will thanks! about the hungry, i have been known, when writing/researching for my food blog, to get up in the middle, go to the store, buy ingredients, make food, eat it, then go back to writing. it's an occupational hazard!
greg -- i'm telling you. it's pretty delicious stuff. it's a little cube, green matcha core, covered in chocolate. soft, not that sweet, truffly consistency. so damn good.
and andrea, you are an amazing woman! sadly jlist had the delightful commercial for the matcha flavor, but not the stuff itself -- such a tease. but way to go finding it on ebay. this is an exciting day. and yes, the mexican spices in the supermarket are a great find -- the little baggies save on packaging too. sometimes they hide them underneath the produce, those sneaky devils.
yeah, myr, you probably won't have the same selection in a smaller city, but you'll still hopefully have one or two close by. just takes some exploring to find them sometimes (which, to me, is a good thing!)
and lynn, matcha kitkat sounds delicious. and they're *green*! so pretty. we had the grape flavor (not purple, fyi) when we were there. as you might expect, kinda gross. did you notice 'winter asse' candy on the same page? nice.
...will find you a better deal regardless of age. For a start, they don't charge a dealer handling fee. Plus, they can get special discounts from the manufacturers. Remember, brokers charge a flat fee. It's their goal to get you into a good car for as little money as possible. On average, I'd say you'd save at least $1000 on a new car by going to a broker over haggling for it yourself with a dealership.
andrea you are my hero. ever since my friend told me he got green tea kit kat from a friend who went to japan, i have been dying to try it. just bought 2 packs!!
I grew up in a fairly small city (like, 20,000 people?), and we had a few ethnic grocery stores. No Russian food, mind you, but plenty of Mexican gorcery stores.
AND even if you only have a Safeway/Stop-n-Shop/Piggly Wiggly, most supermarkets have an "ethnic" section where they throw all the interesting food together (I get a kick out of the ones here in Seattle, where you can get "African American" food - which, unbeknowst to me, apparently consists of pickled pigs' feet and grits - right next to the kosher food). Want to save on spices? The Mexican section is the way to go. Cumin, bay leaves, cinnamon, even occasionally cardamom, MUCH cheaper than in the spice section.
I think unless you live in a big city like New York or Los Angeles you might not be fortunate enough to have those various types of markets in your backyard. A lovely entry nonetheless.
Greg, it's not easy to find a great broker. But simply go to yellowbook.com and type in 'car broker' and your zip code. That should get you a list in your area. Then, cross-reference with BBB.org. That should tell you if they have a good record. Then, if they have a website, check that out. Most good brokers will supply a list of customer comments on their site. If they don't have a BBB record at all, that could be a reason to stay away. My broker of choice is H.M.Brown & Associates, here in Colorado. Excellent firm. You could always call them and ask if they know of a good broker where you live. I'm sure they would be happy to oblige.
What a wonderful guide to ethnic markets. I think your articles should come with a warning label: do not read while hungry. Or perhaps: Drool-proof your keyboard before reading.
...here in Colorado we can't buy a car (or liquor) on a Sunday. Some archaic law that hasn't been repealed. But I'm happy the rest of you can grab a deal when the Superbowl is on. Happy shopping.
...car buying is such a mystery. If you had to go through this process to buy a dishwasher or toaster, you'd probably never even leave the house to go shopping. I'm not sure why there is such secrecy and fog surrounding this all. Even 'no haggle' prices can be haggled, as I have found. I was in the same boat, and have a couple of nightmare car deals behind me. I researched for months before I settled on two options. One, go in prepared to haggle with a dealer for hours (which I did) and two, use a qualified broker.
I'll always use a broker in future. Glad I could help everyone out. Please remember though, there are bad car brokers just like there are bad plumbers and bad accountants. Do your homework, check with the BBB, and word of mouth is always a great resource. If a few people you know and trust had a great experience, you will too.
I am thinking of buying my first car for the first time. I think the broker will help me out a lot since I don't know as much about cars as a stereotypical guy is supposed to know. Thank you for the info. I can't wait for part 2.
That if you are NOT using a broker, guy a car on Superbowl Sunday. No one else is shopping, salespeople are hard-pressed to eliminate last year's models, and also REALLY wanting to make sales quotas. I've never tried it, it's just what I've heard.
It seems like car/auto brokering is really common in the UK and Austrlia. It explains why the Australians I've known over here are so into using the service.
I can't believe I've never heard of a car broker, and it sounds too good to be true. I'm dreading getting a new car, one is on it's way out and the other is on a lease, and I'm not sure the right way to go. It sounds like a broker is the only sensible way to get my new car-- I want it to be like shopping for electronics: find the features I want, know what I want, then price shop. Thanks for the info!
