We keep our pantry stocked fairly well. We live 15 miles from the nearest town and we do can/freeze a bunch of garden produce. I don't stockpile for end of the world disasters, piling up bottles and bottle of water and 9000 cans of beans. We like to visit the grocery store as little as possible and try to do for ourselves as much as we can.
I will never live down the scatterbrained list of Y2K supplies that I had purchased as a newly married 18 year old bride.
I do many things that I'm sure others do too. The most important thing is to store food that you already enjoy and are willing to eat.
My best tip would be water. A Red Cross leadership camp I went to as a teen had a large section on emergency prepare. I rinse milk bottles and fill them with clean tap water and a cap of bleach. (I keep about 60 in the garage) In any sort of disaster or small weather related storm that cuts off water/power it would be a shame to use the purified bottled water for basic washing needs. When a pipe burst down the street and our water was cut off for 2 days, we could also use it to flush the toilet as needed.
As far as Y2K type end of the world stuff? I like to keep a small selection of seeds as well as sprouting seeds for greens that would grow in less than a week. We have a couple months of food for the family. After that I guess we'll see how good fried cat tastes. :) In our financial future we will expand our reserves but we are focused more on cash than canned goods right now.
I always kept about 2 weeks worth of pantry supplies. Since I live in a small town, that seemed adequate. But after finding out I have gluten intolerance (similar to celiac disease), I've had to rethink how to handle possible emergency situations.
It can be difficult to find gluten-free products in the best of times. Our local health food store has plenty, and our local supermarket has started to carry a few gluten-free foods. But in an emergency, all bets are off. I'm creating a plan to have at least 3 months worth of gluten-free essentials on hand at all times.
Now that I'm finally feeling better, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I can stay on the path of health.
We don't stockpile food for emergencies. We always have some canned goods on hand and that would be enough for any short-term emergency so we don't worry about the long-term stuff.
At my mum's insistence, I'm working on building at least a month's worth of food in my pantry and freezer for winter, as well as building a cab fund for when the buses aren't running and I'm on campus late--though the first is significantly more important.
I've got serious lung issues, a weak immune system, and winter is generally a bad time to be me. If there's something going around, I'm pretty much guaranteed to catch it, and in winter at a university, there's plenty going around. Add the bitter cold to that, which makes it so much harder to breathe, and the idea is for me to actually go out as little as possible. I'll have to go to classes, of course, and probably won't skip my extracirriculars (hence the cab fund, it'll be too cold at night to walk back to my flat), but since grocery shopping typically consists of fifteen to thirty minutes in the store and an hour waiting for the bus, it's something my mum and I want me to avoid during the coldest months. So, I've got about thirty pounds of rice stored, maybe ten pounds of pasta, and ten of dried beans, plus a freezer full of veggies.
Of course, I use the pasta, rice, and beans year-round, but the freezer's mostly for winter, or when I haven't gone grocery shopping in several weeks. >.>
The first host seemed nervous and sounded as if she was running through her lines. It was easier to follow the second host. I'm so glad this podcast is broken up into several smaller pieces by topic. That way I can choose what is relevant to me.
I feel your sister's pain. Since I'm not an attorney, I can't advise on anything, except to recommend that she see an attorney (there are free and low-cost legal aids that can start her in the process of protecting her assets, if need be.) Also, legal separation is usually a factor in an instance like this, as it documents with the court that she is trying to make a break from the union (assets and all.) Whether your sister lives in a community property state may have some bearing on the outcome of this -- also, whether or not the Chrysler debt was incurred prior to the marriage or during will influence the courts to side with you or your husband.
Be aware that Walgreens will not give shots to everyone. I'm 8 months pregnant and they turned me away for "liability" reasons. It makes perfect sense - let's turn away the people who are at greatest risk!
I agree with many of the people here. Cleaning out your system is a big help. But one thing I have not seen anyone mention yet is reinstalling windows. yes, it is drastic, but I have done just such a thing on an old laptop (Thinkpad T40) and have both Windows XP and Ubuntu loaded. XP boots, logs into Chrome browser in under 60 seconds (with SP3 and antivir). This is no souped up machine at all - with less than 1G RAM. I only load software I use.
I also love to play around with Linux, but have been using Windows much longer. Ubuntu on this machine, with an install without tweaks (and Linux newbies would not know how to tweak anyway) takes nearly two minutes to - boot, login and bring up firefox. I'll have to look for some Ubuntu tweaking tips soon, so if you know of any, please let me know via twitter or via frugalnyc blog.
So if you are to judge a machine or platform, it really does depend on what someone NEEDS on the computer. Most people just load their pc up with too much unused bloatware.
With all that said. Thank you for this post, and all the great comments. I've got some additional software to check out thanks to all of you!
