Hey now... Des Moines is not such a bad place. It is certainly no Manhattan, but neither is it Boise. Des Moines is bigger and more happening that you think, although it certainly could be more so.
I'm not quite sure why Iowa is always the first place people bring up when trying to make a point about sleepy, out of touch states. Iowans are spread out among a number of decent sized cities and have a great public education system. And if you hadn't guessed, it's the state I'm from.
I've had the somewhat dubious pleasure of taking many overnight bus trips in several countries, and none of them were fun, but they were only marginally worse than an overnight flight. On shorter distances (up to around 3-4 hours travelling time) bus probably wins out. Of course, the train is better than both, but can be less convenient and/or more expensive.
Gotta love sales like this. Old Navy has unofficially done this a few times. We used to live near a big outlet mall and they had kids clothes for under $5.
Oshkosh also sells it's leftover fabric to a couple of fabric outlets in the midwest. Mill End Textiles and S.R. Harris in Mpls.
The fabrics are much better quality than typical kids clothing fabric you find at most fabric stores.
When you get out in the more rural parts of the midwest your options go down. Greyhound pulled out a few years ago. We now have one regional bus line but of course none of the routes match up with the Amtrak routes to get you further out.
Where we live doesn't have Amtrak either. This is actually adding to our list of things we want when we move and part of why were moving. It too difficult and expensive to go anywhere.
After hearing nightmare story after nightmare story dealing with TSA or being held hostage on the tarmac by an airline without food or working toilets, flying is pretty low on our list.
I agree, the bus isn't comfortable argument can be laughed at by anyone who has flown economy recently, especially on a budget airline. That said I prefer trains when I travel longer distances if it is an option. As the commenter above noted buses and trains give you an opportunity to look about and take in the country side.
Saw your article and had to tell folks about it at my site. $5 and under! That's just a little more than you'd pay at the thrift store! Keep up the good work!
1. My "Space Pen" (10 Years)
2. Several Moleskin Notebooks (8 years)
3. My Rosary (28 Years)
4. Corduroy/Sheep Skin Jacket from Old Navy (5 years)
5. Drop-top desk my great grandfather made by hand. He was a black smith and even made the chains that hold the top. (80 years)
Somehow, I'd never heard of this particular blog. Instant fan, though, because not only does it cover the 6/$1 instant types, but also my beloved "real" ramen! I found out recently just how difficult it can be to convince people that ramen is actually a legitimate dish, not just a cheap college hack. And really, nothing can beat a big bowl of spicy ramyeon!
I have flown Spirit a number of times. Recently, they've started nickle-and-diming their passengers. For example, they charge extra for checked bags ($10/bag each way, up to 2 bags, or $5 if you book your bag on the internet). There are some other extra charges, but I can't remember what.
My friend, who is a newspaper reporter, recently interviewed a woman who was celebrating her 90th birthday. She still cooks on and heats her kitchen with a Glenwood wood stove that was purchased by her father in 1917, the year before she was born. She keeps a fire burning in it every day, even in the summer. Her son cuts the wood for her and puts it in the wood box, but she carries it into the house and stokes the fire herself.
I agree, I think the HELOC is the way to go, but I don't think one has to pay $3,000 for something like the UFF software. I am not associated with any company, I've just been doing a bunch of research. feel free to email me and I would be happy to share what I have found.
One of the most hated money saving strategies is to buy a property you can actually afford, even if that means moving somewhere where the living is cheaper.
The same is true for renting. We moved to a very inexpensive part of the country where houses are easily only a tenth of city house prices. That means that we've had no problem buying several of them, no mortgages, and renting them out for enough cash flow to sustain us in a low cost of living town.
People often say, "I can't move there. What jobs would there be?" If you find the right place, with the right strategy, and the right attitude which embraces the concept of "enough" for your daily living, this *is* all the job you need.
I used to sell sewing machines and found that a good quality, mid-range mechanical machine will last forever. And it's a good investment because you can often make things cheaper (like curtains) and repair clothing and other items. (Computerized machines are great, but like any technology they won't last for decades).
