One of the ways I've been able to fit into a 625 square foot apartment comfortably with a child is by owning less stuff. But, sometimes, I still need that stuff. Enter the idea of collaborative consumption. Instead of everyone on the block each owning a lawnmower we own one in common and take turns sharing. It isn't as convenient as having your own everything, but, with the right sharers it can be pretty easy and save you thousands of dollars a year.
Here are some places that can help you get started on your free/cheap/barter journey:
ThredUp - Instead of buying new or saving your old clothes for your next baby try this website. You can swap clothes and toys with other moms online avoiding the need to store unused stuff in your house.
BabyPlays - This is a toy rental service similar to Netflix. For a monthly fee you can rent toys and return them when your kids get tired of playing with them. Great way to avoid having a bunch of outgrown toys laying around.
Kid-to-Kid - Find a children's consignment store in your area. I love this particular chain because the quality is pretty consistent no matter where you go.
PaperbackSwap - I've been a member of this website, and its sister site SwapaDVD, for years and I love it. Great way to get rid of books or movies you don't like and don't anticipate using again.
Hulu - This is by far my favorite website to watch free TV and movies online. My kid loves old cartoons from the 80's, they've got plenty of full series available there, and I love cheesy sci-fi -- which they've got in abundance. They also have a Hulu+ subscription service which offers access to some popular TV shows and movies that aren't streaming for free.
Freecycle - If you haven't heard of this you're missing out bigtime. Have something you want to get rid of but don't think you can sell? Try Freecycle, there's sure to be someone looking to turn your trash into their treasure.
Project Gutenberg - I'm slowly switching over to ebooks and this website is one of my favorites for downloading free literature. You can read them on your smartphone, tablet, ebook reader, laptop, desktop or iPod.
Skype - The best thing ever for free video calls around the world. Great for folks (like me) who live hundreds of miles away from the grandparents.
Zipcar - This is the nationwide carsharing service run by Hertz, but if you're looking for something a little less corporate just google "carsharing" and your city and to find out who's got what.
The Sharehood - A great website for connecting with people in your neighborhood who are also interested in sharing stuff.
BarterQuest - Got something (a skill or an item) to share and you know what -- not how much $ -- you want in exchange? Check out this website for peer to peer bartering opportunities.
Peer to Peer Lending - I love this idea. For when you need cash, but don't want to deal with a nameless faceless banking institution. Put a borrower profile up on one of these sites and make a connection with someone who wants to help. Zopa, Lending Club, and Prosper.
If you have any more resources please leave them in the comments.
Namaste,
Ani
Showing posts with label financial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label financial. Show all posts
Taking a Break From Consumerism: April 10th
Here is my "Taking a Break From Consumerism" update for this week.
$1.75 Bus Fare
$18.77 Food Costs
I didn't realize until last night that I really hadn't spent much last week. We took the bus home from the park on Thursday & had a 'pizza party' Saturday night with a few friends.
If you're participating feel free to post your week one results in the comments section, or link up to your blog post with you results.
Namaste,
Ani
$1.75 Bus Fare
$18.77 Food Costs
I didn't realize until last night that I really hadn't spent much last week. We took the bus home from the park on Thursday & had a 'pizza party' Saturday night with a few friends.
If you're participating feel free to post your week one results in the comments section, or link up to your blog post with you results.
Namaste,
Ani
Our Simple Vegan Pantry
 |
| Simple Moroccan Seasoned Root Veggies. |
- Baking
- Flour
- Whole Wheat
- Unbleached
- Bread
- Cornmeal
- Sugar
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Cocoa Powder
- Cornstarch
- Flax Meal
- Yeast
- Vanilla Extract
- Soy Milk
- Spices
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
- Curry Powder
- Dried Pepper Flakes
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cumin
- Powdered Ginger
- Chili Powder
- Dried Herbs
- Basil
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Bay Leaves
- General
- Dried Beans
- Split Peas
- Black Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Pinto Beans
- Canned tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable Oil
- Vegetable Bouillon
- Rice
- Pasta
- Rice Noodles
- Peanut Butter
- Raisins
- Dried Cranberries
- Kalamata Olives
- White vinegar
- Vegan (canola) Mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Soy Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Agave Syrup
- Tofu
- Oatmeal
- Grits
- Applesauce
- Fresh Produce
You'll probably notice that almost every item on that list has less than three ingredients. We very rarely eat convenience foods, but when we do Amy's is our go to brand. Baking and making sauces/dressings from scratch allows me to know exactly what goes into our food as well as save a tremendous amount of money.
Namaste,
Ani
The Benefits of Living Small
The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
~Maya Angelou
Many people ask me how I have been able to stay home with my son as a single mom who isn't on welfare and doesn't get alimony payments. It wasn't an easy transition, but it was a simple one. I had to re-evaluate my life and get rid of all the extraneous while holding on to what really mattered to me. That is being a mom and an individual.
I certainly didn't want to spend 10 hours a day at work only to rush to pick my son up from daycare just a few moments before he went to bed for the night, just to create the illusion that I was keeping up with the Joneses. That is no kind of life. At least it is no kind of life for me. To create a life that I actually wanted to live I needed to make some big changes.
I took a long hard look at my life and what I wanted to get from it. I wasn't throwing big dinner parties. I wasn't hosting overnight guests. I was spending nearly 70% of my monthly budget on housing, most of which I didn't even use. It was then that I decided to get rid of much of my stuff and move into a smaller home.
We are able to live quite comfortably in a smaller home. There is less maintenance and the extra room in my budget has allowed me to weather emergencies that would have otherwise sent me scurrying back into the rat race. We have less stuff, which means less stuff to maintain. Choosing a smaller home also means we can live closer to the center of the city which allows me to be carfree while having access to parks, public transportation and plenty of cultural activities for my son.
However, the biggest benefit of all has been that these last four years have been spent with my family and I wouldn't trade any amount of space for that!
Namaste,
Ani
Take a Walk
The less I own the less stress I feel. Six weeks ago I made the decision to get rid of my car. I don't live in a city with the greatest public transportation system, although it does have several different types available, but I have very rarely regretted the decision to sell the belonging which had been the biggest drain on my time.
In fact my life has been enriched in four very meaningful ways.
1.) I've gained a renewed appreciation of nature by walking everywhere I need to go.
2.) I've gained respect for my personal time because trips take so much planning and forethought I only spend my time going places I really want to end up at.
3.) I've gained time with my son. When we walk places together he gets to ask me questions about what he sees, tell me a story, or just sing me a song. There is no radio or traffic to distract us from each other.
4.) I've gained financial flexibility. I no longer need to work more to sustain an object that sits idle for 90% of my time. No taxes. No car washes. No trips to the mechanic. No registration fees. No gasoline. No insurance payments.
As a single parent I believe that the best way to spend more time with my child is to spend more time with my child. My journey reflects that priority. I hope that all of your lives reflect your priorities as well.
Namaste,
Ani
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
