This is the date of my 10th anniversary. I have to wonder if I can skip getting my wife an anniversary gift. If I can just avoid her long enough on that date... Then again, my world would probably come to an end anyhow if I didn't get her something :-).
I am so sick of the cry babies who make 70k+ I don't want to hear about how you are Po' (poor) That's crap and you know it! Some people need this money, and do not think it's a bad idea. Maybe to catch up on a bill, or to shop (so what) why do you care anyways. You make enough money to pay your bills.
Now I see why I hate those that make tons of money each year. They play poor, lets have a pity party for Joe Schmoo who makes 70k per year, he has bills too
LOL is NOT for cancer, it's intended for allopecia. Wrong info to make others feel guilty about having long hair so they'll just chop it off and hand it over. LOL does sell most of the hair they receive, so in essence why don't you sell your own hair? At least your intentions would be honest. People have been using hair for wigs for thousands of years. You can decide if you want to sell it or donate where you choose. I've worked w people on thehairtrader site and that is a great site by the way. Some of the content from this blog is from their site and their articles.
I have my fair share of rocks, sand and other bits of places I've visited. One word of caution, though: many places ask visitors not to remove such things because of problems like erosion.
Those are all frugal suggestions. Two things we do in addition are textiles in general (sort of an extension of your clothing idea) such as table cloths, runners, blankets, carpets, etc, and street art that we can roll up in an art tube with a carrying strap.
You can easily turn $20 into a nice bottle of red, a crisp Cesaer salad, some mannicotti, a hunk o' crusty bread, and a nice desert item for a fix-at-home meal that'll be sure to impress.
Mannicotti is super simple to do - just cook those big tubular noodles until they're a bit more than half-done, mix some ricotta & parmesian cheeses, an egg, some and chopped parsley, then stuff the mixture into the cooled pasta tubes. Lay 'em in a dish and cover generously with jarred sauce. Trust me, this is easy peasy yet seems like a real fancy schmancy meal.
Light some candles, toss on some Dean Martin or Frankie and your gal might think she's at Carrino's or Olive Garden - but you've saved yourself at least $20-30.
Those are some great ideas for getting souvenirs on the cheap. As a frugal traveler I would also include collecting actual pieces of the places you have been to.
For example, sand from a beach, a pressed flower from a forest, a small stone from a mountain, etc. Of course you should make sure that this is safe and legal to do, first.
I always try to find something that truly represents where I've been and reflects the culture or something I felt strongly about the place. This usually yields not only the best souvenirs, but usually the cheapest, too. Things like clothes, handmade paper, etc. are also useful once you're home again. You can elect to keep them as-is, or use them as they were meant.
Some of the best souvenirs I have are rocks. A rock is a real part of the place you were at. They're all interesting and unique, you can grab one that is the size you need for your collection, and usually they're free :)
As a note, I don't pick up rocks everywhere - only the trips and places that are the most special to me.
Of course, maybe rocks work so well for me because I have the whole Zen thing going on...
Philip: your articles show that you are a software engineer, as your career choice has seen outsourcing and H1-B visas taking over your jobs. You chose to not be a victim - good for you. Your article is right on. Now if only I could purchase affordable healthcare and not worry about COBRA running out, or my husband's pre-existing condition not being covered. This would help it be easier to have more control over my career.
The best thing that has happened to my husband and I were experiencing two layoffs. We handle our finances very differently from those that have cushy jobs and don't fear that they are expendable. It is only a matter of time, we will be ready to move on, they will be selling of their boat and homes wondering why them.
While I'm interested in exploring the raise your own option, the truth is, I'm just not "there" yet. Kudos galore to those who pull it off. And I agree, the taste is definitely worth it.
I did a post a while back on how we combat the rising cost of eggs via baking substitutes and using them as more of a feature ingredient only.
Since the price is continuing to climb however, I'd be interested to see how this conversation unfolds with regards to additional ideas. Of course, additional areas of savings, like what you are doing with your apartment garden, Thursday, can only help.
Maybe it's mostly classical or jazz, there's free concerts. Try art exhibit openings (free wine and cheese), and lecture series (don't wince, some are very stimulating), stuff like that around us.
If I manage to wake up naked and penniless on a beach in Argentina, I'll be happy because I must've had a helluva time :) Assuming of course, that there's no embarrasing video of my escapades out there somewhere!
I tell my kids every day - life is short. It goes by in a flash. And every day, every moment, every single experience is exactly what you make it. You choose.
