Tip One: Getting My Lazy Butt on the Bus

Gas prices are higher, at least as I write this. Long-term we're in for it, especially if estimates of "tipping point" for global demand means a permanently high price for barrels of our favorite addictive toxic drug: oil.

I've found, however, that leaving my car parked 6 days in 7, and relying on bike, feet, and bus has saved us over $50 each month as compared to a year ago. How?

Richmonders: more at GRTC's Web Site (prepare thyself for cheesy music). Others should check with their local transit authority. Forward-thinking cities like Charlottesville, VA now offer some FREE trolley services. Can you say "way cheap"?

Even lazier: I ride my bike to work more now that GRTC put bike-racks on the front of their buses. I find it easy to get close to home during rush-hour and avoid the loonies chatting about nothing on their cell-phones as they barrel along in three-ton SUVs.

On my bike, I'm talking calories per mile instead of miles per gallon, and I don't even need a bus ticket. My employer provides a yearly bus-pass; other employers provide shower facilities. I'm lucky, because my ride to work is "downhill all the way."

Tip Two: Learning to "Freecycle"

The word will eventually enter our parlance as commonly as "recycle." Essentially, this is a great way to keep things from the landfill. It also beats dumpster-diving or alley-trolling. I, for one, have many items that are not worth eBaying (too big, too inexpensive, not working) that will be perfect for this worthy venture.

What is the process? To quote from the national Freecyling site:

When you want to find a new home for something -- whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door -- you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of your Freecycle™ group.

Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond to a member's offer, and you just might get it. After that, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure.

One main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.

Local Links:

Hanover County Freecycle List
Powhatan County Freecycle List
Richmond City Freecycle List

Tip Three: Playing Office (Eco) Politics

Offices can be amazingly wasteful places. Keep in mind that you can try these tips if 1) you are the boss or 2) you can convince your boss that doing the right thing saves money and might make him/her look better or seem cool. Better still if you convince this person that it's really his or her idea!

The goals are simple--to waste fewer resources and deprive the "Buy Buy Buy" culture of your revenue. Let that beast starve, or at least slim down--our patterns of consumption are shameful. So how to start? Once you start doing these things, you become a mindful worker-bee. You'll discover other cheapskate, earth-friendly ideas, too.

"The Folder Flip": Have you written on the tab of a manila folder, used it, then tossed it when the file is not needed? Encourage your co-workers to turn the folder inside out and reuse it.

"Never Buy Another #$*&@ Paperclip Again": So help me, I've never bought any for our office. Reuse every darned one that comes to you; when you toss (hopefully, recycle) old paperwork pull off the clips and put them in a container. You may never need to buy more.

"I LOVE My Distressed Desk": I have been using the banker's chairs and beat-up antique desk for 12 years. If it suits the atmosphere where you work, go shabby and request used furniture from surplus. Old stuff is sturdier and no trees are murdered to make your office chic.

"Accounts Payable Cheapskate": When I submit invoices to this department, I am supposed to tape small ones to 8.5x11 pieces of paper. Do that, but use non-confidential old documents you were going to toss. Cross out the front with a pencil; tape the invoice or receipt to the blank back.

"Two Sided All the Time": Print and copy everything you can double sided. Nuff said.

Tip Four: "You Ring, We Bring". . .Cool Free Containers

I just love Wonton & hot-and-sour soups from the local Chinese and Vietnamese places. . .and the containers in which they arrive.

Here's a quick way to keep plastic out of the landfills. . .and save money on (ever more frequently) throwaway storage containers: save those soup containers! I don't know where our local restaurants get their to-go soup containers, but the things are made of heavy plastic and are nearly indestructible. Ironically, they are NOT ideal for carrying liquids, thanks to a small vent-hole in the top. We use them in the garden/tool shed for sorting fasteners (we write the size & type on the sides with a permanent marker). They are great in the kitchen for storing bulk goods such as beans or rice (not sugar--ants can get in that vent-hole). They work for loose or bagged tea, for freezing things, for sorting all sorts of odds and ends. And they stack neatly.

At the risk of sounding like a neo-pagan Martha Stewart, these plastic containers are the solution to nearly every at-home dilemma. I cannot believe I just wrote that. I need to do something macho now. Think I'll clean a gun and drink some whiskey.

Tip Five: Cheapskate Furniture Fixes

This part of my cheapskate list is only bound to grow with time. Don't toss your old furniture--fix it in ways to protect the environment! Keeping your old pieces in good shape also prevents your buying more and wasting resources. You need not be a "master refinisher" to do these things:

White rings: Smear a thin layer of your favorite brand of mayonnaise on the ring and leave it at least 8 hours. The water-ring will vanish.

Shellac is Back: For unfinished pieces that do not get heavy use, consider old-timey shellac (made from lac beetles) instead of chemical finishes (polyurethane finishes have dangerous fumes and chip, while shellac can be easily repaired or touched up). Shellac is beautiful, cheap for a huge quantity, and permanent. It comes in various shades and is easy to use--one mixes a proportion of shellac flakes to denatured alcohol, then brushes it on. The scent is strong but not toxic, like some other finishes. One caveat: the alcohol we drink will thin even hardened shellac. This made me avoid shellac on tables where I might put a drink when I get "shellacked."

Scratches: Most hardware or wood-products stores carry scratch pencils. I've used these to make even a few big scratches nearly invisible, especially after I wax the piece. You can mix and match the pencil-shades to get a good touch-up for an item's finish.

Candle wax on your table-cloth: After that messy ritual, spread a thin cotton rag (or even paper towel) over the wax you cannot pick off. Iron it with the iron on a low setting. Most of the wax will seep out into the rag/towel on top.

Rust-proof your wrought-iron doodads: I spread a thin layer of Danish Oil (available from most any place that sells furniture finishes) on the outside of the cauldron, the tripod, and other iron items. Boiled Linseed oil never completely dries, so I'd avoid it.

Goddess damn that stupid cat: Pagans like cats. Most cats like to destroy things. Fern and I have amazing luck with catnip-impregnated scratching boxes to avoid damage to carpets and chairs. We also trim the cats' claws every few weeks, but that's something you have to start when they are kittens (or risk shedding lots of your own blood). People tell me that their boxes did not work, but too often the scent of the catnip fades--refresh it with more and the cats will keep tearing up the boxes, not the sofa!


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