I love reading about people who aren't just complaining about the lives they've chosen but are also doing something about it to change it. I love your enthusiasm! I will try anything once especially if it has a chance of getting me out of my lil' rut! Much luck to you on your new found endeavors!
when I have used ebay, I put in as a bid the highest price I am willing to pay for an item; it automatically bids up for you; many times I have gotten the item or items for less than I was willing to pay (top price); if it went over no sweat, I tried again as many times multiple items of similar things come up; if someone wanted to pay higher than my i would pay for it, i didn't worry; so I don't understand what all the hoopla is; being frugal by nature, I will not pay over a certain amount for an item; if it goes far past what i will pay as top dollar let someone else spend their $ for it; I am more than willing to wait; if your price is lower than you want to pay to get a "deal" then you should not be upset if you don't get it; I may put $20.00 as top bid; if the bidding is only $4.70 & at the last minute folks are bidding $5 or $6 ebay automatically ups my bid; if someone is willing to pay $25 for what I would pay $20 tops for let them have it! seems easy enough for me! what amazes me continually with ebay is that folks will pay FAR MORE for the item just to "win" the bid; that to me is asinine but to each their own; if I can buy locally something for $15 but try & get it for under that with S&H etc; why would I pay $20 or higher?
A friend told me recently about a free online personal budgeting utility, I have used it for over three month now and it is too good to be free. "Out Of The Dark" (OOTD) is simple, powerful, and anonymous to use (no poking into your personal identity or bank accounts), and it's packed full of good guidance and information from the developer and the community of users. I dumped my excel budget once I started using this free online utility and now I can use it from anywhere I have internet access.
Bless someone each and every day. No matter your religion, God can still bless others and it does make a difference.
500 billion blessings to each and everyone who reads this.
Bree.. I will let you know. I just did a batch of pickles based on the recipe I linked to earlier... and did smaller jars this time, one with some fresh green beans and carrot slices in along with the cukes.
"Either way, this could invigorate eBay auctions, which have been sadly declining over recent years. "
eBay auctions have been declining over recent years, not because of the bidding method, but because of annual February Fiascoes (billing and policy changes) the site implements. I am an ex-Powerseller, able to support my family with my eBay business prior to 2004. The constant increase in fees, lack of support for sellers and massacre of the better-working functions of the site in favor of dumbed-down functions that benefit no one has turned many a seller to other sites, or driven them out of business entirely.
It is time for a challenger to step up and become what eBay promised and never quite fulfilled.
People who snipe (myself included) will continue to, as it'll still be effective at avoiding a bidding war. Ebay tells you from the start to bid the max you're willing to pay, and they'll automatically bid up to that amount for you. Snipers simply take advantage of the fact that some people refuse to do this for some unknown reason.
The effectiveness of sniping will go down a bit, but don't even dream that it will stop. In fact, I guarantee the sniping services will adapt. If they see the end time has been extended, the bid will get delayed to the new end time. Sure the sniping bid (if higher than the current high bid) will extend the auction, but people aren't going to sit around watching an auction for hours.
Ok, so it's not that healthy, but I deal with it by avoiding the topic of money. What bugs me is when family members (especially parents) try and comment on my spending habits (which I've worked very hard to refine) when they don't know what they're talking about! I find I get angry too easily so I just nod and smile and go about my day...
I've said it before. TheGroceryGame.com has saved me tons of time and money by doing my coupon organizing for me! I've teamed up with some local friends as well to do 'team shopping and stockpiling' so that we always have what we need but we don't have to pay full price. It works well.
of finding the cheapest groceries and buying in bulk. However, my husband and I are currently living in a very small place while we save up some money and it's just not been very practical. Thanks for the great tips on saving money when you can't bulk-buy!
One of a number of papers written on the subject:
Last Minute Bidding and the Rules for Ending Second-Price Auctions: Theory and Evidence from a Natural Experiment on the Internet
There is a great deal of late bidding on internet second price auctions. We show that this need not result from either common value properties of the objects being sold, or irrational behavior: late bidding can occur at equilibrium even in private value auctions. The reason is that very late bids have a positive probability of not being successfully submitted, and this opens a way for bidders to implicitly collude, and avoid bidding wars, in auctions such as those run by eBay, which have a fixed end time. A natural experiment is available because the auctions on Amazon, while operating under otherwise similar rules, do not have a fixed end time, but continue if necessary past the scheduled end time until ten minutes have passed without a bid. The strategic differences in the auction rules are reflected in the auction data by significantly more late bidding on eBay than on Amazon. Furthermore, more experienced bidders on eBay submit late bids more often than do less experienced bidders, while the effect of experience on Amazon goes in the opposite direction. On eBay, there is also more late bidding for antiques than for computers. We also find scale independence in the distribution over time of bidders' last bids, of a form strikingly similar to the deadline effect' noted in bargaining: last bids are distributed according to a power law. The evidence suggests that multiple causes contribute to late bidding, with strategic issues related to the rules about ending the auction playing an important role.
