As I sat down to answer this question, I realized that I actually have a process I follow for finding pictures for these blog posts.
If I've got a clear idea of just what picture I want, and I can stage it myself, I go ahead and do that. I've taken quite a few pictures like that. The image for my money laundering post, for example, was staged in the laundry room of my apartment building. For my post on hoarding, I two bags of rice from our pantry, plus a third bag that originally held rice and still looks like a bag of rice, even though it now has wool fiber that my wife is planning to spin into yarn.
I also carry my camera around with me, and try to grab pictures that I think might be useful--I took some pictures yesterday at the Farmer's Market, for example.
I've been doing that for a while now, so I've got a pretty good library of pictures that I can draw on, especially for the more metaphorical images (forest paths and gnarled old roots and the like).
There are a lot of photos at the Library of Congress that are free of copyright because the were taken by government employees. They're searchable by keyword, and are a great place to get images of America in the 1930s and 1940s. I've used those several times.
If I don't have one I like, and I can't quickly stage one, and I don't expect to find something good on the Library of Congress site, my next stop is Flickr. I do a search for images licensed with a creative commons "attribution" license, trying to guess a keyword that will produce an image to illustrate the post. For this one, I was particularly looking for a car off the side of a rural road, to evoke the image of someone walking a very long way to get gas.
If I use a Flickr post, I always give credit to the photographer and provide a link back to the photo's page a Flickr. I only use photos with a license that allows such use--usually an "attribution" license, but I can sometimes use a photo with an "attribution-noderivs" license, if I don't need to crop it.
There are actually a good number of images on Flickr specifically of cars that have run out of gas, but they usually show the driver looking shocked or sad--there's nothing in the picture to evoke the sense that I was looking for. This picture, though, seemed to like it could illustrate the story (even though it isn't of a car that actually ran out of gas).
I could have staged this photo--it would have been just a mile or two to drive to the edge of town, find a place to pull over, and then take a picture of my own car. If the post were of a different topic I might well have done just that. But for a post about gasoline, I just couldn't bring myself to do even a few miles of unnecessary driving, simply to get a photo very similar to one I could find on Flickr.
Thanks for asking--it's given me a chance to articulate a process that I hadn't really tried to describe before.
First of all, Americans should be thankful, for they are the privileged kind in regards to gas prices (and not only). In Europe for example a gallon of gas is around $8.16. That is more than double what the price here in the States is. It is only because Americans are not used to such high gas prices that they complain so much. And I see why they complain, they have to change their lifestyle. This means no more Hummers or other gas guzzlers of that sort and no more "boat" vehicles (very large cars) that usually are used just for one or two people. In Europe things had to change a long time ago because of higher gas prices, that's why cars are a lot smaller and get a lot more MPG than American cars. I see that slowly happening in the States now too, with the release of SMART cars and other compact cars on the market. It is still a long way to go until American car manufacturers achieve the MPGs that European car manufacturers are getting.
Philip Brewer: why did you chose that picture for your post? It is not a highway, actually it is a dirt road in a rural part Romania.
Very informative post. I agree that all of those ideas could help you raise cash for your business. However, why not do it debt free? I like the idea of working and investing until you have enough to get started. In my opinion if you already have a business bootstraping is the way to go. Debt will just weigh you down and possibly drive you out of business, if your well laid plans don't work out.
We were debating getting a softener but after looking at how much electricity and salt it was going to take and the cost we decided against it.
All the junk our water deposits is a real pain though. Our dishwasher had all this hard white stuff all over it when we moved in. The fiberglass bathtubs get a thick layer of scum that has to be power scrubbed off every month. It also plugs up faucet screens and shower heads. It is also probably the reason laundry never looks great either. I don't even want to look in the water heater tank.
If there was a way we could just provide soft water to the washing machine without running a water softener though I think that would be a good compromise.
We found if we run this citric acid based stuff called Lemishine in the dishwasher we don't have a problem with dishes. Over time it also ate away all that build up in the dishwasher. I use either vinegar or lemishine mixed with water to soak shower heads every so often and it seems to get them totally clean.
If anyone knows a way to deal with the hard water issue just in the washing machine let me know!
Spot shortages are common where I live. We are on the end of a pipeline and have a tank farm in the area. But it is fed out of a group of refineries in Oklahoma and Kansas. Post Katrina the Oklahoma refinery could not get the oil they normally did and we had stations running out of gas. There was also a refinery fire in Oklahoma this caused tanker trucks to be lined up for about a mile waiting to get in to the tank farm and many stations out of gas for days.
