I'm a cartridge man myself. As stated in the article, the cost of shaving with Gillette is outrageous. But there are a few companies out there making the cost of cartridge shaving a bit more tolerable. I've been shaving with Harry's products for a few months and will never go back (https://www.harrys.com/?ref=87d787eafe). Seriously a great product at a fraction of the cost of Gillette. And a better shave as well. The blades run from $1.50-$2 per blade (depending on how many you order at a time). They also have a referral program that allows you to earn free blades for every referral, bringing your overall investment way down. Customer support is fantastic as well, and always eager to assist. Would highly recommend dropping $15 on their starter kit and giving them a shot if you're currently stuck on the Gillette wagon.
One flaw in the discussion of gold as an investment is that you assume the value of gold should be measured in dollars, but dollars have a fluctuating purchasing power. In fact, they have lost 97% of their purchasing power since 1971, while gold during the same time frame has significantly increased its purchasing power with respect to real goods and services.
We have a jeep... so we don't save much! Just kidding... we have to try to save up where we can so we can take the jeep out fourwheeling more often. We save by whoever is driving the farthest takes the commuter car or my husband will sometimes take the motorcycle. We then only drive the jeep if we need to or if its for an outing.
We also do one of the grocery store rewards programs, when we buy all of our groceries at the closest store we get points that equal out to 10 cents off of gas. It helps out a little.
I also try to shop around for better gas prices just by looking at where we are on gas and making sure I get the best price on the way home from wherever we are going. I look at all the prices on our way to wherever we are going and then choose the best place on the return trip.
I try to keep a full tank when gas prices are climbing (fill up more often) and a half empty tank when gas prices are dropping (let them drop more before I fill up) it doesn't always work out but sometimes I do well.
It's true, the FHA 203k home improvement loan can be a great option for buying a fixer upper. It's even great for just updating a home you're buying - like new appliances, carpet, paint or maybe window upgrades. And with a cost of about $6 a month more for every $1,000 in work you finance, it's an affordable monthly expense for a lot of us.
Thanks for posting about this remodeling finance option. It's so important to find an expert 203k lender like you said, who has a team of experts and trusted resources. Good stuff!
Take a bus to work, walk to close destinations, choose a fuel-efficient car, use a calm driving style, keep tires inflated, keep superfluous items out of the car, combine errands.
How do you save on gas?
My main gas saving strategy is living in a place where I can walk to work and many other places I frequent.
Do you use any apps, programs, or websites in your strategy?
I use Kroger Fuel points and buy gift cards for sites such as Amazon during their 4x fuel point promotions. Also, I use my Amex Blue Cash preferred and buy Kroger gift cards to use on gas and get 6% back!
Have you made big lifestyle changes in response to high gas prices?
I previously drove everyday to work but now I mainly walk.
Good article. Too many in the middle class believe in the fallacy that investment companies or CFPs can outperform the market on an after-tax, risk adjusted basis. Or that you can outperform the market as an individual. Of course the big banks and companies like Ameriprise Financial/Edward Jones are complicit in this, peddling the ‘actively managed’ concept to the masses in order to justify huge sales loads and expense ratios. The odds simply favor the passive index investor.
Add to that the fact that the middle class can invest money in Traditional IRAs and 401(k). By simply doing this you can beat Warren Buffet’s investment returns on an after-tax, risk adjusted basis. You just have to make the obvious move and not try to be too smart.
I considered but decided against a 203(k) years ago because of the hassle.
However, its cousin, the 203(b) is worth the hassle for some folks because you can include the renovation costs in the purchase mortgage. That alone can save tremendous costs.
I definitely do yard sales on about a yearly basis. With four children constantly outgrowing clothes and toys, etc. I find it's usually a pretty easy way to make some quick cash. We're lucky in that our town doesn't have any fees or restrictions regarding yard sales. I will admit, I always drag my feet before having the sale, but feel relieved and glad once it's over, relieved to have cleared out clutter and glad for the extra cash. The most we've made is probably $500, but I helped a friend with her sale and she came away with over $1000. It's worth it in my opinion even if we just make $100!
$5 gray cashmere scarf
$30 black leather jacket from Gap (wrong size label), $35 black Italian leather duster (long raincoat)
$40 black double breasted suit (100% wool)
$20 new combat boots (Army surplus store)
Yard/garage sales are great! It seems like people tend to get out of them what they put into them. I suggest being willing to part with things for a good price and consider donating what doesn't sell so that you're not holding on to stuff you don't want or use. It's useful to coordinate with neighbors or better yet, an HOA to advertise together.
