TanksHill said:
I think the whole SS thing is more in a woman's nature. We cook, clean and do the wash. We see the waste and the cost of the things being wasted. If I lived somewhere and my husband was a farmer / hunter he would probably have more SS on the mind. But for now he goes to an office 5 days a week. My husband knows our budget and knows how I handle it, but he wants nothing to do with it.
It's not always the woman who takes the lead. I was always the one who wanted to have a "core" of SS to our life. Get the basics together...
the basics!
Meaning? Learning and acquiring skills, learning about the particulars of soil nourishment (for better crops), figuring out how to save energy in the house, becoming knowledgable about the nuts & bolts of recycling. At the same time, my wife has always been pretty frugal - she looks for bargains in the bulk food dept and for the groceries that out climate or homestead do not supply us.
My wife likes nice clothing a bit more than I do, but both of us wear old clothes for work around the place. She's an artist and I've always encouraged her to spend money for the tools and equipment and supplies needed for her sculpture work. She's a good businesswoman, so she works very hard and effectively on the business side of art: selling the work, making connections with galleries, and so on.
For my part, although I do like having "the right tool for the job" around the place, I've always made sure I could justify the investment in a new tool. The option has usually been there to borrow more expensive tools, or borrow them from neighbors. Live within your means.
Both of us like second-hand stores, thift stores, garage sales and flea markets - but to give her credit, my wife goes to the thrift stores and garage sales a little more faithfully than I do. Because a lot of them have more clothing than anything else, and I'm not enthused about clothes.
I'm more likely to forego pleasure trips to town - and movies, plays, and such entertainments that you have to pay for in town.
Truthfully, neither one of us like debt. Naturally, our budgeting has grown from that.
A lot of my values and things that I've researched have eventually made sense and been incorporated by my wife. She recycles faithfully now, understands energy saving in the house. I guess ya have to give the women some credit.
Everywhere I look there are used paper towels whe she is here cooking. WE are almost out of paper napkins & I have a small supply of cloth ones in the drawer, but I will be making some more here pretty soon as we are switching over.
