My kinda gal.
09 May 2011 Leave a Comment
Very cute/fun/educational/crafty/informative website on the cheap.
They say November is blog month…
29 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment
in resources Tags: christmas, resources, why am i doing this
And for some reason I haven’t blogged once this month 
I am sorry for my absence. I have a few blogs in the making, but they involve making an item and I wanted to wait until I could post the before/after shots. Hopefully by next weekend because they will be great for Christmastime. One thing I did want to share though immediately was information about the Help Portrait Project. I just received an email about it today and thought it was a beautiful idea. There is a video on YouTube that gives an overview of the project.
There was a quote on the website I felt was particularly important, “Poverty steals a lot of things, like your home and car and food, but it also steals something on the inside.” Projects like the Help Portrait really address some of the self-esteem and psychological issues that poverty creates. I wouldn’t have had any idea this project was going on if I wasn’t involved in anti-poverty measures, which is really too bad. This project deserves a lot of promotion. I will definitely be telling my clients about it and I hope you will let others know too.
Week 2: Magic Jacks and Cat Trees.
03 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in daily trials & tribulations, resources Tags: a day in the life, resources, tips
So, week 2 has come to a quick end and the long weekend of Labour Day is upon us. This week was better than the last, I think, because I had some ideas of what my next steps should be. Week one was a lot of reading of manuals/government papers/etc. but this week I got to begin some projects. I’m still in the phase of collecting community resources so that I can have answers for my clients when they say “I can’t go because…” One of the first activities that I had to advertise for the community was a Money Smart course which teaches the basics of banking. How to open a checking account, what the fine print in credit card statements say, how to repair your credit. Seemingly basic practices that a lot of people just don’t know/understand. But stuff that is integral to being financially sound in society. So, I put up some flyers around the public housing community and hopefully we can get a few people to sign up for that class. Next up is seeing if anyone in the community would be willing to volunteer themselves as a childcare provider so that single parents are able to get out of the house and go to these events.
The rest of my week revolved around purchasing a telephone at Target so I could use my Magic Jack that my mom’s friend got me. I also had to find a solution to the cats scratching up my chairs, and get the car checked over. Everyone’s favourite “Check Engine” light came on and I needed a new tire.
Well, the Magic Jack has been amazing. For $40 you get a device that truly is magical. You plug it in to your USB and within 5 minutes you have a phone number and can use your telephone via your broadband connection. Perfect, because my cell plan is for texting only. Well, while I was under Target’s tantalizing spell I decided to check out their pet section. I ended up succumbing to their marketing and I purchased a small cat tree for $27. So far the cats have shown more interest in the box it came in, so hopefully that changes. I had spent the week looking for a free cat tree on freecycle and craigslist but I was concerned about fleas/smells/etc. that were going to come with a used cat piece.
While I was waiting for my tire appointment I met this “homeless” guy on a walk through the local artist community. I say “homeless” because that was what he told me, so I have no idea if there is truth to the label he chose for himself, or to what degree he was in fact homeless. Either way, it was an interesting exchange. I was taking pictures of the neighbourhood’s colourful houses and he made some comment. Well, I responded and told him what I was doing and then he was adamant about showing me this paper mache cow they had a few blocks away. Well, truth be told, I’m not one to walk down the street and make small talk with strangers–regardless of their housing status. However, we walked and talked and he shared his feelings on Christianity and his situation. I told him that he should go and help himself at the nearby offices if he is in need of bus vouchers or food/etc. I think part of him wanted to go get the items, but part of him was just too fed up with the procedure, or really didn’t feel like jumping through the hoops that day. Fair enough, but it was a reminder that we can’t help those that don’t want to be helped.
Eating Healthily, Locally.
12 Jul 2010 1 Comment
in resources, Uncategorized Tags: major research project (mrp), resources, tips
I came across another guide to eating cheaply, Eating Locally on a Budget . While some of the ideas I think we all are aware of like, “don’t go to the grocery store when hungry,” Ms. Bravo has also shared some other great tips that I thought are worth writing about here so I/you can reference them later.
