Looking for Blog Carnival Hosts

We are looking for personal finance, frugal and green living bloggers to host editions such as this starting October 22, 2009. Hosting a carnival is a good way to gain traffic to your blog, so if you are a blogger and are interested in hosting, please visit the hosting guidelines page to learn more and apply.

Now on with the carnival!

I thought I’d celebrate Fall TV Premiere month with a stroll down memory lane of one of my favorite shows from my college days, Friends. Thanks to TheWb.com, I am now able catch up on the last few seasons which I have yet to see because we stopped getting cable in 2001.

Below are a few clips from this great show. Enjoy!

Editor’s Picks

• Fiscal Fizzle presents 7 Ways to Find Your Financial Heart.
• Budgets Are Sexy presents Finance is really not that complicated.
• Get Rich Slowly presents Sweating the Big Stuff.
• Man Vs. Debt presents Negotiation Tips For Beginners.

Frugality

• Suburban Dollar presents Be Frugal, Not Cheap.
• Pay Less For Food presents Nine Simple Ways to Avoid Supermarket Impulse Purchases.
• Modern Tightwad presents Updated: Top Fifteen Garage Sale Rules.
• The Financial blogger presents 4 Tricks to Save Money on Groceries: How to Cut Your Grocery Bills by 20% while being lazy.

Jobs, Income & Economy

• Bible Money Matters presents Dealing With A Job Loss: What To Do When You’re Laid Off.
• Gather Little By Little presents What I Don’t Like About Mary Kay and other Multi Level Marketing (MLM) Companies.
• Christian Finances presents 25 top careers without a degree .
• Darwin’s Finance presents Best Places to Work: Surprising Survey Results and Analysis.
• The Happy Rock presents Necessity vs Luxury: Research Shows That The Economy Shapes Our Perspective.
• Don’t Quit Your Day Job… presents The Minimum Wage Mistake.

Debt, Credit & Loans

• PT Money presents 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards: Using them Effectively.
• The Digerati Life presents Secured Credit Cards To Boost Your Credit.
• Banker, Saver presents Compare Auto Loan Financing Options Before Buying A Car.
• The Smarter Wallet presents Avoid Bankruptcy! Information To Help You Stay Afloat.
• Money Help For Christians presents Good Debt vs. Bad Debt.
• Financial Highway presents Basics of Credit Score and Credit Report and How often to Check.

Saving & Investing

• Bargaineering presents Roth IRA Account Explained.
• Free From Broke presents 9 Reasons You Need An Online High Yield Savings Account.
• My Dollar Plan presents Writing Bylaws for Your Investment Club.
• Go To Retirement presents Asset Allocation Strategies and Online Calculators.
• Good Financial Cents presents Understanding Your Beneficiary Options for IRA’s and 401k’s.
• Investing Toolkit presents Facing Investment Risks: Watch Your Money!

Well, this wraps it up for today’s carnival. Be sure and submit to next week’s edition which will be hosted at Fiscal Fizzle.

Thanks for stopping by!

Related posts:

• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights Giveaways: Cute Piggy Bank Magnet Prizes for Hosting and Submissions
• Pecuniary Links ~ August 2009 #1

We’re hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights this coming Thursday September 17th, 2009.

Personal finance, frugal and green living bloggers, get your submissions in by Wednesday 6:00 PM Pacific Time to be considered for inclusion in this edition!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this fairly new carnival, please visit this the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights website for more information.

Looking for Blog Carnival Hosts

The carnival schedule is open starting the 22nd of October 2009. Hosting a carnival is a great way to get targeted traffic to your blog, so if you blog about finance, frugal or green living, visit the hosting guidelines page to apply.

Our host blog requirements aren’t as stringent as some of the other carnivals so this is a good opportunity if you are a newer blogger and don’t yet meet the requirements to host other carnivals. We only ask that you maintain the quality of the carnival by only including content of lasting value.

Visit the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights site for more information and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

I’ll be back soon with a new post!

Related posts:

• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights Giveaways: Cute Piggy Bank Magnet Prizes for Hosting and Submissions
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• New Personal Finance and Frugality Blog Carnival: The Carnival of Pecuniary Delights
• Giveaways Ending Soon! And Hosting 2 Blog Carnivals Next Week
• Pecuniary Links ~ August 2009 #1

But here are a couple of notable reads from fellow Pecuniary Associates from this past week that I think you’ll enjoy.

• Living Well On Less is planning a frugal road trip and talks about how she and her husband will make it frugal, healthy and simple.
• Counting My Pennies’s cat recently had surgery and she found herself readily agreeing to have anything necessary done regardless of cost. (We’d be the same way with our dogs.) She talks about priorities and when she will scrimp and when she won’t in What do you value?

We also had our post Short Term vs. Long Term Savings With Bulk Buying included in the 17th Carnival of Pecuniary Delights: Online Slang Edition hosted at Budgets Are Sexy (apologies for the delay in linking back!)

