Stuff you can do without

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Dani said:
Your wife can never have too many cookbooks.
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We have more cookbooks than anyone could ever use. There must be a hundred cookbooks on the shelf collecting dust.
We have the complete encyclopedia of cookbooks.
I also have a bunch of cookbooks on my laptop. If you need a recipe I probably have it.
The only cookbook we use is one with recipes I have printed from the net.
 
backlash said:
We have more cookbooks than anyone could ever use. There must be a hundred cookbooks on the shelf collecting dust.
We have the complete encyclopedia of cookbooks.
I also have a bunch of cookbooks on my laptop. If you need a recipe I probably have it.
The only cookbook we use is one with recipes I have printed from the net.
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When we moved, that was something I purged. If a cookbook only had 1 or 2 recipes I wanted or used, I copied them down and let the book go. Bet I got rid of 2/3. As a funny, last Christmas I was given 2 cookbooks 🤣
 
You guys are funny, you can get a used cookbook online for a few $....
I have 1 shelf of them from various countries and use them all the time. They look it too, food stains on most of them

No tv in our house at all, don't need it. I have a laptop , husband has a 10 year old mac that still works, son has a laptop and a gaming computer. We very much do not want to watch the same stuff, so that works out. I have a 10 some year old laptop ( a different one) that is not connected to the internet and has office on it which I use to do our tax stuff and keep track of things for our farm

Phone: my 5 year old iphone just broke this month. I got a new one for $60, some promotion. But it cost me another $60 for the case, and $30 to get it started
A flip phone would have cost me much more and I hate texting on them
 
Great topic! I give this topic some thought regularly; especially at the minute, as myself and the girls are having a clearout and painting.
I find I 'needed' more things when I was working. The stuff I changed/ gave up since staying at home:
1. Painkillers
2. Haircuts once a year now, as a treat, and I try and line it up with an occasion like a wedding.
3. Clothes- I've always bought them second-hand or in sales, but as I'm not in public view I don't wear them as much, which means more room in the wardrobe.
Bonus- I've also not as much laundry to do. I've sold/given away most of my work suits and fancy dresses. Therefore, I don't need different shoes to go with outfits (I know, I know, first-world problems!) One good coat does me, and anything else I borrow off my girls.
4. I use an egg thing for my laundry, not washing liquid.
5. I've an old phone that I use less -because again- I'm not working, so my contract costs have halved.
6. Also spending less on petrol, and stupid bits I used to pick up at lunchtime.
7. Because I've time, I'm actually using all the things I've bought over the years that were sitting unopened, like craft materials, random herbs. Ditto for using up opened tins of paint & stuff.
8. Don't need to buy as much dog food- I get scraps from butchers and boil them up, mix with meal.
9. Get any magazines on line / look up stuff on Pinterest (I did have a cookbook clean out)
10 Don't use make up- the hens don't seem to care what I look like in the morning
11. Pyjamas!
 
Hmm. stuff I don't need. new clothes, at least until the old ones are unwearable.
New vehicles, at least until the old one is junk.
Eating out more than once or twice a month.
jewelry.
novelty stuff like figurines, posters, paintings art.
Tools you don't need. (I'm the world's worst for this!) This includes guns and knives.
Extra booze. (Guilty.)
Pets you don't need. and useless pets (gerbils, hamsters, snakes, spiders, mice... blab blah.)
Foods you won't eat before it goes bad or gets stored.
"Collectible stuff" Bubblegum cards, commemorative coins, old cars.
 
@sonya123 there are still “kitchen” towels made that have the shorter non-fuzzy pile on them. I’ve found them at hardware stores, dollar general, etc.
@Magpie I am looking forward to the day when I don’t have to wear business clothing 5 days a week, it adds up on laundry and occasional new shoes, which have gotten pretty expensive. sonya123 you also mentioned having to have all the clothing when working away from the home. I’d wear jeans or cargo or hiking pants and any top (but no tee shirts!) all the time if I could, some day.
I don’t spend much on makeup or haircuts. I forget last time I had a haircut. I add a little water to the shampoo bottle as the level goes down since it doesn’t need to be THAT concentrated. I take my shampoo seriously. Lol
 
backlash said:
Blasphemy!
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It isn't blasphemy if you don't know how or can't use them. I will date myself with this, but the only two things you need in your toolbox are a credit card and the Yellow Pages. I have a very complete toolbox that is currently growing hair on it in the garage. I am admittedly mechanically challenged.

