I purchased a MacBook 3.5 years ago and I just resold it for 40% of what I paid for it (including what I paid for the extended warranty). A similar performing non Apple laptop would have been cheaper at the time of purchase, but more expensive in the long term because it would not have been possible to resell it for so much.
Great tips! I got the letter from Chase too and even though I have had them for years, I did my research and switched banks before the fee went into place. This info could have come in handy a couple weeks ago ;)
"You may have some angst about your future, and you may wonder why you can’t afford what your parents did..."
We have angst not because we can't afford what our parents have, but because our parents couldn't afford it either! They have had the last thirty years of fictitious prosperity to live far above their means, and now they want us to help pay for it. It is irresponsible and absurd to the highest degree.
The young workers of today understand that they will burden the costs of out-of-control entitlements. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are entirely unaffordable, yet we will be asked to pay for them knowing that the chance of us getting to benefit from them is slim to none.
The Baby Boomers have sold their children down the river. Generational warfare is coming.
A rice cake with a layer of Nutella and a layer of peanut butter is an old standbye for me. Put it in a little round plastic box with toothpicks protuding to prevent all being smashed.
Guest,
Taste it. If it is sweet, it is not ready. Yeast does not do well in cold weather. Turbo is usually ready in 24-48 hours. I would not worry so much about the cloudiness, if you are distilling. You only need to clear what you drink, like beer and wine. If there is an abundance of yeast, you may consider distilling a little slower so as not to scorch the yeast. When you pour it in the still, try not to dump in the sludge at the bottom.
If they have fermented out to the maximum amount Turbo can do, then you could also have extra sugar left over. Double check your figures for sugar-water ratio. Turbo gives you double digit alcohol. If you did the math right, there is no sugar left to grow 'lil beasties. There is a way for it to turn to vinegar, so watch out for that too. As it sits on dead yeast cells, the taste will change some, and carry over thru the still. If you pull it off the dead yeast, and let it clear, then pull it again, you should be able to last some time in the cold. If you can put it in the snow, and let it freeze, it will last all winter. Thaw it out when you want to distill it. It's GREAT to live up north. I store mine in the igloo, lol.
Willieboy,
The amount you would use is unsure. The way to use it, is speculative. For sake, they would put it directly on the steamed rice. The rice would dissolve into a thick, sticky, sweat paste. For our use, we would add malt at that time to break down the sugars in preparation for yeast. That is where the second enzyme would be used. I think some malted barley would be great here.
One recipe used 1/2 teaspoon to 1 quart of rice. Sounds like you could crush cooked potato and put a drop on it and see if it dissolves the whole thing. Try it with a raw potato and see also. Goal is to use as little energy as you can. If it dissolves one potato, try 2. Then 3, 4 and so on till one drop will not convert the starch. Not sure if dissolving it in water to cover more space would help. Try it at different temps as well. From what I have read, seems to be more effective at higher temps 50 60 and 70 C. There is a cut over where it is too hot and stops the process. If you can get it down to the detailed list, say 65 C, a bushel of potatoes and 4 drops of A enzyme 1 B enzyme, then we would have a recipe. Not sure if this will work, but just a goal. This is a fast process. From what I have seen, we are talking just a handful of hours. I guess it would make a difference on the amount of enzyme and temps.
This is such a delicate matter, isn't it? - accepting unwanted gifts from loved ones, trying to figure out whether it's worth it to wound the person by letting them know you're not really into what they're giving you. Seems like a good solution in your case would be to accept those checks and make the donation to charity yourself...that way if your charity of choice changes over the years you can redirect the money as desired. As for the unwanted knickknacks and so forth - giving them a new home on Freecycle is a way to get rid of them AND feel good about yourself since you're giving them to someone who actually WANTS the stuff! And maybe if you continue to give homemade gifts, the recepients will get the drift and remember that THAT is what you're in to!
My horror story is as follows. I deposited a $2500 check into my 5/3 checking account and promply wrote two checks for $500 and $1000 but making sure I had the deposit in the bank. I had serveral outstanding checks which I was aware of so I knew the $1000 left along with my checking balance would more than cover all outstanding checks and bank card charges. My mistake. The bank held the check and then sequenced the overdrafts that occured from high to low amounts so instead of $50 in fees for two overdrafts. I was charged for 4 overdraft fees. The two lesser overdrafts were $4.36 and $1.46 respectfully. The bank did pay the checks/bank card transactions because they knew the money was there. They showed documentation of the $2500 being post but in a separate letter on-line they said it was unavailable funds. I like the people but hate the bank's policies.
gleem
I haven't tried this exercise yet but your comment got to me. My inability to love myself makes me dread being with people and try way too hard to please people. It keeps me from having a job even though I have a Masters degree. Thankfully I have a great husband that respects my mental health issues. I care for my 2 young children and teenaged foster child now so I am never away from people. I fear very much what will happen in 3 years when all of my children are in school all day and have social lives that don't always involve me. I fear I will be very lonely. Maybe I should join something or slip into the back of some club. Maybe I should try to open my life up like you. Maybe I would lfind that I miss people too. Thanks for the comment, might have helped me more than the exercise!
