Recent comments

  • “Avoid These Fast Food Items,” Say Fast Food Employees   13 years 44 weeks ago

    As far as the old cooking oil goes, you are all completely missing the point. At home, you use that oil at most once a day, although I suspect you have a pretty unhealthy diet if you are. In a restaurant or fast food chain, they are using the fryer constantly! At the end of a 24 hour shift, the oil is way past spent. Look at any Kitchen Nightmares show and you'll see one of the first things he does is look at the freshness of the oil. You can taste old oil, especially as it has had so many other things put in it. Crumbs get burned and leave a bad flavor. As a line cook, I can tell you that oil should be changed daily.

  • “Avoid These Fast Food Items,” Say Fast Food Employees   13 years 44 weeks ago

    Like the others, I don't see anything wrong with 4 day old oil. I use my oil many times, and like someone mentioned, there are places that boast their oil is 100 years old.

  • Ask the Readers: How Often Do You Eat Fast Food?   13 years 44 weeks ago

    When I forget to pack a lunch for work, my fast food choices around here are Chipotle, Panda Express, Chick-fil-a and the like (not many Taco Bells or McD's around here)... So I would say that I eat fast food anywhere between 0-3 times a week. They do taste good, but they're not so great on my wallet. :(

  • “Avoid These Fast Food Items,” Say Fast Food Employees   13 years 44 weeks ago

    Not sure what's wrong with the Bloomin Onions. I reuse the oil in my deep frier at home at least 4 times and store it for far longer than 4 days. It's not like anything can grow in it... the oil heats up above 350ºF. Enough to vaporize every bacteria, virus, or fungus that could possibly be transmitted to it from the food. The only things that can go wrong with reusing oil are that it 1) burns, or 2) goes rancid. But burning can be prevented with good filtration and a high smoke-point oil, and it takes a lot longer than 4 days for oil to go rancid. Good for them for practicing responsible recycling!

  • Ask the Readers: How Often Do You Eat Fast Food?   13 years 44 weeks ago

    I rarely eat fast food...maybe two to three times per year. I prefer cooking from scratch.

  • “Avoid These Fast Food Items,” Say Fast Food Employees   13 years 44 weeks ago

    Geez.. I love chicken nuggets.. I'll still order them anyway.. ;)

  • 5 Things to Spend More on Now   13 years 44 weeks ago

    With home repair basics, it's not just saving on professionals. I was so happy the day I realized I could take a wrench and bucket to the pipe beneath my clogged sink instead of pouring Draino down it.

  • 5 Things to Spend More on Now   13 years 44 weeks ago

    This is a very good list.. and I would also like to add equipment. Cheap, low quality equipment tend to produce low quality results and they get broken faster/easier.

  • Financial Math Basics You Need to Know   13 years 44 weeks ago

    Great article! I'm certain that too many people really don't get the concept of debt, how it works, how much it's costing them, etc. The bigger picture is, too many people are socking money away in savings or investments, while at the same time paying double-digit rates on credit card debt!

  • Your Money Problems: Why They're All Your Fault   13 years 44 weeks ago

    Well put! We can't always control the things that happen to us. What we can control is how we respond. So what happens after we're hit with bad luck is all on us.

  • Trader Joes vs. Costco: What's a Better Place to Shop?   13 years 44 weeks ago

    I dread going to Costco so much that I actually get in a bad mood a good three hours before I head there.

  • Trader Joes vs. Costco: What's a Better Place to Shop?   13 years 44 weeks ago

    I love Trader Joe's for grocery shopping. Not only do they have an amazingly eclectic variety of every different food item, they carry things that you could find at Whole Foods for incredibly low prices. I may reconsider my biased opinion once I have a family and need to stock up on endless amounts of toilet paper, but for me, TJ's wins over the massive zoo that is Costco.

  • Financial Math Basics You Need to Know   13 years 44 weeks ago

    Thanks for your comment. I think that seeing the impact of financial decisions can help people make more informed choices.