Great post! I can relate it so much! A little unlike you though, while growing up, we had to deny ourselves some of the luxuries because we couldnt afford it. So, now anytime I deny myself something, I feel like I am "poor". And to avoid that feeling I spend, even when its not quite NECESSARY to spend. To try in incorporate frugality in my life without feeling "poor", what I do these days is to postpone instead of deny. I still spend a lot more than the real frugal people around me, but not as much as I used to when I was compelled by psychological reasons! Its a start :)
I always try to go store brand. It's not that I am poor, I am frugal. However, Weiss store brand has always been a disappointment. Except for their water -- $.67 per gallon!
I recently read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. I can't go into detail here, it would take too long, but I think you'd be surprised in a blind taste test. It's amazing what the can and the decades of advertising can do to actually affect the way the brain perceives taste. Seriously.
You know, I always dismissed the Kirkland brand because it just didn't sound "techie" enough. They need to rename those batteries as "neotech" or "ibats" or something.
As for Ketchup, I never run out because I always save the ones I get from fast food places. =)
I don't believe anyone can match the Heinz Ketchup formula, which is probably just as well as it unfortunately contains the most sugar of any ketchup on the shelves. This is why everyone loves it, including the kids.
back to costco again hahaha... the kirkland brand batteries are duracell with a different label... same quality same EVERYTHING.
that being said i would never buy store brand for things like ketchup. for some reason i just HATE all ketchup unless it is heinz...theres something different. if you know the store brand equivalent please let me know!
i tend to buy most of my groceries at places like whole foods anyways (hey i'm just buying for myself at this point and I dont eat a whole lot anyways...) because most of the stuff sold there is organic and tends to be less processed, have less fat, and have less calories. its also a lot easier to resist temptations such as cheetos and other crap junk food if it isnt even there. the healthier store affects my mindset and i dont even buy the junk food they do carry.
You're right on with this one. It's amazing how many adults actually believe that brand name products are superior. The price difference is all advertizing!
will thanks! about the hungry, i have been known, when writing/researching for my food blog, to get up in the middle, go to the store, buy ingredients, make food, eat it, then go back to writing. it's an occupational hazard!
greg -- i'm telling you. it's pretty delicious stuff. it's a little cube, green matcha core, covered in chocolate. soft, not that sweet, truffly consistency. so damn good.
and andrea, you are an amazing woman! sadly jlist had the delightful commercial for the matcha flavor, but not the stuff itself -- such a tease. but way to go finding it on ebay. this is an exciting day. and yes, the mexican spices in the supermarket are a great find -- the little baggies save on packaging too. sometimes they hide them underneath the produce, those sneaky devils.
yeah, myr, you probably won't have the same selection in a smaller city, but you'll still hopefully have one or two close by. just takes some exploring to find them sometimes (which, to me, is a good thing!)
and lynn, matcha kitkat sounds delicious. and they're *green*! so pretty. we had the grape flavor (not purple, fyi) when we were there. as you might expect, kinda gross. did you notice 'winter asse' candy on the same page? nice.
...will find you a better deal regardless of age. For a start, they don't charge a dealer handling fee. Plus, they can get special discounts from the manufacturers. Remember, brokers charge a flat fee. It's their goal to get you into a good car for as little money as possible. On average, I'd say you'd save at least $1000 on a new car by going to a broker over haggling for it yourself with a dealership.
andrea you are my hero. ever since my friend told me he got green tea kit kat from a friend who went to japan, i have been dying to try it. just bought 2 packs!!
should we use a broker for new car purchases too or just for used?
I grew up in a fairly small city (like, 20,000 people?), and we had a few ethnic grocery stores. No Russian food, mind you, but plenty of Mexican gorcery stores.
AND even if you only have a Safeway/Stop-n-Shop/Piggly Wiggly, most supermarkets have an "ethnic" section where they throw all the interesting food together (I get a kick out of the ones here in Seattle, where you can get "African American" food - which, unbeknowst to me, apparently consists of pickled pigs' feet and grits - right next to the kosher food). Want to save on spices? The Mexican section is the way to go. Cumin, bay leaves, cinnamon, even occasionally cardamom, MUCH cheaper than in the spice section.
I think unless you live in a big city like New York or Los Angeles you might not be fortunate enough to have those various types of markets in your backyard. A lovely entry nonetheless.
You can order all the other kinds of Meltykiss from JBox.
http://jbox.cybrhost.com/SEARCH/meltykiss/1/
And Kit Kat has its own matcha-flavored chocolate (search for "Kinako Kit Kat")
http://www.jlist.com/SNACKS/SNGE_1.html
Or, you can just do what Lynn would do:
Ebay
Greg, it's not easy to find a great broker. But simply go to yellowbook.com and type in 'car broker' and your zip code. That should get you a list in your area. Then, cross-reference with BBB.org. That should tell you if they have a good record. Then, if they have a website, check that out. Most good brokers will supply a list of customer comments on their site. If they don't have a BBB record at all, that could be a reason to stay away. My broker of choice is H.M.Brown & Associates, here in Colorado. Excellent firm. You could always call them and ask if they know of a good broker where you live. I'm sure they would be happy to oblige.
