Yes, that's rather the point of reviewing it here on Wise Bread.
Having said that, I'd like to offer a counter point on stockpiling. There are a lot of good reasons to stockpile—not only does it prepare you for minor emergencies (like a flood or a blizzard), save money (if you stock up when you can get a good price), and make your household run more smoothly (because you more often just have what you need without having to make a run to the store to get it), it also offers huge tax-free investment returns--but collapse mitigation isn't one of them. (If your collapse-mitigation strategy involves stockpiling anything, I think you're on the wrong track.)
But all the rest of that stuff—avoiding debt, minimizing energy needs, and making your household a center of production—works well in good times and bad.
I love yard sales--both for earning extra income (I usually make $400-500 on items I pick up free at drugstores/grocery stores) and for buying good quality used items for my home. I've bought furniture and refinished it, picked up years of board games and puzzles, and more. I always shop with a list--to avoid overspending and impulse buys. Yard sales are also great for seasonal items (winter boots X 3 kids, sleds, etc.), sports equipment and barely used hobby items--like cleats from the kid who quit after one season.
Garage sales I love to hold them and go to them. In this ecomomy you can get some good - second hand deals.
Its a great way to de-hoard your house room by room. Pass on funiture, clothes, kitchen items and toys nolonger of use. What doesn't get sold, give away to charity.
Going to a garage sale you must go early to get the best deals. People will haggle with you.
Also if you are holding one and still have good stuff to sale, wait til sundown to close, there are the few strays that might pull up or the passer-bys.
Garage sales are the best! I only go when I am looking for a specific item - then you can really save a bundle. We bought a table and chairs for our patio that probably cost 300 dollars for 10 bucks. what isn't to love about that?
Garage sales are amazing. because these are cheap , good and quality gems. Take a look at the garage sales before going retail.
P.S. "Batman" from kickass is a nice touch
My husband was targeted by a company called ITS. They found his resume that he had posted online and invited him to a nearby city to attend an information session with a few other select people, where they implied that they were a placement service with access to unadvertised jobs. They said their goal was to have him in a job within 6 months. It was very hard to find anything about them on the internet (ITS is a pretty common letter combination), but by doing a "scam" search like the one mentioned above, I found a site with a whole litany of complaints. The company (which operated under several names) would charge an upfront fee, give the client a limited time to back out, but then give no refunds if the client was not satisfied in the end. When my husband next spoke to the "recruiter", the man admitted that his prices started at $6000. We didn't have that much money to throw away, so I'm glad we didn't get caught up in it.
I'm no gun-toting right-wing kook, but the prospects of what's going to happen as our economy lurches through the ups and downs of peak oil (and our lack of preparedness) is downright terrifying. If Obama came out and said so ("we're all $cr@wed ... here's our Manhattan project style plan to deal with it...") it would be less disturbing, but the problem is that the government walks on eggshells to not tick off special interests and many are in denial about it.
The way to deal with it is all the same ... pay down your debt, save money in an investment vehicle that isn't likely to disappear (like many stocks) or depreciate due to inflation, cut your expenses, insulate the heck out of your home, buy as fuel efficient a car as you can afford, gradually upgrade your appliances and electronics to low energy ones that can run off a low power current such as wind or solar, and take a little lesson from our Mormon friends and build up as big as an emergency food and supplies pantry as you can possibly afford.
Gee ... this sounds a lot like what Wise Bread already preaches!
Thanks for the OEM parts tip for the CR-V (and the good news that yours is still going strong at 197K). The dealer's mechanic told us to expect 200K out of it.
I will check out a yard sale if I happen to be within walking distance, but I would never hold one because my time is more valuable than that. Frankly, I'm shocked that any household that itemizes income tax deductions in the 21st century still bothers to hold yard sales, when it would be a more efficient use of time (and more cost-effective) to donate goods worth <$50 to charity, and sell more expensive items on eBay or through Craigslist.
I love how everyone one is talking about Americans in this post but the man talking in the number one video is not an American so good luck to everyone who has been to this post and puts down Americans please do some research first before you put all of us down. Thank you.
