I suppose this might fit in the 'craft' category, but they make great hairsticks! Stain and varnish them, or paint them, and you've got great hair accessories for next to no money.
I've always thought it strange that people in the US are so adverse to renting extra space in their homes. My husband and I have had a number of borders throughout the years and it has always been a positive experience. We've rented to a variety of people, college students, singles, couples, a professor visiting from another country etc. Of course, you have to be a little discriminating when choosing a person to live in your home. We've oftentimes had a friendship with the person before they came to live with us, but in one house we had 3 rooms rented to single people and didn't know any of them prior to that. It took us a month or two to find people who would be a good fit for our household, but it was worth it.
I am fortunate to have married into a family (Chinese, incidentally) who believes strongly in helping the younger generations become established with a home. When my husband and I were discussing buying a rental property and were planning to rent part of our house to supplement the expenses, his parents offered to rent out a room in their house also to help us.
Why aren't you supposed to cook split peas or lentils in pressure cookers? I have a bean soup I would like to try, but worry about the split peas in the mix. We live at about 8000 ft. altitude, and I fix navy and white beans with success in it and love it. I would like to try this bean soup, but know the pressure cooker directions say not to put split peas or lentils. Is there an explanation for this and any way around it or another way to fix that at this altitude? Thanks for any suggestions.
I have had a card cancelled on me because I never used it, and one of my friends had a card cancelled because he always earned a good amount of rewards and always paid it off. The credit card companies aren't trying to help the consumers, they are just trying to help themselves. I saw a documentary where they called the people who pay off creditcards "deadbeats" because we don't make money for them.
Just thought I'd pop in and address some of the drought issue. Personally I haven't been affected by it, even though I live there. The reason? We have a spring-fed well (which I will fight to keep if ever they try to put us on municipal water).
The dwindling water supply here can be attributed largely to the very rapid expansion of the area, as well as the aggressive annexation by some municipalities. Thousands of homes have been hooked up to the municipal water supplies that used to be served by wells, and thousands more homes have been newly constructed in the area.
Water shortages showed up in some neighborhoods and towns before the drought even began. So while the drought isn't helping, it's not the only issue affecting the water supply.
Sounds like rubbish to me too. The credit card banks have zero moral authority, and if they are canceling cards in this kind of mass action, I'd like to see their former customers organize a mass refusal to pay existing debt, or to at least organize as a group to extract much better terms. That would be something to see.
I attended parochial schools K-12. In 8th grade at the local Catholic school, I decided not to be confirmed and that I vehemently disagree with much of the religious doctrine. So, I resented attending 4 more years of religion class. I also wished for more fun electives, and begged to go to public school so I could take shop class or auto repair alongside my AP courses.
I didn't realize what a tremendous gift my parents had given me until I went to a public college. I loved the warm and engaging people I met at my university, but was extremely disappointed in the academic level of my peers. I had been writing 6+ page papers as a HS freshman, and up to 20 pages as a senior in AP English. In my college freshman Honors English course, we were challenged to write less than half what I had done in HS. The grammar and diction in the papers I peer-edited were substandard; I, in turn, gained little from my peer editors. In my non-Honors courses, some of my classmates wrote so poorly that I wondered how they were ever admitted to college! It was hard to find the push I needed to really develop further in college, when the starting point for the class was much lower than my HS courses were.
I know I'm an academic elitist, and most people would shame me for such behavior. I feel compassion for bright students who care but don't have access to better teachers. However, it only makes sense to compete with those at or near your own level. Few would fault a pro athlete for declining to play in a pick-up game. (FWIW, I'm a crappy athlete)
It’s so nice to read of like-minded people!
Good post, Linsey. Really, today the only limit to learn is the time we have at our disposal and our willingness to actually sit down and study. I am taking a course on search engines right now, offered by Berkeley. Just one word: fascinating. Please keep posting about free learning resources for people who can’t get enough of it!
I got in over my head once, and it's taken a long time to get back. With a 35 day warning, I can only imagine what I'd have done. Panicked, for a few days, then looked really hard at what I needed to do now. Hopefully, a few people won't be digging farther down once they've hit rock bottom with this kind of process...
I didn't see much mention of whose credit will be cut - repeat non-payment of bills? 3 strikes and then the money is scrounged up for the minimum, and then three more months of non-payment? No idea either if other customers are being given greater spending limits now, too.
