I disagree with the cell phone fix. I want someone to be able to find my spouse if I have an accident and can't use my phone. My spouse and I keep separate PINs for our cash cards. We never use PINs on our credit cards.
I've been there, too. My car was broken into TWICE last year. I realized that it was the change I had sitting out in the open that attracted the break-in. I wish I had thought of this tactic myself (and kept my loose change in my pocket!). Great post...and the recycle box looks truly recyclable! So, when you're done with it, you can just recycle it.
Great post! I always try to bulk up meals with bread or cheap veggies. Whenever I make single-serve desserts like cookies or brownies, I will either form them small or cut them into small bars after they're baked. Most of the time, people just want one cookie, regardless of how large it is.
For meatballs/burgers/meatloaf type dishes, adding breadcrumbs certainly helps the meat go further without sacrificing much flavor if you add enough seasoning.
I also always dilute dishwashing detergent. It comes so concentrated in the bottles, you only need a small amount anyway.
There's also the Habitat for Humanity Restores -- they offer everything from building materials and home accessories to furniture and appliances at low prices. Some items are new, while others may be gently used. But, all items are donated, keeping them out of the waste stream, and selling these items helps raise money for an important cause.
I just tried this with an everready lantern battery. NO AA cells at all! Just 4 supersize cells about the same diameter as a D cell but about 1 1/2 times as long. Maybe other brands are different, but I'm not going to bother. Lame.
Renting is also a good option if you if you add in the other costs associated with home ownership and DEDUCT them from the rent. For example: Insurance costs, repairs, taxes, etc. These are fixed costs of ownership, and they really add up. Think about the cost of a roof, or a water heater, etc. divide that by 12, deduct that from your rent, and you realize that you can think of it as lower rent. R (rent) - F (fixed costs of owning not including mortgage) = MC (monthly cost). If you put that money (F) in savings every month, presto, you can compare that total to the potential appreciation value of a house. More of an apples to apples thing. A bit simplistic but a very intering comparasion. I have owned and rented, and it is all about wether you save the money.
Well I've moved out today after recieving a 24 hour notice to vacate. We made out 3 month payments and all the rest of them. They still forclosed us and now we have to live in a motel until we can find a rental
For assembly instructions, try ikeafans.com. They have PDFs of the assembly instructions for virtually every product IKEA sells and you can search the forums for guidance on your particular product. I always look up the assembly instructions BEFORE I buy a piece so I know what I'm getting into. This site is a HUGE help if you do an IKEA kitchen but also great for other product resources.
For the more DIY creative types, there is a whole counterculture of IKEA hacking - taking standard IKEA products and repurposing or recreating them. Check out ikeahackers.net for fabulous creative examples.
This is a good idea that I'm going to pass along to some of the people I know. However, this needs to be used ANY time you leave stuff in the car, not just the "long periods of time" you mention at the outset. I've had my car broken into where all they got was the miscellaneous change on the dashboard.
Also, parking in a busier area is no protection. It takes a fraction of a second for someone to pop a window out & grab whatever they can see, and it doesn't make much, if any noise.
I work in a building with windows facing our exceptionally busy parking lot, with a popular playground also facing the lot, and we still have 4-6 car break-ins a year - that aren't noticed until after the fact. The thiefs work under cover of the comings & goings (in a less-busy area they'd be more noticeable).
i agree that this article is useless. insulting to insinuate that all 20-somethings waste their money on late fees and credit card debt. And rent? Not really a waste since I'm avoiding interest, HOA dues, and general maintenance costs/concerns. Thanks, but with all the money I save on these "expenses" already, i will continue to enjoy a nice night out with my friends/family long past the age of 30.
Hi this is a great forum and I wanted to add some of my thoughts on issues that may not have been touched upon.
My background: I went to a Catholic school K-8 and then a public HS even though I had wanted to go to a Catholic HS. My parents, solidly working class with 5 kids said that they had specifically moved to that neighborhood on Long Island because of the public school system. I got a fantastic education from K-8 and did they drill us on correct grammar! I got a wonderful education in HS with many teachers caring about me and my future. Some crucial points though: my HS had only 850 children. I graduated number 10 without much effort, and playing 2 sports a year. Got into an Ivy League college.
Now we have four kids, one of whom has ADHD, and we are trying to make the decision about whether or not to invest in private HS for them, which, all in , would cost us close to 200k for all of them. We will certainly have to be very frugal to make this work. Not to mention having very little saved for their college.
