Gardening - Raised Beds and Containers

Don't want to rent a roto tiller? Worse yet, don't want to sweat with a hoe and shovel? Don't blame you. There is another way.

Raised beds are great and simple. They are just what they sound like. Build a box without a bottom. Wood is the usual choice, although I suppose you could use PVC slats like the ones sometimes used in fencing. The size is up to you. Personally, I would rather have several small ones than one or two big ones. If using wood, use pressure treated or be ready to waterproof it with some kind of polyurethane. I would not nail the pieces. When you add soil and then water, there will be a lot of weight pushing on the sides and if your box collapses, you will have a mess. Instead, use fairly long wood screws and add a lock washer. A couple of feet is high enough for the sides. As you can see, this is not precise carpentry. However, these beds are visible in your yard so you do want them to look presentable.

When your beds are built, just add dirt. For this, I would have some top soil delivered. A yard of topsoil is not very expensive and you will stretch it when you  add your compost. A yard is a cubic yard, 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet or 27 cubic feet. To give you an idea of how much you need, if your bed is 4 feet by 4 feet by 2 feet, that is 32 cubic feet. So, since you are adding compost and you don't fill the bed right up to the top, a yard of top soil is good for that bed. Have it delivered, get a wheelbarrow and fill the bed. If you don't feel up to that, hire someone. Landscapers will do the job, but I imagine you could ask the neighbors and see if they have any able bodied kids who would like to earn a few dollars for a little work. When they are filled, you are good to go.

Apartment dwellers and those with little open yard space need not despair. You can grow a variety of edibles in containers. Flower pots of varying size and style are attractive and work nicely. Window boxes work great for many herbs and some small vegetables. Window boxes can be purchased pre-made and then you follow directions for securing them. Or, if handy, you can make your own.

I love raised beds and container gardening. They are neat, attractive ways to grow edibles and, once established, they are easy to maintain.

Gardening - Watering

Water is now a worldwide problem. There is a definite lack of drinkable water and it is getting worse rapidly. Homeowners are paying more and more for water.  However, this should not deter the wise gardener.

It would be ideal if you have a well and can pump water from the ground for your plants. If you can afford this and don't live in a subdivision that monitors your every move, do it. If you must depend on your municipal water system, don't despair. When you select the type of plants you want, look for the type that are native to your area. This is called xeriscaping and you can apply this to food plants as well as ornamentals. Whatever you plant, be aware that plants have different water preferences; some like to be very wet, some like little water. Group plants by their preference.

There are many ways to get water to your plants. If you already have a sprinkler system for your yard, great. Use it. But, you may have to adjust the heads a bit to get proper coverage. Just be careful when you put in the garden, especially if you use a roto tiller, or you will be spending a lot of time repairing pipes.

I spent many years working on sprinkler systems and I don't like them. If I didn't already have one, I would not spend the money to put one in. There are cheaper ways that take a lot less maintenance. The cheapest and simplest - get a hose and an old fashioned rotating sprinkler head, hook it up, stick it in the ground, and turn on the water. It works just fine.

The best system is drip irrigation, using microtubes. This is an easy system to install and it will save you a lot of water. Also, it delivers water only to the roots which is just where you want it. The problem is that, well, there is always a problem. Something is always breaking or getting plugged and they just take too much maintenance. Next best are soaker hoses. They also reduce your water usage and they are durable. However, you will likely find yourself having to move them around a lot to insure that everything gets soaked. The old way, using that rotating head hooked to a hose is the cheapest and the easiest.

However you do it, you need to know when enough is enough. That is easy. Of course you adjust according to what the plants need, but most like a good soaking. Then, they would rather you wait until the soil is almost dry before you re-water. To find that out, stick your finger in the ground. If the tip is dry or just slightly damp, water. If it is wet, don't. It is that simple. Do not over water. Overwatering will kill plants far faster than under watering.

