My biggest IKEA survival tip is DON'T GO ON THE WEEKEND! IKEA is overwhelming without a ton of people. Add the weekend crowd and things get even more crazy. I've done a couple of trips on Fridays and had really enjoyable experiences.
Some people manage to reach the goal without needing any tools at all, simply by paying attention. (Pay attention to what you really want and pay attention to what you spend to get it.)
My wife and I never made a budget. Instead, many years ago, after reading the book "Your Money or Your Life," we started tracking expenses to see where all our money went. And I mean every single penny—categorized so it was easy to see how much we spent on morning coffee, dining out, magazines, clothes, etc. After a few years of that, it was easy to see what we "really" wanted, what we could live without, and what little luxuries we wouldn't want to live without unless times got really hard. Miraculously, everything fell into place shortly thereafter. We no longer even have to keep itemized expenses because we have such a good feel for it now. This has allowed us to pay off all our debt (including mortgage) and save money for the hard times (which are now here for everybody, us included).
The thing is, we don't feel poorer at all by "denying" ourselves stuff because just by watching our spending without judgement (much a like a zen meditator watches his breath) all is revealed and you come into harmony with your money. It's a sort of homeostasis. Should our financial situation change drastically, we'd have to reach a whole new homeostasis. I don't know if it makes any sense. A bit touchy-feely I suppose.
I get all of my mixture from the local Dollar store (not the beer) most of the recipe people have in there house. No way this recipe come out to $20 per month. I always have mouthwash,ammonia,soda pop and frig full of beer/s on hand anyway. So this recipe is like free to me. I apply this mixture after a heavy rain. It help the mixture to get in the soil faster and easier.
"Well, people used to die quite regularly from drinking tainted milk and tainted fruit juices."
Yes, before the days of refrigeration, pasteurization was very necessary if you were going to drink milk and didn't own your own cow. I also don't think I'd like to try unpasteurized mass market milk products, but from responsible suppliers of raw milk I don't think I'd have a problem with it. Unpasteurized juice depends on the source as well; I don't think many of us heat up our orange or lemon juice when we squeeze it at home.
The worst job I had was cutting up meat at a butcher's shop. I hated that summer job because first, I had to ride the bus home and spelled like stale food and my clothese were forever red and smelly.
Slow food doesn't cost more. I actually save a ton of money since I started back to making a menu and getting back in the kitchen more days per week. When I was really busy I started relying on the fast because I was tired but I have had time to re-prioritize and we are saving a bundle.
Slow food does not have to mean organic which is expensive and the benefits haven't been proven. There are others ways to eat well and not rely on fast junk food. In fact we don't rarely eat fast food (3-4 times a year) and only when we have to (it is hard on the stomach when you aren't used to it). I don't buy candy at the store. Really even our sugar intake depends on me making cookies or such and I don't do it that often.
I don't care if you prefer organic, hormone free, etc. food but please do not assume that all slow food has to be this to be good. If you choose to eat this way then you choose to pay more but your alternative is not just junk food.
Making a menu and cooking might be hard at first but once you get the hang of it, you are more likely to save money if you know what to look for in food. I also have a huge garden and preserve my own foods to save money. It can be done!
To the GUEST consultant - your temp agency may be in violation of the law. Contact an attorney who can take your case on a contingency basis. Keep records of when you start and end work, and breaks or lack thereof, and so forth. I think the odds of winning a suit are better than in years past. These subcontracting companies are like little slave sweatshops - they turn you into a second class worker, not entirely unlike the hawaiian plantation workers, or an illegal immigrant.
America is exploitation nation. Since the 1970s, we've seen a steady decline in "socialism", and a steady rise in profits. We're back at 1890s levels of social inequality between haves and have-nots. And the people fretting about work-life balance are the in-betweeners, because the have-nots aren't taking vacations at all, and there's really no question that there will not be paid vacations in the future.
The main differene between America and Europe and most of Asia is evident in Iraq and Afghanistan. We send tens of thousands of troops, hire an equal number of overpaid mercenaries, and set up the bases. The Euros and Asians... they send a few hundred people and set up a few posts. American taxpayers have to foot the bill for these wars, and that's why there's no money left over for things like tax-funded childcare, adequate education, easy access to affordable healthcare, a month of paid vacations, and all the other things every other European takes for granted.
We pay the same taxes as many European economies, but we have to spend more of it on war.
Thank goodness I have found a forum to discuss what I had told all my co-workers when I was working.
