I have an emergency fund, but thankfully in Ohio (where I live) the only major issues are snow and the occasional tornado. They rarely get close to where I live, though!
We had a natural disaster three years ago that, because of where we live (midwest) and the relatively small amount of people involved, the rest of the country did not know anything about it. We had an ice storm that wiped out power lines and electricity to our entire community and most of the county for three or more days to everyone. This was in November when temperatures dip. Our emergency "preparedness" was tested. The surplus of wood in our woodshed was depleted when neighbors came knocking looking for ways to keep themselves and their families warm. We did run out of food that could be cooked on a campstove, but luckily the local grocery store opened (without lights) and sold out of everything on credit (anyone without cash was allowed to charge food). Gas was a concern. Those with generators couldn't get gas because of they need electricity to run. But we did know exactly what our insurance would/would not cover from the damage caused by the storm. So yes, to make a short story long, we are prepared for natural disasters.
I have been working on being prepared for a while now. It's a work in progress. I have "To go" bags for all four of our family members with items to keep us sustained for at least 3 to 4 days if we have to leave our home. I also have a stock pile of at least a months worth of food, water,and health and hygiene items started in my home if we are told to remain in doors.
There are some great blogs and websites with ideas on how to get prepared for things like Irene and Katrina or a blackout which our family was in back a few years ago.
No, I'm really not prepared. My parents have a countryside property we've all gone to when a hurricane was expected to hit, and I assume we'd all head that way if it seemed like something might happen again. But if it were one of those real chaotic instances where you CAN'T leave, either because of traffic or because the roads are flooded/destroyed, I'm really not prepared for anything at home.
We have an emergency fund and know what our insurance covers. But we do not have a disaster kit ready, which is one of those things I have in the back of my mind but never get around to.
I didn't know that when you invested in a retirement account you could lose 50% of it when a company like AIG went under. I thought it was protected, so when that happened I was retired, and now find myself working two jobs just to survive. I think I would have just put my retirement money in a can and would have been better off at this point in time.
The only real natural disaster we have to face where I live is snow, and lots of it. Pretty much, you stay home, eat out of your pantry, and stay warm.
*gets on soapbox* I really think that those who build houses and live where natural disasters strike often should have to pay for it in higher insurance and cleanup costs. There is a reason that some insurance companies will not cover certain areas: the risk is TOO HIGH. If we continue with the thought that "oh well, the govt will take care of us in this and any situation" then we are deceiving ourselves. We have bankrupted our country and our children and grandchildren will have to pay for our misuse of resources, in more ways than one. *gets off soapbox*
Biggest lesson for frugalites to teach others: Live within your means, whether you are a citizen or a government. Just live within your means.
I beg to differ. If I "only" drank 8 glasses of water a day, I would be chronically dehydrated. I average 3-4L of plain water a day in winter, usually twice that in summer. I live in a VERY dry climate, one my body's still adjusting to after almost 20 years in the subtropics. I eat very little salty/sweet foods (by this I mean ones with added salt and sugar), only eat a moderate amount of protein, and don't drink coffee, soft drink or tea, so it's not like the extra water is to make up for an entire packet of beef jerky or whatever.
A person's water requirement has nothing to do with a magic number and EVERYTHING to do with what else they're eating/drinking. Drinking water is one of the few ways our bodies can keep the solute balance in our cells within a healthy range. Most people in modern society are chronically dehydrated. Try drinking at least 2L of water a day for a month and tell me you don't feel better at the end of it.
I love Japanese Knotweed! It's packed with resveratrol, which triggers anti-aging genes. Have you tried adding wild greens to green smoothies? If you haven't heard of them, green smoothies are blended leafy greens with fruit. The taste of the fruit dominates the greens, so if made with the right ingredients, green smoothies are delicious and offer tremendous health benefits.
If anyone is interested, there is a recently created group on Facebook called Wild Green Smoothies. The group is a place for people to share knowledge about wild plants, including wild greens, wild fruit and other wild edibles. It’s also a place to share healthy raw recipes using wild ingredients, especially (but not limited to) green smoothie recipes. Link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/228529537184607/
Whether or not you consume green smoothies, the Wild Green Smoothies group is a great place to share knowledge and healthy raw recipes as well as to connect with like-minded people.
I would not donate to the government. It has nothing to do with supposed overtaxation or overspending--in the U.S., our taxes are shamefully low, as are our social spending programs. Taxation should not be voluntary or follow a charity model, and no voluntary donation scheme would, in my opinion, ever provide sufficient revenue while being appropriately progressive in nature.
well we dont have a malaria endemic here but i still dont love mossies,i have used lavender disinfectant and baby oil 50/50,shake it up and spray it on! no mossies and i smell lovely and my skin is soft aswell, it is a lot better than putting poison all over me!
That's a really good point Aaron. A lot of people dismiss sleep apnea because they think it is just loud snoring. It is a really serious condition. Do you have fairly severe apnea where you have to wear the mask?
