The Elf Blog

A Productive Weekend

Basically, we have two weekends before the holiday season begins.  (The weekend before Thanksgiving is really the beginning.)  That means you have two weekends to set the stage.

If you'd like to start some shopping, that's not a bad idea.  There are Veterans' Day sales and the crowds will be less.

It's also good to spend some time doing a serious cleaning.  Do all the laundry, not just what you need to get through the week. Clean the guest room thoroughly.  Vacuum the baseboards and under the cushions and behind furniture.  Clean the fridge and freezer and cabinets, making as much room as possible.

Do whatever it takes to make sure that basic tidying can keep your house guest ready through the holidays.

Holiday Weekend

For some folks, this is a three day weekend.  (I'm making it a 5-day weeekend with a little voyage to New England.)  Use the time well:

• Decorate for Halloween.
• Make Halloween costumes or crafts.
• Get outside and enjoy the autumn air.
• Go apple or pumpkin picking.
• Hit Columbus Day sales to get a jump on your Christmas shopping.
• Bake an apple crisp or make a hearty stew.

Enjoy this fabulous fall weekend.  I'll see you again on Tuesday!

Overstock

Sometimes I think we remember only too well what it was like to dwell in caves, fearing what tomorrow might bring and having our survival depend on stockpiling resources.

For most of us, this is not our reality.  We don't need to spend September and October stockpiling food and fuel to last until April.  The supermarkets will be open all winter and food will remain accessible.  Even if there's snow, we are unlikely to be cut off from resources for more than a week.

So why do we stockpile months' worth of food?  Marketers convince us that we need to take advantage of stock up sales, buying more than we are likely to use in the next several months.  Warehouse stores take it to a whole new level.  Now, clearly larger families can take advantage of such sales because they can easily go through several boxes of cereal and huge bags of frozen vegetables every week.  For those in smaller living units, however, too much is too much.  A carton of oatmeal can last me almost a month since I don't eat it every day.  A pound of coffee lasts even longer.  Yet still, it's tempting to buy two cans of coffee or two cartons of oatmeal since they are on such a great sale.  That way, I'll have it when I need it and I'm shielded against a price increase.

In truth, it may not be that great a deal.  You have to take up space to store it. The longer it's stored, the higher the likelihood that it will go bad before you use it.  There will be another sale.  There always is.  The prices may not be quite as low, but food prices have been relatively stable for years.  If inflation were running 10%, it might be a different story, but that's not the case.

So, what do you do?

• Have a reasonable sense of what your household uses in a month.  As a rule, you don't need to keep more than that on hand.
• Rotate the foods you do have on hand so that you use the oldest food first.
• Before going shopping, take a quick inventory of what you have on hand and plan upcoming meals to use the oldest food.
• If you do buy a lot of something, within 24 hours of bringing it into your house, have a plan for using at least half of it.
• If you want to take advantage of two-for-one discounts but don't really need that much, consider shopping with a friend and splitting the cost.

Labor Day Shopping

I know that lots of people spend at least part of the Labor Day holiday shopping.  And many shopping establishments have special sales this weekend to take advantage of the crods.

You can get some great deals if you look.  Concentrate on things that are ending their season, such as outdoor furniture, picnic supplies, and sporting goods.  If you have the storage space, you can save a lot of money by buying these things now.  No one buys an outdoor gazebo in November, so stores want them off their hands.  You can save by buying it now, even though you will have to store it all winter.

Some stores have huge sales on items just coming into use.  Last year, I got great deal on long underwear at an outlet sale.  If you are making lots of purchases, it helps to do some research about the available sales -- and about the usual prices for things -- to make sure you are finding true deals.

You are likely to be overwhelmed by holiday merchandise (Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas).  Tempting as it is, very few of these items will be on sale.  If you plan to make purchases of these things, make sure you 1) really need the item and 2) know what a good price is.

If you find any great deals, come back and tell us about them.  I don't plan to shop this weekend, so I'll shop vicariously through you!

Back to School

Even though I feel like summer is just beginning, it is clearly back to school time in the stores.

It seems as if most schools now issue a supply list so that parents can purchase school supplies in advance of the start of the school year.  That's a big help since you'll be forewarned if a teacher requires s specific sort of notebook or pen.

Here are a few hints to make your back to school shopping more cost-effective and efficient:

• Check to see if your state is planning a tax holiday.  Many states schedule one during back to school shopping.  If your state has one, it makes sense to target your big purchases (e.g., a laptop for a college student) to that time period.  The tax holidays are often limited to clothing, electronics, or school supplies, so check your state's gudielines.  You can find a listing here. Keep in mind that many stores will offer specials during the holiday, compounding your discount.
• Look through last year's school supplies.  Many things can be used again this year.  Rulers, protractors, pencil cases, scissors, compasses and the like need not be replaced each year. 
• If you find a particularly good sale on a consumable product, stock up and hide the excess.  A student is likely to need paper, pens, pencils, folders, etc. later in the year when they aren't on sale.  So buy extra now.

