Strocel.com | Money

Is Blogging the Path to Dreams?

Amber on March 25, 2010 35 Comments

It’s Thursday and I’m Crafting my Life! March’s theme is blogging. In previous weeks I talked about blogging your dreams, about how bloggers are real people, and about the ins and outs of building community through blogging. This week I am talking about what blogging can and can’t do for you. I also have links at the end of this post to some other fabulous bloggers and their thoughts on blogging, so be sure to check them out!

I run ads on my blog through BlogHer’s advertising network. I put the ads up around 9 months ago, and I don’t regret the decision. BlogHer has been easy to work with and responsive, they allow me to opt out of certain types of campaigns and they build community within their network by posting links to selected posts with each ad block. Plus, I don’t have to do any work beyond cutting and pasting a code into my sidebar, they handle all of the ad sales and so on.

While I am generally happy with the advertising arrangement I’ve got here, it is not a path to riches. On average, I have made around $25 USD per month from my ads. Still, it’s $25 for something I’m doing anyways, and with no effort on my part. Over the 6 months I have been paid for so far, I averaged around 8000 page views per month (BlogHer pays for page views, not clicks). My current monthly page views are higher, but there is a lag between when the ads are viewed and when I am paid. I am sharing these numbers in spite of my qualms because I think you might genuinely be interested.

My point is this – blogging and blog monetization, for most of us, are not a path to riches. It would be lovely if working part-time from home, writing about our daily lives with children, made us the big bucks. Unfortunately, in my experience, that is not realistic. Yes, some bloggers have done it. But they have worked hard to do it, putting in time and effort and facing more setbacks than we probably know. Dooce, for example, started blogging in 2001, and gained notoriety when she was fired because of her blog in 2002. She has been blogging for 9 years. The fact that ‘dooced‘ is now a slang word testifies to the fact that she’s paid her dues.

If blog montetization isn’t a path to financial freedom, why do I do it? Why do I spend hours each week writing this blog and visiting other blogs? First and foremost, I blog because I love it. I love writing, I love reading what other people have to say, and if I’m honest I rather enjoy the attention. This is my creative outlet and my sacred space, and I am not just saying that. Compensation would be icing on the cake, but I relish this cake straight up. I also love the community I’ve found here. If it weren’t for this community I wouldn’t have had the wherewithal to even ask myself what my dreams were, let alone actually pursue them. These are the happy, fuzzy reasons I blog.

There are less happy, altruistic reasons that I blog, too. I believe that while blogging isn’t an end, it can be a means to an end. I want to write, and I want to speak, and I want to teach. My big dream is to help other moms like me, moms who find themselves at a juncture and aren’t sure which way to go. Moms who are struggling to find balance and a space for themselves in their own lives. Moms who are just starting out and feeling overwhelmed and lost and need someone to help them through. Hopefully, I will figure out a way to get paid to follow this dream. In the meantime, this blog is my practice ground. It is a place where I can try things out, it is a place where I can find other people to bounce ideas off of, it is a way to gather an audience and provide information to people who might be interested in hearing what I have to say.

I don’t know how my dreams will turn out. I don’t know what role blogging will or won’t play in where I end up 10 years from now. But I really believe it will play some part, if only because this exercise has changed me. It has helped me to find my voice and find myself. This blog might not be the road to unspeakable fortune, but it doesn’t have to be. And as long as I know that, as long as I’m not counting on a big cheque from my ad network that may never come, I think I’ll be OK.

Now it’s your turn. Have you written a post about blogging? If so, enter the details below. And whether you have or not, go check out these other blogs for some inspiration or helpful advice.

Tagged With: Bloggy McBloggerson, Crafting my Life, Money

Treasure Hunting

Amber on February 20, 2010 20 Comments

There was a time in my life when I would not have been caught dead in a thrift store. I have never been a big shopper, but back before I had kids I bought everything new. I was convinced that thrift store shopping was a lot of work, and I found the idea of wearing second-hand clothes or eating off of second-hand plates distasteful. Never mind that I would happily visit other people’s homes or frequent restaurants and eat off of their plates, or borrow my friend’s clothes. Using a faceless stranger’s cast-offs did not appeal to me.