    There may be other factors in play (such as the desire to have a cash balance rather than higher home equity or quicker payoff, or a desire to minimize risk rather than go for greater returns) but it is helpful to make these decisions with a broader understanding.

  • How to Furnish Your Home for Less Than the Cost of a Moving Truck   13 years 44 weeks ago

    My family has found some awesome side tables and even a dresser from a yard sale. They can be goldmines if you find the right ones. Craigslist is something you have to be careful with. If you're able to check out the furniture in person before you buy it, however, it can save you a TON of money when furnishing an apartment or house.

  • Ask the Readers: How Often Do You Eat Fast Food?   13 years 44 weeks ago

    The only fast food that I can stand any more is Subway. I usually eat there 1-2 times per month, usually when I'm out of town and travelling.

  • Homemade Dog Food: Recipe and Cost   13 years 44 weeks ago

    my vet says dogs are not supposed to eat starches of any kind (rice, potatoes, etc.), grains, corn, dry legumes or soy. potato skins are particularly hard on dogs' stomach linings. dogs are just not meant to eat those things. she says to aim for about 75% meat and the rest, veggies (but dogs cannot eat all veggies).

  • Ask the Readers: How Often Do You Eat Fast Food?   13 years 44 weeks ago

    I eat fast food about 3 times a month, but I used to eat it much more. My waistline has improved as a result!

  • “Avoid These Fast Food Items,” Say Fast Food Employees   13 years 44 weeks ago

    I'm always particularly suspicious of how some of these places make burritos. I envision someone in the back room dumping piles of leftover food directly from customers' plates into the burrito of the next customer to be served. That essentially what a burrito's ingredients consist of.

  • netSpend: The Story of the Visa Debit Card We Did Not Apply For   13 years 44 weeks ago

    I received a NetSpend at my house with someone else's name on it. Called and left a message with their Law Enforcement Related issues #.

    I will be giving this information and this blog link to my US Senator, at our weekly lunch.

  • Why You Don’t Need Mortgage Life Insurance   13 years 44 weeks ago

    While the above may be true, it still makes sense to include the life insurance offered with the mortgage. You're not doing this to MAKE money, but to make thing easier for your family if something happens to you. My friend's spouse just passed away unexpectedly a few days ago. Still young and in good health, such a shock. I don't know yet if they had this kind of insurance, but hoping they did as it will make things so much easier for my traumatized friend. PLEASE...get this kind of insurance if you buy a house, esp the larger the mortgage.

  • 16 Ways to Make Your Clothes Last Longer Without Spending Big   13 years 44 weeks ago

    I absolutely agree. Air drying saves clothes for a longer time which is why I air dry most of my clothes. It also saves electricity, which would be used in great amounts by a drier.

    Thank you for the tips, Andrea. I appreciate it.

  • Ask the Readers: How Often Do You Eat Fast Food?   13 years 44 weeks ago

    I eat fast food maybe once, possibly twice a month. Sometimes I just really crave fried chicken. *Guilt*

  • “Avoid These Fast Food Items,” Say Fast Food Employees   13 years 44 weeks ago

    Wow I will never eat a Bloomin' Onion again. This article is fantastic fo the wallet and waistline.

  • “Avoid These Fast Food Items,” Say Fast Food Employees   13 years 44 weeks ago

    Just wanted to throw in here, the blooming onion using 4-day old oil isn't bad at all. There are some restaurants that use far older oil.

    There is one restaurant that has been continually recycling it's oil for over 100 years and they claim it is what gives their food it's unique flavor. It's been featured on the food network and cooking channel because their food is that amazing. So 4 day old oil? No big deal and no great worry.

    Blooming onions are still awesome.

  • 15 Ways to Stop the Hiccups   13 years 44 weeks ago

    My trusted methods mirror Brian's comment from a few weeks ago, they've always been holding my breath for as long as I can, breathing inside a paper/plastic bag or if they fail, drinking a glass of water. It's good to know that there are so many others that i'd never have thought of to fall back on though!