Double Plus Good GDP

The newspapers are crowing that the GDP is better than expected; we "only" dropped 3.8% instead of the forecast 5+%.

Unfortunately, this is because the agency that released the numbers counted unsold inventory as "growth." Think about that: that means that if a company increased its output of widgets by 20% but wasn't able to sell them, and instead has them languishing on warehouse shelves, gathering dust and carrying costs, and might eventually have to sell them at a steep loss to get them out the door, then we count that increased output as "growth."

I think I'm going to write myself a check for $20,000 today, and crow about how I just got a raise.

Naturally, as soon as you exclude that stagnant inventory from the GDP estimates, we contracted at a rate of... 5.1%.

We are through the looking glass.

Here's a picture of Milkie, for those who haven't met her.

This Weekend

Watch your headlines, ma famille--this is Obama's first weekend. Most of the interesting and most aggressive fiscal/monetary/macroeconomic activities happen between Friday close-of-business and Sunday evening before the Asian stock markets open.

I predict (or at least hope for) big things for this weekend.

Being Bad Feels So Good

AnnRichards was visiting me over the new year, and I was hemming a new pair of jeans I bought at Costco. The jeans were Sevens, and I paid way, way too much money for them. (Okay, fine, confessional is open: they were $115, before tax.) As I worked, I mused to AnnRichards about how I was really developing rich people's tastes. He laughed in my face, saying, "You are sitting there, hemming your own jeans, that you bought at COSTCO, and you are telling me you are developing rich people's tastes?"

I guess he had a point.

But not really. My taste in jeans has become almost irretrievably fancypants (so to speak). I have already confessed to you guys my taste for expensive sunscreen and my absolute refusal to clean my own bathtub. Sure, sure, when I overpay for an item that I really don't need, that I simply want because I enjoy the luxury, I do try to get the best price possible. So those $115 jeans would have cost me $250 at Macy's. But hell, I know that $15 Target jeans (or $10 used one) would have served the purpose just as well.

So what are your unnecessary luxuries? I know for Momcat one is new clothes purchased at places like Talbots. For her, UncleSam and Kipsy, it is buying cars new instead of used. I don't know what it is for Chip. And I know there are more for all of you. The question is: what do you spend on? Come up with all the lame rationalizations you like ("But they fit so well, and they last so much longer!"), but come clean.

Health Issues etc.

I have not submitted a blog for some time because I was dealing with health issues and didn't want to send out information until I had a complete picture. Shortly after Christmas I had what seemed to be a period. I went to the doctor and she took an endometrial biopsy and did a sonogram. The results of the biopsy led her to do another test to rule out ovarian cancer - which came back negative for cancer but still not completely clear, so I am going to have a CT scan when I get back from Egypt.

The blood was the disintegration of a polyp which I have had before. My cholesterol is back down as low as it was in 2003 (218) so I guess the Niacin, flax seed oil and exercise are working.

Meanwhile I am cramming on Egyptology and learning about Jordan - which lies just south of the Gaza strip. The cruise company sent a letter saying we are perfectly safe. (right) I leave on Feb. 14 and return March 6. I am traveling with Edie Jones (Heil) and expect to have a grand time.

I can't compete in the recipe department. I am taking rolls to my potluck dinner Saturday night. I am cutting way back on my buying - except I splurged on a scarab bracelet at the Tut exhibit in Dallas. I organized a train trip, lunch at the museum and half-price tickets for the exhibit for my Wednesday lunch buddies. The lunch was the highlight; they have not let the best Tut goodies out of Egypt this time. I will see them in Cairo! I am only buying clearance half-price books and am reading a novel a week or more. Nothing on TV except Lost.

I passed up an opportunity to go to our local Dems inaugural ball because it cost $50, but my friend Ann's husband was sick and she offered to take me. There were 1,000 decked out in their finest at the Hilton hotel - historic and exciting. I even got a vegetarian meal, squash raviolis. I had watched the swearing in and Obama's speech in the doctor's full office, and I was the ONLY ONE watching. Did you notice he mentioned the nonbelievers? There were 11 from my church in attendance at the ball.

It's a good thing I have been saving money because I just found out that USAA has not been redistributing my IRAs since I turned 70 and a half. They said there was a problem with how I filled out the request form and they couldn't reach me by phone so they just didn't do anything. There is a huge penalty for not complying but my tax man says there is a 20% chance I will get by without penalty. If I am charged, USAA is going to get a very nasty letter and a demand that they pay the fee.

