tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:15:53 +0000Tips and topics that address living frugally in a socially conscious manner, respecting community, the environment and our global human family.http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Demandra)Blogger275125ConsciouslyFrugalhttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-6388663603539633746Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:09:00 +00002009-11-11T11:13:18.036-08:00New American DreamNew Roadmap Foundationfree financial management resourcesyour money or your lifeEvery North American should read Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. In my humble, yet ever so correct, opinion, it is the best personal finance book out there. Unlike other books that focus on only particular aspects of personal finance, this book takes into account the whole of our http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/J4AsmYvJ9xI/free-financial-literacy-resources-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/J4AsmYvJ9xI" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/11/free-financial-literacy-resources-for.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-5177128399093449217Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:21:00 +00002009-11-10T14:21:00.102-08:00frugal cookingpbscooking from scratchWe all know that cooking from scratch is tastier and cheaper than purchasing pre-made foods. Despite being privy to this well known fact, I have always purchased pumpkin puree in cans. My mother occasionally complained about being sold a "cooking" pumpkin that was anything but, so I assumed purchasing and cooking a pumpkin was a complicated process. As usual, I was wrong.Trader Joe's came to the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/oP_axQIj17E/pumpkin-delights.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/oP_axQIj17E" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/11/pumpkin-delights.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-3945376943161050198Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:20:00 +00002009-11-09T16:21:45.007-08:00changing careersTimothy FerrissFour-Hour Work Weekfree booksCurtis Whitesimple living(This is a long one. If you're just looking for a freebie without the blabbering, scroll down for a link to a free audio file of The Four-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss.) Work. Career. Job. Employment. How do I talk about this 400 pound gorilla without sounding like...well, a nut? Oh wait, I am a nut. So, it'll just be the usual blabbering.Thankfully, I have the fortune of doing "meaningful work" http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/-cE0UR3Fk7I/machine.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)7<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/-cE0UR3Fk7I" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/11/machine.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-1199935591100980259Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:59:00 +00002009-11-05T09:31:17.239-08:00Relgion Dispatchesfair tradecommon groundI recently complained about the comments section of Religion Dispatches (I now realize it's the same nuts dudes commenting over and over on each and every article. WOWZA), because they lack an effort to find common ground. I discovered via another site that some folks don't like common ground, because it stinks like pluralism and/or relativism to them. Yes, I'm serious. Why work for collaborativehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/UGK14cJGKVI/check-out-this-goodness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/UGK14cJGKVI" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/11/check-out-this-goodness.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-7915085772161785664Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:07:00 +00002009-11-04T09:40:26.376-08:00No Impact Projecthomemade body care productshomemade cleaning productsSince I'm gearing up for the No Impact Project experiment, I thought I'd start tackling some of my trash issues now. Although we recycle a good deal of our waste, recycling still uses energy and water. I've also noticed that many of the plastics that body care products come in aren't easily recyclable. Currently, we take our cast offs to a community recycling program that helps to fund employmenthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/zUa8lRXm-m0/homemade-body-care-products.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/zUa8lRXm-m0" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/11/homemade-body-care-products.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-1948490911851722955Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:39:00 +00002009-11-03T17:13:58.216-08:00No Impact Projectdeath to disposablesNo Impact ManBy now I'm sure you've heard about No Impact Man and the No Impact Project (yes, I've blogged about that dude before). For the two of you who don't know who this guy is, here's a brief summary: Writer guy in New York gets tired of being all talk and no action. So, he grabs his family and makes a radical life change for one year. His goal? Leave no net impact on the earth. No electricity, no http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/53tfcLof4yA/no-impact-project-or-dude-i-am-so-sick.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/53tfcLof4yA" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/11/no-impact-project-or-dude-i-am-so-sick.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-5953104534672618547Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:10:00 +00002009-11-02T12:16:28.487-08:00changing spending behaviorgoing greenI can only hope that my huzbin reads this title and has a fit. Ah, the small pleasures of matrimony. Look honey, I talked about you today on the world wide internets! What's that you say? Why yes, I did call you a pain in the ass! But I did it out of love. Love for the earth, naturally.Let me preface this potential diatribe with some good news and a warning. First, the warning: If you and your http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/YUFTmmD3JCg/when-one-you-love-is-pain-in-ass.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)7<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/YUFTmmD3JCg" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/11/when-one-you-love-is-pain-in-ass.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-4100079390922956624Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:39:00 +00002009-10-30T10:54:57.532-07:00public transportationI started a new job about a month ago that has an unpleasant commute. The drive varied from 45 minutes to an hour and 40 minutes, depending on the mood of Los Angeles' notoriously insane freeways. LA's transportation woes are legendary and our public transit system does not have a good reputation among locals. I was skeered, but determined.As I mentioned in an earlier post, my first day using thehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/eW31IMlrVx0/public-transit-part-duh-tutorial-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/eW31IMlrVx0" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/public-transit-part-duh-tutorial-for.