Our favorite tradition used to be to get dressed up and go to the adult care facility. The residents loved seeing our kids and the kids loved passing out little cards that said "Thank you and Jesus loves you" to the residents. We even had some family members of the residents pull us aside and tell us that their mother or father still had our card from the year before on their bulletin board. It was pretty special. Now that they're older and we don't go trick or treating, we help out with a festival at church doing whatever they need. Since we live out in the country, we've never had trick or treaters come to our house, so we don't have to buy any candy.
I wait to buy my candy until the last week. That way I don't eat it all up before the 31st. Also, we reuse decorations, adding a little each year. This year we retired our oldest cardboard pumpkin. The sun had bleached him yellow! Now that's a return on investment!
I am glad to see Chicago Cutlery made the list. I posted on my blog a short time ago about my experience with their knives. Long story short - My wife and I have had ours for thirty years and are very happy with them.
Great suggestions. Another reason to have a flexible cash flow is so you have reserves for Things That Go Wrong. For example, there's a good chance that you or a family member will have unexpected medical costs.
Great list! Add to #4, paper towel rolls: Wrap Christmas tree or holiday lights around them for (almost) tangle-free storage during the rest of the year.
"Stamped steel rather than forged steel.......makes it harder than other blades" is a wrong statement. Blade makers have a hardening process (generally heating and then rapidly quenching to change the metal crystal structure) that is independent of the shaping process. Also, the Global isn't the only stamped on the list. The Victorinox on the list is stamped as well (though Victorinox does make a forged version that is thicker and affects how well it cuts).
I like how "Best" is used without any other qualifiers, yet only includes knives from a budget range of $20 to $130, actually has a santoku on the list from a German brand (there are some tasks that a santoku can't do as well as a western chefs), and fails to include a nice budget carbon steel (as opposed to the stainless that occupy this list).
At least there aren't any celebrity knives on the list, so good job!
re #14 - Great idea for reusing detergent "squirt" bottles - However, FOR SAFETY Be sure to LABEL with the different CONTENTS. I reuse sprayer bottles and too often have to dump what I've put in them because my certainty that "this time" I'll remember what I put in them - is it diluted non-fragrant carpet cleaner or water?, etc. (and ESPECIALLY if there are any curious kids in the house :-)
Having 20% down won't automatically mean big savings. You are forgetting to consider credit scores....
FHA loans are not score driven like conventional loans - meaning that it doesn't matter what your scores are, as long as you have the minimum - then you get the FHA rate. Conventional loans, by contrast will punish you - hard - if you have scores that are lower.
So if you have a larger down payment...but your scores are still on the low end of the range - trying to save money by going to a conventional with 20% down may not work...
After 31 years of faithful service from a Sharp Microwave, it was time for an update. The Panasonic Genius fit the ticket perfectly. It arrived on time as stated and works great. On the highest setting, it boiled water in 45 seconds and heated a bowl of soup in 20 seconds. Nice!! It has 10 different heat settings including defrost, cook delay, a keep warm feature, and it's very quiet. For the price of this machine, you can't go wrong!!
Besides the reuses shown in the article, let me add a couple of more. I reuse plastic bread bags. They're great for storing homemade breads and muffins. They're also handy for storing meats like ground beef in the freezer. I divvy ours up into approximately one pound packages, flatten them for easy stacking, twist just above the meat pushing air out, then folding the excess plastic back onto the package before securing tightly. This makes a double thickness of plastic and protects against freezer burn. Another item I've found a reuse for is large dry pet food bags. They fit perfectly inside tall kitchen garbage cans, and are tougher than store bought bags. I haven't bought a plastic garbage bag in years!
I like your mono-task description. I hate multitasking. I find that when I or others multitask, many things get partially done, or they get done, but not done very well. I work much better if I concentrate on one task at a time and put all my effort into completing that one task.
Using wifi to make calls will save you considerably over the course of a year! And also, avoiding plans with a long contract period is a big way to save. There are more and more good companies that let you pay as you go -- and you don't have to have an old-gen phone to take advantage!
Thanks for these great tips. I am a huge believer in #1. Leaving the phone at home when going for a walk, not looking at emails or texts during meals and in general giving yourself time to focus on yourself and the people you're with is invaluable.
#5 really resonated with me. "Moments of genuine unscripted interaction can feed our personal relationships and, in turn, nourish our happiness." SO TRUE. I just had lunch with an old college friend and just those few hours made me happier for the rest of the week.
I like taking walks to admire the changes in the landscape, and arriving home slightly chilled -- it makes the warm house and the aroma of whatever's in the slow cooker that much more enticing.
Useful post, to be happy is so important. Getting out in the sun can also help. So I would suggest making the most of the sun we do have. Even if it is just a ten minute stroll in the sun.
Hand made costumes and home made treats.
Our favorite tradition used to be to get dressed up and go to the adult care facility. The residents loved seeing our kids and the kids loved passing out little cards that said "Thank you and Jesus loves you" to the residents. We even had some family members of the residents pull us aside and tell us that their mother or father still had our card from the year before on their bulletin board. It was pretty special. Now that they're older and we don't go trick or treating, we help out with a festival at church doing whatever they need. Since we live out in the country, we've never had trick or treaters come to our house, so we don't have to buy any candy.
