I'd also like to add Kiva.org to the list. That's a website where you can help people in poverty-stricken areas finance their businesses with a micro-loan. Plus, since nearly all the loans are paid back, you can invest the returned money in another person. It looks like a great venture, and I've heard some great things about it.
Actually, this post really got me thinking, and I might have come up with a solution and a possible new career path. Thanks! I'll email you about it, because it's too early to delve into now.
Good article, Andrea! I just spent the last month taking German classes in Hamburg, and I really wish I had had a chance to learn it when I was younger. I did study some Spanish, ancient Greek, and Latin in college, and those are the only things that kept me from going home crying every night because the class was so hard. One thing that's really struck me this last year is how many Europeans speak more than one language. It was a shock for me, since I never really felt the need to speak another language when I was in the US. Now, I'm more motivated than ever to become fluent in German. If anyone is interested, I wrote a post about this last week on my blog called "Have we already been left behind?"
It's funny to read this article just minutes after hearing about http://www.wewantchoiceohio.com/ while in my car picking up my lunch.
I'm sick of the high prices I pay for cable in Ohio, but there aren't any better alternatives (other than turning it off for good). My wife and I have discussed turning it off, but there are always one or two shows that we don't want to give up. Plus, my 2 yr old really like watching Disney or Noggin every now and then.
We don't watch very much, but it's hard to actually give it up for good. If there was a way to buy the shows we want to watch directly through TiVo, I'd do it in an heartbeat.
I hope I can prevent myself from becoming overly attached to my money. I don't want to weep big, kitten-loving tears every time I pay a bill. But since I currently have NO emotional attachment to my money, I don't think it could hurt to form a little bit of one.
...his purpose in life seemed to just come to him.
Actually, Mike, I think that the "still-looking" is part of it. I'm not sure that we're going to find the one thing that we are supposed to do on this earth. I think we can get closer and closer and closer to it and live happy, satisfied lives in that place. But it seems like there will always be more we can know about ourselves and therefore more that we can do or change that will make us happier.
I, on the other hand, can tend to protect my money too much. It's like walking a tightrope--I want to be able to spend money on things I want without feeling guilty or wondering if it would just be better for me to save it, while still making informed, researched decisions and not spending to make myself feel better. In Andrea-speak, I want to be able to protect my kitten but still leave her with friends or in a good kennel when I go on vacation. ;)
Start getting opinions on mechanics from other mechanics that specialize in other areas. That makes no sense, so an example. Assume you have a problem with idling. Call a guy that specializes in brakes and ask him if he knows any good general mechanics. Say you need brakes but have to get this other problem fixed first. These guys all know each other and he will probably come up with one or two good mechanics. The key is that the brake guy is not competing for your business so he can be honest.
Works for me and I have 266,000 miles on my truck.
i think money really is money... the dissonance only comes in on how much work it takes you to live frugally and save that money that can be wasted at one time just because of a stupid late fee. you forget something or you screw up, then you have to start all over again it seems. i don think that develop emotional attachments to money is a good thing... i think it will lead to more problems and unhealthy choices in the long run. judging from this site, however, it seems that you are actively thinking about how to spend money wisely so i dont think you have much to worry about. you live and you learn, just dont forget to pay things on time.
My college roomate & her boyfriend took their first trip to NY & got totally taken for a ride. Classic tourist screwed over story. The boyfriend bought what he thought was a video camera, albiet a hot one, but it was in a new box, shrink wrapped, etc. They schlepped the thing around all day & when they got back to the hotel room & finally opened it, they found out they had bought two bricks!
I remember once seeing a movie where a guy said "when you steal from me you are taking food from my family" or something to that effect.
That stuck with me. Whenever I think of money I always think about how that money can be used for important family things, like insurance, healthcare, healthcare, bailing Greg out of jail, etc.
P.S. It looks like you worked over the kitty pretty good!
