Wow lots of passion in the comments. Wonder if the author can write an update or maybe already did. If so can you post a like to an update? Oh, and sourcing is always a great way to support an argument.
I use my 5' x 10' slice of heaven to store my seasonal high bulk items like mountaineering gear, vintage audio equipment, munitions, and emergency food rations. Almost everything is in easy access bins lining the wall with a pathway in the middle, and everything is a fast grab when I need it and a quick dump when I'm done.
I saw no reason to get rid of my good stuff just because I sold my home before the housing bust was approaching and my neighborhood was in rapid decline (lease option no money downers, pit-bull owners, and multiple residences of illegals w/ more than 8 cars parked in front of 2/3 homes each night). I am saving more than half of my mortgage payment, and the extra $100 for the elbow room and staging for Ebay auctions suits me fine. A larger apartment would be much more than an extra $1200 per year.
Thanks for the link guys, glad you liked the article. :)
As for saving money on food, an old but great idea is to try to have a week where you have to use at least one item for every meal from your store cupboard.
It's a great way to rediscover and use up lots of sauces, dried seasonings, fancy pasta shapes and whatever else you used once and forgot about. :)
Thanks I got it this time. I will get my first batch ferminting this week end. When it stops bubbling I will start steaming with my pot and coils that are in the making.
Thanks
I feel much more safer with a regular debit card with a bank account than prepaid debit cards. Prepaid debits has too many flaws with costs, etc, If you lose your prepaid card, you will be screwed. Too many loopholes!!!!!
Yes, it is hard for some people.... For the ones not prepared financially speaking. Definitely a tough wake up call there.
But for those who weren't on the edge, who didn't need a small push to go off the cliff... (Or on the verge of retirement, that kinda sucks.) It's a great time.
We did buy our third car this year, a very used car at that. (A 1990.) We got her for ridiculously cheap and in order to build my credit, since I'm only 21, we got a loan to do so at an awesomely low rate... Meaning I can build credit for fairly cheap!
The economy's reinforced my savings beliefs, and we've been doing great. (Albeit we're in a fairly unique position, age being one of our biggest benefactors here.) I'm glad that not everyone has the doom and gloom outlook, especially since the worst is probably over.
Too many people are having a tough time making ends meet, here are a couple of strategies to lower your insurance rates:
If you are the optimistic type who expects to never get into an accident, raise your comp and collision deductible, you may save about 10% by raising your deductible from $250 to $500 out of pocket in the event of an accident.
If your car is older and paid off consider reducing from full coverage to the minimum liability coverage requir4d by your state. Some cars are worth little more than the deductible anyway. ask your agent about customizing your stripped down policy, perhaps leaving in passenger medical coverage.
Drive a safer car, you can save hundreds if you drive the right minivan or SUV instead of a sports car or tin box sub compact.
Don't let your teen drive for another year or two, explain the need for best tightening and put off allowing your teen to get a license until they are 18 years old, at which point you won't have the legal say soo to deny them.
I don't have a checking account. After getting myself in the hole a couple times, I just stopped using one.
My employer provides a prepaid debit card for direct deposit. Except for ATM fees, which can be avoided by getting cash back on debit transactions, the only fee is a $2.00 a month batch fee. I avoid overdraft because they simply decline anything over the limit when many banks won't. My income is small enough that the margin for error doesn't exist. One overdraft episode and I'd be behind on bills. I work to hard to deal with those things.
I would highly recommend a card like I have, from an employer, for anyone who lives on a small income with no buffer zone. I've disputed charges on several occasions with timely response. It has worked for me for three years. No overdraft has helped me learn to manage my money better with no fear of screwing up.
There is a Free Store in the mountain region of Maine where everything is free. People donate stuff they don't need and take what they do need. Volunteers sort. It is excellent. I've moved away from that region and would love to find something else like it, but I think such a place is a rare gem.
Linsey, this is one of my favorite tips ever. I totally did this when I was struggling to find a couch that would fit in my uber-small living room. I got a couch on clearance at Target for $99. It's now in my storage closet, awaiting summer so I can put it out in the garden.
I also love old wicker furniture, partly because I love the way it looks when painted bright, awesome colors and combined with clean, new covers on the cushions.
Great post and a reminder that out of sight is often out of mind. The hardest thing to remember is the fact that you have all this stuff and when you're not looking at it regularly then you forget.
I know we have cupboards in our current house that we never go into and given we're contemplating moving into a smaller house we're going to have to make a decisiion. DO WE REALLY NEED THIS!!
We are in the habit of donating used clothing to shelters or women's causes. Kitchen items as well. When my wife and I married we had twice the stuff one would need, two sets of everything. It went to a charity that helped women get started after leaving an abusive spouse.
