Great post on consumer debt as an economic driver. In the past, I have typically adopted the thought process that spending (and taking on more and more debt) in a macro kind of way can be good for the economy though in the micro view (that is for me and my family) spending should be controlled. All those micro-events (families being in debt, in general; and taking on un-pay-back-able mortgages specifically) though are now at the center of problems not only of the US economy but world economy. You are making me want to dust off my Macroeconomics and Microeconomics textbooks.
While I understand that you (Anna-esq) may be sick of the "all you stupid people with gas guzzling SUV's" line, you have to understand that no one said that in the comments. The guest and Matt merely mentioned to you that it's not illegal immigrants fault either. I only saw finger pointing from you. Although I am not trying to be confrontational, you have to understand that this site does draw all different types. When you make blanket statements, some people might call you on that. I love a good debate, and if you can point out to me where "illegal immigrants" are the source of our country's problems I will plan a well-thought out response. I don't think that threatening to de-list Wisebread on your blogroll really sums up your side of the story.
I am still down for any additional links provided, but I got so darn excited I just spent the last hour going crazy with links searches on the DIY coffee roasting experience. I smell an article coming on! What a cool idea!
Change is the only thing that never change, everything else will change one day. Sarah, you have explored a nice thought that every situation that we are facing is not permanent, changes will occur in future to change our life-style.
tutor.com was recommended to me in WomansDay magazine. I got online, did the tests and started the long process of getting 'onboard.' I faxed in everything required (several times,)did the online mock session (several times)then tutor.com dropped off the face of the earth as far as communication was concerned. False starts, mishandling of information,non-handling of information, all of this just a basic repeat of some of the experiences relayed by some of the guests above. Tutor.com acts like they are hot stuff but they greatly dashed my optimistic expectations of some valid part time to fulltime work where I could use my 4-year degree for something besides languishing in a call center. Shame on you, tutor.CON!
Almostvegetarian, as a working mom with two kids under 3, I have to disagree. Homemade bread is undoubtedly tastier than what the bread machine makes, but if I had to wait until I had time to bake from scratch my family would eat store-bought bread 95% of the time. The bread machine (which we received as a gift) is a great compromise and we use it to make bread for only pennies a loaf.
We are also vegetarians and use the slow-cooker at least once a week, often 2 or 3 times. Maybe it takes a little more creativity to come up with good vegetarian recipes for it, but it's a huge timesaver and means I can have a hot meal ready when I get home from work. There's lentil soup cooking in mine right now, and later this week I plan to use it for curried chickpeas and veggies. It's also handy for making tomato sauce, apple sauce, pumpkin butter, and lots of other wonderful things. Maybe all these things would taste better if I made them in a dutch oven, as you suggest, but the slow-cooker allows me to fit cooking from scratch into my life. For my family it's an invaluable tool and I'd hate to go without it.
I had no idea you could do that. And on a selfish note, I've been looking for an excuse to buy a second one while we are at a friend's house shopping for a roof. The other one is in storage and the one at the lake house got trashed in the flood. I got both at yard sales, but I'm not sure where to get used stuff here. Might have to just check out big lots or hope for an ongoing dorm sale.
If I got one now, we could have popcorn in the interim and have an extra for roasted coffee beans later.
Oh! Oh! I haven't been this freaking excited about kitchen appliances in a long time. More info, please . . .
Short on extra minutes, but wanted to chime in. Readers are an important part of our site here, and we want everyone to feel they have a voice. That being said, there are comments from time to time that people find a bit snippy (to say the least).
As writers, what Linsey said is true. We also get our fair share of snipe and sarcasm which can be hurtful and a bit hard to take at the end of a long day when we just wish our efforts to log in and take the extra time to respond to questions was appreciated (which by most readers it is)instead of having to respond while exhausted to what we feel is a hurtful or ill thought out comment.
