Recent comments

  • Getting Fired? Ask One Question to Get Free Money   15 years 7 weeks ago

    Another idea? Ask for more severance pay, especially if you're might have a cause for unlawful discharge.

    Two days after hitting 50, I was laid off after twenty years with a company. (This was after the company had been sold for the third time, with management becoming more clueless each time. Believe me, I was ready to go.) They offered me 10 weeks severance pay and wanted me to sign a waiver.

    I had no interest in suing, so I said I'd think about it and kept them waiting for two weeks. Then I politely said I thought I deserved a bit more and hinted that the waiver seemed a bit complex and I might need to have my lawyer look at it. (I had no lawyer.)

    They ended up giving me fifteen weeks. I later checked and the waiver was a standard "You agree not to sue us for ageism" document.

  • 17 Uses for Stale Bread   15 years 7 weeks ago

    If you don't use a whole loaf of fresh bread fast enough to keep it from getting stale, just freeze half the loaf. Make sure you don't stack anything atop in in the freezer, unless you like deformed bread. Let it thaw on the counter for a half-hour and it'll taste like it's a day old.

  • How Much Does Your Credit Card Debt Cost You?   15 years 7 weeks ago

    There is a simpler preventive measure. Realize that at t 20% annual interest, a $100 purchase with one month's interest costs $101.16.

    Given the choice of buying something for cash now for $100 and the same thing for cash in one month for $101.16, why would you take the "pay it one month later, more expensively" option?

    it's very basic.

  • 17 Uses for Stale Bread   15 years 7 weeks ago

    "...but seagulls aren't really birds, are they? No, they are just big, flying cockroaches,..."
    So funny and true, I just love this! :-)

  • When Being an Entrepreneur Isn't Sexy   15 years 7 weeks ago

    Yes - I'm holding a regular job simply because I not only couldn't get individual health insurance (pre-existing condition, one real & one fabricated by the insurance company when they misread my records), even if I could have found some it would have been too costly.

    When I did briefly work from home, I liked the flexibility of hours during the day - being able to interweave work & personal time to make it a more organic way of living - as opposed to the usual dichotomy between work time & home time.

  • How Much Caffeine is in That?   15 years 7 weeks ago

    Interesting read. I was surprised that expresso didn't have as much caffeine as I thought. Back in college I did a paper on caffeine. It is actually a banned substance and is tested for in drug doping because of it's stimulant effects. The banned limit is about the equivalent of about 8 or 9 cups of brewed coffee. More than most "normal" people would drink at a time.

  • Breaking the Bread Code: How to Get the Freshest Loaf   15 years 7 weeks ago

    Didn't they dig up a 40 year old loaf of Wonderbread and it was still fresh?

  • 7 Monthly Expenses We Don't Realize We Don't Need   15 years 7 weeks ago

    I don't get why all these articles say you don't "need" a land line phone. My land line is only $25/mo & I have no cell. Why does everyone "need" a cell phone? Bet most people don't pay less than $25/mo for a cell unless it's a prepaid one.

  • Used Skis   15 years 7 weeks ago

    I ordered from galactic snow sports and the tracking number they gave me is invalid and UPS has not record of them making a shipment to me, but my card certainly has been charged. They could be a scam / identity theft scam.... or have the worst customer service in the world, as I've been trying for days to speak to someone, have left message, etc.... and no reply. Checked the Better Business Bureau (which I should have done before purchasing). They're rated "F" (horrible). So, looks like its time to have the credit card company dispute the bill and alert all other agencies about potential fraud. Sometimes you're better off paying a bit more and dealing with a local shop. I learned my lessons. Hopefully it's not too painful of a lesson.

  • United World College: Study Abroad For Way Less Than You Think   15 years 7 weeks ago

    Yes, it is too good to be true. UWC , does not treat every one the same. How one gets treated depends on national committees , they have their own rules; which is not necessarily fair and transparent. The statement “Students are selected to UWC on the basis of personal merit and potential. Race, gender, religion, politics and ability to pay are not considered during the selection process.” Is NOT true at all.

  • Disguise Your Stuff to Prevent Car Break-ins   15 years 7 weeks ago

    And I thought I was the only one who did this!!!

  • Dilutions of Grandeur: Stretch Your Food at Every Meal   15 years 7 weeks ago

    To stretch beef stew, try ladling it over white or brown rice. Of course homemade stew offers the very best savings, but even Campbells Chunky Sirloin Burger is more affordable (and just as yummy) with this trick!

    A great way to stretch (and boost nutrients of) spaghetti sauce is to add a cup or two of fresh pureed spinach. Whisk with an immersion blender and your kids won't even know they're getting green veggies.

