I really like using Oopon.com to find coupons. It a fun site to use and it's helped me save a good chunk of money. Check them out if you get a chance at http://www.oopon.com
I hated trinkets when I taught, too. Heartfelt notes/cards from students or parents were things I definitely treasured. Also, I loved to receive and love to give a little splurge the teacher can customize, like a $5 Starbucks card of $5 i-tunes card. It fits in most budgets, the teacher feels appreciated, and she can actually use it!
What? No. See, that would require shelling out money for a phone that can actually function as a PDA. I guarantee you the combined annual cost of my voice-and-text-only Tracfone, plus the annual cost of any Post-It notes I may need to buy if I ever get through the stock of all the Post-It pads I've gotten for free, comes nowhere near the cost of a cell phone I could use as a PDA (and the contract that goes with it). Perspective, try it.
I have the seen the power that personalized handwritten thank you notes have. I now make it a habit to keep blank thank you cards, envelopes, stamps, stickers, and finger puppets on me at all times.
It's important to write and mail a thank you note immediately after someone has gone out of their way to do something for you. The longer you wait, the less impact it has.
Ultimately, it's about feeling appreciated. We all want to feel appreciated.
The nicest things I have received from my students are notes that mentioned something specific I had done for them- a story I shared or an activity they enjoyed, for example. Those I keep in my forever file. As far as gifts, I love getting fruit. This sounds funny maybe, but a boy gave me a juicy red apple and I felt so much better that day after I ate it!
It's amazing how much stress you can reduce by just avoiding the stores. I take the noting matters approach to everything and barely get stressed this time of year :).
In Florida, private schools are vary savvy about obtaining scholarship dollars. So actually the affluent are more likely to attend our state universities and minorities get into the private college.
I have dived in dumpsters for 20 years. I have found furniture , recyclables , and food which is still safe to eat! What is wrong with a bag of potatoes or onions? I have also found cleaning supplies and decent clothing.
(Sigh.) I use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. But NONE of them can replace my personalized stationery. I seem to be the only person to call the front desk at hotels anymore to ask why there is no stationery in my room. I actually account for post cards and postage in my travel budget as post cards ARE the souvenirs to my friends and family. I fight with my daughter about the inappropriateness of sending an email to thank people for gifts. I have even started to scan my cards and letters before sending them so my daughter will have records of my correspondence long after I'm pushing up daisies.
This may seem terribly old fashioned from someone like myself who stays glued to my laptop and sends text messages on my phone daily. What can I say? Letter writing is in danger of becoming a lost art.
And there's nothing like flipping through my "snail mail" and discovering a card or letter from someone I care about. :-)
Fantastic article! Many great points that I completely agree with. We save a lot of money using Costco. Their coupons that they run add to our savings. They will run a $5 off coupon on the diapers and we stock up on the limit when they do. Costco's dairy also saves us. Their milk has a long expiration date, that enables us to stock up in our spare fridge. Their milk is also produced by hormone free dairies, which is a must! Thanks to Costco, we are rarely running out of paper products. Paper towels, baby wipes, cleaning wipes, toilet paper, and paper plates are some of the products we only buy at Costco. Thanks for the terrific article!
After hearing a comment on an Oprah show 25 years ago that sunscreen was the best wrinkle preventer, I've worn sunscreen every day since then. (My students have commented over the years that I smell like I've been to the beach.) I'm now 53 and don't have a single wrinkle on my face or neck. My hands look pretty good too! I wear whatever brand that is on sale, though I'm partial to SPF 30+.
My daughters are lifeguards and wear 80 SPF spray sunscreen and my husband the farmer has ALWAYS worn a long sleeved shirt with a collar, a hat, and jeans. He wears this garb in the throes of summer and the dead of winter. He does have more wrinkles than I do because he doesn't wear the sunscreen as much as I do, but because of his protective clothing looks younger than his farming peers.
I realize that this posting deals with Christmas gifting to teachers, but I feel compelled to make a comment. I've taught art for thirty years and have received many inappropriate donations over the years; old magazines with few photos, rancid paint, broken ceramic molds... the list goes on! Do some people think of art programs as dumpster alternatives?
