It's Harvest Time!

I have been enjoying a fantastic bounty! As you may or may not know, I have been working with my mother on her garden and enjoying part of the bounty. This weekend I picked another 4 cups of raspberries which are set to become jam, lettuce, peppers, snow peas, and the first tomatoes of the season. Through a bit of swapping with the neighbor, I also have some wonderfully sweet yellow cherry tomatoes.

No reason to let excess go to waste. Now is a great time to pickle, freeze, and make preserves for later in the year. Check your local paper for recipes or the local extension office for classes. Better yet, spend some time with an older relative or friend to learn techniques, split the work load, and share to rewards. Do you have a bounty to share? Consider swapping with neighbors or co-workers. (I picked up a big zucchini for zucchini bread from a co-worker.)

The "Free" Box Revolution

I've been noticing more and more "Free" Boxes out on curbs as I walk around my neighborhood. Its a relatively new phenomenon around here even though I know it has been commonplace in other areas of the US. People are taking advantage of this recession as an opportunity to purge excess. Garage sales take a lot of energy and work often yielding an extra $20-$50 (more if you have big ticket items or items in high demand), but at the end of the day you still have all of this stuff leftover that needs to go somewhere. "Free" boxes allow people with just a few items to get rid of things without a lot of effort. I'm amazed at some of the things I've seen on the curb including nice chairs, a new bag of batting, a guitar, even plants. Take advantage of these opportunities and take a peek. You never know what kind of treasure is waiting for you.

Do you already look? What is your favorite find?

Cutting the Food Bill and Enjoying the Season's Bounty

For those who don't know, I live in an apartment with no deck or patio, which is a first for me. I've always had space to plant a couple of pots for fresh tomatoes, but I chose to give that up for the convenience of location. The first growing season I lived here I really missed the taste of home grown tomatoes. I got spoiled and just couldn't find the same interest in bland store bought tomatoes. The farmers' markets in my area are great, but I was looking for something a bit more economical and a way to satisfy my green thumb.

A little creativity, a bit of negotiation, and I'm set. I'm swapping weed pulling and gardening skills for produce and home cooked meals. My first victim, err gardening partner is mom. She has great vision, but volunteers with a lot of groups so her time is limited. So far I've been able to harvest some English peas that were so sweet I couldn't cook them. I split the pods and ate them right out of the shell. Next, I pulled some rhubarb that I'm freezing for crumbles later in the season. Last week, I picked raspberries and lettuce. Yum!

After visiting a friend to see her chickens and her raised beds, we were commiserating about all of the work a yard takes. Her environmentally conscious son is home from college and has kitchen duties, but while he and his friends visit the chickens, they're not particularly in love with weeding. My wheels started turning again and we agreed to swap produce and some homemade Carbonara for help taming her front beds. I think she's getting the short end of the stick.

Finally, last weekend I was having a girls weekend and again yard work came up as a topic of conversation. Cher is an IT guru and is raising two children so her time is stretched already without adding the chores on top. This time negotiations included Phillipino home cooking and hopefully some homemade egg rolls. I think I'm going to have to work harder in the yards just to work off these fantastic meals!

Do have some spare time to swap chores with a friend? Gardening, painting, computer work, start the conversation and see where you can take it.

Alternative Transportation

There was a time when I received assistance with my parking, but after my '84 Olds meet her untimely death, I never asked to have that assistance reinstated. I've been paying my parking ever since. For a time, I had a carpool buddy. Granted we never discussed how much he was going to contribute and I took his age and lack of income into consideration I didn't push the question. When I lost my carpool buddy, I bit the bullet and started taking mass transit. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner except that I was concerned about loosing my parking spot. I knew it would be impossible to get it back.

Confession... I live within walking distance of Fareless Square, an area of town where you don't have to pay for a ticket as long as you stay within "Fareless Square." The walk is about 10 blocks, but I'm enjoying to peace and quiet. It helps me relax before sitting down to my desk. The time on the bus has given me a chance to read, something I haven't had time for in quite awhile. I will have to reevaluate this choice if they get rid of this zone as the rumors have been suggesting.

On the really nice days, I've been walking all the way to work, which is about 2 miles. If they do get rid of Fareless Square, that's always an option and finally have no fear, I have a backup. My bike is tuned and ready to be put into action. I live in a very bike friendly city and am practicing on the weekends.

