Sorry, this is just a bad deal, and a horrible attempt at hiding the fact that you were either paid to make this post, or you have an affiliate relationship. These things are as shady as can be.
If you want to pay your mortgage off more quickly, you need to send more money. If you want to minimize your interest... refi at a lower rate.
Also, don't do the biweekly mortgage stuff. It works, but you can do it yourself for free, and accrue your own interest. Have half of your mortgage direct deposited into a money market account each pay period (if biweekly), and then have it auto paid with a little extra from your anticipated interest. I do that with my big three payments (mortgage, car, student loan), and it gets me a little extra interest. Then, at the end of the year, I also get an extra payment for each, and my pay period to pay period cash flow is more even.
We have a bin of cloth rags (mostly old t-shirts, cut up into squares) in the kitchen, down where my 3-year-old can reach them, and a laundry bin to put them in.
It's great because he can "clean up" things himself without going through a bunch of paper towels.
To break the paper towel habit for grownups, we put them way up high where they're out of sight & hard to reach - we still have them, for cat puke & other disgusting things, but we go through about 2 rolls a year (unless my mom comes for a long visit.)
The hardest thing is teaching my partner the difference between "rag" and "dishcloth".
A friend, who is a baker, brought back a yeast/sourdough culture from a well-known Parisian bakery (Poilane, I think). He is still using the "offspring" of that culture, but he said that over time it has changed. The change was fairly rapid at first, and it's pretty stable now, years later. Apparently the yeast & bacteria in the original culture either adapted to his conditions or (more likely, imho) they were gradually replaced by local strains.
Buying a culture still gets you past the possible "pink and green" phase, and that in itself might be worth it.
Sorry, but eating off of a kids menu is just not appetizing. As far as the wine. I am from Minnesota and if a restaraunt does not sell booze you cannot bring in your own. They need to have liquor licenses to sell liquor. If you sneak wine and get tipsy, say have an accident or DWI the bar would be in trouble if they knew you were drinking there. Just a heads up so no restaraunts get in trouble, they pay exhorbitant insurance premiums as it is.
The idea of making gourmat food at home is nice. I do prime rib, shrimp scampi, etc for the family. But when it comes to special occasions I want someone to make the food and serve it to me. Once a month hubby and I treat ourselves, afterall the hard work we do on a daily basis who better than to treat than ourselves?!!
I'm convinced that we capture wild yeast from the air. I've been baking bread for longer than I suspect you've been alive, both "regular" and sourdough. Several years ago, after always having lived in old houses, we moved into a brand new condo and I couldn't figure out why my sourdough wasn't behaving as I expected. It took several months before I could turn out a good sourdough loaf.
So, there's my anecdotal evidence to support that theory.
I think it's a very good idea to sit down and think about what it is you really want, and to allow room to consider the really big things that may not seem feasible right now. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day or week-to-week mini-wants, and the end result is that the biggies always seem to fall into the realm of "I could never afford that."
And don't get caught up in the hype of lusting after what "everyone" wants--big-screen TVs or luxury vacations, for example--just because that's what gets pushed in the media as being the prize for doing well. Examine your heart and figure out what it is that truly would bring you joy.
The way businesses make money legit is by selling something (or providing some service).
The whole key to the laundering is that you sell something that could plausible be worth all the money that's coming in. Then, when you feed in extra cash, you just pretend that you have more customers (or bigger-spending customers) than you really do.
The actual mechanics vary from business to business. If you have a coin-operated laundry, just put the extra cash in with what you get out of the change machines at the end of the day. If your business has a cash register, just run in a few extra sales any time there's no one waiting at the register. (You could do it after closing, but modern cash registers probably time-stamp every transaction.)
It becomes tricky, of course, if the amount of money is large compared to your ordinary cash flow, or if your business sells something that's easily tracked (where the IRS could prove that you only bought 10,000 bricks, so how could you have sold 60,000?). That's why some businesses are better for laundering than others.
