pepperdoo
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Post by pepperdoo on Jan 20, 2011 17:20:00 GMT -5
This is a spin off to one of Donna's threads from way back about looking to the Amish and doing things in a more simple way. Donna previously posted about a website: www.lehmans.com. Simple products for simple living. That was about 2 years ago. My question is: What have you done to simplify your day to day life, and how much of an impact and or improvement has the change made for you? I now make all of my sodas, root beers, cream sodas and other drinks with the gallon glass jug that's fitted with a pour spout I bought for an initial purchase of $30.00. I haven't paid for a soda for over 2 years. I also don't buy bread anymore, as I make several loves and freeze the dough individually and pull it out to rise and bake as I need it. ( I got the recipe from amishrecipes.net) I was also gifted a hand crank coffee grinder this Christmas. What a difference in flavor from an electric grinder. The hand crank grinder is much better.
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Sharon
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Post by Sharon on Jan 20, 2011 21:02:27 GMT -5
I long for a simpler life and a simpler way of doing things. Right now it is not possible. I do what I can.
I love the summer when I am able to do my canning. I actually enjoy canning and having my garden.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 21:13:11 GMT -5
I have a garden, but that is about it.
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Post by lyn421 on Jan 20, 2011 21:26:26 GMT -5
The biggest ways that I simplified my life is stopped coloring my hair and let it grow. It is so easy to take care of now.
Even though we have a back up natural gas furnace, we heat our home with a woodstove. We are able to get our wood for free. While it is not as simple as adjusting the thermostat, it does save us a lot of money and keeps our house very warm.
Thirty-four years ago, we made the decision to stay in our home rather then upsize. This one decision has kept our life very simple and also saved us a lot of money.
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pepperdoo
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Post by pepperdoo on Jan 20, 2011 21:27:59 GMT -5
gin, I wish I could have a garden as I live in a condo, but, there's always the pots on my patio.
Sharon, I've made freezer jam ( strawberry and plum) and I'm going to make more this spring and summer. I love going to PA and seeing mu Auntie's shelves in the basement full of jars of tomatoes, beets, green beans and I get a kick out it when she says " I'm going shopping in the basement" for dinner:)
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Post by stantonjane on Jan 20, 2011 22:21:49 GMT -5
I'm seriously envious of some of you folks here. I applaud the self-sustained lifestyle efforts you make. Mind, it's hard for me to refer to making your own beverages and bread as 'simplifying' when it occurs to me that its a lot more work than picking them up at the market. Ditto for the canning, and for heating with wood. We grew up that way, and our big old house was way too drafty for that one wood stove to make a difference. Anywhere past a 5-10 foot radius of it, and you were freezing.
Still, in my mind, when I retire from the daily grind and move to a more rural area, I want to put in the garden and do more self-sustaining ventures. I've even been catching myself browsing Natural Gardener magazines and wondering about raising some chickens in our backyard, haf as pets, but using those eggs. Haven't suggested it to hubby yet, I don't want to scare him. I'll never get him out of this crappy little condo in the city!
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Jan 20, 2011 22:37:19 GMT -5
When I stopped working, I stopped wearing makeup, nylons, heels, dress-up clothes and I've opted for more casual, simple attire. It's been nice. (I've always had fairly short hair and I've never done my nails.)
This past year, I've really enjoyed using my bicycle more for small trips to CVS or one of several stores. It's been nice to get more fresh air, more exercise, and to get to know my neighborhood ~ and neighbors ~ better.
I've also really learned to enjoy hanging to dry some of my laundry rather than just sticking everything in the dryer. I don't do this with everything (and all the time), but when I do, it's been nice.
When I embarked on my healthy eating quest 13 months ago, it's really simplified a lot of what I bought and ate.... far fewer boxed and packaged things ... more whole foods (cooked meats, fresh veggies).
I love my sunflower-and-tomato garden in the summertime.
