Recent comments

  • 5 Reasons Why You Should Give Kids Cash for the Holidays   15 years 41 weeks ago

    My kids have jumped around over a gift card - especially a Lego or book store one, but they do like cash. While I still prefer the lessons they learn from recieving gifts that people have made for them or purchased for them, I was amazed how many lessons they learned from getting cash and gifts cards for Christmas. With a gift card, they have a hard amount to budget to, and they really seem to shop around for the best combination. It's also taught them to factor in taxes and shipping costs (for online purchases), which is a huge thing for a kid to think about.

    Cash is always fun, and there are always lessons involved. I like seeing where the kids are in their fiscal maturity as well. And it makes Christmas shopping much easier. But, I would rather the kids learn to shop for others thinking of things they would like rather than just giving (or getting) cash

  • No Signal? 6 Ways to Boost Your Cell Phone Reception   15 years 41 weeks ago

    FYI the antenna on the cellphones is basically just a 2 cent piece of wire so YES brands include it on their cellphones, and basically you have no knowledge whatsoever to argue about what this makes to a cellphone because you have no idea how it works

  • No Signal? 6 Ways to Boost Your Cell Phone Reception   15 years 41 weeks ago

    if you measure the copper wire that you have inside the can to be a multiple or submultiple of your cellphone reception wavelenght you will probably have full boost, try it, ;)

  • 4 Reasons Why Everyone Needs Side Income   15 years 41 weeks ago

    Maybe your article title should have been "How to leverage your hobby to generate side income".

  • Share Your Best Purchase Stories & Win $33,000 in Prizes   15 years 41 weeks ago

    That's a great story Carrie. Make sure you shared that on HP's contest page!

  • Share Your Best Purchase Stories & Win $33,000 in Prizes   15 years 41 weeks ago

    There's two parts to the contest. The first part (the one with $33,000 in prizes), can be entered without Twitter! Just click on the link and click on "submit your story".

    The second part of the contest does require Twitter, but the first part is already pretty cool. =)

  • How to Answer 23 of the Most Common Interview Questions   15 years 41 weeks ago

    this has all helped so so much, i have an interview tomorrow so will try to remember all these answers but make them my own, eeee :)

  • Ask the Readers: Will You Vote This Election? (Chance to Win $20!)   15 years 41 weeks ago

    I'll be voting.

    My dad is a soon to be retired government and history teacher at a highschool - he'd have a fit of truly staggering heights if my brother and I (and now, by extension, our spouses) didn't get our respective assets to the polls.

    And you don't want to know how bad it gets if we can't clearly outline and argue our political stance at the dinner table. No room for simply going down your parties side and blindly ticking off names. My older brother tried that once....

    Apparently, you CAN still be made to stand in the corner during Thanksgiving dinner as an adult.

  • How to Make Moonshine   15 years 41 weeks ago

    i heard you can tell if its poinous or not by the color the flame burns while it doesnt exactly clear up weither it contains methanol or not, as they both burn blue and ethanol light blue if the flame is even visible and smokeless, they also say you can proof it by puttin 'a little' gunpowder in a spoonful and lighting it and if it burns it doesnt contain alot of water, also if you shake it around in a jar, the less bubbles the better the shine, just stuff ive heard, do your resarch if you wanna know fact.

  • U.S. Banks and the Tokyo Drift   15 years 41 weeks ago

    This "Disco Biscuit" we're currently ingesting is a prime example of what you get when you have top to bottom and bottom to top full scale societal "thrist-mode". We live in a world of people who are out "to get theirs". Bank: I know its an awful risk lending out this money but my wife, my family, I need....... Consumer: I know these loans terms are too good to be true and I surely can't afford what I'm buying. But, I've got a "hard-on" and can't help but think with the wrong head...........

    There are no tears or sad outlooks over here!

  • 15 Wonderful Uses for Witch Hazel   15 years 41 weeks ago

    doesn't most mouth wash in the store contain alcohol, and warns you not to swollow? why would the same precautions not apply to witch hazel?

  • What is "Quantitative Easing" Anyway?   15 years 41 weeks ago

    Great post -

    WVFC had Kathleen Rogers, a previous trader and CNBC employee, explain what Quantitative Easing is and why it is important.
    I think it serves as a great supplement to this post:
    http://womensvoicesforchange.org/what-is-%E2%80%9Cquantitative-easing%E2...

  • Life After Bankruptcy: What's Next?   15 years 41 weeks ago

    Title 11 specifically prohibits credit agreements that include language like what you discuss. Going after someone for a discharged debt allows the debtor to collect costs, fees, and actual and punitive damages.

  • How to Save $1,500 on Coffee   15 years 41 weeks ago

    In my opinion, you've got to mention what the relative cost to you is versus another family. For example, if you're spening $1,500 a year on lattes, but your household income is $300K with no kids - I'd say this is a nice treat you should continue to give yourself. On the other hand, if you're making $100K total, paying for 3 kids, etc. - you might want to just drink the stale coffee at the office.

  • 4 Reasons Why Everyone Needs Side Income   15 years 41 weeks ago

    I also have a family. I consider my husband's job my "side job," and my job as his "side job." I have to pick up extra household duties when he's out, and vice verse. Two jobs give us multiple income streams, and provide added security in the event of a job loss.

    I don't understand why I would *need* more than that. Like Tyler and Khurt, I am loathe to give up any more family time (or me time) to work, even work I enjoy.

