Our library options stink. We have a "city" library. It is just the HS library open to the public with some very limited offerings. The library system for the larger city next door isn't any better. It is highly censored and the only new material they buy are romance novels and PBS series a decade old.
It makes me really miss the real library system when we lived in a large city. They did have current and varied magazines, tons of newer non fiction and a decent DVD selection.
As FrugalZen said, the MG MGB was a British sports car notable mainly for the fact that it required constant maintenance to keep it running. (Not recognizing it makes you sound young, not old. Surely anybody over 45 would know an MGB, wouldn't they?)
I agree that the retire-early-and-often lifestyle is a lot more appealing to the young than to people who want to, for example, support a family. But many people reach their thirties with no savings despite having spent a decade working full-time at a regular job. This strategy lets you reach your thirties with modest capital and having been able to spend a good fraction of your time doing exactly what you want.
I wrote a post on calculating your "number" called How much do I need to retire, how much can I spend. It's the way I always thought about it. But I think I might have been happier if I'd been less focused on retiring early and more focused on doing cool stuff when I was in my twenties.
I've also got a review of Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Workweek. Yes, his insight that you can set up a small business that continues to spin off money without you having to put time into it day after day is brilliant.
While I love the freedom that my car gives me to come and go as I please on my own schedule, I really enjoyed having public transportation while I had it. I love having someone else behind the wheel while my mind relaxes. I love to people watch. I love to stare out the windows. It just gives you more down time before and after work to be on your own and pursue your interests. Read a book, sketch, let your mind idle about as you pass cities, daydream... Do whatever you want during the travel time and you won't be so harried after all the traffic once you get to work.
Only other consideration is if your original purchase is needed in a specific time frame.
The additional item generally needs to be of a similar nature I have found. If I am ordering a couple of DVD's or CD's, and I added something else (kitchen item from amazon), it delays the whole order a little few days to 2 weeks regardless of the claimed 'ship date' on each item. My theory is if you order the same type items (all DVD's) they are in the same amazon warehouse and get shipped quicker than different type items which may be in different warehouses.
A little British made convertible roadster that was famous for several things...chief being that they overheated if driving below the Mason Dixon line in the states until they figured out that the radiator was too small. Remember England is on par with New York so the ambient temperature seldom got anywhere near as hot as it does in the southern US.
They also had a long run of only 1 lug nut holding each wheel on and if you towed the car from the back the nut tended to unscrew and off came the wheel(s).
And being British they had the infamously BAD Alternator/Generator and Starter from Lucas and Son LTD. You needed to keep a spare for each in your Trunk at all times and be conversant with changing it on the side of the road.
Their headquarters/factory was famously refered to as "The Octagon".
If you just want to be a surfer for the rest of your life, you can retire young/early (but, you still need to have a buffer).
But, most people expect more out of their lives than a "surfer's salary" can provide, so you need to find your Number first and plan backwards ... AJC.
You have a great point, but if I were you I wouldn't base my facts on Wikipedia. That site sucks. Plain and simple. It does have good info but it's open for anyone to edit so people can post non true information.
However, the alcohol boiling temperature is around 190 degrees but it depends on the kind of alcohol you want to make. If you're into the 170-190 proof stomach churning gut rot they call alcohol, the lower the boiling temp. the better. I don't mean to sound rude at all. I just wanted to let you know that Wikipedia is very unreliable, and of course to share my shine knowledge with you. E-mail me if you get a chance.
So what town do you live in that's next to Des Moines?
We used to go to Osceola and take the Amtrak to Chicago. No parking worries, no gas....it was wonderful, we could read or goof off during the trip. And if we could find a ride to Osceola? Fantastic. Though if speed were the issue, I would drive. :)
I am addicted to Amazon Prime, which nets you free 2-day shipping on any priced item that is eligible for SSS. My 1 year purchase of that is up soon, so I will have to be on the look out for a sign up deal again. On of the best $39 dollars I ever spent.
I know paying for something that you could have gotten for free won't sit well with most of the frugal crowd though.
This post reminds me of Tim Ferris' book "The 4-hour Workweek". Your friend's frequent mini-retirements is exactly what Tim argues we should all strive for. Of course he contends that when we are working, we should be working to build a business of some sort that is capable of generating some semblance of residual income.
I did that with a terrific speaker set by JBL, and when I went to check out 2 days later they were out of stock. When they did come back in stock, the price had gone way up. Not saying it's not wise to wait, just make sure that you don't miss out by playing the waiting game, especially if you're only a few bucks shy of the magical $25.
