One of the most frugal habits a person can acquire, I think, is the habit of taking long walks (or long runs) on trash pick-up day.
I was thinking about this because of a visit just yesterday to my "grasshopper's" home: that is, a visit to visit a reader of my blog who confers with me about ways to live more gently upon this good earth. Her home is amazing. It's full of joie de vivre, an atmosphere made from a recipe containing gobs of joie and ample amounts of vivre. She took me on a tour of her home (she'd actually prepared a list of the highlights she wanted to share): a homemade green house garden with plants that actually grow, homemade hand creams, kitchen counters made from former bowling alleys (!), an amazingly compactly organized laundry area, and--of course--multitudes of canning jars.
One of the many frugal scores that abounded in her home is a large, forest-green velvet couch. She'd discovered it while she was out-and-about on a trash day, sitting at the curb. She returned as quickly as she could with her car, only to find that the trash truck was already at the curb. She had the guts to tell the trash haulers that she was hoping to take the couch home herself, and they gamely helped her lift it onto the top of her car. Now, that's service! She and her husband and her 6 kids have all made good use of that beautiful find.
I was truly inspired by all that I saw in her house. It was an amazing example of how a frugal life, far from being a deprived or stingy life, can abound with delight. There was color everywhere. There were amazing smells (she makes her own soap, and the house smelled delicious because of that). The kids bounced between playing with each other and showing me their treasures.
So, with a knowing nod of understanding to my sister under the skin, I offer this little story of yet another frugal score.
I have a buddy I run with about three mornings a week; we run through a fairly wealthy neighborhood, and one of the mornings we run is trash day. My buddy J. has helped me haul home all sorts of amazing treasures -- wooden ladders, kid toys, and more. Running on trash day is a perfect marriage of companionship, exercise, and serendipitious treasure hunting. Today's find? A stainless steel microwave oven, just the right size to replace the small white one that's looked ugly (but worked perfectly) in our kitchen for several years. J. and I saw it when we were almost done with my run, and it was a matter of moments after returning home to ask the dog if she wanted to go for a walk with me. She said yes, but of course, and we took my construction vehicle (aka little red wagon) with us.
Since we're planning to move in a year or so, we're trying to jazz up the kitchen a tad to make it somewhat more marketable. A stainess steel microwave oven has been on my "looking around list" for about 5 years now. It hadn't yet gotten to the point that I actually felt the need to (*shudder*) BUY one, but with moving time coming close, I'd been getting more and more antsy about it. And voila! The trash gods smiled upon me.
I know you'd be happy for me, grasshopper. Thanks for a lovely evening!
I was thinking about this because of a visit just yesterday to my "grasshopper's" home: that is, a visit to visit a reader of my blog who confers with me about ways to live more gently upon this good earth. Her home is amazing. It's full of joie de vivre, an atmosphere made from a recipe containing gobs of joie and ample amounts of vivre. She took me on a tour of her home (she'd actually prepared a list of the highlights she wanted to share): a homemade green house garden with plants that actually grow, homemade hand creams, kitchen counters made from former bowling alleys (!), an amazingly compactly organized laundry area, and--of course--multitudes of canning jars.
One of the many frugal scores that abounded in her home is a large, forest-green velvet couch. She'd discovered it while she was out-and-about on a trash day, sitting at the curb. She returned as quickly as she could with her car, only to find that the trash truck was already at the curb. She had the guts to tell the trash haulers that she was hoping to take the couch home herself, and they gamely helped her lift it onto the top of her car. Now, that's service! She and her husband and her 6 kids have all made good use of that beautiful find.
I was truly inspired by all that I saw in her house. It was an amazing example of how a frugal life, far from being a deprived or stingy life, can abound with delight. There was color everywhere. There were amazing smells (she makes her own soap, and the house smelled delicious because of that). The kids bounced between playing with each other and showing me their treasures.
So, with a knowing nod of understanding to my sister under the skin, I offer this little story of yet another frugal score.
I have a buddy I run with about three mornings a week; we run through a fairly wealthy neighborhood, and one of the mornings we run is trash day. My buddy J. has helped me haul home all sorts of amazing treasures -- wooden ladders, kid toys, and more. Running on trash day is a perfect marriage of companionship, exercise, and serendipitious treasure hunting. Today's find? A stainless steel microwave oven, just the right size to replace the small white one that's looked ugly (but worked perfectly) in our kitchen for several years. J. and I saw it when we were almost done with my run, and it was a matter of moments after returning home to ask the dog if she wanted to go for a walk with me. She said yes, but of course, and we took my construction vehicle (aka little red wagon) with us.
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| Red wagon, trash-picked appliance, and a happy dog in the morning dappled sun. |
Since we're planning to move in a year or so, we're trying to jazz up the kitchen a tad to make it somewhat more marketable. A stainess steel microwave oven has been on my "looking around list" for about 5 years now. It hadn't yet gotten to the point that I actually felt the need to (*shudder*) BUY one, but with moving time coming close, I'd been getting more and more antsy about it. And voila! The trash gods smiled upon me.
I know you'd be happy for me, grasshopper. Thanks for a lovely evening!
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