Good to know Mikey, thanks! Now I'm brainstorming all the different ways you may or may not be able to combine some of these ideas...like using my BofA card to buy from MacMall...this feels more like a Apple Price Hacking type post though...
Thanks for reviewing FindABetterBank. We are starting to see banks introduce new fees and adjust minimum requirements to avoid monthly service fees. We believe we're going to start seeing more banks charge annual fees for atm and debit cards. The first iteration will be annual fees for debit "rewards" cards. But soon enough, annual fees will extend to plain debit cards and even atm cards -- particularly on accounts that require no or low minimum balances.
The large national and regional institutions (this group owns about 80% of all household deposits) will be the primary offenders of imposing new fees and raising minimum requirements. It takes energy to switch banks... so they're counting on our inertia (why not? it's worked for them so far). The good news is that there's competition. Online banks are winning customers over with reasonable interest rates on checking and savings accounts, online and mobile apps that negate the need for branches, atm fee rebates and access to large surcharge-free atm networks. Community banks and credit unions are also good -- less expensive -- alternatives. They've overcome their small footprints with similar atm access and rebate policies as online banks. Many of these local institutions offer competitive rates on loans like mortgages and auto loans.
At the end of the day, there will always be no-fee banking options, but you will have to figure out whether it's worth it to switch. We hope FindABetterBank makes this process easier.
I've got lots to do today, but this has been question on my mind as of late. Why do we give gifts? Well, I think there are two sides to the story, first there's the giver. The giver loves to see the reaction on the person's face to whom the gift is going to. I know I do. I love the wrapping process, the unwrapping process, and finally the delight of the receiving person. "Oh, it's just nothing." I say sheepishly. But then the receiver exclaims, "I love it!" or "It's just what I wanted! How did you know?" That is truly a giver's moment!
For the giver, a check in the mail or charity donation just doesn't cut it. Don't get me wrong, it's great to give to charities or cash in the mail, but it cuts out all the reactions to the gift giving process and reactions.
Now onto the second side of the story, the receiver of gifts. From the standpoint of the receiver, it is so nice to receive gifts of thoughtfulness! I cherish a gift from a friend who took the time to get to know me throughout the year and gave me gifts that I either really wanted when we were out shopping together, couldn't afford, or just plain needed. You're correct in your summary that "stuff" is not more of what we need too! Someone's collections is not going to be your collection if you give more of it to them.
As I said there are two sides to this story, but somehow I would feel remiss, if I didn't tie it all up with this. Presence is the most valuable thing you can give to a person. Not just at Christmas time, but throughout the year. Whether it's a phone call, visit, going for coffee, or shopping trip, presence is truly what we need more of from each other. Those times with family and friends are so much more sweeter when we spend it together.
Don't forget the option of skipping the Apple tax altogether! Although Apple is the hot name, many similar products are available for half the cost of what they want. My MP3 player is from Creative. It plays music just as well, has an FM tuner so I can listen to the radio, and has worked for over two years now, and I paid $30 compared to $100 for the similar Apple model (which DIDN'T have an FM tuner).
So there's always the 'Skip Apple' option as well :)
In relation to the EDU comment, Mac has great offers for educators and students with an ID. If you buy a mac notebook around the start of school, they sell the MAC Books at a discount, with a rebate for a free ipod touch (8G) and a free printer. My rebate was received within the month too (fantastic in the rebate world). It may be worth waiting for those deals to pop up if you are looking to buy a new notebook.
If you're shredding a blob of "convenience" checks every month, call and request that they not be sent. Call the customer service number on your card, make your way through the phone tree, and simply ask that they not be sent. Yes, it's a request they can accommodate. I've done it.
Zorcy,
Finally managed to get hold of some alpha amylase. It's in a 100 ml bottle, liquid form. How do I actually use this stuff to convert the cornstarch, potato starch, whatever, into sugar? I mean, at what point do I add it, what temperature should it be at, how long will it take to work, etc...? And how will I know if it's worked and finished doing its job at all? I read somewhere about testing a sample with iodine for a colour change, but is there any easier way, instead of going down the whole research chemist route? Thanks in advance...!
