Shipping costs can be lower than taxes. Amazon offers free super saver shipping on anything more than $25. When my mom bought the bed she comparison shopped first and found that even with shipping the cost was lower than buying it locally. This was a $2000 bed with $150 shipping. When you buy something locally the shipping cost is already priced in.
either on the Costco site or on the Nutristorage site, so I guess they changed the packaging. The suit was dismissed anyway, I think I saw online.
My understanding is that LDS members are supposed to have enough food in the house to feed their families for a year, and I've seen the advice to do it by buying a little extra each trip and rotating the goods.
Great Post! Oh, i was wooed in the beginning of my job hunt..then...i was like your friend who had all the 'real interviews' after the job...that and i had a Devil Wears Prada experience there as well..all within the first month. it was horrible and i left after 9 months- after my boss telling me i 'lied' on my resume and that 'any pea-brain could do my job' i knew all the wooing beforehand was to hire me quickly in a job with a shrew no one wanted to work with...not so much that my skills were in demand. now i'm temping again and up for a marketing admin job (even tho my skills are in writing and marketing) but i have been networking like crazy within the company, and many people like me, so i may have to take a step back before i take a step up. it seems each place has it's own set of rules!
I am surprised Costco is still carrying this product. About two years ago someone from the Church of LDS sued Costco because his religion demanded that he be prepared for emergencies - and this kit would provide only about 400-500 calories per day, which is not sufficient for 3 months. Amazing, no? I don't remember if he won his case.
The way I see it, if you really and truly are in a situation where you would need this product for sustenance, just eat triple what they say and you should be fine. Hopefully you can get to more food in one month!
Personally, I just stockpile canned food in my house. When it is near expiration I can just use it.
My Spouse and I travel a lot for work. We always pack snacks for the trip to eat healthier and be able to postpone a meal in a restaurant or share one. One of our biggest tips that my mother passed on to me is using the Entertainment Card. It is the same card for each city. There's no need to buy a separate card or book for each city. You just have to look up the restaurants for that city online or go to a bookstore that sells Entertainment books and see what restaurants are listed for that city. We have saved huge doing this and also by using Restaurant.com for coupons. Otherwise we follow the tips above people have used for happy hour specials, sharing entrees, etc.
I just received my Earthbound bag today for getting a perfect score on that quiz. It took a while to receive so I thought it might be a scam. Thanks for posting that. I also went to Walmart that day and got their free bag. Thanks for posting that.
@ Philip- true- I obviously meant a 1% hike as the article refers to it.
I guess I just don't see why a penny on the dollar would put you in a tailspin.
A $20 top would cost $22.05 instead of $21.85- those 20cents send you running for the internet? Fine, but don't act like it's a big conundrum- if those 20c mean you won't shop locally don't pretend that you are concerned for your local merchants.
I'll be using that one from now on. It's much more G-rated than some of the other things I've been hearing! Thanks for sharing your experiences. As my husband would say, "It is what it is."
I've now been in the big-girl (read: post-college) workforce for 11 or so years. I've been working since I was 16 (holy crap, that's 17 years!) and I think that it's pretty much relative where ever you go. It's going to depend on the HR person, the industry, the company, and its employees.
At my last company, I was the HR assistant and in charge of all the new-hire functions. I went out of my way to make sure every new employee was set up well, new desk set up nicely, welcome email (and subsequent lunch invite), etc. I introduced them to everyone and just basically wanted to make it a nice place to work. Why? Because none of that happened when I was hired.
My current company (big-4 accounting firm) still woos employees. (Note: I'm not an accountant.) We treat the interns like diplomats when they come in, taking them out for lunches, fun game nights, etc. Throughout the year, my company will periodically send out gifts to all the employees' homes. I've gotten bags, portfolios, ice cream packages, omaha steaks, days off.... The company I work for is very focused on making our workplace one that we actually WANT to be in--they want to be the kind of company that people don't want to leave! (It works. We're on the top Forbes top 100 companies to work for each year.)
While I'm not in HR with this company, I do process most of the new team members who come on to my team. I do the same thing with them, as well as whatever it takes to make my team happy. (I'll bring in cookies, do secret gift exchanges, send out notes, etc.) I do it because keeping them happy makes me happy and makes my job easier.
I really think it's just relative to the company's mission and to the people who are working in said company. Unfortunately, I think there are more boogerheads out there than fun people.
