article about "a year of penury"

[all_adream]

Frankly, this person made as much as anyone I know in Vermont who isn't a doctor or lawyer, but calls it "penury". Regardless, the simply-listed points are helpful, I think.

http://funny-about-money.com/2011/01/22/what-i-learned-during-the-year-of-penury/

Additionally, I made this blog into a feed, which you can find on my page, if you wish to follow it here.

Comments

[karel]

One thing that blogs like that never fail to bring up is that one should be growing a garden. I wish that they would consider those of us who just plain don't have that opportunity...

[kuangning]

Even if you live in a tiny basement apartment, you can probably rig things to grow at least a couple of plants. You couldn't manage corn or most fruit plants, but you can probably do pots of herbs and maybe a tomato plant or peppers. I even managed a window planter with bok choi -- I kept pulling leaves, it kept growing back.

[holyschist]

I've tried this before, but most of the places I've lived just don't have enough sun for most plants on the porches or in the windows (we also have a pretty short growing season and a very dry climate). Also, I am really bad at growing things (and when they do grow, if they're outside, the squirrels/birds/neighbor children often get them before me). The only thing I've ever been reasonably successful with is herbs, and I grew them for fun, not to save money (between the potting soil, the containers, the fertilizer, and the time investment, they did not save money over buying fresh herbs occasionally).

I'm inclined to think that the investment for growing a few plants, unless you are a very good container gardener in the right climate, is greater than the savings. The real reason to do it is because it's fun and what you get tastes good. Growing in volume in an efficient garden is a whole different matter (although you have to have the time to invest in it).

I feel like this kind of like I do about being a locavore. Awesome if you live in California or have storage space and enjoy preserving foods, but if I tried it around here, I'd live on onions, beans, and meat for 60% of the year since I don't have the space or time for canning and preserving.

[all_adream]

I know there are tons of articles about container gardens for balconies or hallways or windows or whatever that might be of help. I can find them if you'd like.