Just a note about buying "historical" starter:
As the culture grows, it will gradually become completely local, as yeast and bacteria from the air where you live will out-compete the foreign ones from the original starter. So (unless you live in San Francisco), you won't be making San Francisco sourdough after the first few loaves.
An alternative to corking fees is ask the server if they have a house wine. It is common to have a house wine that is not on the wine list. Often the decanter holds one more glass than half a bottle.
Pass on the kids menu and split an entree or appetizer instead.
Watching your money is one thing. Being cheap is another. If you can only afford the kid's menu, opt for a less pricier place. Or, if you really enjoy the atmosphere, eat at home and have a couple drinks in the bar.
One more thing, if you can not afford to tip decently, choose a cheaper establishment.
if a business were to accept a cash sum from an individual - how would the business make the money legit?
as previous posts have suggested gifts often need explainning?
Could it be presented as a loan?
My thing is theat buying the water promotes good health in my case. I buy 20 bottles for 4 dollars and its in the back of my car so im always drinking water.
Once you get a starter going (whether you harvest wild yeast, get some from a friend, or buy some dried starter from one of the many places listed above), keeping it going is so fun and easy, I don't understand why everyone doesn't do it.
We bought a starter culture from some place out in San Francisco, and have had the same one going for years now. She's really a pet. (We call her Bubbles.)
We used to buy bulk yeast, which is cheap enough to not be a burden--but since rasing Bubbles is free and easy, it seems like a no-brainer.
Anytime we want to make something with yeast, we take Bubbles out of the fridge and put her in a big bowl. We add as much water as is needed for our recipe, and then add in a bit less all-purpose flour than we added water. Then we let Bubbles feast on that for a while (typically all morning, but 20 minutes is long enough if you're in a rush). Then we pour Bubbles back into the jar where she lives (wash the jar while it's empty) and put her back in the fridge. What we didn't pour back goes on to make our bread or whatever--you can just about follow an ordinary recipe at this point, adjusting for the fact that the liquid already contains the water, the yeast, and some of the flour.
Besides being free, we never run out--one less thing to keep track of. Besides, she's kind of a member of the family. On top of all that--wonderful sourdough flavor!
Have you ever made the friendship sourdough bread from the Omish? It's delicious. They call it friendship bread, because each time someone makes it they end up making 4 starter loaves that can be saved or given to friends to continue the process of making bread. I have only ever made it from a ziplock bag full of 'starter' stuff, so I'm not sure if it contains yeast at first or if it just makes it's own. But even if you have to buy yeast to make the first batch, subsequent loaves don't require more yeast, so you could theoretically go on forever just adding milk and sugar to your starters!
I really like this idea, I will give it a try. I also wanted to add that the cheapest way by far (that I know) to buy yeast is to go to your natural foods store and buy it bulk. I can buy more yeast that way than in those jars at the supermarket, and actually pay anywhere from one to two dollars.
Eh... I don't 'think I'm suggesting anyone screw over the restaurant or servers.
Yes- it would not be appropriate to bring your wine to every restaurant and that's why I mentioned that "SOME restaurants"... but just call ahead to find out the policy of the particular restaurant you are going to. My favorite italian restaurant doesn't sell alcohol at all but encourages their guests to bring their own if they want.
Who said you shouldn't tip on take out? I agree with tipping on take out. I always leave a tip when getting take out from a restaurant. The idea of take out is you can order one or two entrees from the restaurant and bring them home to share with the family since you really don't need the full portion yourself. Grabbing italian meals from your favorite italian restaurant is a better treat, in my opinion, then hitting a fast food drive thru, and since you are sharing, your family of 4 or 5 can eat for the price of 2 (even with a tip).
Kids menus... again it depends on the restaurant. We have a number of local mom&pop restaurants and diners that offer kids menus which are really just smaller versions of the adult dinners. The servers in many of these locations have pointed out the kids menu as a way to keep the portion sizes smaller. That being said, I HAVE been to restaurants where only children under the age of 12 or something can order from the kids menu - and it says so right on the menu. So again- depends on where you go!
