Comments on: Frugality Lessons Learned from Living in the Car http://organicallyinclined.org/2008/10/16/frugality-lessons-learned-from-living-in-the-car/ encouraging happiness through a love of children, a love of the earth and a love of being frugal... Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:08:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Annie http://organicallyinclined.org/2008/10/16/frugality-lessons-learned-from-living-in-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-9506 Annie Sun, 02 May 2010 20:24:08 +0000 http://organicallyinclined.org/?p=290#comment-9506 Great tips--I would add composting to the list--it's easy to get started, and there are thousands of websites to help you figure out how! The amount you can save on garbage disposal is astounding! Same goes for recycling. Most places have recycle pick-up available--often for free if you're already paying for garbage service. Those that don't offer pick-up usually have centers for recycling disposal--kids enjoy going, too! Both are easy ways to help save on monthly expenses. Composting also has the added benefit of providing good topsoil (or compost tea, with a little extra effort) for planting in your yard! plant a garden, too! Especially if you have kids...they love to eat the veggies they've grown themselves. And if you don't want to grow veggies, try growing flowers. Some markets will help you sell them, and I've seen numerous people selling from a van in grocery-store parking lots. It might not be much, but it can mean the next meal on your plate, sometimes. And in the frame of good karma, volunteer! It's a great way to meet with like-minded people, make friends, and expand your potential barter-system network! It also has the benefit of satisfaction for a good days work, which is essential when everything else has gone to pot! It might seem counter-intuitive, when you have NOTHING--no house, no job, no money, whatever...to try to "give" then seems perhaps ridiculous. I can only say, "try it!!" It helps. If nothing else, it staves off depression. Sometimes it can lead to jobs, or affordable housing, etc. That was my experience, when I was broke and couch-surfing to survive. Good for you, taking a difficult life lesson and finding ways to make quality of life improve. Homelessness is difficult, particularly with children to care for, and so many people just give up. Glad you didn't! Loved the information, and hope to read the book soon. Be well, and good luck! Great tips–I would add composting to the list–it’s easy to get started, and there are thousands of websites to help you figure out how! The amount you can save on garbage disposal is astounding! Same goes for recycling. Most places have recycle pick-up available–often for free if you’re already paying for garbage service. Those that don’t offer pick-up usually have centers for recycling disposal–kids enjoy going, too! Both are easy ways to help save on monthly expenses. Composting also has the added benefit of providing good topsoil (or compost tea, with a little extra effort) for planting in your yard! plant a garden, too! Especially if you have kids…they love to eat the veggies they’ve grown themselves. And if you don’t want to grow veggies, try growing flowers. Some markets will help you sell them, and I’ve seen numerous people selling from a van in grocery-store parking lots. It might not be much, but it can mean the next meal on your plate, sometimes.

And in the frame of good karma, volunteer! It’s a great way to meet with like-minded people, make friends, and expand your potential barter-system network! It also has the benefit of satisfaction for a good days work, which is essential when everything else has gone to pot! It might seem counter-intuitive, when you have NOTHING–no house, no job, no money, whatever…to try to “give” then seems perhaps ridiculous. I can only say, “try it!!” It helps. If nothing else, it staves off depression. Sometimes it can lead to jobs, or affordable housing, etc. That was my experience, when I was broke and couch-surfing to survive.

Good for you, taking a difficult life lesson and finding ways to make quality of life improve. Homelessness is difficult, particularly with children to care for, and so many people just give up. Glad you didn’t! Loved the information, and hope to read the book soon. Be well, and good luck!

]]> By: Ellen http://organicallyinclined.org/2008/10/16/frugality-lessons-learned-from-living-in-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-7178 Ellen Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:42:57 +0000 http://organicallyinclined.org/?p=290#comment-7178 It's really too bad, this article describes the way my parents raised us back in the 50s and 60s and the way I have always lived. "Waste not, want not" was their motto. So I wonder, if this is the way you live normally, is there any other way to save money? It’s really too bad, this article describes the way my parents raised us back in the 50s and 60s and the way I have always lived. “Waste not, want not” was their motto. So I wonder, if this is the way you live normally, is there any other way to save money?

