Freecycle and the Germans

When we were living in Australia, Freecycle was extremely popular. We would actively participate by offering our stuff that we don't use anymore, and receiving stuff from others. There were plenty of other participants in Freecycle.

Now that we are living in Germany, we also want to participate in the local version of it. However, it doesn't seem to be as popular as the Australian versions.  The stats from the Cologne version of freecycle shows that only a small number of traffic.

The equivalent group in Frankston, Australia shows almost an order of magnitude more as the following screen capture shows.

I don't have any ideas why there is such a disparity between the two Freecycle groups. I do have a feeling that most of it may have to do with cultural differences.

In most part of Australia, there isn't a stigma of receiving or using second hand items. That stigma does appear to be present in Germany, especially among the locals. However, among the expat community, the sharing of used items are more prevelant. Having said that, Freecycle is not popular among expats as the language is German rather than English. The expat tends to use forums such as Toytown Germany or English Speaking clubs / community such as AIWCC or English Speaking Cologne.

All around town, I see many hard rubbish items sitting on the kerbside waiting to be picked up. Most of these items are is reasonable condition and would definitely be usable in someone's house. For a country that exercise plenty of recycling, and being environmentally friendly, I am really surprise that it does participate more in Freecycle.

Perhaps, it could just a case that I don't know where to look. Any suggestions?

The rules of buying

My pair of shoes are just about to die, it was then that I realised that the last time I bought some shoes was back in 2003! I haven't even bought a pair of cheap sandals for the beach since 2003.

There are quite a few reasons why that is, but I believe that the main is that I purchase high quality and robust shoes.The last three pair of shoes that I bought were Birkenstock shoes. These shoes are build to last! These shoes are not the cheapest nor are they the most expensive. However, I believe is spending that little bit more to ensure that I get good value for money.

Applying this concept to other products, such as kitchen appliances, clothing and other house hold items, have allow us to not purchase many high price. However, with many of the electrical products emerging from China and India, their quality are questionable.

So my rules are

1. Buy the best that you can afford. Everyone has a budget on what they can afford, so buy the best that you afford. Some of the best quality products are not even the more expensive products.
   
2. Know what makes it a good quality product. For example, a good pair of shoes that last a long time has real leather uppers and eyelets that doesn't cut the laces. For high price items, I would spend a few weeks researching on the product. The car that we purchased, we spend six months researching it.
   
3. Dare to be different. Not purchasing the same product as everybody else allows you to choose from a larger range of products, however do the research on why the popular products are popular. They might actually be of good quality.
4. Talk to the experts. The majority of the items that we purchased, we have no idea on what qualities we should be focusing on? Is the fit of a shoe, or how breathable the upper that is the most important. I have no idea, so I talk to a few of our friends whom have worn Birkenstocks before.
5. Make sure that it has a good support system. If the product does need to be repaired, it is supported by a good warranty return system with a quick repair time. Is the warranty period reasonable?

What are some your rules when it comes to buying?

Photo credit: sundeip arora
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Earth Hour 2008

Earth Hour began in 31 March 2007 in the Australian city of Sydney at 8pm to 9pm. The idea is for as many people as possible to stop using electricity for one hour, such as turning off their lights or switch their appliances at the power point, for one hour.

The effect was startling. For that one hour, it reduced the power consumption in the City of Sydney by 10.2%! That is only in one city. In 2008, Earth Hour is going global!

29 March 2008 8pm - 9pm is Earth Hour 2008.

Earth Hour 2007 showed us the following.

1. It shows how much energy is being wasted. The majority of the time, we just leave a light switch on because we can't be bother to switch it off. Just switch off when you are not using it. I usually leave my computer on at work when I leave my desk at the end of the day. I need to make a conscious effort to switch it off when I leave, especially over the weekends.
   
2. Stand-by power is really wasteful. Stand-by power is when the appliances are still be left on when you 'switch it off'. For example, when you switch off the TV, it is still being powered up. The TV is still powered up to do things like being able to be switched on via the remote control, or remember its last settings. To really switch it off, flick the switch at the power point.
3. Wasting energy is also wasting money. If you like wasting energy, then you must like throwing money into the bin as well. The effect to your wallet is just the same. Don't do it!

Please consider support this. You don't really have to register to join in. Just switch off the power on the 29 March 2008 at 8pm, and consider doing it every week. It will make a difference.

Earth Hour is supported by WWF, (no, not the wrestling guys, these are the panda guys!).

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How to keep cool in a heat wave

How to keep cool in a heat wave.

Today is the first day where the night time temperature has dropped below 25 degC. The last few days in Melbourne has the day time temperatures in the high 30s. I think it peaked at around 40 degC yesterday. The nights have been quite unpleasant.

Apart from giving more money to the utility company by using the electricity to run the air conditioner or the fan, I was trying to think of what we can do to keep ourselves cool, in a frugal manner. These measures need to be immediate effect, so things like checking that the insulation in the roof is adequate is out of the question as it cost too much and it doesn't happen overnight.

• A visit to the beach - When the sun has gone down, visiting the beach to lap up the evening sea breeze has to be one of the best way and cheapest way of cooling down, not to mention the evening sunset is always nice to look at.
• Closing all the blinds on the sun side of the house, and opening the windows on the shadow side of the house - This was the effect of shielding the direct heat source (the sun) from heating up the house. The open windows will allow any cool air from shadowed side to enter the house.
• Drink plenty of fluid - Keeping the body hydrate also allows the you sweat. As the moisture evaporates from your skin, it has a cooling effect.
• Wear light clothing - This is a obvious one. Allow the the body to expend as much heat as possible by not insulating it with any thick clothing.
• Avoid drinking coffee - Caffeinated drinks like coffee dehydrate the body (this could be a myth, as by googling was able to provide a conclusive answer)
  
• Visit the local shopping centre - The local shopping centre is usually air condifiioned. The kids can played at the local indoor play ground. However, be careful not to be tempted by the shops around!
• Visit the local library - The library is also usually conditioned. The books and activities are also educational and functional as well.
  

What else would you do during the many days of high heat? I would love to hear anyone from Adelaide where it recently endure 15 days of temperature of 35 degC or more. It peaked at 40.5 degC.

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