Recent comments

  • Lentil Love: How to Sex Up a Simple Staple and Save   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I'm really glad this article is still here, over two years later. Having recently become unemployed after my business went under, finding recipes for cheap, healthy, tasty food is more necessary than ever. Thank you for spending the time and effort to put this article together!

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Buy In Bulk?   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I buy non-perishable items in bulk when they are in sale. Mostly soaps, moisturizers, detergents, diapers, paper products etc.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Buy In Bulk?   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I don't buy in bulk because it's just me, and I don't need anything in that large of an amount! captainliss40(at)gmail(dot)com

  • Forget Saving...25 Places to Look for Spare Change   15 years 12 weeks ago

    dont bother with piggy banks or jars to store coins; its 100% easier to count the coins in coin wrappers

  • How much money should a CEO make?   15 years 12 weeks ago

    When I hear someone say they don't look at prices when buying something ...." I think How Selfish They Are", because prices WILL never go down as long as there are people who don't care what they pay ! Boycotts dont work unless there enough people doing it !In my mind I think anyone who doesn't care what they pay HAS GOT TOO MUCH MONEY!

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Buy In Bulk?   15 years 12 weeks ago

    We buy non-perishable items like rice, beans or household items like soap or toilet paper in bulk because the price per unit is lower, and we know we'll actually be able to use them up before they expire.

  • Frugal Uses for a Camera   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I also do this. My sister, a professor, reports that her students photograph notes from the board at the end of class. Finally, I'm a blogger so I keep my camera handy for blog-worthy material, like signs and posters
    Another camera tip--mine came with a rechargeable battery. I bought an extra battery and keep one in the camera and the second fully charged in my purse. This way I can let the battery run out completely before recharging, saving time and (I believe) battery life. And I never get caught with a dead camera.

  • Time-Management Tools: Too Busy to Read This Post?   15 years 12 weeks ago

    PS, thanks for the tip on Remember the Milk. We've added that to our routine and it's been amazing. GREAT article. Tommy Antonopoulos

  • Time-Management Tools: Too Busy to Read This Post?   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I just wanted to add OfficeTime to the list of sources you mentioned. My wife is a freelance writer and signed up for it, and as the District Manager of six restaurants, it turned out to be an amazing resource for my management teams as well. It's also "click" driven and very easy, but for my wife, it simplified her client invoicing so much that she regained almost two hours each week. As busy career people, we don't get a ton of downtime, so I've stolen that time to take her out to the movies! Thomas Antonopoulos

  • Volunteer to Travel: 11 Opportunities for Free or Very Cheap Travel   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I am new at this totally. My interest is in going to Ghana and performing services in a vast range of subjects: welding, farming, field engineering within the telecom industry. I am retired military and have a special interest in serving Ghana. I have read about the Volta region and it's needs. Somehow I feel that my qualifications lack their needs. Maybe you could assist me, enlighten me as to how I too may serve.
    Thank you.

    Sincerely, Johan Berger

  • Excel: The Most Underrated Software You Already Own   15 years 12 weeks ago

    While excel is certainly great with numbers I find it great as a label program. I needed a program where you could change the many names on a label quickly(not possible in most label programs) and being able to drag across and down solves this. It can take a while to get setup but it is worth it in the long run for the time that it saves.

  • Frugal Uses for a Camera   15 years 12 weeks ago

    When the fish shop near me posts their prices on a chalkboard outside their shop, I snap a photo and add those prices to my price book spreadsheet so I can make comparisons with other sources of fish. I do the same with the marker board showing prices at the green market I frequent.

  • Surefire Ways to Save on Summer Camp Costs   15 years 12 weeks ago

    Our local camp offers work exchange programs. This was a great because it allowed our kids to work along side us and the work days always ended with a picnic. Once the kids were older they became CITs (Counselors in training) and assisted the staff in exchange for a reduced tuition.

  • 2 ways to find your dream amidst life's chaos   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I am 44 too, and still having a hard time finding myself and happiness in a job.I really need to take course and have a certificate behind me so I can become a Patient Care Tech in a hospital. That is what I really want to do. I am just having a hard time trying to take that first step to getting the education. It is a 5 week course. Not long at all. And I work full time during the day. I really HATE my job to the fullest. Can't say it enough. And I am one of those who rants a bout it at lunch break to my coworker, who really is sick of me telling her so.

