Wow - I thought we had it bad! In Queens, NYC our public library doesn't let you request CDs or DVDs AND charges $3/day "extended use" fees for these items. Add that to the fact that they rarely check items in on time and will send your account to a collections agency if you don't pay for their mistakes!
The New York Public library, though, is great. You can put everything on hold, they have a ginormous catalog, and their late fees (as well as their loan period) are quite generous.
Considering that your writeup here on insurance, one suggestion I would make is for people to definitely check out and support peer to peer insurance. This is a new type of insurance system where you don't automatically lose all the premium you pay, among other great features. A friend told me about it and I shared the info with my circle of friends, mostly moms. Everyone of us loved the idea. You can see it for yourself at http://www.peertopeerinsurance.com
Our rental agreement expires this summer, and we're currently negotiating to purchase a house across the street from my husband's primary workplace and just a short walk to light rail (commuter train), shopping, library, parks, & school for the littles. We will be selling our second car and using our bikes for errands. I recently ordered sturdy bike baskets designed for carrying groceries, and I plan to make good use of them.
In the intervening couple of months before our move, we have cut back significantly on our driving. We no longer eat out, and we carpool with another family for after-school activities. We use the community free shuttle whenever we need to run errands that take us farther afield than our bikes can carry us.
The funny thing is, I can afford the gas, but the fuel crisis has inspired me to re-think my priorities & reduce my carbon footprint. In the end, I think our quality of life will improve significantly after we move. Commuting 45 minutes a day is stressful even without the high gas prices, and we'll be getting back a nice chunk of family time every day.
Nora, you're right - mind mapping is a wonderful problem solving tool. But it's so much more than that. Mind mapping software can be used to help you get organized, manage projects and meetings, develop "dashboards" to track different metrics of your business, gather research and distill it into reports, and much more. In fact, mind mapping is so well-suited to the information management needs of today's workers (managing information overload, analyzing information and developing new ideas) that I have written a new e-book that describes these benefits. It's called The Mind Mapping Manifesto.
To be honest, $3 a gallon of gasoline a disgrace. Within the next century there WILL be an energy crisis and the US is selling gasoline at those prices.
In the UK, the cost of petrol is currently £3.78541178 (yes, pounds!) to the gallon. So, yes, gasoline to you americans IS cheap.
And, peak oil was reached in the US. Peak oil refers to oil production. It is true that there is (allegedly) enough fossil fuels stockpiled to carry us right up until 2100, but I don't know if this takes into account the predicted population explosion of the developing countries and their inevetable 'industrial reveolutions'.
I'm aware of Hulu, but so far it has not had the programs that we have been interested in, but unable to find on DVD. Likewise, right now my computer setup is not that great for streaming. I'm using an older computer, and our family would really rather watch TV on the couch, which is why I appreciate iTunes. We can put it on the iPod and either watch it on the big TV, or take it with us. That said, I take it as a personal challenge to spend as little on iTunes as possible.
Pam--You're right we pay for libraries out of our taxes. However, we would pay the same amount whether we used it or not, so for practical purposes, it is free. Of course, your comment highlights the fact that the field is wide open for some other blogger to find movies even more for free than the library!
There is nothing that can beat working in your PJ's!
I've worked in France on a freelance contract and a way round having to put money aside for cotisations is to work freelance but PAYE then you don't get any unexpected bills or have to pay charges if you don't earn anything. I worked through the portage at www.freelanceinfrance.com to do that, it was far less scary.
The only problem with France is that broadband is still ropey in some places!
I love a bit of origami, but all that paper folding is a bit too involved for me. I live in Japan, so when we go out to restaurants we get given wet hand towels called "oshibori". Oshibori origami is a fairly new, upcoming craze in Japan - much easier than real origami, and perhaps a bit more fun, too! Anyway, I've made some YouTube video tutorials for my site, OshiboriArt.com, and there are step-by-step instructions with photos. All free of course. Take a peek :)
Yes, I will just keep driving my Hummer. The reality of the situation is we have live in the USA where the car/SUV is a necessity, so why drive something you are going to hate.
