by CHansen

The “butterfly effect” is the idea that a small and seemingly insignificant event can trigger something on a much larger scale than what originally took place. It’s the theory that a butterfly can flap its wings, eventually causing a tornado to occur a thousand miles away. Remember how Homer Simpson went back in time, squashed a prehistoric bug, and returned to a drastically altered universe, where donuts fell from the sky? I find that much easier to understand than fractals or chaos theory.

Anyways, let’s try to enumerate the long term effects of making a seemingly insignificant decision to wear flip flops instead of shoes and socks. It is an exaggerated and contrived example, but serves to illustrate the “butterfly effect” in terms of saving money and saving the planet. (I think it feels like compound interest on steroids…)

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by hitkaiser

I didn’t have a regular job until I graduated from college. In order to get by, I did a variety of interesting jobs so that I wouldn’t be completely broke. Without a regular income, I became quite good at getting by with what I did earn, and by the time that I had a full time job, I was so used to passing on certain luxuries and saving my paycheck, that my financial situation and preparation for retirement had developed into something to be proud of.

Here are some of the more interesting things that I have been paid to do:

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In my younger, wilder days, I remember on more than one occasion running around at night and getting a surprise clothesline to the neck. It may have been well deserved, as one might wonder why I was running through the neighbors’ backyards at such an hour?
Anyways, putting your clothes out to dry not only […]

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Do you know how to make a pizza? Lets look at the different ways you could do it:

If you’re feeling lazy or short on time: Take the frozen pizza out of the box, and put it into the oven.

If you want something a little more original: Go to the grocery store. Buy a crust, a can of tomato sauce, some cheese, and a few toppings. Put everything on the crust, and stick it into the oven.

If you want to make something from scratch and impress your friends:

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Check out the Festival Of Frugality: Save All Week Long Edition happening over at The Digerati Life, as my article about making your shower more efficient is featured over there. Poke around a little bit, and you might find some interesting ways to streamline your life!
I found the Frugal Zeitgeist’s rant about having a low […]

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Where is the very best parking space in the whole lot? It’s simply the absolute first spot that you encounter upon entering the parking lot, and it’s not just for Ferrari and Porche owners.

Here are the many reasons to park right away:

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It’s getting close to the deadline now for taxes this year, and I’ve been hearing the usual talk among coworkers about how much they’re getting back in their tax refunds.

I hear things like “I love getting a big refund”, or “Getting back more is better because it helps me save”, or even “Woo-hoo! Free money!”.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Not another article about how getting a big tax refund is bad because you’re making an interest free loan to the government”. (If you haven’t thought of it this way before, lets review:

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I never go to the barber anymore. Actually, let me rephrase that. I never go to a professionally trained barber anymore. It’s just not worth the cost, and definitely not as entertaining as getting a haircut from a friend or a loved one, or even doing it yourself. I went to the barber regularly as a child, and at first found it difficult to get out of the habit. However, cutting your own hair will save you quite a bit of money in the long run, and you will most likely have fun doing it. In addition, you will probably be protecting the environment in a round about way, that is, unless you have a habit of walking and riding your bike everywhere.

If you have never had a homemade haircut, keep the following in mind to ensure the best results:

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If you’ve never grown your own tomatoes, now is the time to start. They taste so much better than any tomato you can buy at the grocery store. And the satisfaction that you’ll get. They’re very easy to take care of, so it’s hard to make an excuse not to give it a try: All you need is a pot, some soil, and some sun, preferably from a southward direction.

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