Finally, when the season changes and the rains come in, I have started networking for a new carpool buddy. I think I've got a good one lined up for the rainy season.

Bottom line, I'm saving $8 per day or $140 per month and I'm happy to say that I've already lost 15 pounds. Consider alternatives. Its good for the earth. Its good for your body. Its good for the pocketbook.

Knowing When Food Is Freshest Will Save Money!

Shopping at Farmers' Markets is becoming the "In" thing to do. Stopping by a road side stand to pick up fresh berries while on a road trip adds to the flavor of travel. Going out to the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin is all part of the fall experience. What may not be as obvious is the money we save by participating. Eating food that is in season and at its freshest helps the local economy by supporting farmers; it saves fuel because fruits and vegetables don't have to be flown in from other countries; and it limits the amount of chemicals that have to be used to force fruits and vegetables to ripen.



Not sure when fruits and vegetables are in season? Check out the Center for Urban Educations Sustainable Agriculture site where they have a chart for Fruits and Vegetables.

While you're at it, consider picking up extra and saving it for later. Most Fruits and Vegetables can be frozen or canned for later use. My family also makes a batch of apple sauce and jam to store for the year. I can't tell you the last time we purchased either item at a store.

Apartment Living Doesn't Limit Your Ability To Grow Your Own Food

Between the price of food skyrocketing, the interest in fresh food that actually tastes like I expect it should, and continuing scares of salmonella in tomatoes, I have been looking into gardening options. For those that live in a house, it may be a challenge if you're not into yard work, but for those of us that live in apartments it provides a lot more challenges.

Inspired by a posting on Wisebread by Linsey Knerl called "The Ultimate Green Workout," I began to examine ways to supplement my food budget. When I had a deck it was easy. I'd invest in large planters and grow cherry tomatoes, herbs, and peas. Hanging baskets are great for cucumbers and zucchini.

Today, I have a bigger challenge. I have no outside space and no deck or patio. So with determination I began to brainstorm ideas.

• Look into Community Gardens. For a small fee you can "rent" a small plot to plant.
• Family members and friends are often in need of help in the yard. Consider a labor swap for gardening benefits.
• Talk to landlord about planting an edible landscape. It's environmentally friendly to utilize garden space for food rather than high maintenance lawns or shrubbery.
• Check out Gleaning. Gleaning has a long tradition in farming communities where groups go out into fields after the crop has been picked to pick remaining produce that was missed. You can find information on Gleaning groups on-line, at local food banks, and Granges.

Today Was A Very Good Day

I was lucky enough to have two opportunities to earn a bit of extra money. The first was a taste test. The subject was apples and I have to admit it made me think. As most tests are set up, I was asked a number of questions about taste, texture, color, etc., but I found myself falling into the consumerism mindset that makes marketing companies the big bucks. It was the search for the perfect green apple.

I like to think of myself as a bit of a foodie preferring organic, fresh food. I believe I can taste the difference and that the organic will be obvious because it will have flavor. Today I was humbled. I realized I was drawn to the crisp green apple that didn't brown after it was cut. It wasn't until the very end of the test that I realized no natural apple does that. This apple was manipulated through genetic breeding, radiation treatment, injected with toxins or some other torture device designed to make a super apple.

I had ask what is my tolerance for flaws? The apple that browned was just as good as the bright green one. In fact, I think the green one was slightly more tart. How many other things do I look over because it doesn't fit the picture of perfect freshness? How much food goes to waste because others share my ingrained preference for appearance? Don't get me wrong, I'm not typically worried about trends. I try not to judge a person by its cover. I usually value the unique and different. So why is this green apple different?

The second opportunity was much easier. It was a market research panel for a local restaurant. It was really fun. I may have to add these types of panels to my entertainment list. Wow, how sad is that!?!

At the end of the day, I have $67 for debt reduction, $25 for groceries, $3 lunch splurge, and a $50 gift certificate to a fantastic restaurant. Yeah! Now if I could just work more days like this.

Holiday Season Challenge - Planet Friendly Wrapping

For this season, I've made a goal for myself to use only planet friendly wrapping. Think reduce, reuse, recycle. Instead of wasting wrapping paper that's been chemically treated and ribbon that is made out materials that won't break down in the landfill, consider other options.

