"And besides seemingly productive tasks like rearranging your sock drawer or alphabetizing your canned goods"
These are the things that get me when I'm at my most vulnerable -- in denial about feeling overwhelmed with work -- so all of a sudden I'm looking at the fridge or my sock drawer and exclaim "I can't find anything! I MUST reorganize and clean NOW!"
At some point, I actually saw snap-on lids for using film cannisters as salt & pepper shakers for camping/picnic. Had 2 parts: the holes part & cover part. Right next to them were plastic S&Ps with the same lid. Yes, both items were the same price. Are film cannisters made of food quality plastic?
"I can think of a thousand better ways to reduce costs and save money."
are you limited to only doing 1000 things to reduce costs and save money? is there some unwritten law or code that we have to abide by that says we can only do or know about the best 1000 things? i think there are actually A LOT more than 1000 ways to reduce costs and save money. doesn't mean we can't share ALL the ways and let each other choose whether they want to or not.
I'm from Brazil but living in Korea. Have with me several Region 4 DVDs that I can't use here in Korea beceause here we are in Region 3. My DVD player is a LG LC-516M. Any tip to unblock it? Thanks!
Okay,
I'm a 13 year old kid and the thing that it tells you to count how many people win and loose is not true! I went to CN SKATE PALACE on a field trip and ended up coming home with 12 stuffed animals! Same thing happened at a local pizza store!
My husband just went through this, and he pretty much did everything you mentioned, though he didn't have a great rapport with his current boss. His two previous supervisors had seen the writing on the wall and had left a few months before, and they gave my husband great recommendations, though, and my husband landed on his feet.
Another important thing is an emergency fund. If you have a good emergency fund, your options are a lot better than if you don't. If your emergency fund is big enough, you can take your time finding a job that is worth taking. If you don't have a good emergency fund, you're up against the clock when it comes to finding a new job. This is especially true if you can't negotiate a great severance package.
Lots of cool stuff. And, of course, that's exactly what I do (albeit with only a modest amount of the cool furniture). I have one living room and a couple of chairs that are easy to move so that they can face in for conversation with people in the hard-to-move chairs or forward for watching a movie. I'm really happy with my choices, but that doesn't prevent these odd spells of wanting another 8 special-purpose rooms. Fortunately, those spells are brief.
Right on, Philip! That's what we do as well. Starting with the recurring stuff does something else as well. It keeps you in control of your overhead and therefor able to respond quickly to any unexpected life change . . . to roll with the punches, so to speak. We try to keep this as low as possible, focusing on only taking on things that we consider a major priority. The other expenses you mentioned can more easily be budgeted for that way, at least that's my opinion.
OK, yes, I just got up and my brain is a bit sleepy still, but how about this: build/buy/salvage/steal the following items and use them to create virtual rooms in your existing space for all (well, almost all) those rooms you daydream about:
- one very cool table (see my fantasy description below)
- several light, easy-to-move, stackable chairs that rotate 360 degrees
- blackout curtains or shades for all your windows (DIY or cheap)
- Whiteboard the same size as the table-top, with Velcro(tm) straps to hold it securely to the table-top. There was a DIY whiteboard in a couple of lifehacker posts(Lifehacker instant whiteboards, DIY whiteboard, Twin Supply)
The Fantasy Table
I'm picturing a large coffee table-sized square item smack in the middle of your existing living/entertainment space. It has one of those cool hinged, cantilevered tops so the flat surface raises up to dining table height easily. Another set of hinges on one side allows the table-top to tilt to true vertical. The table-top has a very light raised edge all the way around (quarter-round maybe, or a more decorative molding; very low and subtle). The base of this fantasy table is a stack of of two (or three, or four, whatever you need) large shallow drawers with very sturdy handles of each exposed side (for removing and lifting the drawers). They might all be the same depth, or they might have various depths. The drawers pull open from either of two opposite sides (not the side with the hinges for the vertical option). The drawers can be removed totally (sturdy handles) and placed on the table-top—they won't slide off because of the molding around the edge of the table-top. Drop-in inserts customize the drawers: shadow boxes with one large transparent lid across the whole drawer; and divided organizers with no lids are the first two I can think of. Some of the divided organizers are the exact size of your favorite containers that hold food, ice, etc for parties. Some drawers use these drop-ins and some don't. Use the drawers plus/minus inserts to hold maps, travel ephemera, party supplies, DVDs, remotes, and so on. Oh, and there are lockable wheels on the table base for easy re-positioning. Now, on to the virtual rooms...