I participated in a community-wide HOA-sponsored garage sale last summer. They provided advertising in newspapers and posted signs at the various entrances to the HOA. They also handed out directional signs for use within the HOA for those participating. We made a decent amount of money; over $300, I believe. Normally, however, I either donate items or sell them on Craigslist.
Great points for beginners. Vanguard offers quite a few ETFs for a variety of index funds now. They are lower cost than mutual funds and a good choice when investing outside of retirement accounts.
Not to the mixture. Mix all up and use the hose sprayer. It says 10 gal. Becuase the when you are done with the mixture, 10 gal of water had come thru the bottle
Had a garage sale a few years ago....a woman offered us a dime for each item she wanted. It was early in the day, so we asked a quarter for those items. Later in the afternoon she returned, offering a dime again....we sold her a lot of things!
I've been laid off before from multiple companies, from jobs both wonderful and jobs so incredibly horrid they gave me depression just thinking about them.
Of course, getting laid off from a job you enjoyed is a terrible experience; I had a previous job with 2 seriously awesome bosses and some great coworkers that made the work actually bearable to do. I didn't even mind the mandatory overtime I got every Saturday morning. When I was taken aside and told I would be allowed to finish the week and that was it, I was numb. I was depressed for a while after, even when I landed a new job a few weeks later. Those are jobs you look back on fondly even when you've already gotten a new job, one that might even pay better and have actual benefits.
Then there are jobs where they couldn't even pay you to do, and not because the work was hard or hazardous. It's because the job completely ruins a whole chunk of your day and poisons the rest just from its very existence and the fact that you're the one stuck doing it. One such job started out as a great job like above, with similarly awesome bosses and coworkers and none of the required overtime. I would get worried when layoffs were rumored and would be relieved when they didn't happen to me or my team (a cruel thought, I will admit). Then my boss was promoted and a new manager was brought in from another department.
This new boss, he was not so awesome.
He started off by having us all moved from large, reasonably private cubicles into desks that were much too small to comfortably work at - to say nothing of the absolute mess of wires this created, a real and constant tripping hazard - he was constantly micro-managing everybody's time, and he piled on responsibilities that we were never prepared for much less trained well enough to perform. And that was before he started making up issues with people's performance and attitude - not even trying to dig up something genuine like another comment to this article - in order to scare them into working harder and making his numbers look good or else. It got to the point where I simply couldn't stand it and started complaining to my former boss (now his boss) and generally stopped giving a damn about my job (only doing the minimum). My bellyaching got me labeled as a troublemaker and my boss picked up on my change in attitude, putting me first on the chopping block when the company downsized. I'm not kidding when I say I wanted to dance my way to my car when I was taken aside and told I wouldn't even be allowed to finish the day, much less the week, not even caring if I would get unemployment or not (I did, without incident in fact).
So for those saying "getting laid off on purpose is a terrible idea! Why would you even entertain it!?" It's likely that you haven't gotten "that one job" yet. That one job they write someecards about; you think they're just kidding, but you'd be shocked at how depressingly accurate some of those can be. That one job you wished somebody would invent a robot to replace you with already. That one job you needed medication to dull the incredible anxiety and/or depression your boss provided you on a daily basis, even on weekends or when he wasn't around.
That one job made me decide to finally go back to school and get that degree I've always wanted and hopefully get a job that I will at the very least find stimulating and worthwhile, if nothing else, even if it means taking on a part-time job (as opposed to full-time) so I can better concentrate on my studies.
my migraines started when i took the pill. it was along time before i discovered other triggers. cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits, strawberries, in fact any berry fruit, bananas, and pork, malt is also a trigger for some. tinned salmon and mushrooms were my brothers triggers. however when i started having B12 injections because of a deficiency many of the triggers no longer caused migraine,
cheese, chocolate and strawberries are the culprits now. the menopause hasn't made any difference at all. J
I'm a cartridge man myself. As stated in the article, the cost of shaving with Gillette is outrageous. But there are a few companies out there making the cost of cartridge shaving a bit more tolerable. I've been shaving with Harry's products for a few months and will never go back (https://www.harrys.com/?ref=87d787eafe). Seriously a great product at a fraction of the cost of Gillette. And a better shave as well. The blades run from $1.50-$2 per blade (depending on how many you order at a time). They also have a referral program that allows you to earn free blades for every referral, bringing your overall investment way down. Customer support is fantastic as well, and always eager to assist. Would highly recommend dropping $15 on their starter kit and giving them a shot if you're currently stuck on the Gillette wagon.
