Wow! I never knew all this info about conditioners and acid rinse that people are posting. I'm definitely going to try some of these tips.
Re: shaving cream: in a post a few months ago, someone suggested using cheap $1 conditioner on your legs AFTER shaving, instead of expensive cream before. I tried it once and my legs didn't feel the difference so .. .goodbye expensive shaving cream!
I used to have one of those frogs, they get pretty big. Mine lived forever, they are really active during the day also, mine was anyway.
Great post though, I have 4 dogs, 1 cat and 2 peacocks. I have a water problem that is just toooooo much maintenance for an aquarium, so my 50 gal. tank is in the closet.
Being a huge fan of the road trip, I loved your article. I managed to marry someone with opposite road trip expectations, from reduced driving hours, completely different music preference, and oh yeah, a vegetarian. The chances of us ever having a successful road trip just get less and less every day.
However, once before we were married, I drove all the way from Phoenix to Yosemite with plans to head on through to Oregon. When I got there, the road through the park was closed - due to mudslides.
I want to first of all thank RE Bartlett for clarifying a few points on the proper care of hedgehogs. Like all animals, hedgehogs come with a certain amount of responsibility to ensure a long and healthy life. This piece was meant to be a light-hearted look at some of the less common pets that some of our readers might not be familiar with. It was assumed in writing it that:
A) Wisebread readers had the common sense to know that a pet would require consistent and adequate care
B) The information I gave on each species was not the only information needed to make a decision on pet ownership and the continued care of that pet (hence the embedded links to about.com for additional care instructions and related links)
I also maintain my position on the use of foster care and rescue programs to acquire companion animals at a lower cost. While I understand the position of many breeders is to ensure a "guaranteed" animal at a higher premium, I am a believer in the success of foster care adoption programs for all animals. Having participated in animal rescue with my mother during my childhood, I have gained an appreciation for those animals that have been neglected or abandoned, and I feel that taking in these animals is a loving, compassionate choice for many.
When looking at the long-term cost of a companion animal, it is very important to consider all factors. For example, when comparing a dog to the animals on my list, it is easy to see that when you factor in the initial purchase price, vaccinations, yearly vet checks, spay/neutering, food, regular walking and bathing, socialization classes, and the 7-15 year lifespan, you are looking at an investment of thousands of dollars and the responsibility akin to raising a child. Many Wisebread readers can benefit from the alternative pets mentioned in my piece, and I am already thrilled at the additional suggestions from readers on even more companion animal choices.
Thank you for the continued feedback, and I hope that whatever your pet choice, you find years of happiness with your companion animal!
We have a snake and on a day to day basis she is cheaper than our cat, although I believe my husband had to spend a bit in the first place to buy the cage, accessories and the snake as well.
However, I would rather pay the extra for the cat who I can cuddle and stroke.
Great list! Might I suggest that travelers try not to overpack the car? I recently moved from Vermont to Edmonton. It was way out of our budget to hire a U-Haul, so I sold or gave away all of my furniture and larger items and mailed what wouldn't fit into my car, and then drove from Vermont to Toronto to meet my boyfriend. We drove from there to Edmonton, and while the move went pretty well overall, it would have been much less stressful if the car hadn't been stuffed to the gills, leaving very little room for us and my cat. It wasn't fun to have to repack the car every morning and curse because things wouldn't squeeze in like they did the night before.
Betta splendens, also known as Siamese Fighting Fish, make great inexpensive, low maintenance pets. They don't require any special aquariums. They live just fine in a one gallon glass bowl, or something similar. There is special betta pellet food, but these fish love live food such as mosquito larvae and brine shrimp as a treat. The fish are able to breathe air when needed so there is no need for a pump and air stone. Change the water every couple of weeks and that's about it. You can even breed these fish very easily to get amazing tail/fin and color combinations, though that would take more time, effort, and money.