Ciao!

Related posts:

• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2
• August 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights Giveaways: Cute Piggy Bank Magnet Prizes for Hosting and Submissions

Before we begin, I want to make it clear that I am not advocating for you to live without A/C.  It can be very dangerous, not to mention extremely unpleasant.

Here are our personal circumstances and living conditions because some of these tips won’t work for everyone depending on where you live or what sort of constitution you have.

Our Environment

• Geography: Desert
• Temperature: as high as 112º F, lows usually 60’s-70’s, mid 80’s during heat wave
• Humidity: low for the most part except for extreme heat waves
• House: 1-story, 3-bedroom single family home

Us (Madoline and Penelope)

• Ages: 29 and 30
• Health: strong immune systems (haven’t had colds since Jan. 2006)

Water is Your Friend for Staying Cool

Almost all our tactics for staying cool this summer involved water. We won’t deny that water usage costs money, but it is a lot less than electricity usage. Our city bills us twice a month for water at a flat rate for up to 2,000 cc’s which we rarely exceed so we’re paying for it anyway.

Obviously, there is really no way to cool an entire house with an internal temperature of 95º-100º F without air conditioning, so we focused on cooling ourselves and the rooms we were occupying.

• Drink lots of water
  As basic as this tip is, it is basic for a reason: It is vitally important to stay hydrated. So drink lots of water, but be moderate; don’t guzzle a gallon at a time and give yourself water poisoning. Keep a glass with you all day and sip from it.
• Ice
  We talked about this in Madoline’s post, A Simple Cooling System, from earlier in the summer. While we received some comments telling us that our system didn’t work, it did for us on days with high temperatures of up to about 101-102º F. Despite our freezer having to work a little harder, our electric bill of $45 was much lower than bills from previous years when running our central A/C which averaged $150-$180 per month.

  Each night, when the temperature had cooled (down to 60’s-70’s), we placed bottles of water in the freezer to freeze overnight. Around mid-morning when it started getting hot, we took out the ice and placed them in front of fans in the room where we hung out and worked (100 sq. ft.)

• Ice water jugs
  Freeze bottles/jugs of filtered water to use to cool your room and to serve as cold drinking water as it melts. Staying hydrated is very important and nothing feels so good as a cold glass of water when you’re hot.
• Wet or damp towel, bandanna or shirt
  This is one tactic which should be used carefully. As stated above, we’re young and in good health and not prone to catching cold. A wet or damp towel draped over the shoulders or head, and a wet/damp shirt keeps you cool for a good while. But if you’re prone to catching colds, I wouldn’t recommend this as having a cold when it’s hot would be really un-fun. If you’re prone to headaches, I would advise against draping a wet towel over your head.
• Water spritz
  Keep a plant sprayer filled with water and spray yourself occasionally. The water evaporating off your skin gives a cool sensation. Again, if you’re prone to colds, exercise caution, but this one is less risky than a wet shirt.
• Ice packs
  One of those ice gel packs for coolers held over points with major arteries – neck and wrist – can help cool your circulation a little.
• Damp sheet
  When the heat wave hit in full force and I couldn’t sleep, I would wet a sheet or towel and drape it over my legs. This helped me cool off quickly and get some sleep.

  A note on Wet vs. Cool: I found a completely wet towel, shirt or sheet a little too cold for comfort, but when damp, it was perfect.

Other Tips for Staying Safe in High Heat

• Wear light-colored, loose and natural-fiber clothing
• Eat smaller meals more frequently
• Avoid strenuous physical activity during the hottest time of day
• Avoid drinking diuretics such as tea, coffee, etc. that can make you lose water

Visit the Red Cross website for more information on Heat Wave Safety.

For more on staying cool without air conditioning, refer to this post I wrote last fall when our A/C first broke: 10 Days Without Air Condition and Counting! It includes other tips on cooling your home.

Cooling Tips for Pets

Because our dogs are large (hotter than small dogs) and long-haired, we also had to take measures to keep them from getting too hot and risking heat stroke.

Note: small dogs are not as hardy as large dogs and may be prone to catching cold very easily.

• Haircuts
  We trimmed their 3-4 inch long coats down to about 1-2 inches. The bag of hair off my dog weighed a lot!
• Wet bandanna or shirt
  As with ourselves, we either tied a web bandana around their necks or put on a wet shirt. The parts of their bodies under the wet or damp clothing stays cool for a good while.
• Water spritz
  Spritzing them with water also helps. Wolfgang especially loves this one.
• Cold treats
  Give them cold snacks and meals as much as possible – mozzarella cheese sticks, ice cubes, chicken flavored jello (yum), and refrigerated food prepared the night before. Don’t give too much ice as it can cause stomach upset.
• Lots of water
  Make sure your pets have lots of fresh water. I would be careful about giving ice water, though, which may cause an upset stomach.
• Keep it down
  Dogs are enthusiastic creatures and might run and jump around too much for their own good. Keep them occupied with treats that take a while to eat and toys that keep them in one place.

