Sometimes it depends on what you buy. We regularly spend about $400/mth at Costco (this year), so it has made sense for us. With our daughter no longer using formula, we probably won't spend that much next year, so we'll skip the upgrade. If you're already spending that much - go for the upgrade, but don't get the upgrade just because of the 2% back.
Great article, but how do you reuse the Kcups for your Jello shots, sauces and specialty ices? The brewer puts a hole in the top and bottom of the Kcup during the brewing cycle. Any liquid you put in will drain out.
I rent the townhouse that I live in. Renting is great for me as a recent college grad since my rent is incredibly cheap (I split the cost 3 ways). Also, our yard work is done for us (but it isn't the best job). Another great thing is that if something breaks, I don't have to pay for it (like our fridge). There are several cons however: there are neighbors that are sometimes a bit noisy, we can't have pets, I am only investing in something that I get to keep nothing from (like a house).
Since it is only DH and I, we chose to rent our home. We have moved several time due to work changes and have found that renting makes those moves much easier.
I have always owned my own home because that is what I was taught. Once you finally own it no one can take it from you. My mom and dad had experienced renting growing up and did not like being made to leave at times. Renters have more laws on their side now and can almost do whatever they want to within a few limits. I have considered renting when I move especially until I find what area of town is the one I want to stay in. Both have there good qualities. Short term I would rent, long term I would give more thought to owning a home. Rent to own would be a great deal if you can work it out.
I rent so the pros for me are: its easy to move once the lease is up versus having to worry about discharging a mortgage to worry about, not having to worry about repairs to the unit or property and being able to live closer to work and shopping compared to living in the suburbs here. The renting cons would rent increasing every year, unruly neighbors, limited decorating abilities and limited parking space which can make it hard to entertain a good number of family and friends
I use Windows Live Gallery if I am only doing basic editing. It keeps the photo as original as possible. Photoshop editing would be better but most of the time, the photo does not look as original as it is anymore after the editing job.
Own. My husband is disabled and receives Social Security disability benefits. As his health declined and our children grew up and went off to school and careers, we knew we would need to move to a home without stairs and steps. We were able to purchase a tri-plex in a quiet residential neighborhood but near shopping, transportation, restaurants, and amenities like a library and bike path. Our income-producing property pays the mortgage, taxes, and insurance. My husband is knowledgeable, but no longer able to maintain the property himself so we have to contract for lawn care, cleaning, plumbing, etc. Fortunately, we have a handy son-in-law nearby and capable friends willing to help if they can and if we ask. We are in the process of creating a trust to protect the property should my husband need to move to a long-term care facility and so we can leave it to our daughters as their inheritance.
I line dry most of the time. I live in the country so there are no laws against it or very much pollution at all. Most "crispy" laundry problems can be solved easily, it's either your detergent or too much detergent. I've switched to Charlies Laundry Soap, which is non-toxic and biodegradable, and it rinses very cleanly. I switched mostly because of my septic and the harsh chemicals that are in traditional detergents, but it has also eliminated my need for fabric softener. When people say they would miss the scent softener adds, I simply say my hubby doesn't want to smell flower-y and the scent of my lotion doesn't have to compete...lol. The kids don't really care, and no softener scent can compete with that fresh line dried smell!
Also, drying your clothes for 10 minutes in the dryer first helps a lot, or you can hang your laundry on a breezy day.
I'm about to move into my new place in Boston! I'll be renting. I'm sharing the house with four others, a dog and a goldfish. I'm still trying to work out the details of my monthly rate, but hopefully I can barter a bit - do some chores, keep things tidy, paint, plumb, mow, etc., in return for a little discount. Do I have any hope? Are those agreements ever arranged?
Currently, we went and it's awful to the point where I am scrambling to save up anything I can to buy even a co-op apartment. Management companies especially in New York are ruthless, greedy sharks. We've had our rent raised twice already and are expected to pay $30 per month PER air conditioner for hanging out of the window. Power is not included in the rent, so its a $60 fee for just having the air conditioner exist in the spot where it is meant to exist. Did I mention this is year-round? Even in December! Renting is heartbreaking.
We own our home. We made a large down payment so we only had 5 years of payments. Too many of our friends and family lived in rented single family homes that were either put up for sale or in foreclosure for defaulted mortgages or back taxes and we opted not to live with that uncertainty.
Upside of owning?-You have more choice, stability and equity/net worth. (For us anyway, the previous owners needed to get out from under the home so we got a great deal.)
Downside of owning?-Things can break at any time and your responsible.