Reduce -
- Instead of buying rolls and rolls of paper just to get different designs, swap old patterns with friends to get variety.
- Use containers or materials that can be reused for other purposes, cloth bags that can be used again, a kitchen towel tied with a ribbon, or a decorative bowl.

Reuse -
- Save decorated bags and reuse them for other presents.
- Packing materials can be reused over and over again. My office gets a lot of gift baskets. Once everything has been eaten, claimed, and picked over, I grab the seltzer (the shredded paper used for filler) before its thrown away to reuse for packing or my own baskets.

Recycle -
- Use the end of newspaper rolls as wrapping paper and let kids decorate it or pull out your crayons and try a doodle or two yourself.
- Use those great paper bags with handles that you get from stores and cover up the logo with a decorative, fabric cut out.

Even if you only make one adjustment in your tradition it will have a big impact not just on the planet, but also on your budget!

Gas Prices Hit A New High... Again?!?

Its the topic nobody wants to talk about and yet we can't avoid it. Gas prices are going up again. We complain and yet our prices are still no where near Europe's or other countries around the world. Europe has the benefit of already having the culture of walking everywhere or taking a scooter. In the US and Canada, however, we are much more spread out in most of the country and while the bigger cities have great transit systems, even more lack pedestrian friendly layouts.

In my quest to find new transportation, I have been revelling in the fact that it has only cost me $35 at the most to fill up my tank. I bought a Honda CR-V so I didn't think it would be that low, but anything would be less than my old car. Bessie would guzzle $45-50 every two weeks. OUCH! In my quest to find other ways to save gas, I found a website hosted by the US government, www.fueleconomy.gov. Check out this link for ideas on saving gas by adjusting your driving habits, tips on maintaining your car, and alternative means of transportation. Side benefit? Most of these tips help improve our effects on the environment too.

Saving Energy While Living in an Apartment

This post is part of the Blog Action Day movement: thousands of blogs talking about the environment on October 15.

With all of the buzz words like eco-friendly, environmentally conscious, and green living, apartment dwellers seem to be getting the short end of the advice stick. After all, there is only so much you can do to make improvements. Here are some ideas you can do:

Water Conservation

• Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth
• Fill a pop bottle with water, cap it and slide it into your toilet tank.
• Run your dishwasher when full, otherwise supplement in between times by filling a sink a quarter of the way.
• Save laundry until you have a full load. Partial loads cost money.

Energy Conservation

• Switching out to CFLs can save you $30 per bulb
• Turn off lights when not in use
• Unplug appliances when not in use. They still use energy even when not in use.
• Consider signing up for alternative power options available through the power company. It may cost a little more, but it reduces our reliance on oil.

Recycling

• If your state offers a can and bottle deposit, take advantage of it and return them. Use the money for a fun fund, vacation savings, grocery bill supplement, etc.
• Consider container gardening if you have a deck or porch. Many vegetables thrive in containers including lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, zucchini, and peppers.
• Want to save on fertilizer? Start a worm colony also known as vermiculture. The process is simple, uses vegetable scraps & newspaper, and no, it doesn't smell.
• Instead of buying plastic bags for garbage, use the ones you've collected from stores. These are also handy for pet poop bags and diaper disposal.

How Much is Clutter Costing You?

This post is part of the Blog Action Day movement: thousands of blogs talking about the environment on October 15.

While cleaning my house this weekend, I realized something. If I'm paying rent on an apartment and all of this clutter is in my apartment, I'm paying rent to have clutter. I pay $600/mo for a 1 bedroom apartment, which where I live is really cheap, but I work for the management company and do favors for the manager. My apartment is about 600 square feet, so that translates into $1 per square foot. Think about it, that pile of papers that need to be filed is costing me $1 per month or $12 per year. The recycling that hasn't gone out to the curb costs $2.50 per month. The bag of clothing that should go to charity costs another $2.00 per month. Add another $4.00 for the boxes in storage that I haven't looked at for a year. That's $9.50 per month ($114 per year) and I haven't really even started on the stuff that is in drawers and cabinets. No wonder people keep buying bigger houses. As part of Blog Action Day, consider how much space we really need. How much space is determined by our consumer lifestyle?