I was introduced to the mind mapping concept about 2 years ago. Initially I found it a bit difficult to learn the basics. After I got the hang of it though I realized that I actually remembered(to my surprise) more things than I did before.
These days I don't have any exams as such. However, after I read a book, I simply summarize it by drawing up a mind map.
If your 3 gallon pot of mash made, lets say- 10% alcohol.
3 gal. = 12 quarts.
12 quarts x 10% = 1.2 quarts of pure disstilled alcohol.
With the extra water that will come out,
you'll probably get about 1 & 1/2 or so quarts of 'shine' off that batch.
With a 20% mash- 12qts. x 20% = 2.4 quarts, and so on.
It's text-based, but I find Brainstorm to be an incredibly powerful (and, in keeping with the theme of this site, simple) tool for mind mapping and brainstorming. You can get it at www.brainstormsw.com. I'm a writer and I use it for all kinds of things. (I'm not affiliated with the makers of the software).
You mention purchasing tv shows on iTunes, this has always seemed like a HUGE waste of money to me. I like The Daily Show but its not worth $1.99 per day. Check out Hulu.com for a lot of new content (Arrested Development, The Office, House, etc) and oldies that you've long forgotten (Doogie Howser, Remington Steel, Dragnet). As a bonus they even have a decent movie line up.
No downloads available, so you can't take it with you but if you've got high speed the streaming is fantastic.
What will I do when gas hits $4 per gallon? That's easy. I'll do fewer things that require me to spend money on gasoline. You know, the things that require driving. I'll probably watch a lot more TV, because I already pay cable for it. I'll probably rent more DVDs than go to movies or plays or concerts. I'll stick to my route to and from work when shopping for everything from groceries to clothes. I won't go to the big mall that's five miles out of my way; I need to watch my money, so I'll be shopping at Wal-Mart. I won't go to that Cubs game, at least live; I might watch it on TV or work in the yard instead. I won't go to the casino to gamble. I won't go out that four miles out of my way to go to the restaurant I enjoy; I'll eat at home. Vacation? Got it right here: a lawnchair, a couple of brewskis, a sunny day, and lookee here...I'm on vacation.
Here's what most money people don't understand: when the not-as-well-off-as-they encounter high gas prices, we draw in our spending around our necessary routes, the lower income financial version of circling the wagons. We make the choices about what we can do without and we are happy with what's left. Businesses where we last year spent marginally because of distance or expense now don't have our money at all. Maybe those businesses need to lay off people. Or change their hours to "maximize income". Or close entirely. The storefronts empty. The recessional slope down which the US economy is slipping becomes steeper and much broader at the bottom.
Little of that will matter to my family, however. We have learned to do with less. We have learned how NOT to spend money on those extravagances that boom economies are based on. My advice? Figure out what's excess spending in your life and cut it out. Sooner rather than later. Ain't nothin' gettin' any cheaper, friends, except promises from the government.
I think the idea is that abundance is a possibility not that it exists everywhere on planet Earth (because it doesn't). Hope you are able to find something that is safe and/or can move in with a friend sometime soon.
Wow - I thought we had it bad! In Queens, NYC our public library doesn't let you request CDs or DVDs AND charges $3/day "extended use" fees for these items. Add that to the fact that they rarely check items in on time and will send your account to a collections agency if you don't pay for their mistakes!
The New York Public library, though, is great. You can put everything on hold, they have a ginormous catalog, and their late fees (as well as their loan period) are quite generous.
Considering that your writeup here on insurance, one suggestion I would make is for people to definitely check out and support peer to peer insurance. This is a new type of insurance system where you don't automatically lose all the premium you pay, among other great features. A friend told me about it and I shared the info with my circle of friends, mostly moms. Everyone of us loved the idea. You can see it for yourself at http://www.peertopeerinsurance.com
"Once my husband has made files of our CDs to play on our computers and iPods, we rarely ever see the CDs again. So why keep them?"