Aside from this, we have become a throw away society. Too many things that someone else can use wind up in the trash, and that's a shame. I like the dump idea, although I know the misses will keep me from going if they start this near us. Oh, well.
Have you looked into ASPCA pet insurance? They offer 80% reimbursement on allowed covered charges and $100 deductible that only needs to be met once a year. Now there are exclusions (http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/pet-insurance-plans/how-it-works/what-w...) which you should check out before getting a policy. They offers examples of the different plan levels so you can see what you're buying. Lastly it benefits the The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA) so your money is going to a worthy cause.
I have received and/or given so many unused/lightly used items that would have cost a fortune. Everyone who has kids has stuff they have outgrown long before they get worn.
The first thing you have to overcome is the resistance to asking. People love to see their items not going to waste.
Pet insurance seems like a good idea but I haven't found a policy that made much financial sense. The pet insurance I've seen seems to have relatively low maximums on what they'll pay. So if you have a $4,000 bill the insurance may only cover $1,000 of it. To me such low caps on coverage defeat the purpose of insurance in the first place since you can cover the lower cost bills out of pocket. If there is a "good" pet insurance policy out there that doesn't have this kind of draw back then I'd be interested in it.
I really appreciate this advice. It is incredibly helpful. I'm not a blogger...yet. (this is actually my first comment ever) I would like to get started blogging for several of the reasons listed above, Mainly to network, get my writing out there and enhance my career. I do have a few questions about this however, do you think it is actually possible to hurt your career by having a poor blog and it there a blog distilling the etiquette if their is such a thing for blogging. Thanks.
Love it. On a more micro level than stock market investing: Bargaining is returning as an art form. You can negotiate prices on goods and services--it never hurts to ask if this is "the best price?".
Wow lots of passion in the comments. Wonder if the author can write an update or maybe already did. If so can you post a like to an update? Oh, and sourcing is always a great way to support an argument.
I use my 5' x 10' slice of heaven to store my seasonal high bulk items like mountaineering gear, vintage audio equipment, munitions, and emergency food rations. Almost everything is in easy access bins lining the wall with a pathway in the middle, and everything is a fast grab when I need it and a quick dump when I'm done.
I saw no reason to get rid of my good stuff just because I sold my home before the housing bust was approaching and my neighborhood was in rapid decline (lease option no money downers, pit-bull owners, and multiple residences of illegals w/ more than 8 cars parked in front of 2/3 homes each night). I am saving more than half of my mortgage payment, and the extra $100 for the elbow room and staging for Ebay auctions suits me fine. A larger apartment would be much more than an extra $1200 per year.
Thanks for the link guys, glad you liked the article. :)
As for saving money on food, an old but great idea is to try to have a week where you have to use at least one item for every meal from your store cupboard.
It's a great way to rediscover and use up lots of sauces, dried seasonings, fancy pasta shapes and whatever else you used once and forgot about. :)
Thanks I got it this time. I will get my first batch ferminting this week end. When it stops bubbling I will start steaming with my pot and coils that are in the making.
Thanks
Excellent description of this budget shoppers dream!
I feel much more safer with a regular debit card with a bank account than prepaid debit cards. Prepaid debits has too many flaws with costs, etc, If you lose your prepaid card, you will be screwed. Too many loopholes!!!!!
I am 85% up since I bought in March !
Yes, it is hard for some people.... For the ones not prepared financially speaking. Definitely a tough wake up call there.
But for those who weren't on the edge, who didn't need a small push to go off the cliff... (Or on the verge of retirement, that kinda sucks.) It's a great time.
We did buy our third car this year, a very used car at that. (A 1990.) We got her for ridiculously cheap and in order to build my credit, since I'm only 21, we got a loan to do so at an awesomely low rate... Meaning I can build credit for fairly cheap!
The economy's reinforced my savings beliefs, and we've been doing great. (Albeit we're in a fairly unique position, age being one of our biggest benefactors here.) I'm glad that not everyone has the doom and gloom outlook, especially since the worst is probably over.
Too many people are having a tough time making ends meet, here are a couple of strategies to lower your insurance rates:
If you are the optimistic type who expects to never get into an accident, raise your comp and collision deductible, you may save about 10% by raising your deductible from $250 to $500 out of pocket in the event of an accident.
If your car is older and paid off consider reducing from full coverage to the minimum liability coverage requir4d by your state. Some cars are worth little more than the deductible anyway. ask your agent about customizing your stripped down policy, perhaps leaving in passenger medical coverage.
Drive a safer car, you can save hundreds if you drive the right minivan or SUV instead of a sports car or tin box sub compact.
