Shaving cream is also a great tactile playtoy for children (esp. those with issues when it comes to touching things--plus it cleans the table like you wouldn't believe!)
The charcoal works great in the fridge--I've been doing this for years. A couple of briquettes in a coffee mug in the back, and you don't need to change them more than once or twice a year (unlike baking soda). Got the idea when my hubby was working an internship for a big pet product company, studying cat litter. Works in that, why not in my fridge? (I draw the line at putting cat litter in my fridge, though.)
For shower curtains (plastic), I just throw them in the washing machine with a bit of detergent, bleach and hot water. They come out looking like brand new, and I have never had one of the little holes rip out. Takes off all the built up crud, soap scum, mildew, etc. But don't put them in the dryer!
Shaving cream is also a great tactile playtoy for children (esp. those with issues when it comes to touching things--plus it cleans the table like you wouldn't believe!)
For shower curtains (plastic), I just throw them in the washing machine with a bit of detergent, bleach and hot water. They come out looking like brand new, and I have never had one of the little holes rip out. Takes off all the built up crud, mildew, etc. But don't put them in the dryer!
Since you mentioned fees and I only touched on that in the post, here's a resource mentioned by The Motley Fool and other personal finance resources: Saving for College has a list of fees for 529 plans. The site separates the types of fees: 1) enrollment or application fees; 2) maintenance fees; 3) program management fees and 4) expenses of the underlying investments. I find it easier to think of individual fees (and how to avoid them or if these are worth it) to make a decision. If you're going to invest, you will most likely incur some fees: the fees for underlying investments, for example, would be hard to avoid: if you invest in a mutual fund, you'll pay fees and if you trade (purchase and sell individual stocks), you'll have to pay trading fees and all fees will impact the investment growth. So, if you can find a decent plan in your state, it's nice to either avoid some of the fees not charged to residents and take a tax deduction that offsets the fees.
It was actually 1964 when the "poverty line" was set at three times the cost of an "economy food budget".
Correct, but much of the data came from the Agriculture Department's 1955 Household Food Consumption Survey, so it was (to a considerable extent) based on the prices and situations from much earlier than the date the poverty line was set. See the Orshansky link I posted for gory details.
I agree completely with the general sense that poverty line doesn't paint an accurate picture of who's in poverty and who isn't. However, I think it's true that the average poor person today has a much high standard of living than a poor person 50 years ago. I also think many people living at an ordinary middle-class standard of living in the 1950s would be viewed as living in poverty, if they were living the same way today.
I find in the past few years that I can not buy carrots that don't have a cold storage flavor. Even the ones in the restaurants taste like that. What are they doing to the carrots? I love carrots but they just don't taste good anymore. Do any of the rest of you have that problem?
It's not impossible to follow your passion, even starting at middle age (or later). It's hard to come up with the time and energy to do something creative when you've got a job you don't enjoy, but it's possible.
The "going to school" part is the least important part--it's just that a large fraction of the people in high school or college are in a position to be able to do some volunteer work without going hungry or becoming homeless.
Even so, I guess my advice would be about the same--find some time and energy to devote to whatever work you think you'd find engaging and find a situtation where you can do that work, even if you have to do it without pay. There's a good chance something like that could pretty quickly produce as much income as a dead-end job.
Thanks for a great article, although it probably bears repeating that some state's plans charge outrageous fees for 529's. Here's a good article that mentions some of the State plans to avoid:
I like vinegar, like someone else already said. It works great. Also baking soda. I've also heard of peanut butter to clean really sticky stuff (like gum).
I can see where college-age kids and younger really do need to plan ahead so that they don't end up working at Wendy's for minumum wage thier entire lives. Thanks for the food for thought (no pun intended).
Shaving Cream also works wonders on bathroom mirrors: If you rub shaving cream into a mirror (until it becomes transparent/disappears), it limits fog from appearing on the mirror after a shower! I've done this for years, and it always works.
It was actually 1964 when the "poverty line" was set at three times the cost of an "economy food budget". Of course, this definition has become less and less meaningful as food costs have declined in real terms while the cost of housing and health care have soared. (While energy costs are higher today in real terms, they have not quite "soared" as much as housing and health care.)
That poverty definition also fails to account for very real differences in standard of living. Only cash income is counted - for example, non-cash benefits like Medicaid, food stamps, and rental assistance improve the standard of living of a "poor" welfare recipient but they don't "lift them out of poverty". Similarly, a "poor" retired free-and-clear homeowner can live much better than a full-time "not poor" childless hamburger flipper earning minimum wage and paying half his income for rent. And of course, the cost of living varies widely across the country but the poverty line does not take that into account.
