Hello to all.. I've been a paintless dent removal tech now for 10 years and I can say that all these methods will do is cause worse damage to your car. Dry ice will cause your paint to dislodge from the car and will eventually bubble up and flake off. If you use a plunger on big dents you will cause massive crowns that will lock up the dent and even make it hard for me to fix with the proper tools. www.doording.com is a good website for info on how to properly fix a dent or ding. Fixing a ding or dent without harming the paint is an artform and should only be done by true professionals in this craft. Check your yellow pages for a dent guy near you...
I spent most of my childhood on the fringes of the carnival and festival circuit, and always gravitated to the food vendors. As time and life passed me by, I realized that this was an area that I really wanted to get involved with. I thought, like most "uninitiated" people do,that this would be a cash generator. I have been diong some research on getting into the food concession business and have learned a few sobering things. The value of a food concession trailer, which can provide the customers with every conceivable item they may want to eat is five times more expensive than it would appear. An average trailer (new, and built to a littany of multi-governmental code requirements,) will easily run $60,000 for a fairly unimpressive-looking rig, to a cost of $180,000 for a unit that will attract customers. Have you asked the bank how much a mortgage on a $180,000 house will cost you EVERY MONTH?
A concession vendor has only 5 to 6 solid months in wich to do business (3 maybe 4 days out of a week - if the weather is perfect) the off months (at least up here, closer to the 48th parallel) there are painfully few events at which business can be had. Still, the bank will want its loan payments on time just the same.
Never mind the fact that the venues are gouging their most captive rate-payers. As a carnival customer, if the weather is bad, or the entertainment is weak, you can leave, having lost out on around $20 for admission. The vendors have to stay for the duration, burning propane, electricity, covering the cost of food (that you didn't buy because you left early) paying wages, inspection fees, booth space rental and on and on...
Of course these costs are going to be passed on... One would have to be a fool not to expect it. What, the vendors are suppose to pay you for the privilege of having something to eat? Give your head a shake! Should they not be allowed to cover expences AND take home enough money to feed and finance their families? Yes, they have to mark up the price a little higher, since there is a chance that the best they can do in the winter to earn money is pump gas for minimum wage.
Yes, being a concession vendor is a choice, as is being a vendors' customer. But, like everything else we do in life, this occupation is as much a lifestyle - something that is in your blood. It is for this reason (and the fact that the banks have a viselike hold on lives - until the trailer loan is paid,) that vendors keep going.
It is for this reason that concession suppliers (food and disposables) jack up their prices. That, and the fact that the many MANY different government regulations restrict the type of food we can serve. To answer to the complaint that so many have over the quality of the food... It is the best that vendors are ALLOWED to sell. Many health departments insist on us using precooked and prepackaged everything. This stuff is way more expensive that we could make ourselves - but we aren't allowed to use homemade. Our suppliesr know this, and hook us through the nose for it.
As for me, I'm going to define insanity and still try to get into this business, even in light of all the real and potentially devistating pitfalls involved. Why? Because for the dozens of malcontented cheapskates that are grumbling over the price of popcorn, there are hundreds of people that enjoy what we do because we fill a basic need and allow them to take part in what a carnival or fair is all about -
@athena - Great question! Sometimes you can reuse things that aren't recyclable with a little creativity (check the link for ideas).
Personally, old tattered clothing is perfect to tear up and use for: cleaning rags, stuffing holes, padding for small animal bedding and cages, or even donating to your local animal shelter for animal swags and bedding.
As for cell phones and broken electronics, some of the places mentioned in this article may still accept them if they can easily repair the item. Other places will accept old/broken electronics for recycling purposes (as opposed to reusing them).
My mother, a child of the Depression, also used the old sock method with me growing up. She actually used her old nylons "pantyhose". When they had a "run", my mom would put all the old, little, worn down pieces of soap bars from around the house and put them in the toes of her "stockings", tie a knot, and that's what my sister and I used to bathe with. I haven't thought about that for years!
