Recently a friend gave me a jar of lovely, homemade body scrub. It is far less expensive than the jars on beauty store shelves. Here is the recipe. It is great for yourself or for thoughtful gifts.
Mix:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon scented massage oil (she used lavender)
Finally, a recipe for brown sugar that I case use!!!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Frugality: The Answer and End to Student Debt
The stories are popping up everywhere - the burden of student loan debt is a huge problem for many Americans. As a former political science major, student, debtor, and parent with young children, these stories capture my attention on many levels. I understand the weight on those who took out the loans. During my 9 years of higher education I piled up $97,000 in student debt. I too felt my job opportunities were limited because of the debt. But, unlike a lot of the folks featured in the news stories, I do not think there was anything wrong with living a frugal life. Frugal is not a four letter word.
Last week I picked up a copy of The Isthmus, a free, weekly paper here in Madison. The Burden of Student Debt by Mary Ellen Bell was the cover story. Inside were profiles of students, very similar to me, who racked up debt just shy of $100,000. One women was very similar; a BA, a masters, and a law degree. She too worked in a public sector job (my first 5 years out of law school were spent working for a legislative service agency), avoiding the "sell out" of working for a firm. Granted, she has a small child and when I got out of school I was single and not a parent. But there are two more profound differences. One, it appears that she thinks frugality is bad.
Second, she seems to accept that her fate is to have this debt for 25 years. According to the article, she will spend $550 a month for 25 years to pay off the loans. I too had a similar payment plan, but it was closer to $800 a month, for 30 years. Unlike Spector, I was fired up about paying off those loans early. I wanted to pay them down as fast as I could. This drive was fueled by Great Lakes Higher Education's questionable practices. Telling me if I made 36 on-time monthly payments they would drop my interest rate. I met that requirement, and upon requesting the decrease was told "oh, sorry, your loans don't qualify". I got mad, and I took action. Here are a few things people burdened with student debt can do to bring an end to those loans, and not wait two and a half-decades to send in the last payment. Every cent you save should be sent to the creditor!
The UW Law Library -- where I spent quite a few hours reading and reading and reading...
Last week I picked up a copy of The Isthmus, a free, weekly paper here in Madison. The Burden of Student Debt by Mary Ellen Bell was the cover story. Inside were profiles of students, very similar to me, who racked up debt just shy of $100,000. One women was very similar; a BA, a masters, and a law degree. She too worked in a public sector job (my first 5 years out of law school were spent working for a legislative service agency), avoiding the "sell out" of working for a firm. Granted, she has a small child and when I got out of school I was single and not a parent. But there are two more profound differences. One, it appears that she thinks frugality is bad.
"We are on a really strict budget...we don't make large purchases unless we absolutely have to. We bought much less house than we qualified for; and we drive an inexpensive car. We are thoughtful about little things like buying coffee."What is wrong with thinking before you spend and making sure you don't go too close to the edge of spending too much?
Second, she seems to accept that her fate is to have this debt for 25 years. According to the article, she will spend $550 a month for 25 years to pay off the loans. I too had a similar payment plan, but it was closer to $800 a month, for 30 years. Unlike Spector, I was fired up about paying off those loans early. I wanted to pay them down as fast as I could. This drive was fueled by Great Lakes Higher Education's questionable practices. Telling me if I made 36 on-time monthly payments they would drop my interest rate. I met that requirement, and upon requesting the decrease was told "oh, sorry, your loans don't qualify". I got mad, and I took action. Here are a few things people burdened with student debt can do to bring an end to those loans, and not wait two and a half-decades to send in the last payment. Every cent you save should be sent to the creditor!
- live like you did when you were a student (share housing, use public transit, don't travel);
- sell stuff (I made a few hundred dollars selling the Barbie items from my childhood on Ebay -- they were just collecting dust);
- listen to something motivational (I loved Dave Ramsey's financial common sense, but ignored his politics);
- create a spreadsheet that allows you to project what putting an extra $50 this month towards your debt will save you in the long run -- this is an extremely powerful tool!; and
- take on extra work (I tutored international students wanting to improve their conversational English skills on nights and weekends -- other options: babysitting, house or pet sitting; freelance in your field; deliver pizzas).