Great article, Nora! Even though I completely agree with the post by Cindy M, you've still inspired me to wake up naked, penniless and hung over on a beach in Argentina. (lol) You are one of the most courageous and unique people I know. I always enjoy your articles!
i take it you're a Viazcán by marriage? just curious our last name is so rare that any time i find someone with it i just have to ask where they are from an all that stuff. hope to hear from you maybe an email? ricardo_viazcan@hotmail.com
Lewis, I re-read your post and the question at the end, and have a couple of more items to mention. It is easier to accelerate your mortgage using the weekly method. In your son's case, the higher interest rate with the credit union would offset savings associated with the weekly method -- he should pay off his loan in 24 years (rather than 30) with a couple of months earlier with his biweekly payment.
Also, the weekly method (without extra payments) gives you a lower payment (each week should be $215.73) but the loan will be paid off in 30 years. If you paid 1/4 of the traditional monthly payment ($233.87 of $935.46), then you would pay off the loan earlier, at a little over 24 years.
As a serious King James bible believer (and yes, tons of us take that book very literally), I'm compelled to add my 2 cents here, not worth much, of course. I want to say up front that I don't identify in any way with the TBN crowd of charasmatic pentecostal goofballs; those people shameful charlatans and liars who make Christianity look so foolish these days.
The Mayan calendar/2012 business is just more of the same ancient gnostic stuff that will never go away; the same old concept that some humans are "special" and have visions that mean something. It just ain't so, and I personally find this very comforting and sensible. We're told very straight in scripture, Acts 10:34, that God is "NO respecter of persons," meaning nobody is special, we're all in the same boat, all on the same level, all lost and in need of a saviour. That saviour has already come and gone, by the way, and will return again one day for His own. You want to RUN away from anybody who says he or she is having visions and ALL datesetters. The bible is a finished work. You decide (free will) to believe what it says or you don't; you don't get to pick the good stuff and throw out what is distasteful. To do that, you MUST understand the concept of dispensations as mentioned in Hebrews 1:1, that "God in sundry times and in diverse manners spake"; that not everything said in that book is meant for you personally. This is referred to as "rightly dividing the word of truth," II Timothy 2:15. Doctrine is essential to a serious believer.
I thanking you and not thanking you all at the same time. I'm marking my calendar and I'll be packing those ice creams in with the best of the rest of you!
Is the current Nalgene controversy over BPA something to consider? Also the plastic container of the Brita pitcher. Or am I being overly paranoid? I LOVE to drink water but these questions worry me...
The issue of avoiding regulation by shifting operations to a different jurisdiction is a very real concern. To prevent such shifts within the US, the kind of regulation Reich suggests would have to come at the federal level.
Barack Obama's position about integrating labor and environmental policy into international trade agreements seems partly aimed at ensuring uniformly fair practices by one company in different countries. There are ways around the jurisdiction problem, but it will require politicians brave enough to act and an awakened electorate that understands the issue.
Kelja's earlier comment espousing the merits of a largely hands-off approach to economic policy represents, I think, a flawed model of how things really work today. Economic libertarians love to talk about enlightened self-interest and Adam Smith's concept of the market's Invisible Hand. Smith's The Wealth of Nations was a visionary work of its time, but its time was the Age of Enlightenment and not the Information Age.
In 1776, when The Wealth of Nations was published, the Industrial Revolution was still in its infancy and modern corporations didn't even exist yet. Now, 232 years later, we're in a post-industrial economy. The production of physical goods is increasingly commoditized, to the point that it makes less and less sense as the basis of a large national economy. Physical goods and manual labor are devalued, while information takes precedence as the most potent currency of global trade.
Our modern reality is one that Smith and his contemporaries could only have dimly foreseen, and which their work doesn't adequately cover. Trying to resolve today's economic complexities with theories from the 18th century is like trying to rewire a supercomputer with only a screwdriver. You may be able to open it up and get some insight into the machine, but you'll need better tools to really get anywhere. I'm glad people like Reich are encouraging discussion of what those tools could be, because we need to get it figured out very soon.
This is the date of my 10th anniversary. I have to wonder if I can skip getting my wife an anniversary gift. If I can just avoid her long enough on that date... Then again, my world would probably come to an end anyhow if I didn't get her something :-).
Thank you thank you!!!!! I totally agree
I am so sick of the cry babies who make 70k+ I don't want to hear about how you are Po' (poor) That's crap and you know it! Some people need this money, and do not think it's a bad idea. Maybe to catch up on a bill, or to shop (so what) why do you care anyways. You make enough money to pay your bills.
