can be tougher than it might seem, and I feel that I may have been on both sides: wondering why others aren't pulling their weight and also not being fully prepared. Learning what it means to be ready (in whatever situation) is so useful though determination is handy if you're not completely prepared.
Ok I found this funny... I just inputted my address and got a 3!! A 3!! I guess it shouldn't surprise me, we really can't walk anywhere, driving is a requirement.
And I live in Los Angeles! Guess I'm pretty lucky. Thanks for the tip on that cool website. I had no idea of all the stuff around my neighborhood! I'll have to go for a walk soon and check them out.
I think you need to look into the preservative issue before writing off twinkies. When you buy them at the store you'll notice an expiration date on the box that is relatively close to the purchase date, because they are baked fresh and will not last forever. I have a child who is severely allergic to nuts and peanuts and twinkies are of the few convenience baked goods she can have. I bought them for her school treat box thinking they would last a while when one of the moms in her class told me that they don't last very long and in fact rot cream filling first. This info was also posted on the allergy message board by another mom, but I never called hostess to find out for sure....
Oi! I saw this and immediately wondered...you aren't from Missouri or Iowa, are you? 63 went right through Kirksville Missouri, which was where I attended college (briefly), and was close to where I grew up (Brookfield, Missouri, about 30 min from Macon, Missouri).
We scored a 25, and frankly, I'm surprised it was THAT high. It takes ages to get ANYWHERE, though you'd think being as near to a Target and Grocery store and hospital as we are, that there'd be more here. meh.
But just for grins, I plugged in my grandparents, and they scored a whopping 0...but they live on a farm. I just wanted to see if they'd even register...I was surprised!
I grew up in very residential-only suburban areas (walk score of 25 for ages 6-11 and score of 9 for ages 12-18). No libraries, stores, or kids my age within a reasonable walking/biking distance. You can imagine how great it was when I learned to drive, and even better when I went to college and ended up in a city where I could walk pretty much anywhere (books, nightlife, light rail system, etc.) except for a useful grocery store, which would've taken learning how to ride a bike again as it was almost a mile away. My last apartment there comes up with a walk score of 83, and I could take the train to work and walk to night classes.
My partner didn't understand what I saw in it until we moved out here for more schooling. Smaller town, not nearly as vibrant, but still we can walk to campus (walk score of 74), and we both think it's great that we only have to get in a car for a few errands. I only wish there were sidewalks and crosswalks for the major street near us (US Hwy 63) so that it would be safer to walk down to the health food store.
I think we have lost much of the work ethic that previous generations had; things are too easy today. I know that I am guilty of this, in fact I didn't realize how satisfying work could be until I spend some time volunteering in Central America. The good honest work was backbreaking, but it actually meant something because as a result someone would have a roof over their heads, or they wouldn't need to worry about food as much since they had a larger garden... Consider volunteering if you want to feel that your work is making a difference.
Heh, my address scored a dismal 12... which is sadly accurate. Even if I wanted to make a 2+ mile roundtrip to Acme, carting groceries on the way back, I'd have to cross a six-lane road and walk down two roads with no sidewalk (one barely even has a shoulder). Basically nothing is within walking distance, although I do live in a lovely and very safe suburban neighborhood with a good school district.
My address scores a 68 which seems only fair, but is actually very walkable. There are 2 grocery stores within easy walking distance (and two more that are only a bit further). One of the grocery stores has a pharmacy, and there are two other pharmacies that are walking distance away. There are a dozen restaurants, a good hardware store, a liquor store, and a gardening/hobby store, all quite nearby.
We are missing some things. The closest coffee shop with free wi-fi is 1.7 miles--not too far to walk (we do walk there for lunch sometimes), but really too far to carry the laptop for a quick session of writing-away-from-home. There's also no movie theater close enough to want to walk back from at night after a movie.
I wrote a while back about the Two-mile challenge, a site similar to Walkable, that challenges you to use a bicycle instead of a car for trips under two miles.
I just about quit commuting by car the last two years I still had a regular job--I bicycled in the summer and took the bus in the winter. Taking the bus was pleasant--a chance to read or listen to podcasts. But riding the bike was wonderful.
Another thing I've tried is if I see an item that's marked down regularly, and I know I'm a month or so away from having the bucks saved up to snag the item (for example appliances), I call ahead and ask when the sale is the following month and is it for the same amount off or more?
Most chain stores know when the next one is coming up. I used this to save up on cellular window blinds to dress up the great room when we were selling the house in Arizona. Saved 80 percent, even though I couldn't snag them the first time around.
But I hear you on the rural thing. It really is the pits to have to drive somewhere twice when everything is so far away.
