Very pleasant to come across your website and to see a few others doing the same thing. Our numbers are increasing!! Soon our favorite phrase "Homeless and stuffless" will have new meanings...
My wife and I have been living the dream for the last 15 years. We know how to adjust: when the stock market was high (it's been so long ago I can barely remember but that's another story) we were on a budget of $200K a year living in a ski-in/ski-out chalet in the French Alps, eating in Michelin-stared restaurants all over Europe. Then the dot.com bubble burst and our budget went to $40K a year while living in a 5-bedroom mansion in Goa with swimming pool and servants. In the latest financial debacle, we were very happy at $49/day in a one-bedroom apartment in a fancy building with swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam; we had great meals at $20 for both of us with take-home leftovers; that was in Shanghai.
Yes, we do have medical insurance (hospital only) bought in France. The $6000 yearly premium is our biggest budget item.
We do not earn any salary but we do sometimes trade work for accommodations or we attend fancy food festivals by volunteering to work at them.
We got to this point by saving as much of our earnings as possible over our 30 or so years of our careers; by selling our real estate; by not having kids; by not having parents in need of our assistance; and by easing into this lifestyle gradually over 5 or 6 years.
It's been most enjoyable and continues to be for the foreseeable future...
Search for a product, click on it. Each product is broken down into ingredients. If click onto any linked ingredient it takes you to another page, which lists how it's toxic and why. Including where the information came from.
this site does not seem to note if the "harmful" ingredients are truly harmful if they're just on your skin/hair at a short time.
These things probably linger on your skin even after they've been rinsed. They also leak into our waterways and harm the wildlife. Perhaps even short time exposure is detrimental.
A lot of these chemicals are not natural and we do not know how they affect us yet. They are too new. But many of them are banned in Europe.
You are welcome to keep using those items, so long as you and I and everyone else are doing so in an INFORMED manner. Not with hidden information and outright lies and lack of testing.
My favorite post is Philip Brewer's "How much do I need to retire?..."
I'm only 24, but this post explains what I need to be aware of to start planning for retirement. I trust Philip because he writes very clearly and precisely, and so the information is easy to understand.
Just re-read your post. So sorry to just catch on. You have no lid? You will have to get one. More them likely, any stainless steal lid that comes close to fitting, will work. You will need to seal it with wet bread.
I used to make one layering a can of crushed pineapple, a can of cherry pie filling, a box of yellow cake mix, and a stick of butter sliced thin in a 13x9 pan. I made it so often, the constant exposure of the pineapple to my cake pan made a pinhole in it. So now I use a glass pan!
I've been using baking soda as shampoo for quite some time now (1tsp mixed in a cup of warm water). I wash every two to three days. My hair has never looked or felt better! I used to rinse with AC vinegar (1 tsp in a cup of warm water), but quit because my family couldn't tolerate the smell. I switched to using lemon juice in the same way. There are no ill effects (no bleaching of my dark hair for example) and no smell.
I often stew up fruit that is a bit overipe and use it for dessert or for sauces. Making soup is one of my favourite ways to use veggies up, I keep a bag in the freezer and toss excess veggies in it for using in soup.
I pretty much do everything you mentioned. One thing I'm confused about though is that if this messes up your debt to income ratio. Does that just account for carried balances?
for example if I have an income of 4000/month and I spend $1500 on my credit card every month a pay it in full does that give me a debt-income ratio of 0% or 37.5%?
I used baking soda and apple cider vinegar on my hair for over a year but had to abandon it because of my incredibly hard water and the resulting soap scum build up on my hair and scalp. I wish I could continue to use it but it just didn't work well with the water in my area. I did find a strong thyme tea did work well as a conditioning and clarifying rinse every once in a while. It just became too much for me. I did find a pretty simplistic shampoo to use and am pretty happy with it.
It's understandable that this wouldn't even be an issue for many people. But when you combine the fact that some stores just don't train their cashiers to even be able to take coupons -- much less use multiple forms of payment, it can be a hassle to even use the small gift cards.
For the most part, large retailers who are used this this thing shouldn't see it as a big deal (and therefore, the customer would have no need to feel odd), but in some smaller rural areas, places where you still have to sign a paper slip to use a credit card (or heaven forbid, one of those manual imprint deals), you are talking about a huge deal to use multiple forms of payment.
