I always attributed the sexiness of the green m & m's to a line in a commercial when I was in Jr. High. A boy was talking about his m & m's and baseball. He ended with the line, "and the green ones make me hit home runs." I never heard about their horniness factor before that commercial, and I always assumed it was that one.
I'm not much intererested in arguing about the definition of poverty.
What I'm interested in is trying to get the word out that it's possible to eat a diet that's both healthy and cheap. Sadly, as I say in the article, it's not healthy and cheap and easy. Helping people find their way through the difficulties and complexities is one of our missions, here at Wise Bread.
Thank you so much for this post. I read Wisebread daily, and happened to be looking for just such an experience. Within 2 hours of my reading this post, I'd heard back from one that caught my eye, and it now seems likely that I'll be spending 2 weeks in Sudan-- as a bonus, it should help me transition from my current job to one more relevant to my education-- fabulous, particularly since I'm just starting out (and just paid a *fortune* for my masters degree)
This is an interesting blog on the emergency fund. I am firm believer that your emergency fund should be in an easily accessible, but not too easy place. It must be liquid, I recommend a money market fund with check writing privileges. Using a credit card for your emergency fund is not wise in my opinion. If you cannot pay off your credit card every month, you have too much credit card debt.
I saw a web-video with an account of this story and it was very moving. In fact, I shared it with my boss and several co-workers and they were equally moved. It just goes to show you that service from the heart it worth far more than all the marketing dollars a company can throw at a marketing plan.
Great question, Mark. Tax deductibility is dependant on the country's regulations, in addition to the company's structure (eg: partnership or corporation).
However oftentimes the general rule goes that expenses incurred for the business (which can include insurance premiums) are deductible as business expenses. In Canada this is the case with some buy-sell Life Insurance structures, as well as Key-Man policies.
I encourage anybody looking into this to check with their accountants about the deductibility applicable to their specific situation.
For those of us who own MS Word 2003 , there is a built-in TO DO feature (go to "View" menu and select "Outline") that is worth is weight in gold. You can set up heirarchical sub-headings, move things up and down,insert long text notes,and view your entries in different levels. It is indispensable for keeping track of tasks.
The last car I had (before I sold it along with everything else), I bought as a demo from the dealer. After some banter with the sales manager, it became apparent that we were going to be negotiating. Hard. We both laughed, called a spade a spade, and went at it!
By the end, we both admitted that we enjoyed the process, felt that the deal was fair (I drove a HARD bargain!), and parted company with smiles on our faces and handshakes all around.
Having fun and not being afraid to walk away are two very sage pieces of advice. Thanks for this article! I wrote a similar article with a different spin here.
I planted tomatoes, basil and peppers for germination, the basil and tomatoes came up fine (but I havent tried transplanting them yet). The peppers took a lot longer, but have started to sprout.
I chose to sprout because its too early for seedlings. I also bought a specific type of tomato plant that I dont think I can find locally (a Tumbling Tom to be grown in a hanging basket), so i'll have to sprout that one myself.
If they're fat, they're not poor. You want to see poor? Go to Africa and parts of South America.
The people that you are describing sounds to me like the folks in the US who make bad decisions in general - the so called poor. These people aren't poor. They've got clothing, shelter, food (lot's of it), and in almost all cases a car.
I have my groceries delivered by a service in town. The prices are reasonable and the delivery fee is more than worth the time saved.
I pay $125/week and have enough groceries for 7 dinners (and some leftovers) for a family of 4, staples & breakfast foods.
Grocery delivery has been a godsend with my busy schedule. No coupons, no ad reading, no standing in lines and no last minute store trips where I always spend more than I should!
If you make crepes very often..and you should!...plain old steel crepe pans are totally a good $10 investment. They're light, which is great when you're spending more time with the pan swirling around off the burner than on. My next lightest pan is at least twice as heavy. Get two and you can cook a big mess o' crepes in about 10 minutes.
Two of 'em are the only single purpose pans I have. The only other single purpose devices I have, of any kind, are a salad spinner and wine key.
Knife-wise, one high quality 9" Chef's knife, a cheap bread knife, and a cheap paring knife are all you need for 99.9% of cooking.
I've been looking forward to this one. I've always cheated and gotten a rosemary plant to start with, although they've always grown like gangbusters and release such a yummy scent when you rub the leaves.
Oregano - I only tried it once and it worked great until some animal dug it up.
Parsely - I think you'll be pleased. It keeps coming back cut after cut and fills in like gangbusters.
Tomatoes - lots of people have luck here. I haven't been one of them so far, but I look forward to your success stories.
i live in a rural state and my dh and i actually own some cattle so we get our meat from ourselves - but before we got into the cattle business, we would purchase half a beef from a farmer or rancher. A large investment up front, but we have always had burger and steaks in the freezer. So once a year we pay $350 for meat to be processed then avoid the meat section of the grocery store for the rest of the year. (We have friends who process their own pork so we do a lot of swapping chops/bacon/sausage for burger.)
