The Modern Minimalist

I’ve been without a cell phone for so long now that I hardly remember what it was like to have one. I’ve enjoyed the cost savings, and have found that our circumstances really only require one cell phone for our whole family – and it doesn’t have to be mine.

The problem I’ve been having lately, strictly from a minimalist perspective, is that when we hit the road, trail or beach, we cart along all of these things: A photo camera, my Flip camera for videos, one or two birding guides, George’s cell phone, an iPod for music and a GPS for geocaching. Sometimes we forget one of these items, causing much stress and anguish. Other times the batteries die, causing anger, frustration and swearing.

The upshot is that I’m thinking that my modern mode of minimalism might make me a candidate for a smartphone. A smartphone would allow me to have all of these things in one compact unit.

I bristle at the idea of sending any more of my hard-earned dollars to the House of Jobs, and I reeeallly hate the idea of a monthly fee for the dubious privilege of having a phone that seems just so consumery. But I love the idea of having just the one thing. It seems more minimal than what I’m currently doing. In fact, when I was playing with George’s sister’s iPhone at the birthday dinner, taking photos, videos and getting names for the constellations (coolest thing ever!) on one screen, I found myself really liking it for its simplicity.

I also really like the idea of Instagram. That sounds like fun, and it could be good for the blog. Right now, uploading photos is such a chore that you’ve probably noticed that I stopped doing it altogether.

So what’s a modern minimalist to do? Succumb to the consumer trappings found in iPhones, Droids, Noids or whatever phones are out there? Or be the last remaining non-smartphone user on the planet?

I would tell you to call me with your answers, but, well, I don’t have a phone.

 

 

 

Ten Ways to Save Money Right Now

I work hard for my money. Don’t we all? I like to make sure that I’m spending my ducats as wisely as possible, which is why I’m fiercely committed to eliminating all unnecessary spending.

 

My family has made some big decisions, like only owning one car and shutting off my cell phone. But we’ve also done a variety of smaller things that have helped us eliminate some wasteful spending, and gotten us even closer to our goal of paying off our mortgage.

 

Since we all work so hard, here are just a few money saving ideas that I can recommend to you that are easy as pie.

 

1. Put a plastic bottle filled with water and gravel in your toilet tank. Save gallons of water and buckets of dollars with each flush simply by displacing some of the water in your tank. In the past, people have used bricks for this same purpose, but over time the bricks can disintegrate and cause damage to your plumbing. This is by far one of the easiest money-saving tricks on my list. You’ll see the benefit on your water bill instantly.

 

2. Stop drinking soda. I’ll save my rant about corn syrup-laden sodas for another post. But I will say this: Not only will cutting soda out of your life save you money, but you’ll be healthier, you’ll feel better and the disposable containers used to convey these sugary poisons will stay out of the landfills.  The average American spends more than $300 on soda each year – what better use could you find for that money? Your teeth, your waistline, your wallet and your planet will thank you for making this small change.

 

3. Turn off your cable or satellite service. I haven’t had these services in so long that I don’t even know what they cost anymore, but it seems to me that spending any amount of money per month to watch TV is a rip-off. This is not to say that I don’t watch TV. In fact, I have the worst taste in television imaginable (it’s too embarrassing to even talk about…). But I watch everything online at hulu.com or on the network websites. I have never once missed having cable or satellite (I have also never once missed an episode of Jersey Shore — I told you it was bad) but I do love that I have one less monthly bill to pay.

 

4. Walk. Where I live, gas is topping $4.25 a gallon. This is incentive enough for me to hoof it to the store or the post office! With the weather heating up, this requires a little planning (i.e. gotta go in the morning), but that’s not a huge deal. If you live in the burbs where walking is just not an option, try combining trips or ridesharing with a neighbor. Or, if you can, take the bus. The bus takes a little longer so take a book along and make an afternoon of it.

