The other day my dear friend Mr. Thrift passed away. He had never fully recovered from his heart surgery several years ago; despite the best efforts of the local medical community he finally faded this world.

It was a bit of a shock; I came home from the grocery with a gallon jar of pickles (he had been craving them) to discover no one at home so I left them on his front porch.

That was when the neighbors told me the news. Mr. Thrift was back in the hospital.

By midnight his condition had worsened so the physicians insisted upon sending him to Lexington. I waited on the front porch with his worried stepdaughter until Mrs. Thrift made it safely home.

The next day was the very last day of school. Mrs. Thrift was upset because she had been told that there was nothing else the doctors could do. She asked me to drive her to Lexington once Katie had arrived home. I agreed, happy that it was only a half day so we could go sooner.

Within minutes of that conversation the phone rang. Mr. Thrift was gone.

Since then I have been there the best that I’m able for Mrs. Thrift and her daughter. I rode up with her to the funeral home for the final goodbye before being sent off to be cremated; he looked like a doll after his spirit had flown.

We are born and then we die; the time in-between is too precious to waste doing stuff that we hate. I am now more committed than ever to pursuing my love of writing, learning and growing. I am more determined to stay at home for my beautiful daughter.

I am determined to continue standing up to the status quo. I say “kiss my butt!” to the masses who think me a useless drain on society because I don’t have a public job and insist on being a mom for my kid.

Like Mr. Thrift, we too will pass from this existence. Will you have lived your life in freedom or a slave to the status quo?

The minimalist movement contains many books; it seems as if almost everyone has a new minimalist tome to push and it can be hard to determine which are quality and which are fluff.

It was with this in mind that I accepted Kate Carpenter’s request to review E.N.U.F.F.: Eliminate the Needless, Useless, Foolish and Frivolous – was it “just another Minimalism book” or would it offer something new?

From the first page I was delighted at the contents within. This little book does not go in depth on the subject of HOW to get rid of your stuff; instead it focuses on how overwhelmed we have become. It contains facts, diagrams, personal accounts and a huge treasure trove of books and movies to seek out for inspiration.

While reading this book I must confess I put it down several times. I didn’t set it aside because it was boring – I set it aside because it inspired me. I found myself starting a project I’ve been dreading for some time, cleaning off my perpetually covered kitchen table, installing my air conditioner and doing my laundry.

I really enjoyed the suggestion to make To Do lists and then eliminate 80% of the stuff you put on that list before you start to work. This is an excellent way to avoid the overwhelmed sensation that comes with too much to do in a day.

This is not a step by step tutorial on Minimalism; it is a more thoughtful tome for those who are uncertain if Minimalism is for them, are stressed and overwhelmed, feel they have too much stuff or simply need motivation on their journey to determine just what is enough for them.

I found this book to be a very pleasant read and recommend it regardless of where you are on your Minimalist journey – even if you haven’t started or don’t know if you want to.

If you would like to check this eBook out on Smashwords at this link.  You won’t regret the read.

It never seriously occurred to me that I had made some dramatic changes in our habits until I bought this washing machine. After spending the past couple of days washing blankets I must admit it was so.

I have always been one of those who like keeping blankets, towels, pillows, sheets and stuff clean. I’ve always been one of those who promptly washed when an item started smelling less than fresh.

Always.

These past few days have shown me that my frugality affected my cleanliness standards and for the sake of honesty I must report it.

To wash a large load at the laundromat with heavy soil and an extra rinse the price is $4 just to wash. For heavy items like blankets and quilts it costs at least $2 to dry. I kept a firm budget of $20 for all of our monthly laundry needs so when larger items threatened to tip us over they were generally left behind.

While I did spritz them in fabric refresher and air them out it is not the same as a friendly trip through the washing machine. I have jumped at the chance to wash them all up again.

Another thing that changed was my use of cloth in general. Katie and I prefer using cloth to clean and wipe up spills but over the past year we switched to paper towels.

Did I mention that both of us really dislike paper towels?

***

While I am happy and grateful that we had a local laundromat over this past year it is with much relief that once again we can use cloth and wash blankets whenever we want without having to spend about $6 a large load to wash and dry.

***

Minimalism is a good thing and change is a wonderful teacher. I am happy to have a washer again to better maintain the cleanliness level that I personally prefer. While I am glad to know that I can live without it I must admit that I missed it and that I prefer owning one at least during this stage of my life.

Have you ever tried going without an item and realized that your life was better with it? Please share your stories in the comments below.

Please forgive me if I don’t respond to comments or emails much in the next few days. I’ll try to catch up when things calm down.

Thanks,
Annie

All of these years I have been fighting a quiet battle. I’ve not shared this with you – I’ve rarely admitted it even to myself.

However I realized something tonight. The only way I can deal with this demon is to face it head on. I have to stand up, acknowledge and look at it in broad daylight. Only then can I determine the best way to deal with this sensation.