"Your job in life is to find what you love and then dedicate your life to it." .. or something like that. Basically, we have a purpose, it is individual, and once we find it we will find our greatest joy by dedicating our lives to it. Sadly I'm 44 and still looking ;-)
When I first read your post, Sarah, my first thought was "it's probably a gasket" because whenever anything ever went wrong with any of my older cars, it was always a gasket. Cars are actually made up entirely of gaskets, that's how many there are. If you were to break a car down into its smallest physical particles, after quarks, there would be gaskets.
And sure enough, on the site that Will linked to:
If there is still a problem I would inspect the engine for a vacuum leak in a rubber hose or in a intake manifold gasket etc.
Yeah, the American accent can be hard to let go of. I wish Newt had just apologized rather than trying to get down and funkay with the Spanish-speaking world, who probably felt the pain of their language being slaughtered in YouTube even more accutely than I.
Funny-ish story - when traveling in China, my friends and I were in Yunnan, the place where all foreigners go, when we happened upon some other foreigners at a bar - a group of frat boys from a Christian college in Texas. These boys drawled like nothing you have ever heard before. It was incredible. Turns out they were on some exchange, teaching English to elementary school kids in an impoverished village.
As we were leaving the bar, my friend turned to me and said, "Do you realize that there are kids, somewhere in China, running around and shouting "Howdy, y'all!", sincerely believing that they are speaking English?"
It was thus that we happened upon the idea of speaking Chinese in a Texan accent. Try it sometime. It's fay-chang how warr, as we were fond of drawling at each other for months afterward.
Will-I can add more specifics. I think I was hoping for more general answers like, "If you go in instead of your husband, they will...", or "If you threaten to take it to the dealer instead, they will..."
The main problem is that it revs in neutral and park, particularly when it's cold.
Nice blog! Well its every car owners concern to protect their beloved car from damages, defects,etc. Its quite expensive when car undergo repairs. Basic car maintenance would be a great help in maintaining cars. That's why I see to it that I checked my mercedes 400E parts from time to time. As for an old car, maybe bringing it to a trusted mechanic would help. It would really nice to preserve the car. Good luck.
I've never been tempted to buy any peeps, just because of the insane amount of food coloring that goes into them. But now ... muahahahahaaaa ... these ideas are too good and too funny to pass up. Easter just passed, so I'm sure there are some out there on clearance!
is rather painful to listen to. I'm not even fluent and it was painful! It bothers me when people try to learn a foreign language but just smother everything in the English pronunciation. Ew.
Kudos on just surrounding yourself with the language and becoming fluent. That really *is* the only way. Takes guts to take the initial leap, but once there, 'tis indeed an unforgettable experience. I also taught English in China for some time and had a blast. A bit different for me though, since I am Chinese, and speak some already ... it was good to learn more about my roots but at the same time become disillusioned with my own people dissing me more than my fair-skinned counterparts ... but ah, that is another story for another day. :)
We went to someone my husband has used before. It's just that he's now 45 minutes away, which is a long way to drive for car repair. And the work he did was good, as far as I know. Which is not very far. The assumption was that it would fix more than it did.
Good to hear that a new car isn't cheaper, because that's how I tend to lean in this sort of situation. My husband keeps saying differently, though. It's good to have a reinforcing opinion.
Is there nothing I can tell a mechanic to get him to cut me a deal? Maybe, "I'll give you props on Wisebread!"
I'd also like to add Kiva.org to the list. That's a website where you can help people in poverty-stricken areas finance their businesses with a micro-loan. Plus, since nearly all the loans are paid back, you can invest the returned money in another person. It looks like a great venture, and I've heard some great things about it.
Actually, this post really got me thinking, and I might have come up with a solution and a possible new career path. Thanks! I'll email you about it, because it's too early to delve into now.