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-9019557843763890021Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:15:00 +00002009-10-29T10:20:37.180-07:00tip nutrepurposing itemshomemade cleaning productsrecyclingI'm being lazy again and letting someone else do the heavy lifting. At least you won't have another ranting soapbox speech to tolerate!I discovered TipNut awhile back when she kindly added a post of mine, Helpful Tools, to a list of resources for frugal living. TipNut is a catch-all site for virtually anything related to household care.In an attempt to build social capital and detach from the http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/84vliCQCEco/free-patterns-etc-at-tipnut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/84vliCQCEco" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/free-patterns-etc-at-tipnut.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-677622856276317363Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:02:00 +00002009-10-28T10:54:06.764-07:00common groundsocial justicesocial capitalChildren, I am going to rant. I may even cuss. You might want to grab a cup of chamomile tea and a comfort food before you read this.I recently signed up so that I could gripe at people...I mean, make comments...on the site Religion Dispatches. It's a really great site that has religious folks from various walks and many atheist writers and commenters. The discourse is *fairly* civil, although I http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/2ZVlNhoqRA8/finding-common-ground.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)21<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/2ZVlNhoqRA8" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/finding-common-ground.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-3147339269693497306Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:21:00 +00002009-10-27T12:21:00.076-07:00Working Class Foodiesfrugal cookinghomemadeSome of the fabulously kind souls who read this drivel have provided a few excellent recipe sites to help me become a better cook. Thanks, folks! As I mentioned previously, my new love, Working Class Foodies over at HungryNation TV has provided quick tutorials (recipes on the blog). I plan on taking a couple of cooking classes through my Parks & Rec department as well. Slowly but surely, I am http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/oNwrtbJV2-Q/making-more-from-scratch.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/oNwrtbJV2-Q" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/making-more-from-scratch.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-2312969054214454765Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +00002009-10-26T12:21:15.630-07:00income taxescalculatorRecently, I had two major life changes: I got married and started a new job, both of which affected my income tax and my monthly spending plan, but that's a post for another day. I'm not sure exactly how this wedded bliss will play out (oh yeah, it's all bliss all the time. Just like in the Disney movies! Remember children, life is a problem that the right partner/job/weight will solve instantly!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/Hh56MkIHk_k/tweaking-w-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/Hh56MkIHk_k" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/tweaking-w-2.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-8675985771127570245Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:55:00 +00002009-10-22T21:19:48.600-07:00green americacredit card debtco-op americacredit card companies' dirty trickscredit card feesSandra BlockChildren of Middle Earth! (Don't you just love it when uber dorks out themselves?) We have winners for our Green America membership give away! But before we chat about that, I need to give you a warning about some new credit card fees, particularly for folks using cards owned by Bank of America (which is the 2nd largest debt demon these days if I remember correctly).Sandra Block's most recent http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/jxJH8cZK0so/new-sneaky-credit-card-fees-our-contest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/jxJH8cZK0so" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/new-sneaky-credit-card-fees-our-contest.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-1045471959954453716Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:02:00 +00002009-10-23T09:52:17.908-07:00Working Class Foodiesfrugal cookingeat cheaplycheap groceriesThreadbangerLet me give a shout out to the lovely Ms. CRS for introducing me to Threadbanger. I've learned so much good crafty and DIY stuff from that awesome little site!As the internets would have it, Threadbanger has introduced me to a new love, Hungry Nation's Working Class Foodies. Like Threadbanger (I think they're produced by the same online production company), it's a how-to internet show. The show http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/zQO6iI3uNsQ/working-class-foodies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)8<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/zQO6iI3uNsQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/working-class-foodies.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-5084524659018236906Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:34:00 +00002009-10-19T23:17:26.273-07:00green americaco-op americaKathryn Benedictogive awayWelcome to ConsciouslyFrugal's first ever give away! Are you excited? I probably shouldn't be, considering I need to be on a train headed for work in about 8 hours. Remember, children--staring at glowing rectangles before bed is bad for sleep. I'll be able to cry to you about it tomorrow.Wait, what were we talking about? Oh yes! A give away. I've raved and raved about Green America (formerly http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/-XilWUtOSaU/green-america-membership-give-away.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)9<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/-XilWUtOSaU" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/green-america-membership-give-away.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-4754940744009135178Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:13:00 +00002009-10-18T17:52:28.371-07:00meatless mealslinder bisonamerica's test kitchensustainable meat productionThe huzbin and I consume way too much meat and dairy. Way. Too. Much. (And I'm lactose intolerant, no less!) We've done a great job of backing off the factory "farm" junk and have been supporting small farmers. But man oh man, when it comes to meat, that is some expensive stuff. So, we've been trying to eat more bean and veg dishes.Before I share this uber inexpensive and ridiculously delicious http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/ewby2hSzjLY/meatless-inexpensive-goodness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/ewby2hSzjLY" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/meatless-inexpensive-goodness.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-6221054888122659893Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:13:00 +00002009-10-15T20:47:48.058-07:00unethical business practicesunrealistic expectationsdouchebagsRecently, a friend shared an article on the Huff Post about a clinical study that Dr. Christiane Northrup was promoting. Supposedly, this study was going to help confirm the effectiveness of a natural therapy for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which has unfortunately become more common and can lead to infertility.Since I have this lovely metabolic condition and have been unhappy with http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/AiBu3VwKYm4/dont-believe-all-natural-healing-hype.