At the end of the day, Seniors need to know ALL of their options before signing off on any given product. Many 'advisors' are just salesmen who represent their own commissionable products. Not all advisors truly have a full slate of products to offer. One alternative that Seniors should be looking into are Real Estate Equity Options.
Products such as EquityKey and REX offer Seniors an alternative to reverse mortgages where they can get cash without reducing the equity in their real estate. Instead of cutting into equity, these products allow clients to sell a portion of the future appreciation in their properties without constricting their current equity. They also don't absorb all of the fees that are associated with reverses.
While there is no 'silver bullet' solution for all seniors, it would be a good idea for seniors to look into these products to determine which is the appropriate one for their needs. Consultations should always be no-cost and no-obligation thus making it easier for Seniors to look at their options without feeling pressured.
I completely disagree that the Free Stuff category in Craig's List is useless... Like many other commenters have pointed out, you just never know what will be useful to someone. I also agree with the other commenter that we should all be more mindful of trying to avoid filling up our landfills with more junk if items can be re-purposed.
When I moved into my new house, I inherited a bunch of really old, battered furniture from the previous owner. It was so dilapidated my first thought was to take it straight to the dump. But my aunt just so happens to be incredibly talented when it comes to fixing up and reupholstering old furniture... She took an old footstool that looked like it had been in a fire and completely transformed it into a beautiful piece of furniture for just a few dollars worth of fabric and batting. A lot of times furniture still has "good bones," and there are plenty of talented people just like my aunt who really CAN use the stuff people give away for free on CL.
The author's main gripe seems to be that he's having to spend more time digging through what he considers to be worthless CL postings. Well I say, good! More free stuff for the rest of us! ;-)
Having worked in retail a number of times the BOGO is for close to expiry items that the store wants to get rid off. So while the BOGO deal may be cost effective, if the item is perishable you may not have time (for health reasons) to consume the second "free" item.
I love his books, I have 3 of them at least. I initially bought them to try to wean everyone off of the expensive chain restaurant habit (it did). So they saved us a ton of money.
Not having all the nasty preservatives is a huge bonus. Many of the recipes have notes on how to make them healthier with substitutions. Some of the recipes that call for things like boxed cake mix, if you do an internet search you can frequently find a recipe for a from scratch cake mix.
There are a bunch of other recipe sites that have copy cat recipes, the quality of those had gotten better over the years too.
I think Buy One, Get One deals at the supermarket are great if (and only if) you can guarantee there will be no waste.
Food Lion often has Buy One, Get One deals on items like big bags of chicken tenderloins, canned goods, and frozen veggies. I think BOGO deals on anything that you can stow away or freeze for later usage that you KNOW you'll need is a good buy.
I live alone, and it's tough cooking for one person without creating a lot of waste. So I love stocking up on things that can be frozen or re-sealed and rationed out later.
And have for years.
I've seen everything from a box of macaroni to working cars and even a several-ton bridge given away.
I myself have given away working computers, non-working computers, aquariums, plants, an almost new crib in perfect condition, quilts, a massive waterbed frame, clothes, brand-news shoes, and too much else to count.
There is a guy on the list that looks for broken electronics; he scraps the metals and sells them. He keeps all sorts of bad stuff out of the landfill.
There is another guy who takes any piece of electronics, working or not. Working computers are spruced up and donated to students who need them. Non-working are fixed and donated or the valuable parts/materials are extracted and sold for parts to fix fixable machines.
So one person's trash is another person's treasure, as the saying goes.
Also: today on my local Craigslist's free section: a perfectly nice home gym, several working TVs, dirt, rocks, 2 chests of drawers, a loveseat in good shape, and so on.
My husband checks C/L almost daily, because DIYers often end up with leftovers after doing a project, and will give it away. He gathered enough free cinderblocks to save quite a bit of money on a foundation he had to build. We are in the building business, and when we have leftovers that we can't use, we also offer them on Freecycle or bring them to the Habitat Restore. Also, whenever we put anything of any kind of metal out for bulk trash pickup, it gets picked up anonymously, before the truck comes around. I feel like we're probably missing an opportunity........
are definitely better for you in some cases, but his Twinkie filling does use Marshmallow Fluff...and that's surely got preservatives of its own. I think it's more a case of making a huge batch of fresh Twinkies for a few bucks, but the ingredients list will still contain some off-the-shelf packaged goods.
can be tougher than it might seem, and I feel that I may have been on both sides: wondering why others aren't pulling their weight and also not being fully prepared. Learning what it means to be ready (in whatever situation) is so useful though determination is handy if you're not completely prepared.