I can't wait for the 3rd part of this post. I think step 1 is the most difficult: admitting you have a debt problem. So many people want to bury their heads in the sand and forget about it.
Making a plan is more difficult. Plotting out a budget that can eliminate debt is not fun, and some people aren't patient. They want to see results immediately, but paying down debt takes patience.
I have a $350 dollar laptop that will start up, boot, connect to wifi and able to run programs in under 60 seconds. I use Linux Mint (www.linuxmint.com) which has all the benefits of Ubuntu but adds programs that make it easier to run after installing. If you have a legal Windows CDs then install VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org) and install Windows and reboot in about 10 seconds.
I like the basic topics. Oftentimes, the frugal podcasts cover really arcane or strange topics, but these are ones that I would actually use. The long "gotomypc" ad at the beginning takes up too much of the short podcast... I don't mind ads, but this seems to be out of sync with the length of the podcast. Looking forward to more!
@lighterapps: Great tips here, thanks for adding them to the conversation. Those are the ones I 've used but if there are lighter ones out there that would run on leaner machines, that's even better.
I've used defraggler before but not the other ones. I will try them on my netbook since that's the machine that I really try to keep as efficient as possible.
If anyone has a hidden gem of an application they swear by, this is the time to speak!
As for Macs, I don't use them so I can't really say how best to treat them. Sorry!
Great post, but I would add one thing. I also turn on 'adjust for best performance' in System>Advanced>Visual Effects and then I turn on 'Smooth edges of screen fonts'. No one needs that ugly Windows eye candy anyway and it just slows down your computer...
I have a questionable unemployment problem. They company that I have been working for the last 2 years, has been through bankruptcy, closed and bought out by a new company.
Today I received a wavier to sign by the new company saying that in order to accept employment by the new company we have to terminate our rights for any severance pay from the old employmer. We are told if we refuse to sign, we are terminating our employment.
I completely understand the wavier, I am getting it looked into and making sure that I am not loosing any vacation time owed.
I do not agree with some of the new procedures of the new company, as well as I have already ran into a problem with my boss telling me that I have to do manditory training at home on my free time (not paid, I am a student and go to two schools, I do not have time for "homework" that is why I took this retail job in the first place).
I am trying to see what my options are. If I choose to sign the wavier, what if it does not work out with these new policies that I did not sign up for. Can I collect than? Will I run into a problem if the new company lays me off for lack of hours (we are overstaffed so I think it could happen), since I technically would only be an employee with the company for a short amount of time and fall within the 90 day trail employment period?
If I choose to NOT sign the waiver, am I able to collect unemployment since they offered me this position with the new company? Is changing my requirements for employment (like manditory training/internet use at home) a "good cause" reason to quit/not take the job?
I am planning on contacting unemployment office tomorrow as well as the HR department to ask questions about the wavier (vacation time?). I just wanted to see if anyone had any insight on this.
All I can say is THANK YOU!! I needed an article like this badly, and, as I am no techie, it is precisely what I needed as the urge to buy a new laptop "because my current is so slow" had just hit me.
Whether Mac or Windows, as time goes on, computers get faster and more powerful. As this happens, application and OS developers use more of these resources. Running an "age-appropriate" system will do wonders for the performance of your older machine. This applies to Applications as well as the OS.
Remember, that old clunker in the corner used to be a speed demon just a few years back.
@Luis - If you visit the Greenswitch website (www.greenswitch.tv), you can select your country and find a way to get a quotation from there. If all else fails, use the "contact us" button and you will get some help!
@Anon #29 - That's a tough predicament if your boss is the one asking for a loan! Yikes. I don't know if I could say no in such a situation either. I can only surmise that eventually her lack of positive giving-back karma towards her co-workers will come around on her at some time.
Is it right to use your "refills" on another full drink? Ok, how about buying one salad bar or one all you can eat meal. But when you're done the other person with you is "splitting" the meal so they go get a plate. Is THAT okay? Multiply that by a dinner party of more than 2, make it 4, make it every 2 people per restraunt per day. Sounds like the "stealing" music and software argument that just because it isn't a lot of money or seems insignificant, doesn't make it karma-tastically OK just because you feel like you're being ripped off. And now you're telling the thousands of people who read the site. So I hope you'll realize you might begin to lose sleep over it and drop a quarter in their "tip" jars for each "free" drink you had next time... =/
We keep our pantry stocked fairly well. We live 15 miles from the nearest town and we do can/freeze a bunch of garden produce. I don't stockpile for end of the world disasters, piling up bottles and bottle of water and 9000 cans of beans. We like to visit the grocery store as little as possible and try to do for ourselves as much as we can.
I will never live down the scatterbrained list of Y2K supplies that I had purchased as a newly married 18 year old bride.
