Wise Bread (Joann Hong)

Holiday Lessons Learned: Advice To Avoid Rip-Offs NYC

Joann Hong — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 22:02:10 +0000

This holiday season in the city has been rough for me. I moved out to NYC for a few months thinking I'd be set with my savings and supplementary, lucrative temp work. It was the first year I had saved and budgeted, and my calculations told me I was financially stable for a good three months. However, at the approach of the New Year I still felt the financial strains. Looking back now, I want to hit my head at some of the foolish mistakes I could have avoided as a city newbie. I've learned that you've got to be quick city -- I mean this in a financially saavy way-- and hopefully my experiences with rip offs can help those who are planning an NYC trip or move to avoid learning the hard way.

Always keep receipts: With the holiday shopping frenzy going on, shoppers aren't the only ones distracted, frustrated and scatter-brained. Employees will often ring up the wrong prices, not implement proper discounts, and make various errors. You should not only keep the receipt, but always check it before leaving the store, even if the price for your purchase seems right. My own experiences? I'd been charged three times for one item, charged full price for a 50% discounted item and had mistakenly bought a falsely priced sale item. Had I take a minute to skim the receipt before hurrying out the door, I could have avoided the phone calls to the bank, the trips back to the store, long customer service lines, and the lost money.

Always ask for cab receipts: This isn't only during the holidays. It is always wise to ask for a cab receipt, even if you pay in cash (and especially if you pay by credit card). First off, if you leave anything valuable in the cab, such as shopping bags or cell phones, you will need the medallion number for the cab to track down your property. A simple receipt, which will have the medallion number on it, can save you the hassle of having to chase down one of hundreds of yellow cabs in the city. As you can see, this will virtually be impossible. Also yellow cabs now have credit card machines. This seemingly nice convenience can actually become a nightmare if, as it often happens, the machine isn't functioning properly. NY cab drivers often complain that the service doesn't work. I've used my debit card in one of these machines and twice, I received an error message: "can't process at this time." I had to then run to an ATM, incur a $2 fee plus a bank fee for using a non-bank machine and pay the fare in cash. However, when I checked my bank account the next day, I saw two pending charges for the same cab fare. A week passed before I was refunded. This could have all been resolved much more easily had I asked for a receipt and known the cab's medallion number.

Calculate cab fare before taking a trip: This may not be feasible for short trips around Manhattan that will only cost a few dollars. But for trips to the airport or further destinations, it may be in your interest to calculate a fare and get an idea of how much it should cost. Many times, cab drivers in any city will detect you’re a tourist and will conveniently take a longer route to charge you more.

Know where you’re going before getting in the cab: This relates to the above advice. It is smart to do a quick google maps direction search, or something of the like, before taking longer trips on cabs. I landed in JFK in a very tired state of mind on a red-eye flight and a normally $30 cab ride somehow came out to $50! I didn’t know the shortest way to my own new apartment, so the cab driver gave me “options”. I picked the freeway assuming it was the fastest, but of course, when I looked on the map later, I saw the driver had taken the longest route possible. Even for shorter trips, study the city! Get an idea of which areas are where – although not all cab drivers are dishonest, very few will dissuade you from mistakenly taking a longer route.

Don’t try to break the law, aka SLOW DOWN: Holiday season means crowds and people rushing everywhere. This also means that police officers are aplenty, ready to issue citations to drunk drivers, speeding road raging maniacs, and even impatient subway rules violators. Think twice before rolling through a stop sign, speeding on the freeway or, like me, running through an emergency exit in the subway (even if the turnstiles are broken!). Believe me, the police are feeling the least generous during the holidays so don’t expect any mercy and do expect hefty fines.

Of course, these experiences aren’t limited to any one place, city, or season. NYC may just prompt particular precautions: because the city moves so fast, your brain has to work just as fast. Factor in the holiday madness and your brain has to work on overdrive.

Now, please excuse me as I go return all the pity gifts I bought myself to relieve the tension of all the rip-offs.

