No more mailman

My father retires as a United State Postal Carrier today. This circle postcard is the last in a series of 15 cards I sent him on the last fifteen days of work. I am extremely proud of his hard work and determination. I am very excited to see what the next chapter of his life will be.

It is a hard time to be retiring (retiring early in fact) as the economy is still slumping and work is harder and harder to find. Yet, when you are done doing a job... you are done doing a job. My dad has earned his retirement. Granted, he plans to get a part-time job in the future.

This blog post to commemorate and honor his hard work and congratulate him on a job well done.

Garage Sales, Thrift Stores and the Farmer's Market: the ultimate defense for a dynamic depression

The economic depression is here, and I know how to combat it. I can not offer much insight into finding jobs (although I tried making a lost your job tips and tricks), although I do have some idea of how to protect yourself from a complete financial meltdown. While I have not been very effected by the economy (at least not as much as other people I know), I will quickly admit that I did not have much to lose in the first place. I basically have always lived my life as if we lived in a depression, and only now does my lifestyle seem to be tragically hip. Therefore, I figured I'd write about it.

While big businesses and small businesses may be closing their doors or finding tricky ways to cut costs, and maximize profits the consumer (us) are stuck trying to figure out what to spend the little money we have on. Guilt is easily associated with spending nowadays, and there seems to a constant struggle in our heads whether or not to spend our money or not. Luckily, we can take the guilt away from such purchases by simply driving in our neighborhood and supporting our neighbors by buying their used things. Garage sales seems to be all over the place, as people are spending more time getting rid of the things they do not need in order to make a little money and free up even more room. At the same time, I think opting to take your unneeded things and putting them on your lawn is a great way to spend extra time and re clarify your needs, while effectively lodging yourself in your community.

I started a few years ago, living by a code of: never buy new. The idea stems from spending money on only recycled products, keeping costs low and reducing demand for new products when perfectly good things are easily acquired. I think adopting the 'never buy new' philosophy will make you feel GREEN and also save you money. You should click the link if you would like to learn more.

The last big shield from the depression, is food. Find ways to grow your own food, and if you can not; find a local co op or farmers market to support. Invest in the quality of your food, support organic and locally grown products because it keeps money in the community and will also make you feel better. It is proven that eating healthy and exercise improves mood, and when people opt to cut spending on food and buy less healthy foods in the end it does the opposite of improvement. Cheap junk food is a slippery slope into obesity and death, and while it make cost less at first the amount we eat rises, and health problems skyrocket, thus adding more expenses to our budget.

I think a depression is a great time of cleansing, this is the time when it makes the most sense to quit smoking, becoming vegetarian, tossing your cell phone away, or quitting soda (see sidebar for posts on all these topics). Take the opportunity to make a change that will effect your life in a good way, and give yourself something to commit to during times of high stress.

I may be one of the few people who are really excited about the troubles taking place right now. I feel it is a much needed slap in the face to a national lifestyle which needs a wake up call. Hopefully we can all take a few steps in the right direction, and start planning ahead for a more peaceful, self sustainable future.

Looking for a part time job in North East Minneapolis

I've returned to Minneapolis, North East this time around, looking for a part time job on weekends and nights. I plan to sell art and teaching LEGOs with Youth Enrichment League, but a few more hours working another job would help me pay the bills.

If anyone knows anything in or around Minneapolis or online work for a writer/blogger/artist with interests in recycling/green energy/vegetarianism please contact me.

If you can find me work, or hire me, I will give you a miniature painting as a referral reward.

I am also accepting job finding tips and job searching tips for anyone with good insight into finding good part-time work.

Ten things to do if you lose your job in 2009

This is a list of the best ten things to do when the recession filled economy forces you out of work in 2009. I am an artist, and I fully expect to be unemployed at some point in 2009. I made this list for myself, but I figured I would pass it on. This is an open source list, so feel free to comment your thoughts and I can edit it, depending on your ideas. Feel free to also take this list and post it on your blog or website, and make changes you feel make the most sense.

1. Do not lose hope
It is easy to be worried, or get depressed but the best thing is stay alert and focused.

2. Grow your own food
Start an edible garden. Even in modest setting like an apartment, take advantage of any sunlight and grow some vegetables. Tomatoes, lettuce and peppers are easy to grow, and can save you money.

3. Use alternative transportation
anywhere you go, find a way to get there for free. Walking, biking, busing.

4. Turn off and unplug, especially your cell phone
Saving on energy costs is a very good way to cut spending (You can take this one step farther, see step 8). Change your cell phone plan to pay as you go, or get rid of it all together. I only use a shared land line and my e-mail, and have no problem communicating with the world.

5. Buy Locally and support small businesses
The last thing to do is pay some CEO more money buy buying things from corporate mega businesses. I suggest buying food from local farms, goods from individually owned places, and meeting the people in your community that are trying to make ends meet. You want to make friends with these people, and build a community with them. You could even ask for work, or work for the things you need to buy.

6. Sell excess goods
Currently, the market is bad, so this might be a last resort option. It seems like the ebay, craigslist, pawnshop market price for things may get even worse as time goes on. You might want to think about selling some of your unused electronic items, collectible items, or trinkets and jewelry for some buffer cash.

7. Volunteer
Anytime you find yourself treading water, donate your time for a good charity, doing things you feel passionate about. This not only will help you feel involved and keep your mind off of being unemployed, it will also provide you with new contacts and friends that you could possibly use to find new work. Be a good valuable volunteer and people will take notice.

8. Make your own Solar Panels- Search places to find raw solar panels, raw wire, a small welder and a battery storages. The good thing about putting money into this idea is that you can use them to save money, sell extra energy back to the energy companies, and sell panels to others for profit. You can find the best resources for How to make solar panels on hub pages.

9. eat less meat
This one will be very hard for many people, but reducing meat from your diet will save you money, and also save the world many resources. I have recently switched to becoming vegetarian, and have saved money by doing so. By planning ahead, I make a lot of my meals for the week in one day, and have really enjoyed eating fresh foods, as opposed to basing my meals around meat.

10. Stockpile
Take the money you do have access to, and buy food. It is very smart to stockpile a decent amount of food. If prices go up, you have paid less for a can of corn, or either important items, which could save you a lot of money over the course of a year. This will also save you money from constantly burning gas and time making trips to your local grocer. Try to buy things you will eat, and things that go well with your new garden.

I want to stress the fact that this is a open source list, if you have any additions or subtractions or edits you would like to see, leave me a comment and I will work it in. We can debate about what should be added, and talk about alternatives or new ideas. Or send me a link to YOUR list.