I love eggs, too. I really think this is a good article, because it highlights the many different uses that egg can come in handy. For my I like to watch what I eat and I'm very concerned with my fitness as well. For me I incorporate eggs into my diet by mixing raw eggs with my protein drinks. Although I don't mixed just regular raw eggs,I use pasteurized eggs, like you mentioned in the article. Like I said, I tend to watch what I eat and with the recent egg recalls, I don't think you can ever be too sure. I have been using them for the last few years now, for basically all my egg-based foods. But great info here.
Thanks
Almond butter is great. So is almond cheese to replace dairy for those allergic to dairy. Substitutions are always welcome. This is really just to get your thoughts swirling to think outside the "lunch box" when gluten free lunches get monotonous. Adapt away, to your own special allergy needs.
Amazon Mom has worked great for us. I'm paying about $22 for a box and having it shipped to my home. I used to buy the same box at Costco for about $26 and I had to drive to get them and would then spend more money while I was there. 18 cents/diaper is pretty good!
This is something I agree with. Every year right after the new fiscal year we are told things are looking up and there are new goals and then a few weeks later we are called into the conference room and are told that a few people are laid off. And I love how they say that it is only two or only one and that no one else is going anywhere but I know better. I used to bury my head in the sand because I used to think that things would just work out but it don't work that way. I always say be very cognizant of what goes on.
So far I have never been officially laid off from any company; however, there were times when I felt that the employers didn't really want me around. When I was 15 years old I worked as a camp counselor and got one of the best ratings. When I returned for another summer I was kind of treated like crap. They would give groups to other counselors who didn't get the best ratings while I had to wait to get a group even thought I was hired for the summer. The excuse was they were overstaffed. When I look back on this I believe this was their way of trying to get rid of me without firing me so that it would make their life easier.
The second and third camp counseling jobs after this one the staff just totally ignored me unless they really had to talk to me. Even at other jobs I would see things not just with me but with other employees when the employers would just behave like they were children and treat their underlings like crap.
Later when I graduated from college and worked, I have witnessed a lot of position eliminations as a result of an employee resigning or the employer simply laid him/her off. In addition I often noticed everytime we got a new head there were always changes across the board and those changes meant letting go employees. And they would do a lot of stuff as mentioned in this article to make it like it wasn't the employees fault and most of the time it wasn't their fault. I finally got a reality check over a year ago when the new CEO came into the organization and we didn't get a raise for the year. It hit me later when my boss was being let go and a new boss took his place. It turned out this boss and the CEO were friends and came from the same company. Later there were so many more meetings, company lunches and parties that I felt in my mind were not necessary and are not cost effective. The turning point was when the CEO got pregnant that I realize something. The employers could afford to have parties, meetings and social events but they can't afford to pay their employees any money and it is sad.
Rule of thumb for any company: If there is a new boss, there are changes on the horizon. So be prepared. Another rule of thumb: If an employer ignores you despite the fact that you are a good worker and your evaulation is great, take it as a sign that you should go for greener pastures.
Good ideas, but I am curious to see peanut butter on the list. Due to more and more kids being allergic to peanuts, I now have to use almond butter instead of peanut butter.
Good post exploring some ways a person may save money in the new year. I think many people would find the "pay only with cash" option an interesting exercise or practice.
wow, and i just had two horizon choc milk n thought I was doing something!!! and it was good...datblasted might as well drink my Starbucks Frappuccino...dam.
I recently read an article that told how to recycle old ink cartridges. In attempting to locate the article, found yours. I clicked on the link for "Cash4cartridges". I wouldn't bother. They have only one listed for Epson! (my printer), and most of the few they DO list they don't currently accept. Too bad, I would have liked to recycle rather than put in the landfill.
