We are a wasteful lot

I’ll fess up to having done a couple of these (though I’m not saying which ones). In What You Can Learn From a Dumpster Diver, CC Christiansen offers insight on what we are throwing away.

Hey Freecyclers: Let’s not get carried away

Some things you should just throw away, m’kay?

“Offered: This opened and 2/3 full box of Wheat Thins expired on 16 Oct 2006, so
it’s not for eating, but thought someone creative might be able to use
it for some kind of Arts & Crafts Project?”

Pet Peeve: Hey Freecyclers–Beggars Can’t Be Choosers!

Let me start by saying I am a big fan and frequent user of Freecycle, both to give and to receive. For the uninitiated, it’s an online community that started in Tucson AZ but now has groups worldwide. The purpose of Freecycle is to match people who have things they want to get rid of with people who can use them, and so keeping usable items out of landfills. Most people post when they have items to get rid of, though it’s also considered OK–to a point–to post for an item you are seeking, in hopes someone has it sitting around and wants to be rid of it.

Most requests are reasonable but occasionally people will post wanted ads for cars, specific brands and models of cell phones, “stroller, winnie the pooh, must be in EXCELLENT condition,” things of that nature. Or they not only want it for free, but they demand that you deliver it to them as well. It just strikes me as a little nervy, when you are asking for someone to give you their stuff FOR FREE, to come across as so picky. Two posts already this morning: “Wanted–4 drawer dresser, need you to deliver”; and “Wanted–loveseat and coffee table, but nothing too ugly, please.”

Jeez, if you are so particular, trot down to the store and buy it yourself!

Of WD-40 and Duct Tape

Growing up as the daughter of Junkman, I’ve know for as long as I can remember that you can do almost anything with Duct Tape and WD-40. If it doesn’t move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and it shouldn’t, use duct tape.

A blog post and a news item today alerted me to even more uses for these amazing products.

First, some yahoo in Kentucky apparently couldn’t find a ski mask so he wrapped his face in duct tape to rob a liquor store.

Then I heard about a site listing almost 2000 uses for WD-40.

Surprisingly, “use it to remove duct tape goo from your face” wasn’t on there….yet.

Recurring monthly expenses

An interesting take on getting your budget under control from Philip Brewer on Wise Bread. He maintains that it’s the recurring monthly expenses, not the isolated purchases, that bust your budget over the long term.

Most books and articles on personal finance exhort you to make cuts in the budget for ephemeral items first, because that’s the easiest place to find something you can cut right away. They’re wrong, though: Start with the recurring monthly expenses.

And, he points out, fancy coffee drinks are often used as an example of ephemeral items to cut. But if you are buying lattes frequently enough to impact your budget, then they really should be considered a recurring monthly expense as well.

Unchecked addiction

My usual means of keeping my caffeine addiction in check has been a financial one. I favor fancy coffee drinks–vanilla lattes, cappuccino, and the like. Since I allot myself a certain amount of “walking around” money each week, when the money is gone, no more Starbucks. This served me well, until last month, when a fancy new $1300 coffee maker, the Gaggia 90500 Titanium Super Automatic Espresso Machine, arrived in our office to supplement the standard drip coffee that had been provided gratis each day. Now, for the cost of the milk that I store in the office fridge, I can make a virtually unlimited supply of coffee-house quality espresso drinks with the push of a button. My coffee consumption has skyrocketed, the only restraint being that I won’t drink it after 1 pm each day. It definitely makes it easier to get through the morning, but I’m hating the crash that comes after the buzz wears off.