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May is Older Americans Month and the theme for this year is "You're Never Too Old To Play.
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
Do you know a Senior who always seems to be on top of things? Someone who appears content with life and ready for a new adventure?
Or maybe you know a Senior who seems bored, sad, irritable, or difficult to get to know?
What do you think makes the difference?
Play can make a real difference in life.
I suppose we have to define what play is. In my opinion it is an activity that challenges us, that makes us look forward to an activity, that usually involves other people.It is something that we really enjoy.
People of all ages and abilities can participate in play.
Look around you. Watch for Seniors participating in activities they enjoy.
About a year ago I was visiting Arcadia, California. The sky was blue, the sun was out, the grass was green. I noticed a group of people performing t'ai chi in a lovely park. They appeared to be Seniors. They had concentration with a smile on their faces. They seemed pleased with their ability to perform the exercise.
What does this have to do with Thrift?
Let me introduce you to the concept that "a happy Senior is a healthy Senior." Think about it. A person pleased with self will not spend money indiscriminately. That person will want to engage in something that they enjoy rather than something that blocks out pain.
How many people do you see, with a scowl on their face, when they are succeeding in play.
Play can be had for little money.
A lot of play activities are inexpensive. "Kick the can" comes to mind. Those Seniors participating in play may already have the equipment needed for a game. All they need is one or more people to participate.
Are you a Senior? Do you have a friend or relative who is considering retirement or has already retired? Check out this web site: Retire and Renew:
www.retireandrenew.com
For more posts on the topic of play for Seniors, try the post below. Or, if you want to play "find another post on play" just google the words and see what comes up. I guarantee there a some great posts out there.
http://retireandrenew.com/?page_id=40
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
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Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
I was speaking with two women recently and the topic of JC Penney came up.
The new "Penney's" merchandise ads currently being sent with the newspaper are so unusual and unique, that I can't seem to understand what is on sale. They don't resemble ads from any other department store I have seen.
One of the women had been to a small business conference recently where
JCP had been discussed.
It seems that this department store has studied Generation Y. It is now trying to attract people from this age group and encourage them to explore the JCP ads and the JCP stores.
My natural inclination is to say "wow, this is wrong. I don't know how much anything costs! Why don't these people write down the prices?" But, maybe I am being critical because I am viewing this from a different point in time. I like what I am use to seeing, and deciding, and doing.
How Time Changes our Perspective and our Lives
We tend to think that our lives were the best time to live. We are familiar with ways of doing things and buying things. Many of us aren't comfortable with new change in modern life and we don't want to accept it.
I have news. Life goes on whether we want it or not.
When I was a child, I used to discuss change with my grandfather. He grew up on a small farm in Norway. When he was a child, his family had no radio, television, electric refrigerator, or telephone. For transportation there were no airplanes and the family usually travelled by boat or horse drawn carriage.
People communicated by pen and paper.
I couldn't understand how he could possibly live in a world like that.
Problems and expectations of adults and children were very different from today.
Generation Y is a new way of living and it is vastly different. Here are some thoughts on the interests and behavior of the "Y" set. Those who know them claim that:
- they don’t watch TV
- they don’t read that much
- they don't watch MTV anymore
- they may replace "baby boomers" as the largest percentage of the workforce
Parents of this country have raised their Gen Y children to believe that they can do anything and be anything. They made their lives easy enough that they now believe they deserve to live first and work second.
Why Gen Y people are special
- They are very optomistic.
- They absolutely believe that miracles are possible.
- They refuse to work a job that does not bring them a sense of joy.
- They care about the earth and servicing their community.
What Is My Point
Why am I discussing Gen Y people on a Thrift centered site? The title of this blog is Thrifty Living Today. I know that many of us have developed ways of thinking, doing, and succeeding at a Thrift centered life but this is today.
Now we have the opportunity to watch younger people as they address frugality in their own personal way. This may be different from the skills we have learned. We will need to watch and see what happens in a future some of us will never see.
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
For more information please see: "Marketing to Gen Y: What you can't afford not to know," by Bea Fields in Start Up Nation. Thank you to Bea Fields for information on Gen Y.
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Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
What is an accident?
Among other things, the Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines an accident as:
- an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance
- lack of intention or necessity
- an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance
In brief, an accident is an event that shouldn't have happened, was probably caused by poor thinking or planning, and can result in an injury, pain, loss.
