Again, USA can get a lesson from Europe. It's not unusual that when you get a bill, the bank "routing" and person's account # are already on the form attached to the bill. All you have to do, is do online banking to transfer money to their account, or you can do it at your bank or their bank.....these transactions are FREE.
Great tips! I can tell you firsthand that the college discount works. According to Apple, I've been a senior in college for the past 10 years. That's the problem with online-only verification. Perhaps it's a tad dishonest, but they're not gonna go bankrupt from my 10%.
Besides saving, you can supplement by earning extra income. I've been using this site basically all year.Easier money. Just get spare income.
I earn money the old fashion way by staying at home and doing random surfing and it doesn't hurt at all.I must say that when I first went to the Swagbucks website, I was a little confused and somewhat skeptical. It mentioned things like being a “premier rewards site” and a leading online search engine. But if they were a search engine, then how does one generate the rewards from? And why have I never heard of them? Well, it turns out that Swagbucks is indeed pretty legit.
It’s amazingly simple. You just sign up and you can either go to their website each time you want to gain points for surfing the web, or you can just download the Swagbucks toolbar and do your searches from there.
Then each time you do a search using the Swagbucks search engine, you gain Swag Bucks which are good towards a wide variety of prizes, including everything from GPS systems to memorabilia to gift cards to actual cash via PayPal.
During the writing of this review, I installed the Swagbucks toolbar on my computer at home. At the completion of this review, I had already gained 410 Swag Bucks! Now, I’ve only got 40 to go before I can get a $5 Amazon gift card!
Use this referal link to get a bonus of swagbucks for signing up!
I'm way behind on my google reader, but just wanted to say that I loved this article! In particular I think having a small house in a bikeable location is an awesome way to go. Sorry to say that I no longer consider an apartment a long-term option. Other people are just way too noisy for quiet me.
This is a case of making a bunch of hooey out of a non issue. These kind of cards are more for people who do not qualify to have a bank account. Did you know that banks have the right to close your account for no reason, the terms state it is at their discretion? It happened to me because my employer got into it with the manager at a branch over a deposit and at her discretion she closed all the accounts associated with that company, which included my only checking account. We all got a black mark on Checksystems with a flagged entry, so no bank account for me anymore. I went to my nearest check cashing place and got a netspend card. It has worked out well for me and keeps me within a budget. Its not all encompassing evil, its a product and can be utilized in different ways.
@Kiki,
I'm glad you found the article helpful. All the best in 2011!
@lifeandmyfinances
Thanks for sharing your story. Looks like you're on the right track.
Wow! I was just recruited to work for target and wanted to hear a few testimonials. Its funny that I asked the person interviewing me (3 interviews) if I could make between 50k-60K a year in this position as an ETL (Executive Team Leader) and I was told that range was in the ball park. The company is stable, solid, has a great reputation from Forbes, and one employee I spoke with being there 17 years said he wouldn’t have dreamed this would be his path but loves it. I have also read local media stories regarding giving back to schools, etc., that I was warming up to changing careers to be a Target employee.
I feel bad for those of you who seem stuck. My advise would be to talk to your supervisor about what YOU WANT out of the company by researching all their job titles and descriptions and make a move up the ladder! After all, if you are one of the 360,000 Target employees in 170,000 store in the world, there are openings to move up if you check out your options. Be proactive!!!
I also used to use Edmonds but like a lot of people found there were even lower prices than they had listed so I I used www.truecar.com and got a really good price on a my latest car. The message board method just takes too much time for me
you do realize that you're on the "frugal living" area of this website, right? so obviously the advice is aimed at helping you squeeze every penny out of your meal.
nothing wrong with supporting local restaurants, but it's often not do-able if you're living on a tight budget.
LOL! My husband and I will have a couple of drinks before heading out for dinner - then maybe just order one drink with dinner. One could also order soda and top it off with the contents of a flask kept in a purse or jacket. Not that I would to that! :)
yeah.. I got the free HBO with my comcast a few days ago. While the installer is showing us the "FREE HBO" channels, a lady with a cupless bra (full boob show) comes up. Lovely.