Technically, it is best to water in the hours just before sunrise or just after. Well, that is best and if you don't get up that early,  you can put a valve between your water source and the pipes or hose carrying it to your garden then add a timer They are easy to install, just follow the instructions. However, this can lead to overwatering. Say, your system is set to go off and you have a heavy rain that night. You will be wasting water and possibly damaging your garden. Or suppose you water thoroughly and you have several overcast days, leading to less evaporation. You can manually over ride your timer, or shut it off, or wire in a rain gauge, but, now you have added work. Let me tell you a secret. You can water in the daytime, you just have to water a little more to comp for evaporation. Just try not to water right before dark; plants really don't like that. With daylight saving time most folks can get home, water, and the plants have time to dry off before dark, and late spring, summer, and early fall is when most of you will be gardening, so, no problem.

Watering is something you have to play around with until you get a feel for it. Fortunately, most plants are pretty hardy and can abide our mistakes fairly well. Of course, if you are an apartment dweller and are gardening indoors or on your patio, no problem; you just port water around the plants when you see the need.

One final word. From time to time, droughts happen and water restrictions and even rationing are imposed. Don't violate these rules. Officials are telling you the truth; there really is a problem, so follow their orders. If the drought is severe, skip that growing season. Work on improving your soil so you are ready for the next year.

Gardening - Compost - Let It Rot

There is a simple secret to inexpensive, easy gardening that makes the whole thing almost foolproof, compost. Compost is organic, vegetable matter that has been left to, well, rot. Okay, it's not quite that simple but, almost. Working compost into your soil does wonders. It contains a very wide range of nutrients and adds a kind of matter that improves soil drainage. The minerals found in compost will help balance your soils ph. All those benefits for almost no cost because, you can make it yourself.

Of course, you can buy compost in bags or in bulk and it really is not terribly expensive but, why not make it yourself?. If you have a yard, there are several ways. You can build a wooden frame, a box shape using outdoor grade plywood nailed to a 2X4 frame, then add a hinged lid. Actually, you can skip the lid, but your neighbors might not find your compost pile attractive, so add the lid. (actually, I just had a thought -why not get together with those neighbors and create a community compost heap). You can, if so inclined, buy a composter, generally a barrel mounted so it can be rotated, like a chicken on a spit, with a lid of some sort. If you are a talented builder, you can even make one quite easily. You can also take the easier ways of getting some huge trash cans or a bunch of large, heavy duty black plastic bags.

You see, all you are going to do is pile up all your vegetative wastes, lawn clippings, raked leaves, hedge trimmings, vegetable and fruit peels from the kitchen, wood chips from tree trimmings, even shredded newspapers (remember, they were once plants). All materials work best when chopped as finely as possible. For example, a large branch of a tree would take a very long time to compost, so cut it up, or, if you have access, run it through a chipper but, you don't have to reduce it to sawdust - use common sense. Do not, ever, ever, ever add animal products such as meat scraps or pet feces. They often carry unwanted parasites, they will draw ever stray cat or possum or raccoon - whatever you have in your neighborhood, and they will stink. Manure and such is processed differently and if you want to add that to your soil, buy it from a garden center.

Start your pile and keep growing it. Every week or so, dampen it and, using a shovel, or better still, a large garden fork, turn it. Wear a dust mask and goggles because, until it is ready, it may harbor molds or fungus. When turned, cover it again, or leave it open if you want but, smell aside, it will compost faster when covered. Yes, I said smell. It will smell some, for awhile. Obviously you don't want your pile next to your house - put it near the edge of your property. The smell will ease up over time and when finished, there will be very little odor.

When is it done? When it is nearly odor free, is a rich brownish black color, and crumbly when handled. Then, just work it into your garden soil. You can do this with a hoe and it is great exercise, but if that is too much for you or if you have a huge garden, rent a roto-tiller. You will be amazed at how improved your soil is and, you will find that you need much less water and fertilizer. During the growing season, if you have more compost ready, just scatter around your plants. The more compost you add and the longer you keep adding it, the better your soil will be.