I do many things that I'm sure others do too. The most important thing is to store food that you already enjoy and are willing to eat.
My best tip would be water. A Red Cross leadership camp I went to as a teen had a large section on emergency prepare. I rinse milk bottles and fill them with clean tap water and a cap of bleach. (I keep about 60 in the garage) In any sort of disaster or small weather related storm that cuts off water/power it would be a shame to use the purified bottled water for basic washing needs. When a pipe burst down the street and our water was cut off for 2 days, we could also use it to flush the toilet as needed.
As far as Y2K type end of the world stuff? I like to keep a small selection of seeds as well as sprouting seeds for greens that would grow in less than a week. We have a couple months of food for the family. After that I guess we'll see how good fried cat tastes. :) In our financial future we will expand our reserves but we are focused more on cash than canned goods right now.
I always kept about 2 weeks worth of pantry supplies. Since I live in a small town, that seemed adequate. But after finding out I have gluten intolerance (similar to celiac disease), I've had to rethink how to handle possible emergency situations.
It can be difficult to find gluten-free products in the best of times. Our local health food store has plenty, and our local supermarket has started to carry a few gluten-free foods. But in an emergency, all bets are off. I'm creating a plan to have at least 3 months worth of gluten-free essentials on hand at all times.
Now that I'm finally feeling better, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I can stay on the path of health.
We don't stockpile food for emergencies. We always have some canned goods on hand and that would be enough for any short-term emergency so we don't worry about the long-term stuff.
At my mum's insistence, I'm working on building at least a month's worth of food in my pantry and freezer for winter, as well as building a cab fund for when the buses aren't running and I'm on campus late--though the first is significantly more important.
I've got serious lung issues, a weak immune system, and winter is generally a bad time to be me. If there's something going around, I'm pretty much guaranteed to catch it, and in winter at a university, there's plenty going around. Add the bitter cold to that, which makes it so much harder to breathe, and the idea is for me to actually go out as little as possible. I'll have to go to classes, of course, and probably won't skip my extracirriculars (hence the cab fund, it'll be too cold at night to walk back to my flat), but since grocery shopping typically consists of fifteen to thirty minutes in the store and an hour waiting for the bus, it's something my mum and I want me to avoid during the coldest months. So, I've got about thirty pounds of rice stored, maybe ten pounds of pasta, and ten of dried beans, plus a freezer full of veggies.
Of course, I use the pasta, rice, and beans year-round, but the freezer's mostly for winter, or when I haven't gone grocery shopping in several weeks. >.>
The first host seemed nervous and sounded as if she was running through her lines. It was easier to follow the second host. I'm so glad this podcast is broken up into several smaller pieces by topic. That way I can choose what is relevant to me.
I feel your sister's pain. Since I'm not an attorney, I can't advise on anything, except to recommend that she see an attorney (there are free and low-cost legal aids that can start her in the process of protecting her assets, if need be.) Also, legal separation is usually a factor in an instance like this, as it documents with the court that she is trying to make a break from the union (assets and all.) Whether your sister lives in a community property state may have some bearing on the outcome of this -- also, whether or not the Chrysler debt was incurred prior to the marriage or during will influence the courts to side with you or your husband.
Good luck!
Linsey Knerl
Be aware that Walgreens will not give shots to everyone. I'm 8 months pregnant and they turned me away for "liability" reasons. It makes perfect sense - let's turn away the people who are at greatest risk!
Glad to be subscribed to these podcasts! They have great info and are more realistic than most "money saving" ideas. Thanks!
I agree with many of the people here. Cleaning out your system is a big help. But one thing I have not seen anyone mention yet is reinstalling windows. yes, it is drastic, but I have done just such a thing on an old laptop (Thinkpad T40) and have both Windows XP and Ubuntu loaded. XP boots, logs into Chrome browser in under 60 seconds (with SP3 and antivir). This is no souped up machine at all - with less than 1G RAM. I only load software I use.
I also love to play around with Linux, but have been using Windows much longer. Ubuntu on this machine, with an install without tweaks (and Linux newbies would not know how to tweak anyway) takes nearly two minutes to - boot, login and bring up firefox. I'll have to look for some Ubuntu tweaking tips soon, so if you know of any, please let me know via twitter or via frugalnyc blog.
So if you are to judge a machine or platform, it really does depend on what someone NEEDS on the computer. Most people just load their pc up with too much unused bloatware.
With all that said. Thank you for this post, and all the great comments. I've got some additional software to check out thanks to all of you!
I can't wait for the 3rd part of this post. I think step 1 is the most difficult: admitting you have a debt problem. So many people want to bury their heads in the sand and forget about it.
Making a plan is more difficult. Plotting out a budget that can eliminate debt is not fun, and some people aren't patient. They want to see results immediately, but paying down debt takes patience.
