Road Toward Competency

Day 224- National Parks

2008-08-11T12:19:00.000-07:00

Day 224- National Parks

I love national parks. They are a great resource. Where else can you learn, explore, and/or be in nature all for free or near free.

Last Saturday, Christine and I went on a hike in one of the 23 national parks in Washington DC, the C&O Canal. We hiked for about 2.5 miles and then turned around and hiked along the Capitol Crescent Trail.

We also took the ranger led mule boat ride for $5 each, we got an amazing tour of Georgetown by canal. All in all, we got exercise, fresh air, sunshine, an educational boat ride and saw amazing things for less than $20 including transportation and snacks.

Next week, we are planning a trip to Rock Creek Park for a hike and a picnic. And our house is planning a trip to Greenbelt Campsite for a house camping trip.

You can find out where your local parks are located by going to nps.gov or by googling your local state park service.

Day 214-And We're Back!

2008-08-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

Day 214- And We're Back and Keeping Cool

Well, friends of competency. It turns out that my July Sabbatacal from the blog went a little longer than expected. But, I am back and I promise to really be back this time.

This being the first of August, it would be good I think to talk about keeping cool.

Its summer here in the Nation's Capital and if you ever wonder why government stops functioning in August, you have never been in DC in August.

It is so godlessly hot and sticky, you feel like your face may melt if you were to go outside. Its easy to break out in a drippy sweat, even while sitting still.

Of course, the obvious choice of keeping cool is cranking up the AC and doing absolutely nothing. But the unfortunate thing, of course, is all those air conditioners are doing their part to raise the overall temperature of the earth. And on top of that, if one too many air conditioners are on at the same time, you run the risk of a black out--much like the 20 hour black out our street had two days ago.

So, here are some cheap, easy and environmentally friendly ways to beat the heat.

1. Find places that are already cool- There are plenty of places that have the AC cranked up high. Restaurants and Theatres are obvious choices. But public libraries and museums are also a great choice, too. That way you can keep cool and support public education. Finding a shady tree in a public park is a great place to have a picnic, read and listen to your transistor radio.

2. Drink tap water- Sure, it feels really good to pull that pitcher of water from the fridge and fill a glass with ice and chug it down. But, once the cold water is inside of you, your body works hard to warm that water into body temperature. So, while your body core temperature is brought down, you body actually turns up the heat in order to bring it back to a comfortable level. Its better to just drink room temperature water. Or, drink one glass of ice water and follow that up with room temperature water.

3. Watch out on caffeine, sugar and alcohol- While an ice cold Coke, iced tea or beer may sound wonderful refreshing, you get the side effects of drinking something cold plus the physiological effects of caffeine, sugar and alcohol. The first two speed your heart up, causing your temperature to rise. And alcohol is a diuretic, causing you to loose important fluids through urine rather than cooling sweat. So much like ice water, if you drink a soda or beer, follow it up with some room temperature water.

4. Get some ice packs- When Christine worked at the LA Catholic Worker, they didn't have air conditioning at all and summer in LA can get pretty hot at night. So, they got some reusable picnic cooler ice packs from the local $.99 store. Every day, the cooler packs went in the freezer and every night they got wrapped into t-shirts and slept with. It really helps cool down those hot summer nights. On top of that, it fills the freezer. And full freezers work more efficiently and use less electricity than empty ones do.

5. Jersey Bed Sheets- Jersey bed sheets are made with soft cott0n and have a lower thread count than other bed sheets. The effect is a fabric that resembles t-shirt material. This allows for your sheets to breathe better and lets breezes cool you down. A set of Jersey sheets, an ice pack and a box fan near an open window are pretty much all you need to have a good night's sleep in the summer months.

Good luck keeping cool this summer. And we will see you on Monday.

Day 189- Urban hiking

2008-07-08T08:43:00.000-07:00

Day 189- Urban Hiking

Well friends, it has been a month--a whole month since we were last together.

No, I had not forgotten about us. I just needed a wee vacation to get myself all together again.

General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association was in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and so I took the train down there and then slowly made my way back up via Greyhound.

It gave me a lot of time to see these fair states of ours with a lot of time to think, and read and reflect.

The highlights of my trip were walking around strange cities and seeing what I can find.

Some call this "Urban Hiking" or "Urban Exploring". It is the process of hiking through a city instead of nature. It is one of my favorite hobbies. It is a great way to get to know a city, have some exercise and it is free--or mostly free.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to urban hiking. One is the pre-planned route. Doing a little research of the city beforehand can show preplanned historical walking tours, art crawls, or architectural tours. Boston, for instance, has the Freedom Trail, a historical walking tour of Revolutionary Boston. Washington DC has Heritage Trails sprinkled throughout the city. Philadelphia has a walking tour of the Mural District. Chicago has a walking tour of the Art Loop. Or you can plan your own. Sarah Milstein gives the following advice on planning an Urban Hike for friends:

Plan your route, and — this is going to sound crazy — assume you’ll go a mile or maybe two an hour. With a group, you’ll move a lot more slowly than you expect. We usually aim for about five miles (www.gmap-pedometer.com is good for figuring out distances) and include about six points of interest and two takeout food stops.

The other school of thought is the just-show-up school. That is what I did for my trip through the South. For both Savannah and Columbia, I just showed up. While approaching each city, I would ask my neighbors on the bus if any one could recommend sights in the city to see. I kept a budget of how much I was expecting to spend in each city for food, drinks, and souvenirs. Then, I went to the visitor's center and picked up a map. I would then just walk. I would walk up and down streets looking at buildings, gardens and art galleries. I went to brew pubs to eat and would ask the locals who worked there for highlights. And I would just walk. I saw great things. I read every historical plaque I could find and absorbed the cities.

Some highlights of my trip include:
Paula Deen's Restaurant- The Lady and Sons
The Mercer-William's House from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah--Location where Jingle Bells was written
The South Carolina Statehouse and the Vista Arts District
The South Carolina Holocaust Memorial
The Memorial to the inventor of modern day gynecology

After a week of walking and exploring, I burned off 5 lbs from my waistline and took nearly a hundred photos.

It was a great week. And I have urban hiking to thank. So, head out into your city and see what you can discover.

Day 156- Netflix trix

2008-06-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

Day 156- Netflix Trix

I love movies. If it were up to me, I would watch at least one a day. Maybe even two if I had nothing to do.

That is one of the reasons why I love Netflix. It is like a pure and constant stream of movies to my front door.

And with the summer coming up, there are few things I like quite as much as lying flat on my back in the heat and humidity with a frozen drink, a dark room, and a movie. But, on the other hand, with vacations and longer days, summer blockbusters and free concerts in the park, I could also see how people may wish to watch less films. If you find yourself in that boat, you may want to utilize some of these handy netflix "trix". All of these tricks are accomplished by first clicking on "your account" on the upper right hand corner.

1. Downgrade- The standard netflix seems to be the three at a time. But for some folks, a constant stream of three films at a time is just too much. So, why not get fewer movies? By clicking on "Change Plan", you can reduce the ammount of films you receive. Christine and I have the unlimited two movie plan--one for her and one for me. I have some friends who get only two films a month one at a time because they just don't watch too many movies. I know some folks who get four or five at a time because they can't stand the idea of going a single day without watching a movie.

Transfer- Since Christine and I are sharing an account, we each get a disk at a time. But, I am going out of town for two weeks at the end of the month and won't be watching any movies. So, I will probably give her my disk for those two weeks so that she can have two movies and I get none. Click on "account profiles". As you can see, there is an opportunity to "reassign DVD's".

Account Hold- Lets say you are going out of town for a month and you will be constantly on the road, or hiking the Appalachian Trail, or a camp counselor in the middle of the forest, or sailing the world. Or maybe you just are tired of watching movies for a while and have no one to transfer your dvd's over to. Just put your account on hold. Just click on "Put Account on Hold". This will keep all of the movies currently on your queue, save all your film ratings and reviews, plus you don't have to pay. There is just one catch, you can only put it on hold for 90 days. That being said, if you anticipate being Netflix-less for more than 3 months, you might just want to cancel the whole shabang. Just punch in the days you are gone and they will stop sending you movies and stop charging your account.
Well, I wish you good movie watching and summertime fun this season.

We are slowly but surely getting our garden all together. It has been a lot of fun. But recent weather makes it difficult to work longer than a half an hour without sudden and violent thunderstorms. But the morning glories and cucumbers are in. Tomorrow will be squash and corn I think.

Oh, my co-worker and I have started our own web comic called The First Strip of Our Webcomic. I would appreciate it if you gave it a gander.

154- Multi-Surface Cleaner

2008-06-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Day 154- Multi-Surface Cleaner

Well our old house has been packed up and moved. We spent an entire day cleaning the house from top to bottom.

For cleaning surfaces and windows, I mixed up a batch of all natural surface cleaner which worked just as well as the commercial product--Clorox Formula 409.

I took a large spray bottle and filled it about 2/3 with water. The final third, I filled with cheap distilled white vinegar and 1/2 tablespoon of dish washing soap.

That recipe again is:
2 parts warm tap water
1 part distilled white vinegar
1/2 tablespoon of dish washing soap.

We use Seventh Generation products at our house, so we know that my surface cleaner was 100% natural and biodegradable. There were no harmful toxins or chemicals unlike 409 Spray.

It cleaned the walls from grease, dirt, oil, and pencil marks in a breeze. And it cleaned windows with a streak free shine. (Use crumpled, old newspapers instead of paper towels to help fight streaks.)

Plus, it was made of things lying around the house, so we had a whole day's supply of surface cleaner without having to go out and buy a bunch--saving literally a dozen dollars.

Whether its for pickles or cleaning surfaces and drains, I always keep a big jug of distilled white vinegar around, just in case.

Competency Moment of the Day: I got my rebate check today! It will be going toward savings and paying off debt.

Day 147- Free Box

2008-05-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

Day 147- Free Box

Sometimes, the best thing to do in order to keep your life clean and hygienic is to just get rid of stuff. Stuff has a tendency to pile up and get in the way. Kicking it to the curb is sometimes all you really need to do get our lives in order.

I first discovered the glory that is the Free Box while at Earlham. They had a giant box in the student center where people would put in their old closed, used books, funky CD's or chipped dinner plates. They were free for the taking. I would go there daily to see what I could find. I gave myself one rule, add an item for every one I took away. I would also give up an item of equal coolness to what I found.

This made sure the equilibrium of the freebox would stay fairly constant. There is nothing like finding that same lame book everyday for three weeks in a row. Or that ugly sweater. Or that too broken dish.

But now that I am not at Earlham, I sometimes wish I had a freebox to go to to get rid of stuff. There is always Freecycle, the national network of people who just like to trade each other's stuff. And that is all well and good, especially when it comes to things like furniture or nicer things like that. But what if your stuff is nice, but not "freecycle nice"?

That is when I start my own free box. I grab a large cardboard box and I fill it with my things. I then write "FREE" in big letters and I take it out to the curb.

I live on a busy enough street that most everything is gone by the end of the day. Anything left is usually sent down the the thrift store drop off site a few blocks over.