When someone has to declare bankruptcy, the banks don't get very much back. Not letting someone who's sinking that far keep sinking just might gain them what they'd loaned, instead of a percentage of very little.
What is interesting is the number of Egg customers who have contacted the BBC to say that their card is one that has been canceled despite carrying no balance and never missing payments, they are now accusing Egg of closing accounts that aren't making them money. It would be interesting to know just how many canceled cards were maxed out and how many were paid off.
As for the original point of closing accounts of those with poor credit I don't think it would necessarily help in any way, while I agree that it is usually their own fault they ended up living off their credit cards, giving only 35 days notice could be very problematic for some families.
Do you think at least part of the reluctance might come from families with children? It would take a more extensive background check to feel safe with a stranger in the house under those conditions.
Also, in a way, more people are living in multiple-adult situations, since some of the people losing their homes are moving back to live with their parents.
I spot two places where the figures are potentially flawed. Most people don't go for that latte on days they don't work, and most people don't work all 30 days of a month. Which means they also aren't buying lunch out all 30 days, either. The figures above assume $4 X 30 days for coffee, and $6 X 30 days for lunches out.
Aside from that, the tips here have been recycled ad nauseum, and for those of us nonsheeple who don't do the coffee thing, the lunch thing, the movie thing, the gym thing, the flashy car thing, etc...there's nothing of value here.
Truly, the best tip I've seen came from the comments: don't have pets or children!
Even in the very earliest carbon zinc batteries for
lanterns, the size of the cells inside is what is called
"F" cells. Like an earlier poster here said, he found
cells about 1 1/2 times the length of "D" cells inside his Energizer, and 4 branded Duracell "D" cells inside a
Duracell battery. A good reason to buy Energizers instead of Duracells, because each is manganese dioxide
(alkaline) chemistry, but the Energizer has 1 1/2 times
the capacity of "D" cell Duracells. And Duracells often
cost more!!! Blind brand loyalty for some people, maybe???
Where I live there are many, many homes that rent out one, two, or three rooms to boarders. The high cost of housing here made that necessary years ago. I expect it varies a lot from place-to-place in the country.
Who ever said or believed Banks were your friend or you were a friend of theirs? They are a business and you are a "business" entering into a business relationship. Why you would get angry about that is unclear to me. If you look at it any other way, who's fault is that? No reason to yell or whine about arrangements you enter into willfully. Too much blame shifting in this world. It is the banks fault if I overspend and can't control my use of credit - - Please. Gosh, you mean they expect to get the money BACK?
What a load of sanctimonious rubbish. This is about nothing more than business. They are dumping unprofitable business not just recalcitrant payers. It is time that people stopped seeing banks as anything other than profit making machines. They are not your friend when the going gets tough and they will screw you to the floor and after you are dead if they can get away with it. Maybe the lack of credit will be a reality check for us but just remember what is paying for goods and services and keeping the economy afloat.
PS. Egg is not a giant in the UK but a minority player, recently taken over by yes you guessed it an American bank.
What you are forgetting is the third choice. Home education. So many people are heading in this direction now. With home school groups in just about every town in America and curriculum aids of all kinds, there really is no better way to go. Home education is the best bang for your buck. The best education without the heavy bill of a private school. Both parents can pitch in their own personal strong points in the education while enjoying the time with their child. No more trying to find time to spend with the child.
Living in the right district is no issue or even living close to a private school. The curriculum is soley your choice. The class can be no smaller. And children do not need equipment, they need books and life.
And as far as the myth of "what about social life" goes, that is a non-issue. I can tell a home educated child from a mile away by the interaction they are able to have with adults. How many governement-educated children really, and I mean really, have conversations with adults. Shouldn't that be what you are preparing your children for is life in the adult world.
Not that I havent seen many fine adults come from the government and private sectors of education. But home is really where education was meant to happen.
One of the best philosophies of education I have seen is of Charlotte Mason. Check out ... www.ambleside online.com.
The real problem is that nobody has savings, but everyone has debt. Many people's greatest asset -where they kept their wealth - was their homes, but they didn't actually OWN their homes.
Also, people seem to think that creating jobs is an end to itself; but for a strong economy, jobs should be a BYPRODUCT of innovation, efficiency, and progress.