Speaking of fees, I got 2 tickets for supposedly going through a red light. You can clearly see in the photos that I have turned right and not gone through the light. I get my day in court next Wednesday. I may ask them for damages for my time and suffering.

Yes We Can... Nationalize the Banks

There are many reasons to feel joyous today. Not least among them: we have grabbed the reins of the economy back from the lunatics.

I have such high expectations for Obama. I know he is not a miracle worker--but frankly, we need a miracle worker anyway. Even as Obama was taking the oath of office, the financial industry was accelerating its meltdown.

We need to nationalize the banks. They are insolvent. They need to enter receivership, and have their assets marked appropriately by selling them in an orderly fashion. The pieces worth keeping should then be sold back into the private market. Wipe out the shareholders; wipe out the bondholders. It will be ugly, but not as ugly as insolvent banks continuing to destroy the rest of our otherwise-functional economy. We did it in the 80's with the S&L's. Sweden did it in the 90's with their entire banking system.

It's time, Mr. President. Do it now, before it's too late.

End of "Eat from the Pantry Month"

Well, I didn't go from Jan. 1st to Jan 31st but I did eat from the pantry from Dec. 22nd to Jan. 15th. I broke down last Thursday and bought two bags of greens and a small butternut squash. I was dying for produce and frozen and canned veggies just weren't doing it for me even though I still have plenty left. I am going to work on emptying out my fridge (the freezer burned veggies taste okay in soup, if the soup is simmered in a lot of nutritional yeasty broth) and my cupboards. (WHY do I have 7 cans of green beans; I don't LIKE green beans?)

I also ran out of cat food and kitty litter but I was able to use a Target gift card I got last year so I'm not sure I'm counting that as a grocery item. I bought two 18 lbs bags of cat food and two 38 lbs of kitty litter and it came to within 2.20 of the amount of the gift card. I asked the cashier for the 2.20 in cash but she told me I'd have to go to cusomer service for that. I looked that the 20 people waiting in line at the customer service counter and decided to grab the cheapest magazine they were selling by the counter and CHARGED the remaining 1.24 on my credit card. I didn't have cash anyway but it also annoys me that they make it difficult to cash out gift cards so phooey on Target and they can pay the .75 for the charge transaction.

I did not get around to cooking yesterday for the week so I have nothing for lunch except some stale bread and Maramite but I'll live with it and make something tonight. (oh, I also saw that my co-workers have been helping me finish off my soy milk this morning so I was forced to buy a 1/2 gallon for coffee and oatmeal this morning)

I saved on satelite

Phone and satelite TV people will negotiate as well. I was going to drop long distance from my land line because they were charging me $4 a month for the honor of allowing them to charge me to make long distance calls. They dropped the fee, gave me 30 minutes "free" long distance every month, and I get a rebate on the "free" LD I use. My phone bill is cheaper if I make a couple of LD calls (under the 30 min), because of the rebate. I know I get hosed on DirecTV, but they don't charge me per box in my house anymore. I pay about $3 a month for 3 connection boxes plus the $50 or so service fee. It was $8 PER box. $24 down to $3 was good.

I'll have some extra money starting in March because I get my black belt and will then "graduate" from tae kwon do. They want me to stay and go for a second degree (at $55 per month plus $65 per tournament plus $60 or so for grading every 3 months). I've decided to get my mountain bike tuned up instead. I'll have to purchase a receiver hitch for my car to tote the bike to the park, but I think I'm still saving more than I'd be spending.

So I made sushi and it was OK. My avacado was probably riper than it should be for sushi (it was mashed up). I had wasabi powder which I sprinkled on Bragg's for dipping. I think the wasabi paste would have been better. But I'll try it again. It was wierd using nori right out of the package - it feels brittle and crinkly. I wanted to soak it or something, but I didn't see any directions saying I should. I'll try to upload the picture here.

It just spins and won't do anything, so I give up. This blogger sucks. I can't post comments or upload pictures. Bill Gates butt kissers.

Hustle #3 -- It's Always Negotiable

I can't say I enjoy dickering over price, but the rewards can be immense. This is doubly so since most people aren't willing to do it--meaning their higher prices are subsidizing my lower ones. Many more things are negotiable than you would think: goods from retailers, hotel rooms, automobile repairs, various services. This is even true of large chains.

