What's the Story With Beauty Product Packaging?

Why is it that beauty products are seldom packaged in recyclable containers? Even when their containers are plastic, they seldom have recognizable recycling symbols on them. Sometimes they have what I assume are European symbols on them. Did you know that this symbol –

the German 'Green Dot', has no environmental significance at all? It only means that the manufacturer has paid a fee towards the packaging recovery system in Germany.

Is the beauty industry too upmarket to put the little triangle on the bottom of their packaging? Do they think their little packages would make the symbol too tiny to read? If that’s the case, why couldn’t they just print the recycling symbols on the cardboard backers? Beauty products are so notoriously over packaged, their makers should be striving to ensure that most of that waste gets recycled.

I’m sure that printing everything on the package in French and using the European symbols fools us silly Americans into thinking the products are somehow better than if they printed the same thing in English and gave us the little 1 or 2 in a triangle. Or is it because they aren’t actually using recyclable plastics at all?

Interestingly, in 2007 Revlon Australia was highly commended in Packaging for their recycling initiatives and lobbying of overseas manufacturers to reduce the environmental impact of used packaging in personal care and cosmetics products. “As 90% of product manufacture takes place outside of Australia, Revlon Australia endured the challenging task of educating US packaging designers about minimizing the amount of excess packaging produced. With 85% of new product development occurring in the US, Revlon Australia will continue to encourage designers to use recycling logos on new, and existing products, and to use recyclable materials where possible.”

Since I became more frugal I’ve started using a lot of Revlon cosmetics and, in preparing this article, I checked them all and discovered nary a triangle upon any of them. I guess they need to encourage a bit more. In fact no cosmetics I own, from Maybelline to Lancome to Channel have a recycling symbol.

Perhaps, though, there is hope -

For 2009 Almay is announcing their Almay Pure Blends line. Pure Blends “is a natural collection that offers eco-friendly products and packaging made from 44% post-consumer recycled materials, on average (emphasis mine), and traditional blister cards are being replaced with more environmentally-friendly hang tags”.

Aveda is reputed to be using a good deal of post-consumer recycled material in their product’s packaging. If that’s true, I applaud their efforts.

On the other hand, in 1991 the L’Oreal group formed an Environment Management Department and created all sorts of lofty goals about reducing their environmental impact in packaging, shipping, point-of-sale displays and at their work sites. In 2006, they bought The Body Shop, known for its strong stance on many environmental issues. Although they have achieved some of their goals and even won some awards, in the nearly 20 years since they reportedly turned their attention to the environment, no little triangles on their products. I found the following statement on their website – “The impact of our products and our activities on the environment, as well as the preservation of biodiversity, are a central concern to us. All of these aspects are integrated in each step of our processes, particularly in the very basis of what we expect from our suppliers.” Okay, so…? They have a lot of blue sky and green grass on the Sustainable Development section of their website, but have they really made a big impact?

I’m not picking on L’Oreal specifically; I’m just using them as an example of what I believe is an industry-wide problem. Everyone is talking the talk. How many are actually walking the walk?

What we do see a lot of is the word “natural” on our cosmetics. There is no law defining the use of the word "natural" to describe a cosmetic ingredient. Despite its widespread use, no standard, certification or central authority exists at present to guarantee both product and process in the cosmetics industry as being "natural".

In addition to my online research, in order to ensure I was completely up-to-date, I spent one day going to every store in my admittedly very small town that sells cosmetics and checked all the packaging for signs of recyclability. It didn’t take long but I did find some of the Almay Pure Blends line already on the shelf and, although they are trumpeting 98.2% “natural” on their labels, nary a recycling symbol did I see. I also stopped by a local salon which sells Aveda products and, although all the labels reported on Aveda’s use of post –consumer recycled materials, which is wonderful, again, I saw no recycling symbols anywhere. In fact, Maybelline’s Pure Minerals line was the only cosmetic I found adorned with the trusty triangle.

When I ambled into shampoos and conditioners I was happy to see lots of triangles. Interestingly enough, though, the ones which were packaged top down, seemed to be missing them. Pantene had triangle on their shampoos but not their upside down conditioners. The same was true of Garnier Fructis. Did the triangle upset their design esthetic? Even more interesting was that while Suave Naturals had the triangle on everything, Suave Professional had the triangle on nothing! Does that mean the triangle somehow demeaned the product? The higher end they wanted to be, the less environmentally responsible?

So, what’s an environmentally responsible person to do? Be conscientious about seeking out beauty products in recyclable containers and with post-consumer recycled materials in their packaging. In spite of my doom and gloom article, there are products out there with the PET triangle logo on them. Glass bottles are recyclable in most areas as are those little lip balm tins. Buy products with a minimum of packaging. The beauty industry will eventually come around. Support them as they do. Your dollars will convince the others to follow suit.

Elizabeth on 37th's Oyster and Sausage Turnover

This recipe appears in the Make it From Scratch carnival at Christ's Bridge.

This recipe is from Elizabeth on 37th in Savannah, Georgia. Delicious!


1 pound spicy bulk sausage
1 pint fresh oysters
1/2 cup raw milk cheddar cheese or mild cheddar, grated
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, grated
8-inch pie crust (favorite recipe)


Saute sausage and drain on a paper towel. Place oysters under the broiler for 1 minute to firm. Combine sausage, oysters and cheese and drain mixture in a sieve. Prepare piecrust dough. Divide dough into quarters and roll out each quarter into a circle. Place 2 or more rounded spoonfuls of sausage mixture on half of each circle, then fold other half over mixture to form a half-moon shape, sealing edges with a fork. Continue until sausage mixture is used up. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Serves 4

Financial Mistakes Couples Makes

I ran this article several months ago as a guest post on Living Almost Large. I got a little flack over there for the 30-year mortgage issue. Most of her readers are significantly younger than I am and a lot of them live on the West Coast. The primary objection appeared to be that it was impossible to find a house which would be affordable with a 30-year mortgage. That may well be true. We do what we can but I believe we should strive to have a shorter term mortgage. In middle America, where I live, there are still plenty of affordable homes, making a shorter term mortgage more of a possibility. I was curious to run the article over here and see what you think.

