With the onset of fall officially here, I reached out to a handful of my buddies and asked if they wanted to go on an impromptu camping trip at a site just an hour away from most of us. Luckily for me, most of my friends enjoy out of the blue plans like this, and those guys are always down for something fun like camping, hiking, and canoeing with each other. With the promise of beer and a good time around a campfire, everyone agreed on a date and time for next weekend quite readily.

I’m also quite lucky to have one of those buddies volunteer to drive me and another friend down there. That takes the gas/driving commitment out of the equation for me, which is less work on my end and more fun playing tunes in the car and navigating for my friend.

Just as well, he’s quite keen on camping and hiking and has some of the nicest gear you could hope for related to those hobbies. Since he’s a master of the outdoors, it’s no surprise that he has extra gear for people and offered me an extra hammock for the night. It’s safe to say I’ll enjoy the hell out of hammock camping for the first time. I really can’t wait to see how comfy I find the experience the following morning.

Most times we go camping, I always end up forgetting a thing or two that I would’ve rather had with me just in case. It’s not that I ever leave behind an essential item like a sleeping bag or anything like that. It’s just more along the lines of convenience items for camping, like an extra blanket or multiple pairs of shoes and sandals to adapt to the weather.

This time, though, I’ll be quite prepared for multiple things. For example, I’ll be taking a handful of extra shipping supplies, like cardboard and packing tape in order to have extra materials for kindling, sleeping pads to put under other people’s sleeping bags, and the tape is extremely useful for keeping food sealed quite well (to help ward off against thieving raccoons in the night). Who would’ve guessed that basic shipping supplies would be so useful on a camping trip? I never really knew they could be so versatile until I saw a buddy bring some scrap cardboard for a multitude of uses around our previous campsite.

There’s something pretty magical about revisiting old things or getting your hands on someone else’s old belongings. It almost feels like you’re transported back to that point in time when those things were used a lot or popular.

I’ve always felt this way about obtaining old books, especially when you can tell that the pages are quite delicate and have been around a lot longer than most of the people I know. It’s fascinating to think about such a thing being printed back in the day, and it gets me to wondering who people were when reading such a book, or just wondering what the previous owners were like.

In fact, recently my fiancee and I were looking through some old shipping boxes full of cassettes and records that her dad used to listen to. Since he no longer had a record player and we recently got one, he figured we should give a look through of everything he owned in case we wanted anything in his collection.

As we flipped through everything, it was enchanting getting to glimpse into his life simply by the records he owned. Taste in music says a heck of a lot about someone, or that’s at least how I like to look things. I can get a read on how average someone is depending on what they listen to, and if they do happen to stray from the norm, it’s easier to get a read on who they are, what their life is like, and more all because of the albums they choose to own and listen to.

This is something I’m highly fascinated with, the whole “getting to know someone based on what they used to like or own.” I mean, if anyone somewhat close to me in my life who is a lot older offered for me to look through their old shipping boxes full of belongings, I’d hop on the opportunity right away to get an idea of what they used to be like (and possibly still are like). It’s not often people open up to others so willingly, so when these opportunities arise to truly know someone better, even if they’re unaware of how I view it, I definitely hop on the chance.

It makes me wonder what someone down the line will think of me when they go through my record collection or book collection. I like to think that what I own now gives a good indication as to who I am and what I think about life. It’s exciting to conjecture about what I’ll be like in ten years time, and what the me then will think of me now.

It seems YouTube content creators have thought up just about everything when it comes to footage for people to watch. From tutorials (what most people probably have used YouTube for at one time or another) to video game “Let’s Play” videos, there’s everything out there you could hope for.

What’s really quite interesting is to watch new trends happen as time goes on and the platform develops. You start to see certain creators draw inspiration from others while forging a new path. And while watching people play video games in their set up rooms is something that isn’t new to the genre, watching people unbox limited edition games, accessories, and consoles has become quite an interesting and exciting experience as of late.

That’s right: people make videos for you to watch them unbox their gaming necessities. It’s exactly what it sounds like, too. From watching them carefully remove shipping supplies and packaging materials to finally removing the product from within, the experience watching these videos is pretty interesting to say the least.

I think what pulls people in so much is the believability of it all. You can tell that the content creators are actually removing this stuff from the packaging and all the shipping supplies for the first time, which generates a sense of excitement, wonder, and mystery for you, the viewer. This directly impacts your experience, taking you from a passive bystander to a firsthand participant (or so the perspective makes you feel).

