Recent comments

  • Living Without Air-Conditioning Can Save Big Bucks This Summer   14 years 40 weeks ago

    Sorry, but I don't buy the hot showers/drinks thing. When I took hot showers here in FL (tropical-like climate) I would get out of the shower and immediately start to sweat...and would never get dry! Now I take lukewarm showers and have NO problems. Same thing pertaining to beverages...once I drink something hot I'm sweating for the next hour.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    http://twitter.com/#!/starkeee/status/93366181687336960

    Tweeted too!

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    I liked you on Facebook.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    Yes, two part-time jobs and occasional freelance projects here.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    My main source of income is my "day job." But I also have self-employment income from a home business. As the day job hours have declined this year, I'm ramping up time spent with the home business. I also have some rental income from my father's house. He died two years and we decided not to sell since real estate prices were down. So there's some small steady income from that.

  • Living Without Air-Conditioning Can Save Big Bucks This Summer   14 years 40 weeks ago

    We're just now getting a break from the sweltering "nights" not to mention the heat index being in the triple digits in the daytime. Lots of folks run the A/C even in the winter months in the region where I live because of the heat/humidity. Also, people with certain health problems like high blood pressure, asthma, and heart patients would DIE, or at least get very sick in the kind of heat we have been having. My husband is obsessively frugal, and even he wouldn't go for this. He works out in the heat, sometimes on top of houses or doing masonry work and even though he drinks plenty of fluids, he gets exhausted from the pounding heat. Having the A/C to cool him down when he comes inside is a blessing. And I do a lot of canning, freezing, and cooking veggies from the garden, and have to have the A/c to combat the heat the stove/oven puts off. I don't consider it a luxury, but a requirement for my health, not to mention my sanity! LOL

  • Living Without Air-Conditioning Can Save Big Bucks This Summer   14 years 40 weeks ago

    It's not really feasible to go without A/C in Florida in the summer. But when I moved here from VA almost 6 years ago, I couldn't understand why it was so hot in all the homes and stores. Then I got my first electric bill! Up north, it's common to keep your thermostat on 70 degrees during the summer, but in FL you'll not only go broke but you'll be very uncomfortable when you go outside or even inside other buildings if you do that. We had to slowly adjust our bodies to keeping the thermostat on 78. We did this by increasing the temp one degree at a time, running fans as you suggested, taking luke-warm instead of hot showers, and keeping the blinds closed during the day. Taking a slow approach and gradually introducing your body to less A/C is very possible, even for a very hot-natured person like me!

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    Yes, I have two part time jobs, and am working on
    getting a third...I work in an ambulance, and also in an
    occupational health clinic at a very large big box store
    distribution center. I'm hustling these jobs to replace
    a fulltime gig I had working for another ambulance
    service here that went bust...Love your blog, have been
    reading it for years!

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    Hi Wise Bread
    I am a bartender by trade so I do private parties, some side jobs for a catering company and alot of in-home petsitting. I have a client who has 3cats 2dogs that travels quite a bit so they keep me busy. I'm in the No. VA. area if you need my services! :>)

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    I used to have a part-time job in addition to my full-time job to help pay down student loans. I dropped the part-time after it got to stressful and was leading to wasteful spending because I was tired.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    We are a one-income household. We had planned from the time we got married that I would stay home with the kids and worked several years towards that end. Is it more difficult? Sure, we don't go on vacation every year, not even every 2 years, but the time we have to spend with our family is incalculably precious. My kids (9 and 11) have requested that I stay home with them, even if we could afford more "stuff" like vacations and eating out. They appreciate the fact that I am home and realize that these "sacrifices" are totally worth it.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    Our family has one source of income which is my husband's job as a drywall contractor. Being in the construction industry, some weeks you can count on the money other times you can not, depending on any homes available to work on. I have Stage 4 breast cancer with bone metastasis and am currently on Hospice. This is why I am unable to work to bring in income. I am on a special Medicaid program form breast cancer patients at my stage. This makes it very tough with paid and unpaid medications, food, keeping up on the home and car repairs, his insurance he must have for his job, home insurance, and education costs for my daughter, etc.

    I very much appreciate Wise Bread and all its wisdom and will continue to keep up on all the wonderful articles, coupons and savings, newsletter, etc. Sincere thank yous to all the Wise Bread staff.

    Love -- Maureen Bannon Chouinard, FL

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    I currently have 2 jobs & a direct sales business and my husband has a job and a small business. So 5 streams of income for our family.

  • Netflix Pricing Changes: What Now?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    Julie,

    Our situation is quite similar to yours and some of the same reactions with Netflix's recent announcement. We don't catch a lot of movies at the theater because of kids, schedules, etc. so we've relied on the comforts of home more with Netflix and Redbox to enjoy a show. As it is, it's not uncommon for us to receive a DVD from Netflix and let it sit for a few days until we can watch it.

    There's been quite a stir and debate about Netflix changing the price. It's a tough sale to raise the price 60% without adding any added benefits or value. We've gone back and forth a bit too with what plan. Streaming is intriguing to us for the exact reason you mentioned--convenience, having it right there at your fingertips. And yet, the DVD system has a better selection, though it's a little slower relatively. I get the feeling that Netflix is trying to move to the streaming and possibly do away with or reduce DVD's, but maybe not.

    Our thought now is to go ahead with the DVD selection because we're not going to pay for both services. I have heard of some that are so outraged by the move that they are talking about canceling Netflix altogether and using the other services out there.

  • How to Get Rid of Bees   14 years 40 weeks ago

    I had a nest of bees behind the shutters in my house. I got 4-6 feet away and started spraying Windex on them. (I read it in a home remedies book) They immediately started dropping dead with satisfying plopping sounds as they fell. Some flew out but the more I sprayed, the more they fell out dead. I just kept spraying until I didn't hear or see buzzing anymore. Miraculously I never got stung either. It doesn't work on wasps or hornets, and you have to use a name brand not generic.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    At the time we only have 1 source of income in our household. I do get a few bucks a month doing online surveys, not enough each time to make much of a difference but it does add up.
    FB 'liked' as well.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    I "like" you on Facebook and liked your status!

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    We have several sources of income. One is the rent of the rooms in my house. The second one is just selling stuff (mine or other´s) and third some private classes I usually teach... It is not always steady, but generally speaking, we manage and we are ok.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    Yes - I have a full-time job, a part-time job and do some contracting jobs. I have 2 small children and to pay day care, etc, etc - it is just too expensive!

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    (Twitter)
    teapartyheather Heather Merritt
    @wisebread I have a 2nd job. My husband and I both have jobs but my hours were cut so I signed up to sell emergency food supplies. #wbask
    17 seconds ago

    Also commented on your Facebook page:
    Heather Merritt yes. I do. I have to. My husband and I both have jobs but my hours were cut so I signed up to sell emergency food supplies. (Think gourmet MRE's -just add water) www.heather.myefoods.com That way we have food in storage just in case something serious happens as well as we earn food for free and even have an additional income from it.
    4 minutes ago · Like

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    I have several sources of income, tho' none very significant. I get survey income, recycle cans and am disabled.

  • Netflix Pricing Changes: What Now?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    Although the price increase may be hard to swallow for some and they may need to choose between the two, I believe Netflix is still a good value. I've written about it on my blog.

  • How to Make Moonshine   14 years 40 weeks ago

    can moonshine mash be fermented in summer then saved until winter for distilling when water is colder or will it go bad?

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    I have a job and dividends from stocks such as Verizon, constellation energy and pepco.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Have Multiple Sources of Income?   14 years 40 weeks ago

    I have many sources of income since I'm a freelancer. It is great job security.