The Map Room
Pull the table-top up to a good horizontal viewing height (or maybe leave it flat), arrange and rotate the chairs to face the table (or push them away and stack them for standing viewing), open a map drawer, and... what was it you said, "... pull out a huge topo map of the area around Arches Nation Park and Canyonlands--or anywhere--and put it on the map table where people could gather around and look at it."
The Media Room
Tilt the table-top to vertical, attach your whiteboard to the vertical surface, arrange and rotate the chairs to face the whiteboard, make some popcorn, and draw the blackout shades/curtains. Using the inexpensive projector you got from Woot!, or borrowed from the university for the evening, or rented from an audio store, or borrowed from a friend ... use your laptop/desktop computer to project a movie.
The Living Room
Select a shadowbox drawer of cool stuff and put it on the table-top to stimulate conversation. Or select a divided-organizer drawer full of party supplies, add some hors d'oeuvre, and arrange/rotate the chairs in dyads and triads for entertaining.
The Dining Room
Pull the table-top up to a good horizontal eating height (or maybe leave it flat). Arrange/rotate the chairs around the table. Set the table... or maybe you have a custom drawer with plates, plastic/silverware, dividers for serving-pieces, that you keep stocked all the time and can pull out at a moment's notice for entertaining. Add food and friends.
The Screened Room
Open all your windows; put the screens in. :-)
The Glass Room
Close all your windows. :-)
Well, it all sounds silly perhaps, but you get the idea. It's kind of the little black dress of coffee tables: add the appropriate accessories and it works for any occasion.
Aerosol (or pump, if you must) hair spray works great against flying insects. When it dries, the bugs can't move their wings properly, if at all, making them easy to kill and dispose of.
I live in Northern Virginia and have used these coupons multiple times. My favorite coupons to get are for a place called ZPizza. The certificate is $10 (really less than $1 if you use the code) and the purchase minimum is $15. Their pizzas are excellent but pricey so to get a dinner for less than $10 is a steal! I've recommended Restaurant.com to other co-workers and they have been able to use the coupons with no problems.
Surprised you were the only one to point out that flaw in the scheme!
So you carry around a pencil and speaker wire in your emergency kit...how do you find them without a FLASHLIGHT?
How do you do the pencil split, etc... without a FLASHLIGHT?
Maybe they should just carry a FLASHLIGHT in the emergency kit instead?
I was an Amazon seller until this latest postage increase. When I found out that they were NOT raising the shipping credit for sellers, I got out. When you add the 99 cent listing fee to the commission it was ridiculous. Obviously the way to go would be the $39.99 a month premium package where they waive the 99cent fee. But this is only good for high-volume sellers. I don't know what they are going to do when all their smaller Marketplace sellers go bust and leave. Half.com will probably see alot of new business!
ha! You made my day with this post. I am an avid ebay/amazon.com seller and buyer. I alwasy compare the two sites before purchasing an item. I found that sometimes amazon has lower prices, which baffles me. Here's why:
I don't know if you have ever sold something on either of these sites. When listing an item, you pay nothing (i am refering to half.ebay.com - Ebay's book site). Then you sell something (woohoo, right? NO!). Half.com takes a relatively low commision (.80-2.00 maybe depending on the book cost). Amazon.com is a killer!! Just yesterday I sold the great gatsby for 2.99 on amazon. I look at the receipt and shipping info they sent me and I notice, they took 3.34 commision! WTF?? They gave me money for shipping, but I broke out in the end (after shipping media mail) with 0- -.05 profit. WOW.
I don't understand why half.com users list items for the higher price. I think it is that not so many people know about it, while amazon is highly publisized.
Anyone have any ideas on this??
At least staring at a black page is easier on the eyes that staring at a white page. I don't know why more people don't go with the white text on a black page. So much nicer.
Someone emailed me about this yesterday, and pointed out that the amount of energy saved would be worth about £60K a year. Among the millions on google users, that doesn't sound like a great deal.
"And besides seemingly productive tasks like rearranging your sock drawer or alphabetizing your canned goods"
These are the things that get me when I'm at my most vulnerable -- in denial about feeling overwhelmed with work -- so all of a sudden I'm looking at the fridge or my sock drawer and exclaim "I can't find anything! I MUST reorganize and clean NOW!"
penny wise, pound foolish
At some point, I actually saw snap-on lids for using film cannisters as salt & pepper shakers for camping/picnic. Had 2 parts: the holes part & cover part. Right next to them were plastic S&Ps with the same lid. Yes, both items were the same price. Are film cannisters made of food quality plastic?