I love garage sales for one-offs of vintage dishware, and for costume jewelry. As a seasoned thrift store shopper, I've really learned to hone my impulse to buy buy buy, so I really enjoy it. Holding a garage sale, on the other hand, is a big pain. I've only held them when I've moved.
I garage sale as a 2nd job, and for fun. Me and my dad make a great deal of money during the summer going to garage sales, then cleaning things up and selling at resale shops. The trick is simple, get there first! In most of the garage sales around here, by the time the sale was supposed to actually start, everything useful or cheap is gone. Some people will post "no earlybirds" and such, but money talks. There are different types of sales we attend, and because of the get there first rule there is an order of priority. Moving/Estate sales that are not done by professionals are #1, this is because they frequently sell "everything", because they are on a fixed time limit and they will have to deal with anything left over. #2 Subdivision sales, 1 hour before they start, just because you can get to more sales in less time. #3 Moving/Estate sales last day of sale, because even if done by professionals, everything is at least 50% off.
Almost everything in my house, and 90% of my clothing (some things are difficult to find in tall sizes, but I have), and everything in my yard has come from garage/estate/moving sales. It's not all used things also. Especially after a divorce! Some Gals will give away everything their husbands had, new or not. So I have items with their original tags on them that are new. You know that country song, "Give it Away", well they do! Last week I got 8 polo shirts and a remote control semi this one http://www.trendtimes.com/remote-control-tractor-trailer-semi-truck.html for 90 cents, because it started raining. I can sell what I don't want at any time, so I just change out things I like better, and sell them.
I used to shop them a lot when my kids were babies/toddlers, but not so much now. As for having one, I've had a couple, but I'm not convinced yet that they've been a good use of my time. I actually have some "stuff" that I want to get rid of, and am contemplating a garage sale. Just haven't pulled the trigger yet.
I think they are totally worth it to do, if you have enough stuff.
I just did a garage sale this weekend - mostly stuff I would have given away to Goodwill for free anyhow, and I made $180! Sweet!
I also like to shop them - mainly for kid's clothes. I usually don't even look at adult's clothing or most household stuff. But if I see a garage sale with kid's stuff, I'll stop to check it out.
I used to hold garage sales twice a year in conjunction with my subdivision's community sale. I stopped doing it because no matter how low you priced your stuff, people basically expected you to just put it in a bag and give it to them. I had a 3 pc suit for $4.00 and a lady wanted to give me $1.00 for it. After all the hard work, pricing and staying up all night to have it, it wasn't worth it. Now, I just go to yard sales.
I don't go out of my way to find garage sales, but, if we're out walking the dog & come across one, I definitely check it out. Generally we're not carrying any cash, and I've not seen anything for which we've gone home to get cash & returned.
At 11.7%, with a perfect run, you can only get about .3 gal at 190 proof. you can cut that and get just over half a gallon at 85 proof, drinking level. If you run it to 18.8% and have a perfect run, you get .6 gal at 190 proof. When you cut that, you get a full gallon and a few drinks extra.
That is a big difference for just changing the sugar and yeast. Bread yeast will not ferment all the sugar if you have 8 lb, so don't mix the recipes. Burned sugar does not taste as good in your vodka!
We just held a garage sale two weeks ago. Between the four families we earned $300. Not a lot, but then again we only held it one day. I've heard that Thursdays are now the "hot" day to hold your sales, followed by Fridays. Saturdays are popular days for having one, but apparently not so much for shopping.
I don't go to garage sales very often - but I will be this summer. We just found out we're expecting our first child, so we have nothing in the way of supplies and clothing. Kids clothes are awesome buys because they normally outgrown them before they have a change to wear them out (just watch for stains!)
I go to the nice neighborhoods in my area. They usually have good quality items that hold their value over time: cookware, for example, and decorative vases and such.
coke doesnt prevent kidney stones. my mom has kidney stones
& she drinks a coke a day
Yes, that's rather the point of reviewing it here on Wise Bread.