The public school here is 'good' but huge with 2000 kids. This concerns me. How could a teacher possibly care about my child and his future? How could they have the time?
According to my daughter, who attends the public secondary school that feeds into the public HS, there is a lot of disrespect toward teachers, and a lot of teachers who won't (can't?) stop such behavior. She says she often does the work on her own because the class is disruptive. She is in honors classes. She often comes home and looks on google to understand an algebra concept and I ask her, "can't you stay after class and ask the teacher to explain it more?" and her reply is, "we are not allowed, there is only enough time to get to your next class."
She'll do fine because she is self-motivated, but she won't have what I had in my public HS unless we pay for private HS.
People say it is important for children to not be put under a bell jar or in a rarefied atmosphere during school-that there are all types out there in the world and they had better get used to that. While I agree with that in theory, in reality, while my boys are in their formative and turbulent high school years, I would much prefer that they be in an orderly school with discipline where learning is respected and not ridiculed as uncool.
So I think it the decision really depends more on the size of the class and the discipline in the school more so than whether it is private or public.
After I started working from home, I noticed that I would dress a lot nicer than I used to for regular errands in order to counteract the feeling of spending most of the day in my pajamas/ridiculous-looking "no one is going to see this" work-at-home outfits.
Having 8 children with another one on the way, I always laugh when I hear how "expensive" children are. What nonsense! You're right on target with what you wrote. A few basic supplies are really all that are necessary. Even if buying all the bells and whistles can be fun with your first pregnancy, they're simply not necessary and tend to just end up clutter that stresses you out.
dont rush things, so stupid, riped two tiles off the wall trying to rush a shower removal. step 1 remove shower, step 2 learn to tile, step three, pay a tiler, step 4 pay someone to fit the shower. haha.
I disagree with the cell phone fix. I want someone to be able to find my spouse if I have an accident and can't use my phone. My spouse and I keep separate PINs for our cash cards. We never use PINs on our credit cards.
I got my first credit card the summer after my freshman year in college. It's been a downward spiral ever since.
I've been there, too. My car was broken into TWICE last year. I realized that it was the change I had sitting out in the open that attracted the break-in. I wish I had thought of this tactic myself (and kept my loose change in my pocket!). Great post...and the recycle box looks truly recyclable! So, when you're done with it, you can just recycle it.
Great post! I always try to bulk up meals with bread or cheap veggies. Whenever I make single-serve desserts like cookies or brownies, I will either form them small or cut them into small bars after they're baked. Most of the time, people just want one cookie, regardless of how large it is.
For meatballs/burgers/meatloaf type dishes, adding breadcrumbs certainly helps the meat go further without sacrificing much flavor if you add enough seasoning.
I also always dilute dishwashing detergent. It comes so concentrated in the bottles, you only need a small amount anyway.
Great idea! We keep our stuff in the trunk in my car as we don't have the canopy issue!
There's also the Habitat for Humanity Restores -- they offer everything from building materials and home accessories to furniture and appliances at low prices. Some items are new, while others may be gently used. But, all items are donated, keeping them out of the waste stream, and selling these items helps raise money for an important cause.
Well, if carjackers read lifehacker, you're out of luck. And so are people who recycle.
Now, if only I could figure out a way to get the government to give me a refund.... :)
It's weird that no one else buys cat litter while wearing sequined high heels.
When you realize that you can no longer afford health care! That's my big reason to remain a cubicle monkey for life. :)
That sounds incredibly good! Thank you for the tip. :)
And now I am officially hungry!
I just tried this with an everready lantern battery. NO AA cells at all! Just 4 supersize cells about the same diameter as a D cell but about 1 1/2 times as long. Maybe other brands are different, but I'm not going to bother. Lame.
Renting is also a good option if you if you add in the other costs associated with home ownership and DEDUCT them from the rent. For example: Insurance costs, repairs, taxes, etc. These are fixed costs of ownership, and they really add up. Think about the cost of a roof, or a water heater, etc. divide that by 12, deduct that from your rent, and you realize that you can think of it as lower rent. R (rent) - F (fixed costs of owning not including mortgage) = MC (monthly cost). If you put that money (F) in savings every month, presto, you can compare that total to the potential appreciation value of a house. More of an apples to apples thing. A bit simplistic but a very intering comparasion. I have owned and rented, and it is all about wether you save the money.