If you do not have a yard with enough room. or if you are in an apartment, consider buying compost; the expense will be minimal. You can, if you have a patio, make some, by saving vegetable and fruit peels and plant trimmings in large coffee cans. Just keep them damp and turn them a little. You may get enough for your plants. Just keep the lid on.

Two quick notes. One: when you uncover your pile and get ready to turn it, don't be alarmed if it is very hot and even puts off some smoke. That is just the process proceeding as it should. Two: I almost forgot, if you are a coffee drinker, compost your coffee grounds, they will help with the ph adjustment and they have several fine nutrients.

One last thing: how big should the pile be? Well, the more compost you have, the better but, don't make your pile so big that you work yourself to death turning it. Make several small piles.  Also, by making smaller piles, the process goes faster. Now, happy composting.

Gardening - It Starts with the Soil

It is easy to go through most of your days without giving soil much thought, but it is, in fact, one of the most important and complex substances on Earth. The few feet of soil, the stuff we walk on every day, is essential for life and is, itself, full of life. In that soil, grows all the plants, with a few rare exceptions, that feed us, feed the animals we eat and put oxygen back in the air.

If you dig up a little soil at random and look closely, you will find an amazing array of life, Insects and worms, for sure, but, with the aid of magnification, a fantastic range of bizarre little critters abound. Bacteria and protozoans and many tiny, tiny crustaceans and other tiny beings engage in the same dance of who eats who that we do on a larger scale. My favorite is the delightful water bear. In dry conditions, this little animals retreats into a small, hard spore but, add water, and it expand into something that, when looked at with magnification, does resemble a wee, tiny bear, and it is a voracious feeder. Soil is very much a living substance and deserves more attention than we give it.

But, this blog is called The Practical American, not the Philosopher, so let's get practical. There are 3 basic types of soil. Sand is large grained and very porous. It holds neither water nor nutrients well. Silt is a bit finer. It drains a little slower and still does not hold nutrients well. Clay packs into a hard mass and holds water well, often too well, and while it retains nutrients, roots often do not like being wet and they don't like being packed tightly.

Ideally, your soil will be a balanced blend of the 3 with a 4th substance, humus, bits of organic matter, mixed thoroughly throughout. Well, nothing is ideal, but don't despair. First, decide what you want to grow, and where. Some plants thrive in poor sandy soil; obviously, you plant them together. Others demand rich soil, so, obviously, you plant them together. In other words, don't go rushing to fix your soil until you know what you are doing.

The same holds for your soil's ph, the measure of how acid or alkaline your soil is. Some like acid, some don't. adjust accordingly. (balanced ph is 7. you can test with a kit you can buy at any garden shop or send a sample to a County or State Agricultural Center, they usually will do the test for free)

Generally speaking, your soil should be between ph 5.5 and 7.5 and be a pretty even mix of sand, silt, clay, and humus. To make it more acid, add sulfur, more alkaline, add lime ( the amounts per area will be explained on the package). To mix soil types, you can go to your garden shop and buy bags of each and mix them in, but that is too much work. Or, you can order top soil, either from a nursery or any trucking company that delivers gravel, rock etc. It is sold by the cubic yard. They dump it in your yard, then wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow, you move it and work it into your soil. Again, that is a lot of work. But, if you have a bit of time and patience, there is a cheaper and easier way. Use compost that you make yourself and I will talk about that in my next post.

Gardening - Grow Your Own Fruit, Vegetables, and Berries

This is an introduction to a series I will be doing on Gardening. Not flowers, although I am all for flowers and will discuss them at a later time. No, I want to encourage all of you to grow a little of your own produce. Why?

Well, to save some money. That's first and for most, Done incorrectly, growing produce at home can cost you more than buying it at the store, a lot more. Done correctly, you can save a bunch of money.

