Change the World Wednesday – 8th Oct

First of all welcome back Small, so nice to see your avatar popping up all over my blog. Pleased to read about your mom, hope all goes well.

Here’s an update on the kassod tree in the praça, it’s now in full flower.

Kassod tree in full flower

Earlier this week I was in town, and I passed by the small stall where I bought my sage plant. They had it, tomilho (thyme), they also had alecrim (rosemary), but it’s been a tight month this month, I only got the thyme. The plants are R$3 each (about $1.20). Now the thyme is in the same can as the sage.

Parsley, sage & thyme

You can see one lot of parsley in the background, these I was lucky enough to find seeds for and planted about a year ago. I use the parsley almost daily in the kitchen.

I hate wasting food. Yesterday’s lunch I used three staleish hamburger buns, pressed down the middle to make a hollow, toasted them off in the oven, then made the hollow deeper. I filled the buns with chopped green tomatoes, and and egg mixture, topped them off with grated cheese and a sprinkle of sesame seeds; popped them back in the oven for 10 minutes.

In the past here I have complained about not being able to buy bulk goods here. I have some good news. I have found a shop that sells cooking ingredients in bulk. The downside is they use plastic bags. As I am a new customer, I haven’t broached the subject of resusing my own bags; but I will.

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Moving right along…

CTWW – Need vs Want

This week, before spending any money, consider whether a purchase is a “need”, a very important “want” which supports a need, or simply a “want” (you might want to start a list). Consider each item carefully based on it’s contribution to your survival. Next, take a look at the want list and avoid spending money on those items. The idea with this challenge is to evaluate our spending habits (raising our awareness on wants versus needs) and reduce spending on unnecessary stuff.

I want all sorts of things, but I rarely get them.

Most of you will know that this year I have struggled a bit, and most of the time I have been strapped for cash, so the need vs want issue has become the norm for me. Actually it always has been, it’s just more poignant at the moment. I live frugally, I always have done, and I generally take the view that I don’t buy things that I don’t need. But then I am a little more Bohemian than most; I am not ashamed to make do when I have to. I don’t need to ‘keep up with the Joneses’; that’s bullshit.

I want a wardrobe (closet), I don’t have one. Not having one won’t kill me. I want a computer desk, I am using upturned drawers to support the side of an old wardrobe. Not having one won’t kill me. I want a TV stand, My current arrangement is parts of this and that with four fruit boxes. Not having one won’t kill me.

Oh, yes, I have wants, but they are not needs.

Small mentioned TV advertising, here we have new cars, big screen TVs and the latest smartphones being thrust down our throats all the time. On me the advertisers are wasting their money. I don’t want a car, I wouldn’t have a big screen or HDTV if you gave it to me, and the idea of a smartphone sends chills up my spine. I have never rushed out and bought something advertised on TV. For me the only advertising on TV that I heed is when & which supermarket has my coffee or milk on special. I watched a supermarket ad last night, the only thing they advertised that I needed was milk, and the brand was crap; there was nothing else that I would contemplate buying – I neither need nor want it nor use it.

The only thing that I want rather than need and buy is my booze. I collect booze, wine, liqueurs, spirits and some beer. Not on a big scale, my collection is modest. I only buy when I have a bit of extra money.

For me that is the little frilly bits in my life.

I am considering a purchase this week. I badly need new bed sheets. Two of the ones I have have started to fray badly, and one will give up the ghost the next time I use it, the other is not far behind. The other day when I was in town I looked at two shops to get an idea of prices, I have another two to check. Then I will make my decision. I don’t just rush out and buy the first thing I see.

The old bed sheets, one will become table napkins for BBQ use and kitchen cloths and one will become curtains for my bedroom.

That’s my offering, at 2:20am it’s time to go beck to bed.