I have a few rules for the free box:
1. Only put things in there I would be happy to get free. If I don't think any one would want it, it might as well go into the trash.
2. Clothing has to be wearable. Jeans with crotch holes, work clothes coated in paint, ties that are fraying at the end--none of those are free box worthy.
3. Don't let it stay out for more than two nights. That just becomes an eyesore. Lets face it, sometimes people just don't want your stuff. That's OK. You don't want it either.

Day 143--When Cheap Ass Hobbies Become Expensive

2008-05-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

Day 143- When Cheap Ass Hobbies Become Expensive

As a photographer, technology sure has made one of my hobbies cheaper and easier to perform. Film has been replaced with reusable digital data cards. And the darkroom has been replaced with photoshop and inexpensive printers.

However, it has not come without its fallout.

In order to stay competitive, Kodak--the inventor of the affordable camera--as ceased to make film cameras. And Polaroid has stopped making instant film.

No big deal right?

Not for me.

One of my personal favorite techniques is the emulsion transfer. It is where the artist takes a professional quality of instant film and before the emulsion dries onto the paper, the artist transfers it to a piece of watercolor paper. The effect is interesting and unusual.

However, with Polaroid ending it is production of instant film, not only are the days of my hobby numbered, each day the materials become more expensive.

What once cost $5 for materials now cost $20, $25, even $30 depending on what site you use.

Yup, one of my cheap ass hobbies has become expensive, and ultimately obsolete.

I bought two packs of film the other day, all I could afford right now. I am afraid they may be my last.

Good-bye Polaroid Emulsion Transfer, you have been a good hobby for me. I will miss you.

Day 139- Food as Hygiene (Slow Foods)

2008-05-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Day 139- Food As Hygiene (Slow Foods)

Hygiene is not just about making your body smell good. It is about making your body feel good.

So today, our radical hygiene segment is about what you put in your body to feel good.

We all know that a good diet has long term effects on how our bodies feel and react to our environments. But how do we know what to eat that will make us feel good?

The slow foods movement believes the easiest way to discern is by trusting nature. As natural beings, we feel best when our bodies are in tune with our natural surroundings. This does not mean eating "natural foods" but rather foods that resemble nature.

The slow foods movement began about a decade ago in Italy. It is not a list of rules, but rather a philosophy of how to eat.

Simply enough, slow food is seasonal, local and simple.

1. Seasonal--Fruits, vegetables, and meat are all the most healthy when they are prepared according to season. Growing a tomato in winter requires a lot more resources and puts stress on the fruit. Ultimately, out of season fruits and vegetables do not taste good and they are sapped of vitamins and minerals.
2. Local-- Organic is great. I support organic foods a lot. But, if it is grown on a factory farm somewhere on the other side of the continent, hemisphere, or world, and then shipped to you many of the benefits of buying organic foods will be counteracted. Also, buying locally (or growing your own) guarantees that your food is picked at the peak of freshness
3. Simple--Americans have forgotten what food should taste like. Our food is full of sugar and fat and chemicals. But there are few meals as satisfying as a simple dish made with quality items that have complimentary flavors and textures.

With those three guide lines, I give you my philosophy on slow foods. These are the things I try to think about when I think of food.

1. Have a relationship with my food- I love going to my farmer's markets. I love getting to know the people who make my food. I also like growing my food in my garden. By having a relationship with my food, it becomes more than just what I put in my mouth. I become much more in tuned with my food.
2. Try not to eat anything I cannot pronounce- Quick food is convenient. But often it requires all sorts of chemicals I cannot pronounce. And if I cannot pronounce it, it should not be going into my body. Tomato= eat. Monohydrogenated sodium bepotal= do not eat.
3. Four Walls- Sometimes, you do need to go to the grocery store. It is really convenient, especially when you don't have a farmer's market. But think of the layout of the super market. If you go along the four walls, you get the freshest foods. Produce, freshly baked goods, animal protein, dairy all lie along the four walls of the store. When you start moving into the aisles, you start to see things that are not fresh. You see things that are jam packed with chemicals. Although, there is a caveat, there are plenty of good, healthy things in the aisles. For instance, flour, olive oil, frozen veggies, pasta. Just be thoughtful about what you are eating.
4. Avoid anything "all-natural"--Anything that has a label that says "all-natural" is probably an advertising gimmick, especially if it comes from a muti-billion dollar corporation. Really, what would all-natural Ritz crackers really have in them? There is no way to know, and that is not slow foods.

Slow foods is a great philosophy on life, in my opinion. But it does not always work. It is a commitment. And in this go-go gadget world of ours, we cannot always commit to it. As one finds out, it becomes increasingly more difficult in the winter months. But it is worth a try. One may even find it enjoyable and preferable.

And, you also cut down the risk of eating nothing but junk food all day long and then find yourself doubled over and vomiting in front of a night club on 14th St NW. Not that I have any real experience of that at all.

What a coincidence! Both How-To's of the day are on radical hygiene. And one of them is about Slow Foods. It is cosmic, I tell you. Cosmic.

Competency moment: Bought strawberries at Eastern Market (complimented a dollar off each quart saving $4) and made a year's worth of strawberry jam.

Day 136-Pickles

2008-05-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Day 136- Pickles

As a belated Mother's Day Present, this week's entries are created by request. My mom wants to learn how to make pickles.

Now that we have our cucumbers in our clean jars with brine and spices, it is time to preserve our pickles.

The canning process is not too difficult, but it does involve boiling, so please be careful. It is best if you have some one to assist in this process.

The Ball Canning company has a great and easy to follow guide on how to preserve your food. The simple boil method works only with high-acid foods. The acid helps preserve and protect the food from bacteria like Lactobactcilis. Things like pickles, tomato sauces, and fruit jams work perfectly with this method. However, low acid fruits and veggies must go through a more difficult and complicated method using pressure cookers. When in doubt, consult your trusted and tested recipe. Recipes are available on-line at freshperserving.com

Now that your cucumbers are ready to cap, make sure you have a large pot or stock pot full of enough water to cover the jars. Boil the water to a rapid boil.

Next, you wipe the rim of your jars with a clean tea or paper towel. Center and place the lid onto the jar. Firmly twist the ring over the lid to create a firm seal. Do not worry about tightening the ring. Your cans should look like this:

The lids should pop up, just like lids from the grocery store. A popped lid is an open jar. But the "bubble" will go away after you boil.

Next, carefully place the jars into the boiling water, this has the following effects:
1. Cooks the food inside of the jar
2. Sanitizes the contents
3. Creates the vacuum seal

Boil the jars for as long as the recipe calls. In this case, the cans were boiled for ten minutes.

Let the water cool and carefully remove the jars from the water and place on a dish towel. This will act as insulation so that the glass jars do not experience heat distribution too quickly. Without the towel, you run the risk of the jars cracking. That is not yummy.

Your cans should look like this now:

MMMM...pickles!

Let the cans sit out over night on the dish towel and let them cool. If you are lucky, you will find the oh so satisfying sound of the lids popping. This will let you know that the vacuum seal is complete.

After 12-24 hours cooling, check for the "bubble" on the lid. It should have disappeared. Place in a cool, dark spot where they will not be disturbed. A basement or pantry will do the job just fine. Follow the directions of the recipe for how long to store. I believe this particular recipe calls for one month storage. The hard part is keeping the self-discipline to not pop them open immediately. A properly canned pickle can last for about one year.

Our house found it extremely enjoyable to open a jar of pickles or olives in December or January to have a little bit of summer come into our lives. We also would can spaghetti sauce and apple butter.

This weekend, I will be making berry jam.

I hope you all have a great time learning how to home preserve in order to save money in the future.

Day 135-Pickles

2008-05-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

Day 135- Pickles

As a belated Mother's Day Present, this week's entries are created by request. My mom wants to learn how to make pickles.

To better understand the pickling process--more than just stuff in brine--you have to understand mason jars. Not only that, but working with mason jars can be dangerous if you don't use them properly.

Mason jars were invented in 1884 as a convenient way to store perishables. In a world where there was no refrigeration, one needed a way to keep an air tight seal free of bacteria. Mason jars seemed to have gotten the job done since 124 years later, they are still around.

Mason jars have three parts, the glass jar, a metal band, and a metal lid. The jar and band are both reusable, the metal lid is not. The lid has a sealing agent that only works once.

Mason jars are available at most large grocery stores and hardware stores. If you find jars at a thrift store or second hand store inspect them for any large chips or cracks. Those are great spots for bacteria to hide. Lids and bands are available where ever new cans are sold.

Canning does not take a lot of work. But it does take some boiling, which we can cover tomorrow.

After boiling in the cans, any bacteria is killed and the slow fluctuation of temperature causes the hot, expand gasses to condense and create a vacuum, thus preserving your fruits, veggies or sauces.

As for your pickles, you have cleaned and cut your cucumbers, you now need to create a brine.

For your brine, you need:
6 cups of water
2 1/2 cups of vinegar (I use cider or distilled white)
1/2 cup kosher salt

Bring your brine to a boil, and stir until all the salt is dissolved.

In the bottom of your clean mason jars, add one clove of garlic and about a half dozen whole pepper corns.

Proceed to pack your jars with cucumbers until full. Leave about 2 inches of head space in order to make room for the brine. Top with about 2 tablespoons of whole dill weed.

Your jars should look as such:

Here, there are cucumbers packed into clean jars with the pickling spices. You can also purchase pickling spices from Ball or the grocery store, but I like the simplicity of mixing the spices myself.

Carefully add the brine to the jars, keeping about an inch of head space at the top. The cucumbers will most likely float. That is ok.

In the photo below, I overfilled the jars. This was before I learned about the importance of head space. Having head space makes it easier to open when you are ready for those delicious pickles.

At this point, make sure any utensils you use to stir or pack are rubber, plastic or wood. Using a metal utensil will run the risk of oxidizing the pickles. Not too appetizing.

Tomorrow, I will explain the actual canning process. It is not too difficult.

Competency moment of the day:
I am sending in the house application for a new house in Columbia Heights. It is a cute house for $1500 less a month. Although we have to lose 2 people, it is going to be a great new home.

Day 133- Pickles

2008-05-13T06:34:00.000-07:00

Day 133- Pickles Part 1

As a belated Mother's Day Present, this week's entries are created by request. My mom wants to learn how to make pickles.

Spring time is here and as we move into the summer months, we see an amazing array of fresh fruits and veggies. All across America, we have seen the growth of farmer's markets and locally owned green grocers.

I love going to farmer's markets for 3 reasons:
1. Creating a relationship with the people who grow and produce my food.
2. It is guaranteed to be fresh because it is picked and delivered on the spot.
3. Locally and/or organically grown food is better for our environment and economy because we reduce our dependence on petroleum in our growing process.

For the reasons above, I also like pickling and canning my fruits and veggies as they are in the peak of ripeness.

But what exactly is a pickle? A pickle is anything that has be preserved in brine. A brine is a solution of salt, vinegar and water. Beyond those three ingredients, you can have a whole array of brines: dill, sweet, spicy, etc.