Appreciate you taking the time to leave your comments.
$5 per month for yeast is an outrageous amount of money, unless you're making a ton of bread. I make all the bread that two adults can eat, plus sell a few loaves on the side, and I use less than $3 worth of yeast per year!
Those little packages of yeast are ridiculously expensive compared to bulk yeast, either instant or active dry. I buy it in bulk, store it in the freezer, and a $3 bag (about a pound) will last me for about 18 months. No need to worry about it losing potency when it's stored in the freezer.
I won't argue the qualities of sourdough bread - it's fantastic. But I've found through experience that sourdough starter is much less predictable and reliable than having a stash of yeast in the freezer. At bulk prices, I think that reliability and consistency is *well* worth the expense.
I have been thinking about starting this off and on for a few years but have not tried doing it yet. A jar of yeast costs $6 and we go through them pretty quick since we bake our own bread.
You know, I just don't think I'm "there" yet Carrie, but this is certainly inspirational. I snag the bulk yeast from Costco or Sam's as the person above recommended. It's interesting you mentioned the old gold miners though. So, they actually grabbed their yeast out of the air to start theirs as well? OK, I've reached the point of rambling. I just wanted to say congratulations on an interesting article.
By combining micro styrofoam pellets and an oobleck-type substance (use the borax based one)
Just get any styrofoam packaging material, put it in a ziploc bag, and knead it until it all breaks apart. I suggest mixing everything inside the bag -- don't attempt to get the styrofoam beads out! They go EVERYWHERE
I thought I was doing well by occasionally baking my own bread using one of those no-knead recipes. Making my own yeast starter never even crossed my mind. I'll have to give this a try sometime since I really like sourdough.
my sister and i prepared for the doubles as well, for about a month. our strategy was to ONLY get all the FREE items or great deals that were $0.50 or less! luckily, we have about 8 kmarts within 25 minutes drive. we shopped at 7 kmarts and walked away with a combined total of $3000! in total, we both spent $120! we have donated much of our items to friends, families, our native country (which is a 3rd-world country) and for a few families in need for Christmas. and of course, we stored some for our own lil families. we did encounter a lot of glitches with both or our transactions, but we were willing to wait and have kmart fix the problems. our patience paid off :) happy savings & happy new year!
Kids meals: hot dog, mac 'n cheese, chicken fingers, burger or corn dog. The adult menu is most often not miniaturized for kids. Hence, the kids meal is not really a great option. Are you going out to treat yourself or feel deprived? You could always hit the dollar menu at Wendy's for salad, baked potato and chili if you just want to get out of the house.
If you can't afford to eat out, learn how to cook a few things and make a special meal at home. It does not have to be Tournedos of Veal in a Caper Merlot reduction with fresh Fines Herbes -- how about a nice piece of grilled fish with some rice? Invite another couple or family, and you might get a return invitation, hence you'll get to "eat out."
Pick up a few gourmet groceries (piece of Brie, bunch of grapes, French bread, bottle of wine) and have a picnic -- perhaps in front of your own fireplace, just to be romantic!
Here's another money saver: Leave the kids at home! Swap babysitting with someone if necessary.
PS: How great does box wine taste with a corn dog, anyway?
I've read all the comments above, and I kind of agree with everyone. All people, rich or poor, desire things, but what we do with those desires is the question. Dave, your story was truly touching.
I was in a similar situation at work. My unit adopted a family with seven kids + mom + grandma. There were two things that put me off giving.
#1 - All of the kids asked for gaming systems, iPods, or both.
#2 - Three of the kids were over the age of 18 (adults).
