Unless I'm missing something, this seems like it'd be of extremely limited utility, since both sender and receiver need to be paying members of the organization. I use PayPal for international transactions. Pli facila.
With making presents, as you illustrate, you still need to stick to budget.
Thankfully I get fabric by the carload from my uncle in law (my mother in law's brother) twice a year- free. Sewing is the cost of thread and time for the most part- unless I get into quilted gifts. Batting can be expensive- so I use some of the thicker, textured fabrics. Once these run out, then I have to get more creative. I do buy blankets, linens at garage sales- wash them in the hottest water possible, and use them.
I'm a big fan of supporting local businesses: local farmers at the farmer's market, local restaurants, local retail shops. If you insist on venturing out into the outside world to do your shopping, why not patronize unique, locally owned shops rather than the big, overcrowded, anonymous mall? When I buy from local merchants, I almost feel like I'm giving two gifts: one to the recipient, and one to the store owner! Nurseries/garden centers are a particularly great local business to get a dose of Christmas spirit (many of them do a big business in greenery and decorations) + creative gift ideas.
is from, dare I say it, my favorite store...Target. They have these red tags called "as advertised" that are exactly the same color and design as their "clearance" tags. Basically, if you're not careful, you often think that you're getting something on special but that's not the case at all. They're just highlighting a product they want you to buy, at a regular price. Clever.
I try to keep out of the stores and only buy loss leaders. Try and find out what is the grade of beef at safeway. I have tried to find out what grade is their ranchers reserve and I only get poliet emails back
When people mention chewing gum or toothpaste for polishing, they are refering to the "white teeth" products that contain mild abrasives, wich makes them nothing more than polishing compounds that you can eat :D
Regular toothpaste and chewing gum will just make a mess, it will not work any better for polishing than any other kitchen goop.
All other food products that have an effect for polishing contain added or natural abrasives.
I've noticed this about Safeway for some time now - they do jack up the prices before putting some items on sale and I agree it's really annoying. I get around this by having a feel for the prices of the items I buy regularly - Diet Coke is a staple at our place I'm afraid to say. I only buy the sale items I know are a good price. Have you noticed that many of sale items are now buy 2 get 1 free - used to be buy 1 get free.
On a similar topic, I recently received a coupon booklet from our local Toyota dealership for discounts on service. I need a minor service and there was a coupon for $69.95 but it didn't show the regular price so I called - guess what the regular price was - you got it - $69.95! So I asked why the coupon - the answer was "I don't really know" - same "I couldn't care less" attitude. Go figure!
Mr. Wilder has a somewhat conservative, stay-the-course, keep-investing advice, which I think is very useful. From what I can tell, his main audience are high earners who seem to have secure jobs but need financial discipline and will benefit greatly from this approach. Either way (prepay or not), having discipline over a long period of time is extremely helpful (as you mentioned taking your extra money and investing) and having minimal expenses (in case of a job loss or change in your income situation) is comforting.
I disagree with the book's advice to not prepay one's mortgage. Yes, if one has a mortgage with a fairly low interest rate, one may be able to find investments with a higher rate of return. However, for many people that's far from certain.
I've found great peace of mind from outright owning my home. That, in combination with having no other debts whatsoever, means that our "burn rate" is relatively low if the household income disappears. Investing the money we were previously spending on the mortgage is giving us additional padding.
I'm not quite as brave as you Nora and don't like to go anywhere near the mall beginning with Black Friday through Christmas Eve. But, like you, I have also spent too much by shopping early (and forgetting what I've already spent) and buying items for my gift closet that have gone unused. I can't recall a specific last minute group purchase for parents/in-laws (and I had finished my shopping or thought so) but that has happened also. Like Guest #1, I've done most of my shopping online and am now hoping everything arrives on time.
I'm sure there are other places that run like this too, but Trader Joe's is the one I know. They don't do coupons, they don't do sales. They just price the items at whatever the price is. Produce prices change seasonally, and occasionally things are adjusted for inflation or such, but they don't play mind games.
Wise Bread is about "living large on a small budget." There is nothing quite as sad as missing out on the Holiday partying season. This way, you can join in the fun and have a few friends buy you some drinks with these wagers. Frugal is one thing, but being so tight with money that you don't have a social life is quite another.
This doesn't make me mad at all. Sales are generally just psychology anyway. One of the main points I try to always make is that you shouldn't buy something just because it is on sale. You should buy it because you are in need of it - at a good price. If you need it *and* it's on sale, so much the better. But you shouldn't buy it just because of the sale.
