May 2013 01:05:10 GMT I was just curious for those of you who are tea drinkers, where do you buy your tea and what kind do you buy? I have been pricing loose tea but it... I was just curious for those of you who are tea drinkers, where do you buy your tea and what kind do you buy? I have been pricing loose tea but it seems more expensive than tea bags. The stores near me often have tea in bags for a cost of one 1 - 2 cents per bag. ]]> try2bfrugal http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8104-Tea-Loose-or-Bags http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8089-Inexpensive-Toys-Books-for-Visiting-Preschoolers&goto=newpost Fri, 03 May 2013 22:04:50 GMT We will have some visitors this summer with preschool age kids. If I wanted to spend say $25 to have a box of toys, used books or DVDs here for... We will have some visitors this summer with preschool age kids. If I wanted to spend say $25 to have a box of toys, used books or DVDs here for their arrival, how would you spent it if they were your guests?

The library has an ongoing book sale with 50 cent books. I am hesitant to borrow books from the library because then if they wreck them I have to pay back the full price. With the sales books I could get 10 or so for $5 and they can take them on the rest of their trip or I could just donate them back to the library. I thought I could borrow DVDs from the library to watch because they wouldn't be handling those.

Maybe play dough, bubbles, squirt guns, $5 worth of books and ? If I get stuff at the 99 cent store like squirt guns would it last a week or so? ]]> try2bfrugal http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8089-Inexpensive-Toys-Books-for-Visiting-Preschoolers http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8088-where-to-stay-near-Moab&goto=newpost Fri, 03 May 2013 20:29:23 GMT we are planning a trip next spring from up near Vancouver BC to Moab for my husband's 60th. We don't have to stay in Moab the whole time, but where are good places to stay where we can have access to a kitchen?

I see some nice places at Moab Air B & B

I don't know this area at all. We want to rent a car and drive around, so is it cheaper a bit further out? Thanks. ]]> kally http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8088-where-to-stay-near-Moab http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8074-First-Communion-Gift-Ideas-for-a-Boy&goto=newpost Thu, 02 May 2013 14:41:23 GMT We are not Catholic and have been invited to celebrate a friend's son's first communion.

We want to get a little something for the celebrant - a 9 year old boy.

Have any of you gotten/given small gifts in this instance? What is usual? ]]> mtnlaurel http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8074-First-Communion-Gift-Ideas-for-a-Boy http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8055-May-Frugals&goto=newpost Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:11:16 GMT I know I'm a day early, but due to some home remodeling, we hemorrhaged money all through the month of April. Ugh! Hate months like that! I desperately need to get back on track, so I thought I would start this thread in hopes of doing better in May.

We are on a tiny, tiny budget now that I am done working. Some of the things I have been doing to get by:

--couponing (doing really well with this, even though it is time consuming)
--stockpiling when sales come around (this includes household goods, food, and gifts)
--focusing more on "free" activities like cleaning, organizing, and reading

Today I did my first grocery shop on my new grocery budget ($50 a week average for four people and two cats--this includes health/beauty/pet food, etc.). I shopped for two weeks and came in about $30 under budget. That includes the $8 hanging plant DD picked out for our porch. I will use some of that to pick up little things we frequently run out of-- milk, fruit, etc.--next week.

I also put off buying new maternity shirts. I really could use a few more short-sleeved ones now that it is hot here (87 today!), but I have less than a month until my due date and so am trying to make do with what I have.

Lastly, I have been having a blast playing outside with DD. We blow bubbles, collect branches, smell flowers, play with her ball, go for walks to the park, etc. It is all free and so much fun! I have some sidewalk chalk tucked away for her, too, that I will get out soon. I think she is old enough. :-) ]]> Kat http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8055-May-Frugals http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8047-May-No-Spend-Days&goto=newpost Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:58:14 GMT I am challenging myself to 16 No-Spend days in May. Surely I can manage not to spend anything on 16 days of the month! We will see how much... I am challenging myself to 16 No-Spend days in May. Surely I can manage not to spend anything on 16 days of the month! We will see how much self-restraint I can show!