Having said that, I'd like to offer a counter point on stockpiling. There are a lot of good reasons to stockpile—not only does it prepare you for minor emergencies (like a flood or a blizzard), save money (if you stock up when you can get a good price), and make your household run more smoothly (because you more often just have what you need without having to make a run to the store to get it), it also offers huge tax-free investment returns--but collapse mitigation isn't one of them. (If your collapse-mitigation strategy involves stockpiling anything, I think you're on the wrong track.)
But all the rest of that stuff—avoiding debt, minimizing energy needs, and making your household a center of production—works well in good times and bad.
I love yard sales--both for earning extra income (I usually make $400-500 on items I pick up free at drugstores/grocery stores) and for buying good quality used items for my home. I've bought furniture and refinished it, picked up years of board games and puzzles, and more. I always shop with a list--to avoid overspending and impulse buys. Yard sales are also great for seasonal items (winter boots X 3 kids, sleds, etc.), sports equipment and barely used hobby items--like cleats from the kid who quit after one season.
Thanks for the shout-out on the peanut sauce article (I know I'm a little late to the party, but I only just finally saw this article)!
And I LOVE piccata sauce. It's the best way to dress up white meat, rice, or veggies.
Garage sales I love to hold them and go to them. In this ecomomy you can get some good - second hand deals.
Its a great way to de-hoard your house room by room. Pass on funiture, clothes, kitchen items and toys nolonger of use. What doesn't get sold, give away to charity.
Going to a garage sale you must go early to get the best deals. People will haggle with you.
Also if you are holding one and still have good stuff to sale, wait til sundown to close, there are the few strays that might pull up or the passer-bys.
Garage sales are the best! I only go when I am looking for a specific item - then you can really save a bundle. We bought a table and chairs for our patio that probably cost 300 dollars for 10 bucks. what isn't to love about that?
sounds ok to me....
Garage sales are amazing. because these are cheap , good and quality gems. Take a look at the garage sales before going retail.
P.S. "Batman" from kickass is a nice touch
My husband was targeted by a company called ITS. They found his resume that he had posted online and invited him to a nearby city to attend an information session with a few other select people, where they implied that they were a placement service with access to unadvertised jobs. They said their goal was to have him in a job within 6 months. It was very hard to find anything about them on the internet (ITS is a pretty common letter combination), but by doing a "scam" search like the one mentioned above, I found a site with a whole litany of complaints. The company (which operated under several names) would charge an upfront fee, give the client a limited time to back out, but then give no refunds if the client was not satisfied in the end. When my husband next spoke to the "recruiter", the man admitted that his prices started at $6000. We didn't have that much money to throw away, so I'm glad we didn't get caught up in it.
We're all in big trouble!!!
I'm no gun-toting right-wing kook, but the prospects of what's going to happen as our economy lurches through the ups and downs of peak oil (and our lack of preparedness) is downright terrifying. If Obama came out and said so ("we're all $cr@wed ... here's our Manhattan project style plan to deal with it...") it would be less disturbing, but the problem is that the government walks on eggshells to not tick off special interests and many are in denial about it.
The way to deal with it is all the same ... pay down your debt, save money in an investment vehicle that isn't likely to disappear (like many stocks) or depreciate due to inflation, cut your expenses, insulate the heck out of your home, buy as fuel efficient a car as you can afford, gradually upgrade your appliances and electronics to low energy ones that can run off a low power current such as wind or solar, and take a little lesson from our Mormon friends and build up as big as an emergency food and supplies pantry as you can possibly afford.
Gee ... this sounds a lot like what Wise Bread already preaches!
Thanks for the OEM parts tip for the CR-V (and the good news that yours is still going strong at 197K). The dealer's mechanic told us to expect 200K out of it.
I will check out a yard sale if I happen to be within walking distance, but I would never hold one because my time is more valuable than that. Frankly, I'm shocked that any household that itemizes income tax deductions in the 21st century still bothers to hold yard sales, when it would be a more efficient use of time (and more cost-effective) to donate goods worth <$50 to charity, and sell more expensive items on eBay or through Craigslist.
I love how everyone one is talking about Americans in this post but the man talking in the number one video is not an American so good luck to everyone who has been to this post and puts down Americans please do some research first before you put all of us down. Thank you.