I would tell people that if anyone won a large amount not to quit their jobs. A person should not do anything differnet for at least 30 days. Then, having worked at a Electric Utility I told people I would buy stock in that company and being a "blue collar" union worker would seek a position on the Board of Directors.
Besides being greeted now by my managers as Mister ...., and completely looking forward to each work day, I could learn the in's and out's of how a company is run, in case I would later make a choice of buying a small company. Learning from those Board members various positions on running a company and being part of seeing my money grow as I learn. I would also draw a Board of Director salary.
Making new social connections and the just plain strangeness of perhaps seeing in new's media my choice of doing so. Which I had always thought would increase in a small way the stock in the company seeing a small increase.
Perhaps it is a take on the "9-5" movie, people working at the job sometimes know more about the "real" work and can make postive change.
One last thing, I had told all my co-workers I planned on workign till I was 80 and I meant it. At that time a person could draw social security and I was told the company after after 70? would have to start paying part of my pension while I also made my very good salary.
or you could log on to www.dininghalfoff.com or if your in south florida - southfloridadines.com , over 500 restaurants to choose from - dininghalfoff.com is part of nbc and is opening cities worldwide
I used to work not far from Girl Scout headquarters in Manhattan and I'd be able to stop by to buy Girl Scout Cookies. I might have to look into shopping around for them now!
The key, of course, is finding a school that has like-minded students. Otherwise, you're fighting a losing battle and will end up with a network of people you have little in common with and less desire to work with in the future. Sometimes you don't know this until you've already arrived at the university and have accepted funding for your education. Then it's on you to network with people outside your school, but in your field or area of interest. That's what I had to do in grad school as I soon discovered that the students in my department were studying things that held little interest for me and the professors were resistant to the research track I wanted to follow (one well within the bounds of my field, but too controversial for their tastes). I ended up spending my time with people in other departments more open to the subject matter and with students from those departments. I also made friends in other areas of life -- like outdoor sports and writing groups -- in my local community.
Sometimes your university is not the right place for you to network. But it's a good start if it's the right fit.
Thew writter is an idiot! I don't want the government telling me what to eat. It is simply another tax and waste idea.
The government does not even know what is good or bad. One day milk is bad, then fiber is great, then fiber is just ok, coffee is bad then coffee is good. Common sense should be the rule and the government does not have any.
OH MY GOSH!!! I just did this...my glasses were EXTREMELY scratched!! All I did was use a plastic baggy on my hand, dipped my forefinger in the armour etch (just a dab)...did the circular rubbing for less than a minute...rinsed them off and WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this...you have saved the life of my vision. Long story short...this was my only hope! I'm in that in between stage of getting my glasses and contacts and all I have are the glasses I'm wearing right now to get me through a couple of weeks of waiting (certainly poor planning on my part)...Anyhoo, my glasses were so TERRIBLY scratched...it was like trying to see through 2 layers of fog.
To the person who made the comment about education not being free, you are right- it's not. However- that kid that's not yours could turn out to be your doctor, your neighbor or your future in law. By the way, your representation in govenrment-you pay for that too. There are some mooches for you. If you're their boss, why don't you have the same healthcare?
I get it-everybody's pissed, blah blah blah. No one complains when the government forces you to buy car insurance, but everyone's up in arms when someone tells you that you have to insure yourself, too. I see it like this: if your happy with your healthcare-you've never had to really, really use it (as Phillip commented above). If you're happy with the way things are, come spend the day with me, working with kids who come to school sick because mom can't take the day off. Because if she does, she'll lose her job. You don't want to pay for healthcare, fine. You don't want to pay for education, fine. But when you dial 911-you sure want someone to come, don't you? Your property taxes often pay for that. I don't want to put everybody's sob story on the soapbox.
I just want people to be polite to each other, be respectful of differing opinions. Stop telling me I'm a "insert mean name here" because I want a kid to get to go to the doctor. You're either going to help pay for that-now, up front, while that kid still has a chance to turn out great- or later, when that kid's homeless, in prison, or dead. You want things to change-or to speak out against changes you think are unfair, etc, then learn to do it in a way that's intelligent and respectful. I want people to be able to say what they want-I don't just want to hear my side. I'm just tired of everyone repeating whatever they heard on Fox news all the time and claiming that's how they've always felt. Truth is, you've probably never given half this stuff a second thought til now.
To the person who made the comment about education not being free, you are right- it's not. However- that kid that's not yours could turn out to be your doctor, your neighbor or your future in law. By the way, your representation in govenrment-you pay for that too. There are some mooches for you. If you're their boss, why don't you have the same healthcare?
