Either big or small changes that will may come to our life or to our nation as long as it is for the welfare of everybody, I'll go for it! As the quotes says "slowly but surely" or "slow steady growth," we are not scared of future then, we are confident enough to face all the challenges and changes that may come in.
Lucille (#13) is on the right track, but I think it's more about lack of fiber than carbohydrates per se. Beans, whole grains, whole potatoes (baked, with skin) and other whole fruits and veggies (not juice) are full of carbs but do not spike the blood sugar the same way because they are full of fiber. They are highly nutritious, and can be economical.
I live in the Northwest and do most of my shopping at Winco. This is a large discount grocery store, not a yuppy grocery or organic market. The bulk bins are a bonanza of good food at good prices. Yes, there's some candy and junk, but about 2/3 of the bulk bin food is excellent, minimally processed food, including beans, popcorn, grains, whole wheat bread flour, rolled oats, dried milk, pasta, raisins, yeast and other baking materials, etc. Most of it is not organic, but it's "real food". Between the bulk bins and the produce, with perhaps a couple dozen eggs and some oil, I could feed my family of 3 very well for $100/month.
Sadly, I see people of all apparent income levels passing these bulk bins by, and buying packaged mac and cheese and other junk. In this case, it's not a question of access -- they have access to the same foods I do. It's a question of education and preference. I'm not saying that's true everywhere... inner cities are notorious for lack of grocery stores. But it's true here.
You can also invest time and creativity instead of money. Bring a beautiful loaf of home-baked bread to a pot-luck, rather than jello in tupperware. The bread will be very inexpensive to make, but it's tasty and shows care and effort, so it's a valued contribution. No one ever looks at a lovely loaf of artisanal bread and thinks, "Oh, they just brought something cheap. They didn't want to spend any money on their friends."
Guest #5 is right: a little well-targeted generosity goes a long way toward smoothing over any hard feelings. Unless you're really in dire straights, your frugal life should allow you enough slack that you can occasionally pick up the tab, bring the six pack, or pay for the gas, just because it's the nice thing to do and it makes everyone feel good.
I think people are forgetting another reason to coupon: big families and hard times.
I am a SAHM to my little family of one kid. But we are young and in college, working our way up. Any way I can save money is a bonus.
And to top it off, my dad just got laid off. Now he's still got 8 mouths at home to feed. I am happy that I can coupon and give stuff to them without putting my little family into monetary hardship.
I like the camping metaphor. And it makes me wonder if all those camping vacations as a child helped prepare me for radical frugality as an adult, for two reasons:
1. I'm not afraid of mild, temporary discomfort in pursuit of a greater good. I see so many folks actually afraid of losing their creature comforts.
2. I know that temporary abstinence can make little luxuries so much more enjoyable. Nothing is more pleasurable than that first hot shower after a camping trip :-)
The next crime wave was just launched with this. A $400 car can be stolen, sold for $2000, and then traded in for $3-4000. There is a provision that the car be owned for 1 year, but the tile is easily forged, and the actual value of the car isn't worth the deductible on most insurance policies. Plus it will be run by the same caliber gov't employees we already have. The rings to process these cars are already being seen by law enforcement here in FL and elsewhere.
The fuel efficiency required on this is modest, and if there was a real push for this to happen the market would address it. More pork and debt for another government program that was given less thought than an impulse buy in line at a checkout counter.
As always, an interesting post. What this made me think of is the opposite process. Many of my friends from graduate school either gave up, and got good jobs outside academics, or hung in there, and eventually got teaching jobs (some of us, anyway). In both cases, most of the people greeted their changed circumstances with "big changes": they bought cars (on credit), furniture (on credit), etc. Many set themselves up for years of debt, not counting whatever graduate school debt they had racked up. My husband and I were too scared to do any of the above; we had temp jobs in two states. We were so scared of the future! All turned out OK, but I guess the point I'm trying to make is: watch out for major lifestyle changes when your life (seemingly) changes dramatically for the better.
This is a great idea, Phillip. And it makes me think - I used to be a big-change person, but i've become a babysteps type...maybe because I haven't made any big changes in my life lately.
Thanks SOOOO much for such an article!
I have worked in customer service for almost a decade now at a large grocery chain and I can't tell you how many bad experiences I have had, but there are good ones too!