Of course, I can't convince my wife of this, especially when it comes to clothes. "But they were on sale" after a $200 shopping spree for clothes that she doesn't need :(
4 times this past week my "sale" item was not really on sale when it rang up. The first time the items had a big 40% sign that did not ring up. When I pointed it out to the clerk she checked the flyer & gave me the discount. I asked when the sale ended & she told me the end of the week. Then when I came back on Friday the sign was down & they tried not honor the sale (they finally did). The 3rd time the 20% off rugs marked on the aisle didn't ring up so I stood there till they sent someone back to check. They did honor that sale price also. The final straw was Monday I picked up some dog beds on sale ($19.99 every place you looked) rang up for $29.99. They sent someone back & the one's I had picked out were "on the wrong shelf". I left them at the store. I ran an errand & went back, boy were those shelves straightened out! The ones I wanted were on the very bottom with bright yellow stickers. If I hadn't been running late the first time I would have gone back my self. It is getting old. I think I might start taking pictures with my cell phone before I get to the check out counter. My kids/husband get so embarrassed but I tell them that the store sure would point out to me if my check was $2-3.00 short! This might be one more reason people are buying less & over the web. The only time I've had a clerk help me with purchases lately was to get my sale price!
Mung Beans are what I most often find in non-health food places, lentils work too. If you want to buy online I had the nicest transaction with Sprout People http://www.sproutpeople.com/
Whoever wrote this really has no clue what organics are about. Your talking about horizon cows like there is a big factory where they are. Not the case it is many small farms and actually they do graze on green grass from spring until fall. I know this because I pass a organic farm every day on the way to work and alot of time I have to stop for them when they are crossing the raod to a different pasture...you are just a bitter person who knows nothing about researching, and second organics.
You catch these things if you track prices. One of our local grocery chains advertising items as being on sale but they are the same price they always are. I also see the 10 for 10 sales and about half of the items are ones that are a buck or less normally.
The other thing I noticed was that many gift type items went up just before holiday shopping hit full swing.
I did a price book for a while. I took weekly shopping receipts and put them into excel, similar to the price book idea. Prices on things were fluctuating wildly. I think you really need to add a high and a low for each item so you can get a better idea where the cost for that item is. We also try to be creatures of habit, buying the same thing frequently. I know off the top of my head the price for pork loin, milk and target brand toilet paper because we buy those things all the time.
I found many items that were going up 100% or more and just about everything you buy as far as groceries went up and is staying up. This caused us to dump many pre-packaged products we used to buy or we only buy them when they are on sale. $3.76 for a box of triscuts, I don't think so. They were $1.76 a year ago so now I wait until they go on sale for $2 a box or less and stock up or do without.
Like the credit card companies, that want you to keep on paying for as long as you can, the mortgage industry needs this to keep people just afloat enough. But in another few years, when the teaser rate freeze is over, many people (and I dare say the economy as well) will be right in the same place as it is now.
It is quite an eye opening experience when you first start to use a price book, you quickly realize you perception of what things cost is way off. Usually on the high side. A price book offers another advantage, instant shopping list and if you do it in Excel you can quickly calculate how much something will cost. A price book will save you around 10-15% off your shopping enough but not massive amounts. Let me rephrase that, inspite of the huge jumps in the price of some things I'm still below what I used to spend pre price book times. Another advantage is it makes you a much better shopper, particular if you combine it with a recipe planner.
The only negative to a price book is you become really sensitive to price increases. I just about died when I walked in the store and found have the things I bought jumped alot in price. Coffee up 30%, cookies almost 100% so on and so forth. It was a big shock, but on the other hand when a bunch of stuff went on sale I really stocked up.
Hi, I have experienced the same thing a lot of times in my local ASDA. At one time I was especially annoyed as the coffee I used to buy was £1, rolled back from £1.69. The roll back sticker had been removed then for several weeks. Next time I went in for my coffee a rollback sticker was on the shelf Price: £1.69, whereas before it had been £1. So I went to the customer services to complain. They took notes and said I would hear from them. Nothing happened. Next time is ASDA I enquired, they took notes again, nothing happened. Then I decided I go onto the website to log a formal complaint. No response. This in ASDA who praise themselves on their fabulous customer service. Ha ha.
And that was not the only problem which happened in ASDA and their prices. So now I drive to TESCO, a 25 miles longer car journey, but it still saves me weekly £10 minimum, and I try to fit it in with when I am near there anyway....
ASDA? Never ever again!
Unless I'm missing something, this seems like it'd be of extremely limited utility, since both sender and receiver need to be paying members of the organization. I use PayPal for international transactions. Pli facila.
With making presents, as you illustrate, you still need to stick to budget.