Ok I found this funny... I just inputted my address and got a 3!! A 3!! I guess it shouldn't surprise me, we really can't walk anywhere, driving is a requirement.
And I live in Los Angeles! Guess I'm pretty lucky. Thanks for the tip on that cool website. I had no idea of all the stuff around my neighborhood! I'll have to go for a walk soon and check them out.
I think you need to look into the preservative issue before writing off twinkies. When you buy them at the store you'll notice an expiration date on the box that is relatively close to the purchase date, because they are baked fresh and will not last forever. I have a child who is severely allergic to nuts and peanuts and twinkies are of the few convenience baked goods she can have. I bought them for her school treat box thinking they would last a while when one of the moms in her class told me that they don't last very long and in fact rot cream filling first. This info was also posted on the allergy message board by another mom, but I never called hostess to find out for sure....
Oi! I saw this and immediately wondered...you aren't from Missouri or Iowa, are you? 63 went right through Kirksville Missouri, which was where I attended college (briefly), and was close to where I grew up (Brookfield, Missouri, about 30 min from Macon, Missouri).
We scored a 25, and frankly, I'm surprised it was THAT high. It takes ages to get ANYWHERE, though you'd think being as near to a Target and Grocery store and hospital as we are, that there'd be more here. meh.
But just for grins, I plugged in my grandparents, and they scored a whopping 0...but they live on a farm. I just wanted to see if they'd even register...I was surprised!
I grew up in very residential-only suburban areas (walk score of 25 for ages 6-11 and score of 9 for ages 12-18). No libraries, stores, or kids my age within a reasonable walking/biking distance. You can imagine how great it was when I learned to drive, and even better when I went to college and ended up in a city where I could walk pretty much anywhere (books, nightlife, light rail system, etc.) except for a useful grocery store, which would've taken learning how to ride a bike again as it was almost a mile away. My last apartment there comes up with a walk score of 83, and I could take the train to work and walk to night classes.
My partner didn't understand what I saw in it until we moved out here for more schooling. Smaller town, not nearly as vibrant, but still we can walk to campus (walk score of 74), and we both think it's great that we only have to get in a car for a few errands. I only wish there were sidewalks and crosswalks for the major street near us (US Hwy 63) so that it would be safer to walk down to the health food store.
I think we have lost much of the work ethic that previous generations had; things are too easy today. I know that I am guilty of this, in fact I didn't realize how satisfying work could be until I spend some time volunteering in Central America. The good honest work was backbreaking, but it actually meant something because as a result someone would have a roof over their heads, or they wouldn't need to worry about food as much since they had a larger garden... Consider volunteering if you want to feel that your work is making a difference.
http://www.volunteerforfree.com
For free volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.volunteerforfree.com
Tell them to f##k off then hang up.
I was just going to mention about the damage to the fuel pump by driving on fumes! You beat me to it!!
Heh, my address scored a dismal 12... which is sadly accurate. Even if I wanted to make a 2+ mile roundtrip to Acme, carting groceries on the way back, I'd have to cross a six-lane road and walk down two roads with no sidewalk (one barely even has a shoulder). Basically nothing is within walking distance, although I do live in a lovely and very safe suburban neighborhood with a good school district.
My address scores a 68 which seems only fair, but is actually very walkable. There are 2 grocery stores within easy walking distance (and two more that are only a bit further). One of the grocery stores has a pharmacy, and there are two other pharmacies that are walking distance away. There are a dozen restaurants, a good hardware store, a liquor store, and a gardening/hobby store, all quite nearby.
We are missing some things. The closest coffee shop with free wi-fi is 1.7 miles--not too far to walk (we do walk there for lunch sometimes), but really too far to carry the laptop for a quick session of writing-away-from-home. There's also no movie theater close enough to want to walk back from at night after a movie.
I wrote a while back about the Two-mile challenge, a site similar to Walkable, that challenges you to use a bicycle instead of a car for trips under two miles.
I just about quit commuting by car the last two years I still had a regular job--I bicycled in the summer and took the bus in the winter. Taking the bus was pleasant--a chance to read or listen to podcasts. But riding the bike was wonderful.
Another thing I've tried is if I see an item that's marked down regularly, and I know I'm a month or so away from having the bucks saved up to snag the item (for example appliances), I call ahead and ask when the sale is the following month and is it for the same amount off or more?
Most chain stores know when the next one is coming up. I used this to save up on cellular window blinds to dress up the great room when we were selling the house in Arizona. Saved 80 percent, even though I couldn't snag them the first time around.
But I hear you on the rural thing. It really is the pits to have to drive somewhere twice when everything is so far away.
