Were planning our wedding right now and the biggest piece of advice would be to try to plan for the unexpected. Although that sounds like an oxymoron, there are going to be expenses that pop up that you just really didn't plan for. Example
We have a great place picked out and it is really reasonably priced. We booked it six months ago and have it almost all paid for and the rest is budgeted. Yesterday we called the tent company (which we have to have since it will be mostly outdoors) and found out the tent rental was going to be almost as much as the rental cost for the venue. Which was a shock to say the least but we are kind of trapped now - too late to switch without huge penalties for canceling.
Just try to have a good padding of cash reserves, since something is going to slip though the cracks.
Every wedding i've been to had cash gifts, but that's because they were all for Korean couples. My cousins had Western-style weddings, so they had wedding registries, but ALL korean guests brought money (and a few bought gifts as well), and even their American friends chose to give envelopes most of the time.
It depends on the culture. In Korea, we have it so that the new couple can use the money to pay off for the wedding and use leftovers to start their new lives. It's believed that new couples should not start with financial burdens...
In one of those "I can't believe I'm saying this," moments, I'd just like to say that you are not old. You still have a few more years of being a grasshopper, but then again, it's never too early to be an ant.
Nice allegory for life. I'm always amazed at the selflessness of ants, and believe they will one day take over the earth.
As for grasshoppers, isn't it amazing how many people have no concept of saving money? When I lived in New York, I didn't know a single person who saved money, but boy did they live the good life.
Or here's a tip. Just have a modest wedding. All this focus on the wedding makes people forget that the wedding is just the opening act - what matters is the marriage. My parents were married in my grandmother's living room, my in-laws in a tiny church with the reception held in the church's hall - they each had over 50 happy years together and ended their lives with considerable assets, because they didn't spend money they didn't have.
Spend what you can afford. A big expensive wedding is NEVER necessary - if family members are pressuring you to put on a three ring circus, tell them to pay for it or just deal with the plans you're making. If they love you, they won't want you to go into debt or financial distress just to throw a party.
And I don't know if it's generational or what, but I think cash gifts from any but immediate family are tacky. Even after 20 years, I remember who gave me certain items at my wedding and think of those people when I use those things. It's a connection to my friends and family that would evaporate if all I'd received was envelopes stuffed with money.
We got married in New York City on Valentine's Day in City Hall. It was truly a quintessential New York experience. The line was huge, but what a mix of New Yorkers who were all jiving on the good vibes of the day. All that was missing was that I wasn't wearing a pink tuxedo with ruffles.
I understand the importance of a couple's wedding day, what many consider to be the happiest day of their lives, but if it is in fact the happiest day, where does the marriage go from there?
Just a side note, my cousin got married in the South of France and our kids were in the wedding. They saved up for two years to pay for it, renting the vineyard in Provence and even flying their parents over from LA. I was impressed to no end, and it was a beautiful wedding, mainly because our kids were in it.
Are we even reading the same post? You ad hominem attacks are far off the mark. You seem to be the "blind" one.
Last thing first - Social Security is not failing. We have many, many years to adjust it. I've read the articles portending its collapse, and articles saying it's stable, and, typically, the latter seem to be more credible. I'm just a layman, but that's my impression.
I didn't say spend more money - but rather to expand SS, and do it through targeted quasi-mandatory savings plans that have tax advantages. Those plans are supported by more by right-wing capitalists than anyone else, but, they can work, and they pass through Congress and the Senate. Not everything right-wingers promote is without merit.
SS is politically feasible. By not means testing for SS, it has wider political support. A targeted welfare program for poor seniors, while it would cost less, would be politically vulnerable to attacks.
I just googled the term "social security collapse" and came across an article that's 13 years old, but rebuts your points... that's weird. Click my name for the article.
Go to a 99Cent store and get a tube of teething gel. It has the highest concentration of Lidocaine and rub that baby in. Cheap and effective way to get a prescription drug over the counter.
A tip:
When renting chairs, tables, linens, call the event a 'family reunion' and you will notice the 'wedding' effect (prices jacked up for a wedding) mentioned by a previous guest commenter will be avoided.
My wedding cost approximately $800. My mom says it was one of the nicest weddings she's ever gone to. It was fun, funny (we had a madrigal group singing bawdy Italian songs) and meaningful. We included family and friends and had a great time.
i cant believe you didnt include yogurt....yogurt does wonders......just apply cold yogurt, let it dry for half and hour, wipe and reapply ... always worked for me...