This is neither a new nor revolutionary idea. Both Amazon and Yahoo had a similar auction extension rule - I think 10 minutes - back in the days they had auctions.
Notice that neither site still has auctions.
I HATED, HATED, HATED waiting around for another 10 minutes to know if I had the auction or if the buyer had arranged for someone else to up the bid some miniscule amount to keep it going. I won't bid in those kinds of auctions. And I've bought a lot of stuff through online auctions over the years.
I snipe - sometimes I get the item. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I lose to another sniper. Sometimes I pay a maximum bid price that I really, really, wouldn't have bid so high if I'd seriously thought someone else might snipe as high.That's simply the way it goes.
It will be interesting to see if this method fares any better second time around or if it will get as few takers as the first time.
My husband and I try to live on one income and save the entire other one incase of a rainy day, for retirement, or in case we want to change our lifestyle and one of us stay home when the kids come... I think that simply not working because you don't need to is definatley a lifestyle choice that shows off your income level.
What a great article, I also enjoyed the introduction to the new time management site. I'll have to check that one out more frequently, I'm always working on managing my time better.
Believe me, I have run the numbers again, and again, and again. There is no way we could live on just my husband's or my salary. We live frugally - our clothes are only second hand,we eat mostly homemade meals with little meat and a lot of beans. Even after deducting the expenses associated with one or the other of us working - and I do admit that preschool and gas take a big chunk of the second income - the bottom line still shows that we are making more with the second income and that we absolutely need it just to cover the basics.
We have four children and it would be great to have more time with them and feel less stress, but it's just not realistic for us to think that we could survive on just one income. Most families I know really do need two incomes just to get by.
I used to love soya, but after reading about the health concerns of unfermented soya I stopped using it, and switched to nut milk.
I could say that soya milk is really good and healthy. Nice tips.
Where at you it is possible to look Football? The league of champions interests - Spartak - FC Kiev 13.08.
In advance thanks.
I love reading about people who aren't just complaining about the lives they've chosen but are also doing something about it to change it. I love your enthusiasm! I will try anything once especially if it has a chance of getting me out of my lil' rut! Much luck to you on your new found endeavors!
when I have used ebay, I put in as a bid the highest price I am willing to pay for an item; it automatically bids up for you; many times I have gotten the item or items for less than I was willing to pay (top price); if it went over no sweat, I tried again as many times multiple items of similar things come up; if someone wanted to pay higher than my i would pay for it, i didn't worry; so I don't understand what all the hoopla is; being frugal by nature, I will not pay over a certain amount for an item; if it goes far past what i will pay as top dollar let someone else spend their $ for it; I am more than willing to wait; if your price is lower than you want to pay to get a "deal" then you should not be upset if you don't get it; I may put $20.00 as top bid; if the bidding is only $4.70 & at the last minute folks are bidding $5 or $6 ebay automatically ups my bid; if someone is willing to pay $25 for what I would pay $20 tops for let them have it! seems easy enough for me! what amazes me continually with ebay is that folks will pay FAR MORE for the item just to "win" the bid; that to me is asinine but to each their own; if I can buy locally something for $15 but try & get it for under that with S&H etc; why would I pay $20 or higher?
A friend told me recently about a free online personal budgeting utility, I have used it for over three month now and it is too good to be free. "Out Of The Dark" (OOTD) is simple, powerful, and anonymous to use (no poking into your personal identity or bank accounts), and it's packed full of good guidance and information from the developer and the community of users. I dumped my excel budget once I started using this free online utility and now I can use it from anywhere I have internet access.
You can find it at:
http://www.myexp.org/OOTD_gate.php
Happy budgeting.
Bless someone each and every day. No matter your religion, God can still bless others and it does make a difference.
500 billion blessings to each and everyone who reads this.
Bree.. I will let you know. I just did a batch of pickles based on the recipe I linked to earlier... and did smaller jars this time, one with some fresh green beans and carrot slices in along with the cukes.
We'll see how it goes...
"Either way, this could invigorate eBay auctions, which have been sadly declining over recent years. "
eBay auctions have been declining over recent years, not because of the bidding method, but because of annual February Fiascoes (billing and policy changes) the site implements. I am an ex-Powerseller, able to support my family with my eBay business prior to 2004. The constant increase in fees, lack of support for sellers and massacre of the better-working functions of the site in favor of dumbed-down functions that benefit no one has turned many a seller to other sites, or driven them out of business entirely.
It is time for a challenger to step up and become what eBay promised and never quite fulfilled.
"We move into bigger houses so that we can buy, MORE CRAP".
People who snipe (myself included) will continue to, as it'll still be effective at avoiding a bidding war. Ebay tells you from the start to bid the max you're willing to pay, and they'll automatically bid up to that amount for you. Snipers simply take advantage of the fact that some people refuse to do this for some unknown reason.