Then I had children. Tiny little people who grow at alarming rates and always need some article of clothing or another. Suddenly, spending $20 for each new pair of teeny-tiny pants seemed exorbitant. Let’s say your kid has 5 pairs of pants, which is maybe not even enough. That’s $100 in pants that they will outgrow in 3 weeks, and poop on, and generally cover in yucky kid goo. Suddenly, the thrift store with its $4 baby pants seemed much, much more appealing.

Thrift store shopping has other things going for it, too. It’s an environmentally-friendly choice, since you are giving new life to old things, and not consuming any additional resources. Re-using at its finest. Also, the variety of items that you can find in a large thrift store is unparalleled. If you want the perfect shirt to match a great skirt you found, you’ll likely have better luck at a thrift store with hundreds of shirts in different styles and colours. They won’t all be winners, but you only need one. Plus, second- hand shopping is like the best treasure hunt ever, my 5-year-old loves combing through all the teacups and saucers and picture frames and sparkly shoes.

On some random Tuesday you’ll find the kids and I out on a walk to our local thrift store. We check out the books and the dishes, and I always take a spin by the pots and pans in search of cast iron. Sometimes we buy clothes, sometimes Hannah spends her allowance on toys, and we always stop off to check out the kids’ shoes and the jewelry. I find 3 shirts I like for a grand total of $17, which is less than one new shirt from the mall. And when we get home I just give our new treasures a thorough wash and we’re good to go.

Do you like to comb thrift stores for hidden treasure, too? If so, care to share any great finds? I promise to be suitably impressed.

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Money, Things to do

Maternity Leave Eligibility for the Self-Employed

Amber on February 1, 2010 12 Comments

Today I am revisiting Mat Leave Monday, because I have some very important information to share. If you are a self-employed Canadian who would like to be eligible for maternity or parental benefits, then you need to act now to opt into the EI system. (Note – If you live in Quebec you are already covered under QPIP as a self-employed person.)

Late last year the Fairness for the self-employed act was announced and passed in Canada. Under this act, self-employed Canadians who earn at least $6000 per year will be eligible to receive special benefits through EI starting in 2011. Special benefits include compassionate leave, sickness leave, maternity leave and parental leave. If you do not collect benefits, you will have the option of opting out at the end of any calendar year. Once you collect benefits, however, you must contribute to EI for as long as you remain self-employed.

How does one opt in? Service Canada’s information on special benefits for the self-employed states that the opt-in period began on January 31. To sign up you need to register for a My Service Canada Account. If you want to be eligible to receive special benefits beginning in January, 2011 you have to opt in by April 1, 2010. You can still opt in after April 1, but then your eligibility will take a full calendar year instead of happening next January.

Once you’ve opted in, you will pay your premiums, which are $1.73 / $100 of insurable earnings, with your 2010 tax return. You only pay premiums on the first $43,200 you earn annually, since that is the maximum insurable income level under EI for 2010. Premiums and maximum insurable earnings are typically re-examined annually.

If you’re self-employed and you think you might like to start a family in 2011, this is the time to opt in and sign up for benefits. It’s a good idea to think ahead as much as possible since you need to pay premiums for a full year before collecting, so if you’re holding a positive pregnancy test in your hand it may already be too late to receive your maximum benefits. However, even in that situation you may be eligible for some portion of maternity or parental leave, as you remain eligible for a full year after the baby arrives – so keep that in mind!

On a personal note, I am thrilled that the self-employed and small business owners are finally eligible for maternity and parental leave in Canada. While they undoubtedly face special challenges in taking time away from work, they are no less deserving than any other parent.

Tagged With: Maternity Leave, Money

Package Sizing Rant

Amber on January 26, 2010 19 Comments

My grocery buying habits have shifted over the years. There was a time when I was a single university student living alone and most of the food I bought came in small packages. In the first place, there just wasn’t much cupboard space in my tiny apartment. In the second place, there was no way I could get through the economy sized tub of mayonnaise before it spoiled. But then I got married and had one baby, and another. And those babies started to eat solid food and I started buying the economy sized mayonnaise because we will eat it and it’s, you know, economical.

