Back to Basics

I am thinking a lot about my life in my early to mid-twenties and starting to retrieve some of the lessons I learned then. I'm doing this to deal with the new realities created by the economic crisis. I was dirt poor then, but I did a lot of things which saved me money and were pretty smart.

#1 - I baked my own bread. I saved money, the bread was much fresher, and I lost a ton of weight! I've pulled out my old "Uncle John's Bread Book" from that time with my recipe. As soon as my $4 loaf of 15-grain bread is eaten, I'm going to get multi-grain flour and the other ingredients and back two loaves in the oven.

#2 - I made a lot of home made soups. Beans and a few veggies can be bought cheaply. I'm going back to making soups. They also are low in calories.

#3 - I bought produce at the produce market section of town. At that time, I lived in Boston and bought my produce at Haymarket Square. I was also very poor when I returned to Pittsburgh in 1992, and I bought my produce at the Strip District. I'm going back to my weekly trip to the Strip District.

#4 - I walked to places I could reach on foot. In Boston, this usually involved passing by Fenway Park about 8 times a day, so you understand why I love the Red Sox! I couldn't afford a car and there was no place to park anyway. It was sometimes complicated to get to nearby places on the bus or subway, so I'd just walk. Also, I just walked for leisure. I would walk clear to Cambridge. I would take the subway or bus somewhere and walk. I often took the subway to Revere Beach and walked. I maintained this type of lifestyle in San Francisco. Now I'm back in the country where I have a car and have to use a vehicle to get anywhere to shop. However, I have jogged around my hilly neighborhood for up to 6 miles at a time frequently. I can also drive to trails and parks within 3 to 10 miles from my house and walk and jog there. I don't have to wait until I can drive off to some state park 40 miles away.