1. Having a 30-year mortgage

The amount of interest you pay over the course of a 30-year mortgage is staggering. A $250,000, 30-year mortgage at 8% would end up costing you $660,240! Tax write-off you say? On average, for every $100,000 in mortgage interest you pay, your tax bill will be reduced by $28,500 (28.5% being the federal tax bracket of the average citizen). Is it really worth it to spend $100,000 for a $28,500 tax write-off? If you are house shopping, look at 15-year mortgages, you will build equity quickly and waste less money on interest. If you already have a 30-year mortgage start paying an additional 10% every month, telling the bank to apply that 10% against your principal. You will end up paying off your mortgage years earlier with this simple strategy. Keep a close eye on your statements to ensure your payments are applied correctly.

2. Not taking credit-card debt seriously

Carrying credit card debt is stressful. If one person is constantly running up debt while the other person is struggling to keep the financial ship afloat, the anxiety can ruin the relationship. If both people are running up debt, the stress and anxiety will mount even faster. That anxiety will never go away until the debt is paid off. Ensure you are both aware of your entire financial situation. You should also both know if there are any black marks on the other’s credit report. You do not want to find this information out when you are sitting in your mortgage broker’s office being denied a loan.

3. Not starting a college-savings plan soon enough

Remember, your retirement fund comes first! You will do your children no favors if you ruin yourself to fund their college education. After you have put aside at least 10% of your income, fund a college-savings plan. Start a 529 plan when your children are born. If you think you cannot squeeze any more money out of your budget for a 529 plan, think about trying to squeeze out several thousand dollars every year to pay for college when the time comes. You can choose to make payments into a 529 plan and earn interest now or you can pay interest on college loans later. Which makes more sense?

4. Not teaching your kids about money

If you don’t teach your kids about money, how will they learn? We know they don’t teach financial responsibility in public school. Off they will go to college, financially unprepared, where they will be inundated by credit card offers and, before you know it, they will be drowning in debt. Do it early, do it often; teach your children about money!

5. Not figuring out who is responsible for what

When you decide to combine households you may think the best way to handle your finances is obvious. Unfortunately, if you’ve not talked about it beforehand, you may discover that your partner has a completely different idea on how it should work. Will you have your own accounts plus a joint account from which to pay the bills or will everything go into the same pot? Who will actually sit down and pay the bills? How will you deal with the financial obligations you each brought into the relationship? What about fun money? Will you set a dollar amount over which neither partner can go without talking it over? Have a discussion and come to an agreement regarding how money will be handled in your household and you will save yourself a lot of trouble!

Arguing about money is one of the primary reasons relationships fail. Be open and honest and work together to build a strong financial future.

Have you been married awhile? What financial advice would you give to newly (or about to be) marrieds?

Vacation Break

I'm on vacation this week with my family and my posting will be intermittent.  Thank you for your patience!

Environmentally Responsible Choices...Are they getting harder?

I was watching Bill Nye’s program, Stuff Happens, on Planet Green the other day. He did a segment on cashmere. Cashmere, as I’m sure you know, is a completely natural fiber obtained from the Cashmere goat. Cashmere goats are not sheared like a sheep, they molt or shed their winter coats in the Spring and the fibers are collected or, in some cases, combed out. What could be more natural, more green, more eco-friendly than that?

If you’ve ever had a cashmere sweater or scarf or robe, you know why everyone loves cashmere. Therein lies the rub. Everyone loves cashmere! As a result of the popularity of cashmere, the Cashmere goat raisers, who run their charges on the outskirts of the Gobi, are expanding their flocks at a rapid rate. Goats are voracious eaters and efficient brush clearers. Since goats like to eat from the top down, areas where goats forage will have a "browse line" below which virtually everything is cleared off. The grasslands that border the Gobi are being stripped away, allowing the desert to expand by leaps and bounds. Maybe cashmere is not so green after all.

So let’s see. Cotton, a renewable natural fiber, is grown on plants that are sprayed with pesticides. They grow a lot of cotton around here, in this desert, and I can tell you that the fields are heavily irrigated and, after the harvest, stripped and left bare for the soil to blow away during the windy season. That doesn’t seem so green either. Wool comes from sheep, which means it is also a renewable fiber. Sheep, like cows, emit an appreciable amount of methane gas every day. Methane is a particularly worrisome greenhouse gas. Producing wool also requires a vast amount of water—not only to raise and care for the sheep, but also to rid the raw wool of numerous impurities. It takes approximately 500,000 liters of water to manufacture a metric ton of wool; this figure is even higher when the sheep in question are fed in confined quarters, where extra water is required to manage the manure.

I remember a few years ago when it seemed like every other news report was of yet another food that was going to give us cancer. When it was just a few, we were able to make good choices and avoid the ones that were reported to be cancer-causing. Then it began to seem as though all foods were problematic; the water we drank was dangerous; even the air we breathed. The result? I know I threw up my hands and said there were no good choices. I gave up and ate what I wanted. I’m sure I was not alone in feeling helpless about what to do.

While we all want to make informed, environmentally friendly choices, I’m afraid this “under the microscope” look at all aspects of the production of the products we use every day is going to lead us to decide that we can make no completely responsible choices. We may stop trying. I don’t know what the answer is in this world of information overload. In fact I like having a lot of information at my fingertips. I’m just not so sure this is going in the right direction. As we become more and more concerned about the environmental impact of everything we do, which is a good thing, I’m afraid we may become overwhelmed and give up.

What about you? Are you starting to feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure about your choices? I know I am.

Buy a Company You Love

I have a guest post up over at Yielding Wealth on getting started in the stock market. Head over there and check it out!

Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Melts

It's Sunday, time for a recipe! How about a delicious sandwich? Using a portobello mushroom cap gives your sandwich a meaty taste and texture without the meat. Portobello caps are incredibly versatile. Stuffed and run under the broiler they make wonderful snacks and/or side dishes.



Eggplant and Portobello Mushroom Melts

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
· 4 portobello mushrooms (about 10 ounces)
· 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices peeled eggplant (about 8 ounces)
· 1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (such as Wish-Bone), divided
· 1/4 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers (or roast your own!)
· 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
· 4 (1/2-ounce) slices provolone cheese
· 4 (2-ounce) onion rolls, halved
· 1/2 cup spinach leaves

Preparation: Preheat broiler.