It isn't really fair to say I do without these because I very rarely go, but carwashes are something I can do without. Total waste of time and money to me. You can do it at home if you really feel the need.
 
Stuff I can do without.......everything but Jesus.

Although, I will admit that I feel more comfortable with stuff even though I know I don't need it. I can't imagine living life without my husband, kids, or immediate family but everything else can be gone tomorrow and (even though it would be truly painful) we'd be able to start over if we had our health.

I came from the "it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it" school of thought. We both live a fairly minimalistic lifestyle. We're not fancy people although we have been blessed with some nice things. I'm hoping to get rid of some clothes and other things this winter that have accumulated over the years that I no longer intend to use. It's time to thin out the closets.

Like many of you, there's things we do ourselves and things we skimp on. I cut hubby's hair. I usually only get 1 cut per year. I rarely use deodorant (thankfully don't need it), makeup, or purfume. I don't use nail polish or hair coloring. I wear clothes more than once without laundering (unless soiled). I re-use bathroom towels several times before laundering. I don't do laundry or dishes until I have a full load. We rarely eat out. We don't go to the movies. We don't have cable or satellite TV. A good weekend for us is either going camping or sitting at home by a fire with a totty. Yeah, we sound pretty boring, and maybe we are, but we also feel connected to nature and it makes us happy.
 
sonya123 said:
😳 You got me on that one...I use a ton of them. I tried kitchen towels but it just didn't work. I use them to cover my baked stuff while it cools so no dirt, fly or dog hair lands on it. I just want everything to be super clean in my kitchen while I am baking. Haven't figured a good way around that. Thoughts?
Any towels, even if I try to wash them seperate, seem to end up with dog hair or human hair or something.
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Light weight cotton dish towels, the kind that people used to embroider on. I also have torn up old flannel sheets that ripped. They have many uses like paper towels. Use one and put it in the wash with all the other flannel pieces you've used and wash them. I usually wash in cold water, but this is one kind of thing that I wash in warm or hot water.
I also dry my clothes in the dryer on just air, no heat. Does it take longer Oh yes! But it is the heat that is more costly for running the dryer. Of course, line or hanging to dry is even cheaper, but I don't like wearing clothing that is line dried. I like the softness that tumble drying gives.
 
Wingnut said:
I rarely eat out at restaurants because the cost is ridiculous
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I rarely eat out as well. It is expensive and it adds up. But I know that many people do, especially older people who live alone. It is as much about getting some social time in as it is about getting a good meal without having to clean up afterwards. Even meeting friends for coffee can add up if it is done with regularity, but for the widows out there, the social time is so important. My aunt meets with other widows for coffee most mornings. When someone loses her husband in her home town, she gets invited to meet them for coffee. My aunt, in her late 80s, is so bored. Her late husband was very social and they went out almost every night and had people over frequently.
 
Weedygarden said:
I rarely eat out as well. It is expensive and it adds up. But I know that many people do, especially older people who live alone. It is as much about getting some social time in as it is about getting a good meal without having to clean up afterwards. Even meeting friends for coffee can add up if it is done with regularity, but for the widows out there, the social time is so important. My aunt meets with other widows for coffee most mornings. When someone loses her husband in her home town, she gets invited to meet them for coffee. My aunt, in her late 80s, is so bored. Her late husband was very social and they went out almost every night and had people over frequently.
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I also rarely eat at a restaurant. An old buddy came to Alaska on a tour ship. We went out to dinner. The first night I ordered prime rib, it looked beautiful. I should have sent it to Frodo for his leatherwork, that was the toughest prime rib I ever had the displeasure to try to eat. The next night we went to a Mexican restaurant. If it had been later in the year I'd have taken it home, and spread it on the driveway for ice melt. The most expensive salt I've ever purchased.
 