There are plans for a pipeline from Canada and a refinery here. Of course there are people fighting it. I'm not thrilled really about refineries and pipelines but it does mean we will have a second source of gas and that will go a long way toward keeping things going in the face of more uncertainty in the world.
I love the ideas from you and your readers about how to save money on Amazon. The folks at Amazon are brilliant with the SUPER SAVER SHIPPING deal, because it does make us all click a bit more on Amazon, doesn't it? It's just one more reason that I've found Amazon wins over eBay. Anyway, Kudos to you for bringing these tools our way!
On the topic of saving money, I've found that Amazon doesn't have many cash back reward opportunities. At the bottom of my Web site I have a way for you to earn a $5 bonus when you shop Amazon:
Typo tools are great for finding the deals, but before you bid make sure to check out how the smartest buyers are getting cash back rebates from all their purchases.
In addition to a typo tool we also have an automated search tool that buyers will love. This enables buyers to get e-mail notification of their favorite searches, which is great when you're looking for rare items that don't often come by on eBay. Auction sniping is another fun tool, but it doesn't yet work when you want to get cash back on your purchases.
We have a few cool tools for sellers too, including resources to help sellers get their feedback in check and spying on other eBay members.
I think this advice is great but would also add a caution. I've been reading on the news sites about thefts of gas from parked vehicles, especially from the larger vehicles like SUVs which have larger gas tanks. Apparently the thieves just cut a hole in the tank and let the gas drain out, so the owner has to replace the whole tank along with his gas. If you don't have a locked garage available, invest in a locking gas cap and be safe.
I think that the Small Business Administration is a great place for looking for money. The SBA has lots of great loan programs. Another great avenue is State grant or loan programs.
I know that using credit cards to fund a business doesn't seem like a great idea but it is a common practice. Those who can't get a business loan will start with credit cards. If an entrepreneur has a solid business plan and knows what the business's cash flow is (and return on investment), then he/she can make an informed decision of whether to use credit cards as a source of funds (that is the return on the business exceeds the interest rate). And, though the interest rate is likely higher than a home equity loan, there are advantages from a risk management perspective. (you'll have a big balance to pay off but you won't lose your house if you have trouble making payments)
In his book, Ryan mentioned that the rates are typically higher from 12% to 19% (though I have seen even higher rates). He is less risk averse than I am when it comes to credit but he has built a $10 million (in annual sales) company (with his associates).
The credit card loan is not the best credit line you can use. The interest rate is really very high. Ask your friend working for bank - the employees of the bank would never use credit card as the credit line.
Always try to find a cheaper credit line. It can save your business.
I was standing in line at a shoe store when all of a sudden a woman insisted that her 9-year-old niece get in line in front of me. It seemed pretty apparent that the adults in this poor kid's life had no interest in teaching her right from wrong, and when I wouldn't allow the girl to cut in front of me, the woman, WITH THE CHILD IN TOW, left the store and keyed the hood of my car with obscenities. Nice, huh? But all that is neither here nor there. Does anyone know if the lighter method will repair a key-scratch, or is that not enough of a dent?
Exercise lowers blood sugar, which is why this person saw a connection to being thiner and better blood glucose levels. On the other hand, high blood sugar can also cause you to be thiner, so the friend who lost weight and had bad blood glucose levels might have lost the weight because of the high blood sugar, not the other way around.
Thin/fat does not really mater, it maters if you exercise and maintain a good diet. Just because someone is thin does not mean they do not exercise.
I am trying to upload an 80mb file and Internet explorer just freezes up after the upload completes. The status says "Upload Complete. Redirecting .." and then nothing happens. Firefox just times out. Anyone else have this issue or know how to solve this?
I moved from a winding cul-de-sac street with no sidewalks to an old-fashioned block and I am so happy. Instead of getting in my car to do everything, I can walk to the train station, farmer's market, kids' school, several parks and playgrounds, pet store, hardware store, post office, and library. I can also walk to restaurants and shops, although I've only lived here a week so I haven't been to many of them yet. There's even a movie theater in walking distance.
Add in the excellent public schools, and we are paying a hefty premium to live in this neighborhood, but I think it will be well worth it.
Thank you for suggesting driving less. I recently stopped driving and started biking instead, and it's been quite a relief on my pocketbook.
If I can, I would like to say that not everyone who is having a hard time with the gas prices is over-consuming. Food prices have jumped considerably. Many people can't afford high health care costs. The recession has made new jobs harder to come by, and minimum wage (which hasn't changed since who knows when) can do less to support a person (not to mention a family) than it could 6 months ago, let alone 6 years ago. I think it's important to have compassion and respect for those who are really struggling, not just those of us who have to cut back on Sunday driving to save a few dollars.