Remove stems from mushrooms; discard stems. Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushrooms using a sharp knife; discard gills. Place mushrooms and eggplant on a broiler pan; brush vegetables with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Broil 6 minutes. Turn vegetables over; brush with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Broil for an additional 5 minutes or until tender.

Combine bell peppers and basil. Spoon 1 tablespoon pepper mixture over each eggplant slice. Top each mushroom with 1 cheese slice. Broil for 1 minute or until cheese melts.

Brush 2 tablespoons vinaigrette evenly over the cut sides of rolls. Arrange the spinach evenly on bottom halves of rolls. Top each roll half with 1 mushroom and 1 eggplant slice; cover with roll tops.

Have burgers on your menu? Try this instead. I think you'll be glad you did!

Women Living in Community

My Internet friend, Allison Allen from WomenBloom, recently asked her readers about their take on the idea of female communal living. Allison posed the question in her WomenBloom forums, on her Facebook page and on Twitter and she's been getting some interesting responses. I'm a little ambivalent about it myself and wanted to expand on the topic a bit more.

As I wrote about in Fear of Bag Lady Syndrome, women are living longer and living alone more frequently than ever before. The chances of even a happily married woman outliving her husband are great. We're all heading down this road and we're all looking for answers. Is female communal living a good approach?

One of the responses Allison received outlined a plan that sounded pretty good. Basically her reader described a small community with separate homes for each individual but with some communal areas as well. The women in these communities would help each other by running errands, taking each other to the doctor, maybe a little communal cooking; and some other tasks of that nature. Ideally, this set up would allow the residents to live independently for longer. In other words, we'd all live our own lives there but also look out for each other.

In a lot of ways I like this idea. My ambivalence stems from my concerns about how men would be treated in these communities. I have not yet given up on the idea of having a man in my life and I'm not sure about moving to an all-girl community. What if I brought a man home to my little bungalow? Would I have to sneak him in under the cover of darkness? Would he be stared down by the other community inhabitants? Would I be subtly shunned by my friends who had gotten so sick of men they no longer wanted to be around any? What if things got serious? Would I be forced to move from a home and community I had grown to love?

I am part of a strong circle of female friends in their fifties for whom I am thankful and with whom I spend a great deal of time. They are primarily all in happy long-term marriages but let's face it, when you've been married a long time, happily or otherwise, you welcome the chance to get away with your girlfriends and forget all about men for awhile. The problem is, I'm in a different place right now. Since these girls are my closest friends, I find that most of my social opportunities these days are girl's trips. Dinner parties are falling by the wayside and being replaced by long afternoons of playing Scrabble and drinking prosecco. I love my friends but I enjoy having men around once in a while too. I guess I worry that living in a female community might end being something like a never-ending girl's weekend.

Another Interet friend, Funny About Money, who has an excellent blog of her own, left a comment on my Bag Lady Syndrome post about almost purchasing a triplex in concert with two female friends. They had some legal issues they could not resolve and ended up walking away. This idea really appeals to me. In fact, I could easily see myself entering into that sort of an arrangement with female friends or family members.

What’s your take on female communal living? Are you interested? What are some issues you feel would need to be addressed?

Do you have Fear of Bag Lady Syndrome?

I have to admit, fear of becoming a bag lady is starting to creep up on me. Record numbers of women are living alone these days and we’re living longer. We’re starting to worry about what is going to happen to us when we’re too old to work or when no one is willing to hire us. I’m in a good place in my life right now with an exceptionally good job, which I do from home, and which allows me a great deal of free time. I’m paying down my debt and socking away money as quickly as I can but, having got a late start, I have some concerns about getting where I need to be financially by the time I need to be there.

My primary client is twenty years older than I am and although he’s self-employed and says he’s going to work until they drag him drooling out of the room, chances are better than average that will happen before I’m ready. Then what? Assuming we even get that far, where does a 50 plus year old woman go to find a job? I’ve been working hard to build up additional revenue streams and have every reason to believe they will continue to grow, but will they be enough? I was joking with one of my sisters last night and said I’d probably have to come and move in with her as there is no Wal-Mart in my town. She said that would be great. A part of me is afraid I may not be joking.

Midlife women today grew up during a time of great strides in female empowerment. In spite of that, I suspect most of us assumed we’d be married and our husbands would be, if not supporting us, at least helping. We’d have these partners who were there for us financially, emotionally and physically. Now we’ve discovered that through divorce, death or various random circumstances, things just didn’t work out that way and we’re in the trenches alone. It can be a scary place.

I keep reminding myself that at 47, I’ve easily got twenty years or more of earning potential and, even with a late start, I’ve still got time. The problem is, the days of thinking I’m set and just have to keep my head down and go to work for twenty more years, are over. Those gold watches for a lifetime of employment with the same company are a thing of the past. My biggest concern is starting over. What then? Like a lot of women, I’ve worked hard, I’ve lived well and I don’t want to end up as a greeter at Wal-Mart or a cashier at Jack-in-the-Box when I’m 70. Assuming I could even get a job in one of those places.

What are some things we can do to help corral these fears?

1. Figure out if your fears are rational or irrational.

No one can truly know what the future holds but try to take a good, clear look at where you are and where you need to be. Is your home paid for? How much money do you have stashed away in various retirement, savings and investment accounts? You may be in better shape than you think you are.

2. Stay Healthy

No matter where you are right now, a serious and/or long-term debilitating health issue can completely wipe you out in very short order. While it’s impossible to anticipate and ward off all future health problems, eating right and staying physically active will go a long way towards keeping you out of the doctor’s office. Hate to exercise? Think of it like money in the bank of your good future and do it anyway! Make sure you have health and long-term care insurance and that your policies are paid up and active.

3. Know exactly where you are financially

Have a clear understanding of where you stand financially. Even if you are currently married, chances are good that you will outlive your husband. Do you know where all your accounts are? Is your name on everything? Do you understand your investments? Unpleasant though you may find it, sit down, go through it all, and keep asking questions until you know that you can take the reins and do it competently and with confidence. Advisors are wonderful but they do not absolve you of the need to understand and be able to make decisions about your own finances.

