You said it. We all know the golden rule: He who has the gold makes the rules. That is why when you increase my property tax, I increase the rent. It is simple as that. We will be lucky if there is one bank that serves as a hold out. If so, then they might just get an increase in market share much like SouthWest Airlines has been increasing market share since Bags Fly Free.
Cider Fan,
Another really good thing, is that it is legal to do in most areas. Jacking, what they call it here, has been going on almost as long as making cider itself. A salad spinner is a great device to separate the ice from the drink, as it gets higher in concentration. The ice will start to form free floating ice instead of chunks. They are not as easy to remove. You can start off at just below freezing temperature for water, but as you go on, you will need to push it a little more each time. You will be able to get it up to the standard 40%, but the flavour may be to intense by then. As far as methanol, you had it in the cider you started with, its just in a smaller cup now. If you could drink a gallon before and reduced it by 50%, you can drink 1/2 gallon with the same effect and methanol consumption.
I left one of the major banking chains because they just couldn't compare to my local credit union for friendliness, helpfulness, and fewer fees. I haven't looked back.
I doubt that home-owning is a wealth creator. Even if it is a dream house and only 10-20 years old...the chances are it will not be you last home.
It will get too old by the time you are ready to retire. While it is cheaper to rent, why not just keep saving money? Believe you me in 5-15 years baby boomers
will start downsizing, there will be no shortage of houses on the market at very affordable price.
Unless we will easy immigration rules to let more Europeans in.
I do not know...I am VERY good at buying used. I target things that were very high end a few years ago, realizing that the wealthy have things we have not seen yet. This stuff trickles down and becomes common after a while. ( Example: GPS & hi-def TV's) Of course, the build quality must be adjusted to meet the new price point. Its just common sense.
Most of the things I own were carefully selected; Hi-End or commercial grade. These things perform flawlessly and will continue to do so for decades...usually with far more class then commonly available, consumer grade junk.
Only a fool would walk in to my home and think my things are "garbage".
Although, I do have an idea what sort of things you own....
This is also consistent with Ramit Sethi's advice of cutting costs mercilessly on things you don't need or care for, but spending money on the things you love :). It's not solely about cutting costs.
Like changing oil of car. If you enjoy getting your hands dirty, then fine. Wait for the engine to cool down, lift up the car, change oil, dispose of the oil properly. You may have saved a whopping 5-$8 Or you can pull into one of the many quick-oil changing places and have it done for the same price. In fact, you would most likely spend more time and money changing it yourself vs going to a shop that already has a rapid system in place for changing it.
My point is that you have to know when it is more economical to outsource vs do-it-yourself. The old saying of "being penny smart and pound/dollar foolish" is very applicable here :)
Another point worth considering is the attachment factor. We know that we will leave this world one day, but yet it seems so far away and some people buy, buy, buy stuff that are garage stuffers. Our agreements with money is just an extension of the core agreements that we have with ourselves. I recommend "The Four Agreements" for anyone looking to make a transition to financial freedom, which goes hand in hand with personal freedom.
My favorite memory was getting the gang from Wise Bread back together again -- that and seeing that J.D. has a lot of hair. I don't know why I always assumed that he didn't (maybe the hats in all the photos?) Len Penzo also gave me a much-needed pep talk before my session that helped me get through (it was much appreciated.)
Oh, and Lynn and I talking about "cute guys?" You know we've grown up when we don't call them "boys" anymore ;)
This is a great list. I used to go to farmers market but the one close to my house closed. Ever since it became more difficult to go. But when I go, I mainly buy food/fruits/vegetables. They do have good prices.
My bank, B of A, has already announced there are fees coming. Ugh! I'm going to try and stick with your third suggestion. I'm one of those persons that hates carrying cash and I use my debit for everything so this will be an adventure. Hopefully carrying cash will also help me save money as it will make me more aware of what I have. Great suggestions!