You should keep them because if you no longer own the CD, you no longer have the legal right to play the song that was originally copied from the CD.
Frugality should not trump morality.
facebook
Our rental agreement expires this summer, and we're currently negotiating to purchase a house across the street from my husband's primary workplace and just a short walk to light rail (commuter train), shopping, library, parks, & school for the littles. We will be selling our second car and using our bikes for errands. I recently ordered sturdy bike baskets designed for carrying groceries, and I plan to make good use of them.
In the intervening couple of months before our move, we have cut back significantly on our driving. We no longer eat out, and we carpool with another family for after-school activities. We use the community free shuttle whenever we need to run errands that take us farther afield than our bikes can carry us.
The funny thing is, I can afford the gas, but the fuel crisis has inspired me to re-think my priorities & reduce my carbon footprint. In the end, I think our quality of life will improve significantly after we move. Commuting 45 minutes a day is stressful even without the high gas prices, and we'll be getting back a nice chunk of family time every day.
Nora, you're right - mind mapping is a wonderful problem solving tool. But it's so much more than that. Mind mapping software can be used to help you get organized, manage projects and meetings, develop "dashboards" to track different metrics of your business, gather research and distill it into reports, and much more. In fact, mind mapping is so well-suited to the information management needs of today's workers (managing information overload, analyzing information and developing new ideas) that I have written a new e-book that describes these benefits. It's called The Mind Mapping Manifesto.
To be honest, $3 a gallon of gasoline a disgrace. Within the next century there WILL be an energy crisis and the US is selling gasoline at those prices.
In the UK, the cost of petrol is currently £3.78541178 (yes, pounds!) to the gallon. So, yes, gasoline to you americans IS cheap.
And, peak oil was reached in the US. Peak oil refers to oil production. It is true that there is (allegedly) enough fossil fuels stockpiled to carry us right up until 2100, but I don't know if this takes into account the predicted population explosion of the developing countries and their inevetable 'industrial reveolutions'.
Here's another free mind mapping tool: MindMeister http://www.mindmeister.com, plus it's fully web-based so no need to install software.
here are some calculators to help on the sugar issue, remember, dont waste sugar, use only as much as the yeast is rated to convert
http://www.brewhaus.com/Calculators_s/46.htm
http://homedistiller.org/wash-sugar.htm#conc
and if you use the entire web site for more ideas on the last link, dont blaim me.
I'm aware of Hulu, but so far it has not had the programs that we have been interested in, but unable to find on DVD. Likewise, right now my computer setup is not that great for streaming. I'm using an older computer, and our family would really rather watch TV on the couch, which is why I appreciate iTunes. We can put it on the iPod and either watch it on the big TV, or take it with us. That said, I take it as a personal challenge to spend as little on iTunes as possible.
Pam--You're right we pay for libraries out of our taxes. However, we would pay the same amount whether we used it or not, so for practical purposes, it is free. Of course, your comment highlights the fact that the field is wide open for some other blogger to find movies even more for free than the library!
Catherine Shaffer
Wise Bread Contributor
There is nothing that can beat working in your PJ's!
I've worked in France on a freelance contract and a way round having to put money aside for cotisations is to work freelance but PAYE then you don't get any unexpected bills or have to pay charges if you don't earn anything. I worked through the portage at www.freelanceinfrance.com to do that, it was far less scary.
The only problem with France is that broadband is still ropey in some places!
I love mind mapping! Being a mac user, I find that Inspiration works beautifully.
(No affiliation.) I always begin with a paper and pencil, drawing circles and blocks. Then I use the software to let the ideas fly.
Marion
I love a bit of origami, but all that paper folding is a bit too involved for me. I live in Japan, so when we go out to restaurants we get given wet hand towels called "oshibori". Oshibori origami is a fairly new, upcoming craze in Japan - much easier than real origami, and perhaps a bit more fun, too! Anyway, I've made some YouTube video tutorials for my site, OshiboriArt.com, and there are step-by-step instructions with photos. All free of course. Take a peek :)
I've really been enjoying these. Keep them up, please.