@Kym, roommates can help with some of this. They make it so the house isn't always empty when you get home and someone else is there to do some of the chores. Of course, they contribute to the mess, too, and want to use the kitchen and washer the same time as you do. I still prefer roommates to single living (probably because I've never had a roommate from hell).
Pets can also help with the happiness, though they rarely help with the chores (maybe if something yummy lands on the floor). Or, if you're willing to live in a cheap enough place (or otherwise cut costs elsewhere), you might be able to afford to pay someone to do your least favorite chores. Or trade with a friend (they mop your floors while you're cooking them a big casserole).
I also recommend making appointments with your friends. Sick, eh? But it's nice to know that, unless something comes up, I'm walking with one friend on Tuesdays and Fridays and having dinner with another every Wednesday. There's also a certain person I always call when I go to a movie or want to do Sunday brunch. I know another person who throws a party the third Saturday of (almost) every month.
There are also a lot of social clubs available these days. I belong to a group of social ballroom dancers and I have been known to play pick-up ultimate frisbee. This sort of group can provide you with something (free or affordable) to look forward to on a regular basis as well.
**
My favorite long-term relationship strategy is to assume they have some good reason for whatever they just did, even if you can't fathom what it might be. There's often some ignorance involved that may need to be rectified. Like they don't know that they're still not in the habit of checking pockets before throwing things in the laundry. But it's almost never that they realized it might bother you, and so they did it evilly and gleefully.
how do you recycle stuff that's not useable anymore? for example, old t-shirts/pajama pants with holes in them, 15-year old cel phones that don't work anymore, broken electronics, etc.
I'm just wondering how to do it since we have lots of empty plastic bottle in the house. I want to have a new pet,pair of guinea pigs. I just want to customize the cage as well as the water bottle because a pair of guinea pig here in the Philippines is a bit pricey.We experiencing global financial crisis nowadays, so I came with the idea of recycling which I think a good idea.hehe and if I did a good job,ill tell you guys the step by step procedure. lol.or anyone here could possibly tell me on how to?lol-"Mabuhay tayong lahat! Proud to be Pinoy!"
From Laguna,Philippines.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people argue against hiring a resume writer.
I'm one myself--the world's best in fact--and though I know my resumes are well worth the $1,000 people pay for them, I understand that my services are not for everyone.
I do agree that you should choose wisely when looking for a resume writers; they come from all walks of life, from word-processors to corporate recruiters to marketing pros to career counselors to (yes) novelists.
Whatever background your writer comes from, make sure they're a good listener. One thing that's often overlooked as a benefit of quality resume-writing services is the career coaching and interview prepping aspect of it.
As an ex-corporate recruiter and career counselor with master's degree in counseling, I fold coaching into my entire resume development process, both in my in-person interviews and through my questionnaire.
It's not just about a piece of paper.
One of my regular clients always tells me: "Cliff, you don't sell resumes. You sell lack of aggravation."
But again, my services aren't for everyone. Some people prefer aggravation.
Saying the private sector "failed" us is a useless blanket statement. You have been hoodwinked by Obama's "pretty" words. He has you convinced we need a big governemnt to tell use what to do, and to take our money and redistribute it to the lazy. NO THANK YOU!!! You democrats need to realize that if you give money to poepl for free they will have no reason to work harder to improve their own lives.
In the Spring, after the has thawed, roll up a magazine and tap the trunk of your tree starting at the bottom and working your way up the trunk. This gets the sap flowing and aids in leaf and flower growth! It really works! I did this to my sister's pink dogwood that she thought was failing. That year, this tree was the most beautiful, fullest it had ever been in 17 years! I have done this to my pecan trees also and have gotten bumper crops of pecans since I started!
My best green tip for lawn is to obtain one of the old manual lawnmowers. You'll have no emissions from a motorized mower and you'll be getting healthy in process. Of course, if you have a large lawn, you'll just get fit quicker!
@Mkcoy Yay! Alas, it dropped from 10% back to 8% recently, so many eyes are watching for a climb.
@Adam Yes, I think that may've actually changed over time, which is why I linked to terms and conditions.