If we are speaking of physical injury, and I am, an accident frequently requires rest or surgical repair, and inability to work for some time. It will probably lead to a loss of money.
How do accidents happen?
- Poor understanding of how to do something
- Inadequate planning
- Inappropriate or disfunctional equipment
- Lack of understanding of the problem
What can we do to prevent an accident?
Let's do the opposite of the above:
Learn everything you can before you proceed
Plan carefully
Make certain the equipment you are using works and that you know how to use it.
Double check everything before you proceed.
Be careful while actually taking action. Think while doing. Don't distract yourself.
Consider your safety. Don't invite risk.
When is the best time to perform an action?
Consider:
the time of day
the time of year
whether you will be distracted
what your goals are, what are you really trying to do?
the equipment you need
Preventing Accidents
Recently, I have been writing posts for a Senior web site
www.retireandrenew.com
I have been trying to find answers on how to really minimize or totally prevent accidents. In googling a lot of sites, I did find suggestions for preventing accidents. I will share these with you. I am also convinced that you can find additional sites.
I don't care how old we are, we all need to think about preventing accidents. Simple strategies can really help. For example, picking up the clutter on the floor before going to sleep at night, keeping potential flammable items away from children, making certain pools of water are not reachable by children.
Here is the collection of posts I have found so far:
http://www.homecare.com/senior-safety-and-security-outside-house
http://www.farmers.com/home_safety.html
http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/senior_citizen_safety_accidents_in_the_home
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/wound-care-10/preventing-common-home-injuries
http://www.rospa.com/homesafety/adviceandinformation/general/preventing-accidents.aspx
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
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To tell you the truth, I don't know very much about Financial Literacy. I spent a career working as a nurse and this is not a topic I studied.
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
I did what I always do, I turned to Google and asked the question. I quickly typed in: "What is Financial Literacy." That is when the results started popping up. I want to share these with you so I have placed them at the end of this post.
A few weeks ago, John Ewoldt, a writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote a piece on a number of topics dealing with money and Thrift. Included was an opportunity to attend a presentation on Financial Literacy for children. This will be held in downtown Minneapolis. About 5 minutes after reading the piece I was online, signing up to attend.
I am really looking forward to learning more about how we can, and how we are helping children understand money management in our proud State of Minnesota.
Why do I want to do this? It is because I am convinced that children need to be taught how to live with and manage money. People need to ask themselves, "how can we expect children, teens, and young adults, to manage money well if they have never been taught? How can they learn the discipline it takes if they have never been shown by parents and educators?
I would love to hear your comments on this topic. I think Financial Literacy is mandatory for the future financial health of all of us.
Now, take a look at the blogs below.
General all purpose explanation of Financial Literacy.
http://www.pbs.org/wned/more/what_is_financial_literacy.php
A global view of What is going on in Financial Literacy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_literacy
One application: How Libraries are helping people better understand Finances.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/04/21/money-smart-week-library-financial-literacy-education/
If you want a real dissertation on the topic of Financial Literacy, you can go to this post. Caution, it is a very long read. However, Dollar Stretcher is a widely read web site. Maybe one of you readers want a lot of information.
http://www.cashbuffalo.org/sitepages/downloads/research/NFI_Financial_Literacy.pdf
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
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My mother came from a family of nine. Her Norwegian parents wanted their children to take a vacation in the summer. For awhile, they spent time with relatives who had also immigrated to the States. But it gradually dawned on them that their relatives were getting tired. Apparently, seeing the large contingent of people driving up to their house was not what they wanted.
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
My grandparents finally decided that camping might be the answer. They had to study the what, where, when, and how of camping. Friends and family were very happy to help. They offerred suggestions on destinations, supplies, utensils, and anything that might he work. (I suspect they really wanted it to succeed.}
Over the next 20 years or so (maybe longer) my mother's family always camped at a Northern Minnesota lake. They learned to fish, how to cook in the outdoors, how to build a good campfire and, most importantly, how to have a great time being together.
As a child, my family did camp. It was a very thrifty practice. My parents did save money sleeping in the great outdoors. I remember the canvas tents and army surplus cots my parents used. My brother and I usually slept on blankets on the the cloth floor. My father also bought a used Spartan aluminium trailer. He towed it to a variety of locations. Our favorite, by far, was a State beach park in Carpenteria, California. When I close my eyes I can still hear the sound of ocean waves hitting against the sand.