I love my bank, Southern Community. Their website is small enough to care dot com, and they are. I've been with them for 12 years, even after moving 600 miles away. When I got married, my wife joined them too. We have to use our ATM card 10x a month, and for that, we earn interest and they refund ATM fees any other bank has charged. So this way, I can use any ATM 600 miles away. Since I was a little kid, I've known BofA charged the most fees, so I stay away. Small banks all the way!
Great tips! I always love finding new ways to be productive. I would suggest paying your bills on a regular schedule (so as not to forget), but still a productive option if you want to get ahead. My favorite of the 25 is the cookies. I can never say no to a warm cookie. :)
I make a dessert I call crack. My niece mentioned it to her teacher, which resulted in a parent-teacher conference for my brother.
1 cup of salted butter – $2
1 cup of brown sugar – $1
2 packs of saltines (That’s half of a box) – $2
2 bags of chocolate chips – $4
2 handfuls of toffee chips (broken Heath bars) – $1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cover two cookie sheets in foil. Spread crackers over each sheet in a single layer.
Mix the butter and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until it starts looking like caramel, then stir for another minute or two. You still want it kind of runny, so don’t let it get thick.
Spoon the caramel over the crackers. Get some on each cracker. Try to get it even, but don’t worry about it too much. Sloppy is good. Remember, half the caramel for each cookie sheet.
Put the cookie sheets full of crackers and caramel in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The caramel will spread out and flow through and around the crackers. You’ll know it’s done when the caramel starts bubbling evenly.
Pour one bag of chocolate chips over each pan. Try to spread it out evenly, but–again–don’t sweat it.
Go away for 10 minutes.
When you come back, the chocolate will be all melty-good. Spread it evenly with a rubber spatula.
Sprinkle some toffee chips over the chocolate, then put the pans in the freezer to cool and set. It will take at least a couple of hours.
When you pull the pans out, peel off the foil then break it up into snack-sized pieces. Don’t break it up first, or you’ll spend the evening moaning over the candy and crying over the foil hitting your fillings.
Depending on how long you cooked the caramel, it will get soft when it approaches room temperature. I always store it in the refrigerator to avoid that.
When you bring this to a party, always pack it two containers. When the first one is empty, you can auction off the second. You should be able to turn the $10 you spent on ingredients into at least $50 of guilt-ridden goodness.
It's a page for a group that advocates moving your money away from money-center banks, but the politics of that are neither here nor there. If you follow the link for "Find a bank/credit union," it'll offer you two different tools for finding local (i.e. not money center) banks and credit unions—which are a lot more likely to offer fee-free debit cards.
I find this article disappointing, since the title led me to believe it would discuss methods of avoiding debit card fees, and 3/4 solutions were to not use debit cards. I suppose the title is technically accurate, since without a debit card, you won't have fees, but I find it misleading, and again disappointing.
I have been a Credit Union member for 40 years. In contrast to some of my banking investment experiences I have always found credit union staff to be friendly, knowledgeable and very up front - with my interests in mind. I have all my Credit Union now.
They do exist solely to serve their members and not to pay high dividends to share holders. The profits are returned to members, offering higher deposit rates and lower rates on loans. While bank accounts in Canada are now insured for $100,000, here in British Columbia credit union accounts are covered for the entire amount.
Credit unions are great—I always had a credit union account until I moved to Champaign-Urbana. (Here I found a small bank that provides all the services I need, and I ended up going that route.)
The key insight is realizing that the big money-center banks don't care one bit about individual account holders: you're really just an expense to them.
I'm currently a Wells Fargo customer (tossed over from Wachovia), so I have a close eye on this, especially since I often use small debit card purchases to get cash back when there isn't a Wells Fargo ATM around. Trying to find a credit union is definitely on my mind.
You said it. We all know the golden rule: He who has the gold makes the rules. That is why when you increase my property tax, I increase the rent. It is simple as that. We will be lucky if there is one bank that serves as a hold out. If so, then they might just get an increase in market share much like SouthWest Airlines has been increasing market share since Bags Fly Free.
