Category Archives: How to’s

Hobbies on the cheap: Urban Exploration

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As I’ve gotten older, I have found, I’m always on the hunt for cheap hobbies. I think it has something to do with committing so much of my free time to extracurriculars from about age 3 to 23. And now that I’m a (boring) old adult who works 40 hours a week, I don’t want to spend the other 128 hours watching TV, hitting up the occasional happy hour and cleaning my apartment. I want to find new and exciting things to do without draining my bank account of the money I earned during the 40 workin’ hours. It’s a delicate balance.

So, let’s start with something that can range from thrilling to educational at a cost of ZERO dollars. Urban exploration is all about exploring your city and surroundings, seeking out it’s oddities and unique infrastructure. While I can’t condone any law breaking for the sake of a new hobby, any sort of exploration–even legal exploration–can be exhilarating. I’ve always loved going places that feel off limits or hidden to see things I wouldn’t have otherwise seen. I climbed up the belltower of a church the hour before my confirmation. I’ve been in all sorts of nooks and crannies on my college’s campus (and a lot of other college campuses too). I love checking to see if doors are locked and if they’re not, curiosity just gets the better of me! Perhaps I read too much as a child? jk no such thing. Perhaps, at nearly 30, my imagination is still too active? also no such thing.

Now that the weather has warmed up, I have my eye on a few places I’d like to explore! Setting out on an evening walk can take on a whole new level of excitement if you commit to making it an urban exploration adventure–veer off the path, stop for things that strike your eye, look for clues, read signs and historical markers, do research, Nancy Drew the shit out of your town! Take pictures or don’t. Bring a friend or don’t. Just keep your eyes open to the wonders around you.

For some added inspiration, check out the video below! If you don’t have half an hour to commit to watching something right now I HIGHLY recommend you come back to this page when you do…I promise this short docu, called “UNDERCITY”, is worth it. It follows Steve Duncan on a few urban exploration missions in New York City. All his emotions; fear, exhilaration, nerves, EVERYTHING–are just so palpable. You just have to watch it for yourself! What a rush!

Where would you love to explore this Spring? For the next month, I’m gonna make it my mission to hunt down some cool stuff that has otherwise been tucked away. And to hold myself accountable with this new hobby (I told you I spent a lot of time in extracurriculars…I need structure! lol) I’m going to document some of my findings on Instagram with the hashtag #urbanexploration. If you’d like to play along, let us know how to follow YOU on Instagram in the comments below. Happy hunting!

One dish a day.

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disheshabit

When I moved in to my first sans-roommates apartment, I made a promise to myself. I wouldn’t let my dirty dishes situation get disgusting. I had just moved from a house where I was living with two boys and throughout the year we got caught up in the “these aren’t MYYY dishes so I’m not gonna wash them but I’m gonna dirty more dishes which you in turn will not wash because they are not yours” cycle. Having room-mates is like a case study in passive aggressiveness, don’t you think? In the end, when our sink was at it’s worst, I just threw a bunch of our dishes away. That’s embarrassing to admit but whatevs. So, with the promise of a studio apartment on the horizon, I scored some plates from a garage sale and headed to the Dollar General where I became the proud new owner of 3 forks, 3 knives and 3 spoons; a set of 4 plastic cups and 4 plastic bowls; and 2 ceramic coffee mugs. A five spot well spent. And I vowed, “From this day forth, I will wash dishes everyday.”

Now, years of dodging dish duty and co-habitation meant this would not be easy. I needed a plan. After some brainstorming I came up with the idea that I would wash at least one dish every single day as I waited for my morning coffee to brew. This seemed like the perfect time for mindless manual labor and I wouldn’t become distracted by other tasks because I would still be lacking my post-coffee faculties. Most days, to my surprise, I washed all my dishes from the day before in this little pocket of productivity. The dish-wand was already soaped up, the coffee wasn’t done yet, the radio was playing some jams. I started craving the completion of the task. In no time at all, the habit had cemented itself in my daily routine.

Today, the science behind habit formation has been written about a lot. Look here and here. And this book is incredibly popular! When I made my little dish-washing promise to myself I had no idea I was mapping out a strategy that followed the “cue, routine, reward” trajectory of habit formation TO A T…I just knew, after a few weeks, how powerfully effective it was. And I’m still getting my dishes washed on the daily. : )

Since making this realization about habit formation I’ve tried to utilize it whenever implementing new changes. Lately, I’ve used it for creating a daily yoga practice–just get on the mat every day…once I’m there, I’ve found, I may as well DO something. And am even proud to announce I’m going a MONTH strong on making my bed! (Which is saying a lot for someone who bribed their college roommate to make her lil twin bed for her in their dorm.)

