Help! I'm stranded

This morning I was stranded. I was left without a very important tool. I.......was.....stuck.......in the 'little girls room' as my Mother fondly called it.

Yes, no toilet paper - not a fun way to start the morning, that's for sure. I always thought I was so organized, and that I fully stocked every bathroom in the house with several rolls, for those 'just in case' moments. Well, I was wrong. No more t.p. under the sink.

So, what is the lesson learned? When you use the last of something, you better write it down on your shopping list, lest you find yourself stranded. I've read that it takes 21-28 days (depending on who you read) to form a habit. One new habit for me is keeping a list on the fridge of what is needed so when I shop for the week, I know what items I used the last of. It's a small step in my organizing journey, but a very important one.

Oh, by the way, the story has a happy ending. Since I recycle my t.p. rolls, I found one that had rolled somewhat behind the toilet, and I was able to scrap enough off to just get by.........

What are your frugal hobbies?

I read this question on another forum and it made me think about my frugal hobbies.

• Biking - I love to work out and I bought my Specialized Allez frame back in 2003. It was a leftover from 2002, so I picked it up for $500. Over time, I purchased better components for it, and I still ride it today without having to change or 'upgrade' any more components.
• Reading - I love to read, and what a great frugal hobby. I can share books with my sister and friends, or go to the library.
• Running - I love to run and all I have to invest in is a good pair of shoes. I purchase them from a local running store, who gives me credit towards coupons that I can use for future purchases.
• Scrapbooking. Initially this was a huge investment. In fact, this is the one thing that got me in trouble with my credit cards. But now I have so much 'stuff' all I have to do is purchase adhesive (always with my Joann or Michael's coupons!) and some cutting blades when they get dull and now I have cards and gifts for everyone!

What are your frugal hobbies?

Continuing on my journey

This morning while getting ready for work, I went through my jewelry drawer (costume jewelry, not the real stuff!) and I found 5 pins that I never wear to get rid of. Whew! Just lightened the load a bit!

My 5 Thing A Day Challenge

I've fallen off the bandwagon and can't get up! Seriously, with so much activity swirling through my mind lately, I have totally lost my focus on decluttering. I thought about it this morning and decided to just focus on that primarily instead of all the other things that I'd like to do. Yes, I want to eat healthfully, make better consumer choices, eliminate plastic, etc.

I came back to blogging so I can chronicle my journey of decluttering. This morning I looked in the mirror, told myself to focus and to find 5 things, right now in this bathroom, that I could declutter. I opened my makeup drawer & found:

• 4 bottles of nailpolish
• 1 old tube of lipstick.

I trashed the lipstick and when I get home tonight from work, I'll dump the nailpolish & recycle the bottles. So, I am killing 2 birds with one stone, or maybe 3: I decluttered, recycled and got rid of something toxic in the house!

What have you decluttered today?

A safe & effective way to discard of prescription drugs

In my effort to declutter, I was cleaning out my medicine cabinet the other day & realized I had 2 expired prescriptions: hydrocodone and a muscle relaxer from my back spasms last year. Now, the last thing I want to do is dump them down the drain, so when I went to pick up my monthly pills, I asked the pharmacy clerk at Wal-Mart what to do with these 2 expired prescriptions.

The clerk turned me onto this site: http://www.smarxtdisposal.net/. This site gives you step-by-step instructions on how to properly dispose of your expired prescriptions in a safe, effective manner without damaging the environment. It's easy and takes 5 minutes. Check it out!

What makes you happy?

I thought I would take a few moments to reflect on those 'things' in life that make me happy. And, no, they are not material 'things'.

* Enjoy my morning coffee while reading many blogs.

* Playing hide n seek with my cat, Cosmo

* Fishing or hunting with my DH

* Going for a non-competitive bike ride with a group of friends

* Scrapping with friends or by myself

* Cuddling up on our favorite chair & watching TV and eating popcorn with DH

* An awesome run or bike ride

* Any mountain bike ride - good or bad!

These are just a few of my favorite things. They don't cost me anything, or in some cases, very little. Although I have fallen into the Consumerism mindset in the past, my values have returned to where they were when I grew up: frugality, savings and simplicity.

What makes you most happy?

A Fun Day Off

The ocean was flat & I had the day off which equals Fishing! DH & I headed out and had an awesome day. It started when we were catching bait & I was able to hand feed a porpoise! There was a feeling of calm and excitement in taking a bait, slapping the water to attract the porpoise's attention and then watching as I let go of the bait when he swam within inches of my hand. He (or she) was so gentle and graceful in the water, as if he had done this millions of times before.

After acquiring sufficient bait, we headed out to sea and found a spot to begin our fishing. Within minutes of putting bait in the water, the lines started goi

ng off & we spent the next 2 hours reeling and reelin

g. We caught a tone of bonito, and I scored a small (40-50 lb) sailfish. The action started to slow again and that's when this guy came along:

He wasn't all that big, but we fed him off of the chum line. You never know what you'll see out in the ocean and it was exciting to see this small hammerhead shark circle the boat (insert Jaws theme music here).

A day off doesn't have to be about consumerism - it's about time spent with those who are important in your life, and DH and I created yet another memorable day.