  • Girly Fun on a Budget   15 years 41 weeks ago

    I like to do a monthly (or every other month) manicure. I do a decent job at maintenance myself. BUT most salons will do a color change for $5, which I can do every other week if I am good...and if I have a bottle of the same color at home, then I can do repairs also.

    I'll do a pedicure seasonally, just because it feels good. Lots of places will run specials on them for a fairly reasonable price. I like to go out to one of my local beauty schools and have it done...like it esp when I can get a girl that is graduating soon...they are very good :D AND I can get both of them for around $20. That lets me give the girls a very good tip since they don't get paid for it, it is part of the training and hours they have to do for licensing. They'll do a color change for $5 for a pedi, whereas the salon will often charge $10. I also go to the school for color, but won't get a cut there. My youngest will, but I have curly hair so it is hard to find someone who knows what they are doing, so I will pay up to $50 (including tip) for a haircut...but I don't need them that often either...usually seasonally too :D

  • 5 Reasons Why You Should Give Kids Cash for the Holidays   15 years 41 weeks ago

    I've read some interesting studies on the net wasted utility (cash) that goes toward presents each holiday season in America. Since people tend to give gifts people don't want or use, and they do this to each other en masse, Billions of dollars each year go wasted. If everyone just gave each other cash or not at all, Billions of dollars of waste could be avoided.

    I do enjoy taking our kids to a hobby shop or craft shop and letting them spend some of the money they've saved. We make sure to reinforce who the gift was from so they're appreciative, but they actually get what they want and it's not more plastic junk sitting around the house that they didn't want or need.

  • How to Save $1,500 on Coffee   15 years 41 weeks ago

    You've got to be kidding me! I spent $12 on a coffee maker that does everything I need it to do (timer, hot water) and $5 on a can of coffee. A splurge for me is the bag of after-Halloween-sale Hershey Kisses to stir in my cup o'joe.

  • 5 Reasons Why You Should Give Kids Cash for the Holidays   15 years 41 weeks ago

    As a new uncle, I will definitely remember this in a few years. But for now, it's tricycles and legos.

  • 5 Reasons Why You Should Give Kids Cash for the Holidays   15 years 41 weeks ago

    Giving cash can be a good way to really watch the budget - hard to go over a $20 gift budget if you deliver a $20 bill.

    I love getting cash for gifts, but I know some people who feel that it's impersonal.

    I know a family that made giving gift cards at Christmas a family tradition. They turned it into a game and had fun competing for random gift cards. Each person ended up with the same amount, but the fun was in the trading between each other. Much better than handing over a $10 gift card in a plain envelope.

    Tim

  • How to Make Moonshine   15 years 41 weeks ago

    Guest
    Not sure about the drops playing on the surface. I have never paid that close attention. Everything sounds fine. Try cutting it with some distilled water and see if that changes it. You could have something in the water that turns it cloudy. The surging can come from electric heaters. They get full power and then no power. You have to have a circuit that will allow it to work in steps. 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% power so it will come up slowly instead of blasting. If you use gas, it will naturally climb up and hold at what he fire is set for. It could surge like that from the tower not being controlled right. Every set up and column is different and will take a learning curve to control it. Turn the water down to just enough that the product is not too hot to drink. See how that does, then try a little higher, then lower and keep records of you cooling water run off, product run off and temp fluctuations. You will get a feel of it before you could get enough advice to change it.

  • How Well Do You Know Your Facebook Friends? Precautions for Travelers   15 years 41 weeks ago

    @Family on Bikes - I'm glad you were only shut out for an hour (at a time)...I was speaking with somebody who was shut out for days! I've been lucky lately (knock on wood)...

  • How Well Do You Know Your Facebook Friends? Precautions for Travelers   15 years 41 weeks ago

    @Francis - I think that most fan pages (which is what businesses gravitate towards having on Facebook) require a personal account to start with. It's the personal account that gets targeted. But I could be wrong...

  • 6 Indirect Ways Taxes to the Rich May Hurt You   15 years 41 weeks ago

    Well, the author must subscribe to the mantra, " lets not let the truth ruin a good story"... or let actual facts lead the mind to a conclusion.
    I'll share a piece from well known financial writer Andy Tobias on this topic -

    "Would you give me a break? If you make $250,000 ($200,000 single or married-but-gay), your tax won’t go up, and if you make $350,000, it won’t go up on all $350,000, just on the portion above $250,000. And not by a whole lot, either. So we’re not asking you to leave your family to fight for your country in the jungles of Vietnam (and thank you if you already did that), just – because the nation is in a bit of a crisis – to go back to paying taxes more or less as you did under the wonderfully prosperous Clinton/Gore years. And this notion that, as a result, you, the small businessman earning $350,000, or $800,000, or $2.4 million, won’t hire people for your small business because your tax rate goes back to what it used to be is just nuts. If you need people, because business is good, you’ll hire them to make even more money. If you don’t need them, because business sucks, you wouldn’t hire them even if the tax rate were zero.

    -Andy Tobias, September 19th 2010, writing in his blog about letting the Bush tax cuts expire ( as Bush himself originally intended them to) in 2011 for people making over $250,000 per year.

  • 6 Ways to Save Money on Eyeglasses   15 years 41 weeks ago

    I've been buying glasses online. They have varied in quality, but I can buy 10 frames online for the price of 1 at the optometrist.