That being said, I've lived with full blown censorship before and while I totally respect the ways and cultures of those countries where it takes place, it's not my cup of tea. I guess what I'm saying is, it's a balance to allow everyone their opportunity to chime in without fear of censorship, and keeping things where we all want them to be . . . civil and conversational.
When the topic involves money, something people are emotional about during even the best of times, things can get volatile. That's where we rely on people to refer to the terms Linsey mentioned above, and also to do their part to address the issues as they see them and be open to commentary that may (and frequently does) have a different view point.
We don't expect everyone to agree all the time, and we understand that many of these issues and strategies are ones we try to figure out as best we can as we plug along through life.
Good Day I hope all doing fine... first of all I am very happy to see swat topic.. but now days the swat condition is so bad, I am basically from nowshara but we spent 14 year in malank agency its mean my childhood all in there, for that reason I like swat aria and swat people very much there people is very hospitable and respectable ,,but now I am out of country in still uae
,
Before you dismiss that tube as being empty, soak it in warm water for a few minutes. Use something flat like a knife handle or toothbrush handle to push the remaining warm toothpaste out of the tube. Get more for your money!
Lately we all have seen the stock markets corrections. Let it be the one in Jan or in March and not to forget the mayhem in the last week. What did this create ? Corrections created a sense of confusion. This confusion may cause a big harm to a nation. Recently a broker committed a suicide.
People invest hard core . Don't only be dependent on stock markets for money, this should be the second source for the people who don't really understand the markets well.
Here are few tips that one needs to do in such a situation.
Do what you think is right.
Stop listening to analysts.
Don't see stock prices every 20 minutes.
Be patient.
Speak to the real time investors.
Understand the market pattern / cycle.
Stop following any kind to tips.
Follow your sole Guru.
Last but not the least "Don't give up"
Written in IndianMoneyPlus.Com
I think a lot of people would never think to do something so simple as address a letter of complaint to the owner of the company. But hey - they own the company - they have a right to know what is going on throughout the ranks.
And really - the worse case scenario - the letter does not get read...
Companies, especially big ones, get away with so much because too many people just let the situation go without a follow up. Obviously there are wrong ways to go about taking action but a simple letter to the president may be all you need to get some customer satisfaction.
First I have to say I love the title of this post...
I think there was a lot of people who kept beleiving that it csouldn't get any worse and it does...over and over. Once gas and oil prices began to rise and there was no longer a way for people to avoid how bad things were turning, people got scared.
Seeing the numbers as you have printed them in black and white certainly does make one wonder about life on Mars.
I think my preferences are due largely to my diet (which does include quite a few meats) and the climate in which we live. Because we live in an older home with little to no air conditioning, using my oven in any capacity from June until September is a no-no. (Puts much strain on my electric bill.) I do, however, like switching to the oven for bread-making, steaming, and slow-cooking in the winter months, and while my bread machine works better for the rise during the summer (due to the humidity issues), I like to let the dough rise in my basement about 4 feet from my wood stove in the winter. Rises in half the time and huge loaves!
It’s not a bad list, but I can save you even more money if you like ...
- Skip the bread machine make your own. The bread is far superior (the longer rise develops a far richer dough) without the cost of a machine.
- Also skip the slow cooker. If you are vegetarian, it is pointless. And even if you are not, you’d be far better off with a dutch oven. It is far more versatile than a slow cooker, useful both on a stovetop and in an oven, and it has the added benefit of being able to brown your dinner which, as with the bread machine, means you end up with far more flavor.
- Skip the costly steamer and, if you must have one, go to Chinatown and get a cheap one to pop inside a pot you already own (make it one with a lid). Or, for far more delicious food, skip the bland steamer food and saute.
But I am with you on the food processor. I don't use it often, but when I do, I am grateful to have it.
We've been working on going green for sometime - I would love a copy of this book! (if I don't win, I've bookmarked it for later purchase) ;) Thanks -- Leia
I'm pretty low tech, being of the good knife and solid cutting board school, but I love my Kitchen aid mixer with dough hook. It's great for Friday night's home made pizza. We also have an ancient blender that gets tons of use. If that thing ever dies I may have to enter the 21st century. Until then I'm content.