I'm stuck in a low-wage job I hate, but what can I do about it? I'm well into middle age and can't afford to go to school - as if going to school at my age would really help.
Health clubs have machines that allow me to maintain muscle tone and flexibility longer than those who do not do workouts. For me, the main discouragement to going to health clubs is their tendency to play loud, irritating music. The expeerience then becomes stressful and aversive rather than stress-reducing and innately rewarding. Very good investment if you can find an accommodating club; mine is quiet if I go early in the morning.
This is good advice and is much the same thing I tell my students. There's one other good reason to do this that goes beyond following your passion. When I worked low-wage jobs for pocket money (the only kind of jobs I could get at that age), I found that I was surrounded by people who were stuck in jobs like that. These people often had terrible attitudes about work and about the companies they worked for. Looking back, I can now see that this is why these people were stuck in low-wage jobs. But, as a student, I didn't understand that and I got infected with some of these bad attitudes and ideas -- and it took me years to really shake them. Of course, you do meet all kinds of people working those jobs, and I learned some valuable life lessons that way too. On the whole, however, I agree that you can learn more volunteering someplace interesting than workin' for the Man.
Some premium brands are clay-less. They are made of kibbled recycled newspaper or lumbermill waste. Stick with johnny cat or store brand and you will get fire-proof clay.
One of the reasons I use the vinegar-water combo with citrus oil for a homemade cleaning spray is because I read somewhere years ago that the main reason those store bought shower sprays that "prevent soap scum" work is because of something called citracidals (sp?). One of the main places to get those (at least a healthy version) is in citrus oils like orange, lemon or grapefruit. I was also told once by a health food store rep that grapefruit seed oil is the strongest one around.It's also a powerful sterilizer. That's apparently why they use it in that nutribiotic product you can take traveling to assist with making water safer to drink. I haven't done a formal research project on this or anything, but it seems to have worked in the shower quite nicely for me, and apparently the person who posted previously had some luck with the lemon oil. Does anyone else know about this citracidal issue?
I've been enjoying browsing this site today. Thanks for so much great info.
I just wanted to add my $0.02 (as a former mechanic) on WD40 that fellow frugalists might appreciate:
As another poster mentioned, WD40 is a penetrating oil, not explicitly a lubricant. It works great on a lot of things, but it has some problems--foremost is that because it is a consumer-oriented product it doesn't have very strong solvents (key to the "penetrating" part) and tends to get sticky and attract dirt and other crud which can make whatever you were trying to clean or lubricate worse in the long run. Second, it's an aerosol, which means that whenever you use it, even if you use the little straw, you are going to be wasting a lot of product (and making a mess).
I suggest you using a trade-oriented liquid penetrating oil for all of the 200 uses above. A 10 oz. spray can of WD40 will run you about $4. An 8 oz. can of liquid Kano or similar penetrating oil found at your local auto parts store (try one that caters to working mechanics... i.e. NAPA over Kragen), will also run about $4, but will last you many years. I've had the same tin of Kano for about 8 years and it's barely 1/2 used. Apply it with cotton balls, swabs, or a towel/sponge for bigger jobs. Use a little straw and the magic of air pressure--your finger over one end (don't suck!)--to draw up and deposit the oil into locks, etc. I think the lubricating qualities of Kano and PDRP etc. are also better.
Finally, two more uses for penetrating oil... 1) it's a great de-fogger. Use a cotton ball or cotton towel to lightly coat your bathroom mirrors, inside car windows, even your eye glasses, etc. A light touch, plus the solvents, will keep the glass from streaking or feeling greasy and it will last through multiple cleanings. 2) use it to clean and protect battery contacts, including (especially) in your car. Good clean oiled contacts increase battery life.
Like severa other posts, I use one, my mother used one, and my grandmother used one. I never seen one explode...heard stories about them from those that did not use them... funny.... My mother and grandmother taught me at an early age to respect the power of one. So I have respect not fear for them. I love it because I can buy the cheapest, toughest piece of meat that can be cut with a butter knife when it is all said and done. My best memory is Sunday dinner after church Mom would cook roast, potatoes and carrots. Happy cooking :)
Shaving cream is also a great tactile playtoy for children (esp. those with issues when it comes to touching things--plus it cleans the table like you wouldn't believe!)
The charcoal works great in the fridge--I've been doing this for years. A couple of briquettes in a coffee mug in the back, and you don't need to change them more than once or twice a year (unlike baking soda). Got the idea when my hubby was working an internship for a big pet product company, studying cat litter. Works in that, why not in my fridge? (I draw the line at putting cat litter in my fridge, though.)
