What small things could you do to save ... but you usually don't ... and why?

[caliq]

Put me in the " donate rather than sell" group.

I am lazy and I really hate the whole haggling process that goes with so many non retail transactions.

I try to limit the amount of stuff I bring into my home so I don't have to worry about how I am going to get rid of it.

+1

My aunt is about to get surgery and be laid up for a month; she has a small TV and as she gets older is starting to have trouble seeing it, so she was talking about getting a new bigger one before her surgery.  I have a 42" LCD that I got as a gift several years ago and haven't used since moving in with DH (he had a 55" -- so fancy!).  I've been meaning to sell it/thinking about selling it but just haven't buckled down and listed it anywhere because of the hassle. 

My first reaction was to offer it to her for free, then I felt a twinge of mustachian guilt for not selling it, then I gave it to her anyways once I thought about actually having to list it on Craigslist and take pictures and have some random person at my house, etc etc. 

Laziness ftw.

[87tweetybirds]

Donating quality stuff when I could sell it on ebay.

I could probably make $200 with the stuff I'm trying to get rid of right now, but it's sooooo much easier to just bring it to the thrift shop rather than setting up and executing ebay sales. I just don't like selling stuff, even if it'd only take a few hours of work to make that $200.

Yep, this is totally me. I regularly donate stuff that I know I could get money for, either on ebay, Cragislist, yardsale, or through hobby forums groups that I belong to, but having to pay for and sort out shipping, listing fees, store the stuff until I can have a yard sale, etc. just kills me. I'd much rather just forgo the money and donate.

+1

I am a definite +1 on this, but DH loves the challenge of selling stuff. Sometimes on Craigslist sometimes on eBay but mostly on a Facebook virtual yard sale page for our area. Easier no fees and they are in the area, so either they drop by and pick it up or DH who is nicer than me will meet them somewhere (like the grocery store) for the smaller stuff. If you just don't like hanging onto stuff until you have enough for a yard sale you might see if your area has one of those sites.

[Helvegen]

I used to make most everything from scratch. Now I find myself buying more convenience foods at Costco: turkey/salmon burgers, pierogi, veggie lasagna, etc. I tried making freezer meals on the weekend, but I can't always justify the time it takes. I've got other things to do and TBH, it isn't that much more money to eat like this because we eat a lot less than we used to. For example, I dropped from well over 200lbs (morbidly obese bmi) to 135lbs (normal bmi).

[KD]

Yes! This is my rationale behind keeping on a ton of lights in the winter months. It negatively effects my outlook and mood so much when it's perpetually grey and bleak. I know keeping all my lights on isn't the best for the environment or my bill, but it's better than prozac IMO.

Have you looked into getting a full spectrum S.A.D. light??  I love my Verilux lamps!! 

[MrsSmitty]

We have a Keurig. It costs me about $0.70 per cup of coffee.  We only use it on the weekends so it's not a huge expense each month, but I know I could easily do coffee cheaper. I don't care. I LOVE that machine.

Also, makeup. I wear makeup every day. I like putting it on, I like how pretty it makes me feel, I like trying new things. Whatever. I spend $15/month max at the drugstore buying new things or replacing used up ones. If I went totally natural I could save more, but I just don't want to.

I'm a believer in fixing the boulders and not worrying about the sand. My mortgage is low, my car is paid for, we have no debt. Therefore I'm not going to worry about a few dollars a month on things that genuinely make me happy.

[Bracken_Joy]

Yes! This is my rationale behind keeping on a ton of lights in the winter months. It negatively effects my outlook and mood so much when it's perpetually grey and bleak. I know keeping all my lights on isn't the best for the environment or my bill, but it's better than prozac IMO.

Have you looked into getting a full spectrum S.A.D. light??  I love my Verilux lamps!!

Yep! And I used it for years until it started to die =( Philips GoLite. Lasted me daily use for about 7 years, then started to flicker, which gave me awful headaches. I haven't been able to justify a large one time expense since then, so I'm waiting until my next birthday when people want to give me junk anyway =P Otherwise, I'll wait until after my wedding when I get discount cards from all my registries.