The truth is that government is of, for and by the people. Not the corporations. If anyone should receive help from our government it is the very people who pay the taxes.
No one mentions that these companies have been allowed to become monopolies. If we did not allow these corporations to take over everything like a cancer they would be unable to pull our government over the edge with them. These facts are never pointed out because if you are a corporation you can afford all of the best PR money can buy. If you are an average Joe you just need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Even if you have a major illness, your home has been destroyed by some catastrophe or your company decides it will be buying goods from a communist country (CHINA) and so they no longer need your manufacturing job.
Just when is the government allowed to help the very people who pay the taxes, fight the wars, build the cities and raise the future tax payers?
We have allowed the wealthy few to control the conversation for too long. I can guarantee that if you take away the few safety nets we provide as a country this not so stable economy would indeed already be in a very deep depression.
I certainly understand how difficult it can be to listen to comments that seem set on finger-pointing rather than support. One of the reasons that I enjoy writing for Wise Bread is that I truly have found a group of readers and writers who can share ideas that have positively affected my families frugal living lifestyle.
That being said, as part of a blog with an appreciation for free speech and sharing, we do get a wide variety of commenters, who may or may not have the eloquence to speak their differing opinion with tact or compassion. As writers, we often get our share of nasty comments or short-sighted remarks, and try to deal with them appropriately.
Anna, I can't speak for everyone here at Wise Bread, but as much as we desire to have a diverse audience, we would never want it to be at the expense of those who have supported us so graciously over the years with thier positive feedback and comments. I encourage you to use the "Report this Page" button at the bottom of any post you feel is inappropriate, and the Moderators will look into it ASAP. We have often allowed some "venting" to occur as a way for readers to give voice to the frustration that they are experiencing in their lives. We would not, however, wish for this to trump the feelings and considerations of those who come to Wise Bread for a supportive environment.
Please feel free to email us directly with your questions or concerns. Our readers mean more to use than anything, and we hope to resolve any issues you or others may have in both the comments and forums.
I encourage anyone who has questions regarding the appropriateness of a comment to visit our Terms of Use for Comments:
By publishing a comment here you agree to the following terms and conditions.
You agree to keep your comments:
relevant to the topic
respectful of others, and
suitable for a family forum.
You agree to refrain from posting any material that:
violates any laws or legal rights of other persons or entities
infringes upon the copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property of others
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Due to the real-time nature of this commenting system, it is impossible for us to review every message. We do not actively monitor the contents of this website and are not responsible for any messages posted.
However, if we are made aware of a violation of our terms of use, we will remove the offending comments immediately without warning. Repeat offenders will be banned from the website permanently.
You are solely responsible for the materials you post here. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless this website and its agents with rsepect to any claims based upon the transmission of your messages.
We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy or usefulness of any information posted, nor are we responsible for the contents of any message. The comments express the views of the author of the message and do not reflect the opinions of this website's administrators or bloggers.
The current problems--both the problems that we all face as individuals, and the greater problems that we face as a society--have their roots in many sources.
It's sometimes hard to find the right balance between supporting the people who are hurting (which is important to do--and something that I think we do well here on Wise Bread) and talking about what brought us to this unhappy pass (which is also important to do--to understand the nature of the problem and to inform us in our search for a way out).
I sometimes cringe at the "fugaler than thou" attitude a few of our readers show in their comments--but I rather suspect that most of their ire is really aimed at themselves: They're saying what they wish someone had said to them, back before they made some poor choices that have made their path harder than it needed to be. If their comments seem mean, understand that they're trying to find words that might have gotten through to their younger selves.
I urge everyone to keep the dialog here on Wise Bread a positive one, that focuses on finding solutions. And that when we do talk about the causes of the problems that we face, we do so with the goal of understanding them, not of assigning blame. (And I say that with a pretty positive attitude myself, because I think we do a pretty good job of that.)
