Simply 2015

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Resolutions for 2016

Future goals include:

Discover brands/materials/companies that are more responsible and sustainable than others.

Try to not buy new things.

Deep clean the basement.

Start a Buy Nothing Project for my neighborhood.

When I do shop, try to use Amazon less often.

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How much garbage does your household create in a week?

Artist Gregg Segal asked this question and photographed the results. 

It’s easy to think of garbage as an out of sight, out of mind nuisance. If we had to look at our waste pile up over time, would our habits and behaviors change?

Learn more about his project here:

http://fence.photoville.com/2014/gregg-segal/

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Saving money thanks to the library!

Before college ruined the library for me (becoming a place I went to get stressed out and cram for finals) it was one of my favorite places to be. A few years out of school, I'm rediscovering my love for the library. If you're patient, it's a fantastic resource. I've moved from buying most paperback and ebooks to renting them from the library. They even have audio books! The best part is one you've requested an item, it magically appears on the reservation shelf under your number. I'm in and out in ten minutes and zero dollars! Do you use your local library? Have you found any other ways to share resources?

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Financial simplification

Most of my favorite blogs are on science and money management. I've mentioned The Frugalwoods before, and will again. This couple blogs about their adventures in budgeting, frequently citing the phrase "luxuriously frugal." This means that they save or forgo on most things, but are willing to spend a little more on the things that are very important to them or will last longer. One of my goals for 2016 was to track my finances. I've had a very high level budget since I can remember, but it's been as simple as "Save x%, meaning you can spend 100-x%" just this year I've tried to get more granular. What does this look like? There are many budgeting tools you can link to your accounts to, showing detailed breakdowns of money in and money out. As a closeted conspiracy theorist, I don't love that idea. In all seriousness, I have yet to find a free tool that I can customize in a way that's meaningful to me. What budget tracking looks like to me is dragging my outgoing $s into a spreadsheet, categorizing them, and seeing a general distribution of my money. So far I'm not placing strict restrictions on anything but here's a glimpse into my mind going through my findings: - I spend HOW MUCH going out to eat a month?!? Time to start packing lunch or having friends over for dinner instead of going out (I did that last weekend and it was delightful plus I've been feasting on tasty leftovers since) - somehow a night out with friends can end up costing $50-100. Hide your credit card when you're drinking, girl. - I hate going to the gym ($66 a month) and have an option of a much cheaper gym at work. Time to switch. -What kind of crap are you buying on Amazon? If you can't remember anything you bought in the last month maybe you didn't need it...

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Recycling tips and tricks

Something I've been focusing on lately is how to generate less waste. Composting helps, and eliminates almost all of our food waste. But what about the things that can't be thrown into the recycling or compost bin? One thing I've noticed as rather wasteful is the plastics we throw away: the film many items are packaged with, fruit and vegetable bags from the grocery store, etc. I try to avoid plastic bags, opting for reusable or paper bags instead (although paper bags take more resources to create, they can decompose and/or be recycled). Enter Target. Next time you visit, take a look at the receptacles near the entrance. There's a bin for certain electronics, cans/plastic bottles, and plastic films. I've started collecting (cleaned and dried) plastics next to the recycling and I drop them off at Target regularly. The little things can add up! Think about recycling plastics that can't go in your regular recycling bin at your nearest Target.

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Unravel: the final destination of your clothes

Our old clothes (100,000 tonnes a year!) come in trucks, boats, crates to India where they are recycled. And it goes like this:

Transported -> torn & cut to avoid reselling -> strip off buttons and zippers  -> shredded -> fabric is teased & made into thread -> thread made into fabric 

In the West, we pride ourselves on being well-dressed and expressing ourselves (our social status, figure, style) through our clothes. This short film showed an outside perspective on just how ridiculous (although still intriguing) the western lifestyle can be.

“It feels like the clothes are practically unworn”

“Maybe they don’t like washing their clothes? I don’t know what the deal is.”

“What do people abroad eat to get this fat?”

“More than anything, I’d like to see America.”

Click here to watch: https://aeon.co/videos/this-is-the-final-resting-place-of-your-cast-off-clothing

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Selling Your Phone

I just got a new smartphone (after 2 replacements due to a shattered screen and a theft). I don’t want to copy this entire post, but it’s a helpful resource of some places you can sell your old phone. 

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On Donating Your Hair

As a follow up to my reflection that I chopped off my hair, I’d like to share my learnings on the difference between Locks of Love and Pantene hair donation:

1) Pantene’s minimum donation requirement is 8 inches of hair. Locks of Love’s minimum is 10 inches but will accept shorter pieces and sell them to offset the manufacturing costs of the hairpieces. 2) Pantene’s wigs benefit women whose hair loss is attributed to cancer. Locks for Love’s wigs are sold to children under 21 with hair loss resulting from any array of factors. 3) Pantene does not accept hair that is more than 5% gray. Locks of Love accepts gray hair, which they also sell. 4) Pantene does not charge for the wigs, no matter what the recipient’s economic status. Locks of Love does not provide all of its hairpieces for free. According to its website, prices for human-hair wigs are set on a sliding scale based on the recipient’s family income.