4. Keep your social network active

Women alone are much more likely to become destitute and homeless than are women with a healthy social network. Relationships with friends and family can be complicated and, like all relationships, take work. It’s worth it. We all need friends we can call on in times of need. Not just for financial support but mentally, emotionally and physically. Just like the song says, people need people. Make sure your social network is alive and well and thriving. Get out there and put the time in; it will be worth it in the long run.

5. Make a plan

Being proactive is a great way to combat fear. Figure out where you need to be and how you are going to get there (or as close to there as you can). Work while you can, save what you can, don’t incur unnecessary debt. Stay or get healthy. Keep or make friends. You cannot predict the future but your current actions can certainly shape it.

I’m a firm believer in the power of positive thinking but we need to be realistic. Don’t allow yourself to live in fear but do patch as many holes as you can!

Are you living with Fear of Bag Lady Syndrome? What are you doing about it?

Tips from the Thriftiest Family in America

The self-proclaimed Thriftiest Family in America, the Economides, are a family of seven who live easily on approximately $44,000 a year and they are anxious to spread the word. They have some good tips to share. If you’ve been looking for ways to pinch some pennies you won’t find anything new here. The reason you won’t find anything new is because living more frugally, while not always easy to practice, is simple. Spend less than you earn. Easy to say doesn’t necessarily make it easy to do!

In a nutshell, the Economides family uses the cash only envelope system to control their spending. They clip coupons, stock up on things when they are on sale, buy clothes at thrift stores and don’t incur debt. The Economides family has always embraced a thrifty lifestyle so, unlike many of us, they didn’t have to change any bad habits.

Food Shopping Tips:

Always have a plan when you go to the grocery store. Make a list so you’ll know what you have and what you need, look at the food ads and make menus. People who shop without a list tend to spend more than people who shop “freestyle”. The Economides family only goes to the grocery store once a month!

Buy bread from bakery outlets
Shop in multiple stores (clearly you would have to take gas consumption into consideration here)
Buy in bulk and freeze (vacuum seal your meats)
Stock up on sale items
Eat leftovers
Buy fruits & vegetables in season

Clothes Shopping Tips:

Shop at thrift stores. Be sure and check for rips and stains and, if you think they’re fixable, ask for a discount. Thrift stores have special days; everything you can fit in a bag day, or everything is 50% off day, be aware of them
Again, have a list – don’t buy what you don’t need even in the thrift store
If you have a choice, choose thrift stores in upscale areas

Most thrift store’s funds go to support a charity, so you should feel good about spending your money there. In addition to clothes, many thrift stores sell furniture and electronics. Be sure and check out the electronics to make sure they work before you take them home. Some thrift stores have a return policy but many do not.

Entertainment Tips:

Be creative
Play board games
Watch for coupons for local amusements like miniature golf
Museums frequently have discounts days and even free days
Check out university bowling alleys, they are usually quite inexpensive
Movie theatres often have special deals during off hours
Check for factory and farm tours in your area, they can be fun and interesting whether you have kids or not

The Economides family message is not unique but it’s effective. Do you want to develop a thrifty lifestyle? Be clever, be aware, and always have a plan!

Corned Beef Brisket Finished on the Grill

How about a little twist on the traditional St. Patrick's Day corned beef? It takes a few hours to cook a corned beef so time things and have your grill ready to go when the corned beef comes out of the pot. Start out with your basic boiled corned beef recipe or use this one -

· 4½ pound corned beef brisket
· 4 allspice berries
· 2 bay leaves
· 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
· 1 onion, quartered 1 bulb garlic, cut crosswise so each clove is cut in half
· ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
· 1 whole clove, optional

1. Rinse corned beef under running water. Place in large pot. Add allspice, bay leaves, mustard seeds, onion, peppercorns, and clove. Add enough water to cover.

2. Bring to a boil, skim any scum if needed. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook about 4 hours, or until fork-tender.

Once the corned beef is done, remove it from the pot and pat it dry. Now you need to make up a little sauce of mustard, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. You want a thick sauce that will stay on the brisket. I use about 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup yellow mustard and 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. I just add whatever I think makes the sauce tasty. The main thing is to have a thick, sugar-based sauce. It's the sugar that forms the crust. If you've eaten a corned beef sandwich you know mustard goes really well with corned beef. Have fun with this. You don't need a recipe! Once your sauce is mixed up to your satisfaction, spread it thickly on the corned beef to completely cover.

Put the brisket on the grill and cook for approximately 30 minutes on each side. Remember, the beef is already cooked. All you are doing is cooking the sauce, which will form a beautiful crust on the brisket. Putting the brisket on the grill will also tighten the fibers and do away with that "flabby" texture that corned beef briskets tend to have.

When you have a good, dark crust on your brisket, remove it from the grill. Let it rest for 10 minutes and then slice across the grain. Serve leftover sauce on the side. I like it spread on bread for corned beef sandwiches.

Basement Garden Update

Things are looking pretty good down in Subterrainia. The toilet paper roll seed starter pots are doing their job and I've got more seedlings every day. I'm using those clear plastic boxes that salad greens come in as little greenhouses to keep the moisture levels up until the seeds sprout. I just wish they had domed lids so I could keep them in there a little longer!

So far I have Brandywine and Super Sweet 100 tomatoes and some arugula, which is planted directly in one of those containers. It's at perfect micro-green size. I also have some bell-type peppers and some Anaheim peppers planted but not yet sprouted. I've got a few other things still to plant.

The rule around here is not to plant outside until after Easter. I've got to get my beds ready and by then, the seedlings should be big enough to move outdoors. Under the lights the soil dries out pretty quickly so I have to mist everything daily. It's fun to go down there and putter around with my tiny garden. I over winter all my outdoor container plants down there too. Once they come out I'll have a lot more room. Because it gets so hot here in the summer I'm going to keep some things, like the lettuces and broccoli growing down there throughout the season. We'll see how it goes!

The worms are doing their part too, busily composting all of my scraps, which will help all my new little seedlings grow and produce.

Are you busy getting ready for Spring?

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

This article appears in the Carnival of Personal Finance at Green Panda Treehouse. If you came from the carnival, thanks for stopping by!