Buying the largest size I can use isn’t just economical, it’s also more sustainable. Far less packaging goes into producing a single very large jar as compared to many smaller jars that add up to the same amount of mayo. And, of course, this isn’t just true for mayonnaise. It’s true for pet food or pasta or shampoo or cheese. Steering clear of single-serving sizes is one great way to reduce the amount of waste that you’re producing, as anyone who’s ever compared a block of mozzarella to a bag of string cheese can tell you.

Now that I’m making much more of an effort to shop consciously I spend more time in the natural food section of the grocery store. And while I peruse organic salsa, phosphate-free dishwasher detergent and fair-trade chocolate, I can’t help but notice how pretty much every product in those aisles comes in teeny-tiny packages. Some of the size difference can be explained by increased concentrations, especially in cleaning products, but that does not account for the entire difference. The organic spaghetti, for instance, is half the size of the conventional spaghetti. And it is not wonder spaghetti that somehow requires half as much pasta for the same meal. (Although wonder spaghetti would be very cool, and I would totally buy it.)

Small package sizes in the natural food section are a big pet peeve of mine. I’m buying for a family of 4, we eat a lot of food and create a lot of dirty laundry. While I like the idea of buying organic and sustainably-produced products, I fear the much smaller unit sizes negate the environmental benefit of buying ‘natural’ products in the first place. I understand that producing organic food costs more, and I suspect that by reducing unit size they’re trying to reduce sticker shock. But I can do basic math, so they’re not fooling me. Why not offer an ‘econo’ option, make it a little cheaper than the 4 packages I would have to buy now, and make customers like me happy? It really would reduce a lot of my grocery store angst, Product Marketers of the World

At the moment, I often head to the bulk bins to reduce my packaging. In the bulk aisle I can get the same products more cheaply, and I can buy as much as I want. If you bring your own re-usable bags you can do some completely waste-free shopping that way. It’s great for dry goods especially. But I buy things that they don’t carry in the bulk aisle, so it doesn’t completely solve my quandary. And so you will regularly find me in the natural food section, holding a small jar of organic peanut butter and shaking my fist at the universe in frustration.

What about you? Have you also noticed that natural and organic products come in smaller packages, and how do you feel about that? And, do you have any tips to reduce the amount of product packaging you bring home from the grocery store?

PS – Just a reminder that on the last Thursday of the month, which just happens to be the 28th, I will be holding a link up as part of Crafting my Life. To participate, write a post on figuring out what you want and going after it. Then on Thursday add yourself to the list, and read everyone else’s ideas and thoughts and be inspired!

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Money

The Tale of the $15 Mango

Amber on January 16, 2010 22 Comments

I take both of my children grocery shopping with me. When Jacob was younger I went on days when 4-year-old Hannah was in school, and he slept in a baby carrier. But at 17 months he’s long past sleeping through a grocery trip. So, I go on days when I am at home alone with both kids. In the first place, sometimes Hannah entertains Jacob and it makes my job easier. And, in the second place, it gives us all something to do.

I usually choose a Tuesday morning for shopping, when the store is quiet. We take advantage of the many amenities that make shopping more child-friendly. We get the novelty cart with the little car in front for the kids to ride in, and we always stop off in the bakery for our free cookies. I do whatever I can to entertain and distract the children, and then I motor through that store as quickly as possible. I do not dally over the oranges, or squeeze the melons. I will walk away from any counter that is too busy, striking the item from my list. My goal is to get in and out as quickly as I can, with as little trauma as possible.

Photo credit visualdensity on Flickr

Occasionally, my speed-shopping causes problems. Such is the case with the $15 mango. Picture it – we are in the produce section, picking out our fruit and veggies. Or, more precisely, I am picking out the fruit and veggies and trying to keep both kids in the cart. Hannah is whining for the raspberries, as she does every week. But I am not going to pay $6 for a few flavourless raspberries. Not when I have locally-grown raspberries in my deep freeze, anyway. So, to distract her I showed her the mangoes. These were not just any mangoes, they were the biggest mangoes I have ever seen, almost as big as toddler Jacob’s head.

When Hannah asked to buy one, I said sure. They were advertised at $4.99 a pound. Expensive, to be sure, but how much could a single mango weigh? No more than a pound, by my estimates. (For future reference, my estimates may not be reliable.) So I stuck that mango in my cart, and proceeded to dash madly through the rest of the store, glad to hear nothing more about raspberries.