Don't let your teen drive for another year or two, explain the need for best tightening and put off allowing your teen to get a license until they are 18 years old, at which point you won't have the legal say soo to deny them.
Wow, those fees are awful.
I don't have a checking account. After getting myself in the hole a couple times, I just stopped using one.
My employer provides a prepaid debit card for direct deposit. Except for ATM fees, which can be avoided by getting cash back on debit transactions, the only fee is a $2.00 a month batch fee. I avoid overdraft because they simply decline anything over the limit when many banks won't. My income is small enough that the margin for error doesn't exist. One overdraft episode and I'd be behind on bills. I work to hard to deal with those things.
I would highly recommend a card like I have, from an employer, for anyone who lives on a small income with no buffer zone. I've disputed charges on several occasions with timely response. It has worked for me for three years. No overdraft has helped me learn to manage my money better with no fear of screwing up.
Let me give you one way .... don't own a cat! :)
Clearly, your approval negates 90% of the bad-mouthing my tips have received. LOL I am officially worthy. Thank you!
Linsey Knerl
There is a Free Store in the mountain region of Maine where everything is free. People donate stuff they don't need and take what they do need. Volunteers sort. It is excellent. I've moved away from that region and would love to find something else like it, but I think such a place is a rare gem.
Linsey, this is one of my favorite tips ever. I totally did this when I was struggling to find a couch that would fit in my uber-small living room. I got a couch on clearance at Target for $99. It's now in my storage closet, awaiting summer so I can put it out in the garden.
I also love old wicker furniture, partly because I love the way it looks when painted bright, awesome colors and combined with clean, new covers on the cushions.
Great post and a reminder that out of sight is often out of mind. The hardest thing to remember is the fact that you have all this stuff and when you're not looking at it regularly then you forget.
I know we have cupboards in our current house that we never go into and given we're contemplating moving into a smaller house we're going to have to make a decisiion. DO WE REALLY NEED THIS!!
We are in the habit of donating used clothing to shelters or women's causes. Kitchen items as well. When my wife and I married we had twice the stuff one would need, two sets of everything. It went to a charity that helped women get started after leaving an abusive spouse.
Aside from this, we have become a throw away society. Too many things that someone else can use wind up in the trash, and that's a shame. I like the dump idea, although I know the misses will keep me from going if they start this near us. Oh, well.
Always buy used. Especially for depreciating assets likes vehicles. You can get 50% off the price after one year to a few years!
That money can go to non-materialistic things, like vacations with loved ones
Jim,
Have you looked into ASPCA pet insurance? They offer 80% reimbursement on allowed covered charges and $100 deductible that only needs to be met once a year. Now there are exclusions (http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/pet-insurance-plans/how-it-works/what-w...) which you should check out before getting a policy. They offers examples of the different plan levels so you can see what you're buying. Lastly it benefits the The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA) so your money is going to a worthy cause.
Hope this helps!
- Kathryn
Wow, I can't believe my eyes. This article seems to have found it's way onto the wrong blog.
Buying a boat?!?
A hole in the water where you throw money into.
When the market has no actual reason to recover?!?
Crazy talk.
Keep saving people. Live well within your means.
This is by far the best tip.
I have received and/or given so many unused/lightly used items that would have cost a fortune. Everyone who has kids has stuff they have outgrown long before they get worn.
The first thing you have to overcome is the resistance to asking. People love to see their items not going to waste.
Dump the cat.
Dump the idea of having pets and just enjoy animals where they should be, in the wild. Pets are a selfish indulgence.
Pet insurance seems like a good idea but I haven't found a policy that made much financial sense. The pet insurance I've seen seems to have relatively low maximums on what they'll pay. So if you have a $4,000 bill the insurance may only cover $1,000 of it. To me such low caps on coverage defeat the purpose of insurance in the first place since you can cover the lower cost bills out of pocket. If there is a "good" pet insurance policy out there that doesn't have this kind of draw back then I'd be interested in it.
If you purchase pre-owned bamboo, or for that matter, PVC furniture, check it carefully for roaches and other nasties before you cash out the deal.
I love vintage bamboo for a living room. If you find a great deal on a compatible fabric, you can always paraffin or Scotchgard it.
I really appreciate this advice. It is incredibly helpful. I'm not a blogger...yet. (this is actually my first comment ever) I would like to get started blogging for several of the reasons listed above, Mainly to network, get my writing out there and enhance my career. I do have a few questions about this however, do you think it is actually possible to hurt your career by having a poor blog and it there a blog distilling the etiquette if their is such a thing for blogging. Thanks.
Love it. On a more micro level than stock market investing: Bargaining is returning as an art form. You can negotiate prices on goods and services--it never hurts to ask if this is "the best price?".