Thankfully I get fabric by the carload from my uncle in law (my mother in law's brother) twice a year- free. Sewing is the cost of thread and time for the most part- unless I get into quilted gifts. Batting can be expensive- so I use some of the thicker, textured fabrics. Once these run out, then I have to get more creative. I do buy blankets, linens at garage sales- wash them in the hottest water possible, and use them.
I'm a big fan of supporting local businesses: local farmers at the farmer's market, local restaurants, local retail shops. If you insist on venturing out into the outside world to do your shopping, why not patronize unique, locally owned shops rather than the big, overcrowded, anonymous mall? When I buy from local merchants, I almost feel like I'm giving two gifts: one to the recipient, and one to the store owner! Nurseries/garden centers are a particularly great local business to get a dose of Christmas spirit (many of them do a big business in greenery and decorations) + creative gift ideas.
is from, dare I say it, my favorite store...Target. They have these red tags called "as advertised" that are exactly the same color and design as their "clearance" tags. Basically, if you're not careful, you often think that you're getting something on special but that's not the case at all. They're just highlighting a product they want you to buy, at a regular price. Clever.
I try to keep out of the stores and only buy loss leaders. Try and find out what is the grade of beef at safeway. I have tried to find out what grade is their ranchers reserve and I only get poliet emails back
This is exactly why keeping a price book is so valuable. Sometimes sales just aren't that special after all.
When people mention chewing gum or toothpaste for polishing, they are refering to the "white teeth" products that contain mild abrasives, wich makes them nothing more than polishing compounds that you can eat :D
Regular toothpaste and chewing gum will just make a mess, it will not work any better for polishing than any other kitchen goop.
All other food products that have an effect for polishing contain added or natural abrasives.
I've noticed this about Safeway for some time now - they do jack up the prices before putting some items on sale and I agree it's really annoying. I get around this by having a feel for the prices of the items I buy regularly - Diet Coke is a staple at our place I'm afraid to say. I only buy the sale items I know are a good price. Have you noticed that many of sale items are now buy 2 get 1 free - used to be buy 1 get free.
On a similar topic, I recently received a coupon booklet from our local Toyota dealership for discounts on service. I need a minor service and there was a coupon for $69.95 but it didn't show the regular price so I called - guess what the regular price was - you got it - $69.95! So I asked why the coupon - the answer was "I don't really know" - same "I couldn't care less" attitude. Go figure!
I could definitely use a few free beers right about now!
Mr. Wilder has a somewhat conservative, stay-the-course, keep-investing advice, which I think is very useful. From what I can tell, his main audience are high earners who seem to have secure jobs but need financial discipline and will benefit greatly from this approach. Either way (prepay or not), having discipline over a long period of time is extremely helpful (as you mentioned taking your extra money and investing) and having minimal expenses (in case of a job loss or change in your income situation) is comforting.
I disagree with the book's advice to not prepay one's mortgage. Yes, if one has a mortgage with a fairly low interest rate, one may be able to find investments with a higher rate of return. However, for many people that's far from certain.
I've found great peace of mind from outright owning my home. That, in combination with having no other debts whatsoever, means that our "burn rate" is relatively low if the household income disappears. Investing the money we were previously spending on the mortgage is giving us additional padding.
I'm not quite as brave as you Nora and don't like to go anywhere near the mall beginning with Black Friday through Christmas Eve. But, like you, I have also spent too much by shopping early (and forgetting what I've already spent) and buying items for my gift closet that have gone unused. I can't recall a specific last minute group purchase for parents/in-laws (and I had finished my shopping or thought so) but that has happened also. Like Guest #1, I've done most of my shopping online and am now hoping everything arrives on time.
I'm sure there are other places that run like this too, but Trader Joe's is the one I know. They don't do coupons, they don't do sales. They just price the items at whatever the price is. Produce prices change seasonally, and occasionally things are adjusted for inflation or such, but they don't play mind games.
They also have a stellar $3 bottle of wine ;).
great deals. no crowds. and you can do it in your pajamas. :)
Wise Bread is about "living large on a small budget." There is nothing quite as sad as missing out on the Holiday partying season. This way, you can join in the fun and have a few friends buy you some drinks with these wagers. Frugal is one thing, but being so tight with money that you don't have a social life is quite another.
There are very few things that are less frugal than going to a bar. OK, smoking might be one.
This doesn't make me mad at all. Sales are generally just psychology anyway. One of the main points I try to always make is that you shouldn't buy something just because it is on sale. You should buy it because you are in need of it - at a good price. If you need it *and* it's on sale, so much the better. But you shouldn't buy it just because of the sale.
