Back to the Basics

Hello All! I posted my blog on facebook yesterday and some of my friends responded saying that they had tried this or done this before and that's great to hear!  I'm really interested in how other people approach this concept and how they're experience is or was, we can all learn from eachother!  One of my friends said that he did this while living off of college loans and he said that it's "something I want to get back to because I just enjoyed the simplicity. You get back to the basics of just living, and that's a great feeling."  He hit it right on the mark because that is exactly what my goal is!  


In the past I have definitely been materialistic, a person concerned with material things.  But I wouldn't say I was more concerned with material things than spiritual, intellectual or cultural values but I certainly enjoyed buying things I didn't need.  When I think of what I need, I essentially have everything I need and really I have exactly what I've wanted in life.  I have a great family and wonderful friends, I'm in love with an amazing woman, I have a roof over my head, I have an excellent job and I have money to pay for heat and buy food and I am very fortunate for all of that.  There are people who don't have the choice to not buy anything new.  There are people who do not have a place to sleep at night and don't have enough money to buy food for themselves, they don't have options like I do and I am very grateful for everything I have in my life.


Growing up my parents provided me with everything I needed and more to live a very comfortable life.  My parents also did an awesome job at teaching me to appreciate what I had.  I worked and earned money for a lot of things that I wanted and I wasn't just given them.  I'll never forget that I really, really wanted a trampoline and my parents said I could have one and I was so excited, but I had to pay for it.  I think I was in maybe 6th or 7th grade and I was like what?! The deal was that I would help my mom with her daycare out of our home for the entire summer and she would pay me I think it was like $50 a week.  After the first week I went and put the trampoline on lay-away and each week I would go and put more money and finally I got to bring it home and it was fucking awesome! I paid for it by myself and I was so proud and thinking back I'm really happy that my parents did that for me because I learned that everything I had took hard work on my parents part to pay for.


At the same time, during college I wanted to buy new clothes and jewelry and shoes and coats and bags and I think I did that because I wanted to be able to show I could make it on my own but I was misguided.  I love Sugarland's Happy Ending song:

We all know the stories
We all know the fairy tales
We all get the glory of making it for ourselves
 ...
We've come here with nothing
And take it with us the day we leave
The first and last breath don't matter
It's all the ones that are in-between
It's the reason for living
It's the reason the caged bird sings

Anyone who goes out and makes a life of their own has something to be proud of.  But making it on your own isn't about buying the most expensive car or largest tv or brand name clothing, it's about living!   I trust that I am exactly where I'm suppose to be at this point in time and I'm happy and its time to start doing things that will make a difference!

Enough rambling, another friend of mine suggested that I try equal parts water and vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner, which I am going to try and I'll report back with my results!  As far as the farmer's market goes, I was talking to one of my best friends and he told me that he has gone there in the winter and sadly there isn't a lot to choose from. I have heard of this place in Rochester called Small World Bakery and they use fresh, organic, local ingrediants and I really want to go check that place out.  While on their site I found  Highland Park Winter Farmer's Market and it's open every Wednesday at 4pm, I think I'm going to check it out today!

I wanted to say that I have spent money for the first time since Sunday on lunch this afternoon.  My plans changed, I was suppose to have a meeting in Buffalo and planned on buying lunch out there because I do not have anything to pack and bring that wouldn't need to be heated up.  Long story short, my plans changed and I ended up taking Lauren out to lunch at Panera Bread.  We ate inside so everything was served on plates and bowls that they'll wash and I didn't have to throw away.  However, I realized that the little water cups they provided can be recycled but there is not a recycling bin for those cups! Very frustrating and after I left I thought I should have brought the cups with me and recycled them myself!  Other than that I'm happy that I was able to eat and not have to throw away a lot.  I did read that one lady brings her own cloth napkin with her when she goes places so that she does not use paper ones. I think that is an excellent idea!  The second summer I spent in Cincinnati, OH the company paid for and completely furnished my apartment, I was also given a roll paper towels, a roll of toilet paper and a thing of laundry and dish detergent as well as being provided with very nice cloth napkins. I used those napkins the entire summer and I realized that I never purchased paper towels, in fact I still had paper towels left on the roll that I was given at the beginning of summer! 11 weeks and I only used a roll of paper towels, I think that's awesome and it's something that I was completely unaware of until I packed everything and was moving out.  I want to invest in some cloth napkins but they would be a new purchase ... any thoughts?! Perhaps I'll buy used??