DIY hacks

Epiphany of the weekend...diy hacks are potentially fabulous.

I've been doing a lot of canning this fall.  And the last couple batches I did in my hot water bath caner struggled with rust, which I finally discovered was coming from the jar holder that sits in the bottom.  It was a short investigation time; I pretty much just needed to turn on the light.

I digress, yes, the rust.  I don't remember it happening in previous years, but sometimes my memory is not so perfect.  So I googled it.  And then I googled it again and added 'diy' to the search.  Wow.  Just wow.  I found out that I'm not the only one who thinks the thing is crap and nearly useless, especially for small jars, which I did a lot with this year.   So why replace it with same thing - I'm not!  I'm excited to try out a diy hack that I already have all the supplies for at home and if it doesn't work I'm no worse off than I was before.

Now to find a recycled use for my rusty piece.  I refuse to subscribe to pintrest but I might have to re-think diy hacks.  As long as they actually work.  I'll keep you posted.  I suspect the rusty useless piece will end up in recycling.  I don't want to spend a lot of time hunting for a re-use. Previously I found most diy hacks to be cheesy and useless.

Half a box

I opened a box from the trailer last weekend with my darling man.  I was excited to see the electric wok, which took up half the box.  He said 'are you kidding?  that thing sucks!  have you used it recently?  the temperature control is horrible'.  I'm not exaggerating, those were his exact words.  It was a breath of fresh air to put it and a non-functional glass container into the donation box.  Which is now full.  We also pulled out a kiddie sled we picked up along the way and decided we don't need.

The bad news: a good friend is heading overseas for six months.  We are temporary keepers of some of her stuff.  And....my darling husband has a shop.  Which on the surface sounds fabulous and I'm very excited for him to finally have a place to put all his tools and be able to run his businesses from.  However, the slope can be slippery.  I had been debating what to do about a litter box.  Don't get me wrong here, the idea is to purge the life of stuff I no longer need and not buy things on credit.  Ahem.  That does not mean I just put stuff in the trash can when I decide I don't want it anymore.  The friend heading overseas had the same problem - actually taking time to find the right place for your no longer wanted stuff can be a time suck.  It's certainly not the two second answer that the trash can claims to be.

Back to the litter box.....I have a cat.  He's very special.  He has clearly communicated to me that he is no longer interested in using the 'world's best litter box' that I bought him and that he has faithfully used for years.  Which is a huge bummer because I also have dogs.  I can't imagine anyone paying money for a used litter box nor can I imagine a local shelter or donation shop accepting a used litter box.  So it sat.  And got moved around the house and finally found it's way to the front door.  And now it has gone to the shop.  Where there is lots of room......  I tried to suggest that the shop needed a cat.   The idea was not well received.

Two bowls

Two bowls doesn't seem like a lot.  But they add up.  I keep unpacking boxes and marveling at how many of each item I have.  So far the only bowls that have not escaped the departure box are hand made pottery ones that I have picked up when traveling.  And I love them.  They are the perfect size and shape and make me smile every time I use them.  Yes, I know that some day I will likely break them if history is any indication.  And it will be sad but will also be an opportunity for new amazing lovely bowls to join my kitchen.

We had a short chat about how many place settings did we think we needed.  We agreed on four because we only have four chairs for our (packed) table and our kitchen/dining area is small.  We enjoy smaller groups of people much more than larger ones.  And, if we have more than four people at the house for food, we will just use paper plates.  Because I really hate washing dishes.  Silverware and coffee mugs are so far exempt from this rule.

Additional positive - I packed lunch and breakfast for us and made dinner at home multiple times this week.  Yay!!  This is normally a huge time crunch issue for the mornings.  I kept this goal in mind when I was grocery shopping and it looks like a success so far.  We harvested greens from the garden for salad last night even.  It was delicious.  And I managed to use some coupons before they expired.

I have been shopping for new bike shorts, lots of good sales on right now and the weather looks like it might allow for some evening rides.  The great quality/price battle continues.

Next challenge - traveling out of state this weekend.  And it's payday tomorrow.  So I will be focusing on paying bills first and not impulse buying.

It begins with small steps...

Yesterday (and today) I rode my bike to and from work.  I have missed this ritual and allowed myself to become inefficient with my vehicle trips.  Motivation - my car is not in great shape and though I know exactly what I want for a next vehicle, my budget for this is $0.  

I also re-assembled a box, destined for the donation/recycle store when filled.  I put in two plates (recently unpacked) and a shirt.  I suspect the longer things are packed the more of them will end up with this fate.

I also bravely checked my checking account balance...and calmly sent an email when I discovered a deposit I had been expecting had not arrived.  

Tonight - adding to the box....the biking briefs that did nothing for me yesterday.  Luckily my husband is close enough to my size to loan me his padded riding shorts.  Saddle sore is not a difficult sell for new shorts.  Mine must be packed, I dug in all the logical places last night to no avail.  Several quality ones are available at really good prices right now, so I think I will be making a purchase to continue to be motivated to ride.  My old ones certainly have earned their retirement spot and I'm excited about the new styles that are available.  I have been a bike commuter for many years and in all kinds of weather so I know the new ones are a good investment.    

Purpose

For me, the start of the year is not based on a calendar; it's your birthday.  This is when I look back at the past year and make goals for the next year.  For too many years 'pay off debt' has appeared on this list.  I'm tired of it being there.  I have enough stuff and have never liked buying stuff that I haven't earned the money for yet.  This blog is for me; to chronicle my journey of having enough stuff, simplifying my life, and moving from living in the red to living in the black.  Let the purge begin.