Glad to hear you're going to try the slug control, Money Reasons. My mom always used salt to get rid of the slimy guys -- it's certainly effective, but also seems needlessly gross when a nice line of crumbled shells will hold them back.
Good point about the low-carb, Fairy Dust, and about how well eggs work as a supplement protein in things like stir fries. I recently found a better Pad Thai recipe than the one I had been using, and it calls for an egg. I've since made the recipe with both tofu and shrimp as the main protein, and the egg tastes great with either.
I do agree that receiving payments electronically is much easier than paper checks. It can be done automatically also so that your payments are never late either, thus avoiding further fees.
I have most of these things already, however, it wouldn't hurt to buy a few more candles. We are fortunate to have a gas stove and a gas fireplace. I started to chuckle with No. 20. These items are staples in our home. :)!
We buy refurbished all the time. Not huge savings, but every little bit helps. Another way to save is to ask for the business discount. The stores will take information about your business--usually the discount is about 5%. Not sure if it work online though.
Before the holidays, when I knew that I would be out of town for almost two weeks, I needed to 'empty' my fridge. So for the whole month of December, instead of going grocery shopping, I ate what was there, and only resupplied the very basic, like milk or eggs.
It was a ton of fun to be more imaginative than normal and now at the end of each month, I don't go shopping until every thing is completely empty. It's also nice because I can clean the fridge when its almost empty (except condiments) and fewer things go to waste
Great tips, but there's one thing I'd like to add. When you're shopping for a computer, consider the "all-in" cost. When I bought my Mac laptop, I didn't get a deal on the computer itself but I got free software I would have had to buy and talked my way into a deal on the extended warranty.
My point is there are other ways to save when buying these devices, even if you don't save on the device itself.
I bought a new Macbook Air for $900 in early December from Amazon - $100 less than the Apple Store price. The price was fluctuating day by day and so I just watched it like a hawk.
This also saved me another $100 because buying it from Apple, I would've had to pay tax. Of course, that's only if you live in a state that Amazon doesn't charge tax.
I further lowered the price (to us) by previously sending in my husband's textbooks he was no longer using. They will buy them back for Amazon credits.
I also use the Swagbucks search engine and other Swagbucks tools to get about $25 in Amazon credit every month.
This meant I got the new Macbook Air for about $750 out of pocket.
Plus, I used an American Express rewards card - which had a $250 reward after the first $1000 spent in the first 3 months. Paid the card off immediately, now have $250 to spend on our ongoing home improvement project.
It's a very minor issue because my bank gives them out free but I keep running out of checking registers. It's kind of funny, I'm still on the same book of checks yet I'm on about the tenth register book. I don't write a check more than a few times a year but I still use the paper register log that comes with them. I know I could use software for that but I like the paper log.
Those government figures seem really on the high side. We do a family of four for $84. Granted, we have a very small garden, and a local salvage grocery store to work with, and we eat mostly at home. Still, $84 a week for one person. Wow.
Hi, can you please help me to make my dvd player region free,I own a Pioneer DV-383 and have not been able to make the switch.
I will greatly appreciate your help.
Mike.
Good to know Mikey, thanks! Now I'm brainstorming all the different ways you may or may not be able to combine some of these ideas...like using my BofA card to buy from MacMall...this feels more like a Apple Price Hacking type post though...
Thanks for reviewing FindABetterBank. We are starting to see banks introduce new fees and adjust minimum requirements to avoid monthly service fees. We believe we're going to start seeing more banks charge annual fees for atm and debit cards. The first iteration will be annual fees for debit "rewards" cards. But soon enough, annual fees will extend to plain debit cards and even atm cards -- particularly on accounts that require no or low minimum balances.