I was also inspired to write this when I saw so many people asking about it on deals and freebies board. So I knew that at least for some people, it was an issue.
I'm glad that from what I'm hearing here, most of our readers haven't had it be an incovenience :) Maybe you all are just that savvy?
I love getting wise bread newsletters in the mail everyday. My favorite articles would be the ones on saving money and being frugal, because it has helped me more as a young adult to not just blow money on material goods and save up for the future. And being frugal is (kinda) fun.
i thought the states with the most millionaires was interesting reading. then again, who isn't fascinated with knowing about people who have things and means that they dont??
I just received notice that my unemployment was being denied after having received it for three months. The reason for my discharge was "too many distracting phone calls from my husband", but it was really because the law firm was having financial problems, and it was just a convenient excuse. Now they are giving reason as "poor job performance". I responded my version of my discharge, but what can I do? They are attorneys, and it is their word against mine.
I read about the baking soda and vinegar alternative to shampoo several years ago and gave it a spin. I washed my hair this way for over a year (the only reason I stopped was because I started dying my hair--I'm not sure what the effects are, but I have a feeling vinegar isn't good for it). Hairdressers have always told me my hair was in fantastic shape and was very soft, so it seemed to work for me. I have very fine hair that gets oily very quickly. I found that this method kept my scalp in good shape and kept the oil from getting out of control.
The method that I used was to mix one tablespoon of baking soda into a paste in the palm of my hand, then rubbed that into my scalp and rinsed. Then, I would dilute 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into 1 cup of water, applied to scalp, and rinsed. I think the key to avoiding a harsh smell if diluting the substances. Also, don't wash every day and give yourself a few weeks to let it work.
Thanks for the useful article. I use 1 part baking soda and 4 parts vinegar to wash my hair after swimming, both in the pool and in the ocean; no more clarifying shampoo for me! The vinegar also makes it quite shiny.
I've tried cornstarch and talcum powder as a quick dry shampoo for when my hair gets a little too oily between washings with some success. The oil disappears, but the powder is quite messy to comb out.
I like when one topic is discussed, with links to various blogs that are talking about the topic. Is is cool to read a new page, and see what different people have to say about the same topic. I also liked the daily deals, but don't like the new way they are done.
I took a look at this web site and found it rather confusing. There is not a good description of how scores for are assigned. The site also does not describe (and this is my issue with many similar sites and groups) how the ingredients in these products affect the average consumer when the products are used in the manner in which they were meant to be used.
Yes, many personal care products will cause irritation if you get them in your eyes or mouth. Most people learned to keep their eyes closed when rinsing soap off their face or shampoo out of their hair at a relative young age. And, while many substances will cause problems if injested in large doses, this site does not seem to note if the "harmful" ingredients are truly harmful if they're just on your skin/hair at a short time.
In short, I won't change my usage habits for health reasons unless I can be convinced that a product contains substances that will cause me harm if I use and/or otherwise come into contact with the product in the way in which it was intended for me to use/come into contact with it and with a statistically relevant amount of risk. I'm all for being safe, but I want to see the science to back it the claims that people make about products being risky. Until then, I'm going to keep using my Nalgene bottle to drink tap water, take my sandwich to work in my ziploc bag (reused a few times) and eat Oreos in moderation.
I agree with Kat that you should not wash your hair everyday. I have fairly long hair and keep my washes to twice a week unless I get REALLY sweating at the gym. I also avoid brushing it unless I have just washed it - split ends are at a minimum.
I enjoyed the "Using Up Sub-par Produce" - anything by Linsey usually strikes my fancy. I also typically enjoy any of Misha's articles about making life easier/better on a budget. And I enjoy Paul's wit and particular brand of writing.
I have to say that was one egg-cellent round-up, Linsey! (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)
Thanks for including my article too! :-)
All the best,
Len
Len Penzo dot Com
Most wines, vinegars, and brandies start with pulped fruit. There are many companies that sell starter kits with yeast and other equipment.