Just like so many other fads and genres on YouTube, unboxing videos are a legitimate source of pleasure for so many viewers out there. Whether you watch one to gather a sense of the quality of a product or you just enjoy watching others take shiny new products out of a box, these videos are at the very least something different than the rest. And it will definitely allow you to get a sense of value on the product you may be considering buying, because a lot of these videos also review the products once they unbox them. They’ll honestly and accurately describe what flaws the product has and what they like about them (though it’s important to keep in mind that this is all subjective to the creator, despite some of them attempting to be as objective as possible). So, these videos double down as an experience in total as well as a means of reviewing a product.

I think one of the main things people should spend their money on, rather than material things that are brand new such as clothes and technology, should be books and food. I’ve got a few reasons as to why these two things are so important in our everyday lives, though I’m sure people would argue that books are unneeded because of the internet and food is something that we all spend money on inevitably to begin with.

But, I’ve got a few retorts to both. Let’s get on with it.

Books.

If I ever see a deal for books online, especially ones I’ve been seeking, I order them immediately. I can’t begin to tell you how excited I get to see shipping boxes with books in them sitting on my doorstep waiting to be opened. There’s absolutely nothing like a new book and its smell and feel. (Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself here.)

Books are worth your money primarily because of the benefits reading has for you. And I don’t just mean reading any text. No, the internet and scanning your smartphone isn’t nearly as great for you as picking up a book with sources or a strong story. To begin, books are a lot more legitimate than random articles you may find online. Just as well, reading pages in front of you isn’t nearly as harmful on your eyes. And as a bonus, you actually read faster when consuming text from the page opposed to text on a phone, tablet, or computer. These all sound like compelling reasons to order a few books online and eagerly await the shipping boxes like I do, don’t they?

Food.

Yes, we all budget for food and groceries anyway, but I think the problem with this mindset is that we look at food merely as a necessity and something we should try to save the most money on, period.

This is where things can go downhill. By looking at food as something you need to save money on, you automatically shoot your diet in the foot and undershoot the importance of what you put into your body. You should be fully willing and happy to buy whole foods, organic produce, and fresh/non-processed items. These are much healthier for you, they inspire you to actually appreciate what you’re eating, and you’ll learn a lot more about food and dishes once you prepare and cook with them everyday.

There’s something that needs changed in the way we currently operate as a society, especially considering how lazy everything has become, from browsing uncited sources online to microwaving our every meal. Neither are healthy, but I hope this inspires you to make a change in your life for the better.

I’m often pretty guilty of tossing items and foods that I don’t need any longer despite knowing better. It seems like a waste of money, time, and perfectly useable resources to just toss something that is taking up more space than you’d like.

Starting with food items, I’m looking to make an effort to donate more of the things I often throw away. It’ll be easy to begin with food simply because it’s more of a visible thing on a daily basis. Nonperishable items particularly do well as donatable items, because so many homeless shelters will gladly take in your excess food.

Just as well, it’s always a good idea to clean out your closets at least once a year in order to make room for yourself and get rid of the materials and clothes you don’t wear often enough to warrant keeping around. Goodwill is notorious for taking these items and reselling them at extremely low prices to help low-income families stay clothed. And the income they generate off these clothes? That goes to helping others in need, whether it’s homeless or disabled communities.

This sort of generosity is paramount in helping out disadvantaged communities and even the health of the environment (and it’s not even generosity for people to give or donate the things they no longer use, especially considering they would typically throw them in the trash anyway).

So one thing I’ll be focusing on for the remainder of the year is what all I can donate to places that will accept it. I have a lot of unused or somewhat used office and shipping supplies that would be of great use to someone out there. Considering no one is looking to buy my shipping supplies off of me, I may as well donate them to places that will definitely take them and repurpose them or give them away to others they know who are in need.

Overall, donating things takes no time or effort on your end besides sifting through what you’ll be ridding of your home. And that’s something you’ll be doing anyway, because if you’re not donating, you’re trashing those things. So why not be a part of a great cause and give back to your community in some sort of fashion? It’s free, it’s easy, and it helps out not only others, but yourself as well. Before you know it, you’ll be wanting to volunteer in other ways as well.

What is it about having in mind something you know you need to do, yet you drag your feet for days, weeks, or even months not wanting to do it? Is it the fact that it’ll take some time out of your day, so you say “we’ll do it tomorrow” and then do the same thing tomorrow? Is it the fact that it costs money, so you’d rather not see your bank account deplete any if you can avoid it? Or maybe it’s the fact that we’re all just inherently lazy people doing lazy things for lazy reasons.

