I hosted a clothing swap with a half-dozen, similarly-sized friends. We divided offerings into categories & took turns picking an item each 'til we'd claimed all we wanted. The remainder went to charity!
I love to use coupons because it helps me save money. I dislike having to cut and organize them. It helps to do it while watching my favorite TV show so I'm doing two things at once!
I just opened up my roth IRA but I'll admit I didn't know what funds I was buying.. I signed up for a lifecycle fund but also added a health sciences one. I've read investing books but I can't remember if that makes sense or not?!
I shudder to think how much money I have wasted at Costco through the years. What I've found is that Costco only offers significant savings on a few items that we use regularly. I'm even considering giving up my membership--not sure I'm quite ready for such a drastic move though ; ).
Re: The Costco AmEx... "it's the only card you can actually swipe at Costco."
THE ABOVE STATEMENT IS FALSE.
While American Express is the only CREDIT card accepted at Costco warehouses, members may use any Visa or MasterCard DEBIT card for in-warehouse purchases, and may use ANY AmEx card for credit purchases, not just the Costco co-branded AmEx.
Further, members may shop online at costco.com and pay with Visa or MasterCard CREDIT cards, just not in the warehouses.
Why are you assuming that workers go to work for someone else out of FEAR?
There are plenty of workers who work for a corporation because they WANT TO. They want the freedom of having a job under a corporation. What freedom?
• The freedom to not have to worry about where your paycheck comes from. You know you'll get a set amount each week and you can budget around that. You don't have to worry if you'll make enough money for rent this month...you already KNOW you will!
• The freedom to have some help on employment taxes. You don't have to pay the entire 15.2% employment tax yourself...instead, your employer pays half.
• The freedom to have Health Insurance. Some of us are considered "uninsurable" by private Health Insurance Companies. Up until 2014, the only way for us to get Health Insurance is to be employed by another company who offers insurance for their workers.
• The freedom of having other benefits and perks that may come from working for a company. Free coffee and bagels. Friendships in the office. Discounts at various places, depending on your company's bennies. Stock options. There are some wonderful bennies out there that offer a lot of value for a worker, if they're employed with the right company.
After owning my own business for over 6 years, I'm ready to go back to work for someone else. Let them take the risk, and just give me a nice steady paycheck. Some of us aren't meant to be risk-takers, and fear has nothing to do with it.
I did my first mystery shopping for Gapbusters in July. I have had 9 assignments and not been paid for any. When I rang Gapbusters I was told that they did not take calls from "Shoppers" I did not need to ask why, it simply seems that they have no intention of paying their clients. The last time that I rang, and got through to a real person, I was told that my last payment was missed and would be paid soon. Ha! Ha!
The very next day I saw that my identity as a "shopper" had been withdrawn and all my shopping details expunged.
Due to my experience with these people I would URGE that no person should ever become involved with them.
Shopping at Costco is cheaper because people are buying in bulk. But this is only if you compare to other supermarkets at their regular price. I have noticed that if you buy items on sale, it is mostly cheaper compared to Costco's unit price. If you get in the habit of buying saled items at supermarket, you could have a lot especially when you use coupons along with it. Of course the problem to this is that not every items are on sale.
I have had MOGI for a while now. I have a 2004 Trailblazer with low miles. However, while on a trip, a computer chip in my car began acting up. I had not choice but to put it in the shop. Thank goodness for MOGI, because it would have cost me over $8K to get it fixed! They also paid for $30/day of my rental car. They saved me a ton of money that I didn't have. My total cost of having MOGI is $2500 and I get to pay it out, so I figure they saved me A LOT of money even when I consider the cost. So, it isn't necessarily for a vehicle that breaks down all the time. Cars these days have computers and electronic parts and MOGI does pay on these too. Its a great protection for me to know that I won't have to worry if my car breaks down.
There is also property tax increase which I did not expect to be as high as it was. Also, I would never tapy $200+ to transfer a phone. Just cancel it and get a new one. Or get rid of it altogether and use your cell phone instead. You are correct on the utility and insurance costs. They tend to get higher on the new house.