How are the Verilux? I've never looked into them. (When I got my GoLite, I really needed the travel option on it).

[KD]

Yup, grey skies definitely a downer!!

Verilux - I really enjoy using mine.  Got it last year mid winter, and this winter we've had more sunny days than usual. So, haven't had a long time of experience with it to relate. 

The bulbs for the Verilux are expensive but rated to last a bunch of hours...obviously I voted w/my dollars that it was worth the cost for me to give it a good go.  Felt I'd be able to recoup a good portion of my price if I found it didn't work like I thought it would.  Saw one at an aunt's house and came home and ordered myself one.  I bought it for myself for my birthday last year. 

My house is situated among tall pines and the porch is shaded as well so making the interior of my house even with large picture windows rather low light.  It certainly helps brighten things up in here.  I am an aging crocheter/mender w/associated eye decline (can't see to thread a needle much anymore) so I also got the floor lamp w/ the little table & magnifier attached.  Love the little table - holds my scissors, lip balm, emery board, crochet hook in the little depression/cup & also holds my coffee, water and remote, etc..  Haven't used the magnifier too much but will more if I stick to this earthly plane much longer! 

I believe Verilux has some smaller options too.  I have an Ott lamp that SEEMS to put out a similar light - haven't checked that for certain.  That is in my painting studio, but is small enough to fold up to go in a suitcase.  Got it at Hobby Lobby years back.  Ott lamps might be an option to pursue.

Here's hoping bright skies shine on you! 

[Bracken_Joy]

Here's hoping bright skies shine on you!

Thank you! For the advice and the wishes =)

[3Mer]

Dog Chow in 20 lb bags costs way less per pound than the small 5 lb bags.  But I buy the 5 lb bags because the food goes stale.  I have bought the bigger ones and froze the excess, but it's just more convenient to buy the smaller bags.  (I have a 30 lb dog)

[dopeysla69]

food lol thats crazy

[AllezAllezAllez]

Many days I could walk to work but I don't, because I am a wimp. In the winter, people fail to clear their sidewalks, so it's 2 miles of icy ruts and uneven, unpredictable surfaces that are hard to see in the early morning winter darkness. I thought, no big deal, I love being outside in the winter; but one fall on snow-covered ice last year and the pain/expense of the 6 weeks of rehab that followed it cured me of the winter walking habit but quick. (Much safer to get winter outdoor time on skis than walking in town, imho.) In nice weather, the creepy homeless guys are on the street bright and early with their in-your-face demands for money that are just a little too threatening for a female walking alone. I could just deal with it, but I don't need that kind of stress coming and going to a job that's plenty stressful on its own, thanks very much. So mostly, I drive.

[GuitarStv]

Poop at work.

Save on cleaning supplies
Save on toilet paper
Save on water usage
Save on heating (from running the bathroom fan)


I probably only go about 50% of the time at work . . . largely because the washrooms are kinda gross, they're crowded, and I refuse to sit on a toilet seat that is still warm from someone else's ass.

[RetiredAt63]

That is way too hot for sleeping!  At least for me - the house is at 66-68F (19-20C) during the day, down to 16C (61F) at night.  I am all snuggled in with the flannel sheets and blankets, and fleece-lined slippers waiting for when I get up.  But it is also a bit in self-defense, since if I keep the house too warm it feels even colder when I go outside (right now the sun is shining, the sky is an amazing blue, and the temperature is -22C (-7F) with a wind chill of -34C (-29F).

Of course what all this means is that I am dying of the heat when it gets over 30C here (86F).  But when it is that hot it is also usually very humid.  Apparently back in the days before AC Ottawa was considered a hardship diplomatic post, as much because of the summer humidity as the winter cold.

I caved a few years ago and got air-conditioning added to the heating system (forced hot air). I run it about 10 days each summer.

I'll second that.  At 70 degrees heating I sleep with four cotton thermal blankets and one cotton comforter.   Anything lower is just ridiculous in my opinion.  Yes, I live in the desert and my blood is thin.  But I'll be damned if I'm going to suffer when I'm sleeping.  Life is too short.