I don't own a bread maker (I use my 6qt kitchenaid for bread) or a crockpot (had one~never used it), but I love my food processor and rice cooker! I use them so often that I hate putting them away.
The hubby and I own several appliances that we use constantly. We have a yogurt maker (yard sale steal) that I use a couple times a week, two popcorn poppers (one for popcorn, one to roast coffee in), an immersion blender (great for soups), and a hand mixer that I use for recipes too small for the kitchenaid. Oh, and my trusty waffle maker that gets pulled out nearly every Saturday.
Now that I see all that typed out, I think I have an appliance addiction. :)
You know, I come to Wise Bread looking for moral support to encourage my frugal lifestyle. It's tough pinching pennies and reminding yourself to be frugal once you "make it" in your career. Yes, life has been good to me. However, life isn't so good for a lot of other people. In fact, as our family has gotten richer, the families my kids play with, our neighbors, my clients, and the families of the people we employ have gotten a lot tougher. A few of them were spendthrifts who "blame everyone for their problems," but most of them are harder working and more frugal than anyone here on this web site (including myself). I've decided to "come out of the closet" with my frugal lifestyle in the hopes less affluent people see it's OK to choose not to consume.
However, the number of readers spouting the old tired "all you stupid people with gas guzzling SUV's" party line is offensive. Hello, anybody? What planet do you live on? Planet Citibank/Big Bank Lobbyst? Why ANYONE would choose to make themselves feel good by telling others their hardships or the current economic imbalance is "all their fault" is beyond me. Especially since many readers, I imagine, may be visiting this website for the first time to learn about getting their consumption under control. Gee, that's smart, lets tell the newbies they're all stupid so they leave and never come back.
I can't imagine why ANYBODY looking for frugal moral support would visit this website, no matter how good the writers are, because the unpoliced forums are, quite frankly, offensive. I can laugh at caustic people with low self-esteems from behind the fortress of my considerable salary and wealth. However, other Wise Bread readers are hurting right now and don't need to get beaten up on by other readers. Wise Bread has the nastiest, most sarcastic reader posts I've ever seen on any website and I, for one, am giving up on surfing here. Go ahead and quip your "all your fault gas guzzling SUV" comments ... I'm not coming back ... and I'm de-listing Wise Bread as a resource for the "do it yourself" legal clinics I teach. Get a life, nasty people, or go visit "Ann Coulter Online" if you feel the need to continuously spout hatred of your fellow American.
Two months before my son's birthday, I started preparations by saving every small box I could - Jell-O type boxes, Kraft Dinner type boxes, toilet paper tubes, etc. I painted them grey, with white and black paint I got from a dollar store, then drew on lines with a marker to look like brickwork. Also at the dollar store, I found some craft materials with which to make and decorate paper crowns (glitter, some metallic shiny thingies), and some of those fill-stuffed cloth balls meant to be used with water. I made a 'dragon head' with construction paper and a big water jug, into which the balls would be tossed. I had a few of the party favour things too, bracelets and I think plastic harmonica things, as 'prizes'. We did some ball toss, then everyone got to choose a prize, we did some crown making (although the boys just wanted to go play), and we built a great big castle from the building blocks.
Gift bags? Plastic grocery bags for every child, and they all took turns choosing a castle building block to go into their bag. Add in the crowns and the soft balls and the prizes, and they had decent loot, and I didn't have an entire castle worth of boxes to put back in my son's room.
I decorated a cake to look vaguely like a castle, and we ate Pogos and had veggie sticks, and I don't remember what kind of juice to drink. Overall, I think the kids had a good time (even the stray who wandered in), it was affordable, and I was willing to have another party for my son. :)
Great post on consumer debt as an economic driver. In the past, I have typically adopted the thought process that spending (and taking on more and more debt) in a macro kind of way can be good for the economy though in the micro view (that is for me and my family) spending should be controlled. All those micro-events (families being in debt, in general; and taking on un-pay-back-able mortgages specifically) though are now at the center of problems not only of the US economy but world economy. You are making me want to dust off my Macroeconomics and Microeconomics textbooks.
