Wait, what?
Breanna, you just spent two posts telling us not to buy paper plates and to mend socks. What are you talking about, spending money now?
Well, some things are worth having in place. Nothing I'm telling you to buy will cost very much, and they might make a big difference in how comfortable you are during a depression. (See, get it? Comfortable? See how comfortable she's looking? Yeah, well, I just had to use the photos I had on hand, okay?)
And winter boots, if you live where that's needed. I have a pair of Sketchers (style #2250) that I've had for almost two years now and they're still going strong. They're extremely comfortable, sturdy, go well with most things, and I could run from a bear in them. I could also, more to the point, do a lot more walking if gasoline became so expensive that I didn't want to drive to the post office, store, or bank. (Well, actually if that happened *here*, I would probably at least be riding my bike to those things, because they are five miles away.)
The point is that it's hard to make good decisions when your feet and back hurt. Invest in some good shoes now, and then take care of them.
(This will be a frequent refrain in this post. It's only an investment to buy quality items if you then take the time to maintain them: treat your boots with neatsfoot oil, don't put your elastic items in the dryer, oil things that need to be oiled, sew up small rips, superglue what needs to be superglued, take things in out of the sun/rain/snow, etc.)
2. Take care of your teeth.
If you can afford to see a dentist and get any issues worked out, do. But if you can't, I'll bet you can afford this simple and inexpensive system. Even if you can afford regular dentist visits, you should still try it. Nobody wants to have a lot of cavities to be filled, right?
Teeth are important because inflammation in your mouth can cause trouble through your entire body. And again, it's hard to make good decisions or do the hard work that some of us are going to have to do when you have a toothache and can't eat properly because of it.
3. Tune up your bicycle.
Most people probably have one. I do, but the tires are flat and the handlebars were off because that's how the movers packed it. Last weekend we put the handlebars on; I will pump up the tires and get myself a helmet soon.
If you don't have a bike, or if riding a bike would be too uncomfortable for you, consider an adult-sized tricycle (which often has a shopping basket, handy) or a recumbent bike. You might be able to find a good deal on these things on Craigslist or Ebay.
Personally, apart from the fact that I really like riding a bike, I know that in dire circumstances I would rather ride a bike (I have a trailer for the kids) to a friend's house or to the post office than I would walk. You will have to evaluate your own circumstances. If you'd rather walk to the post office, then take the time and money you'd spend on making your bike street-ready and put them toward something else.
4. Cloth diapers and/or other products.
TMI alert-- males may want to skip to the next item.
Cloth diapers may seem like an investment up front, but think about the fact that disposables cost about $10 for a pack that lasts a week. In five weeks, my favorite inexpensive cloth option will have paid for itself. I bought two of the packs like the ones I linked to (only it didn't include a wet bag back then). I've used the diapers on three kids. Only two have frayed enough to be unusable.
I also use hankies, only buying kleenex when we've got colds and go through a ridiculous amount of snot-wipery. Hankies are a good deal if you can get them in the men's department. Pretty little ladies' hankies are fun, and I take them to church, but they don't do a great job actually wiping up allergic/baby noses. (If you want to get pretty hankies, look at Goodwill. Sometimes you luck out and someone has cleaned out all Grandma's 1960s drawers.)
This is the TMI part - I also don't buy any disposable monthly products for myself, for a couple of reasons. One is that it's terribly expensive. The other is that I'm sensitive to the chemicals in disposable products and it makes my PMS, cramps, and other things a lot worse when I use a disposable.
So what do I use? These and this. I haven't bought disposables in years. (No. It isn't any grosser than washing a hankie that you've used to mop up a bloody nose. Nope, they don't stink. Nope, they are not uncomfortable. Much more comfortable, actually.)
5. Tools to make your life easier.
I'm not talking about a rototiller. I'm talking a shovel, okay? If you look around and you lack a basic set of hand tools, basic cooking implements, or basic hand sewing implements, you probably want to look into getting some of these. And getting a book from the library on how to use them. Wouldn't it be silly to not have a presentable shirt because you don't know how to sew on a button, or you don't have a needle to do it with?
You'll notice I'm not telling you to buy bread machines, laundry mangles, guns, or anything foolish like that.
So let's say you have some extra money, no debts, and you've already got all of the above. What then?
Here's a few items I consider to be luxury options, but nice if you have the money.
1. A water filter like this one. This might not be as important if your water is pretty clean anyway, but it gives me peace of mind in mining country to filter the water that we get from local wells. (They are not *our* wells, they are wells that we pay to have access to.) The advantages of the filter I linked to is that it lasts for many, many, many years, and the filters themselves are cleanable-and-reusable. I hope I don't need to point out you should not be buying bottled water, right?
2. Some reference books. Like a cookbook that doesn't count on coupons to get costs down, a good clothing repair book, a gardening book of one kind or another, and a home repair/fix-it manual. If money is tight, all of these can be borrowed from the library, but having them at home sure is handy.
3. Labor to put in larger projects like a clothesline, a rain barrel, extra insulation, or even just projects you've been meaning to get to.
4. New tires, a tune up, or other maintenance for your car.
5. Clothing like long underwear, a really good coat, gloves, wool socks, or heavy jeans. Like I said, luxuries. Don't panic if you don't have these things. But if you can get them, or if you see them at the thrift store, they sure do make keeping the furnace low in the winter more doable.