With that said, I think there are many possibilities for people who truly can't afford high gas prices -- and your blog helps people find these alternatives! Finding ways to drive less is an important one -- as well as learning how to make more meals from scratch and finding other ways to live frugally without sacrificing a lot. Thank you for the work you do. I think it's especially important for those who really do need to stretch an income.
I was wondering what to do about gas theft, some great tips here. And Aaron, superb find with that WaterWeld product. I'm going to check that out immediately, seems like an essential for any toolbox.
Thanks for the tip, Myscha. Not exactly something we buy all the time.
And thanks, Aaron, for the great advice. It's always good to find an alternative to replacing a gas tank, something I for one have never done. And I agree, Reliant, locking gas caps are simply a temporary deterrent, but better than nothing. While serious thieves might go for the tank, most petty robbers would only go so far as to siphon the gas. Might as well discourage those, as well.
We bought the Wii Fit for my wife, but my 11 year old daughter likes it the most. The body tests are very inaccurate for measuring overall fitness because they don't test for aerobic ability. You could be an overweight marathoner with bad balance and it will give you no credit for being able to run a marathon. But it is fun. I was surprised how much my daughter used the running game. I think that's because it's easy to use with a friend. It's also one of the best workouts for getting the heart rate up.
For us I think it will be a fun, alternative game rather than a regular workout. What I'd really like to see is an improved version of the running game combined with the high quality treadmills at our fitness club. That would be cool.
This information is very helpful and greatly appreciated!
I have a very good work history and I'm great at resumes but I've always had issues with the interview process. There is some really great advice here! I'm very organized and like to be prepared and I honestly believe this article will help me improve my interview skills. If you have any advice on how to relax and get into a "good mind set" for an interview I'd love to hear it!
Thanks so much, this is a great thing your doing here!
As I sat down to answer this question, I realized that I actually have a process I follow for finding pictures for these blog posts.
If I've got a clear idea of just what picture I want, and I can stage it myself, I go ahead and do that. I've taken quite a few pictures like that. The image for my money laundering post, for example, was staged in the laundry room of my apartment building. For my post on hoarding, I two bags of rice from our pantry, plus a third bag that originally held rice and still looks like a bag of rice, even though it now has wool fiber that my wife is planning to spin into yarn.
I also carry my camera around with me, and try to grab pictures that I think might be useful--I took some pictures yesterday at the Farmer's Market, for example.
I've been doing that for a while now, so I've got a pretty good library of pictures that I can draw on, especially for the more metaphorical images (forest paths and gnarled old roots and the like).
There are a lot of photos at the Library of Congress that are free of copyright because the were taken by government employees. They're searchable by keyword, and are a great place to get images of America in the 1930s and 1940s. I've used those several times.
If I don't have one I like, and I can't quickly stage one, and I don't expect to find something good on the Library of Congress site, my next stop is Flickr. I do a search for images licensed with a creative commons "attribution" license, trying to guess a keyword that will produce an image to illustrate the post. For this one, I was particularly looking for a car off the side of a rural road, to evoke the image of someone walking a very long way to get gas.
If I use a Flickr post, I always give credit to the photographer and provide a link back to the photo's page a Flickr. I only use photos with a license that allows such use--usually an "attribution" license, but I can sometimes use a photo with an "attribution-noderivs" license, if I don't need to crop it.
There are actually a good number of images on Flickr specifically of cars that have run out of gas, but they usually show the driver looking shocked or sad--there's nothing in the picture to evoke the sense that I was looking for. This picture, though, seemed to like it could illustrate the story (even though it isn't of a car that actually ran out of gas).
I could have staged this photo--it would have been just a mile or two to drive to the edge of town, find a place to pull over, and then take a picture of my own car. If the post were of a different topic I might well have done just that. But for a post about gasoline, I just couldn't bring myself to do even a few miles of unnecessary driving, simply to get a photo very similar to one I could find on Flickr.
Thanks for asking--it's given me a chance to articulate a process that I hadn't really tried to describe before.
First of all, Americans should be thankful, for they are the privileged kind in regards to gas prices (and not only). In Europe for example a gallon of gas is around $8.16. That is more than double what the price here in the States is. It is only because Americans are not used to such high gas prices that they complain so much. And I see why they complain, they have to change their lifestyle. This means no more Hummers or other gas guzzlers of that sort and no more "boat" vehicles (very large cars) that usually are used just for one or two people. In Europe things had to change a long time ago because of higher gas prices, that's why cars are a lot smaller and get a lot more MPG than American cars. I see that slowly happening in the States now too, with the release of SMART cars and other compact cars on the market. It is still a long way to go until American car manufacturers achieve the MPGs that European car manufacturers are getting.
