Let's face it men, you all like to live
in caves. When you are younger, you think
you need the money for other things.
When you get older, you really want
that nicer place but don't feel that
you need to because you are no longer
raising a family.

Here is a fact of life for all of you
to know: making your home into something
nice has a direct effect on your mental
state and how you view yourself. The
same can be said about food.

Eat crappy food and over time, you
will feel like utter shit. Eat really
good food, and all of a sudden you
start sleeping better, and not feeling
as sick as often.

I wanted to devote a post here just
for you guys who are entering the
world of having a home of your own,
whether it's a rental or a starter
house left to you by your Dad or
whatever.

I'll be advancing this chat series
from the viewpoint of a poverty position
or just starting out position, because
if you already have a good paycheck
and a girlfriend in tow, then you
are on your way already to hooking
into home development and management.

Okay so the VA has ripped you off
and you are between a check here
and a check there, and maybe Social
Security is helping you along and
now here comes Section 8 vouchers
or maybe Public Housing assistance
too. Whatever. Let's go with that .....

Men, your surroundings is your
comfort zone. You are outta the
military now, so this does not
mean to set up your civilian digs
like your last Foxhole. This is
the very kind of visual and mental
atmosphere that prevents you from
moving on, and hooking in with
your much-anticipated, sure to
be celebrated FREEDOM from military
service.

There is good news for you in the
shopping world: stores are starting
to gear home products for men.

Easy to install, cheap to afford,
easy to use, colors appealing to men,
all of that are now coming to the
forefront both in Mall stores and
the internet versions as well.

You are all great with your paint
cans and tool boxes. Fine. But
let's get back to fixing up your
windows and walls and beds and
living rooms etc.

There is one great mens place to
shop, that even reaches out to women
too, that not only carries an impressive
Army/Navy line of same ole and camping
products too, but they now also
carry stuff for men to improve their
homes with.

Nice furniture offerings on sale
at times, nice bed linens, nice
curtains or futons, nice chairs
that any man would want for there
digs, even mens art for your walls
to make this place of yours,
a place that you actually want to
return to and to take off your
shoes and stay awhile.

It's called The Sportsmans Guide,
it's on the Internet, and if you
sign up on their catolog list they
will also send you a montly shopping
catalog in the mail. I have generated
a LINK below to their Home Furnishings
page so you can start plugging into
the very nice designs and offerings
that they have for men.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/sitemap/department.aspx?d=118

Find something you like, and if ya
don't have the money right away,
then take $10 out of your monthly
paycheck from wherever, and squirrel
it away in an envelope until you
have the required amount and then
BUY IT with your bank checking account
Debit Card. You don't even need
a credit card anymore if you can
develop cash and put it in your
checking and then order online
with your Debit Card.

One piece at a time boys, and you
know this drill from working on
your many hobby cars as a young
boy. As you get the money, buy
that new bedspread ensemble that
really catches your eye, then later
on, buy the matching drapes that
go with it or some art on the walls.

Get furniture. No the life of a
backpack vagabound is legend and
it isn't REAL so put it aside.
There is only one way live these
days and that is to settle down
to one address, dig in, and make
the best of it until you really
have to move because of high rents
or whatever. The only cross country
hitchhikers these days "to see the
world" are DEAD ones, so leave the
delusion behind and put your energy
into your home and dig in for the
long haul.

The stuff you buy, you can take with
you to your next place.

All you need for drapes are a tape
measure, and you all know how to
work one of those.

Look at the many available photographs
on the internet to train yourself
how the curtain rods or drapery
rods are installed for the intended
results of that particular drapery
selection. They are all different.

I have also included the LINK below
to the curtains page of Walmart.
Look at the prices now, men, because
for a lousy $15.00 you can cover up
a window with style for your privacy
and your personal comfort so that
you don't DREAD coming back to your
place after a long long day chasing
around for your VA disability check.

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_const...ery=curtains&ic=48_0

If you happen to live near a WalMart
Store that you can easily get to,
here is a news flash for you: You
can now order online at Walmart and
get FREE SHIPPING to the store for
your immediate pickup. Vets, keep
in mind that the Internet version of
Walmart actually carries products
which are NOT in the stores. So if
you order up and then direct your
order to the store nearest you,
they will ship it for FREE and then
send you an email to let you know
it is ready for your pickup at the
store!! Hey, is that cool or WHAT??

Any local dollar store in your town
or urban center, often carries mini
blinds for the windows. Just pull out
your tape measure and measure off side
to side the width of the window and
the length, and go find that size
in mini-blinds. The blinds run around
$7.00 in most places. Just buy what
you can afford for that month, then
parcel out a small amount for the
next month and get another window
fixed up too. Walmart also has roller
shades and mini blinds in the stores.

Bed linens can also be bought cheaply
at Walmart, either at Mall stores
or online, and then get your military
wool blankets on sale at Sportsmans
Guide and put those UNDERNEATH your
top comforter set which matches with
your pillows.

Bath towel items: the cheaper they
are, the less absorbant they are so
buy only a couple at a time, but
buy really good ones when you do.
Maybe $7.00 a piece when they come
up on sale at Walmart. Buy towels
which are large enough for your
size and have a really THICK pile
to it so you can actually dry off
with them.

Start slow and don't let it overwhelm
you. Get what you can afford for
that month, then move on until the
next month and don't obsess about
it. When the next check comes, then
here comes the next home purchase
and become accepting of that routine.

Start fixing your place up. You will
feel better, you will enjoy your home
more, and you will start to attach
to it as your refuge and place of
escape when the rest of your world
is not working so good. Make things
nice for yourself and enjoy.

Other stores on line includes
www.Kmart.com and www.Target.com
Ya don't need to spend hundreds
of dollars just to have a place
to live that looks like a human
actually resides there. So let's
get your head into the right place
now and let's start you down the
road of shopping and fixing up
your place. Dude, shopping is NOT
just for women anymore so have
fun and pick out a little something
that YOU like that is just for YOU.

Your home is your place of safety,
your place of comfort, your place
of recovery, and your place of privacy.
This is the place where you get
to be who you really are with your
shoes off and your belt unbuckled
and doing what you want when you
want. If you get a hankering for
a spagetti dinner at 2:00am in the
morning because you cannot sleep
and didn't have dinner, then go
for it because there is nobody
in your home to stop you from
just plain feeling good.

Men you do have to start hooking
in with why homes are necessary
and why you need one for yourselves.
When you are at home, you are NOT
at the wrong time and wrong place
where you can get into trouble.
It's your place of safety that
nobody can invade. So you have to
start wrapping your brains around
the concept of home and why your
home is worthy of your time,
imagination, design and expense.

It's for you to come into and
enjoy and without that, Dude,
life is pretty grim after that.
So let's get shopping and fix up
your place at the Sportsmans Guide
and go where other men go to get
their digs!