Part of the reason I’ve not admitted to this is – well, it IS a weakness. I’ve spent my whole life trying to be strong and was taught at a young age that you don’t reveal your weak spots to the world so your enemies won’t know where to hit. Enough is enough. It is time I faced this demon and accept whatever will be:

I’m lonely.

I feel as if there is something missing inside, like a toy that has been broken with the pieces scattered and forgotten.

I have had one serious relationship in the decade following my divorce. It didn’t work out. While I have dated a few times and made some really good friends – I still walk alone.

Over the years I insisted that I am content but it is time that I admit the truth. I would love to meet someone who enjoys quiet evenings curled up with a book, tinkering with a new operating system, taking long walks wherever the winds decide to lead – someone to support and encourage me while I do the same to him.

It is time that I accept my loneliness. I need to embrace it and become one with the sensation. Perhaps then I will be able to let it go – or perhaps I will realize that this solitude is what truly makes me whole.

I don’t have the answers and I don’t know which path to take. I only know that I have to acknowledge this before I can accomplish anything.

With that in mind it is time I turned on the light. I need to look around for all of the pieces and start putting them back in their places. I may not get the glue formulation just right the first few tries but that is okay – it is all part of the process.

Have you ever faced loneliness? How did you handle it? Would you have done anything differently? Please share your stories in the comments below.

“OMG!” I squealed. “You found a front-load washer! Does it work?”

Mr. A’s eyes bugged a bit as he looked from me to the washer in his trunk. “Yeah, it works – someone brought it to the recycle center today so I bought it from the boss. The guy that had it said it worked – just made too much noise for the lady who owned it so she bought another one.”

“What did you pay for it?”

“I gave Bossman $75 for it but I didn’t realize it was a washer. I wanted a dryer to dry some stuff around here.”

“Well if it works I’ll give you $100 for it” I offered.

“I’ll bring it over then,” Mr. A responded. “Do you want it on your porch for right now?”

***

We moved that big red monster to the front porch and then I went for some supplies. I purchased a water hose, a drain hose, a Y-adapter and some Teflon tape. We hooked that puppy up right there on my front porch, tossed some clothes in and turned it on.

She worked like a charm.

Mr. A grabbed Mr. Green and the pair of them pulled the washer into my kitchen. Since I don’t have casters for it I moved the kitchen stack and put the  machine where my cookstove would normally go. I’ll have to get creative to arrange this room but I could NOT pass this baby up.

I ordered a kitchen sink adapter on eBay but until it arrives I will run the water hose to the spigot behind my house. Cold water will wash my stuff just fine – and no longer will I have to go commando.

***

Curious, I went online to investigate my purchase. I about peed my pants when I saw the price on the Maytag website:

So thanks to the Universe I have acquired a $1,099 Maytag front load HE washing machine for $100. Stuff like this makes a powerful argument for the Law of Attraction, you know?

Regardless, I am delighted at my new acquisition. I will make up the cost of this washer in about 5 months at current laundromat prices, making this a reasonably priced purchase. Even better is the fact that no fat cat banker will collect interest from me and I STILL get a kick-ass appliance to do my laundry with! So much for needing credit to live the good life!

Have you ever scored an incredible deal? Please share your stories in the comments below.

Hello, everyone!

The sun is shining, life is good and I want to share this feeling with you.

This weekend I want to give away a free copy of my ebook The Minimalist Cleaning Method to one lucky reader of this blog.

In order to enter the drawing just leave a comment on this post. I will have Katie randomly pick a number Monday morning to decide upon the winner.

So if you want a free copy of The Minimalist Cleaning Method, leave a comment on this post and don’t forget to share this opportunity with your friends before it’s gone!

Comments will be closed on Midnight EST Sunday. Good luck!

Update: Congratulations to Heidi for winning the book! Since this was such a hit I will see about offering other freebies on the site. Stay tuned and remember – like this one they won’t be around for long!

While some think that frugality consists of saving a few pennies here and there it is easy to save thousands of dollars in a single year. Each of us has our own unique set of circumstances; as a result the application of frugality may result in a larger or smaller amount of money saved.

After seeing some extravagant claims of how much money can be saved I decided to run the numbers of my life to see how much I am saving currently and used the tips listed in my ebook 400 Ways to Save a Fortune:

No Cell Phone: When I had a cell phone I paid $35.00/month (sometimes more) for talk and texting.

Cell Phone:
$35/mo. x 12 months = $420/year

No Landline Phone: The last landline phone I had cost $47.00 a month if I didn’t make any long distance calls. I cancelled it when I bought my MagicJack several years ago. My MagicJack costs $20/year so I have adjusted the savings:

Landline Phone:
$47/mo. x 12 months – $20 = $544/year

No Cable or Satellite Television Subscription: We use our computers and an internet connection to watch television and have done this for years. After asking some friends I estimated that I save at least $35 a month by using this method.

