“I don’t use laundry detergent” and 7 Other Things I Do

A few weeks back I submitted my website to a user experience app; it helps you understand what an unknown visitor is thinking by providing quick video reviews. The reviewer looked at my site, muttered “pretty typical content” and then went back to her weekend. For Julie H. in North Carolina that was just another Saturday, but for me it was mildly scarring. I refuse to publish ANYTHING that is typical, and today’s post is another example of me sharing focussed nonsense that you won’t read anywhere else. In today’s post I’m sharing 9 things I do; at best this may inspire you to reconsider your defaults, but more likely you will realize I’m a total weirdo. Here’s the list…

  1. I don’t use laundry detergent. Instead I put the load through a full wash and then an additional rinse cycle. I don’t know if this is as effective as using soap, but it passes the smell test. I see three major benefits. 1. I expect it’s a net gain for the environment because I’m not dumping weird chemicals down the drain. 2. My clothes last longer. 3. I hate the detergent aisle at the grocery store because it smells like Tide, and now I don’t have to go in it.
  2. I optimize book purchases. Every time I buy a book I check if the printed or digital version is a better price. I also buy on Amazon Canada because sometimes the list price is the same or similar to the US one, but paying in CAD saves 20%+. Random fact: My book expense is 3 – 5x my Chipotle expense, which is significant.
  3. I buy used Tempur-Pedics. Mostly become I’m ruthlessly frugal, but it’s a legit hustle that you can do to get a top quality mattress at a fraction of the price, and then resell it later for more. I wrote an entire post about how to make money off Tempur-Pedics.
  4. I live out of a backpack. Not a big camping pack or something reasonable. This is a thin, 17.5” bag that fits all my clothing, gadgets, toiletries, etc. The fluffy NASA bed does not go in the backpack.
  5. I use Dolphin Browser. An ongoing study shows that use of non-major mobile browsers is on a sharp downward trend, currently hovering just above 2%. I use Dolphin Browser on the iPhone because it lets you customize touch gestures to URLs. So, for example, I can draw a weird “MC” squiggle and it takes me to The Climb by Miley Cyrus. For example.
  6. I do Tai-Chi every morning. That’s a lie, sometimes I do Tai-Chi in the afternoon, but my best practice is “exercise before email.” Thirty minutes of Tai-Chi every day will skyrocket your flexibility, help eliminate muscle tension, align your spine and make you 3x more relatable to Chinese women over the age of 50.
  7. I alternate meals between starchy stuff + veggies and protein stuff + veggies. My digestive system sucks, so this diet plus a bunch of supplements and “rules” help me get normal or better levels of nutrition. Burgers are awesome, but I’m so many years into this pattern that food just equals fuel.
  8. I eat everything with chopsticks. I find chopsticks more convenient for picking stuff up and so use these magic fork replacements to eat everything from noodles to salad to chicken wings. Sometimes I go to restaurants that don’t have chopsticks and I feel uncomfortable.

I’m throwing down a challenge for the comments section today — before you leave this post; what is one thing you do differently than most folks?

3 thoughts on ““I don’t use laundry detergent” and 7 Other Things I Do”

  1. I like washing dishes by hand. It’s my form of quick therapy and a task I can accomplish without thinking intensely about, especially when I’m stressed out.

    By the way, I found myself here after listening to Justus’ podcast (we work at the same company now; his first day was yesterday). Really liked some of your insights on the pilot episode!

    -Kyle

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  2. There are several things I do different than most folks. Here’s the short list: always clip my nails outside my house (anywhere), refuse to wear shoes in my house, wear my jeans multiple times before washing, use vinegar as a fabric softener, educate folks on why humans shouldn’t drink cow’s milk, set yearly reminders for things like assessing my property/certain ppl’s birthdates/the end of my 0% on a credit card, rotate my husband and I having a credit card which has made our credit scores 800+, never trade in vehicles-sell outright only, floss every single day. There’s more but these are off the top of my head.

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