The rest of the trip was largely uneventful, and I felt quite satisfied as I checked out. I had healthy food, and no one was even crying. It was really a banner day at the grocery store. When I heard the total I it was a little high, but then I reminded myself that I bought cheese and smoked salmon, and plus I was kind of in a rush and Jacob was lunging for the debit card keypad. So I loaded up and peeled out of that store at top speed without a backwards glance.

Photo credit mary hodder on Flickr

When I got home, I looked over my receipt. I like to see the line that says what my ‘savings’ were that week. I know that the more important number is what I spent, but I still enjoy feeling that I’ve been a savvy shopper. Only this week, there was no smugness, just surprise when I saw that I spent more than $15 on a mango. That one piece of fruit weighed more than 3 pounds! I had thought that maybe I should weigh the mango when I first picked it up, but that idea was quickly discarded in my haste to complete the trip, and I paid the price.

The good news is that the mango was, in fact, delicious. I ate more than half of it myself, and it was one of the better mangoes I’ve eaten. Had it not been I would have been pretty devastated, but thankfully I was saved that particular brand of remorse. All the same, the whole episode served as an excellent reminder. Yes, $6 for out-of-season raspberries is overpriced. But just make sure that in your rush to be finished you don’t end up spending more than twice that on a single mango. I’m sure there’s a metaphor for life in there somewhere, if you look hard enough.

Have you ever spent $15 on a mango? How about $11.43 on a bag of cherries? Spill your shopping snafus, and help me feel better!

PS – Because I love a contest, I would appreciate a thumbs-up over on Babble. Search for ‘strocel.com’ – I’ve been hanging out at around 65, give or take. I am so grateful to whoever nominated me. Your support is very much appreciated, regardless of how I place!

Tagged With: Money, Navel Gazing

Work at Home Mom

Amber on December 10, 2009 19 Comments

It’s Thursday, and I’m Crafting my Life! Today I’m talking about making the decision to work from home while also taking care of my children.

This week I gave up my 16-month-old’s toddler daycare spots. We put him on the daycare wait lists early, the first one when I was pregnant and then a couple more in the first month after he was born. I was planning to return to work, and I wanted to be sure that I would have childcare when I needed it. Then I was was laid off, so in early May I called the daycare centres and changed my request from part-time care in August to full-time care in February. I had decided to give myself an extra 6 months of maternity leave, and I wasn’t sure what would happen when it was over so I covered my bases.

A few things happened in the 7 months since I made that call, as it turns out. I got a freelance gig. I have submitted a couple of articles for publication and have not received any reply yet, but it feels like movement. I am forming some idea of what I want my life to look like. And what I want is to be able to work part-time from home, in a way that allows me to generally carry my part of the financial load for our family.

While I’m making headway, I am not yet in a position where I am making much money. This is OK, because I don’t expect to be. I have a financial plan in place because I am charting a new course, and that is going to take some time. However, taking on the added expense of daycare right now would change the picture significantly. It would mean I would need to be making more money on a shorter timeframe. I would lose a lot of the flexibility I currently have to see how this path unfolds.

It is possible that signing up for daycare and giving myself a deadline would motivate me. It would certainly force the issue and reduce the dithering I’ve got going on. But you know what? I don’t really want to force the issue. I don’t really want to leap before I’m good and ready. And I think that’s OK. In our culture we place a lot of value on action and productivity and Getting Things Done. These are all good things, for sure. But taking some time and being in contemplation and moving slowly are also good things. Maybe we all need a chance to dither once in a while.

I have worked for pretty much my whole adult life. I have Gotten Things Done and jumped in and motivated myself into action. I understand what that is and how it works. If I needed to, I could do it again, and do it well. But this journey I’m on to craft my life isn’t about that. While I liked having the safety net of daycare as an option, the lovely daycare providers are not in the business of providing me with an out. They needed to know whether I would ever really use the spot, and I needed to accept that maybe it’s OK to not have all my bases covered all the time.

So, I turned down daycare. I have accepted that I am working at home with at least one toddler for company, and usually a preschooler to boot. I do not get nearly as much done as I otherwise could, because I am frequently interrupted to deal with crises or change diapers or visit the playground. I am learning to prioritize and let things go. I just can’t get as much done as I could when I had many hours a week to myself in which to do it. Even something as basic as calling and making a dentist appointment was much easier from the privacy of my office at work than from my living room with children underfoot.