I got that same letter from Chase about my checking acct. I have already sent them a letter to close the account, which seems to be taking a very long time. Anyway, this will be the third checking account I've now closed in order to avoid these new fees. So far, luckily, our local bank is still offering free checking, so closing these other big-name-bank accounts isn't really causing any problem. However, it's quite annoying since all of them were opened specifically because the bank promised free checking, not free-until-we-need-more-money checking... Thanks for the link to FindABetterBank.com. I may end up using that if this trend continues.
@Rob Rubin - Thanks for commenting on my article. Though it's awful that banks are raising fees this year, it's good to know your site is already on top of that information giving consumers a way to compare banks and rates. This service is very helpful. Thanks again for the additional information.
Wow, Olivia - $84 a week for a family of four seems amazing to me. I agree the numbers are inflated a bit because they include both eating out/take out meals and make at home meals. So for families who avoid this for the most part, you're bound to spend a lot less but I'd love to hear how you manage $84 a week for four people. Do you use a lot of coupons? Do you prepare meals with meat or are you a vegetarian family?
Articles by this writer are so sharp and to the point, that I fear it won't be long before the internet will not feature them anymore. It's awesome how Mr. Brewer can criticize the most important flaw in the American society without getting irrationally hostile towards the "oppressive" party (ie. business owners, managers, government). His articles are educational and caring, not to mention optimistic. This is truly refreshing to see.
I've discussed this issue numerous times among my friends and acquaintances alike, and am of the exact same opinion: the problem in reclaiming personal freedom is not the mere existence of student loans, mortgages and credit cards, but the fact that so many young people are trapped before most of them are able to make informed decisions about the feasibility of the loans they take on and that follow them for life. College students are lead to believe that more jobs are available than there really are. People buying new houses commit to a career lifetime loan at a certain location, but soon afterwards get laid off. At best they find a new job in the same metropolis area, but end up commuting up to 4 hours per day. The hassle of relocating all of one's possessions to a new address is peanuts compared to the hassle of actually selling the house in the recent post-bubble economy.
Kids should be given to watch "horror" documentaries of armies of fallen disillusioned people and indefinitely deferred dreams. Then they can decide for themselves if the sob stories of "other losers" are in fact on to something.
Another thing to consider: resale value
I purchased a MacBook 3.5 years ago and I just resold it for 40% of what I paid for it (including what I paid for the extended warranty). A similar performing non Apple laptop would have been cheaper at the time of purchase, but more expensive in the long term because it would not have been possible to resell it for so much.
Great tips! I got the letter from Chase too and even though I have had them for years, I did my research and switched banks before the fee went into place. This info could have come in handy a couple weeks ago ;)
"You may have some angst about your future, and you may wonder why you can’t afford what your parents did..."
We have angst not because we can't afford what our parents have, but because our parents couldn't afford it either! They have had the last thirty years of fictitious prosperity to live far above their means, and now they want us to help pay for it. It is irresponsible and absurd to the highest degree.
The young workers of today understand that they will burden the costs of out-of-control entitlements. Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are entirely unaffordable, yet we will be asked to pay for them knowing that the chance of us getting to benefit from them is slim to none.
The Baby Boomers have sold their children down the river. Generational warfare is coming.
A rice cake with a layer of Nutella and a layer of peanut butter is an old standbye for me. Put it in a little round plastic box with toothpicks protuding to prevent all being smashed.
Guest,
Taste it. If it is sweet, it is not ready. Yeast does not do well in cold weather. Turbo is usually ready in 24-48 hours. I would not worry so much about the cloudiness, if you are distilling. You only need to clear what you drink, like beer and wine. If there is an abundance of yeast, you may consider distilling a little slower so as not to scorch the yeast. When you pour it in the still, try not to dump in the sludge at the bottom.
If they have fermented out to the maximum amount Turbo can do, then you could also have extra sugar left over. Double check your figures for sugar-water ratio. Turbo gives you double digit alcohol. If you did the math right, there is no sugar left to grow 'lil beasties. There is a way for it to turn to vinegar, so watch out for that too. As it sits on dead yeast cells, the taste will change some, and carry over thru the still. If you pull it off the dead yeast, and let it clear, then pull it again, you should be able to last some time in the cold. If you can put it in the snow, and let it freeze, it will last all winter. Thaw it out when you want to distill it. It's GREAT to live up north. I store mine in the igloo, lol.
Willieboy,
The amount you would use is unsure. The way to use it, is speculative. For sake, they would put it directly on the steamed rice. The rice would dissolve into a thick, sticky, sweat paste. For our use, we would add malt at that time to break down the sugars in preparation for yeast. That is where the second enzyme would be used. I think some malted barley would be great here.