Just a couple of things I would add to your being a best customer:
1. Approaching all face to face interactions like a human being, I as the cashier, can tell you are angry but yelling at me will get you nowhere. An even tone and reasonable statements makes me want to help you all the more.
2. HANG UP YOUR CEL PHONE! Or end personal converstations before you expect me to wait on you! I don't want to try to guess what you want when you point and tell Suzy about the hot guy you saw in aisle 3.
Sorry, little pet peeves of mine!
But thanks for educating the masses on the fact that GOOD customer service is a two way street!
Rather than just jotting a dreaded "list", which is intrinsically disposable and ignorable, I opened a free account with MemoToMe.com and if I have an idea I add it as a To-Do, with appropriate reminder, in MemoToDo.com. I don't frame it as a nebulous "wish" but rather I decide the steps involved and record them. So I get an email with the steps to take. This has turned more of my ideas into actual accomplishments.
Goals have steps and dates. Without those, you are just running water under a bridge.
The piggybacking strategy works great for me. Something else that works great is for me to focus on adding in what I want and allowing what I don't want to just get pushed out. This works great with my diet, saving money, exercise, changing bad habits. It's sad that I have to trick myself to do the right things, but hey, whatever works.
What a blast! I was really amazed with how well it matched me up with vacations that matched my interests. The only thing that kinda bummed me out is that I already don't have cable, a coffee habit, etc., so there weren't as many areas to save on.
i've recievd one yesterday..im in HS thus my mom yelled at me saying i dnt even work how come i applied for this which i never did!! i was stunnd...i still have the card but im not gonna activate it...thanks for ur xperience tho it helpd me cuz i ddnt kno wut to do at first w/ the card!
Either big or small changes that will may come to our life or to our nation as long as it is for the welfare of everybody, I'll go for it! As the quotes says "slowly but surely" or "slow steady growth," we are not scared of future then, we are confident enough to face all the challenges and changes that may come in.
bener ga
I have been using this "tonic" with great success for the past three years in the wisconsin area. Thanks
Lucille (#13) is on the right track, but I think it's more about lack of fiber than carbohydrates per se. Beans, whole grains, whole potatoes (baked, with skin) and other whole fruits and veggies (not juice) are full of carbs but do not spike the blood sugar the same way because they are full of fiber. They are highly nutritious, and can be economical.
I live in the Northwest and do most of my shopping at Winco. This is a large discount grocery store, not a yuppy grocery or organic market. The bulk bins are a bonanza of good food at good prices. Yes, there's some candy and junk, but about 2/3 of the bulk bin food is excellent, minimally processed food, including beans, popcorn, grains, whole wheat bread flour, rolled oats, dried milk, pasta, raisins, yeast and other baking materials, etc. Most of it is not organic, but it's "real food". Between the bulk bins and the produce, with perhaps a couple dozen eggs and some oil, I could feed my family of 3 very well for $100/month.
Sadly, I see people of all apparent income levels passing these bulk bins by, and buying packaged mac and cheese and other junk. In this case, it's not a question of access -- they have access to the same foods I do. It's a question of education and preference. I'm not saying that's true everywhere... inner cities are notorious for lack of grocery stores. But it's true here.
urine works good for scratched cd's and dvd's
You can also invest time and creativity instead of money. Bring a beautiful loaf of home-baked bread to a pot-luck, rather than jello in tupperware. The bread will be very inexpensive to make, but it's tasty and shows care and effort, so it's a valued contribution. No one ever looks at a lovely loaf of artisanal bread and thinks, "Oh, they just brought something cheap. They didn't want to spend any money on their friends."
Guest #5 is right: a little well-targeted generosity goes a long way toward smoothing over any hard feelings. Unless you're really in dire straights, your frugal life should allow you enough slack that you can occasionally pick up the tab, bring the six pack, or pay for the gas, just because it's the nice thing to do and it makes everyone feel good.
In the new normal--in any real normal--something like "jetting off on a resort vacation" will always feel like a splurge
And that's not a bad thing. IMHO, life is actually richer that way.
I think people are forgetting another reason to coupon: big families and hard times.
I am a SAHM to my little family of one kid. But we are young and in college, working our way up. Any way I can save money is a bonus.