Now I see why I hate those that make tons of money each year. They play poor, lets have a pity party for Joe Schmoo who makes 70k per year, he has bills too
LOL is NOT for cancer, it's intended for allopecia. Wrong info to make others feel guilty about having long hair so they'll just chop it off and hand it over. LOL does sell most of the hair they receive, so in essence why don't you sell your own hair? At least your intentions would be honest. People have been using hair for wigs for thousands of years. You can decide if you want to sell it or donate where you choose. I've worked w people on thehairtrader site and that is a great site by the way. Some of the content from this blog is from their site and their articles.
I have my fair share of rocks, sand and other bits of places I've visited. One word of caution, though: many places ask visitors not to remove such things because of problems like erosion.
You could total update your info from the website and change your birthday! Then you could get tons of free ice cream!!!
Those are all frugal suggestions. Two things we do in addition are textiles in general (sort of an extension of your clothing idea) such as table cloths, runners, blankets, carpets, etc, and street art that we can roll up in an art tube with a carrying strap.
I'm totally with you on the photo thing as well.
Great post.
You can easily turn $20 into a nice bottle of red, a crisp Cesaer salad, some mannicotti, a hunk o' crusty bread, and a nice desert item for a fix-at-home meal that'll be sure to impress.
Mannicotti is super simple to do - just cook those big tubular noodles until they're a bit more than half-done, mix some ricotta & parmesian cheeses, an egg, some and chopped parsley, then stuff the mixture into the cooled pasta tubes. Lay 'em in a dish and cover generously with jarred sauce. Trust me, this is easy peasy yet seems like a real fancy schmancy meal.
Light some candles, toss on some Dean Martin or Frankie and your gal might think she's at Carrino's or Olive Garden - but you've saved yourself at least $20-30.
Those are some great ideas for getting souvenirs on the cheap. As a frugal traveler I would also include collecting actual pieces of the places you have been to.
For example, sand from a beach, a pressed flower from a forest, a small stone from a mountain, etc. Of course you should make sure that this is safe and legal to do, first.
I always try to find something that truly represents where I've been and reflects the culture or something I felt strongly about the place. This usually yields not only the best souvenirs, but usually the cheapest, too. Things like clothes, handmade paper, etc. are also useful once you're home again. You can elect to keep them as-is, or use them as they were meant.
Just get creative, travellers!
Some of the best souvenirs I have are rocks. A rock is a real part of the place you were at. They're all interesting and unique, you can grab one that is the size you need for your collection, and usually they're free :)
As a note, I don't pick up rocks everywhere - only the trips and places that are the most special to me.
Of course, maybe rocks work so well for me because I have the whole Zen thing going on...
Philip: your articles show that you are a software engineer, as your career choice has seen outsourcing and H1-B visas taking over your jobs. You chose to not be a victim - good for you. Your article is right on. Now if only I could purchase affordable healthcare and not worry about COBRA running out, or my husband's pre-existing condition not being covered. This would help it be easier to have more control over my career.
The best thing that has happened to my husband and I were experiencing two layoffs. We handle our finances very differently from those that have cushy jobs and don't fear that they are expendable. It is only a matter of time, we will be ready to move on, they will be selling of their boat and homes wondering why them.
While I'm interested in exploring the raise your own option, the truth is, I'm just not "there" yet. Kudos galore to those who pull it off. And I agree, the taste is definitely worth it.
I did a post a while back on how we combat the rising cost of eggs via baking substitutes and using them as more of a feature ingredient only.
Since the price is continuing to climb however, I'd be interested to see how this conversation unfolds with regards to additional ideas. Of course, additional areas of savings, like what you are doing with your apartment garden, Thursday, can only help.
Looking forward to input from other egg lovers.
Maybe it's mostly classical or jazz, there's free concerts. Try art exhibit openings (free wine and cheese), and lecture series (don't wince, some are very stimulating), stuff like that around us.
If I manage to wake up naked and penniless on a beach in Argentina, I'll be happy because I must've had a helluva time :) Assuming of course, that there's no embarrasing video of my escapades out there somewhere!
I tell my kids every day - life is short. It goes by in a flash. And every day, every moment, every single experience is exactly what you make it. You choose.
Great post!
