I definitely do follow a budget! I tracked my spending for the first time this year, and it nearly gave me a heart attack! Now I budget for everything, using some fairly detailed Excel spreadsheets and notebooks, from my rent and insurance to my pets' expenses and money earmarked for savings. So far, I've gone from spending way over my income to living within my means - which feels great!
be very careful of fraying bits that your pooch might ingest... we lost our dog because of a bowel obstruction caused by swallowing small amounts of fabric strings
One thing that has been huge for me is realizing you can donate gifts. I am no longer weary of accepting items from family and friends because I know they can always be given to the Salvation Army if they don't make sense in my home.
I have read this story with interest because I've been re-discovering print, but I strongly disagree with mass media being a good driver for investment ideas and investable trends. I've been thinking about the concept for a while and your story has (pardon the plug) motivated me to write about it here: http://hkiadvisors.blogspot.com/2010/08/reading-newspaper-will-keep-you....
Long story short - by the time you read a piece of information in the paper, it's too late for making money.
Paul, Thank you for posting your experiences; and Bryan, thank you for providing your point of view. The intelligent discussion here has been very helpful to my husband and I, and the refusal of most of the participants to extrapolate or hyperbolize has been most refreshing.
Offering solutions to problems and being seen as the "go to" person are also strategies. I agree that it's more important than ever to hang on to your job today. As usual, great job Jennifer.
I completely agree!
My friends are always asking me how I find all these great, fun, free things to do and I always tell them I read it in the newspaper. That's not to mention the thousands of dollars I've saved with coupons for food, admissions, restaurants, etc.
Excellent article!
Those are some great lessons. It's definitely true that you don't need to spend money to have fun, and oftentimes you'll have more fun without spending any money. I remember building a tree fort with my friends with some junk wood and some nails we picked up for a few Euros when I lived in Germany. I guess that's not the best example since we bought the nails, but they weren't that much so I think it counts.
I sent my hair in to Pantene Beautiful Lengths a few years ago because i found out they help anyone in need of hair on matter the reason and it is free. so i felt good about that but now i have my son and my man who both grew their hair out to donate so i was googleing and found this. so i went to check out hair trader and it is upgrading i guess so it sounds to me like they should be bigger and better to help us all out. hope it is soon! sounds like selling is the way to go. hope they don't start charging when they come back up. i do think that LoL are not what people once thought. really we want a vacation and to bring a little joy in to the world. hope people get what they want. if you have long hair and are able to care for it, love it show it off, no one has a right to tell you to cut it. that is just crazy! i cut mine because of headaches it helped. well i hope i didn't put you to sleep. loved this add never felt the need to put in my 2 cents. thanks
I am just about searching something like this - something easy to use to manage my monthly budget.
with my shrinking income (after being laid off and rehired by a temp agency)
plus all my family members and bf having to readjust the vicous cycle due to the downturn, I need to readjust my spending and rebalance my expenses. Having such a tool will be great - and that I have tried things like Mint.com but not feeling comfortable connecting my bank account data to the site still.
We follow a budget but if we over budget for something or if we earn more money for some reason than normal we don't have a budget for that so that extra money usually gets spent, when it more than likely should get saved, especially for those time when an unexpected bill comes up. Other wise though we follow a strict budget cent to cent.
Consider replacing the potatoes with sweet potatoes. Any veggie in the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes) can aggrevate arthritis. Otherwise, it looks great, and I'm going to try it :)
We use a budget more as a guideline but we aren't very strict about yet. We ALWAYS keep track of every penny we spend but since we just started using the budget we are just getting an idea of what what we spend and where we could cut. Hoping we get better about it.
I think when we ask if something is affordable it depends on if you are in debt or not. If debt is too high than I think that needs to be taken care of first before the purchase. I also thinking being too frugal can also be bad and more focus should be put on making higher earnings through passive income and other income generating techniques. Life is short and we should enjoy every moment and experience all we can. I think if you want something you make it affordable. There are many ways to do this.
I read my local newspaper every day, which is unusual for someone my age. However, I disagree with the premise of the article. Reading news makes you a more informed person and I do think there is value in that. But to claim it will make you richer or more famous seems a reach.
Particularly, Sunday coupons are typically for higher-priced name brand items and, unless you combine them with a sale (which is very possible, but takes a lot of that time you are supposedly saving), you are going to pay more for those items than store-brand. Secondly, the author seems to find online ads a nuisance but then encourages people to read the ads that come in the paper? Plus you do have to pay for the newspaper in the first place, unlike the online version.
I read the newspaper because I prefer the format and I will continue to do so. However, I think this is strictly a matter of personal preference and don't think there are other benefits to either version.