I get it-everybody's pissed, blah blah blah. No one complains when the government forces you to buy car insurance, but everyone's up in arms when someone tells you that you have to insure yourself, too. I see it like this: if your happy with your healthcare-you've never had to really, really use it (as Phillip commented above). If you're happy with the way things are, come spend the day with me, working with kids who come to school sick because mom can't take the day off. Because if she does, she'll lose her job. You don't want to pay for healthcare, fine. You don't want to pay for education, fine. But when you dial 911-you sure want someone to come, don't you? Your property taxes often pay for that. I don't want to put everybody's sob story on the soapbox.
I just want people to be polite to each other, be respectful of differing opinions. Stop telling me I'm a "insert mean name here" because I want a kid to get to go to the doctor. You're either going to help pay for that-now, up front, while that kid still has a chance to turn out great- or later, when that kid's homeless, in prison, or dead. You want things to change-or to speak out against changes you think are unfair, etc, then learn to do it in a way that's intelligent and respectful. I want people to be able to say what they want-I don't just want to hear my side. I'm just tired of everyone repeating whatever they heard on Fox news all the time and claiming that's how they've always felt. Truth is, you've probably never given half this stuff a second thought til now.
Our cats all loved playing with a wad of foil on a string that we'd dangle or drag along and let them jump at. (The ones without string ended up in odd places.)
I reuse foil too, but I think I should start buying the heavy duty stuff next box, as it may hold up better.
Sonja - Can't wait to try the recipe. May I suggest that you please visit www.gfhomecooking.com for more easy recipes - good old fashion cooking. Elaine
Identity theft on a preloaded visa card? Do you file complaints on any other junkmail? Say the coupons? If this card came with $5 no one would be complaining. I have had this card for years and must admit you have to learn how to use it in order not to be a sucker. My direct deposit is always there a day early. Never had any problems with cust service nor my money. Im starting to question the common sence of these people.
My biggest IKEA survival tip is DON'T GO ON THE WEEKEND! IKEA is overwhelming without a ton of people. Add the weekend crowd and things get even more crazy. I've done a couple of trips on Fridays and had really enjoyable experiences.
It makes perfect sense.
The goal is to focus your spending on what you really want. A budget is just a tool for reaching that goal. Tracking your spending is another.
Some people manage to reach the goal without needing any tools at all, simply by paying attention. (Pay attention to what you really want and pay attention to what you spend to get it.)
Go with whatever works for you.
My wife and I never made a budget. Instead, many years ago, after reading the book "Your Money or Your Life," we started tracking expenses to see where all our money went. And I mean every single penny—categorized so it was easy to see how much we spent on morning coffee, dining out, magazines, clothes, etc. After a few years of that, it was easy to see what we "really" wanted, what we could live without, and what little luxuries we wouldn't want to live without unless times got really hard. Miraculously, everything fell into place shortly thereafter. We no longer even have to keep itemized expenses because we have such a good feel for it now. This has allowed us to pay off all our debt (including mortgage) and save money for the hard times (which are now here for everybody, us included).
The thing is, we don't feel poorer at all by "denying" ourselves stuff because just by watching our spending without judgement (much a like a zen meditator watches his breath) all is revealed and you come into harmony with your money. It's a sort of homeostasis. Should our financial situation change drastically, we'd have to reach a whole new homeostasis. I don't know if it makes any sense. A bit touchy-feely I suppose.
Al, check it out
I get all of my mixture from the local Dollar store (not the beer) most of the recipe people have in there house. No way this recipe come out to $20 per month. I always have mouthwash,ammonia,soda pop and frig full of beer/s on hand anyway. So this recipe is like free to me. I apply this mixture after a heavy rain. It help the mixture to get in the soil faster and easier.
Bentonelli
"Well, people used to die quite regularly from drinking tainted milk and tainted fruit juices."
Yes, before the days of refrigeration, pasteurization was very necessary if you were going to drink milk and didn't own your own cow. I also don't think I'd like to try unpasteurized mass market milk products, but from responsible suppliers of raw milk I don't think I'd have a problem with it. Unpasteurized juice depends on the source as well; I don't think many of us heat up our orange or lemon juice when we squeeze it at home.
The worst job I had was cutting up meat at a butcher's shop. I hated that summer job because first, I had to ride the bus home and spelled like stale food and my clothese were forever red and smelly.
Dig. McMansions take longer to clean. Ask Thoreau about that.