Well, this about wraps it up for our tips on keeping cool. These tactics helped us get through 3 months — from the end of April when we usually turn on the A/C to the end of July.

Come back soon for how and why “No-Air Conditioning Summer” came to an end.

Related posts:

• The Benefits of Deprivation: 10 Days Without Air Conditioning and Counting! Plus Tips for Staying Cool
• No-Air Conditioning Summer Part 1 – How It Started: No-Heat Winters
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #9
• Under the Weather – Recommended Reading
• Frugal, Fun and Productive Summer Activities

From Pecuniary Associates

• Living Well On Less gives us 3 simple things you can do right now to improve your state of mind.
• Financial Nut asks if hyperinflation is looming in America’s economic future.
• Counting My Pennies ponders what she would grab in a workplace fire drill.

Elsewhere in the Personal Finance Blogosphere

• Money Ning says the lowest price is for losers.
• Moolanomy promotes saving money with homemade products.

Recent Blog Carnivals

Thanks to the following carnivals and hosts for including my posts in their recent blog carnivals.

• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights: Sweet 16 Edition
  Included my post: Resisting the Urge to Splurge

• Carnival of Personal Finance: New Zealand Edition!
  Included my post: Save Money on Clothes: Shop the Juniors’ Department
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights 15 – Epicurean Delights Edition
  Included my post: Pay Bills Online and Save

Related posts:

• Pecuniary Links & Pecuniarities Update ~ July 2009 #1
• Pecuniary Links ~ August 2009 #1
• July 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late

Young jack rabbit hiding out from the sun by our front door

First of all, I think it very likely that our seemingly endless summer of “No A/C” will soon be coming to an end. But more on that later. Let’s start at the beginning.

No-Heat Winters

When we moved into our house in the Mojave Desert in December 2006, we arrived late at night and therefore had to spend the first night without heat because our gas was still shut off. Our indoor temperature in the winter reaches the mid-50’s without heating and we were so cold that night that we thought we’d never be able to survive winters here without the heater (hey, we grew up in Hawaii :p ).

When summer came with outdoor temperatures as high as 110º-112º and indoor temperatures in the 90’s, we also decided that we could never survive without air conditioning

But in the dead of winter in January 2008, our heater stopped heating. At first, we panicked and thought we just had to repair it ASAP. But after a little more thought and discussion, we thought we’d try it without heating for a little while and see how it went and how much money we could save by not repairing it and burning all that propane for the rest of the winter.

In previous winters, our first propane bill of the season in January was about $400 and subsequently around $200 every month through April. By not using the heater, we could cut our total winter gas bill by about 60-70%.

It wasn’t easy, it was cold in our house all day, we had to wear a lot of extra layers, but it was totally doable and we survived it without even catching cold. So when winter rolled around again (’08-’09) we decided to do it again, but this time we got a couple of personal space heaters to take the bite out of the air at the coldest of times, which only cost a fraction of our savings from not running the central heating.

The Start of No-A/C Summer

Last September, with a couple more heat waves to go before fall would come, our air conditioning also went out of service. Again, my first thought was “we have to get it fixed ASAP!” But the same thing happened. We didn’t get the A/C fixed and we made it through the rest of the hot days without it and saved some money. The year before that, our September electric bill had been $400. But not this time.

Without the A/C, our summer electric bills are about $45 (average) a month – about $5 more than non-summer months because we have fans running all day. When we ran our central air in previous years, the summer bills averaged $180 a month in our first year and $150 a month in our 2nd year when we learned to be a bit more conservative with the thermostat.

So we decided to try it this summer when May came around and we were discussing whether or not to have our A/C fixed. We’ve thus far survived average daily temperatures in the mid- and high-90’s, including heat waves as hot as 109º in the day. We’ve used many tricks and methods to weather the heat waves, which I will talk about in my next post.

Is it uncomfortable? Yes, at times extremely so. But is it doable? Yes, and that is what we wanted to find out: if we could do it. And we have for a couple of months which has saved us some money, but we’ve also decided that it might be time to end this experiement, which I’ll talk about soon.

Related posts:

• The Benefits of Deprivation: 10 Days Without Air Conditioning and Counting! Plus Tips for Staying Cool
• No-Air Conditioning Summer Part 2 – How We Stayed Cool Without A/C
• Frugal Thermodymics Part I: Limiting Sources of Heat in the Home
• Frugal Thermodymics Part II: A Simple Cooling System
• Under the Weather – Recommended Reading

It’s Sandra’s Money Saving Meals from the Food Network. They haven’t been able to acquire full episodes yet (which they’re working on), so there are just 1-2 minute clips which are great because they don’t take much time to watch but teach you something in each one.