I think the rebate is a terrible idea myself, but I'm definitely taking the money because I know I'll be paying for it later on in one way or another. Plus, the amount would be enough to pay off the car, which would free up $500 per month - in the long run, if I spent or invested it it would be better for the economy than to blow it all in one day.
This is why I've said many times that people should have an emergency fund, and not just rely on access to credit as their protection against lost income or unexpected expenses--access to credit can be lost at any time.
As Dwight says, I doubt very much that this is the banks trying to protect customers from their own foolishness. Until recently, the banks have made a lot of money from their most foolish customers. In an economic downturn, though, the foolish customers may well stop paying not only the interest and fees, but also the principle amount owed. The banks are just trying to stop the bleeding from their own bottom lines.
I've researched opening a charter school, and I don't like how the numbers crunch, nor the continued accountability to the state as far as standardized testing is concerned. I don't want to open a private school because the group of kids I want to serve couldn't afford it.
Sooo...I'd open my own school, a private one, with the tuition being paid in community service.
I kinda wish I was better at grant writing. I'd really like to see this happen.
Love your restaurant idea by the way. I'd totally be there.
A tax rebate ... is that ALL that they can come up with?!? Give me a break! How about putting people to work! Jobs are being cut as well as wages! What are they going to do with the BIG rebate - pay down what they owe! So who then profits? - the creditors!
How about this ... Our infrastructure is falling down - bridges and roads are in need of repair (remember one fell and killed serveral people!). Put people to work making good money and they will in turn spend their money! Duh! This is how we got ourselves out of a Depression!
If people don't feel good (or safe) in keeping their jobs they are not about to spend! And if you are about to loose your home - what are you going to do with your money? You are going to save it or hope it helps with the mortgage long enough to starve off the wolves!
But then again we have an never-ending WAR to spend BILLIONS on over THERE rather than help our people HERE! Give me a break!
Those of us that pay on time or don't even use credit anymore (yeah me!) will somehow eventually pay for the ones that never pay. It will come in higher banking fees or in lower wages for their employees. Big companies like that will not operate at a loss and will find subtle ways to get it all back eventually.
I suppose this might fit in the 'craft' category, but they make great hairsticks! Stain and varnish them, or paint them, and you've got great hair accessories for next to no money.
I've always thought it strange that people in the US are so adverse to renting extra space in their homes. My husband and I have had a number of borders throughout the years and it has always been a positive experience. We've rented to a variety of people, college students, singles, couples, a professor visiting from another country etc. Of course, you have to be a little discriminating when choosing a person to live in your home. We've oftentimes had a friendship with the person before they came to live with us, but in one house we had 3 rooms rented to single people and didn't know any of them prior to that. It took us a month or two to find people who would be a good fit for our household, but it was worth it.
I am fortunate to have married into a family (Chinese, incidentally) who believes strongly in helping the younger generations become established with a home. When my husband and I were discussing buying a rental property and were planning to rent part of our house to supplement the expenses, his parents offered to rent out a room in their house also to help us.
Why aren't you supposed to cook split peas or lentils in pressure cookers? I have a bean soup I would like to try, but worry about the split peas in the mix. We live at about 8000 ft. altitude, and I fix navy and white beans with success in it and love it. I would like to try this bean soup, but know the pressure cooker directions say not to put split peas or lentils. Is there an explanation for this and any way around it or another way to fix that at this altitude? Thanks for any suggestions.
I have had a card cancelled on me because I never used it, and one of my friends had a card cancelled because he always earned a good amount of rewards and always paid it off. The credit card companies aren't trying to help the consumers, they are just trying to help themselves. I saw a documentary where they called the people who pay off creditcards "deadbeats" because we don't make money for them.
Just thought I'd pop in and address some of the drought issue. Personally I haven't been affected by it, even though I live there. The reason? We have a spring-fed well (which I will fight to keep if ever they try to put us on municipal water).
The dwindling water supply here can be attributed largely to the very rapid expansion of the area, as well as the aggressive annexation by some municipalities. Thousands of homes have been hooked up to the municipal water supplies that used to be served by wells, and thousands more homes have been newly constructed in the area.
Water shortages showed up in some neighborhoods and towns before the drought even began. So while the drought isn't helping, it's not the only issue affecting the water supply.
Sounds like rubbish to me too. The credit card banks have zero moral authority, and if they are canceling cards in this kind of mass action, I'd like to see their former customers organize a mass refusal to pay existing debt, or to at least organize as a group to extract much better terms. That would be something to see.