And to top it off, my dad just got laid off. Now he's still got 8 mouths at home to feed. I am happy that I can coupon and give stuff to them without putting my little family into monetary hardship.
I like the camping metaphor. And it makes me wonder if all those camping vacations as a child helped prepare me for radical frugality as an adult, for two reasons:
1. I'm not afraid of mild, temporary discomfort in pursuit of a greater good. I see so many folks actually afraid of losing their creature comforts.
2. I know that temporary abstinence can make little luxuries so much more enjoyable. Nothing is more pleasurable than that first hot shower after a camping trip :-)
The next crime wave was just launched with this. A $400 car can be stolen, sold for $2000, and then traded in for $3-4000. There is a provision that the car be owned for 1 year, but the tile is easily forged, and the actual value of the car isn't worth the deductible on most insurance policies. Plus it will be run by the same caliber gov't employees we already have. The rings to process these cars are already being seen by law enforcement here in FL and elsewhere.
The fuel efficiency required on this is modest, and if there was a real push for this to happen the market would address it. More pork and debt for another government program that was given less thought than an impulse buy in line at a checkout counter.
I wouldn't consider plastic surgery when a qualified doctor was in charge, let alone entertain the idea of doing it myself!
*hic*
As always, an interesting post. What this made me think of is the opposite process. Many of my friends from graduate school either gave up, and got good jobs outside academics, or hung in there, and eventually got teaching jobs (some of us, anyway). In both cases, most of the people greeted their changed circumstances with "big changes": they bought cars (on credit), furniture (on credit), etc. Many set themselves up for years of debt, not counting whatever graduate school debt they had racked up. My husband and I were too scared to do any of the above; we had temp jobs in two states. We were so scared of the future! All turned out OK, but I guess the point I'm trying to make is: watch out for major lifestyle changes when your life (seemingly) changes dramatically for the better.
This is a great idea, Phillip. And it makes me think - I used to be a big-change person, but i've become a babysteps type...maybe because I haven't made any big changes in my life lately.
Thanks SOOOO much for such an article!
I have worked in customer service for almost a decade now at a large grocery chain and I can't tell you how many bad experiences I have had, but there are good ones too!
Just a couple of things I would add to your being a best customer:
1. Approaching all face to face interactions like a human being, I as the cashier, can tell you are angry but yelling at me will get you nowhere. An even tone and reasonable statements makes me want to help you all the more.
2. HANG UP YOUR CEL PHONE! Or end personal converstations before you expect me to wait on you! I don't want to try to guess what you want when you point and tell Suzy about the hot guy you saw in aisle 3.
Sorry, little pet peeves of mine!
But thanks for educating the masses on the fact that GOOD customer service is a two way street!
These converter boxes are worthless. I agree - we were ripped off. I tried the indoor smart antenna and it didn't make a different.
Amen
Not "memotodo.com" but rather "memotome.com" - sorry.
Rather than just jotting a dreaded "list", which is intrinsically disposable and ignorable, I opened a free account with MemoToMe.com and if I have an idea I add it as a To-Do, with appropriate reminder, in MemoToDo.com. I don't frame it as a nebulous "wish" but rather I decide the steps involved and record them. So I get an email with the steps to take. This has turned more of my ideas into actual accomplishments.
Goals have steps and dates. Without those, you are just running water under a bridge.
Subject of your article is very interesting, i have bookmarked it for future referrence
regards kierdincho
The piggybacking strategy works great for me. Something else that works great is for me to focus on adding in what I want and allowing what I don't want to just get pushed out. This works great with my diet, saving money, exercise, changing bad habits. It's sad that I have to trick myself to do the right things, but hey, whatever works.
What a blast! I was really amazed with how well it matched me up with vacations that matched my interests. The only thing that kinda bummed me out is that I already don't have cable, a coffee habit, etc., so there weren't as many areas to save on.
i've recievd one yesterday..im in HS thus my mom yelled at me saying i dnt even work how come i applied for this which i never did!! i was stunnd...i still have the card but im not gonna activate it...thanks for ur xperience tho it helpd me cuz i ddnt kno wut to do at first w/ the card!
How about we just stay home and you don't get any tip. That is the most ungrateful attitude I have ever heard.