I've always thanked the patron sincerely and later send a thank you note. (They don't know what they've given is wrong.) I usually take the items to the dumpster. (I dry out the paint before disposal.) I joke with my students that if they or their parents want to donate to the arts programs, just donate something that is green, can be folded and put in a pocket!
As far as gifts go, if you want to make me a happy camper, encourage your students to work hard, be creative, come to class prepared, and pay attention!
It is common sense to buy any of the non-perishables in bulk at a lower cost but if you are going to buy any of the perishables just for the sake of buying cheap in bulk, you might want to double check whether you need all of it for your consumption.
For me, the best gift from my students is a sincere thank-you card. Trinkets and clutter take up precious space, but a heartfelt note makes the job a bit more rewarding.
Oh I can't stand when gift recipients, especially newly married couples, forget to send thank-you notes! Cursive handwriting is another skill I think is falling by the wayside, but I also try to instill its importance with my students as well.
The parking is the worst, especially with most people crowding around the fronts of stores. Shopping online saves time, and I've even found that some of the best gifts can only be purchased online (like annual family passes to the zoo for out-of-state relatives.)
I wish I could be more diligent and start shopping early in the year. I just can't bear to think of the holidays until late November, even though holiday decorations go up in October. ;)
House Cleaning: Depending on how much you get paid and how much your time is worth it might be cheaper and better for your life to have someone else clean. A house cleaner is cheaper then a stay at home parent but if one of the parents have a low income they should stay at home since their money is over taxed and adds expences vs. having the lower incoem earner stay home. Do the math either way.
Cell Phones: If you get a family plan with multiple people on this it can not be that bad of a price. Honestly you don't need home phone service so get rid of that and try to keep your cell bill as low as you can. You can easily get cell phones for $20 to $50 per phone which is comparable to a home line and a lot more useful.
Extra TVs: Are they being used? Did you buy the ruight priced TV for it's use? One Over priced TV could cost you more then a house full of the right TVs. If your house has kids you will likely have 2 or 3 TVs anyways. Also pay TV does not normally cost more per TV unless you need to rent boxes or need DVR service in multiple rooms. If it costs you more you are doing it wrong. Multiple TVs should lower your cost per hour for pay TV sicne you as a group can watch more without having to share one TV. It really depends on your usage. If you barely watch TV you should get rid of pay TV and not buy new TVs often.
Cars: Self Control. Unless you have a job that requires you to have a very expencive car then you shouldn't. You can buy a good car for under $10k. hell you can get a Vette for under $10k. And I can find rare sports cars for under $20k. You can turn a lot of heads with those vs paying $40k for a common car.
Eating Out: Honestly I can eat out for less then I can eat at home. And normally it is similar cost. But I also don't eat anywhere that costs me more then $10 per person. It's all about self control. Spend what you want but eating at home vs. eating out is not the problem. If you eat out right and figure in your time it should always be cheaper to eat out vs. home unless you eat really cheap at home.
Diapers: LMAO seriously if you want cloth diapers have at it.
Post-It Notes: It amazes me how many people over use these. Use you cell phone as a PDA and get organized.
Credit Cards: self control. Loads of us carry no balance. But thanks to those that do for paying for our usage.
Washer/Dryer: Time, clothes lasting longer, etc, etc. Seriously over time they should save you money vs. washing by hand. As I said before your time is worth money. You should know how much it is worth.
Before I swore off book-buying altogether and started relying on my local library, I used to love browsing Costco's selection.
I would just offer a note of caution about the "organic" meat and dairy products you find at these big box discounters. The organic designation most likely has nothing to do with whether the animal that provided those products led a decent life. There are plenty of feedlots full of animals that are fed organic grain every day. Organic doesn't mean sustainable, cruelty-free or even "good for the planet" anymore.
Yay, Meg! I'm so psyched to have you on board with us. It's good to have someone who keeps me in line.