We all know that people in the luxury industries are hurting. Artists, jewelers, furriers and luxury car makers are all struggling these days and we are not surprised. I doubt we’re even sympathetic, except maybe for the artists. It’s easy to think of a certain level of luxury and scoff. No new yacht, Ferrari or $10,000 Viking stove? Tough luck!

Instead of thinking about THOSE sorts of luxuries, think about what the luxuries are in your life. Now think about who’s going to be hurting when you let them go. I’m not suggesting you should hang on to those things. We all have to do what we need to do in order to survive. If we think about it a little bit though, perhaps it will make us just a tad more sympathetic towards those who are really being hurt.

When, safe in our homes and at least currently safe in our jobs, we say, “screw ‘em, let it ride, tough luck”. We’re thinking about no new Ferrari guy. What about cleaning ladies? We might not have sympathy for Mrs. Jones, who is now forced to clean her own house but what about her laid-off cleaning lady? Do we have sympathy for her? We’re hard pressed to be sympathetic to those who had to give up all those Starbucks lattes (actually, they're us!). But what about the people who used to serve them? Starbucks are closing left and right. What about personal chefs? We may not have any sympathy for their former employers who now have to scramble their own eggs, but what about their previous employee? Personal chefs are people just like us who were able to sell their culinary skills. How about masseuses, pedicurists, gardeners and dog walkers?

The mindset that the primary victims of the current economy are those who bought more house than they could afford and charged up thousands of dollars on credit cards seems to be alive and well. Amazingly, I’m still reading about it on blogs, Twitter posts and in various forums. It has a very self-righteous, sanctimonious ring to it. There is no doubt that people who saved and lived within their means are hurting less than those who did not. There is also no doubt that plenty of people who did everything right are hurting too.

I recently read an article about 700 people who applied for a job as a janitor in some Ohio junior high school. The job paid $15 an hour. How about 59 people applying for a job as a greeter in a North Carolina Wal-Mart? There may have been a few actual janitors and Wal-Mart greeters in that pool but I suspect the majority were people who could no longer find work in their chosen field, or any other field for that matter. Some of them may be in their current situation due to their own misdeeds and poor choices but I suspect a lot of them were victims of circumstances beyond their control.

While we are justifiably enjoying our homes, our jobs and our painstakingly funded bank accounts, we need to have a little non-judgmental sympathy for those on the unemployment line, regardless of how they got there. “There but for the grace of God go I”, should be our mantra these days and we should not allow ourselves to forget it. We need to help each other, whether we deserve it or not.

A Little Link Love 3.12.2008

Stream of Peace has an excellent article on How and Why to Unclutter Your Relationships. She’s not just talking about romantic relationships. We know that sometimes we’ve gotten all we are supposed to get from a romantic relationship and it’s time to move on. The same thing can happen with friend relationships. Take stock every now and again. You may find that sometimes you just need to let go.

Eurasian Spring Roll Salad appears in the Make It From Scratch carnival at I’ve Got A Little Space To Fill. Recession Depression Therapy has a recipe for Sticky Buns, which I will definitely be coming up with an excuse to try! I’ve never made Honey Ice Cream but I’m going to try this recipe from Mission:Food. It sounds delicious.

Inaccurate Grocery Store Pricing appears in the Festival of Frugality at Funny About Money. Budgets Are Sexy gave up complaining for Lent. I gave up sweets. We Catholics choose our toughest obstacles this time of year! There’s a furor going on in the comment section at Living Almost Large’s post on Can You Be Too Frugal? It’s fascinating to read all those freely given opinions! Modern Tightwad asks for respect for each other’s choices. We “frugalists” are used to being judged but we ourselves tend to judge those free-spenders. We need to think twice about that.

Play Top Chef at Home to Become a More Creative Cook, advises Sound Money Matters. I do these kinds of things all the time and it really does give you a good culinary “stretch”. Try it, it's fun!

While I’m plugging things I like, let me take this opportunity to plug Bargaineering’s Forums. Are you a finance person? There are some good discussions going on there. Stop by, sign up and give Jim’s forums a try.

Do you use Twitter? There are different reasons to follow different people. Here are a few of my favorites to follow for this week:

@brokeinthecity is a personal finance blogger living in Canada who doesn’t believe frugality is the only thing that matters. She blogs at Fabulously Broke in the City.

@MrDirtyBoots is a husband and wife team who blog about self sufficiency at A Self Sufficient Life.

@TaxTweet blogs from Austin about, well, taxes at Don’t Mess With Taxes.

@WomenBloom has a great site, WomenBloom, which deals with midlife issues. She’s got a great Facebook page too and her readers are engaging in all sorts of interesting conversations.

@MidLifeBloggers has a wonderful site, Midlife Bloggers, featuring great articles on a wide range of topics dealing with mid-life issues by a number of excellent writers.

I like following these people because they are friendly, responsive and interesting and I think you’ll like them too!

Sell or Hold? Is Now Really The Time to Get Rid of Your Junk?

One of my goals for last year was to clear out a lot of my possessions. I didn’t get very far and so that goal has carried over into this year. One of the ways I intended to achieve this goal was by selling some of my stuff on eBay. In light of current economic conditions I’m wondering if this is a better or worse time for selling.

On the one hand, people are buying less overall, which would make it a bad time to sell anything. On the other hand, people still need to buy some things and may be looking at eBay as a cheaper alternative to hitting the mall. I’ve been buying and selling (mostly buying) on and off on eBay for more than 10 years now and it seemed the obvious choice for getting rid of some of my junk. Now I’m wondering if this is the best time.

Alternatively, perhaps I’m making excuses for not proceeding more quickly with my liquidation! I’ve got a lot of stuff. I’m not planning any moves but if I were, I’d be a little overwhelmed. When I let my mind wander through my closets and storeroom and think about everything tucked away here and there I know I have too much stuff for one person.

I’m not a particularly sentimental saver. I think of myself as more of a practical saver. By practical saver I mean I save things because I think I might be able to use them for something. Maybe I should call myself a frugal saver. I’m not sure which sounds better! I’m also a bit of a collector. When I get a new interest I tend to start collecting all the associated accoutrement. I’m also a crafter, which generates more stuff.