I simply wait. I know that I'll want something else later on as well, so I let items accumulate in my cart until I'm safely there and then order. Other than for one or two xmas rush items (sigh), I haven't paid shipping with amazon for years.
I just wanted to say thank you from the photographers who have posted comments. I am in the process of researching a photographer to hire to photograph my children and was uncomfortable with the idea of allowing them to have full complete copywright of the photos and for me not to have the digital files. It is good to hear the photographers point of view and I hope I can find one who I can work with.
I am willing to pay for the prints and for the digital files.
I want a great professional photographer and I know for what I want I will end up paying over $1500. But I've had the photos done at Sears and felt like they overcharged (even though it was under $300) because I only had maybe 5 minutes with the photographer with awful backgrounds and waited an hour to see them (despite my appointment time). I will never do that again. The only part of the process that I liked, was that I received a cd of the retouched photos.
I also know that although I can take some decent photos I cannot take the sort of pictures that I want to have. I want art, not just photos, and to get that I need an artist (professional photographer). I am hoping that I can find one who will be willing to work with me on what I need, and fear that when I find one that is very accomplished they won't have the need to give up any of their rights or put the pictures on cd for me.
This is for the phographers out there, here is what I want from my photographer, do you think this is reasonable?
I would like all photos on cd. I want a record of the photo session and may not be able to find the photographer when my kids or older, or maybe even in two years!
I really only need the rights to reprint smaller photos (4x6 and smaller) just in case I have family over and I've run out of prints, and need to print off a few. I also would like to e-mail the photos to family and friends (who doesn't e-mail photos these days?). I would want to put a clause in the contract stating that if I cannot find the photographer to reprint the larger photos in a reasonable amount of time that I can have someone else reprint them.
I don't want my photographer to have unrestricted rights to do whatever they want with my photos. I would like to be consulted if they are going to publish to the web or use in a magazine for advertisement or anything else. I am willing to share the copyright because I realize that the photos of my children will now become part of that photographer's experience and they will want to add it to their portfolio. In most cases I'm sure I wouldn't have a problem with them using the photos in that manner, but I don't want to not have any control over that. There may be circumstances when I don't want to have my children's photos printed for others. If someone had a nude photo taken of them for the purpose of giving it to their spouse, they wouldn't want that posted on the web (not the same thing, I know, but just trying to make a point).
I am willing to pay for my share of the rights, in addition to the digital prints, and I plan on purchasing a set of prints from the photographer. I even plan on buying more prints down the road, which I would be willing to add in the contract. So, for me it's not so much about being able to print my photos at the local Walmart, (I like having retouched professional prints), it's more about having some rights to my children photos and not having to feel like a thief if I print out a wallet size photo from my computer on occasion.
And who knows where my photographer will be in 15 - 20 years when my children are grown. I don't want them to have low res photos that they can't get printed because the photographer is nowhere to be found.
Are these reasonable requests for an accomplished photographer, or am I going to have to give up talent for wanting some of the copywright?
Thats nasty.. ill NO longer be aking for lemons in my drinks....i want myself 2 stay clean as possible for what i can be able to control at least....Thanks...
I have a couple of waffle weave long sleeve shirts that were in style long ago but have kept wearing for the warmth and comfort. i looked at myself in a picture holding my son as a 1 year old...wow...those shirts are now 13 years old. i have worn them all winter for all these years and the amazing thing is that they are a cotton blend and have not faded much if at all. ( Navy and Red...navy seems to be faded before the season is over in current things that i purchase. ) Wish i could find the secret! FYI they were from NY and CO. and not very expensive at all!
The Children's Place at the outlet mall near me consistently has markdowns like this too. The clearence section will often be 2.99 or less (and includes shoes!!) -- the same deals can be gotten at their website too but I have found that the physical store has a better selection and there is no shipping fee!
What is up with train fares, anyhow? When I was researching transit options from DC to NYC for a trip I made with my son a few months ago, it turned out that it was actually more expensive to take Amtrak that it would have been to fly!
I hated doing it, but we wound up driving and parking in Manhattan. Even with parking and tolls and everything it was both cheaper than any alternative and somewhat more convenient, given the fact that, among other things, we needed to find our way out to Long Island and back for an evening concert.
I have used Greyhound, and Chinatown buses from to NYC Boston, Pilly. I would say there is a lot of room for improvement before bus becomes main stream mode.
Our library options stink. We have a "city" library. It is just the HS library open to the public with some very limited offerings. The library system for the larger city next door isn't any better. It is highly censored and the only new material they buy are romance novels and PBS series a decade old.
It makes me really miss the real library system when we lived in a large city. They did have current and varied magazines, tons of newer non fiction and a decent DVD selection.