Anyone else experience holiday city madness and rip-offs? Share your experiences so we can all benefit from becoming smarter travelers.

Permalink | 2 comments | Joann Hong's blog | Channel: Budgeting

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Give Household Products New Use: Clever Cleaning Tips From the Motherland

Joann Hong — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:00:31 +0000

By Joann Hong

Out of all the famous shows to come out of the UK, who would have thought my favorite would star two nanny-like figures clad with rubber gloves? But as a girl who moves around from city to city every few months, I've found the housekeeping tips from the show How Clean Is Your House to be extremely helpful budget-wise and also in minimizing clutter.

The premise of the show is clean-gurus Aggie and Kim visit the UK's filthiest houses and miraculously tidy them up with the motto: cleaning shouldn't be impossible. And to convey this fact, they often use regular household materials to work their magic.

So for those of you who don't have access to the show, I will share some of these neat tips here. (Note: these tips have come from one episode I was able to record. I will try to post more as they air).

Shaving Cream to clean kitchen/bathroom tiles: Good for removing stains and grime. (WB guest Joe suggests it works for other stains as well). You don't have to get anything fancy - the cheaper, foam version should do just fine. Spray the foam over the tiles and let soak for a few minutes. Then get either a nail brush or toothbrush and scrub away. How does it work? Apparently, shaving cream is just a foamy version of soap, so it has all the cleaning benefits plus a good, thick consistency. As always, test a small area before cleaning your entire surface, especially for colored or expensive tiles.

Charcoal Briquets to remove fridge odors: To use in empty refrigerators/freezers - good for when you are moving out. The ladies filled a normal baking tin with unlit, plain (with no fuel or other products added) charcoal briquets and let them sit in the fridge with the door closed. The porous property of the charcoal will absorb the odors. To read a more detailed explanation, click here .

Mayonnaise to remove old stickers: Remember those tweeny stickers you used to slap on your dressers and closets? Well if you do, you know they are the most annoying to remove, especially when they get old and leave behind that torn paper look. Well, apparently mayo can do the trick! Slather on and let sit for about half an hour. With a plastic scraper (avoid metal as it can scratch surfaces) gently remove your softened old stickers. Also, with this tip you want to test surfaces before using.

Spray cooking oil onto car/motorcycle headlights to avoid squashed bugs: This one is self-explanatory. The ladies added some cooking oil into an old spray bottle and pumped directly onto headlights. Then with an old rag, they spread it evenly around.

The show also has a website full of more suggestions, including a forum on which people can share their personal tips and an eco-friendly section.

My favorites from their site:

One part olive oil with one part lemon juice to polish wood.

Use baby oil to prevent mold from growing on shower curtains.

Have any cool tricks you'd like to share? Post them in the comments!

Permalink | 15 comments | Joann Hong's blog | Channel: Life Hacks, Lifestyle

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Can Black Google Save You Energy?

Joann Hong — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:44:55 +0000

By Joann Hong

An Australian company, Heap, has come up with a search engine that could Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year. How will they do it? They've turned Google black.

According to their website:

"Blackle saves energy because the screen is predominantly black. "Image displayed is primarily a function of the user's color settings and desktop graphics, as well as the color and size of open application windows; a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen." Roberson et al, 2002"

From what I've read, there is some debate on whether the energy saving is significant or not. This Wall Street Journal article mentions a test which was performed using different screens and websites to compare the actual energy saved. On the LCD screen, there wasn't a remarkable difference, but on a CRT screen (the bulkier PC monitors) you could save from "5-20%". However, it is noted that the test was loosely run.

For those who are wondering, Google claims it has no affiliation with Blackle. The two websites actually bring up different results so perhaps, even if it doesn't save a significant amount of energy, it could be useful as an alternative search engine.

And to see for yourself, of course, visit www.blackle.com.

