Time equals savings

[Magpie]

Bit of a lead-up here- bear with me! A few musings this morning-

I stopped this morning to pick up a supermarket top-up of milk, yogurt, fruit, and veg. On my way out I saw the supermarket have installed bins for cardboard and plastic, so you can remove and leave what you don't need from your groceries. We pay 280 a year for our bin and recycling service - and I drop my tins and jars off myself at a collection point. I was in a hurry today, but it occurred to me that I could really make use of this if I was better prepared, and bought containers and net bags with me. I wouldn't have to put my bin out as often. This leads me to my point. We vastly underrate the value of our time.
I used to do craft fairs, selling knitting. Crafts workers here will understand- people don't want to pay for your time.

It's all about time; I've done a days work outside by 9am, then classes, writing, dinner etc. I don't know how I managed it all when I worked full-time and my husband worked away from home.
Every day, no matter how much I get done- there's more I don't have enough time to do. Would a longer day help- probably not!
But I think of people who buy prepared foods- pre-peeled/cut carrots etc 'because they don't have time' yet they are working to pay extra- or try and fit in time with their children on the weekend by taking them out and spending money because they work all week- it just seems a vicious circle.

 

[Pearl]

Bit of a lead-up here- bear with me! A few musings this morning-

I stopped this morning to pick up a supermarket top-up of milk, yogurt, fruit, and veg. On my way out I saw the supermarket have installed bins for cardboard and plastic, so you can remove and leave what you don't need from your groceries. We pay 280 a year for our bin and recycling service - and I drop my tins and jars off myself at a collection point. I was in a hurry today, but it occurred to me that I could really make use of this if I was better prepared, and bought containers and net bags with me. I wouldn't have to put my bin out as often. This leads me to my point. We vastly underrate the value of our time.
I used to do craft fairs, selling knitting. Crafts workers here will understand- people don't want to pay for your time.

It's all about time; I've done a days work outside by 9am, then classes, writing, dinner etc. I don't know how I managed it all when I worked full-time and my husband worked away from home.
Every day, no matter how much I get done- there's more I don't have enough time to do. Would a longer day help- probably not!
But I think of people who buy prepared foods- pre-peeled/cut carrots etc 'because they don't have time' yet they are working to pay extra- or try and fit in time with their children on the weekend by taking them out and spending money because they work all week- it just seems a vicious circle.

If I'm going to cut up veggies or something I always do extra to freeze. Saves time later. Time is something there is never enough of......

 

[Magpie]

Considering other ways I save money since I gave up work- I use my dryer half as much as I have time to hang clothes out. I also don't wear as many outfits- just live in my jeans. And I can put the washing machine on at cheap times.

 

[UrbanHunter]

We have 8"X8" stainless steel pans. When the wife makes a casserole, she makes enough for 3, 1 to eat and 2 to wrap and freeze. We get 3 meals (for 2 people) out of a casserole. When we know it's going to be a rough day we set out a frozen one to thaw and then bake for 30 minutes.... poof, dinner...

Time is money, but some things money can't buy. Skills are very expensive to acquire because many things have a long learning curve. Many people discount this fact when they say in a SHTF event they would just garden or hunt.....

 

[backlash]

I'm retired so my time is pretty much free.
I've been doing small thing for family and they always want to pay me for my time and I tell them no.
If I have to purchase something then I do expect to be reimbursed but not for my time.

 

[Wingnut]

I think that whole "rat race" mentality comes from living in areas where the cost of living is so high... NYC or SoCal, for example. Flyover country is good, flyover country is cheap... so many fools pay more in Big City rent than they would on a mortgage in flyover country. Here in the boondocks, it's often cheaper to buy than it is to rent... and since rent is a major expense in many families, that's a good place to start reorganizing priorities.

Sure, I miss the ocean and sailing... but I ditched all the crowds, traffic, smog, crime, etc., AND I now have world-class trail riding & offroading minutes from my door. So there's a trade-off involved, but there's NO feeling like OWNING your own property, and being able to do whatcha like with it. If I wanted to do so, I could build a motocross track in my yard, lol... but I'd want a lighter bike to ride the track, aye? If I were younger and I still skated, I could build a HUGE halfpipe!

