I'm like a koala. I sit in my tree, and I eat my eucalyptus, and there really isn't any need for anything else. My savings come naturally, since I just don't have the desire to buy a million things. :)
You can also use the toothpaste to polish your silver. I do this with my grandmother all the time and it works beautifully! I'm actually the one that told HER about it and now she uses toothpaste on all of her silver! =)
Great post. Our household is doing the same things with debt and cars. We are positioned better than some because we chose not to participate in the borrowing insanity. But now there is a feeling of urgency to focus on "our" personal economy and strengthen our base. Too many people we know have lower incomes now and are facing bankruptcy or/and foreclosure. I believe that no one is immune to these possibilities. That sounds doomy but it's all so a reality that I can see within our own circle and that, for us is
the "real economy".
For question 21, it being such an awful question, I would say an appropriate answer is saying that you believe in win-win relationships.
Nobody wants to sacrifice their life for their job, but sometimes it is important and required to give more to the job. Employers should know that a centered, happy worker will be a better asset to a company than an unhappy, overworked employee.
Saying that you believe in win-win work relations shows that you are willing to put in for the company, but that the company also needs to look after its employees.
I have to second the salt and ice theory here. I used to be the "coffee supply" for a night-shift industrial maintenance crew that would consume multiple pots per shift and the pot itself would get stained rather quickly. A healthy dose of salt with some ice "swirled" around the inside gets it as clean as any soap could ever do and is so ridiculously cheap you'll wonder why you wasted $0.99 on the vinegar...
We are a single-income family, so we watch our pennies closely. One habit I have developed over the years involves the annual purchase of school clothes. Our school district has a dress-code, so it does make shopping a bit easier. First, I go through my children's closet and inventory what they have outgrown and what still fits. I make a list of basic necessary items which I then comparison price either on-line or at local stores. I do a lot of shopping on-line because company websites usually have a better clearance department than the actual store. For instance, I just bought name brand school polo shirts from a company website for $7.00 - the same shirts were 24.99 in the store. I keep an eye out for free shipping promotions. I've found that if you get the school clothes by the end of June, you can get better bargains than if you wait until August. I am always looking for small ways to save our family money. The sun is free, so I hang clothes on a line outside as much as possible. I make my own instant cocoa mix each winter. I grow herbs in small pots, and freeze them for year-round usage. When a certain fruit is in season, I will buy extra to freeze for later use. We are very active and have devised our own powdered sports drink mix. We know that credit card companies aren't out to help us; they are out to make a major profit off us! So, we save up for major purchases, or just say "no." Recently, when we were comparing insurance companies during an insurance "check-up, one of them didn't feel we were a good risk because we hadn't had any credit purchases in 8 years! One thing I don't do much of anymore is cut coupons. I find that buying the store brand is much cheaper.
You can get three flowers at Latino markets if you have them nearby. There's Jamaica which is dried hibiscus, and is steeped in water to make something that tastes like fruit punch (if you add sugar). There's squash blossoms (flor de calabaza) which I believe is the same as these zucchini flowers, popular with Mexicans. It's popular in quesadillas. There's loroco, which Salvadorans put into pupusas (a stuffed, handmade tortilla).
I'm a financial cat: stealthily, sneakily trying to make and save more money and coming up with unique, resourceful ways of doing so. And even while I'm napping (which is often!) I'm still using that time to dream up more clever means of being frugal. Somehow I always manage to land on my feet.
I've been suffering from GERD for two years now, the first attack made me call 911 thinking it was a heart attack! Medication was given to me but nothing seemed to sooth the pain, until I read in the book of "THE LEMONADE DIET" which I bought at Whole Foods, that two teaspoons in an 8 ounce glass of watter would take away the pain, I tried it and it did it. Now every time I have disconfort I take it and it takes aobut 10 to 20 minutes to go away. Azzy
I travel a lot and am in hotels 40-50 nights a year. I agree with you re: choosing the right bag. The suitcases I've had over the years were cheap ones, and the zippers and wheels have broken off. I'm of the mind now that i need to pay more now to get a great bag that will last longer, and utilize the space better. Also, because I travel so much, I have a separate set of toiletries that I just always keep in the suitcase. They're travel-size and are ready to go, so I don't have to think about packing everything each time I travel.
