Is college the right path for you?

There's nothing wrong with getting an education (especially if you can go to college for free). College can develop your reading, writing, analytical, and personable skills, which are essential for survival. Furthermore, there have been many great minds which received degrees and became professors at universities.

However, college focuses on cluttering your time with miscellaneous classes, which costs you MORE money. Unlike technical colleges, universities depreciate the value of hands-on learning.

When you're considering secondary education, ask yourself: Am I creative or technical? Am I permanent or nomadic? Where and when do I feel happy? Where do I feel the most pressure? What skills do I have? Do I have scholarships or grants to pay for college?

Moreover, a great quote from a NYC teacher, John Taylor Gatto, said: "The truth is that
schools don’t really teach anything except how to obey orders". Additionally, our generation of young adults are completely ignorant and could not change a tire on a car, for example.
Consequently, the youth's mentality or attitude is that technology, or "someone else" will do the processing for me. We have lost survival skills, emergency training, and "street-smarts". It's as if the more schooling our generation obtains, we become more compliant to social rules; and complying to social standards will allow you to reap the immediate benefits: money for 'stuff'.
To add to this point, I have quoted Bruce E. Levine where he underlines the obedience mentality of our youth: "The nature of most classrooms, regardless of the subject matter, socializes students to be passive and directed by others, to follow orders, to take seriously the rewards and punishments of authorities, to pretend to care about things they don’t care about, and that they are impotent to affect their situation".
To paraphrase George Carlin: 'they want you smart enough to work the machines and do the paperwork, but dumb enough to passively accept horrible jobs with low wages'. 

Another aspect of University that irked me was the reputation or representation of the quality of the school through the performance of sports teams and cheerleading.

There are many other aspects of University I haven't fully discussed, for example the nature of college as a marketing device (aside from the sports teams and cheerleading reputation of the school).

Subsequently, I want to move forward from the problems with University and look towards the ways we can better our school systems, or perhaps your decision to attend University:

First, shift your perspective on the meaning of successful 'Hollywood status' to a simpler status like that of a gardener or local business owner that is able to feed and shelter her family with little materials, but feels peace and harmony. Likewise, you do not need to go to college to be successful, or happy for that matter. As little as 40 years ago, it was just as meaningful to work under someone to learn skills (apprenticeship), as it was to be able to afford college for a degree.

Lets face it, it's not JUST about college education: the problems in education begin with public schooling. Creativity and self-expression are repressed, while math and science is deemed less important or boring to the other subjects.

Secondly, books and education should ultimately be free, as we look towards technology to teach one another and share knowledge! When I was in college, I always ordered my textbooks through the library (to get them for free and use them all semester). If you plan to go to college, look into Inter Library Loan on the college's library website for more information.
At the University I attended, internet classes cost a student three times more than a regular on-campus class. For those who suffer from social anxiety disorders (Autism, Asperger's, etc) benefit in a calm environment like online.

Third, education should be localized like high school -- without the social stigma of high school.

I may come back to this thought to add more useful adjustments to University, but I'm feeling the affects of lack of sleep...

If you are unsure you're ready, prepared, or interested in college, you will find on this blog how to live for free without a degree and with VERY little money. Explore the rest of my posts that discuss growing your own food, living off the land, building your own house out of free materials, and using resources such as the library to further your education. Also, I have a blog post here "How to Tell your Parent(s) you dropped out of college" where you can find the tools to discussing quitting college or not attending college.

Considering I wanted to present a video of education that better-explained the greed inside colleges:

I wanted to end with a article, that reminds us that we do not have to go to college. In fact, there are many successful people that have dropped out of college or never attended university. I love the excerpt: "faulty thinking has led the public to believe everyone needs to go to college even if they can't afford it" paraphrased from Paul Thiel. I would like to add that we need to branch our understanding of all aspects (math, technology, chemistry, reading, writing, etc) The more we attempt to have a basic understanding of these things around us, the more self-reliant we can become. We can stop relying/paying for a "professional", when it is much easier and cheaper for us to do it ourselves. 

Like I said: I am not discouraging college, nor am I persuading anyone to drop-out on a whim. This post is only to shed light on this issue where our society thinks we need to pay absurd amounts of money for a sub-par education! Timothy Leary (from Flashbacks, 1983) wrote: "Drop out suggested an elective, selective, graceful process of detachment from involuntary or unconscious commitments. 'Drop Out' meant self-reliance, a discovery of one's singularity, a commitment to mobility, choice, and change."