Going to sleep with the soothing summer sounds of crickets and cicadas sound lovely. Some people pay good money for a recording of that to help them sleep. You're so lucky.
Don't let anyone take away your morning ice cream. You only live once!
You're English is very fluent! I'm glad f.lux was able to make reading Wise Bread more enjoyable for you. It can certainly make a big difference. Now when I use other people's monitors, they give me a terrible headache after a while.
Exercise is a good tip. It works for a lot of people. For me, though, I can't exercise too close to bed time. I get too wired up.
"Can switching to Geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance?" *wiggle your eyebrows suavely* *ask a rhetorical question insinuating the affirmative*
Please don't ask a travel agent to help you get a refund from a hotel, airline, car rental, cruise, etc., unless you used that agent to originally book the reservation--or you intend on paying them for their work.
Weird... we're not making close to what you are, and we seem to be doing a lot better here on the northeastern coastal Boston area suburbs (two adults, one toddler, walking distance to the beach) without having to clip coupons or cope with rust holes. I'd love to know more about where your money is going because honestly, I cannot fathom making that much while also living frugally and still having problems getting by.
I had a similar problem with an inflatable backrest that I bought 3 months before my trip. The very first time I used it, I found that there was a slow leak that left it deflated within a couple of hours. The website I purchased it from had a 60-day refund policy, and I was turned down flat when I spoke with a customer service rep. However, I asked to have the call escalated to the next level, specifically requesting to speak with someone who had the authority to override the policy. I ended up speaking with a high-level supervisor, who agreed that it was a manufacturing defect and sent me another one.
I would suggest that you keep on asking to have the call escalated to someone with authority. Also, be sure to speak politely and explain the situation factually without a lot of emotion; people seem more likely to help someone who isn't angry or doesn't force them to listen to a long, emotional story. Speak persuasively (e.g., "This was a lot of money for me to spend on something that fell apart on my first trip; do you think it sounds like a manufacturing defect? I understand that you don't usually make refunds or replacements after 60 days, but I'd really appreciate anything you can do to help me."). Hope this helps!
I have an emergency fund, but thankfully in Ohio (where I live) the only major issues are snow and the occasional tornado. They rarely get close to where I live, though!
We had a natural disaster three years ago that, because of where we live (midwest) and the relatively small amount of people involved, the rest of the country did not know anything about it. We had an ice storm that wiped out power lines and electricity to our entire community and most of the county for three or more days to everyone. This was in November when temperatures dip. Our emergency "preparedness" was tested. The surplus of wood in our woodshed was depleted when neighbors came knocking looking for ways to keep themselves and their families warm. We did run out of food that could be cooked on a campstove, but luckily the local grocery store opened (without lights) and sold out of everything on credit (anyone without cash was allowed to charge food). Gas was a concern. Those with generators couldn't get gas because of they need electricity to run. But we did know exactly what our insurance would/would not cover from the damage caused by the storm. So yes, to make a short story long, we are prepared for natural disasters.
I have been working on being prepared for a while now. It's a work in progress. I have "To go" bags for all four of our family members with items to keep us sustained for at least 3 to 4 days if we have to leave our home. I also have a stock pile of at least a months worth of food, water,and health and hygiene items started in my home if we are told to remain in doors.
There are some great blogs and websites with ideas on how to get prepared for things like Irene and Katrina or a blackout which our family was in back a few years ago.
No, I'm really not prepared. My parents have a countryside property we've all gone to when a hurricane was expected to hit, and I assume we'd all head that way if it seemed like something might happen again. But if it were one of those real chaotic instances where you CAN'T leave, either because of traffic or because the roads are flooded/destroyed, I'm really not prepared for anything at home.
We have an emergency fund and know what our insurance covers. But we do not have a disaster kit ready, which is one of those things I have in the back of my mind but never get around to.
I didn't know that when you invested in a retirement account you could lose 50% of it when a company like AIG went under. I thought it was protected, so when that happened I was retired, and now find myself working two jobs just to survive. I think I would have just put my retirement money in a can and would have been better off at this point in time.
The only real natural disaster we have to face where I live is snow, and lots of it. Pretty much, you stay home, eat out of your pantry, and stay warm.
*gets on soapbox* I really think that those who build houses and live where natural disasters strike often should have to pay for it in higher insurance and cleanup costs. There is a reason that some insurance companies will not cover certain areas: the risk is TOO HIGH. If we continue with the thought that "oh well, the govt will take care of us in this and any situation" then we are deceiving ourselves. We have bankrupted our country and our children and grandchildren will have to pay for our misuse of resources, in more ways than one. *gets off soapbox*
Biggest lesson for frugalites to teach others: Live within your means, whether you are a citizen or a government. Just live within your means.