Following our marriage, my husband and I tried camping but we didn't seem to have as much fun. He had little interest in sleeping in a tent. So we confined our travel to driving cross country and sleeping in the cleanest, but lowest priced, motels we could find. Then we travelled on to the Midwest.
The wonders of camping, while a child, are memorable. There must be people out there that find it a very special.
One of my goals for the summer will be to reinvestigate and learn all the where, when, how, and why people do it.
Maybe their are groups of knowledgeable people who can help. Maybe I'll ask the Boy Scouts.
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
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Are You Really Considering Travel with a Grandparent? Why?
It was the middle of the night. I had awakened to the sound of my mother and grandfather. They were sitting on the front seat of the Buick, looking at a map by the light of a flashlight, and speaking about where we might be.
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
After a long discussion the driver and passenger decided that we were on the wrong road. Instead of heading northeast towards Las Vegas, we were now on a more southern highway heading for Needles California on the California/Arizona border.
Thus began one of my childhood memories, the only time my brother and I traveled from California to Minnesota with a grandparent.
Years later, my mother explained that my grandfather, the navigator, had directed her to take off where the highway divided. She hadn't wanted to disagree with him.
I don't remember much of the rest of the trip. We were so used to traveling the route that everything looked familiar. Eventually we arrived in Minnesota where we spent the summer visiting with relatives and playing with our cousins.
Have you ever considered traveling with a grandparent?
Every family has different wants and needs.
In our situation, my father was unable to come with us . He was mired in business and couldn't leave. My grandfather had volunteered to accompany, us.
Although we were used to spending time with one of two sets of grandparents when we arrived in the St. Paul/ Minneapolis Minnesota area, This was a definite departure.
My brother and I had some questions:
- Where would we sleep?
- Where would we eat?
- Would the trip last a lot longer?
- How would we spend our time?
Eventually all of our questions were answered, we developed a routine and worked things out as the miles rolled by. We arrived at our destination calm, cool, and satisfied with the trip.
How about you?
Would you consider taking a grandparent on Family trip?
Do you think there are advantages?
Would the presence of a Senior enhance your experience or would it lead to family tension?
The decision
Everyone has a different situation. Multiple ages of passengers has been known to work out well. Parents and children can learn more about the life the grandparent has led. Memories can build that will not be forgotten.
In other situations there may be stumbling blocks that will impact the trip and it may be better for parents to only take their children.
I leave it up to you.
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
Are you a Senior? Do you have a friend or relative who is considering retirement or has already retired? Check out this web site: Retire and Renew:
www.retireandrenew.com
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To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent - that is to triumph over old age.
Thomas Bailey Aldrich Brainy Quote
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
Have you ever considered all that Senior Citizens do for you and your family? You may not realize it but your friends and relatives may help you with services that would otherwise cost you money or prevent you from saving for the future.
Here are two examples of activities which might be helped by a willing Senior relative or friend.
Child care quickly comes to mind. You may be looking for someone to care for an infant, or small child while you are working, shopping, spending time with an adult, or just needing a break. Who can you call upon for help? Try a Senior. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a relative who will take on the task. An older friend may be available and appropriate.
You may want to start a new activity such as fishing. You have seen a Senior neighbor carry his poles and other equipment to the car. Chances are this person, when approached, will help you to find where to get a fishing license, poles and other equipment. Not only that, he may be able to show you a few good fishing sites.
In their journey through life, Seniors have come across a lot of experiences. They have talents and sometimes these can be shared with younger people who need assistance but don't know where to find it. They can guide us and help us find solutions. Just ask them. See what they say. Build a friendship or get better acquainted with your relatives.
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
Are you a Senior? Do you have a friend or relative who is considering retirement or has already retired? Check out this web site: Retire and Renew:
www.retireandrenew.com
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Senior citizens deserve respect and the opportunity to make, or participate in making, their own financial decisions.
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
When I was a child, we were taught to treat Senior Citizens with respect. This was especially important when it came to older members of our family, including our grandparents who had immigrated to the States as adults.
When visiting them we tried to remain quiet and to listen to the adult conversation which surrounded us.
My Parents, Aunts, and Uncles took a strong interest in the Senior members of the family. They allowed them attention and time to present their views. One of their major concerns was the financial status of the family.
My grandparents had worked long and hard to provide food, shelter, and the necessities of life for their children. What money they had was their own. Their children did not attempt to change their ideas, goals, decisions, and plans.
