the part-time life

let nature do the work

2011-10-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

Lavanderia (Laundromat) in Puerto Rico

It's a simple formula : clothesline + sunshine + a bit of time = dry, fresh-smelling clothes. So, what's the problem? Why do we Americans tend to like images of clothes hanging out to dry in other countries but we won't actually hang clothes ourselves?

On my visit to Oz, Australian friends were shocked that I'd never ever hung laundry outside to dry before. Nope, never. When I had been an exchange student in Spain, my host mom was the only one who operated the pulley-style clothesline strategically hung outside the kitchen window of the high-rise apartment building. A few years living in England, though, gave me some good practice without a dryer, but there, hanging clothes was an inside job involving radiators and drying racks (and sometimes resulted in moldy-smelling clothing!)

A clothesline was an early purchase at my current California home as I wanted to enjoy all this sunshine which I so sorely missed in England. But it didn't take that long before my stackable washer/dryer right in my bathroom lured me away from my clothesline. Did I just get re-Americanized? Or lazy? Or rushed? Or out of touch with nature? It took my German visitors this past summer who had no interest in my dryer to get me to brush the cobwebs off my neglected clothesline and re-discover a simple pleasure.

Go Green (Forever) 2011 stamps

Technology, speed, and convenience are wonderful things that I truly appreciate in my life, but how often do we allow ourselves to disconnect from technology these days and focus on one task at a time? Being outdoors and engaging in a repetitive task actually seems to induce a state of calm... (for me at least!)
If you need a reason to slow down, save some money, and support the environment, try letting nature do the work!

Article published at: Everything Home and A Carnival for Saving and Making Money

the closet shopper

2011-09-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

"Living with fewer possessions can be a pure joy that is unmatched by anything you can buy." Leo Babauta, Zen Habits
Well said, Leo! Sometimes I've felt weird about how much I enjoy clutter clearing....

Tuesday's spontaneous closet purge (and I'm already known to have a minimalist closet), resulted in more than 20 items leaving the premises. Most went to Goodwill, but I also decided to give The Closet Shopper a whirl. Their "boutique-style recycled clothing for women" tagline matches their tidy, eclectic, thoughfully-arranged shop; no smelly, cramped thrift store here. Articles of clothing are purchased outright and you receive either 35% of the new sale price in cash or 50% in store credit, much easier than traditional consignment which leaves you wondering / waiting / hoping for an item to sell before you see the $$. Two skirts made the cut; one even increased its value: got six bucks back for a Banana Republic skirt I'd purchased back in '07 for just five dollars (from a Jersey smelly, cramped thrift store, no less.) But a la Babauta, I'd say the joy really lies in the empty space between the hangers and the slightly less cluttered brain -- amazing how I feel cleaner on the inside.....

so...what do you do

2011-09-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

on your days off? is a popular question I've been asked recently. For this school year, today is day nine of my "every other day" non-teaching days. I don't find "days off" on the mark as I still spend some time sending/responding to work emails, lesson planning, and grading papers, but not sure what to call them... stay-at-home days? not-at-work days? Semantics aside, they are delicious days that I'm free to design as I wish.
Propped up by pillows (PJs on) is how I graded papers on Friday morning before making my way down the coast to Monterey to visit with a friend. Tuesday began with spontaneous and serious closet clutter clearing, wrapped up with Happy Hour on the wharf, and in between involved accompanying a friend to the doctor and doing a bit of paperwork...
I'm not sure what the order of my day will be today -- it's almost 9:30am and so far have jogged along the ocean with a friend, researched NEA-sponsored money market account rates, eaten breakfast, blogged.... and the day is still full of possibility.

working(wo)man's holiday

2011-09-05T18:11:00.000-07:00

It's Monday night, Labor Day, and I'm enjoying the last bits of a FOUR-day weekend. As I re-embrace my part-time lifestyle, I have to say that going into work every other day really suits me.

