Recent comments

  • Throwing out your own trash   18 years 36 weeks ago

    having worked at a cinema for over two years, i'd just like to say your altruistic concept of not throwing out the trash really isn't necessary: i'd estimate that for every person who actually threw out their trash, 3 people would just leave it (more for large movies - harry potter, pirates, etc).
    if you want to be lazy, fine. but don't leave the theatre thinking you're somehow noble for "saving the job" of some 17 year old.

  • What You Don't Know About Sushi   18 years 36 weeks ago

    I've seen it smoked or cured, but it is most often served raw. However, it has likely been flash frozen to kill the nematodes and other icky things that live in fish flesh.

  • Job hunting: What is your dutch wife?   18 years 36 weeks ago

    If the other candidates found out that he was hired because of his Dutch wife, could they sue for discrimination? (True, it would be a rare case for people to actually find out, I admit.)

  • The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified   18 years 36 weeks ago

    Guest above, 4% is the maximum safe withdrawal rate.

    The last 30 years have been overperforming ones.

  • You’re Fired! 20 Signs That a Pink Slip is Coming   18 years 36 weeks ago

    If you do get the axe how do you account for that time on your resume'?

    Lesson I learned: Don't become an assistant director if there looking to hire a new director. You may not get along and they will win!

    Mergers: Better to be on the merger side than be the merged ones.

  • Private foundations for ordinary folks   18 years 36 weeks ago

    Testing the charities that you're considering supporting is a good idea, and that's a good way to do it.

    Thanks for the kind words!

  • The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified   18 years 36 weeks ago

    "a million dollars isn't that much money any more"

    A million dollars, invested in a good growth-stock or index mutual fund will yield about 12% per year. Take 8% of that, $80,000, as an annual salary, and leave the other 4% in to hedge against inflation, and you get to live on twice the median household income in America, AND get a cost-of-living raise every year.

    Yeah, a million dollars isn't much anymore.

  • A year without toilet paper - The Interview   18 years 36 weeks ago

    Thank you, Andrea. And yes, I hope the same thing, that if some jobs were lost, then others would be created more localized, with better pay and benefits for them. It's not easy being a retail chain worker. I'm not one, but I have friends who are. If people are better paid, then they could afford to loosen the deep attachment to Wally World with their low, low prices. :-]

  • The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified   18 years 36 weeks ago

    "(I'll bet we even have some millionaires reading frugal living tips on Wise Bread this very minute)! "

    You do. And get this -- my car is older than that of any of my friends -- but since I don't rquire that my car be a manifestation of my personality or status, I'm fine with a machine that takes me from point A to point B. My house is comfy, spacious and well-built, but it isn't a McMansion. My idea of fun is making bread and jam with my children and providing them with a creative and loving home life. The standard external displays of wealth are wildly and wastefully expensive and show a distinct lack of imagination (or a lamentable propensity for believing advertising).

  • The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified   18 years 36 weeks ago

    I found you through Lifehack, and I'm glad I did. This is the approach my husband and I are taking. Warren Buffett is a great example of this. Still lives in Omaha, still lives in the same house he and his wife bought 30 or 40 years ago.

  • Beating corporate America at its own game   18 years 36 weeks ago

    I find complaining calmly and rationally usually works anywhere. Written email outlets for complaints are usually the most effective.

    I had a problem with my iPod, then had a problem setting up service for it online. I found an email address to send my complaint to, and immediately got a response and totally free service - they actually replaced my iPod with a newer generation iPod.

    Never hurts to write a calmly worded letter...

  • How To Turn A Video Game System Into A Gym Membership   18 years 36 weeks ago

    Nora - thanks for helping to spread the word about Maya. We are diligently working on the sequel to Yourself!Fitness and are excited to see so many users attaining great results.

    best,
    Daniel Wood / CMO
    responDesign, Inc

  • The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified   18 years 36 weeks ago

    My friend's family is very wealthy but you wouldn't know it if you met him. He's very humble and lives quite modestly. I always calls him the "poorest rich person" I know because he lives so frugally and never draws attention to himself. He invests wisely and doesn't spend his money on trivial and fleeting things. Quite inspiring!