Good article, Andrea! I just spent the last month taking German classes in Hamburg, and I really wish I had had a chance to learn it when I was younger. I did study some Spanish, ancient Greek, and Latin in college, and those are the only things that kept me from going home crying every night because the class was so hard. One thing that's really struck me this last year is how many Europeans speak more than one language. It was a shock for me, since I never really felt the need to speak another language when I was in the US. Now, I'm more motivated than ever to become fluent in German. If anyone is interested, I wrote a post about this last week on my blog called "Have we already been left behind?"
It's funny to read this article just minutes after hearing about http://www.wewantchoiceohio.com/ while in my car picking up my lunch.
I'm sick of the high prices I pay for cable in Ohio, but there aren't any better alternatives (other than turning it off for good). My wife and I have discussed turning it off, but there are always one or two shows that we don't want to give up. Plus, my 2 yr old really like watching Disney or Noggin every now and then.
We don't watch very much, but it's hard to actually give it up for good. If there was a way to buy the shows we want to watch directly through TiVo, I'd do it in an heartbeat.
I hope I can prevent myself from becoming overly attached to my money. I don't want to weep big, kitten-loving tears every time I pay a bill. But since I currently have NO emotional attachment to my money, I don't think it could hurt to form a little bit of one.
...his purpose in life seemed to just come to him.
Actually, Mike, I think that the "still-looking" is part of it. I'm not sure that we're going to find the one thing that we are supposed to do on this earth. I think we can get closer and closer and closer to it and live happy, satisfied lives in that place. But it seems like there will always be more we can know about ourselves and therefore more that we can do or change that will make us happier.
I, on the other hand, can tend to protect my money too much. It's like walking a tightrope--I want to be able to spend money on things I want without feeling guilty or wondering if it would just be better for me to save it, while still making informed, researched decisions and not spending to make myself feel better. In Andrea-speak, I want to be able to protect my kitten but still leave her with friends or in a good kennel when I go on vacation. ;)
266,000? Crazy. Sounds like it must work, so we'll try that. Thanks, Bill!
Sarah,
Start getting opinions on mechanics from other mechanics that specialize in other areas. That makes no sense, so an example. Assume you have a problem with idling. Call a guy that specializes in brakes and ask him if he knows any good general mechanics. Say you need brakes but have to get this other problem fixed first. These guys all know each other and he will probably come up with one or two good mechanics. The key is that the brake guy is not competing for your business so he can be honest.
Works for me and I have 266,000 miles on my truck.
Bill Bradle
Check out ivrhacks too. It's for different countries as well as US and you can search on it.
i think money really is money... the dissonance only comes in on how much work it takes you to live frugally and save that money that can be wasted at one time just because of a stupid late fee. you forget something or you screw up, then you have to start all over again it seems. i don think that develop emotional attachments to money is a good thing... i think it will lead to more problems and unhealthy choices in the long run. judging from this site, however, it seems that you are actively thinking about how to spend money wisely so i dont think you have much to worry about. you live and you learn, just dont forget to pay things on time.
My college roomate & her boyfriend took their first trip to NY & got totally taken for a ride. Classic tourist screwed over story. The boyfriend bought what he thought was a video camera, albiet a hot one, but it was in a new box, shrink wrapped, etc. They schlepped the thing around all day & when they got back to the hotel room & finally opened it, they found out they had bought two bricks!
I guess it all comes to how much you value your time. Did you count that into your monthly payments?
My attitude to it is to drive my old car for as long as I feel comfortable with the time/effort I sped repairing it.
But as she recently shredded the carpet at the top of my stairs, requiring actual carpet replacement, I don't feel THAT bad.
Is Greg in jail AGAIN? Let me know if you need some extra dough to pay for the lawyers. The backend code won't write itself, you know.
I remember once seeing a movie where a guy said "when you steal from me you are taking food from my family" or something to that effect.
That stuck with me. Whenever I think of money I always think about how that money can be used for important family things, like insurance, healthcare, healthcare, bailing Greg out of jail, etc.
