Cutting the Crap: Camping

So this weekend we were invited to go camping with family down near Alamosa.  For those of you who don’t know, this is near the Colorado/New Mexico border and was a LOOONG drive from our house.  No worries, though.  It was a fun drive even if the kids (and we had our nephew with us) were a bit nuts in the back seat before we got to the campsite.  

Where was said campsite, you ask?  Actually, we camped on some property that the family bought earlier this year.  There was no electricity or running water, so we roughed it.  We even had a latrine that was nothing more than a toilet seat and a hole in the ground.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  We had to pack before we could actually GO anywhere.  THAT took a lot longer than I wanted it to.  We didn’t get to Colorado Springs to hook up with family until about 4pm-ish. So since I’ve learned exactly what we do and don’t need for a camping trip like this, next time I’m hoping to cut down packing time significantly.  Here’s my short list.  If we have just these items next time, I think we’re good.

• Tent & tools to erect it
• Food (and dishes)
• Water
• Sleeping bags, air mattresses
• Clothing for the allotted time
• Toilet paper & wet wipes.
• Lanterns/flashlights
• A shovel

We had a LOT more stuff in our van than what was on this short list.  I’m not going to get into that now.  You really don’t want to know.  

Something else we need to do BEFORE heading out next time is practicing putting up our tent.  We borrowed one from some close friends.  They’d put it up before and told us that it took them (two people) about 45 minutes to assemble from start to finish.  When we got to our campsite, it was dark.  And rainy.  It took 5 people 45 minutes to assemble.  Yes, we did read the directions, which were cryptic. (when I say “we”, I’m not actually included.)  Things were color-coded for our convenience, but in the dark, that helps very little.  And though I complained that we really didn’t need such a BIG tent (it slept 12, for crying out loud), I really did come to love the extra space we had.  I would really like one of those spring loaded tents that you pull out of the bag, untwist the hoop things, and let it fly.  No, I don’t know the technical lingo for tent set-up.  Gimme a break.  But I digress.  As I said, this tent slept 12, had two rooms, and it came with TWO CLOSETS.  Yes. You read that correctly.  It had closets.  Not sure a tent needs those, but someone obviously thought so.  If you’re camping, I’d argue that you don’t need closets.  Just sayin’.  Maybe that crap needs to be cut.  Next time, we’ll hopefully have a simple tent (even if I will miss the closets of the borrowed one.)

Extreme Couponing... Should I do it?

I can't decide if Extreme Couponing is a way to cut the crap or if it would actually complicate things. I could save money, yes, but I don't really want to drive all over town to get a few good deals. AND I don't think buying stuff I don't use is a good idea. I mean, really? That just doesn't seem sane to me. So I decided to do a little research on extreme couponing.

Here's what I found:

• I learned there is a show on TLC called Extreme Couponing. Who knew? Since I cut cable, I hadn't heard of this show. There are people on there who border on the insane, I think. They hoard. I'm not kidding. People actually dumpster dive for coupons. Yes, you read that correctly. And they go NUTS on things they don't need. WHERE oh WHERE do they store all this stuff?
• This college student is trying to help her parents save money. Can someone please tell me WHY she bought so much baby formula if she doesn't need it? I'm happy that she donated the formula to Joplin tornado relief, but just where does one store 30 containers of baby formula? Or 288 rolls of toliet paper? Yes, she slashed her family's monthly grocery bill from $400 to $100. That's an awesome accomplishment. But again, where does one store all this STUFF?
• There are multiple sites devoted to extreme couponing and couponing in general. You can get check for coupons, print them, do whatever, all from your PC.
• Krazy Coupon Lady
• Coupon Mom
• Grocery Coupon Free
• Extreme Couponing

So... I think I might try out some couponing, but I'm not going to get extreme about it. I'll share my successes and failures in this new venture. In the meantime, give me your feedback.

BTW, for those of you worried about whether or not I was working this morning... I was.  I crammed this little bit of writing into the nooks and crannies of my free time between meetings and reading/answering email. HAHAHA  I'm getting my writing fix one measly minute at a time, but there it is.  

Sharing mommy's bed won't harm kid's social skills

Oh gee. Thanks for giving me permission to do what I think works for me and my family.

Sharing mom's bed won't harm kids' social skills

Is anyone else annoyed by all these "experts" whose opinions fly in the face of what we think works for our own families? Bed sharing, for instance, has been frowned upon for the better part of the last decade (and dare I say it, LONGER than that?) and suddenly it's now okay. So many of us depend only on what experts say rather than think for ourselves. I say we need to cut that crap out and take everything with a grain of salt. Obviously, it is wise to listen to the counsel of other wise folks. However, it is better to think through that counsel and make up our own minds. Agreed?

