Yeah, I get to save money........er.... um......I mean.......um...the environment?

Last month the washing machine decided to quit. No two weeks notice, no goodbye parties, just started to leak water all over the laundry room. My wonderful wife, wonderful in the sense that she does the laundry, knew that it could no longer be saved. The machine had to be at least 35 years old judging by the style of the machine and the manuals that came with it. Lots of paisley and pictures of women smiling and doing laundry. And they were all white. My guess would be 1968 to 1974. So in washing machine years it was about 96 years old.

Now the dryer is still good and seeing that I have already angered it, I have no comment. So instead of buying a washer and dryer together, my wife and I agreed tho just get a washer now and a dryer when it dies. Note, dryer years and washer years are not the same. Of course I've just jinxed myself and it'll die as soon as I upload this post. Never-the-less we needed a new washer, I have gotten spoiled by wearing clean clothes.

Looking online I saw that the current style we had, top loader costs about $400. I've heard that front loaders are more energy efficient, clean better, and spin out more water than the top loaders. They seem to cost more, but they really don't. More about that later. I started to research energy efficient washers. Lots of different types but they all work the same way. Comments were at least 85% or higher praising the washing machine. You need to weight out all advantages and disadvantages before buying something that you'll have for a long time.

Advantages:
- Cleans clothes better than top loader
- Full digital display
- Quieter, no longer sounds like the space shuttle taking off
- Spins out more water therefore less time in the dryer
- Uses less detergent
- Uses less water
- Uses less energy
- Will measure how much you put in and adjust the time and water

Disadvantages:
- Average cycle is almost an hour
- Have to use HE (high efficiency) detergent
- Very old pipes in houses have had issues during startup

Clearly the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and if you look closely you'll see a pattern. But first I must disprove the disadvantages. The average cycle is an hour, boo-hoo. The top loader takes about 25 to 30 minutes, half the time. I don't see how an extra twenty five minutes would be much of a problem. How much laundry are you doing anyway? As for the detergent, almost every detergent out there is HE. In fact the detergent we've been using for years is HE. And the issue with the pipes, very, very rare and there are solutions that can be applied.

So not counting the first three advantages, the rest all save you money. If the clothes leave the washer drier, then you don't run the dryer as long. Less detergent means you don't buy it as often. Since the city of Forest Grove charges me for water, I want to use less. They also bill me for any electricity I use, more savings. And since it senses the load before it starts it can adjust the wash I can run a smaller load, something that you really can't do in a top loader. So am I saving money or am I saving the environment by using less water, less detergent, less electricity?

While you ponder that for a moment I want to add the rebates and why it's cheaper to get an energy efficient washer. As I stated earlier a top loader is about $400. A energy efficient front loader similar size, is about $700. Now here's where the savings come in. First Home Depot had a sale on LG energy efficient front loaders, 10% off. So it went from $699 to $630. The state of Oregon gives up to $180 in tax credits for buying energy efficient appliances. This came out to a $157 rebate. Now its down to $473. The city of Forest Grove has a $70 rebate. So the final cost after rebates and sales is $403, three dollars more than a top loader. Add to that the money I will save each year on my water, electricity and detergent, it's a no-brainer.

Now I know as a Libertarian that getting tax credits is not the best use of government money. If the product is that much better, then the free market will work this out. This is true. But my mama didn't raise no fool either. If someone is going to give me money back then I'm going to take it. Ideally it would be better if there weren't tax credits or the government handing out rebates, but they are and there's isn't much I can do to change it. Even without the rebates I would still save money, much more in the long run than if I bought a top loader washer. The question then is why would someone not buy an energy efficient washer?

(Don't say revenge, don't say revenge.) Seriously, why do people avoid energy efficient or environmental friendly products? I think the problem is with the messenger. Most times when people talk about energy efficient they don't say "'save money" they say "save the planet". Now I like the planet as much as the next guy, but I like money a lot more. And so do many other people. Some environmentalist believe the only way to feel like you are doing something good for the environment is if you suffer. Like the person who thinks the only way to exercise is to push themselves to the point of pain (i.e. no pain no gain) instead of doing what is sensible. A number of people who spread the message of "saving the planet" are not the most avid free market supporters. And if someone doesn't think the free market is important, then they are not going to mention it. The problem is that most people do see the free market as important, without it you wouldn't be able to do much to save the environment.