Last night, checking through channels. HBO has 4 couples with full nudity, getting it on outside with 3 people watching. Yeah. Getting rid of HBO. Not worth it to me.
I think the best way to figure out what works for you and not spend a fortune at the same time is to go used as much as possible. We had a crib and changing table given to us by a friend because he was through having kids. So it didn't matter that our son slept in our bed exclusively for the first year. We found things like diaper pails and bottle warmers (which I scoffed at, but are very nice, especially when dad needed to quickly defrost some expressed milk) on craigslist. We found a Peg Perego (read:super expensive) high chair at a garage sale for $10. We got a swing (which our son hated) for $10 at a thrift store but we're keeping the exersaucer bouncing thing because he loved it. The one thing I do recommend is to always check for recalls when you buy something used. And check the product thoroughly to make sure it is in good working order.
Great article! I am a marathon runner and apply alot of the training concepts of marathon running to my everday life especially getting out of debt! Its taking a couple years but my family and I are determined to reach that finish line of being debt-free! We strive to move toward this goal a little bit every day. Both marathon training and getting out of debt take alot of mental and physical strength. Just when you think you can't do it anymore and its too hard, you have to tell yourself you can and push forward...
1. Baby clothes - This can be true for a lot of parents, but not with my daughter. She is eight-months-old and still only wearing 3-6 months so we get a lot of use out of her clothes.
3. Baby DVDs - My daughter loves Baby Einstein and it is a great way to help her relax on those occasions that she is fighting her sleep. I do not feel that they really teach her much, but I don't think that watching them is any different than watching her surroundings. It is allowing her to explore many new objects and music, from right in our livingroom. They are also a great way for me to be able to take a shower without listening to her cry.
4. Changing table - My grandfather made a changing table for my daughter. It is so nice! She won't hold still on the floor when I change her, but she will hold still on the table. It also gives me a place to store all of her diapers, extra bath items, blankets, wipes, and nobody can see them unless they open the drawers and doors.
5. Wipe warmer - Although we do not have one, I feel we should. My daughter always gasps for air when we put the wipes on her bottom. Wipes do not stay room temperature. They get very cold. Go ahead and stick one on the inside of your legs or even on your lower tummy. My boyfriend and I looked at some for her, but didn't know what brand would be best, and not dry out the wipes. Now that I read this though, I think we will be getting her one. And it will be the Munchkin brand like somebody else suggested.
7. The swing - The swing was amazing those first few months for us. You are right though, many babies don't like them. So it would probably be best to pick up a used one.
All of these things are learned with experience. There are so many things that I thought were stupid when I was pregnant, that we now own. Congrats.
I don't think people like our plumber or electrician take anything except checks. Well, they would probably take cash, but I'm not likely to have hundreds of dollars of cash around.
Thanks for the comment! Prioritizing expenses that help us earn our living was definitely on my mind (like the Internet for both of us and shoes for you).
Thats true too, sometimes the 'fun' aspect in a job is overrated and again leads to unnecessary stress. One needs to be real about their expectations from their jobs and life won't seem that bad.
On the other hand if considerable time is spent in the job hunting process, extremely long commutes or unhealthy working environments can be avoided making your everyday life much more relaxed and enjoyable.
Great point Jane! Internships are definitely very important and give new graduates a reality check about the working world. It also gives them an opportunity to see what they like and dislike and therefore be better prepared at graduation.
Those are some very valuable thoughts to ponder over and you never know, it may just turn into an article. :)
This post is more about the affordability factor, but I'll address your points on the food itself.
I have learned a lot about meal planning and portion sizes and such from Nutrisystem, believe it or not. I agree that prepackaged food will NEVER taste as good as fresh foods you make yourself, but this was exactly the push I needed to get started. I look at the nutrition facts for each meal - the number of fats, carbs, proteins, etc - and when I make my own (off Nutrisystem) I do my best to duplicate those numbers. I also spend some time in my members area of the Nutrisystem website, and see what kind of exercise generates most calories burned, look up healthy recipes I can make myself, and just read about health in general.