I don't buy Halloween candy in advance at a rock bottom price because I will just eat it, and then have to buy more anyway :)
You can save a lot on kids' costumes if you shop at the consignment stores. The costumes have only been worn once so they're in great condition.
I wait to buy my candy until the last week. That way I don't eat it all up before the 31st. Also, we reuse decorations, adding a little each year. This year we retired our oldest cardboard pumpkin. The sun had bleached him yellow! Now that's a return on investment!
We always try to have a frugal Halloween. We have 3 kids, and we aren't afraid to use "hand me down" costumes.
I am glad to see Chicago Cutlery made the list. I posted on my blog a short time ago about my experience with their knives. Long story short - My wife and I have had ours for thirty years and are very happy with them.
Great suggestions. Another reason to have a flexible cash flow is so you have reserves for Things That Go Wrong. For example, there's a good chance that you or a family member will have unexpected medical costs.
Great list! Add to #4, paper towel rolls: Wrap Christmas tree or holiday lights around them for (almost) tangle-free storage during the rest of the year.
Yeah thank you Nick ~ that IS helpful !
"Stamped steel rather than forged steel.......makes it harder than other blades" is a wrong statement. Blade makers have a hardening process (generally heating and then rapidly quenching to change the metal crystal structure) that is independent of the shaping process. Also, the Global isn't the only stamped on the list. The Victorinox on the list is stamped as well (though Victorinox does make a forged version that is thicker and affects how well it cuts).
I like how "Best" is used without any other qualifiers, yet only includes knives from a budget range of $20 to $130, actually has a santoku on the list from a German brand (there are some tasks that a santoku can't do as well as a western chefs), and fails to include a nice budget carbon steel (as opposed to the stainless that occupy this list).
At least there aren't any celebrity knives on the list, so good job!
Thanks everyone! The detailed instructions for most of the recipes are linked.
re #14 - Great idea for reusing detergent "squirt" bottles - However, FOR SAFETY Be sure to LABEL with the different CONTENTS. I reuse sprayer bottles and too often have to dump what I've put in them because my certainty that "this time" I'll remember what I put in them - is it diluted non-fragrant carpet cleaner or water?, etc. (and ESPECIALLY if there are any curious kids in the house :-)
Having 20% down won't automatically mean big savings. You are forgetting to consider credit scores....
FHA loans are not score driven like conventional loans - meaning that it doesn't matter what your scores are, as long as you have the minimum - then you get the FHA rate. Conventional loans, by contrast will punish you - hard - if you have scores that are lower.
So if you have a larger down payment...but your scores are still on the low end of the range - trying to save money by going to a conventional with 20% down may not work...
#6 Mono tasking has been helpful for me. Also keeping a daily gratitude journal has made a huge difference in the level of happiness I feel.
After 31 years of faithful service from a Sharp Microwave, it was time for an update. The Panasonic Genius fit the ticket perfectly. It arrived on time as stated and works great. On the highest setting, it boiled water in 45 seconds and heated a bowl of soup in 20 seconds. Nice!! It has 10 different heat settings including defrost, cook delay, a keep warm feature, and it's very quiet. For the price of this machine, you can't go wrong!!
More info: http://ibookmarkedit.com/panasonic-nn-sn651b-genius-1-2-cuft-watt-sensor...
Besides the reuses shown in the article, let me add a couple of more. I reuse plastic bread bags. They're great for storing homemade breads and muffins. They're also handy for storing meats like ground beef in the freezer. I divvy ours up into approximately one pound packages, flatten them for easy stacking, twist just above the meat pushing air out, then folding the excess plastic back onto the package before securing tightly. This makes a double thickness of plastic and protects against freezer burn. Another item I've found a reuse for is large dry pet food bags. They fit perfectly inside tall kitchen garbage cans, and are tougher than store bought bags. I haven't bought a plastic garbage bag in years!
I like your mono-task description. I hate multitasking. I find that when I or others multitask, many things get partially done, or they get done, but not done very well. I work much better if I concentrate on one task at a time and put all my effort into completing that one task.
Using wifi to make calls will save you considerably over the course of a year! And also, avoiding plans with a long contract period is a big way to save. There are more and more good companies that let you pay as you go -- and you don't have to have an old-gen phone to take advantage!
Great list. While I knew some of the things listed were covered, there were a few surprises. Time to get the policy out and give it another review.
Thanks for these great tips. I am a huge believer in #1. Leaving the phone at home when going for a walk, not looking at emails or texts during meals and in general giving yourself time to focus on yourself and the people you're with is invaluable.
#5 really resonated with me. "Moments of genuine unscripted interaction can feed our personal relationships and, in turn, nourish our happiness." SO TRUE. I just had lunch with an old college friend and just those few hours made me happier for the rest of the week.
I like taking walks to admire the changes in the landscape, and arriving home slightly chilled -- it makes the warm house and the aroma of whatever's in the slow cooker that much more enticing.
Useful post, to be happy is so important. Getting out in the sun can also help. So I would suggest making the most of the sun we do have. Even if it is just a ten minute stroll in the sun.
After reading this post there are a lot of reasons I am not on track to being a millionaire.
I work for someone else, I don't work hard enough at my sideline and I truly don't believe that I will become a millionaire.
I always think about and dream about and hope that I will have more money but I don't actually do the work