they work in the winter, too. Many people, even those who use a line during the warmer months, seem to be programmed to think that they “need the dryer to dry clothes in the winter.”

You don’t. They dry at least as well in the winter inside on a rack or line as they do in the summer.

re: car conventional wisdom

there is a huge group of people that have been convinced that they need to trade their car after 7 years. You really don’t–if you have a reliable model and keep it up (that means more than just oil and gas) it can last a LOT longer. I’ve noticed that many of my women acquaintances are particularly

In my own case, I choose to keep a 16 year old Honda Accord that I bought for $3200 9 years ago and which is doing great. It’s fully paid for and never lets me down. It’s probably got a good 4 years left in it.

Re the laundry issue: I’m allergic to perfumes and dyes in detergents, too; I use 1/2 a cup of vinegar in the rinse of my washer. It gets rid of soap residue and it’s a great fabric softener, and no smell! Works wonders.

It all boils down to instant gratification. We want it and we want it NOW! We can’t entertain ourselves, we have to have that in-your-face excitement (TV, movies…). It’s what society tells us we need. Want to create a lot of mayhem? bring down the cable lines. People wouldn’t know what to do without it.

We are so wasteful and take so much for granted. Just one flush of the toilet sends more water down the drain than an average person has in 13 of the poorest countries. I wish I was able to dry my clothes/linens on a line. The next best thing is my rack. It saves my clothes. I use the dryer too but it shrinks things. One thing I really like are the dryer balls. I don’t know if anyone has seen them or tried them but they really cut down on the drying time. I think they work better if you have 4 of them though. I got mine at a junk store and they were only $2. They also take away the static without dryer sheets.

I think this is a great idea. He’s teaching his son some valuabel lessons about survival too. He will grow up to apreciate things. And things like juice should be treats anyway. Even 100% juice isn’t very healty, it’s got a lot of sugar. Eating an apple is much better. And, it’s recomended that juice be limited to 1 c. a day anyway.

In Australia it is normal to line-dry clothes and unusual to use an electric dryer – I’ve never owned a clothes dryer!

We only drink water and milk normally. We make our own juices (like they did in the old days) by picking fresh fruit in the fall (free from friends and family) to make juice to can and freeze. Blueberry and crabapple juice combined are to die for!

We grocery shop once a week because we need perishables. Our farmer’s market is mega-expensive, so we don’t shop there. Our grocery bill has been $10cdn/day for 3 people for a long time. I think Trent’s goal is really reasonable. It will take searching for some healthy cheap recipes, but it’s doable. I have to deal with cholesterol and allergy issues, so I know it can be done.

We only do free activities and love it. Our kids are grown, so I haven’t been reading outloud lately. I miss it and am thinking of trying it with my husband.

We only use the dryer for one load a week. I hang dry my clothes in the basement off plastic hangers on the cold water pipe. I’ve been doing it for years. I figure it saves about $20/mth. in electricity.

Our problem is eating out. We opt for coffee, lunch, breakfast or dessert. We rarely go for a full meal. Too much food and too expensive. We find cheap places to eat, like mall food courts, where coffee can be as little as $1 (or 63 cents if you’re a senior), and a snack is about the same. If I really feel decadent, I’ll make a cheesecake (from healthy ingredients), slice it and slip folded wax paper between the slices, and slip it in the freezer. That way I have cheesecake and coffee for at least a week for a fraction of the cost of going to a cafe for it.

Our downfall is hobbies, but that can be covered by disciplined garage saling and swapping with like minded friends. People often try things and then find out they don’t want to do it. They are more than happy to unload their stuff onto someone else, especially if it’s in exchange for something they want to try. I do this often with a group of senior ladies I meet several times a week. I am not a senior myself.

I’ve never lived in a house with A/C. I don’t have cable. I’m still alive and enjoying it thank-you.

And community meals? They are a blast! Ours are held at the community center. But I make a point of attending all the ones at our church. I’m finding people more sensitive to restricted diets these days. Our meals often include salad with dressings on the side, and fruit trays. I think it’s a case of checking out the different places to see who is more health conscious.

Far and away the largest budget killers other then obvious big ticket toy purchases are cars and eating out. I save well over 400$ a month simply by driving old used cars when I could “afford” brand new high dollar cars. And though common wisdom seems to reject the concept, you really *can* fit a family of 4 in a regular car. You don’t need a giant 15 mpg SUV for an average family.

Hopefully I can avoid eating out even though I spent close to $50 last month. I know that money could go toward my travel fund or self-improvement fund (for art classes).

In the winter, I hang the clothes on lines in the basement. For those that are concerned about stiffness, yes your jeans may be stiff for the first couple minutes of wearing. Liquid fabric softener takes the stiffness out of most everything else.

As far as limiting your shopping, if you keep a well stocked pantry or emergency food storage, you will rarely run out of anything. I have enough food stocked that except for dairy & fresh vegetables we could eat for at least 3 months on without having to go to the store. Trent – perhaps you could do an article about stocking up on food.

–I’d love to have a freezer.
–I’d really love to be able to hang my clothes outside. I think it’s really funny to read some of the reactions. I hang dry some of my clothes indoors, but they smell really good when hung outside.
–I already have the $14 cable package. I would drop it if it weren’t for my dad.
–I am also trying to reduce my a/c usage. It’s going to be a challenge.
–I am switching to a more vegetarian lifestyle since the price of meats makes me sick anymore.

Alas I’m an apartment dweller.

–Travel more Trent!

DB

My parents go to these all the time! It’s usually things like the pancake breakfast at the fire station, or the breakfasts and BBQs at the VFW or KoC, etc.

Plus they make use of the different seniors programs and their lunches. They are in their 70s, but from time to time they take me. They pay $2 whereas I pay $5 for a basic, balanced lunch that reminds me of school lunches.

Trent is not talking about going to a soup kitchen and taking food from the homeless, he’s talking about community suppers like church potlucks and such. I think it’s a great idea and it made me think maybe I should find some of these myself. Who knows, I might even make new friends there.

DB