Hello there, Reader,

I sat down to write today’s newsletter with my usual collection observations, useful ideas and inexpensive ways to make life a little more fabulous. But some dates ask for something more.

Today marks 25 years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Like nearly everyone who lived through that day, I remember where I was when I heard the news. I remember watching something unimaginable on TV unfold on American soil and realizing that the world as I had known it had changed forever.

I had been frightened for my life before 9/11.

On March 12, 1993, I was in the streets of Bombay during a series of terrorist bombings. I saw devastation in the streets and blood, breathed the dust and heard the screams of anguish. Another time, I was held at gunpoint with a small group of cruise-ship entertainers and staff during an attempted shakedown in the port of Tianjin.

Yes, I have been bombed in Bombay and shanghaied near Shanghai which sounds considerably more amusing in retrospect than it felt at the time.

But Sept. 11 was different. This was the first time I felt truly frightened for my life in my own country, on American soil, in my own home. The sense of safety I had always carried without even realizing it, was suddenly gone. Just gone. I wish I could remember exactly what that unquestioning sense of security felt like, I can't remember now, it's been so long. That was "before".

Now, we remember those who lost their lives in New York, at the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93. We remember the first responders who ran toward catastrophe while everyone else was running away, and those who later became ill because of what they encountered there.

We also remember the ordinary people who discovered that in an extraordinary moment they were capable of more courage and compassion than they had ever imagined. People carried strangers, opened their homes, gave blood, searched for the missing, and stood beside grieving families. They helped people whose names they did not know and whose lives, only hours earlier, had been entirely separate from their own.

The attacks were meant to terrorize and divide us. Yet amid the fear and terrible grief, we witnessed a spirit of unity unlike anything I had experienced before or have seen since. People reached across the usual boundaries and remembered that they belonged to one another as human beings.

That is the part of 9/11 I will carry always with me.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming:

10 (LESS-OBVIOUS) WAYS TO SAVE MONEY

• Calculate the annual cost. A harmless-looking $12 monthly charge is really a $144 decision. So, multiply everything by twelve. Annualizing recurring expenses makes their true weight much easier to see.
• Keep a “not yet” list. When you want something nonessential, write it down with the date and wait 30 days. You may still buy it, but many enthusiasms expire while waiting.
• Search replacement parts by model number before replacing anything. A $9 switch, gasket, cord or replacement knob may rescue an appliance you thought was finished.
• Ask what the purchase will require next. A bargain printer needs ink. (Especially second-hand printers that require ink that is discontinued. Ask me how I know that!) A specialty "once a year" pan needs 12 months a year storage. New patio furniture may want cushions, covers and a hired staff to keep it clean. Consider the accessories before adopting the original item.
• Create a "use now" shelf in your refrigerator. Put ready-to-eat leftovers, washed produce and foods that need using at eye level. The easiest option is far more likely to become lunch instead of compost.
• Photograph your refrigerator, freezer and pantry before leaving home to grocery shop. Those quick pictures can prevent duplicate purchases and settle the supermarket question, “Do I have mustard?” You do. You have three.
• Use the perishables first. Plan meals around delicate produce, opened packages and leftovers before reaching for long-lasting pantry food. Eat according to urgency, not merely appetite.
• Buy for your real habits, not your aspirational self. The economical purchase is the one you will actually use not the enormous bag of virtuous kale destined to become refrigerator swamp mulch.
• Put cancellation dates on the calendar immediately. Whenever you accept a free trial, introductory rate or temporary discount, schedule a reminder several days before it renews. You think you'll remember, but you won't. Ask me how I know this! Just do it now.
• Option the borrowing option before the shopping option. For tools, party supplies, luggage and equipment you may use once, ask a friend, neighbor, tool library or community group before buying permanent items for a temporary need.

Pessimists are pussies.

Yeah. I said that.

Pessimism can masquerade as wisdom. It tells us we are simply being realistic, that people will never change, problems are too large and our efforts cannot possibly matter. And if nothing can be changed, we are conveniently excused from trying. Why bother? What's the use?

Optimism asks much more of us.

Optimism is not pretending everything is fine. It is looking directly at what is broken and believing it is still worth repairing. It is planting after a hard winter, rebuilding after devastation, picking up the pieces after a breakup, and working for change without any guarantee we will live to see the result.

Pessimism predicts. Optimism builds.

That is why protecting our optimism matters, especially when hope feels naive. Cynicism may keep us from being disappointed, but it will never create anything better. Every act of courage, compassion and progress begins with someone believing that what currently is, does not have to always be.

Optimism is not passive. It is not soft. It is a decision and sometimes, it is a fight. Keep up the good fight, my darlings.

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THE LITTLE LUXURY OF CLOTH NAPKINS

Cloth napkins are one of the least expensive ways to make an ordinary meal feel gracious. Fine restaurants rarely place a roll of paper towels beside the silverware. They use cloth because it feels substantial, looks elegant and says, “This meal and the person eating it is important.”

Why should that treatment be reserved for special occasions and restaurant reservations?

You do not need to purchase a pristine matching set. Start a mismatched cloth-napkin collection. Look for singles at thrift stores, estate sales and clearance bins. Choose one unifying feature, perhaps blue and white, florals or warm autumn colors, and let everything else differ. A mismatched collection looks, well . . . collected rather than incomplete, and a permanently stained napkin can be replaced without a period of mourning.

Kitchen tea towels also make great napkins, especially when a generous napkin on your lap makes sense. For example, when serving delicious, messy, sticky, drippy barbeque, I use full sized kitchen towels in bright colors for that.

Bandanas also make wonderful colorful, nostalgic napkins. You can often find them inexpensively at thrift stores. But don't forget to look at craft stores for bandanas at great prices, especially at the end of summer (AKA right now!).