My wife and I have different thoughts on what we need.
I don't think she needs 400 Santa's and she thinks I don't need more fishing stuff or guns and ammo. Silly woman.
= = =
Reminds me of the joke that goes something like... Why is there never money for a new fishing reel that could feed us ?? But the toilet gets re carpeted 6-7 times a year.... ??
- - - -
My take is.... Quality foot ware is worth it weight in gold.. Even in this location I get local news and weather on the TV with the now a days version of the old rabbit ears type antenna.. No.. I don't use tin foil on it..... yet..... Otherwise DVDs are cheap at yard sales and borrowed from the library.. Microwave is a MUST item.. Again.. I keep a spare on hand from a thrift store or yard sale.. Old habit from when my kids were in college and went through 1-2 or more microwaves a semester.. The only new clothes I have bought in over 20 years has been shorts, socks and white T shirts...

Cook books that focus on food preserving, camp cooking, recipes made with what is on hand or in season, and local available ingredients are always available cheap at yard sales and the like.. Wire bound cook books, church lady cook books produced for a fund raiser, are the best many times.. Plus the internet has several sights with WW1, WW2, war rationing and depression era frugal recipes..
 
Weedygarden said:
It is as much about getting some social time in as it is about getting a good meal without having to clean up afterwards.
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When I was making good money hauling hazardous waste, I'd return home with a wallet full of cash... I could have taken friends & family out to dinner at a restaurant, but I preferred to throw big BBQ bashes in my yard, or cook big ol' dinners in the kitchen. Yeah, there was a mess to clean up afterward, but that "social time" was the best, just good friends & family enjoying primo BBQ, lasagna, burritos, holiday dinners, etc. We had some good times in those days... :D

Sometimes I'd just scrape all the plates and let 'em soak overnight in the large sink... I could've used paper plates, but I always liked ceramic plates for the food I cooked, I could warm the plates too, which made a difference. Needless to say, me beloved & dear departed mum always got the first plate I put together, then I'd look after other family members & friends. We had a rule: nobody waited for others to get their food, as soon as you got your plate, you dug in, lol... :cool:

I like my food hot, ya know? Well, not the fresh tossed salads I'd put together beforehand, those were good straight from the fridge... those salads were legendary for their freshness & crispness, lol. One good thing about throwing those huge bashes with up to a dozen people, I always saved enough money (as opposed to going to a restaurant) to buy a friggin' truckload of beer, lol. Sometimes we'd go with Margaritas, but usually we just had big ol' coolers full of iced beer! :)

In those days, I was like a machine in the kitchen or at the BBQ, I'd whip together trays of food and deliver 'em to each member of the party, lol. That way, folks could relax and socialize while I did all the work, aye? We'd have some good music on my stereo too, and it was all about having a good time with no "social regulations" or constraints... I loved those bashes, even though it took me an hour or two to clean up the mess afterward... maybe even the next morning, lol. ;)


P.S. Nowadays, I cook for myself, but I still cook large batches of food, more economical that way... :thumbs:
 
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backlash said:
We have more cookbooks than anyone could ever use. There must be a hundred cookbooks on the shelf collecting dust.
We have the complete encyclopedia of cookbooks.
I also have a bunch of cookbooks on my laptop. If you need a recipe I probably have it.
The only cookbook we use is one with recipes I have printed from the net.
Click to expand...
I actually really LOVE my true and tried recipes that are from many different books written in back and white. I have actually written some of them out and printed out for the boys, I have also copied my MILs, Granny's Cookbook and put in notebooks. These were made in her handwriting and then many were passed down by her mom, Great Mother. Yes, Granny's parents were prim and propper. Recipes handed down is just one of those great family traditions.
 