More than that people don't like sacrifice, if people think they are making a sacrifice then they won't do it. If they think that this will not change what they would normally do, or not enough to truly notice, and save them money, then they'll jump on board. I have no problem saving a dollar, heck I'd save a nickel if it means I don't need to burn any calories over it. This is the message we need to get out there.

Buying the new washing machine meant I had to put up additional money first in order to get it back. Unless someone had to scrimp, borrow and pull together the $400 to buy a washer, then there is no reason not to get the most energy efficient model. I even opened a Home Depot credit card on the spot and they gave me six months of no interest, apparently on anything over $200 they do that, something to keep in mind in the future. Yet people still buy the less efficient model. Are they penny wise and pound foolish? Or do they think that since they have been told that it will "save the planet" which translates to them as "I'm going to suffer by having to make a sacrifice." This goes beyond washing machines, there are so many ways to save money by being environmentally sound, but people will actually avoid it because they haven't been told enough that they will save money.

What I ask is to anyone who wants to see more people do good for the environment, talk more about the money you can save. Mention both, some people will like to help the environment, some, like myself, want to help the environment and save money. Everyone else just wants to hear that they will save money. The goal is to balance our way of life with doing as little harm to our planet. If you make it an either or option guess which side most people will choose.

Now only if my wife can get me to actually use the washing machine........

Tearing Up My Lawn Part 3 - Year in Review

My first year of gardening is now over. My previous posts talked about how I tore up strips of my lawn and then how I started to plant fruits and vegetables. Now it's time to be objective and critical about what I grew, how well it grew and whether or not I'll try it again next year, a few years from now or never again even if my life depends on it.

Basil - Bought a plant from Trader Joes that was only 2.99 and was a large plant. Got a good deal of fresh basil from the plant, used scissors to cut leaves from the top and side. The taste of fresh herbs, especially basil, it incredible in anything you cook. Never planted in the ground, cold weather eventually killed it off. I feel I got my money's worth, easily got and shared more than $3 of basil. Would I grow it again, yes. Grade B

Beets - Planted them in late September in an attempt to get a fall crop of vegetables. Started to pop up but since it was a very cold October they never matured. I debated whether or not to try and pick the leaves to at least cook them but never bothered. Never got any beets. Did I get my money's worth, clearly no. Would I grow it again, yes. Grade D

Blueberries - Just planted them this fall. There was a special at Larsen Family Nursery, half price (or two for one) on fruit plants. Realizing how complex it would be to grow an apple or pear tree right now my wife and I opted for blueberries. We bought two plants, both mid-season, was told it's better to have two of the same for cross pollination. One of them is a Vaccinium 'Duke' the other I don't remember. They have started to grow, hopefully the cold hasn't killed them, too soon to tell. Grade Incomplete

Chives - Grown from seeds with the other herbs, started indoors and then moved to a pot for outside. Since they are perennials and can spread, they were not put into the ground. As a kid growing up there was a chive plant in the backyard that we would cut from each summer. I might have them moved to a planter box this year, but they should come back. They did in New York and the winter is much colder there. Used often in cooking, added a terrific flavor. Clearly got my money's worth since they are so expensive dried, let alone fresh. Will I grow them again, have no choice they are coming back. But this is good. Grade A


Fennel - Be careful what you wish for! Turns out that we grew the wrong type. My wife was responsible for the herbs, I was in charge of the vegetables. These were grown from seeds, decided to drop them in the garden. There are two types of fennel, one has a large bulb and short stalks, the type I though we planted. The other, as seen from the photo, grow as tall as five feet. Gave a lot of it away, cooked some but there is only so much fennel you can cook with. Decided to pull up before it seeded and took the leaves and placed in a mason jar with white vinegar to make fennel vinegar. Money's worth, yes. Grow again, maybe one day but not next year. Grade B+

