The Eco Dad

We're one week into 2018 and I'm mulling over the direction to go after 2017. I proudly managed to not buy new stuff for an entire year. I learned a lot, picked up some good habits and greatly improved my mindset. Did I accomplish all I wanted to? No, not really. I still have stuff/clutter, but that's okay. The weight I put on personal belongings has greatly diminished and to me, that's a great thing. I don't feel the need to buy new, but having learned about 'slow fashion,' I'm not opposed to buying some new clothes, so long as they are well made and not drawn from some fashion fad that will soon fade away. The same can be said for other items - no more 'disposables.' I'm only buying things that I will absolutely love and want to repair should things start to give way. Learned a lot in 2017, like how to consistently give thumbs up in photos. I'm still left with what to blog about in 2018 and beyond. I've greatly enjoyed inco...

As the disposable razor supply in my house reaches what I'd consider a critical low point, I have, with great patience, found a honing stone. It's a tad dirty and needs a good lapping (flattening), but I have a means to sharpen my old straight razor. Victory! I was starting to give up and even saved a website on my browser for buying new stones and a lapping apparatus. Guess I won't be needing that! I've also found a guy who hones straight razors that works where some friends of mine live, so even without the stone, I'd have a way to sharpen my razor. Ta-da, an environmentally friendly alternative to disposable razors that also supports small business. Not bad. This is going to take some work ... thankfully there's YouTube! I also found a seamstress willing and able to fix my favorite shorts. Cost? $12 ... there was more than one hole that needed sewing. 😬 No matter. You'd be hard pressed to find a pair of shorts you'd consider your favorite f...

Well, I've been hit with a few clothing emergencies. Okay, so they aren't emergencies, but as life happens I'll need a couple things. I dodged a bullet with buying a suit because my son's daycare graduation was moved to a new date that clashed with a business outing. Given the choice I chose family. I always will. Yes, I know it's daycare and it's not a recognized diploma, but my son worked very hard on his Going to Kindergarten song and at four years old he knows if dad is, or isn't, there. Back to the suit though, this will likely require a consignment store. I don't see too many suits in a style I like on the thrift store racks. Consignment means paying more, but not everything second hand is going to be cheap or found in a store that relies solely on donations. It's sort of a negative connotation about second hand - that's it's cheap, beat up, useless stuff. Yes, you have to sift through the rough (and there's lots of rough), but you...

In the absence of purchasing anything new, I've found that thrift shopping or scouring used online ads has become a bit of a pastime, almost an addiction. There is something to be said about finding a great deal, but trying to keep in step with decluttering is becoming a bit of a battle. I've done well enough in terms of donating old clothes when I buy something 'new,' but I'm running out of clothes I'm willing to part with and I really enjoy finding something awesome at a second hand store. Just yesterday I found two used shirts I really liked, so I caved and purchased them. Coincidentally, it is Hockey Night in Canada! What else have I been scouring for? Well, I'd like a second iPad Mini 2 in order to minimize the fighting between my boys over the one iPad Mini 2 I have.  My Nexus 7, the one that allowed me to part ways with my Kobo in a previous post, is on it's last legs, so I started looking for a used Android tablet for me. Shoes. I ...

Temptation lurks all around us. We're inundated with the latest and greatest something or other. I got a phone for Christmas, liked the company's Instagram page and started following them. Problem with that is, aside from the cool pictures showcased by OnePlus owners, I've just recently been shown a really cool version of the phone I already have. The difference? It's limited edition black. Mine is charcoal. Now, I'm pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things, so I've never lined up for an iPhone when the latest one came out, but others do. I can almost guarantee that someone has gotten rid of their perfectly good charcoal OnePlus 3T in order to get the OnePlus 3T in Midnight Black. Just this week I've seen the same thing with the latest iPhone 7. Now there's a 'RED' version allegedly supporting a cause. Not satisfied with your black or silver Google Pixel? How about a 'Really Blue' Pixel? Companies don't even have to innovate anymore...