Second, quality. The produce you buy at a supermarket is almost always picked green and ripened in shipment. Thus, it has not had a chance to develop its full range of nutrients. It also has not developed its full range of flavor. In addition, much of it is in the form of varieties that are specifically grown to be shipped and/or to be easier to grow on huge forms and is often just not as flavorful or nutritious. If you have a farmer's market near you, great. You can find fine produce there but, often, it is expensive.

Third, pleasure. Growing a garden is not all that hard and it is a real treat to sit down to a meal and enjoy the fruits of your labor. After all, I am not talking about planting 30 acres, just a nice garden. The work is great exercise and, if you have kids, it is a great way to get them outside and away from the computer and cell phone.

Some of the topics I will write about include soil, compost, water, feeding, pest control, varieties to plant container gardening and raised beds. I hope you enjoy the series.

Use Your Head When Repairing Your Car

There are points you reach in any repairs you do when you need to admit you are in over your head, In my lasr post, I stressed that electrical repairs are often beyond the capacity of do-it-yourselfers. I would like to add that the same applies to auto repairs.

I have known many a back yard mechanic who convinced himself that he could fix any car problems, only to make a total mess, one requiring great expense to finally repair, and that was when car repairs were simple. These days, everything involved in the functioning of an automobile is tied to the electric system and diagnosis is made by plugging the car into a computerized analysis system and simply doing what it says to do.

A friend of mine decided that his car was due for a tune up, and being the bright fellow he was, decided that he and his Dad could do it themselves. Maany dollars later, including the cost of a tow truck, a mechanic did the tune up in addition to working out the damage they had done.

I had a car that simply would not start. Turn the key, nothing, not a sound, not a click, nothing. Well, said a friend, it is the battery, which would not take a charge when jumped. No, it was not; a new battery produced no results. Well, said he, it must be, well, any of several things; he named an assortment and proposed that we start replacing them one at a time until something worked. Cheaper than a mechanic, said he. I fortunately used my head and said no. It turned out that a switch that controlled the fuel pump was shot. The mechanic said that it was a rare propblem and when I told my friend he said, huh, never would have thought of that. So, you see my point.

I love fixing things and you can save a lot of money by doing so, but, it is so important to realize when you have hit your limit. Take care of your car. Do all the maintenance you can. If you know how, and have room at your home, I can see doing certain things like oil changes, brake linings, maybe even changing a radiator, but if you start thinking, well, it might be this, or maybe that, just admit that you don't know and go to a professional. Using good sense will save you in the long run
　

Electrical Repairs - When In Doubt, Don't

I would like to offer a bit of advice about electrical repair. Do Not attempt electrical work unless you are sure, absolutely sure, you know what you are doing. I can do simple things like putting in a toggle switch or a light fixture, even a simple motor or lamp ballast. But, I know when I am at my limit. Then, I call a professional. As a rule of thumb, if you see a lot of wires and have no idea what some of them are, stop,  and pick up the phone. Yes, electricians are expensive but not nearly as costly as a trip to the emergency room,

If you see that you can do the job, follow basic common sense. Turn Off the appropriate circuit breaker. Then, use a tester and make sure the power is off. You would be surprised how many times circuit breakers are mis-labeled. Use rubber handled tools and wear rubber soled shoes, just to be extra cautious. Use wire nuts and/or electricians tape on all connections. Make sure that any connections you make are secure. Loose connections get hot and you do not need electrical fires. Make all your connections before you turn the power back on and do not touch anything while you flip that breaker back on. If the device you have wired does not work, immediately, turn the power off again before you try to fix it. Better still, if you don't get it right the first time, shut that breaker off and call an electrician.

Do Not, under any circumstances, work on live circuits. I have know folks who did, as some sort of weird display of manliness and it never ended well. Also, Do Not ever, ever attempt to repair a 220 volt circuit. The wiring is often more complex and you will likely make a mess of it, a potentially dangerous mess. I have been shocked by 110 volts and, trust me, it is really unpleasant. I have seen someone literally knocked across the room by 220 and they had to be rushed to the hospital.