While I understand that you (Anna-esq) may be sick of the "all you stupid people with gas guzzling SUV's" line, you have to understand that no one said that in the comments. The guest and Matt merely mentioned to you that it's not illegal immigrants fault either. I only saw finger pointing from you. Although I am not trying to be confrontational, you have to understand that this site does draw all different types. When you make blanket statements, some people might call you on that. I love a good debate, and if you can point out to me where "illegal immigrants" are the source of our country's problems I will plan a well-thought out response. I don't think that threatening to de-list Wisebread on your blogroll really sums up your side of the story.
I am still down for any additional links provided, but I got so darn excited I just spent the last hour going crazy with links searches on the DIY coffee roasting experience. I smell an article coming on! What a cool idea!
Change is the only thing that never change, everything else will change one day. Sarah, you have explored a nice thought that every situation that we are facing is not permanent, changes will occur in future to change our life-style.
Yes, I agree with Myscha. Please share the secret to roasting coffee beans in an popper!
Linsey
tutor.com was recommended to me in WomansDay magazine. I got online, did the tests and started the long process of getting 'onboard.' I faxed in everything required (several times,)did the online mock session (several times)then tutor.com dropped off the face of the earth as far as communication was concerned. False starts, mishandling of information,non-handling of information, all of this just a basic repeat of some of the experiences relayed by some of the guests above. Tutor.com acts like they are hot stuff but they greatly dashed my optimistic expectations of some valid part time to fulltime work where I could use my 4-year degree for something besides languishing in a call center. Shame on you, tutor.CON!
Almostvegetarian, as a working mom with two kids under 3, I have to disagree. Homemade bread is undoubtedly tastier than what the bread machine makes, but if I had to wait until I had time to bake from scratch my family would eat store-bought bread 95% of the time. The bread machine (which we received as a gift) is a great compromise and we use it to make bread for only pennies a loaf.
We are also vegetarians and use the slow-cooker at least once a week, often 2 or 3 times. Maybe it takes a little more creativity to come up with good vegetarian recipes for it, but it's a huge timesaver and means I can have a hot meal ready when I get home from work. There's lentil soup cooking in mine right now, and later this week I plan to use it for curried chickpeas and veggies. It's also handy for making tomato sauce, apple sauce, pumpkin butter, and lots of other wonderful things. Maybe all these things would taste better if I made them in a dutch oven, as you suggest, but the slow-cooker allows me to fit cooking from scratch into my life. For my family it's an invaluable tool and I'd hate to go without it.
Score!!!!!!!
I had no idea you could do that. And on a selfish note, I've been looking for an excuse to buy a second one while we are at a friend's house shopping for a roof. The other one is in storage and the one at the lake house got trashed in the flood. I got both at yard sales, but I'm not sure where to get used stuff here. Might have to just check out big lots or hope for an ongoing dorm sale.
If I got one now, we could have popcorn in the interim and have an extra for roasted coffee beans later.
Oh! Oh! I haven't been this freaking excited about kitchen appliances in a long time. More info, please . . .
Short on extra minutes, but wanted to chime in. Readers are an important part of our site here, and we want everyone to feel they have a voice. That being said, there are comments from time to time that people find a bit snippy (to say the least).
As writers, what Linsey said is true. We also get our fair share of snipe and sarcasm which can be hurtful and a bit hard to take at the end of a long day when we just wish our efforts to log in and take the extra time to respond to questions was appreciated (which by most readers it is)instead of having to respond while exhausted to what we feel is a hurtful or ill thought out comment.
That being said, I've lived with full blown censorship before and while I totally respect the ways and cultures of those countries where it takes place, it's not my cup of tea. I guess what I'm saying is, it's a balance to allow everyone their opportunity to chime in without fear of censorship, and keeping things where we all want them to be . . . civil and conversational.