My more traditional schedule, meatier paycheck, and temporary departure from "the part-time life" last school year was a worthwhile experience too. I enjoyed becoming more connected to the staff at work and gaining a deeper sense of belonging (not just existing as a part-timer on the periphery), as well as experiencing greater financial ease and abundance. In my free time, I danced often, learned some reiki, had a great party for my 40th bday, and traveled to NJ, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. On the down side, I noticed that I was often knackered (miss using that British word!) on the weekends and got sick more often. There was little time for reflection, and my creativity (outside of the arena of work) was taking a snooze.

Thankfully, I'm gifted with a boss who gets this "part-time me", understanding that I want to take each year as it comes ....and see how I can best create a life where I feel fulfilled and energized both at work and outside of work. I soo appreciate having the ability to CHOOSE.

Having made a different choice last year allows me to have even more appreciation for my schedule this year. My greater sense of connectedness (and worth) at work that I developed serves me well as I realize that working there less now doesn't mean I count any less. Also, the feeling of financial flow that I experienced is something I intend to carry with me as I step back into the part-time life. I've learned that an over-emphasis on bargain-hunting, coupon-clipping, etc. can create an energy of lack; I'm planning on sticking with abundance.

So, on this Labor Day (or "workingman's holiday") , I'll conclude with gratitude for having a lifestyle which allows me to enjoy and embrace both work and play.

this part-timer's dilemma

2010-05-23T22:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been ages since I've written. It's even safe to say that I had abandoned my dear blog. I guess I've just been out there livin' the part-time life, not documenting it. I have an amazing work schedule of going into work every other day -- one week I'm at work on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.... the next week I go in on Tuesday and Thursday. Yes, that's a 3-day weekend EVERY week. On my days at home, I still have lessons to plan and papers to grade but can fit that in amongst rides on my beach cruiser, turns of online Scrabble, hikes with friends, naps, Jazzercise, ABC.com downloads, walks along the beach, phone calls to friends and family, time with my boyfriend, jogs, daydreams of future travel, etc. Sometimes I can't believe my good fortune. I am time rich. Plus, I earn a living wage, am debt free, financially independent, saving for retirement, and even going to Europe twice this year (with the help of frequent flier miles and a grant)! Isn't this the dream!?!

Certainly, I strategize financially with lots of micro-choices I make each day. But I don't mind. In fact, I think I even enjoy the challenge. I make lists like: lights off, library movies, $3.99 Moon Merlot wine at TJs, Ebay gifts, eat in, freeze food, walk to chiropracter's, (even flush less.) It's okay with me to consume and use less in order to put my money where my priorities are: visiting my family on the east coast twice a year, living in a nice home, eating good healthy food, and traveling. Also, I am happy to do extra flexible work like substitute teaching and tutoring to earn more here and there.

So what's the problem?? My boss has asked me to teach more next year, essentially changing the essence of my part-time lifestyle. What to do? After my initial rejection of the idea, I become plagued with thoughts that I should be saving more for retirement, maybe full benefits would be nice, I should feel grateful to be offered more work in this economy, I could save all the extra $ and live on what I earn now, etc. What is this script of shoulds I'm plugging into?

What's the script I want to write? I value being rested, balanced, and healthy. I enjoy being a person who is not counting down to Fridays or vacation. Also, I want to take care of all parts of me: current me, future me, healthy me, balanced me, creative me, financially abundant me, and more. Financially abundant me and future me say that it wouldn't be a bad idea to take this opportunity to sock away more for retirement for a year, then continue back to part-time the following year if I want to. But are these two parts of me allowed to make such a huge decision? Will current, healthy, balanced, and creative me be okay with that?

Sleepy me needs to go to bed. Will the answer come in my dreams? Deadline is tomorrow. Answer needs to be given. Help?! Comments welcomed and encouraged.

the duty of happiness

2010-01-11T21:42:00.001-08:00

"There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world."

Robert Louis Stevenson

gratitude for my part-time life

2009-11-24T20:54:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've lost my way a little bit... The part-time work life hasn't been feelin' so part-time these days - how did I jump straight from blissful summer freedom to stressful autumn busydom?