@Aaron Oh yay, thanks for commenting and making your presence known! I didn't know you were on Twitter, and I appreciate you sharing this so Live Cashback fans can communicate better and directly with you!
I too use the "boil the chopped up whole apple and let the food mill sort it out at the end" method of making apple sauce. Takes a lot less time and I like the results better.
I use old glass jars (salsa and peanut butter mostly) for drinking glasses. They're also great for when I take breakfast to work. A packet of oatmeal, 1/3rd cup powdered milk in the jar (with the lid, of course) and then, hot water from the tea pot upon arriving at work and I've got oatmeal. When I'm done, I screw the top back on and take it home to wash.
My cats' beds are filled with old socks and other apparel that couldn't easily be used for cleaning rags. The cats don't mind and cleaning is as easy as tossing everything into the wash.
Haha, this was a great article. The one thing I have to point out though: if someone is attacking me and the only weapon I have handy is a can of hairspray, I really don't care if it's toxic. Matter of fact, it might be a nice bonus. :)
When I make applesauce, I use the whole apple - cut each apple into pieces and fill a kettle with them (and a pear or two for a bit of additional sweetness, and some strawberries if I have them), add a little water and cook on low until soft. Then it all goes into the food mill. Yum.
My grandmother saved apple peels and cores to make jelly. You've inspired me to save them and try it!
i really want to be a boss of my own
Love the soapsock, paintbrush refurbishing, crayon ideas, etc.!... Here are some things I do:
I use the plastic trays in which mushrooms are sold as drawer organizers to separate things.
Fabric softener bottles can be cut into good plant markers for the garden.
Yogurt cups are great for starting seeds. Just punch a hole or two in the bottom.
I buy salsa and spaghetti sauce that comes in Mason jars so I can reuse them when I can food from my garden.
I absolutely LOVE the sock list. Right up my alley.
Hello to all.. I've been a paintless dent removal tech now for 10 years and I can say that all these methods will do is cause worse damage to your car. Dry ice will cause your paint to dislodge from the car and will eventually bubble up and flake off. If you use a plunger on big dents you will cause massive crowns that will lock up the dent and even make it hard for me to fix with the proper tools. www.doording.com is a good website for info on how to properly fix a dent or ding. Fixing a ding or dent without harming the paint is an artform and should only be done by true professionals in this craft. Check your yellow pages for a dent guy near you...
I spent most of my childhood on the fringes of the carnival and festival circuit, and always gravitated to the food vendors. As time and life passed me by, I realized that this was an area that I really wanted to get involved with. I thought, like most "uninitiated" people do,that this would be a cash generator. I have been diong some research on getting into the food concession business and have learned a few sobering things. The value of a food concession trailer, which can provide the customers with every conceivable item they may want to eat is five times more expensive than it would appear. An average trailer (new, and built to a littany of multi-governmental code requirements,) will easily run $60,000 for a fairly unimpressive-looking rig, to a cost of $180,000 for a unit that will attract customers. Have you asked the bank how much a mortgage on a $180,000 house will cost you EVERY MONTH?
A concession vendor has only 5 to 6 solid months in wich to do business (3 maybe 4 days out of a week - if the weather is perfect) the off months (at least up here, closer to the 48th parallel) there are painfully few events at which business can be had. Still, the bank will want its loan payments on time just the same.
Never mind the fact that the venues are gouging their most captive rate-payers. As a carnival customer, if the weather is bad, or the entertainment is weak, you can leave, having lost out on around $20 for admission. The vendors have to stay for the duration, burning propane, electricity, covering the cost of food (that you didn't buy because you left early) paying wages, inspection fees, booth space rental and on and on...
Of course these costs are going to be passed on... One would have to be a fool not to expect it. What, the vendors are suppose to pay you for the privilege of having something to eat? Give your head a shake! Should they not be allowed to cover expences AND take home enough money to feed and finance their families? Yes, they have to mark up the price a little higher, since there is a chance that the best they can do in the winter to earn money is pump gas for minimum wage.