I’m inclined to believe it’s a combination of the first and last items.

Think about it. We always have time to get things done, no matter what they are. It’s just that we feel exhausted at points from our work days, and so we look at evenings and weekends as free time to lounge about and do nothing so that we can rest. There’s no problem with doing that with some of your free time; however, it’s a problem when all of your evenings and weekends consist of this mentality.

You’ve got to learn to break it up and tackle the things you’ve been putting off. It’s not like you won’t still get to lounge. Heck, sometimes we don’t even have real excuses for not doing this. My fiancee and I, for example, have put off getting new yoga mats and a dental water pick for the last month and a half. We keep telling ourselves we’ll order it soon. Well, I wouldn’t call a month and a half later “soon.” What’s especially egregious about our procrastination up until this point is that all we need to do is order it online. I mean, the shipping boxes will be sitting there on our door steps in a matter of days. It’s not like we have to do any research for the products, considering both are recommended to us by friends who have a brand in mind that they enjoy.

The fact we’ve gone this long without pressing a few buttons on an app to order the products we want and have it shipped directly to our home in no time is pretty bad. Shipping boxes are a convenience for a reason: you don’t have to go out and do your shopping in person. You can do it online in minutes!

I think we just need to stop giving ourselves excuses and do the things that need getting done. Saying “we’ll do it tomorrow” should only be a pass one time. Once you’ve used that line for a certain task you know you have to do, you shouldn’t use it anymore. Do it tomorrow and never say tomorrow again on that specific chore.

In the past month alone, I’ve probably seen myself undergo more changes for the better than I have in any one-month span during my entire life. And it all started with a diet shift.

To give you some context on my situation, my fiancee and I decided to try out a pescatarian diet last month in order to be healthier and more mindful of environmental and animal rights issues. Now, while you can say that we’re still eating animals and some animal products (which we are), the diet shift has kickstarted a lot of chain reactions in our home that have to lead to the healthiest state of mind and physical health we’ve both seen in ages. So, while we’re still not quite vegan in order to completely minimize our impact on the environment and taking part in animal products, we’re getting there slowly but surely.

Back to the diet, though. One thing that she and I have wanted to do for a few weeks now is to buy fish products from sustainable fisheries that have low environmental impacts and catch wild fish in healthy fishing areas (that aren’t overfished). Unfortunately, this has been a tough thing to pin down living in the heart of the Midwest, meaning nothing local is feasible since some of the major types of fish and shellfish out there are along coasts and not in freshwater areas around here.

This has to lead me to find a company that is a community-supported fishery (CSF), which has basically been taken straight after the CSA (agriculture, in this instance) model. Basically, you pay a monthly fee to have products sent in shipping boxes directly to your doorstep, and you’ll always get a certain amount of food per month. Products change based on season, meaning you may get salmon one month and crab the next.

I’m pretty stoked to try out this company’s fish to get me kickstarted on a happier, healthier, more sustainable product that I can know is the best possible option for my situation when it comes to buying fish. And even better, I won’t have to buy seafood from the grocery anymore, which is time saved searching for things and making trips. Now, we’ll only have to pick up vegetables when needed (and that’s something I’d love to do with the community-supported agricultures that are around my area, too).

It’s amazing what companies are out there today that will send along a few shipping boxes your way with all sorts of products to choose from. The fact that I can buy fish that is sustainable and wild caught and have it shipped to my door is pretty out there, but I’m glad it’s an option.

There’s truly something to be said about the expediency that is online shopping in this current day and age.

As a little bit of background context, my fiancee and I went to a music festival just over a week ago that lasted for around 5 days. The amount of stuff we were able to cram in our truck and use in that span of days was astounding.

But the thing is, we wouldn’t have had as much as we did if weren’t for some last minute online shopping we did just a week before the festival began.

The amount of shipping boxes that kept showing up to our house just days before we departed was actually kind of funny to me, especially since we had ordered it all in such short notice.

For example, we wanted to have a little fun with our outfits this year. So, we ordered a few hair decorations and even some fairy lights to string around us.

Then, we knew we would want pop up camp chairs that were low enough to the ground to fit in with the festivals lawn chair standards while also being convenient for carrying and cheap enough to warrant the purchase. We found a pair of chairs that will be amazing for us down the road for both hiking, camping, and future festivals.