As many people posted above, I think kids should be able to dream big and wish for whatever they want. However, I also think it is in bad taste to ask a charity for these types of items. I feel the original list in my situation should have been pared down and altered by Mom after the kids had wished their little hearts out. They didn't have to know about it. Maybe that makes me heartless, I don't know, but just looking at that list with the seven iPods (they even specified Touches, not the "cheaper" Shuffles), three PSPs plus games, Xbox games (they already had the machine), $200 boots, expensive toiletries, plus other items made me feel sick. This family didn't sound needy. They sounded greedy. I don't know how anyone could look at that list, a gift request list given to a *charity*, and not think "greed". Maybe they could have requested *one* PSP instead of *three*, or just stuck with the Xbox games. It's not wrong or unreasonable for the kids to want these things, but it is questionable to make a list like this and hand it to a charity and ask them to fill it.
I also don't feel particularly inclined to give gifts to grown men and women (18 to 21 years old) masquerading as kids. Again, maybe that makes me heartless, and I'm all for giving gifts to needy kids, but when you're old enough to be making your own way in life it shouldn't surprise you that a stranger is not interested in buying you an iPod because you came from a needy family. You are now (presumably) in a position to be making your own money and providing your own gifts.
I much prefer the schemes some have mentioned above, where you receive the child's age, gender, clothing size, and *maybe* a general interest/toy request (cars, dolls, science, Dora, or whatever). That way you can be a little creative. When you are confronted with a three item list - iPod Touch, PSP + games, DAWG boots - all of which are regularly more than $200, your brain shuts down. You know when confronted with this list that the 13-year-old girl in question is not going to be happy with books or a sweater, and you have no suggested area of interest to explore. It makes you disinclined to give.
Class issues aside, when you have less money you have less things. Maybe this is an old fashioned attitude based on what some have posted above, but I think when you are receiving charity you *should* be happy with what you get, and you should be prepared for the fact that it will probably be less than what others have. Little kids writing lists to Santa don't have to temper their wishes, but when Mom or Dad hands the list to a charitable organization, I would hope s/he has already applied some judicious editing.
Sorry, this is just a bad deal, and a horrible attempt at hiding the fact that you were either paid to make this post, or you have an affiliate relationship. These things are as shady as can be.
If you want to pay your mortgage off more quickly, you need to send more money. If you want to minimize your interest... refi at a lower rate.
Also, don't do the biweekly mortgage stuff. It works, but you can do it yourself for free, and accrue your own interest. Have half of your mortgage direct deposited into a money market account each pay period (if biweekly), and then have it auto paid with a little extra from your anticipated interest. I do that with my big three payments (mortgage, car, student loan), and it gets me a little extra interest. Then, at the end of the year, I also get an extra payment for each, and my pay period to pay period cash flow is more even.
We have a bin of cloth rags (mostly old t-shirts, cut up into squares) in the kitchen, down where my 3-year-old can reach them, and a laundry bin to put them in.
It's great because he can "clean up" things himself without going through a bunch of paper towels.
To break the paper towel habit for grownups, we put them way up high where they're out of sight & hard to reach - we still have them, for cat puke & other disgusting things, but we go through about 2 rolls a year (unless my mom comes for a long visit.)
The hardest thing is teaching my partner the difference between "rag" and "dishcloth".
A friend, who is a baker, brought back a yeast/sourdough culture from a well-known Parisian bakery (Poilane, I think). He is still using the "offspring" of that culture, but he said that over time it has changed. The change was fairly rapid at first, and it's pretty stable now, years later. Apparently the yeast & bacteria in the original culture either adapted to his conditions or (more likely, imho) they were gradually replaced by local strains.
Buying a culture still gets you past the possible "pink and green" phase, and that in itself might be worth it.
Sorry, but eating off of a kids menu is just not appetizing. As far as the wine. I am from Minnesota and if a restaraunt does not sell booze you cannot bring in your own. They need to have liquor licenses to sell liquor. If you sneak wine and get tipsy, say have an accident or DWI the bar would be in trouble if they knew you were drinking there. Just a heads up so no restaraunts get in trouble, they pay exhorbitant insurance premiums as it is.