I think planning for a wedding can be a good predictor of what a couple's marriage will be like:
Can they manage to discuss difficult topics, compromise, and stick to a budget?
Can they navigate the murky waters of well-meaning but interfering relatives?
Can they prioritize based on what's important to them?
Can they manage to not get swept away by a ridiculous and impossible desire for a "perfect day"?
Can they differentiate between fantasy and reality?
Personally, most wedding expenses strike me as ridiculous and egregious. Once the word "wedding" is tacked onto something, its price catapults into the stratosphere. It's a sad fact that these days, many marriages end before the wedding is even paid off. I wonder how much the ongoing financial stress of paying for the darned thing plays into that?
My husband and I decided to forgo all the expensive hoopla--we eloped on a train. It was a great time, and we agree that it was the best wedding we've ever been to :)
The article is cool to see price comparisons. Although not accurate when negotiating prices but still interesting.
QUIT CRYING...everyone can complain about the gas prices all day and its not going to change a thing.
Be active instead of being a hippie environmentalist from California or Oregon. Everyone complains in California about gas prices but is too stoned and liberal to do anything. You cry about gas prices and when they try to fix the problem by drilling miles off the coast you freak out and pass stupid legislation. What very few people realize is when we have to rely on another country for gas they are going to screw us because they can. If everyone would QUIT CRYING about Global warming and all that other nonsense gas wold be cheaper. Corn is now expensive because of ethanol...thanks to AL Gore.
So put down your bong and get off your ass and make a change yourself. Quite waiting for someone to do it for you. The government will take a very long time.
I'm going to forward this off to my brother and his fiance. They need to start saving for their wedding and both insist on a traditional ceremony. Her parents are in no position to take care of that bill.
Once I get a bill, I go online to my bank's website and schedule the payment and the payment date. It is easy and once I do that, I forget about it. Of course, you have to make sure you have enough money in the bank so the payments will go through.
Rather than drop everything to pay your bills every day as they come in, why not just pick a day to process your bills. I process mine on Tuesday (every Tuesday). I have one place specifically for putting bills (and other things I want to look at when paying bills). This works especially well for bills that have some lead time before they are due (such as automobile registration renewals, since sometimes you have to get a smog check, so you can't just pay it immediately anyway). I see the notice every Tuesday, but I have the flexibility to decide if I should pay it this Tuesday or put it off until the next Tuesday, etc. Also, by seeing it every week, I am reminded to get the smog check done as well. If I plan to be out on Tuesday, I simply move the process to Wednesday (or to Monday, if I know in advance).
Most cars (Prius for example not included in this) have what is called Enrichment. The quicker the peddle is depressed, the larger an extra squirt of gasoline is made. If you ever rebuilt an automotive carboratuer, one is instructed to test this socalled "enrichment circuit" by flipping the trottle bar quickly and observe the squirt of gas out of the enrichment squirts, which normally send no gas to the engine. In Fuel Injected cars, the computer does this.
This is the source of the truthful "acellerate gently to save gas" recommendation.
On the other hand, there is engine efficiency versus power. Engine efficiency is very poor at low power for two reasons. The internal aerodynamic design of the engine (valve size, overlap, manifold runner sizes) and while at low power the engine is working hard to pull air past the part open throttle. To get best efficiency, you want the throttle full open, but the engine loaded so it does not rev high. This almost impossible to do in an automatic transmission car, but in a manual, one can modify the shift points to get better fuel economy.
But whatever you do, do not press the peddle down quickly. Ease it down gently, to avoid the enrichment action. Depending on the car and the shift points, reasonably quick, or dog slow aceleration can result. But your not going to win any drag races doing this.
I pay bills as they come in, but I don't put them in the mail. I write the due date on the envelope and drop them in the mailbox when it is about 1.5 weeks til the due date.
not to defuse the ant/grasshopper story, but sometimes when, say, you've had cancer twice, it's time to seize the day...
Spellcheck has ruined me...
Were planning our wedding right now and the biggest piece of advice would be to try to plan for the unexpected. Although that sounds like an oxymoron, there are going to be expenses that pop up that you just really didn't plan for. Example
We have a great place picked out and it is really reasonably priced. We booked it six months ago and have it almost all paid for and the rest is budgeted. Yesterday we called the tent company (which we have to have since it will be mostly outdoors) and found out the tent rental was going to be almost as much as the rental cost for the venue. Which was a shock to say the least but we are kind of trapped now - too late to switch without huge penalties for canceling.
