Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today - an On going Thread #3]

Frugal Dad .com ^ | July 23, 2009 | Frugal Dad

[nw_arizona_granny]

Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)

Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.

To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.

The Frugal Roundup

How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)

Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)

Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)

Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)

40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)

Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)

5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)

A Few Others I Enjoyed

* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance

[CottonBall]

This was going around my hubby's work. Don't know how this would help with hyperinflation, but thought it worth consideration, even if it reads like an ad for some of these funds:

7 Ways to Hedge Against Inflation

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Survey: Car Dealers say Clunkers a Failure as 97% Report Problems, Call for Program to Stop
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2320407/posts

[nw_arizona_granny]

Monsanto
April 1998

Fact Sheet On Pesticide Use<<<

Go on and be radical, but stay off my soapbox, for I want to be radical too....Laughing.

This group, the SANET group is one that I was reading in the 1990’s, they talked a lot about the GE seeds and followed the trials against the farmers.

I dropped them after 9-11, it was interesting to read the thoughts of the heads of agricultural groups and professors from colleges on farming organically, or several names now used and how to do it in poor nations and all over the world.

When one realizes that Soros has an interest in GE seeds and indeed, other seed countries, it makes me want to take to the soap box.

I think I copied one that I found last night, for myself, regarding splicing/spraying? scorpion venom into the food supply....said it killed bugs.

Check this link for any GE type links:

Index, many interesting posts, even if it was in 1996:

http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/agriculture/forums/sustainable-agriculture/maillist.html#01146

Page on scorpian venom, note that there is another warning in one of the posts that Monsanto has agents enrolled in the group, to monitor and spread dis-information.

I suspect that this writer is an agent, for he says it is all wonderful.

To me the fact that it was tested, should be a crime.

granny

http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech/agriculture/forums/sustainable-agriculture/msg01180.html

Re: Gene Tinkering: YOU Are The Mice And They Don’t Want You to Know

[metmom]

I don’t think laying a tarp across the top and hanging down a little over the sides would cause a mold problem with the wood.

The alternative is to let the pile get driven full of snow and let that sit and try to dry out.

We had some branches that we cut down one year. I laid a couple pieces of old plywood on top of them, which prevented they from getting buried in snow. The next spring, the wood was as fresh and dry looking as when we cut it.

I didn’t put the plywood back over it, and it got snowed on again and rained on some and then it got all disgusting and slimy; that soggy, rotten wood way.

Me? After another month or so, (before the leaves start falling) I’d cover it with a tarp across the top, slightly overhanging the sides to keep as much leaves and snow from getting in the middle as possible. There’ll still be air circulation from the sides, which will let the wood dry out more.

Once the leaves get in there, they also get wet, hold moisture, and rot. It just makes the wood pile such a chore to clean out and they wood leaves all that grimy, streaky crud on everything.

When we heated with wood, the stuff that I kept covered the best was the nicest to use.

[nw_arizona_granny]

That is so cool - I was surprised to see Tulare County on the list! I know you’ve likely posted this site before, sorry it’s taken me so long to get it. There’s so much to absorb from your threads!<<<

That has been my entire life, finding something to learn.

I keep suggesting people listen to the scanner in their area, for it is amazing what is really going on.

For your resort area listening, try Big Bear Lakes, for it has a good scanner and may not be a part of the group, but there has been a lot more crime in the resorts, than you may be aware of, last year, someone with grenades, was blowing up the pipelines, oil included.

I keep it going, for it is easy listening and if I hear something, a change in the voice, then I pay real attention.

[nw_arizona_granny]

The two biggest boasts of the biotech industry are that
genetically engineered crops will increase yields (and allow
us to feed the world), and reduce pesticide use. The USDA
data released earlier this month looked at engineered
cotton, maize and soya beans and can be viewed at:
www.econ.ag.gov/new-at-ers.<<<

There are articles out now, saying that the wonderful [sarcasm]
GE seeds are not standing the test of time and some batches have been useless in India.

Entire seasons of growth lost.

[metmom]

Do the El Ninos affect you where you are?

No. We're in Central NY. We just get buried for the heck of it.

The biggest factors in our snowfall amounts is either nor'easters or lake effect snow.

Nor'easters clobber us from the Atlantic. Lake effect is USUALLY from Lake Ontario, but sometimes Lake Erie, and rarely, Lake Huron.

[nw_arizona_granny]

If you want good, use Rosie’s frosting on an Orange cake.

It is like eating chocolate drops.