    - Raymond (MONEY BLUE BOOK)

  • How To Get A Discount Every Time   18 years 36 weeks ago

    Great advice, Nora. I love you!

  • The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified   18 years 36 weeks ago

    And found it very inspiring. It doesn't exactly give you tips on how to be frugal, but really just how to adjust your mindset. Yes, it's really hard to wade through some of the dryer parts, but worth it when you put it down feeling satisfactory that you can in fact achieve being rich. It just takes a little work and a little know how.

  • The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified   18 years 36 weeks ago

    And found it very inspiring. It doesn't exactly give you tips on how to be frugal, but really just how to adjust your mindset. Yes, it's really hard to wade through some of the dryer parts, but worth it when you put it down feeling satisfactory that you can in fact achieve being rich. It just takes a little work and a little know how.

  • Private foundations for ordinary folks   18 years 36 weeks ago

    Great post on a valuable subject: leaving a legacy and influencing the community through targeted giving. If you don't mind, I may add if you want to see the approach that your local foundation takes to evaluating grants and charitable organizations, apply for a grant for whatever organization you are associated with (civic group, school, religious group, or start your own!); then you can see how open they are to new ideas and how stringent they follow guidelines. 

     

  • Augment Your Income By Going To Nightclubs   18 years 36 weeks ago

    As far as liabilities, I was thinking about liability associated with drunken driving or fights among patrons. Where I live, earlier this year, there was a tragic incident at a party organized by a promoter but that took place at a local bar. From what I have read, the lawsuits and charges are all against the bar owner but I didn't know if the party planner should or could do anything to promote safety and avoid incidents.

  • The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified   18 years 36 weeks ago

    What I take from this, is that a million dollars isn't that much money any more. Thats one of the reasons that millionaires don't live the millionaire lifestyle - they're just not that rich. I expect to be a millionaire eventually, but only through the power of inflation.

  • The Millionaire Next Door: Riches De-mystified   18 years 36 weeks ago

    Very few people realize that most people with money act like they don't have any at all. The kind of people that get to a place where they make lots of money aren't the kind of people who are going to waste it on things they don't need just to impress people who know nothing about having money. Indeed, as I wrote a couple of weeks ago, sometimes even the millionaire doesn't know how much they have!

  • The GHETTO MAC - yours for $1.   18 years 36 weeks ago

    Most McDs have Big Macs for $1 on Wednesdays. Go to BK the other days for the free Whopper thing.

  • Turn $1 into $100 in about 2 minutes.   18 years 36 weeks ago

    Video editin people, its just tricking your eyes...
    look at the position of the cloth before and after the he puts the cup down. it changes a bit. But when playing it your eyes dont catch it.

  • The $40 Hidden Inside a 12V Battery   18 years 36 weeks ago

    I took apart a cheap brand and there were no little ones inside.

  • Is Paypal making impulse buyers of us all?   18 years 36 weeks ago

    PayPal broke me a while back. I got involved in a project that I thought would be great and started buying supplies like crazy. I eventually realized that I couldn't complete it, yet I had spent hundreds on eBay buying up everything that I could find.

    I have a new rule now - I'll get a deal lined up, but think it over for 24 hours before buying. 90% of the time, I decide against the purchase.

  • Bottled Water, Bottled Hype Part 1   18 years 36 weeks ago

    What government program? You mean, municipal water supplies? You DO realize that the water that you buy in the bottle COMES FROM MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES, right? Unless it says so specifically on the bottle that your water is from a spring or artesan well, the bottled water you pay a premium for is just filtered tap water. So, not only are you giving the government control over what you drink, but you're paying large corporations more money for bottling the water and then driving it across the country for you.

    But hey, if you truly are paranoid about government control, that's fine. Just make sure you're not half-assed about it, OK? Use bottled water to water your lawn, and to bathe. Otherwise, you're still letting the government run your life.

    Nice to know that I'm a member of the elite, though. I hadn't received my membership card.