Huh, my neighborhood only scored a 52. That really surprised me considering I live basically IN a shopping center (the grocery store and restaraunts are directly opposite my apartment).
While the idea of biking to many of these places does appeal (if I get a cart so I can haul around the things I need) I think I must continue driving to our indoor pool. Walking or biking home while soaking wet is not my idea of healthy fun during most times of the year...
I usually enjoy Wise Bread's blog, but this post REALLY rubbed me the wrong way. First of all, I won't even delve into the whole issue of "who are you to judge what's junk" because many posters above have already done it far more eloquently than I could have in my currently irritated state. As people have pointed out, you never know what someone can use, and if it gives the item a chance to stay out of a landfill, isn't it worth a try? My city is very liberal on what we can put out at the curb, so when I list something in hopes that someone else can use it, it's not because I want someone to "haul away my old, bulky broken crap for free." In fact, it usually takes MORE EFFORT for me to list the item on CL and answer emails about it than it would for me to slide it a few yards down my driveway to the curb. I go to the extra trouble for the benefit of the environment, not for selfish reasons. Besides, I'm always AMAZED at what people will take for free. To date, I've never had anything not taken, and on the few occasions when I've deemed something not even worth giving away, someone who was picking up something else has spotted it and asked to take it. (The best example was a cheap assemble-it-yourself armoire that was missing the doors, both drawers were broken/missing, it had some gross oily/greasy "gunk" on it from something in the garage that leaked, and it may have even had some moisture rings from wet glasses and such. I wasn't going to list it and I was amazed that someone asked for it but happy it was saved from a landfill). So after that I just don't even bother trying to guess or make value judgements on an item. Obviously toe nail clippings is a ridiculous example, but most real items have some usefulness to someone, so I say it's worth a try.
The next point I'd like to make is that by complaining about having to sort through listings of what you deem "useless stuff" to get to the "good stuff" you come across as extremely ungrateful. I mean, do you expect to get wonderful things for free and not have to do a little work for it? Before CL and Freecycle, people might have been "dumpster diving" to get these gems. Now that's gross (IMO). So I'd say I'm pretty grateful that all I have to do is read through a bunch of "useless" posts to find some great free items that I can really use. Now MAYBE I could agree with your complaint if people were misrepresenting the condition of the items, but if they're stating it's broken or missing parts, and even posting pictures, then what do you have to complain about? It's not like you're making a wasted trip to go pick it up. Honestly, if my children made a complaint like this, I'd tell them they're acting like spoiled, ungrateful brats and tell them that's not how I raised them.
My final question is, what does this post have to do with "living large on a small budget"? I usually come away from Wisebread posts with some nice thoughts or ideas on how to make the most of my money. The only messages I come away with from this post are, "Don't bother checking CL for free stuff, it's a waste of time" or "If you're going to list stuff on CL, don't list junk".
It sounds to me like this is a personal rant masquerading as a useful blog post. I hope it will be the last one or I'll be unsubscribing. I have no use for people who lack gratitude. No one is forcing you to use CL. Reading this post (and subsequently being so irritated that I had to have a little rant of my own) has been a huge waste of my time and energy. I'm really disappointed.
I love.... people's reluctancy to believe, which i've encountered on youtube, that Derren is able to tricks alike to this and then the extreme defensive stance the same people take upon messiah - saying it was unfair to debunk these things.
It bugs me when people talk like Amtrak gets huge subsidies, when the fact is that car and air travel get much larger subsides than rail travel does.
If the US government diverted one-tenth of what it spends on air travel, it could triple what it spends on Amtrak. Just one percent of what it spends on highways could double what it spends on Amtrack. (Numbers from this page on US transportation subsidies.)
And that's just subsides at the federal level. States and cities also spend huge amounts of money: on roads, bridges, airports, traffic signals, traffic police, traffic courts, snow removal, drainage improvements, and so on--all subsides to car and plane travel.
Some of that money comes from specific taxes on gasoline or plane tickets, but a lot of it doesn't. (Most local spending on things like roads and bridges for example, comes from property taxes.)