Of course, I can't convince my wife of this, especially when it comes to clothes. "But they were on sale" after a $200 shopping spree for clothes that she doesn't need :(
4 times this past week my "sale" item was not really on sale when it rang up. The first time the items had a big 40% sign that did not ring up. When I pointed it out to the clerk she checked the flyer & gave me the discount. I asked when the sale ended & she told me the end of the week. Then when I came back on Friday the sign was down & they tried not honor the sale (they finally did). The 3rd time the 20% off rugs marked on the aisle didn't ring up so I stood there till they sent someone back to check. They did honor that sale price also. The final straw was Monday I picked up some dog beds on sale ($19.99 every place you looked) rang up for $29.99. They sent someone back & the one's I had picked out were "on the wrong shelf". I left them at the store. I ran an errand & went back, boy were those shelves straightened out! The ones I wanted were on the very bottom with bright yellow stickers. If I hadn't been running late the first time I would have gone back my self. It is getting old. I think I might start taking pictures with my cell phone before I get to the check out counter. My kids/husband get so embarrassed but I tell them that the store sure would point out to me if my check was $2-3.00 short! This might be one more reason people are buying less & over the web. The only time I've had a clerk help me with purchases lately was to get my sale price!
Mung Beans are what I most often find in non-health food places, lentils work too. If you want to buy online I had the nicest transaction with Sprout People http://www.sproutpeople.com/
Whoever wrote this really has no clue what organics are about. Your talking about horizon cows like there is a big factory where they are. Not the case it is many small farms and actually they do graze on green grass from spring until fall. I know this because I pass a organic farm every day on the way to work and alot of time I have to stop for them when they are crossing the raod to a different pasture...you are just a bitter person who knows nothing about researching, and second organics.
You catch these things if you track prices. One of our local grocery chains advertising items as being on sale but they are the same price they always are. I also see the 10 for 10 sales and about half of the items are ones that are a buck or less normally.
The other thing I noticed was that many gift type items went up just before holiday shopping hit full swing.
I did a price book for a while. I took weekly shopping receipts and put them into excel, similar to the price book idea. Prices on things were fluctuating wildly. I think you really need to add a high and a low for each item so you can get a better idea where the cost for that item is. We also try to be creatures of habit, buying the same thing frequently. I know off the top of my head the price for pork loin, milk and target brand toilet paper because we buy those things all the time.
I found many items that were going up 100% or more and just about everything you buy as far as groceries went up and is staying up. This caused us to dump many pre-packaged products we used to buy or we only buy them when they are on sale. $3.76 for a box of triscuts, I don't think so. They were $1.76 a year ago so now I wait until they go on sale for $2 a box or less and stock up or do without.
This is a great analysis. I blogged it: http://www.loanshak.com/2007/12/waiting-for-the.html.
Like the credit card companies, that want you to keep on paying for as long as you can, the mortgage industry needs this to keep people just afloat enough. But in another few years, when the teaser rate freeze is over, many people (and I dare say the economy as well) will be right in the same place as it is now.
It is quite an eye opening experience when you first start to use a price book, you quickly realize you perception of what things cost is way off. Usually on the high side. A price book offers another advantage, instant shopping list and if you do it in Excel you can quickly calculate how much something will cost. A price book will save you around 10-15% off your shopping enough but not massive amounts. Let me rephrase that, inspite of the huge jumps in the price of some things I'm still below what I used to spend pre price book times. Another advantage is it makes you a much better shopper, particular if you combine it with a recipe planner.
The only negative to a price book is you become really sensitive to price increases. I just about died when I walked in the store and found have the things I bought jumped alot in price. Coffee up 30%, cookies almost 100% so on and so forth. It was a big shock, but on the other hand when a bunch of stuff went on sale I really stocked up.
Hi, I have experienced the same thing a lot of times in my local ASDA. At one time I was especially annoyed as the coffee I used to buy was £1, rolled back from £1.69. The roll back sticker had been removed then for several weeks. Next time I went in for my coffee a rollback sticker was on the shelf Price: £1.69, whereas before it had been £1. So I went to the customer services to complain. They took notes and said I would hear from them. Nothing happened. Next time is ASDA I enquired, they took notes again, nothing happened. Then I decided I go onto the website to log a formal complaint. No response. This in ASDA who praise themselves on their fabulous customer service. Ha ha.
And that was not the only problem which happened in ASDA and their prices. So now I drive to TESCO, a 25 miles longer car journey, but it still saves me weekly £10 minimum, and I try to fit it in with when I am near there anyway....
ASDA? Never ever again!