As I enter my third month of not buying anything new, I am amazed at some of the stuff people part with. I guess I shouldn't be, given what I parted with, in terms of clothes and items. Everything I donated, or sold as the case may be, was in perfect working/wearable condition. I don't know though, it still kinda floors me. I guess one man's junk really is another man's treasure. Regardless, I took my oldest son on a donation run to lessen the load of toys in our house. I managed an entire garbage bag, but still I barely see a difference. Even now, as I type this, my eyes wander over to a corner with 'stuffy' toys that neither of them has even looked at in over a year. Why is it still there? So. Much. Stuff. I guess it'd take a long time to empty the ocean one bucket at a time, and that's exactly how this feels. Oh well, I did get one bucket (or bag) out of the house. I should take some consolation in that. Wow, clutter really distracts me! Anyways, in...

I know I haven't been writing lately. That shouldn't come as much of a surprise, given the preamble of this site ... pretty sure I said it would be irregularly updated. I am trying, though, to avoid that irregularity. So, what's new? I've managed to find a used strop and honing stone for my straight razor! I'm actually really excited about that. I've been looking for a used strop, but everything I came across was new. Sharpening stones were uber expensive too. I guess I didn't really search too hard as I have a cartridge or two of disposable razor refills left. Just figured I'd use those before the switch. That sorta falls under the ol' saying "waste not, want not." Is it me, or did it just get manlier in here? As a bonus, the purchased lot came with three straight razors, so I'll practice my honing and stropping skills on those ones. I don't want to ruin my awesome vintage razor. I quite imagine there will be a lot of blo...

I found myself with a few minutes to spare today so I decided to try and go thrift shopping at the nearby Salvation Army. I'm particularly fussy with what I wear. I like slim fit shirts and boot-cut jeans. I've had zero luck at the last two thrift shops I checked out, but this challenge wouldn't be a challenge if it was easy, right? If everyone could do it, they would. Wait, that's not true. Everyone can do it. We just choose not to. We opt for the most recent trend/style/whatever and buy seasonally or annually or whatever it is, but it's unnecessary. We prefer convenience over the hunt for a good bargain at a thrift store. Maybe there's a stigma, albeit much undeserved. Luckily I'm quite fine with the timeless look of jeans and a t-shirt and I'll buy used 'cause I just don't care. Honestly, the pictures you see of me today versus five to six years ago are almost identical. I'd wager my look ten years ago would be identical. I even wear many ...

Despite the title of this blog post including the popular consumer term "BOGO," I haven't actually bought anything new. It's been well over a month and I'm still surviving. There are a few things I should probably start researching or asking around for. Not buying new isn't going to come easy without being prepared. Something you can't buy used are experiences. Those are always going to be new and hopefully you can indulge in time with family and friends more often as a result of not buying stuff.  What does that have to do with BOGO? Our family happened to have a coupon for an hour of free bowling because we held our oldest son's birthday at a bowling alley last year. Part of the birthday package included a free hour of bowling for a later date, hence "buy one, get one" free. Not everything you do, or everywhere you go will have a BOGO offer, but it's worth looking into. I know Medieval Times sometimes has BOGO free on admissions. Airl...

I bought something today, but it isn't new, so I'm still on course for my year long challenge. I picked up a vintage straight razor. I did a little research and scoured Kijiji with my one prerequisite being that it has to be used. The result is the $40 beauty you see below, but that's not the best part.  The best part of my purchase was the brief experience I had with the guy who sold it to me. He asked if I collected straight razors or wanted to use it. I said I'm planning on using it. He chuckled and asked why a straight razor in this day and age. So I told him what I'm doing here - that I've given up buying new stuff, including razors, so it was either grow a beard or find a way to shave that doesn't include disposables. He lit right up when I told him. He then asked if I was anti-consumerist and I said, not yet. Jokingly he asked if I buy food and I said it was the one thing I am allowed to buy new. He suggested, to keep in line with my challenge, that I...