[wintersun]

So many things…

Several years ago I gave up using plastic bags at all.  I took my trash can to the dump and emptied it and then washed it, I used glass containers for food storage, I took a lunch box for lunch and I felt good.  But it was inconvenient and when I was feeling low energy taking a full trash can to the dump was too much and so was washing it.  Now I still use glass for storage of food, still use a lunch box when necessary but use trash bags with joy.  And yesterday I used zip locks to store cut up veggies for a future meal and loved the convenience.

As for dryers- we have started line drying.  I love the stiff feeling of the clothes especially the towels and the sun-dried smell when they have been outside not inside.  My husband asked this week why we have been using a dryer all these years when this is so easy (no kids makes it easy).

We are using a dishwasher all the time now. The peace of mind it brings is huge.  We both cook more with the knowledge we can put dishes in the dishwasher and relax.

We also use a heated towel rack which is fantastic!!!!  You will have to pry it from my dead hands to stop me using it in the winter.  It warms the bathroom, warms our pjs before bed and dries jeans and so on.

I am in the 'donate not sell group' for almost everything.  The thought of putting an ad online and having people call and come by makes me bury my head in leaf clippings forever more.  We do have a consignment store and I can handle that.  Everything else is donated with great relief.

It seems there are trade offs.  Without the dishwasher we would eat at restaurants a lot more, and I feel overwhelmed by certain types of activities and so I avoid them. 

[TheOfficeLady]

I use the clothes dryer.
I'm working on not eating out, it's mostly just getting organized that's the issue but I'm making progress. I still eat out more often than I should.
I don't use my gym membership the way that I should. 

Come to think of it, the problem usually stems from being disorganized. 

[Melody]

I could cancel my gym membership, because it works out to be a wash with paying for casual entries, but i like the convinence of this gym (it doesn't  offer casual entries) and know being a member makes me go more which is good for my health. Still, i may suspend my membership in the spring when the weather is good outside :-)

[firelight]

Clothes dryer!!
New Clothes and toys for baby - come to think of it, everything baby related!!
Organic food!!!
AC on at 77 and heater on at 70!!!!

I'm sure we can save a lot if I cut them but we choose to spend here and cut elsewhere. Each of these choices makes me feel decadent and lavish with spending

[mrsoski]

I don't reuse ziplock bags, though I do use the ones my MIL sends in the mail:she triple wraps her birthday cards she sends the kids in them.  No, I don't know why.  Most good storage happens in glass Pyrex so we maybe use 2 boxes a year.

I don't usually sell things, prefer to donate.  Would rather walk on tiny swords than hold a garage sale. I do return defective items like a boss though.

I do not reuse tea bags.

I use mid-grade toilet paper. 

Heat is set to 67 in the winter.  I am not going to freeze in my own damn house.

Expensive organic shade grown fair trade water Process coffee from the local coffeehouse, one glorious pound per week.

I use my clothes dryer for everything except delicates and sportswear.

[Colgate_Toothpaste]

Iced coffee.  I am an iced coffee addict thanks to growing up in New England.

Since I moved, Iced Coffee is hard to find and few places make it right.  $3.50-$5 per!!

One day after work I told my wife I was going to figure out how to match my favorite $3.50 iced coffee, so we went to the grocery store and bought the ingredients- coffee, light cream, caramel, and straws.  $16.  I went home and put that money-wasting Keurig to work.  Blisteringly hot coffee wound up sitting in a Pyrex glass until it cooled to room temp.  I tried 5 or 6 different amounts of cream/sugar/coffee/ice/caramel mixes until I found the "right one."

I took a sip, went "AWWW YEAH" and............ never made another one

[Giro]

Iced coffee.  I am an iced coffee addict thanks to growing up in New England.

Since I moved, Iced Coffee is hard to find and few places make it right.  $3.50-$5 per!!