Just try to have a good padding of cash reserves, since something is going to slip though the cracks.
Sean
Every wedding i've been to had cash gifts, but that's because they were all for Korean couples. My cousins had Western-style weddings, so they had wedding registries, but ALL korean guests brought money (and a few bought gifts as well), and even their American friends chose to give envelopes most of the time.
It depends on the culture. In Korea, we have it so that the new couple can use the money to pay off for the wedding and use leftovers to start their new lives. It's believed that new couples should not start with financial burdens...
With kids, you can't take enough precautions, but things happen. Thanks for the advice, we'll file it away under preventable but not.
In one of those "I can't believe I'm saying this," moments, I'd just like to say that you are not old. You still have a few more years of being a grasshopper, but then again, it's never too early to be an ant.
Nice allegory for life. I'm always amazed at the selflessness of ants, and believe they will one day take over the earth.
As for grasshoppers, isn't it amazing how many people have no concept of saving money? When I lived in New York, I didn't know a single person who saved money, but boy did they live the good life.
Or here's a tip. Just have a modest wedding. All this focus on the wedding makes people forget that the wedding is just the opening act - what matters is the marriage. My parents were married in my grandmother's living room, my in-laws in a tiny church with the reception held in the church's hall - they each had over 50 happy years together and ended their lives with considerable assets, because they didn't spend money they didn't have.
Spend what you can afford. A big expensive wedding is NEVER necessary - if family members are pressuring you to put on a three ring circus, tell them to pay for it or just deal with the plans you're making. If they love you, they won't want you to go into debt or financial distress just to throw a party.
And I don't know if it's generational or what, but I think cash gifts from any but immediate family are tacky. Even after 20 years, I remember who gave me certain items at my wedding and think of those people when I use those things. It's a connection to my friends and family that would evaporate if all I'd received was envelopes stuffed with money.
We got married in New York City on Valentine's Day in City Hall. It was truly a quintessential New York experience. The line was huge, but what a mix of New Yorkers who were all jiving on the good vibes of the day. All that was missing was that I wasn't wearing a pink tuxedo with ruffles.
I understand the importance of a couple's wedding day, what many consider to be the happiest day of their lives, but if it is in fact the happiest day, where does the marriage go from there?
Just a side note, my cousin got married in the South of France and our kids were in the wedding. They saved up for two years to pay for it, renting the vineyard in Provence and even flying their parents over from LA. I was impressed to no end, and it was a beautiful wedding, mainly because our kids were in it.
Are we even reading the same post? You ad hominem attacks are far off the mark. You seem to be the "blind" one.
Last thing first - Social Security is not failing. We have many, many years to adjust it. I've read the articles portending its collapse, and articles saying it's stable, and, typically, the latter seem to be more credible. I'm just a layman, but that's my impression.
I didn't say spend more money - but rather to expand SS, and do it through targeted quasi-mandatory savings plans that have tax advantages. Those plans are supported by more by right-wing capitalists than anyone else, but, they can work, and they pass through Congress and the Senate. Not everything right-wingers promote is without merit.
SS is politically feasible. By not means testing for SS, it has wider political support. A targeted welfare program for poor seniors, while it would cost less, would be politically vulnerable to attacks.
I just googled the term "social security collapse" and came across an article that's 13 years old, but rebuts your points... that's weird. Click my name for the article.
Go to a 99Cent store and get a tube of teething gel. It has the highest concentration of Lidocaine and rub that baby in. Cheap and effective way to get a prescription drug over the counter.
A tip:
When renting chairs, tables, linens, call the event a 'family reunion' and you will notice the 'wedding' effect (prices jacked up for a wedding) mentioned by a previous guest commenter will be avoided.
My wedding cost approximately $800. My mom says it was one of the nicest weddings she's ever gone to. It was fun, funny (we had a madrigal group singing bawdy Italian songs) and meaningful. We included family and friends and had a great time.
how would i go about measuring the alcohol content of moonshine? i have a hydrometer but it only goes to like 20%
i cant believe you didnt include yogurt....yogurt does wonders......just apply cold yogurt, let it dry for half and hour, wipe and reapply ... always worked for me...