Cable Television Subscription:
$35/mo. x 12 months = $420/year

Movie Rentals: Before we started watching more movies online we would rent approximately one movie a week and supplement with trips to the library, video purchases and DVD swaps with friends. While the price I paid for movie rentals was higher, current Redbox prices would mean a savings of at least $1 a week.

Movie Rentals:
$1/week x 52 weeks = $52/year

Rent: By renting a 1 bedroom house instead of a 2 bedroom in this area I save a significant amount of money. To determine exactly how much I scoured the classifieds to locate a 2-bedroom home for rent in an area of town similar to mine.  The rent on that house was $550/month. Since I currently pay $250/month I save a total of $300/month with this decision.

Rent:
$300/month x 12 = $3,600/year

Car Payment: I paid cash for my van several years ago. According to Edmund’s the average car payment in 2003 was $447/month so this was the number I used.

Car Payment:
$447/month x 12 = $5,364/year

Not Smoking: I consider myself fortunate to have avoided this habit but until now I never imagined how much money I was saving. Since most of my smoking friends claim to smoke a pack a day I used that number in my calculations.

Not Smoking:
$5/day x 365 = $1,825/year

Working From Home: By working from home I no longer have to pay for gasoline to and from work. For me that meant a savings of approximately a gallon of gas for each day I was scheduled to work. At the time of writing a gallon of gas in this town is $3.89. I used a 5-day workweek to calculate the savings.

Work At Home:
$3.89/day x 5 days x 52 weeks = $1,011/year

Storage Buildings: I’ve no idea how much storage buildings cost right now but the last time I rented one I paid $35/month. I was lazy so I just used that number.

Storage Building:
$35/month x 12 = $420/year

The Grand Total:

Let’s add this up:

This is how much I save just by making a few simple choices in my everyday life. I don’t feel deprived in the slightest yet I’m saving thousands of dollars a year.

How much money do you save every year? Do you feel deprived in any way? Please share your stories in the comments below.

Not only did we have the new daybed but two matching wingback chairs and a heavy-duty loveseat that looks as if the frame were hand-crafted from heavy lumber.

What in the world is a frugal minimalist to do? I’ve no desire to trip over excess furniture!

I considered our dilemma and discussed it with Katie. Something would have to go, but what? We loved both the chairs AND the loveseat, so what to do? I didn’t want to eliminate my daybed and go back to sleeping on the floor!

With a young puppy in the house, whatever we decided to keep needed the ability to look nice while withstanding the inevitable attacks from puppy teeth. I also wanted it blend well with our daybed and overall decorating style.

We debated on this until a friend mentioned that he knew someone who could really use (and would love) some chairs. Problem solved! Within a couple of days the chairs were relocated and our space restored. The loveseat is heavy enough to withstand anything we can dish out and any marks will give the piece more character. If the cushions are ever damaged they will be easy to replace with some upholstery foam and some fabric.

Sometimes minimalism just means admitting that you have too much stuff and taking steps to correct the issue. What do you do when you find yourself overwhelmed with possessions? How do you decide what stays or goes? Please share your stories in the comments below.

Normally I would have simply bumped up our laundry day but darnit that used battery decided to die before I could make the decision. I had the money for the trip but no reasonable way to get the clothes out there!

Now for the record I could have gotten off my lazy butt and washed some stuff by hand. I’ve got a drying rack just for that purpose but by golly I was feeling onery, lazy and just plain annoyed at that stupid battery so I decided to stretch it.

That has meant a few days of going commando.

Fortunately no one thinks twice about a long-haired lady in a flowing skirt. They automatically assume she’s super-religious and apologize profusely at the slightest hint of a curse word or a wayward puff of cigarette smoke.

Because of that I’ve gotten an evil kick out of being the commando queen this week.

In a way I’m embarrassed but I can’t help but be amused as well. This has really made me realize that you can never tell if that person next to you is wearing skivvies underneath their clothes – unless they are of the group who enjoy displaying their undies for public enjoyment.

It sure is one heck of a lot cooler when you don’t have anything underneath your skirt!

Now I wouldn’t even consider going commando beneath a shorter skirt – heck, I get embarrassed at the thought of anything shorter than knee length anyway – but what’s the harm in being secretly risqué on occasion?

***

The van is now fixed and we are at the laundromat so I am happily awaiting our trip home. I want a nice hot bath and a good clean pair of undies along with a sorely-missed pair of pants that have been too dirty to wear for a couple of weeks now.

I want a clean nightgown instead of a ratty tee shirt and the ability to grab a clean washcloth from the pile without counting to make sure we’ll have enough to make it. Oh the joys of laundry day!

***

Stuff like this makes me rethink my position on a washing machine. Perhaps I should scout around to locate a good used one?

Or perhaps I should just break down and buy that darn shopping cart on Amazon so that I can go to the laundromat even if the van is out of commission? I could also use it when grocery shopping to reduce how much I actually use the van….

Have you ever went commando? Why? Did you find it embarrassing? Would you do it again? Please share your stories in the comments below.