I’ve always loved crystal and fine china but while I was married I lived more of a backyard barbecue kind of life. After I divorced and got my feet back under me I started collecting an old, expensive china pattern. I’ve also accumulated some lovely crystal and silver. Anyone who knows me would say I set a beautiful table but now I find my tastes are changing and I’m not using it as much. They are lovely things and I don’t want to give them away but I think that’s just the kind of stuff that may not do so well in the current market. After all, when you’re struggling to pay your bills you’re not buying china and crystal.

All that brings me back to my question. Is this the time to be selling things on eBay? Actually, is this the time to be selling anything anywhere? Although I would appreciate the funds, I don’t really need to sell my stuff for financial reasons. So, would it be better for me to move forward or to hold on to it a little longer? Should I be hanging onto the more frivolous stuff, like the crystal and china and selling the more practical things, for which there might be more of a market?

What do you think? Divest or hold? Are you currently selling stuff on eBay? Has the economy affected your sales?

The Journey of a Thousand Miles...

It’s that time of year around here. The weather is warming up, spring has sprung. What’s also here is a lot of work to get the garden ready to burst forth. Every year the job seems almost insurmountable.

How do I get this:



Back to looking like this:



Every year I think I can’t possibly do it again; that this year I will have to hire someone to help. Somehow, so far, every year I get there, all by myself. It’s a huge job. I have large deep beds all around my backyard, all of which need to be worked. The annual beds need digging and the perennial beds need be hacked back. Plants need to be dug, divided and rearranged. A pallet load of mulch needs to be spread. I get exhausted just thinking about it. So far I’ve gotten exactly one bit done.

This (bed all cleaned up and ready to grow):



Will hopefully look like this again soon:



That’s not much. I spent about three hours out there Saturday and, thanks to badly spraining my ankle six weeks ago, I didn’t get very far. I did get a bit more than this one little round bed done but not much. I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed, as I always do this time of year.

How do I get this done? Just like any big job, the only way I can complete the task is to break it down in very small pieces. In this case, I set myself a certain amount of time to be out there every day, usually from one to three hours. I start at one end of a bed, keep my head down and start digging, or weeding or mulching. I never fail to be amazed at how much I can get done in that couple of hours. It’s never easy to keep myself from looking along the row and seeing how much there is to be done but that’s an important part of the process. If I look, I’m sunk. It’s back to being a huge job that I can’t possibly complete.

Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Whether it’s gardening, house cleaning, debt repayment or job hunting, don’t let the enormity of the task overwhelm you, just start. One small step and you’re on your way! Me? I'm heading back outside!

What seemingly insurmountable tasks are facing you right now? Have you formed your plan of attack?

Eurasian Spring Roll Salad

(Give spring rolls a try!)

I know it’s only March 8th but spring has sprung in west Texas. I gave you a pot roast last week as a nod to everyone still emeshed in winter but now I’m in the mood for a spring recipe! Have you tried making spring rolls? They are a lot easier than they look. Here is a great recipe for making a fresh salad topped with a spring roll. Can’t find these exact ingredients? Create whatever nice fresh salad makes you happy. Fill your spring roll with lovely bright ingredients and you are good to go! Do try this one if you can. It’s delicious!

Serves 4

Spring Rolls

4 large round Thai spring roll wrappers
12 fresh cilantro leaves
8 fresh mint leaves
½ teaspoon chopped sweet ginger (also known as pickled ginger)
2 oz. carrot, shredded
2 oz melon or papaya, julienned
4 oz soaked bean thread noodles
2 oz leeks, julienned
2 oz red bell pepper, julienned

Dressing

4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tablespoons chopped sweet ginger
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime zest
½ cup lime juice
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Chopped chili to taste (optional)

Salad

4 oz baby greens
12 pieces Belgian endive
1 oz enoki mushrooms
12 snow pea pods, steamed, cut into quarters

For the spring rolls – dip the spring roll wrappers in hot water in a bowl until soft and flexible (this takes seconds). Place 1 wrapper at a time on a towel. Sprinkle each with cilantro, mint and ginger. Layer the carrot, melon, bean thread noodles, leeks and bell pepper over the top. Fold the sides in and roll each wrapper up tightly to enclose the filling and cover with plastic wrap to keep moist.

For the dressing – combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk thoroughly.

For the salad – place the greens on 4 salad plates. Arrange the endive, enoki mushrooms and snow pea pods over the greens. Drizzle with the dressing. Cut each spring roll in half on the diagonal and place atop the salad.

All or Nothing isn't Always the Choice.

(my new little David Loren Bass oil)

I spent the weekend, a couple of weekends ago, at Chinati Hot Springs,where I met artist David Loren Bass. I liked his work and decided to purchase one of his landscapes of our area that really spoke to me. It wasn't quite finished so we were going to talk later. After I got back to town I realized how foolish it would be for me to spend that much money right now. I called him and regretfully cancelled the sale.

A couple of days later it came to me that my choice didn't have to be all or nothing. It wasn't that painting or no painting. There might perhaps be some middle ground. I contacted Bass and arranged to go and have another look at his work. After much deliberation I chose a small oil on paper.

A few years ago, when I first opened my ING account, I left some money in my local savings, just to keep it active, and then basically forgot about it. When I got home from purchasing the painting I received my quarterly statement for that account and, what do you know, it held just twenty-five dollars more than the cost of the painting! It made me feel like I'd gotten the painting for free. I know I could have been truly dedicated and focused and continued to hold that money or use it to pay for something "important". But I didn't. Once I let go of thinking I had to have that larger painting or do without, the universe presented a way to have something else, just as good!

Sometimes it's a good idea to take a step back and come at our choices from a different angle. The answers may not be as black and white as they first seem.

Yikes - Has Someone Got My Debit Card Number?

I received a call early this morning from my bank. They said they were checking on a $1.92 charge to the New York Times on my debit card. They said they’d not ever seen a similar charge on my card and were concerned about fraud. It would cost them more than $1.92 to dispute the charge, so they wouldn’t be doing that but were concerned because these little “gateway” fraudulent charges, if successful, were frequently followed by a large charge. The call woke me up and I wasn’t thinking too clearly but I honestly couldn’t remember making any $1.92 charge to the New York Times. Interestingly, they told me that they use an outside company that checks for these kinds of unusual charges. I didn’t even know that sort of service existed.

