Thanks for this article! I have often wondered about this myself. To me, when a company is giving me something free in order to generate revenue... sign me up! The problem arises when people take advantage of the loopholes, for instance by creating multiple email adresses in order to receive multiples of the free item. I don't think it is ethical to do this.
The other concern I have with freebies is the absolutely HUGE increase in junk mail and packaging that I end up with. A sample may be free to me, but if I look at it from an environmentally friendly standpoint the costs far outweigh the benefit.
When I first learned about freebies I signed up for literally everything I could get. Now, after seeing the sheer ammount of trash it produces I try to stop and think if I really need it, or if I'm just getting it because it's free. More often than not, I don't bother with it.
If your local supermarket has a salad bar, most likely it will have cheeses like feta and bleu that are much cheaper by the blanket salad bar price than the same products in the fancy cheese section. Sun dried tomatoes, too.
Guest
It seems like a nice run. Unless you are trying to make some ultra pure alcohol, I would have to agree with speed over quality when it's that close.
At the risk of sounding too cheap, in college I used to go to the gym sometimes just to use the shower facilities. I managed to cut my water bill down to something crazy like $2 by avoiding showering at home.
I've heard of people who advocate buying multi-ply toilet paper and then separating the plies so you get two rolls out of one.
I've also heard the suggestion of taking extra condiments at fast food restaurants so that you don't have to buy your own. If you can afford to eat the fast food, you can afford to buy ketchup and mustard (especially combining sales and coupons, that stuff can be free or close to it.)
Guest,
An alcoholometer will only give a true reading of the amount of alcohol if what you're measuring is alcohol and water only. Like you said, the other suspended stuff in it, yeast and so on, will give a false reading. The hydrometer, or sugar meter, is the more reliable one to go by but you need to take a reading at the beginning to know how much alcohol to expect. And, yeah, when it drops to 1.00 it's done fermenting.
Zorcy,
I made a 30 litre batch about 12 months ago with a high alcohol wine yeast that ferments up to 15%. I siphoned it off to clear and bottled 2 litres of the yeasty sludge at the bottom and kept it in the fridge. I used a cupful of this in every batch after with great results until it ran out, when I repeated the performance all over again. The yeast seems to mutate, probably depending on what's been fermenting in it, (or maybe wild yeasts getting into it?) Some batches only ferment to around 12%; one particular batch that I had fermented to nearly 20%.Turbo yeast to me doesn't seem to justify it's expense. Can't buy it over the counter here in a home-brew shop; just drawing attention to yourself ordering it on the internet. Nobody is going to make a 25% alcohol BEER!!!Wandering off the point here a bit. What I was going to ask was, has anyone out there managed to cultivate a turbo yeast for re-use? Everyone I've spoken to all agree that a turbo yeast seems to be a one-off job and dies stone-dead at the end of the fermentation. Why is this? If we could grow our own it'd be a damn sight cheaper; maybe even develop higher strength mutant strains!
Besdes all the "normal" things, reusing ziplock bags, aluminum foil, glass jars for canning, I make jelly from a canned or jarred fruit's juice. Mango/peach is a favorite.
My friend's grandfather used to sneak through the back entrance of the hotel next store with his buddies so they could play poker. Every time, they stuffed their pockets with paper matchbooks so they would never have to buy matches....
The most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of was when a friend took out a loan because the rates were low,,, no particular plans for the cash,, just low rates and she seemed to think some extra spending money would be fun????
Listen up all ye who are complaining about Net Spend. After reading all your complaints it seems that the recipients of the un solicited DEBIT cards are angry because its a DEBIT card and NOT a CREDIT card. there is no available funds for you to spend. Educate yourselves about a Prepaid Debit card and a Credit card. I have been with netspend for more than 8 years and any adjustments (you guys call it problems) was taken care of over the phone right away. I use it for any and all Internet purchases. Its great and safe.I will never use my bank card or Credit card on line. i am sure we have all received unsolicited mail with our names printed on them these mailings from Net Spend are the same its just printed on plastic.
GE - glad to see you writing for Wisebread now. This post really spoke to me in that saving money, in itself, is not an end goal, and can make you miserable if there's no purpose behind it. Money accumulation is pointless unless you give it a point (and something 40 years down the road is hard to be motivated by).
I cut my disposable facial cleanser washcloths in half and get twice as many. I tried cutting into quarters, but they were too small to use. After using, I then use to wipe out the sink.
After I stopped working last year (and therefore stopped paying into my employer-matched IRA), rather than withdraw my funds right away, which would mean paying taxes on it because I'm nowhere near retirement age yet, I left my funds there. It was a Target 20-- something fund that rebalances every year according to your age, but it also charged $25 every time it rebalanced, such that by the time I finally got around to withdrawing it, taxes be damned, I only got a check for $13 back.
Thanks for this article! I have often wondered about this myself. To me, when a company is giving me something free in order to generate revenue... sign me up! The problem arises when people take advantage of the loopholes, for instance by creating multiple email adresses in order to receive multiples of the free item. I don't think it is ethical to do this.
The other concern I have with freebies is the absolutely HUGE increase in junk mail and packaging that I end up with. A sample may be free to me, but if I look at it from an environmentally friendly standpoint the costs far outweigh the benefit.
When I first learned about freebies I signed up for literally everything I could get. Now, after seeing the sheer ammount of trash it produces I try to stop and think if I really need it, or if I'm just getting it because it's free. More often than not, I don't bother with it.