The effectiveness of sniping will go down a bit, but don't even dream that it will stop. In fact, I guarantee the sniping services will adapt. If they see the end time has been extended, the bid will get delayed to the new end time. Sure the sniping bid (if higher than the current high bid) will extend the auction, but people aren't going to sit around watching an auction for hours.
Out of stock at my local store :(
Thanks for the heads up though!
Ok, so it's not that healthy, but I deal with it by avoiding the topic of money. What bugs me is when family members (especially parents) try and comment on my spending habits (which I've worked very hard to refine) when they don't know what they're talking about! I find I get angry too easily so I just nod and smile and go about my day...
-Suz
I've said it before. TheGroceryGame.com has saved me tons of time and money by doing my coupon organizing for me! I've teamed up with some local friends as well to do 'team shopping and stockpiling' so that we always have what we need but we don't have to pay full price. It works well.
-Suz
Links to analysis done on online auctions:
Roundtable on the Economics of Internet Auctions
http://www.ftc.gov/be/workshops/internetauction/internetauction.shtm
Lots and lots of papers examining online auctions.
Summary with lots of references at the end:
www.ftc.gov/be/workshops/internetauction/Roundtable_Summary.pdf
of finding the cheapest groceries and buying in bulk. However, my husband and I are currently living in a very small place while we save up some money and it's just not been very practical. Thanks for the great tips on saving money when you can't bulk-buy!
-Suz
Dude, that sounds disgusting... especially the cheeze with katchup!
Try popcorn. It sops up the alcohol, add butter if you need it to be oily.
-Suz
Thanks so much for the suggestions, I'm going to try Fuzer.
-Suz
Wow... That's an AMAZING list. And you tried them! That's crazy!
I'm off to buy some good old-fasioned toothpaste now!
-Suz
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=232111
One of a number of papers written on the subject:
Last Minute Bidding and the Rules for Ending Second-Price Auctions: Theory and Evidence from a Natural Experiment on the Internet
There is a great deal of late bidding on internet second price auctions. We show that this need not result from either common value properties of the objects being sold, or irrational behavior: late bidding can occur at equilibrium even in private value auctions. The reason is that very late bids have a positive probability of not being successfully submitted, and this opens a way for bidders to implicitly collude, and avoid bidding wars, in auctions such as those run by eBay, which have a fixed end time. A natural experiment is available because the auctions on Amazon, while operating under otherwise similar rules, do not have a fixed end time, but continue if necessary past the scheduled end time until ten minutes have passed without a bid. The strategic differences in the auction rules are reflected in the auction data by significantly more late bidding on eBay than on Amazon. Furthermore, more experienced bidders on eBay submit late bids more often than do less experienced bidders, while the effect of experience on Amazon goes in the opposite direction. On eBay, there is also more late bidding for antiques than for computers. We also find scale independence in the distribution over time of bidders' last bids, of a form strikingly similar to the deadline effect' noted in bargaining: last bids are distributed according to a power law. The evidence suggests that multiple causes contribute to late bidding, with strategic issues related to the rules about ending the auction playing an important role.
That should read - seller arranged for someone to bid at the end to keep the auction going - not buyer:-)
This is neither a new nor revolutionary idea. Both Amazon and Yahoo had a similar auction extension rule - I think 10 minutes - back in the days they had auctions.
Notice that neither site still has auctions.
I HATED, HATED, HATED waiting around for another 10 minutes to know if I had the auction or if the buyer had arranged for someone else to up the bid some miniscule amount to keep it going. I won't bid in those kinds of auctions. And I've bought a lot of stuff through online auctions over the years.
I snipe - sometimes I get the item. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I lose to another sniper. Sometimes I pay a maximum bid price that I really, really, wouldn't have bid so high if I'd seriously thought someone else might snipe as high.That's simply the way it goes.
It will be interesting to see if this method fares any better second time around or if it will get as few takers as the first time.
My husband and I try to live on one income and save the entire other one incase of a rainy day, for retirement, or in case we want to change our lifestyle and one of us stay home when the kids come... I think that simply not working because you don't need to is definatley a lifestyle choice that shows off your income level.
-Suz
What a great article, I also enjoyed the introduction to the new time management site. I'll have to check that one out more frequently, I'm always working on managing my time better.
-Suz
Believe me, I have run the numbers again, and again, and again. There is no way we could live on just my husband's or my salary. We live frugally - our clothes are only second hand,we eat mostly homemade meals with little meat and a lot of beans. Even after deducting the expenses associated with one or the other of us working - and I do admit that preschool and gas take a big chunk of the second income - the bottom line still shows that we are making more with the second income and that we absolutely need it just to cover the basics.
We have four children and it would be great to have more time with them and feel less stress, but it's just not realistic for us to think that we could survive on just one income. Most families I know really do need two incomes just to get by.