Amtrak is one of those things that’s great for a few, horrible for most, and will remain a government money pit until it’s privatized.
In my area all routes start with a 4 hour (without delays) trip to Chicago. If I was to drive to Chicago it would take about 3 hours and I’d break even on the gas versus ticket cost. More than one person makes driving a no-brainer. Going further than Chicago means long trips (longer than driving) and prices that are usually more than airfare or driving.
A passenger rail service that can’t beat cars for price or time nor beat flying for price cannot be expected to succeed.
I would love to see the railroads flourish again in the US, and especially would love to see more freight going by rail than by truck. But since a lot of right-of-ways have been given up, I don't know if it's possible for the railroad to grow anymore.
if you know how to work it and you really can use the item and it's a true deal. The 2-for-1 milk, for instance. If I'm out shopping anyway and see things I know my niece, mom or sister would definitely use, I'll grab it and make them split the cost with me. You both make out a bit that way. I've always thought that 2 sharp housewives, etc., working together could save quite a bit in so many ways and not just at the grocery.
Hi..
wanted to know if the sales include electronics also..
like digicams and ipods etc..
thanks..
by the way great work on the chart.. helped plan my trip too..
One factor that reinforces the non-walkable layout of most suburban or small-city neighborhoods is that zoning laws typically keep stores and other businesses confined to commercial areas, meaning that from most homes it's necessary to drive. In the 1800s, it was common for small-business owners to have their business (even a grocery store or an "industrial" business such as a smithy) next to or in the same building as their home, which meant (though they didn't think in such terms) that such neighborhoods were very walkable indeed.
Great blog that is related to JC Penney Outlets that it is one of the first department stores and is the best. We can get different brands of clothing specially in jeans and summer wears. Its really heartening to know that it is one of the biggest brand store in apparel in United States.
I have a long complicated medical history and am facing medical disability. I'm currently into week nine of a medicasl leave of absence (today is day 65) in 25 days I would qualify for my company's long-term disability insurance benefits.
My situation is that I have had this disease/condition going on for over 20 years. I've had eight surgeries - the most recent at Stanford two years ago. That surgery was done by the best in the world and considered the surgery of last resort. When the pain started back up and I consulted with my doctors, they were all in agreement I was no longer a candidate for surgery and would better benefit best from a long-term pain management program. I starteded on Fentanyl, however, due to the recall and problems with mfg of the patch, the doctors switched me to methadone (ugh - horrible horrible drug) and now morphine. I'm not at a theraputic dose (I'm experiencing way too much pain) while suffering tons of side effects that make it impossible for me to perform my job. For instance, I can no longer drive a car - it is not safe. I can not do easy or complex math (I'm an architect - math is an essential function of my job). I tried making an Excel spreadsheet - what would normally take me 30 minutes to 1 hour took me almost 4 hours. Writing a comment like this used to take 15 or 20 minutes - now it takes 2+ hours. Writing a post for my blog takes up to six hours. This loss in cognitive function is significant for both me, my employer and my clients. I'm expected to make real-time decisions that affect the lives of many people and am unable to do so because morphine clouds my thinking.
This is all very scary and sad to admit. I ask myself constantly, by making this admission, I am doing lasting harm to my career and reputation? If other medications,pain treatments or alternatives can be used successfully without the side effects of the opiates, will my current employer take me back? Will a future firm take a risk and hire me?
My feeling is that I've paid into the system... the future is always uncertain - I may or may not have needed the benefits. Unfortunately, now I do need the benefits. Without them, I would be homeless. The private disability insurance pays 60% of my gross salary and is not subject to tax. It is good for 24 months. Later, I could apply for Social Security Disability... but the monthly payment will be far less. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
When I was in college and didn't have a car I would use Amtrak to visit my mom. It was pretty universally awful. During my school breaks (which of course are heavy travel times, being arranged around Christian holidays) the trains were so packed that sometimes people were standing shoulder to shoulder in the aisles. Once it took over eight hours for what would have been a three and a half hour drive, AND they lost my luggage.