Here is the article that highlights this: Why College may Not be Worth It

Losing weight fast vs keeping the weight off

I have seen people lose weight, by eating the least nutritious diet. Actually, I have a friend that lives off Ramen and cigarettes, which has contributed to his 75 lb weight loss in FOUR MONTHS!!! That is a remarkable amount of weight in a little amount of time. In some weird way, I was jealous of his weight loss (not that I want to lose 75 lb...I would blow away with the wind.) Then I started studying my siblings' diet -- which live off meat and bread, but who are incredibly much thinner than I am. But my partner reassured me that their metabolism would eventually weaken and slow down, as my friend eventually will, and they will become much larger as they get older. Thank goodness for boyfriend's reassurance!

But focusing on those who WANT to lose weight for good: you cannot shed weight fast and expect to keep the weight off on a calorie-restricting and carb-restricting diet. Calories and carbs don't make you fat  -- FAT MAKES YOU FAT.

What's the best, free material to use for raised beds?

PALLETS

Pallets are accessible anywhere and everywhere for free. I would recommend using pallets to make your own house, compost bin, raised beds, or décor in your home. My partner found these pallets behind a country store; but you can find them behind any grocery store, big business and organization buildings (i.e. college campuses.) Pallets are all around us, it just takes some energy to go find them.

What you need to know about Compost (& doing it for free)

Compost is a crucial aspect in gardening because it is FREE, ORGANIC, HIGH QUALITY material, that fertilizes your soil so you can enforce nutrition and strength to your plants. According to "Why Composting is Important" from Environment.gov website, up to 30% of the material we add to the landfill is organic materials that could be composted at home (i.e. dust, paper, and food scraps) for gardening. In other words, YOU should be composting to reduce the amount of waste you're adding to landfills, while you could be using that compost to grow food, for free, for you and your family. Using your own compost to grow your OWN food is the healthiest thing you can do for yourself and your family.

Earth-friendly chick

Being conscience of our environment and researching how to protect it, is not just a man's job. Everyone should aim for creating a cleaner environment, which is why I wanted to mention one MAJOR way women can generate less waste, that is put into our landfills: getting rid of disposable tampons and pads.

Did you know, in 1998, 12 billion sanitary pads and 7 billion tampons were dumped on our earth in North America alone? Not to mention the 170,000 tampon applicators found at the U.S. coastal areas that same year.

If that statistic doesn't change your decision to switch to an alternative feminine hygiene product, then think of it this way: The average woman's menstruation span is between 11-52 (41 years), and when multiplying the number of pads/tampons you use each month by 12 (months in a year), then multiply that number by the average menstruation span, 41 years. For the sake of my readers, I'll do the math for you. Lets assume you use 4 tampons or pads per day for 5 days. That equates to 20 disposable tampons or pads per menstruation cycle. To reach the amount of disposable products used in a year, multiply 20 by 12: you use 240 tampons or pads each year. Now for the real shocker: multiply 240 by the average menstruation span of 41 years, which will give you close to 10,000 tampons or pads you'll use in your lifetime.

Not only are tampons and pads wasteful, most contain surfactants, adhesives, polyethylene plastic, dioxin, a carcinogen (by-product during the bleaching process of tampons containing rayon.) The chemicals put into the tampons and pads can leach out into your body...and your water when dumped in a landfill.

Would you like an alternative to tampons and pads, that are much safer for our environment and yourself? There are two options to completely eliminate the waste you add to landfills, such as the DivaCup and homemade cloth pads.

Source: Rowdy Kittens

The DivaCup is a silicone cup that catches your menstruation throughout the day (without having to take it out until you get home from work or school.) The DivaCup is used throughout the year for each period, and discarded when it is time to buy a new DivaCup. They cost approximately $24. Go to eBay to purchase them at a cheaper price than the DivaCup's website (you save money on shipping if not on the product itself.) Moreover, American women spend approximately $150-$200 a year on tampons and pads. By making the switch to the DivaCup, you're not only saving the environment and yourself from harmful waste products, you're also saving a significant amount of cash. Considering the DivaCup is scary to those who have NEVER heard of them, go to their website here (DivaCup) and find out more about the reasons for switching to the DivaCup and how you can make it happen.

