Taking Care of Pennies

A few years ago the phrase "take care of the ounces and the pounds will take care of themselves" was drilled into my head as a reminder to keep backpacking weight down. Last week I checked out a book called the Tightwad Gazette (vol 1.) which lists all kinds of inventive ways to save money. All I can think of is a re-phrase of the above saying, "take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves."

I always find myself spending money on little things. Eating out, fast food, baubles, craft supplies, fancy type groceries which we end up throwing away. It's usually a couple dollars here, a couple dollars there. Those "oh, it's just a dollar" purchases add up. I just read an account of a woman who washes and reuses aluminum foil. Seriously. She claims that two boxes lasted her several years. Same with Ziploc bags. I think saving money must be all about questioning assumptions and looking at things through a lens of history.

Take, for example, toilet paper. I can hardly imagine giving up toilet paper, but it really is a recent invention which means that it must be nonessential for survival. I know such a suggestion may be shocking to modern people, but why not cut up some cloths and stick them in a basket behind the toilet and just use those. After you use one you would just put it in a designated hamper not to be used again until it's been washed with hot water. Some people are already doing this...I can't help but reflect that when camping I've been known to carry around a pee rag (bandana) that I wipe with whenever I pee. I wonder how much money it would save to institute such a system at home.


I just might be crazy enough to do it. And maybe the Ziploc bag washing thing too.

Pecan Pie? Heck Yes!!!

Yep, it sure is pecan season. We've been suffering a terrible drought all year, but that hasn't stopped our Texas pecan trees from producing nuts. Oliver and I picked a sack of pecans last weekend. Some of the lucky ones have already been cracked and turned into pecan pie.

Pomegranate

First pomegranate eaten this autumn!