Your comments on hedgehogs are incorrect and insensitive. They require a good bit of work if you are actually going to care for them properly, rather than just treating them like part of the furniture. They need a constant temperature, good clean conditions, a custom wheel and regular exercise (this is an animal that can travel miles a night, a two-foot cage is not large enough), a specialized & varied diet, careful regular bathing and nail trimming, and DAILY interaction with human beings to keep them well socialized. Otherwise they will turn into frightened, unhappy, and unhealthy animals - the kind that are given to rescue societies all the time. When well kept and socialized, they interact well, show a lot of interest in their environment, love to wander and try different things to eat. They also require a vet with a specialty in exotic animals (cat & dog vets won't treat them). They are prone to mites and cancers.
Hedgehogs from a responsible breeder are not that expensive (certainly less than a cat or dog). The reason they aren't "cheap" is because they must be handled daily from soon after birth until they are weaned, otherwise they are not capable of becoming pets. Breeders also must be USDA licensed, and keep clear bloodline records because hedgehogs are prone to a genetic disease - WHS, a neuromuscular degenerative condition, which breeders in the US are attempting to eradicate. (For the same reason, there is a Hedgehog Registry, to track WHS and other causes of hedgehog mortality). Hedgehogs from a breeder usually range from $100-$200 -- getting a healthy, well socialized animal is more than worth it.
Yes, you might be able to find a "cheap" hedgehog, but buyer beware - you may get an animal from a shelter that has been mistreated or never properly handled, and so will never make a good pet. And a hedgehog rescue society often won't give hedgehogs to first-time owners, as rescue animals usually need an experienced person to care for and resocialize them.
By the way, the reason certain states don't allow you to keep hedgehogs (and why pet stores don't sell them) is because they can carry salmonella.
Nice list. Aside the conditioner, as leaving out the conditioner -in my oppinion- will be a rather bad advice.
Hair as grown out in the acid (aka antibacterial) environment of the skin is made for staying in this environment. Shampoo however is always alcaline (or neutral at least), as it will let the hair spread the cuticle (the outer shell of the hair) like a fir cone, which makes it easier to clean. However spreading the cuticle means exposing the delicate "spine" of the hair the so called cortex and it is highly advisable to "close" it or you will ruin your hair in the long run (Try this: Expand a wet hair and see how vulnerable it is!). It might be no big deal with short hair as short hair won't "live" long enough to notice the damage, with long hair who last for years however you will experience the dryness, split ends, that it will break, being dull and all those other bad effects when following your advice. So hair will need something sightly acid like a conditioner to close the cuticle, or -as sommebody has said before- don't use shampoo at all and wash your hair with conditioner, which might not be as effective as shampoo but a lot more gentlier to you hair.
A very easy, natural, effective and by the way a lot more cheaper possibility than using industrial condis is rinsing your hair with a home made "sour rinse" after washing it. A "sour rinse" may consists just of 1-2 spoons of vinegar (preferable cider or balsamic vinegar) dissolved in about 1 Liter(2 pints) of water. After pouring it on your hair rinse it with cold water et voilà - natural, healthy and obviously shiny hair (as closed cuticle means plane and plane = shiny). If you are afraid of the smell of vinegar (although you won't smell it anyhow afterwards) you can also use the juice half a lemon or citric acid etc.
So no need of the chemical cocktails the industry are offering as conditioner, but if you still want it, avoid by all means any of these conditioners with silicone oil as an ingredient (something with ...conol like dimethiconol). Silicones will coat your hair and ok, it may feel softer, easier to comb and shinier on first side, but in the end you will need the more "aggressive" shampoos the same companies are offering as you'll have to get rid of the silicone with every washing or you will layer coat by coat silicone on your hair until it's heavy and greasy.
So stay away from the crap from Pantene, Herbal Essence, Fructis etc. - all notorous known for being chemical cocktails full of silicone oils and at least the first and second got some bad reputation too hereover for containing ingredients which are considered carciogenic.
(For more info about the silicone problem f.e. google pantene & silicone).
My personal 2 eurocents ;) and congrats for your none the less great site!
They say neccesity is the mother of invention, and how true that is! Especially when you have to feed the whole family and payday is three days away.(I am not one to reach into savings for groceries.) There is something in the house we can eat. Right now I have an adundance of eggs, so I will fix a couple of egg dinners this week. I recently ordered an egg dish at a mexican restaurant, not sure what I was getting, and it was fried eggs covered with salsa! How ingenius! I really have to think to be creative in the kitchen, but one way is to say I have to cook what I have till the next grocery store trip
This is the first summer we are going without AC and of course we've had near record-breaking temperatures -- 107 degrees in Reno. However, I made this decision becase of our power company -- we had been on an equalized bill-payment plan -- when it came to re-adjust, we had a balance of nearly $1,000 due. Too much for a family that was already doing its best to cut back. We want to get this balance paid off and we are doing that by keeping our power bills to about $75 a month.
