Apparently you lack reading comprehension skills. Try reading the article and also reading all the sources provided. Through multiple studies it's shown that a longer work day does *not* equal more productivity. Plus the availability of more vacation dramatically lowers the "burnout" rate. Just because the GDP is lower doesn't mean the country is worse off than the U.S. The U.S bolsters a population of about 310,430,000 while Germany comes in at 81,802,257, yet studies (as cited in the article) show they are just as, if not more so, productive than Americans. Germany beats the U.S in total $$ with regard to exports as well.
Besides, in my experience, Americans spend more time crying about their jobs than actually doing them.
Simliarly, I cut squares from plain cardboard and provided permenant markers for guests at a party to decorate their own coaster. Worked great and there was never a question about whose drink was whose.
Gee. All I wanted was to be able to buy insurance that would protect my family's finances even if I got sick, and now I'm burning down the country. Bummer.
It's refreshing to see an article that proposes lowering the retirement age, when the politics around us are suggesting it be raised to 70 or late 60s. The reality of the matter is that if you want to retire early, you have to plan for it and work towards achieving that goal.
Painkillers like ibuprofen are one thing, but it is a very bad idea to take acetaminophen (Tylenol). I believe it can fry your liver or some such when combined with alcohol still in your system. Personally, I don't take any painkillers with alcohol, but certainly avoid Tylenol.
Of course, it's only a tax deduction to give toys to Goodwill if you itemize, which you should only do if your itemized deductions exceed your standard deduction. If you have a mortgage, you already itemize. But renters might not.
@Sonja:
I like a lot of your ideas, but I'm not crazy about replacing toys with video games. There are plenty of small toys that take up little space but involve creativity (Lego, Playmobil, K'nex, Brio trains) and build fine motor skills, rather that involving more screen time.
Tell me one thing that only a realtor can do - anything at all that my 11 yr old son can't do and you win the argument. How many years of schooling (post high school) is required in order to be a real estate agent.
I don't think any of them have law or MBA degrees from Harvard or Yale and yet they charge as much. A physician has to go through 12 yrs of schooling (post high school) before becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon and yet for an open heart surgery he charges less than what my realtor is charging for helping me buy a 800,000 house.
You are the reason this country is going down in flames. You don't mind everyone else paying for your healthcare nor do you mind giving the government the power to ration care, which they will have to do as it is a limited resource. yes there are problems with the medical system in this country and the people asked their government for assistance in dealing with it, instead they took it over. When will you people wake up and realize that you can't have something for free and the government is not your best buddy.
Great tips Jennifer! It's easy to get caught up in the moment when cheap books are begging to be bought! I try to control how many books I get by limiting myself to reading 2-3 books at a time. I have to finish the books before I buy anymore.
Another reason to limit book purchases is space. Books can take up a lot of room, so being selective and selling the books you've finished saves you money and space!
If you don't trust your mechanic, you should probably find a new one. The mechanic that I go to is straight up and honest about what needs to be done when. They're a family shop, so they know that if they treat the customers fairly the first time, they'll come back again. I would never take my car to a chain shop.
Agreed. Changing your oil every 3,000 miles was necessary back in the old days. If your car was made in the past 20 years, you can double or triple that easily in most situations. That is, if you use good oil, and most name brand oil is good enough.
Don't forget properly inflated tires! And get the rotated once in a while to extend their life.
I use the Armadealo Mobile Application whenever I go shopping and want to save money. They have mall maps and store discounts. So not only does the app help you navigate the mall, but it also saves you money when you shop.
We recently called Comcast to tell them that EPB (Electric Power Board) was offering cheaper packages for Fiber Optics that were not introductory rates - they were their regular rates - and that we were going to switch if Comcast did not offer us a cheaper package. We were told that the CSRs are no longer allowed to do that - that they were told they'd be fired if they offer a promotional package to existing customers. Comcast doesn't care about it's loyal customers - we're switching ASAP. Comcast is going to end up bankrupt if they keep up this "our way or the highway" attitude.
A La Nina winter is coming. It will be colder for almost everyone! I'm going to be buying a few more warm socks, because that's what makes the difference to my body. I'm also breaking down and buying a Snuggie. They are silly but admittedly, I need it if I want to use my laptop!
When I want to change or improve something in my life, I take a short break and start to determine my existing principles. Then, I improve them to improve my life. Principles make our attitudes, attitudes make our skills.