Email Update #2
Today I deleted 492 emails from two folders. I'm getting closer, Folks!

When is the best day to buy things?

According to this Yahoo Finance video, Wednesday is the best day to get some good deals.  :)  Most grocery stores start their sales on Wednesdays and many gas stations haven't hiked up the prices for weekend driving.  Good to know.

I do all my shopping on the weekends... with the crowds and everything.  That's one thing I'd like to cut out of my life, but taking my kids to the grocery store by myself is a daunting thought.  The hubby works.  However, I can certainly get gas on Wednesdays.  That's easy.  LOL

When do you all get groceries and such?

P.S. Email update #1. 
My work email inbox has over 14k things in it.  I seriously need to clean it out!  What I've been doing lately is immediately put read emails into folders so I can find what I need easier and faster.  I'm also starting to delete anything I don't think I'll need in a month's time.  Now if I can just start weeding through everything else... bleck.   

Word of the Day

Moving Spirit - n. Someone who provides significant impetus or guidance in a given venture, movement, enterprise, etc.

So here's a title to which I will aspire.  I want to be a moving spirit in cutting the crap, and so far I've been doing a pretty crappy job of it.  So here's my self-challenge.  Over the next few weeks I'm going to choose one area at at time and explore ways in which I can simplify that area... streamline it... trim the fat... and I'm going to set myself up for success by starting with easy areas.  I'll share them here.

My first target will be my email in-boxes.  I have several in-boxes, so this ought to be interesting.  LOL  I'll report on my progress.    

First Person: The 6 Surprising Money Savers Hiding in My Home - Yahoo! Finance

First Person: The 6 Surprising Money Savers Hiding in My Home - Yahoo! Finance

Wow! I hadn't heard of any of these ideas before, so I'm going to try them... especially the mesh bag thing so I can scrub my pots. :) Here they are for those of you who don't want to click on the link:

1. Use mesh bags onions and potatoes come in to scrub pots and pans.
2. Use cheap coffee filters in place of paper towels to clean things like windows and mirrors.
3. Use baking soda splashed with vinegar to clean toilets, showers, etc.
4. Pour about half a cup of baking soda into a small dish, add 12 drops of essential oil to get rid of odors.
5. Use an unused toothbrush to brush the cornsilk out of corn cobs.
6. Use a cheap shower curtain liner under picnic blankets to keep things dry during summer events like concerts in the park.

Do you have any cost cutting ideas?  Share them!

Cutting the Crap: Independence Day

So how did you cut the crap for Independence Day this year?

Here's what I didn't do:

• I didn't drive more than a mile from my house.
• I didn't plan a huge BBQ.
• I didn't purchase any fireworks.

Here's what I DID do:

• I spent most of the weekend in our pool.
• I watched Independence Day with the family.
• I had dinner/good times with our awesome neighbors.
• I drove to the top of a hill near my home to see fireworks in all of Denver Metro.  

So all of this means I didn't spend loads of money or sacrifice my sanity by joining the 4th of July hordes in all the usual places.  My weekend soooo did NOT suck because of this.

There it is, Folks.  Simplicity.

Snacking, not portion size, largely driving U.S. overeating

Snacking, not portion size, largely driving U.S. overeating

So according to this article we're eating more often, and we're adding calories. Add to this that we're not getting enough exercise, and this is the reason Americans are more obese than ever.

I fall into this obese category, unfortunately.

So... simply put... to reverse this alarming trend all we need to do is exercise more and eat less. Yes? However, is that going to happen? Today we have more jobs that require sitting (in front of a computer or otherwise) than ever before. This means we'll need get exercise before and/or after work. Many people are so busy with family commitments before/after putting in 8+ hours a day that they don't take the time to exercise.

Exercise is an individual choice. However, it would be nice if those sit-down jobs would encourage more activity. My company does. Not only do we have locker rooms onsite, but we participate in the Global Corporate Challenge every year. We participate in Bike To Work Day, and we even have a dedicated bicycle storage in our parking structure. Even our company president leads by example by biking to work as much as humanly possible. We have posters all over the place advocating healthy life choices. We have onsite workshops that talk about current health trends. We've even had a fitness boot camp here. We also get corporate discounts at places like 24 Hour Fitness. Do I participate in any of these things? Occasionally, yes. Sadly, I should do more since I have so much available to me.

More companies should be like mine, though. They should offer incentives to people to get healthy. Still, exercise is an individual choice. As a whole, I think we Americans need to choose to get healthy. Until then, this trend will become ever worse, I'm afraid.