 

5.  Shop the bulk aisle at the grocery store. You won’t believe what’s waiting for you in bulk! Cereals, oatmeal, cookies, candy, dried fruits, honey, maple syrup and spices – all at ridiculously low prices! Here’s an example: I was recently making a recipe that required a specific spice, but I only needed a tablespoon. The full-sized jar of this spice cost over $10. In the bulk section, I bought my one tablespoon for 45 cents. And now I don’t have a full jar in my pantry that I have to use up before it loses its verve. Your local store may also – like mine – offer shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers and other cosmetic needs in bulk as well. Just bring your own containers and save big!

 

6. Cancel credit cards that have yearly fees. I look at my credit card statements and bank statements online almost every day. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that my current credit card slipped in a $60 annual fee! I canceled it and am now only using one that doesn’t have any fees attached to it. Check your statements regularly to make sure there aren’t any hidden surprises.

 

7. Get more sleep. What does sleep have to do with saving money? More than you think. If you’re getting enough rest, you won’t need to rely on costly energy boosters (afternoon Starbucks run, anyone?), you’ll have more energy to devote to exercising which will keep you healthier in the long run and you’ll be less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety – which can lead to irrational spending.  A recent study released by the University of British Columbia points to lack of sleep as a main indicator in our obesity epidemic, increased risk for a host of scary cancers, and the unregulated release of stress hormones. Tuck yourself in for at least nine hours a night – you’ll feel better. Plus, you can’t shop while you’re unconscious.

 

8.  Get a library card. There are books you can read at the library! For free! And movies! And CDs! And magazines! And audiobooks! You can request things and they’ll get it for you! FREE! For years I just ordered whatever I wanted from Amazon, and then I discovered this amazing resource (I felt like a dummy for not discovering the library sooner… duh.) But now I’m an absolute convert. Your taxes pay for this amazing service, so I highly recommend that you find your local library and spend some serious time there. If you’ve shut off your cable, you’re going to probably want to get some reading material or some DVDs…

 

9. Identify a few household things you can live without. I learned about six years ago that I don’t need paper towels. I learned about six months ago that I don’t need Ziploc bags. I’ve also managed to eliminate toxic household cleaners and replaced them with good old baking soda and vinegar. Cheap! By just cutting out one thing that you think you can live without, you’re already saving money.

 

10. Develop the 30-Day Rule. You’ve probably heard this one before, but let me tell you,  it works! Basically if I am jonesing for something other than an absolute necessity, I make myself wait for 30 days to purchase it. If I’m still thinking about the item in 30 days then I may give myself the go-ahead to buy – but not always. If the item is expensive, I’ll make myself wait another 30 or longer. (There’s one particular item I’ve wanted for over two years, but I’m still waiting because it just seems so impractical). More often than not I forget about the item completely. What I have realized through this little exercise is that sometimes just imagining I have something is enough to make me feel that little retail therapy boost. Crazy, but true. And I’ve pretty much trained myself out of impulse shopping.

 

There are probably more things I could throw on this list like meal planning, eating everything in your pantry, high-interest savings accounts or stopping the catalog deliveries to your house. But those things are a bit more complicated and probably require a longer post. For now, I’d like to hear from you.

 

What easy things do you do to save money? 

Things I’ve Given Up Forever, Part II

Since my family only has one car and we all have places we simultaneously need to be, sometimes the schedule can be a bit crazy. This morning, for example, was my Tuesday morning skating lesson. This means that George drops me off at 6:45 a.m., goes home to feed the kids and get them to school. Then he comes back to pick me up and we do our weekly shopping.

Since both of our kids have recently decided to be minimalists when it comes to homework, (i.e. they are refusing to do it) the time George normally spends packing up our grocery bags and our milk bottles for return was filled with glorious parental lecturing. He was a bit flustered and rushed, so he showed up at the rink without our shopping bags.

No matter! We just instantly rescheduled to combine picking up the kids with a trip to a different store later in the day rather than bringing home store-issued plastic or paper bags. This is an example of how things work with us now. We’re always looking for alternatives that align with our values rather than looking for an easy way out.