To properly budget your personal finances you simply add up your sources of income, account for every penny that you have flowing to you each month, and track every expense. I am not concerned with the exact system you employ as long as you are detailed and know how your money is flowing. Track your loans, and if you have bad credit lenders, know how much you are spending in interest.
Don't forget lasagna gardening! Cardboard boxes are as precious as pearls for many of those folks. It's way better than newspaper, provided that there is no ink. It's recycling at its finest. You're putting it right back where it came from.
Also: When moving, I contact my local grocery store ask the produce manager to save apple boxes for me. They have a full bottom, handle cutouts, and a full lid.
I've been reading about various studies on this same subject. Some say $40,000, others $70,000 and so on...I think it's a very relative number. But the basic premise is that that initial sum of income should cover your basic necessities (food, shelter, clothing), after which individuals should be able to be less stressed and focus on whatever it is that contributes to their happiness. And that there's no direct correlation between increased income and increased happiness once you've reached that threshhold of covering your survival.
I believe higher income can contribute to things you enjoy doing, but it doesn't mean you'll be happier...being happy for one person could mean being able to spend time volunteering and not worrying about money, spending time on hobbies, having stress-free time with your family, etc...which don't cost anything extra.
It will definitely be more expensive for us, b/c we're moving to a house that doesn't have a wood stove. In our area, it's more economical to heat with wood, so we'll see!
1) Old tatty towels, cut up and hemmed make great cleaning clothes, throw them in the washing machine and boil them to clean
2) Old orange/citrus peels make great fire lighters
3) Banana peels and tea bags can be thrown straight onto your flower beds and don't need composting
4) Baby food jars make handy spice jars/ night light holders. Put a little magnet on the lid and stick it on the refridgerator to save space in the kitchen (for spices as opposed to nightlights!!)
5) Fabric and/or wall paper scraps can be used for making... a mouse mat, covering old shoe boxes to make pretty matching containers, lining the back of book shelves, lampshades, covering an old cork notice board, wrapping gifts and making collages!!
Apparently you lack reading comprehension skills. Try reading the article and also reading all the sources provided. Through multiple studies it's shown that a longer work day does *not* equal more productivity. Plus the availability of more vacation dramatically lowers the "burnout" rate. Just because the GDP is lower doesn't mean the country is worse off than the U.S. The U.S bolsters a population of about 310,430,000 while Germany comes in at 81,802,257, yet studies (as cited in the article) show they are just as, if not more so, productive than Americans. Germany beats the U.S in total $$ with regard to exports as well.
Besides, in my experience, Americans spend more time crying about their jobs than actually doing them.
Simliarly, I cut squares from plain cardboard and provided permenant markers for guests at a party to decorate their own coaster. Worked great and there was never a question about whose drink was whose.
Gee. All I wanted was to be able to buy insurance that would protect my family's finances even if I got sick, and now I'm burning down the country. Bummer.
It's refreshing to see an article that proposes lowering the retirement age, when the politics around us are suggesting it be raised to 70 or late 60s. The reality of the matter is that if you want to retire early, you have to plan for it and work towards achieving that goal.
Painkillers like ibuprofen are one thing, but it is a very bad idea to take acetaminophen (Tylenol). I believe it can fry your liver or some such when combined with alcohol still in your system. Personally, I don't take any painkillers with alcohol, but certainly avoid Tylenol.
@Posters 1 and 2:
Of course, it's only a tax deduction to give toys to Goodwill if you itemize, which you should only do if your itemized deductions exceed your standard deduction. If you have a mortgage, you already itemize. But renters might not.
@Sonja:
I like a lot of your ideas, but I'm not crazy about replacing toys with video games. There are plenty of small toys that take up little space but involve creativity (Lego, Playmobil, K'nex, Brio trains) and build fine motor skills, rather that involving more screen time.
Tell me one thing that only a realtor can do - anything at all that my 11 yr old son can't do and you win the argument. How many years of schooling (post high school) is required in order to be a real estate agent.
I don't think any of them have law or MBA degrees from Harvard or Yale and yet they charge as much. A physician has to go through 12 yrs of schooling (post high school) before becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon and yet for an open heart surgery he charges less than what my realtor is charging for helping me buy a 800,000 house.
Dear serf,
You are the reason this country is going down in flames. You don't mind everyone else paying for your healthcare nor do you mind giving the government the power to ration care, which they will have to do as it is a limited resource. yes there are problems with the medical system in this country and the people asked their government for assistance in dealing with it, instead they took it over. When will you people wake up and realize that you can't have something for free and the government is not your best buddy.
