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Giveaway: Alaska soap and such.

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My friend Linda B. and I took a field trip today, to a small store called Blue Market AK, where the motto is “Refill, not landfill: Unpackaged for a healthy planet.” (Just FYI: “AK” is the postal designation for “Alaska.”) We prowled among shelves full of oils, honey, salsas, spices, organic produce, soap and other personal-care products, non-toxic household cleaners and other interesting items.

To be honest, I felt like I was back in the ’70s. In a good way.

The vibe was friendly, caring, healthy-but-not-insufferable-about-it and, more to the point, intensely Alaskan. About 45 percent of the shop’s vendors are from the Last Frontier, and all of them focus on reducing the environmental impact of producing their delightful products.

The store offers free space for “local makers” to do pop-up sales each week, and donates 1 percent of proceeds to Alaska groups that emphasize sustainability.

With all that emphasis on Alaska, it seemed like a great way to keep my “support the local economy” giveaway streak alive. Consider it a belated Earth Day giveaway. Here’s what you’ll get if you win: 

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Weather, COVID and a deep discount.

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A couple of weeks ago it was below zero. Today it’s supposed to hit 62 degrees. This has been a weird spring, full of weird weather.  

Re the photo at left: Either the greenhouse effect is real, or the remote thermometer in that greenhouse is defective. Maybe a little of each. (The temperature on the right is that of our living room.) This picture was taken on Monday afternoon, when the temperature was in the 50s outdoors –  not what you would call extremely warm, but the angle of the sun hits the greenhouse just right.

About that sun: Sunday, April 18, was the first night of 2021 without complete darkness. According to the National Weather Service, the sky will not darken past “astronautical twilight” until Aug. 25.

If you, like me, are unfamiliar with astronautical twilight, here’s how the NWS explains it: “the level of light observed when the sun is 12 to 18 degrees below the horizon.”

Okay then. Until I moved here I also had never heard the phrase “civil twilight,” either. Live and learn.

Incidentally: The sun rose at 6:23 a.m. today and will set at 9:34 p.m. But thanks to that astronautical twilight, it will seem earlier/later. And, as DF points out, we still have lots of snow left on the ground to amplify that light. Um, yay?

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9 reasons to get a library card.

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The other day on Twitter a guy asked, “Does anybody still have a library card?” Not sure whether the question was plaintive or condescending, but the reaction was both swift and vociferous. The general consensus was, “Of course I do, and I don’t know why someone wouldn’t.”

One person actually said “I feel sorry for (that guy).”

Again, not sure where he weighed in on the topic. Maybe he’s one of those people who thinks he doesn’t need a library card because he has the Internet. But to paraphrase a meme I saw earlier today, “Saying you don’t need a library card because you have the Internet is like saying you don’t need a math teacher because you have a calculator.”

Maybe he was hoping to find his people online, because he’s one of those who got his library card as soon as he could sign his name. One of those who signed up for a new card every time he changed cities. One of those who, even though he reads e-books, swoons when he walks into a physical library and runs his fingers along the spines of the tomes in the “New Reads” section.

That would be me as well. Our libraries are finally open, and today I went back for the first time in probably a year and a half. The building itself is diminished: certain areas are closed off, and the traffic is noticeably lower than usual for a Saturday afternoon. But it was open. And I was finally back among my friends.

By “friends,” I of course mean “books.” I had to stop myself after choosing six. That took some doing, because I happen to know the limit is 50 items. But as much as I wanted to keep browsing, I didn’t want to carry 50 books. Besides, I figured I should save some of the new books for everyone else.

The library is one of my favorite places, and if you consider yourself frugal it should be among your top spots as well. Here’s why.

 

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Frugal hack: Homemade yogurt.

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I’m having a bone graft today, to prepare for a dental implant some months down the road. Generally I look at dental work as God’s way of saying, “Oh, go ahead – have a milkshake for lunch.” But since this isn’t just a filling or a root canal, I have no idea how long it will be before I feel like chewing. One milkshake is fine; several days’ worth sounds cloying. That’s why I made a fresh batch of yogurt over the weekend.

Greek yogurt with some of the rhubarb compote I put up last fall is a fairly satisfying meal substitute. Protein, with no need to chew! Turning some of the yogurt into a healthy smoothie is another option that I think will help get me through the owie-mouth days to come. (Seriously: No idea whether it will be one or two days, or lots longer. This is my first bone graft and, I hope, my last.)

As I put the new batch into the fridge, I was reminded once again how simple it is to make the stuff. Draining it adds an extra layer of complexity, but it’s not that complex.

And the cost can’t be beat. I can get about two quarts of Greek yogurt, plus almost two quarts of whey (more on that later), for $2.61 to $3.14, depending on whether the milk is on sale. When the milk is so close to its sell-by date that it’s 50 percent off, then I pay as little as $1.57.

By contrast: A quick search of supermarkets shows one quart of Greek yogurt going for anywhere from $4.29 to $5.99.

If I hadn’t drained it I’d have gotten almost a gallon* of regular yogurt. But I prefer the thicker texture and milder flavor of the Greek-style product.

Ready to learn how to do this? Keep reading. I’ll also provide a life hack for making Greek yogurt the easy way. 

 

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Giveaway: $25 gift card.

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I had the second COVID-19 shot on April Fool’s Day, two days after my most recent post. Felt okay for a while, meh by the end of the day, and uncomfortable enough to spend  the next two days mostly lying down, either napping or reading.

Was better on Sunday, took care of business Monday through Wednesday (even started writing a post), and on Thursday felt myself sliding back into mehville: fatigue, slightly sore throat, mild headache. Got one of those nice arm rashes, too. 