I'm enjoying looking at all of these ideas on how to curb the peer pressure of spending out of your budget and agree that to lie would be morally wrong but it is a major challange to hang out with friends who spend way more than we do. I've put the damper on a few relationships over the years by not having that common ground of unlimited spending to hang out but guess what???Now with the rotton economy, my spendy friends are really feeling the pinch and having a tough time of it now and want to know my tricks. I'm being cautious with the tips as they are not always appreciated and is sorta like showing your undies. But it feels go because to be frugal is just plain smart. Like saving for that rainy day.
When you go to vote this November think about this.
Government only seems to grow; they want more and more of YOUR money to spend. {What you don't give them today they borrow from your kids and force them to repay at the penalty of the loss of their liberty.}
It seems too me perfectly prudent and "thrifty" for us to demand that government live within its means and cut jobs and services and payrolls as necessary.
What's the point of lusting over large sums of money if you don't really need it.
It's not that we don't need anything, it's that we don't need everything.
My trick is to imagine, similar to what the author said, how long I had to work to afford whatever item I am ready to buy. Some things become less appealing when you think about the 10 hours you worked to make the money to buy it.
It's sad that too many people confuse the idea of frugality with not spending any money. Frugality is about controlling your money to truly work for you. My ambition is to be in a position to retire early enough to go out and enjoy the world around me. If I keep consuming, then I will give in to my current wants at the cost of that long term goal. If that makes me seem cheap, or boring in the short term, then so be it.
It's not about being cheap, its about getting your money's worth.
How can you say "Greed is what separates mankind from animals?"
Greed is programmed into every animals genes. Consumerism is fueled by a call to our most basic nature.
I own two dogs and a cat. Every watch animals protect food they have no intention of eating? A dog will gorge itself on food it does not want, just because it doesn't want another dog to get it. You can do funny things with animals involving pure greed.
Give the cat a fuzzy toy and watch a dog lose its mind in anger and jealousy over a toy it can't even use.
Greed is fundamental. Fight club was trying to transcend it.
If you are already paying off your mortgage monthly with cash in your bank account, then it is actually benefical to use the credit card and get cash back or reward points from your mortgage payments. Because they are so big there is a very good chance you would earn yourself and family a free "reward points" holiday every year doing this. The key is pay off your credit card balance every month.
The other thing to try an do is pay off your mortgage quicker (eg use the cash back rewards towards your mortgage) as I wrote in a recent post, an extra payment once a year can make you pay off your mortgage 7 years earlier. Credit cards are a finanical tool that it missued can be very harmful. However if used prudently they can make you extra money so to speak.
When I was apartment-bound, I used my hibachi for everything! And if you can't store charcoal (or it gets wet due to weather), you can get one with a small portable propane tank. I've used mine plenty during times when I needed to cook out on my tiny patio. I bet you could heat up some water pretty quickly on one, too! Or you could just go with a nice gas camping stove.
In DC where I live sales tax is 10% on hotels and restaurants. So when you go to a restaurant you are essentially adding 30% to your meal with tax and tip. I completely agree that this creates a conundrum. Do you shop locally which supports not only local business but also your city's services?
It's a little bit of a catch 22 because if everyone turns to shopping elsewhere because of the high tax rate, then they will have to raise taxes even more to get the same about of $$ back in...
Sure, you can say "it's only 1%" but this comes on top of another relatively recent increase to make our sales taxes the highest in the nation. To be honest, the increase has merely opened my eyes to how high the sales tax already was. When I spent $1,000 a couple years ago replacing a lost wedding band, I did not really absorb the fact that I was paying around $90 in tax for my choice to buy in in my neighborhood.
The higher sales tax is really going to be noticeable on my CVS trips, where I often pay only tax.
Shipping costs can be lower than taxes. Amazon offers free super saver shipping on anything more than $25. When my mom bought the bed she comparison shopped first and found that even with shipping the cost was lower than buying it locally. This was a $2000 bed with $150 shipping. When you buy something locally the shipping cost is already priced in.
either on the Costco site or on the Nutristorage site, so I guess they changed the packaging. The suit was dismissed anyway, I think I saw online.
My understanding is that LDS members are supposed to have enough food in the house to feed their families for a year, and I've seen the advice to do it by buying a little extra each trip and rotating the goods.