P.S. It looks like you worked over the kitty pretty good!
i have the same spending problem you do! this is so perfect! its sad but amusing at the same time but it makes so much sense!
"Your job in life is to find what you love and then dedicate your life to it." .. or something like that. Basically, we have a purpose, it is individual, and once we find it we will find our greatest joy by dedicating our lives to it. Sadly I'm 44 and still looking ;-)
When I first read your post, Sarah, my first thought was "it's probably a gasket" because whenever anything ever went wrong with any of my older cars, it was always a gasket. Cars are actually made up entirely of gaskets, that's how many there are. If you were to break a car down into its smallest physical particles, after quarks, there would be gaskets.
And sure enough, on the site that Will linked to:
If there is still a problem I would inspect the engine for a vacuum leak in a rubber hose or in a intake manifold gasket etc.
DAMNIT! DAMN GASKETS!
Yeah, the American accent can be hard to let go of. I wish Newt had just apologized rather than trying to get down and funkay with the Spanish-speaking world, who probably felt the pain of their language being slaughtered in YouTube even more accutely than I.
Funny-ish story - when traveling in China, my friends and I were in Yunnan, the place where all foreigners go, when we happened upon some other foreigners at a bar - a group of frat boys from a Christian college in Texas. These boys drawled like nothing you have ever heard before. It was incredible. Turns out they were on some exchange, teaching English to elementary school kids in an impoverished village.
As we were leaving the bar, my friend turned to me and said, "Do you realize that there are kids, somewhere in China, running around and shouting "Howdy, y'all!", sincerely believing that they are speaking English?"
It was thus that we happened upon the idea of speaking Chinese in a Texan accent. Try it sometime. It's fay-chang how warr, as we were fond of drawling at each other for months afterward.
I hope that helps get the juices flowing from the readers.
The only car stuff I know I get from Car Talk (888-227-8255, and they have a forum).
It soundsl like this guy might have a similar problem with his Honda.
Will-I can add more specifics. I think I was hoping for more general answers like, "If you go in instead of your husband, they will...", or "If you threaten to take it to the dealer instead, they will..."
The main problem is that it revs in neutral and park, particularly when it's cold.
Anybody?
Nice blog! Well its every car owners concern to protect their beloved car from damages, defects,etc. Its quite expensive when car undergo repairs. Basic car maintenance would be a great help in maintaining cars. That's why I see to it that I checked my mercedes 400E parts from time to time. As for an old car, maybe bringing it to a trusted mechanic would help. It would really nice to preserve the car. Good luck.
I've never been tempted to buy any peeps, just because of the insane amount of food coloring that goes into them. But now ... muahahahahaaaa ... these ideas are too good and too funny to pass up. Easter just passed, so I'm sure there are some out there on clearance!
is rather painful to listen to. I'm not even fluent and it was painful! It bothers me when people try to learn a foreign language but just smother everything in the English pronunciation. Ew.
Kudos on just surrounding yourself with the language and becoming fluent. That really *is* the only way. Takes guts to take the initial leap, but once there, 'tis indeed an unforgettable experience. I also taught English in China for some time and had a blast. A bit different for me though, since I am Chinese, and speak some already ... it was good to learn more about my roots but at the same time become disillusioned with my own people dissing me more than my fair-skinned counterparts ... but ah, that is another story for another day. :)
Ha! I don't have a puppy. More's the pity.
We went to someone my husband has used before. It's just that he's now 45 minutes away, which is a long way to drive for car repair. And the work he did was good, as far as I know. Which is not very far. The assumption was that it would fix more than it did.
Good to hear that a new car isn't cheaper, because that's how I tend to lean in this sort of situation. My husband keeps saying differently, though. It's good to have a reinforcing opinion.
Is there nothing I can tell a mechanic to get him to cut me a deal? Maybe, "I'll give you props on Wisebread!"