I still face a lot of self doubt. What am I doing? Can I hack this work from home thing? Was I foolish to let daycare slip through my fingers? I don’t know the answers to these questions. But that is the gift I’m giving myself – the permission to not know. To, quite possibly, make some horrible mistakes. But also, I hope, to have some great successes. As I type from my keyboard covered in cookie dough and crumbs, in a room strewn with toys, I am mostly satisfied with my choice. And what more can I ask for than that?

PS – Voting is almost over for the Blog to Inspire contest and the first round of the Canadian Blog Awards. I would still really appreciate your support! You can find out how to give it by reading Stumping for Votes.

Tagged With: Crafting my Life, Money, Navel Gazing, Work

Green Holiday Traditions

Amber on December 7, 2009 25 Comments

Christmas is bearing down full force these days. Along with the parties and the treats and the annual photo with Santa, I am thinking about the environmental impact of all this celebrating. When you consider the presents, the packaging, the gift wrap and the energy (both electrical and emotional) that go into the holidays, you can see how quickly it all adds up. The ubiquitous sea of wrapping paper left over after the party is over is just one example of the environmental impact the holiday season can have.

In an effort to reduce my impact I am doing a few things to make the holidays a little more sustainable. Call them new traditions for a greener Christmas, if you will.

Forgoing new gift wrap – Over the past number of years I have amassed a large collection of re-usable gift bags. I also save tissue paper, colorful boxes, bows, paper and other festive items that could be used to wrap gifts. By doing this I have all the materials I need to wrap presents without buying anything new.

Our gift wrap stash

Going handmade – This year I am making some of the gifts I will be giving. Many of the items I don’t make I am buying on Etsy. These gifts haven’t been shipped from a large factory overseas. Not only do they have a smaller carbon footprint than a mass-produced item, but they’re one-of-kind gifts with heart.

Toy diaper bags I made from my own pattern

Cutting back – I find that the holiday season can get pretty crazy if I don’t make a conscious effort to keep it in check. So I keep the holidays manageable by doing less. I might not attend every event that I possibly could. I might not give particularly lavish presents to everyone on my list. But I’ve found that most people understand, and have similar goals. When we do less over the holidays we consume less, which is good for the planet, our wallets and our sanity.

I remember moments like these, not the gifts

Eating local – I like to preserve local fruits and veggies when they are in season. When it comes time to cook that holiday dinner I have pumpkin puree, berries, vegetables and cranberries in my freezer, waiting to be turned into pies and sauces and soups and more. By buying local and in season I am reducing the number of miles my food has to travel, saving money and supporting my local economy.

How about you? What green holiday traditions are you adopting? I’d love to hear some more ideas!

This post was written as part of the Green Moms Carnival on Green Holiday Traditions. For more fabulous posts from green bloggers, visit The Green Phone Booth on December 10.

Tagged With: Christmas, Enviro-Mama, Money, Seasons

My Kids, The Planet and My Wallet

Amber on November 13, 2009 21 Comments

Having kids has caused me to re-examine my lifestyle and make some changes. I think that’s true for most people, really. For me, some of these changes have been philisophical. I want a good future for my kids, so I work to make the world a better place. Some of these changes, on the other hand, have been very practical. For example, I pack a bag with spare clothes everywhere I go, because being without these things at a critical moment is no fun. Been there, done that, had to take the kid home in a borrowed diaper and a winter coat.

Some of my more practical changes have actually made my lifestyle more sustainable. This surprised me, because in general we look at having children as an environmental negative. After all, you’re creating entirely new people. In my case, two entirely new Canadians, with some of the biggest ecological footprints of anyone in the world. But, as it turns out, even having kids hasn’t been an all-or-nothing decision for me, environmentally speaking.

Here are just a few of the ways that having children has led to a greener lifestyle for me.

I don’t drive nearly as much as I used to. Before kids I worked full-time, and on the weekends sometimes Jon and I would go on a leisurely drive just for fun. Enter one child who hated the car seat and maternity leave followed by a reduced work schedule, and my driving went way down. I accumulate mileage at about half the rate I used to, and I have my kids to thank for it.