With my last entry I gave a little spiel about giving back. I chose to support a friend of mine in her efforts to raise funds for the World Wildlife Foundation. Good friend. Good cause. Money well spent. I've donated a good amount of my clothes, my wife's clothes and, tomorrow, I'm donating my kids' old sleep sacks to a friend with a baby. These are actions I can feel good about. But rather than wait for the Karma express to come rolling my way, I'm being proactive and doing good by me as well. If I don't invest in me, who will?  I think I already made mention that I joined a gym that carries a minimal cost of $4.99/bi-weekly.  Not bad. I made the decision to join that gym rather than source out used gym equipment for a home gym, because a home gym is generally never used. I'd end up with an oversized, overpriced set of clothes racks. How do I know? I had a treadmill, but sold it for roughly $100 before I started this journey. I had adjustable barbells, a...

With all the cost cutting and selling stuff around the house, I've mentioned before about supporting a friend who has undertaken a charitable endeavour. The cause I've chosen to support is the World Wildlife Foundation, and the friend I'm supporting is Lindsay. She climbs the CN Tower every year to support this worthwhile initiative. And really, why wouldn't I support her? I like animals. I like Lindsay. It seems a no brainer. That said, I'm going to post the link to her fundraising efforts right here ,  Who knows, maybe I can push a couple extra bucks in her (WWF's) direction. I feel this shark would totally high five me for donating to Lindsay and the WWF! I once read that no one has ever gone poor by giving to charity. I believe it. Now, I'm not saying to throw all your money at a charitable cause, but try giving a bit if you haven't already. You'll feel better for it. If you do give, you know it's true. Know who else feels good? The fr...

I've sorta fallen off the blogging wagon, but I've had a pretty sweet weekend in terms of family, decluttering and continuing the 'not buying anything new' streak. The problem with the blogging wagon is that Blogger won't let me post pictures from my phone and if I try it just fails to post. I couldn't use my Chromebook either because, well, I left it at home while the family and I spent the weekend at the mountains. Decluttering, however, was pretty profitable. I just sold my old snowboard for $100 and used a gift card for booze. Scratch that, I used two gift cards for booze.  Now, I hadn't planned on buying any liquor until I drank what I have (and I have a small collection), but most of it wasn't even for me. I grabbed myself a couple ciders and a seasonal beer. Not exactly partying it up, but I suppose parenthood puts a bit of a damper on drinking like a freshman at a frat house. I'm surprised sometimes how many gift cards people carry a...

Not only have I refrained from purchasing stuff since I gave up stuff, I also sold my old Kobo eReader. That's $50 in my pocket and one more electronic device out of the house. I can comfortably sell my Kobo because all my Android devices (all two of them) have the Kobo app on them. I don't need a dedicated device when I have a Nexus 7" tablet (albeit, old and on it's last legs) that does the same thing, minus the amazing battery life. Looking around the house it's easy to start identifying duplicates. That little point and click camera? Easily replaced by my phone. My four spatulas? Who needs four spatulas? No really, I have four and each one seems to be specialized. I have one for eggs in the little pan, one for pancakes on the griddle ... I wish I was kidding. Sad as my spatula situation is, the point is that duplication exists and only adds to clutter. Perhaps it'd make a good starting point for someone who wants to start minimizing. I imagine it'd b...

I said I wasn't going to do second hand food, but I suppose if it's my second hand food, that's okay. Just before I started to try batch cooking / meal prepping I had some amazing (and healthy) taco bowls. The benefit of making taco bowls is the inevitable taco meat leftovers. Seriously, that shit is amazing! I thought I had a problem when I ran out of wraps and was low on toppings, but you know what doesn't require wraps and toppings? Scrambled eggs infused with leftover taco meat. Sweet Jesus they were delicious. I think I even threw in the last of the sliced jalapenos, you know the ones, the butts no one wants to eat. Diced those bad boys up and tossed them in too. Know what else I saw in the fridge? Half a sausage that no one was going to eat. Guess what happened to that? Diced, pan friend and added to my eggs-trodinary creation. What? You thought there'd be no lame ass dad puns? I'm a dad ... of two ... I'm surprised it's taken this long. I as...