As for how much you eat on Nutrisystem, I have never eaten this much in a day in my life! You do add in fresh veggies and fruits, dairy or protein each day. There are also a variety of 'free' foods that you can eat in moderation. I have 2 breakfasts basically, 2 lunches, dinner and snacks (because I don't eat the full breakfast or lunch allowance in one sitting, it's honestly too filling). I agree on the importance of breakfast: http://www.healthytheory.com/a-nutrisystem-journey-why-is-breakfast-so-i...
I'm confident that when my time on Nutrisystem ends, I will feel great about myself and have learned better eating habits that I will continue for a healthier lifestyle. This may not be true for everyone, but it's been the one and only diet I've been able to stick with for any length of time, AND has taught me how to order in restaurants and remain healthy, and make my own meals.
I am not a communist, but I DO believe that families shouldn't be working two or three fulltime jobs and have NO health insurance (not becasue they're stupid and rather buy crap, but plan out CAN'T afford it) and are hungry and will never buy a home. Powerful businesses which push out all competition cannot, or more importantly DO NOT, create jobs even near equal to the level prior to them taking over a market. They care only about maximizing profit. I wonder, would you support a two-teired society of the filthy rich (1%) and the 99% poverty level and below? The impersonal employment leaves workers vulnerable to severe exploitation from the owners. Yes, a capitalism-LIKE structure where merit trumps laziness is ideal, but shouldn't everyone deserve to just LIVE if they work hard? And, dear commentor, perhaps you should look into the numbers of the BILLIONS of dollars we give to subsidies for Wal-Mart openings, and the fact that they encourage their employees to go on welfare instead of offering affordable insurance. Unization and fair employment and business competition without political buyouts from monopolies is not a communist request, and those workers dedicated enough to lose everything by attempting organizing for worker's rights and unionization, deserve that result. I don't see them as lazy communists in the least.
Again, USA can get a lesson from Europe. It's not unusual that when you get a bill, the bank "routing" and person's account # are already on the form attached to the bill. All you have to do, is do online banking to transfer money to their account, or you can do it at your bank or their bank.....these transactions are FREE.
Great tips! I can tell you firsthand that the college discount works. According to Apple, I've been a senior in college for the past 10 years. That's the problem with online-only verification. Perhaps it's a tad dishonest, but they're not gonna go bankrupt from my 10%.
Besides saving, you can supplement by earning extra income. I've been using this site basically all year.Easier money. Just get spare income.
I earn money the old fashion way by staying at home and doing random surfing and it doesn't hurt at all.I must say that when I first went to the Swagbucks website, I was a little confused and somewhat skeptical. It mentioned things like being a “premier rewards site” and a leading online search engine. But if they were a search engine, then how does one generate the rewards from? And why have I never heard of them? Well, it turns out that Swagbucks is indeed pretty legit.
It’s amazingly simple. You just sign up and you can either go to their website each time you want to gain points for surfing the web, or you can just download the Swagbucks toolbar and do your searches from there.
Then each time you do a search using the Swagbucks search engine, you gain Swag Bucks which are good towards a wide variety of prizes, including everything from GPS systems to memorabilia to gift cards to actual cash via PayPal.
During the writing of this review, I installed the Swagbucks toolbar on my computer at home. At the completion of this review, I had already gained 410 Swag Bucks! Now, I’ve only got 40 to go before I can get a $5 Amazon gift card!
Use this referal link to get a bonus of swagbucks for signing up!
http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/tannguyen1
I'm way behind on my google reader, but just wanted to say that I loved this article! In particular I think having a small house in a bikeable location is an awesome way to go. Sorry to say that I no longer consider an apartment a long-term option. Other people are just way too noisy for quiet me.
This is a case of making a bunch of hooey out of a non issue. These kind of cards are more for people who do not qualify to have a bank account. Did you know that banks have the right to close your account for no reason, the terms state it is at their discretion? It happened to me because my employer got into it with the manager at a branch over a deposit and at her discretion she closed all the accounts associated with that company, which included my only checking account. We all got a black mark on Checksystems with a flagged entry, so no bank account for me anymore. I went to my nearest check cashing place and got a netspend card. It has worked out well for me and keeps me within a budget. Its not all encompassing evil, its a product and can be utilized in different ways.
@Kiki,
I'm glad you found the article helpful. All the best in 2011!