Getting two children into car seats and ready to go is an ordeal I don’t enjoy

My idea of a great outing is to a neighbourhood playground. Not only does this further reduce the time I spend in the car, but it means that I’m not shopping or even using electricity. Before I brought two small children with me everywhere I went I used to visit the mall for fun. Now I avoid it at all costs, and I buy less in the process. Less consumption for me also means less impact on the planet.

Hannah and Jacob at the playground

I do much more cooking from scratch since I had kids. I want my children to eat healthy foods, and so I try to avoid processed and packaged foods as much as possible. I also don’t enjoy the idea of taking my ~~little ruffians~~ precious angels to a restaurant, because it’s really just not a good time for me. The result is that I buy a lot of staple foods now, and use them to make home-cooked meals for my family. This is easier on the planet, since the food isn’t produced in an energy-intensive processing plant, and I often buy locally-grown foods as well.

Hannah playing chef

I buy stuff second-hand. Kids grow quickly, and live hard. The last thing that I want to do is invest a lot of money in their wardrobes. I turned to second-hand stores to help, and in the process re-discovered how great they can be for myself. It’s like a treasure hunt every time you visit, and you can find some fabulous items that just aren’t in regular stores. And second-hand stuff is easy on the earth, because no new resources are used to manufacture it.

The kids outside our local second-hand store

I use my local library far more. I returned to the library originally for their great, free children’s programming. Regular library visits have since become a routine for our family. Borrowing books is not only fun, it’s easier on the planet than buying all new books of your own.

Hannah playing at the local library

The great thing, though, is that the changes that I’ve made aren’t just easy on the planet, they’re also easy on my wallet. Gas is expensive, so using less saves me lots of money. The playground and the library both offer free family fun. Staple foods are far cheaper than packaged foods or restaurant foods. And, of course, buying second-hand will always cost less than buying new.

Sometimes living a more sustainable lifestyle can seem expensive. Organic food costs more than its conventional counterpart, for instance, and a stainless steel water bottle costs more than a plastic one. And, in honesty, it can sometimes cost more to make the more sustainable choice. But it doesn’t always, and that’s the great news. Sometimes the most sustainable choice is just to do less. Buy less, do less, re-use what you already have. And that pretty much always costs less, too, which is something to be happy about no matter how you look at it. I’d like to thank my kids for teaching me that particular truth.

This post is part of the November Green Moms Carnival, on saving money through green means. You can read lots of other great posts on the topic over at Condo Blues.

Tagged With: Enviro-Mama, Kids, Money

Money and Dreams

Amber on October 22, 2009 16 Comments

It’s Thursday and I’m Crafting my Life! Today I’m talking about the financial planning and pitfalls that go into pursuing your dream.

I’ll admit right up front that I feel more than a little uncomfortable talking about money. It can be a touchy subject, after all. I’m concerned that I will somehow manage to offend every single person reading this, maybe even including myself. So let’s have a big group hug right up front, and promise not to judge each other, OK? OK.

In spite of my discomfort, I know that this is an important subject to broach. We don’t live on air, after all. I have two kids and a house and all the financial obligations that come with those sorts of things. I do have a husband who is still gainfully employed, and that does make a big difference. But, all the same, I am not currently in a position where I can go without income indefinitely. And even if I could, there would likely still be financial considerations, such as what I’m willing to compromise on in order to be at home full-time. Money is relevant when you’re deciding what you want your life to look like.

In honesty, I am able to take some time off from earning money and pursue my dreams because I am in a secure financial position. We have no debt, other than our mortgage. We are incredibly risk averse people in general, and this has served us well. It also means we have no fun, but we’re cool with that. In addition, I received a pretty reasonable severance package when I was laid off. So, for right now, the wolves are not at my door. If I were paying off student loans and credit cards and wasn’t receiving a pay-out, I would probably be pounding the pavement looking for work right now instead of crafting my life.

Starting a new life as a freelancer or small business owner is not going to pay off right away. You’re building a clientele and a reputation. You’re laying groundwork and learning new skills. You might even be investing in space and inventory and PR. This is OK and expected, but it’s important to know up front that you may not make much money in the early months, or even years. Financial planning may not be the most exciting way to spend a Saturday night, but taking the time and keeping on top of things will also help you to keep the lights on, because you will know what you have and where it’s going. This is what I’m trying to do right now – just mostly keep on top things.