The bank advised me to allow them to cancel my card and issue me a new one. They said it would take two weeks to get the new card. I don’t use my debit card all that often and, if push comes to shove, I can always use a credit card in the interim. I decided that erring on the side of safety was the wisest course of action and told them to go ahead and cancel the card. The bank person said that it would probably take two full weeks to get the new one. She said one of the card issuer’s biggest client bank’s databases had been hacked and the backlog of new cards required as a result of this breach was slowing the whole process down. These sorts of information breaches seem pretty common lately.

Now that I’m fully awake, I still can’t remember buying anything from the New York Times but frankly, if it only cost $1.92, I’m not surprised I can’t remember it. If it’s legitimate, at $1.92 I probably didn’t give it much thought. If it is a fraud, I’m glad they caught it. I’m going to start logging into my account daily for the next week or so and checking charges. Hopefully I won’t find any other signs of fraud. I’m a little distressed about the situation.

Have you ever had your credit or debit card used illegally? How did you catch it?

Will Creativity and Innovation be Stifled by the Bailout?

I'm not convinced and have a guest post up over at Lazy Man and Money examining this topic. Head over there and let me know what you think.

A Little Link Love

I didn't do a round-up post last week and I'm a day off publishing it this week. I'm very behind in my reading but here are a few good ones which caught my eye this week.

Blogging for Change had an article asking, “How much should you know about your 20-something’s finances?” As the mother of a 20-something, this is a big consideration for me and I appreciated what Cate had to say.

Allison at WomenBloom recently decided she had to do something about her increasing menopausal discomfort. She was shocked when she discovered the products she was buying were to give her some relief were not covered by insurance. She was outraged to discover that men’s ED meds, like Viagra and Levitra were! She is wondering, “Is There Some Conspiracy Against Menopausal Women?” Now I’m mad too!

Had a first look at a blog called My Wife Quit her Job.com the other day as a result of @MMarquit’s re-tweet of a post announcement on Twitter and I’m glad I did. The article, Starting a Business is Like Asking a Girl Out For The First Time, was entertaining and well-written. I’ll be checking back!

Cranberry Post Roast appears in the Make It From Scratch carnival at Applehead. Condo Blues had instructions for making a quilt from old t-shirts. What a great use for all those t-shirts that you no longer wear but that have too much meaning for you to discard. I’ve Got A Little Space to Fill had a recipe for a flourless chocolate cake (I love these) and some vanilla bean ice cream. She used a doily to make a beautiful confectioner’s sugar design on top of her cake. Fantastic!

Making Toilet Paper Roll Seed Starter Pots appeared as an Editor’s Choice in the Festival of Frugality at Green Panda Treehouse. Ever tried shopping at auctions? My brother-in-law does it with some regularity. Restoring your Finances and your Faith talks about it in Using an Auction to Save Money. My Dollar Plan is wondering if they should sell their home and downsize. I think about this periodically myself but I got such a great deal on my house that a little tiny house would cost about the same. She's gotten lots of good comments reminding her that there are other considerations involved in moving in addition to the monthly mortgage.

Good Relationship Advice from a Funny Man

Steve Harvey was on Oprah last week talking about his best selling book, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man”. Steve Harvey is a comedian and I expected a segment of goofy stuff and nothing else. As it turned out he had some very thought provoking advice for women. Although primarily directed at single women like me, attached women should pay attention too. Just because you're hooked up, you don't get to stop working at it!

Steve Harvey says to pay close attention to how your man introduces you. If you’ve been dating for six months and your man is introducing you as his “friend” or just by name, as in, “This is Mary”, with no title, you are not going anywhere. Harvey says that men are territorial and they will introduce you as their girlfriend, fiancé, sweetheart or whatever, if they think of you that way. They want to let everyone within the sound of their voice know that they are proud to be with you and that they have plans for you.

Harvey wants us to know that every man has a plan. He says a man wants something from you and, when he meets you, he is going to be determining how much it will cost him to get it. By cost Harvey means how much time he will have to put in, what might you want from him, what your standards are, what your requirements are, etc. Men will rise to the cost if they want you enough. The problem, he says, is that women keep lowering the bar.

Men need three things, says Harvey; support, loyalty and sex, which he refers to as “the cookie”. Men need your support in their ventures; your loyalty – “we need to know you are there for us no matter what”, and of course, sex. We knew that part, didn’t we? You know what? We need it too.

Harvey says men should be on probation for the first ninety days and you shouldn’t sleep with them before their probationary period is over. He says women posess the greatest benefit of all and men shouldn’t get that benefit until they prove themselves worthy. He says we cannot run off a man who wants us, so why are we passing out the benefit before we know if the guy is worth it?

Every single man has a plan for a relationship. Whether it be a commited relationship or just hanging out until something better comes along. He told a great story about the guy his 26-year old daughter had been dating. He and his father-in-law asked the guy what his plans were. He hemmed and hawed and finally said, “Well, you know, we’re just kicking it.” Steve Harvey said he brought his daughter in to see if that’s what her plans were. They broke up the next day. Sometimes our expectations are very different from theirs.

He made a funny fishing analogy saying that some men are sports fishermen - into catching and throwing back. Other men are fishing to eat - into catching and keeping. He says we determine which kind of fish we’re going to be. He advises us to set our standards and keep them up so when a guy hooks us he knows what is required of him and that we mean business. He knows that “if you bring me in the boat, we’re going home. You aren’t unhooking me and throwing me back.”

We can’t hold your hand, Harvey says, we can’t kiss you, we can’t go to bed with you, unless you let us. So why, he wants to know, do you relinquish that power just because you want a guy to accept you? That’s stupid. Harvey says keep your standards up and the guy will know what it takes to keep you. If he doesn’t meet your standards, he’s gone.

Another valuable piece of relationship advice from Harvey - don’t ever say, “We need to talk”. Just sit down and start talking. If you preface it with “We need to talk”, your man is already putting up his defenses before you even get started!

Don’t accept what you don’t want! Remember, you are allowing your bad relationship to exist.

No Carnival of Money Stories - sorry!

The Carnival of Money Stories is not here today! The carnival owner and I must have gotten our wires crossed and I never did get the information on accessing the submissions. I love hosting this particular carnival and hope we can get things straightened out and get your articles up soon!

