Roundup: December 1-15th
By theprofessionalhobo ~ December 15th, 2008. Filed under: Australia, life at Kingbilli, links.
Due to having a number of interesting irons in the fire that is my writing career, I have not been as active as in recent weeks and months. But stay tuned…there is lots of good stuff to come. Please enjoy this selection of recently published articles, by yours truly.
WISE BREAD
Surviving the Holiday Season: Entertaining (and Being Entertained) on a Budget
With the holiday season upon us, invitations to dinner parties – and expectations of reciprocating invitations – are on the increase. You bring a nice bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers (or even a Christmas present for closer acquaintances) to every home you visit. And you whip up a marvelous meal for those who visit you. Before you know it – without even starting your Christmas shopping, you have blown your holiday budget.
So how do you navigate this season of dinner parties and other seasonal cultural expectations without going broke at the end of the day? The answer to this question is as much a mystery to me as it is to anybody else. But here are a few ideas.
Saving the Planet – One Drop at a Time
More and more catastrophic storms. Global warming. Droughts and floods. It seems that we have entered an era of extremes in planet earth’s saga.
With global environmental issues becoming bigger and harder to ignore, there are things we all can work on to help do our part. You may argue that we should stop making “the little guy” pay and change their habits when it is really the big corporations who exponentially consume that should be held to a higher standard. But truly – if we are to continue to foster a planet for future generations to enjoy, we have to start somewhere. Being an example and teaching our children how to conserve resources is the first step to getting the “big guys” to listen; some of our children will eventually be in those positions of power and influence to enforce greater changes than we could ever imagine. All we have to do is give them the proper building blocks.
I am currently traveling through Australia, a country that has suffered terrible drought for over a decade now. So here in Oz, water conservation is not a nice thing to do for the environment; it is a necessity. Here are a few ways you can save the planet, one drop at a time.
Taco Tuesday: The Inner Mechanics of Budgeting on Vacation
I recently found myself sitting around a dinner table in Hawaii with a number of new traveling acquaintances. We met at the place of accommodation we were staying at, and enjoyed each other’s company, sharing travel tales of adventure and misadventure alike. So when “Taco Tuesday” presented itself as a way to get super cheap beers and tacos, we jumped at the opportunity to enjoy a night on the town all together.
Interestingly, Taco Tuesday became a fascinating study in the spending patterns of people on vacation.
January 7th, 2009 at 4:20 am
I loved the Taco Tuesday piece. Before you described the individuals’ purchases, I was sure that Phil would be the one to watch: I figured that surely a long-term nomad would employ the smartest strategies for enjoying the evening on the cheap and therefore would be the one to learn the most from. I guess it turned out that he did have the most lessons to offer; they just turned out to be cautionary!
January 7th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Isn’t it amazing how things are not always as they seem? I have met many a nomad in my travels that are not so much nomadic, as they are unable (or unwilling) to hold down a steady job or lifestyle. They don’t travel so much as live for the moment without true regard to their goals and ultimate lifestyle desires. Then again, maybe they are indeed living the life they designed for themselves with glee. Different strokes for different folks!