Garlic - Two types grew in the garden, regular and elephant. The elephant was an accident. During the summer as I was clearing out the area around the garden I noticed in a pile of weeds what looked like a full bloomed garlic plant. As I cleared around it and dug it up, turned out it was garlic. I think it was there for years. Elephant garlic has large mild bulbs some people prefer them since they taste like garlic but not a strong. Cooked them and gave some away. The regular garlic was my goal since I first moved into our house. Didn't have the time in the fall of 2008 to plant it so I waited to early spring 2009 to plant about 35 cloves. I didn't do anything to the soil, just put it in the clay soil and it grew. I'm sure it would have done better if I added better soil or compost or something. But I got nice sized bulbs, the purple type! I found out that these are stronger in flavor than the plain white. I got my money's worth since one head of garlic produces another ten to fifteen heads. Will I grow again, I've planted two hundred cloves in September so I hope to have enough next year. Grade A+ (with a bonus from the existing elephant garlic)

Jalapeno Pepper - This one seemed more of a goof than anything else. My wife got it for me at the farmers market in May, I didn't think it would grow. I planted it in a space between the fennel, one of the plants didn't take. It started to take off and actually grew a number of peppers, at least six or seven. They were good, not the spiciest pepper I ever had but definitely the freshest. I got my moneys worth, one dollar for the plant got me about two to three dollars of peppers, a good return on investment. Will I grow again, maybe next year but definitely again in the future. Grade A

Lavender - This came from the herb mix my wife used, I believe. A good sized plant was put in the front of the house, but since we were going to be gone for almost two weeks in July, we needed to make sure it would be watered. Since I put a automated timer in the backyard, the lavender was moved to a pot and put in the path of watering. It stayed in the pot and grew pretty wild but was never replanted. It still seems to be growing, will see how it survives the winter. Getting my money's worth, it grew so I guess it's a break even. Will I grow it again, possibly but if it survives then I'll keep it. Grade C

Lettuce - Different types were grown. First was some green leaf which I stared from seed inside one of those mini greenhouse peat moss growing things. I realized that this was probably not necessary since lettuce can grow in colder weather and I should have just put the seeds in the ground in late March or early April. Nevertheless, I did get a few plants and had enough for a salad which made a great classic blog post. I decided, like the beets, to make an attempt in the fall to grow some more. My goal was to have enough grown so that the salad for Thanksgiving could be picked directly from the garden. I planted more green leaf, romaine, and a salad mix that included arugula, endive-green curled, kale-red russian, lettuce-red romaine, lettuce-parris island cos, lettuce-salad bowl and lettuce-lolla rossa. I put the romaine split in the same row with the beets, the next row over green leaf shared with the attempted spinach and set up a new area, as seen in the photo, for the salad mix. The only thing that grew was some of the salad mix. The romaine never came up, found out later that is a warmer weather variety of lettuce. The green leaf started but then due to the cold October, third coldest on record I hear, it died quickly. Not sure what types took for the salad mix, think some of the arugula, endive and possibly the kale, but they grew well. There was enough to pick to add to the basic lettuce salad for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately since I was eating mostly turkey, as well as most everyone else, I didn't get to taste too much. Also my mother-in-law did add all of what I picked, I should have stressed to leave some out, and she dressed the entire salad. The end result is after a day it's so soaked in oil that it's not good for leftovers or to be used again. For grading, did I get my money's worth, yes since I got a few salads out of the spring crop and at least one from the fall. Will I grow again, definitely and different types. Grade Green Leaf B / Salad Mix B / Romaine F

Onions - This didn't turn out as well as I thought it would. I stared from seeds, put them in the ground, they started to grow, but they never really grew well. I have a couple of theories of what went wrong. First I never removed them from mesh thing that I used when I stared them in the mini greenhouse. Second, they may have received a bit too much water during the summer. Third, I never did anything to the ground so it grew in clay soil. I still got a bunch, about a dozen, small bulbs of which I dried out and used them in my Thanksgiving stuffing. On a side note the stuffing was shallots, garden onions, garlic, mushrooms and fennel vinegar mixed with a generic stuffing mix and moistened with vegetable broth. Everyone commented that this was the best stuffing they ever had. I want to think that the onions helped a bit, it'll help them in their final grade. Money's worth, pretty close to breaking even on this one. Would I try them again, yes I'll try one more time this year. Grade C+