You were all blessed, knowing Rosie.

For me, it was my friend Mary, a gift from God.

[nw_arizona_granny]

The husband said, “Well, I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.”<<<

Thanks, I was ready for a laugh.

[nw_arizona_granny]

(http://www.frugalyankee.com). Although pretty slow to use on dialup at the moment. Maybe it’s a temporary server glitch, I hope.<<<

I think I gave up on that, LOL, some sites are not designed for my set up.

[nw_arizona_granny]

After seeing your gorgeous girls, I had to show you what my triplets did last night. I had guests over for dinner and my 3 from one litter were hanging out together alot. My friend, who loves animals as much as we do, insisted I take pics. I didn’t need much coaxing!<<<

Beautiful!!!

They look as though they are all thinking “company go home, we want it all”.

Scott’s boss wants to see a photo of Purr Baby, she is interested and would be good to him, as she has other rescued pets.

Scott is 85% convinced he wants to take it.

And my sister, says she will take it “next year”, and I want to keep it.

I had to laugh this morning, I gave them a chicken leg bone, with a good taste of fried chicken still on it.

Purr Baby looked at it, said “I will attack the middle and work to the ends”, when that did not work, choose the meaty end and went to work.

T.T. laid on my feet and decided it was not dead as yet, so he kept swatting it.

He never did get excited about it.

I have watched T.T., when he gets up at 4 am, he walks the room, daring something to fight back, he hits every string, ball, cord, everything earns a swat.

Purr Baby, as if by magic appears at my feet, looking like a starving baby, may give one faint mew and EXPECTS, breakfast instantly.

For all the baby eats, and it is far more than T.T., he is still not growing.....the shock to his system, maybe.

Your babies are so lucky to have you for a servant.

[nw_arizona_granny]

I’ve split and stacked my first woodpile, in preparation for winter. Getting ready for winter in the mountains is hard work, I’m finding. I’ve also had to recoat the decks so the winter snow on them for 4 months or so won’t cause any damage.<<

Congratulations, an impressive wood pile.

It will be even more beautiful with snow on the ground.

[CottonBall]

Survey: Car Dealers say Clunkers a Failure as 97% Report Problems, Call for Program to Stop

Only the Dems would think a program is a success just because all the money has been spent - but can't manage to get the money where it's supposed to go ANd can't show that US auto sales have increased substantially.Geez.

Thanks for the link, TAC.

[nw_arizona_granny]

Find out why TBT is one of the 8 China and Emerging Markets Plays you should buy now.<<<

LOL, I am not a stock investor, when I had money to invest, I bought vacant land, for that always has some value, long after the paper has become worthless.

Sure sounds like they want you to buy.............

[nw_arizona_granny]

Survey: Car Dealers say Clunkers a Failure as 97% Report Problems, Call for Program to Stop<<<

I think it was Denver that said the dealers were fed up and not going to use it ....

Of course, with Rush and Gallagher laughing about it and asking over and over:

“Do you really want the o to manage your health care, like he has the clunker program?”

I bet there are heads rolling all over Washington.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

I have never bought coffee on the Internet. The pictures made me want to buy some, though.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

WEIRD: Being Chased Crocodiles and alligators are surprisingly fast on land. Although they are rapid, they are not agile; so if you ever find yourself chased by one, run in a zigzag line. You’ll lose him or her every time.<<<

If I see an alligator up here in the foothills I’ll remember to do that, LOL.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Use organic produce whenever possible for root vegetables, thin-skinned fruits, and thin skinned vegetables (i.e., tomatoes).

[DelaWhere]

>>>So it sound slike you are a Virginian?<<<

LOL Not quite. Ancestors landed about 380 years ago at St. Mary’s City - establishing Maryland. After many generations, migrated to that big sandbar between the Delaware River and the Susquehanna River- Makes up all of Delaware, Eastern Shore of Maryland and a tip of Virginia. :^( not a mountain anywhere - Usually known as DelMarVa

We’re the ones that were so glad to get rid of Joe Biden, and wish we could ditch our RINO Mike Castle.

We are about half way between Dover and the beaches.

The First State. The original Peach State (before Georgia) - then the chicken capitol, now we are just another regulation rich political football. Or maybe its more like ‘Pong’. Our beaches are known as the ‘Summer Capitol’ as all the D.C. crowd swarms here every summer.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

That is terrible! Those countries should be able to feed themselves but the land ownership issue and the drug wars make it impossible to have a decent society. They accept corruption as a way of life. Argentina is the same way.