Life is a journey, and as we progress, we learn what means more to us... keeping up with the Joneses, or living happily within our means. So much time & money is wasted keeping up with the Joneses in those high-dollar areas, and sadly, some folks will never realize true freedom & happiness... spending time with loved ones and enjoying nature every day, rather than schlepping through the daily grind and hating life as they go. Ugh, no more Big City life for this kid...

And don't even get me started on societal programming, whether it's through the media, schools, peer pressure, whatever... I know this will be difficult for some folks to grasp, but NO, you do NOT need the very latest smart phone, flashy vehicle, expensive home you can't really afford, etc., etc. In a way, I fell through the cracks a long time ago where Big Tech BS is involved, but I save heller money living my simple life in the boondocks, and I'm much happier, go figure...

Then there's the whole credit card scam... another pitfall or hazard which creates so many debt slaves, especially in younger generations. If you're gonna do the credit card thing at all, you'd best do it wisely, otherwise you'll be in debt for the rest of your life. Moi, I don't do credit, and it's funny how so many credit card agencies still try to foist a card upon me... no thanks, I like living debt-free, aye? Sure, I have monthly utility bills, but those are manageable... just sayin'.

Time is a precious commodity, but also a useful one when applied correctly... I'm talking about doing your own work, rather than paying somebody else to do it. Y'all know I'm a cheap b@stard, but I'm also handy with tools, lol... I NEVER pay anybody to do something I can do myself, UNLESS I'm already busy doing another task, I have money to spare, and I'm willing to "farm out" the work. Or I can't do the work, like installing carpet... too hard on these banged-up ol' knees.

With so many video tutorials out there in cyberspace nowadays, there's no excuse for younger folks to NOT try their hand at repairing things... just remember that some video tutorials are better than others, lol. And if you're truly out of your depth, well, at least you'll have some idea of what needs to be done, and you'll be less likely to get ripped off by an unscrupulous tradesman or contractor. Just my $.02 on that topic, since that's where the Internet is truly useful...

Thus endeth the sermon on this blustery & rainy day... good thing my roof doesn't leak, and do y'all know why? Because I got up there early on in my home rehab efforts and swapped out the old original plastic vent covers which were cracked and broken (open to the sky), and I replaced them with nice aluminum vent covers from Home Depot... no more leaks. I had never done such work in my life, but it wasn't that difficult, and my home has been dry ever since, lol. CHEERS!!!

 

[Caribou]

I used to cook for 300 men. Months of that time I was the only cook on my shift. That meant thinking several steps ahead. If I was close to an item that needed to be at a different part of the kitchen, and I had a spare arm, it went with me even if I wouldn't need it for an hour. If I could save myself 10 or 30 trips across the kitchen in a day that was time saved. I worked a 26 hour shift. In that time I had to put out, serve, and clean up, three meals. I had help with the cleaning. Never a wasted step was my goal.

I used the same system when I had a construction job and many other projects throughout my life. Thinking three or four steps ahead got my job done faster. Every step I saved gave me more time. every time I figured out a faster way to accomplish my goal saved time. This was time to do another project, sleep, or accomplish another goal.

 

[Weedygarden]

I have thought about this very thing many times. I was raised with growing most of our own food, which then had to be processed to eat or preserve.

For example, how many people grow pumpkins, bake and process them to end up with pumpkin for recipes? On the other hand, how many people buy canned pumpkin. There are many examples of food. I see people in the grocery store with premade food to heat and eat, or sometimes, already heated, just eat it.

This used to be true for clothing, that you could make your own and save money. It is expensive to buy fabrics now, and then there is the time to make the garments.

I used to change the oil on my car. Now I have it done for me. I'm sure I pay twice as much as I would if I were changing my own oil.

Neighbors pay to have someone mow their grass and take care of their yard. Maintenance of their lawn mower is probably cheaper than paying someone else to mow and do yard work, but they are retired, so why not pay someone to do it for them? Money is one factor, and I've been told that money is no issue for them in regard to hiring someone to do this for them.

 

[Morgan101]

and since rent is a major expense in many families, that's a good place to start reorganizing priorities.