We'll have some easier tips in the next post. Until then, keep your chin up! Ought to be easy, now that I've got "Double Rainbow" stuck in your head.
Cheers,
Breanna
Breanna, you just spent two posts telling us not to buy paper plates and to mend socks. What are you talking about, spending money now?
On to the list!
1. Good walking shoes.And winter boots, if you live where that's needed. I have a pair of Sketchers (style #2250) that I've had for almost two years now and they're still going strong. They're extremely comfortable, sturdy, go well with most things, and I could run from a bear in them. I could also, more to the point, do a lot more walking if gasoline became so expensive that I didn't want to drive to the post office, store, or bank. (Well, actually if that happened *here*, I would probably at least be riding my bike to those things, because they are five miles away.)
The point is that it's hard to make good decisions when your feet and back hurt. Invest in some good shoes now, and then take care of them.
(This will be a frequent refrain in this post. It's only an investment to buy quality items if you then take the time to maintain them: treat your boots with neatsfoot oil, don't put your elastic items in the dryer, oil things that need to be oiled, sew up small rips, superglue what needs to be superglued, take things in out of the sun/rain/snow, etc.)
If you can afford to see a dentist and get any issues worked out, do. But if you can't, I'll bet you can afford this simple and inexpensive system. Even if you can afford regular dentist visits, you should still try it. Nobody wants to have a lot of cavities to be filled, right?
Teeth are important because inflammation in your mouth can cause trouble through your entire body. And again, it's hard to make good decisions or do the hard work that some of us are going to have to do when you have a toothache and can't eat properly because of it.
(Double rainbow all the way across the sky...so intense! Really. In my front yard.)
Most people probably have one. I do, but the tires are flat and the handlebars were off because that's how the movers packed it. Last weekend we put the handlebars on; I will pump up the tires and get myself a helmet soon.
If you don't have a bike, or if riding a bike would be too uncomfortable for you, consider an adult-sized tricycle (which often has a shopping basket, handy) or a recumbent bike. You might be able to find a good deal on these things on Craigslist or Ebay.
Personally, apart from the fact that I really like riding a bike, I know that in dire circumstances I would rather ride a bike (I have a trailer for the kids) to a friend's house or to the post office than I would walk. You will have to evaluate your own circumstances. If you'd rather walk to the post office, then take the time and money you'd spend on making your bike street-ready and put them toward something else.
4. Cloth diapers and/or other products.
TMI alert-- males may want to skip to the next item.
Cloth diapers may seem like an investment up front, but think about the fact that disposables cost about $10 for a pack that lasts a week. In five weeks, my favorite inexpensive cloth option will have paid for itself. I bought two of the packs like the ones I linked to (only it didn't include a wet bag back then). I've used the diapers on three kids. Only two have frayed enough to be unusable.
I also use hankies, only buying kleenex when we've got colds and go through a ridiculous amount of snot-wipery. Hankies are a good deal if you can get them in the men's department. Pretty little ladies' hankies are fun, and I take them to church, but they don't do a great job actually wiping up allergic/baby noses. (If you want to get pretty hankies, look at Goodwill. Sometimes you luck out and someone has cleaned out all Grandma's 1960s drawers.)
This is the TMI part - I also don't buy any disposable monthly products for myself, for a couple of reasons. One is that it's terribly expensive. The other is that I'm sensitive to the chemicals in disposable products and it makes my PMS, cramps, and other things a lot worse when I use a disposable.
So what do I use? These and this. I haven't bought disposables in years. (No. It isn't any grosser than washing a hankie that you've used to mop up a bloody nose. Nope, they don't stink. Nope, they are not uncomfortable. Much more comfortable, actually.)
5. Tools to make your life easier.
I'm not talking about a rototiller. I'm talking a shovel, okay? If you look around and you lack a basic set of hand tools, basic cooking implements, or basic hand sewing implements, you probably want to look into getting some of these. And getting a book from the library on how to use them. Wouldn't it be silly to not have a presentable shirt because you don't know how to sew on a button, or you don't have a needle to do it with?
You'll notice I'm not telling you to buy bread machines, laundry mangles, guns, or anything foolish like that.
So let's say you have some extra money, no debts, and you've already got all of the above. What then?
Here's a few items I consider to be luxury options, but nice if you have the money.
1. A water filter like this one. This might not be as important if your water is pretty clean anyway, but it gives me peace of mind in mining country to filter the water that we get from local wells. (They are not *our* wells, they are wells that we pay to have access to.) The advantages of the filter I linked to is that it lasts for many, many, many years, and the filters themselves are cleanable-and-reusable. I hope I don't need to point out you should not be buying bottled water, right?
2. Some reference books. Like a cookbook that doesn't count on coupons to get costs down, a good clothing repair book, a gardening book of one kind or another, and a home repair/fix-it manual. If money is tight, all of these can be borrowed from the library, but having them at home sure is handy.
3. Labor to put in larger projects like a clothesline, a rain barrel, extra insulation, or even just projects you've been meaning to get to.
4. New tires, a tune up, or other maintenance for your car.
5. Clothing like long underwear, a really good coat, gloves, wool socks, or heavy jeans. Like I said, luxuries. Don't panic if you don't have these things. But if you can get them, or if you see them at the thrift store, they sure do make keeping the furnace low in the winter more doable.
We'll have some easier tips in the next post. Until then, keep your chin up! Ought to be easy, now that I've got "Double Rainbow" stuck in your head.
Cheers,
Breanna
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