I really like using Oopon.com to find coupons. It a fun site to use and it's helped me save a good chunk of money. Check them out if you get a chance at http://www.oopon.com
I hated trinkets when I taught, too. Heartfelt notes/cards from students or parents were things I definitely treasured. Also, I loved to receive and love to give a little splurge the teacher can customize, like a $5 Starbucks card of $5 i-tunes card. It fits in most budgets, the teacher feels appreciated, and she can actually use it!
"Use you cell phone as a PDA and get organized."
What? No. See, that would require shelling out money for a phone that can actually function as a PDA. I guarantee you the combined annual cost of my voice-and-text-only Tracfone, plus the annual cost of any Post-It notes I may need to buy if I ever get through the stock of all the Post-It pads I've gotten for free, comes nowhere near the cost of a cell phone I could use as a PDA (and the contract that goes with it). Perspective, try it.
I have the seen the power that personalized handwritten thank you notes have. I now make it a habit to keep blank thank you cards, envelopes, stamps, stickers, and finger puppets on me at all times.
It's important to write and mail a thank you note immediately after someone has gone out of their way to do something for you. The longer you wait, the less impact it has.
Ultimately, it's about feeling appreciated. We all want to feel appreciated.
I have the same player, any luck??
help please, anyone?
How do i unlock my Sony DVP-SR500H , there are no hacks available on the website above. any idea how i can do that?
The nicest things I have received from my students are notes that mentioned something specific I had done for them- a story I shared or an activity they enjoyed, for example. Those I keep in my forever file. As far as gifts, I love getting fruit. This sounds funny maybe, but a boy gave me a juicy red apple and I felt so much better that day after I ate it!
It's amazing how much stress you can reduce by just avoiding the stores. I take the noting matters approach to everything and barely get stressed this time of year :).
In Florida, private schools are vary savvy about obtaining scholarship dollars. So actually the affluent are more likely to attend our state universities and minorities get into the private college.
I have dived in dumpsters for 20 years. I have found furniture , recyclables , and food which is still safe to eat! What is wrong with a bag of potatoes or onions? I have also found cleaning supplies and decent clothing.
(Sigh.) I use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. But NONE of them can replace my personalized stationery. I seem to be the only person to call the front desk at hotels anymore to ask why there is no stationery in my room. I actually account for post cards and postage in my travel budget as post cards ARE the souvenirs to my friends and family. I fight with my daughter about the inappropriateness of sending an email to thank people for gifts. I have even started to scan my cards and letters before sending them so my daughter will have records of my correspondence long after I'm pushing up daisies.
This may seem terribly old fashioned from someone like myself who stays glued to my laptop and sends text messages on my phone daily. What can I say? Letter writing is in danger of becoming a lost art.
And there's nothing like flipping through my "snail mail" and discovering a card or letter from someone I care about. :-)
Fantastic article! Many great points that I completely agree with. We save a lot of money using Costco. Their coupons that they run add to our savings. They will run a $5 off coupon on the diapers and we stock up on the limit when they do. Costco's dairy also saves us. Their milk has a long expiration date, that enables us to stock up in our spare fridge. Their milk is also produced by hormone free dairies, which is a must! Thanks to Costco, we are rarely running out of paper products. Paper towels, baby wipes, cleaning wipes, toilet paper, and paper plates are some of the products we only buy at Costco. Thanks for the terrific article!
After hearing a comment on an Oprah show 25 years ago that sunscreen was the best wrinkle preventer, I've worn sunscreen every day since then. (My students have commented over the years that I smell like I've been to the beach.) I'm now 53 and don't have a single wrinkle on my face or neck. My hands look pretty good too! I wear whatever brand that is on sale, though I'm partial to SPF 30+.
My daughters are lifeguards and wear 80 SPF spray sunscreen and my husband the farmer has ALWAYS worn a long sleeved shirt with a collar, a hat, and jeans. He wears this garb in the throes of summer and the dead of winter. He does have more wrinkles than I do because he doesn't wear the sunscreen as much as I do, but because of his protective clothing looks younger than his farming peers.
I realize that this posting deals with Christmas gifting to teachers, but I feel compelled to make a comment. I've taught art for thirty years and have received many inappropriate donations over the years; old magazines with few photos, rancid paint, broken ceramic molds... the list goes on! Do some people think of art programs as dumpster alternatives?