For shower curtains (plastic), I just throw them in the washing machine with a bit of detergent, bleach and hot water. They come out looking like brand new, and I have never had one of the little holes rip out. Takes off all the built up crud, soap scum, mildew, etc. But don't put them in the dryer!
Shaving cream is also a great tactile playtoy for children (esp. those with issues when it comes to touching things--plus it cleans the table like you wouldn't believe!)
For shower curtains (plastic), I just throw them in the washing machine with a bit of detergent, bleach and hot water. They come out looking like brand new, and I have never had one of the little holes rip out. Takes off all the built up crud, mildew, etc. But don't put them in the dryer!
A cup of vinegar followed by a quart of boiling water helps unclog & freshen kitchen drains.
A lemon rind in your garbage disposal will make it smell lemony fresh.
Since you mentioned fees and I only touched on that in the post, here's a resource mentioned by The Motley Fool and other personal finance resources: Saving for College has a list of fees for 529 plans. The site separates the types of fees: 1) enrollment or application fees; 2) maintenance fees; 3) program management fees and 4) expenses of the underlying investments. I find it easier to think of individual fees (and how to avoid them or if these are worth it) to make a decision. If you're going to invest, you will most likely incur some fees: the fees for underlying investments, for example, would be hard to avoid: if you invest in a mutual fund, you'll pay fees and if you trade (purchase and sell individual stocks), you'll have to pay trading fees and all fees will impact the investment growth. So, if you can find a decent plan in your state, it's nice to either avoid some of the fees not charged to residents and take a tax deduction that offsets the fees.
Correct, but much of the data came from the Agriculture Department's 1955 Household Food Consumption Survey, so it was (to a considerable extent) based on the prices and situations from much earlier than the date the poverty line was set. See the Orshansky link I posted for gory details.
I agree completely with the general sense that poverty line doesn't paint an accurate picture of who's in poverty and who isn't. However, I think it's true that the average poor person today has a much high standard of living than a poor person 50 years ago. I also think many people living at an ordinary middle-class standard of living in the 1950s would be viewed as living in poverty, if they were living the same way today.
I find in the past few years that I can not buy carrots that don't have a cold storage flavor. Even the ones in the restaurants taste like that. What are they doing to the carrots? I love carrots but they just don't taste good anymore. Do any of the rest of you have that problem?
It's not impossible to follow your passion, even starting at middle age (or later). It's hard to come up with the time and energy to do something creative when you've got a job you don't enjoy, but it's possible.
The "going to school" part is the least important part--it's just that a large fraction of the people in high school or college are in a position to be able to do some volunteer work without going hungry or becoming homeless.
Even so, I guess my advice would be about the same--find some time and energy to devote to whatever work you think you'd find engaging and find a situtation where you can do that work, even if you have to do it without pay. There's a good chance something like that could pretty quickly produce as much income as a dead-end job.
Good luck.
Thanks for a great article, although it probably bears repeating that some state's plans charge outrageous fees for 529's. Here's a good article that mentions some of the State plans to avoid:
http://www.fool.com/personal-finance/general/2007/08/02/the-worst-529-pl...
I'm quite fond of using this method when listening to audiobooks:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/08/overclock-your-audio-learning/
I try it twice it didn't work with compressed air
This was a great post. I love when people take a different, unexpected approach at tackling problems that so many of us have encountered!
Keep up the great work!
Will I Ever Be Rich.com
I like vinegar, like someone else already said. It works great. Also baking soda. I've also heard of peanut butter to clean really sticky stuff (like gum).
Globalization is inevitable. Inevitable? It's already here. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the info, it is quite confusing decifering how to invest these days.
I can see where college-age kids and younger really do need to plan ahead so that they don't end up working at Wendy's for minumum wage thier entire lives. Thanks for the food for thought (no pun intended).
Shaving Cream also works wonders on bathroom mirrors: If you rub shaving cream into a mirror (until it becomes transparent/disappears), it limits fog from appearing on the mirror after a shower! I've done this for years, and it always works.
It was actually 1964 when the "poverty line" was set at three times the cost of an "economy food budget". Of course, this definition has become less and less meaningful as food costs have declined in real terms while the cost of housing and health care have soared. (While energy costs are higher today in real terms, they have not quite "soared" as much as housing and health care.)
