Round 2!

Well, folks, it's happened, the house of cards that was the American economy has begun to crumble, and before this is all over it will completely fall apart. Haven't we learned? It is not possible to build an economy on debt no matter how attractively we package it. It always ends the same way--not enough hard cash to sustain the debt.

But don't look at this as a bad thing. Look at it as an opportunity. This is your chance to do all those things you always wanted to do: write your novel, be a rock star, be a photographer...all without worrying about the Joneses next door and what they have. Because soon enough, *everybody* will be in the same boat.

The goal and mission of this blog is to explain how I survive and thrive as a starving artist, on under 20K a year, and I never go hungry, I have a roof over my head and clothes to wear, I stay physically healthy, I take vacations, I go out with my friends, and I have the supplies I need to do my job--writing, photography, music. I hope other people will be able to draw inspiration from it also. This country is about to go through a major belt-tightening--maybe even a corsetting. I hope to show by example that it is possible to be poor and really live and enjoy life. How to get the most out of your money, and live the life you want to live.

I tried to put up a blog before, but I mistakenly erased it. It's taken me a while, but some new sign ups for my newsletter over at my website,
GroovyDaveOnlinehave caused me to get on the stick again. The early parts of this new-old blog will be reconstructed posts from the old one--I have notes on all the tips, etc., so I should be able to do a good reconstruction job.

Hey, you fall off the the horse, the important thing is to get right back on the horse, that's all.

So here we go with my:

STARVING ARTIST TIP OF THE DAY: Let's start off with the one about clothes. The best place to buy clothes, if you are an artist, is a thrift store. the Salvation Army will almost certainly have a thrift store within bus riding distance--just check the phone book. The Salvation Army as well as other thrift stores typically clean clothes, autoclave them, and sell them at ridiculously low prices. I have known people who got heavy alpaca sweaters for $3, leather and snakeskin cowboy boots for $7, and jeans for $2-3 a pair.

A couple of tips for thrift store clothing: While you don't typically have to worry about bugs and fleas and etc (this isn't the 1940s anymore and there are laws about things like that) you do have to be careful about what you buy. For sweaters and other types of shirts, check carefully under the arms and around the collars for holes. Take the shirt off the rack and examine it carefully for holes and stains. Also check the seams for splits.

For shoes, make sure there are no holes, that they fit properly, and that they are at the beginning to middle of their life--you can tell by the stiffness of the leather. Try them on to make sure they are comfortable. When you take them home, treat them thusly--pour baking soda into them and leave it for a day or two. Then empty out the baking soda and put a Dr. Scholls or similar insole in, and an odor eater. Your shoes should be good to go! This will also work for boots. Something to remember with boots is that if you find a really good pair of leather or snake boots, but the sole or heel is broken, or the stitching is worn or loose, or they are stained, they can almost certainly be repaired. Look in the Yellow Pages under Shoe Repair or Shoemakers.

For jeans, make sure they fit, that they are not stained, and that there are no splits in the inseam. There is nothing worse than getting home with a pair of circa 1967 American made Levis from a thrift store and finding that the inseam is split or has holes. Also check the side seams for splits, up the leg. You also want to make sure that all buttons, snaps, and zippers work properly.

Next Post: How to remove ANY stain from ANY textile WITHOUT special cleaners! Keep your thrift-shop clothing clean and in good repair!