Source: New Life on a Homestead

Secondly, cloth pads are another cost saving alternative to tampons and pads. Actually, you can make your own. Cloth pads are self-explanatory, as they are sheets of biodegradable cloth that absorb your flow. You can purchase five to use one pad, each day, while you machine wash your other pads. Cloth pads can be reused for as long as you take care of them. All that is required is washing the pads, and once they tear up, you can compost them. Here is a website that will take you to a collection of sellers that have made their own cloth pads to the public (at very cheap): Etsy, "Cloth Pads"

But if you prefer to make your own (because you're SO creative and you know how to work a sewing machine), then here is a website that will give you instructions on how to make your own, why you should use cloth pads to the alternatives, and other information regarding use: Tiny Birds Organic baby & family

Keep in mind, that eating a raw diet with emphasis on fruit will change your menstrual cycle. Some women have even said that they lose their period.

Many women have switched to using these eco-alternatives, and women have been using these products for over 50 years, so don't feel uneasy about using something new. If you have any questions and comments about using the DivaCup or cloth pads, leave a message below!

Raised Bed Garden Ideas & Using Free materials

The number one rule in constructing raised beds, is to be creative. And to be creative, use materials around you. By using materials around your house or finding materials in nature, you're making a project for FREE, being environmentally safe, recycling, reusing, and building an intimate relationship with your garden. Below are examples of the types of raised beds you can construct yourself.

Tin or house siding sheets

Source: Creative Garden Supplies

Logs/Wood (Vertical & Horizontal)

Source: Instructables

Source: Curtis and Kaye Absher

Rock (Cross-stacking & Packing)

Source: Sally Gardens

Source: Container Gardening For You

Other Recycled, Cheap, and Effective

Materials for making Raised Beds...

• Pallets 
• Cylinder blocks
• Tires
•  Steel Tubs
•  Trash cans/buckets/Plastic Containers
•  Wagon/Wheel barrel
•  Aquarium/Glass windows for cold-frame raised beds
•  Ceramic structures (toilets, sinks, tub)

My partner and I are constructing our raised beds out of plastic siding that we already had lying around. Below are pictures of the first raised bed/box garden my partner made, which was made up of boards from pallets.



Watch the video below by John Koehler, discussing examples of Container Gardening, vertical gardening, and ways in which you grow food to conserve space:
 

How to escape from the pressures of society

It is no wonder we want to escape from reality if we have to wake up at 6:30am and prepare to go to a job we hate, to pay off 'things' that we're told we have to have (i.e. vehicles, cable, cell phones, etc.) My post on how single mothers can live for free similarly answers the question 'how can we escape from society (or pressures)?'

Vehicles and other transportation are one of the largest contributors directly associated with air pollution. Moreover, your food should be coming from your garden. We cannot keep depending on the reliance of vehicles for our convenience of imported food. Or else if we face some sort of collapse of oil, then we can say good-bye to Florida Oranges being shipped on a truck to Michigan; or California dates transported on a truck to New York. 
Our dependence on the grocery store is directly related to our dependence on oil. 
I admit I eat many imported foods but there is a reason why I am trying to grow as many fruit trees and fruit bushes and vegetable gardens. I would love to construct an in ground greenhouse for lemon, lime, mandarin, and banana trees. 

Once again, find a way to grow your own food -- I have a blog post on how apartment dwellers can grow food (if you don't have garden space to do so) here: Three Ways to Grow Food & Other Plants for Apartment Dwellers (Indoors/Outdoors). 
Ask friends or family who own property, preferably more than 3 acres -- if you can build a garden or build a small house for you and/or your family. In return, you can give them your extra or leftover food you grew, in exchange for living on their land. 

If you do not have family or friends that can allow you to do this, find a spot in the woods that is less traveled by human/animal, has shade and sun, and is close enough to human contact in an emergency. Tutorials on debris shelters for living in the woods go to
Semi-Permanent Debris Shelters - Vegans Living Off the Land
and Construct your own home.
Screw anyone that tells you you have to own property! 
I am growing food on my Mom's and grandparents' yard, and building my Earth home in my Grandparents' woods because I intend to live for free.

I have mentioned our dependence on driving a vehicle, which leads me to my next tip: Reduce your use of other technologies like cell phones, washer, dryer, dish washer. These things are expensive and unnecessary in most cases. If you want to "escape" from the pressures of our society, you may want to remind yourself of what is most important. Once again, these machines are an unsustainable and finite resources (when coal cannot be used to power our luxuries.) However, technology is NOT the issue, it is powering these technologies and being obsessed with the technologies that are symbols of capitalism, greed, laziness, and sloth. Of all technologies, internet access is the best tool for teaching one another how to do things for FREE. It is one of the greatest Anarchist technologies.
With that being said, I would invest in solar panels when you can afford to do so. Small Solar panels will power at least the use of a laptop or one light of your house. 