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Jan 20, 2011 22:50:10 GMT -5
"What have you done to simplify your day to day life, and how much of an impact and or improvement has the change made for you?" Personally, I find it simpler to just support the economy by paying others to raise the organic produce or bake the loaves of bread that I like. And what could be simpler in a cold Minnesota winter than a high efficiency natural gas furnace? Certainly less polluting than a wood stove. I guess there are different definitions of simplify!
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cael
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Post by cael on Jan 20, 2011 22:55:19 GMT -5
I bake my own bread, don't shop for stuff as much as I used to (don't need more crap hanging around!), walk places when I can, enjoy nature. I've also been getting rid of lots of "stuff" in the house we have that we never or rarely use, that feeling of decluttering & simplifying your home can't be beat.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2011 23:17:10 GMT -5
MN Investor - No karma for you! We are SMART spenders here, not reckless spenders!
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Jan 20, 2011 23:48:45 GMT -5
MN Investor - No karma for you! We are SMART spenders here, not reckless spenders! I am nt so sure that Investor is a reckless spender here. If you live on your own and have limited space, careful shopping might be more frugal than the many of other options described here. Just saying
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Jan 21, 2011 0:09:23 GMT -5
"MN Investor - No karma for you! We are SMART spenders here, not reckless spenders!" Having been raised by a fantastic mother of seven, and having worked in the business world, I have learned two things. One, my time is worth money to me. I do not foolishly spend my time on chores I do not enjoy. My mother knew there were a limited number of hours in each day and quite a few things she wanted to accomplish. She made use of every shortcut she could! Cake mixes, store bought bread, etc.
Two, my time is better spent making money rather than saving money. There's where the corporate experience comes from. You don't become the leader in the field by cutting expenses. You become leader in the field by growing your business. I'd rather spend an hour researching a stock then baking a loaf of bread. The Teradata stock I bought last March for $8.9K is now worth $13.6K. That goes on my investment spreadsheet. The bread doesn't. (Ok, in the 10 months I suppose I could have made 20 loaves of bread and saved, what, $30?)
I'll also add that spending money has to be considered within the context of one's total budget. If your discretionary income is $200K / year, then the cost of bread is a minuscule part of your budget. On the other hand, if your discretionary income is only $6K / year, then it would make a lot more sense to make your own bread. Each person has to evaluate their spending choices within the context of their available money and their available time. Don't shortchange yourself by valuing your time at zero. It is worth something! Spend it SMARTLY!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2011 0:58:42 GMT -5
It's all in what your talents are and what you enjoy MN. I don't value my time at zero and I do work on advancing in my career. But I can also be good at being frugal, I enjoy it, and I get a sense of accomplishment from it.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on Jan 21, 2011 15:47:05 GMT -5
I quit the 9 to 5 rat race/threadmill. That simplied the heck out of my life. Oh, and I don't purchase anything that needs dusting
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Post by kadee on Jan 21, 2011 20:11:30 GMT -5
I don't think any of us think our "time" is worth $0! I think we just prefer to spend it a different way than you do! I prefer to be outside, enjoy the sun, watch my garden grow and be myself instead of sitting in front of a machine for hours at a time. I prefer to read a book instead of watching tv....it is all in our preferences not just in our available $$ & time value! Ok, so you made 4.7k off that investment....what have you done with it that you enjoyed? Have you taken a trip? Have you bought a gift? Or is it just sitting there on you interest spread sheet for you to look at? I would rather look at a newly mown lawn or weeded flower bed and see what I have accomplished instead of ~~~ money on a spread sheet.....just MY preference!