Permalink | 13 comments | Joann Hong's blog | Channel: Green Living

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DIY Berlin Style

Joann Hong — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:25:27 +0000

By Joann Hong

I am a believer in the idea that wealth can stunt personal creativity. When you can buy it all, what’s the need to invent anything?

When I was a kid my mother forbade me from playing with makeup. But I wanted to so badly that I chopped up the insides of my color pencils to a fine dust and turned them into eyeshadow and blush.

Of course those wild invention days are over now that I am entitled to buy my own cosmetics, but I’m still, and will always be, a fan of DIY.

One of the greatest parts about traveling is being inspired and finding new ideas and fixes for everyday life. And in Berlin, I couldn’t help feeling thrilled at the creativity that percolated from the mix of youth, artists and students living in a fashionable and historic city. Combine these minds with shoestring budgets, and you get some of the most vibrant DIY ideas all around the city. Of course, many of these can’t be replicated exactly, but they do get the brain juices flowing.

Drink pouch purse:

I saw one like this hanging in my host's kitchen.

This is a great way to recycle and indulge your arts-and-crafts urges. I’ve actually seen these around in the U.S. but maybe I didn’t notice them as much in the local Urban Outfitters, where novelty trumps practicality. It’s a little too kitsch for me to tote around as an everyday purse, but can be great for the beach or to carry groceries. Learn how to make one of your own here (sewing machine needed).

Re-used vintage furniture:

Much of the charm of Berlin comes from the mismatched furniture you see in the various bars and cafes. According to my Berliner host, much of the East is inhabited by students and those who have little money. So instead of shooting over to the local IKEA, the locals have actually picked up bits and pieces from flea markets and, if necessary, revamped them..

Like these tweed chairs here.

Wall Paint:

Some of it is just graffiti, but interesting nonetheless. I wouldn’t have thought of many of these color combinations on my own. I'm not sure I would paint my own house the same way, but it shows how paint can add life to otherwise ordinary walls.

A Little Mint:

I was surprised how a little mint in my tap water could make me so happy on a hot, summer day. I’m not a big fan of lemon, so this was a nice, different touch.

Surrounded by some good carrot cake and green lime beer -- and more examples of spruced up furniture.

And…the random invention:

A pile of shipping crates or a funky door? It was funny to see “Hanjin”, a label I’ve seen many times rolling on trains and trucks, as part of an entrance to a concert venue/bar.

After all this, I was motivated to do some of my own DIY. I decided to make my own postcards out of the cool fliers I found in the bars and cafes around town. Sorry, I ran out of batteries before I could snap pics of them, but I can say they were much more interesting than the touristy European church postcards at your local souvenir store. Just glue some writing paper on the back and post and send as normal!

Permalink | 4 comments | Joann Hong's blog | Channel: DIY

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Five Beauty Products I've Learned To Live Without

Joann Hong — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 21:35:19 +0000

By Joann Hong

Beauty products are my weakness. I don't feel as guilty spending money on them because they're always cheaper than 20 dollars (well, the ones I buy anyway). But this is a bad habit because it's deceiving. When you buy many cheap things at different times, you don't feel how they are slowly depleting your bank account.

And guess what eventually happens to most of those newfangled products? They probably end up as clutter. And worse, it's clutter that will need to be thrown out for hygienic reasons in a few months. So finding ways to make the most out of what you already have may save you space, money, and best yet, they may even work better than some "specialized" products out there.

Here are some beauty products I've learned to live without:

1. Shaving cream: Unless you have terribly sensitive skin, you can probably do without the shaving cream. I know those commercials on T.V. make it seem so uncool to shave with soap, but with razors being so advanced nowadays, I find they're good enough to compensate for lack of foam. Plus, if you get an ultra-rich body wash like Dove it should get the job done just fine without irritating your skin. Just a reminder: never try this on dry skin!