I have taken Amtrak once in recent years, and my experience was markedly better. However, train stations out here in the west don't tend to be right downtown. Some are still walkable to downtown if you're fit and travel light, but some not so much. Cities here didn't become big until after trains had been largely deprecated, so we have no "Union Station" type train stations.
Roth's are post tax money,so if the goverment had something where it actually needed money cause of some kind of shortage of emergency,I could see a tax change forcing traditional IRAs and 401ks to be "called" the goverment a 4 trillion dollor treasure chest of tax money it is owed from traditional IRA/401ks.That is my bigger fear..them changing the tax and calling that due.Why would they ever go after Roths when that is post tax money,when they have 4 trillion dollors that is still owed to them-taxes yet to be paid from these retirement funds.
after the goverment gets the money thats owed to them in taxes -then I would say all bets are off with them going after Roth acocunts.
I've found that Amtrak is almost always as expensive as flying, except when your route includes small towns served by just 1 airline. Plus, it takes so much longer! For me to get from NC to DC, it's 4.5 hours by car, 3.5 by air (1hr flight + parking and security time), and a whopping 6.5 by rail.
I wish the rail lines south of DC were faster. I could walk to the station and avoid the hassles of both driving and airport parking! But, until then, it's not worth the extra 3 hours to save just $20.
Every time I've been overseas (3 in total - twice to Italy and once to Australia) we used the trains there quite a bit and I loved every minute of it. Not only do you not have to worry about helping to drive but I find the swaying of the car to be really soothing and I tend to spend a lot of my time asleep. Not to mention the fact that the noise of a train car is about 1/16 of the noise you have to endure on an airplane.
My friend and I want to go to Chicago for a weekend sometime in the future and we are considering taking the train rather than spending our own money on filling up a gas tank.
I wish that we had a train system in the US like they do in Europe. I am sure that my family and I would use it all the time.
I agree with the author - there's too much junk on Craig's List. Every once in a while there is something useful, but it's mostly crap. Today's listing where I live:
firewood
dresser missing bottom drawer
toddler bike missing back wheels
large above ground pool - you must disassemble and haul away - sorry, does not include pumps or liner
5 ft x 3 ft mirror
CD towers (no pictures - wonder why?)
Another benefit is that in some cities having your car with you can be an expensive pain in the backside. The last time we were in Chicago it cost us $75 a day to keep our car in the hotel parking garage. I could have parked it in a city garage 4 blocks away but there is less security watching the car and I would have had to hike 4 blocks back to the hotel and again if we forgot something in the car.
I also heard on CNN last night that some foreign investors is trying to buy controlling stock percentages in CSX. Some members of Congress wanted an investigation. There were concerns about having a foreign interest basically owning a large section of our rail network and possibly jacking rates sky high or worse. I can see how something like that could really deal Amtrak a bad blow.
Perhaps these are obvious, but just in case they're not. . .three important tips to keep in mind when trying to travel Amtrak on a budget:
1) Unlike airplane fares, which can change wildly from day to day, Amtrak fares only ever go up as the date of the trip gets closer. Buy the ticket the moment you know you want to take the trip; don't wait a month to see if it will go down. It won't.
2) Unlike airplane tickets, Amtrak tickets are fully refundable/exchangeable for no extra fee. (Exception: if you have already had your paper ticket printed and want a cash refund, you will only get 90% back.) Even if you don't know exactly when you want to take the trip just yet, buy the ticket. You can always exchange it.
3) Amtrak publishes lots of discount codes, generally in the 15-20% off range. Check the Internet to see if there's a discount for your route before purchasing.
Note that the above only apply to "regular" tickets. Sleepers act according to different rules, and I believe the auto train may as well.
I'm 11 year old and i'm currently making a report on Persuading to drink tap water.
Bottled Water tastes better than tap but its good for you. If you can't take tap water, try getting a filter!
Those will make your tap taste better and not take the flouride out!
