Category Archives: Lemons to Lemonade

Everything Goes Trash Night – Bizarro Christmas Year 3

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Once a year, our community has a special trash night were we are allowed to get rid of everything except mattresses.  Last year, I wrote about my community’s trash night in an article called “Everything Goes Trash Night – Bizarro Christmas Year 2”  where this special day is almost like a holiday for my wife and I.  It’s a great opportunity to get rid of clutter!

It’s the anti-thesis of Christmas where instead of receiving stuff, we get to toss stuff out!  Like last year, this year didn’t disappoint either!  We got rid of the following:

  • Old, slightly rusty grill
  • Plastic chairs and 1 soccer field chair
  • Snow thrower (my dad still calls them snow blowers, and so do I sometimes).
  • Razor scooter
  • Kid Toys

Interestingly, this year it was different!  In previous years, we’d put the stuff down at the bottom of the drive, and late in the night, people would come and pick things up, but this year they were early and everywhere!  First I wheeled down the grill, and while I was walking up the drive, someone stopped by and snagged it.  I went back down and asked if he needed help loading it, but he said he had a trailer with a ramp and he was going to wheel it up into his truck.  I watched and he did that right quick.

Next I put out the chairs, when once again when I got to the top of the drive a woman stopped and asked if she could have the chairs to which I said sure, I even ran up to the garage to get the soccer field chair for her.  She seemed happy.

Nothing was left down at the bottom of my drive, so I went backup and started to wheel down my biggest item… the snow thrower.  Once again, I got back up to the top of the drive when I heard a minivan stop.  Since this was the heaviest of the items and the minivan had a high gate, I walked back down to asked if he and his wife needed help loading it.  Since it was so heavy, I was afraid that this wife would have to help, and although I’m sure they could have done it… I was there already, so I offered.  Luckily for me, he had a buddy drive by with a pickup, and that was the perfect option.  We put it in the pickup, and away they drove.  They both thanked me and I wished them farewell.

I’ve lived at my house for 11 or 12 years now, but I just really started putting stuff down on “Everything goes trash night” starting three years ago.  Five years ago, I would have worked a bit harder to make the things I had last until they would totally break, and in fact, I did do that with my old lawnmower (Mean Green).  But this year, it was easy to part with my snow thrower and everything else.  I know that if I worked at it, I could have fixed the snow thrower, but it’s over 20 years old and there are much better models out now, so why not let someone else have it!  I’m sure it will make someone happy!

An hour later, I remembered that I wanted to get rid of my son’s razor scooter, so I rode it down and leaned it against the trash can.  Again, I was surprised when I heard a truck stop and just like a quick, cool breeze, it was gone!  Totally awesome!

Right now as I write this, I’m more content than on the real Christmas!  It’s funny how giving stuff (trash if you will) away can make you happy.  I know that I could have listed half of my old stuff on Craigslist and probably have made a bit off money, but this is even better!

Bizarro Santa

Bizarro Santa

Happy Bizarro Christmas, everybody…  It was another great year for me!

Don

Making a Temporary Illness Work To Your Advantage

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I’m still sick, but I’m optimistic about my blogging content once I get better…

Sometimes getting sick works to your advantage because it breaks an repeating routine and the downtime enables you to think see and think outside of your regular routine.  For me, such times enable to to take everything in and readjust my regular course based on what I find.

So while I still have vertigo-like symptoms, as long as I’m down for the count, I can still think and look down the road of each alternative path that has been an unforeseen option for me.  I like taking lemons and making lemonade with such problems, and this is one of the greatest potential moments in that process!

Some of my thoughts that I’ve been thinking of while I’ve been down is redesigning my site.  It’s plain and needs a good makeover.  To be honest it’s not optimally configured and hasn’t change in 3 years.  Once the dizziness goes away, that will be a priority.  Next, I would like to develop a few post each week that are consistent in topic.  This will enable me to keep my eye on the goal, so to speak.  Next, I’m thinking off adding some of my own flare…  By flare I mean something new, exciting, and hopefully original!