I've always thanked the patron sincerely and later send a thank you note. (They don't know what they've given is wrong.) I usually take the items to the dumpster. (I dry out the paint before disposal.) I joke with my students that if they or their parents want to donate to the arts programs, just donate something that is green, can be folded and put in a pocket!
As far as gifts go, if you want to make me a happy camper, encourage your students to work hard, be creative, come to class prepared, and pay attention!
It is common sense to buy any of the non-perishables in bulk at a lower cost but if you are going to buy any of the perishables just for the sake of buying cheap in bulk, you might want to double check whether you need all of it for your consumption.
For me, the best gift from my students is a sincere thank-you card. Trinkets and clutter take up precious space, but a heartfelt note makes the job a bit more rewarding.
Oh I can't stand when gift recipients, especially newly married couples, forget to send thank-you notes! Cursive handwriting is another skill I think is falling by the wayside, but I also try to instill its importance with my students as well.
The parking is the worst, especially with most people crowding around the fronts of stores. Shopping online saves time, and I've even found that some of the best gifts can only be purchased online (like annual family passes to the zoo for out-of-state relatives.)
I wish I could be more diligent and start shopping early in the year. I just can't bear to think of the holidays until late November, even though holiday decorations go up in October. ;)
I couldn't agree more!
We belong to BJ's and they do actually accept coupons (and mastercard/visa)... something to consider!
I feel the need to touch on these.
House Cleaning: Depending on how much you get paid and how much your time is worth it might be cheaper and better for your life to have someone else clean. A house cleaner is cheaper then a stay at home parent but if one of the parents have a low income they should stay at home since their money is over taxed and adds expences vs. having the lower incoem earner stay home. Do the math either way.
Cell Phones: If you get a family plan with multiple people on this it can not be that bad of a price. Honestly you don't need home phone service so get rid of that and try to keep your cell bill as low as you can. You can easily get cell phones for $20 to $50 per phone which is comparable to a home line and a lot more useful.
Extra TVs: Are they being used? Did you buy the ruight priced TV for it's use? One Over priced TV could cost you more then a house full of the right TVs. If your house has kids you will likely have 2 or 3 TVs anyways. Also pay TV does not normally cost more per TV unless you need to rent boxes or need DVR service in multiple rooms. If it costs you more you are doing it wrong. Multiple TVs should lower your cost per hour for pay TV sicne you as a group can watch more without having to share one TV. It really depends on your usage. If you barely watch TV you should get rid of pay TV and not buy new TVs often.
Cars: Self Control. Unless you have a job that requires you to have a very expencive car then you shouldn't. You can buy a good car for under $10k. hell you can get a Vette for under $10k. And I can find rare sports cars for under $20k. You can turn a lot of heads with those vs paying $40k for a common car.
Eating Out: Honestly I can eat out for less then I can eat at home. And normally it is similar cost. But I also don't eat anywhere that costs me more then $10 per person. It's all about self control. Spend what you want but eating at home vs. eating out is not the problem. If you eat out right and figure in your time it should always be cheaper to eat out vs. home unless you eat really cheap at home.
Diapers: LMAO seriously if you want cloth diapers have at it.
Post-It Notes: It amazes me how many people over use these. Use you cell phone as a PDA and get organized.
Credit Cards: self control. Loads of us carry no balance. But thanks to those that do for paying for our usage.
Washer/Dryer: Time, clothes lasting longer, etc, etc. Seriously over time they should save you money vs. washing by hand. As I said before your time is worth money. You should know how much it is worth.
Wild mushrooms are excellent. Not only do they taste amazing, it's a lot of fun going out and looking for them. Perfect in a risotto!
Before I swore off book-buying altogether and started relying on my local library, I used to love browsing Costco's selection.
I would just offer a note of caution about the "organic" meat and dairy products you find at these big box discounters. The organic designation most likely has nothing to do with whether the animal that provided those products led a decent life. There are plenty of feedlots full of animals that are fed organic grain every day. Organic doesn't mean sustainable, cruelty-free or even "good for the planet" anymore.