Pandora - Have You Tried It?

One of my friends turned me on to Pandora and I love it! It’s part of the music genome project and has been designed to give you a completely customized Internet radio listening experience. To try it, go to http://www.pandora.com/ and create an account –

Once you get signed in, click on “Create a New Station”



and enter in the name of one of your favorite artists or songs



And click “create”. Pandora will begin to play songs by the artist you have chosen as well as other artists that have been deemed similar. As each song goes by, you will have the opportunity to either accept or reject the song.



As you give each song either a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down”, Pandora will tailor its selections to your choices. You don’t actually have to vote on the songs, it will keep playing. If you haven’t clicked on anything in about 20 minutes a little message will pop up asking if you’re still there. This is a free service to the user and, as such, there are some ads that run along the side, which presumably pay for the service. You can create as many stations as you want.

Under each song there is a menu you can click on that will allow you to purchase the song, either from iTunes or Amazon.



Pandora is really a neat idea. It’s a great way to discover new artists that are similar to the artists you already know and love. Give it a try, I think you’ll like it!

Tritton Sound Bite - External USB Laptop Speaker

You took my advice and now you’ve fallen in love with Pandora. One problem; you’re listening to it on your laptop. The sound quality is so terrible you can hardly stand it. I listen to Pandora on my laptop in the kitchen when I’m cooking. The sound system is so bad that I can’t hear it if the water is running (apologies to Tennessee Williams!).

I’ve been on the lookout for a small speaker that I could store in a kitchen drawer, or laptop case, and plug into my laptop when needed. I did some research on the Internet and found the TRITTON Sound Bite, Portable USB Digital Speaker System.


(I stuck the spoon in there so you could see how little this thing is.)

This is just about the coolest little gadget ever. It’s only about $30 and scored better than many speakers that were three times the price. It’s about 4” or 5” in diameter and maybe 2” tall and weighs just a few ounces. It is powered by its USB cord, which coils conveniently up in the base. No power cord necessary.



It has little side speakers that flip up. There is a subwoofer in the base. No CD was necessary for my Windows XP install. I just plugged it in and it worked. I understand it works just as easily with a Mac. In order to play iTunes through it you need to plug in the Sound Bite first and then launch iTunes. If you launch iTunes first, it won’t be able to make the switch over to the external speaker and will continue to play through the lousy onboard speakers. iTunes is the only application that had this problem.



Looking to improve the sound of your laptop? This little USB external speaker system is just about the coolest thing ever. The sound quality is truly incredible. Good things do sometimes come in small and inexpensive packages!



Although I will make about a dollar through the Amazon affiliate program if you purchase the Tritton Sound Bite through my link, this is definitely NOT a paid review! Just wanted to share my new favorite thing!

Inexpensive Side Dishes

I have a guest post up today at Not Made of Money, which includes recipes for two delicious, easy and inexpensive side dishes. Go take a look!

Inaccurate Grocery Store Pricing?

This article appears in the Festival of Frugality at Funny About Money. If you've come from the carnival, welcome! I hope you'll look around and consider subscribing.



We all know that it’s important to keep an eye on your items as they are getting rung up at the grocery store in order to catch the all too common errors. Sometimes this is a little easier said than done, at least for me. First I thought that knowing the prices was the primary issue. My solution was to note the price of each item on my grocery list as I picked it up. Then I realized that my memory was the least of my problems.

I roll up to the checkout line with the best of intentions but there are so many jobs to be done there. First, I have to unload all my groceries onto the conveyor belt. If I have more than just a couple of things, the checker is ringing them up before I’ve finished unloading my cart, so I miss all the items at the beginning. Then I have to run my card through the reader and punch all the buttons, making me miss all the items in the middle. Finally, because, “I brought my own bags” seems to throw the bag boy completely off kilter, I have to sack my groceries, making me miss the final items. The only alternative I can see to this problem is to make everyone in line behind me wait while I get myself situated and am able to watch the girl ring up my groceries. Then they will have to wait again while I run my card and then again while I bag my items. This I will never do.

My next solution was to check the prices of all the items on my receipt after I got through the checkout line, either at the front of the store or in my car in the parking lot. If I catch a .40 over-ring, a substantial error on a can of peas, is it worth .40 to me to bring it to someone’s attention? So far, it hasn’t been.

I haven’t been able to think of any other solutions and I’m hoping you’ll be able to help me! Do you keep track of the prices of your items as they are scanned at the grocery store? How do you deal with all the “jobs” at the checkout line and still keep an eye on the register? If you find an error after you leave the store, do you go back?

I asked about this on Twitter. @ByJane said she always goes back, for overcharges, undercharges and spoiled food. @ClaireMoylan said she went back once when she was charged $9 for a $1 item. I’d go back on that too! But a .40 error on a can of peas represents a 50% overcharge. Do you look at the percentage or the actual dollars and cents when you’re making that decision? One of my sisters left me a note on Facebook saying she probably wouldn't go back but she does try and watch and catch any errors in the checkout line.

I'm serious, I can't figure it out. How do you do it??

Cranberry Chuck Roast

This article appears in the Make It From Scratch carnival at Applehead.

If you are new here, thanks for stopping! I publish a recipe every Sunday to share my interest in food and cooking.

Although it's 85° here today, I'm trying to remember that it's still winter in much of the country. Accordingly, this week's Sunday recipe is a perfect, inexpensive and easy dish for a cold winter's day. It cooks all afternoon, rendering the chuck roast tender and the kitchen warm and smelling delicious!

3-4 lb arm or blade chuck pot roast
3 tablespoons shortening or canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups fresh cranberries
¼ cut hot water

Brown the roast in the shortening in a large ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven; drain. Season the roast with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Place 1 cup of the cranberries on top of the roast. Pour ¼ cut water into the skillet. Cover the skilled tightly. Bake at 300-325° for 3 to 3 ½ hours or until the roast is tender, adding additional hot water if needed. Add the remaining 1 cup cranberries. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer or until the cranberries are tender. Remoev the roast to a serving platter. Add a small amount of water to the pan drippings. Cook until thickened or until of desired gravy consistency, stirring constantly. Serve with the roast.