Case in point: I am staring at a check for $399 that I just received in the mail from an ADT Home Security independent contractor called Defender Direct, Inc.

When I decided to install a security system late last year, I did some research and found that I could either buy directly from ADT, which would have required me to purchase the system from them at a cost of about $850, but pay only about $25 a month in monitoring fees. In the alternative, I could buy from the independent contractor, who would give me the identical system for free plus give me a $99 "rebate," but charge me $45 a month and require a three-year contract. Adding it up:

ADT directly = $1750 over 3 years
contractor = $1519 over 3 years

Still not an easy choice: Although the contractor was cheaper up front, buying/installing through ADT directly seemed like a less risky option than the contractor (even though, as confirmed by ADT, an "authorized" one).

So I called the contractor to tell them of my decision to go with the ADT direct option... and they offered me 3 months free service. I hesitated, tapping on my calculator; their new offer brought the 3-year price down to $1384. I can tolerate a lot of risk to save almost $400. After I told them I still would go with ADT, I was transferred to a supervisor, who offered to give me six months free service (which eventually became "an even $300" or almost 7 months free service). Total price over 3 years: $1219, or a savings of $531 over ADT direct. And ADT provides the monitoring service either way. (Defender Direct makes its money by selling my contract to ADT, presumably for some amount well over $1219! It's win/win for everyone!)

Best of all, at the end of my three year contract, I can "switch" services back to ADT directly, and pay only $25 a month (or even shop around and try to find a cheaper monitoring service; I own the equipment even though it was free to me!)

Busy week!

I refereed 5 games last week! And I'm planning to make sushi tomorrow. I would have done it tonight but I started too late. I haven't made dried beans yet or home made bread. I still have a loaf, though and don't need any bread right now. I am sleepy so I'll post again tomorrow.

Rip Off Report #1: Petco Survey

So Petco, where I buy my catfood, sent me a survey, and asked if I would be so kind as to take it, for which they would "pay" me a $5 coupon.

I took it. Several weeks later, they email the coupon. It is for $5 off a $25 purchase; moreover, it expires in two weeks. In other words, it is identical to the coupon they regularly flood my inbox with.

Assholes.

If they had just asked me to take it for free, I probably would have. Instead, I feel like a sucker. I hope they're the first of the big box pet stores to go out of business in this economic crisis.

Eat from the Pantry Month

Well, I've made it to week two without going to the grocery store and I'm not starving yet. Actually it's been since X-Mas that I haven't been to the grocery store so I'm really on week 3. I'm nearly out of carrots and only have a few bags of assorted frozen vegetables many cans of green beans and corn left. I have an industrial sized bag of potatoes left over from Thanksgiving. I ate one yesterday that was getting a green tinge on it and I didn't die so I think I'll make corn chowder tonight.

I do still have plenty to eat at my house and I really want to see the back of my freezer at the end of this month.

I ended up buying the mattresses for my front spare room through craig's list. I didn't SEE any bedbugs but I sprayed the mattresses with some lysol that I found under my kitchen sink. (I think the lysol must have been there since I moved it because I've never bought any, does it have an expiration date?)

There, I posted...

Good news!

I got my mamogram results - no cancer! Yay! Not that I expected any, but still, it's nice to know. My triglycerides were good as was my bad to good cholesterol ratio. The bad: my liver enzymes are at the high end of normal, there was trace protein in my urine, and my HDL (which sould be <100) was right at 100. Tha last troubles me. I showed my numbers to our school nurse and she suspects I am getting too much protein and taking too high a dose of magnesium. So, I've stopped adding soy protein powder to my smoothies and just take a muti and a calcium/vit D pill each day. I'll get my blood rechecked in the Spring and see if that helps. If it doesn't, I shudder to think how bad my cholesterol would be if I ate animal products, because the only other culpret is genetics.

As far as simple pleasures, the top one has to be curling up with a book and having at least one cat in my lap (4 is preferable). Another is to sit in the back yard when it is in the 80's and just watch nature and the pets hanging out. Going down to the Brazos and skipping rocks is good. Better than that is to paddle down the river in a canoe with Coal (that's his dog's name).