Not sure if this is well known or not but you can use simple toothpaste to clean your jewelry. Not the gel stuff but the plain toothpaste actually works better than the expensive jewelry cleaner. Dab a little on a paper towel rub gently then rinse. And whats best.. its already in your bathroom!
Happy Cleaning!!! :)
i just found out that people will buy ur hair?.. well i have 12' of virgin hair ive been holding on to, because i was going to donate it to L.o.L, sadly due to them selling a majority of their donations.. i decided to look into selling it myself, from what i hear people would be willing to pay top dollar for what i have..its a super-super thick brade so if anyone can guide me to the next steps it would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Tustin Mom
Well i live in ohio and i was laid off in march so what did i do went back to school so i am currently in college for medical assisting when i was laid off i was making $13.50 an hour not including the dollar an hour shift differential well anyways they have this random program for unemployment where they call or email you a job number usually twice a day and you have to call them about these jobs and every job i have called them about has not ben more than $8 an hour and when i refuse it they get all mad and argue with me about it and say i could lose my benefits could i lose my benefits for turning down jobs making at least $5.50 less an hour than what i was making when i was laid off
It's surprisingly easy to put two and two together about the state of the economy, actually. Here it is: America is broke. Banks are not putting the value of these homes on their books so they can appear solvent and leverage their cash elsewhere (namely acquiring smaller banks and have a huge consolidation). Are banks lending money to small businesses and lowly consumers? Not really. Check their books and you WILL see they're still doing major financial investments overseas and with large corporations.
No one should be surprised home values are dipping yet again when they were only propped up artificially through the govt tax credit program. Housing prices aren't going to rise until people actually have the income to buy them and banks ease up on credit. Plus, the banks are not releasing many of their foreclosed homes on the market, so the issue of "supply" in the supply-and-demand' equation is still appearing better than it is.
On an international level, the dollar is plunging (though the Euro's plunge is a nice diversion from the U.S.'s problems): our debt-to-GDP ratio is worse than other European countries bound to bogus IMF austerity measures when factoring in the U.S. Medicare and Social Security which our country simply cannot afford. China's not investing in the TBills with as much confidence and they're looking to get out of the dollar. Asking them to appreciate the yuan didn't help with that one. The U.N. wants the dollar to exit stage left as the world reserve and instead use an IMF-backed currency. The U.S. is looking to go to war with Iran with any excuse it can find in a pitiful attempt to gain control of more oil reserves and revive the economy ala WWII style. Great for Halliburton, Blackwater, other defense contractors and oil companies, but not so much for you and I. This didn't change when Bush exited the White House and Obama entered.
The unemployment rate continues to rise, and anyone who thinks there's such thing as a jobless recovery is only kidding themselves. Just like the housing market being propped up with artificial programs, the census jobs are doing that now. Meanwhile, the underemployed, part-time workers and the discouraged workers make the unemployment rate even worse than what's announced by the BLS.
With regards to the stock market, it's a fool's game. Just look at how many shares of BP were dumped and shorted BEFORE the oil spill even happened. We're told "the economy is getting better" precisely because consumer confidence is what drives the stock market and pays for the jobs of those analysts who feed us this information. Meanwhile, our savings and 401k's are being gambled in this little game. Agenda? You bet.
Do we need to spend, spend, spend to keep this economy going? To some extent, yes. But the logic that we need to spend to excess is like saying we need to binge on twinkies to prevent starvation. Meanwhile, the twinkie company is laughing all the way to the bank. In this case, it's the financial institutions with usurious interest rates laughing at the myth that we somehow need to spend more than we can afford to prop up 'the economy' and by 'the economy' I really mean, 'the CEO's multi-billion dollar salaries.' I'm not against an honest profit. I'm quite fiscally conservative. But I'll be damned if I'm the one subsidizing it under the guise that I'm somehow performing a patriotic act. Think about your monthly bills: how many are going towards the small mom-and-pop shop down the road, or to the electrician? How much of it is actually being funneled into your community? Not much. Quite likely, most of it is paying off debt.
And you're HONESTLY saying "no one really knows or has a clue about the economy?" Shame on you. It doesn't take muddy statistics, ivory tower academics, a slick 'economist' who appear on the major news networks or some crystal ball to illustrate the economy is not, in fact, getting better. Hang on to your seats, folks, it's going to be a bumpy ride. And for the love, educate yourselves. The puzzle pieces are out there. Put them together, connect the dots. There's some truth to that bumper sticker that says, "if you're not mad, you're not paying attention." When the economy tanks later this year, just don't say, "no one could have predicted this."