The Pareto Principle, or more easily the 80/20 rule. Look at where you are spending your money, and those areas would be the focus on how to reduce costs. For most people I would think rent or mortgage would be the largest expense. Insurance would be high. Food and utilities would be high. See where the money is going, and maybe you can see where you can cut back.

 

[Supervisor42]

I'm retired so my time is pretty much free.
I've been doing small thing for family and they always want to pay me for my time and I tell them no.
If I have to purchase something then I do expect to be reimbursed but not for my time.

I am absolutely no help either.
I worked hard for decades to ensure that I didn't have to do diddley in my "golden-years".
It worked!
My schedule is like this:
1. Have some smokes and drink beer every day. Look in on my investments an hour per weekday, and lay on my bed and watch TV the rest of the time.
2. Think every day, about all the work I no longer have to do.
3. Get my sheets thru the laundry once a week.
4. Hang out with my buds on homesteadingforum.org, and every 2 weeks make a trip to the store to restock beer, smokes, and food.

This is 'living the dream' for me.

 

[Neb]

I am absolutely no help either.
I worked hard for decades to ensure that I didn't have to do diddley in my "golden-years".
It worked!
My schedule is like this:
1. Have some smokes and drink beer every day. Look in on my investments an hour per weekday, and lay on my bed and watch TV the rest of the time.
2. Think every day, about all the work I no longer have to do.
3. Get my sheets thru the laundry once a week.
4. Hang out with my buds on homesteadingforum.org, and every 2 weeks make a trip to the store to restock beer, smokes, and food.

This is 'living the dream' for me.

Spot on!

Except instead of your 2

"
2. Think every day, about all the work I no longer have to do.

"

Mine would be

"
2. Think every day, about all the work The Princess wants me to do and do something.

"
And I restock once a month.

Ben

 

[Morgan101]

I am absolutely no help either.
I worked hard for decades to ensure that I didn't have to do diddley in my "golden-years".
It worked!
My schedule is like this:
1. Have some smokes and drink beer every day. Look in on my investments an hour per weekday, and lay on my bed and watch TV the rest of the time.
2. Think every day, about all the work I no longer have to do.
3. Get my sheets thru the laundry once a week.
4. Hang out with my buds on homesteadingforum.org, and every 2 weeks make a trip to the store to restock beer, smokes, and food.

This is 'living the dream' for me.

Good for you. I feel the exact same way. I worked for 56 years at at least 2 jobs, often 7 days a week, often for weeks on end. I worked two jobs so my wife could stay home and raise the children, which is what we both wanted. I never regretted it, and it never hurt me, but I was ready to retire. One of the old adages I learned a very long time ago: The only place Success comes before Work is in the dictionary.

Now, even though I am retired, I still work one of my part time jobs. It is seasonal, so I still feel like I am retired. I want to be like the retired guy whose wife asked him "What are you going to do today?"

He said "I am going to sit on the front porch and rock."

She said "You did that yesterday."

He said " Well I wasn't finished, yet."

We earned it.

 

[Bacpacker]

3 years, give or take, and I'll be in my own rocker too

 

[sonya123]

We have never enough time, especially in spring when our babies arrive. We have less this year ( trying to cut back a little , but still have almost 20 pregnant animals. And they arrive anytime, day or night, and it is up to us to make sure they survive. Like the ewe yesterday. If she had gone into labor in the middle of the night, or if I had not called the vet, or if the vet had not been able to get there in time, the lambs would have died, and maybe the ewe also. So during spring, I cook very simple food ( had spaggetti yesterday) , the house does not get cleaned , only the bloody barn clothes and towels get washed and only the absolute necessary shopping gets done.
Occasionally I even buy expensive frozen food you can just put in the oven ( but none of us like it, so I only do this rarely)

When I had a regular job and sat in my office, I would sit there looking at the clock every 5 minutes wishing my life and time away so I could go home....

I think we are going to cut back some more this year. We only need about 6 lambs and 6 goats a year to sell for meat at the market. So we should be able to only breed maybe 5 sheep and goats each. So half of what we do now. Then thing is we have our land in land use and have to have a certain amount of animals , need to see how much exactly we need.