It’s been over 4 years since I made the commitment to join The Compact and stop buying new stuff. At the time, it was a one-year commitment. But after that first year, it became a lifestyle that I stuck with, rather than just an experiment or a challenge. I had absolutely no desire to go to […]
Sentimental Hoarding
You may not be able to tell from this photograph, but this tub of margarita salt was 18 years old when my husband and I finally agreed that it needed to be replaced this past summer. Neither of us had had the heart to toss it, even though it was split and cracked, and the […]
Thanks for the Feedback
Hello readers! I’ve been overwhelmed by the supportive emails and comments and overall great response I’ve received to my request for feedback about the blog. After going through all of them, there won’t be any major changes, but the one comment I received most often was a request for more day-to-day posts, a glimpse into […]
The Day of Reckoning: Results of the June Food Stamp Challenge
It’s the last day of the June Food Stamp Challenge, issued by Katy at the Non-Consumer Advocate, and it couldn’t have come one day sooner! Boy, am I sick of thinking about food and prices and grocery shopping. I haven’t been so focused on it since I was literally almost starving 20 years ago in […]
Update on last year’s baby steps challenge: air dry laundry
Last June, I wrote this post about my baby steps challenge for the month: air dry the laundry. Two weeks later, when I wrote this update, I was convinced the habit would become part of my daily life. Things didn’t quite go as planned… I faithfully hung our laundry out to dry for about three […]
I Broke the Compact
My adorable niece turned eight last week, and one of the gifts we sent her was BRAND NEW CLOTHES! Definitely not Compact-approved, so I’m coming clean here. Do I regret it? No way. She’s wearing one of the tops in this photo, she liked it and wanted to wear it on her birthday while she […]