Slow food doesn't cost more. I actually save a ton of money since I started back to making a menu and getting back in the kitchen more days per week. When I was really busy I started relying on the fast because I was tired but I have had time to re-prioritize and we are saving a bundle.
Slow food does not have to mean organic which is expensive and the benefits haven't been proven. There are others ways to eat well and not rely on fast junk food. In fact we don't rarely eat fast food (3-4 times a year) and only when we have to (it is hard on the stomach when you aren't used to it). I don't buy candy at the store. Really even our sugar intake depends on me making cookies or such and I don't do it that often.
I don't care if you prefer organic, hormone free, etc. food but please do not assume that all slow food has to be this to be good. If you choose to eat this way then you choose to pay more but your alternative is not just junk food.
Making a menu and cooking might be hard at first but once you get the hang of it, you are more likely to save money if you know what to look for in food. I also have a huge garden and preserve my own foods to save money. It can be done!
Let me guess - you're young and don't worry about health insurance.
To the GUEST consultant - your temp agency may be in violation of the law. Contact an attorney who can take your case on a contingency basis. Keep records of when you start and end work, and breaks or lack thereof, and so forth. I think the odds of winning a suit are better than in years past. These subcontracting companies are like little slave sweatshops - they turn you into a second class worker, not entirely unlike the hawaiian plantation workers, or an illegal immigrant.
America is exploitation nation. Since the 1970s, we've seen a steady decline in "socialism", and a steady rise in profits. We're back at 1890s levels of social inequality between haves and have-nots. And the people fretting about work-life balance are the in-betweeners, because the have-nots aren't taking vacations at all, and there's really no question that there will not be paid vacations in the future.
The main differene between America and Europe and most of Asia is evident in Iraq and Afghanistan. We send tens of thousands of troops, hire an equal number of overpaid mercenaries, and set up the bases. The Euros and Asians... they send a few hundred people and set up a few posts. American taxpayers have to foot the bill for these wars, and that's why there's no money left over for things like tax-funded childcare, adequate education, easy access to affordable healthcare, a month of paid vacations, and all the other things every other European takes for granted.
We pay the same taxes as many European economies, but we have to spend more of it on war.
Thank goodness I have found a forum to discuss what I had told all my co-workers when I was working.
I would tell people that if anyone won a large amount not to quit their jobs. A person should not do anything differnet for at least 30 days. Then, having worked at a Electric Utility I told people I would buy stock in that company and being a "blue collar" union worker would seek a position on the Board of Directors.
Besides being greeted now by my managers as Mister ...., and completely looking forward to each work day, I could learn the in's and out's of how a company is run, in case I would later make a choice of buying a small company. Learning from those Board members various positions on running a company and being part of seeing my money grow as I learn. I would also draw a Board of Director salary.
Making new social connections and the just plain strangeness of perhaps seeing in new's media my choice of doing so. Which I had always thought would increase in a small way the stock in the company seeing a small increase.
Perhaps it is a take on the "9-5" movie, people working at the job sometimes know more about the "real" work and can make postive change.
One last thing, I had told all my co-workers I planned on workign till I was 80 and I meant it. At that time a person could draw social security and I was told the company after after 70? would have to start paying part of my pension while I also made my very good salary.
or you could log on to www.dininghalfoff.com or if your in south florida - southfloridadines.com , over 500 restaurants to choose from - dininghalfoff.com is part of nbc and is opening cities worldwide
Have you ever tried making these without the sugar and trans fats (vegetable shortening)?
I used to work not far from Girl Scout headquarters in Manhattan and I'd be able to stop by to buy Girl Scout Cookies. I might have to look into shopping around for them now!
The key, of course, is finding a school that has like-minded students. Otherwise, you're fighting a losing battle and will end up with a network of people you have little in common with and less desire to work with in the future. Sometimes you don't know this until you've already arrived at the university and have accepted funding for your education. Then it's on you to network with people outside your school, but in your field or area of interest. That's what I had to do in grad school as I soon discovered that the students in my department were studying things that held little interest for me and the professors were resistant to the research track I wanted to follow (one well within the bounds of my field, but too controversial for their tastes). I ended up spending my time with people in other departments more open to the subject matter and with students from those departments. I also made friends in other areas of life -- like outdoor sports and writing groups -- in my local community.
Sometimes your university is not the right place for you to network. But it's a good start if it's the right fit.
Yeah, but where do you deduct these things? Schedule C? Under which category?
i couldnt get the gum off the game can anyone tell me how to get the rest of the gum off?