I will try that lentil soup recipe (minus the onions and peppers). Every time I try to make lentil soup, it gets too thick and turns into lentil paste. I need to learn how to make my own sushi. HEB sells an 8-piece pack for $6. I know the nori, rice, cucumbers, avacado, and carrots don't cost anywhere near that. I realized today that I haven't eaten out all year so far (I don't count the sushi since it comes from the grocery store). I just learned that there is a place in Waco called Hamilton House that serves a vegan buffet every Friday for lunch. It's $12-something and gormet. I must try it when I have a Friday off. That is the only time they are open to the public. It's an "events" place (weddings, sorority parties, etc).

Steal This Recipe #2: Thick lentil stew

On a snowy weekend, nothing beats a really hearty bean soup. And this one is dirt cheap, making it better still. Prices are for buying at places like Costco or Trader Joe's, and/or in bulk--and obviously, they are approximate.

1 lb lentils, rinsed well ($1)
1 med. onion, diced (.25)
2 med. carrots, scrubbed and diced (.25)
2 sm. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (.50)
1 lg. red bell pepper, diced (.75--optional)
3 med. potatoes (.25)
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (.10)
1 lg. can crushed tomatoes (.50)
2-3 cups homemade vegetable broth* (plus enough water to reach consistency you like) (free)
salt, pepper, spices (such as oregano, thyme, dill, rosemary) to your taste (essentially free)
1/4 c. (or so) of extra virgin olive oil (optional, but makes a big difference) (.50)

Throw all but spices, oil and tomatoes in a pot, let it reach almost a boil, then reduce and simmer for a very long time (at least an hour). Make sure you keep an eye on it--you'll probably need to add water from time to time. Add tomatoes, cook a while longer. Then add spices, cook briefly, and serve. That's it! I tend to use whatever veggies I have lying around (mushrooms are an especially nice addition, and you can buy an enormous bag of dried Shitakes that will last you a couple of years from Costco, for about ten bucks). This makes at least a gallon of soup, and it freezes well. If you get eight servings out of a gallon (meaning a serving is a pint, or two cups), then this costs between .25 and .30 a serving, if you add the optional items.

For that price, you can afford a few slices of very nice bread, dipped in (homemade) roasted garlic oil, and a nice beer. You'll still be under $2 for the meal.

*Whenever you prepare veggies, save the skins and cuttings, etc. in a gallon-sized ziploc bag and freeze them. When the bag fills up, you are ready to make veggie broth: just fill a large stock pot with water and dump in the frozen veggies plus a few pepper corns, and a few cloves of peeled and coarsely cut garlic. Cook for a very long time; add salt and any spices you'd like towards the end. When it has reduced some and tastes nice, let it cool and then strain it. Freeze into 2-3 cup sized containers (quart sized Ziploc bags also work well), and use as needed. Using veggie broth adds a lot of depth over just plain water in soups.

Simple pleasures

I am doing one of my favorite things in the world right now.

Weekend morning. Cup of coffee (made in the French press and topped with delicious soymilk foam on weekends, which is too much overhead for weekdays). Staring out my picture window (beautiful snowy day). Little cat beside me on the table, while I casually surf the internet. Debating going for a short run later. Or maybe to the library to renew my card.

I won't say it doesn't cost a cent, because of course I pay for my lodging, my electricity, my coffee, my internet, my cat. But it doesn't cost more than what I'd spend anyway.

I love to go to local plays or rock shows. Love eating out an ethnic restaurant I've never tried. Enjoy a road trip to a new town. Shopping for clothes at the fancy consignment shop. But none of those activities, to be honest, compares to this one.

What are some of your virtually-free simple pleasures?

Would you go running in this? (That's my car on the left, by the way.)

When goals conflict

Over the course of a semester, I really have only one overarching message to teach my law students: consistency is deeply overrated. Legal rules are in place to satisfy multiple goals: for instance, accuracy of verdicts; efficiency of government (or business) operations; fairness to citizens; civil order, etc.

Students HATE the idea that there is no single overarching principle that explains all of the legal rules. They want, for instance, all of it to be explained by efficiency, such that any rule that isn't efficient is a "bad rule" and should be revised. Eventually, though, they begin to see that if you maximize one goal, you necessarily sacrifice other things you care about. You can have a marvelously efficient legal regime that, for instance, lets the poor starve and incarcerates people who are likely to commit crimes in the future and tells business owners exactly what they should produce. But nobody wants that, no matter how nice it would be for all the trains to run on time.