This week, I will show you how to make my favorite pickle--the kosher dill pickle. This recipe is easily found all over the Internet. I use the Joy of Cooking's Quick Pickle Recipe.

Step 1: Select your cucumbers. In this picture, you can kind of see what we are looking for. Your cucumbers should be about four inches long, have some nice variation of colors. Ideally, you have a good spacing of bumps and smooth areas. The flesh should be firm with a slight give. You want to avoid soft and mushy spots. If they have some pre-cut, you want the center to be firm with tight grouping of seeds and nice, white flesh. Purchase about 4-5 lbs of cucumbers.

Step 2: Wash and slice your cucumbers. Give your cucks a good rinsing. Make sure all the dust and mud is cleaned away. Cut off the ends of the cucumbers and thinly slice. No need to go crazy and bring out the mandolin or anything just a quick slice of the fruit. Now is a good time to get rid of any stray soft spots.

Step 3: Make sure your Mason Jars are clean.

Tomorrow, we will talk about Mason Jars and brine.

Day 130- GCal updater

2008-05-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

130-GCal Updater

A few months ago, I wrote a post on syncing all your calendars together in order to get your life focused. At the time, I thought it was not too difficult. But Google has made it even easier. With just a quick download, you have a program that will automatically sync your calendars together--specifically GCal and Outlook.

And this is really great. I use GCal at home because it is always there and always on. Even if I cannot get to my laptop, I can borrow someone else's computer and still have access to my computer. I also like how GCal sends me e-mail reminders if I want them. And now they offer text messeges, too.

But Outlook is the office interface we use at work. Outlook is perfectly fine for us. But I hate trying to navigate the at-home interface.

I like the Outlook/GCal program because it is 100% automatic. You just tell the program how often you want your calendars synced and it will do it.

What I do not like is that this program only syncs your main GCal. If you are like me and keep seperate calendars for seperate parts of your life, GCal will not transfer everything over for you. On top of that, it takes everything from Outlook and plops it into your main calendar.

Ideally, I would like to see google fix this problem. I would like them to know that my outlook dates should go into my Work Calendar. I would also like the program to be able to take my personal activities (like dates with Xine, house meetings, and concerts) and sync them into my Outlook so that I didn't have to keep two calendars open at the same time at work.

Overall, I am excited about the GCal updater. But it really isn't all that great for advanced outlook and GCal users. If you know how to do anything beyond setting up an appointment at the right time on the right day, this program is not for you. Because frankly, this thing does not do anything you can't already do for yourself.

However, if you only keep one main calendar, you don't add labels or do any advanced calendar features, this will make you very happy.

Sorry about all the empty days without posting. It has been my goal to post once a day. But the beginning of the week was crazy busy. And then I got sick. So, now it is Thursday and I am posting for the first time.

Day 122- Fixing Cookign Disasters

2008-05-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

Day 122- Fixing Cooking Disasters

At an early age, my dad got me and my brother into the kitchen to help him cook. Since then, I have really enjoyed cooking, which is good. When I became vegetarian, I had to learn how to cook for myself. Since then, I have become the resident cook for our family and one of the resident cooks for our Co-Op.

Cooking your own meals are great. They cost less and are healthier for you and the environment. I know a lot of people--who went through college no less--who swear they cannot cook. I know they are lying though. Every one can make something. Even if it is Kraft Mac and Cheese, you can heat something up. Brian Regan shows how any one can cook.

But here are some helpful tips on getting on the fast track to cooking.

1. Get yourself a good cook book. There are a lot out there. A lot. Seriously, a lot of cook books. But how do you know which one to get? Well, get one that fits you. Make sure you look through it first. Does it have food you would like to eat? Does it look like it is at your skill level?Does it have pictures so you can follow along? Make a day of it at Barnes and Noble's or your local used book store and really read the recipes and the descriptions of things. Some books I can recommend are: The Joy of Cooking, The Betty Crocker Cookbook, Mark Bitteman's How To Cook Everything, and Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone. I especially like the Madison book. I read that one like it was a Faulkner.

2. Watch Cooking Shows- Cookbooks--even ones that have pictures--may be able to show you recipes, but they are not stellar at teaching technique. What do "stiff peaks" actually look like? How golden-brown is "golden brown"? Questions like these are best answered in real life. Watching cooking shows is a great way to get the "feel" of cooking. But just a warning-these are professionals who have 20 minutes to cook a meal. They can go fast. You should not. If it is the first time with a recipe, take your time to really learn the recipe. Get used to the sights, sounds, smells, colors and tastes that go into cooking your meal.

3.Taste and Clean As You Go- Whenever I add something to the pan or the pot, I always taste it. Does it need more pepper? More salt? Is it too spicy? What would balance this better? Get to know what things taste like--and how they change in relation to one another. And when I have a moment of down time, I always try to wipe off the counter and move my dirty plates, knives, spoons and bowls into the dishwasher. It makes clean-up easier after the meal.

4. Assess your meals- If you have loads of leftovers that go bad in the back of the fridge, why exactly is that the case? On the other hand, what made is meal so successful that people were disappointed when it ran out? Really try to understand your meals.

5. Learn From Your Mistakes and Try to Avoid Them- Mistakes are bound to happen. That's OK. Maybe you over-spiced your chili (a common mistake for me). Maybe you burnt the bottom of the pot. Maybe your fish is soggy. When you notice your mistakes and learn from them, you can work hard to avoid them next time. Real Simple has a great guide to avoiding common cooking mistakes.

Alright, with these things in mind, you are on your way toward being a competent cook--thus letting you eat more home cooked meals and reducing your reliance on eating out.

Competency Moment of the Week: Our house gave our landlord our 30 days notice. We have also sent in our applications for a wonderful new house with more rooms, more space and less rent. You better believe we will have some moving competency entries coming up.

Also, my mom requested a post on pickles and jams. That will be coming on Wednesday.

Day 120-Cheap-Ass Hobby: Time to Get Dirty

2008-04-30T06:35:00.000-07:00

Day 120-Time to Get Dirty

Today, we look at different hobbies that could save or earn you money. Check out last week's post to learn the principles of Cheap-Ass hobbies.

Ahhh, springtime--where thoughts of young people turn to dirt. Yup, I love spring. I never really appreciated spring living in Southern California--where the world is plunged in perpetual spring.

But the feeling of renewal. The magic of new plants. The sun and the rain. Green leaves and grass. It is all so wonderful. So why not take advantage of this wonderful season and plant some seeds? In the early 20th Century, families across America showed the Kaiser and Hitler who is boss by starting Victory Gardens. I love the idea of planting my victory garden, too. In a society in which our government asks so little for us when it comes to this war, my victory garden is a way to show our corporate overlords that I don't care for their disgusting war. But enough about that.

Planting seeds is an excellent way to have a wonderful and fulfilling hobby without spending a lot of money. Seeds cost just pennies for the burpee brand stuff you can find anywhere. They are so cheap this time of year, you can't go very far without some one just giving you seeds sometimes.

And Burpee is fine. The seeds will grow. They will make plants with pretty flowers and tasty fruits and veggies. But they are a multi-billion dollar company that uses crazy hybrids to make your veggies huge and sterile. Any seeds you may collect will most likely not grow plants next year.

On the other hand, I love Seed Savers Exchange. They are an NGO whose sole purpose is to bring heirlom, antique and heritage seeds back from the brink of extinction. There you will find all sorts of neat plants to grow. Things like Healy's Pride Melon, Bull Nose Bell Pepper, and the Double Yield Cucumber. You pay a little bit more for these seeds. But you pay knowing that you are doing your part to keep important cultural species of plants on our earth.

As for tools and space, you don't need much. You could go out and buy a bunch of fancy pots to grow your seedlings in. Or you could use left over yogurt containers. They are perfect for growing seeds in.

Also, don't forget about soil. Soil is cheap. Cheap as dirt. But after you get your plants all happy and in the ground, why not start composting? Make Magazine has a tutorial on your very own compost tumbler. And Get Rich Slowly shows how to turn junk mail into garden mulch. But I love my worm farm the best for quick, rich soil.

Once your seeds are strong, they can be put in the ground. If you don't have a lot of space--like me--you can make a squarefoot garden. There is a neighbor down our street who has a squarefoot garden where he grows lettuce all summer long. At our house, we just tore up the whole front yard and grew some plants. But if you have no lawn space, you can grow your plants in big buckets or pots.

Finally, I love harvesting seeds. You Grow Girl has a great tutorial on how to harvest seeds. About 75% of the seeds I planted this spring came from seeds I harvested last year from things in the garden or at the farmer's market.

And now, some shameless plant porn. From our garden this year:

Yay! Plants! You see there Tomatoes, Cantaloupe, Eggplant, Cucumbers, and Marigolds. I am just so very proud.

Day 119-Going with the Flow

2008-04-29T06:58:00.000-07:00

Day 119- Going with the Flow

While Monday is usually the day I reserve for radical hygiene, I was asleep for most of yesterday after a red-eye from San Diego. So, today will be our radical hygiene post for the day.

Growing up in Southern California, where we always were in the middle of droughts--or as I like to call it, living in a desert--we were raised with all sorts of swell water saving methods.

These include turning off the water while brushing your teeth or lathering your hands. Or the ever so popular selective flush.

If we are supposed to turn off the water while brushing your teeth or lathering your hands, why not turn off the water while taking a shower?

Low flow shower heads are a great way to save water and money. They will reduce the amount of water used by 70% without sacrificing water pressure. They also restrict the dripping that can occur with older models.

Even better, if you get a model such as this one which has a "pause button". That way, you can heat up your water, get all wet, turn off the water at the head instead of the tap, lather up, shampoo your hair and then turn the water back on, and rinse off with hot water. Also known as a a Navy Shower.

That, or you can get a sun shower. But knowing my neighborhood, that may be a little too radical.

Well, hope you all had a great weekend. Tomorrow will be a cheap-ass hobby day.

Day 115-Its Business Time

2008-04-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Day 115- Its Business Time

Tomorrow I am getting up at 4:30 in the AM to fly out to San Diego for the annual meeting of the Pacific Southwest District of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

It is a bit of a homecoming for me as I grew up in the PSWD and will see lots of old friends and family. So there is not much news for today.

But I think Thursdays will be cheap food ideas.

We all know that eating out is costly. And making lunch every day is sometimes a big pain in the butt. And laziness/running late for work can prevent a good lunch being made. That is a dangerous combination.

Clever Dude shows us how to save time and money by making a month's worth of PBJ and freezing them.

Making lunch a month at a time will make sure there is always something ready, no matter how late for work or school you may be. And if a month of PBJ seems a little tedious, you can always switch up the Jelly type, crunchy or smooth peanut butter. Or replace jelly with honey.

Competency Moment of the Day: I filled out a survey that earned me $5.50. Not bad for a half hour's worth of pseudo-work on my lunch break.

Day 113-Cheap-ass Hobbies

2008-04-23T13:29:00.001-07:00

Day 113- Cheap-ass Hobbies

Hobbies are important, I think. After all, idle hands are the devil's playground. But mostly, hobbies allow you to express yourself. They let you explore new ideas and build a life that is more fulfilling.

