Comparison of Lifestyle

Just thought I would summarize a lot of research I've done for this blog (some entries haven't been made yet, they are in draft). You pick which lifestyle you have, and maybe you can get some advice from the ramblings of my mind...and the research I've turned up.

I've decided that there are 3 basic types of lifestyles out there and I'm going to share MY perspectives about them. Again, these are MY perspectives, so don't waste time telling me that I'm wrong just because YOUR perspective may be a little different from mine. Know also, that I am a bit of each of these, depending on my mood that particular day, the experience I am having, and what amount of time I have to expend.

• Efficient - defined on Dictionary.com as "performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort." My perspective: very busy people (work, school, family, hobbies, etc), that strive to be efficient in experiencing life by simply purchasing objects or hiring others to do the personal projects because they don't have a lot of time or experience.
• DIY - My perspective is that they too are busy people, but strive to experience life by using some of their time & skills as a hobby to save money to create what they want, and will solicit friends to assist if needed on a personal project.
• Hippie - My perspective is that they stay busy by floating through life by finding ways to recycle things they use, collect, and obtain; which is inspired by the things that sift through their minds, how they can use them, give life to something, is a "green way" to live, and yet also reduces the costs of their out-of-pocket costs.

So, what am I "really" getting at in this entry. I had to explain some things, so you can understand the table below, where I share a topic and then compare how each of the 3 will deal with it, IMHO. If the entry is a link, it is to an entry on my blog about it. Yeah, I've lived through this...

Topic	Efficient	DIY	Hippie
Colored flames in the fireplace	Duraflame Colorlog	DIY Colored Pinecones	Newspaper Logs & Colored Pinecones
Reduce costs due to cooking	Eat out more!!!	Use a Toaster Oven & Crock Pot vs. a Full Oven	Hobo Pies in the backyard, Newspaper Logs & Collected Firewood
Driving	Limo!!!	Carpool & work local	Walk, ride bike, or work at home
Stay warm in winter	Fire up the furnace!!!	Set thermostat to the recommended settings & layer up a little	Set thermostat to the recommended settings, layer up a little, find a Snuggle Buddy
Stay cool in summer	Warp drive on the A/C all the time!!!	Set thermostat to the recommended settings	Set thermostat to the recommended settings but what are these "pajamas" you are saying are needed?
Media Entertainment	Opera	Movie theater once in a while, Netflix, video store	DVD from the library, read a book, swap movies with friends, look at the stars...
Saving water in the toilet	I use the newest toilet at 1.6 gpf	Install a Dual Flush Kit or use an 1/2 gallon milk carton	"If it's yellow, let it mellow... If it's brown, flush it down..."
Furniture	Arhaus, they deliver & set it up	IKEA, I'll put it together myself	Dumpster Diving!!!
Popcorn	Commercial brand & at the theater	Air popper	Kernels in a brown bag, and I can recycle the bag after.

WiFi Redo

Before

I was catching up on my RSS feeds and came across this entry (Hidden Wireless Repeater) and it got my mind going...

While it was more than I "need" since I don't use a repeater, I do have a wireless connection to the iNet, but it was "bothering" me about how I had it situated on my end table. SO, I decided to give my living room an update by combining a working radio and my wireless connection point into one. Economy of scale, so to speak.

After

I took the screws out from the back of the radio (that I got from the dumpster), and because of all of the spare room, was able to place the wireless router into the body of the radio. Because it had a wood body, the signal was not diminished at all for my MacBook or my HP Tablet (thank you JJ McHugh for that). I cut a bit of the back of the radio so the power cable and the network cable would fit for the router, but it has helped me consolidate some things together, and make my living room more "visitor friendly."

Dumpster Diving

Living in an apartment complex right across from the mailboxes and the dumpster has been "interesting," informative, and good for my wallet. I didn't have a lot of furniture when I moved in, but by watching the dumpster towards the end of each month has helped me save a ton of money. Why the end of the month? Because that is typically when people are moving out and decide to get rid of all the things they don't want to take with them.

Because of my diligence, I've been able to rescue a working old-fashioned wooden radio, a kitchen table (pub style), an old-fashioned wooden rocking chair, a couple of lamps, a computer desk, an office chair, a 2 drawer file cabinet, a shelving system for the garage, an end table, a mirror for my dresser, a shelving system for the bathroom (that straddles the toilet & holds my towels), an antique steel cooler, various hand tools, a wall mirror for near the front door, a coffee table, and a CD bookcase. EVERYTHING I rescued is in mint condition, people just didn't want to pack them up and take with them when they moved out. Lucky me!!!

Don't get me wrong, there are a LOT of things that are disposed of that aren't worth rescuing or saving, but I've been lucky enough to find enough things to comfortably furnish my apartment without spending a lot of money. How is it that I've seen all of the things I've acquired? I have a dog that needs to go out several times per day, so I have a lot of opportunity to keep my eye on what people drop off.

I mention the CD bookcase because it is my suggestion to anyone that lives in an apartment and doesn't have a lot of room. If you are lucky enough to find or get one that has adjustable shelves, consider using it as a BOOK case (look at the image to the right). I had been thinking about getting an actual bookcase when I spotted this near the dumpster and thought "I might be able to make it work by adjusting the shelves," and I did. It holds a good selection of books and doesn't take up that much room. And the best part? Didn't cost me a dime.

A close friend of mine (thank you Elektra Q-Tion) suggested that I mention that I don't recommend that you rescue soft items (like blankets, sheets, towels, clothing, etc.). You NEVER know what they might contain and it isn't easy to "cleanse" them completely.

I've also been able to re-purpose a lot of moving pallets as firewood for my fire bowl on the back patio. So overall, just by keeping your eyes and mind open, you can acquire most things in life that you want...