Anything complicated, and by that I mean anything using more than 3 wires, hot, neutral, and ground, should be left to professionals. If your Uncle Fred or Cousin Jimmy tell you , 'Don't worry. This is easy. I can do it,' chase them off because, guess what? Not only are you likely to see a relative injured, you are liable for both their health and any damages to your house. If you are in an apartment, why are you messing with the wiring? They have maintenance. If you are that maintenance person and you don't know what you are doing, please just tell your boss that so they can call a professional. I was head of maintenance at a condo for years and I cannot tell you how much grief is caused by people who will not admit they don't know what they are doing.

If it seems that I am overly concerned about this, believe me, I am not. Electricity is dangerous. Even at sub-lethal doses, it really hurts to get zapped. In addition, if you botch the work, it will cost you a lot more in the long run than the cost of calling an electrician before you messed things up.

Be careful with electricity and Never over estimate your abilities.

Health

One of the most practical things anyone can do is keep themselves as healthy as possible. Illness and injury cost a lot in terms of treatment and time lost from work. Also, as I have learned, problems you have when younger, injuries and sicknesses alike, come back to haunt you as you age.

Of course, you cannot control everything and all of us will, here and there, get sick or injure ourselves, but, you can minimize those incidents without not too much effort. First let me say that I, in no way, think that people should obsess over health. That can be worse, All you have to do is use a bit of sense.

If you are doing any sort of work, follow basic safety rules and read and follow the instructions an every tool you use, especially power tools. This means wearing safety glasses, appropriate gloves and masks. It means not standing on the top steps of ladders and unplugging power tools before you do maintenance on them. It means using chemicals only as directed and measuring carefully. In short, do all of the things I was brought up ignoring. Back in my younger days, it was somehow considered unmanly to take safety precautions. Guys ( not many women did these things back in the old less enlightened day) cut wood with no protection and many, like me breathed in mountains of toxic sawdust and spent much time washing that dust out of our eyes. No one measured chemicals. In fact, if the directions called for 6oz, we generally made that 8, because more must be better, right? Well it isn't as we learned when we sloshed caustic cleaners on ourselves or had acids over react and foam up all over our clothes. We were idiots and it is somehow miraculous that some of us are still around.

Diet is vital to health.  That is obvious but, having worked in a school cafeteria and a semi-fast food restaurant, I can tell you that we still eat foolishly. At school, when we served nachos, we always also offered vegetables. We wasted our time with that but, what is worse, the majority of the kids did not even want the meat with the nachos. Most just ate chips and cheese, or worse, just chips. At the restaurant, 2 side dishes came with most meals and, very, very often, instead of a vegetable, folks, adults, would order fires and mac & cheese or a double order of fries. Folks, you do not have to be a health fanatic. There is no reason to live on egg whites and wheat grass and, actually, there is plenty of reason not to do that, but you really do need to eat a balanced diet, at least most of the time. Use your head and eat a bit of meat or fish, some veggies, some fruit, and a little bit of pasta, rice, bread. You can indulge yourself here and there with no problem as long as you get right back to basics. Also, since none of us are perfect, taking a decent 1-a-day multiple vitamin is likely a good move.

Get your sleep. How much? Well, honestly, that's hard to say. Doctors seem to disagree. I have known folks who needed at least 8 hours a night and others who did great on 4. All I can say is, find out what suits you. Sleep as much as it takes to wake up rested, no more and no less, but make sure you sleep enough for you.

The human body has to move about. Exercise is vital but, you do not need to spend hours in a gym lifting ridiculous amounts of weight, nor do you need to run for miles or waste hours on a treadmill. Walking at a good brisk pace for a half hour a day will do fine. If, for some reason you want to build muscle, carry something when you walk. Stop and think; for millennia, our ancestors walked and carried things and were reasonably lean and muscular. Why should we need special equipment and personal trainers. Also, do some house and yard work. Working around your home or in a garden works muscles you may not use a lot and will certainly give your body a good stretch. By the way, frequent stretching is great; just watch a dog or cat when they get up from a nap and stretch yourself like they do. Exercise is a must, but you absolutely do not need to overdo it.