But hobbies can be expensive. They can clutter your life. They can be pretty darned useless.

So, I present to you my four principles to a cheap-ass hobby.

These are four ways you can tweak or grow a hobby that is fun, fulfilling and inexpensive to your livelihood.

1. Make a hobby out of something you have to do anyway. Lets face it, you still have to eat. You still have to wear clothing (for now). You still have to do a lot of things. So why not make it fun? If you have to eat, learn how to cook well. That way you enjoy what you are eating. If you have to wear clothing, why not learn how to make it? That way, you can save money and take pride in what you wear? Just last week, I wrote about how I turned shaving from a chore to a hobby.

2. Have a free hobby. There are loads of free things to do if you just know where to look for them. If you look in the back of your local free and alternative papers, you can find all sorts of free shows, gallery openings, concerts, etc. But don't forget about other free things that are always free. Instead of buying a new book or DVD, check out the library first. Check and see if your city offers free swimming pools, public beaches, or public parks. My new free hobby is making tourist maps for friends and family on google.

3. Have your hobby pay for itself. Thanks to the internets, we can get a bunch of free stuff and craft it into something beautiful and then resell it. So, if you are craft oriented--if you knit or papercraft or make jewelry or sew, you can get things and then sell it to folks.

4. Share a hobby. Sharing is a great way to save money on a hobby. Split on bulk supplies. Or trade techniques instead of taking a class. Or borrow materials from a fellow hobbiest.

With these four principles, you can be a master of cheap-ass hobbies. And every Wednesday, we share cheap-ass hobbies for you to try. Or ways to make your hobby even cheaper.

Competency Moment for the Day: I ran to work today. Well, mostly. I probably ran for about 1/3 of the time and then walked the other 2/3. Not bad anyways.

2008-04-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

Day 112- Earth Day; or, Do More- Useless

I hate the new chevy ads. The ones for the environmentally friendly cars.

There is another one where the environmentally concerned driver connects his socks and underwear to the car radial antennae and then starts driving. As his tighty whiteys are flapping in the wind, the words say, "If you really cared about the environment, you could dry your clothes on your way to work. Or, you can get a new Chevy Tahoe Hybrid."

I hate these ads because they confirm what I thought all along, GM and Chevy are jumping on the "Green Bandwagon". They have found a great way to convince people the only way to save the world is by spending more money.

According to the Kelly Blue Book, a new Chevy Tahoe Hybrid will run you $50,490. And The Chevy website confirms that. Wow! And just how green is your Chevy Tahoe Hybrid? Approx. 20 MPG both hwy and city. That is still 4 MPG less than Chevy's non-hybrid compact AVEO.

And that is not even with extra features or gas.

What could we do with that $50,500?

We could put solar panels on 3 houses and never have to pay for gas or electricity again.
You could buy shares in a Community Supported Farm and have fresh, locally grown vegetables for 91 years.
You could install about 2,500 square feet of double paned window glass and save on heating and cooling for 10 average sized American households .
You could afford 40,400 bus rides on the Washington, DC Metrobus. Or one round trip a day for 55 years. And take a car off the road, for nearly a lifetime--reducing CO2 and dependence of oil.
Or, you could buy about 5,000 Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs. And save on electricity.

In other words, you could buy a lot of actually green options for the same price as a green-ish hybrid SUV.

What really gets me the most about these ads is how much it makes environmentalists seem weird.

"Dog baths and flapping underwear. This is your future America. But you can trust us, we are Chevrolet. We know what is best for you. We'll save you from those weirdos"

Day 111-Homemade Detergent

2008-04-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

Day 111-Homemade Detergent

Last week, we shared a recipe for homemade laundry detergent. I had to go to Giant Foods and Target to get all my materials. And I still couldn't find Naphtham Soap. So I used a bar of Irish Spring we had lying around.

The whole thing wond up costing about $11. But at 2 tablespoons a load, I am thinking it will be about 1 to 2 cents a load to wash my clothes.

The verdict? Yes, it cleans and brightens. Very well in fact. Got some stains out that Seventh Generation was not able to get. I am hoping to get the Naphtham Soap soon since I hear it works better on clothing and I am not super excited about the Irish Spring smell even though most of it disappears in the dryer. I haven't tried it on the clothes line yet since it has been raining to see if the smell goes away that way.

But in the end, I highly recommend it. It is a easy project to take on in an afternoon--less when you have all the ingredients.

Oh and those ingredients are:

1 bar bath soap or fels naphtha soap
1 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Grind together in your food processor. Use 2 Tablespoons for a full load.

I hope you all are enjoying your spring.

Day 108- Radical Hygiene Part 5

2008-04-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Day 108- Radical Hygiene Part 5
This week, I will be devoting Road Toward Competency to Radical Hygiene—using traditional practices to make your hygiene regimen more healthy for you, the environment, and your budget.

Alright. We are the home stretch.

We are line drying our clothes that we washed with homemade laundry detergent. We are wet shaving and/or using diva cups. But what is next?

Homemade toiletries!

First of all, deodorant is terrible. Many have aluminum as an ingredient which is a neurotoxin and has been linked to Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, and blood poisoning. Some have strong and irritating fragrances. And more plastic!!!

Making deodorant is not nearly as difficult as it seems. And it costs mere pennies to make.

There are a lot of good recipes out there.

But my favorite is this one for its ease and convenience. I bet you have all these ingredients except for the essential oils.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/25473/how_to_make_a_homemade_deodorant_.html

Similarly, toothpaste is cheap and easy to make without any packaging. Sure, you don’t get tartar control, whitening, with fluoride or any of that junk. But, do we really need it?

Here http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/toothpaste.html, we can see all the ingredients in your average tube of toothpaste and exactly what everything does. Let’s just say there are a lot of them. And some things are in there just to counteract other things.

Compare that to just good old fashioned baking soda, salt, glycerin, and essential oils. If you drink tap water (even filtered) you are still getting plenty of fluoride to protect your teeth.

And if you really need/want fluoride and tartar control, then brush with this stuff and rinse with a fluoride enriched mouthwash right before bed. Fluoride does not help if you just wash it away with your morning cup of coffee.

Finally, you can also make your own body cream. I have not tried this yet. But Jessica Gonacha at Indie Fixx swears by the stuff she makes.

“Ingredients:

6 oz. raw shea butter
1/2 oz. jojoba oil
1/2 oz. sweet almond oil
1/2 oz. grapeseed oil
1/2 oz. apricot kernel oil
1/2 oz. lanolin (melted)
1/2 oz. aloe vera gel
1/2 oz. glycerin
1/4 oz. Vitamin E oil
5-10 drops favorite essential oil (some of my favorites are geranium, rose, clove, clary sage, cinnamon, and lemongrass.)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl (I like glass or stainless steel). Mush together with your hands to get the lumps out of the shea butter. (Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer, but doing it by hand is the eco-friendlier way, because it saves energy!) Adjust accordingly– if you like a thicker cream, more lanolin and less oil will do the trick; a thinner cream can be made by adding more oil or aloe vera juice)”

I would like to point out that lanolin is not vegan. It is a byproduct of the wool making process. It seems to me though that you could replace it with olive oil and get a similar result.

Well, that is the end of the radical hygiene week. I am planning on posting my thoughts on the things I will begin to make like toothpaste and laundry detergent. If I get any new tips or techniques, I will also let you know with a new monthly segment on radical hygiene.

Day 107- Radical Hygiene Part 4

2008-04-17T08:28:00.000-07:00

Day 107- Radical Hygiene Part 4

This week, I will be devoting Road Toward Competency to Radical Hygiene—using traditional practices to make your hygiene regimen more healthy for you, the environment, and your budget.

Ahh, laundry. I love doing it. I love the feel of clean clothes that have been line dried. Or a hot shirt on a cold day out of the dryer. But I am not keen on all the scents and dyes that go into the detergent. I have inherited my mom’s strong sense of smell and perfumes and fragrances have a tendency to bother me. And yet fragrance free laundry detergent tends to cost loads more than the average laundry detergent.

But at beingfrugal.net, Lynnea gives us a recipe for homemade soap that apparently works like a star. I haven’t tried this yet, but it is my plan for a weekend competency tip this weekend.

1 bar bath soap or fels naphtha soap
1 cup washing soda
1 cup baking soda
1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Grind together in your food processor. Use 2 Tablespoons for a full load. It costs 2 or 3 cents per use.

I will definitely let you know what I think of it when I am all done.

I have also made my own surface cleaner with white vinegar and water. White vinegar is mildly acidic and it tends to cut through grease and grime like a champ. And if you have hard water, it can really get in under soap scum and toilet rust. White vinegar is also great at absorbing odors, so it can really get your bathroom smelling fresh. For tough to srub places, sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the dirt and spray with diluted vinegar and get a volcano of cleanliness! This is also fantastic for stuck drains.

Diluted vinegar sprayed on glass and scrubbed with yesterday’s newspaper is a great way to get your windows shiny. Some people add some to rubbing alcohol or a drop of dish soap in order to prevent streaks.

Hydrogen peroxide is a great way to kill and bleach mold. Just dilute in a spray bottle and spray right on. But, keep away from colored fabrics as it will bleach your clothes or window dressings.

What tips and techniques do you have for non-toxic, homemade house cleansers?

Day 106- Radical Hygiene Part 3

2008-04-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

Day 106- Radical Hygiene Part 3

This week, I will be devoting Road Toward Competency to Radical Hygiene—using traditional practices to make your hygiene regimen more healthy for you, the environment, and your budget.

After yesterday's post about menstruation, I thought today could be for the men oriented bodies out there. Although, any one could actually use at least some of this advice.

Recently, I picked up the habit of wet shaving.

Aren't you tired of how they keep jamming blades on your razor?

And now, there are just random blades coming off from the wrong direction!

Really, there is no reason why we need so many blades! And with more and more blades, means more and more money. Its like 4$ a cartridge for some razors. At times, I was wondering if I could afford to shave and go to the movie I was getting ready for!

And all that goo! It comes out of the metal can--not recyclable. And that goo is surprisingly bad for your skin. A lot of it is not actually conducive to a good shave. Unlike what the good people at gillette tell you, it is not pressure or number of blades that cause irritation. Most irritation comes from you shaving cream.

That is when I discovered wet shaving.

Wet shaving is like the shaving your grandfather or great-grandfather did.

Hell, if it is good enough for the Dodgers, it must be good!!!

Razors these days wont cost a $1.29 like they did in the 1060's. However, that is not far off. Each blade runs about $.50 a piece. Compare that to your $4.50 for your slashco mach 20.

And that goo? Replace it with a delicious shaving soap made from all natural ingredients.

But most importantly, get yourself a really nice shaving brush so that you can make some wonderful, hot lather to smother all over your face.

Wet shaving has been great for me. It has transformed my shaving from something I hated, a chore and a bore, to a new hobby that I love. I find my beard grows back softer, and more even. And my face has not been breaking out as much now that I have an all natural shaving soap.

Mantic59 has a great primer on how to get started. He also has a super blog.

But ultimately, you need to check out badger and blade. It is a forum for wet shavers.