One day after work I told my wife I was going to figure out how to match my favorite $3.50 iced coffee, so we went to the grocery store and bought the ingredients- coffee, light cream, caramel, and straws.  $16.  I went home and put that money-wasting Keurig to work.  Blisteringly hot coffee wound up sitting in a Pyrex glass until it cooled to room temp.  I tried 5 or 6 different amounts of cream/sugar/coffee/ice/caramel mixes until I found the "right one."

I took a sip, went "AWWW YEAH" and............ never made another one

ha.  That made me laugh.

Lots of things for me.  I'm not very mustachian when it comes to low cost things.  We buy bottled water (not as much as we used to.  I'm easing the hubby into using his cup more often), we both drive to work and we work in the same damn building, we have three gym memberships....and on and on.   I am trying to tackle one thing at a time and be more efficient. 

[Jeremy E.]

I never realized how often people thought about ziploc bags.... I reuse mine many times, but I usually only have granola, almonds, or cookies in them which aren't messy.
anyways, things I could do better.
1. I usually use the dryer to dry my clothes
2. I haven't taken the time to learn how to drive more efficiently (hypermiling) I try to use my brakes as little as possible, but I'm sure I could be doing more.
3. I have a fridge from the 1980's and I'm sure I could save money by getting a more efficient one, but I don't want to buy a new one and can't find a decent used one on craigslist without having to drive 120 miles to get it. I looked for one at an estate sale auction 2 weeks ago but it was a really fancy french door one that sold for $850.
4. I learned there is a way to pay your mortgage with a rewards credit card, but I haven't taken the time to learn how, I think you need a target store as well and I don't have one near me.

[SteveR]

I could walk to work every morning (it's 30 minutes door to door) but I'm so bad at getting up I can't drag myself out of bed in time and take the train instead to get an extra 15 minutes in bed. This would "only" save me about Ģ300-400/year, but still. (I *always* walk or jog home, though, so it could be worse.)

[Erica/NWEdible]

Driving when I could walk, (like to my kid's preschool) but justifying it because I have so few hours of kid-free time, I want to be productive with every minute.

Generally, I'd say indulgences where I could cut down fall under the category of gluttony:

 - Food. I like the good stuff, from the good farmers. High on organics. Nearly all made from scratch, much homegrown, but I don't worry about throwing 4 grass-fed steaks on the grill for dinner.
 - Booze. Again the good stuff. (Actually, booze is probably the most anti-mustachian line item in the budget.) We homebrew and DIY cider and fruit wine and mead, so that helps, but the good bourbon is still spendy.
- Coffee. Whole bean, in bulk, from Costco, ground by hand and made in a simple drip machine. But my DH and I can drink 2-3 pots a day when we're both working from home.

[Firefly]

1. Definitely food. We love cooking (and eating). 2 out of 4 of us is gluten-free and one is carb free and we try to buy organic when possible. Not cheap.
2. Kids activities. Starting to wonder if they REALLY need all those piano/drama/ballet/science etc. classes and clubs. Will have to revise next school year and only keep the ones they are truly into.

[choppingwood]

You are really missing out if you don't line dry. Clothes pegs come in a lot of colours. I have had discussions with people who colour match their pegs - blue for boys, pink and red for girls; or each line gets a different colour; or each type of clothing gets something different - red for t-shirts, blue for trousers; I even know someone who would only use white clothes pegs, so she gave away the other colours from each packet.

They come in colours?!!! Last I knew, they were made of wood and were the colour of ... wood.

I only air dry clothes I wash by hand, by hanging them in the bathroom.

[deborah]

Here they have come in colours for many years - plastic clothes pegs have definitely been around for at least 20 years that I can think of off the top of my head!

[Rural]

Here they have come in colours for many years - plastic clothes pegs have definitely been around for at least 20 years that I can think of off the top of my head!

I hate the plastic ones. Either you have to fold the clothes over at the top so that they get funny looking wrinkled areas or the clothes slip right out of them.) Chlothepins got fancy enough when they started putting springs in the wooden ones.

[Melody]

The last packet of pegs I bought was made by disabled people using recycled plastic... Can you get any more hipster than that ;-) but seriously there is no way I would put my precious clothes into a dryer to shrink them! Pegging them properly also means all the wrinkles fall out as they dry so no ironing.