It's not a bad thing though.
You know, people got along without air-condition for most of the existence of humanity. That's at least 12,000 years. We are now at a point where people will eventually be forced to make change - when we will hit peak oil. Plus, who wants to contribute to the tearing up of our finite land resources by insisting they need to run the AC. Sure, there are some days when it's needed, but you've got to take a look at your imprint. We would be running the AC if we didn't have bills to pay off but it would not be because of the all-the-time because-we-can attitue.
Entitlement will screw you and your progeny in the end when you find a striking inability to adjust and to adapt simply because you've never believed in resourcefulness, discipline and the future.
hmmm I wonder if these would eliminate the pain I get in my feet from trying to "grip" the sandal with my toes. I love the idea of no straps, though. I don't like any sandal that comes between my toes.. great find!
The recipe is 36 ounces of tonic to ten gallons of water, which works out to about 3.6 ounces per gallon. The closest I can get with my fine Ortho dail-and-spray is four ounces/gallon, or buy a fixed-rate sprayer that does 3.5 to 4 oz/gallon.
Other clues (from the experienced trenches in Silicon Valley):
Has your boss been let go?
Is your company talking about outsourcing?
Is your company sending workers to another company to train people for a job similar to yours?
Is your company bringing visiting workers from another company to train people for a job similar to yours?
Are you making conference calls often to a time zone that is 12 hours different than your own?
Has your company recently acquired another company or companies?
Is your corporation talking a lot about "reorganization"?
Has your employer called meetings about "employee morale"?
Backstory here: the day my department was having a meeting to ensure employees that their jobs were not going anywhere (until the next product release, 3 months away), 50 of us were laid off.
Luckily I had been job hunting, and landed the job so I only had 1 week between jobs, which is really the lesson here. If you see the train coming your way, update your resume! Get in contact with other people in your field and let them know you're looking! Add your profile to linkedin.com! I was at least a couple steps ahead of some of the other people who were laid off at the same time because I had acted pro actively.
My husband served on a jury in San Mateo county a few years back. The case involved a manager being fired for sexual harassment. My husband was shocked to hear many of the other jurors say "they can't just fire you for no reason!" Oh, yes they can. In California, employers need to follow whatever standards the company they work for has set in order to fire an employee. It may be 2 written warnings, or 1 written warning along with retraining. In the case of reorganizing a corporation and eliminating positions, they don't have to do anything specific that I'm aware of to fire you.
And remember: what seems like the worst thing that has ever happened to you can often be the BEST thing that has ever happened to you.
I was a mystery shopper for several years and finally gave it up - it just wasn't worth it to me. The restaurants tended to be places like Hooters and Steak 'n Shake, and shops were inconsistent. If you really like to shop and have lots of free time, it may be for you but it just wasn't worth the amount of time it took, in my opinion.
Jbox/Jlist does not sell chocolate products during the summer, because it would be too expensive to ship them by methods that would prevent melting in transit. I'm not sure when in the fall they will be available again, but it's an annual cycle.
btw, my eye doctor did give me a discount for being uninsured (for eye exams); of course I was paying right then (he didn't have to wait for insurance payments) and we go to the same church.
Wow! I never knew all this info about conditioners and acid rinse that people are posting. I'm definitely going to try some of these tips.
Re: shaving cream: in a post a few months ago, someone suggested using cheap $1 conditioner on your legs AFTER shaving, instead of expensive cream before. I tried it once and my legs didn't feel the difference so .. .goodbye expensive shaving cream!
I used to have one of those frogs, they get pretty big. Mine lived forever, they are really active during the day also, mine was anyway.
Great post though, I have 4 dogs, 1 cat and 2 peacocks. I have a water problem that is just toooooo much maintenance for an aquarium, so my 50 gal. tank is in the closet.