Yes, being a concession vendor is a choice, as is being a vendors' customer. But, like everything else we do in life, this occupation is as much a lifestyle - something that is in your blood. It is for this reason (and the fact that the banks have a viselike hold on lives - until the trailer loan is paid,) that vendors keep going.
It is for this reason that concession suppliers (food and disposables) jack up their prices. That, and the fact that the many MANY different government regulations restrict the type of food we can serve. To answer to the complaint that so many have over the quality of the food... It is the best that vendors are ALLOWED to sell. Many health departments insist on us using precooked and prepackaged everything. This stuff is way more expensive that we could make ourselves - but we aren't allowed to use homemade. Our suppliesr know this, and hook us through the nose for it.
As for me, I'm going to define insanity and still try to get into this business, even in light of all the real and potentially devistating pitfalls involved. Why? Because for the dozens of malcontented cheapskates that are grumbling over the price of popcorn, there are hundreds of people that enjoy what we do because we fill a basic need and allow them to take part in what a carnival or fair is all about -
The experience!
Wish me luck, and see you at the fair!
I'm sorry, was I not supposto write mean things and a website of a proxy??? Because I dont see the 2 post any more that I just put up.
If it is sorry.
Thank you for the comments everybody! Some neat new ideas have been shared too. Keep them coming - I love to learn new ways to reuse stuff.
People from the Depression era really knew how to get the most bang for their buck. Let's apply some of their lessons.
@athena - Great question! Sometimes you can reuse things that aren't recyclable with a little creativity (check the link for ideas).
Personally, old tattered clothing is perfect to tear up and use for: cleaning rags, stuffing holes, padding for small animal bedding and cages, or even donating to your local animal shelter for animal swags and bedding.
As for cell phones and broken electronics, some of the places mentioned in this article may still accept them if they can easily repair the item. Other places will accept old/broken electronics for recycling purposes (as opposed to reusing them).
Thanks for the question!
Used Pledge Works Great!
Automated Teller Machine achine, and Personal Identification Number umber.
Yep, makes sense.
My mother, a child of the Depression, also used the old sock method with me growing up. She actually used her old nylons "pantyhose". When they had a "run", my mom would put all the old, little, worn down pieces of soap bars from around the house and put them in the toes of her "stockings", tie a knot, and that's what my sister and I used to bathe with. I haven't thought about that for years!
@Kym, roommates can help with some of this. They make it so the house isn't always empty when you get home and someone else is there to do some of the chores. Of course, they contribute to the mess, too, and want to use the kitchen and washer the same time as you do. I still prefer roommates to single living (probably because I've never had a roommate from hell).
Pets can also help with the happiness, though they rarely help with the chores (maybe if something yummy lands on the floor). Or, if you're willing to live in a cheap enough place (or otherwise cut costs elsewhere), you might be able to afford to pay someone to do your least favorite chores. Or trade with a friend (they mop your floors while you're cooking them a big casserole).
I also recommend making appointments with your friends. Sick, eh? But it's nice to know that, unless something comes up, I'm walking with one friend on Tuesdays and Fridays and having dinner with another every Wednesday. There's also a certain person I always call when I go to a movie or want to do Sunday brunch. I know another person who throws a party the third Saturday of (almost) every month.
There are also a lot of social clubs available these days. I belong to a group of social ballroom dancers and I have been known to play pick-up ultimate frisbee. This sort of group can provide you with something (free or affordable) to look forward to on a regular basis as well.
**
My favorite long-term relationship strategy is to assume they have some good reason for whatever they just did, even if you can't fathom what it might be. There's often some ignorance involved that may need to be rectified. Like they don't know that they're still not in the habit of checking pockets before throwing things in the laundry. But it's almost never that they realized it might bother you, and so they did it evilly and gleefully.
how do you recycle stuff that's not useable anymore? for example, old t-shirts/pajama pants with holes in them, 15-year old cel phones that don't work anymore, broken electronics, etc.