I know this may seem like a rudimentary example in the grand scheme of life improvement but if you’re looking for a super simple life hack, it couldn’t hurt to try.

All our life, so far as it has definite form, is but a mass of habits – practical, emotional, and intellectual – systematically organized for our weal or woe, and bearing us irresistibly toward our destiny, whatever the latter may be.” – William James

Let’s go to the movies!

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movietheater

If you’re living on a budget, one of the easiest places to make cuts is entertainment. I’ve even read several budget blogs and books that repeatedly call for penny-pinchers to “just stay at home” if they want to eliminate the risk of unwanted spending. While I can’t argue with the efficacy of this advice, I don’t see it as a plausible solution to financial struggles and I would love to discuss it a little more in depth at a later time. For now, I’d like to bring to your attention a community event trend that is a huge boon for all of us who don’t wanna shell out the big bucks for a night out of the house–the free movie. If you just do a little homework you are bound to find a few films each month that are of some interest to you at the low, low price of FREENINETYNINE! Bookmark some online calendars–your local college campus, libraries and Parks and Rec department are great places to start.

If you’re in the Lexington area, the board of directors at my darling place of employment sponsors a monthly film series. The documentary films are screened at the Lexington Central Library and typically feature a few expert speakers before or after the showing.

The next FREE movie event is Tuesday, March 25th from 6:30-9pm. The film is Food for Change, which examines the history of food cooperatives in America, as well as their ability to create economic and social change in our unique cultural landscape. If you’ve ever been curious about the cooperative business model or love your co-op but wonder what it does to strengthen local community, economy and food security; this film will provide some answers.

No reason to sit at home when there is free learnin’ to be had!

…And because I’m in full support of movie snacks, I won’t tell if you sneak in this and this…just don’t crunch too loud. ; )

Slum Lords aka The Hell of Renting

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apartment

Since moving out of my family home in August of 2004 I have lived in 2 dorms, 4 houses, and 5 apartments. I hate the process of moving: packing everything into manageable loads, deep cleaning, schlepping heavy stuff, waiting a month for a security deposit that may or may not ever come and then having a new place to deep clean, set up, find all the “quirks”, and switch over utilities. I hate all of it–and yet I’ve done it, nearly every year, for the past decade.

Why? Because landlords–who rule over the space you are supposed to call “Home Sweet Home” with moneybags clouding their vision–are literally the worst. They do the bare minimum required by law (if that) and don’t care a wit if you want to break your lease, move out after a year, trash the place, live in squalor; because you are just a means to an end. You are just money. And young adults typically get the worst of it. With not a lot of available capital, young people have to settle for less-than-ideal residences with less-than-ideal property companies, landlords or supers. We get taken advantage of by professional slumlords who know every trick in the book.

Renters have to start standing up for themselves so that slumlords start shaping up. I don’t think it is a coincidence that I’ve found myself in so many shitty living conditions or that I have uncharacteristically bad luck (I’ve heard too many concurrent stories from fellow 20-somethings). So, definitely take the time to know your rights.

I was able to get out of my most recent shitty living condition (repeatedly having to ask to get locks/door fixed, mice, THEFT OF MY WORLDLY POSSESSIONS) after I was like, “Yo girl, you can talk to my lawyer…BAI!” But even then I was still out a lot of money simply because a landlord didn’t take the idea that I had a right to a habitable and safe dwelling in a very serious manner. I’ve been illegally evicted by a racist, withheld deposits for reasons not contractually outlined, charged for the most ridiculous of things. Rent is typically a person’s biggest expense, right?–so why do these people insist on making us so miserable when they are already getting such a big slice of our monthly pie?

Rant being ranted, my current rental situation is awesome. My landlord is super nice, I love my neighborhood and nothing catastrophic has happened. I do not take this blessing lightly or for granted. Yet, I still get a little outraged thinking about this rental property predicament. What can we do to change things? I would love to brainstorm!

Also, care to share your rental horror story? Getting robbed was probably my worst, although having the locks changed on the short-lived 11th St. house in BG, KY without a 30-day eviction notice is a close second. We re-visited our former abode in a veil of darkness to check the mailbox, wherein I found an envelope that held the money from my cell-phone rebate–a sum of money that, while now inconsequential, all but saved my life that summer….but that’s a story for another time.

(Painting by Matte Stephens. The print is available on Etsy and is super cute.)