Here is one I really liked – the spaghetti calzone made from leftover spaghetti:

They also have full 50-minute episodes of The Dave Ramsey Show, which I haven’t yet watched because, to tell the truth, I’d rather watch Burn Notice and The Philanthropist (cool new show starring James Purefoy if you haven’t seen it yet).

Related posts:

• Go on, cut that cable! Websites for Watching Free TV Full Episodes, Movies and News Online
• Funny Money Lessons from Fiddler on the Roof: If I Were a Rich Man
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 24: Friends Edition
• Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals: Week of Unexpected Delays
• My Favorite Money and Time Saving Websites

While Madoline and I no longer buy clothes due to knowing how to sew our own, we did enjoy clothes shopping when we lived in L.A. where we often walked the malls for exercise to avoid the smog and sun. Being 5′3″, I always included the juniors’ section when browsing department stores.

I suppose one advantage of young girls wanting to dress like their big sisters or favorite movie star is that juniors’ fashions greatly resemble grown-up fashions and could therefore pass as “in style,” or at the very least not “out of style.”

While the adult clothing sale racks at stores such as Macy’s, Bloomie’s, Nordstrom’s, etc. often boast great prices, the juniors’ sales racks are even better. I have found tops on the juniors racks for as little $4 to $6 apiece and they don’t look much different from adult clothing.

My 5′3″ height and medium-large bone structure allows me to wear most L and XL junior sizes. I once purchased a dress from the junior section for $12. Madoline (5′4½”), the more lady-like of the two of us, has bought skirts from the junior miss department, and I, being a tomboy, used to browse the boys’ department for shirts.

As to the quality of the materials, I really don’t see any inferiority compared to that of adult clothing. In fact, I’m inclined to think that juniors clothing might be made to hold up under rougher wear than adult clothing. Maybe the material isn’t as fancy as adult clothing, maybe not. Either way, I hate the idea of spending $20-$40 on an item of clothing that I’d have to worry about getting dirty or torn in my daily activities (I am what some might call “a klutz.”)

Of course, a grownup can’t possibly outfit his/her entire wardrobe from the juniors department, but for casual, everyday wear, I don’t see anything wrong with it. And of course, not all juniors designs (artwork, logos, etc.) are suitable for grown-ups, but there are many conservative enough so as not to make one appear juvenile or eccentric.

So, if the shirt fits, wear it and save.

Related posts:

• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2
• Our Favorite Sources for Affordable Fabrics
• Shop
• Home is Where the Money Is
• It Never Hurts to Ask: Getting Late Fees Removed

I’ve been on a little hiatus from blogging due to a few things going on in my non-cyber-life these days. Madoline and I have been busy working at a business overhaul which has been occupying a lot of my mind so that I haven’t had much time and brain-space for blog post ideas.

We’ve also been trying our hand at air-conditioning-free life in the desert, and this heat wave has been a formidable living companion, but I am happy to report we are are doing quite well despite highs as much as 109 this past week. Perhaps I’ll post a little later on how and why we’re doing this.

Anyways, it is time for another financial link/Pecuniary Associates roundup, which you can come to expect on the 1st and 3rd weekend of each month.

From Pecuniary Associates

• At Financial Nut, Alex wrote a review on a book called The Skinny on Credit Cards, How to Master the Credit Card Game. It looks like an interesting and informative read for anyone who has questions or doubts about credit card usage.
• At Living Well on Less, Karen’s chef husband Tony contributed a 2-part series on 12 essential tools for a frugal kitchen.
• At Counting My Pennies, Megan shares a somewhat frustrating experience in which a co-worker who didn’t know her well criticized her for her frugality. It’s a short and very worthwhile read titled “You don’t seem the type.”

Elsewhere in the Personal Finance Blogosphere

• At Mrs. Micah, the missus shares a cute childhood story, which bears an important message: Keep Your Word to Children About Money.
• At The Paycheck Chronicles, Kate has discovered a way to make sure that she never misses a credit card payment while not having to worrying about overdraft charges on her checking account.

Blog Carnivals

I had posts featured in 2 blog carnivals this past week:

• At Green Panda Treehouse, Carnival of Personal Finance #211: Burn Notice Edition (one of my favorite shows!), which included my post Remembering Why We Do What We Do.
• At Taking Charge, The 14th Carnival of Pecuniary Delights: The ‘I Forgot Day’ edition, which included my post Discerning Luxury from Necessity.

Well, that wraps it up for today’s roundup. Thanks for being a Pecuniarities reader and have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Related posts:

• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2
• Pecuniary Links ~ August 2009 #1
• July 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late

Chilled noodles make nice cool meals for summer days but we also love to eat them in the winter. You can use any type of asian noodles and even angel hair pasta to make chilled noodles. They are espeicially good with the  homemade noodles we blogged about previously.

To prepare the noodles, simply cook as required for the type of noodle you use and rinse in cold or iced water.