I'm just wondering how to do it since we have lots of empty plastic bottle in the house. I want to have a new pet,pair of guinea pigs. I just want to customize the cage as well as the water bottle because a pair of guinea pig here in the Philippines is a bit pricey.We experiencing global financial crisis nowadays, so I came with the idea of recycling which I think a good idea.hehe and if I did a good job,ill tell you guys the step by step procedure. lol.or anyone here could possibly tell me on how to?lol-"Mabuhay tayong lahat! Proud to be Pinoy!"
From Laguna,Philippines.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people argue against hiring a resume writer.
I'm one myself--the world's best in fact--and though I know my resumes are well worth the $1,000 people pay for them, I understand that my services are not for everyone.
I do agree that you should choose wisely when looking for a resume writers; they come from all walks of life, from word-processors to corporate recruiters to marketing pros to career counselors to (yes) novelists.
Whatever background your writer comes from, make sure they're a good listener. One thing that's often overlooked as a benefit of quality resume-writing services is the career coaching and interview prepping aspect of it.
As an ex-corporate recruiter and career counselor with master's degree in counseling, I fold coaching into my entire resume development process, both in my in-person interviews and through my questionnaire.
It's not just about a piece of paper.
One of my regular clients always tells me: "Cliff, you don't sell resumes. You sell lack of aggravation."
But again, my services aren't for everyone. Some people prefer aggravation.
When we have a bed pillow that's become too soiled for our use, it become's the cat's new bed.
Saying the private sector "failed" us is a useless blanket statement. You have been hoodwinked by Obama's "pretty" words. He has you convinced we need a big governemnt to tell use what to do, and to take our money and redistribute it to the lazy. NO THANK YOU!!! You democrats need to realize that if you give money to poepl for free they will have no reason to work harder to improve their own lives.
No, you have to say "ATM achine" and "PIN umber"!!
In the Spring, after the has thawed, roll up a magazine and tap the trunk of your tree starting at the bottom and working your way up the trunk. This gets the sap flowing and aids in leaf and flower growth! It really works! I did this to my sister's pink dogwood that she thought was failing. That year, this tree was the most beautiful, fullest it had ever been in 17 years! I have done this to my pecan trees also and have gotten bumper crops of pecans since I started!
My best green tip for lawn is to obtain one of the old manual lawnmowers. You'll have no emissions from a motorized mower and you'll be getting healthy in process. Of course, if you have a large lawn, you'll just get fit quicker!
I really like the tip about saving a paintbrush with dried paint on it. I sure could have used that tip through out the years!
@Mkcoy Yay! Alas, it dropped from 10% back to 8% recently, so many eyes are watching for a climb.
@Adam Yes, I think that may've actually changed over time, which is why I linked to terms and conditions.
@Aaron Oh yay, thanks for commenting and making your presence known! I didn't know you were on Twitter, and I appreciate you sharing this so Live Cashback fans can communicate better and directly with you!
I too use the "boil the chopped up whole apple and let the food mill sort it out at the end" method of making apple sauce. Takes a lot less time and I like the results better.
I use old glass jars (salsa and peanut butter mostly) for drinking glasses. They're also great for when I take breakfast to work. A packet of oatmeal, 1/3rd cup powdered milk in the jar (with the lid, of course) and then, hot water from the tea pot upon arriving at work and I've got oatmeal. When I'm done, I screw the top back on and take it home to wash.
My cats' beds are filled with old socks and other apparel that couldn't easily be used for cleaning rags. The cats don't mind and cleaning is as easy as tossing everything into the wash.
Haha, this was a great article. The one thing I have to point out though: if someone is attacking me and the only weapon I have handy is a can of hairspray, I really don't care if it's toxic. Matter of fact, it might be a nice bonus. :)
I love this post!
When I make applesauce, I use the whole apple - cut each apple into pieces and fill a kettle with them (and a pear or two for a bit of additional sweetness, and some strawberries if I have them), add a little water and cook on low until soft. Then it all goes into the food mill. Yum.
My grandmother saved apple peels and cores to make jelly. You've inspired me to save them and try it!