]]> By: Lily H. http://organicallyinclined.org/2008/10/16/frugality-lessons-learned-from-living-in-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-7112 Lily H. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:07:13 +0000 http://organicallyinclined.org/?p=290#comment-7112 Hello, Michelle. I read your book and found it compelling reading. Your experiences were very visceral and gripping to say the least. I also went through homelessness many years ago, not quite living in a car (lost it, too) but close enough for anyone's tastes. I was homeless for over a year with only one child, then was expecting my second, which motivated me to find another avenue to end this unlucky stretch altogether. Luckily, things worked out better. As for those so-called "tips", my local news show ran some similar. I literally laughed out loud at the obviously aimed at yuppies "survival hints". I have many I would like to share: Shop thrift stores! I I have found endless bargains galore at my neighborhood thrift stores, clothes, books, household items, you name it, I've found it. And, when you get tired or the item outlives its usefulness, just give it away or leave it in your alley recycle bin. Another hint, go alley scavenging. As in the thrifts, I have found countless items, large and small, just steps away from my back door via my alley. I have found two desks, a rolling bookshelf, a free-standing pantry shelf, two rolling bins, and too many to list smaller household items. A notable find was a Pampers case box filled with decent boxed and canned kitchen items discarded from a nearby residence moving away. It's simply amazing what people consider trash. I think for the most part, they don't want to go through the hassle of yard saling it, just easier to leave it out back where someone will eventually discover it. I also swing by my local library after hours to see what anyone's dropped off for the donation bin just inside the door. I have found caches of magazines and many first-run books folks have just cleaned out a closet or dropped off after a yard sale. I've grown my library by leaps and bounds via this avenue. I once had a neighbor who literally added onto his home with allley scavenged supplies. He constructed an enclosed patio with working lights and doorbell, and, of course, plants he'd grown himself (some of which I helped). Sadly, this dear soul passed away amidst his gardens, doing what he loved. Hello, Michelle. I read your book and found it compelling reading. Your experiences were very visceral and gripping to say the least. I also went
through homelessness many years ago, not quite living in a car (lost it, too)
but close enough for anyone’s tastes.
I was homeless for over a year with only one child, then was expecting my
second, which motivated me to find another avenue to end this unlucky stretch
altogether. Luckily, things worked out better.
As for those so-called “tips”, my local news show ran some similar. I literally
laughed out loud at the obviously aimed at yuppies “survival hints”.
I have many I would like to share: Shop thrift stores! I I have found endless bargains galore at my neighborhood thrift stores, clothes, books, household items, you name it, I’ve found it. And, when you get tired or the item outlives
its usefulness, just give it away or leave it in your alley recycle bin.
Another hint, go alley scavenging. As in the thrifts, I have found countless items,
large and small, just steps away from my back door via my alley. I have found
two desks, a rolling bookshelf, a free-standing pantry shelf, two rolling bins, and
too many to list smaller household items. A notable find was a Pampers case box filled with decent boxed and canned kitchen items discarded from a nearby residence moving away. It’s simply amazing what people consider trash.
I think for the most part, they don’t want to go through the hassle of yard saling
it, just easier to leave it out back where someone will eventually discover it.
I also swing by my local library after hours to see what anyone’s dropped off
for the donation bin just inside the door. I have found caches of magazines and many first-run books folks have just cleaned out a closet or dropped off after a yard sale. I’ve grown my library by leaps and bounds via this avenue.
I once had a neighbor who literally added onto his home with allley scavenged supplies. He constructed an enclosed patio with working lights and doorbell, and, of course, plants he’d grown himself (some of which I helped). Sadly, this dear soul passed away amidst his gardens, doing what he loved.

]]> By: Candy http://organicallyinclined.org/2008/10/16/frugality-lessons-learned-from-living-in-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-1167 Candy Mon, 29 Sep 2008 04:53:51 +0000 http://organicallyinclined.org/?p=290#comment-1167 Thanks for the common sense tips. We all need a bit more of that. The economy is really in the toilet so this will help. I like the tip about making bird houses from pallets - terrific. Wouldn't have to sell them for much either so you could sell more. Nice. Thanks for the common sense tips. We all need a bit more of that. The economy is really in the toilet so this will help. I like the tip about making bird houses from pallets – terrific. Wouldn’t have to sell them for much either so you could sell more. Nice.

]]> By: Blackberry Picking and Homemade Jam Recipe | Market My Life - An experiment in making money online http://organicallyinclined.org/2008/10/16/frugality-lessons-learned-from-living-in-the-car/comment-page-1/#comment-1038 Blackberry Picking and Homemade Jam Recipe | Market My Life - An experiment in making money online Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:18:41 +0000 http://organicallyinclined.org/?p=290#comment-1038 [...] Lessons Learned from Living in the Car [...] [...] Lessons Learned from Living in the Car [...]

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