Cider Fan,
Another really good thing, is that it is legal to do in most areas. Jacking, what they call it here, has been going on almost as long as making cider itself. A salad spinner is a great device to separate the ice from the drink, as it gets higher in concentration. The ice will start to form free floating ice instead of chunks. They are not as easy to remove. You can start off at just below freezing temperature for water, but as you go on, you will need to push it a little more each time. You will be able to get it up to the standard 40%, but the flavour may be to intense by then. As far as methanol, you had it in the cider you started with, its just in a smaller cup now. If you could drink a gallon before and reduced it by 50%, you can drink 1/2 gallon with the same effect and methanol consumption.
I left one of the major banking chains because they just couldn't compare to my local credit union for friendliness, helpfulness, and fewer fees. I haven't looked back.
I doubt that home-owning is a wealth creator. Even if it is a dream house and only 10-20 years old...the chances are it will not be you last home.
It will get too old by the time you are ready to retire. While it is cheaper to rent, why not just keep saving money? Believe you me in 5-15 years baby boomers
will start downsizing, there will be no shortage of houses on the market at very affordable price.
Unless we will easy immigration rules to let more Europeans in.
Yes, I know my credit score and in fact check it regularly on Credit Karma!
I do not know...I am VERY good at buying used. I target things that were very high end a few years ago, realizing that the wealthy have things we have not seen yet. This stuff trickles down and becomes common after a while. ( Example: GPS & hi-def TV's) Of course, the build quality must be adjusted to meet the new price point. Its just common sense.
Most of the things I own were carefully selected; Hi-End or commercial grade. These things perform flawlessly and will continue to do so for decades...usually with far more class then commonly available, consumer grade junk.
Only a fool would walk in to my home and think my things are "garbage".
Although, I do have an idea what sort of things you own....
This is also consistent with Ramit Sethi's advice of cutting costs mercilessly on things you don't need or care for, but spending money on the things you love :). It's not solely about cutting costs.
Like changing oil of car. If you enjoy getting your hands dirty, then fine. Wait for the engine to cool down, lift up the car, change oil, dispose of the oil properly. You may have saved a whopping 5-$8 Or you can pull into one of the many quick-oil changing places and have it done for the same price. In fact, you would most likely spend more time and money changing it yourself vs going to a shop that already has a rapid system in place for changing it.
My point is that you have to know when it is more economical to outsource vs do-it-yourself. The old saying of "being penny smart and pound/dollar foolish" is very applicable here :)
Another point worth considering is the attachment factor. We know that we will leave this world one day, but yet it seems so far away and some people buy, buy, buy stuff that are garage stuffers. Our agreements with money is just an extension of the core agreements that we have with ourselves. I recommend "The Four Agreements" for anyone looking to make a transition to financial freedom, which goes hand in hand with personal freedom.
How did you come to write for Wise Bread? What are the pros and cons in the experience?
My favorite memory was getting the gang from Wise Bread back together again -- that and seeing that J.D. has a lot of hair. I don't know why I always assumed that he didn't (maybe the hats in all the photos?) Len Penzo also gave me a much-needed pep talk before my session that helped me get through (it was much appreciated.)
Oh, and Lynn and I talking about "cute guys?" You know we've grown up when we don't call them "boys" anymore ;)
I have a video recap, if you'd like to share: http://www.1099mom.com/2011/10/financial-blogger-conference-2011-video.html
This is a great list. I used to go to farmers market but the one close to my house closed. Ever since it became more difficult to go. But when I go, I mainly buy food/fruits/vegetables. They do have good prices.
My bank, B of A, has already announced there are fees coming. Ugh! I'm going to try and stick with your third suggestion. I'm one of those persons that hates carrying cash and I use my debit for everything so this will be an adventure. Hopefully carrying cash will also help me save money as it will make me more aware of what I have. Great suggestions!
I love my bank, Southern Community. Their website is small enough to care dot com, and they are. I've been with them for 12 years, even after moving 600 miles away. When I got married, my wife joined them too. We have to use our ATM card 10x a month, and for that, we earn interest and they refund ATM fees any other bank has charged. So this way, I can use any ATM 600 miles away. Since I was a little kid, I've known BofA charged the most fees, so I stay away. Small banks all the way!
