Guest Writer: Ruth Morse, "The Cheap Sr. Citizen"
I just read an article called "The Beginner's Guide to Being Cheap" in an old Reader's Digest.
First, let me point out that I did not buy this magazine! I picked it up free at a book and magazine exchange in our community. I'm not sure the publishers wanted me to carry being cheap to that exent, but cheap is cheap.
Back to what the article said. It had several interesting ways to save money, but the one that jumped out at me was this:
"Unplug your dryer. That lint you see is from your clothes slowly being disintegrated by all the tumbling. Stick with our gentle friend the clothesline. If you do use a dryer, zip up metal zippers before they mug other garments."
WOW! Really?
I have always wondered where the lint came from.......
I guess I naively thought it was from dust and dander floating around that ended up on clothes and sheets and towels.
Really? My clothes/towels/sheets are being disintegrated little by little in the dryer?
I don't mean to be a skeptic, but how come the lint is not the same color as my clothes/towels/sheets?
I thought the argument about using/not using a dryer was going to be about electricity savings. I could hardly make a case that it was cheaper to use a dryer than a clothesline.But the dryer slowing eating my clothes? I'm still having trouble wrapping my brain around that.
By the way, my mom did not own a dryer until she was 80. She always hung clothes outside on one of those umbrella type gizmos in the summer, and on lengths of clothesline in the cellar in the winter.
When we built a garage apartment for her at about age 80, we insisted she needed to have a dryer. She insisted we install a new umbrella clothesline, then she also brought the old, old one from her house, just in case. In case of what, I don't know.
The first summer in the apartment, she faithfully used the clothesline. The first winter she was in the apartment, she caved and used the dryer. The second summer she was in the apartment, she hung about 6 or 7 things on the clothesline. All summer, only 6 or 7 things. The third summer she was in the apartment, she sold the clothesline at our yard sale.
When we built a garage apartment for her at about age 80, we insisted she needed to have a dryer. She insisted we install a new umbrella clothesline, then she also brought the old, old one from her house, just in case. In case of what, I don't know.
The first summer in the apartment, she faithfully used the clothesline. The first winter she was in the apartment, she caved and used the dryer. The second summer she was in the apartment, she hung about 6 or 7 things on the clothesline. All summer, only 6 or 7 things. The third summer she was in the apartment, she sold the clothesline at our yard sale.
Took less than 2 years to corrupt her frugal mindset. Poor mom. She was forced to live with fluffy towels.
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...and one more thing......
uh, I'll get back to you when I remember it.
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The Cheap Senior Citizen is a Guest Writer who occasionally shares helpful hints she has learned through her experience.
uh, I'll get back to you when I remember it.
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The Cheap Senior Citizen is a Guest Writer who occasionally shares helpful hints she has learned through her experience.
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