At the end of the day, Seniors need to know ALL of their options before signing off on any given product. Many 'advisors' are just salesmen who represent their own commissionable products. Not all advisors truly have a full slate of products to offer. One alternative that Seniors should be looking into are Real Estate Equity Options.
Products such as EquityKey and REX offer Seniors an alternative to reverse mortgages where they can get cash without reducing the equity in their real estate. Instead of cutting into equity, these products allow clients to sell a portion of the future appreciation in their properties without constricting their current equity. They also don't absorb all of the fees that are associated with reverses.
While there is no 'silver bullet' solution for all seniors, it would be a good idea for seniors to look into these products to determine which is the appropriate one for their needs. Consultations should always be no-cost and no-obligation thus making it easier for Seniors to look at their options without feeling pressured.
Have been meaning to comment on this post for a bit now, and fell behind.
First of all, KUDOS on completing the darn thing. Sounds pretty hard core.
Second, AMEN on the personal accountability thing. So many people forget that. Way more than one might expect.
Sarge sounds cool.
Okay, that just made me LOL, literally!
I completely disagree that the Free Stuff category in Craig's List is useless... Like many other commenters have pointed out, you just never know what will be useful to someone. I also agree with the other commenter that we should all be more mindful of trying to avoid filling up our landfills with more junk if items can be re-purposed.
When I moved into my new house, I inherited a bunch of really old, battered furniture from the previous owner. It was so dilapidated my first thought was to take it straight to the dump. But my aunt just so happens to be incredibly talented when it comes to fixing up and reupholstering old furniture... She took an old footstool that looked like it had been in a fire and completely transformed it into a beautiful piece of furniture for just a few dollars worth of fabric and batting. A lot of times furniture still has "good bones," and there are plenty of talented people just like my aunt who really CAN use the stuff people give away for free on CL.
The author's main gripe seems to be that he's having to spend more time digging through what he considers to be worthless CL postings. Well I say, good! More free stuff for the rest of us! ;-)
Having worked in retail a number of times the BOGO is for close to expiry items that the store wants to get rid off. So while the BOGO deal may be cost effective, if the item is perishable you may not have time (for health reasons) to consume the second "free" item.
I love his books, I have 3 of them at least. I initially bought them to try to wean everyone off of the expensive chain restaurant habit (it did). So they saved us a ton of money.
Not having all the nasty preservatives is a huge bonus. Many of the recipes have notes on how to make them healthier with substitutions. Some of the recipes that call for things like boxed cake mix, if you do an internet search you can frequently find a recipe for a from scratch cake mix.
There are a bunch of other recipe sites that have copy cat recipes, the quality of those had gotten better over the years too.
I think Buy One, Get One deals at the supermarket are great if (and only if) you can guarantee there will be no waste.
Food Lion often has Buy One, Get One deals on items like big bags of chicken tenderloins, canned goods, and frozen veggies. I think BOGO deals on anything that you can stow away or freeze for later usage that you KNOW you'll need is a good buy.
I live alone, and it's tough cooking for one person without creating a lot of waste. So I love stocking up on things that can be frozen or re-sealed and rationed out later.
The picture with the bag of ropes and sharp objects looks like it would be great for a budding vampire slayer.
And have for years.
I've seen everything from a box of macaroni to working cars and even a several-ton bridge given away.
I myself have given away working computers, non-working computers, aquariums, plants, an almost new crib in perfect condition, quilts, a massive waterbed frame, clothes, brand-news shoes, and too much else to count.
There is a guy on the list that looks for broken electronics; he scraps the metals and sells them. He keeps all sorts of bad stuff out of the landfill.
There is another guy who takes any piece of electronics, working or not. Working computers are spruced up and donated to students who need them. Non-working are fixed and donated or the valuable parts/materials are extracted and sold for parts to fix fixable machines.
So one person's trash is another person's treasure, as the saying goes.
Also: today on my local Craigslist's free section: a perfectly nice home gym, several working TVs, dirt, rocks, 2 chests of drawers, a loveseat in good shape, and so on.
My husband checks C/L almost daily, because DIYers often end up with leftovers after doing a project, and will give it away. He gathered enough free cinderblocks to save quite a bit of money on a foundation he had to build. We are in the building business, and when we have leftovers that we can't use, we also offer them on Freecycle or bring them to the Habitat Restore. Also, whenever we put anything of any kind of metal out for bulk trash pickup, it gets picked up anonymously, before the truck comes around. I feel like we're probably missing an opportunity........
are definitely better for you in some cases, but his Twinkie filling does use Marshmallow Fluff...and that's surely got preservatives of its own. I think it's more a case of making a huge batch of fresh Twinkies for a few bucks, but the ingredients list will still contain some off-the-shelf packaged goods.