The large national and regional institutions (this group owns about 80% of all household deposits) will be the primary offenders of imposing new fees and raising minimum requirements. It takes energy to switch banks... so they're counting on our inertia (why not? it's worked for them so far). The good news is that there's competition. Online banks are winning customers over with reasonable interest rates on checking and savings accounts, online and mobile apps that negate the need for branches, atm fee rebates and access to large surcharge-free atm networks. Community banks and credit unions are also good -- less expensive -- alternatives. They've overcome their small footprints with similar atm access and rebate policies as online banks. Many of these local institutions offer competitive rates on loans like mortgages and auto loans.
At the end of the day, there will always be no-fee banking options, but you will have to figure out whether it's worth it to switch. We hope FindABetterBank makes this process easier.
Rob Rubin
I've got lots to do today, but this has been question on my mind as of late. Why do we give gifts? Well, I think there are two sides to the story, first there's the giver. The giver loves to see the reaction on the person's face to whom the gift is going to. I know I do. I love the wrapping process, the unwrapping process, and finally the delight of the receiving person. "Oh, it's just nothing." I say sheepishly. But then the receiver exclaims, "I love it!" or "It's just what I wanted! How did you know?" That is truly a giver's moment!
For the giver, a check in the mail or charity donation just doesn't cut it. Don't get me wrong, it's great to give to charities or cash in the mail, but it cuts out all the reactions to the gift giving process and reactions.
Now onto the second side of the story, the receiver of gifts. From the standpoint of the receiver, it is so nice to receive gifts of thoughtfulness! I cherish a gift from a friend who took the time to get to know me throughout the year and gave me gifts that I either really wanted when we were out shopping together, couldn't afford, or just plain needed. You're correct in your summary that "stuff" is not more of what we need too! Someone's collections is not going to be your collection if you give more of it to them.
As I said there are two sides to this story, but somehow I would feel remiss, if I didn't tie it all up with this. Presence is the most valuable thing you can give to a person. Not just at Christmas time, but throughout the year. Whether it's a phone call, visit, going for coffee, or shopping trip, presence is truly what we need more of from each other. Those times with family and friends are so much more sweeter when we spend it together.
I have three containers of what I think is finished.....sugar water....turbo yeast...product.
In the past, I had cleared the product with a quick kleer product, with both good and bad results. Maybe I stirred it too vigorously one time. ??
This time, I let them sit for a week. 2 containers outside in near freezing, freezing and below freezing weather, and 1 inside.
All of the containers are now semi clear, 1/2 way down.
Is 'just sitting' an acceptable means of clearing?
How long can I let them sit, before something bad happens?
The membrane pulled from the inside of the eggshell can be used to cover a small burn and speeds healing.
Don't forget the option of skipping the Apple tax altogether! Although Apple is the hot name, many similar products are available for half the cost of what they want. My MP3 player is from Creative. It plays music just as well, has an FM tuner so I can listen to the radio, and has worked for over two years now, and I paid $30 compared to $100 for the similar Apple model (which DIDN'T have an FM tuner).
So there's always the 'Skip Apple' option as well :)
Thanks for mentioning my banana peel post! I had so much fun looking for different ways to reuse the skin.
In relation to the EDU comment, Mac has great offers for educators and students with an ID. If you buy a mac notebook around the start of school, they sell the MAC Books at a discount, with a rebate for a free ipod touch (8G) and a free printer. My rebate was received within the month too (fantastic in the rebate world). It may be worth waiting for those deals to pop up if you are looking to buy a new notebook.
If you're shredding a blob of "convenience" checks every month, call and request that they not be sent. Call the customer service number on your card, make your way through the phone tree, and simply ask that they not be sent. Yes, it's a request they can accommodate. I've done it.