Health care is not a zero-sum game. Profit leads to research and innovation that would not occur otherwise. Advances in medicine made in the US are now available to other "non-profit" health systems because doctors and hospitals are motivated to compete for patient care and provide better service. If you want to freeze innovation where it stands today, remove the profit motive. Want an example? Walk into any government office today (department of transportation for example) and look around. Try to find a solid example of innovative thinking and improved customer service. The complacency and indifference is breathtaking. I Shudder to think of where our healthcare would be today if we had removed the profit motive after world war II like much of Europe did.
And play those storytelling games with your children! When you watch television together or see a huge display at the mall - begin by telling the story out loud that the marketers are telling. Insult their intelligence by giving the version that adult marketing professionals believe is true about all children. Let the kids add in their exaggerations until you can all laugh. But the game is real and it's not only money that is being taken from them and their families when they buy into these stories. Many families are in financial trouble because of these schemes focused on children. Ask them to tell their real story about a similar purchase and where that item might be now (the landfill, the bottom of their closet, lost, given away, etc.). Ask them what other things they do to make themselves feel happy and content (exercise, cooking together at home, calling grandma or a friend, checking out a library book, sewing or crafting something). My "children" are now in their 20's and we still play the game sometimes just because the ads are so outrageous! And I think they feel good knowing that any financial trouble we have had has not been because of them. We have worked through things together.
Even better than craigslist for packing materials is freecycle. It's also a quick way to get rid of something you don't need. The wants and offers are varied, but there's always someone with boxes to gift.
Great article. I finally came to realize also that the 6- and 12-month no interest on store credit cards fools one. Last year I took advantage of one of the big box promos and bought a more expensive dishwasher than I would have if I had been paying cash. I split the cost into 5 payments because I never let it accrue interest, but 1 month into it my cat became ill and I had to have a new crown ($1,500) and these were not planned expenses. It made it very tough to keep paying the monthly on the 'interest-free' loan but I did it. I will never do it again.
I hosted a clothing swap with a half-dozen, similarly-sized friends. We divided offerings into categories & took turns picking an item each 'til we'd claimed all we wanted. The remainder went to charity!
I want an Ipod from those infernal contraptions
I love to use coupons because it helps me save money. I dislike having to cut and organize them. It helps to do it while watching my favorite TV show so I'm doing two things at once!
donate clothes that don't fit or ones you haven't worn in ages. It takes up space, and others can put it to good use
I do more with less by entering contests and hope to win some free swag to give away to my nephews for Christmas.
Does it make any sense to add oak to sugar wash alcohol from a reflux, or is it just for corn whiskey?
I just opened up my roth IRA but I'll admit I didn't know what funds I was buying.. I signed up for a lifecycle fund but also added a health sciences one. I've read investing books but I can't remember if that makes sense or not?!
We're about to make a move this next year, so this post was good for me to read and get my mind thinking about the inevitable costs of moving.
Great tips!
I shudder to think how much money I have wasted at Costco through the years. What I've found is that Costco only offers significant savings on a few items that we use regularly. I'm even considering giving up my membership--not sure I'm quite ready for such a drastic move though ; ).
Re: The Costco AmEx... "it's the only card you can actually swipe at Costco."
THE ABOVE STATEMENT IS FALSE.
While American Express is the only CREDIT card accepted at Costco warehouses, members may use any Visa or MasterCard DEBIT card for in-warehouse purchases, and may use ANY AmEx card for credit purchases, not just the Costco co-branded AmEx.
Further, members may shop online at costco.com and pay with Visa or MasterCard CREDIT cards, just not in the warehouses.
Why are you assuming that workers go to work for someone else out of FEAR?
There are plenty of workers who work for a corporation because they WANT TO. They want the freedom of having a job under a corporation. What freedom?
• The freedom to not have to worry about where your paycheck comes from. You know you'll get a set amount each week and you can budget around that. You don't have to worry if you'll make enough money for rent this month...you already KNOW you will!
• The freedom to have some help on employment taxes. You don't have to pay the entire 15.2% employment tax yourself...instead, your employer pays half.
• The freedom to have Health Insurance. Some of us are considered "uninsurable" by private Health Insurance Companies. Up until 2014, the only way for us to get Health Insurance is to be employed by another company who offers insurance for their workers.
• The freedom of having other benefits and perks that may come from working for a company. Free coffee and bagels. Friendships in the office. Discounts at various places, depending on your company's bennies. Stock options. There are some wonderful bennies out there that offer a lot of value for a worker, if they're employed with the right company.