Great article, Nora! Even though I completely agree with the post by Cindy M, you've still inspired me to wake up naked, penniless and hung over on a beach in Argentina. (lol) You are one of the most courageous and unique people I know. I always enjoy your articles!
Mark P. Cussen, CFP, CMFC
i take it you're a Viazcán by marriage? just curious our last name is so rare that any time i find someone with it i just have to ask where they are from an all that stuff. hope to hear from you maybe an email? ricardo_viazcan@hotmail.com
Ricardo Viazcán
Go to a drive in movie theatre, that's always fun.
The end of the world came for the Mayans a long time ago.
Lewis, I re-read your post and the question at the end, and have a couple of more items to mention. It is easier to accelerate your mortgage using the weekly method. In your son's case, the higher interest rate with the credit union would offset savings associated with the weekly method -- he should pay off his loan in 24 years (rather than 30) with a couple of months earlier with his biweekly payment.
Also, the weekly method (without extra payments) gives you a lower payment (each week should be $215.73) but the loan will be paid off in 30 years. If you paid 1/4 of the traditional monthly payment ($233.87 of $935.46), then you would pay off the loan earlier, at a little over 24 years.
As a serious King James bible believer (and yes, tons of us take that book very literally), I'm compelled to add my 2 cents here, not worth much, of course. I want to say up front that I don't identify in any way with the TBN crowd of charasmatic pentecostal goofballs; those people shameful charlatans and liars who make Christianity look so foolish these days.
The Mayan calendar/2012 business is just more of the same ancient gnostic stuff that will never go away; the same old concept that some humans are "special" and have visions that mean something. It just ain't so, and I personally find this very comforting and sensible. We're told very straight in scripture, Acts 10:34, that God is "NO respecter of persons," meaning nobody is special, we're all in the same boat, all on the same level, all lost and in need of a saviour. That saviour has already come and gone, by the way, and will return again one day for His own. You want to RUN away from anybody who says he or she is having visions and ALL datesetters. The bible is a finished work. You decide (free will) to believe what it says or you don't; you don't get to pick the good stuff and throw out what is distasteful. To do that, you MUST understand the concept of dispensations as mentioned in Hebrews 1:1, that "God in sundry times and in diverse manners spake"; that not everything said in that book is meant for you personally. This is referred to as "rightly dividing the word of truth," II Timothy 2:15. Doctrine is essential to a serious believer.
I thanking you and not thanking you all at the same time. I'm marking my calendar and I'll be packing those ice creams in with the best of the rest of you!
Great fun post.
Is the current Nalgene controversy over BPA something to consider? Also the plastic container of the Brita pitcher. Or am I being overly paranoid? I LOVE to drink water but these questions worry me...
The issue of avoiding regulation by shifting operations to a different jurisdiction is a very real concern. To prevent such shifts within the US, the kind of regulation Reich suggests would have to come at the federal level.
Barack Obama's position about integrating labor and environmental policy into international trade agreements seems partly aimed at ensuring uniformly fair practices by one company in different countries. There are ways around the jurisdiction problem, but it will require politicians brave enough to act and an awakened electorate that understands the issue.
Kelja's earlier comment espousing the merits of a largely hands-off approach to economic policy represents, I think, a flawed model of how things really work today. Economic libertarians love to talk about enlightened self-interest and Adam Smith's concept of the market's Invisible Hand. Smith's The Wealth of Nations was a visionary work of its time, but its time was the Age of Enlightenment and not the Information Age.
In 1776, when The Wealth of Nations was published, the Industrial Revolution was still in its infancy and modern corporations didn't even exist yet. Now, 232 years later, we're in a post-industrial economy. The production of physical goods is increasingly commoditized, to the point that it makes less and less sense as the basis of a large national economy. Physical goods and manual labor are devalued, while information takes precedence as the most potent currency of global trade.
Our modern reality is one that Smith and his contemporaries could only have dimly foreseen, and which their work doesn't adequately cover. Trying to resolve today's economic complexities with theories from the 18th century is like trying to rewire a supercomputer with only a screwdriver. You may be able to open it up and get some insight into the machine, but you'll need better tools to really get anywhere. I'm glad people like Reich are encouraging discussion of what those tools could be, because we need to get it figured out very soon.
Hello, How do you get an iron stain out of a rug? It is a berber rug. My son dropped it on his rug while it was hot.
Thanks, J.Regalado
Hello, How do you get an iron stain out of a rug? It is a berber rug. My son dropped it on his rug while it was hot.
Thanks, J.Regalado