One recipe used 1/2 teaspoon to 1 quart of rice. Sounds like you could crush cooked potato and put a drop on it and see if it dissolves the whole thing. Try it with a raw potato and see also. Goal is to use as little energy as you can. If it dissolves one potato, try 2. Then 3, 4 and so on till one drop will not convert the starch. Not sure if dissolving it in water to cover more space would help. Try it at different temps as well. From what I have read, seems to be more effective at higher temps 50 60 and 70 C. There is a cut over where it is too hot and stops the process. If you can get it down to the detailed list, say 65 C, a bushel of potatoes and 4 drops of A enzyme 1 B enzyme, then we would have a recipe. Not sure if this will work, but just a goal. This is a fast process. From what I have seen, we are talking just a handful of hours. I guess it would make a difference on the amount of enzyme and temps.
This is such a delicate matter, isn't it? - accepting unwanted gifts from loved ones, trying to figure out whether it's worth it to wound the person by letting them know you're not really into what they're giving you. Seems like a good solution in your case would be to accept those checks and make the donation to charity yourself...that way if your charity of choice changes over the years you can redirect the money as desired. As for the unwanted knickknacks and so forth - giving them a new home on Freecycle is a way to get rid of them AND feel good about yourself since you're giving them to someone who actually WANTS the stuff! And maybe if you continue to give homemade gifts, the recepients will get the drift and remember that THAT is what you're in to!
Really helpfull info. Thank you. Can I also use the strainer for guavas?
Nice article. Good links in the comments. I'll share one too. Check out these moonshine still kits. Anyone have experience with them?
My horror story is as follows. I deposited a $2500 check into my 5/3 checking account and promply wrote two checks for $500 and $1000 but making sure I had the deposit in the bank. I had serveral outstanding checks which I was aware of so I knew the $1000 left along with my checking balance would more than cover all outstanding checks and bank card charges. My mistake. The bank held the check and then sequenced the overdrafts that occured from high to low amounts so instead of $50 in fees for two overdrafts. I was charged for 4 overdraft fees. The two lesser overdrafts were $4.36 and $1.46 respectfully. The bank did pay the checks/bank card transactions because they knew the money was there. They showed documentation of the $2500 being post but in a separate letter on-line they said it was unavailable funds. I like the people but hate the bank's policies.
gleem
I haven't tried this exercise yet but your comment got to me. My inability to love myself makes me dread being with people and try way too hard to please people. It keeps me from having a job even though I have a Masters degree. Thankfully I have a great husband that respects my mental health issues. I care for my 2 young children and teenaged foster child now so I am never away from people. I fear very much what will happen in 3 years when all of my children are in school all day and have social lives that don't always involve me. I fear I will be very lonely. Maybe I should join something or slip into the back of some club. Maybe I should try to open my life up like you. Maybe I would lfind that I miss people too. Thanks for the comment, might have helped me more than the exercise!
I love eggs, too. I really think this is a good article, because it highlights the many different uses that egg can come in handy. For my I like to watch what I eat and I'm very concerned with my fitness as well. For me I incorporate eggs into my diet by mixing raw eggs with my protein drinks. Although I don't mixed just regular raw eggs,I use pasteurized eggs, like you mentioned in the article. Like I said, I tend to watch what I eat and with the recent egg recalls, I don't think you can ever be too sure. I have been using them for the last few years now, for basically all my egg-based foods. But great info here.
Thanks
Almond butter is great. So is almond cheese to replace dairy for those allergic to dairy. Substitutions are always welcome. This is really just to get your thoughts swirling to think outside the "lunch box" when gluten free lunches get monotonous. Adapt away, to your own special allergy needs.
Amazon Mom has worked great for us. I'm paying about $22 for a box and having it shipped to my home. I used to buy the same box at Costco for about $26 and I had to drive to get them and would then spend more money while I was there. 18 cents/diaper is pretty good!
This is something I agree with. Every year right after the new fiscal year we are told things are looking up and there are new goals and then a few weeks later we are called into the conference room and are told that a few people are laid off. And I love how they say that it is only two or only one and that no one else is going anywhere but I know better. I used to bury my head in the sand because I used to think that things would just work out but it don't work that way. I always say be very cognizant of what goes on.
So far I have never been officially laid off from any company; however, there were times when I felt that the employers didn't really want me around. When I was 15 years old I worked as a camp counselor and got one of the best ratings. When I returned for another summer I was kind of treated like crap. They would give groups to other counselors who didn't get the best ratings while I had to wait to get a group even thought I was hired for the summer. The excuse was they were overstaffed. When I look back on this I believe this was their way of trying to get rid of me without firing me so that it would make their life easier.