Well, I’m tapped out, getting better but still sick,

MR

 

Everything Goes Trash Night – Bizarro Christmas Year 2

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Our community has a special trash night were we are allowed to get rid of everything except mattresses.  I blogged out it last year as “Everything Goes Trash Night is Like Bizarro Christmas” where this special day is almost like a holiday for my wife and I.  It’s a great opportunity to get rid of clutter!

It’s the anti-thesis of Christmas where instead of receiving stuff, we get to toss stuff out!  This year didn’t disappoint!

Bizarro Santa

Bizarro Santa

The list of things that we tossed out included the following:

  • A plastic luggage traveling casing for traveling (this thing was huge and took up way to much space in my garage…  I was also very ugly).
  • A cheap black office chair that was broken (I had this for over 12 years).
  • A heavy mirror that has sat in the basement since we moved into our house.
  • A heavy metal computer tower model 486 (I have no idea why I kept it so long).
  • Our lighting fixture that was replaced recently (a Chandelier).
  • Old Bean Bags that were taking up space.
  • The coffee table that we never used that sat in the basement.
  • The kid’s sandbox that was too old and the kids never played with.
  • A small fridge from my college days. (Still worked and was the first thing picked up by drive by folks looking for good stuff).
  • and other miscellaneous junk.

We put our stuff out late, so we missed a few of the opportunistic drive by folks looking to breathe a second life into our stuff, but we still have a few.  First was the guy in an SUV that was nicer than my cars.  He just picked up the college dorm room fridge and left.  The second was a guy in a small pickup, the took the heavy mirror, our Chandelier, and the coffee table.  The garbage collectors got the rest.

Next year we’ll try to put out our stuff earlier, that way they might find a second home.  Or perhaps Bizarro Santa will come and take them to the island of misfits…

Cheers,

MR

Frugally Surviving The 2012 Apocalypse

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This article is motivated by the various television shows that I have been watching these past few days.

Asteroid

Let me first say that I don’t really think 2012 is magically going to be the year that the world characteristics change in such a way that the human species will no longer be at the top of the food chain.

The largest source being referenced as being the “End of the World” proof is the Mayan Calendar.  So how many times have you looked at your calendar and thought to yourself “Oh, it must be the end of the world next year, because the calendar I have doesn’t go beyond that date?  Did I mention that the Mayan Calendar is carved into stone?

So in a nutshell, the primary source for a 2012 Apocalypse is the calendar created by ancient people who use to make sacrifices to a feathered snake god?  Now I’m not saying that the Mayans weren’t intelligent people, but still, it’s not like they said that the end date of their calendar would be the end of the world.  Yes, a very unusual alignment of the planets, but not necessarily an apocalypse…

Frugally Surviving The 2012 Apocalypse

Okay, now lets say that I have failed to ease your mind about the Mayan’s predicting (which there is no real document to say they have made a prediction) that in 2012, an apocalypse will happen.  Or perhaps you have another reason for believing that in 2012, something bad will happen (bird flu strain, the nuclear issue, killer asteroid, etc) and the human race will have hardships for a few years…

Well if you believe that the human race will have hardships for a few years, then this article was written for you!

I believe if we grow our own food next year and “can” it for storage, such a practice would be both beneficial from a 2012 apocalypse route and a great way to save money too!  An additional benefit would be the learning experience and the fact that you were able to become more self-sufficient.

Another thing I would like to do next year is going skeet shooting with my son.  Having a shotgun can run as a dual purpose functionality too.  It can be a recreational device, but it can also serve as a home defense tool too!  I might just get me a shotgun to go skeet shooting at first since my son is only 11.  Next, I’ll learn how to shoot well, and then teach my son too.

Well, there you have my frugal techniques to halfheartedly prepare for any 2012 Apocalypse…

Any additional frugal ideas to combat the high price of the items needed for a 2012 apocalypse?

Cheers,

MR