2. Cover Sticks/Wands: They are supposed to be thicker and longer lasting than your everyday foundation, but I find it's hard to find one that matches both your skin and foundation. I say, if you've already spent the money finding a good foundation (one that matches your skin tone), why buy extraneous products? I've been using a small, flat eyeshadow brush to dab my regular foundation on my blemishes and find that it covers much better and lasts just as long as the thicker sticks. The brush concentrates the formula and still allows you to blend, without smearing it off. Tip: squeeze a dab of foundation on your hand first, then dip your brush lightly onto the dab before applying.

3. Hand/Foot Creams: I have extremely dry skin and have been through many different creams and lotions just to be disappointed. Now that's a waste of money! If you find a good all over body cream it's probably good enough to moisturize your toughest skin, even rough hands and feet. I personally like Cetaphil cream, the kind that comes in a tub. It's non-irritating, lasts a long time, and is rich enough to soften the toughest parts, even your heels. Best of all, at about 10 dollars a pop, it's cheap! If I need a portable cream, I just buy an empty bottle in the travel section in any drugstore and fill it up with the stuff.

4. Conditioner: I know, this one may seem a little extreme. I actually love conditioner. I love the way it makes my hair feel and smell, and, yes, it's just fun to use. BUT it is a luxury I can live without. Pert Plus just seems so blah compared to Herbal Essences, or other hipper brands, but I've found Pantene makes a good 2-in-1 shampoo that leaves my hair very soft. For those with more unmanageable hair, this may not be an option, but for shorter hairstyles it can save you time and prevent weighing your hair down.

5. Eye Makeup Remover: Again, unless you have extremely sensitive skin you probably don't need a separate eye makeup remover. Baby oil is very good at removing the most resistant makeup, including waterproof mascara. Remember to use a cotton pad with the oil, and be sure to remove your makeup before washing your face. The oil can get a bit greasy, but your face wash should solve that fairly easily.

Permalink | 30 comments | Joann Hong's blog | Channel: Health and Beauty

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Pure Genius - All In The Name Of Eco-Friendly

Joann Hong — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:39:03 +0000

By Joann Hong

Ok, recycling is as eco-friendly as I get so far, and I'm even too lazy for that sometimes. So I really have to applaud these people who have dedicated their best brains to creating some of the most ingenious inventions I've seen, all for the sake of a more sustainable future.

I recently stumbled upon this site, Inhabitat .com, which is worth looking at not only for the fabulous design but also some damn good ideas.

For instance, I work at an architectural firm and wondered the same thing this guy did: why don't we ever do anything with all those samples of tiles, glass, rubber, etc. that potential suppliers inundate us with daily? I figured decorating my bathroom with all the spare tiles would be pretty clever, but that's not nearly as fun as what these people came up with.

But the strangest and most intriguing to me has to be this:

No, that's not just a building. See the green inside? That is one of the designs associated with the vertical farm project, the brainchild of Dr. Dickson Despommier, a Columbia University professor of environmental sciences and microbiology. The idea behind the project is that in 50 years, most of the human population will live in urban centers. Their solution to overcrowding and its environmental consequences: start building farms into skyscrapers!

Some of the purpoted benefits of such a scheme:

-Organically grown food, sans pesticides

-No weather related crop failures

-Year-round crop production

-Animals can be raised in them as well **small ones, such as chicken and fish**

-No tractors, plows or shipping, thus less use of fossil fuels

-And the best benefit: we can't go to the moon or Mars until we try skscraper farming! Woo hoo! No creepy Total Recall moments.

The farm has yet to be built, and I just hope I'm around long enough to see it. In the meantime I guess I can enjoy the staircase drawers.

Staircase by Unicraft Joinery. Photo courtesy of blogger Emily on Inhabitat.

Read more about the two-in-one staircase here .

Vertical farm picture: design by Chris Jacobs.

Permalink | 20 comments | Joann Hong's blog | Channel: Consumer Affairs

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Best Time For Summer Shopping In Europe!