One flaw in the discussion of gold as an investment is that you assume the value of gold should be measured in dollars, but dollars have a fluctuating purchasing power. In fact, they have lost 97% of their purchasing power since 1971, while gold during the same time frame has significantly increased its purchasing power with respect to real goods and services.
We have a jeep... so we don't save much! Just kidding... we have to try to save up where we can so we can take the jeep out fourwheeling more often. We save by whoever is driving the farthest takes the commuter car or my husband will sometimes take the motorcycle. We then only drive the jeep if we need to or if its for an outing.
We also do one of the grocery store rewards programs, when we buy all of our groceries at the closest store we get points that equal out to 10 cents off of gas. It helps out a little.
I also try to shop around for better gas prices just by looking at where we are on gas and making sure I get the best price on the way home from wherever we are going. I look at all the prices on our way to wherever we are going and then choose the best place on the return trip.
I try to keep a full tank when gas prices are climbing (fill up more often) and a half empty tank when gas prices are dropping (let them drop more before I fill up) it doesn't always work out but sometimes I do well.
It's true, the FHA 203k home improvement loan can be a great option for buying a fixer upper. It's even great for just updating a home you're buying - like new appliances, carpet, paint or maybe window upgrades. And with a cost of about $6 a month more for every $1,000 in work you finance, it's an affordable monthly expense for a lot of us.
Thanks for posting about this remodeling finance option. It's so important to find an expert 203k lender like you said, who has a team of experts and trusted resources. Good stuff!
Dan Moyle
Take a bus to work, walk to close destinations, choose a fuel-efficient car, use a calm driving style, keep tires inflated, keep superfluous items out of the car, combine errands.
How do you save on gas?
My main gas saving strategy is living in a place where I can walk to work and many other places I frequent.
Do you use any apps, programs, or websites in your strategy?
I use Kroger Fuel points and buy gift cards for sites such as Amazon during their 4x fuel point promotions. Also, I use my Amex Blue Cash preferred and buy Kroger gift cards to use on gas and get 6% back!
Have you made big lifestyle changes in response to high gas prices?
I previously drove everyday to work but now I mainly walk.
Whenever I'm going somewhere within a five mile radius I choose to bike!
I bought a more fuel efficient car to save on gas, even though it's smaller than I'd like it to be.
Good article. Too many in the middle class believe in the fallacy that investment companies or CFPs can outperform the market on an after-tax, risk adjusted basis. Or that you can outperform the market as an individual. Of course the big banks and companies like Ameriprise Financial/Edward Jones are complicit in this, peddling the ‘actively managed’ concept to the masses in order to justify huge sales loads and expense ratios. The odds simply favor the passive index investor.
Add to that the fact that the middle class can invest money in Traditional IRAs and 401(k). By simply doing this you can beat Warren Buffet’s investment returns on an after-tax, risk adjusted basis. You just have to make the obvious move and not try to be too smart.
I considered but decided against a 203(k) years ago because of the hassle.
However, its cousin, the 203(b) is worth the hassle for some folks because you can include the renovation costs in the purchase mortgage. That alone can save tremendous costs.
I definitely do yard sales on about a yearly basis. With four children constantly outgrowing clothes and toys, etc. I find it's usually a pretty easy way to make some quick cash. We're lucky in that our town doesn't have any fees or restrictions regarding yard sales. I will admit, I always drag my feet before having the sale, but feel relieved and glad once it's over, relieved to have cleared out clutter and glad for the extra cash. The most we've made is probably $500, but I helped a friend with her sale and she came away with over $1000. It's worth it in my opinion even if we just make $100!
$5 gray cashmere scarf
$30 black leather jacket from Gap (wrong size label), $35 black Italian leather duster (long raincoat)
$40 black double breasted suit (100% wool)
$20 new combat boots (Army surplus store)
We have one garage sale a year. I love it and I love going to them!!!