Well I've moved out today after recieving a 24 hour notice to vacate. We made out 3 month payments and all the rest of them. They still forclosed us and now we have to live in a motel until we can find a rental
For assembly instructions, try ikeafans.com. They have PDFs of the assembly instructions for virtually every product IKEA sells and you can search the forums for guidance on your particular product. I always look up the assembly instructions BEFORE I buy a piece so I know what I'm getting into. This site is a HUGE help if you do an IKEA kitchen but also great for other product resources.
For the more DIY creative types, there is a whole counterculture of IKEA hacking - taking standard IKEA products and repurposing or recreating them. Check out ikeahackers.net for fabulous creative examples.
This is a good idea that I'm going to pass along to some of the people I know. However, this needs to be used ANY time you leave stuff in the car, not just the "long periods of time" you mention at the outset. I've had my car broken into where all they got was the miscellaneous change on the dashboard.
Also, parking in a busier area is no protection. It takes a fraction of a second for someone to pop a window out & grab whatever they can see, and it doesn't make much, if any noise.
I work in a building with windows facing our exceptionally busy parking lot, with a popular playground also facing the lot, and we still have 4-6 car break-ins a year - that aren't noticed until after the fact. The thiefs work under cover of the comings & goings (in a less-busy area they'd be more noticeable).
i agree that this article is useless. insulting to insinuate that all 20-somethings waste their money on late fees and credit card debt. And rent? Not really a waste since I'm avoiding interest, HOA dues, and general maintenance costs/concerns. Thanks, but with all the money I save on these "expenses" already, i will continue to enjoy a nice night out with my friends/family long past the age of 30.
Hi this is a great forum and I wanted to add some of my thoughts on issues that may not have been touched upon.
My background: I went to a Catholic school K-8 and then a public HS even though I had wanted to go to a Catholic HS. My parents, solidly working class with 5 kids said that they had specifically moved to that neighborhood on Long Island because of the public school system. I got a fantastic education from K-8 and did they drill us on correct grammar! I got a wonderful education in HS with many teachers caring about me and my future. Some crucial points though: my HS had only 850 children. I graduated number 10 without much effort, and playing 2 sports a year. Got into an Ivy League college.
Now we have four kids, one of whom has ADHD, and we are trying to make the decision about whether or not to invest in private HS for them, which, all in , would cost us close to 200k for all of them. We will certainly have to be very frugal to make this work. Not to mention having very little saved for their college.
The public school here is 'good' but huge with 2000 kids. This concerns me. How could a teacher possibly care about my child and his future? How could they have the time?
According to my daughter, who attends the public secondary school that feeds into the public HS, there is a lot of disrespect toward teachers, and a lot of teachers who won't (can't?) stop such behavior. She says she often does the work on her own because the class is disruptive. She is in honors classes. She often comes home and looks on google to understand an algebra concept and I ask her, "can't you stay after class and ask the teacher to explain it more?" and her reply is, "we are not allowed, there is only enough time to get to your next class."
She'll do fine because she is self-motivated, but she won't have what I had in my public HS unless we pay for private HS.
People say it is important for children to not be put under a bell jar or in a rarefied atmosphere during school-that there are all types out there in the world and they had better get used to that. While I agree with that in theory, in reality, while my boys are in their formative and turbulent high school years, I would much prefer that they be in an orderly school with discipline where learning is respected and not ridiculed as uncool.
So I think it the decision really depends more on the size of the class and the discipline in the school more so than whether it is private or public.
After I started working from home, I noticed that I would dress a lot nicer than I used to for regular errands in order to counteract the feeling of spending most of the day in my pajamas/ridiculous-looking "no one is going to see this" work-at-home outfits.
At my first job I was let go after 4 1/2 years. I asked for and recieved my 401(k) match (that only vested after 5 years).
It can work.
Having 8 children with another one on the way, I always laugh when I hear how "expensive" children are. What nonsense! You're right on target with what you wrote. A few basic supplies are really all that are necessary. Even if buying all the bells and whistles can be fun with your first pregnancy, they're simply not necessary and tend to just end up clutter that stresses you out.
dont rush things, so stupid, riped two tiles off the wall trying to rush a shower removal. step 1 remove shower, step 2 learn to tile, step three, pay a tiler, step 4 pay someone to fit the shower. haha.
The new star bucks drinks (veinte?) I can only imagine will be 25% than the current Grande. That will bring you out of a deep slumber in no time.
Same thing happened to me today... Netspend Debit Mastercard. Cutting it and throwing it away. Tnx for the info.