Joann Hong — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 20:39:19 +0000

By Joann Hong

Did your high season European flight take a huge chunk out of your savings? Well, at least the shopping doesn't have to be as painful, even with the weak dollar conversion rates.

Many countries in Europe, France being the most evident with their "soldes", have government regulated retail sales. This means they can only slash retail prices twice a year, which results in mega summer and winter reductions. For a general timetable and list of countries click here. I can only speak for France and the UK, since these are the two countries in which I've participated in the sales frenzy (so much fun!). But here's how they generally work (I should note here that UK sales aren't regulated by the government, but they still offer huge seasonal sales):

The summer sales usually start at the end of June and last until mid/late July. And when I say mega sales, I mean almost every store participates -- even Alexander McQueen and Prada! Different rules probably apply to each store, but how early you hit the stores can make a difference in what you can find and how cheap you can find them. Most stores will start their price slashes at 50 percent, but will reduce up to 70 percent as the month goes on.

It's simple: going earlier will get you better prices and goods. However, the shopping doesn't get really fun until it's dirt cheap so waiting a bit longer can still get you good stuff, but will be nicer for your wallet. The one downside may be that many of the goods are stock from the previous year and can look a bit grungy and sad. But check out these dresses from one of my favorite UK stores, Miss Selfridge. Previous season is by no means ugly:

Was: £45 Now:£20 (It's $40 but still reasonable. And pretty.)

Was:£25 Now:£10 (Woo hoo! $20. Now we're getting close to Forever 21 prices!)

Was:£25 Now:£10

And to highlight another benefit of the sales, the regulated periods teach you patience -- as in, don't buy it now, wait for the sales you dummy!

Maybe it's because I'm three months away from being on American soil, but last week I fell in love with a jumper at American Apparel in Paris and had an irresistable urge to buy. I paid 38 euros for a 38 dollar rag. But hey you live, get broke, and learn.

Which takes me to the one caveat: have prudence!! As with everything, moderation should be implemented as you don't want to pay the overweight luggage fee, which would ruin all your saving fun.

Chart from cec.consumo-inc.es

Permalink | 4 comments | Joann Hong's blog | Channel: Shopping

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Going Short at Starbucks: Worth It?

Joann Hong — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 21:48:50 +0000

By Joann Hong

News about the "secret" Starbucks short cup is now over a year old, but people still don't believe me when I tell them about this little treasure.

For those who may not have heard yet, the 12 oz. tall cup at Starbucks isn't actually their smallest size. Starbucks has an unadvertised 8 oz. cup, otherwise known as the short, which supposedly works better with certain drinks. Baristas say they've known about it forever, but it really wasn't after this Slate piece that forums abounded with chatter on this subject.

People say different things about why Starbucks doesn't advertise this smaller size. Some Starbucks workers on this forum say it's because America is now XL, and the short cup was squeezed out of the menu for the more popular, bigger venti cup. Starbucks says it's because they just don't have room on their menu.

The short cup doesn't cost remarkably less than the tall (about thirty cents less), but there are different reasons why this smaller size may work for you.

If you're anything like me you like to stick to the simple stuff that gets the trick done. A tall cup of straight coffee from Starbucks is much too strong for me and gives me the shakes. If you're sensitive to caffeine the short cup can give you the boost you need without making you feel cracked out. Also with portions so big nowadays it just feels good to finish something for once. Why pay for something you're going to end up wasting half of anyway?

And if you think this size may not be potent enough, think again. According to the Energy Fiend website the short cup of plain coffee packs in more caffeine than all those horrible tasting energy drinks! Want proof? Click here . It takes way more cans of Monster energy drink than Starbucks short cups to kill you from caffeine overdose.

But the best bit of advice can be learned from the Olsen twins. Did you ever notice how they are always carrying around the hugest cups from Starbucks? Lesson to be learned: too much caffeine isn't good for you! Short jokes aside, trust me, sometimes less can be a lot more.

Permalink | 12 comments | Joann Hong's blog | Channel: Food and Drink

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