Anyone looking for a decent machine (new or used) brand should check out Pfaff, Husquavarna and Bernina. Older Singer sewing machines are also tough little machines, but the newer ones don't match them for quality.
Orange and Yellow - HA HA! Is there real science in that? It was the orange paint on toys that got China in all that trouble. Maybe lead leads to longevity.
The thing I notice about the durable stuff is that it resales for better prices even when it isn't an expensive name brand. I notice it most in my kids' clothes. Resalers and their customers recognize quality.
Thanks! I was wondering if there were any travelers taking advantage of these deals. I guess they wouldn't offer them if there wasn't some kind of consumer base. As I sit here in Nebraska watching more flurries, I WISH I could jet down to FLL.
I, and most of my family, live in the Atlanta area. My sister lives in Florida ("spacecoast" area). She's taken to these $9 deals like the proverbial mouse to cheese. Every couple months she throws together a single carry-on bag, flies up here on the cheap, and crashes on our sofa for a day or two and gets to visit her niece and nephews (doubt she'd come to visit her brother). The deal is you only get your carry on bag and it can't weigh more than 50 lbs I think. As long as you can pack light I think you can make the trip for $50 or so including taxes and all.
Great interview! Ed's blog is one of my fav's and I read it regularly. As for ramen being healthy...I'll just say this. I ate 17 bowls of ramen in 8 days when I was in Japan and still managed to lose 5 pounds. But that was overkill. I wouldn't say ramen is health food, but it's definitely not junk!
but I have two pairs of cheap, pull-on workout pants that I bought at Target in '91 or '92. Other than looking a tad threadbare from so much wash and wear, they are holding up fine.
I guess they just don't make cheap polyester material like they used to :)
Great thoughts Philip! When market value exceeds economic value of a property it is often combined with a speculative and/or emotional enthusiasm that will not persist over time. It only seems that way when your living through it. Housing is a particularly good example. When comparing the cost of actually renting a property versus owning it one needs to use it generally 4 to 6 months a year to break even. I have a white paper on the topic at http://www.whiteoakswealth.com/pages/whitepapers.asp .
Like Tyler, I determined how long I had owned something by life milestones: college, my first apartment, marriage, before kids, etc. That is, I bought those bookcases and the cedar chest when I lived in my first apartment -- no way I could pull the dates out of my memory any other way.
Oh, I noticed that my rectangular laundry baskets were also Roughneck Rubbermaid -- they have lasted well beyond the 5-year warranty but there must be something about 1) the square design and/or 2) the yellow dye that has made the yellow square ones last forever.
I have a couple drainers/colanders that have been around a long time: one is yellow and the other is orange. I have a newly acquired large stainless steel that I think will be around for a while.
My Corelle bowls lasted about the same time -- I bought them at the same outlet as the raincoat. I have Denby everyday china made in the UK -- great stuff and the stylishness has improved over the past several years. Still basic and classic but nicer, deeper colors.
Thanks for the kitchenware tips -- I don't think I have those brands yet.
As far as jeans, you could try LL Bean or Lands' End -- some styles are more function and less fashion but hopefully you can find both.
Now that I think more about the lasting forever, here are more observations: 1) the main component (fabric, plastic, particle board, stainless steel) needs to be durable 2) the small components (buttons, lids) should be firmly attached 3) the product is only as strong as its weakest part (the breaks on my laundry baskets are where the plastic is the thinnest) 4) designers/engineers who don't rely solely on labels to describe intended uses but anticipate how people will really use a product make the longest-lasting ones.
In the non-ethnic aisle, the spices are $2-$3 for a tiny little jar. Two aisles down, they have some Mexican-sounding brand of the same spice for 80 cents, and you get 1/2 an ounce. They seem to be the same spices. At some stores, they even stock more than one brand, but, again, they all seem to be the same things.
Hey now... Des Moines is not such a bad place. It is certainly no Manhattan, but neither is it Boise. Des Moines is bigger and more happening that you think, although it certainly could be more so.
I'm not quite sure why Iowa is always the first place people bring up when trying to make a point about sleepy, out of touch states. Iowans are spread out among a number of decent sized cities and have a great public education system. And if you hadn't guessed, it's the state I'm from.