I have recently realized that Seniors of today are not always being treated with respect. I think this is sad. Those of advanced age made a decision to support us while we were young, and to work hard to create a world of promise and opportunity for their children.
As I often do, I started collecting online posts concerning lack of response in others with suggestions for encouraging others to acknowledge the work of our current seniors.
Please read these posts as you can. Then make a comment on what you have learned and what you thought of the posts.
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
Are you a Senior? Do you have a friend or relative who is considering retirement or has already retired? Check out this web site: Retire and Renew: www.retireandrenew.com
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I was bent over the washing machine staring at the grease on one of my favorite cotton long sleeved shirts. Small black spots of grease made an unusual pattern over the green cloth. "Ugh" I muttered "not again." Why oh why didn't I cover up the shirt when I had a chance. Now I would have to treat the cloth before washing it. There was a chance I could not salvage the shirt.
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
In the olden days, women wore aprons which covered the front of their outfits and protected them from getting spotted. Then in about 1963, when Betty Friedan had written The Feminine Mystique and the feminist movement started rolling along, women took a look at their aprons and decided to abandon them. They wanted to be seen as people with skills and abilities which could be used outside the confines of the kitchen and laundry. Products designed to obliterate spots became very popular.
What does this have to do with Thrift?
If you can maintain your clothing and shoes in reasonably good condition, you can save quite a bit of money.
You can:
- protect your clothes and shoes
- buy washable garments if possible
- read labels and follow instructions for washing and drying
- use an effective laundry detergent
- wash items with similar material and colors
- presoak any cloth that might shed strong color (if the color leaks, wash it alone)
- consider not placing delicate material in the dryer
If you follow these suggestions, your clothes have a longer life and a chance at a better life.
What about the shoes?
What about selecting the shoe with the weather and activities in mind? Tennis shoes for tennis, running shoes for running. Spiked heels for....whatever seems appropriate.
Don't forget about men.
Have you ever disposed of clothes and shoes because:
- they are missing a button
- a seam has split
- a shoe heel has been ground down
- something has been spilled on the material
Please note, in cases involving the above, you will consider the cost of repair versus the cost of replacement. By thinking it through, you will come up with the right answer.
Further ideas:
There are posts on the Internet which suggest ideas for keeping clothing in good repair. I would like to share a few web addresses with you. All of these present different strategies. I hope that you find them helpful. Here they are:
How to maintain your wardrobe.
http://www.wikihow.com/Maintain-Your-Wardrobe
How to maintain clothes
http://noguiltfashion.com/2011/10/10/guest-posthow-to-maintain-clothing/
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
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Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;
Sir Henry Bishop (Wikipedia)
Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.
My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.
Graduation from colleges and universities will soon be here. It occurs to me that a number of young people will be looking for a place to work and live as they start their careers. They will have to find a place they can afford as well as furniture and equipment needed to make it livable.
Where will they find the furnishings they need?
If they have been saving for awhile, they may be able to furnish an apartment with the furniture, linens, dishes, glassware, silverware, cookware and equipment they will need by purchasing this at local stores. This will, of course, place a large dent in what savings they have. I don't recommend it.
My idea is that, once the apartment or other residence is confirmed, they take a look around for second hand items they can use. I like the thought of buying at:
- rummage sales
- tag, yard, garage, or estate sales
- thrift stores
These are great opportunities. Attending a second hand sale is like a treasure hunt. Those at the event never know what they will find.
Shopping requires some preliminary work. There must be a list of what will be needed in the new place of residence. Another help is to include the dimensions of the kitchen and bedrooms, the size of the beds, windows, floor, and tables.
A tape measure, old blankets for packing, bungee cords, and a vehicle which can be used to transport furniture are great additions.
Those planning to shop need to determine where sales will be held. This information may be found in local newspapers, on signs, or special online web sites.
O. K., so what about those people who are not about to travel the second hand route. What options do they have? Well, they can get to know their friends and relatives better and in the course of conversation they can mention that they are open to taking any unwanted items off there hands. Sometimes this can work.
Attitude helps
Let's face it. Nothing in life, or very little, is perfect. Few first apartments, or other places of residence, will be noteworthy. What they will do is provide the young person with a learning experience. Some things gathered will be kept for a while. Others will be traded, sold, or discarded very early in the life of the buyer.
I wish you good luck, good fortune, and the development of a new skill, buying second hand supplies. The experience will result in a memory. One you won't forget.
Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.
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