I've been playing hockey as a goalie for, good Christ, going on 24 years. Man, that makes me feel old. Playing goalie has likely aged me prematurely, too. My knees. My back. I feel like I'm thirty-something going on eighty. Despite my love of the position, something I've always wanted to try was playing out of the net. The problem is I don't have any player equipment. I have my lacrosse helmet and gloves which can pull double duty, but I lack everything else. So, how am I to realize my dream at the weekly beer league shitshow? Borrow. Luckily I live in Canada. My brother-in-law had equipment to lend me for this week's game. Two of my co-workers are pitching in some used, beater equipment for me to continue pursuing my awesomeness in the weeks to come. I can finally play outside the crease and I don't have to buy a single piece of equipment. I also get an absolutely killer cardio workout at least once a week. Not sure how I feel about that with the whole feeling...

It's funny how walking about a mall when you're not allowed to buy anything new is, well, a bit of an eye opener. I might see something I want, but I immediately think a.) I don't need it or b.) I wonder where I can find it, or something like it, used. It's only been 8 days but I find my resolve has only gotten stronger. I'm also becoming less and less attached to the stuff I still own. I'm starting to see that I don't need all the t-shirts I have. I'm just not excited to wear them. I like them, but I'm not overly enthused when I pull a couple of them out. Okay, so not every piece of clothing I own is going to make me want to throw a celebration at the thought of putting it on, but I'm starting to lose that anxiety at the thought of donating shirts I previously would not have parted with. Same goes with what's left of my DVD collection. Too bad my local library isn't accepting donations. I think I could sleep a little more soundly knowin...

Rooting around I found a free eBook through Kobo  on building a backyard shed/studio. I haven't had a chance to go through it, but so far I think there are only 3 free plans, not the 50 the title would suggest. I'm also not sure of the sizes in the book, but I imagine a backyard studio can be built relatively inexpensively since free plans are just about everywhere and I also found excess/leftover building materials on Kijiji. I'm not ready to buy materials just yet, but the fact of the matter is you can probably find excess (read: heavily discounted) materials online or through Habitat For Humanity's ReStore if you are. I'm not saying I'm building a backyard studio. I certainly like the idea. My wife would appreciate somewhere other than our dining room to have an office. I'm just sharing awesome stuff I've come across. Besides, it's winter. No one is building backyard studios in the winter. Coco out

In keeping with not buying new stuff I managed to purchase a used C-type USB cord. It was $5. I guess with the Samsung Note 7 literally exploding there were a lot of compatible cords for my OnePlus 3T on the market. It may not have even been a Note 7 cord I bought, but it was used and it was compatible. Moral of the story? Even the latest technology can be found used on a site like Kijiji or Craigslist. Just be careful with the more expensive purchases. Knock on wood, but I've had decent enough experiences. I need that streak to continue through 2017, especially with my next endeavour.  Oh the suspense! Coco out.

I have likely spent close to two hours decluttering some of my online presence over at Pinterest (feel free to click  here  and see some of my organizing skills, or lack thereof). I have created new boards, deleted stuff I don't even know why I pinned in the first place and tried making some of the descriptions personal to my experience. I could probably work through an entire weekend organizing that online space. What a disaster! This online, virtual clutter is a lot like physical clutter. I don't even know how many used pallet project pins I deleted. It was ridiculous. Ocean contain home pins? I'm estimating that count to be in the +/- 120 range. When am I ever going to get to building a home out of ocean containers? I'm not even handy. And the half dozen earthship homes? 'Cause that's a reality at this stage in my life. I'm struggling to find ways to retrofit my current house in a fiscally responsible (read: affordable) manner, but I'm posting as th...