Terrorists have been known to attack trains (most notably, the multiple train strikes in Madrid). Even so, trains aren't a popular target--mostly because they don't fall down. Their only attraction is that there's a bunch of people reasonably close together, something that can be found in any crowded place.
Personally, I loath the security at airports. It's almost all pointless--something Bruce Schnier refers to as "security theater." The one really useful bit of added security was the reinforced cockpit doors. The rest of it is largely an annoying waste of time.
When I used to change prices for Kroger, I'd often notice this pattern: One week, we'd get a sticker raising a price (like from 2.29 to 2.79). The next week, that item would go B1G1F. After that sale ended, it would go back to the original price. It's still a decent savings, but it wasn't really B1G1F.
At my current employer, we do real B1G1F, without playing with the base selling price.
But it just goes back to what others have said: pay attention to unit pricing and whether it's a good deal on an item you would use anyway.
One last thing: FWIW, these deals almost always come from the manufacturer of the product, not the retailer. The retailer gets a deal on purchasing the product, or a rebate on units sold, in exchange for providing the deal. If the deal is successful, both the retailer and the manufacturer win long-term with increased sales.
I would not get too optimistic about increased train travel options nationwide. People may be looking for more travel options as the price of gas goes up and flying becomes more and more of a hassle, but the tracks that Amtrak uses belong to private freight railroads. Freight is their bread and butter, and freight will continue to be a higher priority than passenger traffic.
I wouldn't be surprised if more freight switches from trucks to the rails too because of gas prices. Rail isn't as convenient as door-to-door truck delivery, but it can be much more economical. If freight traffic on the rails increases, there's going to be even less room for Amtrak on BNSF, UP, NSC, and CSX lines.
It certainly would be nice to see more ridership on the existing Amtrak routes, since we're already subsidizing it with our tax dollars (Amtrak is government funded--the private railroads were more than happy to get out of the passenger traffic business decades ago). However, unless we have dedicated passenger traffic lines there's not much room for more passenger trains.
Huh, my neighborhood only scored a 52. That really surprised me considering I live basically IN a shopping center (the grocery store and restaraunts are directly opposite my apartment).
While the idea of biking to many of these places does appeal (if I get a cart so I can haul around the things I need) I think I must continue driving to our indoor pool. Walking or biking home while soaking wet is not my idea of healthy fun during most times of the year...
I usually enjoy Wise Bread's blog, but this post REALLY rubbed me the wrong way. First of all, I won't even delve into the whole issue of "who are you to judge what's junk" because many posters above have already done it far more eloquently than I could have in my currently irritated state. As people have pointed out, you never know what someone can use, and if it gives the item a chance to stay out of a landfill, isn't it worth a try? My city is very liberal on what we can put out at the curb, so when I list something in hopes that someone else can use it, it's not because I want someone to "haul away my old, bulky broken crap for free." In fact, it usually takes MORE EFFORT for me to list the item on CL and answer emails about it than it would for me to slide it a few yards down my driveway to the curb. I go to the extra trouble for the benefit of the environment, not for selfish reasons. Besides, I'm always AMAZED at what people will take for free. To date, I've never had anything not taken, and on the few occasions when I've deemed something not even worth giving away, someone who was picking up something else has spotted it and asked to take it. (The best example was a cheap assemble-it-yourself armoire that was missing the doors, both drawers were broken/missing, it had some gross oily/greasy "gunk" on it from something in the garage that leaked, and it may have even had some moisture rings from wet glasses and such. I wasn't going to list it and I was amazed that someone asked for it but happy it was saved from a landfill). So after that I just don't even bother trying to guess or make value judgements on an item. Obviously toe nail clippings is a ridiculous example, but most real items have some usefulness to someone, so I say it's worth a try.
The next point I'd like to make is that by complaining about having to sort through listings of what you deem "useless stuff" to get to the "good stuff" you come across as extremely ungrateful. I mean, do you expect to get wonderful things for free and not have to do a little work for it? Before CL and Freecycle, people might have been "dumpster diving" to get these gems. Now that's gross (IMO). So I'd say I'm pretty grateful that all I have to do is read through a bunch of "useless" posts to find some great free items that I can really use. Now MAYBE I could agree with your complaint if people were misrepresenting the condition of the items, but if they're stating it's broken or missing parts, and even posting pictures, then what do you have to complain about? It's not like you're making a wasted trip to go pick it up. Honestly, if my children made a complaint like this, I'd tell them they're acting like spoiled, ungrateful brats and tell them that's not how I raised them.