I attended parochial schools K-12. In 8th grade at the local Catholic school, I decided not to be confirmed and that I vehemently disagree with much of the religious doctrine. So, I resented attending 4 more years of religion class. I also wished for more fun electives, and begged to go to public school so I could take shop class or auto repair alongside my AP courses.
I didn't realize what a tremendous gift my parents had given me until I went to a public college. I loved the warm and engaging people I met at my university, but was extremely disappointed in the academic level of my peers. I had been writing 6+ page papers as a HS freshman, and up to 20 pages as a senior in AP English. In my college freshman Honors English course, we were challenged to write less than half what I had done in HS. The grammar and diction in the papers I peer-edited were substandard; I, in turn, gained little from my peer editors. In my non-Honors courses, some of my classmates wrote so poorly that I wondered how they were ever admitted to college! It was hard to find the push I needed to really develop further in college, when the starting point for the class was much lower than my HS courses were.
I know I'm an academic elitist, and most people would shame me for such behavior. I feel compassion for bright students who care but don't have access to better teachers. However, it only makes sense to compete with those at or near your own level. Few would fault a pro athlete for declining to play in a pick-up game. (FWIW, I'm a crappy athlete)
It’s so nice to read of like-minded people!
Good post, Linsey. Really, today the only limit to learn is the time we have at our disposal and our willingness to actually sit down and study. I am taking a course on search engines right now, offered by Berkeley. Just one word: fascinating. Please keep posting about free learning resources for people who can’t get enough of it!
erm.. most of the ones I listed don't have video.
I got in over my head once, and it's taken a long time to get back. With a 35 day warning, I can only imagine what I'd have done. Panicked, for a few days, then looked really hard at what I needed to do now. Hopefully, a few people won't be digging farther down once they've hit rock bottom with this kind of process...
I didn't see much mention of whose credit will be cut - repeat non-payment of bills? 3 strikes and then the money is scrounged up for the minimum, and then three more months of non-payment? No idea either if other customers are being given greater spending limits now, too.
When someone has to declare bankruptcy, the banks don't get very much back. Not letting someone who's sinking that far keep sinking just might gain them what they'd loaned, instead of a percentage of very little.
What is interesting is the number of Egg customers who have contacted the BBC to say that their card is one that has been canceled despite carrying no balance and never missing payments, they are now accusing Egg of closing accounts that aren't making them money. It would be interesting to know just how many canceled cards were maxed out and how many were paid off.
As for the original point of closing accounts of those with poor credit I don't think it would necessarily help in any way, while I agree that it is usually their own fault they ended up living off their credit cards, giving only 35 days notice could be very problematic for some families.
Do you think at least part of the reluctance might come from families with children? It would take a more extensive background check to feel safe with a stranger in the house under those conditions.
Also, in a way, more people are living in multiple-adult situations, since some of the people losing their homes are moving back to live with their parents.
I spot two places where the figures are potentially flawed. Most people don't go for that latte on days they don't work, and most people don't work all 30 days of a month. Which means they also aren't buying lunch out all 30 days, either. The figures above assume $4 X 30 days for coffee, and $6 X 30 days for lunches out.
Aside from that, the tips here have been recycled ad nauseum, and for those of us nonsheeple who don't do the coffee thing, the lunch thing, the movie thing, the gym thing, the flashy car thing, etc...there's nothing of value here.
Truly, the best tip I've seen came from the comments: don't have pets or children!
Even in the very earliest carbon zinc batteries for
lanterns, the size of the cells inside is what is called
"F" cells. Like an earlier poster here said, he found
cells about 1 1/2 times the length of "D" cells inside his Energizer, and 4 branded Duracell "D" cells inside a
Duracell battery. A good reason to buy Energizers instead of Duracells, because each is manganese dioxide
(alkaline) chemistry, but the Energizer has 1 1/2 times
the capacity of "D" cell Duracells. And Duracells often
cost more!!! Blind brand loyalty for some people, maybe???
Do they have any instrructables that DON'T require video???
Where I live there are many, many homes that rent out one, two, or three rooms to boarders. The high cost of housing here made that necessary years ago. I expect it varies a lot from place-to-place in the country.