To made our Spinach and garlic sauce you will need (for 1 serving):

• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 -2 tbsp Seasoned rice vinegar (or rice vinegar, salt, and sugar)
• 1/2 tsp Chili oil
• Raw  garlic (Diced)
• About 1/4 cup chopped spinach (thawed)

Mix the above ingredients and adjust to taste. Toss in the noodles, add a dash of Furikake (sesame seeds and dried seaweed) and you are ready to eat.

You might add extra sugar if the sauce is too sour.  We like Chu Chow Chili Oil best, but you can substitute with your favorite hot sauce or make your own chili oil by pan frying or soaking chili peppers with garlic.

Related posts:

• Fast & Frugal Recipe: Chilled Noodles With Peanut Sauce
• Fast & Frugal Recipe: Spaghetti with Hot Dogs
• Fast & Frugal Recipe: Yakisoba (Japanese Chow Mein)
• Fast & Frugal Recipe: Vegetable & Rice Teriyaki Bowl
• Homemade Noodles: a Surprisingly Delicious and Versatile Frugal Food

For those of you who haven’t yet had the pleasure of getting to e-know me (7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me), I grew up in Hawaii, and for several years suffered a serious addiction to surfing. Don’t get me wrong, I sucked. But just one good ride a session was enough to keep me getting up at 4:00 a.m. on a weekend, suiting up and diving into freezing water in the hopes of catching just one more good ride.

I lived at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu during those years, which afforded me the best views of some of the best surf in the world – Sunset Beach, Banzai Pipeline, Waimea Bay, etc. So for today’s edition, I thought I’d take you on a stroll down one of my memory lanes.

I have invited one of my favorite bands, The Beach Boys, to set the mood for today’s edition of the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights. Press play (unless you’re at work) and proceed. And it is true: catch a wave and you’re sittin’ on top of the world.

Editor’s Picks

Photo: Kanaka’s Paradise Life

• My Dollar Plan presents 10 Financial Tips for New Grads.
• DoughRoller presents Say Goodbye to Cable and Hello to Free Digital TV!.
• Bargaineering presents Making Your Own Dog Food.

Entertainment

Photo: Prob1t

• The Buck List presents Use Your Library.
• Funny about Money presents The High Cost of Culture: 16 Low-cost Routes to the Better Life.
• The Happy Rock presents Top 8 Free Music Websites.

Automotive

Photo: Prob1t

• Money Help For Christians presents When is it time to buy a ‘newer’ car?.
• Free Money Finance presents How Do You Decide When to Get a New Car?.

Frugal Home & Garden

Photo: Kanaka’s Paradise Life

• Passive Family Income presents Frugal and Freecycle Landscaping.
• Budgets are Sexy presents Bring Lunch or Buy Lunch? I Say a Little of Each..
• Practicing Thrift presents Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP).

Personal Finance

Photo: Kanaka’s Paradise Life

• M is for Money presents Save or Pay Down Debt?.
• The Digerati Life presents Best High Interest Savings Accounts In Online Banking.
• Prime Time Money presents Opening a Roth IRA for the First Time.
• Good Financial Cents presents Benefits of the 401k Rollover.

Economy, Job & Stock Market

Photo: Kanaka’s Paradise Life

• Christian Finance presents 20 places that are hiring (in this economy).
• The Smarter Wallet presents S & P Index and Crude Oil Market Trends: Next Steps?.

Parting Song and Shots

Photo: Hawaiian Sea

This wraps it up for the 12th edition of the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights. Next week’s edition will be hosted at Momma’s Blog. If you’re a blogger, be sure and get your submission in by Wed. June 24 6:00 EST!

Photo: Prob1t

Related posts:

• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late
• Pecuniary Links ~ July 2009 #2
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights Giveaways: Cute Piggy Bank Magnet Prizes for Hosting and Submissions
• Pecuniary Links ~ August 2009 #1

My dog Luwi (”loo-vee” short for Ludwig) loves movies. Ever since he was a puppy, he has been fascinated with the television, especially scenes with animals or action. He would jump up on the TV and lick or bite the screen when he saw something exciting. Naturally, he was equally if not more captivated by the remote control, the all-powerful apparatus that could switch the wonderful television on and off.

Over time, however, Luwi became more and more fascinated with the remote control, to the point of obsession. While he still loves the TV and watches it, his focus has shifted more to the remote control. When we mention any of the words “TV,” “movie,” “watch,” “DVD,” and anything else related to the activity in question, he runs to the remote control and stares at it with a mad gleam in his eye.

Whenever we pick up any of the remote controls, he jumps up in “ready position” and doesn’t take his eyes off the remote till we put it back down, and he continues to stare at it until he’s sure we’re finished with it. If and when he can, he steals the remote control to hold or guard on his spot on the bed. He still watches the TV, but I believe his enjoyment of it is less than it used to be because he is now obsessed with getting the remote control rather than watching TV.