Ken, I found no comparison in China to the crowds in NYC. Like the US, there are areas of greater and lesser pollution but pristine areas are not difficult to find.
Obviously, I don't know what part of Southern China you've visited, but your experience in southern China is different from mine. Most young people in China can read English, even though they can't understand spoken English. A pen and notepad work wonders.
My time in Southern China included stays in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, as well as HK.
I really like the line about making, "sound financial decisions that work for me." Isn't this what we all have to do? It is certainly what I help my clients do.
Also, with regard to your comments on uncertainty, I offer Ecclesiastes 10:14, "...no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him?" I think it is important for us to acknowledge that we cannot know or predict the future and to plan accordingly.
I'm looking at retiring to China, too. My wife is Chinese and has maintained dual citizenship. I have limited Mandarin but my wife and daughter speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and Sichuanese.
English is taught in every big high school in China. Although many students can read English, most of them have never heard it spoken by westerners. Carrying a pad and pen can bridge the gap without a big problem. I found the pen and pad tactic most useful in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu and was approached often in public places by young Chinese wanting to try out their English.
Hangzhou has been mentioned as a place where persons with $800 a month USD can live comfortably, and it's only about an hour train ride to Shanghai.
I have been doing many of these ideas for my business the past year or so, but actually what has been the most helpful is having a membership to SBO-Online. I run a small home business, but they are are able to get me discounts on setting up accepting credit card payments, I get a discount on Office Depot products and tons of other stuff. They even have access to to legal and accounting advice for free. My membership paid for itself the first time I went shopping for copy paper and printer ink. www.sbo-online.com if you are interested.
I'm like a koala. I sit in my tree, and I eat my eucalyptus, and there really isn't any need for anything else. My savings come naturally, since I just don't have the desire to buy a million things. :)
You can also use the toothpaste to polish your silver. I do this with my grandmother all the time and it works beautifully! I'm actually the one that told HER about it and now she uses toothpaste on all of her silver! =)
Great post. Our household is doing the same things with debt and cars. We are positioned better than some because we chose not to participate in the borrowing insanity. But now there is a feeling of urgency to focus on "our" personal economy and strengthen our base. Too many people we know have lower incomes now and are facing bankruptcy or/and foreclosure. I believe that no one is immune to these possibilities. That sounds doomy but it's all so a reality that I can see within our own circle and that, for us is
the "real economy".
For question 21, it being such an awful question, I would say an appropriate answer is saying that you believe in win-win relationships.
Nobody wants to sacrifice their life for their job, but sometimes it is important and required to give more to the job. Employers should know that a centered, happy worker will be a better asset to a company than an unhappy, overworked employee.
Saying that you believe in win-win work relations shows that you are willing to put in for the company, but that the company also needs to look after its employees.
"I must say I hate money but it's the lack of it that I hate most."
- Katherine Mansfield
I have to second the salt and ice theory here. I used to be the "coffee supply" for a night-shift industrial maintenance crew that would consume multiple pots per shift and the pot itself would get stained rather quickly. A healthy dose of salt with some ice "swirled" around the inside gets it as clean as any soap could ever do and is so ridiculously cheap you'll wonder why you wasted $0.99 on the vinegar...
We are a single-income family, so we watch our pennies closely. One habit I have developed over the years involves the annual purchase of school clothes. Our school district has a dress-code, so it does make shopping a bit easier. First, I go through my children's closet and inventory what they have outgrown and what still fits. I make a list of basic necessary items which I then comparison price either on-line or at local stores. I do a lot of shopping on-line because company websites usually have a better clearance department than the actual store. For instance, I just bought name brand school polo shirts from a company website for $7.00 - the same shirts were 24.99 in the store. I keep an eye out for free shipping promotions. I've found that if you get the school clothes by the end of June, you can get better bargains than if you wait until August. I am always looking for small ways to save our family money. The sun is free, so I hang clothes on a line outside as much as possible. I make my own instant cocoa mix each winter. I grow herbs in small pots, and freeze them for year-round usage. When a certain fruit is in season, I will buy extra to freeze for later use. We are very active and have devised our own powdered sports drink mix. We know that credit card companies aren't out to help us; they are out to make a major profit off us! So, we save up for major purchases, or just say "no." Recently, when we were comparing insurance companies during an insurance "check-up, one of them didn't feel we were a good risk because we hadn't had any credit purchases in 8 years! One thing I don't do much of anymore is cut coupons. I find that buying the store brand is much cheaper.