My final question is, what does this post have to do with "living large on a small budget"? I usually come away from Wisebread posts with some nice thoughts or ideas on how to make the most of my money. The only messages I come away with from this post are, "Don't bother checking CL for free stuff, it's a waste of time" or "If you're going to list stuff on CL, don't list junk".
It sounds to me like this is a personal rant masquerading as a useful blog post. I hope it will be the last one or I'll be unsubscribing. I have no use for people who lack gratitude. No one is forcing you to use CL. Reading this post (and subsequently being so irritated that I had to have a little rant of my own) has been a huge waste of my time and energy. I'm really disappointed.
I love.... people's reluctancy to believe, which i've encountered on youtube, that Derren is able to tricks alike to this and then the extreme defensive stance the same people take upon messiah - saying it was unfair to debunk these things.
Paranormal?
Religious?
= Nutter
It bugs me when people talk like Amtrak gets huge subsidies, when the fact is that car and air travel get much larger subsides than rail travel does.
If the US government diverted one-tenth of what it spends on air travel, it could triple what it spends on Amtrak. Just one percent of what it spends on highways could double what it spends on Amtrack. (Numbers from this page on US transportation subsidies.)
And that's just subsides at the federal level. States and cities also spend huge amounts of money: on roads, bridges, airports, traffic signals, traffic police, traffic courts, snow removal, drainage improvements, and so on--all subsides to car and plane travel.
Some of that money comes from specific taxes on gasoline or plane tickets, but a lot of it doesn't. (Most local spending on things like roads and bridges for example, comes from property taxes.)
Amtrak is one of those things that’s great for a few, horrible for most, and will remain a government money pit until it’s privatized.
In my area all routes start with a 4 hour (without delays) trip to Chicago. If I was to drive to Chicago it would take about 3 hours and I’d break even on the gas versus ticket cost. More than one person makes driving a no-brainer. Going further than Chicago means long trips (longer than driving) and prices that are usually more than airfare or driving.
A passenger rail service that can’t beat cars for price or time nor beat flying for price cannot be expected to succeed.
I think you're on to something with the determination factor. Especially if one is able to problem solve quickly, and commit to a plan.
I would love to see the railroads flourish again in the US, and especially would love to see more freight going by rail than by truck. But since a lot of right-of-ways have been given up, I don't know if it's possible for the railroad to grow anymore.
if you know how to work it and you really can use the item and it's a true deal. The 2-for-1 milk, for instance. If I'm out shopping anyway and see things I know my niece, mom or sister would definitely use, I'll grab it and make them split the cost with me. You both make out a bit that way. I've always thought that 2 sharp housewives, etc., working together could save quite a bit in so many ways and not just at the grocery.
Hi..
wanted to know if the sales include electronics also..
like digicams and ipods etc..
thanks..
by the way great work on the chart.. helped plan my trip too..
One factor that reinforces the non-walkable layout of most suburban or small-city neighborhoods is that zoning laws typically keep stores and other businesses confined to commercial areas, meaning that from most homes it's necessary to drive. In the 1800s, it was common for small-business owners to have their business (even a grocery store or an "industrial" business such as a smithy) next to or in the same building as their home, which meant (though they didn't think in such terms) that such neighborhoods were very walkable indeed.
Great blog that is related to JC Penney Outlets that it is one of the first department stores and is the best. We can get different brands of clothing specially in jeans and summer wears. Its really heartening to know that it is one of the biggest brand store in apparel in United States.
I have a long complicated medical history and am facing medical disability. I'm currently into week nine of a medicasl leave of absence (today is day 65) in 25 days I would qualify for my company's long-term disability insurance benefits.