We have already talked a little bit about this: what happens when being frugal interferes with time constraints? This is why UncleSam will pay a few cents more per gallon of gasoline, and I will hire someone else to clean my shower twice a month. But we cheated a little when we described those behaviors, pretending that we were acting consistent with our goals: we srurmised, "Well, time is money; I can profitably (in the literal sense) spend my efforts elsewhere by paying more in this case."

That, of course, is a bit of a stretch. Sure, I can, at least in theory, earn $100/hour during the two hours I pay someone else $30/hour to clean my home. But I don't. I pay housekeepers simply because a) I value my leisure more than $60 or b) I am lazy (take your pick).

This problem of trading off goals, moreover, occurs in other instances where I can't even use the "time is money" excuse. I began to think of this when UncleSam wrote that if you buy a bunch of stuff at Costco and let it spoil, you aren't saving any money. But what if I buy a 3-pack of cucumbers for $3 that I know I can only eat 2 of before it spoils, but if I bought two single cucumbers, it would cost $4? Or how about a gallon of chickpeas for $2.00, where eight 16 oz. cans of chickpeas would cost, even on sharp sale, $8? Even if half of the gallon goes bad, I've still saved a considerable amount by "overbuying."

In these examples, I've maximized my goal of frugality. But at the same time I've undermined my goal of producing less waste. I suppose I could compost. But there are plenty of other instances of this, too. What if buying a new (used!) pair of boots would cost $10, but resoling the ones I already have would cost $20? What if buying organic broccoli costs over twice as much as conventional? I have to make a choice about which goals wins: being cheap or being green.

And there's no single answer, either for the entire year, or even for an entire day. As Ralph Waldo Emerson (I think) famously put it, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." It's all about trade-offs. What are some of yours?

Testing post notification

At MomCat and Chip's request, I have tried to set the blog to email you two when a new post comes along. Let me know if it works. (And again, if UncleSam and Kipsy would like this feature, too, just let me know. I can also turn it off if it starts to annoy you.)

Penny Wise and Pound Foolish

I am weeding out books on a daily basis. I buy a book (Costco, Half-Price, etc.) then pass it on to at least one other reader. When I get the book back I take it to our
Friends of the Library book store. I have done the same for DVDs. Re-sale shops take all kinds of books if they aren't new enough for the library book store.

The new Consumer Report has a section on dieting. I am adding portion control to my resolutions and if I eat a meal at a restaurant I will put one-half in a take-home bag for another meal. And I shun "all you can eat" places - no bargain for non meat eaters anyway. Another tip, if you eat out do NOT buy a drink - just water. There is a huge mark-up on beverages.

The non-economy on coupons is the gas used to drive to several different stores in order to use them. Aunt [K.] used to pore over the paper every Thurs and clip the coupons for things she thought she needed, then drive all over town to the stores who offered them.

Then there is my friend [M.] who has a second phone line for her computer using dial-up. She says it is also for her fax but the machine has been broken for at least 2 years. She pays for long distance on the phone even though she has a cell phone for emergencies (pre-paid minutes). Fortunately she has an analog tv so she may sign up for a cable package next month.

Another non-economy is dental insurance that costs like $25 per month. If you just put aside that amount in a savings account each month you will have the money to pay the dentist. This goes for life insurance too. Your Dad and I decided not to take out life insurance when we were married (and we were flooded with offers) and to start saving his flight pay every month. When we wanted to start [W.R.] we had savings of $100 in order to do so.

You all come by your skinflinting naturally. When [Bloomers] and I were engaged he met a friend of mine at the juke box in a local bar. When she was putting in her dime for a song he suggested they pool their money and put in a quarter to get 3 songs. She said, "You must be [MomCat]'s fiancee!"

Blog settings

I figured out how to change the url, so I changed it to fourcheapsisters.blogspot.com. If anyone objects to the name, take a vote, and I can change it to whatever we like.

I will also change settings such that you will be notified by email about all new a) posts and/or b) comments. Please let me know if you'd like me to have these notifications, and of what you would like to be notified.

Where I started

I went through my fabric stash and filled up a bag to donate in my church rummage sale. I'll label it "scrap fabric for art projects" or something to that effect.

I cleaned make up, lotion, etc. out from under the bathroom sink. I split it into 2 bags: one for my community theater and one to give to a women's shelter. There is one somewhere in Waco.

I've started going through my kitchen. I have one bag full, but I'm sure I can pare down more (like the heart-shaped spring-form pan that came in a 3-pack I bought). I only need 1 9x13 pan, and I got a new one for Christmas (in a gift basket from people at school).