Am deciding to take a moment to appreciate my part-time lifestyle. First, that blissful summer of mine needs to be acknowledged. I did keep a list of the good things that happened each day in the summer...just didn't get posted here.
Here are some tidbits....
Day 1: Pimm's-drinkin', dart-throwin', hula-hoopin' bbq!
Day 3: Chocolate-covered strawberries for breakfast
Day 5: Friends' mountain vineyard solstice wedding
Day 13: Retreat at Land of Medicine Buddha
Day 16: "Threw" my first pot (on pottery wheel)
Day 21: Spontaneous football toss with strangers in Tahoe
Day 23: Hike above gorgeous Emerald bay
Day 33: Big Sur picnic table "happy hour"
Day 43: Yoga with my N&N (niece and nephew)
Day 49: Xtreme musical chairs with crazy family reunioners
Day 50: Brilliant fireworks display by rogue cousins
and sooo much more..... I was really in the space of appreciating the little things. I enjoyed hanging laundry on the line and watching my tomatoes grow. It's time to return to that space. If it took Thanksgiving (albeit trite) to get me to reflect, so be it...
I am grateful to be able to go home and see my family and friends back east this holiday. My part-time life affords me to be able to stay through Monday, as I don't have to return to work again til Tuesday!! That means 6 days work-free for me :) :) :)

simple summer pleasure

2009-07-24T09:42:00.001-07:00

Happy to report that my first-ever attempt to grow something (elementary school aside) is a success!
That first tomato was sweeeeeet.

summer kick-off

2009-06-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

bbq. bocce.
charleston. cartwheels.
dips. darts.
fireworks. freestyle.
hulahoop. headstands.
piggybacks. pimms.
seesaw. swing...
...summmmmmer!
(and that was only day 1)

ten-NINE-eight-seven-six-five.....

2009-06-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

the summer countdown is on... the day began with 10 teaching days left, now there's only NINE! So, the question everyone's asking is: What am I going to DO this summer? I think I need to get comfortable with the true answer --- I DON'T REALLY KNOW. Really. I just don't know how the summer is going to unfold. I typically get a summer job, expend a lot of creative and mental energy on it, feel good that I'm being "productive," and then allow myself to play for the rest of the time. This summer, I'm swapping work first, play second for play first, play second. Isn't two uninterrupted months of free time what people dream about?! I know my blog is called The Part-Time Life: Working Less, Living Creatively but I too need to remind myself to shush the this-is-so-indulgent voice in my head and embrace my blank canvas summer!!

cut catalog clutter

2009-05-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

Talking on the phone today with my friend about opting out of the Yellow Pages motivated me to further reduce the endless flow of paper into my home. I'm not a huge catalog person and don't I use them more for collaging than for buying anything from them?! So, I went to www.catalogchoice.org to change my "subscription" options. No more Pottery Barn. Crate & Barrel only twice a year. My weak spot - Boden.

green pages

2009-04-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

I arrived home from work the other day to find two of the latest versions of those big books of names & addresses sitting on my doorstep. Aren't the yellow pages obsolete yet? With the internet at our fingertips, I find it extremely rare that I ever crack one of those suckers open. Since I'm not using them as booster seats for anyone's kids, they just take up space on top of my fridge. So, today, I opted out of having the yellow pages delivered. I went to http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/ and filled out a short form which took all of 30 seconds. I encourage you too to "OPT OUT and Stop the Delivery of Unsolicited Telephone Books" as the website promotes. Less paper waste, less clutter in your home.

g'nite computer

2009-03-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

Leaving computers on overnight costs $2.8 billion a year
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/130078
not to mention the energy wasted...

Sweet dreams laptop.

light's OUT...