My situation is that I have had this disease/condition going on for over 20 years. I've had eight surgeries - the most recent at Stanford two years ago. That surgery was done by the best in the world and considered the surgery of last resort. When the pain started back up and I consulted with my doctors, they were all in agreement I was no longer a candidate for surgery and would better benefit best from a long-term pain management program. I starteded on Fentanyl, however, due to the recall and problems with mfg of the patch, the doctors switched me to methadone (ugh - horrible horrible drug) and now morphine. I'm not at a theraputic dose (I'm experiencing way too much pain) while suffering tons of side effects that make it impossible for me to perform my job. For instance, I can no longer drive a car - it is not safe. I can not do easy or complex math (I'm an architect - math is an essential function of my job). I tried making an Excel spreadsheet - what would normally take me 30 minutes to 1 hour took me almost 4 hours. Writing a comment like this used to take 15 or 20 minutes - now it takes 2+ hours. Writing a post for my blog takes up to six hours. This loss in cognitive function is significant for both me, my employer and my clients. I'm expected to make real-time decisions that affect the lives of many people and am unable to do so because morphine clouds my thinking.
This is all very scary and sad to admit. I ask myself constantly, by making this admission, I am doing lasting harm to my career and reputation? If other medications,pain treatments or alternatives can be used successfully without the side effects of the opiates, will my current employer take me back? Will a future firm take a risk and hire me?
My feeling is that I've paid into the system... the future is always uncertain - I may or may not have needed the benefits. Unfortunately, now I do need the benefits. Without them, I would be homeless. The private disability insurance pays 60% of my gross salary and is not subject to tax. It is good for 24 months. Later, I could apply for Social Security Disability... but the monthly payment will be far less. But I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
When I was in college and didn't have a car I would use Amtrak to visit my mom. It was pretty universally awful. During my school breaks (which of course are heavy travel times, being arranged around Christian holidays) the trains were so packed that sometimes people were standing shoulder to shoulder in the aisles. Once it took over eight hours for what would have been a three and a half hour drive, AND they lost my luggage.
I have taken Amtrak once in recent years, and my experience was markedly better. However, train stations out here in the west don't tend to be right downtown. Some are still walkable to downtown if you're fit and travel light, but some not so much. Cities here didn't become big until after trains had been largely deprecated, so we have no "Union Station" type train stations.
Roth's are post tax money,so if the goverment had something where it actually needed money cause of some kind of shortage of emergency,I could see a tax change forcing traditional IRAs and 401ks to be "called" the goverment a 4 trillion dollor treasure chest of tax money it is owed from traditional IRA/401ks.That is my bigger fear..them changing the tax and calling that due.Why would they ever go after Roths when that is post tax money,when they have 4 trillion dollors that is still owed to them-taxes yet to be paid from these retirement funds.
after the goverment gets the money thats owed to them in taxes -then I would say all bets are off with them going after Roth acocunts.
I've found that Amtrak is almost always as expensive as flying, except when your route includes small towns served by just 1 airline. Plus, it takes so much longer! For me to get from NC to DC, it's 4.5 hours by car, 3.5 by air (1hr flight + parking and security time), and a whopping 6.5 by rail.
I wish the rail lines south of DC were faster. I could walk to the station and avoid the hassles of both driving and airport parking! But, until then, it's not worth the extra 3 hours to save just $20.
Union Station! I have an almost identical photo of the exact same spot!
This one actually worked! Yaaay! Thanks.
Every time I've been overseas (3 in total - twice to Italy and once to Australia) we used the trains there quite a bit and I loved every minute of it. Not only do you not have to worry about helping to drive but I find the swaying of the car to be really soothing and I tend to spend a lot of my time asleep. Not to mention the fact that the noise of a train car is about 1/16 of the noise you have to endure on an airplane.
My friend and I want to go to Chicago for a weekend sometime in the future and we are considering taking the train rather than spending our own money on filling up a gas tank.
I wish that we had a train system in the US like they do in Europe. I am sure that my family and I would use it all the time.