Philip Brewer: why did you chose that picture for your post? It is not a highway, actually it is a dirt road in a rural part Romania.
Keep up the good work, I enjoy reading your blog.
invest the money in hookers
Very informative post. I agree that all of those ideas could help you raise cash for your business. However, why not do it debt free? I like the idea of working and investing until you have enough to get started. In my opinion if you already have a business bootstraping is the way to go. Debt will just weigh you down and possibly drive you out of business, if your well laid plans don't work out.
We were debating getting a softener but after looking at how much electricity and salt it was going to take and the cost we decided against it.
All the junk our water deposits is a real pain though. Our dishwasher had all this hard white stuff all over it when we moved in. The fiberglass bathtubs get a thick layer of scum that has to be power scrubbed off every month. It also plugs up faucet screens and shower heads. It is also probably the reason laundry never looks great either. I don't even want to look in the water heater tank.
If there was a way we could just provide soft water to the washing machine without running a water softener though I think that would be a good compromise.
We found if we run this citric acid based stuff called Lemishine in the dishwasher we don't have a problem with dishes. Over time it also ate away all that build up in the dishwasher. I use either vinegar or lemishine mixed with water to soak shower heads every so often and it seems to get them totally clean.
If anyone knows a way to deal with the hard water issue just in the washing machine let me know!
Spot shortages are common where I live. We are on the end of a pipeline and have a tank farm in the area. But it is fed out of a group of refineries in Oklahoma and Kansas. Post Katrina the Oklahoma refinery could not get the oil they normally did and we had stations running out of gas. There was also a refinery fire in Oklahoma this caused tanker trucks to be lined up for about a mile waiting to get in to the tank farm and many stations out of gas for days.
There are plans for a pipeline from Canada and a refinery here. Of course there are people fighting it. I'm not thrilled really about refineries and pipelines but it does mean we will have a second source of gas and that will go a long way toward keeping things going in the face of more uncertainty in the world.
I love the ideas from you and your readers about how to save money on Amazon. The folks at Amazon are brilliant with the SUPER SAVER SHIPPING deal, because it does make us all click a bit more on Amazon, doesn't it? It's just one more reason that I've found Amazon wins over eBay. Anyway, Kudos to you for bringing these tools our way!
On the topic of saving money, I've found that Amazon doesn't have many cash back reward opportunities. At the bottom of my Web site I have a way for you to earn a $5 bonus when you shop Amazon:
http://www.cashbackatebay.com/Amazon
Get your $5 bonus now! Happy saving everyone.
Typo tools are great for finding the deals, but before you bid make sure to check out how the smartest buyers are getting cash back rebates from all their purchases.
http://www.cashbackatebay.com/
In addition to a typo tool we also have an automated search tool that buyers will love. This enables buyers to get e-mail notification of their favorite searches, which is great when you're looking for rare items that don't often come by on eBay. Auction sniping is another fun tool, but it doesn't yet work when you want to get cash back on your purchases.
We have a few cool tools for sellers too, including resources to help sellers get their feedback in check and spying on other eBay members.
Here's to getting the best deal you can on eBay!
I think this advice is great but would also add a caution. I've been reading on the news sites about thefts of gas from parked vehicles, especially from the larger vehicles like SUVs which have larger gas tanks. Apparently the thieves just cut a hole in the tank and let the gas drain out, so the owner has to replace the whole tank along with his gas. If you don't have a locked garage available, invest in a locking gas cap and be safe.
I think that the Small Business Administration is a great place for looking for money. The SBA has lots of great loan programs. Another great avenue is State grant or loan programs.
I know that using credit cards to fund a business doesn't seem like a great idea but it is a common practice. Those who can't get a business loan will start with credit cards. If an entrepreneur has a solid business plan and knows what the business's cash flow is (and return on investment), then he/she can make an informed decision of whether to use credit cards as a source of funds (that is the return on the business exceeds the interest rate). And, though the interest rate is likely higher than a home equity loan, there are advantages from a risk management perspective. (you'll have a big balance to pay off but you won't lose your house if you have trouble making payments)
In his book, Ryan mentioned that the rates are typically higher from 12% to 19% (though I have seen even higher rates). He is less risk averse than I am when it comes to credit but he has built a $10 million (in annual sales) company (with his associates).