Great Post! Oh, i was wooed in the beginning of my job hunt..then...i was like your friend who had all the 'real interviews' after the job...that and i had a Devil Wears Prada experience there as well..all within the first month. it was horrible and i left after 9 months- after my boss telling me i 'lied' on my resume and that 'any pea-brain could do my job' i knew all the wooing beforehand was to hire me quickly in a job with a shrew no one wanted to work with...not so much that my skills were in demand. now i'm temping again and up for a marketing admin job (even tho my skills are in writing and marketing) but i have been networking like crazy within the company, and many people like me, so i may have to take a step back before i take a step up. it seems each place has it's own set of rules!
Soon all states will follow NY in collecting tax on internet purchases too. Then there will be no limit to taxes.
I am surprised Costco is still carrying this product. About two years ago someone from the Church of LDS sued Costco because his religion demanded that he be prepared for emergencies - and this kit would provide only about 400-500 calories per day, which is not sufficient for 3 months. Amazing, no? I don't remember if he won his case.
The way I see it, if you really and truly are in a situation where you would need this product for sustenance, just eat triple what they say and you should be fine. Hopefully you can get to more food in one month!
Personally, I just stockpile canned food in my house. When it is near expiration I can just use it.
http://soundpolitics.com/archives/006391.html
"We laugh at the "Devil Wears Prada" mentality as a far-fetched exaggeration of the work world, but it does exist."
it does, and i used to work for her!
I LOVE my new boss though. (now self employeed.)
My Spouse and I travel a lot for work. We always pack snacks for the trip to eat healthier and be able to postpone a meal in a restaurant or share one. One of our biggest tips that my mother passed on to me is using the Entertainment Card. It is the same card for each city. There's no need to buy a separate card or book for each city. You just have to look up the restaurants for that city online or go to a bookstore that sells Entertainment books and see what restaurants are listed for that city. We have saved huge doing this and also by using Restaurant.com for coupons. Otherwise we follow the tips above people have used for happy hour specials, sharing entrees, etc.
I just received my Earthbound bag today for getting a perfect score on that quiz. It took a while to receive so I thought it might be a scam. Thanks for posting that. I also went to Walmart that day and got their free bag. Thanks for posting that.
@ Philip- true- I obviously meant a 1% hike as the article refers to it.
I guess I just don't see why a penny on the dollar would put you in a tailspin.
A $20 top would cost $22.05 instead of $21.85- those 20cents send you running for the internet? Fine, but don't act like it's a big conundrum- if those 20c mean you won't shop locally don't pretend that you are concerned for your local merchants.
I'll be using that one from now on. It's much more G-rated than some of the other things I've been hearing! Thanks for sharing your experiences. As my husband would say, "It is what it is."
Linsey Knerl
I've now been in the big-girl (read: post-college) workforce for 11 or so years. I've been working since I was 16 (holy crap, that's 17 years!) and I think that it's pretty much relative where ever you go. It's going to depend on the HR person, the industry, the company, and its employees.
At my last company, I was the HR assistant and in charge of all the new-hire functions. I went out of my way to make sure every new employee was set up well, new desk set up nicely, welcome email (and subsequent lunch invite), etc. I introduced them to everyone and just basically wanted to make it a nice place to work. Why? Because none of that happened when I was hired.
My current company (big-4 accounting firm) still woos employees. (Note: I'm not an accountant.) We treat the interns like diplomats when they come in, taking them out for lunches, fun game nights, etc. Throughout the year, my company will periodically send out gifts to all the employees' homes. I've gotten bags, portfolios, ice cream packages, omaha steaks, days off.... The company I work for is very focused on making our workplace one that we actually WANT to be in--they want to be the kind of company that people don't want to leave! (It works. We're on the top Forbes top 100 companies to work for each year.)
While I'm not in HR with this company, I do process most of the new team members who come on to my team. I do the same thing with them, as well as whatever it takes to make my team happy. (I'll bring in cookies, do secret gift exchanges, send out notes, etc.) I do it because keeping them happy makes me happy and makes my job easier.
I really think it's just relative to the company's mission and to the people who are working in said company. Unfortunately, I think there are more boogerheads out there than fun people.
Sales tax is for chumps. Your state and local governments could get along just fine without this regressive tax.
