I like living simply. However, if offered something I can use, I accept. For example, the beanie shown here is quite warm. I found it on the sidewalk when walking to the dentist. It was not entirely dry (and I am guessing, not entirely clean) when I came across it. I put it in a bag, tucked it in my jacket, and took it home. It still keeps my head toasty at the low, low price of nothing.

There is this jacket. You have seen these jackets around. They are very popular with the workforce as standard dress code. Grocery stores and movie theaters use them. They work pretty well, the pockets zip up, and there is just enough lining in them to keep you warm without entering the sweltering category.

My Covid job decided that a year or two was enough of that. They changed all the attire to bright colors. Which meant the jackets were no longer valid. I asked and my boss said I could do with it what I pleased. Not too much later, my boss at my other job gave me the “Meowdy” patch (I think we can all agree that if the patch had been a little bigger, the kitty cow-critter would have offered the more complete phrase, “Meowdy, pawdner.”) I used the patch to cover up the front logo. A sew-savvy friend covered up the logo on the back. Voila. A nice looking, warm, and functional jacket. For free.

Then there is the backpack that I have been using. It is the perfect size. Big enough for a laptop or some books. It barely contains a day’s worth of gear and an insulated bag for lunch. I cannot survive all my library trips with anything smaller and I cannot navigate the busy streets with anything bigger. However, the shoulder straps slip, especially when wearing the jacket. What I needed was some sort of strap in the front that I could pull across my chest. Two weeks ago, I found this on the ground. I pocketed it, took it with me, and today I put it to work.

I am fine with inexpensive. The vacuum that I currently use was left by the apartment complex’s dumpster. If my jeans are 98% fine, but there is a tiny hole in the knee, I will sew that little hole up and get a few more months use out of it. (If the holes start to appear in the crotch or the butt, then no. No dice. No compromising. I still need to subscribe to some societal pressures.)

What do I spend my saved money on? For one, my cat. Nala the Annihilator needs cat food. And cat litter. And a vet. For that I am fine shelling out money. She does not sleep on mink. She does not subsist caviar. I pay what I should to keep her healthy and (mostly) happy.

I am a nerd. I must spend scads of cash on my hobby, right? Yes and no. Take the LEGO Tumbler, for example. I like Batman. LEGOs are fun. Merging the two into one of my favorite vehicles is a must-buy, right? Nope. At the end of the day it is a pile of plastic. I do not need one more pile of plastic. Books get priority over toys. Especially when they are Absolute Doomsday Clock.

In order to justify the “fair use” of this image, I should post a review. Okay. I have read almost every Superman comic that has come out in the last forty years. Ninety-nine percent of them. Superman is the best. And this is definitely one of the finest Superman stories I have ever read. Top ten, easily. When Geoff Johns is on his game, he is an amazing writer. Gary Frank always does Johns’ writing justice. The drawing is graphic (almost too graphic in some instances) and the beats are perfect. It is both unexpected and exactly what it should be. I love this book. This book is an example of what comics could and should be.

The series came out in single issues. I knew I would reread it and wanted a sturdier binding. It was collected in two hardcovers. I wanted it all in one book. Which came out, but it was a softcover. And I knew… I knew they would release it in their premium, expensive, all the bells and whistles, Absolute edition. Which, of course, came out after all the other versions. With a price tag of $125, thank you very much.

I was going to buy it. Yet, $125 is a hard price to justify for pieces of paper glued together. However, it also is about two sides coming into inevitable conflict. How quick we are to label another as “the enemy” and resolve ourselves to duking it out. The book is epic, heartfelt, and I wanted it in my library. Admittedly, I paid less than $125. I was patient. In the end, I made sure the wonderful book had a spot in my home.

My tablet’s battery was giving out. I like E-cycling. I would prefer to keep tech going and save electronics from sitting in garbage piles. Fix what you can. I took it to a computer repair shop, got a new battery, and it was much cheaper than buying a new tablet. Again, repair things whenever possible. Ignore the new and shiny because five seconds later, newer and shinier will be here.

The rule of thumb that I live by is that if you see something you want, wait fifteen minutes and see if you still want it. In a world of online ordering, overnight delivery, and digital downloads, that method has served me well. (Much like my phone with a two-year-old crack in the screen that still does the job.)

My family stopped giving each other gifts a few years ago. I am glad. I have too much stuff and too many things already. Mend what you can. Buy what you need. Live without paying for storage units. Belongings should have purpose. You own them, they should not own you.