Oops, I forgot to Post How Much Money I Saved Last Month

... and the month before that, and the month before that. Clearly, you all were paying rapt attention.

Ah well, I know you still love me—and even if you don't, I'm going to pretend that you do. It's not you, it's me.

Jumping back to October... I know, but forget September, it's gone. We couldn't save it. There's nothing we can do. We have to move on.

[Total savings: $1,440]

I honestly don't remember much about October. I barely remember yesterday. Thankfully, I wrote stuff down. Most of these savings come from buying stuff, as opposed to paying stuff off. 

Ahh November, You Crazy Batshit Month

Like The Walking Dead, it seems the season of unrelenting Crazy is upon us. Sure, The Walking Dead is pure fiction, but experiencing the unleashed crazy of November doesn't feel any less horrific. For whatever reason, we go from people who can successfully contain the crazy to "Woo! I'm gonna' fly my crazy flag and let shit fall where it may!" And it always seems to happen with the onset of November. My personal theory is that this is brought on by three factors:

1. The end of Daylight Savings Time—and the fact that we're thrown into darkness. As a species we really don't do well with this.
2. The weather changing—again, change is hard, and cold weather makes us cranky.
3. The immediate and (in my opinion) absolutely premature introduction of Christmas decor and Christmas music in places we normally shop (especially when intermingled with Halloween decor).

DIY Zero Waste Gift Ideas

It's November and time to start thinking about holiday gift ideas.

For the past few years, we've given handmade gifts, food gifts, and 'donated in your honor' gifts. This year, I'm caught by the zero waste bug & even though we're no where near living a zero waste lifestyle, I'd like to move us in that direction.

Is 'Zero Waste' the New Black?

I have to admit that I am enamored with the idea of zero waste. When I first heard of it, I thought it was the hallowed path to a simpler lifestyle—less trash, fewer worries, little birds singing happy songs on the window sill.... Yeah, that bubble burst pretty quickly as I realized there were some things that I couldn't talk myself (or my wife) into giving up. 

All the same, it seems to be trending on a lot of the budget blogs I'm coming across lately. They're all  touting their version of zero waste—and of course they list their Amazon affiliate links to items that will help you in your zero waste journey. Some of which are pretty nifty and enticing, others seem a bit Goop-worthy.