Anyone else want to join me? ]]> Florence http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8047-May-No-Spend-Days http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8042-Energy-Usage-Comparison&goto=newpost Mon, 29 Apr 2013 23:46:40 GMT Each week we get an email from our electricity provider summarizing our usage for the week and showing how much it cost for the week. There is a... Each week we get an email from our electricity provider summarizing our usage for the week and showing how much it cost for the week. There is a graph showing peak energy usage times. But I just noticed that there is a neighborhood energy use comparison. Evidently, we use 32% less energy than the average in our neighborhood. :D

Do you get a weekly notice like this? ]]> Florence http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8042-Energy-Usage-Comparison http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8040-Getting-rid-of-drain-flies&goto=newpost Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:20:25 GMT Has anyone had drain flies? They're fuzzy looking little dark colored flies and leave behind a powdery residue when you kill them. They apparently love the organic gunk in tub, shower, and floor drains. Stuff like hair, etc.

I've had them during warm months for the past 2-3 years, mostly annoying. Always seemed to come from somewhere in the bathroom. I'd seen them before in work bathrooms. I finally googled drain flies last week. Lifehacker had an article. The best way to get rid of them seems to be to use an enzyme based drain cleaner to get rid of the organic gunk.

I got something called Drain Care at Home Depot. It's a powder you mix with a point of warm water, pour down drain, which you then don't use for 6 hours. You need to do this for three days in a row.I did it last thing before I went to bed. I did this in bathtub drain, as well as bathroom and kitchen sinks. I think you still will see flies for a few days. I've been keeping all these drains covered when not in use. This morning a fly actually came out of bathtub drain when I took drain cover off to take a shower. After I was done, I poured baking soda down the drain until it was full and followed it with a lot of vinegar. I did this twice, followed by a kettleful of boiling water.

Has anyone else had luck getting rid of these annoying little flies? ]]> Tradd http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8040-Getting-rid-of-drain-flies http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8030-L-E-D-lights-with-decent-quot-wattage-quot-are-finally-here&goto=newpost Sat, 27 Apr 2013 21:47:56 GMT *INDOOR* L.E.D. lights that produce the equivalent light of 60 and 75 watt lights bulbs, in warm colors, are finally here. Maybe they've been here for awhile but I haven't seen them. I've waited a long time for these. At your local hardware store (not at places like Target yet). I bought 3 today. Yes, they cost $20-$25 a light bulb - they will save energy and they are supposed to last a long time - but we will see about that. They are kind of oddly heavy, I mean not really heavy but when you are used to light bulbs being light as a feather they seem heavy. No plan to replace all my lights as some a 3-ways etc., but do hope to replace maybe 1/2 my lighting with these. ]]> ApatheticNoMore http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8030-L-E-D-lights-with-decent-quot-wattage-quot-are-finally-here http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8023-Shopping-insights&goto=newpost Sat, 27 Apr 2013 01:10:44 GMT I think it's clear that I'm not the simplest of the simple when it comes to simple living, but everything is relative, and I've come a long way since my bad old "easy come, easy go" days. (Cannot believe I ever said such things - what a knucklehead!) So lately I've sort of been in shopping mode - nothing scary crazy, all from my allowance (or b'day gifts shopping with Mom, she bought me a few nice things, bless her heart), but I've been doing some spring clothes shopping, no two ways about it. And I've made some observations:
Shopping begets more shopping - whenever you go to the store, even for a very specific purchase, you potentially expose yourself to a whole bunch of desirable things that you wouldn't have even know existed if you hadn't gone in the first place. So beware!
Ripple effect - this is when you buy a new black suit, and you really think you need some shoes to go with it, and you get such a great pair of shoes that you think you should probably get a brown pair too, but your brown pants aren't the right length for these shoes, so you might need new brown pants to go with those shoes. . .
And I'm really not a fashionista, but in my workplace it is appropriate to look reasonably professional and pulled together, which also can play a role in one's self-confidence.
How this ties into simple living - as someone who spent a large part of her adult life searching for something, anything that would fit, I find that simple living for me involves (among many other things) having enough nice clothing options right there in the closet. No agonizing in the morning about what to wear, no stressing about gotta launder this because I need to wear it again tomorrow.
Some of the best money I've ever spent has been on clothes. On the other hand, some of my most wasteful purchases have been on clothes.
Care to share your thoughts/observations? ]]> rosarugosa http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?8023-Shopping-insights