I used to own a cell phone, but I got rid of it and I do not want another one. I am not of the older, supposedely "technophobic" generation (I am 29), I am very technology-savvy, I love my family and friends, I work outside of the home, and I have a lovely wife and son. So, I fit the description of many people my age, yet I do not understand the obsession with cell phones. I guess it is just a preference. I have a landline with unlimited anytime/anywhere minutes and it costs $40/month. I can be reached at work. I make a plan with someone and then stick to it. I get directions ahead of time and use maps. And I get along just as easily as most people I know who pay $60 or more per month so that they can text "OMG, ur so funny", take a call that is apparently more important than the present company, and obsessively check for unread or unheard messages every 12 seconds while I am trying to have a good conversation. Get another cell phone? No, thanks.
In the discussion of free things just for being a missionary, a point has been overlooked. The companies that offer free products to missionaries, undoubtedly, make known to potential customers that they give free product to missionaries. I imagine 99% of those customers understand that the cost for those is supported by the price they pay. Many of them chose to purchase from company A over company B because they know part of what they pay helps missionaries. Now, if missionaries don't take advantage of the freebe, isn't it the paying customer who is let down? They have paid a premium to help missionaries, yet the help never reaches the missionaries, because they have turned it down.
You see, by accepting the free cloth diapers, you are benefitting yourself, the company, AND the paying customer's social concience.
If you DON'T accept the free diapers, the company still gets good PR for simply offering them. The paying customer THINKS s/he is helping missionaries, but really isn't. And you then pay for the diapers.
I think that should clear up any ethics questions regarding free things for missionaries.
:)
I started recently making budgets for my own living, although i make budgets for a long time for my clients, since i'm a structural engineer and they need to know how much the construction will cost :)
I like saying of Benjamin Franklin. ''Early to bed, early to rise, keeps you healthy, wealthy and wise." Yes, because I want to be healthy. My current age is 60 years old. Thank you.
Good advice, Jen - especially your second point. In my experience, the employees that take on the thankless jobs that nobody wants, and are constantly willing to learn new things are the ones that are the last to be laid off in tough times. In short, they make themselves indispensable to their employers.
i don't understand how #4 is related to the title of this supposed how-do article... it doesn't talk about how to save money.... it just talks about how to eat with celebrities.... i don't want to know about how to be like a celebrity... i want to know how to save money!!
The best way to save money...anytime, anywhere? Stop spending money.
you mean frozen carbon dioxide? :P
I definitely do follow a budget! I tracked my spending for the first time this year, and it nearly gave me a heart attack! Now I budget for everything, using some fairly detailed Excel spreadsheets and notebooks, from my rent and insurance to my pets' expenses and money earmarked for savings. So far, I've gone from spending way over my income to living within my means - which feels great!
I have a budget, but my goal is usually to not spend any money.
New goal, make more money because you can only save so much. :)
be very careful of fraying bits that your pooch might ingest... we lost our dog because of a bowel obstruction caused by swallowing small amounts of fabric strings
One thing that has been huge for me is realizing you can donate gifts. I am no longer weary of accepting items from family and friends because I know they can always be given to the Salvation Army if they don't make sense in my home.
I have read this story with interest because I've been re-discovering print, but I strongly disagree with mass media being a good driver for investment ideas and investable trends. I've been thinking about the concept for a while and your story has (pardon the plug) motivated me to write about it here: http://hkiadvisors.blogspot.com/2010/08/reading-newspaper-will-keep-you....
Long story short - by the time you read a piece of information in the paper, it's too late for making money.
Paul, Thank you for posting your experiences; and Bryan, thank you for providing your point of view. The intelligent discussion here has been very helpful to my husband and I, and the refusal of most of the participants to extrapolate or hyperbolize has been most refreshing.
Offering solutions to problems and being seen as the "go to" person are also strategies. I agree that it's more important than ever to hang on to your job today. As usual, great job Jennifer.
I completely agree!
My friends are always asking me how I find all these great, fun, free things to do and I always tell them I read it in the newspaper. That's not to mention the thousands of dollars I've saved with coupons for food, admissions, restaurants, etc.
Excellent article!
Those are some great lessons. It's definitely true that you don't need to spend money to have fun, and oftentimes you'll have more fun without spending any money. I remember building a tree fort with my friends with some junk wood and some nails we picked up for a few Euros when I lived in Germany. I guess that's not the best example since we bought the nails, but they weren't that much so I think it counts.