When the topic involves money, something people are emotional about during even the best of times, things can get volatile. That's where we rely on people to refer to the terms Linsey mentioned above, and also to do their part to address the issues as they see them and be open to commentary that may (and frequently does) have a different view point.
We don't expect everyone to agree all the time, and we understand that many of these issues and strategies are ones we try to figure out as best we can as we plug along through life.
Just my two cents.
Aslamoalikum
Good Day I hope all doing fine... first of all I am very happy to see swat topic.. but now days the swat condition is so bad, I am basically from nowshara but we spent 14 year in malank agency its mean my childhood all in there, for that reason I like swat aria and swat people very much there people is very hospitable and respectable ,,but now I am out of country in still uae
,
thanks and best regards
Noman Khan
sharjah uae
Before you dismiss that tube as being empty, soak it in warm water for a few minutes. Use something flat like a knife handle or toothbrush handle to push the remaining warm toothpaste out of the tube. Get more for your money!
Lately we all have seen the stock markets corrections. Let it be the one in Jan or in March and not to forget the mayhem in the last week. What did this create ? Corrections created a sense of confusion. This confusion may cause a big harm to a nation. Recently a broker committed a suicide.
People invest hard core . Don't only be dependent on stock markets for money, this should be the second source for the people who don't really understand the markets well.
Here are few tips that one needs to do in such a situation.
Do what you think is right.
Stop listening to analysts.
Don't see stock prices every 20 minutes.
Be patient.
Speak to the real time investors.
Understand the market pattern / cycle.
Stop following any kind to tips.
Follow your sole Guru.
Last but not the least "Don't give up"
Written in IndianMoneyPlus.Com
I think a lot of people would never think to do something so simple as address a letter of complaint to the owner of the company. But hey - they own the company - they have a right to know what is going on throughout the ranks.
And really - the worse case scenario - the letter does not get read...
Companies, especially big ones, get away with so much because too many people just let the situation go without a follow up. Obviously there are wrong ways to go about taking action but a simple letter to the president may be all you need to get some customer satisfaction.
Thanks for letting us know it really does work!
First I have to say I love the title of this post...
I think there was a lot of people who kept beleiving that it csouldn't get any worse and it does...over and over. Once gas and oil prices began to rise and there was no longer a way for people to avoid how bad things were turning, people got scared.
Seeing the numbers as you have printed them in black and white certainly does make one wonder about life on Mars.
Nice post.
I think my preferences are due largely to my diet (which does include quite a few meats) and the climate in which we live. Because we live in an older home with little to no air conditioning, using my oven in any capacity from June until September is a no-no. (Puts much strain on my electric bill.) I do, however, like switching to the oven for bread-making, steaming, and slow-cooking in the winter months, and while my bread machine works better for the rise during the summer (due to the humidity issues), I like to let the dough rise in my basement about 4 feet from my wood stove in the winter. Rises in half the time and huge loaves!
Linsey Knerl
It’s not a bad list, but I can save you even more money if you like ...
- Skip the bread machine make your own. The bread is far superior (the longer rise develops a far richer dough) without the cost of a machine.
- Also skip the slow cooker. If you are vegetarian, it is pointless. And even if you are not, you’d be far better off with a dutch oven. It is far more versatile than a slow cooker, useful both on a stovetop and in an oven, and it has the added benefit of being able to brown your dinner which, as with the bread machine, means you end up with far more flavor.
- Skip the costly steamer and, if you must have one, go to Chinatown and get a cheap one to pop inside a pot you already own (make it one with a lid). Or, for far more delicious food, skip the bland steamer food and saute.
But I am with you on the food processor. I don't use it often, but when I do, I am grateful to have it.
Cheers!