If you plan to settle down (and own your own property): build your own house out of recycled materials (i.e. wood, straw, mud, and stone from the woods.) For more information on how to create a home using recycled materials, and innovative ways to construct your home for CHEAP, go here for inspiring videos: Kirstendirksen on youtube, also read The Hand-sculpted House for another approach to free and environmentally-conscience building.

Escaping the pressures of society would be to live as the other animals using your evolved skills of construct large shelters and growing food. Keep in mind, Humans are the only animals that heats (cooks) their food, we have all of these (wonderful and convenient yet unsustainable) technologies. 
It only makes sense to eat fresh, raw, ripe fruits and vegetables that you can grow in your climate. Forage for foods that grow in the wild. 
 

How to Take the Guess Work Out of Eating Vegetarian, Vegan, or Raw Food

When you're interested in changing your diet, you immediately look for recipes online or buy cookbooks -- not really looking for information on how to make the transition easier, or how to be healthy.

But, what if cooking is NOT your thing? What if you cannot prepare a meal for yourself because you're not good at it? What if you don't have time to prepare a meal? And what if you're just fed up with looking for recipes that end up costing you a butt-load, and they take so much time to make? Or what if you just don't know what to make to eat, because you're too tired?

The easiest, cheapest, and cleansing method, for taking the worry and guess work out of preparing a meal, is: eat mono meals. "Mono meals" is a phrase used to describe eating ONE vegetable or fruit (usually in large quantities to get your calories) at one meal. For example, for breakfast: 1 large watermelon; for lunch: 5+ apples; and for dinner: 9+ bananas -- strive for 2500 (women) & 3000 (men) calories a day on fruit!

Three Ways to Grow Food & Other Plants for Apartment Dwellers (Indoors/Outdoors)

3. Bottle & Terrariums: Terrariums are not typically used to grow food, however they are gorgeous for growing tropical plants in your kitchen, bathroom, and living room to create a peaceful and natural atmosphere in your home. Tropical plants love three things: heat, and dark moist soil.

The "art" of terrarium making is choosing the type of glass container. You could use an old, glass coffee pot, aquariums, mason jars, glass salad bowls, and glass viles. The pictures in this section will give you an idea of how to create innovative, recycled, and unique crafts for edibles or decorative plants.

Below are instructions on how you can make your own terrariums (from the Gardener's Eden):

photo Source: How to Reuse Your Plastic Bottles for Crafts 

Step One: Purchase pea gravel or find some small stones from nature (which is important for drainage.) Secondly, purchase sphagnum moss or find some moss from nature to hold in the soil and retain moisture (optional); and for native plants, purchase peat moss (if desired.) Lastly, purchase quality (organic), dry potting soil. Take this project to the next level by collecting materials from the park, woods, or stream for stones, bark, and twigs. Select and buy small plants from a local greenhouse/florist or through online resources. For food sources: grow strawberries, herbs, and aloe vera in terrariums.

Step Two: Fill the bottom of the glass container with about an inch or small layer of pea gravel.

Step Three: Add a layer of sphagnum moss (sometimes called sheet moss.)

Step Four: Add potting soil, and peat moss (if you are planting acid-loving natives like ferns and moss). Make a mound so the plant will be visible from all sides.

Step Five: Add materials you found -- just get creative with the structure; and moisten the jar thoroughly with a water-filled spray bottle. Let the contents settle for a few minutes.

Step Six: add your plant(s). Mist your terrarium thoroughly after planting and cover with the glass lid (if your jar or glass container came with one.) Check your plants over the next few days and water with your mister if they seem dry.

2. Vertical Gardening: This method for growing food and other plants is ideal, if you a fireplace or community gardening space in your neighborhood. Even if you have a little amount of space, you can make it work! Here are some photos that may inspire you to do the same:

Source: Emily Saurus (Flikr)

Source: Eden Makers Blog

Source: Sprig Love Mulch: Vertical Gardens

You can construct your own vertical tower or stand with old an old wood or metal ladder, book shelf, baby cribs, metal spring matress (to create trellises for cucumbers and squashes); or use pallets that are thrown out behind grocery stores. Another idea: you can purchase a Topsy Turvy planter for strawberries and tomatoes at Big Lots or Dollar Generals for dirt cheap! Topsy Turvys can be used outside or inside the house (perfect for renters.) The last photo, above, shows that someone used an old, cloth shoe wrack. 