Being a huge fan of the road trip, I loved your article. I managed to marry someone with opposite road trip expectations, from reduced driving hours, completely different music preference, and oh yeah, a vegetarian. The chances of us ever having a successful road trip just get less and less every day.
However, once before we were married, I drove all the way from Phoenix to Yosemite with plans to head on through to Oregon. When I got there, the road through the park was closed - due to mudslides.
Great post.
I want to first of all thank RE Bartlett for clarifying a few points on the proper care of hedgehogs. Like all animals, hedgehogs come with a certain amount of responsibility to ensure a long and healthy life. This piece was meant to be a light-hearted look at some of the less common pets that some of our readers might not be familiar with. It was assumed in writing it that:
A) Wisebread readers had the common sense to know that a pet would require consistent and adequate care
B) The information I gave on each species was not the only information needed to make a decision on pet ownership and the continued care of that pet (hence the embedded links to about.com for additional care instructions and related links)
I also maintain my position on the use of foster care and rescue programs to acquire companion animals at a lower cost. While I understand the position of many breeders is to ensure a "guaranteed" animal at a higher premium, I am a believer in the success of foster care adoption programs for all animals. Having participated in animal rescue with my mother during my childhood, I have gained an appreciation for those animals that have been neglected or abandoned, and I feel that taking in these animals is a loving, compassionate choice for many.
When looking at the long-term cost of a companion animal, it is very important to consider all factors. For example, when comparing a dog to the animals on my list, it is easy to see that when you factor in the initial purchase price, vaccinations, yearly vet checks, spay/neutering, food, regular walking and bathing, socialization classes, and the 7-15 year lifespan, you are looking at an investment of thousands of dollars and the responsibility akin to raising a child. Many Wisebread readers can benefit from the alternative pets mentioned in my piece, and I am already thrilled at the additional suggestions from readers on even more companion animal choices.
Thank you for the continued feedback, and I hope that whatever your pet choice, you find years of happiness with your companion animal!
Finally!!! An important question to this equation answered. Thank U Mark.
We have a snake and on a day to day basis she is cheaper than our cat, although I believe my husband had to spend a bit in the first place to buy the cage, accessories and the snake as well.
However, I would rather pay the extra for the cat who I can cuddle and stroke.
" Just remember to smile and be nice to the folks behind the counters. They're soon about to be looking for work, and that's never a fun thing to do."
Not so. Most of the employees in the stores now work for the liquidator, if not all of them.
If you look at the position of the dollar before he puts the cup on and after,
it's moved like half an inch over to the left.
:/
Great list! Might I suggest that travelers try not to overpack the car? I recently moved from Vermont to Edmonton. It was way out of our budget to hire a U-Haul, so I sold or gave away all of my furniture and larger items and mailed what wouldn't fit into my car, and then drove from Vermont to Toronto to meet my boyfriend. We drove from there to Edmonton, and while the move went pretty well overall, it would have been much less stressful if the car hadn't been stuffed to the gills, leaving very little room for us and my cat. It wasn't fun to have to repack the car every morning and curse because things wouldn't squeeze in like they did the night before.
Betta splendens, also known as Siamese Fighting Fish, make great inexpensive, low maintenance pets. They don't require any special aquariums. They live just fine in a one gallon glass bowl, or something similar. There is special betta pellet food, but these fish love live food such as mosquito larvae and brine shrimp as a treat. The fish are able to breathe air when needed so there is no need for a pump and air stone. Change the water every couple of weeks and that's about it. You can even breed these fish very easily to get amazing tail/fin and color combinations, though that would take more time, effort, and money.
Your comments on hedgehogs are incorrect and insensitive. They require a good bit of work if you are actually going to care for them properly, rather than just treating them like part of the furniture. They need a constant temperature, good clean conditions, a custom wheel and regular exercise (this is an animal that can travel miles a night, a two-foot cage is not large enough), a specialized & varied diet, careful regular bathing and nail trimming, and DAILY interaction with human beings to keep them well socialized. Otherwise they will turn into frightened, unhappy, and unhealthy animals - the kind that are given to rescue societies all the time. When well kept and socialized, they interact well, show a lot of interest in their environment, love to wander and try different things to eat. They also require a vet with a specialty in exotic animals (cat & dog vets won't treat them). They are prone to mites and cancers.