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upstatemom
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Post by upstatemom on Jan 21, 2011 20:59:46 GMT -5
I bake my own bread, don't shop for stuff as much as I used to (don't need more crap hanging around!), walk places when I can, enjoy nature. I've also been getting rid of lots of "stuff" in the house we have that we never or rarely use, that feeling of decluttering & simplifying your home can't be beat. I also have been trying to get things out of the house and have stopped buying "stuff" especially ' stuff" made in China.. Decluttering is a great feeling My friends who are teachers are loving the craft supplies, books and toys they are getting for their classrooms
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upstatemom
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Post by upstatemom on Jan 21, 2011 21:04:03 GMT -5
Pepperdoo, I love the idea of a hand grinder for the coffee beans especially since you say it makes a difference in the flavor. I am thinking it would be a great gift for my coffee snob husband. Could you tell me what brand you have and where you got it? Thanks
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pepperdoo
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Post by pepperdoo on Jan 21, 2011 21:07:07 GMT -5
I went to www.lehmans.com and looked it up. Mine was given to me. They have 2 types. The German box grinder, and the one that has a glass Ball wide mouth jar. I like the one that has the glass jar. Mine's great:) Look under the kitchen section:)
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upstatemom
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Post by upstatemom on Jan 21, 2011 21:24:03 GMT -5
Thanks Pepperdoo...
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Jan 22, 2011 2:14:48 GMT -5
"I don't think any of us think our "time" is worth $0! I think we just prefer to spend it a different way than you do! I prefer to be outside, enjoy the sun, watch my garden grow and be myself instead of sitting in front of a machine for hours at a time. I prefer to read a book instead of watching tv....it is all in our preferences not just in our available $$ & time value!
Ok, so you made 4.7k off that investment....what have you done with it that you enjoyed? Have you taken a trip? Have you bought a gift? Or is it just sitting there on you interest spread sheet for you to look at? I would rather look at a newly mown lawn or weeded flower bed and see what I have accomplished instead of ~~~ money on a spread sheet.....just MY preference!" Huh? A number of the posters were talking about how they "simplified" their lives by now making their own bread, or by gardening, or by canning. My idea of simplifying my life was to pay others to do those things for me. For that I was called a "reckless spender." My reply was that I was only a reckless spender if my time had no value. My basic point was that, if your budget allows, it made no sense to engage in chores we don't like doing because our time is valuable to us. I'm advocating doing the things you enjoy doing. You're making my case, not arguing against me. As far as things that I do like doing, I never talked about that in my post. Just because I manage our investments does not mean I spend hours on the computer. Managing our investments takes only a few hours each month. Otherwise I'm reading mysteries, visiting my mom in a nursing home, going to concerts and plays during the day with my SIL and nieces, playing the piano, doing counted cross stitch, counting offering for church, singing in the church choir, etc. And for the money I made on Teradata? I've done nothing with it because it's sitting in my Roth IRA. But as far as taking trips or buying gifts, we have sufficient funds for pretty much anything we want to do. We've been good employees, smart spenders and wise investors, and that allows us to do pretty much whatever we want.
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Post by bobbysgirl on Jan 22, 2011 12:41:04 GMT -5
I love the idea of a hand churning grinder. These are the activities that keep us healthy and our muscles firm. Anythime I can use my muscles I am a happy girl. I went to the site and like the box grinder best.
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Sharon
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Post by Sharon on Jan 22, 2011 13:33:15 GMT -5
Things that I enjoy doing are things that simplify my life. I enjoy baking bread and canning. I do not enjoy fighting traffic and crowds in grocery stores.
MN-Investor if researching stock brings joy to your life than that is how you simplify your life. We are all different and all have different definitions of simplfiying our life.
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ambellamy
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Post by ambellamy on Jan 22, 2011 14:56:22 GMT -5
I'm looking forward to a more simple life when I get married in a few years. Right now i'm slowly going through a few areas of the condo and cleaning up and tossing junk we don't and won't need down the line. Its nice to get everything all cleaned up. I'm starting to go through all the books we have in the house that I know I won't read a second time... its time to donate them.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2011 17:03:03 GMT -5
"A number of the posters were talking about how they "simplified" their lives by now making their own bread, or by gardening, or by canning. My idea of simplifying my life was to pay others to do those things for me."