I made a 2-sided quilt out of old t-shirts. That's repurposing.

I haven't bought anything frivolous yet this year, and I've been to Big Lots, Family Dollar, and Academy Sports. That's big for me. And no Diet Coke today, and I'm good with that. Yay!

Fight on little soldiers!

Starting on My First Bag to GW

Very conveniently I got a brown paper sack (advertising a 15% off everything you can fit in this bag at Office Max) in with my Sunday paper this morning. That reminded me that I am supposed to be getting rid of at least one bag per month of accumulated junk as part of my paring down committment. I am having a very, very hard time of knowing where to start. The most logical would be my clothes but I'm pretty sure that any clothes I get rid of will end up in the landfill and not on a resale rack as I'm not the most fashionable person to start with and most of the clothes I'm willing to get rid of will be 10 years old or more (and purchased at a thrift store even then). My next choice would be books. I know that my library really only wants recent (within 5 years) PBs for their resale shops but what about Goodwill and other thrift stores? I don't want to just pass off a bunch of unsellable books that they will then have to process and possibly pay to get rid of. Any suggestions?

OK, I'm here!

Now what do I do?

Uncle Sam's False Economies

Costco- 25 lbs of something you don't need is no better deal than 5 lbs. Also, a giant bag of perishable food that you can't finish before it rots is not saving any waste.

Ross- I have a friend that is going to the poor house saving money at Ross's

Discount Gas Stations- You use up more gas waiting in line to fill-up than if you just paid .03-.05 more per gallon across the street. (this is probably more true with my 10 gallon Civic Hybrid tank than with a 25 gallon SUV tank)

False Economies

The Drummer was truly awful with money, but he really did want to be better. He used to call me "The Money Magnet" because he felt like not only did I manage to pay half what anyone else paid for the same product, but money tended to fly into my hands in the form of (what seemed like) windfall rebates and random income. (They are rarely windfalls or random--I plan and work hard to get them.) He was always trying to learn frugality from me... but just kept making well-meaning missteps. Example: he "saved tons of money" by buying a Rolex (that naturally he didn't need) used on ebay, instead of buying new. Moreover, he paid for it on a credit card, on which he carries thousands of dollars, at about 20% per year in interest.

But bless his heart, he really did try.

So I thought I'd post about efforts to save money that are either misguided or just plain going to backfire. Here are some of my favorites:

1) Coupons. "Coupon queens" save 20% at the grocery store... buying a bunch of prepackaged "food" crap that they otherwise wouldn't have bought, or could have made more healthfully from scratch. Moreover, they spend hours a month "clipping" them (hey, time IS money), and still often spend more than they would have by buying the same item in a generic brand.

2) Rebates. These aren't always a bad idea, of course, but they are dangerous. Not only are they likely to tempt you to buy something you don't need (or something with more features than you need), but very few people go to the effort to fill out all of the paperwork. I, for instance, virtually NEVER get around to it--manufacturers make rebates cumbersome on purpose. I have gotten to the point where, when evaluating price, I completely ignore any rebates that require action on my part. If I buy something that is eligible for a rebate and I happen to actually send it in, that is just icing on the cake.

3) Regular contact lens solution. I got suckered by this accidentally just last month. The kind that is "no rub" is substantially more expensive. So you save money by spending the extra ten seconds a night, cleaning your lenses by hand, right? Not really: you have to use a lot more solution if you hand clean them, which pretty much cancels out the price differential. Moreover, rubbing causes more wear-and-tear on the lenses, making you more prone to rip them, or otherwise wear them out and have to replace them early.

Okay, what are some of yours?

Saving the Planet at Work

I had started taking home all the paper trash from work to re-cycle - from the law office as well as the real estate office when I retired. I now continue to bring home the recyclables once a month when I go to do the billing in a large green Half-Price book bag. My replacement shreds everything so I have to take the shreddings out of a plastic bag before putting it in my bin.

I can remember when I haven't worn something in a year (not just hanging stuff) and I pitch it. (to Goodwill) And if I buy anything from the re-sale shop I have to take something away. One exception has been the nice size 8 pants that I got from Eddie Bauer and Talbot, etc. Uncle Sam, can you wear them? or Chip?

I am cutting back on cheese this year to see if it helps lower my cholesterol. I will get plenty of exercise in February in Egypt.