Great tips Jennifer! It's easy to get caught up in the moment when cheap books are begging to be bought! I try to control how many books I get by limiting myself to reading 2-3 books at a time. I have to finish the books before I buy anymore.
Another reason to limit book purchases is space. Books can take up a lot of room, so being selective and selling the books you've finished saves you money and space!
If you don't trust your mechanic, you should probably find a new one. The mechanic that I go to is straight up and honest about what needs to be done when. They're a family shop, so they know that if they treat the customers fairly the first time, they'll come back again. I would never take my car to a chain shop.
Agreed. Changing your oil every 3,000 miles was necessary back in the old days. If your car was made in the past 20 years, you can double or triple that easily in most situations. That is, if you use good oil, and most name brand oil is good enough.
Don't forget properly inflated tires! And get the rotated once in a while to extend their life.
I use the Armadealo Mobile Application whenever I go shopping and want to save money. They have mall maps and store discounts. So not only does the app help you navigate the mall, but it also saves you money when you shop.
http://itunes.apple.com/app/armadealo-shopping/id335045255?mt=8
Great stuff
Unfortunately, I could write an article with about 50 things that are detrimental to you financially by tying the knot...
...especially if your spouse is a spender and you aren't.
Please clarify that many of these (and other benefits) are only currently associated/allowed with heterosexual marriage.
We recently called Comcast to tell them that EPB (Electric Power Board) was offering cheaper packages for Fiber Optics that were not introductory rates - they were their regular rates - and that we were going to switch if Comcast did not offer us a cheaper package. We were told that the CSRs are no longer allowed to do that - that they were told they'd be fired if they offer a promotional package to existing customers. Comcast doesn't care about it's loyal customers - we're switching ASAP. Comcast is going to end up bankrupt if they keep up this "our way or the highway" attitude.
A La Nina winter is coming. It will be colder for almost everyone! I'm going to be buying a few more warm socks, because that's what makes the difference to my body. I'm also breaking down and buying a Snuggie. They are silly but admittedly, I need it if I want to use my laptop!
When I want to change or improve something in my life, I take a short break and start to determine my existing principles. Then, I improve them to improve my life. Principles make our attitudes, attitudes make our skills.
To properly budget your personal finances you simply add up your sources of income, account for every penny that you have flowing to you each month, and track every expense. I am not concerned with the exact system you employ as long as you are detailed and know how your money is flowing. Track your loans, and if you have bad credit lenders, know how much you are spending in interest.
Don't forget lasagna gardening! Cardboard boxes are as precious as pearls for many of those folks. It's way better than newspaper, provided that there is no ink. It's recycling at its finest. You're putting it right back where it came from.
I made a can rack for my pantry following the plans found on The Pantry Panel blog
http://mormonfoodstorage.blogspot.com/2008/09/pantry-paragon-or-how-to-m...
Also: When moving, I contact my local grocery store ask the produce manager to save apple boxes for me. They have a full bottom, handle cutouts, and a full lid.
I've been reading about various studies on this same subject. Some say $40,000, others $70,000 and so on...I think it's a very relative number. But the basic premise is that that initial sum of income should cover your basic necessities (food, shelter, clothing), after which individuals should be able to be less stressed and focus on whatever it is that contributes to their happiness. And that there's no direct correlation between increased income and increased happiness once you've reached that threshhold of covering your survival.
I believe higher income can contribute to things you enjoy doing, but it doesn't mean you'll be happier...being happy for one person could mean being able to spend time volunteering and not worrying about money, spending time on hobbies, having stress-free time with your family, etc...which don't cost anything extra.
Great post and points! I like the positive spin on this angle of ways to make marriage succeed!
The best way to help a marriage is to get off on the right foot financially.
It will definitely be more expensive for us, b/c we're moving to a house that doesn't have a wood stove. In our area, it's more economical to heat with wood, so we'll see!
1) Old tatty towels, cut up and hemmed make great cleaning clothes, throw them in the washing machine and boil them to clean
2) Old orange/citrus peels make great fire lighters
3) Banana peels and tea bags can be thrown straight onto your flower beds and don't need composting
4) Baby food jars make handy spice jars/ night light holders. Put a little magnet on the lid and stick it on the refridgerator to save space in the kitchen (for spices as opposed to nightlights!!)
5) Fabric and/or wall paper scraps can be used for making... a mouse mat, covering old shoe boxes to make pretty matching containers, lining the back of book shelves, lampshades, covering an old cork notice board, wrapping gifts and making collages!!
All great ideas! May soon be time for "101 Uses for the Humble Cardboard box"!