Parsley - Another one from the herb seed mix. Seeds got everywhere though. When I was planting my lettuce, turns out the first one in the row was a parsley plant. They were also put into pots next to the chives. Used regularly during the summer for cooking, tastes much better than the store bought and actually adds good flavor to most items you add it to. Moved the ground plant to in between my tomatoes later in the season, kept growing. Still growing now in January. Money's worth, yes. Will grow again, it's still growing and if it's there I'll cook with it. Grade A-

Radish - Purely by accident. Turns out that a radish seed was mixed up in my tomato seeds. I didn't notice it, although the leaves looked different than the tomatoes and it grew faster, I didn't think there was a difference. It was planted with the rest of the tomatoes and only after we got back from visiting family did I notice that it was not a tomato. I saw a red base, pulled it out and discovered that it was a radish. Cut up the leaves and added them to a kale sausage potato soup, ate the radish in a salad. I got my money's worth since I never bought any seeds or plants and got it as a bonus. Will I grow it again, no since I didn't want to grow it in the first place. Grade A

Shallots - Planted them in the fall with the garlic. Put fifty of them into the ground, spaced between rows of garlic. So far they have started to grow. I am tempted to start digging some up but I still have some from last years farmers market and I want to wait until the spring. I am confident that they will turn out great. They grow just like garlic, bulbs surround the one you plant. Money's worth, so far it's looking like a yes. Will I grow it again, the question is would I ever think of not growing them, like garlic it will always be grown. Grade Incomplete (possible A+)

Spinach - Started too late, became too cold. Planted with the beets and lettuce mixes in the fall. Started to see some leaves but they never grew large enough. So I didn't get my money's worth, but that sometimes happens. Will I grow again, yes I will try some in the spring this year. Grade D

Squash - Grew Delicata Bush, the type with black and white stripes on the outside. This was a replacement for the radish that I though was a tomato plant. After I pulled the radish out, and ate it, I wanted to fill the empty spot. Going to Bi-Mart, they had a bunch of tomato plants they were selling for one dollar. Since I already planted twelve other plants, I didn't want to put another tomato there. There I am looking for anything that is not a tomato and all of a sudden I see a Delicata Bush Squash, the only plant that wasn't a tomato. So I bought it, planted it and watched it grow. It started to flower soon after. I have heard that you could eat the flowers, but I didn't bother. Flower after flower kept blooming but no squash. Finally around early September did I see some squashes growing, one started to get really big, and then it got cold. The small one shriveled up, I pulled off the one that was trying to grow, ate it later on in December, it was delicious. Someone told me that the male flowers grow first and then eventually the females, the ones that have fruit, will grow. I think since the plant was grown and put into the ground late, and it getting cold earlier, it didn't grow that well. I feel that I got my money's worth, especially after the radish bonus. Will I grow again, yes. Grade B-

Tomatoes - The main reason for me to garden, next to garlic that is. First set of seeds only grew me one plant. Got additional seeds, got twelve others (eleven if you don't count the radish) and got them into the ground, eventually. Nursed them, put wooden stakes in the ground to tie them to, burried milk cartons next to them to get them well watered, finally got tomatoes. They were started late so most of them stayed green. They started to turn red in late September, early October, but it was too late. I still got lots of tomatoes that I canned and pickled. I did find out that in order to get tomato sauce, one of my goals of growing tomatoes, you need to grow roma tomatoes. They are also good for diced and whole tomatoes. I'll focus on those, but will do others to pickle and of course just to eat. Money's worth, clearly yes. Will I grow again, definitely yes. Grade A

Seeing that I ended up growing almost twenty items, some not even of my choosing, I feel proud for a first year attempt at gardening. So adding up my grades and not counting the incomplete of blueberries and shallots, it rounds up to a B. I feel motivated and ready for this year and will add some more vegetables and of course have to create more growing space. Maybe then I'll be able to bribe the lettuce prosecutor.