Then, we had to get a few new tapestries. You’re not truly doing festival camping right unless you’ve got some weird and trippy tapestries! Luckily, we found a few for very cheap online and they were in shipping boxes outside our front door in no time.

Overall, we had a blast at our music festival and made good use of all the things we bought for the week we were roughing it out with tens of thousands of other people.

I just can’t get over how quickly boxes of goods arrive at your front door these days. You’re almost better off ordering things online than actually going out to the store simply because you’re saving money on gas, saving time not driving somewhere and browsing limited products, and saving your sanity not showing up and realizing they don’t have the product you’re looking for. Why not shop online if you can eliminate all those factors from traditional trips to the mall or local store?

Overall, I’m very pleased with our purchases, especially because we received around 10 different boxes of things for under a hundred bucks and got them within two days of purchase!

I just got back from one of the US’s largest music festivals of the year, Bonnaroo. There’s not much more that I can say about the festival itself other than you’ve got to go to understand the love, positivity, and amazingness that humans can bring together in one weekend.

A big part of the experience is camping out among tens of thousands of festival attendees, and that means for 4 to 5 nights straight. This can be a hectic and unsettling experience for people new to that sort of thing, but I can guarantee that over 90% of people who visit Bonnaroo learn to love what it means with getting to know your neighbors, being out in the wilderness, and adapting to a totally new way of life for 5 days of the year.

With that comes learning what to bring each year, though, and every single time I go, I notice something that would be extremely convenient for the next year. Here’s a few of the items I’ll be bringing to Bonnaroo next year and every year forward:

Storage bins.

Shipping supplies and boxes and whatnot are something a lot of people don’t expect to bring to a campsite, but you wouldn’t believe how useful an organized set of storage boxes actually is. By the end of the weekend, I was searching for a few items and taking up more time and stress than was needed, so next year I’ll be looking at different office and shipping supplies such as cardboard boxes and plastic storage bins.

Lanyard koozies.

Didn’t know these were a thing until this year, but it’s exactly what you think it is: a lanyard that hangs around your neck and has a foam pouch for your beer to hang from your neck while keeping your hands free. They looked cool and were super useful.

Sun reflector.

I’m looking into getting a big one of these for next year in order to reflect the morning sun away from my camp in the mornings. It’s not just the light that bothers you, though; it’s the heat that can be brutal and cause you to lose precious sleep.

Comfortable and supportive shoes.

This should seem like a no brainer, but a lot of people like me know how great Tevas and Chaco sandals can be. The problem is, at night or during particularly long days of being on your feet, very comfortable shoes are a godsend when you just want your feet to not hate you. I made the mistake of bringing an old pair of tennis shoes this year when I should’ve had a better pair for standing and walking all day at times.

Making your own things, whether it’s related to your home, your entertainment, or what you consume, is always going to be cheaper and more rewarding than purchasing it from other people. The downside to all of this, though, is that you have to spend more of your time.

Think about it, though. If there was no downside (i.e., time and effort), then everyone would be making their own stuff and businesses wouldn’t exist. That’s why the saying time is money is and always will be true: because if it’s more convenient and quicker for you to have someone else do it for you, they will for money.

I’m always an advocate for DIY, however. Wood projects? Do it on your own. Dinner? Cook it yourself. No matter what it is, I’ll try to do it on my own before paying someone else unless it’s a highly specialized thing that I just cannot do on my own.

One of those things I’ll be making this week is my own beef jerky. First off, jerky prices are absolutely insane when you think about it. Whether you’re having it sent to you in some shipping boxes online (which is arguably cheaper than getting it from any local store) or buying it off of shelves, jerky is priced way too highly for a lot of products that are subpar or worse.

Instead, I prefer to make my own jerky. While it does involve some time and patience, it always ends up turning out tastier than anything I’ve ever bought from a store and I save more money doing it. I really don’t know why I don’t make it more often.

The biggest thing to keep in mind when making your own jerky is the cut of meat you’ll be purchasing and curing and the type of cure/seasoning/salts you’ll be using to actually cure it before dehydration.

Those factors are what determine the flavor more than anything (and even the consistency and toughness). Perhaps you want to go for a slightly fattier cut of meat, or maybe you want something leaner. That’s where you’ve got some give and take in the process to perfect what suits your own taste buds. For me, I prefer a specific brand of seasoning and cure salts that I order online. So, when I see those shipping boxes arrive at my house, I know it’s go time and the jerky will be aflowin’ within days.