Thanks! I didn't know about this car brokerage service. How did you find a reputable person on the first try? I'm not sure where I'd start...
The green tea sounds interesting. I love green tea... but with chocolate? Damn. Now I HAVE to take up that challenge....
What a wonderful guide to ethnic markets. I think your articles should come with a warning label: do not read while hungry. Or perhaps: Drool-proof your keyboard before reading.
Hi I found your blog through the Carnival of Personal Finance. I wish I could lower my beauty costs to under $50. Maybe after I get a boyfriend....
...here in Colorado we can't buy a car (or liquor) on a Sunday. Some archaic law that hasn't been repealed. But I'm happy the rest of you can grab a deal when the Superbowl is on. Happy shopping.
...car buying is such a mystery. If you had to go through this process to buy a dishwasher or toaster, you'd probably never even leave the house to go shopping. I'm not sure why there is such secrecy and fog surrounding this all. Even 'no haggle' prices can be haggled, as I have found. I was in the same boat, and have a couple of nightmare car deals behind me. I researched for months before I settled on two options. One, go in prepared to haggle with a dealer for hours (which I did) and two, use a qualified broker.
I'll always use a broker in future. Glad I could help everyone out. Please remember though, there are bad car brokers just like there are bad plumbers and bad accountants. Do your homework, check with the BBB, and word of mouth is always a great resource. If a few people you know and trust had a great experience, you will too.
I am thinking of buying my first car for the first time. I think the broker will help me out a lot since I don't know as much about cars as a stereotypical guy is supposed to know. Thank you for the info. I can't wait for part 2.
That if you are NOT using a broker, guy a car on Superbowl Sunday. No one else is shopping, salespeople are hard-pressed to eliminate last year's models, and also REALLY wanting to make sales quotas. I've never tried it, it's just what I've heard.
It seems like car/auto brokering is really common in the UK and Austrlia. It explains why the Australians I've known over here are so into using the service.
http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/103283/article.html
I can't believe I've never heard of a car broker, and it sounds too good to be true. I'm dreading getting a new car, one is on it's way out and the other is on a lease, and I'm not sure the right way to go. It sounds like a broker is the only sensible way to get my new car-- I want it to be like shopping for electronics: find the features I want, know what I want, then price shop. Thanks for the info!
Great post! I can relate it so much! A little unlike you though, while growing up, we had to deny ourselves some of the luxuries because we couldnt afford it. So, now anytime I deny myself something, I feel like I am "poor". And to avoid that feeling I spend, even when its not quite NECESSARY to spend. To try in incorporate frugality in my life without feeling "poor", what I do these days is to postpone instead of deny. I still spend a lot more than the real frugal people around me, but not as much as I used to when I was compelled by psychological reasons! Its a start :)
I always try to go store brand. It's not that I am poor, I am frugal. However, Weiss store brand has always been a disappointment. Except for their water -- $.67 per gallon!
I recently read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. I can't go into detail here, it would take too long, but I think you'd be surprised in a blind taste test. It's amazing what the can and the decades of advertising can do to actually affect the way the brain perceives taste. Seriously.
Generic laundry detergent -- sure, why not! But nothing tastes like Coke except Coke.
You know, I always dismissed the Kirkland brand because it just didn't sound "techie" enough. They need to rename those batteries as "neotech" or "ibats" or something.
As for Ketchup, I never run out because I always save the ones I get from fast food places. =)
I don't believe anyone can match the Heinz Ketchup formula, which is probably just as well as it unfortunately contains the most sugar of any ketchup on the shelves. This is why everyone loves it, including the kids.
back to costco again hahaha... the kirkland brand batteries are duracell with a different label... same quality same EVERYTHING.
that being said i would never buy store brand for things like ketchup. for some reason i just HATE all ketchup unless it is heinz...theres something different. if you know the store brand equivalent please let me know!
i tend to buy most of my groceries at places like whole foods anyways (hey i'm just buying for myself at this point and I dont eat a whole lot anyways...) because most of the stuff sold there is organic and tends to be less processed, have less fat, and have less calories. its also a lot easier to resist temptations such as cheetos and other crap junk food if it isnt even there. the healthier store affects my mindset and i dont even buy the junk food they do carry.
You're right on with this one. It's amazing how many adults actually believe that brand name products are superior. The price difference is all advertizing!