This is a really great way to save on meat AND know exactly where that meat came from :)
but, you do need that large freezer for storage....
I am on a fixed income and shop the way my mom shopped for a family of 7, Buy as much as you can that is on sale and is something that everyone likes and just try and keep the pantry and freezer full.
Our upright freezer we got 5 years ago really made a big difference in our food budget, and we use a food saver machine to really make sure it last a bit longer and doesn't ruin the food.
I always have the staples on hand, flour,yeast, beans,pasta,rice sugar, well you get the idea.
I also shop at the scratch and dent stores. I am extra careful with what I buy there and make sure I get stuff I now is not bad. I trust the people who run it, it's a small mom & pop business.
I used to do coupons but frankly I never saw the value on a regular basis. Most of the coupons were for stuff that was way to expensive to begin with and the store brand was always cheaper and I never notice the difference.
I try and by the best meat and poultry I can because I know we will eat it all and enjoy it.
I don't find savings in by a bad piece of meat that is so tough you can't chew it and you end up tossing it out.
The only problem I have is in the middle of the month I tend to run out of the diary or fresh produce.
And because I only get a check once a month I have decided to buy a $50 grocery store gift card and hold on to until I need it in the middle of the month.
I spend about $350 a month on groceries and that too includes food, and litter for 7 cats, and our toiletries and cleaning supplies.
Some times its more and sometimes it's less depending on the sales and if I have any room in the freezer.
Great article, thanks!
You've hit the nail right on the head Jabulani! Once upon a time (I know I'm dating myself here!!) there was not 24/7 news coverage and more specifically 24/7 financial news coverage. Now people think if there is some new information they need to act. No wonder volatility is so high! Great Post!!!
Yeah.. I didn't mean embarrassed in a bad way, but some people are just naturally more shy and don't like it when coworkers have a chance to tease them. I had a coworker who was like that and he wouldn't even bring his wife to company parties even though she is a gorgeous woman. He is sort of embarrassed in the way that he doesn't want people to comment on his wife and their relationship.
I always attributed the sexiness of the green m & m's to a line in a commercial when I was in Jr. High. A boy was talking about his m & m's and baseball. He ended with the line, "and the green ones make me hit home runs." I never heard about their horniness factor before that commercial, and I always assumed it was that one.
Thanks for sharing this story. You made my day! I will be thinking about this for a long time...
I'm not much intererested in arguing about the definition of poverty.
What I'm interested in is trying to get the word out that it's possible to eat a diet that's both healthy and cheap. Sadly, as I say in the article, it's not healthy and cheap and easy. Helping people find their way through the difficulties and complexities is one of our missions, here at Wise Bread.
Thank you so much for this post. I read Wisebread daily, and happened to be looking for just such an experience. Within 2 hours of my reading this post, I'd heard back from one that caught my eye, and it now seems likely that I'll be spending 2 weeks in Sudan-- as a bonus, it should help me transition from my current job to one more relevant to my education-- fabulous, particularly since I'm just starting out (and just paid a *fortune* for my masters degree)
This is an interesting blog on the emergency fund. I am firm believer that your emergency fund should be in an easily accessible, but not too easy place. It must be liquid, I recommend a money market fund with check writing privileges. Using a credit card for your emergency fund is not wise in my opinion. If you cannot pay off your credit card every month, you have too much credit card debt.
I saw a web-video with an account of this story and it was very moving. In fact, I shared it with my boss and several co-workers and they were equally moved. It just goes to show you that service from the heart it worth far more than all the marketing dollars a company can throw at a marketing plan.
Great question, Mark. Tax deductibility is dependant on the country's regulations, in addition to the company's structure (eg: partnership or corporation).
However oftentimes the general rule goes that expenses incurred for the business (which can include insurance premiums) are deductible as business expenses. In Canada this is the case with some buy-sell Life Insurance structures, as well as Key-Man policies.
I encourage anybody looking into this to check with their accountants about the deductibility applicable to their specific situation.
For those of us who own MS Word 2003 , there is a built-in TO DO feature (go to "View" menu and select "Outline") that is worth is weight in gold. You can set up heirarchical sub-headings, move things up and down,insert long text notes,and view your entries in different levels. It is indispensable for keeping track of tasks.
The last car I had (before I sold it along with everything else), I bought as a demo from the dealer. After some banter with the sales manager, it became apparent that we were going to be negotiating. Hard. We both laughed, called a spade a spade, and went at it!
By the end, we both admitted that we enjoyed the process, felt that the deal was fair (I drove a HARD bargain!), and parted company with smiles on our faces and handshakes all around.
Having fun and not being afraid to walk away are two very sage pieces of advice. Thanks for this article! I wrote a similar article with a different spin here.
I have cats - so i use fish tanks with the seedlings, undergrow lights. the cats can get in and the plants get big enough to transplant.