The idea of making gourmat food at home is nice. I do prime rib, shrimp scampi, etc for the family. But when it comes to special occasions I want someone to make the food and serve it to me. Once a month hubby and I treat ourselves, afterall the hard work we do on a daily basis who better than to treat than ourselves?!!
I'm convinced that we capture wild yeast from the air. I've been baking bread for longer than I suspect you've been alive, both "regular" and sourdough. Several years ago, after always having lived in old houses, we moved into a brand new condo and I couldn't figure out why my sourdough wasn't behaving as I expected. It took several months before I could turn out a good sourdough loaf.
So, there's my anecdotal evidence to support that theory.
test
I think it's a very good idea to sit down and think about what it is you really want, and to allow room to consider the really big things that may not seem feasible right now. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day or week-to-week mini-wants, and the end result is that the biggies always seem to fall into the realm of "I could never afford that."
And don't get caught up in the hype of lusting after what "everyone" wants--big-screen TVs or luxury vacations, for example--just because that's what gets pushed in the media as being the prize for doing well. Examine your heart and figure out what it is that truly would bring you joy.
The way businesses make money legit is by selling something (or providing some service).
The whole key to the laundering is that you sell something that could plausible be worth all the money that's coming in. Then, when you feed in extra cash, you just pretend that you have more customers (or bigger-spending customers) than you really do.
The actual mechanics vary from business to business. If you have a coin-operated laundry, just put the extra cash in with what you get out of the change machines at the end of the day. If your business has a cash register, just run in a few extra sales any time there's no one waiting at the register. (You could do it after closing, but modern cash registers probably time-stamp every transaction.)
It becomes tricky, of course, if the amount of money is large compared to your ordinary cash flow, or if your business sells something that's easily tracked (where the IRS could prove that you only bought 10,000 bricks, so how could you have sold 60,000?). That's why some businesses are better for laundering than others.
Just a note about buying "historical" starter:
As the culture grows, it will gradually become completely local, as yeast and bacteria from the air where you live will out-compete the foreign ones from the original starter. So (unless you live in San Francisco), you won't be making San Francisco sourdough after the first few loaves.
An alternative to corking fees is ask the server if they have a house wine. It is common to have a house wine that is not on the wine list. Often the decanter holds one more glass than half a bottle.
Pass on the kids menu and split an entree or appetizer instead.
Watching your money is one thing. Being cheap is another. If you can only afford the kid's menu, opt for a less pricier place. Or, if you really enjoy the atmosphere, eat at home and have a couple drinks in the bar.
One more thing, if you can not afford to tip decently, choose a cheaper establishment.
if a business were to accept a cash sum from an individual - how would the business make the money legit?
as previous posts have suggested gifts often need explainning?
Could it be presented as a loan?
My thing is theat buying the water promotes good health in my case. I buy 20 bottles for 4 dollars and its in the back of my car so im always drinking water.
Once you get a starter going (whether you harvest wild yeast, get some from a friend, or buy some dried starter from one of the many places listed above), keeping it going is so fun and easy, I don't understand why everyone doesn't do it.
We bought a starter culture from some place out in San Francisco, and have had the same one going for years now. She's really a pet. (We call her Bubbles.)
We used to buy bulk yeast, which is cheap enough to not be a burden--but since rasing Bubbles is free and easy, it seems like a no-brainer.
Anytime we want to make something with yeast, we take Bubbles out of the fridge and put her in a big bowl. We add as much water as is needed for our recipe, and then add in a bit less all-purpose flour than we added water. Then we let Bubbles feast on that for a while (typically all morning, but 20 minutes is long enough if you're in a rush). Then we pour Bubbles back into the jar where she lives (wash the jar while it's empty) and put her back in the fridge. What we didn't pour back goes on to make our bread or whatever--you can just about follow an ordinary recipe at this point, adjusting for the fact that the liquid already contains the water, the yeast, and some of the flour.
