[geeks] living cheap (moved from rescue@)

[Bill Bradford]

On Mon, Nov 04, 2002 at 01:21:17AM -0500, Chris Hedemark wrote:
> Big discount stores like Costco (where we go) or Sam's Club will often 
> have HUGE amounts of meat on sale CHEAP.  We will from time to time buy 
> pork chops and chicken filets this way.  One chicken filet will feed 
> three adults (tested tonight when father in law came over) if you chop 
> it up into small pieces and mix with fettucini alfredo.  Oh, pasta 
> rocks by the way for cheap eating.

Yep.  At one point we lived on $400/month (after bills), and we can
easily do it again.. we're just spoiled.

> Power bill - This was a smart investment while I still had a regular 
> paycheck.  I gradually replaced all the light bulbs in my house with 
> compact fluorescent.  They screw into a standard incandescent fixture 
> but use about 25% of the power for similar light output.  I'm lighting 
> up my whole office nicely on 27 watts, and reading a book very happily 
> by 11 watts.  They are expensive (Home Depot has 'em cheap though if 
> you look), but they last a looong time.  I finally threw my first one 
> out after over five years of heavy duty service.

Already done this; I found a place here in town that even has
*full-spectrum* compact flourescents!  (think like the Reveal
incandescent bulbs, but CF).

> I only keep machines on when I am using them, except for my Ultra 5 
> (main server) and my firewall (little OpenBSD PeeCee).  My desktop 
> workstation has pretty much been replaced by an Apple Powerbook G4 
> (Titanium) which uses so little power it isn't worth mentioning.

We've also got LCD panels now instead of CRTs, on everything but the
TV.

> Do it as soon as you are able.  The money ain't much but it will put 
> food on the table and maybe keep the heat on through the winter (though 
> maybe that doesn't cost much out your way).

I dont have to worry about that - I have a bit set back in a trust fund
that I can tap if necessary (and if we have to, live on, decently, for
at least two years), but I hope to avoid that.

> Yes, it hurts.  I still sometimes catch myself wondering "what did I do 
> wrong" and then quickly remind myself that the company tanked, but they 
> tanked with an awesome IT infrastructure in place.  Heck, the servers 
> are probably still running even though no one is around to mind them 
> anymore.

I kept thinking "maybe it WAS something I did, and they're just saying
that to be nice" - but I found out later in the day that they'd also
laid off the only CCIE in the networking department, and the guy that
runs the Exchange servers as well.  "consolidating functions with the
IT group at Headquarters"...

At least I got asked to stay on an extra month - some people were escorted
out to their cars on the 28th.  No uniformed security/sheriff's officers
at our building this time, but I heard it was BAD at our office down on
Loop 360 (15 miles away), where most everyone was based.

Bill

-- 
bill bradford
mrbill at mrbill.net
austin, texas