Wingnut said:
I like my food hot, ya know?
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I read a couple etiquette books, and this was what I learned.
When you are eating with other people, be it in a restaurant of in a home, and warm or hot food is served, you eat as soon as you get your food. If the waitstaff bring out food for some, but not the whole party, those who get their food are supposed to eat, even if everyone has not been served yet. It is true that most people like their food hot. Now, on the other hand, if something cold is being served, such as cupcakes in a classroom for a birthday, you wait until everyone is served before you eat.
 
Weedygarden said:
I read a couple etiquette books, and this was what I learned.
When you are eating with other people, be it in a restaurant of in a home, and warm or hot food is served, you eat as soon as you get your food. If the waitstaff bring out food for some, but not the whole party, those who get their food are supposed to eat, even if everyone has not been served yet. It is true that most people like their food hot. Now, on the other hand, if something cold is being served, such as cupcakes in a classroom for a birthday, you wait until everyone is served before you eat.
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;)

Re: things I can without...

etiquette books

🤣

Ben
 
When we moved down here, we filled two storage units full of stuff; still pay rent on both of them each month.
Haven't touched a damthing in either of them in over a year :(.
The title of this thread could be easily summed up with a quick video of each of their internals.:mad:
 
Supervisor42 said:
When we moved down here, we filled two storage units full of stuff; still pay rent on both of them each month.
Haven't touched a damthing in either of them in over a year :(.
The title of this thread could be easily summed up with a quick video of each of their internals.:mad:
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We moved into our house with one chest of drawers, a cot and a second-hand rocking chair, two babies, a suitcase and two black bags. Like yourself, I'd need a trailer, but could leave it behind. When emptying a box yesterday (still doing some painting here) I realised a lot of the stuff I was keeping is 'in case the kids want it.' Now if it hasn't seen the light of day in a while, it's going.
 
Patchouli said:
@sonya123 there are still “kitchen” towels made that have the shorter non-fuzzy pile on them. I’ve found them at hardware stores, dollar general, etc.
@Magpie I am looking forward to the day when I don’t have to wear business clothing 5 days a week, it adds up on laundry and occasional new shoes, which have gotten pretty expensive. sonya123 you also mentioned having to have all the clothing when working away from the home. I’d wear jeans or cargo or hiking pants and any top (but no tee shirts!) all the time if I could, some day.
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I found some online but not Amazon so the shipping costs as much as the towels. Still thinking about it. But at almost $40 for a box of paper towels at Sams it might be worth it.
I have to ask , why no tee shirts? I wear them all the time
Most practical clothing I have is some army pants my daughter gave me ( well Navy). They are practically indestructible.
 
sonya123 said:
I found some online but not Amazon so the shipping costs as much as the towels. Still thinking about it. But at almost $40 for a box of paper towels at Sams it might be worth it.
I have to ask , why no tee shirts? I wear them all the time
Most practical clothing I have is some army pants my daughter gave me ( well Navy). They are practically indestructible.
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Tee shirts… it’s the neckline. Nope nope nope. Unless it’s a v neck or I cut the neckline off, I ain’t wearing it! Lol Sensory issue I guess
 
Neb said:
;)

Re: things I can without...

etiquette books

🤣

Ben
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When you work with a group of children, especially inner city children, it can be helpful.

I have known children who had no idea about eating with silverware or even plasticware. They would use their fingers to eat anything and everything. That's a change in the food of America.

When I was growing up, when it was time to eat a meal, washing our hands happened before we sat at the table. Children would tell me that their parents didn't make them wash their hands before they ate. I know that some children probably didn't even know how to wash their hands, and that is a lesson in Practical Life in Montessori, so all of the children had lessons on that.

Same as blowing their noses. Most have no clue about blowing until they can breathe through their nose.

Sitting at a table? That is a novelty for some as well.

It is all about the time and culture we live in. I remember when I was in college and learning that about 1/3 of the world ate with tableware, 1/3 with chopsticks, and 1/3 with their hands. You better have clean hands if you are eating with them!
 
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