I reuse Ziplock bags to save money
If your local supermarket has a salad bar, most likely it will have cheeses like feta and bleu that are much cheaper by the blanket salad bar price than the same products in the fancy cheese section. Sun dried tomatoes, too.
I often take used envelopes and use them to make lists - especially grocery lists! The extra thickness makes it easier to cross off items on the fly!
Guest
It seems like a nice run. Unless you are trying to make some ultra pure alcohol, I would have to agree with speed over quality when it's that close.
Great job. Let us know about the taste, too.
We often make home made Kahlua or Irish Cream - there are excellent recipes on the 'net.
At the risk of sounding too cheap, in college I used to go to the gym sometimes just to use the shower facilities. I managed to cut my water bill down to something crazy like $2 by avoiding showering at home.
I've heard of people who advocate buying multi-ply toilet paper and then separating the plies so you get two rolls out of one.
I've also heard the suggestion of taking extra condiments at fast food restaurants so that you don't have to buy your own. If you can afford to eat the fast food, you can afford to buy ketchup and mustard (especially combining sales and coupons, that stuff can be free or close to it.)
My mom uses cheap disposable razors for years. They are so dull I don't know how they are even affective anymore!
I new a guy who would take two-ply toilet paper and separate it into two rolls. A bit dicey if you ask me.
Guest,
An alcoholometer will only give a true reading of the amount of alcohol if what you're measuring is alcohol and water only. Like you said, the other suspended stuff in it, yeast and so on, will give a false reading. The hydrometer, or sugar meter, is the more reliable one to go by but you need to take a reading at the beginning to know how much alcohol to expect. And, yeah, when it drops to 1.00 it's done fermenting.
Zorcy,
I made a 30 litre batch about 12 months ago with a high alcohol wine yeast that ferments up to 15%. I siphoned it off to clear and bottled 2 litres of the yeasty sludge at the bottom and kept it in the fridge. I used a cupful of this in every batch after with great results until it ran out, when I repeated the performance all over again. The yeast seems to mutate, probably depending on what's been fermenting in it, (or maybe wild yeasts getting into it?) Some batches only ferment to around 12%; one particular batch that I had fermented to nearly 20%.Turbo yeast to me doesn't seem to justify it's expense. Can't buy it over the counter here in a home-brew shop; just drawing attention to yourself ordering it on the internet. Nobody is going to make a 25% alcohol BEER!!!Wandering off the point here a bit. What I was going to ask was, has anyone out there managed to cultivate a turbo yeast for re-use? Everyone I've spoken to all agree that a turbo yeast seems to be a one-off job and dies stone-dead at the end of the fermentation. Why is this? If we could grow our own it'd be a damn sight cheaper; maybe even develop higher strength mutant strains!
Besdes all the "normal" things, reusing ziplock bags, aluminum foil, glass jars for canning, I make jelly from a canned or jarred fruit's juice. Mango/peach is a favorite.
I have heard of buying 2 or 3 ply toilet tissue and separating them to make 2 or 3 rolls of tissue.
Totally makes sense to me as well - do this all the time. However, I do not do if I had meat in the ziploc bag.
My friend's grandfather used to sneak through the back entrance of the hotel next store with his buddies so they could play poker. Every time, they stuffed their pockets with paper matchbooks so they would never have to buy matches....
The most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of was when a friend took out a loan because the rates were low,,, no particular plans for the cash,, just low rates and she seemed to think some extra spending money would be fun????
Listen up all ye who are complaining about Net Spend. After reading all your complaints it seems that the recipients of the un solicited DEBIT cards are angry because its a DEBIT card and NOT a CREDIT card. there is no available funds for you to spend. Educate yourselves about a Prepaid Debit card and a Credit card. I have been with netspend for more than 8 years and any adjustments (you guys call it problems) was taken care of over the phone right away. I use it for any and all Internet purchases. Its great and safe.I will never use my bank card or Credit card on line. i am sure we have all received unsolicited mail with our names printed on them these mailings from Net Spend are the same its just printed on plastic.
Great article David.
I believe saving is important, but there has to be a balance (like in anything in life).
GE - glad to see you writing for Wisebread now. This post really spoke to me in that saving money, in itself, is not an end goal, and can make you miserable if there's no purpose behind it. Money accumulation is pointless unless you give it a point (and something 40 years down the road is hard to be motivated by).
Look forward to seeing more.
Washing used ziplocs. Ultra "cheap" when I first heard about it but it totally makes sense!! -Lynda
Washing used ziplocs. Ultra "cheap" when I first heard about it but it totally makes sense!! -Lynda
I cut my Oil of Olay disposable washcloths in half. . . sometimes in quarters; althought quarters are too small.
I cut my disposable facial cleanser washcloths in half and get twice as many. I tried cutting into quarters, but they were too small to use. After using, I then use to wipe out the sink.
After I stopped working last year (and therefore stopped paying into my employer-matched IRA), rather than withdraw my funds right away, which would mean paying taxes on it because I'm nowhere near retirement age yet, I left my funds there. It was a Target 20-- something fund that rebalances every year according to your age, but it also charged $25 every time it rebalanced, such that by the time I finally got around to withdrawing it, taxes be damned, I only got a check for $13 back.
When gas prices were really high here in California, more than four dollars, I heard of people turning their cars off at red lights to save gas.