So I guess you could say that one of the things I’ve given up forever is the belief that convenience outweighs my convictions.

And that got me thinking about a few things I’ve given up forever that I didn’t mention in my other post.

Ziploc Bags

I’ve been reusing jelly jars and pasta sauce jars to store dried fruits, cheeses, nuts, leftovers, chopped onions – anything that would normally go in a baggie. I like the way it looks in the fridge and, frankly, things stay fresher longer.*

*I did have to use a Ziploc baggie to hold my toiletries through security on a recent plane trip. Next time I’ll probably just check the moisturizer.

Styrofoam never goes away!

Styrofoam

This has been a hot-button issue for me for years.  I’ve stopped getting takeout from restaurants when they refused to stop using Styrofoam. Nowadays, I’ve been taking my own reusable containers to restaurants just in case there are leftovers I want to bring home.

 

 

Debt

We’ve been fortunate in that we haven’t had any debt other than my home mortgage and my rental mortgage in many years. By living well under our means – we could probably “stretch ourselves” to afford two cars, a big, fat house and lots of other goodies that other people have, I suppose. But why? The more stuff we have the more time we devote to maintaining it. Instead, we are stockpiling cash to pay off the mortgages so that we don’t have to work so hard in the future. I’m aware that emergencies happen, but I hope we can keep debt at bay forever. Having been in the debt trap before, I have a lot of compassion for people struggling with this soul-crushing problem. I know how debilitating it can be.

Toxic, Expensive Household Cleaners

White vinegar and baking soda take care of everything. Seriously. Enough said.

Random pieces of paper

Note clutter used to drive me nuts! I would write a shopping list on a Post-it or a phone message the back of the envelope. Little bits of paper littered my desk, my purses, my drawers… And I would lose them! Now I buy one notebook at a time and put every note in it, from meal plans to story ideas and more – it all goes in one book that I can always easily find.

This is the notebook I'm currently using.

It’s pretty simple, really. I’ve found the things that work for me and my family, and we just do them. Some things can require an adjustment period like not having a cell phone or only having one car. But as long as we realize we’re actually making our lives more manageable, and doing our small part to reduce waste, I think we can stay the course.

What things have you given up that you thought you could never live without?

5 Things I’ve Given Up Forever (and a Few I May Reconsider)

 

Type A people tend to challenge themselves big when taking on a project. That means that even though I’ve eliminated tons of junk, I’m willing to strip out even more to see just how streamlined my life can get. While I know there are several products, services and habits to which I know I’ll never go back, there are a couple of things I’ve removed that may not be permanent. Here’s a snapshot of where things are today:

Gone Forever

Cable/Satellite TV

Satellite TV was one of the first extra expenses I eliminated, and I’ve never looked back. My $9.99 Netflix subscription allows me one DVD at a time plus an incredible amount of online streaming. Combine that with Hulu.com, and the fact that most of my favorite shows are available online on their network websites, and there’s no reason why being entertained can’t be easy and affordable. Tip: I hook my laptop directly into my TV so I can watch everything on the big screen.

Paper Towels

I’ve blogged about this before, and I truly believe that purging the paper towels has made my life much less cluttered. The trick is to make sure you have enough rags on hand to handle quick cleanups, and to purchase enough cloth napkins so that you’re not washing them all the time.

Grocery Bags

I love my neoprene totes from BuiltNY so much that I always remember to bring them when I shop.  They’re stretchy enough to accommodate even heavy grocery loads, plus the straps give a little as the bag gets full so my shoulders don’t get sore. Plus, if have my own bags I don’t have to deal with the clutter of store bags in my house. If I don’t have my own bags on hand, I’ll only purchase as much as I can carry in my arms. Tip: If you’re having trouble remembering to take your own bags, do not check out at the store until you get your bags – even if it means going home. That’s how I trained myself. A couple of trips home to get bags when my cart was already full taught me to grab bags every time I head to the car.

Paper Coffee Cups

I don’t get coffee at shops very often, but once in a while I’ll need a little caffeine while out running errands. I have a ceramic non-paper cup that I take with me to fill when I need a cup of joe on the go.