Even if you don't want to invest in the new razor, the blades, the brush and everything all at once (which is understandable) I am urging you to at least ditch the cans of goo and move over to some natural shaving soaps or creams. And then invest in a good shaving brush. You will find the difference amazing.

Day 105- Radical Hygiene Part 2

2008-04-15T13:35:00.001-07:00

Day 105-Radical Hygiene part 2

This week, I will be devoting Road Toward Competency to Radical Hygiene—using traditional practices to make your hygiene regimen more healthy for you, the environment, and your budget.

If you have a woman oriented body and are between the ages of 13 and 45, odds are you ovulate and menstruate. I don’t. So, I recognize that what I am writing here today may seems like a strange choice, tinged with breaking social mores and problematic power dynamics. I and I would like to keep that first and foremost.

However, the whole radical hygiene movement at Earlham began here, so I think it is best if I go in this direction today.

Lets face it, I don’t get a period. However, many people in my life do. It is a natural bodily function that society has shied away from. They have diagnosed it as something that is dirty and needs to be “treated”. Tampon ads talk about secrecy. Crinkle proof wrappers that look like sugar packs and smell like flowers or things. And you get all sorts of great ads.

Like this classic one-

But, lets face it, tampons and pads are not good for the environment, your body, or your budget.

Tampons are cotton--the least organically grown material in the global agriculture market. They are packaged in plastic--often with plastic applicators. Sometimes, they have all sorts of chemicals and artificial fragrances. On top of that, they can make you sick. There is a chance of Toxic Shock Syndrome or TSS. Essentially, TSS is a Staph Infection in the vagina. And nobody wants that.

This is where radical hygiene steps in. There are all sorts of products women use for their periods.

The most popular, among the women I know, are the Keeper/Diva Cup.Each are rubber cups that hold the menses back until you are ready to empty it. Each are reusable, so there is no waste and they practically pay for themselves as you no longer need to pay for pads or tampons. They are made from polyurethane so they are hypoallergenic and there is no chance for TSS.

But if you really love your tampons, you can get one made out of sea sponges. At $4.50 each a year, they are much more economical as compared to cotton tampons. And they are environmental since they are not made with cotton (pesticide filled) or bleached (bleaching process gives off toxic dioxins). And the average sea sponge lasts about 6 to 7 months. Compare that to the dozens of tampons or pads you use a year.

Finally, if you use a pad instead of a tampon, there are reusable pads. The company Glad Rags offers a whole line of reusable pads. Pads have many of the same problems tampons do--bad for the environment and costly. So, a reusable pad is cost efficient and healthier for you and the earth.

While I have heard great things about these products from women I trust, I cannot officially endorse any of these products. But I encourage you to go out and try some radical hygiene this month.

Day 104- Radical Hygiene Part 1

2008-04-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

Day 104- Radical Hygiene Part 1

This week, I will be devoting Road Toward Competency to Radical Hygiene—using traditional practices to make your hygiene regimine more healthy for you, the environment, and your budget.

When I was at Earlham College, there was quite the rumblings about so-called “radical Hygiene”. It was mostly promoted by the Womyn’s Center. With a DIY flair towards simplicity—which is all too common at Earlham—folks explore old techniques of cleanliness that have been dropped in the name of progress.

Let me first take a step back and say there are few things on my list that I hate more than progress for progress sakes. Now, do not get me wrong. I am hardly a luddite. I love a lot about technology. I love my iPod and cross-continental flight now takes half a day instead of half a year. And technology has done loads to make the world a better, safer place to be.

But there is so much technology we just take for granted. We just assume that we must use it because it is there. And I would like to point out that not all technology is good at what it does. And while we work harder to make this new process “better”, it seems to me we might as well just get rid of it.

And so, this is the basis behind Radical Hygiene: reclaiming traditional practices that are healthier for your body, the environment and your budget.

Today, I will begin with clothes drying. Let’s face it, clothes dryers are pretty darned awful. I wrote the following piece as an environmental justice piece for my office-

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfctxnv4_15cnqz49f2.

Not only are clothes dryers expensive to buy and run. They are also bad for the environment and bad for your clothing. Sure, if feels good to bring your clothes out of the dryer and fold them while they are still hot and fresh. However, I think line dried clothing feels so much better.

As spring is approaching, warm sunshine and gentle breezes make it a prime-time to hang dry your clothing. Instead of investing in clothes dryers at $350-$900, a piece of rope and some clothes pins will run you less than $10. On top of that, it is free to run a clothes line. And it is expensive to run the clothes dryer.

After November, it becomes difficult to line dry. But that does not mean you have to go back to that nasty old drying machine. If you get a rack (price ranging from $10 to $110), you can still air dry indoors. I love my rack and still use it when the weather is warm so that I can dry multiple loads at a time.

This is what radical hygiene is all about, finding old ways to be more intentional with out health and actions. I hope you try some of these recommendations I have for you this week.

By the way, I am still running the poll to see which debt I should put my tax refund toward

Day 102- Taxes!!! Part 2

2008-04-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

Day 102- Taxes!!! Part 2

Well, I got my taxes all done. And I am getting a really nice rebate. $1,365 back infact. This is due to the combination of me paying my tuition and getting my relatively low salary. I qualified for the HOPE Credit. So, I am getting a good amount of money back from the government.

So, this is my plan.

$65-In my savings for a new DSLR
$700-back into my savings account that I had to pull out for my overdue student loans
$600-snowflakes!! Paying off a good portion of my student loans. I don't know which part of the snowman I should tackle.

Maybe you could help. I am going to put up a new survey to see which part of the snowman I should take care of.

Competency moment of the day: Instead of ordering out for pizza and spending forty bucks, I spent half that amount and fed the entire house with homemade, organic pizza made from scratch.

Day 100-Nobody said this would be easy

2008-04-10T12:09:00.001-07:00

Day 100- Nobody Said This Would Be Easy

Well it has been a month since my last post. And I am not sure what the heck happened!

I took a wrong turn somewhere and totally got off the road to competency, onto a side street of laziness and found myself on a dirtroad of distraction.

So since my last post, I stopped exercising, I stopped balancing my check book, I stopped keeping my calendar organized and everything fell to pieces.

I totally had to raid my savings to pay for rent. I missed a massive deadline. And I gained a bunch of weight.

So, I am slowly but surely finding my way. I am using exciting new ways to get my life back in order.

I dusted off my calendar and scheduler. My week is all scheduled for next week.
I have created a new to-do list for my big projects based on those Fund-Raising Thermometers but instead of money, each level is another step toward finishing my project. Each time I finish a step, I color in a level on the thermometer.

Christine and I have started going to the gym. The community center down the street has a small, but mighty gym for only $5 a visit or $125 a year. Its been great.

Back on my diet of one meal out a week. It really makes me think more about where I want to eat.

My laptop is on the fritz again with my quicken in it. So, I am not doing so well with balancing my check book. I may just have to go back to an old fashioned pen and paper ledger for a while. But come to think about it, the handiness of pen and paper with out at all times my promote my organization at the time rather than the "I'll take care of that later" mentality that so often hits me.

Tonight, I finish up my taxes and get those sent off. I am getting a really nice refund this year on top of the stimulus package.

Day 71- On not following my own advice

2008-03-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Day 71- On Not Following My Own Advice

Earlier, I had recommended that you get your credit report. It has all sorts of handy dandy information you can use. For instance, if you have any outstanding loans, or if your loan company has your correct address, phone number, and email.

I did get my credit report. And sure enough, I had outstanding loans--more than I had expected in fact. And they did not have my correct address, or phone number or email. They had two previous addresses that I had not lived in for over two years. For all they knew, I was just ignoring all the letters and phone calls they had sent my way.

But, naively, I expected that the magical bill fairy would swoop in on time and switch my address. It always seems that the magical bill fairy swoops in and delivers right on time.

Well maybe the magical bill fairy has been on sabbatical for the last three months. Because I started thinking that those bills that should be coming are not coming at all.

I went to the loan's website and did some research. It seems that I have been neglecting my bills for over three months. And there it was, just racking up interest and late fees. Also, running the risk of defaulting on my loan with possible legal actions taken against me. So, in 15 minutes time, I got that all fixed.

Sure, it was a pain in the butt. And I had to prematurely raid my loan payment. But that can all be paid for with my tax rebate that is on its way.

Competency Moment of the Day: I threw an extra $158 at my debt from snowflakes!

Day 69- Back on the Bandwagon

2008-03-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

Day 69- Back on the Bandwagon

Last week was crazy! Friday was the Interfaith Peace Witness and because I was working on the planning committee, my whole world was upside down and inside out.

And because my world was a big ball of crazed stress, my finances went super crazy. Instead of packing healthy and delicious lunches, I would eat a burrito the size of my head from Chipotle or something cheap and easy from the deli. Or, just not anything at all.

I have dropped keeping track of what I ate, especially at The Daily Plate. And while it felt good, it also means I don't really remember what I ate or how much I spent on it.

So, the first thing I did this weekend when I was done with the Peace witness was to balance my checkbook from the past week. It was pretty shocking how much I spent on stress food.

But, I am right back on the bandwagon again. And instead of eating out, I have been making all my food again. And with the March Bulk order coming in tonight, I am excited to have food in the house again. And a new batch of farm fresh CSA veggies are on their way in just a few weeks.

So my expenses are in order and food is healthy and fresh.

Competence Moments of the Week: Getting all my finances back into order by balancing my checkbook, updating my automatic debt reduction, and filing my taxes. It looks like I am getting $1,000 back from my Fed alone! (That dosn't even include Indiana, DC taxes or my Stimulus package). And pulling off a bad-ass MoFo of a peace march.

Day 63- The Snowflake Revolution has Begun

2008-03-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

Day 63- The Snowflake Revolution Has Begun

The Good folks at I've Paid For This Twice have started a sibling site called The Snowflake Revolution. It is a blog roll of websites that focus on the practice of snowflaking.

You may remember from earlier, snowflaking is the process of putting little bits of spare money toward your debts in order to build up your payment snowballs.

At TSR, you can read all sorts of blogs that will help you work through your debt, build up an emergency savings, or work toward a big purchase like a car or a house or grad school.

Plus, yours truly signed up and is now an official member of the Snowflake Revolution. I am really excited to see what comes of this.

Competency moment of the day: After signing up to be a secret shopper, Christine and I get a hot date on the town with a fancy meal on the house.

Day 59- Financial Autopilot

2008-02-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

Day 50- Financial Autopilot

Does the end of the month fill you with dread? Do you find that bills and rent and everything gives you an overwhelming sense of helplessness? Understandably. But help is on the way! Put your finances on autopilot.

Many financial institutions will allow you to set up automatic spending plans, why not take advantage of it?

The secret to financial strength is to always pay yourself first. I have my ING Account automatically do the savings for me. I have two accounts that are authorized to take a portion of my paycheck out on the days they arrive. That way, it gets there first thing without me having to think about doing it.

Secondly, there are bills to pay. Some bills will always cost the same every month, no matter what--like Cable, Rent, Car Payments, Student Loans, Etc. So why not get your bank to cut them a check every month before the due date? That will make sure your bills are paid accurately and on time every month. Plus, some companies--like student loans--will even lower your interest rate if you pay on time.