After owning my own business for over 6 years, I'm ready to go back to work for someone else. Let them take the risk, and just give me a nice steady paycheck. Some of us aren't meant to be risk-takers, and fear has nothing to do with it.
I did my first mystery shopping for Gapbusters in July. I have had 9 assignments and not been paid for any. When I rang Gapbusters I was told that they did not take calls from "Shoppers" I did not need to ask why, it simply seems that they have no intention of paying their clients. The last time that I rang, and got through to a real person, I was told that my last payment was missed and would be paid soon. Ha! Ha!
The very next day I saw that my identity as a "shopper" had been withdrawn and all my shopping details expunged.
Due to my experience with these people I would URGE that no person should ever become involved with them.
Shopping at Costco is cheaper because people are buying in bulk. But this is only if you compare to other supermarkets at their regular price. I have noticed that if you buy items on sale, it is mostly cheaper compared to Costco's unit price. If you get in the habit of buying saled items at supermarket, you could have a lot especially when you use coupons along with it. Of course the problem to this is that not every items are on sale.
Wow, that's a pretty steep price for transfer services. Would it have been cheaper if you cut it completely and started a new service connection?
I have had MOGI for a while now. I have a 2004 Trailblazer with low miles. However, while on a trip, a computer chip in my car began acting up. I had not choice but to put it in the shop. Thank goodness for MOGI, because it would have cost me over $8K to get it fixed! They also paid for $30/day of my rental car. They saved me a ton of money that I didn't have. My total cost of having MOGI is $2500 and I get to pay it out, so I figure they saved me A LOT of money even when I consider the cost. So, it isn't necessarily for a vehicle that breaks down all the time. Cars these days have computers and electronic parts and MOGI does pay on these too. Its a great protection for me to know that I won't have to worry if my car breaks down.
There is also property tax increase which I did not expect to be as high as it was. Also, I would never tapy $200+ to transfer a phone. Just cancel it and get a new one. Or get rid of it altogether and use your cell phone instead. You are correct on the utility and insurance costs. They tend to get higher on the new house.
How on earth did the phone company get away with charging you $235 in transfer fees?
Regarding your last point, Amex is the only CREDIT card you can swipe at Costco. I use my Visa Debit card there all the time.
Health care is not a zero-sum game. Profit leads to research and innovation that would not occur otherwise. Advances in medicine made in the US are now available to other "non-profit" health systems because doctors and hospitals are motivated to compete for patient care and provide better service. If you want to freeze innovation where it stands today, remove the profit motive. Want an example? Walk into any government office today (department of transportation for example) and look around. Try to find a solid example of innovative thinking and improved customer service. The complacency and indifference is breathtaking. I Shudder to think of where our healthcare would be today if we had removed the profit motive after world war II like much of Europe did.
And play those storytelling games with your children! When you watch television together or see a huge display at the mall - begin by telling the story out loud that the marketers are telling. Insult their intelligence by giving the version that adult marketing professionals believe is true about all children. Let the kids add in their exaggerations until you can all laugh. But the game is real and it's not only money that is being taken from them and their families when they buy into these stories. Many families are in financial trouble because of these schemes focused on children. Ask them to tell their real story about a similar purchase and where that item might be now (the landfill, the bottom of their closet, lost, given away, etc.). Ask them what other things they do to make themselves feel happy and content (exercise, cooking together at home, calling grandma or a friend, checking out a library book, sewing or crafting something). My "children" are now in their 20's and we still play the game sometimes just because the ads are so outrageous! And I think they feel good knowing that any financial trouble we have had has not been because of them. We have worked through things together.
If you live where it gets to 40 below you can't drive it right away. Oh, I'm not looking forward to it!
Even better than craigslist for packing materials is freecycle. It's also a quick way to get rid of something you don't need. The wants and offers are varied, but there's always someone with boxes to gift.
Great article. I finally came to realize also that the 6- and 12-month no interest on store credit cards fools one. Last year I took advantage of one of the big box promos and bought a more expensive dishwasher than I would have if I had been paying cash. I split the cost into 5 payments because I never let it accrue interest, but 1 month into it my cat became ill and I had to have a new crown ($1,500) and these were not planned expenses. It made it very tough to keep paying the monthly on the 'interest-free' loan but I did it. I will never do it again.
well,good habits really do good
I wish I understood more about escrow!