A few of the key ones I need to take advantage of:
6. Walk around the farmers’ market before you buy anything to compare prices. I most definitely need to hit up the farmers’ market in my new town. I am lucky to be moving to a place that has a much longer growing season, so I am hoping that this will be reflected in the cost and availability of food. I shall be visiting roadside stands and farmer’s markets frequently. Hopefully I will be able to supplement my actual grocery shopping visits with these stops.
14. Embrace rice and beans! Luckily for me, I love rice and beans and cheese type dishes. Love them! So this will be less difficult for me to continue to adhere to. I am even going to try my hand at creating my own refried beans from dried beans.
Yum. All this talk of food has made me hungry.
In other news I have reached critical mass on my major research paper. I am in the final editing stages with the hope of completion within a week (it is due July 27th). Very excited, very nervous.
Frugal Giving
08 Jul 2010 2 Comments
in resources Tags: christmas, gifts, resources, tips
As you will eventually see, I love making things, upcycling, recycling, freecycling. I find crafting and being creative can make your money go a lot further. It is my plan in the coming months to furnish my new apartment in used furniture that has been revamped. I have been scouring crafting blogs for the last few months and found many great tips to turn a $3 chair into something very unique and awesome for very little money. When I finally arrive in my new digs I will have a better idea of what I will have to work with and craft accordingly…posting before an after shots of course.
So, this brings me to gift giving. I love giving handmade gifts when possible. It is often affordable, but also much more meaningful, than simply purchasing something from the store that you aren’t even sure your recipient is going to like! This year I am sure my holiday budget is going to be even more skint than in previous years. However, I love giving gifts and don’t want to let a bit of frugality limit my gift giving when it comes to Christmas/The Holidays.
Therefore, like with my other “resources” I will be updating links and ideas that come along for my files and future use. December is still a few months away, so this project would be something that could be started in the near future: Off the List’s Homemade Vanilla Extract . I think these would be a great, affordable gift for co-workers or friends who like baking, especially if you gave it to them a few weeks before the holidays so they could use it in their holiday baked goods.
A Brief Update: Public Housing & Lentils
02 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in resources Tags: resources, tips
I just wanted to make a quick post citing a reference and a “development” in my housing situation. The first was merely to add another resource so that in the future I can easily access it. I have spent this morning checking out Fab Frugal Food. The recipes look absolutely scrumptious. I am most interested in the Lentil Sloppy Joes, a spin on a great comfort food recipe. Yum. Recently in my quest to collect frugal and inexpensive recipes I have decided that I need to start purchasing dried goods: like dried beans instead of canned, or in this case, dried lentils. From my experiences you will get way more food for your money, and unlike their canned counterparts the bagged goods will last way longer. Once you open a can of black beans, you pretty much have to use them up right away or face wasting them. I do currently use the plastic lids for opened canned goods, but the shelf life of an open item is still going to be much less than a bag of dried goods.
In other news, I have been placed on a waiting list for public housing. This happened a few weeks ago…so I should have recorded it then. However, openings most likely will not come up until October. I have never been involved in this process before, and will not complete any formal applications until units actually become available. Until that time I am continuing to search craigslist for available rentals within my budget. It seems I might have located a cozy loft apartment in what appears to be a decent neighbourhood. Hopefully by my next update I will be able to confirm that my new apartment is waiting for me. In all honesty, I would prefer not to go the public housing route. Even though financially I qualify for it, I am a bit hesitant to take away a spot that is likely needed much more by a family or other individual.
Some Resources.
04 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in resources Tags: resources, tips
While this blog is still in the “planning stages” per se. I thought I would catalog my internet resources that I hope to use during my year of blogging. These sites will be places that have some good ideas on how to live frugally, coupons, cheap crafts to make your home more homey, or even free stuff.
The first two I want to list are Freecycle and $5 Dinners. Freecycle is broken into local groups where people can get rid of their stuff (for free) or ask about adding to their stuff (for free). In the past I have used it more to get rid of stuff as I do my quarterly house purge, but we have also gotten some pretty amazing things from there including a working apartment sized stove. You have to check the site frequently as things come and go quickly, but it is definitely a place to bookmark. $5 Dinners is pretty self-explanatory. The website has recipes and coupons to help keep cooking costs low. I haven’t really gotten to use this website too much yet, but I wanted to keep it in mind for my limited budget shopping trips.
I will be listing these types of posts under “resources” for ease of future reference.