You may already own the makings of a collection. Old soft cotton shirts, pillowcases and damaged tablecloths can be cut into squares. If you sew, add a simple hem. If you do not, use pinking shears to reduce fraying and embrace the relaxed edge. Wash repurposed fabric first, choose something soft, natural and absorbent, and avoid fabric treated with stain-repellent chemicals.

Cloth napkins also reduce our dependence on paper products and save money over time. Yes, they must be washed, but they take up very little room when tossed into a load you are already running. Wash lightly soiled napkins in cold water with the minimum appropriate amount of detergent; greasy or badly stained ones may need pretreating or warmer water.

The same principle applies to cleaning cloths. I reserve paper towels for messes so unspeakable that laundering the towel would make me consider burning it instead. Kill it with fire, as my son would say. I have a stack of microfiber cloths for regular housecleaning. Everything else can usually be handled by washable rags cut from old towels, T-shirts or sheets.

Elegance need not be expensive or matching. Sometimes it is simply a soft cotton square placed beside Tuesday night’s meatloaf. Lovely!

WHEN DIESEL RISES, PRICES MAY FOLLOW

You may have noticed another unwelcome number appearing on gas-station signs: diesel prices are rising.

Yesterday’s federal Producer Price Index reported that diesel fuel prices jumped 24.1% in August, (gasp! Last year it was around $3.50 a gallon, now it's over $6) while transportation and warehousing costs rose 2.3%.

That matters even if you have never personally purchased a drop of diesel in your life. Diesel powers most of the trucks carrying food and merchandise across the country, much of our farm and construction equipment, and many freight trains. It helps plant, harvest, manufacture and deliver nearly everything we buy.

When diesel becomes more expensive, it costs more to buy fertilizer, grow wheat, transport milk, deliver lumber and stock store shelves.

Businesses may absorb some of that expense, but most is inevitably passed along to shoppers.

Not every price will rise, and those increases will not happen all at once, but higher transportation and production costs create pressure throughout the system.

So, what can we do (besides side-eye the fuel-price sign?)

• Do not panic-buy. Don't run out and stockpile in case prices go up. An expensive item purchased “just in case” is not a bargain. Stock up selectively on foods and other things your household regularly uses when the price is genuinely good.
• Watch unit prices, not familiar price tags. Beware shrinkflation! Manufacturers may shrink packages instead of raising the posted price.
• Build menus around what is affordable now. According to the latest figures, grocery prices were unchanged overall in August, while fruit and vegetable prices fell 0.4%. Lettuce alone fell 6.2%. Follow the bargains instead of shopping from a rigid list. Bureau of Labor Statistics​
• Protect what you purchase. Freeze excess bread, meat and produce before they spoil. Right now, your food budget cannot afford to become compost.
• Combine errands. Plan one sensible route, avoid unnecessary trips and use pickup only when its fees do not erase your savings.
• Keep a small price book. Record the usual unit prices of the 15 or 20 products you buy most. It makes real bargains easier to recognize and dramatic “SALE!” signs considerably less persuasive.

We can't control diesel prices, but we are not helpless. We can pay attention, adjust and protect the resources we have. That is optimism, by the way.

NEW! on the Website!

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Auntie Diva Patti needs a treat:

No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Indulge in the zesty delight of a no-bake fresh lemon cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust. Mmmm! Lemony!

Before Summer Ends

ELOTES – MEXICAN STREET CORN The best (easy and cheap!) recipe for Mexican corn on the cob that’s delicious and perfect for your next BBQ. QUICK! While corn is still cheap!

Tomato and Onion Tart What to do with the last tomatoes of summer? THIS. Do this.

Explore the Divas On A Dime Recipe Index

I sometimes forget that many of you may not know this exists! The Divas On A Dime Recipe Index is a treasure chest filled with my original frugal-and-fabulous recipes, all gathered in one convenient place. Whether you need an inexpensive dinner, a clever way to use what you have or something delicious simply because life is short, come have a rummage. Your next favorite recipe may be waiting there.

The Divas On A Dime Recipe Index

Your Mission This Week:

YOUR MISSION: BUILD A TWO-PERSON SAFETY NET

This week, exchange contact information with one nearby neighbor you do not know well enough.

Knock on the door, send a note or introduce yourself when you see them outside. Keep it simple: “I realized we live close enough to help each other in an emergency, but we don’t have each other’s phone numbers.”

Then offer one specific way you could be useful: accepting a package, checking on a pet, lending a tool, jump-starting a car or sending a warning if their garage door is mysteriously open at midnight.

That is all. You do not need to organize a block party, form a committee or purchase matching emergency vests.

In about 10 minutes, two households will be less isolated and a little better prepared. You will have turned optimism into infrastructure,and created the comforting knowledge that when something goes wrong, neither of you must face it entirely alone.

We often discover our connections during a crisis. Let’s be clever enough to build a few before we need them.

Well, Reader. That’s it and that's all for today.

The world gives us plenty of reasons to worry, but it also gives us daily opportunities to help, create and connect. Keep choosing the small, hopeful action. The meal shared, the neighbor known, and ordinary life made more beautiful. That is how optimism becomes something we can live. Optimism in action. Go take on the world, my dear Reader!

Onward and awkward!
​Diva Patti D.

Grace Notes:

• Learn the name of someone you regularly see but have never properly met, then greet them moving forward.
• Photograph one perfectly ordinary corner of your life you know you will someday miss.
• Remove one object that irritates you or brings unhappy memories every time you look at it. Peace can begin with a clearer countertop or one less knick knack.
• Write down a family expression, story or scrap of history that lives only in someone’s memory, do this daily for a week.
• Before entering your home, pause at the door and notice one thing that makes you glad to return. If nothing stands out, create it.

See you next week! xx