Now, one day later, I’m feeling a bit better. Well enough to put up a post, anyway. But when I sat down to finish the post I started writing on Wednesday, the crummy feeling returned. This could be my body telling me to stop staring at the screen for a while. Or it could be just plain old work avoidance.

Thus I decided on a giveaway, even though I’d done one fairly recently. Completely playing the COVID card: I just don’t feel like writing. Besides, most people are pretty cheerful about the chance to win some retail scrip.

What kind? That’s up to the winner. Any retailer that will let me send an e-gift card is fair game.

 

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Monday miscellany: Tiny greens edition.

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In a recent post called “National Agriculture Day Begins at Home,” I shared photos of DF using tweezers to plant celery seeds. They went into the (indoor) dirt on March 12. The morning of March 27 we finally had confirmed sightings of tiny greens, which made us ridiculously happy.  As you can see from the … Read more

Giveaway: Alaska handmade soap.

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This is another in my “support the local economy” giveaways. In past weeks I’ve given away things like a “Tundra“ calendar, a couple of batches of Alaska-made jewelry and an Aliy Zirkle “dog fan“ membership. This time around, I’ve chosen Denali Dreams, a company known for its handmade soap, salve and balm, is the source this time around. 

Denali Dreams’ soaps (which smell  divine) has been included in at least one previous batch-of-things giveaway. But this time around, I’m focusing only on Denali Dreams products.

And despite what the headline says, it’s not just handmade soap. The winner gets to choose up to $35 worth of Denali Dreams goodies. (Edited to add: Denali Dreams has decided to add a lip balm to the order, free of charge, which further extends the fun.)

For example, there’s the “Alaska Manly Man” section, which features some goofy, spoofy products such as Elbow Grease (“softens rough edges”), Lip Lube (to keep lips “soft, supple and in great working order”) and Beard Balm that will “keep your look sharp, just like your chainsaw blades.”

There’s Skeeter Away Natural Bug Repellent, which promises an environmentally friendly answer to pesky bugs. Anyone who’s visited the Kobuk Coffee Co. in downtown Anchorage will love the Samovar Soap & Tea pack, which combines a box of that gift company’s popular Samovar Tea with a soap that apparently smells the way the tea tastes (essential oils of cinnamon, clove, orange, and lemon).

Having a rough time? Try the Baby Bear Butt Balm (with calendula-infused olive oil “to help chase away even the most stubborn of chapped rumps”), the Fireweed Honey Lip Balm (“keep your lips protected from the harsh, dry Alaskan climate”) or the Dog Paw Salve (with beeswax and unscented oils) can help.

But about that handmade soap. 

 

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National Agriculture Day begins at home.

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Today has been proclaimed National Agriculture Day, so what better way to celebrate than with a picture of dirt?

Whoops. That’s soil, not dirt. As a master gardener once told me, “Dirt is what comes out of your vacuum cleaner. Soil is a living organism.”

President Joe Biden proclaimed National Agriculture Day in order to recognize “our commitment to and appreciation for our country’s farmers, ranchers, foresters, farmworkers, and those who work in the agriculture sector across the Nation.”

Well said, sir. But may I suggest that we also appreciate the nation’s fruit and vegetable gardeners along with the big-time growers? After all, they are providing food for themselves and, often, for lucky relatives and friends.

And, dear readers: May I suggest that you join us? 

 

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How are credit scores calculated?

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You try hard, but still have a mediocre credit score. You pay no attention and have a great one. Just how are credit scores calculated, anyway?

Good question – and it has a complicated answer.

This is a topic I tackled for the “How Credit Works” section at Self.inc. “How are credit scores calculated?” takes a deep and nerdy dive into the issue of credit scores.

<<Surviving and Thriving has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Surviving and Thriving and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.>>

Every so often I do a “read me elsewhere” roundup of articles I’ve written. Lately a lot of the work I’ve done is either editing someone else’s site, doing non-bylined stuff or writing stuff that’s so ridiculously specialized that I wouldn’t bore my readers by sharing it.

The topic of how credit scores are calculated is one that I think can help a lot of people, though. No matter how unfair you think the credit scoring system is, the fact is that we are currently stuck with it. A smart consumer will learn to operate within its confines. That is, unless you like paying many tens of thousands of dollars in extra interest during your lifetime.

From “very poor” to “exceptional,” credit scores matter. They determine the kind of interest rate you’ll get on housing, vehicle and other loans. They might determine whether you get that loan at all, at least from a conventional lender – and the others can somehow get away with charging loan rates of up to 35.99 percent. 

 

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Extreme Frugality: Coupon/rebate deals.

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This is one in an occasional series of articles about saving money.

Back in the day, the coupon/rebate combo got me a lot of free stuff. A lot. For years I didn’t have to pay for toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, deodorant and other toiletries, or for certain food items. On the rare occasions when I did pay, the tab was a few cents to just under a dollar.

This was a godsend at the time, since I was living on less than $1,000 a month and working on a university degree. Bonus: I got so much free stuff that I supplied my daughter with many essentials, and donated a bunch to a social services agency.

Coupon/rebate buying helped me stretch my limited funds. It helped me help others. What’s not to like?

<<Surviving and Thriving has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Surviving and Thriving and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.>>

But all good things must end, and coupon/rebate deals were no exception. The stores running these loss-leader promotions gradually fell out of the habit. Ever since I moved back to Alaska I’ve had almost no chances at getting the freebies.

Until, that is, I discovered a new coupon/rebate combo.

Now I use some (or all) of the following: the Coupons.com, Shopkick*, Ibotta** and Fetch Rewards*** apps; the Swagbucks rewards program and the CouponMom.com website. While it’s not as crazy-lucrative as it once was, I can say that it’s been worth my while. Two recent examples: 

 

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