For more ideas on how to recycle materials for vertical gardening, go here to scroll through photos: Pinterest "Vertical Gardening" or go here for using trellises at Pinterest "Trellis Gardening"

1. Container Gardening: The most common and most creative method of gardening, for apartment dwellers or renters, is using containers (because their cheap, and you can literally find containers for free on the side of the road.) Also, they don't have to be containers -- you can grow food in old boots, old stumps, or bottles. When it comes to gardening in containers, the options are endless, because there are varieties of plants that can thrive indoors or in a small space. Consequently, you need to be concerned about: what plants need more growing space (how big does the container need to be), what plants can grow in the shade (like parsley, garlic/chives, spearmint); and what plants need to grow in the sun (windowsill.) Actually, you can grow tropical fruit indoors, if you wanted to!

Source: Trash to Treasure

The first thing you should do is: choose plants you KNOW you will have time and resources to manage. The most popular plants to grow (for renters) are herbs, tomatoes, and peppers. But if you aren't a tomato or pepper eater, what's the point in growing those things? If you're favorite plants to eat are broccoli, strawberries, and kale -- then those are the plants you need to be growing. Choose 3-5 vegetabes and 4-5 herbs to grow.

If you cannot decide or you would like more of a variety and options, I would recommend buying the "Emergency Food Survival Seed Non-gmo Non-hybrid Variety Pack" on Amazon, which includes a large variety of organic, quality, vegetable, fruit, and herb seeds for VERY cheap. I bought this survival kit a few months ago, and I'll be using these seeds this summer to grow food. As of now, I have broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cilantro, peas, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, beets, and onions started indoors from the survival pack -- and they're doing great so far!



Source: Trash to Treasure

Source: Trash to Treasure

If you want EXPERT advise and tutorials (with videos) on how to create your own container garden, go here to check out CanarsieBK's youtube channel, which is full of information on this topic. He has lived in an apartment for years in New York; and he does videos on how to grow food with messages that are short, sweet, and to the point. Another expert gardener, whose messages are longer and in more detail, is John from Growingyourgreens on youtube -- he will give you MORE examples of vertical and container gardening, as well as how to make raised beds (if you have a yard); and John will give better tips on how to grow the best quality food.

Information on Terrariums from: The Gardener's Eden

Watch the video below by John Koehler discussing examples of Container Gardening, vertical gardening, and ways in which you grow food to conserve space:

How To Eat Healthy, Vegetarian, Vegan, or Raw for DIRT CHEAP!

Being vegan, vegetarian, and raw is only expensive if you are buying the products marketed towards people who are replacing meat with fake meat. If you cut out the pre-packaged meatless burgers, pre-made veg meals, soymilk, and gluten-free or organic health products...what's left for the veg to eat: DUH! FRUITS AND VEGETABLES! If you ONLY buy fresh (or frozen) fruit and vegetables, you will save hundreds of dollars a week!



Photo by Scrumptious Photography  

If you go to the grocery store, stick to the fruits and veggies that are on sale or in season. If that isn't cheap enough for you, buy bananas in bulk. You can literally live off of bananas, just like I have seen people live off of ramen or bread (but the difference is: bananas have nutritional value...ramen and bread do not.)

Bananas cost approximately 0.50 cents/lb. I usually buy a 40 lb box of bananas for $20.
Not only would that save you money, it takes out the guess work about "what should I eat tonight?"; you don't have any dishes to wash; and above all, you're getting all your nutrients (high in potassium, vitamin C, B vitamins, protein, carbs, and calories if eating large quantities).

Don't Be Fooled By the Supplements & Superfoods!

In the last year of my raw vegan research, I've noticed health gurus are always selling a product. One of the  world's leading authorities on nutrition, David Wolfe, is known to promote superfoods, but not real food! Why is he a health expert, if he is only selling a refined version of the food you should be eating? It's because there's no money in telling people: "EAT BANANAS!" or "EAT MANGOES!"

Photo by "Thai Food" on About.com 

Actually, I was very fascinated by the maca, lucuma powder, cacao, and spirulina that I saw online. And I was fascinated because I thought I needed these superfoods, because the authorities were raving about how much better they feel on supplements. Luckily, I NEVER bought any of those products, because I realized some of the people in the raw food world was just as blinded by marketing schemes as someone saying you need to restrict your calories or your carbs to lose weight. If you need more vitamin C, eat a meal of oranges for breakfast, then for lunch have a meal of bananas...your vitamin C levels will go up tremendously (and that's cheaper than buying camu camu.)