Zorcy,
Finally managed to get hold of some alpha amylase. It's in a 100 ml bottle, liquid form. How do I actually use this stuff to convert the cornstarch, potato starch, whatever, into sugar? I mean, at what point do I add it, what temperature should it be at, how long will it take to work, etc...? And how will I know if it's worked and finished doing its job at all? I read somewhere about testing a sample with iodine for a colour change, but is there any easier way, instead of going down the whole research chemist route? Thanks in advance...!
Glad to hear you're going to try the slug control, Money Reasons. My mom always used salt to get rid of the slimy guys -- it's certainly effective, but also seems needlessly gross when a nice line of crumbled shells will hold them back.
Srah: A link to adorable egg molds and a picture with a mustache mug? You're officially the knower of all cute kitchen items.
Mmm, scrambled with veggies is one of my favorite ways to prepare them as well. Especially with a generous helping of gooey, melted cheese.
Good point about the low-carb, Fairy Dust, and about how well eggs work as a supplement protein in things like stir fries. I recently found a better Pad Thai recipe than the one I had been using, and it calls for an egg. I've since made the recipe with both tofu and shrimp as the main protein, and the egg tastes great with either.
I do agree that receiving payments electronically is much easier than paper checks. It can be done automatically also so that your payments are never late either, thus avoiding further fees.
I have most of these things already, however, it wouldn't hurt to buy a few more candles. We are fortunate to have a gas stove and a gas fireplace. I started to chuckle with No. 20. These items are staples in our home. :)!
Excellent article! thank you for posting. You did not mention anything about a military discount though. I believe it's 10%.
We buy refurbished all the time. Not huge savings, but every little bit helps. Another way to save is to ask for the business discount. The stores will take information about your business--usually the discount is about 5%. Not sure if it work online though.
Before the holidays, when I knew that I would be out of town for almost two weeks, I needed to 'empty' my fridge. So for the whole month of December, instead of going grocery shopping, I ate what was there, and only resupplied the very basic, like milk or eggs.
It was a ton of fun to be more imaginative than normal and now at the end of each month, I don't go shopping until every thing is completely empty. It's also nice because I can clean the fridge when its almost empty (except condiments) and fewer things go to waste
Great tips, but there's one thing I'd like to add. When you're shopping for a computer, consider the "all-in" cost. When I bought my Mac laptop, I didn't get a deal on the computer itself but I got free software I would have had to buy and talked my way into a deal on the extended warranty.
My point is there are other ways to save when buying these devices, even if you don't save on the device itself.
I bought a new Macbook Air for $900 in early December from Amazon - $100 less than the Apple Store price. The price was fluctuating day by day and so I just watched it like a hawk.
This also saved me another $100 because buying it from Apple, I would've had to pay tax. Of course, that's only if you live in a state that Amazon doesn't charge tax.
I further lowered the price (to us) by previously sending in my husband's textbooks he was no longer using. They will buy them back for Amazon credits.
I also use the Swagbucks search engine and other Swagbucks tools to get about $25 in Amazon credit every month.
This meant I got the new Macbook Air for about $750 out of pocket.
Plus, I used an American Express rewards card - which had a $250 reward after the first $1000 spent in the first 3 months. Paid the card off immediately, now have $250 to spend on our ongoing home improvement project.
It's a very minor issue because my bank gives them out free but I keep running out of checking registers. It's kind of funny, I'm still on the same book of checks yet I'm on about the tenth register book. I don't write a check more than a few times a year but I still use the paper register log that comes with them. I know I could use software for that but I like the paper log.
I bought a RCA DVR8052N DVD recorder from Value City before they went belly up. Would anyone have the instructions to make DVD's region free on it?
Those government figures seem really on the high side. We do a family of four for $84. Granted, we have a very small garden, and a local salvage grocery store to work with, and we eat mostly at home. Still, $84 a week for one person. Wow.
BTW I hope Nutrisystem works for you.
Hi, can you please help me to make my dvd player region free,I own a Pioneer DV-383 and have not been able to make the switch.
I will greatly appreciate your help.
Mike.