Six years after graduating, I sent in my final student loan payment. Six years, not thirty! I didn't go work for a big firm. I spent a few years of my life not living like most people. I worked some nights and weekends for extra cash. I didn't accept the fate of a life of debt. Nor do you!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Frugal Fur Ball Treatment
Years ago my vet recommended giving the cats a weekly treat, with one added ingredient - vaseline. Why? It is a highly effective and inexpensive way for the cats to pass fur balls. I had tried the gels at the pet store, the ones that "smell" like salmon. They never worked with my cats. Wasted money was all I accomplished with the purchase. I tried the vet's recommendation years ago and still use it today. Two treats held together with vaseline. If you are a cat owner, give it a try.
How about my readers -- what frugal pet care tips can you share?
How about my readers -- what frugal pet care tips can you share?
Monday, February 27, 2012
Freezer Report
It's Monday again, and here is another report on my efforts to use up all the local veggies I froze last summer and fall. Thankfully, since making this effort combined with pulling out 4 or 5 packs of frozen goodies from the chest freezer in the garage and moving them to my kitchen freezer, I can report progress on using up the winter supply.
Kale and garlic scapes were added to some grape tomatoes that were approaching the end of their life on my counter. I chopped and tossed them into a pan with olive oil and soy sauce. Once sauted, they were heaped on top of a bowl soba noodles and served alongside a pot roast that had been in my slow cooker all day.
And, those sour cherries I mentioned last week were turned into a french cherry clafoutis. Improvising a recipe from the local paper, here is what I did:
Kale and garlic scapes were added to some grape tomatoes that were approaching the end of their life on my counter. I chopped and tossed them into a pan with olive oil and soy sauce. Once sauted, they were heaped on top of a bowl soba noodles and served alongside a pot roast that had been in my slow cooker all day.
Image credit: taken by author, M. Gustafson Gervasi, 2012
And, those sour cherries I mentioned last week were turned into a french cherry clafoutis. Improvising a recipe from the local paper, here is what I did:
- 1 cup of frozen cherries were thawed, then I removed the pits and stems;
- scattered them on the bottom of a pie dish and tossed in a few spoonfuls of ground walnut;
- combined and mixed the following: 1/4 cup whole wheat flour; 1/4 cup flour; 1/2 cup honey; 1 egg; 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup almond milk; 1/8 cup butter.
- I poured the batter over the cherries and baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
And here was the result. A perfect end to a wholesome dinner!
Image credit: taken by author, M. Gustafson Gervasi, 2012
My frugal efforts also included washing the freezer bags these yummies were stored in; now I can use them next season!
Tune in next week for a report....I still hope to give cranberry walnut chicken a try. And one of these days I'll uncover the asparagus I froze last Spring!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Embracing Almond Milk
Several months ago, in an effort to limit our son's sugar consumption in the hopes it would help him feel better we discovered he had an intolerance to cows milk. The ah-ha moment happened when 4 days after stopping cows milk, which is rather high in sugar, we noticed that the severe cradle cap that had plagued him for 3 years was gone. Almost overnight. Ahhh -- no more milk. But calcium is still important, and so is something tasty to drink. We turned to organic almond milk. The price is a little under $3 for a half-gallon -- less expensive than organic cows milk.
I too have been working to keep my sugar intake low. Milk is something I adore (I am a Wisconsin native after all) and sneak into my food whenever possible. I kept telling myself to try the almond milk instead. I know I should, but I just hadn't changed my ways. And then I was flipping through a library book on Cows, and had my ah-ha moment. According to Cows: A Closer Look by photographer Paul Thoresen (whom I know from a photography group I used to frequent before marriage and parenthood), the following is required to yield 6.3 gallons (or 54 pounds) of cows milk: 100 pounds of food and 417 pounds of water each day, per cow. Resulting in the elimination of 65 pounds of manure.