[The_path_less_taken]

Mending clothes.  Ain't gonna happen, sorry.

Seriously: a friend sewed a button on my fave blouse when I said I was tossing it.

I will be abducted by aliens before I'll darn socks...just sayin'.

[jengod]

We use disposable diapers.

I buy books a lot and have them shipped to my house even though I could probably find them through one of our many local libraries.

I turn on the air conditioning AND have the windows rolled down the first few minutes in the car.

I love using air conditioning and heating in the house when I might be able to get some similar benefit by using windows, fans and clothing differently.

I drop off many geegaws at Goodwill that I could possibly sell via Craigslist if I tried a little harder.

I have a weakness for Diet Coke, and sometimes I even get it at a drive-through window.

I would never not drive somewhere just to save gas and car wear. I love driving and I consider day trips and errands a fundamental joy of living.

[jengod]

2. Kids activities. Starting to wonder if they REALLY need all those piano/drama/ballet/science etc. classes and clubs. Will have to revise next school year and only keep the ones they are truly into.

+1. Am cost-insensitive when it comes to creating an enriched environment for the kids. We don't go to a lot of expensive performances and shows, but field trips to interesting places and classes and experiences are a huge part of our budget.

[Kiwi Mustache]

Things I could do to save money but don't:

- I buy nutritious, healthy food. This includes meats, vegetables, fats, spices, etc. I could buy cheap white bread, noodles, etc. But these are no good for my health. If I don't have my health, I can't get on my bike or go hiking which is what I enjoy. So it is not worth the savings.

- I use my car more than I have to. If it is raining or late at night, I'm not going to ride my bike due to safety concerns. Also if I'm turning up to someones house for dinner, I'm not going to turn up in my cycling gear and request I have a shower at their house. I've been hit by a car cycling and it was because it was dark and in the rain.

- I spent money on getting out in the weekend and doing things I enjoy. I enter cycling events out of town, I go hiking with a club, I travel to see friends and family, I often drive to these places or catch a train/bus/plane. I don't want to sit at home doing nothing just for the sake of not spending money.

- I buy quality. I used to buy the cheapest things I could find. I would never buy new. However, over the years I've learnt that buying quality is actually the better way to go. For example, I used to buy all my clothes 2nd hand. They were cheap, but they didn't really fit me, I looked scruffy and they didn't last very long. I would spend $10 on them and then have to replace them after a year. Now I buy $50 items, they fit me well, they look better and they last way longer.

- I spent money on improving myself. I could just research online and read books for free to advance my education. However, I often go to seminars, take people out for lunch, to go information evenings, etc to learn about my interests (personal finance, investing, health, sports, etc). I feel the investment is worthwhile.

[handsnhearts]

For me, it's car washing. I have a hard time driving my Honda Fit to the diy car wash and putting in those quarters and ... I just find it so time consuming!  So, I just leave it there and buy a new one.

Too funny!  You buy a new car to avoid washing it...

[Johnez]

I keep my lights on in the apartment.  I hate walking into dimly lit rooms flicking lights on left and right just to be able to see anything, so I leave them on.  I know it's terrible.  When I buy a house, I'm making sure it has lots of windows and sunlights (that what they're called?). 

I'm laughing hysterically at the zillion non-washing ziploc bag people.  I thought that was the POINT of them, use 'em once and toss. 

[killingxspree]

dont make my own chicken stock.dont think it tastes as good as the expensive store bought one.
never ever eat leftovers. I hate how the texture changes.if I make too much I give it away.
use disposable baby wipes to remove my makeup.
I hate frozen vegetables. I know theyre convienent, cheap, nonperishable etc but the texture is off. like soggy rubbery.
never reuse ziploc bags that honestly never occured to me I'm pretty sure because of the ick factor plus I don't like using plastic, paranoid about it wearing off into the food. I do reuse plastic grocery bags for rubbish bin liners though. apparently some people buy plastic bags to put there rubbish in.

[Bracken_Joy]

I do reuse plastic grocery bags for rubbish bin liners though. apparently some people buy plastic bags to put there rubbish in.

