Needing Less

Skillshare

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:00:17 -0500

Let’s Start a Learning Revolution from Skillshare on Vimeo.

This morning a friend introduced me to Skillshare. They are a great new company that wants to “transform education by empowering teaching and democratizing learning.” Similar to my beloved Time Banking, you can put up classes you can teach or take some from someone else, with the idea that we all have something to share/teach/help with and we don’t necessary need to pay for it. That there is potential for us to fulfill these needs as a community, amongst ourselves instead of having to rely on corporations, universities, or expensive classes. Check them out here and if you can really get behind this, you can support their kickstarted here.

Later this week I will be writing about another one of my...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:43:09 -0500

Later this week I will be writing about another one of my favorite local spots for #NeedingLess, Naturewell. I love them mostly for their bulk bins (and coconut kale smoothies) that allow you to buy just a little of what you need and reduce packaging!

good:

GOOD Citizenship Task 27: Support a Local Business #30DaysofGOOD

Shop locally as much as possible. Small businesses respond to the wants and needs of their loyal, local customers. This creates more variety and paves the way for yet more neighborhood businesses.

Read more on GOOD→

Just Buy Less

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:31:40 -0500

An interesting article from GOOD on the ethical nature of our electronic devices and what we really need to do is just buy less.

Inspired by the post from yesterday, while I think about my bike...

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:07:30 -0500

Inspired by the post from yesterday, while I think about my bike I am saving up for!

http://needingless.tumblr.com/post/18153761878/saving-up

treehugger:

10 Ways To Hang Your Bike On The Wall Like A Work Of Art

Saving Up

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:26:52 -0500

In the Needing Less mentality, I have been a lot less impulsive when purchasing things. When I want something, I first try to do a little mental rundown…do I need this? can I make it? borrow it? do I have something that serves this purpose already? Through this process I am able to talk myself out of a lot of the little day-to-day expenditures that can clutter up your life and drain you wallet. But sometimes there are these things that you really do want, that in theory at least will make your life better! Right now, for me, this is a bike.

I decided, when starting this project, that if I wanted some thing new and big, I had to really save for it and think about it for a few months. That I could just not rush into it. I started by gathering all the change I found cleaning out closets and draws and bins in the beginning of this experiment. That was the bike seed money. Now slowly I am putting my change in there, a few bucks left over at the end of the month, etc…and slowly but surely I will have enough for this bike and be very certain I want it. I will have time to research what kind I want, test ride a few and figure out where and how I am going to store it. This makes the purchase feel like a well thought out decision, a commitment to something and a responsible investment.

Clean up your act!

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:10:36 -0500

This weekend I went through the dreaded space underneath my sink. This is where I keep all of my cleaning supplies, plastic bags for picking up dog poop, trash bags, dish rags, and so on. It is generally kind of a jumbled mess. I have also been meaning to give my cleaning regime an overhaul, and like with my beauty routine, I was inspired to cut back on how many products I use. I wanted to streamline and go as natural as possible.

Mixing what I read in the Martha Stewart article “Cleaning Product 101” and my have book for all things hippy-homey The Urban Homestead I whittled down to a few simple products that can be used throughout the house. I have castle soap, baking soda, white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and some microfiber cloths. Here are my combos and suggestions for cleaning just about everything (or at least everything in my house):

-1/2 Water + 1/2 Vinegar in a spray bottle: Cleans all hard surfaces — counters, tables, bookshelves, glass, etc…

-Baking soda + enough castle soap to make a paste: Soft scrub good for sinks, tubs, showers, oven, etc…

-Microfiber Cloth: dust everything, no need for sprays — older wood furniture, delicate decorative objects, the tops of fans

If you need to disinfect, you can do one spray with the Vinegar/Water mixx and follow with a spray of Hydrogen Peroxide. Other than that, I find that with these mixes, a sponge with a scouring side and a good scrub brush, you can clean almost anything without chemicals or having to house a ton of special and usually expensive products!

Classic LA from Los Angeles Magazine

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:04:00 -0500

I love this article from Los Angeles Magazine on “Classic LA.” No one gives L.A. much credit for its history, but this shines a light on much of the important infrastructure of the city. Most of which you can appreciate for free!

Needing Less Places: Consignment Stores

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:14:00 -0500

Consignment stores pack a “Needing Less” double punch. Not only are they a great place to trade in some of the clothes filling up your closet that are in good shape, but that for one reason or another you just don’t wear, they also are a more responsible place to pick up new-to-you things. I frequently try to purge my closet, being honest about what I actually wear and parting with things I may like, but that just never make it out of the house. I take my bag of stuff into the store near my house where they take in what they can sell and offer you 50% of what they can retail it for in trade, or 35% in cash. I think this is a great opportunity to turn a handful of things you never wear into one or two you really will. With this Needing Less experiment, I have been keeping a little list of things I am on the look out for: cropped black slacks, a denim shirt, plain black pumps. I am not looking for a bunch of lacy tops that are pretty on the hanger, or trendy skirts, I am trying to stick to the basics and if I trade my stuff in and don’t see anything on my list, or another item that is truly life changing, I just take the cash and go.