That poverty definition also fails to account for very real differences in standard of living. Only cash income is counted - for example, non-cash benefits like Medicaid, food stamps, and rental assistance improve the standard of living of a "poor" welfare recipient but they don't "lift them out of poverty". Similarly, a "poor" retired free-and-clear homeowner can live much better than a full-time "not poor" childless hamburger flipper earning minimum wage and paying half his income for rent. And of course, the cost of living varies widely across the country but the poverty line does not take that into account.
I'm stuck in a low-wage job I hate, but what can I do about it? I'm well into middle age and can't afford to go to school - as if going to school at my age would really help.
Health clubs have machines that allow me to maintain muscle tone and flexibility longer than those who do not do workouts. For me, the main discouragement to going to health clubs is their tendency to play loud, irritating music. The expeerience then becomes stressful and aversive rather than stress-reducing and innately rewarding. Very good investment if you can find an accommodating club; mine is quiet if I go early in the morning.
Mark Homer
This is good advice and is much the same thing I tell my students. There's one other good reason to do this that goes beyond following your passion. When I worked low-wage jobs for pocket money (the only kind of jobs I could get at that age), I found that I was surrounded by people who were stuck in jobs like that. These people often had terrible attitudes about work and about the companies they worked for. Looking back, I can now see that this is why these people were stuck in low-wage jobs. But, as a student, I didn't understand that and I got infected with some of these bad attitudes and ideas -- and it took me years to really shake them. Of course, you do meet all kinds of people working those jobs, and I learned some valuable life lessons that way too. On the whole, however, I agree that you can learn more volunteering someplace interesting than workin' for the Man.
Some premium brands are clay-less. They are made of kibbled recycled newspaper or lumbermill waste. Stick with johnny cat or store brand and you will get fire-proof clay.
One of the reasons I use the vinegar-water combo with citrus oil for a homemade cleaning spray is because I read somewhere years ago that the main reason those store bought shower sprays that "prevent soap scum" work is because of something called citracidals (sp?). One of the main places to get those (at least a healthy version) is in citrus oils like orange, lemon or grapefruit. I was also told once by a health food store rep that grapefruit seed oil is the strongest one around.It's also a powerful sterilizer. That's apparently why they use it in that nutribiotic product you can take traveling to assist with making water safer to drink. I haven't done a formal research project on this or anything, but it seems to have worked in the shower quite nicely for me, and apparently the person who posted previously had some luck with the lemon oil. Does anyone else know about this citracidal issue?
To be surprised by something is "taken aback." To remember something is to be "taken back."
I've been enjoying browsing this site today. Thanks for so much great info.
I just wanted to add my $0.02 (as a former mechanic) on WD40 that fellow frugalists might appreciate:
As another poster mentioned, WD40 is a penetrating oil, not explicitly a lubricant. It works great on a lot of things, but it has some problems--foremost is that because it is a consumer-oriented product it doesn't have very strong solvents (key to the "penetrating" part) and tends to get sticky and attract dirt and other crud which can make whatever you were trying to clean or lubricate worse in the long run. Second, it's an aerosol, which means that whenever you use it, even if you use the little straw, you are going to be wasting a lot of product (and making a mess).
I suggest you using a trade-oriented liquid penetrating oil for all of the 200 uses above. A 10 oz. spray can of WD40 will run you about $4. An 8 oz. can of liquid Kano or similar penetrating oil found at your local auto parts store (try one that caters to working mechanics... i.e. NAPA over Kragen), will also run about $4, but will last you many years. I've had the same tin of Kano for about 8 years and it's barely 1/2 used. Apply it with cotton balls, swabs, or a towel/sponge for bigger jobs. Use a little straw and the magic of air pressure--your finger over one end (don't suck!)--to draw up and deposit the oil into locks, etc. I think the lubricating qualities of Kano and PDRP etc. are also better.
Finally, two more uses for penetrating oil... 1) it's a great de-fogger. Use a cotton ball or cotton towel to lightly coat your bathroom mirrors, inside car windows, even your eye glasses, etc. A light touch, plus the solvents, will keep the glass from streaking or feeling greasy and it will last through multiple cleanings. 2) use it to clean and protect battery contacts, including (especially) in your car. Good clean oiled contacts increase battery life.
Like severa other posts, I use one, my mother used one, and my grandmother used one. I never seen one explode...heard stories about them from those that did not use them... funny.... My mother and grandmother taught me at an early age to respect the power of one. So I have respect not fear for them. I love it because I can buy the cheapest, toughest piece of meat that can be cut with a butter knife when it is all said and done. My best memory is Sunday dinner after church Mom would cook roast, potatoes and carrots. Happy cooking :)