I agree with the author - there's too much junk on Craig's List. Every once in a while there is something useful, but it's mostly crap. Today's listing where I live:
firewood
dresser missing bottom drawer
toddler bike missing back wheels
large above ground pool - you must disassemble and haul away - sorry, does not include pumps or liner
5 ft x 3 ft mirror
CD towers (no pictures - wonder why?)
Another benefit is that in some cities having your car with you can be an expensive pain in the backside. The last time we were in Chicago it cost us $75 a day to keep our car in the hotel parking garage. I could have parked it in a city garage 4 blocks away but there is less security watching the car and I would have had to hike 4 blocks back to the hotel and again if we forgot something in the car.
I also heard on CNN last night that some foreign investors is trying to buy controlling stock percentages in CSX. Some members of Congress wanted an investigation. There were concerns about having a foreign interest basically owning a large section of our rail network and possibly jacking rates sky high or worse. I can see how something like that could really deal Amtrak a bad blow.
Perhaps these are obvious, but just in case they're not. . .three important tips to keep in mind when trying to travel Amtrak on a budget:
1) Unlike airplane fares, which can change wildly from day to day, Amtrak fares only ever go up as the date of the trip gets closer. Buy the ticket the moment you know you want to take the trip; don't wait a month to see if it will go down. It won't.
2) Unlike airplane tickets, Amtrak tickets are fully refundable/exchangeable for no extra fee. (Exception: if you have already had your paper ticket printed and want a cash refund, you will only get 90% back.) Even if you don't know exactly when you want to take the trip just yet, buy the ticket. You can always exchange it.
3) Amtrak publishes lots of discount codes, generally in the 15-20% off range. Check the Internet to see if there's a discount for your route before purchasing.
Note that the above only apply to "regular" tickets. Sleepers act according to different rules, and I believe the auto train may as well.
Hi i'm Ali.
I'm 11 year old and i'm currently making a report on Persuading to drink tap water.
Bottled Water tastes better than tap but its good for you. If you can't take tap water, try getting a filter!
Those will make your tap taste better and not take the flouride out!
Terrorists have been known to attack trains (most notably, the multiple train strikes in Madrid). Even so, trains aren't a popular target--mostly because they don't fall down. Their only attraction is that there's a bunch of people reasonably close together, something that can be found in any crowded place.
Personally, I loath the security at airports. It's almost all pointless--something Bruce Schnier refers to as "security theater." The one really useful bit of added security was the reinforced cockpit doors. The rest of it is largely an annoying waste of time.
When I used to change prices for Kroger, I'd often notice this pattern: One week, we'd get a sticker raising a price (like from 2.29 to 2.79). The next week, that item would go B1G1F. After that sale ended, it would go back to the original price. It's still a decent savings, but it wasn't really B1G1F.
At my current employer, we do real B1G1F, without playing with the base selling price.
But it just goes back to what others have said: pay attention to unit pricing and whether it's a good deal on an item you would use anyway.
One last thing: FWIW, these deals almost always come from the manufacturer of the product, not the retailer. The retailer gets a deal on purchasing the product, or a rebate on units sold, in exchange for providing the deal. If the deal is successful, both the retailer and the manufacturer win long-term with increased sales.
I would not get too optimistic about increased train travel options nationwide. People may be looking for more travel options as the price of gas goes up and flying becomes more and more of a hassle, but the tracks that Amtrak uses belong to private freight railroads. Freight is their bread and butter, and freight will continue to be a higher priority than passenger traffic.
I wouldn't be surprised if more freight switches from trucks to the rails too because of gas prices. Rail isn't as convenient as door-to-door truck delivery, but it can be much more economical. If freight traffic on the rails increases, there's going to be even less room for Amtrak on BNSF, UP, NSC, and CSX lines.
It certainly would be nice to see more ridership on the existing Amtrak routes, since we're already subsidizing it with our tax dollars (Amtrak is government funded--the private railroads were more than happy to get out of the passenger traffic business decades ago). However, unless we have dedicated passenger traffic lines there's not much room for more passenger trains.