When someone is gardening, canning or making their own bread I think I assume a slowed down lifestyle that is "simple" to me. It's like me stopping everything else to take time to paint. I don't get that same sense from buying things or paying gardeners. I guess when you pay others to do it you are actually less busy. But I tend to assume you are filling your time with some kind of hectic activity.
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Post by lovemylife on Jan 22, 2011 17:24:12 GMT -5
We all simplify our lives in different ways. Eleven years a go we moved to the country onto 5 acres and a larger home. We have numerouse gardens (probably over 1000 perrenials) We spent several years renovating the house and clearing and cleaning up the property and loved every minute of it. Now that we are both retired (56 and 60) we would love more time to travel and take our little trailer and go camping. What we thought 11 years was making our lives simpler living in the quiet country now seems a lot of work. So now my DH and I think that a small house and house would probably suit us just fine. So a lot has to do with where you are in your lives and what you as a person thinks as simple. I love renovating and caught that bug years ago so "little house" watch out...
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Jan 22, 2011 18:36:48 GMT -5
"When someone is gardening, canning or making their own bread I think I assume a slowed down lifestyle that is "simple" to me. It's like me stopping everything else to take time to paint. I don't get that same sense from buying things or paying gardeners. I guess when you pay others to do it you are actually less busy. But I tend to assume you are filling your time with some kind of hectic activity." My goodness, not at all. I love the rabbits in the neighborhood, but I'm not going to feed them with a garden. They're welcome to my neighbor's garden. Besides the fact that you have to dig up the garden, plant it, weed it, make sure it's watered, then pick everything when its ripe. The farmers at the farmers' market do all that for a minimal cost. As for baking bread, I have a small kitchen so baking is not a lot of fun. And what is simple about baking a loaf of bread? You have to make sure you have all the ingredients, mix them up, knead the dough, punch it down, bake it, then, since I don't have a dishwasher, I have to wash the bowls, pans, and mixing utensils by hand. And for what? A loaf of bread comparable to what I can get at the bakery? Those sound like time-consuming, non-relaxing activities to me. So why spend time doing them? I'd much rather read a book, stroll through the Mall of America, visit my mom, go for a walk, play the piano, surf the internet, etc. I am not a hectic kind of person. I'm sure I do things that other people would gladly pay others to do for them. I have a tax accounting and IT background, so anything accounting, tax, or computer based counts as fun, even doing my own tax return (no CPA firm for us) or figuring out why the video is acting flaky (forget the Geek Squad). Either of those tasks sounds more fun than baking my own bread! Ok, I do understand your idea of simplifying. I just have a different take on it. Both of us are using our leisure time to do the things we enjoy. What's the point of working if you can't enjoy your leisure time doing what you want?
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pepperdoo
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Post by pepperdoo on Jan 22, 2011 18:50:49 GMT -5
MN, I only posted "examples". Not everyone does the same thing in any given day. Those are just things I enjoy doing. It's not my fault that I can't bring myself up to buyng bread after visiting my Amish friends:) It's helped ease the stress after losing my DH.
If you can afford to pay folks for their services, hats off to you. Well done:)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2011 18:58:31 GMT -5
Ok MN, I have some karma for you
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Jan 22, 2011 19:18:30 GMT -5
Thanks for the karma. I've given some to pepperdoo. I think she deserves it for starting this thread.
Pepperdoo, I'm sorry for your loss. I don't know what I would do if something happened to my DH. And I understand the need to sometimes just do something physical. For me, I'll go for a walk. At least with baking bread, you have something to show for your efforts. And it smells good too!
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pepperdoo
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Post by pepperdoo on Jan 22, 2011 20:38:45 GMT -5
Yeah, that and the online French cooking courses:) Keeps me out of trouble.
On a side note, living on the California Central Coast, there's not much more to do than wine tasting, and I got bored with that after the first run:)
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