Non-paper cups! Aren't they cute?

Bottled Shampoos

I love the clutter-free look of my bath area now that I’ve dumped the big bottles in favor of compact bars of solid shampoo and conditioner. Plus, there’s no waste with my solid shampoo, and no bottles end up in the landfills!

This is what solid shampoo looks like.

Destined to Return…?

Cell Phone

It’s been so far, so good with the no cell phone plan, but who knows how this will play out? It’s easy to rely on a landline when you work from home, but if that situation changes, my stance on cell phones may have to change as well.

Hair Color

I like the look of my natural color growing in under my blond highlights. But it’s possible that if something comes up – a wedding, reunion or anything else where I want to look good in photos – I might cave in. I don’t like to think of myself as vain but, well, I am. I could also color once and then grow in again… But for right now I also love the hundreds of dollars I’m saving.

One Car

Like the cell phone, I have no idea what the future holds with jobs or travel requirements. One car for the four of us has been working great for nearly two years, but we’re open to the idea that we may have to get another form of transportation in the future. Bonus: A commuter train is being built that will connect our neighborhood to the rest of the county, so that may save us from having to buy another car. But we have decided that if we do need more transportation, our new auto will be something like a Gem car or an EV. Definitely electric.

What changes have you made that you know are permanent and what changes may require more flexibility?

Ten Things I Learned When I Shut Off My Cell Phone

To be truly minimalist I really should use one of these...

Radical simplification requires looking at everything with unblinking honesty. When I looked at my cell phone I realized I was eyeballing yet another thing I could no longer justify.

I had one of the crappiest phones on the cheapest plans from the world’s worst providers. At only $50 it really wasn’t one of those situations where I was forced to decide between groceries and mobile communication, but I had thousands of unused rollover minutes because I just never used it. Everyone I want to communicate with is on Facebook. I rarely even used it for work. I work from home and the stupid gizmo didn’t get reception in my house!

So we got a cool landline plan from a local provider that’s cheap, cheap, cheap. When someone leaves me a voicemail I get an email with a sound file sent to my email address. I love this feature because I can work in a coffee shop and still know when someone has called my home phone. If it’s important I just email the caller or head home.

If you’re thinking of saying goodbye to your cell, consider 10 things I’ve learned:

1. Very rarely are there emergencies that require that I call someone right this minute, or that I receive a call right this minute. Yes, bad things can happen, but in my case I was paying over $600 a year on the off chance there would be a catastrophe and there wouldn’t be someone else with a phone I could use – or a payphone.
2. But what about emergencies involving the kids? The school can call my landline. When I am at the corporate office an hour and a half away, there’s nothing I can do right then anyway. I have given the kids’ schools the receptionist’s number and she can find me if need be. Plus, if I’m out at the office, their Dad is probably home and reachable on the landline (and here’s some disclosure – he’s still got a cheap cell…)
3. I hardly ever need to carry a purse. The cell was the last thing I was toting around other than my small wallet. Now everything I need fits in my pocket.
4. I never have to worry about losing my phone or dropping it in the toilet – which is something several of my friends have managed to do (although I’m not really sure how…)
5. My phone never rings at awkward moments.
6. It’s illegal to talk on a cell in the car in California. I will never get a ticket for this.
7. I don’t waste a single minute playing Angry Birds.
8. “I was out,” becomes a lovely reason not to get back to someone right away.
9. I control my on-the-phone time, not the other way around.
10.  The freedom of being unburdened by an additional expense far outweighs the convenience of having a phone on me all the time. It is called a “cell” after all.

Every day I’m chipping away at the belief that we have no choice but to be consumers. (I love this interview with Kirk, Jenny’s husband over at exconsumer.com, where he expresses a similar thought.) It’s just not true. I would call you to tell you all about it, but I’ll be out without my phone.

Could you live without a cell phone? Do you think a cell phone is a luxury, a necessary evil or a helpful companion?