Please don't dump on my dear old Des Moines!
I've had the somewhat dubious pleasure of taking many overnight bus trips in several countries, and none of them were fun, but they were only marginally worse than an overnight flight. On shorter distances (up to around 3-4 hours travelling time) bus probably wins out. Of course, the train is better than both, but can be less convenient and/or more expensive.
Gotta love sales like this. Old Navy has unofficially done this a few times. We used to live near a big outlet mall and they had kids clothes for under $5.
Oshkosh also sells it's leftover fabric to a couple of fabric outlets in the midwest. Mill End Textiles and S.R. Harris in Mpls.
The fabrics are much better quality than typical kids clothing fabric you find at most fabric stores.
When you get out in the more rural parts of the midwest your options go down. Greyhound pulled out a few years ago. We now have one regional bus line but of course none of the routes match up with the Amtrak routes to get you further out.
Where we live doesn't have Amtrak either. This is actually adding to our list of things we want when we move and part of why were moving. It too difficult and expensive to go anywhere.
After hearing nightmare story after nightmare story dealing with TSA or being held hostage on the tarmac by an airline without food or working toilets, flying is pretty low on our list.
I agree, the bus isn't comfortable argument can be laughed at by anyone who has flown economy recently, especially on a budget airline. That said I prefer trains when I travel longer distances if it is an option. As the commenter above noted buses and trains give you an opportunity to look about and take in the country side.
Saw your article and had to tell folks about it at my site. $5 and under! That's just a little more than you'd pay at the thrift store! Keep up the good work!
Another major advantage of all overland travel is that you can actually see where you are going!
Compare flying from Paris to Bordeaux to the delicious pleasure of a bus trip through the farm lands, villages etc.
albert (www.thoughtsintime.co.za)
I thought this was a neat exercise.
1. My "Space Pen" (10 Years)
2. Several Moleskin Notebooks (8 years)
3. My Rosary (28 Years)
4. Corduroy/Sheep Skin Jacket from Old Navy (5 years)
5. Drop-top desk my great grandfather made by hand. He was a black smith and even made the chains that hold the top. (80 years)
Nice catch... I only wish my hours had an extra ten minutes in them!
I would be surprised if anyone managed to book a flight at 11:69 PM on Monday...
Or would that just be 12:09 AM on Tuesday?
Somehow, I'd never heard of this particular blog. Instant fan, though, because not only does it cover the 6/$1 instant types, but also my beloved "real" ramen! I found out recently just how difficult it can be to convince people that ramen is actually a legitimate dish, not just a cheap college hack. And really, nothing can beat a big bowl of spicy ramyeon!
I have flown Spirit a number of times. Recently, they've started nickle-and-diming their passengers. For example, they charge extra for checked bags ($10/bag each way, up to 2 bags, or $5 if you book your bag on the internet). There are some other extra charges, but I can't remember what.
My friend, who is a newspaper reporter, recently interviewed a woman who was celebrating her 90th birthday. She still cooks on and heats her kitchen with a Glenwood wood stove that was purchased by her father in 1917, the year before she was born. She keeps a fire burning in it every day, even in the summer. Her son cuts the wood for her and puts it in the wood box, but she carries it into the house and stokes the fire herself.
Hi,
I agree, I think the HELOC is the way to go, but I don't think one has to pay $3,000 for something like the UFF software. I am not associated with any company, I've just been doing a bunch of research. feel free to email me and I would be happy to share what I have found.
One of the most hated money saving strategies is to buy a property you can actually afford, even if that means moving somewhere where the living is cheaper.
The same is true for renting. We moved to a very inexpensive part of the country where houses are easily only a tenth of city house prices. That means that we've had no problem buying several of them, no mortgages, and renting them out for enough cash flow to sustain us in a low cost of living town.
People often say, "I can't move there. What jobs would there be?" If you find the right place, with the right strategy, and the right attitude which embraces the concept of "enough" for your daily living, this *is* all the job you need.