I think planning for a wedding can be a good predictor of what a couple's marriage will be like:
Can they manage to discuss difficult topics, compromise, and stick to a budget?
Can they navigate the murky waters of well-meaning but interfering relatives?
Can they prioritize based on what's important to them?
Can they manage to not get swept away by a ridiculous and impossible desire for a "perfect day"?
Can they differentiate between fantasy and reality?
Personally, most wedding expenses strike me as ridiculous and egregious. Once the word "wedding" is tacked onto something, its price catapults into the stratosphere. It's a sad fact that these days, many marriages end before the wedding is even paid off. I wonder how much the ongoing financial stress of paying for the darned thing plays into that?
My husband and I decided to forgo all the expensive hoopla--we eloped on a train. It was a great time, and we agree that it was the best wedding we've ever been to :)
http://blog.wantingwhatyouhave.com/2008/01/my-fun-frugal-wedding.html
The article is cool to see price comparisons. Although not accurate when negotiating prices but still interesting.
QUIT CRYING...everyone can complain about the gas prices all day and its not going to change a thing.
Be active instead of being a hippie environmentalist from California or Oregon. Everyone complains in California about gas prices but is too stoned and liberal to do anything. You cry about gas prices and when they try to fix the problem by drilling miles off the coast you freak out and pass stupid legislation. What very few people realize is when we have to rely on another country for gas they are going to screw us because they can. If everyone would QUIT CRYING about Global warming and all that other nonsense gas wold be cheaper. Corn is now expensive because of ethanol...thanks to AL Gore.
So put down your bong and get off your ass and make a change yourself. Quite waiting for someone to do it for you. The government will take a very long time.
I'm going to forward this off to my brother and his fiance. They need to start saving for their wedding and both insist on a traditional ceremony. Her parents are in no position to take care of that bill.
one thing that worked well for me was shea butter. You can get them in tins in health food stores and it works for all kinds of burns and dry skin.
Once I get a bill, I go online to my bank's website and schedule the payment and the payment date. It is easy and once I do that, I forget about it. Of course, you have to make sure you have enough money in the bank so the payments will go through.
Rather than drop everything to pay your bills every day as they come in, why not just pick a day to process your bills. I process mine on Tuesday (every Tuesday). I have one place specifically for putting bills (and other things I want to look at when paying bills). This works especially well for bills that have some lead time before they are due (such as automobile registration renewals, since sometimes you have to get a smog check, so you can't just pay it immediately anyway). I see the notice every Tuesday, but I have the flexibility to decide if I should pay it this Tuesday or put it off until the next Tuesday, etc. Also, by seeing it every week, I am reminded to get the smog check done as well. If I plan to be out on Tuesday, I simply move the process to Wednesday (or to Monday, if I know in advance).
Hi All,
Acellerating is not simple.
Most cars (Prius for example not included in this) have what is called Enrichment. The quicker the peddle is depressed, the larger an extra squirt of gasoline is made. If you ever rebuilt an automotive carboratuer, one is instructed to test this socalled "enrichment circuit" by flipping the trottle bar quickly and observe the squirt of gas out of the enrichment squirts, which normally send no gas to the engine. In Fuel Injected cars, the computer does this.
This is the source of the truthful "acellerate gently to save gas" recommendation.
On the other hand, there is engine efficiency versus power. Engine efficiency is very poor at low power for two reasons. The internal aerodynamic design of the engine (valve size, overlap, manifold runner sizes) and while at low power the engine is working hard to pull air past the part open throttle. To get best efficiency, you want the throttle full open, but the engine loaded so it does not rev high. This almost impossible to do in an automatic transmission car, but in a manual, one can modify the shift points to get better fuel economy.
But whatever you do, do not press the peddle down quickly. Ease it down gently, to avoid the enrichment action. Depending on the car and the shift points, reasonably quick, or dog slow aceleration can result. But your not going to win any drag races doing this.
er - "Rolling up the windows and turning off the air conditioning MINIMIZES your car's wind resistance." not maximizes...
If you buy a prepay card with the stimulus check, you now have more money than you started with. Is that a taxable event?
I work very hard to get a safe ten percent gain in the stock market, but when I do it's taxable.
I pay bills as they come in, but I don't put them in the mail. I write the due date on the envelope and drop them in the mailbox when it is about 1.5 weeks til the due date.