Finally, some utilities (which fluctuate every month) will send the "bill" to your checking account instead of you and automatically withdraw that amount.

Automatic finances is great, but it doesn't mean you get to forget about the whole process. Remember to always balance your checkbook. If things look fishy (though probably won't), make sure you have access to those accounts and how they work so that you can appeal any "strange" withdrawals. I also take half of what remains after my automatic bill pay and put that in my highly liquid savings account. This acts as a buffer for when my budget does not quite work out like expected (like when Okkerville River comes into town and my doctor's appointment becomes three).

Competency Moment of Day: Stocked up on cans of delicious fruit for work snacks instead of budgeting for hot dog and coke breaks--thus saving time, money and on empty calories.

Day 56- Firefox 3 Beta

2008-02-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

Day 56- Firefox 3 Beta

Most every one I know uses Mozilla Firefox. In just a few short years, this open source web browser has really bitten into the market share of Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

And it is easy to see why. It runs quickly, smoothly and safely. It has one of the best pop-up blockers around. The autofill search bar is amazingly accurate and helpful, plus your ability to specifically select which search engine you prefer is a real time saver. Tabs allow you to organize and clean up your desktop by keeping multiple pages open in one window. And the download organizer is a stroke of genius.

I downloaded the new beta for Firefox 3. I have fallen in love with it. This thing really zooms.

Without getting too geeky, I will explain my new favorite aspects to Firefox 3.

1. Plugging the memory holes. If you were to open 10 tabs, that would really drag down your download time. But since so many of the memory holes have been plugged, you can run 3, 5, 10 tabs at a time and not really notice any slow down.

2. Autofill navigation bar. Utilizing the same technology as in the search bar, the autofill navigation bar searches your history and gives you options to which webpage you want. So often, I am trying to read URLs to figure out which page is which. But the Navigation bar now lists the URL along with the name of the webpage in a large, easy to read way.

3. Stars and Labels. Just like in GMail, I can now star and label websites according to my likes. If I think a site is cool, I star it. Double click on it and the page is automatically bookmarked. And when it is bookmarked, you can label it with as many labels as you want. So, if I were to bookmark lifehacker, I can label it as "blog", "Finances", "Health", "Organization", etc. And firefox does all the sorting for me. A real organization lifesaver!

4. Download Manager- Now with Pause Button!!! Lets say you are downloading an add-on or a large file. But, you need to quickly run out and do an errand. Before, you would be forced to keep your computer on with your browser open if you want to keep it running. Or you would have to drop your download. Now, you can pause your download, close your browser and shut down your computer. When you sign back on, just finish the download.

5. Browser Continuation. My laptop has a tendancy to freeze these days. When I restart, Firefox asks me if I want to refresh my browser or open the previous pages. It was really helpful. Now, with Firefox 3, no matter when I shut down, it asks me the same questions. This is great for when I return to work and need to finish up a job I was working on before I left.

The only real downside to Firefox 3 is the fact that it is still in beta. So, my outside source extensions like Del.ic.ious and google accelerator are not compatable. But, soon, those things will be fixed and I will feel whole again.

Competence Moment of the Day: I finally called the chiropractor about getting an appointment so that my damn back and side stop hurting.

Day 51- Google Organization- GCal

2008-02-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

Day 51- Google Orgaznization-GCal

This is part of a multipart series on organizing your life using Google. Previous entries include GMail, Google Reader and iGoogle.

A few weeks ago, I realized that I have been keeping 5 calendars. Five! Five separate calendars! My hand held, my outlook, my gCal, iCal and TheDailyPlate. My handheld comes with me everywhere. Outlook is just for work. TheDailyPlate is for my food. gCal is for home and iCal is on my laptop. Needless to say, all these calendars for different spheres of my life were causing me to double or even triple book myself.

Streamlining by Syncing-
I realized I needed to streamline. So, i synced my iCal and outlook with my GCal. Neither of which are very difficult to do. I also keep gCal open in my firefox tabs at all times. So, when some one at work or home schedules an appointment with me, it syncs with the other calendars. So, while I am still keeping 5 different calendars for 5 different occasions, they are all keeping up with each other.

Seperating Business and Pleasure-
on GCal, since I am keeping 5 different calendars in one place, I make sure they are different calendars. Both GCal and iCal give me the option of keeping mulitiple calendars seperate. They are all color coded by type. Keeping them seperate lets me know if the event approaching is preparing for a phone call or a dinner date with the housemates or something I have to do while I am running errands.

To Do Lists-
In theory, GCal can send me to do lists via my phone. But my phone is old and Jankey. But thanks to syncronized calendars, I can program my iPod to remind me of things I need to do. And with GCal and gMail, I can have my to do lists emailed to me.

Holidays, movie release dates, and election dates-
As a community organizer, it is important for me to keep on top of dates I can link into. Holidays, election dates and local events are a great way to stay in the know. Public Calendars are a great way to have other people do the grunt work for you. FOR even has one on national anti-war protests.

Meetings and Appointments-
I make a lot of meetings with people. Whether it with friends, family, workmates or housemates, gCal lets me invite people to meet through gMail. So my address book and calendar are also all synced up.

Stop Design has some other ways to make your gCal work for you.

Next time, I plan on reviewing the beta for Firefox 3. If you have not made the switch from Safari or IE to Firefox, I highly recomend it. Just click on the shiny button on the right hand side and you will wonder why it has taken so long for you to switch.

Day 50- 2.33%

2008-02-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

Yup, I am 2.33% away from my goal of being debt free!

Way to go Alex!

Google Organizing- iGoogle

2008-02-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

Day 50-Google Organizing

This is the next segment of my multi-part series on organizing your life with Google.

When Google came on the scene in 1998, the Internet was swamped with so-called web-portals. The financial brokers of the day were pointing to companies like AOL, MSN and the Disney owned Go network and their eyes were turning into gigantic dollar signs.

But Google, with its search engine that actually worked and stark, clean interface brought people over to their folds and away from all the flashing lights and gizmos that were distracting people from the real glory of the Internets. Check out this ten year old article from Salon.com on why every one should switch over to Google.

Well, ten years later and now Google has gotten into the web portal game. But, with the rise of Web 2.0, we see a Portal 2.0 where you get to decide what goes on your homepage.

If you don't want silly horoscopes or stories about which Hollywood socialite is in jail, you don't get it. You want a live RSS fee from your your favorite news source or blog, its there!

Now, I know everything I need to know just by checking out my home page. Look below, and see what is on my iGoogle portal.
As you can see, I keep my top stories from google news BBC, the Onion and The Los Angeles Angels and the UUA close at hand. My Google Calendar with all my agendas are there, the weather for the next three days are close at hand. With one touch, I have my google docs that I have been working on recently. And my GMail in a live RSS feed. Plus, I can keep tabs on my financial situation with my stock portfolio.

Everything can be easily rearranged so that I can keep track of things without it getting to jumbled or confusing.

So, much like google reader, I can read eight websites at once.

My next google organization tip will be how I keep my Calendars straight with Google Calendar.

Competency Moments of the Weekend: I have made it half way through Lent without breaking down and buying myself a meal yet. I visited two free museums yesterday. Discovered that the DC Heritage Trails are very well designed and I look forward to walking all of them.

Competency Question of the Day: Has any one downloaded the new Firefox 3 yet? If so, what do you think of it?

Day 46- Financial Inheritance

2008-02-15T10:06:00.000-08:00

Day 46- Financial Inheritance

Usually, when we talk about financial inheritance, its a good thing. Maybe a distant uncle has bequeathed you millions. Or your beloved grandmother left you her favorite broach. But what I am talking about today has much more to do with emotional inheritances surrounding your interactions with money.

The other day, Friend Travis noted that filing his taxes made him realize that living on his own took him out of the middle class lifestyle he grew up in and squarely in the working class bracket.

We all grew up with different expectations surrounding money. Most of them have come from our parents or grandparents. And thus, out on our own, we now find the lessons taught at an early age now come around and bite us causing us to make many of the same mistakes they did.

My parents both grew up in households where money was tight. My mom was the eldest of a whole mess of kids. And my dad practically grew up in a single parent household. But they never wanted me and my brother to have to worry about the same things they worried about. So, even when money was tight there were many things we could "afford" even when should have.

There was always money for books. Even though we practically *lived* at the public library and got most of our reading done there, there always seemed to be money for books.

There was always money for special occasion meals. We did not always eat out. But we did frequently, especially when time was tight. And on special occasions, we would go some where fancy.

There was always money for cable TV. I seriously cannot remember a time when we didn't have cable TV in the house. And when we moved into our new apartment in Richmond, my folks even offered to pay for our cable for us.

There was always money for trips. Whenever I wanted to go somewhere, there always seemed to be money for it. Even though I knew it was expensive. Sometimes, I had to work for scholarships. But I never paid for it completely that way.

So, now, that money is tight and I am trying to borrow less and less money from my folks and other outside sources, there are four sticking points. Yup: books, meals, TV/Movies, trips.

Cutting out these things have become so difficult for me, it has become a spiritual practice for me. I have completely given up eating out for Lent (except for last night- Valentine's Day). I give myself no more than 10 minutes in a bookstore and I never come in with a list. We just had to cancel our Ded Prez day trip to Boston because we realized we couldn't afford it. And the only reason I can justify having cable is due to a combination of Presidential Elections and the fact that I am splitting it with 7 other people!

Breaking my Financial Inheritances is hard. But it is worth it. The fact that I have nearly paid back all the money I owe my family is due to in large part that I am sticking to my spending plan and paying back bills with my snowflakes. I am also finding good compromises on how to stay away from my weaknesses.

I have been reading from my private and public libraries instead of going to Borders. I pack myself a delicious and hearty meal every day for work. I have been cutting back my TV time so that I can be more serious about getting rid of cable next year. And I go on "vacation" in my own city by going to free events and outings.

What sort of financial inheritances have you received (both good and bad) and how do you work with them?

Competence Moment of the Day: Even though I fell of the TheDailyPlate.com wagon, I got right back on and started noting my meals and exercise again.

Day 45- Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T11:14:00.000-08:00

Day 45- Valentine's Day

So it is Valentine's Day. Yet another sacred holiday co-opted by the card and chocolate companies convincing you that you need to spend a bunch of money to show you care about people.

But what if you don't play into all that junk? What if you don't want to spend your money on cheap cards and bad chocolate? Or what if you don't want to subject your loved ones with more stuff?

No big deal right? So you conveniently "forget about it".

What if you get to work and find out that some people live for Valentine's Day? What if you now feel obligated to give them something? No big deal! We've got you all covered.

A cheap and easy way to show some one that you care is the potato stamp!

Just take a potato and cut it in half or into thick slices and cut a design into it. Cover with paint and press onto a sheet of paper. It is that easy!!! Christine and I made our Valentines for friends and loved ones from potato stamps, tempera paint and construction paper. In less than an hour, we had made twenty bad-ass original valentines every one will enjoy.