I'm enjoying looking at all of these ideas on how to curb the peer pressure of spending out of your budget and agree that to lie would be morally wrong but it is a major challange to hang out with friends who spend way more than we do. I've put the damper on a few relationships over the years by not having that common ground of unlimited spending to hang out but guess what???Now with the rotton economy, my spendy friends are really feeling the pinch and having a tough time of it now and want to know my tricks. I'm being cautious with the tips as they are not always appreciated and is sorta like showing your undies. But it feels go because to be frugal is just plain smart. Like saving for that rainy day.
Might I point out that the things you don't own have wound up owning you?
When you go to vote this November think about this.
Government only seems to grow; they want more and more of YOUR money to spend. {What you don't give them today they borrow from your kids and force them to repay at the penalty of the loss of their liberty.}
It seems too me perfectly prudent and "thrifty" for us to demand that government live within its means and cut jobs and services and payrolls as necessary.
What's the point of lusting over large sums of money if you don't really need it.
It's not that we don't need anything, it's that we don't need everything.
My trick is to imagine, similar to what the author said, how long I had to work to afford whatever item I am ready to buy. Some things become less appealing when you think about the 10 hours you worked to make the money to buy it.
It's sad that too many people confuse the idea of frugality with not spending any money. Frugality is about controlling your money to truly work for you. My ambition is to be in a position to retire early enough to go out and enjoy the world around me. If I keep consuming, then I will give in to my current wants at the cost of that long term goal. If that makes me seem cheap, or boring in the short term, then so be it.
It's not about being cheap, its about getting your money's worth.
Comfort and security. There is fundamental calmness that you have when you don't need to do anything to survive for the next year or more.
How can you say "Greed is what separates mankind from animals?"
Greed is programmed into every animals genes. Consumerism is fueled by a call to our most basic nature.
I own two dogs and a cat. Every watch animals protect food they have no intention of eating? A dog will gorge itself on food it does not want, just because it doesn't want another dog to get it. You can do funny things with animals involving pure greed.
Give the cat a fuzzy toy and watch a dog lose its mind in anger and jealousy over a toy it can't even use.
Greed is fundamental. Fight club was trying to transcend it.
It's more how sales taxes have grown over time.
25 years ago, total sales tax here was 4%.
Today it's 7% (7.5% if you live in the county with the new sports stadium), though food is only taxed at 2%.
I wonder what sales taxes will be in *another* 25 years?
If you are already paying off your mortgage monthly with cash in your bank account, then it is actually benefical to use the credit card and get cash back or reward points from your mortgage payments. Because they are so big there is a very good chance you would earn yourself and family a free "reward points" holiday every year doing this. The key is pay off your credit card balance every month.
The other thing to try an do is pay off your mortgage quicker (eg use the cash back rewards towards your mortgage) as I wrote in a recent post, an extra payment once a year can make you pay off your mortgage 7 years earlier. Credit cards are a finanical tool that it missued can be very harmful. However if used prudently they can make you extra money so to speak.
When I was apartment-bound, I used my hibachi for everything! And if you can't store charcoal (or it gets wet due to weather), you can get one with a small portable propane tank. I've used mine plenty during times when I needed to cook out on my tiny patio. I bet you could heat up some water pretty quickly on one, too! Or you could just go with a nice gas camping stove.
@Guest:
An increase in the tax from 9.25% to 10.25% isn't a "one percent increase." It's a 10.18% increase. A 1% increase would have raised the rate to 9.34%.
That would be nice! Up until two years ago, here in Ontario we were paying 15%. It's now slipped down to 13%.
In DC where I live sales tax is 10% on hotels and restaurants. So when you go to a restaurant you are essentially adding 30% to your meal with tax and tip. I completely agree that this creates a conundrum. Do you shop locally which supports not only local business but also your city's services?
It's a little bit of a catch 22 because if everyone turns to shopping elsewhere because of the high tax rate, then they will have to raise taxes even more to get the same about of $$ back in...
Sure, you can say "it's only 1%" but this comes on top of another relatively recent increase to make our sales taxes the highest in the nation. To be honest, the increase has merely opened my eyes to how high the sales tax already was. When I spent $1,000 a couple years ago replacing a lost wedding band, I did not really absorb the fact that I was paying around $90 in tax for my choice to buy in in my neighborhood.
The higher sales tax is really going to be noticeable on my CVS trips, where I often pay only tax.