pndmnd's Profile

This is such a great post! There are so many kitchen items that I would love, but at this point in my life I can't justify the expense. If the less expensive version works for you then I would argue that it's better than nothing! And for some gadgets I think it's better to start with a less expensive version until you know if you will actually use it. I'm also glad to hear that the Martha Stewart dutch oven has held up well. I've been wanting a Dutch Oven, but really can't justify Le Creuset prices at this point!

Having said that, I did finally splurge on a Kitchen Aid (6 Quart!) last summer, but only because it was on such a huge sale that it made it less than the Artisan model. At that point I had spent years just getting by with my VERY cheap mixer, and knew how much I would actually use it.

I've always saved my change! I usually end up with mutliple containers, both at home and in my office, and then before a big trip I'll collect them all and take them to the bank. Whatever amount I end up with can be used for some kind of treat on the vacation (a nicer dinner than I would normally have, paying full price for theatre tickets, renting kayaks, buying a nice souvenir, etc.). I've ended up with hundreds of dollars every time!

In my car I keep a really big beach towel, which can serve as a towel, blanket, or picnic blanket. I also keep around $5-10 in there. I usually have cash on me, but there have been times when I'm out running errands, really want to pull through a drive-in for a pop, and don't have any cash! Plus, it's enough for adding a couple of gallons of gas in an emergency. I would NOT recommend keeping a credit card in there, though. In the winter I also keep a foil blanket, collapsable shovel, non-clumping kitty liter, and a couple of scraps of carpet (yay northern winters!).

I like the idea of keeping garbage bags in the bottom of the can, but on rare occasions I have had bangs leak and I wouldn't want to risk ruining a whole box of them. And the idea of linens beetween the mattress and box spring grosses me out, too.

I don't really have a place in my kitchen or pantry for a spice rack, so I bought baskets that I put all of the spices in (one for baking-type seasonings, one for more savory spices). Now when I'm cooking I can just pull out the baskets and keep them out until I'm finished. It's especially nice for things that I'm seasoning as I cook, because I can keep the whole basket right by the stove. I also bought baskets for liquids (oils and vinegars, Worcestershire, honeys, etc.), so I no longer have to carry armfuls of bottles and jars into the kitchen.

"add" not "ad" - I really can't seem to type today!

You would be surprised at what paint and a change of hardware can do!

Another option: I had an apartment with almost no closet space, and I didn't have a dresser at the time. What I did have was an extra shelving unit that was one of those cube ones (I think it had nine cubes making up the unit). I bought some of those fabric type bins to slide in the cubbies, which kept my clothes out of site. The bins weren't the exact color that I would have liked, but I found them on sale for $5 a piece and they were close enough. If you find them cheap but really hated the color you could always recover the front of the bin. I actually found it to be a great way to keep my clothes contained. I new which containers had workout clothes vs. jeans vs. pajamas vs. whatever, and, unlike large dresser drawers, they kept the stacks of clothes neatly folded.

If it's hanging storage that you need you could try what the previous tenant in my apartment did. She was a clothing designer and needed a lot of storage for her work, so she hung racks from the ceiling. In her case they filled the living room that she used as a work space, but you could hang a rod for clothes in a corner of your bedroom and then hang a longer rod in front of it to hang a curtain from for coverage. Or you could use a folding screen for covering the clothes.

Also, take a look at how deep and tall your closet(s) are. I have a closet that is really tall, but only had one shelf in it. I installed a second shelf higher up and keep off-season clothes up there. In my last apartment I had a really deep closet that just had one rod along the back, so I installed multiple rods so I had rows of hanging clothes. I just kept the things that I used the most towards the front.

I agree - do NOT be hostile. In my case, even being polite and apologetic about asking my new neighbors to be aware of their volume resulted in retaliation noise. Plus, if you do need to go to your landlord, you want to know that you were the better person in this. I would also look at your lease and see what it says about exercise equipment and/or noise. Mine actually doesn't say that we can't have fitness equipment, but my landlord is pretty laid-back. If your lease says that they can't have this, or if it says anything about noise levels, then that is something you can take to them.

In regards to the comments encouraging HELP! to look for future apartments that are on the top floor, being on the top floor doesn't always keep you out of these issues. I'm in a top floor apartment of a three-flat and for almost two years I never heard my downstairs neighbor unless she was having a party (which she always let me know about a head of time). She moved out over the summer and I hear my new neighbors almost every night. Sometimes it's a loud party, sometimes it's banging around, but even their conversations are loud enough that I can hear the whole thing. And it tends to be loudest as I'm going to bed. They even woke me up at 3:00 in the morning on a week night! I'm sure that they can hear my walking around some, so I've only asked them to keep it down twice when it was REALLY loud (the first time was a raucus party the night before our marathon). The second time that I talked to them the girl cursed at me (not to my face, I could hear their conversation when I got back upstairs), and then they got even louder. So, now they've gotten their way and I will no longer ask them to be aware of their volume, since that only made things worse. If it gets really bad, I will try Pi's letter advice, and then take it to my landlord, but at this point I'm resrving that for if it gets REALLY bad. I just put on music to fall asleep to. Besides, now when I have to be up for an early flight I no longer feel guilty about moving around at 4:00 in the morning! With my old neighbor I would tiptoe around my apartment and try to avoid the squeeky floor boards on those mornings, but now I feel like I can just walk like a normal person.

I know someone mentioned that she had to know how loud the treadmill would be when she bought it, but I will say that I would not have thought of that. I work out at a gym and don't notice any floor shaking from the equipment. If she was used to exercising on solid floors, it might not have occurred to her. Obviously her response was still rude, but I think her original purchase was more thoughtless than malicious. I was actually considering cancelling my gym membership and buying a used treadmill, but this has definitely steered me away from that!

I have done this! It didn't turn out very well but that was because, while I have mastered a regular pie crust, I had never made a graham cracker crust before. The recipe that I used seemed off to me, but not having made one before I just went with it. Turns out, I was right and it was absolutely swimming in butter. I would definitely try it again, but either with a store bought crust or a different recipe.

This isn't a side dish, but I like chow mein noodles as an alternative to rice.