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]

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.

Sounds like Purr Baby will be taken care of, one way or the other. He would be good company for you too.

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

He may just stay little. The small and active ones sometimes eat more than the bigger, less active ones. I like the petite ones myself - they seem more kittenish staying small.

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

How did you know? ;) (They have me VERY well trained! They get a 'buffet' for dinner - 4 different kinds of food, since one needs an allergy formula, one loves Iams and won't eat Halo Spots, the skinny one that I try to pamper loves Halp Spots, and they all get Dental Diet because I don't want to have to pay for teeth cleaning!)

[CottonBall]

Congratulations, an impressive wood pile. It will be even more beautiful with snow on the ground.

Thanks granny. True - everything looks pretty with snow on it. The snow covers up all the debris and such. I'll take a pic this winter for ya!

[CottonBall]

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.

That sounds good to me. I'll keep doing what we've been doing then. Our snow will likely get at least halfway up the woodpile, so a tarp down the sides would probably be best. But I can undo it in the spring and let it air out when the snow is melting.

You're right in that wet leaves, and in our case, pine needles too would make the woodpile messy, ugly, and worse of all, moldy!

Thanks for the info, metmom!

[DelaWhere]

>>>I’m trying to figure out how to make something productive from the stair stepper that was given to me.<<<

OK, how about this:

http://istobe.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/rube_goldberg.gif

Ok, I’m getting silly now - too much canning and it is HOT.

But, last canner full is IN! 21 quarts of really good chili!

[CottonBall]

How can you tell who is who at a glance..They are so close.

Reminds me of trying to pick out Rob or Brian from my identical twin nephews.

LOL! I get asked that a lot. I get them confused when all I see are their backs too. Especially because Roy is a big boy and then Cotton started getting fat (and now I call her CottonBall becaue she is rather spherical).

I cat sat for the lady I got them from and she has 10 silver persians and one golden. I wrote down all the differences between the cats and I think by the end of the 2 weeks, I could tell who was who. I never thought I'd figure it out. They DO look slightly different - different eye shapes, sizes, fur color and texture, head shapes, etc. But not to the casual observer, that's for sure.

[DelaWhere]

I think I will pass on distilling anything other than for burning fuel... LOL

[CottonBall]

Lotta work , neatly done.

Thanks. I have to admit....I was pretty obcessive about getting it all even and straight. My son had a woodpile fall over one year and my hubby gave him a hard time about it. So I was NOT going to let that happen to 'my' woodpile. Took me a long time, kinda like putting a puzzle together and finding the right piece of wood to use in a spot.

A neighbor just came over who splits and stacks her own wood too, has for years and is 67! She told me not to get too attached to it! LOL! I think she understands. ;)

[CottonBall]

They are expecting a big one any time.

Don't you hate that? Feels unsettling....

[CottonBall]

CB, what a lovely sight, all that firewood. What a lot of work if you were hand-splitting it. I tried to talk my guys into cutting some trees down earlier this spring, but they didn’t do it. I suppose there might be some laying in the back woods, down by nature, but we haven’t checked. We do have a small pile that youngest son brought home from his landscape work.

Well, I cheated! Used a gas-powered log splitter. That part is fun. I agree - looking out and seeing all the woodpiles - especially knowing how our wood stove consumes that stuff - makes me feel warm and cozy already. Our only source of heat is the stove, so there's really no choice. It's nice you have a choice! I think Thoreau or someone similar said making a wood pile keeps us warm twice: once when creating it and again when buring it.

[TASMANIANRED]

I've seen hemorrhoids with more intelligence than Biden.

[TASMANIANRED]

I tried mightily to pamper my rescue kitty...He will have nothing of canned food, any brand.

If it’s not dry he won’t touch it.

[CottonBall]

The California Senate, voting after a highly charged debate, has approved a plan that will allow some 27,000 inmates to be released early from state prison or avoid prison time altogether

Wonderful. Just wonderful. I know I wanted the state to cut spending, but I didn't have this area in mind!

[CottonBall]

But, last canner full is IN! 21 quarts of really good chili!

Congrats. Sounds yummy!

[TASMANIANRED]

LOL....you lose the piston/compression with that one but it for sure would work with my stationary bike.

The old timers had working dogs to do things like that.
http://www.americanartifacts.com/smma/advert/ay208.htm

[TASMANIANRED]

Nothing like really good chili.

[CottonBall]

I’m trying to figure out how to make something productive from the stair stepper that was given to me.

I saw a design on the net for hooking up a stationary bicycle to a grain grinder. A stair stepper would be better, IMO - it would take up less room.

[TASMANIANRED]

I’m sure personalities become evident with time and exposure.

[TASMANIANRED]

If my grapes survive the squirrels this year, I may try making wine.

[metmom]

Actually Rochester is more Western NY. The lakes don’t really make it much colder. It’s Canada that does it.

There’s nothing to stop the arctic air when it decides to come for a visit.

[TASMANIANRED]

LOL...

I understand getting obcessive about it.. I’m going nuts about putting stuff back in my basement logically.

My previous plan was obviously a failure.