I beg to differ. If I "only" drank 8 glasses of water a day, I would be chronically dehydrated. I average 3-4L of plain water a day in winter, usually twice that in summer. I live in a VERY dry climate, one my body's still adjusting to after almost 20 years in the subtropics. I eat very little salty/sweet foods (by this I mean ones with added salt and sugar), only eat a moderate amount of protein, and don't drink coffee, soft drink or tea, so it's not like the extra water is to make up for an entire packet of beef jerky or whatever.
A person's water requirement has nothing to do with a magic number and EVERYTHING to do with what else they're eating/drinking. Drinking water is one of the few ways our bodies can keep the solute balance in our cells within a healthy range. Most people in modern society are chronically dehydrated. Try drinking at least 2L of water a day for a month and tell me you don't feel better at the end of it.
POSA(point of sale cards) never going to happen.
I love Japanese Knotweed! It's packed with resveratrol, which triggers anti-aging genes. Have you tried adding wild greens to green smoothies? If you haven't heard of them, green smoothies are blended leafy greens with fruit. The taste of the fruit dominates the greens, so if made with the right ingredients, green smoothies are delicious and offer tremendous health benefits.
If anyone is interested, there is a recently created group on Facebook called Wild Green Smoothies. The group is a place for people to share knowledge about wild plants, including wild greens, wild fruit and other wild edibles. It’s also a place to share healthy raw recipes using wild ingredients, especially (but not limited to) green smoothie recipes. Link: http://www.facebook.com/groups/228529537184607/
Whether or not you consume green smoothies, the Wild Green Smoothies group is a great place to share knowledge and healthy raw recipes as well as to connect with like-minded people.
I tweeted!
http://twitter.com/FakeGradSchool/status/108371122885623808
I like Wise Bread on Facebook!
I would not donate to the government. It has nothing to do with supposed overtaxation or overspending--in the U.S., our taxes are shamefully low, as are our social spending programs. Taxation should not be voluntary or follow a charity model, and no voluntary donation scheme would, in my opinion, ever provide sufficient revenue while being appropriately progressive in nature.
Hi I just bought a LG HB906TAW 3d blue ray player I was wondering if there is a reigon free hack for this player
well we dont have a malaria endemic here but i still dont love mossies,i have used lavender disinfectant and baby oil 50/50,shake it up and spray it on! no mossies and i smell lovely and my skin is soft aswell, it is a lot better than putting poison all over me!
That's a really good point Aaron. A lot of people dismiss sleep apnea because they think it is just loud snoring. It is a really serious condition. Do you have fairly severe apnea where you have to wear the mask?
I hope it helps. But it is definitely not meant as a long term solution though. Make sure you try some of the other tips as well. Good luck Alex.
Wouldn't Twilight Zone be too scary? =)
Going to sleep with the soothing summer sounds of crickets and cicadas sound lovely. Some people pay good money for a recording of that to help them sleep. You're so lucky.
Don't let anyone take away your morning ice cream. You only live once!
You're English is very fluent! I'm glad f.lux was able to make reading Wise Bread more enjoyable for you. It can certainly make a big difference. Now when I use other people's monitors, they give me a terrible headache after a while.
Exercise is a good tip. It works for a lot of people. For me, though, I can't exercise too close to bed time. I get too wired up.
"Can switching to Geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance?" *wiggle your eyebrows suavely* *ask a rhetorical question insinuating the affirmative*
Please don't ask a travel agent to help you get a refund from a hotel, airline, car rental, cruise, etc., unless you used that agent to originally book the reservation--or you intend on paying them for their work.
It's all in how you live...
Weird... we're not making close to what you are, and we seem to be doing a lot better here on the northeastern coastal Boston area suburbs (two adults, one toddler, walking distance to the beach) without having to clip coupons or cope with rust holes. I'd love to know more about where your money is going because honestly, I cannot fathom making that much while also living frugally and still having problems getting by.
iI think it is great!! I use 50/50 vinigar and water to clean my face and it gets rid of pimples and unclogs pores
I had a similar problem with an inflatable backrest that I bought 3 months before my trip. The very first time I used it, I found that there was a slow leak that left it deflated within a couple of hours. The website I purchased it from had a 60-day refund policy, and I was turned down flat when I spoke with a customer service rep. However, I asked to have the call escalated to the next level, specifically requesting to speak with someone who had the authority to override the policy. I ended up speaking with a high-level supervisor, who agreed that it was a manufacturing defect and sent me another one.
I would suggest that you keep on asking to have the call escalated to someone with authority. Also, be sure to speak politely and explain the situation factually without a lot of emotion; people seem more likely to help someone who isn't angry or doesn't force them to listen to a long, emotional story. Speak persuasively (e.g., "This was a lot of money for me to spend on something that fell apart on my first trip; do you think it sounds like a manufacturing defect? I understand that you don't usually make refunds or replacements after 60 days, but I'd really appreciate anything you can do to help me."). Hope this helps!