Besides being free, we never run out--one less thing to keep track of. Besides, she's kind of a member of the family. On top of all that--wonderful sourdough flavor!
Have you ever made the friendship sourdough bread from the Omish? It's delicious. They call it friendship bread, because each time someone makes it they end up making 4 starter loaves that can be saved or given to friends to continue the process of making bread. I have only ever made it from a ziplock bag full of 'starter' stuff, so I'm not sure if it contains yeast at first or if it just makes it's own. But even if you have to buy yeast to make the first batch, subsequent loaves don't require more yeast, so you could theoretically go on forever just adding milk and sugar to your starters!
I really like this idea, I will give it a try. I also wanted to add that the cheapest way by far (that I know) to buy yeast is to go to your natural foods store and buy it bulk. I can buy more yeast that way than in those jars at the supermarket, and actually pay anywhere from one to two dollars.
Eh... I don't 'think I'm suggesting anyone screw over the restaurant or servers.
Yes- it would not be appropriate to bring your wine to every restaurant and that's why I mentioned that "SOME restaurants"... but just call ahead to find out the policy of the particular restaurant you are going to. My favorite italian restaurant doesn't sell alcohol at all but encourages their guests to bring their own if they want.
Who said you shouldn't tip on take out? I agree with tipping on take out. I always leave a tip when getting take out from a restaurant. The idea of take out is you can order one or two entrees from the restaurant and bring them home to share with the family since you really don't need the full portion yourself. Grabbing italian meals from your favorite italian restaurant is a better treat, in my opinion, then hitting a fast food drive thru, and since you are sharing, your family of 4 or 5 can eat for the price of 2 (even with a tip).
Kids menus... again it depends on the restaurant. We have a number of local mom&pop restaurants and diners that offer kids menus which are really just smaller versions of the adult dinners. The servers in many of these locations have pointed out the kids menu as a way to keep the portion sizes smaller. That being said, I HAVE been to restaurants where only children under the age of 12 or something can order from the kids menu - and it says so right on the menu. So again- depends on where you go!
Appreciate you taking the time to leave your comments.
$5 per month for yeast is an outrageous amount of money, unless you're making a ton of bread. I make all the bread that two adults can eat, plus sell a few loaves on the side, and I use less than $3 worth of yeast per year!
Those little packages of yeast are ridiculously expensive compared to bulk yeast, either instant or active dry. I buy it in bulk, store it in the freezer, and a $3 bag (about a pound) will last me for about 18 months. No need to worry about it losing potency when it's stored in the freezer.
I won't argue the qualities of sourdough bread - it's fantastic. But I've found through experience that sourdough starter is much less predictable and reliable than having a stash of yeast in the freezer. At bulk prices, I think that reliability and consistency is *well* worth the expense.
I have been thinking about starting this off and on for a few years but have not tried doing it yet. A jar of yeast costs $6 and we go through them pretty quick since we bake our own bread.
You know, I just don't think I'm "there" yet Carrie, but this is certainly inspirational. I snag the bulk yeast from Costco or Sam's as the person above recommended. It's interesting you mentioned the old gold miners though. So, they actually grabbed their yeast out of the air to start theirs as well? OK, I've reached the point of rambling. I just wanted to say congratulations on an interesting article.
Patent link
Looks like it's made with EVA (a rubber alternative) and Oppanol (a polymer used for a variety of things, such as chewing gum). Interesting stuff!
By combining micro styrofoam pellets and an oobleck-type substance (use the borax based one)
Just get any styrofoam packaging material, put it in a ziploc bag, and knead it until it all breaks apart. I suggest mixing everything inside the bag -- don't attempt to get the styrofoam beads out! They go EVERYWHERE
I thought I was doing well by occasionally baking my own bread using one of those no-knead recipes. Making my own yeast starter never even crossed my mind. I'll have to give this a try sometime since I really like sourdough.
my sister and i prepared for the doubles as well, for about a month. our strategy was to ONLY get all the FREE items or great deals that were $0.50 or less! luckily, we have about 8 kmarts within 25 minutes drive. we shopped at 7 kmarts and walked away with a combined total of $3000! in total, we both spent $120! we have donated much of our items to friends, families, our native country (which is a 3rd-world country) and for a few families in need for Christmas. and of course, we stored some for our own lil families. we did encounter a lot of glitches with both or our transactions, but we were willing to wait and have kmart fix the problems. our patience paid off :) happy savings & happy new year!
