Cultivate Simple 52: Budget and Savings
On this weeks episode we discuss coming up with a budget and living by it.
Budgets help keep us in line and help give us a baseline as to where we can spend our money. It’s like having a map of where you’re going. Without a budget, you’re spending blind and you might be spending more on things than you realize. It’s easy to lose track of where our money is going if you’re not keeping track.
GnuCash is free open-source personal finance software that can help you track how much money is coming in and going out. We started out with Microsoft Excel when we set up our first budget.
Books of the Week:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:01 — 70.1MB)
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Cultivate Simple 51: Get a Job
In this episode we discuss jobs, the jobs we had as kids, the jobs we did in college, the jobs we have done in our adult lives.
One of our favorite recipes is Ginger Beef Stir Fry, you can use any vegetables you have on hand and make it seasonal.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:29:07 — 61.9MB)
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Cultivate Simple 50: Simple Holidays
In this episode we discuss ways to make your holiday celebrations simpler and more enjoyable.
Around the Run
Brian got new welder, well a used one. Welding was one of his five picks in our episode about Five Things we wanted to learn to do. If you haven’t listened to that episode, check out Cultivate Simple 31: Five Things
I made this quilt for my dad made of old jeans, old flannel sheets and his boy scout patches. I also made my nephew a super hero cape, see this post to see his super awesome reversible cape.
Books of the Week
Brian’s Picks
Susy’s Picks
What’s the best simple holiday celebration you’ve been a part of? Have you received a meaning, simple gift that you loved?
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:49:31 — 75.9MB)
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Cultivate Simple 49: The Year in Review
It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since we’ve started Cultivate Simple. Tonight we look at our first year in Maine and discuss some of our plans for the future.
If you need some good viewing, check out Sean’s Allotment Garden.
Brian’s Geeky Corner
There are forums to fix just about anything. Brian has been using chevyhhr.net and will be using www.repairclinic.com this coming week to research a fix for our second refrigerator.
Books of the Week
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:37:31 — 67.7MB)
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Cultivate Simple 48: Building Community
On this weeks episode we celebrate one year of podcasting by talking about building community.
Retail Me Not – great place to find coupons for things, particularly large companies.
My favorite accounting software is AccountEdge (formerly Mind Your Own Business). I’ve been using it for years for our personal and business needs.
Jeannette asked about which loaf pans I used, you can guess that they’re cast iron. They’re made by Lodge so they’re made in the USA. I love them for yeast or quick breads. I even bake chocolate cakes in them.
Lodge Cast Iron Loaf Pan
Building Community
- Get involved
- Support a farmers market
- Get to know your neighbors, organize things like community events, neighborhood yard sales, etc
- Whenever you see a garage/yard sale stop and talk to your neighbors
- Get outside, sometimes all it takes is getting outside for people to see you and get to know, walk around your neighborhood
- Attend community events, volunteer to help is possible
- Develop patterns. Always patronize the same post office, businesses, etc. Take a few extra minutes to get to know those people at those locations, use your local library
- If you like sports attend local sporting events
- Read a lot and educate yourself on a variety of different topics so you have conversation starters and fodder for when you meet people
- Volunteer locally if you can
- Find a local church if you’re religious, if you’re involved in the local church try to encourage them to have events that benefit the local community
- Join local clubs, visit your local library
- Start clubs or events if there aren’t any, book club, coffee klatch, etc.
Books of the Week
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:41:39 — 70.5MB)