The second and third camp counseling jobs after this one the staff just totally ignored me unless they really had to talk to me. Even at other jobs I would see things not just with me but with other employees when the employers would just behave like they were children and treat their underlings like crap.
Later when I graduated from college and worked, I have witnessed a lot of position eliminations as a result of an employee resigning or the employer simply laid him/her off. In addition I often noticed everytime we got a new head there were always changes across the board and those changes meant letting go employees. And they would do a lot of stuff as mentioned in this article to make it like it wasn't the employees fault and most of the time it wasn't their fault. I finally got a reality check over a year ago when the new CEO came into the organization and we didn't get a raise for the year. It hit me later when my boss was being let go and a new boss took his place. It turned out this boss and the CEO were friends and came from the same company. Later there were so many more meetings, company lunches and parties that I felt in my mind were not necessary and are not cost effective. The turning point was when the CEO got pregnant that I realize something. The employers could afford to have parties, meetings and social events but they can't afford to pay their employees any money and it is sad.
Rule of thumb for any company: If there is a new boss, there are changes on the horizon. So be prepared. Another rule of thumb: If an employer ignores you despite the fact that you are a good worker and your evaulation is great, take it as a sign that you should go for greener pastures.
Thank you
Good ideas, but I am curious to see peanut butter on the list. Due to more and more kids being allergic to peanuts, I now have to use almond butter instead of peanut butter.
Good post exploring some ways a person may save money in the new year. I think many people would find the "pay only with cash" option an interesting exercise or practice.
Thank you! Great suggestions. So hard to think straight in the morning, but I'm printing these out to have handy. More, please!
wow, and i just had two horizon choc milk n thought I was doing something!!! and it was good...datblasted might as well drink my Starbucks Frappuccino...dam.
I recently read an article that told how to recycle old ink cartridges. In attempting to locate the article, found yours. I clicked on the link for "Cash4cartridges". I wouldn't bother. They have only one listed for Epson! (my printer), and most of the few they DO list they don't currently accept. Too bad, I would have liked to recycle rather than put in the landfill.
I got that same letter from Chase about my checking acct. I have already sent them a letter to close the account, which seems to be taking a very long time. Anyway, this will be the third checking account I've now closed in order to avoid these new fees. So far, luckily, our local bank is still offering free checking, so closing these other big-name-bank accounts isn't really causing any problem. However, it's quite annoying since all of them were opened specifically because the bank promised free checking, not free-until-we-need-more-money checking... Thanks for the link to FindABetterBank.com. I may end up using that if this trend continues.
@Rob Rubin - Thanks for commenting on my article. Though it's awful that banks are raising fees this year, it's good to know your site is already on top of that information giving consumers a way to compare banks and rates. This service is very helpful. Thanks again for the additional information.
Wow, Olivia - $84 a week for a family of four seems amazing to me. I agree the numbers are inflated a bit because they include both eating out/take out meals and make at home meals. So for families who avoid this for the most part, you're bound to spend a lot less but I'd love to hear how you manage $84 a week for four people. Do you use a lot of coupons? Do you prepare meals with meat or are you a vegetarian family?
So far, so good on Nutrisystem for me! Thank you!
Articles by this writer are so sharp and to the point, that I fear it won't be long before the internet will not feature them anymore. It's awesome how Mr. Brewer can criticize the most important flaw in the American society without getting irrationally hostile towards the "oppressive" party (ie. business owners, managers, government). His articles are educational and caring, not to mention optimistic. This is truly refreshing to see.
I've discussed this issue numerous times among my friends and acquaintances alike, and am of the exact same opinion: the problem in reclaiming personal freedom is not the mere existence of student loans, mortgages and credit cards, but the fact that so many young people are trapped before most of them are able to make informed decisions about the feasibility of the loans they take on and that follow them for life. College students are lead to believe that more jobs are available than there really are. People buying new houses commit to a career lifetime loan at a certain location, but soon afterwards get laid off. At best they find a new job in the same metropolis area, but end up commuting up to 4 hours per day. The hassle of relocating all of one's possessions to a new address is peanuts compared to the hassle of actually selling the house in the recent post-bubble economy.
Kids should be given to watch "horror" documentaries of armies of fallen disillusioned people and indefinitely deferred dreams. Then they can decide for themselves if the sob stories of "other losers" are in fact on to something.