Kids meals: hot dog, mac 'n cheese, chicken fingers, burger or corn dog. The adult menu is most often not miniaturized for kids. Hence, the kids meal is not really a great option. Are you going out to treat yourself or feel deprived? You could always hit the dollar menu at Wendy's for salad, baked potato and chili if you just want to get out of the house.
If you can't afford to eat out, learn how to cook a few things and make a special meal at home. It does not have to be Tournedos of Veal in a Caper Merlot reduction with fresh Fines Herbes -- how about a nice piece of grilled fish with some rice? Invite another couple or family, and you might get a return invitation, hence you'll get to "eat out."
Pick up a few gourmet groceries (piece of Brie, bunch of grapes, French bread, bottle of wine) and have a picnic -- perhaps in front of your own fireplace, just to be romantic!
Here's another money saver: Leave the kids at home! Swap babysitting with someone if necessary.
PS: How great does box wine taste with a corn dog, anyway?
I've read all the comments above, and I kind of agree with everyone. All people, rich or poor, desire things, but what we do with those desires is the question. Dave, your story was truly touching.
I was in a similar situation at work. My unit adopted a family with seven kids + mom + grandma. There were two things that put me off giving.
#1 - All of the kids asked for gaming systems, iPods, or both.
#2 - Three of the kids were over the age of 18 (adults).
As many people posted above, I think kids should be able to dream big and wish for whatever they want. However, I also think it is in bad taste to ask a charity for these types of items. I feel the original list in my situation should have been pared down and altered by Mom after the kids had wished their little hearts out. They didn't have to know about it. Maybe that makes me heartless, I don't know, but just looking at that list with the seven iPods (they even specified Touches, not the "cheaper" Shuffles), three PSPs plus games, Xbox games (they already had the machine), $200 boots, expensive toiletries, plus other items made me feel sick. This family didn't sound needy. They sounded greedy. I don't know how anyone could look at that list, a gift request list given to a *charity*, and not think "greed". Maybe they could have requested *one* PSP instead of *three*, or just stuck with the Xbox games. It's not wrong or unreasonable for the kids to want these things, but it is questionable to make a list like this and hand it to a charity and ask them to fill it.
I also don't feel particularly inclined to give gifts to grown men and women (18 to 21 years old) masquerading as kids. Again, maybe that makes me heartless, and I'm all for giving gifts to needy kids, but when you're old enough to be making your own way in life it shouldn't surprise you that a stranger is not interested in buying you an iPod because you came from a needy family. You are now (presumably) in a position to be making your own money and providing your own gifts.
I much prefer the schemes some have mentioned above, where you receive the child's age, gender, clothing size, and *maybe* a general interest/toy request (cars, dolls, science, Dora, or whatever). That way you can be a little creative. When you are confronted with a three item list - iPod Touch, PSP + games, DAWG boots - all of which are regularly more than $200, your brain shuts down. You know when confronted with this list that the 13-year-old girl in question is not going to be happy with books or a sweater, and you have no suggested area of interest to explore. It makes you disinclined to give.
Class issues aside, when you have less money you have less things. Maybe this is an old fashioned attitude based on what some have posted above, but I think when you are receiving charity you *should* be happy with what you get, and you should be prepared for the fact that it will probably be less than what others have. Little kids writing lists to Santa don't have to temper their wishes, but when Mom or Dad hands the list to a charitable organization, I would hope s/he has already applied some judicious editing.