You make tons of great points here. Writing it down, doing the math and following through have helped us out a lot. But I have to say that getting started at all seems to be the hardest part for a lot of people. These step by step instructions are great for anyone who is really ready to do what it takes to wrestle down their debt. Thanks!
Great article...dovetails nicely with the broader goal of having as many options in life as possible....in this case, if you are living below your means or savings cushion, a setback such as a big expense or loss of job does not set off a spiral....you retain more options.
Be cautious in your attempts to save paper. I learned the hard way that some coupon issuers will take a whole page to print one coupon. Now I reuse the paper I get from my daughter's school.
What the Census office has failed to do is inform people when the mailed form packet would be going out. I received a packet in early 2009. It seemed very odd to be getting a 2010 census packet about a year early and I wasn't able to find anything on it that convinced me it was actually from the government and not some elaborate scam. So I eventually pitched it in the trash.
I want to participate in the census but they have to make it clearer what is legit and what is not. I would even download and mail in the forms if I had that option.
When purchasing textbooks, I use BookDealFinder.com because it is hands down the best website available for this purpose. If someone is purchasing a book and not using this website, I am willing to be that they are paying too much!
Thank you very much for these links to great coupon sites. I find Buxr interesting, too. Check it out at http://www.buxr.com/ Maybe you can write a follow up post in a little while compiling an even longer list of coupon sites.
Excellent post. Also, I don't think $28.00 represents the full interest cost. If someone puts the tv on a credit card and doesn't pay in full, interest is assessed on all new purchases 9you lose your grace period). Then, if the payment is late, you're assessed another fee.
Well it looks like once again the only way for companies to do the responsible thing is to make it more financially advantageous for them. I am absolutely sickened by the way big business in this country conducts themselves, not to mention they've got our entire government in their pocket books. If you'd like a real eye opener on the extent of which big business and government are in bed with each other check out "Food, Inc." It's beyond anything I would have ever imagined.
Water,
I have experienced this cloudiness issue in a laboratory setting involving testing sugar for impurities. There was a step involving dilution of ethanol that we had a cloudiness issue with for a short time period. I can't recall what we determined, but it will probably come to me (I always say I wouldn't be good at Jeopardy because I might know the answers, but not right now...more like when I'm riding down the road thinking about something completely different). The circumstances are probably similar. So, I'll try to help. I've got someone to call who may remind me.
In the meantime, it would be helpful to know more specific details, such as:
1. When you are "cutting" the alcohol, what is the temperature of the alcohol and the water (are you doing it right after distillation in other words, and is the water slightly chilly)?
2. Are you adding the water to the alcohol, or the alcohol to the water.
3. How rapidly are you performing this dilution/cutting process?
4. I assume you are going for the alcohol only, with nothing to add flavor. Is this correct? If you are only going for ethanol, have you tasted it and does it taste sweet at all?
5. Have you determined the density of the solution by some standard method? (Of course this would help determine proof, but may also indicate the presence of impurities).
6. Are you filtering with charcoal (or something similar)?
You don't need to answer all of this, but the more information, the better. Some details about your process and still setup may be helpful as well.
No matter what, it's probably no big deal, but I know you want the clear stuff. I'd love to help out.
I've never had any problems with Netspend in the 5 years I've been with them. I have 3 cards with them - no problems. And, no, they didn't pay me to write this.
I'll agree that it's rare to find coupons for fresh foods (with the exception of the Target ones, which often offer them on produce). My goal is to always use coupons to reduce the cost of items that I have to buy packaged (health/beauty, diapers, milk, etc) so that I have more to spend on fresh items. I've also found there to be a larger selection of packaged organic items in my store lately, and many of the brands do offer coupons!
The agencies I researched still go by the Cooperative name (see the link to Clemson's site) and North Carolina's site, for example. The land-grant universities have extensive offices at various sites throughout the state, and deliver workshops, seminars, etc.
I like to do a calculation when I look at how much a school is going to pay. FInd out how much your local community college or state college pays per hour. Say the pay per hour at your local institution is 40 dollars. Hold that thought and number.
Now let say the college you are interested in working for says that one of their classes should take you 15 hours a week in your time to do. So that should be $600 a week. Now look at the school and see how much you will get paid for the class. You'll have to divide that amount into weeks. Is it lower or higher than the 600?
Or do some investigating. Say the school says it takes 15 hours but you've been reading the blogs of teachers at that school and they say one class takes 20-5 hours a week. Does that go below or above the 600?
If you wind up in that equation making 300 or less a week. Don't work there. Save your eyesight, and work somewhere else.
The problem I have with coupons is that I don't tend to buy these foods or products. "They" just don't seem to provide coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables and bulk foods. Sigh.
After all is done and I am cutting the alcohol with water to "thin" the alcohol down, it becomes cloudy. Can someone please tell me why and how can I fix this?
Groupon does some neat group-based deals. If enough people sign up for a deal, it happens, sort of like that group buy stuff that was popular a few years back.
Your Coupon Network is primarily in the south east (especially Florida) right now but they're expanding and have coupons from a lot of the sources listed above in addition to their own. There are some great deals if you happen to be in their coverage area.
@Ben - for large-item retail outlets (ie. Best Buy, Future Shop, car dealerships), financing or in-house credit cards is where they make most of their money. They only make a slim profit on the actual item if you pay cash.
I checked yesterday January 2010 and found that dry and wet milk cost per gallon was almost identical in Southern Missouri.
You make tons of great points here. Writing it down, doing the math and following through have helped us out a lot. But I have to say that getting started at all seems to be the hardest part for a lot of people. These step by step instructions are great for anyone who is really ready to do what it takes to wrestle down their debt. Thanks!