Who ever said or believed Banks were your friend or you were a friend of theirs? They are a business and you are a "business" entering into a business relationship. Why you would get angry about that is unclear to me. If you look at it any other way, who's fault is that? No reason to yell or whine about arrangements you enter into willfully. Too much blame shifting in this world. It is the banks fault if I overspend and can't control my use of credit - - Please. Gosh, you mean they expect to get the money BACK?
What a load of sanctimonious rubbish. This is about nothing more than business. They are dumping unprofitable business not just recalcitrant payers. It is time that people stopped seeing banks as anything other than profit making machines. They are not your friend when the going gets tough and they will screw you to the floor and after you are dead if they can get away with it. Maybe the lack of credit will be a reality check for us but just remember what is paying for goods and services and keeping the economy afloat.
PS. Egg is not a giant in the UK but a minority player, recently taken over by yes you guessed it an American bank.
What you are forgetting is the third choice. Home education. So many people are heading in this direction now. With home school groups in just about every town in America and curriculum aids of all kinds, there really is no better way to go. Home education is the best bang for your buck. The best education without the heavy bill of a private school. Both parents can pitch in their own personal strong points in the education while enjoying the time with their child. No more trying to find time to spend with the child.
Living in the right district is no issue or even living close to a private school. The curriculum is soley your choice. The class can be no smaller. And children do not need equipment, they need books and life.
And as far as the myth of "what about social life" goes, that is a non-issue. I can tell a home educated child from a mile away by the interaction they are able to have with adults. How many governement-educated children really, and I mean really, have conversations with adults. Shouldn't that be what you are preparing your children for is life in the adult world.
Not that I havent seen many fine adults come from the government and private sectors of education. But home is really where education was meant to happen.
One of the best philosophies of education I have seen is of Charlotte Mason. Check out ... www.ambleside online.com.
The real problem is that nobody has savings, but everyone has debt. Many people's greatest asset -where they kept their wealth - was their homes, but they didn't actually OWN their homes.
Also, people seem to think that creating jobs is an end to itself; but for a strong economy, jobs should be a BYPRODUCT of innovation, efficiency, and progress.
I think the rebate is a terrible idea myself, but I'm definitely taking the money because I know I'll be paying for it later on in one way or another. Plus, the amount would be enough to pay off the car, which would free up $500 per month - in the long run, if I spent or invested it it would be better for the economy than to blow it all in one day.
This is why I've said many times that people should have an emergency fund, and not just rely on access to credit as their protection against lost income or unexpected expenses--access to credit can be lost at any time.
As Dwight says, I doubt very much that this is the banks trying to protect customers from their own foolishness. Until recently, the banks have made a lot of money from their most foolish customers. In an economic downturn, though, the foolish customers may well stop paying not only the interest and fees, but also the principle amount owed. The banks are just trying to stop the bleeding from their own bottom lines.
I've researched opening a charter school, and I don't like how the numbers crunch, nor the continued accountability to the state as far as standardized testing is concerned. I don't want to open a private school because the group of kids I want to serve couldn't afford it.
Sooo...I'd open my own school, a private one, with the tuition being paid in community service.
I kinda wish I was better at grant writing. I'd really like to see this happen.
Love your restaurant idea by the way. I'd totally be there.
A tax rebate ... is that ALL that they can come up with?!? Give me a break! How about putting people to work! Jobs are being cut as well as wages! What are they going to do with the BIG rebate - pay down what they owe! So who then profits? - the creditors!
How about this ... Our infrastructure is falling down - bridges and roads are in need of repair (remember one fell and killed serveral people!). Put people to work making good money and they will in turn spend their money! Duh! This is how we got ourselves out of a Depression!
If people don't feel good (or safe) in keeping their jobs they are not about to spend! And if you are about to loose your home - what are you going to do with your money? You are going to save it or hope it helps with the mortgage long enough to starve off the wolves!
But then again we have an never-ending WAR to spend BILLIONS on over THERE rather than help our people HERE! Give me a break!
Those of us that pay on time or don't even use credit anymore (yeah me!) will somehow eventually pay for the ones that never pay. It will come in higher banking fees or in lower wages for their employees. Big companies like that will not operate at a loss and will find subtle ways to get it all back eventually.
I suspect the banks are doing this out of their own self interest rather than any desire to protect consumers from themselves.
I can't say that I blame them. Would you loan money to someone who is not likely to pay you back?