You can get three flowers at Latino markets if you have them nearby. There's Jamaica which is dried hibiscus, and is steeped in water to make something that tastes like fruit punch (if you add sugar). There's squash blossoms (flor de calabaza) which I believe is the same as these zucchini flowers, popular with Mexicans. It's popular in quesadillas. There's loroco, which Salvadorans put into pupusas (a stuffed, handmade tortilla).
I'm a financial cat: stealthily, sneakily trying to make and save more money and coming up with unique, resourceful ways of doing so. And even while I'm napping (which is often!) I'm still using that time to dream up more clever means of being frugal. Somehow I always manage to land on my feet.
I am like a mouse. I like to store stuff but am very forgetful of what I am doing and often lose track of myself.
How would I go about trading my coupons? Are they even transferable?
LMAO, I have hit 45 in my house once. My average winter temps in my house at 55. You can go very low and save money.
Simplicity is why I'm cheap... I mean, frugal. I hate dealing with so much stuff.
I've been suffering from GERD for two years now, the first attack made me call 911 thinking it was a heart attack! Medication was given to me but nothing seemed to sooth the pain, until I read in the book of "THE LEMONADE DIET" which I bought at Whole Foods, that two teaspoons in an 8 ounce glass of watter would take away the pain, I tried it and it did it. Now every time I have disconfort I take it and it takes aobut 10 to 20 minutes to go away. Azzy
I travel a lot and am in hotels 40-50 nights a year. I agree with you re: choosing the right bag. The suitcases I've had over the years were cheap ones, and the zippers and wheels have broken off. I'm of the mind now that i need to pay more now to get a great bag that will last longer, and utilize the space better. Also, because I travel so much, I have a separate set of toiletries that I just always keep in the suitcase. They're travel-size and are ready to go, so I don't have to think about packing everything each time I travel.
Not sure if this is well known or not but you can use simple toothpaste to clean your jewelry. Not the gel stuff but the plain toothpaste actually works better than the expensive jewelry cleaner. Dab a little on a paper towel rub gently then rinse. And whats best.. its already in your bathroom!
Happy Cleaning!!! :)
i just found out that people will buy ur hair?.. well i have 12' of virgin hair ive been holding on to, because i was going to donate it to L.o.L, sadly due to them selling a majority of their donations.. i decided to look into selling it myself, from what i hear people would be willing to pay top dollar for what i have..its a super-super thick brade so if anyone can guide me to the next steps it would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Tustin Mom
Well i live in ohio and i was laid off in march so what did i do went back to school so i am currently in college for medical assisting when i was laid off i was making $13.50 an hour not including the dollar an hour shift differential well anyways they have this random program for unemployment where they call or email you a job number usually twice a day and you have to call them about these jobs and every job i have called them about has not ben more than $8 an hour and when i refuse it they get all mad and argue with me about it and say i could lose my benefits could i lose my benefits for turning down jobs making at least $5.50 less an hour than what i was making when i was laid off
It's surprisingly easy to put two and two together about the state of the economy, actually. Here it is: America is broke. Banks are not putting the value of these homes on their books so they can appear solvent and leverage their cash elsewhere (namely acquiring smaller banks and have a huge consolidation). Are banks lending money to small businesses and lowly consumers? Not really. Check their books and you WILL see they're still doing major financial investments overseas and with large corporations.
No one should be surprised home values are dipping yet again when they were only propped up artificially through the govt tax credit program. Housing prices aren't going to rise until people actually have the income to buy them and banks ease up on credit. Plus, the banks are not releasing many of their foreclosed homes on the market, so the issue of "supply" in the supply-and-demand' equation is still appearing better than it is.