Be moderate in your personal habits. Having written that, I realize that is pretty vague, so let me be specific. Do not over do with any chemicals you put in your body. Too much of anything, be it coffee, tobacco, alcohol or marijuana, is bad, but there is no reason you have to completely abstain. I would emphatically urge you to abstain from any of the more serious drugs. There is no safe level of amphetamine, cocaine, or heroin use, and, personally, I would recommend that you reconsider that marijuana use (unless for legitimate medical reasons). Weed is not seriously harmful to the body but, contrary to what some say it does mess with the day to day functioning of your mind when used too often, If you just have to smoke the stuff, make it minimal and certainly do not smoke every day. Trust me, I know the subject from much personal experience.

Basically, all the keys to good health simply involve common sense and moderation. Use both and then don't worry. A last note: I have never been much for doctors but, if you are having any persistent problem or any sudden change in your health that you cannot explain, get yourself to a doctor immediately. It is far easier for them to treat your problem before it gets out of hand. Stay healthy

Sales and Bargains Are Not Always Whay They Seem

I used to work in a company pulling orders. Part of the job was pricing the order before it was picked up. To do so, I pulled up a screen that gave the basic price and then listed the price breaks. If you bought 5, you got so much off, 10 got you a bit more off, and so on. Also listed was what the company paid per unit. Even at the highest price break, which was a pretty darn good discount, the company was still making a hefty profit. So, when you see an item heavily discounted, trust me; they are not being that generous. they are still making a good profit.

Often, companies play little tricks. I shop for groceries at 2 different stores. At 1, there are few sales and most of the time, sales only give a little bit off. But, the prices are fairly reasonable. The other I shop at only because they have more variety. I go there only occasionally because their prices are much higher. Now, when they run sales, they seem really good, until you look closely. I have noticed that 2 or 3 weeks before an item goes on sale, its price goes up, sometimes a lot. Then, when they put it on sale, it seems a good deal. they mention savings of $1, $2, sometimes more. But, when you look at the per unit price, it is about the same as the price for a similar item at the cheaper store. Sometimes, that sale price per unit is higher than in the cheaper store. They try to grab you by listing deep discounts that really are just what the price should be to begin with. Be careful of great deals.

Also, beware of buying in bulk. This is especially true with groceries. If you are going to use the product and you have room, fine, but make sure it will be used. Also, do the math. Sometimes the bulk price is only pennies less and remember, you will be taking up storage space in your kitchen. Do not buy spices and seasonings, except salt in large packages. Those huge jars are for restaurants. You at home, if you buy that 1 pound container of oregano or dill, will never even use a small fraction of it before it looses flavor. True, it will not spoil, but it also will add no flavor to your food. Some things are best bought in small quantities.

Often, especially around the Holidays, you find great buys on small appliances. I have known many a person who saw those bargains and ran out to buy things like ice cream makers, juicers, bread machines and pasta makers. Now, these are all good machines and they really did get good prices on them but, every single person I knew who bought them used them once or twice and after that, they sat in a cupboard gathering dust and taking up valuable space. Remember, it is only a bargain if you are going to use it. Anytime you see a great buy, stop, take a deep breath and ask yourself. 'how often am I really going to use this?' If you really are going to use it, great, run buy it. If not, do not. You can use that money for something more useful.

The point is, think. Companies play games with you to try and get your business and things are not always what they seem. 

Tools

Every home needs a good tool set. Even in apartments there are things, personal belongings that you need to repair occasionally. But, there is no reason to spend a lot of money and certainly no reason to buy things you will likely never use. Start with basics, then if you need something, there is always a Home Depot or Lowes or even Walmart somewhere close by.