Luwi is a good example of how we, people and animals, can forget the original reasons why we do certain things. Many of us are concerned with saving money becuase we want to be able to live comfortably or happily without the stress of being in debt. But we can sometimes get too caught up in the act of saving money and forget our original reasons for doing so. If you ever find yourself spending hours and hours looking for a better deal rather than spending that time doing something more productive or enjoying time with your family just to save a few dollars, you have forgotten.

The same goes for making money. In the beginning, many people want to make money so that they can provide a comfortable life for their families. Over time they sometimes forget and get caught up in making money, become workaholics, and instead of spending a weekend afternoon playing with their kids or pets, they’re locked away in the office working (or blogging ) and shouting at the kids or pets to keep it down.

I am not saying it’s bad to want to make or save money. Just don’t let it consume you the way the remote control has consumed Luwi. An activity he used to enjoy has turned into a vigil rather than a hobby. He is now more concerned with the state of the remote control than what is actually happening on the screen and has completely forgotten the point of it all.

Related posts:

• Pecuniary Links & Pecuniarities Update ~ July 2009 #1

Wise Bread: Carnival of Personal Finance #205: Pay it Forward Edition included our post DIM (Did-it-Myself!) Country Kitchen Storage Shelf.

Almost Frugal: The Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 8 included our post Sewing: A Frugal and Fulfilling Hobby – Save Money by Sewing Your Own Clothes.

I Pick Up Pennies: Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 7 included our post The No-Budget System

Stretchy Dollar: Money Hacks Carnival – Otter Pop Edition included our post Use Amazon Price History Tracker to Make Sure a Sale Really is a Sale.

Related posts:

• Recent Blog Carnivals (February 2009)
• Pecuniarities is Hosting the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights This Week!
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #2
• Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals: Week of Unexpected Delays
• May 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals

Quite a few years ago, when P. Pince and I were starting out, we rented a tiny studio apartment. To make a little more space, we built a free standing loft over our beds where we had a computer, some little shelves and cabinets and one of those pouffes for a chair.

After moving into a comfortably large house, we gradually disassembled our loft and reused the boards and hardware to make furniture more befitting our new lifestyle. Most of the pine boards went into making a large wardrobe called “the Monstrosity” and the top of our computer desk.

After making two little beds (like the ones in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) for our puppies on their first birthday, all we had left of our old loft was a rickety set of steps.

We had often been on the verge of tearing apart these three crudely made steps, but we felt sentimental about the last traces of our former and relatively poorer life. So, I finally decided to keep our loft stairs as a step stool for our library/master bedroom where we had built a wall of ceiling-high shelves.

But I like everything to look pretty in my life in as well as to having a dual purpose, so I turned the stairs on end, nailed on a back and bottom, installed a hinged top on each step, and painted it pink with leftover paint from doing Penelope’s bedroom floor.

Our renovated little staircase stands three feet high and is great for hiding things out of sight, especially long rolls of wrapping paper. Our steps also make a pretty display for baubles and antique books. It goes with our mother’s old dining table which has also been redone with the same leftover paint.

Making new things from old or broken objects is one of my favorite creative/useful activities. To anyone interested in this sort of craft, I suggest reconsidering the potential of any old or broken furniture you own, consider taking them apart for lumber, turning them upside-down or sideways, and reusing ornamental parts or hardware. You could even volunteer to “dispose” of unwanted things for your friends, family and neighbors. One could even start a business selling unique furniture made from reassigned materials.

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Our city’s water billing system is run by a tiny 2-person department that seems to send bills out when they can instead of on a set schedule. Our water billing cycles are 2-month periods, so logically we would have a bill due every 2 months. But our water department being so small, with more and more people moving into the area, those 2 poor ladies are swamped from 8-5. I tried all day yesterday to call them but always got a voicemail, and finally left a message around noon today and was surprised to get a call back in the afternoon (a first with this department.)

Anyways, this means that our bills come very irregularly and we sometimes don’t get a bill for 3 or 4 months, and then sometimes we receive a bill a month for 3 months in a row. It isn’t unusual for us to be paying a bill for services from fall of the previous year in the spring (i.e. paying for water used Oct 2007 – Dec 2007  in March 2008). Needless to say, this can get confusing and I often have little panics where I think I’ve missed a payment when I haven’t.

This week was one such instance. I had made a water payment on the due date of March 12, 2009 and so wasn’t expecting to have another bill due until mid-May. It turns out that they had sent out another bill some time in March or April, which I don’t recall receiving, and that I had a payment due April 24th. I honestly don’t know what happened with that bill but obviously somehow messed up.

When I spoke to one of the ladies from the water department today to ask about it, she told me that, yes, bills are due once every 2 months, but no, I did miss a payment on April 24th. I think because she saw the illogic of it, she was nice enough to waive the $15 penalty for me. I didn’t even have to ask (though I had been planning to) for this one-time courtesy.