I love garage sales for one-offs of vintage dishware, and for costume jewelry. As a seasoned thrift store shopper, I've really learned to hone my impulse to buy buy buy, so I really enjoy it. Holding a garage sale, on the other hand, is a big pain. I've only held them when I've moved.
I garage sale as a 2nd job, and for fun. Me and my dad make a great deal of money during the summer going to garage sales, then cleaning things up and selling at resale shops. The trick is simple, get there first! In most of the garage sales around here, by the time the sale was supposed to actually start, everything useful or cheap is gone. Some people will post "no earlybirds" and such, but money talks. There are different types of sales we attend, and because of the get there first rule there is an order of priority. Moving/Estate sales that are not done by professionals are #1, this is because they frequently sell "everything", because they are on a fixed time limit and they will have to deal with anything left over. #2 Subdivision sales, 1 hour before they start, just because you can get to more sales in less time. #3 Moving/Estate sales last day of sale, because even if done by professionals, everything is at least 50% off.
Almost everything in my house, and 90% of my clothing (some things are difficult to find in tall sizes, but I have), and everything in my yard has come from garage/estate/moving sales. It's not all used things also. Especially after a divorce! Some Gals will give away everything their husbands had, new or not. So I have items with their original tags on them that are new. You know that country song, "Give it Away", well they do! Last week I got 8 polo shirts and a remote control semi this one http://www.trendtimes.com/remote-control-tractor-trailer-semi-truck.html for 90 cents, because it started raining. I can sell what I don't want at any time, so I just change out things I like better, and sell them.
I used to shop them a lot when my kids were babies/toddlers, but not so much now. As for having one, I've had a couple, but I'm not convinced yet that they've been a good use of my time. I actually have some "stuff" that I want to get rid of, and am contemplating a garage sale. Just haven't pulled the trigger yet.
Wow..thanks. these apps are a must have for emergencies.
I think they are totally worth it to do, if you have enough stuff.
I just did a garage sale this weekend - mostly stuff I would have given away to Goodwill for free anyhow, and I made $180! Sweet!
I also like to shop them - mainly for kid's clothes. I usually don't even look at adult's clothing or most household stuff. But if I see a garage sale with kid's stuff, I'll stop to check it out.
I used to hold garage sales twice a year in conjunction with my subdivision's community sale. I stopped doing it because no matter how low you priced your stuff, people basically expected you to just put it in a bag and give it to them. I had a 3 pc suit for $4.00 and a lady wanted to give me $1.00 for it. After all the hard work, pricing and staying up all night to have it, it wasn't worth it. Now, I just go to yard sales.
I don't go out of my way to find garage sales, but, if we're out walking the dog & come across one, I definitely check it out. Generally we're not carrying any cash, and I've not seen anything for which we've gone home to get cash & returned.
Colinb
At 11.7%, with a perfect run, you can only get about .3 gal at 190 proof. you can cut that and get just over half a gallon at 85 proof, drinking level. If you run it to 18.8% and have a perfect run, you get .6 gal at 190 proof. When you cut that, you get a full gallon and a few drinks extra.
That is a big difference for just changing the sugar and yeast. Bread yeast will not ferment all the sugar if you have 8 lb, so don't mix the recipes. Burned sugar does not taste as good in your vodka!
We just held a garage sale two weeks ago. Between the four families we earned $300. Not a lot, but then again we only held it one day. I've heard that Thursdays are now the "hot" day to hold your sales, followed by Fridays. Saturdays are popular days for having one, but apparently not so much for shopping.
I don't go to garage sales very often - but I will be this summer. We just found out we're expecting our first child, so we have nothing in the way of supplies and clothing. Kids clothes are awesome buys because they normally outgrown them before they have a change to wear them out (just watch for stains!)
OMG!!! I'm in the exact same situation and they told me the EXACT same thing. Blew my mind!!! We're considering the walk away option too!!
I go to the rich neighborhoods for the yard sales.
I go to the nice neighborhoods in my area. They usually have good quality items that hold their value over time: cookware, for example, and decorative vases and such.