"I can think of a thousand better ways to reduce costs and save money."
are you limited to only doing 1000 things to reduce costs and save money? is there some unwritten law or code that we have to abide by that says we can only do or know about the best 1000 things? i think there are actually A LOT more than 1000 ways to reduce costs and save money. doesn't mean we can't share ALL the ways and let each other choose whether they want to or not.
I can think of a thousand better ways to reduce costs and save money.
I'm from Brazil but living in Korea. Have with me several Region 4 DVDs that I can't use here in Korea beceause here we are in Region 3. My DVD player is a LG LC-516M. Any tip to unblock it? Thanks!
This is certainly unique.
Okay,
I'm a 13 year old kid and the thing that it tells you to count how many people win and loose is not true! I went to CN SKATE PALACE on a field trip and ended up coming home with 12 stuffed animals! Same thing happened at a local pizza store!
"Have you recently been promoted to a position of less responsibility?"
I call that being "side-moted", and it's not a good sign.
My husband just went through this, and he pretty much did everything you mentioned, though he didn't have a great rapport with his current boss. His two previous supervisors had seen the writing on the wall and had left a few months before, and they gave my husband great recommendations, though, and my husband landed on his feet.
Another important thing is an emergency fund. If you have a good emergency fund, your options are a lot better than if you don't. If your emergency fund is big enough, you can take your time finding a job that is worth taking. If you don't have a good emergency fund, you're up against the clock when it comes to finding a new job. This is especially true if you can't negotiate a great severance package.
Lots of cool stuff. And, of course, that's exactly what I do (albeit with only a modest amount of the cool furniture). I have one living room and a couple of chairs that are easy to move so that they can face in for conversation with people in the hard-to-move chairs or forward for watching a movie. I'm really happy with my choices, but that doesn't prevent these odd spells of wanting another 8 special-purpose rooms. Fortunately, those spells are brief.
Right on, Philip! That's what we do as well. Starting with the recurring stuff does something else as well. It keeps you in control of your overhead and therefor able to respond quickly to any unexpected life change . . . to roll with the punches, so to speak. We try to keep this as low as possible, focusing on only taking on things that we consider a major priority. The other expenses you mentioned can more easily be budgeted for that way, at least that's my opinion.
Thanks for your post and sage advice.
OK, yes, I just got up and my brain is a bit sleepy still, but how about this: build/buy/salvage/steal the following items and use them to create virtual rooms in your existing space for all (well, almost all) those rooms you daydream about:
- one very cool table (see my fantasy description below)
- several light, easy-to-move, stackable chairs that rotate 360 degrees
- blackout curtains or shades for all your windows (DIY or cheap)
- Whiteboard the same size as the table-top, with Velcro(tm) straps to hold it securely to the table-top. There was a DIY whiteboard in a couple of lifehacker posts(Lifehacker instant whiteboards, DIY whiteboard, Twin Supply)
The Fantasy Table
I'm picturing a large coffee table-sized square item smack in the middle of your existing living/entertainment space. It has one of those cool hinged, cantilevered tops so the flat surface raises up to dining table height easily. Another set of hinges on one side allows the table-top to tilt to true vertical. The table-top has a very light raised edge all the way around (quarter-round maybe, or a more decorative molding; very low and subtle). The base of this fantasy table is a stack of of two (or three, or four, whatever you need) large shallow drawers with very sturdy handles of each exposed side (for removing and lifting the drawers). They might all be the same depth, or they might have various depths. The drawers pull open from either of two opposite sides (not the side with the hinges for the vertical option). The drawers can be removed totally (sturdy handles) and placed on the table-top—they won't slide off because of the molding around the edge of the table-top. Drop-in inserts customize the drawers: shadow boxes with one large transparent lid across the whole drawer; and divided organizers with no lids are the first two I can think of. Some of the divided organizers are the exact size of your favorite containers that hold food, ice, etc for parties. Some drawers use these drop-ins and some don't. Use the drawers plus/minus inserts to hold maps, travel ephemera, party supplies, DVDs, remotes, and so on. Oh, and there are lockable wheels on the table base for easy re-positioning. Now, on to the virtual rooms...
The Map Room
Pull the table-top up to a good horizontal viewing height (or maybe leave it flat), arrange and rotate the chairs to face the table (or push them away and stack them for standing viewing), open a map drawer, and... what was it you said, "... pull out a huge topo map of the area around Arches Nation Park and Canyonlands--or anywhere--and put it on the map table where people could gather around and look at it."