We've been working on going green for sometime - I would love a copy of this book! (if I don't win, I've bookmarked it for later purchase) ;) Thanks -- Leia
I'm pretty low tech, being of the good knife and solid cutting board school, but I love my Kitchen aid mixer with dough hook. It's great for Friday night's home made pizza. We also have an ancient blender that gets tons of use. If that thing ever dies I may have to enter the 21st century. Until then I'm content.
The truth is that government is of, for and by the people. Not the corporations. If anyone should receive help from our government it is the very people who pay the taxes.
No one mentions that these companies have been allowed to become monopolies. If we did not allow these corporations to take over everything like a cancer they would be unable to pull our government over the edge with them. These facts are never pointed out because if you are a corporation you can afford all of the best PR money can buy. If you are an average Joe you just need to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Even if you have a major illness, your home has been destroyed by some catastrophe or your company decides it will be buying goods from a communist country (CHINA) and so they no longer need your manufacturing job.
Just when is the government allowed to help the very people who pay the taxes, fight the wars, build the cities and raise the future tax payers?
We have allowed the wealthy few to control the conversation for too long. I can guarantee that if you take away the few safety nets we provide as a country this not so stable economy would indeed already be in a very deep depression.
I certainly understand how difficult it can be to listen to comments that seem set on finger-pointing rather than support. One of the reasons that I enjoy writing for Wise Bread is that I truly have found a group of readers and writers who can share ideas that have positively affected my families frugal living lifestyle.
That being said, as part of a blog with an appreciation for free speech and sharing, we do get a wide variety of commenters, who may or may not have the eloquence to speak their differing opinion with tact or compassion. As writers, we often get our share of nasty comments or short-sighted remarks, and try to deal with them appropriately.
Anna, I can't speak for everyone here at Wise Bread, but as much as we desire to have a diverse audience, we would never want it to be at the expense of those who have supported us so graciously over the years with thier positive feedback and comments. I encourage you to use the "Report this Page" button at the bottom of any post you feel is inappropriate, and the Moderators will look into it ASAP. We have often allowed some "venting" to occur as a way for readers to give voice to the frustration that they are experiencing in their lives. We would not, however, wish for this to trump the feelings and considerations of those who come to Wise Bread for a supportive environment.
Please feel free to email us directly with your questions or concerns. Our readers mean more to use than anything, and we hope to resolve any issues you or others may have in both the comments and forums.
I encourage anyone who has questions regarding the appropriateness of a comment to visit our Terms of Use for Comments:
By publishing a comment here you agree to the following terms and conditions.
You agree to keep your comments:
You agree to refrain from posting any material that:
Due to the real-time nature of this commenting system, it is impossible for us to review every message. We do not actively monitor the contents of this website and are not responsible for any messages posted.
However, if we are made aware of a violation of our terms of use, we will remove the offending comments immediately without warning. Repeat offenders will be banned from the website permanently.
You are solely responsible for the materials you post here. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless this website and its agents with rsepect to any claims based upon the transmission of your messages.
We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy or usefulness of any information posted, nor are we responsible for the contents of any message. The comments express the views of the author of the message and do not reflect the opinions of this website's administrators or bloggers.
Thanks,
Linsey Knerl
The current problems--both the problems that we all face as individuals, and the greater problems that we face as a society--have their roots in many sources.
It's sometimes hard to find the right balance between supporting the people who are hurting (which is important to do--and something that I think we do well here on Wise Bread) and talking about what brought us to this unhappy pass (which is also important to do--to understand the nature of the problem and to inform us in our search for a way out).
I sometimes cringe at the "fugaler than thou" attitude a few of our readers show in their comments--but I rather suspect that most of their ire is really aimed at themselves: They're saying what they wish someone had said to them, back before they made some poor choices that have made their path harder than it needed to be. If their comments seem mean, understand that they're trying to find words that might have gotten through to their younger selves.
I urge everyone to keep the dialog here on Wise Bread a positive one, that focuses on finding solutions. And that when we do talk about the causes of the problems that we face, we do so with the goal of understanding them, not of assigning blame. (And I say that with a pretty positive attitude myself, because I think we do a pretty good job of that.)