Very pleasant to come across your website and to see a few others doing the same thing. Our numbers are increasing!! Soon our favorite phrase "Homeless and stuffless" will have new meanings...
My wife and I have been living the dream for the last 15 years. We know how to adjust: when the stock market was high (it's been so long ago I can barely remember but that's another story) we were on a budget of $200K a year living in a ski-in/ski-out chalet in the French Alps, eating in Michelin-stared restaurants all over Europe. Then the dot.com bubble burst and our budget went to $40K a year while living in a 5-bedroom mansion in Goa with swimming pool and servants. In the latest financial debacle, we were very happy at $49/day in a one-bedroom apartment in a fancy building with swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam; we had great meals at $20 for both of us with take-home leftovers; that was in Shanghai.
Yes, we do have medical insurance (hospital only) bought in France. The $6000 yearly premium is our biggest budget item.
We do not earn any salary but we do sometimes trade work for accommodations or we attend fancy food festivals by volunteering to work at them.
We got to this point by saving as much of our earnings as possible over our 30 or so years of our careers; by selling our real estate; by not having kids; by not having parents in need of our assistance; and by easing into this lifestyle gradually over 5 or 6 years.
It's been most enjoyable and continues to be for the foreseeable future...
Search for a product, click on it. Each product is broken down into ingredients. If click onto any linked ingredient it takes you to another page, which lists how it's toxic and why. Including where the information came from.
this site does not seem to note if the "harmful" ingredients are truly harmful if they're just on your skin/hair at a short time.
These things probably linger on your skin even after they've been rinsed. They also leak into our waterways and harm the wildlife. Perhaps even short time exposure is detrimental.
A lot of these chemicals are not natural and we do not know how they affect us yet. They are too new. But many of them are banned in Europe.
You are welcome to keep using those items, so long as you and I and everyone else are doing so in an INFORMED manner. Not with hidden information and outright lies and lack of testing.
My favorite post is Philip Brewer's "How much do I need to retire?..."
I'm only 24, but this post explains what I need to be aware of to start planning for retirement. I trust Philip because he writes very clearly and precisely, and so the information is easy to understand.
I've wondered about getting natural dyes for Easter eggs. Thanks for the link. Great round up by the way.
Just re-read your post. So sorry to just catch on. You have no lid? You will have to get one. More them likely, any stainless steal lid that comes close to fitting, will work. You will need to seal it with wet bread.
I used to make one layering a can of crushed pineapple, a can of cherry pie filling, a box of yellow cake mix, and a stick of butter sliced thin in a 13x9 pan. I made it so often, the constant exposure of the pineapple to my cake pan made a pinhole in it. So now I use a glass pan!
My kids request this instead of BIRTHDAY CAKE!
I've been using baking soda as shampoo for quite some time now (1tsp mixed in a cup of warm water). I wash every two to three days. My hair has never looked or felt better! I used to rinse with AC vinegar (1 tsp in a cup of warm water), but quit because my family couldn't tolerate the smell. I switched to using lemon juice in the same way. There are no ill effects (no bleaching of my dark hair for example) and no smell.
I often stew up fruit that is a bit overipe and use it for dessert or for sauces. Making soup is one of my favourite ways to use veggies up, I keep a bag in the freezer and toss excess veggies in it for using in soup.
why does the 10th man get dropped?....
that's not FAIR!!
I pretty much do everything you mentioned. One thing I'm confused about though is that if this messes up your debt to income ratio. Does that just account for carried balances?
for example if I have an income of 4000/month and I spend $1500 on my credit card every month a pay it in full does that give me a debt-income ratio of 0% or 37.5%?
Thank you for such a thorough explanation of a complex program. I feel much better informed.
I used baking soda and apple cider vinegar on my hair for over a year but had to abandon it because of my incredibly hard water and the resulting soap scum build up on my hair and scalp. I wish I could continue to use it but it just didn't work well with the water in my area. I did find a strong thyme tea did work well as a conditioning and clarifying rinse every once in a while. It just became too much for me. I did find a pretty simplistic shampoo to use and am pretty happy with it.
It's understandable that this wouldn't even be an issue for many people. But when you combine the fact that some stores just don't train their cashiers to even be able to take coupons -- much less use multiple forms of payment, it can be a hassle to even use the small gift cards.