The Media Room
Tilt the table-top to vertical, attach your whiteboard to the vertical surface, arrange and rotate the chairs to face the whiteboard, make some popcorn, and draw the blackout shades/curtains. Using the inexpensive projector you got from Woot!, or borrowed from the university for the evening, or rented from an audio store, or borrowed from a friend ... use your laptop/desktop computer to project a movie.
The Living Room
Select a shadowbox drawer of cool stuff and put it on the table-top to stimulate conversation. Or select a divided-organizer drawer full of party supplies, add some hors d'oeuvre, and arrange/rotate the chairs in dyads and triads for entertaining.
The Dining Room
Pull the table-top up to a good horizontal eating height (or maybe leave it flat). Arrange/rotate the chairs around the table. Set the table... or maybe you have a custom drawer with plates, plastic/silverware, dividers for serving-pieces, that you keep stocked all the time and can pull out at a moment's notice for entertaining. Add food and friends.
The Screened Room
Open all your windows; put the screens in. :-)
The Glass Room
Close all your windows. :-)
Well, it all sounds silly perhaps, but you get the idea. It's kind of the little black dress of coffee tables: add the appropriate accessories and it works for any occasion.
Ann
Oh, and just so you don't think i made up all this stuff, here are some photos of existing furniture:
- Brookstone lift top coffee table
- Brayden Convertible Cocktail-Game-Dining Table Set w/hydraulic lift
- The Meal Box
- Shadow Box Coffee Table
After the last couple of days I had, I really needed a good chuckle. You really nailed your point. Good job.
Aerosol (or pump, if you must) hair spray works great against flying insects. When it dries, the bugs can't move their wings properly, if at all, making them easy to kill and dispose of.
I live in Northern Virginia and have used these coupons multiple times. My favorite coupons to get are for a place called ZPizza. The certificate is $10 (really less than $1 if you use the code) and the purchase minimum is $15. Their pizzas are excellent but pricey so to get a dinner for less than $10 is a steal! I've recommended Restaurant.com to other co-workers and they have been able to use the coupons with no problems.
lol I love the bad idea! Great for ugly people! (Ok ok that was mean. I was j/k!!)
Is it safe to put on vegetable and flower gardens?
Surprised you were the only one to point out that flaw in the scheme!
So you carry around a pencil and speaker wire in your emergency kit...how do you find them without a FLASHLIGHT?
How do you do the pencil split, etc... without a FLASHLIGHT?
Maybe they should just carry a FLASHLIGHT in the emergency kit instead?
This guy has been watching too much McGuyver.
"I'm turning google black" yeah!
I was an Amazon seller until this latest postage increase. When I found out that they were NOT raising the shipping credit for sellers, I got out. When you add the 99 cent listing fee to the commission it was ridiculous. Obviously the way to go would be the $39.99 a month premium package where they waive the 99cent fee. But this is only good for high-volume sellers. I don't know what they are going to do when all their smaller Marketplace sellers go bust and leave. Half.com will probably see alot of new business!
ha! You made my day with this post. I am an avid ebay/amazon.com seller and buyer. I alwasy compare the two sites before purchasing an item. I found that sometimes amazon has lower prices, which baffles me. Here's why:
I don't know if you have ever sold something on either of these sites. When listing an item, you pay nothing (i am refering to half.ebay.com - Ebay's book site). Then you sell something (woohoo, right? NO!). Half.com takes a relatively low commision (.80-2.00 maybe depending on the book cost). Amazon.com is a killer!! Just yesterday I sold the great gatsby for 2.99 on amazon. I look at the receipt and shipping info they sent me and I notice, they took 3.34 commision! WTF?? They gave me money for shipping, but I broke out in the end (after shipping media mail) with 0- -.05 profit. WOW.
I don't understand why half.com users list items for the higher price. I think it is that not so many people know about it, while amazon is highly publisized.
Anyone have any ideas on this??
Yours truely
At least staring at a black page is easier on the eyes that staring at a white page. I don't know why more people don't go with the white text on a black page. So much nicer.
Someone emailed me about this yesterday, and pointed out that the amount of energy saved would be worth about £60K a year. Among the millions on google users, that doesn't sound like a great deal.
Another inexpensive and interesting pet is the walking stick - but be careful not to let them out of the terrarium - you might never find them!