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)8<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/AiBu3VwKYm4" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/dont-believe-all-natural-healing-hype.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-4714615675957838896Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:50:00 +00002009-10-13T09:42:43.778-07:00New American Dreamsocial capitalThe fabulous folks over at New American Dream have asked members to help build social capital by bringing cookies to a neighbor. They note that the decline in community involvement and socializing is a potential health hazard. It's not too hard to believe, as scientists have been telling us for years that isolation is toxic to the psyche. Remember the awful stories about babies in Romanian http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/te8kx_amXdI/building-social-capital.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/te8kx_amXdI" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/building-social-capital.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-3446308111649815914Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:10:00 +00002009-10-09T11:38:51.152-07:00craftingall natural cleaning productsvinegarcrochetI really should have named this "stealing blog posts from other writers." But hey! Lots of other websites use journalists' work by reprinting bits of it from news sources and then make ad revenue off of it. Although I'm not doing any of the heavy lifting, at least I'm not making any money off the sweat of others.Not-So-Dirty Hippies' (isn't that the most hilarious blog name ever?) very first posthttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/gAasREkn9Yg/vinegar-crochet-crafting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/gAasREkn9Yg" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/vinegar-crochet-crafting.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-1263379647210492255Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:58:00 +00002009-10-08T20:30:06.209-07:00life changespublic transportationAfter eight years of living in the sea of concrete and botox known as Southern California, I have finally ventured into the land of public transportation. I want to tell you tales of socially responsible joy. One less car on the road! Walking to and from the station!Unfortunately, all I have at the moment is little tales of trauma. The only other time I've jumped on a public transit system in a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/7p46yX5JkIU/country-kid-braves-los-angeles-public.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/7p46yX5JkIU" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/country-kid-braves-los-angeles-public.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-8991260713069436395Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:46:00 +00002009-10-08T14:15:44.126-07:00frugal cookingfrugal foodfrugal grocery shoppingWhile cooking a delicious channa masala the other night, my beloved said he had a tip for my "frugal blog." Since we share our love through frequent mocking, I expected some smart-arsed remark (his last suggestion? "Strap carpet scraps to the bottom of your feet instead of carpeting the entire room"). Instead, he gave a sincere tip! Oh, the wonders of marriage never cease.We lacked a particular http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/3ewS0QFNjMI/one-from-huzbin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)4<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/3ewS0QFNjMI" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/one-from-huzbin.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-4585200784422214306Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:04:00 +00002009-10-07T14:16:36.029-07:00Jane AdamsTwitterI posted a tale recently about how a buddy of mine was fired for Twittering (how is that a verb?) about an incident with the actress Jane Adams. Bummer for my buddy, embarrassing for the air-headed actress, over-the-top response by the company. Sad, funny, annoying, and representative of the disturbing trend of how New Media has allowed our employers to infiltrate nearly every aspect our lives. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/iyRlNbdFQj0/more-on-twitter-drama-d-list-actors.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/iyRlNbdFQj0" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/more-on-twitter-drama-d-list-actors.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-556444481963502530Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:19:00 +00002009-10-06T10:12:55.017-07:00craftinghandmade holiday giftscheap holiday presentsI keep tossing this out there like a threat--the holidays are just around the corner! I've blogged about this topic so many times, I don't want to bore you again with one of my sermons about consumer culture eating religious holidays. Aren't you relieved?This year, I plan to toss the bulk of my cash to Heifer International, the African Well Fund, Women for Women and Kiva. Since I absolutely love http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/XXfkFHBbskM/handmade-holiday-goodness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)5<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/XXfkFHBbskM" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/handmade-holiday-goodness.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-8378434953924230316Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:16:00 +00002009-10-05T09:54:14.504-07:00fair tradeuses for coffee groundsAs is evident by my mental haze and crappy post title, I haven't had enough joe this morning. My apologies. I hope you'll bear with me.Coffee is a gloriously addictive substance that many of us rely on each day to wake us up and get us moving. As with every other crop, there's a lot of political drama around the coffee bean. Globally, many coffee farm workers aren't paid a living wage and live inhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/il0fQKsB7m4/many-wonders-of-coffee.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)7<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/il0fQKsB7m4" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/many-wonders-of-coffee.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8444088610207986393.post-7109928283117908527Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:29:00 +00002009-10-01T23:34:14.621-07:00I, like you dear reader, have been aware of the ills of a "consumer culture" for quite awhile now. But as I try to carve out a more authentic life, I've became aware of how insidious our consumer ideology truly is. It doesn't just put us into debt and disconnect us from the land and each other, it transforms the manner in which we relate to ourselves. Most people I encounter out here in LaLa Landhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~3/cvy0j9egh80/product-human.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Demandra)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ConsciouslyFrugal/~4/cvy0j9egh80" height="1" width="1"/>http://consciouslyfrugal.blogspot.com/2009/10/product-human.html