Living in the Pacific NW, the next 7-8 months will be one long rainy day.
Great tips! I always love finding new ways to be productive. I would suggest paying your bills on a regular schedule (so as not to forget), but still a productive option if you want to get ahead. My favorite of the 25 is the cookies. I can never say no to a warm cookie. :)
Haha. LOVE this anecdote - and the recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I really enjoyed reading the "Open Mic" feature on your blog. Your readers have such wonderful stories!
http://bit.ly/n1Ep8q
No worries Karen. I'd pick Vegas over me as well.
I make a dessert I call crack. My niece mentioned it to her teacher, which resulted in a parent-teacher conference for my brother.
1 cup of salted butter – $2
1 cup of brown sugar – $1
2 packs of saltines (That’s half of a box) – $2
2 bags of chocolate chips – $4
2 handfuls of toffee chips (broken Heath bars) – $1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cover two cookie sheets in foil. Spread crackers over each sheet in a single layer.
Mix the butter and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until it starts looking like caramel, then stir for another minute or two. You still want it kind of runny, so don’t let it get thick.
Spoon the caramel over the crackers. Get some on each cracker. Try to get it even, but don’t worry about it too much. Sloppy is good. Remember, half the caramel for each cookie sheet.
Put the cookie sheets full of crackers and caramel in the oven for 10-15 minutes. The caramel will spread out and flow through and around the crackers. You’ll know it’s done when the caramel starts bubbling evenly.
Pour one bag of chocolate chips over each pan. Try to spread it out evenly, but–again–don’t sweat it.
Go away for 10 minutes.
When you come back, the chocolate will be all melty-good. Spread it evenly with a rubber spatula.
Sprinkle some toffee chips over the chocolate, then put the pans in the freezer to cool and set. It will take at least a couple of hours.
When you pull the pans out, peel off the foil then break it up into snack-sized pieces. Don’t break it up first, or you’ll spend the evening moaning over the candy and crying over the foil hitting your fillings.
Depending on how long you cooked the caramel, it will get soft when it approaches room temperature. I always store it in the refrigerator to avoid that.
When you bring this to a party, always pack it two containers. When the first one is empty, you can auction off the second. You should be able to turn the $10 you spent on ingredients into at least $50 of guilt-ridden goodness.
http://liverealnow.net/crack/
Sorry you didn't find it helpful! Maybe this would be useful:
http://moveyourmoneyproject.org/
It's a page for a group that advocates moving your money away from money-center banks, but the politics of that are neither here nor there. If you follow the link for "Find a bank/credit union," it'll offer you two different tools for finding local (i.e. not money center) banks and credit unions—which are a lot more likely to offer fee-free debit cards.
I find this article disappointing, since the title led me to believe it would discuss methods of avoiding debit card fees, and 3/4 solutions were to not use debit cards. I suppose the title is technically accurate, since without a debit card, you won't have fees, but I find it misleading, and again disappointing.
I have been a Credit Union member for 40 years. In contrast to some of my banking investment experiences I have always found credit union staff to be friendly, knowledgeable and very up front - with my interests in mind. I have all my Credit Union now.
They do exist solely to serve their members and not to pay high dividends to share holders. The profits are returned to members, offering higher deposit rates and lower rates on loans. While bank accounts in Canada are now insured for $100,000, here in British Columbia credit union accounts are covered for the entire amount.
Credit unions are great—I always had a credit union account until I moved to Champaign-Urbana. (Here I found a small bank that provides all the services I need, and I ended up going that route.)
The key insight is realizing that the big money-center banks don't care one bit about individual account holders: you're really just an expense to them.
I'm currently a Wells Fargo customer (tossed over from Wachovia), so I have a close eye on this, especially since I often use small debit card purchases to get cash back when there isn't a Wells Fargo ATM around. Trying to find a credit union is definitely on my mind.
Ahem. Dr. Who convention, Will? When? Where?
I used to do that too, when I had a grill. The foil worked better than the brush we had bought especially for that purpose.