On an international level, the dollar is plunging (though the Euro's plunge is a nice diversion from the U.S.'s problems): our debt-to-GDP ratio is worse than other European countries bound to bogus IMF austerity measures when factoring in the U.S. Medicare and Social Security which our country simply cannot afford. China's not investing in the TBills with as much confidence and they're looking to get out of the dollar. Asking them to appreciate the yuan didn't help with that one. The U.N. wants the dollar to exit stage left as the world reserve and instead use an IMF-backed currency. The U.S. is looking to go to war with Iran with any excuse it can find in a pitiful attempt to gain control of more oil reserves and revive the economy ala WWII style. Great for Halliburton, Blackwater, other defense contractors and oil companies, but not so much for you and I. This didn't change when Bush exited the White House and Obama entered.
The unemployment rate continues to rise, and anyone who thinks there's such thing as a jobless recovery is only kidding themselves. Just like the housing market being propped up with artificial programs, the census jobs are doing that now. Meanwhile, the underemployed, part-time workers and the discouraged workers make the unemployment rate even worse than what's announced by the BLS.
With regards to the stock market, it's a fool's game. Just look at how many shares of BP were dumped and shorted BEFORE the oil spill even happened. We're told "the economy is getting better" precisely because consumer confidence is what drives the stock market and pays for the jobs of those analysts who feed us this information. Meanwhile, our savings and 401k's are being gambled in this little game. Agenda? You bet.
Do we need to spend, spend, spend to keep this economy going? To some extent, yes. But the logic that we need to spend to excess is like saying we need to binge on twinkies to prevent starvation. Meanwhile, the twinkie company is laughing all the way to the bank. In this case, it's the financial institutions with usurious interest rates laughing at the myth that we somehow need to spend more than we can afford to prop up 'the economy' and by 'the economy' I really mean, 'the CEO's multi-billion dollar salaries.' I'm not against an honest profit. I'm quite fiscally conservative. But I'll be damned if I'm the one subsidizing it under the guise that I'm somehow performing a patriotic act. Think about your monthly bills: how many are going towards the small mom-and-pop shop down the road, or to the electrician? How much of it is actually being funneled into your community? Not much. Quite likely, most of it is paying off debt.
And you're HONESTLY saying "no one really knows or has a clue about the economy?" Shame on you. It doesn't take muddy statistics, ivory tower academics, a slick 'economist' who appear on the major news networks or some crystal ball to illustrate the economy is not, in fact, getting better. Hang on to your seats, folks, it's going to be a bumpy ride. And for the love, educate yourselves. The puzzle pieces are out there. Put them together, connect the dots. There's some truth to that bumper sticker that says, "if you're not mad, you're not paying attention." When the economy tanks later this year, just don't say, "no one could have predicted this."
How can it be bad for the economy for people NOT to be on the brink of foreclosure and bankruptcy? Where do savers leave the economy? Safer.
Ken, I found no comparison in China to the crowds in NYC. Like the US, there are areas of greater and lesser pollution but pristine areas are not difficult to find.
Obviously, I don't know what part of Southern China you've visited, but your experience in southern China is different from mine. Most young people in China can read English, even though they can't understand spoken English. A pen and notepad work wonders.
My time in Southern China included stays in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, as well as HK.
I really like the line about making, "sound financial decisions that work for me." Isn't this what we all have to do? It is certainly what I help my clients do.
Also, with regard to your comments on uncertainty, I offer Ecclesiastes 10:14, "...no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him?" I think it is important for us to acknowledge that we cannot know or predict the future and to plan accordingly.
I'm looking at retiring to China, too. My wife is Chinese and has maintained dual citizenship. I have limited Mandarin but my wife and daughter speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and Sichuanese.
English is taught in every big high school in China. Although many students can read English, most of them have never heard it spoken by westerners. Carrying a pad and pen can bridge the gap without a big problem. I found the pen and pad tactic most useful in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Chengdu and was approached often in public places by young Chinese wanting to try out their English.
Hangzhou has been mentioned as a place where persons with $800 a month USD can live comfortably, and it's only about an hour train ride to Shanghai.
I have been doing many of these ideas for my business the past year or so, but actually what has been the most helpful is having a membership to SBO-Online. I run a small home business, but they are are able to get me discounts on setting up accepting credit card payments, I get a discount on Office Depot products and tons of other stuff. They even have access to to legal and accounting advice for free. My membership paid for itself the first time I went shopping for copy paper and printer ink. www.sbo-online.com if you are interested.