If you do have the occasion where you need something new, a special event, or you wore through your favorite pair of Levis, consignment shopping is a more environmentally responsible way to shop. Instead of buying something brand new and being responsible for the carbon footprint it took to produce it, consignment stores let you get something lightly used and give it a new life. This by no means solves the problem of over consumption, but alleviates your participation in it a bit. Next time you are ready to clear out your closet, or need to pick up a new outfit, checkout your local Crossroads, Buffalo Exchange, Wasteland or vintage shop instead of the mall and see how it goes!

good: Most Americans Want a Walkable Neighborhood, Not a Big...

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:15:31 -0500

good:

Most Americans Want a Walkable Neighborhood, Not a Big House

The symbol of American success often involves having the biggest house possible, but our outsized fantasies seem to be shifting. It turns out most of us value nearby stores and parks rather than McMansions. Luckily, that’s probably where we’re headed.

Read it on GOOD→

One thing I don't need: Typewriter

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:02:40 -0500

I have come to realize I own a lot of things because I like, or thought I would like, how they look in my house. Not because I actually use them, or that using them would make my life any better. I got this typewriter at a garage sale, for something like $15. It was super cute, came in its own case and looked great on my shelf. I wrote approximately 3 letters with it, that were indeed adorable….but this does not constitute needing something by any means. Not to say that you cannot own things just because they are cute and look good in your house, but at some point I moved the typewriter to the closet and did not miss it one bit. When cleaning out the closet, I found it again and figured it was time to get rid of it. I posted on craigslist and had a buyer in a couple of days!

Can Technology help us Need Less?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:07:25 -0500

Out technological age gets a bad wrap for inundating our lives with numerous gadgets and gizmos and keeping us constantly plugged into one of them or another. And this is definitely true to an extent. We are bombarded with commercials about how this phone or that e-reader is going to change out lives, but I would like to make the argument that if we can block out a bit of the “buy this, buy this, buy this” noise, that technology can actually help us need less.

I have pretty much two electronic devices; one is my iPhone, the other is my MacBook. I don’t own a TV, although I still watch my favorite shows; I don’t own a stereo, even though I listen to a ton of music; and I don’t have a camera, but take pictures all the time. As our technological sophistication as a society increases, we are introduced to these products that can do so many things that we no longer need a tv, and a phone, and a stereo, and a camera, and an iPod, and a recorder and a address book and a calendar. A device or two can handle all of these tasks and more.

To take it a step further, with the internet and all the applications for our phones and computers it is also easy to stay up to date on news through your favorite publications, pay bills without writing checks, look up countless recipes without cookbooks, watch movies without needing DVDs or a DVD player or listening to music without having to own the disks. Not to say that there is not a place for these physical objects, but if your goals, like mine are for this experiment, are to cut down on things, a couple digital devices can take the place of other objects.

Can you imagine living without your fridge?

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:04:00 -0500

This article from Treehugger about Korean designer Jihyun Ryou suggests how you can rethink food storage for healthier and more tasty edibles sans refrigeration. I don’t know if I am quite ready to convert yet, but I love the idea of cutting out the power it takes to run a full size fridge. Maybe these clever storage ideas and a mini fridge would do the trick?

Needing Less Places: The Spice Station

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:12:37 -0500

I do a lot of baking and cooking and hands down the best place in the neighborhood to get almost any kind if spice is The Spice Station. What is also great is that they do everything in bulk and just grind you a little (or a lot) of what you need. You can buy almost everything in as little as 1oz sizes at prices that are way better than the grocery store. This way you can buy just the amount you need, refill your little jars and try new things without committing to a ton and having it live in the back of your cupboard forever. A win-win-win on the needing less front!

How to sell everything you own! Love this story.

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:01:05 -0500

How to sell everything you own! Love this story.

Clutter Collections: Beauty Supplies

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:59:09 -0500

I have a pretty streamline beauty routine and don’t wear that much makeup. But somehow, even with this situation, it is easy for beauty products to get piled up. My mom gives me something, I have to buy a new sunscreen on vacation because I forgot mine, you get a free sample with a purchase and suddenly you have a ton to bottles and tubes and eyeshadows you don’t really use, but are housing in your beauty bag.

I think a good chunk of needing less is storing what you do use, in an organized way, so you can find it when you need it. This avoids cluttering your stuff up with unused things and buying duplicates because you can’t find what you do need. A streamlined make up routine can help you need less too. Some people actually do experiment with their look, but I have mine down to a pretty solid, mineral face powder and curled lashes with a bit of mascara — maybe a little black eyeliner, blush or lipstick for the right occasion, but I literally have one of each of those things and just use it until it is gone and then replace it. I have a little box thing that I bought from Ikea that I use to keep my stuff organized. One little drawer for nail stuff, one for medicine, one for hair stuff and then the two big drawers are devoted to make up and skin products. Every so often I do a sweep to clear out anything I have not used for months or that is past its prime.