Where did you hear this? Where does this take place?
I LOVE having that stuff fresh. It's so yummy and aromatic.
I planted tomatoes, basil and peppers for germination, the basil and tomatoes came up fine (but I havent tried transplanting them yet). The peppers took a lot longer, but have started to sprout.
I chose to sprout because its too early for seedlings. I also bought a specific type of tomato plant that I dont think I can find locally (a Tumbling Tom to be grown in a hanging basket), so i'll have to sprout that one myself.
I love the reference you make to Alton Brown.
Go Jedi and multi-taskers!
If they're fat, they're not poor. You want to see poor? Go to Africa and parts of South America.
The people that you are describing sounds to me like the folks in the US who make bad decisions in general - the so called poor. These people aren't poor. They've got clothing, shelter, food (lot's of it), and in almost all cases a car.
You're describing a run-of-the-mill democrat.
I have my groceries delivered by a service in town. The prices are reasonable and the delivery fee is more than worth the time saved.
I pay $125/week and have enough groceries for 7 dinners (and some leftovers) for a family of 4, staples & breakfast foods.
Grocery delivery has been a godsend with my busy schedule. No coupons, no ad reading, no standing in lines and no last minute store trips where I always spend more than I should!
Wonderful!
Absolutely wonderful story, I love it!
If you make crepes very often..and you should!...plain old steel crepe pans are totally a good $10 investment. They're light, which is great when you're spending more time with the pan swirling around off the burner than on. My next lightest pan is at least twice as heavy. Get two and you can cook a big mess o' crepes in about 10 minutes.
Two of 'em are the only single purpose pans I have. The only other single purpose devices I have, of any kind, are a salad spinner and wine key.
Knife-wise, one high quality 9" Chef's knife, a cheap bread knife, and a cheap paring knife are all you need for 99.9% of cooking.
I heard it when I was driving, I pulled over to keep listening. Then I came straight back home to write it down.
I've been looking forward to this one. I've always cheated and gotten a rosemary plant to start with, although they've always grown like gangbusters and release such a yummy scent when you rub the leaves.
Oregano - I only tried it once and it worked great until some animal dug it up.
Parsely - I think you'll be pleased. It keeps coming back cut after cut and fills in like gangbusters.
Tomatoes - lots of people have luck here. I haven't been one of them so far, but I look forward to your success stories.
Congratulations on getting started.
This is one of the best stories I've read in awhile. Thanks for sharing it. :)
i live in a rural state and my dh and i actually own some cattle so we get our meat from ourselves - but before we got into the cattle business, we would purchase half a beef from a farmer or rancher. A large investment up front, but we have always had burger and steaks in the freezer. So once a year we pay $350 for meat to be processed then avoid the meat section of the grocery store for the rest of the year. (We have friends who process their own pork so we do a lot of swapping chops/bacon/sausage for burger.)
This is a really great way to save on meat AND know exactly where that meat came from :)
but, you do need that large freezer for storage....
I am on a fixed income and shop the way my mom shopped for a family of 7, Buy as much as you can that is on sale and is something that everyone likes and just try and keep the pantry and freezer full.
Our upright freezer we got 5 years ago really made a big difference in our food budget, and we use a food saver machine to really make sure it last a bit longer and doesn't ruin the food.
I always have the staples on hand, flour,yeast, beans,pasta,rice sugar, well you get the idea.
I also shop at the scratch and dent stores. I am extra careful with what I buy there and make sure I get stuff I now is not bad. I trust the people who run it, it's a small mom & pop business.
I used to do coupons but frankly I never saw the value on a regular basis. Most of the coupons were for stuff that was way to expensive to begin with and the store brand was always cheaper and I never notice the difference.
I try and by the best meat and poultry I can because I know we will eat it all and enjoy it.
I don't find savings in by a bad piece of meat that is so tough you can't chew it and you end up tossing it out.
The only problem I have is in the middle of the month I tend to run out of the diary or fresh produce.
And because I only get a check once a month I have decided to buy a $50 grocery store gift card and hold on to until I need it in the middle of the month.
I spend about $350 a month on groceries and that too includes food, and litter for 7 cats, and our toiletries and cleaning supplies.
Some times its more and sometimes it's less depending on the sales and if I have any room in the freezer.
Great article, thanks!
You've hit the nail right on the head Jabulani! Once upon a time (I know I'm dating myself here!!) there was not 24/7 news coverage and more specifically 24/7 financial news coverage. Now people think if there is some new information they need to act. No wonder volatility is so high! Great Post!!!
Yeah.. I didn't mean embarrassed in a bad way, but some people are just naturally more shy and don't like it when coworkers have a chance to tease them. I had a coworker who was like that and he wouldn't even bring his wife to company parties even though she is a gorgeous woman. He is sort of embarrassed in the way that he doesn't want people to comment on his wife and their relationship.