Knowing that I am not going to be raking in the big bucks right off the bat has affected the way I’ve handled my severance money. I have not spent it. I have not bought myself a new outfit as a consolation prize for losing my job, or splurged to make myself feel better. I’ve occasionally felt tempted, but I know that if I start spending my savings on stuff it will add up quickly and the money will be gone. Plus, and this is the real kicker, it won’t actually make me feel better. Stuff, as it turns out, is not what I really want at all. I really want the love of my family and career satisfaction and all that jazz. The thrill of acquisition is fun, to be sure, but it doesn’t last.

I haven’t completely altered my lifestyle with my lay-off. I suppose we could start living on ramen noodles and turn off the heat to save money. I’m not really willing to make those kind of concessions, though. At least not yet. There will come a point when I’m going to have to make hard decisions. When I’m going to need to start earning money as a freelancer or go out and find a J-O-B. But that time isn’t yet. For now I would prefer to live the generally simple lifestyle I enjoy and seek out ways that I can earn money by writing.

Money. It is hard, but you need to think about it. And hopefully by thinking about it, you can make sure you don’t run out of it. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for all of us and our collective financial futures, if you’ll do the same. Now, let’s have another group hug. And, please, share with me how you’ve arranged your finances so that you can do what it is that you really want to do. Or, how you can’t do what you really want to do right now because of money. Like I said, there’s no judging here.

Tagged With: Crafting my Life, Money

Simplicity and Climate Change

Amber on October 15, 2009 12 Comments

It’s Thursday so I’m Crafting my Life! It also happens to be Blog Action Day ’09, and the topic is ‘Climate Change’, an issue near and dear to my heart. I think that crafting a life for myself and making environmentally sustainable choices are highly interrelated, and today I will explain exactly how.

We are inundated with advertising all the time, everywhere we go. We constantly hear messages encouraging us to buy stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. After all, we work hard, so we ‘deserve it’, whatever ‘it’ is. It could be a vacation, a new pair of shoes, a tube of lipstick, a television, a fancy new home, a trip to the spa. And while a few little indulgences really can make life worth living, when you add them all up they become part of a cycle. We work hard to make money. Because we work so hard, we reward ourselves. But the rewards add up quickly, so we work more. On and on it goes.

This cycle of working and spending doesn’t just affect us, either. It affects the planet in big ways, too. Everything that we buy, whether it’s a product or a service, has an environmental impact. That plane trip, those shoes, even that tube of lipstick all come from somewhere. Some plant was harvested, some resource was mined, some factory or airplane used fuel to turn it into the item on the store shelf in front of you. In the process finite resources were used, pollution may have been released and carbon was emitted. Even an organic piece of fruit from a local farmer uses resources to get to you, although not as many.

I’m quite the little ray of sunshine today, aren’t I? I’ll stop my doom and glooming, and get to the point.

The point is that by not buying so much stuff, you save money and you also save the planet. Living simply is a powerful choice, a statement that says you would rather have time and reduce your impact than own 237 pairs of shoes or have a home that looks like a showroom. Not that shoes or a nice home are bad, in and of themselves. But the pursuit of these things for their own sake just might be. Spending money to keep up with the Joneses or fill a hole in your life is a losing game, and not just for you.

I am certainly far from perfect. But one of the big choices I’m making as I go about re-inventing my life is to simplify. To hang my clothes to dry. To visit second-hand stores and spend afternoons at the park instead of going to the mall. To give home-made Christmas gifts in less-than-pristine wrappings. To work in my garden and grow vast quantities of cucumbers. In the process I am spending less, impacting the earth less, and teaching my kids to appreciate the little things.

What about you? Are you doing anything to simplify your life? I’d love to hear about it. Because I really believe that if we all do something, that’s the sort of thing that changes the world.

In addition to Blog Action Day today, I am also participating in my first ever Green Moms Carnival. I am so excited to be taking part! My contribution is Walmart’s Sustainability Index. There are also some other really fabulous green bloggers sharing their views. So hop on over to In Women We Trust to read more about Sustainable Standards: What’s the Consumer’s Opinion?