But, what if potato stamp valentines are not enough?! Craft Magazine offers you this cool little box. If you like that, check out The World-famous Toymaker. These are all neat steam-punk-esque paper toys designed by an old family friend of ours.

Craft Magazine also suggests making a photo collage to express just the way you feel. I like this idea a lot. They also prove that coasters can renew any relationship. Especially these bad boys:

But lets say you have some time on your hands. Lets say you either are not going to see your special some one for a few weeks because they are unfortunately out of town. Or maybe you have a time machine. That would be cool, too!

Make Magazine has a bunch of really cool ideas. I especially like one crafter's expression of how she gave her partner The Clap in L.E.D.'s.

Happy Valentine's Day every one! I hope it is full of love and peace with all your sweeties!

Competency Moment of the Day: Instead of buying more stuff for my sweety, I donated to one of her favorite charities.

Day 44- Poll Working

2008-02-13T06:34:00.000-08:00

Day 44-Poll Working

Yesterday was what many have dubbed "the Potomac Primary". Maryland, Virginia and The District of Columbia all voted their primaries.

When I registered to vote in the District, I noticed a call for poll workers. Apparently, there is a national shortage of poll workers by nearly half-a-million! and the median age of workers is 72! I spent my day working the polls.

I must say, the lack of workers was evident. Our team of five had to cover a total of (ideally) eight positions. And our line that started before the polls opened at 7am did not let up until polls closed at 8pm-it was a constant stream of people.

First time voters, lapsed voters, experienced voters, young, old, black, white, latino/a, asian, recent citizens, peace activists and vets. They all came. We ran out of ballots- twice!!! It was wonderful helping people participate in democracy.

We worked hard to get people out of there as quickly as possible, but rushes were tight.

While I was working, I thought of a lot of policies that could be adopted in order to make voting more smooth.

These include but are not limited to Opening closed primaries and Same day voter registration.

But what would really make voting easier for every one would be having an influx of passionate, helpful, young poll workers.

That is where you can step in.

Please volunteer to work the polls in the next elections. If the Primary season is any indication at all, the general election is going to be huge!!! We had twice the expected ammount of voters yesterday and Primaries are never as large of voter turn out as Generals are.

It is a great way to meet your neighbors and help democracy in our nation work. If you have ever been nervous about voting irregularities or illegal actions at your polls, then what better way than being the worker who counts the votes and welcomes the voter?

Plus, you get compensated for your time (snowflake alert).

Day 39- Taxes!!!

2008-02-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

Day 39-Taxes!!!

Today is February 8, 2008. If you haven't received your 2007 W-2's, there is something wrong. By law, they have to be out of the hands of your HR by the last day of January. Credit Withdrawal has a great guide on how to get your W-2's if they haven't shown up yet. Which I did, and now they are on their way.

Once you get your W-2's, what should you do with them?

One thing is for certain, don't wait until April 14th to open them up. You should have already opened them, looked at them and checked for irregularities.

I would also recommend taking care of them immediately. How many times have you lost a really important envelope, only to have figured out that it got scooped up with the junk mail and thrown away?

Accountants: There are different schools of thought on accountants for taxes. On one hand, why pay some one for something you can do yourself? On the other hand, professionals know what they are doing a lot better than you do. If you are just filling out a 1040 or 1040 EZ, you probably don't need to get one. But if you are stuck, why not spend the $100 to get it done right? It might just pay for itself. (Another reason to start now)

Filing: Filing is not so hard. I got it done in, like, 45 minutes last year. There is a reason why it is called a 1040 EZ. You can get your forms on-line, at the post office or public library. Really, this time of year, you have to work hard to avoid finding your forms. FiveCentNickle has a list of commonly forgotten tax deductions.

Your return: We're in Debt has a great link to a rebate calculator, now that the rebate bill got through Congress. Lifehacker reminds us this a rebate, not a bonus. This is your money that you paid to the Government. They are just giving it back to you. So do smart things, not dumb things. Think of this a snowflake instead of a golden ticket.

Look, filing your taxes is aggrevating, I know. It is full of all sorts of math. And we are dealing with money. And there is the fear of getting audited. And are you getting enough deductions?

But in the end, it isn't so bad. On the side of the IRS building it has a quote from one of my Unitarian forefathers, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, "Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society". And the putting the political implications of that quote aside, we pay our taxes to have roads and schools and police forces and all the things we need for our country to be great. Every April 15th, we just double check that we paid our fair share.

Lets not worry that you have paid too much or too little or anything like that. Lets just stay in an accountable (sorry for the pun) relationship with our government.

Google Organizing- GMail

2008-02-07T07:16:00.001-08:00

Day 38- Google Organizing0 GMail

This is the next segment of my multi-part series on organizing your life with Google. While the tips here are specifically for GMail, they can be tweeked to fit any email system around.

You are young, you are hip, you have GMail--just like every one else. And I don't blame you. I LOOOOOOOOVE my Gmail. With seamless integration with Google Calendar, Google Maps, and our new friend Google Reader as well as gChat, tons of space and an awesome spam blocker, it is hard not to fall in love with it.

But what does your in-box look like? I bet it is full of old messages from a year ago and tons of thing you want to read but haven't yet. I bet your in-box brings you stress and anxiety.

I bet your in-box doesn't look like mine.

I treat my GMail in-box like my post office box. I grab the mail, sort it, throw out the junk, read the things I want, save what I need and toss the rest. I *Don't* just leave it in the in-box.

That would be ridiculous! Imagine if your mail carrier met your post box full of read mail and old junk!

So, here are some tips for organizing your GMail life:

1. Labels- Unlike other e-mail carriers who have folders, GMail has labels. Utilizing Labels and Filters can make sure you know when your new mail is here. Learn to be a GMail Jedi Master from Lifehacker.

2. Trusted Trio- Trusted Trio is a great way to sort through your mail. Simply put: Archive what you want to keep, Delete what you are done with , and Star what you need. Then, every month, clear out your Archive and unstar what you are done with.

3. Mailing Lists- Do you have a bunch of people you regularly email, but they are not connected enough to make a Group? Make a mailing list instead. This way, you can save time and energy by just mailing the list instead of trying to remember every one you know.

With these easy steps, you can clean up your in-box and make your GMail account bring you joy, instead of anxiety.

Competence Moment of the Day: After realizing my Earlham W-2's had not arrived yet, I called Earlham HR and found that they had sent my forms to my previous address-in Richmond! They are now en route to DC.

Google Organizing- Reader

2008-02-05T06:43:00.000-08:00

Day 36- Google Organizing- Reader

This is the first post of what might be a multi-part series on how Google.com can help keep you organized.

If you are like me, you have a series of websites that you check often. For me, I always start my day off with Google News-that super awesome news aggregator. But there is also NPR and loads of blogs on: fitness, health, finances, organization, entertainment news, business news, crafting, and local events.

Some sites update once a month or once a week. Some sites update dozens of times a day. Figuring how to keep up with my news and blogs takes forever. And too much of my time is spent just catching up on posts.

Enter Google Reader!

Google Reader is an RSS aggregator that will collect, organize and syndicate all of my favorite websites into one handy site. So now, I can cruise my Reader for fifteen or twenty minutes in the morning and then save what I want to read later, on my breaks.

Google Reader is really easy to use. If you already have a Google account, you just click on "Reader", often found on the upper left hand corner.

Here, you can see my main reader page.

The blue Bar on the left hand side is the list of all my websites, organized by theme. The middle is where you will find all the articles in condensed form. And you can look at stories that have been saved for later and shared by you or your friends.

Here are some headlines from BBC News and NPR:

With Google Reader, you can share stories, save them for later or email to folks.

Now that you know how Google Reader works, how do you set it up? Whenever, you see a website with an RSS icon like these:
Or the word "Atom/RSS"- Click on it. It will ask you which reader you want it programed into. It is just that simple.

So, what once took my hours to organize, read and review, now takes my coffee break.

Competence Moment of the Day: I walked both to and from work for the first time in weeks, which felt fantastic!

But Above All We Must Have This: Competence

2008-02-04T10:26:00.001-08:00

Oh Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! When will you ever learn?

Snowflakes, Snowballs, and Snowmen Pt. 3

2008-02-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

Day 35- Snowflakes, Snowballs and Snowmen Pt. 3

Snowmen are made out of giant snowballs. You roll your snowballs together to different sizes and shapes and then you put them on top of each other to form the head, torso, and base. Deciding how you are going to take care of your debt snowballs is a lot like making a snowball, because you have do decide if your snowball will form the head, torso or base.

Lets look at it this way. I currently hold four debts. My smallest one, I will pay first-thus wiping it out.

Next month when I gather up my snowflakes and snowballs, I will put that same money I spent to wipe out that smallest debt to one of the larger remaining three.

But which debt should I put it toward? That is where I start thinking about my snowman's many parts.

Conventional wisdom says I should put it toward my largest of loans. It is accumulating the most interest and putting more money toward is is most logical. That is the head.

On the other hand, I could put it toward my debt I hold from my family. My folks were so understanding to give me the money. They are not charging me any interest and it is the smallest of the loans. Paying it off immediately would feel so good. Plus I love my folks and want to be out from under their debt. That is paying debt off with my heart-the torso.

Or, I could pay off my Earlham debt. Due to some poor planning and a whimsical May Term trip, I still owe them a good chunk of change. Paying that off immediately would feel really good! That is paying off debt with my gut-The base.

I cannot tell you which part of the snowman you should pay. But there are some snowball calculators which can tell you how much you will pay according to which snowball method you use. If I pay according to the torso or base, I only pay $80 more dollars than if I pay off the head. Is it worth it to me to spend that extra $80 for some peace of mind?

I am not sure yet. But, it is something to ponder about.

Snowflakes, Snowballs, Snowmen Part 2

2008-02-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

Day 34- Snowflakes, Snowballs, Snowmen Part 2

Snowballs. A few days ago, I was reminded of the gag in the cartoons, where the single snowflake rolled down the hill, getting larger and larger until it would crush the antagonist. Often, this chain reaction would be caused by some sort of action the antagonist created in order to trap the protagonist.

Debt can be a lot like the snowball. Something small paid on a credit card could put you in debt, which spirals out of control. JD at Get Rich Slowly wrote about how he easily got $25,000 of debt in a matter of a few years and how it took him 20 years to get out of it.

I am hoping to get my debt under control in less than two decades, especially since I want to go to grad school and what not.

So, if accumulating debt is like a rolling snowball, why not think of snowballs as way to get rid of debt.

In Richmond, I liked throwing snowballs at snowdrifts on roofs. I would throw a couple of balls up there and watch an avalanche come falling down.

So any extra income I may have, I am going to treat as those snowballs and they will, in the end, bring down the debt. Yesterday, I wrote about snowflakes and how they can be created into snowballs the be thrown at debt. But how does that work exactly?

Snowballs seem counter-intuitive. Unlike common practice, which tells us to pay off our largest debts first, snowballs pay off the smallest debts first. And when that debt is finished, you use the exact same money to pay the next smallest, followed by the next smallest and so on and so forth. Finally, you only have your largest debt to pay with no other debt to distract you.