A lot of places now don't give out plastic bags, only paper. I used to do this for my small garbage can in the bathroom, but that's not an option anymore. When I travel, I'm legitimately confused for a second when someone gives me plastic.

[takeahike]

Thermostat set to 22 during day, 18 at night. Run the fireplace a lot of evenings. Have a 2-person hot tub. Long hot showers about every 2 or 3 days. Pay for parking in a heated garage.. although free parking is a mile away and I'm not walking it up hill in the ice in the dark when I work 12 hour shifts at a hospital that refuses to give us parking relief. I really hate being cold!!! WARMTH is my luxury. Heated seats are always on in my car.. you get the picture.

I'll do almost anything else to be frugal. I just can't be cold.

[MoneyCat]

I could stop drinking beer but that's one of the few luxuries I allow myself.  I have gotten the price per beer down to about 50 cents, though, through bulk purchasing at a warehouse store, so I'm doing what I can to make it as Mustachian as possible.

[perummm]

Wine!

Why? Because years ago I was dumb enough to train as a profesional Sommelier (Here in Peru you actually have to go yo school for that) and I really canīt stand cheap wine...

Now, I no longer drink the $100+ bottles, but you would be hard pressed to find me drinking sub $20 bottles.... when I know I should be drinking $3 ones..

[FIRE me]

 

What small things COULD you do that you USUALLY DON'T? 
And is that a good choice?

I only eat Jiff peanut butter.

No Skippy, and no store brands for me.

I think it is a good choice for me. I brown bag my lunch, and I often work much over time. If I'm going to eat PB&J (while sitting with coworkers eating expensive fast food), I want the small luxury of the peanut butter that I like the best.

Needless to say, I do stock up when it is on sale.

[Bracken_Joy]

Wine!

Why? Because years ago I was dumb enough to train as a profesional Sommelier (Here in Peru you actually have to go yo school for that) and I really canīt stand cheap wine...

Now, I no longer drink the $100+ bottles, but you would be hard pressed to find me drinking sub $20 bottles.... when I know I should be drinking $3 ones..

How often do you drink wine, out of curiosity? I feel like it's like "substitute" foods when you're on a diet. It's better just to have the real thing less often than to never truly be satisfied.

[Scandium]

 

What small things COULD you do that you USUALLY DON'T? 
And is that a good choice?

I only eat Jiff peanut butter.

No Skippy, and no store brands for me.

I think it is a good choice for me. I brown bag my lunch, and I often work much over time. If I'm going to eat PB&J (while sitting with coworkers eating expensive fast food), I want the small luxury of the peanut butter that I like the best.

Needless to say, I do stock up when it is on sale.

I also splurge a little on PB. Go for the shortest ingredients list usually. At least it's not the organic, hand crafted, fair-trade almond butter at $14 per 8oz jar..

[mustachepungoeshere]

You are really missing out if you don't line dry. Clothes pegs come in a lot of colours. I have had discussions with people who colour match their pegs - blue for boys, pink and red for girls; or each line gets a different colour; or each type of clothing gets something different - red for t-shirts, blue for trousers; I even know someone who would only use white clothes pegs, so she gave away the other colours from each packet.

Each garment must have matching pegs (e.g. if a t-shirt takes two pegs, they must both be white or both be blue.) I have been known to swap pegs in order to achieve this.

My mum also passed on her peg snobbery. Most people couldn't name a brand of pegs. Mum not only knows her brand (Reva) but evangelised them to me. When my husband and I got married, someone gave us a laundry starter kit including a packet of pegs. The wrong pegs. Mum immediately gave me two packets of her preferred brand, so the others stayed in the peg basket, ignored, unloved, for five years until I passed them along to a friend in a decluttering binge earlier this year.

I assure you we're not actually crazy, it's just ... pegs.

Most people line-dry in Australia. We take pride in having invented the Hills Hoist (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hills_Hoist). Few people I know actually own a dryer, everyone just has a wet weather alternative, e.g. a clothes line in the garage, airer in the house, etc. I live in an apartment and looking out our balcony (at the back of our building), you can see all the apartment buildings with their airers set up. It's just part of the culture here.