For the most part, large retailers who are used this this thing shouldn't see it as a big deal (and therefore, the customer would have no need to feel odd), but in some smaller rural areas, places where you still have to sign a paper slip to use a credit card (or heaven forbid, one of those manual imprint deals), you are talking about a huge deal to use multiple forms of payment.
I was also inspired to write this when I saw so many people asking about it on deals and freebies board. So I knew that at least for some people, it was an issue.
I'm glad that from what I'm hearing here, most of our readers haven't had it be an incovenience :) Maybe you all are just that savvy?
Linsey Knerl
I love getting wise bread newsletters in the mail everyday. My favorite articles would be the ones on saving money and being frugal, because it has helped me more as a young adult to not just blow money on material goods and save up for the future. And being frugal is (kinda) fun.
i thought the states with the most millionaires was interesting reading. then again, who isn't fascinated with knowing about people who have things and means that they dont??
I just received notice that my unemployment was being denied after having received it for three months. The reason for my discharge was "too many distracting phone calls from my husband", but it was really because the law firm was having financial problems, and it was just a convenient excuse. Now they are giving reason as "poor job performance". I responded my version of my discharge, but what can I do? They are attorneys, and it is their word against mine.
I read about the baking soda and vinegar alternative to shampoo several years ago and gave it a spin. I washed my hair this way for over a year (the only reason I stopped was because I started dying my hair--I'm not sure what the effects are, but I have a feeling vinegar isn't good for it). Hairdressers have always told me my hair was in fantastic shape and was very soft, so it seemed to work for me. I have very fine hair that gets oily very quickly. I found that this method kept my scalp in good shape and kept the oil from getting out of control.
The method that I used was to mix one tablespoon of baking soda into a paste in the palm of my hand, then rubbed that into my scalp and rinsed. Then, I would dilute 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into 1 cup of water, applied to scalp, and rinsed. I think the key to avoiding a harsh smell if diluting the substances. Also, don't wash every day and give yourself a few weeks to let it work.
Thanks for the useful article. I use 1 part baking soda and 4 parts vinegar to wash my hair after swimming, both in the pool and in the ocean; no more clarifying shampoo for me! The vinegar also makes it quite shiny.
I've tried cornstarch and talcum powder as a quick dry shampoo for when my hair gets a little too oily between washings with some success. The oil disappears, but the powder is quite messy to comb out.
I like when one topic is discussed, with links to various blogs that are talking about the topic. Is is cool to read a new page, and see what different people have to say about the same topic. I also liked the daily deals, but don't like the new way they are done.
I took a look at this web site and found it rather confusing. There is not a good description of how scores for are assigned. The site also does not describe (and this is my issue with many similar sites and groups) how the ingredients in these products affect the average consumer when the products are used in the manner in which they were meant to be used.
Yes, many personal care products will cause irritation if you get them in your eyes or mouth. Most people learned to keep their eyes closed when rinsing soap off their face or shampoo out of their hair at a relative young age. And, while many substances will cause problems if injested in large doses, this site does not seem to note if the "harmful" ingredients are truly harmful if they're just on your skin/hair at a short time.
In short, I won't change my usage habits for health reasons unless I can be convinced that a product contains substances that will cause me harm if I use and/or otherwise come into contact with the product in the way in which it was intended for me to use/come into contact with it and with a statistically relevant amount of risk. I'm all for being safe, but I want to see the science to back it the claims that people make about products being risky. Until then, I'm going to keep using my Nalgene bottle to drink tap water, take my sandwich to work in my ziploc bag (reused a few times) and eat Oreos in moderation.
Very interesting article!
I agree with Kat that you should not wash your hair everyday. I have fairly long hair and keep my washes to twice a week unless I get REALLY sweating at the gym. I also avoid brushing it unless I have just washed it - split ends are at a minimum.
Great experiment that I just might have to try!
I enjoyed the "Using Up Sub-par Produce" - anything by Linsey usually strikes my fancy. I also typically enjoy any of Misha's articles about making life easier/better on a budget. And I enjoy Paul's wit and particular brand of writing.
My hair is dyed. Any word on how this mixture would react to that?