I don't own a bread maker (I use my 6qt kitchenaid for bread) or a crockpot (had one~never used it), but I love my food processor and rice cooker! I use them so often that I hate putting them away.
The hubby and I own several appliances that we use constantly. We have a yogurt maker (yard sale steal) that I use a couple times a week, two popcorn poppers (one for popcorn, one to roast coffee in), an immersion blender (great for soups), and a hand mixer that I use for recipes too small for the kitchenaid. Oh, and my trusty waffle maker that gets pulled out nearly every Saturday.
Now that I see all that typed out, I think I have an appliance addiction. :)
You know, I come to Wise Bread looking for moral support to encourage my frugal lifestyle. It's tough pinching pennies and reminding yourself to be frugal once you "make it" in your career. Yes, life has been good to me. However, life isn't so good for a lot of other people. In fact, as our family has gotten richer, the families my kids play with, our neighbors, my clients, and the families of the people we employ have gotten a lot tougher. A few of them were spendthrifts who "blame everyone for their problems," but most of them are harder working and more frugal than anyone here on this web site (including myself). I've decided to "come out of the closet" with my frugal lifestyle in the hopes less affluent people see it's OK to choose not to consume.
However, the number of readers spouting the old tired "all you stupid people with gas guzzling SUV's" party line is offensive. Hello, anybody? What planet do you live on? Planet Citibank/Big Bank Lobbyst? Why ANYONE would choose to make themselves feel good by telling others their hardships or the current economic imbalance is "all their fault" is beyond me. Especially since many readers, I imagine, may be visiting this website for the first time to learn about getting their consumption under control. Gee, that's smart, lets tell the newbies they're all stupid so they leave and never come back.
I can't imagine why ANYBODY looking for frugal moral support would visit this website, no matter how good the writers are, because the unpoliced forums are, quite frankly, offensive. I can laugh at caustic people with low self-esteems from behind the fortress of my considerable salary and wealth. However, other Wise Bread readers are hurting right now and don't need to get beaten up on by other readers. Wise Bread has the nastiest, most sarcastic reader posts I've ever seen on any website and I, for one, am giving up on surfing here. Go ahead and quip your "all your fault gas guzzling SUV" comments ... I'm not coming back ... and I'm de-listing Wise Bread as a resource for the "do it yourself" legal clinics I teach. Get a life, nasty people, or go visit "Ann Coulter Online" if you feel the need to continuously spout hatred of your fellow American.
Two months before my son's birthday, I started preparations by saving every small box I could - Jell-O type boxes, Kraft Dinner type boxes, toilet paper tubes, etc. I painted them grey, with white and black paint I got from a dollar store, then drew on lines with a marker to look like brickwork. Also at the dollar store, I found some craft materials with which to make and decorate paper crowns (glitter, some metallic shiny thingies), and some of those fill-stuffed cloth balls meant to be used with water. I made a 'dragon head' with construction paper and a big water jug, into which the balls would be tossed. I had a few of the party favour things too, bracelets and I think plastic harmonica things, as 'prizes'. We did some ball toss, then everyone got to choose a prize, we did some crown making (although the boys just wanted to go play), and we built a great big castle from the building blocks.
Gift bags? Plastic grocery bags for every child, and they all took turns choosing a castle building block to go into their bag. Add in the crowns and the soft balls and the prizes, and they had decent loot, and I didn't have an entire castle worth of boxes to put back in my son's room.
I decorated a cake to look vaguely like a castle, and we ate Pogos and had veggie sticks, and I don't remember what kind of juice to drink. Overall, I think the kids had a good time (even the stray who wandered in), it was affordable, and I was willing to have another party for my son. :)
Cutting is a one-time shot, and then it's gone for years. If you enjoy your hair, keep it. At most, you'll receive pennies for each day of growth.