It beats buying something you don't really want. Maybe you should write to them, it's a killer suggestion.
You won't have to search much longer. The magical items $X are going to start appearing on Amazon soon.
As FrugalZen said, the MG MGB was a British sports car notable mainly for the fact that it required constant maintenance to keep it running. (Not recognizing it makes you sound young, not old. Surely anybody over 45 would know an MGB, wouldn't they?)
I agree that the retire-early-and-often lifestyle is a lot more appealing to the young than to people who want to, for example, support a family. But many people reach their thirties with no savings despite having spent a decade working full-time at a regular job. This strategy lets you reach your thirties with modest capital and having been able to spend a good fraction of your time doing exactly what you want.
I wrote a post on calculating your "number" called How much do I need to retire, how much can I spend. It's the way I always thought about it. But I think I might have been happier if I'd been less focused on retiring early and more focused on doing cool stuff when I was in my twenties.
I've also got a review of Tim Ferriss's 4-Hour Workweek. Yes, his insight that you can set up a small business that continues to spin off money without you having to put time into it day after day is brilliant.
While I love the freedom that my car gives me to come and go as I please on my own schedule, I really enjoyed having public transportation while I had it. I love having someone else behind the wheel while my mind relaxes. I love to people watch. I love to stare out the windows. It just gives you more down time before and after work to be on your own and pursue your interests. Read a book, sketch, let your mind idle about as you pass cities, daydream... Do whatever you want during the travel time and you won't be so harried after all the traffic once you get to work.
It would be cool if Amazon would let you make up the difference with a small contribution to one of a selection of charities.
I would be interested in knowing how would this way of living work out when one has kids.
Only other consideration is if your original purchase is needed in a specific time frame.
The additional item generally needs to be of a similar nature I have found. If I am ordering a couple of DVD's or CD's, and I added something else (kitchen item from amazon), it delays the whole order a little few days to 2 weeks regardless of the claimed 'ship date' on each item. My theory is if you order the same type items (all DVD's) they are in the same amazon warehouse and get shipped quicker than different type items which may be in different warehouses.
A little British made convertible roadster that was famous for several things...chief being that they overheated if driving below the Mason Dixon line in the states until they figured out that the radiator was too small. Remember England is on par with New York so the ambient temperature seldom got anywhere near as hot as it does in the southern US.
They also had a long run of only 1 lug nut holding each wheel on and if you towed the car from the back the nut tended to unscrew and off came the wheel(s).
And being British they had the infamously BAD Alternator/Generator and Starter from Lucas and Son LTD. You needed to keep a spare for each in your Trunk at all times and be conversant with changing it on the side of the road.
Their headquarters/factory was famously refered to as "The Octagon".
~ Roland
If you just want to be a surfer for the rest of your life, you can retire young/early (but, you still need to have a buffer).
But, most people expect more out of their lives than a "surfer's salary" can provide, so you need to find your Number first and plan backwards ... AJC.
You have a great point, but if I were you I wouldn't base my facts on Wikipedia. That site sucks. Plain and simple. It does have good info but it's open for anyone to edit so people can post non true information.
However, the alcohol boiling temperature is around 190 degrees but it depends on the kind of alcohol you want to make. If you're into the 170-190 proof stomach churning gut rot they call alcohol, the lower the boiling temp. the better. I don't mean to sound rude at all. I just wanted to let you know that Wikipedia is very unreliable, and of course to share my shine knowledge with you. E-mail me if you get a chance.
So what town do you live in that's next to Des Moines?
We used to go to Osceola and take the Amtrak to Chicago. No parking worries, no gas....it was wonderful, we could read or goof off during the trip. And if we could find a ride to Osceola? Fantastic. Though if speed were the issue, I would drive. :)
I am addicted to Amazon Prime, which nets you free 2-day shipping on any priced item that is eligible for SSS. My 1 year purchase of that is up soon, so I will have to be on the look out for a sign up deal again. On of the best $39 dollars I ever spent.
I know paying for something that you could have gotten for free won't sit well with most of the frugal crowd though.
This post reminds me of Tim Ferris' book "The 4-hour Workweek". Your friend's frequent mini-retirements is exactly what Tim argues we should all strive for. Of course he contends that when we are working, we should be working to build a business of some sort that is capable of generating some semblance of residual income.
I did that with a terrific speaker set by JBL, and when I went to check out 2 days later they were out of stock. When they did come back in stock, the price had gone way up. Not saying it's not wise to wait, just make sure that you don't miss out by playing the waiting game, especially if you're only a few bucks shy of the magical $25.
Thanks for the post! I have trouble with this all of the time!