First, a hammer, just a simple claw hammer. When you shop for one, pick it up, swing it around a bit (carefully of course) and just get the feel of it. Too heavy or too light is no good. You want as much weight as you can comfortably handle.  Same with length. The right one is the one that feels right to you. Again, a simple claw hammer is all you need to start. You may go your entire life without needing a ball peen or sledge hammer or a mallet.

Screwdrivers are necessary and you can buy a set of them at a low cost. Really, you can generally get by with a standard length flat head and a standard length Phillips head but it is useful to also have a short version of each and a long version of each, for difficult to reach or tight spots. Again a set is inexpensive. Do not buy the cheapest, they will not last, but don't go overboard either. Always handle them before you buy them. The grips vary a bit and you want something comfortable to handle. Using tools you have trouble gripping is not only frustrationg, it can be dangerous. It is easy to loose your grip and damage the item you are working on or, worse still, yourself. For starters, don't bother with rubber grips. They cost more and are only needed for electrical work. Do not ever do electrical work unless you are absolutely positive that you know what you are doing.

A couple of hand saws are good, one rip and one cross cut. Also, a good hacksaw will be needed. Power saws are great but, until you can use a hand saw, and then only if you intend on doing a lot of cutting, don't worry about power. When and if you get one, again, make sure you are comfortable with it. Then make sure it is strong, medium power, but you don't need the most powerful one. Look for bargains, most name brands are fine. With your hacksaw or with your power saw, make sure the blades match what you are cutting. The blade you use for wood is not appropriate for PVC  and that is not appropriate for steel.

I really can't see how you can do without a power drill with an assortment of bits and driver heads. You will have to drill holes and the driver heads will save a lot of wear and tear on your hands and wrists. Again, get a medium powerd one, not the strongest and watch for the exact type, you do not want  to mistakenly buy a hammer drill for wood working.

You will need a set of wrenches, double ended (one end closed, one open) Buy a set, they are cheap enough and don't spend extra for metric wrenches. They may come with the set, and that is fine, but you likely will never use them. Also, get a socket set. Buy a good one, they also are cheap enough and make sure the set has driver heads. A good socket set will save time and energy. Why both sockets and wrenches? Good question. The answer: sometimes you just cannot get the socket in the available opening.

Buy 3 pair of channel lock pliers, a small a medium and a fairly large one. They have many uses and you will be glad to have them. Buy good ones, the cheap ones slip and don't last. Also, if you are a home owner, a medium size pipe wrench. You can save a small fortune by doing simple plumbing reapirs yourself. In a later post, I'll go over some plumbing basics.

You must have a measuring tape and a decent ruler. There is no getting around that. Also, a good utility knife. A good one, with extra blades, is inexpensive. While I think of it, a word about cutting tools. Never, never never, attemp to cut anything with a dull blade. It is dangerous becuase you will end up trying to force the blade and that is when blades slip and body parts get cut. This also applies to chisels. You should get a small decent wood chisel because, here and there, you may have to replace or add a hinge. Do not try to use a screwdriver as a chisel. That is not what it is for, it does not have the strength or the blade and you run the risk of hurting yourself. Also, banging on the end of a screwdriver will break the handle.

Also, make sure you keep some good gloves, safety glasses and dust masks around. Tools and home repairs are safe, if you respect them. If not, you will breathe in toxic dust, get chips in your eyes, splinters in your hand and/ or cuts in a variety of places. I know this because, I have done it all. The guys I grew up working around thought such things kind of wimpy. They are not and a serious cut or an hour spent washing sawdust out of your eye, will convince you that safety does always come first. Which reminds me. Get a good first aid kit, not just for your own safety while you work, but for the benefit of everyone in the household. Good first aid can save a lot of damage to the body.

There. You have a basic tool kit. If you just hate home repairs, fine. At least you can do a few emergency repairs and save more money that you might think. If you like the work, great. You can always add more sophisticated tools as you need them.