Hedgehogs from a responsible breeder are not that expensive (certainly less than a cat or dog). The reason they aren't "cheap" is because they must be handled daily from soon after birth until they are weaned, otherwise they are not capable of becoming pets. Breeders also must be USDA licensed, and keep clear bloodline records because hedgehogs are prone to a genetic disease - WHS, a neuromuscular degenerative condition, which breeders in the US are attempting to eradicate. (For the same reason, there is a Hedgehog Registry, to track WHS and other causes of hedgehog mortality). Hedgehogs from a breeder usually range from $100-$200 -- getting a healthy, well socialized animal is more than worth it.
Yes, you might be able to find a "cheap" hedgehog, but buyer beware - you may get an animal from a shelter that has been mistreated or never properly handled, and so will never make a good pet. And a hedgehog rescue society often won't give hedgehogs to first-time owners, as rescue animals usually need an experienced person to care for and resocialize them.
By the way, the reason certain states don't allow you to keep hedgehogs (and why pet stores don't sell them) is because they can carry salmonella.
Nice list. Aside the conditioner, as leaving out the conditioner -in my oppinion- will be a rather bad advice.
Hair as grown out in the acid (aka antibacterial) environment of the skin is made for staying in this environment. Shampoo however is always alcaline (or neutral at least), as it will let the hair spread the cuticle (the outer shell of the hair) like a fir cone, which makes it easier to clean. However spreading the cuticle means exposing the delicate "spine" of the hair the so called cortex and it is highly advisable to "close" it or you will ruin your hair in the long run (Try this: Expand a wet hair and see how vulnerable it is!). It might be no big deal with short hair as short hair won't "live" long enough to notice the damage, with long hair who last for years however you will experience the dryness, split ends, that it will break, being dull and all those other bad effects when following your advice. So hair will need something sightly acid like a conditioner to close the cuticle, or -as sommebody has said before- don't use shampoo at all and wash your hair with conditioner, which might not be as effective as shampoo but a lot more gentlier to you hair.
A very easy, natural, effective and by the way a lot more cheaper possibility than using industrial condis is rinsing your hair with a home made "sour rinse" after washing it. A "sour rinse" may consists just of 1-2 spoons of vinegar (preferable cider or balsamic vinegar) dissolved in about 1 Liter(2 pints) of water. After pouring it on your hair rinse it with cold water et voilà - natural, healthy and obviously shiny hair (as closed cuticle means plane and plane = shiny). If you are afraid of the smell of vinegar (although you won't smell it anyhow afterwards) you can also use the juice half a lemon or citric acid etc.
So no need of the chemical cocktails the industry are offering as conditioner, but if you still want it, avoid by all means any of these conditioners with silicone oil as an ingredient (something with ...conol like dimethiconol). Silicones will coat your hair and ok, it may feel softer, easier to comb and shinier on first side, but in the end you will need the more "aggressive" shampoos the same companies are offering as you'll have to get rid of the silicone with every washing or you will layer coat by coat silicone on your hair until it's heavy and greasy.
So stay away from the crap from Pantene, Herbal Essence, Fructis etc. - all notorous known for being chemical cocktails full of silicone oils and at least the first and second got some bad reputation too hereover for containing ingredients which are considered carciogenic.
(For more info about the silicone problem f.e. google pantene & silicone).
My personal 2 eurocents ;) and congrats for your none the less great site!
Jessica
They say neccesity is the mother of invention, and how true that is! Especially when you have to feed the whole family and payday is three days away.(I am not one to reach into savings for groceries.) There is something in the house we can eat. Right now I have an adundance of eggs, so I will fix a couple of egg dinners this week. I recently ordered an egg dish at a mexican restaurant, not sure what I was getting, and it was fried eggs covered with salsa! How ingenius! I really have to think to be creative in the kitchen, but one way is to say I have to cook what I have till the next grocery store trip
This is the first summer we are going without AC and of course we've had near record-breaking temperatures -- 107 degrees in Reno. However, I made this decision becase of our power company -- we had been on an equalized bill-payment plan -- when it came to re-adjust, we had a balance of nearly $1,000 due. Too much for a family that was already doing its best to cut back. We want to get this balance paid off and we are doing that by keeping our power bills to about $75 a month.