I simply wait. I know that I'll want something else later on as well, so I let items accumulate in my cart until I'm safely there and then order. Other than for one or two xmas rush items (sigh), I haven't paid shipping with amazon for years.
What's an MGB?
I just wanted to say thank you from the photographers who have posted comments. I am in the process of researching a photographer to hire to photograph my children and was uncomfortable with the idea of allowing them to have full complete copywright of the photos and for me not to have the digital files. It is good to hear the photographers point of view and I hope I can find one who I can work with.
I am willing to pay for the prints and for the digital files.
I want a great professional photographer and I know for what I want I will end up paying over $1500. But I've had the photos done at Sears and felt like they overcharged (even though it was under $300) because I only had maybe 5 minutes with the photographer with awful backgrounds and waited an hour to see them (despite my appointment time). I will never do that again. The only part of the process that I liked, was that I received a cd of the retouched photos.
I also know that although I can take some decent photos I cannot take the sort of pictures that I want to have. I want art, not just photos, and to get that I need an artist (professional photographer). I am hoping that I can find one who will be willing to work with me on what I need, and fear that when I find one that is very accomplished they won't have the need to give up any of their rights or put the pictures on cd for me.
This is for the phographers out there, here is what I want from my photographer, do you think this is reasonable?
I would like all photos on cd. I want a record of the photo session and may not be able to find the photographer when my kids or older, or maybe even in two years!
I really only need the rights to reprint smaller photos (4x6 and smaller) just in case I have family over and I've run out of prints, and need to print off a few. I also would like to e-mail the photos to family and friends (who doesn't e-mail photos these days?). I would want to put a clause in the contract stating that if I cannot find the photographer to reprint the larger photos in a reasonable amount of time that I can have someone else reprint them.
I don't want my photographer to have unrestricted rights to do whatever they want with my photos. I would like to be consulted if they are going to publish to the web or use in a magazine for advertisement or anything else. I am willing to share the copyright because I realize that the photos of my children will now become part of that photographer's experience and they will want to add it to their portfolio. In most cases I'm sure I wouldn't have a problem with them using the photos in that manner, but I don't want to not have any control over that. There may be circumstances when I don't want to have my children's photos printed for others. If someone had a nude photo taken of them for the purpose of giving it to their spouse, they wouldn't want that posted on the web (not the same thing, I know, but just trying to make a point).
I am willing to pay for my share of the rights, in addition to the digital prints, and I plan on purchasing a set of prints from the photographer. I even plan on buying more prints down the road, which I would be willing to add in the contract. So, for me it's not so much about being able to print my photos at the local Walmart, (I like having retouched professional prints), it's more about having some rights to my children photos and not having to feel like a thief if I print out a wallet size photo from my computer on occasion.
And who knows where my photographer will be in 15 - 20 years when my children are grown. I don't want them to have low res photos that they can't get printed because the photographer is nowhere to be found.
Are these reasonable requests for an accomplished photographer, or am I going to have to give up talent for wanting some of the copywright?
As previous commenters have pointed out, spirit nickel and dimes you to death with additional fees.
Plus, it has the worst customer service in the airline world that I've encountered.
I fly to detroit quite a bit ( a spirit hub ). I pay extra to fly other carriers to avoid spirit.
Thats nasty.. ill NO longer be aking for lemons in my drinks....i want myself 2 stay clean as possible for what i can be able to control at least....Thanks...
I have a couple of waffle weave long sleeve shirts that were in style long ago but have kept wearing for the warmth and comfort. i looked at myself in a picture holding my son as a 1 year old...wow...those shirts are now 13 years old. i have worn them all winter for all these years and the amazing thing is that they are a cotton blend and have not faded much if at all. ( Navy and Red...navy seems to be faded before the season is over in current things that i purchase. ) Wish i could find the secret! FYI they were from NY and CO. and not very expensive at all!
The Children's Place at the outlet mall near me consistently has markdowns like this too. The clearence section will often be 2.99 or less (and includes shoes!!) -- the same deals can be gotten at their website too but I have found that the physical store has a better selection and there is no shipping fee!
What is up with train fares, anyhow? When I was researching transit options from DC to NYC for a trip I made with my son a few months ago, it turned out that it was actually more expensive to take Amtrak that it would have been to fly!
I hated doing it, but we wound up driving and parking in Manhattan. Even with parking and tolls and everything it was both cheaper than any alternative and somewhat more convenient, given the fact that, among other things, we needed to find our way out to Long Island and back for an evening concert.
I have used Greyhound, and Chinatown buses from to NYC Boston, Pilly. I would say there is a lot of room for improvement before bus becomes main stream mode.