So, it never hurts to call in and inquire when you have a billing discrepancy such as this. If the late fee is just $1 or $2, it might not be so bad, but a $15 late charge on a $68 bill not even a month overdue was a little too much for me to let slide by.

Just remember when you call in to be polite, don’t demand but ask nicely, and you will most likely have a positive result.

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Still a very active person, my Grandpa ‘putters’ quite a bit. He spends a lot of time on his computer, managing his finances, staying in touch with friends, and working on genealogy. A mainstay in his office has been his old computer – he’s had it for 8 years. It’s old, really old. I’ve fixed some things for him a couple of times, and it’s close to heading to the museum. It doesn’t even write to a CD, still has a 3.5″ disk drive. The monitor is about 13 inches big.

He knows that there are better, faster, easier to use computers out there, but as the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” He’s content to use his old machine, even if it takes ten minutes to start, chugs along through some of the more difficult tasks it has, and needs the occasional upgrade or repair.

Be satisfied with what you have

I’ve written about this previously, but it’s very easy to become jealous of things that your friends or co-workers have. Sometimes it seems like everyone else has something you can’t afford, and it become easy to fall into the trap of wanting, which easily leads to the even bigger trap of spending beyond your means, or debt.

Learn Basic Repair Skills

My grandpa doesn’t do much of the repairs around the house anymore, but he does a very good job of finding people who do a very good job for a low price. While ideally it’s best to learn how to fix some basic things on your own, if there are some things you can’t do, finding a reliable local repairman can lengthen the life of your products.

Purchase Quality Products

Sometimes the cheapest option isn’t always the best. Quality is an important consideration to research when making any kind of a major purchase. Technology has advanced so rapidly that it’s possible for any one to start producing almost any different kind of product. The bargain brand of TV at Wal-Mart may perform the same task as a higher-end Sony or Samsung TV, but they length of time the product will work and the quality of the user-experience may differ greatly. It’s important, though, to save for these purchases.

The Point: Frugality isn’t all about buying the cheapest product or not spending money, but spending it wisely on products that will last a long time. Purchasing a high-quality product and learning to maintain it yourself can save you quite a bit of money in the long run.

* * *

This post is part of the “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without” Series

Part 1 – Bible Money Matters: “Use It Up”

Part 2 – The Dough Roller: “Wear It Out”

Part 3 – Pecuniarities: “Make It Do”

Part 4 – StretchyDollar: “or Do Without”

Thank you for reading!

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A Simple Cooling System

Heat naturally diffuses from areas of higher concentration to areas of lower concentration. And cold being the absence of energy, a block of ice literally draws heat out of the air.

As was mentioned in P. Pince’s recent article, our air conditioning system is on holiday at this inopportune time. While looking at cooling units online, I saw several that were merely refrigeration systems which fanned air over ice or cold water. These systems are meant for use in places with dry climates, and as we live in the desert which is just such a place, we thought we’d give it a try.

Instead of purchasing a new unit or repairing our old one, we decided to simply use containers of ice placed in front of fans in rooms where we’re working or hanging out. When the ice has melted and the water is near room temperature, we remove it and bring in a new one if still needed. We make the ice at night when it requires less electricity for the refrigerator to keep cold.

We also consider thawing frozen vegetables in our rooms prior to cooking, though I wouldn’t do this with meat or anything that might lead to food poisoning.

If your automatic ice maker is already cranking out heaps of ice faster than you can consume, take some out and let them melt. You could do the same with the ice from defrosting your freezer.

And with entropy in mind (a concept of energy flow), I believe it would be advantageous to bring home ice, ice cream, and cold items (cooled on someone else’s dollar) during the day rather than at night. The saving may be very small indeed, but we’d make poor misers if we dismissed an economization on account of smallness, wouldn’t we?

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Even though science has always been one of my favorite subjects, I am frequently surprised at how even the most basic principles taught in high school have proven useful to everyday life, household management and health issues. Of late, because heat is the primary financial drain in summer, the laws of thermodynamics are very much on my mind. These laws are very simple concepts dealing with heat and its natural tendencies which is helpful in figuring out how to stay cool while using our resources efficiently.

Limiting Sources of Heat in the Home

The first thing to understand is that heat is a form of energy, it is often produced as a byproduct of other processes. The heat of summer, for example, is the byproduct of nuclear reactions in the sun. And while we unfortunately cannot control that particular source of heat (except by insulating our homes and drawing the curtains shut), we can improve our situation by limiting other means of heat production. Following are just a few of the possible sources of heat in your home which you may choose to regulate.