  • How Wisebread helped me get 45mpg out of my 28mpg car.   15 years 7 weeks ago

    I drive an '05 buick rainier, the guage cluster info center was telling me that the previous driver was getting an average of 13.7 mpg, combined city and highway, then I reset the guage, and because of simple hypermiling, and oil change, and transfer case oil change, reinflated tires, and the slow and steady pace plus gut wrenching exit ramps (50 mph was my fastest and scariest cloverleaf, coming off of the highway), I have had my fuel economy peak at 27 mpg, in an awd, heavy, cumbersome, v6, SUV, only issue, town driving, 30 mph, is 25 less than ultimate....
    one other thing, hypermiling even works on crotch rockets, I had to fill my tank 3 times to get to drive 134 mi, after, I could do the whole thing on 5 gallons, 12 bucks for a 134 mi commute is pretty nice...

  • Search Online for a Fix before You Toss that Broken Gadget   15 years 7 weeks ago

    Getting into wisebread late. but better late than never!! Another great site out there to repair your own stuff is http://www.appliancerepairlesson.com it offers videos for a lot of appliances if you're not too handy but can follow directions. It's especially easy because it's all visual.

  • How Long Can You Stay in Your Home After You Stop Paying the Mortgage?   15 years 7 weeks ago

    i don't think people intentionally plan not to pay the mortgage, if you lost your job and truly can't pay the mortgage just encouraging them to pay and not feed their kid is not the solution. and who do you think messed up the economy, its the politicians and bankers, they approved alot of people who are not qualified to buy a house, and don't forget its not the people faults when the freaking company outsource all the jobs. so do what you need to survive, the freaking bankers and stock holders are not getting hungry because you didn't pay mortgage. once we lost the middle class america we will be a third world country, we gonna end up crossing the border to mexico where they outsource our jobs.

  • Ask the Readers: When Did You Get Your First Credit Card?   15 years 7 weeks ago

    I was 22 and had just graduated college. I wish that I had gotten my first credit card much earlier, preferably in high school, so I could have started building credit sooner. Now I make money off of credit cards by paying off my balances in full each month with cards that have no annual fees and cash back programs.

  • Disguise Your Stuff to Prevent Car Break-ins   15 years 7 weeks ago

    This also works in reverse. If you have some junk you want to get rid of just put it in a box and wrap it with birthday or Christmas wrapping paper. Leave it in your unlocked car on the street and it will be gone in a flash.

  • Disguise Your Stuff to Prevent Car Break-ins   15 years 7 weeks ago

    This could also work with a laundry basket. If someone sees a laundry basket, they expect you to be too cheap to afford a washer/dryer (or they may think you are living in your car) and may be less inclined to break in.

    A (fake) severely soiled diaper or underwear on the front passenger seat would be another deterrent.

  • When Being an Entrepreneur Isn't Sexy   15 years 7 weeks ago

    Yes all true, but as an entrepenuer who has paid his due, I look back now and say- I am so glad I left the cube 12 years ago. For the freedom alone- I vacation when I want, I am picking my son up a school for bike rides at least one day a week. i live where i want. Sure it is no less hours per week and the stress does stay more constant, but for me the trade- offs are worth it.

  • How Much Caffeine is in That?   15 years 7 weeks ago

    The stats for energy drinks are actually sometimes inaccurate based on what you read on the container. The FDA doesn't regulate these, as they are considered supplements, and so the manufacturer doesn't have to divulge caffeine content from things like guarana and other sources.
    Pat
    http://compoundingreturns.blogspot.com

  • Receiving Your Tax Refund in Savings Bonds   15 years 7 weeks ago

    Yeah, yeah, yeah....never lose value....
    UNTIL inflation hits 6 or 7% (hello? health care?)
    and the government "CPI" says inflation is non-existent.....
    (My cynicism is directed more at the government, not the blog so much)

  • 5 Expenses to Ditch After Age 30   15 years 7 weeks ago

    All the offended remarks are amusing.....and would be easier to take seriously
    if SO MANY PEOPLE (of all ages, I know) didn't in fact waste money in just those
    ways :)

  • Ask the Readers: When Did You Get Your First Credit Card?   15 years 7 weeks ago

    That's great your parents gave you clear instructions as to how you should use your credit card. It sounds like they really set you up to use your card responsibly!

  • Ask the Readers: When Did You Get Your First Credit Card?   15 years 7 weeks ago

    I think that's my biggest fear is getting a credit card and then having things go downhill. It happens to so many people, you are definitely not alone!

  • Ask the Readers: When Did You Get Your First Credit Card?   15 years 7 weeks ago

    Good point Emily!