Bonus of keeping your beauty routine and supplies sparse? It helps you get out the door in the morning in drastically less time!

Mindful Eating

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:11:33 -0500

I came across this article in the The New York Times this morning, it talks about the rediscovered practice of mindful eating. The idea is to take a Buddhist approach to consumption, doing it slowly and concentrating on the flavors, textures, nourishment of each bite. Before taking a taste, or starting into a plate of food, you ask yourself, “Does my body need this? Why am I eating this? Is it just because I’m so sad and stressed out?”

I think this resonates with the needing less mentality for a number of reasons, one: because hopefully as you on concentrating more on what you are eating and enjoying it more, you will eat less, and two: you are more grateful and conscious of the richness of what you have and more in touch with what your body needs…and doesn’t need.

My mint.com account will tell you that most of what I spend my money on outside of the basic rent, car, gas, insurance, etc…is food. I love going out to eat with friends, good food and good wine, it is a true pleasure for me. But I know a lot of the time I am eating for the social experience or distracted by trying lots of dishes at a new restaurant. I am going to try to take this mindful eating into consideration moving forward and see what the effects are, and also seeing where else I can bring more mindfulness to my life.

Photo

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:53:44 -0500

Clutter Collections: Tote Bags

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:58:12 -0500

I have a ton of tote bags. Working the arts, they seem to make tote bags for every party and exhibition and I slowly but surely have amassed way more than I can ever reasonably use. I actually do use them though. I am not a big fancy purse person, so I generally carry around my phone, keys, wallet, laptop and book, whatever in a tote bag. Eventually, they get really dirty and, with the ones I really like, I try to wash them, but after that first spin they are never the same again. At this point they get retired to my rack near the door whose sole purpose has become holding a jumble of discarded tote bags and my dog’s leash.

Last night I pulled down the jumble and actually sorted out the ones that were still usable, and hung them back up. I took the couple good, big ones and one that holds cold stuff and put them in the back of my car for groceries. There was one that was from a project I worked on so had some sentimental value, but was nothing I would carry usually, so I put that up in my “archive” box I keep of momentous and documentation from various projects. I got rid of the rest and now the rack is down to holding a manageable and useful amount of bags.

Next clutter collection to be dismantled: beauty supplies and make-up!

Make your own: Bread

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:45:20 -0500

, bread,

One of my needing less practices these days, is asking myself “can I make it?” before I buy it. With a lot of your basic groceries milk, eggs, cheese, nuts, fruit, the answer is probably “no.” Or at least, while living in an apartment. But bread is one thing you can make and it is relatively cheap and easy to do so. There are tons of no knead bread recipes out there, where you can use a dry yeast to make it rise. There are even soda bread type recipes that call for no yeast at all!

I, however, got a little ambitious and wanted to make sourdough and other raised breads without using yeast, so I had to make a starter. A starter is super simple, all you need is a jar, flour and water. You put equal parts flour and water (start with one cup of each) in the jar and you just let it sit there, on your counter top. Everyday, for at least a week, you take out 1 cup of started and replace it with 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 a cup of flour. After about a week, maybe longer depending on conditions it will start to ferment and be good to use for bread. On the day you want to try it out, instead of tossing that cup of starter you put it into the bread recipe.

There is some time needed to let the bread rise, but really very little actual “making” time and all it takes is flour, water and salt and will be way better than store bought bread.

Donate It

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:36:00 -0500

For as much as I am an advocate of selling, trading, bartering, reusing and recycling your unused stuff, sometimes you just need to get it out and give it away. Having ditched a good chunk of the records and books I admitted to no longer using, and cleaning out my closets, I had a couple bags full of stuff that just needed to be donated.

When donating, you have tons of options of where to drop your bags, donating helps support your chosen organization and their efforts and can reward you with a tax write off (more worthwhile if what you are donating is more valuable than books and records). Here in L.A., your donating options include Goodwill and the National Council of Jewish Women Los Angeles and my favorite, Out of the Closet.

I like Out of the Closet, not only because there is one down the street from my house, but also because they are run by and support the Aids Healthcare Foundation, a cause I can really get behind! AHF provides care for people with HIV/AIDS regardless of their ability to pay. Some of the Out of the Closet locations, like the one in Hollywood, even provide free HIV testing on site.

If you are getting rid of more specialty items, like cell phones and electronics, check out somewhere like ReCellular or Computer Recycling Center. If you are getting rid of a car I would suggest donating it to KCRW to support awesome public radio. There are even special sites that allow you to donate eye glasses (New Eyes for the Needy) and ton for prom dress (there is a whole state-by-state directory on Donate My Dress). So get cleaning and googling, there is an organization that can make good use of almost any of your old or unused stuff!