Yard/garage sales are great! It seems like people tend to get out of them what they put into them. I suggest being willing to part with things for a good price and consider donating what doesn't sell so that you're not holding on to stuff you don't want or use. It's useful to coordinate with neighbors or better yet, an HOA to advertise together.
I participated in a community-wide HOA-sponsored garage sale last summer. They provided advertising in newspapers and posted signs at the various entrances to the HOA. They also handed out directional signs for use within the HOA for those participating. We made a decent amount of money; over $300, I believe. Normally, however, I either donate items or sell them on Craigslist.
Excellent article - only thing I would add is to make sure you interview the specialist well!
Great points for beginners. Vanguard offers quite a few ETFs for a variety of index funds now. They are lower cost than mutual funds and a good choice when investing outside of retirement accounts.
Not to the mixture. Mix all up and use the hose sprayer. It says 10 gal. Becuase the when you are done with the mixture, 10 gal of water had come thru the bottle
I beat Sunday night dread by changing up my Sunday night routine and planning for Monday.
Had a garage sale a few years ago....a woman offered us a dime for each item she wanted. It was early in the day, so we asked a quarter for those items. Later in the afternoon she returned, offering a dime again....we sold her a lot of things!
It does list this as a benefit on the WF website: https://www.wellsfargo.com/credit-cards/secured/index
I've been laid off before from multiple companies, from jobs both wonderful and jobs so incredibly horrid they gave me depression just thinking about them.
Of course, getting laid off from a job you enjoyed is a terrible experience; I had a previous job with 2 seriously awesome bosses and some great coworkers that made the work actually bearable to do. I didn't even mind the mandatory overtime I got every Saturday morning. When I was taken aside and told I would be allowed to finish the week and that was it, I was numb. I was depressed for a while after, even when I landed a new job a few weeks later. Those are jobs you look back on fondly even when you've already gotten a new job, one that might even pay better and have actual benefits.
Then there are jobs where they couldn't even pay you to do, and not because the work was hard or hazardous. It's because the job completely ruins a whole chunk of your day and poisons the rest just from its very existence and the fact that you're the one stuck doing it. One such job started out as a great job like above, with similarly awesome bosses and coworkers and none of the required overtime. I would get worried when layoffs were rumored and would be relieved when they didn't happen to me or my team (a cruel thought, I will admit). Then my boss was promoted and a new manager was brought in from another department.
This new boss, he was not so awesome.
He started off by having us all moved from large, reasonably private cubicles into desks that were much too small to comfortably work at - to say nothing of the absolute mess of wires this created, a real and constant tripping hazard - he was constantly micro-managing everybody's time, and he piled on responsibilities that we were never prepared for much less trained well enough to perform. And that was before he started making up issues with people's performance and attitude - not even trying to dig up something genuine like another comment to this article - in order to scare them into working harder and making his numbers look good or else. It got to the point where I simply couldn't stand it and started complaining to my former boss (now his boss) and generally stopped giving a damn about my job (only doing the minimum). My bellyaching got me labeled as a troublemaker and my boss picked up on my change in attitude, putting me first on the chopping block when the company downsized. I'm not kidding when I say I wanted to dance my way to my car when I was taken aside and told I wouldn't even be allowed to finish the day, much less the week, not even caring if I would get unemployment or not (I did, without incident in fact).
So for those saying "getting laid off on purpose is a terrible idea! Why would you even entertain it!?" It's likely that you haven't gotten "that one job" yet. That one job they write someecards about; you think they're just kidding, but you'd be shocked at how depressingly accurate some of those can be. That one job you wished somebody would invent a robot to replace you with already. That one job you needed medication to dull the incredible anxiety and/or depression your boss provided you on a daily basis, even on weekends or when he wasn't around.
That one job made me decide to finally go back to school and get that degree I've always wanted and hopefully get a job that I will at the very least find stimulating and worthwhile, if nothing else, even if it means taking on a part-time job (as opposed to full-time) so I can better concentrate on my studies.
Nope I have not.
My question precisely.
my migraines started when i took the pill. it was along time before i discovered other triggers. cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits, strawberries, in fact any berry fruit, bananas, and pork, malt is also a trigger for some. tinned salmon and mushrooms were my brothers triggers. however when i started having B12 injections because of a deficiency many of the triggers no longer caused migraine,
cheese, chocolate and strawberries are the culprits now. the menopause hasn't made any difference at all. J