Great article...dovetails nicely with the broader goal of having as many options in life as possible....in this case, if you are living below your means or savings cushion, a setback such as a big expense or loss of job does not set off a spiral....you retain more options.
My family & I appreciate the great links! Good deals!
Some great links here. Espically the one about How to Make Yourself More Likable.
Be cautious in your attempts to save paper. I learned the hard way that some coupon issuers will take a whole page to print one coupon. Now I reuse the paper I get from my daughter's school.
What the Census office has failed to do is inform people when the mailed form packet would be going out. I received a packet in early 2009. It seemed very odd to be getting a 2010 census packet about a year early and I wasn't able to find anything on it that convinced me it was actually from the government and not some elaborate scam. So I eventually pitched it in the trash.
I want to participate in the census but they have to make it clearer what is legit and what is not. I would even download and mail in the forms if I had that option.
Great list. Gives new insight into good sources.
When purchasing textbooks, I use BookDealFinder.com because it is hands down the best website available for this purpose. If someone is purchasing a book and not using this website, I am willing to be that they are paying too much!
Great stuff, its just too bad that both of my local grocers do not accept internet generated coupons.
Great tip on Target though, i never knew that
Thank you very much for these links to great coupon sites. I find Buxr interesting, too. Check it out at http://www.buxr.com/ Maybe you can write a follow up post in a little while compiling an even longer list of coupon sites.
I use www.retailmenot.com for online coupons. It hasn't failed me yet.
Excellent post. Also, I don't think $28.00 represents the full interest cost. If someone puts the tv on a credit card and doesn't pay in full, interest is assessed on all new purchases 9you lose your grace period). Then, if the payment is late, you're assessed another fee.
Well it looks like once again the only way for companies to do the responsible thing is to make it more financially advantageous for them. I am absolutely sickened by the way big business in this country conducts themselves, not to mention they've got our entire government in their pocket books. If you'd like a real eye opener on the extent of which big business and government are in bed with each other check out "Food, Inc." It's beyond anything I would have ever imagined.
Water,
I have experienced this cloudiness issue in a laboratory setting involving testing sugar for impurities. There was a step involving dilution of ethanol that we had a cloudiness issue with for a short time period. I can't recall what we determined, but it will probably come to me (I always say I wouldn't be good at Jeopardy because I might know the answers, but not right now...more like when I'm riding down the road thinking about something completely different). The circumstances are probably similar. So, I'll try to help. I've got someone to call who may remind me.
In the meantime, it would be helpful to know more specific details, such as:
1. When you are "cutting" the alcohol, what is the temperature of the alcohol and the water (are you doing it right after distillation in other words, and is the water slightly chilly)?
2. Are you adding the water to the alcohol, or the alcohol to the water.
3. How rapidly are you performing this dilution/cutting process?
4. I assume you are going for the alcohol only, with nothing to add flavor. Is this correct? If you are only going for ethanol, have you tasted it and does it taste sweet at all?
5. Have you determined the density of the solution by some standard method? (Of course this would help determine proof, but may also indicate the presence of impurities).
6. Are you filtering with charcoal (or something similar)?
You don't need to answer all of this, but the more information, the better. Some details about your process and still setup may be helpful as well.
No matter what, it's probably no big deal, but I know you want the clear stuff. I'd love to help out.
I've never had any problems with Netspend in the 5 years I've been with them. I have 3 cards with them - no problems. And, no, they didn't pay me to write this.
I'll agree that it's rare to find coupons for fresh foods (with the exception of the Target ones, which often offer them on produce). My goal is to always use coupons to reduce the cost of items that I have to buy packaged (health/beauty, diapers, milk, etc) so that I have more to spend on fresh items. I've also found there to be a larger selection of packaged organic items in my store lately, and many of the brands do offer coupons!
Thanks for the comments!
Linsey Knerl
The agencies I researched still go by the Cooperative name (see the link to Clemson's site) and North Carolina's site, for example. The land-grant universities have extensive offices at various sites throughout the state, and deliver workshops, seminars, etc.
I like to do a calculation when I look at how much a school is going to pay. FInd out how much your local community college or state college pays per hour. Say the pay per hour at your local institution is 40 dollars. Hold that thought and number.
Now let say the college you are interested in working for says that one of their classes should take you 15 hours a week in your time to do. So that should be $600 a week. Now look at the school and see how much you will get paid for the class. You'll have to divide that amount into weeks. Is it lower or higher than the 600?
Or do some investigating. Say the school says it takes 15 hours but you've been reading the blogs of teachers at that school and they say one class takes 20-5 hours a week. Does that go below or above the 600?
If you wind up in that equation making 300 or less a week. Don't work there. Save your eyesight, and work somewhere else.
Margaret Garcia-Couoh
This was great. Coupons make purchases so much better. Thanks!
John DeFlumeri Jr
The problem I have with coupons is that I don't tend to buy these foods or products. "They" just don't seem to provide coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables and bulk foods. Sigh.
After all is done and I am cutting the alcohol with water to "thin" the alcohol down, it becomes cloudy. Can someone please tell me why and how can I fix this?
Don't forget www.groupon.com and www.yourcouponnetwork.com...
Groupon does some neat group-based deals. If enough people sign up for a deal, it happens, sort of like that group buy stuff that was popular a few years back.
Your Coupon Network is primarily in the south east (especially Florida) right now but they're expanding and have coupons from a lot of the sources listed above in addition to their own. There are some great deals if you happen to be in their coverage area.
Good list all in all...
@Ben - for large-item retail outlets (ie. Best Buy, Future Shop, car dealerships), financing or in-house credit cards is where they make most of their money. They only make a slim profit on the actual item if you pay cash.
http://www.tvduck.com - get er done!