Inc. magazine mentions that credit cards are a "mainstay of the small-business owner" but recommends shopping around for rates and options.
Here in Ireland, one liter of deisel costs EUR1.45 - per US Gallon, that's around EUR5.48 per gallon.. or $8.23 in USD.
We're getting reamed here I tell ya :)
The credit card loan is not the best credit line you can use. The interest rate is really very high. Ask your friend working for bank - the employees of the bank would never use credit card as the credit line.
Always try to find a cheaper credit line. It can save your business.
Luke
I was standing in line at a shoe store when all of a sudden a woman insisted that her 9-year-old niece get in line in front of me. It seemed pretty apparent that the adults in this poor kid's life had no interest in teaching her right from wrong, and when I wouldn't allow the girl to cut in front of me, the woman, WITH THE CHILD IN TOW, left the store and keyed the hood of my car with obscenities. Nice, huh? But all that is neither here nor there. Does anyone know if the lighter method will repair a key-scratch, or is that not enough of a dent?
Exercise lowers blood sugar, which is why this person saw a connection to being thiner and better blood glucose levels. On the other hand, high blood sugar can also cause you to be thiner, so the friend who lost weight and had bad blood glucose levels might have lost the weight because of the high blood sugar, not the other way around.
Thin/fat does not really mater, it maters if you exercise and maintain a good diet. Just because someone is thin does not mean they do not exercise.
I am trying to upload an 80mb file and Internet explorer just freezes up after the upload completes. The status says "Upload Complete. Redirecting .." and then nothing happens. Firefox just times out. Anyone else have this issue or know how to solve this?
Welcome. Do you mean accent?
Welcome. Do you mean accent?
I moved from a winding cul-de-sac street with no sidewalks to an old-fashioned block and I am so happy. Instead of getting in my car to do everything, I can walk to the train station, farmer's market, kids' school, several parks and playgrounds, pet store, hardware store, post office, and library. I can also walk to restaurants and shops, although I've only lived here a week so I haven't been to many of them yet. There's even a movie theater in walking distance.
Add in the excellent public schools, and we are paying a hefty premium to live in this neighborhood, but I think it will be well worth it.
Thank you for suggesting driving less. I recently stopped driving and started biking instead, and it's been quite a relief on my pocketbook.
If I can, I would like to say that not everyone who is having a hard time with the gas prices is over-consuming. Food prices have jumped considerably. Many people can't afford high health care costs. The recession has made new jobs harder to come by, and minimum wage (which hasn't changed since who knows when) can do less to support a person (not to mention a family) than it could 6 months ago, let alone 6 years ago. I think it's important to have compassion and respect for those who are really struggling, not just those of us who have to cut back on Sunday driving to save a few dollars.
With that said, I think there are many possibilities for people who truly can't afford high gas prices -- and your blog helps people find these alternatives! Finding ways to drive less is an important one -- as well as learning how to make more meals from scratch and finding other ways to live frugally without sacrificing a lot. Thank you for the work you do. I think it's especially important for those who really do need to stretch an income.
I was wondering what to do about gas theft, some great tips here. And Aaron, superb find with that WaterWeld product. I'm going to check that out immediately, seems like an essential for any toolbox.
Thanks for the tip, Myscha. Not exactly something we buy all the time.
And thanks, Aaron, for the great advice. It's always good to find an alternative to replacing a gas tank, something I for one have never done. And I agree, Reliant, locking gas caps are simply a temporary deterrent, but better than nothing. While serious thieves might go for the tank, most petty robbers would only go so far as to siphon the gas. Might as well discourage those, as well.
We bought the Wii Fit for my wife, but my 11 year old daughter likes it the most. The body tests are very inaccurate for measuring overall fitness because they don't test for aerobic ability. You could be an overweight marathoner with bad balance and it will give you no credit for being able to run a marathon. But it is fun. I was surprised how much my daughter used the running game. I think that's because it's easy to use with a friend. It's also one of the best workouts for getting the heart rate up.
For us I think it will be a fun, alternative game rather than a regular workout. What I'd really like to see is an improved version of the running game combined with the high quality treadmills at our fitness club. That would be cool.
Locking Gas Caps are a temporary deterrent. Because as you say in your article, they can drill a hole in the gas tank itself.
This information is very helpful and greatly appreciated!
I have a very good work history and I'm great at resumes but I've always had issues with the interview process. There is some really great advice here! I'm very organized and like to be prepared and I honestly believe this article will help me improve my interview skills. If you have any advice on how to relax and get into a "good mind set" for an interview I'd love to hear it!
Thanks so much, this is a great thing your doing here!