    This is a great website. Thank you for being there and letting me vent. My goal is to better myself, and I WILL do it sometime very soon!

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Buy In Bulk?   15 years 12 weeks ago

    Whenever I can purchase in bulk at the Healthfood store. I also stock up on loss leaders and great deals if I have multiple coupons.

  • 5 Frugal Lessons I Learned From Aldi   15 years 12 weeks ago

    http://aldi.us/us/html/service/store_locator_ENU_HTML.htm?WT.z_src=main

    Here's the link to the US store locator. They've FINALLY come to NYC. BTW, Aldi owns Trader Joe's.

  • 5 Frugal Lessons I Learned From Aldi   15 years 12 weeks ago

    Where, oh where, is Aldi located? In the USA? I looked up their website and see only locations in England. How can I find out where they are located? Never heard of them before this article.

  • netSpend: The Story of the Visa Debit Card We Did Not Apply For   15 years 12 weeks ago

    yeah i got a net spend card so i could buy a computer off the internet, i was able to do that with the temporary card i got at purchase thankfully. then what followed was a a series of emails showing netspends complete lack of good business ethics and some rather scary things, such has being denied a permanent card because i had exceeded the amount of cards netspend allows its customers, even though this was my first one. I was able to buy some groceries with the remaining money, and now i think its out (haven't been able to check my balance after they denied me further service). This cards going to the degausser at work, then to be cut into little pieces, and netspend will never see another dime from me.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Buy In Bulk?   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I buy in bulk when I need almonds or if I need various types of flour to bake with especially Bread Flour or Pastry Flour. Some items are just cheaper in bulk. I also go the bulk route with spices as I can get as little or as much as I need.

  • Ask The Readers: Do You Buy In Bulk?   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I will always try to buy things in bulk whenever possible, especially on items that are not perishable and used frequently. Bulk items combined with coupons with usually yield significant savings. I will buy perishable items such as meat, cheease & bread and freeze them to extend their shelf life. If the item is not already vacuum-packed in a meal size, I will put it in a zip-top bag and label it. Recently, I've found that some supermarket sales combined with coupons provide better deals. It's often easier to store and manage smaller packages.

  • Frugal Uses for a Camera   15 years 12 weeks ago

    I use my digital camera as a cheap photocopier. For example, I've taken a photo of all the cards in my wallet—front and back—in case it ever gets stolen. You can accomplish the same with a photocopy of course, but then you'd have to pay! If I come across a humorous cartoon, I also take a photo instead of tearing it out of the magazine I'm reading. This way I can give away the intact magazine to a friend after reading it.

  • Frugal Uses for a Camera   15 years 12 weeks ago

    Great idea to take pictures before you take things apart! That would have save me a lot of grief moving some Ikea furniture...

  • Surefire Ways to Save on Summer Camp Costs   15 years 12 weeks ago

    At first I freaked out at the price because I pay less than $300/week, and then I realized you're talking overnight camps, lol! I've found early registration to be the best way to get discounts, but sometimes it's hard to register early if you don't know exactly what your plans are.

  • Frugal Uses for a Camera   15 years 12 weeks ago

    We use a digital camera all the time.
    1) Whenever we have a house or equipment repair (we live in an old farmhouse and have old machinery) we not only measure the broken part/area, we take digital photos of it. Then we take the camera with us to the hardware store to show the photo to the hardware store employees. This ensures we come back with the best possible part for fixing the problem. (The best part is not always identical to the old part that broke--there are often newer, better solutions.)
    2) We live far away from my mother-in-law who suffers from Alzheimer's. To keep in touch, I take digital photos throughout the month and compile them in a sort of photo journal of what we are doing/what is happening here. That way, even though her reading skills are declining, she can still know what is going on in our lives. Even better, she can revisit the journals whenever she wants (which is better than phone calls she forgets almost instantly).

  • PR Blunders and How to Avoid Them   15 years 12 weeks ago

    Thanks for the heads up! (It's been fixed.)