@lifeandmyfinances
Thanks for sharing your story. Looks like you're on the right track.
@Diana,
Vertex does have some great tools! Thanks for pointing out that resource.
@Money Beagle
I think your right. People will do it for a day or two and then quit. You gotta keep going.
I totally understand about your knees. I don't run as much now, but when I do my knees feel it.
Wow! I was just recruited to work for target and wanted to hear a few testimonials. Its funny that I asked the person interviewing me (3 interviews) if I could make between 50k-60K a year in this position as an ETL (Executive Team Leader) and I was told that range was in the ball park. The company is stable, solid, has a great reputation from Forbes, and one employee I spoke with being there 17 years said he wouldn’t have dreamed this would be his path but loves it. I have also read local media stories regarding giving back to schools, etc., that I was warming up to changing careers to be a Target employee.
I feel bad for those of you who seem stuck. My advise would be to talk to your supervisor about what YOU WANT out of the company by researching all their job titles and descriptions and make a move up the ladder! After all, if you are one of the 360,000 Target employees in 170,000 store in the world, there are openings to move up if you check out your options. Be proactive!!!
I also used to use Edmonds but like a lot of people found there were even lower prices than they had listed so I I used www.truecar.com and got a really good price on a my latest car. The message board method just takes too much time for me
you do realize that you're on the "frugal living" area of this website, right? so obviously the advice is aimed at helping you squeeze every penny out of your meal.
nothing wrong with supporting local restaurants, but it's often not do-able if you're living on a tight budget.
LOL! My husband and I will have a couple of drinks before heading out for dinner - then maybe just order one drink with dinner. One could also order soda and top it off with the contents of a flask kept in a purse or jacket. Not that I would to that! :)
now, if checks go away, how do I pay my roomate back for odd amounts of money borrowed? banks charge a fee to transfer elelectronicly, as does paypal.
Additional ideas: Diigo - very similar to Delicious, I like it better actually. Pinterest is a visual pinboard where you "pin" images.
yeah.. I got the free HBO with my comcast a few days ago. While the installer is showing us the "FREE HBO" channels, a lady with a cupless bra (full boob show) comes up. Lovely.
Last night, checking through channels. HBO has 4 couples with full nudity, getting it on outside with 3 people watching. Yeah. Getting rid of HBO. Not worth it to me.
I think the best way to figure out what works for you and not spend a fortune at the same time is to go used as much as possible. We had a crib and changing table given to us by a friend because he was through having kids. So it didn't matter that our son slept in our bed exclusively for the first year. We found things like diaper pails and bottle warmers (which I scoffed at, but are very nice, especially when dad needed to quickly defrost some expressed milk) on craigslist. We found a Peg Perego (read:super expensive) high chair at a garage sale for $10. We got a swing (which our son hated) for $10 at a thrift store but we're keeping the exersaucer bouncing thing because he loved it. The one thing I do recommend is to always check for recalls when you buy something used. And check the product thoroughly to make sure it is in good working order.
Great article! I am a marathon runner and apply alot of the training concepts of marathon running to my everday life especially getting out of debt! Its taking a couple years but my family and I are determined to reach that finish line of being debt-free! We strive to move toward this goal a little bit every day. Both marathon training and getting out of debt take alot of mental and physical strength. Just when you think you can't do it anymore and its too hard, you have to tell yourself you can and push forward...
I disagree with many of the items on your list.
1. Baby clothes - This can be true for a lot of parents, but not with my daughter. She is eight-months-old and still only wearing 3-6 months so we get a lot of use out of her clothes.
3. Baby DVDs - My daughter loves Baby Einstein and it is a great way to help her relax on those occasions that she is fighting her sleep. I do not feel that they really teach her much, but I don't think that watching them is any different than watching her surroundings. It is allowing her to explore many new objects and music, from right in our livingroom. They are also a great way for me to be able to take a shower without listening to her cry.
4. Changing table - My grandfather made a changing table for my daughter. It is so nice! She won't hold still on the floor when I change her, but she will hold still on the table. It also gives me a place to store all of her diapers, extra bath items, blankets, wipes, and nobody can see them unless they open the drawers and doors.