• Electronics
  Computers, televisions, lights and other electronics emit high quantities of heat. Turn them off when they are not absolutely necessary. Unplug appliances and stereos that still draw electricity when not in use (the ones with glowing lights or numbers). Limit cooking and cleaning activities (especially ironing or using the dryer) to the cooler hours of the day.
• Human Metabolic Activity
  “Calorie” is simply another word for “heat.” You constantly produce heat in the process of respiration. Therefore, strenuous activity and indoor exercise can really warm up your home. You can avoid this by exercising outdoors or elsewhere. For the weight conscious, drinking lots of cold water can raise your metabolism while literally flushing a good deal of body heat out of the house. Also note: metabolic activity produces water vapor in addition to heat which increases the humidity of your house (see below) so that is another reason to work out elsewhere or at night.
• Pet Metabolic Activity
  Pets such as cats and dogs have higher metabolic rates than people. A medium sized dog can noticeably heat up a small room. For your own good as well as the good of your pets (to avoid heat stroke) discourage them from being too active during the hottest hours.
• Trash & Food
  Decomposing matter generate heat from bacterial and  fungal respiration. This means that it would be to your advantage to take out the kitchen trash more often than usual and throw away unwanted or spoiling food sooner rather than later. Germs, mold and other microbes burn calories just like you and your pets. So logically, the fewer “little housemates” you have, the cooler you’ll be.
• Humidity
  Water vapor is the gratest contributer to the greenhouse effect. A humid house with sunlight streaming through the windows will easily reach tropical temperatures. I strongly suggest ventilating well after showers, fixing leaks, not having too many fish tanks or house plants, avoiding indoor exercise, and getting a dehumidifier if necessary.

While some of the means mentioned above may seem so insignificant that most people may feel inclined to dismiss them, I believe that many small factors can make a notable change. And the proof is that we are enjoying a fine day at home in the Mojave Desert with full sun, no breeze, and being no poorer for it.

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Wise Bread is holding a $10 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway for a random answer to the above question and I thought it would be a good exercise for me.

Frankly my first reaction to this question was “There is no silver lining.” Our business sales are lower than ever so income is down while food, utility and gas prices keep rising. We have several things around the house that need repair but are holding off on them because keeping money in the bank seems more important at this time.

One of the things that need repairing is our central air conditioning, which is somewhat important as we live in the desert and are expecting temperatures as high as 110° Fahrenheit starting today, but we have decided to try to make do without for now, which is highly unpleasant.

So where’s the silver lining in all this?

It took a little thinking, but I’ve come up with one. The silver lining for me is that this is happening while I’m still young.

I feel guilty and selfish for saying this because not everyone is able to, but I am young enough that this recession won’t destroy my entire future and I can learn from it. For those at or near retirement age, this recession could permanently impact the rest of their lives by wiping out or taking a large chunk out of their retirement savings and investments. I am at an age where, once the recession is over, I still have a chance to build up investments and savings.

Throughout my life, I’ve read stories, watched movies or learned in school about the Great Depression, but because it was all so long ago and our society seemed so far advanced that the possibility of our falling into another depression never occurred to me. I’ve always been careful with my money, but took for granted that our society and economy are well enough advanced that we need not worry about the not having enough money for basic necessities.

While we are not at the point of destitution, things are worrisome enough now that this is something I will never forget. I have learned that merely being careful with money is not enough. I have now learned to be vigilant with my money, and that is something I won’t cease to do even when this recession is over.

That’s not to say I will be living in a state of pecuniary paranoia for the rest of my life, but you can be sure that I will never take economic and financial stability for granted again. So the silver lining in this recession for me is a lesson well learned and remembered.

While my silver lining is only a silver lining for me and those of my age group, I hope that those further on in years have found silver linings in other forms.

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Even though we live at the edge of a growing suburb with new houses springing up around us every year, we sort of think of our house as being in the country. It is still a little isolated and teeming with birds, bugs and lawn-destroying rabbits. And now that summer is coming on, the yard smells like roses and grass (we are actually terrible gardeners, but the roses proved incredibly hardy).

And because we call this country life, we built a country themed shelf for our kitchen with a dairy cow pattern on the sides. The purpose of this shelf is to keep clutter off the counter and store towels and non-perishables in an attractive manner.

The materials for this shelf cost about $10, comprising entirely of leftover lumber, paint, and nails from household projects and repairs. Because large furniture will not fit in our car and shipping is so expensive, we usually opt to building large shelves and cabinets ourselves. The cost of this shelf is even less than the shipping we would have paid had we purchased a similar sized item.

It was lucky for Penelope and me that we attended an unusual private elementary school when we were kids where we were required to learn how to saw and hammer and do carpentry as early as age 7. We have built a lot of unique and pretty furniture with these very basic skills and would like to recommend that fellow frugalites give furniture making a try.

For kitchen storage, we like a country market look. This is easily achieved by lots of wicker baskets, egg baskets, and mini milk crates from the dollar store. Clean, unused trash baskets make nice bins for apples, onions, oranges, and bread. We keep rice and flour in large Christmas popcorn tins which come cheaper than storage containers sold without food.

As for the refrigerator, it looks the way it does, because P. Pince is fond of cleaning my paint brushes there (so as not to waste paint) before they are washed.

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