It's not a bad thing though.
You know, people got along without air-condition for most of the existence of humanity. That's at least 12,000 years. We are now at a point where people will eventually be forced to make change - when we will hit peak oil. Plus, who wants to contribute to the tearing up of our finite land resources by insisting they need to run the AC. Sure, there are some days when it's needed, but you've got to take a look at your imprint. We would be running the AC if we didn't have bills to pay off but it would not be because of the all-the-time because-we-can attitue.
Entitlement will screw you and your progeny in the end when you find a striking inability to adjust and to adapt simply because you've never believed in resourcefulness, discipline and the future.
hmmm I wonder if these would eliminate the pain I get in my feet from trying to "grip" the sandal with my toes. I love the idea of no straps, though. I don't like any sandal that comes between my toes.. great find!
Linsey Knerl
The recipe is 36 ounces of tonic to ten gallons of water, which works out to about 3.6 ounces per gallon. The closest I can get with my fine Ortho dail-and-spray is four ounces/gallon, or buy a fixed-rate sprayer that does 3.5 to 4 oz/gallon.
Somewhat off-topic, but there's another funcky footwear option worth considering...
My wife bought me a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes earlier this year and I just love 'em!
Other clues (from the experienced trenches in Silicon Valley):
Has your boss been let go?
Is your company talking about outsourcing?
Is your company sending workers to another company to train people for a job similar to yours?
Is your company bringing visiting workers from another company to train people for a job similar to yours?
Are you making conference calls often to a time zone that is 12 hours different than your own?
Has your company recently acquired another company or companies?
Is your corporation talking a lot about "reorganization"?
Has your employer called meetings about "employee morale"?
Backstory here: the day my department was having a meeting to ensure employees that their jobs were not going anywhere (until the next product release, 3 months away), 50 of us were laid off.
Luckily I had been job hunting, and landed the job so I only had 1 week between jobs, which is really the lesson here. If you see the train coming your way, update your resume! Get in contact with other people in your field and let them know you're looking! Add your profile to linkedin.com! I was at least a couple steps ahead of some of the other people who were laid off at the same time because I had acted pro actively.
My husband served on a jury in San Mateo county a few years back. The case involved a manager being fired for sexual harassment. My husband was shocked to hear many of the other jurors say "they can't just fire you for no reason!" Oh, yes they can. In California, employers need to follow whatever standards the company they work for has set in order to fire an employee. It may be 2 written warnings, or 1 written warning along with retraining. In the case of reorganizing a corporation and eliminating positions, they don't have to do anything specific that I'm aware of to fire you.
And remember: what seems like the worst thing that has ever happened to you can often be the BEST thing that has ever happened to you.
Keep that resume up to date! :-)
I was a mystery shopper for several years and finally gave it up - it just wasn't worth it to me. The restaurants tended to be places like Hooters and Steak 'n Shake, and shops were inconsistent. If you really like to shop and have lots of free time, it may be for you but it just wasn't worth the amount of time it took, in my opinion.
That might be true, but this post was written back in January, and they weren't selling them then, either.
Jbox/Jlist does not sell chocolate products during the summer, because it would be too expensive to ship them by methods that would prevent melting in transit. I'm not sure when in the fall they will be available again, but it's an annual cycle.
I wonder how sticky your feet would be if you wanted to take them off, and what about dust when you put them away?
Interesting though, but I'm not sure if I'd get em. I stick to my Reefs.
Those are cool! I think I'll get a pair.
But man, couldn't that guy have given himself a pedicure before showing his gnarly toes? Yeegh.
I'm not selling health insurance just reporting on what I've read in the Wall Street Journal, heard about from a friend, etc. Also see: http://www.topix.net/forum/health/appendicitis/TAPDC8S544BO5UMD0
btw, my eye doctor did give me a discount for being uninsured (for eye exams); of course I was paying right then (he didn't have to wait for insurance payments) and we go to the same church.
Fantastic idea about treating a Roth IRA as your emergency fund!