The irony of WALL-E

Ever since I saw the first WALL-E teasers and trailers online months ago, I’ve been dying to see the movie.
I suppose that’s effective marketing, and I fell for it.
Once the initial “awwwww, how cute” factor was established (the robot WALL-E is an adorable cross between Spielberg’s ET and Short Circuit’s Johnny 5, with a vague [...]

Building a better blog: going a little “meta” today

I read a lot of blogs.  The endless variety of personalities, passions, and areas of expertise is truly staggering. That’s why I enjoy blogging– as a blogger and as a reader– so much. I get a great deal of pleasure from watching other people geek out on their passions… and I learn a lot.
That said, I also tend to be a [...]

The vague gourmet: Lentil-veggie burgers

I made the absolutely yummiest veggie burgers last night!
Of course I wanted to share the recipe– it’s a super-tasty, inexpensive, low-fat alternative to prepared veggie burgers. Unfortunately, I cook by the “little of this, little of that” method and lost track of the actual amounts. I tried to trace my steps as carefully as possible.
LENTIL-VEGGIE [...]

Coupons: Just cut it out

This will probably ruffle a few frugal feathers out there, but I have to say it.
For the most part, I don’t find manufacturer’s coupons very useful at all.
Success with coupon-clipping really depends on the mix of products you buy regularly.
With the exception of health and beauty products, I rarely find coupons for things I buy.  [...]

Bloggers Against Hunger: Reporting from Maine

Note: Today, I’m participating in Bloggers Against Hunger, a movement started by my good friend Lauren J.
I moved to the great State of Maine about two and a half years ago, and I won’t lie– it’s been a struggle. Starting over in a new place is rarely easy, and the scarce job prospects didn’t help. [...]

Saving money through mindful shopping

How many times have you gotten to the grocery check-out and been completely blind-sided by the grand total?
“How on earth did I spend that much money?!”
Actually, it’s pretty easy to do, if you’re not shopping mindfully.
What does that mean?
Students of Eastern philosophy, such as Buddhism, will recognize the idea of mindfulness. To practice mindfulness– to [...]

Buy for longevity and make it last longer

I have a great pair of LL Bean hiking boots that I’ve had for eight or nine years now. They get more comfortable with each passing year, and still look almost good as new. Maybe the latter means I should get off my butt and go hiking more, but that’s another blog for another day.
Considering [...]

Car Poverty

Of all my parents’ advice that I’ve willfully ignored, this one is about to become very significant to me:

Never be car-poor.

“Car-poor”, as defined by my parents, is the state of being shackled to “too much car” and all the associated costs.
Besides the obvious– monthly car payments– keep in mind the other operating costs of a [...]

While everybody else is getting trampled at Wal*Mart…

I’ll be observing Buy Nothing Day.

How about you?

Out with the new, in with the old

Out with the new, in with the old.
Employers, that is.
I quit my new job with the Bad Employer on Tuesday afternoon. I should have listened to Sarah, who worked for them once before.
As of Tuesday morning, I’d worked a total of 96 hours for them, and had not received a penny. They gave a lot [...]