Yes, I will just keep driving my Hummer. The reality of the situation is we have live in the USA where the car/SUV is a necessity, so why drive something you are going to hate.
I was introduced to the mind mapping concept about 2 years ago. Initially I found it a bit difficult to learn the basics. After I got the hang of it though I realized that I actually remembered(to my surprise) more things than I did before.
These days I don't have any exams as such. However, after I read a book, I simply summarize it by drawing up a mind map.
is the low dollar. not supply of crude, not opec, not refining capacity, not taxes, not arabs, not iraq, not gas stations.
why is the dollar low? because the fed and treasury have to print money and lower interest rates to support the economy.
BECAUSE YOU ARE BROKE.
savings? nah. mortgage? check. credit cards? check. home equity line of credit? check. on and on it goes.
now we are paying. the dollar is worth less and less.
doomed. get educated.
Since its been asked often, and not answered yet:
If your 3 gallon pot of mash made, lets say- 10% alcohol.
3 gal. = 12 quarts.
12 quarts x 10% = 1.2 quarts of pure disstilled alcohol.
With the extra water that will come out,
you'll probably get about 1 & 1/2 or so quarts of 'shine' off that batch.
With a 20% mash- 12qts. x 20% = 2.4 quarts, and so on.
Hi.
Just want to know how to make my dvd player: JVC XV-N650B code free.
Thanks
It's text-based, but I find Brainstorm to be an incredibly powerful (and, in keeping with the theme of this site, simple) tool for mind mapping and brainstorming. You can get it at www.brainstormsw.com. I'm a writer and I use it for all kinds of things. (I'm not affiliated with the makers of the software).
You mention purchasing tv shows on iTunes, this has always seemed like a HUGE waste of money to me. I like The Daily Show but its not worth $1.99 per day. Check out Hulu.com for a lot of new content (Arrested Development, The Office, House, etc) and oldies that you've long forgotten (Doogie Howser, Remington Steel, Dragnet). As a bonus they even have a decent movie line up.
No downloads available, so you can't take it with you but if you've got high speed the streaming is fantastic.
What will I do when gas hits $4 per gallon? That's easy. I'll do fewer things that require me to spend money on gasoline. You know, the things that require driving. I'll probably watch a lot more TV, because I already pay cable for it. I'll probably rent more DVDs than go to movies or plays or concerts. I'll stick to my route to and from work when shopping for everything from groceries to clothes. I won't go to the big mall that's five miles out of my way; I need to watch my money, so I'll be shopping at Wal-Mart. I won't go to that Cubs game, at least live; I might watch it on TV or work in the yard instead. I won't go to the casino to gamble. I won't go out that four miles out of my way to go to the restaurant I enjoy; I'll eat at home. Vacation? Got it right here: a lawnchair, a couple of brewskis, a sunny day, and lookee here...I'm on vacation.
Here's what most money people don't understand: when the not-as-well-off-as-they encounter high gas prices, we draw in our spending around our necessary routes, the lower income financial version of circling the wagons. We make the choices about what we can do without and we are happy with what's left. Businesses where we last year spent marginally because of distance or expense now don't have our money at all. Maybe those businesses need to lay off people. Or change their hours to "maximize income". Or close entirely. The storefronts empty. The recessional slope down which the US economy is slipping becomes steeper and much broader at the bottom.
Little of that will matter to my family, however. We have learned to do with less. We have learned how NOT to spend money on those extravagances that boom economies are based on. My advice? Figure out what's excess spending in your life and cut it out. Sooner rather than later. Ain't nothin' gettin' any cheaper, friends, except promises from the government.
And don't forget...greed kills because we let it.
I think the idea is that abundance is a possibility not that it exists everywhere on planet Earth (because it doesn't). Hope you are able to find something that is safe and/or can move in with a friend sometime soon.
I'm presuming you are aware that is Homer Simpson for your pic? I would hazard a guess that its probably not been released for general use...
I ran across this one a while ago. It's freeware based on Microsoft's .NET Framework. http://cayra.net/