2009-03-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's Earth Hour!
At 8:30 pm in your time zone, show your support for the Earth and turn off your lights!!!

libraryflix queue

2009-02-15T22:18:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't have Netflix these days!? I have the most basic plan -- 2 movies a month (+ 1 movie to watch instantly) for $4.99.
This month, I decided to upgrade my plan so I have access to more movies each month, but am going for the free library upgrade. I've always known that you can borrow movies from the library but rarely did it because the selection always seemed poor. But it's not what's on the shelf that matters, but what's in the online catalog! This time, I went into the library with a list of flicks I want to see and made several requests for what I'm interested in, creating a secondary "queue" to my Netflix one. And in the future, I'll be adding to that queue from home, as the online catalog can be just as easily accessed from my couch.

soup's on

2009-02-12T22:16:00.000-08:00

Am trying something new -- making a soup of the week -- just finished making split pea for the first time. Last week, I had a big pot of butternut squash soup in the fridge and it was so easy to dip into for different meals during the week. Having food there, prepared, and easy to just heat up is helpful for me! Plus, it's healthy, cheap, easily transportable to work for lunch, and easy to freeze. Win-win-win.

reversed ATM fees!

2009-02-12T17:21:00.001-08:00

After writing yesterday about not getting stuck without cash, I decided to try to do something about those pesky little ATM charges I incurred in January:
charge 1: $1.75 (other bank) + $2.00 my bank
charge 2: $1.50 (other bank) + $2.00 my bank
This double dipping of both banks charging a fee is a bunch of *%$#! (They don't do that in England.)
Sooo, I called my bank today and asked for the charges (from my bank) to be reversed. The answer was YES. Woohooo - am four bucks richer today.

20 bucks in the glove compartment

2009-02-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

In our teens and early twenties, my mom always made my brother and I keep a $20 bill in the glove compartment of our car, so she knew we had some cash in case of an emergency. I don't think we ever used the 20 bucks for anything more than a beer run, but it made my mom feel better that we had it. Even better, if we didn't have money in the glove compartment when she asked, she'd often replenish it!
Haven't kept up this "safety stash" in recent years (sorry Mom)... until today. Cash doesn't actually seem that necessary anymore-- I use my debit card everywhere - grocery store, gas station, taqueria, you name it! Therefore, I carry less of it than I used to. However, we all do stumble on places once in a while that don't accept cards, yet seem to have a handy ATM machine positioned nearby with hefty fees attached to it. I can think of two times already in 09 (maybe more?) where I've sucked up these fees. Perhaps, if my wallet lacked cash, but my glove compartment didn't, I'd just run back to the car and get it? I'd like to think so... may not qualify as an "emergency," but could provide a little bit of savings. I really do think it's the little stuff that can make a difference...

supermarket food only progress report

2009-02-08T20:43:00.001-08:00

Last week, I set the goal for myself to eat supermarket food only.... so here's my progress report...
- Turned down invitations to eat out with friends - breakfast on Sun and dinner on Wed.
- Stuck to beverage-only orders when out. Didn't end up eating free breakfast at Denny's on Tuesday because it was an absolute madhouse but then my friend and I went to the bagel place instead, and I decided to order chai only. At Happy Hour on Thurs, I didn't order food, just a beer!
- Cooked real food - I did my best to re-create the butternut squash soup and chili jam grilled cheese (that I like from my local cafe) at home -- not bad!
- Ooops. Did not resist the 75cent package of mini chocolate donuts at Long's. My downfall of the week.
This week was a good exercise in seeing how many opportunities arise to eat or buy food out. While I haven't calculated it, I do think I saved money this week and ate more healthily. I plan to continue this week... but allow myself one meal out.

anniversary of the part-time life

2009-02-05T21:00:00.000-08:00

As I reflect on the fact that today marks the 6-month blogaversary of The Part-Time Life, a more important milestone surfaces for me -- I realize that I've been living the part-time life for over 6 years now! I feel grateful for creating a lifestyle that suits me and that I enjoy :) while simultaneously remaining debt-free and saving for the future. I don't think I tend to think I'm a braggy person, but I am proud of myself! There have definitely been leaps of faith involved in becoming a part-timer and some skeptics on the sidelines...
I'm asking myself today why I'm choosing to blog about it? One reason is that people are often curious about my part-time lifestyle choice (and how I do it), so this is one way to share. I guess another reason is that writing is a great medium for me to reflect and be conscious about both the big and little choices I make. Finally, blogging is a way for me to generate an additional stream of income. Thanks to all my readers!