I sent my hair in to Pantene Beautiful Lengths a few years ago because i found out they help anyone in need of hair on matter the reason and it is free. so i felt good about that but now i have my son and my man who both grew their hair out to donate so i was googleing and found this. so i went to check out hair trader and it is upgrading i guess so it sounds to me like they should be bigger and better to help us all out. hope it is soon! sounds like selling is the way to go. hope they don't start charging when they come back up. i do think that LoL are not what people once thought. really we want a vacation and to bring a little joy in to the world. hope people get what they want. if you have long hair and are able to care for it, love it show it off, no one has a right to tell you to cut it. that is just crazy! i cut mine because of headaches it helped. well i hope i didn't put you to sleep. loved this add never felt the need to put in my 2 cents. thanks
I am just about searching something like this - something easy to use to manage my monthly budget.
with my shrinking income (after being laid off and rehired by a temp agency)
plus all my family members and bf having to readjust the vicous cycle due to the downturn, I need to readjust my spending and rebalance my expenses. Having such a tool will be great - and that I have tried things like Mint.com but not feeling comfortable connecting my bank account data to the site still.
We follow a budget but if we over budget for something or if we earn more money for some reason than normal we don't have a budget for that so that extra money usually gets spent, when it more than likely should get saved, especially for those time when an unexpected bill comes up. Other wise though we follow a strict budget cent to cent.
Consider replacing the potatoes with sweet potatoes. Any veggie in the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, potatoes) can aggrevate arthritis. Otherwise, it looks great, and I'm going to try it :)
We use a budget more as a guideline but we aren't very strict about yet. We ALWAYS keep track of every penny we spend but since we just started using the budget we are just getting an idea of what what we spend and where we could cut. Hoping we get better about it.
I think when we ask if something is affordable it depends on if you are in debt or not. If debt is too high than I think that needs to be taken care of first before the purchase. I also thinking being too frugal can also be bad and more focus should be put on making higher earnings through passive income and other income generating techniques. Life is short and we should enjoy every moment and experience all we can. I think if you want something you make it affordable. There are many ways to do this.
I read my local newspaper every day, which is unusual for someone my age. However, I disagree with the premise of the article. Reading news makes you a more informed person and I do think there is value in that. But to claim it will make you richer or more famous seems a reach.
Particularly, Sunday coupons are typically for higher-priced name brand items and, unless you combine them with a sale (which is very possible, but takes a lot of that time you are supposedly saving), you are going to pay more for those items than store-brand. Secondly, the author seems to find online ads a nuisance but then encourages people to read the ads that come in the paper? Plus you do have to pay for the newspaper in the first place, unlike the online version.
I read the newspaper because I prefer the format and I will continue to do so. However, I think this is strictly a matter of personal preference and don't think there are other benefits to either version.
There is a certain comfort in laying out a newspaper on a table and enjoying a cup of coffee, especially with a really good doughnut.
I used to own a cell phone, but I got rid of it and I do not want another one. I am not of the older, supposedely "technophobic" generation (I am 29), I am very technology-savvy, I love my family and friends, I work outside of the home, and I have a lovely wife and son. So, I fit the description of many people my age, yet I do not understand the obsession with cell phones. I guess it is just a preference. I have a landline with unlimited anytime/anywhere minutes and it costs $40/month. I can be reached at work. I make a plan with someone and then stick to it. I get directions ahead of time and use maps. And I get along just as easily as most people I know who pay $60 or more per month so that they can text "OMG, ur so funny", take a call that is apparently more important than the present company, and obsessively check for unread or unheard messages every 12 seconds while I am trying to have a good conversation. Get another cell phone? No, thanks.
In the discussion of free things just for being a missionary, a point has been overlooked. The companies that offer free products to missionaries, undoubtedly, make known to potential customers that they give free product to missionaries. I imagine 99% of those customers understand that the cost for those is supported by the price they pay. Many of them chose to purchase from company A over company B because they know part of what they pay helps missionaries. Now, if missionaries don't take advantage of the freebe, isn't it the paying customer who is let down? They have paid a premium to help missionaries, yet the help never reaches the missionaries, because they have turned it down.
You see, by accepting the free cloth diapers, you are benefitting yourself, the company, AND the paying customer's social concience.
If you DON'T accept the free diapers, the company still gets good PR for simply offering them. The paying customer THINKS s/he is helping missionaries, but really isn't. And you then pay for the diapers.
I think that should clear up any ethics questions regarding free things for missionaries.
:)
I started recently making budgets for my own living, although i make budgets for a long time for my clients, since i'm a structural engineer and they need to know how much the construction will cost :)
I want the book!
I like saying of Benjamin Franklin. ''Early to bed, early to rise, keeps you healthy, wealthy and wise." Yes, because I want to be healthy. My current age is 60 years old. Thank you.
Good advice, Jen - especially your second point. In my experience, the employees that take on the thankless jobs that nobody wants, and are constantly willing to learn new things are the ones that are the last to be laid off in tough times. In short, they make themselves indispensable to their employers.
All the best,
Len
Len Penzo dot Com
i don't understand how #4 is related to the title of this supposed how-do article... it doesn't talk about how to save money.... it just talks about how to eat with celebrities.... i don't want to know about how to be like a celebrity... i want to know how to save money!!