5. Wipe warmer - Although we do not have one, I feel we should. My daughter always gasps for air when we put the wipes on her bottom. Wipes do not stay room temperature. They get very cold. Go ahead and stick one on the inside of your legs or even on your lower tummy. My boyfriend and I looked at some for her, but didn't know what brand would be best, and not dry out the wipes. Now that I read this though, I think we will be getting her one. And it will be the Munchkin brand like somebody else suggested.
7. The swing - The swing was amazing those first few months for us. You are right though, many babies don't like them. So it would probably be best to pick up a used one.
All of these things are learned with experience. There are so many things that I thought were stupid when I was pregnant, that we now own. Congrats.
I don't think people like our plumber or electrician take anything except checks. Well, they would probably take cash, but I'm not likely to have hundreds of dollars of cash around.
Thanks for the comment! Prioritizing expenses that help us earn our living was definitely on my mind (like the Internet for both of us and shoes for you).
Thanks for tips. The vest tip I love and reminds me that boys can also wear bow ties, which can get oohs and aahs when they are younger.
I hadn't seen the uniforms on sale but snatching up those bargains is useful as khakis and collared shirts can be worn on many occasions.
Thats true too, sometimes the 'fun' aspect in a job is overrated and again leads to unnecessary stress. One needs to be real about their expectations from their jobs and life won't seem that bad.
On the other hand if considerable time is spent in the job hunting process, extremely long commutes or unhealthy working environments can be avoided making your everyday life much more relaxed and enjoyable.
Great point Jane! Internships are definitely very important and give new graduates a reality check about the working world. It also gives them an opportunity to see what they like and dislike and therefore be better prepared at graduation.
Those are some very valuable thoughts to ponder over and you never know, it may just turn into an article. :)
Thank you!
Vibha
This post is more about the affordability factor, but I'll address your points on the food itself.
I have learned a lot about meal planning and portion sizes and such from Nutrisystem, believe it or not. I agree that prepackaged food will NEVER taste as good as fresh foods you make yourself, but this was exactly the push I needed to get started. I look at the nutrition facts for each meal - the number of fats, carbs, proteins, etc - and when I make my own (off Nutrisystem) I do my best to duplicate those numbers. I also spend some time in my members area of the Nutrisystem website, and see what kind of exercise generates most calories burned, look up healthy recipes I can make myself, and just read about health in general.
As for how much you eat on Nutrisystem, I have never eaten this much in a day in my life! You do add in fresh veggies and fruits, dairy or protein each day. There are also a variety of 'free' foods that you can eat in moderation. I have 2 breakfasts basically, 2 lunches, dinner and snacks (because I don't eat the full breakfast or lunch allowance in one sitting, it's honestly too filling). I agree on the importance of breakfast: http://www.healthytheory.com/a-nutrisystem-journey-why-is-breakfast-so-i...
I'm confident that when my time on Nutrisystem ends, I will feel great about myself and have learned better eating habits that I will continue for a healthier lifestyle. This may not be true for everyone, but it's been the one and only diet I've been able to stick with for any length of time, AND has taught me how to order in restaurants and remain healthy, and make my own meals.
I am not a communist, but I DO believe that families shouldn't be working two or three fulltime jobs and have NO health insurance (not becasue they're stupid and rather buy crap, but plan out CAN'T afford it) and are hungry and will never buy a home. Powerful businesses which push out all competition cannot, or more importantly DO NOT, create jobs even near equal to the level prior to them taking over a market. They care only about maximizing profit. I wonder, would you support a two-teired society of the filthy rich (1%) and the 99% poverty level and below? The impersonal employment leaves workers vulnerable to severe exploitation from the owners. Yes, a capitalism-LIKE structure where merit trumps laziness is ideal, but shouldn't everyone deserve to just LIVE if they work hard? And, dear commentor, perhaps you should look into the numbers of the BILLIONS of dollars we give to subsidies for Wal-Mart openings, and the fact that they encourage their employees to go on welfare instead of offering affordable insurance. Unization and fair employment and business competition without political buyouts from monopolies is not a communist request, and those workers dedicated enough to lose everything by attempting organizing for worker's rights and unionization, deserve that result. I don't see them as lazy communists in the least.