Thanks for this post-
-Little House
I have a $350 dollar laptop that will start up, boot, connect to wifi and able to run programs in under 60 seconds. I use Linux Mint (www.linuxmint.com) which has all the benefits of Ubuntu but adds programs that make it easier to run after installing. If you have a legal Windows CDs then install VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org) and install Windows and reboot in about 10 seconds.
I like the basic topics. Oftentimes, the frugal podcasts cover really arcane or strange topics, but these are ones that I would actually use. The long "gotomypc" ad at the beginning takes up too much of the short podcast... I don't mind ads, but this seems to be out of sync with the length of the podcast. Looking forward to more!
I agree about avoiding AVG if performance is an issue. It's a good antivirus but kinda bloated.
If you need to do some gaming try these:
-Gamebooster (to turn off unneeded processes)
-3DAnalyze (to help run troublesome games and turn off directx effects)
@lighterapps: Great tips here, thanks for adding them to the conversation. Those are the ones I 've used but if there are lighter ones out there that would run on leaner machines, that's even better.
I've used defraggler before but not the other ones. I will try them on my netbook since that's the machine that I really try to keep as efficient as possible.
If anyone has a hidden gem of an application they swear by, this is the time to speak!
As for Macs, I don't use them so I can't really say how best to treat them. Sorry!
The Writer's Coin | Follow me on Twitter
Great post, but I would add one thing. I also turn on 'adjust for best performance' in System>Advanced>Visual Effects and then I turn on 'Smooth edges of screen fonts'. No one needs that ugly Windows eye candy anyway and it just slows down your computer...
i am in the health care field now.
but it showed what i want to do deep down in my heart.
which is financial field.
incredible.
I have a questionable unemployment problem. They company that I have been working for the last 2 years, has been through bankruptcy, closed and bought out by a new company.
Today I received a wavier to sign by the new company saying that in order to accept employment by the new company we have to terminate our rights for any severance pay from the old employmer. We are told if we refuse to sign, we are terminating our employment.
I completely understand the wavier, I am getting it looked into and making sure that I am not loosing any vacation time owed.
I do not agree with some of the new procedures of the new company, as well as I have already ran into a problem with my boss telling me that I have to do manditory training at home on my free time (not paid, I am a student and go to two schools, I do not have time for "homework" that is why I took this retail job in the first place).
I am trying to see what my options are. If I choose to sign the wavier, what if it does not work out with these new policies that I did not sign up for. Can I collect than? Will I run into a problem if the new company lays me off for lack of hours (we are overstaffed so I think it could happen), since I technically would only be an employee with the company for a short amount of time and fall within the 90 day trail employment period?
If I choose to NOT sign the waiver, am I able to collect unemployment since they offered me this position with the new company? Is changing my requirements for employment (like manditory training/internet use at home) a "good cause" reason to quit/not take the job?
I am planning on contacting unemployment office tomorrow as well as the HR department to ask questions about the wavier (vacation time?). I just wanted to see if anyone had any insight on this.
Feel free to let me know your thoughts on my dilemma over at FS as well if you have time. Cheers.
All I can say is THANK YOU!! I needed an article like this badly, and, as I am no techie, it is precisely what I needed as the urge to buy a new laptop "because my current is so slow" had just hit me.
Ha! I love the drive through flu shot idea. Stop. Stick your arm out. Drive away. Nice.
@Financial Samurai: About a month back I wrote the following article: Do you need a new Mac or just some cleaning? I hope it helps.
Whether Mac or Windows, as time goes on, computers get faster and more powerful. As this happens, application and OS developers use more of these resources. Running an "age-appropriate" system will do wonders for the performance of your older machine. This applies to Applications as well as the OS.
Remember, that old clunker in the corner used to be a speed demon just a few years back.
@Luis - If you visit the Greenswitch website (www.greenswitch.tv), you can select your country and find a way to get a quotation from there. If all else fails, use the "contact us" button and you will get some help!
@Anon #29 - That's a tough predicament if your boss is the one asking for a loan! Yikes. I don't know if I could say no in such a situation either. I can only surmise that eventually her lack of positive giving-back karma towards her co-workers will come around on her at some time.
Is it right to use your "refills" on another full drink? Ok, how about buying one salad bar or one all you can eat meal. But when you're done the other person with you is "splitting" the meal so they go get a plate. Is THAT okay? Multiply that by a dinner party of more than 2, make it 4, make it every 2 people per restraunt per day. Sounds like the "stealing" music and software argument that just because it isn't a lot of money or seems insignificant, doesn't make it karma-tastically OK just because you feel like you're being ripped off. And now you're telling the thousands of people who read the site. So I hope you'll realize you might begin to lose sleep over it and drop a quarter in their "tip" jars for each "free" drink you had next time... =/