Also, cut ABOVE the ponytail. I just saw a celebrity doing this on her snapchat and she cut below. Just, no. 

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More reflections on 2015

I was thinking very literally about how I have reduced the number of items in my life, but I recently realized this shift changed a few other things in my life. Two examples are

1) Chopping off around 10 inches of hair, donated to Locks of Love. 

2) Foregoing birthday presents and asking my family and friends to volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House instead. 

3) Limiting Christmas with the family to 1 present each (hellooooo, giant compost bin!)

I feel increasingly aware of the pressure to have new, shiny, unfulfilling crap and feel continually inclined to spend my time and money elsewhere. I didn’t do a 180 but I sure am happy with the changes! I’ll probably keep updating from time to time with findings that fit this theme. 

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2015 Resolution Update

The year is almost over! I would like to do a side-by-side comparison of how much stuff I own now compared to last year, but in the meantime I can certainly say that my habits have changed. Positive improvements include:

Sticking to my limits of only having as many shirts as I have hangers 

Hardly ever buying new things, unless it’s something I plan on using for a very long time (Frye work bag and Frye for work).

Being more deliberate about the things I own (those without a purpose will be donated or sold).

Selling a TON of stuff on Poshmark (thank you Poshmark, I love you!)

I no longer buy the shirt that kinda fits, the shoes I kind of like, the kitchenware that is nice enough. I wait until I find something I really, really love.

Spending less time shopping in general (I have better ways to spend my time!)

Although I didn’t meet my goal of not buying any new things ever, I’ve changed my habits for the better and increased my awareness of my consumption. I’d call that a success!

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I’ve had at least two conversations in the past week about climate change, and they have all related to if human activity is affecting weather patterns and global temperatures. These arguments have been countered with considerations of the economy, ease of living, historical trends, etc. 

I am far from being a PETA-loving vegan, but this video deeply disturbed me. Watching it, my most pervasive thoughts included “look at how much pain he is in // wtf how did a plastic straw get into the sea and up this poor turtle’s nostril? //  What’s the point of even using a straw?!? // what other crap have I consumed without a second thought that could traumatize a sea turtle?” 

I started this thought collection they call a blog to reduce and be more deliberate about my consumption. A video like this makes me want to take it a step further. I am reminded of the Zero Waste Lifestyle example - a family that produces a mason jar of waste (what cannot be recycled or composted) every YEAR. That’s amazing. Think about what could happen if you reduced your waste to something even close to that. The little things (like declining a straw next time you go out to eat) could add up, or at least make a difference to a thankful sea turtle.

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Waste less: opt out of phone book delivery

For the past 3 months, my neighbors and I have defiantly refused to acknowledge the weathering Yellowpages placed on our doorstep. When was the last time anyone under the age of 40 actually used the phone book? 

Unless you are Navin Johnson or his would-be assassin, chances are the phone book is a nuisance to you as well. 

Here’s how to opt out:

1) Go to https://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/

2) Register

3) Confirm and opt out

If you don’t own your property, your landlord will have to do this for you.

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Waste less: ink cartridges

I recently replaced my printer ink cartridge for the first time in 4 years. Noticing that I bought ink cartridges that were recycled, I investigated how to recycle my own. 

Companies will take them for free, but did you know you can actually get paid for your used ink cartridges?

http://www.castleink.com/category/715/Recycle-Ink-Cartridges.html?language=en

I haven’t done it yet, but will report back if I have any significant findings along the way.

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Bye bye, gross wire hangers!

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Bye bye, more clothes!!!

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I'm back!!! I had gotten a bit discouraged by not following my initial resolution but I'm feeling rejuvenated after my new initiative. The Hanger Diet A few months ago I tallied how many items of clothing I owned and I contemplated ways to lower those numbers. I was able to by...buying some new things. Some new hangers! I bought nice wooden hangers, halving the number of clothes in my closet. I resolved to only keep items that have a hanger. It worked beautifully, and my closet looks sharp!! I am slowly refining my clothes down to nice, quality pieces that I love, and I'm surprised at how easy it was to decide on what I kept and tossed.

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Evolution

I started this idea under the assumption that my resolution to “never buy anything, ever.” may have to change over the course of the year to survive. 

Late April and it already has. Starting a kick*** job with some of the sharpest-dressed ladies I’ve ever met hasn’t helped. Staying in the same apartment for over a year (unusual for me) has saved me from the pains of moving, but has also not required any deep cleaning. 

My favorite part of this initiative is the conversations it has spurred, the things people share with me that they may never have mentioned otherwise. See: tidying consultant Marie Kondo, wardrobe capsules. 

Evolution in action:

Old idea: replacements only. I can only buy something nice, durable, and practical that replaces an overly loved, retired (donated or sold) item.

New idea: Wardrobe capsule. Set a max number of items I can own by category (X shirts, X pants, thank you Kondo) and buy high quality, used (if possible), easily matched items that fit into the wardrobe capsule.