We're In Debt has a list of Snowball Calculators so that you figure out how to exactly pay off your debts.

It sounds easy enough. But being so counter-intuitive, how do I exactly decide which debts to pay off first? I hold so many different types of debt, it is not so easy as just lining them all up. Tomorrow, we will discuss the different schools of snowball camps.

Competence Moment of the Day- Grocery shopping for the month and saving over $17! Make fun of me if you want, but Sunday Morning Coupons are pretty freaking cool.

Snowflakes, Snowballs, Snowmen Part 1

2008-02-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

Day 33-Snowflakes, Snowballs and Snowmen Pt. 1

Snowflakes. Individually, not much on their own, but together, they can make a big impact. Similiarly, we can think about our spare change, odd jobs and windfalls as snowflakes which, when put together, can take a big bite out of debt.

Overall, I owe about $20,000 in debt. Most of that is owed to the government. Some of that, is owed to Earlham to pay for my month in Spain and Morrocco. A small part of that is to my parents, when I had a hard time making ends meet in December. And the tip of the iceberg is to Christine, to make sure the rent check cleared.

Every month, I have built into my spending plan debt payment. This is how much from my income I am willing to spend on debt payments. I make it a point to always pay more than the minimum if I can.

Any new income I get in the month goes directly into my snowflake pile.

Little things I do to snowflake won't make a big difference at all. For instance, the $50 I will get for dog sitting next week would probably not cover the interest on my student loans. And my coin jar would be nothing at all to Earlham. However. Either of those could pay back Christine no problem and leave a nice bit to pay back my parents.

That is the power of the snowflake. Snowflakes can be added together and make a snowball which can be thrown at your debt.

Techniques for snowflaking:

1. Spare Change- I have a sock that I call my sock of snowflakes. Everyday, I empty my pockets of spare and loose change and then I put it in the sock. I then keep it out of sight so that I don't dig into in order to by snacks a the convenience store. Sometimes I put dollars in there, too. The PNC down the street has a Coinstar-like machine that will then add it up and give me cash. For Free!

2. Odd Jobs- Next week, I am picking up two new odd jobs. I am house sitting for a friend of ours and I am also working the polls for the Primary election. Neither pay particularly well. But they are snowflakes for the taking. You can find some more at craigslist.com

3. Tax Rebate- Sure, Congress and President Bush want me to spend it on something shiny. But, if I can take that chucnk of change and pay off a chunk of debt, why shouldn't I?

4. Online Surveys- the good people at paidtwice.com have a list of surveys for fun and profit. They don't pay awesome, and most of the time I haven't qualified for them. But they only take about 10 minutes for a couple of bucks.

Tomorrow we will talk about Snowballs and how to turn your snowflakes into debt relief.
But what about you? What do you do to earn/save some extra money?

Comptence Moment of the Day- I have lost 5 inches off my waist.

Oh Bluerg!

2008-02-01T06:49:00.000-08:00

Weightloss Without a Gimmick

2008-01-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

Day 31- Weightloss Without a Gimmick
At Thanksgiving, my Mom said that she wanted new family portraits taken for Christmas. We went out to the Riverside and had several shots taken. Looking at the pictures afterward, it
was undeniable, I had gained weight.

I wasn't exactly sure how much I had gained since we don't own a scale. But pants I had bought just six months earlier stopped fitting. And my dress shirts just didn't hang on me like they used to.

The last straw was on New Year's Eve. My beloved peacoat did not close. It wasn't even thinking of closing. It was way too small for me by a good two inches.

I knew what I had to do. Loose some weight.

Growing up, I didn't have the most healthy relationship with food. Which is often the case with Middle Class Americans.

When money got tight, I would cheer myself up with eating out. Which made money tighter. Which would stress me out more. Which meant more eating out.

Plus, since giving up being a vegetarian, I stopped being intentional about what I ate and when.

So all that laziness and stress left a big old gut and some puffy cheeks.

I am not going to let that happen again. So this is what I have done to get my eating ritual back into shape.

1. No More Eating Out- What I mean by no more eating out is actually: No more eating out everyday. Preprocessed foods tend to have more fat, more sugar, more salt, more everything! Plus, they are way bigger than they need to be. So, instead of going to Chipotle, I make a burrito at home, which is about 1/4th the size. 1/4th the cost. 1/4th the bad stuff. Instead, I eat out once a week. And I give myself a budget-$7 a week.

2. Track every calorie- With all those gimmick diets out there, it is no wonder people are confused about what to eat. Good Carbs, Bad Carbs; Medeterranian, South Beach, Scandinavian. There is a simple way to lose weight and feel good. Eat less calories than you consume. thedailyplate.com is a great way to track your meals and exercise. It tells you how many calories you can eat in a day and then how many you have left to eat today. It then subtracts your exercise for the day and then gives you handy charts, marking your progress. I learned those $8 chipotle meals I was eating everyday was the equivalent to what I should have been eating in a day and a half!

3. Exercise according to my needs- I don't have a subscription to a fancy gym. It doesn't fit into my time or financial budgets. But, I do walk the route to and from work almost every day. That is an Hour and a Half of walking a day. And since I don't have a lot of time and I am out of shape, I don't make myself work out more than five minutes a day.

4. Snowflake exercise- The other day, I introduced you to the idea of snowflaking your debt away. This is snowflaking your way into health. Everyday I have a series of good old fashioned exercises: situps, pushups, jumping jacks, etc. Everyday, I add one more than the day before. I get a little bit stronger each day and I can see and feel concrete growth.

5. Water- Water is the ulitmate energy drink. It keeps hunger at bay, it makes you feel refreshed, it keeps you energized, it flushes toxins. Instead of the four cups of coffee I have been drinking at work, I have my morning cup and then keep a pint glass constantly full. Refilling the glass also gets me a way from the computer and phone.

Pretty easy. Its all about the small steps toward success, not the big leaps. Already, I am feeling better and my clothes fit me again. and seeing the concrete success means I am motivated to keep going without getting discouraged.

Comptence Highlight of the Day-Completing 30 pushups!!!! Something that seemed impossible a month and a half ago.

Financial Order

2008-01-29T06:41:00.000-08:00

Day 29-Getting Your Finances in Order

Getting your finances in order can be a huge job, especially right out of school. Living on your own for the first time means big new responsibilities. Even folks living on their own for a while can struggle. But if you take things one step at a time and keep your self together, it can start running on its own.

So, now that it is almost the end of January, here are some tips:

1. Get your 2008 Credit Report- According to law, you are allowed one free credit report a year, so you might as well take it. Getting your credit report can be extremely helpful. www.annualcreditreport.com will get you in touch with the three major credit report companies. I got mine. Not only did they not have my new address, but I also found out I owed *a lot* more to the Department of Education for my student loans than I had thought. That made me rethink my budgeting plan.

2.Track every Penny- I dusted off my old quicken account but I also looked into Mint.com and wesabe.com. I personally liked the ease of quicken. But Mint and wesabe both had really neat functions. Knowing exactly where my money goes allows me to reassess my priorities. (Did I really need that forth burrito from Chipotle?)

3. Make a budget- There are two schools of how to make a budget. One involves planning ahead and deciding how much you are willing to spend in the next day, week, month, year on different things. The other involves tracking your spending and reacting to your needs. I personally like the latter. While I wish I were more proactive, I am also not psychic. I cannot correctly assess how much I will spend next week on things and I like to freedom to be able to spend if I can. I do set goals however. To keep track of my budget goals, I took the advice of J.D. at Get Rich Slowly with a Spending plan.

4. Snowballs and Snowflakes- One image that would always make me laugh when I was little was when, in the cartoons, a single snowflake would fall of a tree and roll down a hill getting larger and larger. First, it would be pea sized, the golf ball, then baseball, basketball. It would get bigger and bigger, and faster and faster. Until it was huge! And it would crush the villain. Debt can be a lot like that. Debt relief can be a lot like that too. Put any extra income you may receive directly to debt relief. Those snowflakes might not seem like a lot. But, snowflakes can become big things. Check out I've Paid For This Twice Already... for a great primer on snowflaking your debt away.

With successfully accomplishing goals 1, 2, and 3, I have found goal 4 much easier to accomplish.

Competence Moment Highlight- Treating myself to a burrito after two weeks of not eating out.

"Heroic Competence"

2008-01-28T07:03:00.000-08:00

Heroic Competence- Day 28

When I told my co-workers the other day that I have started down the "long, arduous road toward competency", it was just a joke at first. I liked the way it sounded. Anything that long and that arduous should result in something beyond "just competency". It should result in something heroic and profound.

But after the meeting, one of my coworkers came up to me and said, "You know, when you say that you are heading toward competency, you make people think you are not competent."

"I know," I said. "It is just a joke."

But not quite. There are plenty of things I am competent at. I can cook a mean Macaroni and Cheese Casserole. And I am going on my twentieth year able to tie my own shoes. And I am pretty good at a million other things.

But, other things, I am not competent at. And this is the point of my project.

In Season 3 of "The Simpsons", there is an episode called "Homer Defined" where Homer saves Springfield from a nuclear disaster. He is given an award by Mr. Burns for "Heroic Competence".
Homer is treated as a hero until he needs to repeat his display of heroics in nearby Shelbyville. When people learn that he randomly selected a button through "Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe" he is revealed as the fraud he is. However, his dumb luck is lauded as he is finally defined- not as a hero, nor as stupid, but simply lucky.

I am not calling myself a fraud, at all. If anything, I have been riding life out by quick wits and luck. But how nice would it be if I weren't late because I couldn't find my keys. Or shocked once again when a check overdraws my account. Or frustrated because my clothes don't fit right.

So, lets all strive for some Heroic Competence. Not demanding perfection at all times. Or outrageous feats of strength and skill. But just making it through another day where you feel in control.

Competent Highlight of the Day: Blazer that didn't fit two weeks ago now fits! (With some squeezing)

The Road Toward Competency

2008-01-27T06:13:00.000-08:00

Day 27- The New blog

My name is Alex. My life is going well. I live in Washington, DC with a wonderful partner named Christine and six awesome housemates. I have just finished college. I have an amazing job living out my passions. Life is good and I have no major complaints.

But, even as I told myself that over the last few months, there was always a searing ball of dread, guilt, anxiety, and fear. While things were great on the outside, I was a mess on the inside.

My finances were in tatters. I wasn't happy with my body. Deadlines were piling up at work. I had lost track with many of my best friends outside of DC. Things were just generally a mess-both literally and metaphorically.

So, on Dec. 28, 2007, I made a New Year's Resolution. Which became two. Which became five. Which became a dozen. Which became two dozen.

Why so many? I had been reading many blogs telling me if you just say, "Get my finances in order", NYRs don't just happen like a genie's wish. You have to make them happen. So, "get my finances in order" was followed up by: Balance My Checkbook, Pay off Loans On-Time, and Watch My Spending.

I did this strategic planning for every goal.

And I have been reading blogs on finance for young people, organization, time management, and healthy living.

And I am going to condense them here. For all of us to share.

I am on the Road Toward Competency. Would you like to come along?