To contribute to the discussion: I don't re-use ziplock bag if it's involves washing them (e.g. if I take dry nuts in it today, I will re-use it to take dry nuts tomorrow but not wash). I could get our grocery budget down. I'm not giving up booze. I buy it on special, and I've cut it out this week for health reasons, but it's cheaper drinking at home than going out and I enjoy it.

[Cycling Stache]

 
What small things COULD you do that you USUALLY DON'T? 
And is that a good choice?

I only eat Jiff peanut butter.

Jiff peanut butter is non-Mustachian?  What?!?  I eat two PB&J sandwiches a day, every day, and always with Jiff.  I would be sad if that was a no.  I also am renewing my Costco membership in large part just to get the strawberry preserve organic jelly they have.  I have not found a good, inexpensive substitute.

So plus 1 for Jiff, although I'm skeptical that it counts for this post!

[mustachepungoeshere]

I line dry everything and I thought that was just what everyone does when it isn't raining? Sure things are a little crunchy when you first put them on but they soften up in no time.

I only just discovered this thread so I'm busy commenting on everything.

Does nobody iron? We line-dry everything, then iron almost everything (jeans, t-shirts, business shirts, jumpers, my corporate dresses, etc) so any slight stiffness is taken care of.

I'm no fan of ironing but our offices have dress codes.

[Bracken_Joy]

I line dry everything and I thought that was just what everyone does when it isn't raining? Sure things are a little crunchy when you first put them on but they soften up in no time.

I only just discovered this thread so I'm busy commenting on everything.

Does nobody iron? We line-dry everything, then iron almost everything (jeans, t-shirts, business shirts, jumpers, my corporate dresses, etc) so any slight stiffness is taken care of.

I'm no fan of ironing but our offices have dress codes.

America: land of wrinkle-free fabrics.

[Rural]

I line dry everything and I thought that was just what everyone does when it isn't raining? Sure things are a little crunchy when you first put them on but they soften up in no time.

I only just discovered this thread so I'm busy commenting on everything.

Does nobody iron? We line-dry everything, then iron almost everything (jeans, t-shirts, business shirts, jumpers, my corporate dresses, etc) so any slight stiffness is taken care of.

I'm no fan of ironing but our offices have dress codes.

No ironing here. Life is too short. I can iron, well, with a flatiron heated on the edge of a fire or a woodstove. I can use an electric steam iron, too. Having done both, I figure I've done my time, and as God is my witness, I'll never iron again...

Editing to add: except for ironing seam allowances, etc, while sewing. Not the same thing; that's making, not ironing.

[igm]

Interesting what's worth it for some, and not for others.

I am in talks with my DW about reusing or making birthday or Christmas cards. She enjoys buying fun cards for people. I'm losing these negotiations.

Apparently, someone's Dad and Uncle have sent the same birthday card back and forth since 1973. My cousin wasn't thrilled when my Mom sent her a reused Christmas card. Especially since my cousin had sent it to my Mom the previous year. My cousin should have just sent it back again.

[Lis]

I'm happy to see all the posts about jacking up the heat, because it makes me feel better when I crank up the AC. Born and raised to hate heat - the AC was always low and the house was always cold, But in the winter, we mostly left it at 58-60 during the day and 55 at night. I've run the AC a few times so far this summer and while I feel some regret, it doesn't last long as I unmelt from my couch. I moved to a top floor apartment in June, so I'm interested to see what heating I'll need this winter. I have a feeling it'll be windows open as the flurries fall in :( Unfortunately, I pay for the AC (electricity) but not heating... wish it was the opposite.

[Pigeon]

What is this ironing of which you speak?

My life is way too short to iron.  I remember right after I got married, my MIL tried to talk to me about how I should iron dh's shirts in a particular way.  I just burst out laughing and pointed out that he, too, has opposable thumbs and could iron all he wanted to.  But he doesn't. 

I like polyester blends, the plastic doesn't bother me in the least. And hell, no, to the line drying.