I used to sell sewing machines and found that a good quality, mid-range mechanical machine will last forever. And it's a good investment because you can often make things cheaper (like curtains) and repair clothing and other items. (Computerized machines are great, but like any technology they won't last for decades).
Anyone looking for a decent machine (new or used) brand should check out Pfaff, Husquavarna and Bernina. Older Singer sewing machines are also tough little machines, but the newer ones don't match them for quality.
Orange and Yellow - HA HA! Is there real science in that? It was the orange paint on toys that got China in all that trouble. Maybe lead leads to longevity.
The thing I notice about the durable stuff is that it resales for better prices even when it isn't an expensive name brand. I notice it most in my kids' clothes. Resalers and their customers recognize quality.
Thanks! I was wondering if there were any travelers taking advantage of these deals. I guess they wouldn't offer them if there wasn't some kind of consumer base. As I sit here in Nebraska watching more flurries, I WISH I could jet down to FLL.
I, and most of my family, live in the Atlanta area. My sister lives in Florida ("spacecoast" area). She's taken to these $9 deals like the proverbial mouse to cheese. Every couple months she throws together a single carry-on bag, flies up here on the cheap, and crashes on our sofa for a day or two and gets to visit her niece and nephews (doubt she'd come to visit her brother). The deal is you only get your carry on bag and it can't weigh more than 50 lbs I think. As long as you can pack light I think you can make the trip for $50 or so including taxes and all.
Great interview! Ed's blog is one of my fav's and I read it regularly. As for ramen being healthy...I'll just say this. I ate 17 bowls of ramen in 8 days when I was in Japan and still managed to lose 5 pounds. But that was overkill. I wouldn't say ramen is health food, but it's definitely not junk!
but I have two pairs of cheap, pull-on workout pants that I bought at Target in '91 or '92. Other than looking a tad threadbare from so much wash and wear, they are holding up fine.
I guess they just don't make cheap polyester material like they used to :)
Hello
You may want to try the 99 cent store. They have the same brand name stuff (and same size) as large supermarkets that cost 3-5 dollars.
Great thoughts Philip! When market value exceeds economic value of a property it is often combined with a speculative and/or emotional enthusiasm that will not persist over time. It only seems that way when your living through it. Housing is a particularly good example. When comparing the cost of actually renting a property versus owning it one needs to use it generally 4 to 6 months a year to break even. I have a white paper on the topic at http://www.whiteoakswealth.com/pages/whitepapers.asp .
Like Tyler, I determined how long I had owned something by life milestones: college, my first apartment, marriage, before kids, etc. That is, I bought those bookcases and the cedar chest when I lived in my first apartment -- no way I could pull the dates out of my memory any other way.
Oh, I noticed that my rectangular laundry baskets were also Roughneck Rubbermaid -- they have lasted well beyond the 5-year warranty but there must be something about 1) the square design and/or 2) the yellow dye that has made the yellow square ones last forever.
I have a couple drainers/colanders that have been around a long time: one is yellow and the other is orange. I have a newly acquired large stainless steel that I think will be around for a while.
My Corelle bowls lasted about the same time -- I bought them at the same outlet as the raincoat. I have Denby everyday china made in the UK -- great stuff and the stylishness has improved over the past several years. Still basic and classic but nicer, deeper colors.
Thanks for the kitchenware tips -- I don't think I have those brands yet.
As far as jeans, you could try LL Bean or Lands' End -- some styles are more function and less fashion but hopefully you can find both.
Now that I think more about the lasting forever, here are more observations: 1) the main component (fabric, plastic, particle board, stainless steel) needs to be durable 2) the small components (buttons, lids) should be firmly attached 3) the product is only as strong as its weakest part (the breaks on my laundry baskets are where the plastic is the thinnest) 4) designers/engineers who don't rely solely on labels to describe intended uses but anticipate how people will really use a product make the longest-lasting ones.
In the non-ethnic aisle, the spices are $2-$3 for a tiny little jar. Two aisles down, they have some Mexican-sounding brand of the same spice for 80 cents, and you get 1/2 an ounce. They seem to be the same spices. At some stores, they even stock more than one brand, but, again, they all seem to be the same things.