pimp your finances

2009-02-03T23:36:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Pimp Your Finances for hosting this week's Carnival of Financial Goals and including my Annual $$ Check-up post.
Another worthwhile post to read is How to Set Effective Goals, by Planning Financials. It's a good reminder about how to make goals S.M.A.R.T!

free denny's grand slam breakast 2/3

2009-02-02T20:54:00.001-08:00

I didn't watch the SuperBowl, but somehow news of Denny's TV commercial made its way to me....
So... tomorrow, Tuesday, February 3rd from 6am-2pm you can get a FREE breakfast at Denny's - A Grand Slam - complete with pancakes, sausage, bacon, and eggs. I hear you can even get a raincheck if you're unable to wait.
I know I JUST made a pledge to eat supermarket food only this week, but perhaps I can make a caveat for free food and a beverage-only purchase? I'm not sure exactly why I want to go, maybe just 'cause I can.

supermarket food only

2009-02-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

I got both a little lazy and a little spendy in January in regards to food. I blame it on living alone, making my favorite excuse that it's not as easy, fun, or motivating to cook for one. This way, I easily rationalize stopping at a favorite cafe on the way home from work for some butternut apple sage soup and chili jam grilled cheese -- comfort food at its best! It's a new month, however, and this week I'm challenging myself to eat only food purchased at the grocery store. Actually taking some time to meal plan and food shop shouldn't be so radical, but I can be rather reactive ("I'm hungry, and need to eat now")rather than proactive (I'm defrosting some chicken for dinner) in terms of food. A little pre-planning should be good for the budget too. I caught Suze Ormon on the last few minutes of Oprah and she suggested going restaurant-free for one month. I think one week will do it's job of consciousness-raising for the moment-- can't go too long without a slice of pizza, can I?

PG&E: less gas usage = credit on bill

2009-01-31T14:49:00.001-08:00

I certainly like being rewarded for lowering my consumption of water (See save water and $180/year), so now it's now time for me to take the PG&E challenge and see if I can be rewarded for using less gas.
For ever percent you decrease your natural gas usage during January and February (compared to last year's usage I assume?), you'll receive an equal percent credit on your spring gas bill. To make a bigger difference, if you reduce usage by 10% or more, your savings jumps to 20%.
Last January I used 33 therms and last February I used 29 therms.... so I guess an average of 31 therms is my number to beat!
(We did have a few crazy warm bikini-weather days here in Jan, so that should work in my favor.)
This was posted at A Carnival of Everything Home

annual $$ check-up

2009-01-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

Exactly 364 days ago I calculated my net worth for the first time. I decided that it should be an annual ritual, like a financial check-up or check-in of sorts. However, I think I now understand why my brother recently sent me a link to shesgeeky . It's Friday night, and here I am writing about how I'm calculating my net worth! (Plus I'm doing it with a hand-held calculator, which probably makes me some kind of neo-Luddite geek...) I know there are plenty of net-worth calculator websites, MSNBC Calculator, NetWorthIQ , etc. but somehow it feels more satisfying for me to do by hand. Then there's the question, should I have to calculate it at all? I suppose I could enter all my financial and banking information (passwords too) into an online money management site like Mint and my net worth would automatically be calculated, up-to-date and available to be checked at any time. Hmmm... would I then want to check it all the time--like a person who gets on the scale to check their weight everyday?
For the time being, I like the perspective of looking back on the past year and seeing how I've done, especially since I can now say my net worth went up 10% since last year. A victory!
You can find this article posted at The Carnival of Financial Goals and The Carnival of Financial Planning.