Do Wa Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Redo!

I am frugal by nature. Just born that way, I guess. My mother often tells a particular story illustrating my superior prudence. Seriously, the stuff family legends are made of. When I was a teen, she sent my sister and me to the mall with $300 each to buy clothes for the school year. (Just in case my kids ever read this...no, you cannot have that much--Grandma is nuts!) After several hours she retrieved us and found that I had only purchased a grey knitted skinny necktie. I am good with money, not fashion, and it was the 80's ok. Total: $6.00. Not my fault. I cannot spend it. I do not know where the phobia comes from, and I am not sure I want to know. It is probably some sort of deep-seated trauma that I am neither equipped nor inclined to deal with.

The only good thing to do with money? Save it.

I know, as always, I exaggerate a wee bit, but just hoping that you can understand where I am coming from here. I love saving money. I love not spending money. I get get a bit giddy depriving myself of things that I even kind of want, but that is probably a therapy session for another day. Where is this rambling rant going? Repurposing that is where! (repurpose: tr.v. re·pur·posed, re·pur·pos·ing, re·pur·pos·es: To use or convert for use in another format or product.) I think I have always done this naturally. I reduce my possessions often. I like shopping second-hand. I reuse anything that isn't too gross. No, cleaning ziploc bags is NOT gross, but using the TP from your teenagers' friends' midnight foray IS. I recycle what I can and compost anything that the chickens don't eat. Of course what they do eat gets composted eventually too, but the chickens recycle that themselves! Point is...I think I am ready to step it up a notch. Hence the Repurpose Rampage. Come. Join me. Find something in your house that you can repurpose and keep using in a different manner. Then come share your project to help inspire the rest of us.

Back in the "old days" our grandparents didn't need a fancy name for it. It was just life. I still think it is, but luckily now it is chic so we can admit without hesitation and even with a bit of enthusiasm that we got our cool stuff at a thrift shop or garage sale. Better yet, reuse our own junk! Remember the old depression era adage: Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without? Ya baby!

Ok, rant over, but really, I want to hear from you. My creative juices are flowing, but I do not have that much juice, so I need some ideas. Hopefully some of the projects I have in mind will actually turn out and I can share those. I recently turned a couple of old, holey blanket-sleepers that no longer fit my daughter into great little blankies for her dolls. She helped, we had fun, didn't spend a penny and I wound up with two left over zippers for other projects. Yippee! Dust off that sewing machine. Dig up those unused sheets and pillow cases. Break out the old paint cans. Clean out a closet or two. Oh ya...good times!

Quote of the day: "Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship"

-- Benjamin Franklin statesman, philosopher and all around cheap skate