I don't post on The Non-Consumer Advocate very often, but I do read it all the time. I did post today though, on "Five Frugal Things." I am the keeper of the gift bags in my family. This year I made sure to tell both my sisters and mom to not buy any gift bags. Instead my bin made the rounds. A couple of them came loose at the seams so I'm going to glue those back. I also used maps to wrap my nephew's gifts. I've been using them since he was little, and since he's a senior in high school, it seemed fitting to use the last of them. We scaled down Christmas due to a very expensive year and also because none of us really need/want much. This year we had big medical bills, a new roof, new gutters, tree work, and a new car. Dh and I only exchanged stockings, which consisted of candy and 3 books each. I bought my books off Thriftbooks, while dh chose to patronize an independent bookstore. One frugal, one not, but both wins t...
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Showing posts from December, 2024
Changing landscape--literally
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We moved into our home over 20 years ago. One of the nicest parts has always been the privacy behind our home. We live in a rural area not too far outside the city limits of our small town. We only have a small piece of land, but behind us was pastureland that was empty most of the time and a wooded area. It was gorgeous. We live in a corner of our neighborhood and I've always thought we had the nicest backyard. Not fancy. We don't have a pool like most of the other homes. But because we had this nicely shaded, private area behind our home. And then a few weeks ago, the landowner behind us decided it was time to rip it all down. And I mean ALL. There was no select-cutting, which I can get behind because it can be good for the biodiversity of the land. No, pretty much every tree is gone now. And to get the huge machinery onto his land, the owner needed to go through the adjoining landowner's land. ...
Control
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I do not like to be out of control. I don't need to control other people, but I do have the need to control my life. I realized a while back that's why I don't like to fly. If something "goes wrong" there's not a damn thing I can do about it. I just have to sit there and take my fate. Never mind that there's a very small chance of something going wrong. The election results and the ensuing horror of the 4 years to come, not to mention the repercussions for years after that? Out of my control, but going to affect people I love. My mom needing chemo for the second time in her life, and having some serious side effects from it? Out of my control. And that's why I enjoy decluttering and organizing. The control over my own life. I can make sure my home feels less chaotic and not one single person can stop me. (I mean, I have a husband I consult with, but we are pretty much a team.) I also like being pr...