So far, not so good

Since I can't make comments from home (darn those Mac-haters at Google!), first I'll say, no I didn't come up with turning the hangers around. I think I saw it on TV or in a magazine (but it was an awesome idea).

My plan to cut back on spending was hampered by 2 ceiling fans going out (we're having some heat-wave spells here) and my toaster oven calling it quits. The good news is, I replaced them all for $20 each. Because of the unexpected expense, I changed my mind about getting a new bag for my referee gear, so that was good. I'm using my soccer bag that I bought last year. My only complaint about the old bag is that it's too short for my flags. I'll just keep the flags loose in the trunk or I could B.C.'s big floppy yellow nylon bag (that's totally not as cool as my too small pink with black trim Adidas bag).

I bought myself a Diet Coke in a plastic bottle, too. I decided I deserved it after having my first-ever mamogram (which really wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be). The technician had REALLY cold hands! But she took the pictures fast and explained everything along the way.

And what's up with this Four Cheap Sisters? Mom is our Mom, not a fourth sister. I think the name should go back unless Chip is going to join.

My 2009 goals

OK. I've got my list:
1. I won't buy the 20 oz. bottles of Diet Coke anymore EXCEPT after a sporting event (soccer game, mountain biking, or tae kwon do class). I may avoid it even then, but that post-game Diet Coke is my last vice.
2. I won't buy clothes/shoes just because they are on sale.
3. I won't buy any new make up or lotion until I have used up what I have. This is hard because one of our school secretaries sells Avon.
4. I will skip my daily shower one day per week (unless I exercised to the point of pouring sweat). But I'll skip shaving my legs on that extra shower-day.
5. I will bake my own bread at least every other week and cook dried beans at least once a month.
6. I will keep a log of every penny I spend for a month (to pin-point any areas in need of further improvement). And I'll keep a food log, too, for a month just because I've read a million times how good it is to do that.
7. This has nothing to do with reducing waste, but I also plan to stretch at least 3x per week, say grace before every meal (I was 1 for 3 today), and keep sunscreen on the backs of my hands.

That should take care of frivilous spending. If I don't enter the convenience store for Diet Coke, I won't buy candied peanuts either.

I've already been going through the house filling bags with stuff I no longer want/need. B.C. is with me on getting rid of reusable bottles made of #7 plastic (I'll donate them to our rummage sale at church. That plastic leaks toxins, but it will be sold to someone who eats white bread and Velveeta, so I figure they are already goners). I went through my fabric staff and culled stuff, too.

Last year, on 1/1/08, I turned all the hangers around in my closet. As I wore things throughout the year, I would rehang them correctly. Yesterday, I pulled out the things that still had backwards hangers and put them in a pile to go to the resale shop at church. If I really still wanted one of them, I had to sacrifice a different item from my closet. I think I'll do it again this year. I really need to revamp my socks and underwear drawers.

I'll add more if I think of any. I ref my first HS soccer game this Saturday! I'm a little nervous. I haven't even taken my UIL test yet.

Yeah! I get to be the first post of the year.

It is 1:00 pm and I just woke up. I got home at about 4:30 after cleaning up from the fireworks show and then driving to the yard to help the operator unload (and also keep him awake while driving through the fog). Much of the conversation while setting up was on the economy and how everyone was planning to weather the storm. The general consensus was that it was going to get worse before it gets better but most people thought they could make do with less.

I am actually looking forward to this next year to really pare down and hopefully, at the end of the year look back and get a clearer picture of what is really important to me. I want to unload at least half of the stuff I have accumulated over the years and also to see if I can make a differen ce in the trash output I contribute to in a week. I don't really have any specific savings goals but I'd like for this year long exercise to significally reduce my mortgage (there's no way I could pay it off in a year but maybe 2 or 3). I would say I'd like to pay off my car but my auto loan interest is lower than my mortgage.

What I think I will be mostly challenged by but also really excited about is trying to make most or all my food from scratch. A friend yesterday told me that my goal of no canned beans was "extreme" and that you can recycle the can, but recycling still uses resources, canned beans cost more and bulk dried beans take up much less space in my cupboard. I also think getting into the habit of making homemade soup on Sunday and then enjoying it for lunch for the rest of the week (maybe adding a sandwich or salad daily) is going to help me lose a couple pounds and eat better. (even canned "healthy" organic soups have gobs of salt in them)

All in all I am going to look at the coming year as strengthening not depriving.