But going back to school is more than shopping:

• If you don't have it already, establish family reading time. No tv, no mp# players, no computers.  If your kids are older, everyone can read quietly together.  Otherwise, older kids can read to younger, parents can read to children, children can read to parents.  Make regular trips to the library part of your family's routine.
• Start thinking about school lunches.  Make a list of things your child(ren) will eat and keep it handy.  Use that to plan weekly lunches so you'll always have supplies on hand and you won't face te lunch crisis every morning.  And no, Lunchables should never be an option.  Have you ever read the nutritional info on those things? 
• Set aside a place and a time for studying.  A flat surface, good lighting, and quiet are absolutely essential.
• Establish a command center for backpacks, gym bags, permission slips, etc.  Have one place where you leave all those things.  Maybe post a monthly calendar as well.  You won't always remember to put things there, but it's nice to have a place to start looking.  And when you find the backpack in the middle of the family room floor, everyone in the house will know where it belongs!

A Favorite Shopping Op

This weekend, I had the opportunity to shop in one of my favorite places for finding great deals on unique merchandise: the museum store. A few hours of browsing (after a bit of rest and refreshment in the cafe) and I combined Christmas shopping with some excellent exhibits.

Now, If you are going to a museum store, you need a strategy.  There will be lots of things that are uniteresting (logo pens and mousepads, boring mugs, T-shirts) or incredible overpriced (a $792 throw rug I passed on).  However, if you look carefully, you can find some excellent gifts.  Here are some of my great museum finds:

• Stationery:  Art museums tend to have gorgeous stationery -- often imported.  Especially nice are the journals and notebooks.  The prices are what you'd get at the local bookstore, but far more interesting designs.
• Things made in faraway countries:  Any museum with an ethnic perspective is likely to import beautiful pieces from abroad.  I've seen scarves, purses, decorative accessories, Chinese calligraphy sets, incense, etc. -- all at reasonable prices.
• Pieces you'll find nowhere else:  At the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, I saw a mortar and pestle, bowls, goblets, and tunblers made out of travertine (a beauiful type of stone).  All were usable pieces that were unique and well-priced.
• Toys and games that stretch children's imaginations: There is no place like a museum for children's gifts that go beyond the ordinary or that challenge children to use their imagination and creativity.  Much better than shooting aliens on a computer screen.

Every time you visit a museum, take afew minutes to stop by the gift shop.  You may find an unexpected treasure and the money you spend will help support the collection.  That's what I call win-win.

The Living Simply Experiment

Well, my three month experiment in limiting my purchases and cutting back on "stuff" has ended -- with mixed results.

I only cleaned out one storage space (out of 3 in my bedroom let alone the rest of my house).  Not much progress, honestly.

I had more success with limiting my purchases.  I had the big purchases -- the tent and the hammock.  I also made some smaller purchases -- 2 rings, a few books, a pair of shoes.  I did great until the 28th when I went on a bit of a spree.  I bought several articles of clothing (almost all of which have been worn already) and a craft book. 

Still, I'm glad I did the experiment.  I probably accumulated less stuff than I would have otherwise.  Plus, I'm far more aware of my purchasing habits.  It's always a good thing to be aware of what you do and why and to think twice about purchases. 

My experiment is over, but I hope the awareness remains.

Sorry for the Absence

I spent the Fourth of July dealing with a family emergency, so I have no reports on cookouts or fireworks.

I did, however, manage to do some Christmas shopping over the last few days.  It's always nice to make progress on the list.  Hopefully, I'll get to some crafting toward the end of the month.

So, how did you all (the few of you who still read here!) celebrate the Fourth?

Living More Simply Update

I continue to do pretty well in limiting purchases.  In the last month, I did make the two major purchases of a party tent and a hammock.  I've used both and I like them very much.

I've also bought some accessories for my dog, some books, and a ring.  Still, my purchases of non-consumables are definitey reduced.  It is making me realize though how much money I spend on consumables and services.

I finally managed to clean out a closet and separate some clothes for donation.  I have many more closets and drawers to prune and reorganize.  Perhaps by the end of the summer.

Another Living Simply Update

I'm still doing pretty well with limiting my purchases.  I've spent less than $20 on non-consumables in the last month.  It's actually been easier than I expected.  I'm making more visits to the library and I'm not buying new clothes.  I'm thinking twice about every purchase I make.

Now, I have to admit that I have a few large non-consumable purchases planned.  My yard is perfect for parties, but rain can certainly put a damper on things.  And in DC, rain is always a possibility.  So, I've decided that it's time to invest in a tent that I can use when I have parties.  I'm just about finished with my research, so I'm likely to make a purchase soon.

On the other hand, when the weather is good, it's nice to be outside to read or nap or just while away an afternoon.  So, I've been researching the purchase of a freestanding hammock.  A lawn chair would be less expensive, but a hammock is much more restful and comfortable.  It's a simple luxury that I think I'll enjoy.

As for the sorting out closets.  Well, I haven't gotten to that yet!