Thew writter is an idiot! I don't want the government telling me what to eat. It is simply another tax and waste idea.
The government does not even know what is good or bad. One day milk is bad, then fiber is great, then fiber is just ok, coffee is bad then coffee is good. Common sense should be the rule and the government does not have any.
OH MY GOSH!!! I just did this...my glasses were EXTREMELY scratched!! All I did was use a plastic baggy on my hand, dipped my forefinger in the armour etch (just a dab)...did the circular rubbing for less than a minute...rinsed them off and WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this...you have saved the life of my vision. Long story short...this was my only hope! I'm in that in between stage of getting my glasses and contacts and all I have are the glasses I'm wearing right now to get me through a couple of weeks of waiting (certainly poor planning on my part)...Anyhoo, my glasses were so TERRIBLY scratched...it was like trying to see through 2 layers of fog.
I just can't Thank You Enough!!!
sherri :)
To the person who made the comment about education not being free, you are right- it's not. However- that kid that's not yours could turn out to be your doctor, your neighbor or your future in law. By the way, your representation in govenrment-you pay for that too. There are some mooches for you. If you're their boss, why don't you have the same healthcare?
I get it-everybody's pissed, blah blah blah. No one complains when the government forces you to buy car insurance, but everyone's up in arms when someone tells you that you have to insure yourself, too. I see it like this: if your happy with your healthcare-you've never had to really, really use it (as Phillip commented above). If you're happy with the way things are, come spend the day with me, working with kids who come to school sick because mom can't take the day off. Because if she does, she'll lose her job. You don't want to pay for healthcare, fine. You don't want to pay for education, fine. But when you dial 911-you sure want someone to come, don't you? Your property taxes often pay for that. I don't want to put everybody's sob story on the soapbox.
I just want people to be polite to each other, be respectful of differing opinions. Stop telling me I'm a "insert mean name here" because I want a kid to get to go to the doctor. You're either going to help pay for that-now, up front, while that kid still has a chance to turn out great- or later, when that kid's homeless, in prison, or dead. You want things to change-or to speak out against changes you think are unfair, etc, then learn to do it in a way that's intelligent and respectful. I want people to be able to say what they want-I don't just want to hear my side. I'm just tired of everyone repeating whatever they heard on Fox news all the time and claiming that's how they've always felt. Truth is, you've probably never given half this stuff a second thought til now.
To the person who made the comment about education not being free, you are right- it's not. However- that kid that's not yours could turn out to be your doctor, your neighbor or your future in law. By the way, your representation in govenrment-you pay for that too. There are some mooches for you. If you're their boss, why don't you have the same healthcare?
I get it-everybody's pissed, blah blah blah. No one complains when the government forces you to buy car insurance, but everyone's up in arms when someone tells you that you have to insure yourself, too. I see it like this: if your happy with your healthcare-you've never had to really, really use it (as Phillip commented above). If you're happy with the way things are, come spend the day with me, working with kids who come to school sick because mom can't take the day off. Because if she does, she'll lose her job. You don't want to pay for healthcare, fine. You don't want to pay for education, fine. But when you dial 911-you sure want someone to come, don't you? Your property taxes often pay for that. I don't want to put everybody's sob story on the soapbox.
I just want people to be polite to each other, be respectful of differing opinions. Stop telling me I'm a "insert mean name here" because I want a kid to get to go to the doctor. You're either going to help pay for that-now, up front, while that kid still has a chance to turn out great- or later, when that kid's homeless, in prison, or dead. You want things to change-or to speak out against changes you think are unfair, etc, then learn to do it in a way that's intelligent and respectful. I want people to be able to say what they want-I don't just want to hear my side. I'm just tired of everyone repeating whatever they heard on Fox news all the time and claiming that's how they've always felt. Truth is, you've probably never given half this stuff a second thought til now.
Our cats all loved playing with a wad of foil on a string that we'd dangle or drag along and let them jump at. (The ones without string ended up in odd places.)
I reuse foil too, but I think I should start buying the heavy duty stuff next box, as it may hold up better.
Thanks.
Sonja - Can't wait to try the recipe. May I suggest that you please visit www.gfhomecooking.com for more easy recipes - good old fashion cooking. Elaine
Identity theft on a preloaded visa card? Do you file complaints on any other junkmail? Say the coupons? If this card came with $5 no one would be complaining. I have had this card for years and must admit you have to learn how to use it in order not to be a sucker. My direct deposit is always there a day early. Never had any problems with cust service nor my money. Im starting to question the common sence of these people.