Wow - that is a lot of resources for a relatively small amount of cows milk. I am now sneaking almond milk into my diet. I'll probably never give up cows milk all together, but I can reduce my consumption. With that comes a slightly lower grocery bill, lower daily sugar consumption, and a slightly smaller carbon footprint.
I too have been working to keep my sugar intake low. Milk is something I adore (I am a Wisconsin native after all) and sneak into my food whenever possible. I kept telling myself to try the almond milk instead. I know I should, but I just hadn't changed my ways. And then I was flipping through a library book on Cows, and had my ah-ha moment. According to Cows: A Closer Look by photographer Paul Thoresen (whom I know from a photography group I used to frequent before marriage and parenthood), the following is required to yield 6.3 gallons (or 54 pounds) of cows milk: 100 pounds of food and 417 pounds of water each day, per cow. Resulting in the elimination of 65 pounds of manure.
Wow - that is a lot of resources for a relatively small amount of cows milk. I am now sneaking almond milk into my diet. I'll probably never give up cows milk all together, but I can reduce my consumption. With that comes a slightly lower grocery bill, lower daily sugar consumption, and a slightly smaller carbon footprint.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Coffee Give Away in Madison, Wisconsin
If you live in Madison or are passing through, the new Einstein Brothers Bagel Shop at 2701 University Ave (across from UW Hospital) will be giving away a free cup of regular drip coffee with any purchase until about the second week of March. Free coffee -- that's something to put a smile on your face.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thinking About Compost
February is usually a bitter cold month here in Wisconsin. If the skies are blue that means the days will be even colder....clouds would keep in the "warmth". But not this year. Our winter has felt like one big long March. And Spring thoughts are on my mind as well as those of other Wisconsinites. And at the top of my Spring To-Do list is "fix up the compost site".
After moving into our home in 2010 I had originally set up two black trash bins to hold the compost. We eat a lot, and I mean a lot of veggies in our house. It was clear they were not large enough. I dumped them both and started an open-air pile instead. All went well until my neighbor complained. She claimed that my pile was attracting mosquitoes and critters to the neighborhood. Which puzzled me because she has a koi pond in her backyard. Standing water with carp versus banana peels and apple cores, something tells me her yard is more of the problem than mine. She asked me to move it to another corner of my yard, but my two pines rule out two corners, and the other is too shady. The pile is going to stay where it is, and I need tips on making it more neighbor friendly.
The internet is full of compost sites. But I could read and read forever. I need tips the old fashioned way, from friends. Or readers. I received one from a client that seems ideal. Add Farmer's lime to the pile. It will eliminate any smell, and turn my yard green.
How about you dear reader, what compost advice can you send my way. The calendar may say February, but it feels like Spring and I want to empty my "frozen" compost that has been building up all winter.
After moving into our home in 2010 I had originally set up two black trash bins to hold the compost. We eat a lot, and I mean a lot of veggies in our house. It was clear they were not large enough. I dumped them both and started an open-air pile instead. All went well until my neighbor complained. She claimed that my pile was attracting mosquitoes and critters to the neighborhood. Which puzzled me because she has a koi pond in her backyard. Standing water with carp versus banana peels and apple cores, something tells me her yard is more of the problem than mine. She asked me to move it to another corner of my yard, but my two pines rule out two corners, and the other is too shady. The pile is going to stay where it is, and I need tips on making it more neighbor friendly.
Image Credit: www.sxc.hu - free image
The internet is full of compost sites. But I could read and read forever. I need tips the old fashioned way, from friends. Or readers. I received one from a client that seems ideal. Add Farmer's lime to the pile. It will eliminate any smell, and turn my yard green.
How about you dear reader, what compost advice can you send my way. The calendar may say February, but it feels like Spring and I want to empty my "frozen" compost that has been building up all winter.
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