Mix It Up!

Mix It Up: Line Dry Your Clothes

 

Right now, many people are doing everything they can to save money.  Abjuring eating out, maintaining an older car instead of buying a new one, and traveling less are all obvious choices to make.  However, an easily overlooked option is line drying your clothes.

I have to admit, I was not convinced when I was re-introduced to the idea as an adult.  (As a child I have strong memories of my mom putting clothes up on the lines in the backyard with traditional wooden clothespins.)  My immediate thought as an adult, however, was "Why would I do that when I could put them in the dryer?!"

Why indeed?  It turns out that line drying your clothes can save almost $60 a year in electricity from your dryer.  More tangible a benefit, however, is the fact that your clothes last WAY longer.  I'm sure you could find studies on the exact wear ratio, but I will speak from my own experience.  I have a quartet of tank tops from American Apparel that I bought over two and a half years ago when I started line drying my clothes that still fit me perfectly, are almost completely unfaded,  and are in all other respects perfect condition still.  I used to have to buy new tops every six months or so, but these probably won't need replacement for another year at least.  And at $16 per shirt; that really adds up!

Line drying doesn't have to be a huge effort.  I have a simple rack that sits in my room that I drape wet clothes over.  It takes perhaps five minutes, and my clothes tend to be dry by the next morning.  (I do usually put underwear and jeans in the dryer in the winter, though…)  You can even put your things over an unused chair or two.  Although the effort is small, the savings can be nontrivial!  So next time you do your laundry, try mixing it up and line drying your clothes.  You can save money and natural resources at the same time!

(Photo by noaha from flickr.com's Creative Commons photostream.)

Mix It Up: Track Your Spending

 

One of the core reasons to mix it up is to take control of your life.  It is an incredibly powerful and empowering statement about yourself when you choose to break out of the everyday and into a world of new experiences.  Saying "I can't change," or "this is just the way it is" limits your authority not just over that particular thing but also over all the rest of your habits, experiences, and even dreams.

As someone who still struggles with a tendency toward limiting my own authority, I have found that the best way to get it back is to make it easy.  Sounds obvious, doesn't it?  Yet, many people who wish to change their lives start with the hardest thing first: "I'm going to lose 200 pounds," "I'm going to pay off $30,000 in debt," "I'm going to cook at home every night instead of going out."  While it may seem inspiring to have a lofty goal (and for some people, it is), in fact we tend to give up our power when we put the end state so far above us.  

A much better way to approach our goals is to break them up into the smallest chunks possible.  Let's look at reducing debt/saving money, a topic that is on the forefront of many of our minds right now.  There are a number of fascinating websites on this topic (Get Rich Slowly is one of my favorites), but you don't have to know the first thing about investments to start this process.  Start from square one, which is knowing where your money goes!

How much does it limit your power to not even know what you're spending money on each month?  When you look at your bank account and think "I should have more than this," it doesn't feel very empowering.  So start with tracking every penny you spend.  Buy a small notebook (I like Moleskines for their small size and rugged nature) and a pen to keep in your pocket or purse.  If you have a smartphone, you can easily find an application to do the same thing.  (I use HomeBudget for my iPhone and I LOVE it.)  Now, for one month, just write down/input every expenditure that goes out.  Every lunch out, every "just a gallon of milk" from the grocery store, every bill; everything.

That's it!  Taking back the power in your life is as easy as this.  Once you have a clear idea of where you stand, then and only then can you move forward.  It's a simple way to exert authority over your budget, and more importantly to empower yourself.   So mix it up and try tracking your spending for a month! 

(As usual, I am in no way affiliated with any of the sites or products I recommend!  Photo by Daniel*1977 from the Flickr Creative Commons photostream.)