The Pitfalls of Debt

I am going to give some advice, something I rarely do. I am sure you have heard it before but this is one of the most important things you can do. Avoid debt. If you are in debt, pay it off as soon as possible, even if you have to scrimp on everything to do so.

Debt is crippling. When you start paying interest on money you owe, you are immediately losing. Even at low interest rates, when you carry a debt for years, you are costing yourself a lot of money. Of course, some things almost always have to be paid off over time. Few of us can pay cash for a car or house. If you are that fortunate, consider yourself blessed and take advantage of your good fortune. If you are like most of us, use your head. Do not buy that really cool sports car when a nice, sturdy sedan will suffice and do not buy more home than you need. Very few need a huge house on a large lot. Buy what you can afford and be happy, very happy, when you pay it off. Get the best deal you can and make sure, even if you have to eat Ramen Noodles a few nights, that you never miss a payment. Do not even be late on payments, penalties are unnecessary expenses. Whenever possible, make extra payments and get that debt off your back as soon as you can.

Once you have paid off a car, drive it until it just cannot be repaired anymore. Take good care of it, keep the body and interior in good repair and do not let needed engine work go ignored. Yes, all that costs but not nearly as much as a new car.

If you have paid off a house, rejoice and stay there as long as you can. Tired of the way it looks? Home remodeling is a lot cheaper than buying a new one.

As far as other forms of credit, avoid them. I do think it is good to keep 1 credit card for use in absolute emergencies. Your 12-year-old's desire to get a new, $100 pair of sneakers is not an emergency, nor is you desire to go to that football game next weekend. Also, credit cards are good to use when traveling. No one in their right mind wants to carry a few $1000 in cash around but, and this is especially important, pay off the entire balance when the next bill comes due, and never, ever be late with a credit card payment. I used to work selling credit card offers and they sounded great. No interest for a year is great, but, if you are late for one payment, the full interest late, along with late fees kick in and you suddenly are way behind. Also, when that interest free period ends, if you have a balance, you will immediately start paying those big interest rates and it becomes very hard to catch up. That is how credit card companies can make those great offers. They count on people falling behind because then they start making their money. Do not get caught in that game. If you must use your card, make sure you pay off the entire balance when due, even if it means skipping a Friday night dinner out or two.

About the only debt I can think of that you may have trouble avoiding is hospital and doctor debt. If you develop a serious illness, you have no options and most insurance will not cover everything, unless you pay a great deal for that policy. If you run up deep medical debts, work out a payment schedule that you can afford. Most hospitals and doctors are actually pretty good about working with you.

Again, I know this is all old news to you, but this is the best advice I know, Stay out of debt and if you cannot, pay off all of your debts as soon as possible. Being debt free is liberating. You will be absolutely amazed at how much stress you shed when you find yourself free of debt. 

The Practical American

Americans are going through some rough times. Despite what many economic reporters say, the economy is at best shaky. Any slight thing, trouble abroad, somestic scandal, natural disaster, even a run of bad weather in the farm belt, will cause the whole thing to sink into a downturn that will make our last recession look like a party.

I have lived a good while now and have had periods of affluence and periods of poverty. I know how to get along with little money. I worked doing building maintenance and learned how to fix darn near anything. I have worked in kitchens and know how to cook almost anything. And, I had the good fortune to be born into a family whose roots go back to the country where people had to  be largely self-reliant. That is how they survived the Great Depression.

I also have spent some time gardening, both as a hobby and as part of my work. There is little as satisfying as eating vegetables and fruit you have grown yourself.

I have also, through research combined with practical necessity learned a good bit about how to stay healthy. I never did care much for doctors and, on the whole, find that the more I avoid them, the better I feel.

I have decided to write this blog to try and help some of my fellow Americans through the rough times facing this Nation. There is no reason to suffer if you know a few tricks to ease your way along. I hope you find my tips useful. Feel free to comment and/or ask questions.