While in some ways this may be helpful in creating ideas....A little more research was needed, and no, in the warmer climates it would certainly not be reversed as they may grow totally different crops then we do that is "exotic" or Foreign to us, but common to them (durian fruit, lychee,tomotillo etc) http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?id=Seasonalfoodguides here is a good guide some links are broken but you can always type in google the state/country you reside in and the month for in season food can even get exact by typing in exact lat/long (easily found through google maps) . off the subject Wow our economy has been sinking a long time.from 2008 and its now 2012 (well its been sinking even before those years) well the USA and the world survived the 1930's great depression and rose to great success in the 1950's -1960's only to fall again. hopefully the economy rises again( a little more quickly fingers crossed)
I have fallen into the letting food rot trap. Although it involves a lot of planning and effort, you really need to plan every single meal to ensure you are using up the ingredients you have. I don't know how many times, we have found rotting produce in the fridge because someone forgot they bought it. It is such a horrible waste!
In respect of the point about how queuing up for a free Starbucks just isn't worth it: I've seen you make this point before with regards to not washing your car, and I'd agree in that it's always good to think about things in terms of their hourly rate and the opportunity cost of doing them. I find it useful to think about this for a whole range of things. For example, if I know I can walk to the shop that's an extra 30 minutes to get a cheaper loaf of bread, I think about how much my time is worth in the given context and might opt for the nearer, but more expensive, option on the basis that I'll actually be making a saving when I factor in the monetary value of my time.
Also, good point about mattresses - we do spend a hell of a lot of time in our bed across our lifetimes! (Now to go and replace my god-knows-how-old lumpy mattress).
Our biggest goal right now is to save up to cross-country move. My husband's job will transfer him, and there we can afford to purchase our own property as opposed to this high-cost-of-living area.
I rent, but I'm nearly ready to buy a house!
Sometimes it depends on what you buy. We regularly spend about $400/mth at Costco (this year), so it has made sense for us. With our daughter no longer using formula, we probably won't spend that much next year, so we'll skip the upgrade. If you're already spending that much - go for the upgrade, but don't get the upgrade just because of the 2% back.
Great article, but how do you reuse the Kcups for your Jello shots, sauces and specialty ices? The brewer puts a hole in the top and bottom of the Kcup during the brewing cycle. Any liquid you put in will drain out.
I rent the townhouse that I live in. Renting is great for me as a recent college grad since my rent is incredibly cheap (I split the cost 3 ways). Also, our yard work is done for us (but it isn't the best job). Another great thing is that if something breaks, I don't have to pay for it (like our fridge). There are several cons however: there are neighbors that are sometimes a bit noisy, we can't have pets, I am only investing in something that I get to keep nothing from (like a house).
Home owner for 10 years.
Pros - More privacy, Can be cheaper than renting
Cons - More work (grass, repairs), Can be more expensive than renting
Since it is only DH and I, we chose to rent our home. We have moved several time due to work changes and have found that renting makes those moves much easier.
We own our home. I like the freedom to be able to change or decorate it any way we like, but we are not as mobile if we want to move.
I own two homes. Once since 2001 and the other since 2005! This past month we had crazy maintenance bills, but otherwise I've loved owning our houses.
We own. In our area it was cheaper monthly to own rather than to rent.
I have always owned my own home because that is what I was taught. Once you finally own it no one can take it from you. My mom and dad had experienced renting growing up and did not like being made to leave at times. Renters have more laws on their side now and can almost do whatever they want to within a few limits. I have considered renting when I move especially until I find what area of town is the one I want to stay in. Both have there good qualities. Short term I would rent, long term I would give more thought to owning a home. Rent to own would be a great deal if you can work it out.
I rent so the pros for me are: its easy to move once the lease is up versus having to worry about discharging a mortgage to worry about, not having to worry about repairs to the unit or property and being able to live closer to work and shopping compared to living in the suburbs here. The renting cons would rent increasing every year, unruly neighbors, limited decorating abilities and limited parking space which can make it hard to entertain a good number of family and friends
I use Windows Live Gallery if I am only doing basic editing. It keeps the photo as original as possible. Photoshop editing would be better but most of the time, the photo does not look as original as it is anymore after the editing job.
Own. My husband is disabled and receives Social Security disability benefits. As his health declined and our children grew up and went off to school and careers, we knew we would need to move to a home without stairs and steps. We were able to purchase a tri-plex in a quiet residential neighborhood but near shopping, transportation, restaurants, and amenities like a library and bike path. Our income-producing property pays the mortgage, taxes, and insurance. My husband is knowledgeable, but no longer able to maintain the property himself so we have to contract for lawn care, cleaning, plumbing, etc. Fortunately, we have a handy son-in-law nearby and capable friends willing to help if they can and if we ask. We are in the process of creating a trust to protect the property should my husband need to move to a long-term care facility and so we can leave it to our daughters as their inheritance.
I've also "liked" on facebook. What's not to like?
I line dry most of the time. I live in the country so there are no laws against it or very much pollution at all. Most "crispy" laundry problems can be solved easily, it's either your detergent or too much detergent. I've switched to Charlies Laundry Soap, which is non-toxic and biodegradable, and it rinses very cleanly. I switched mostly because of my septic and the harsh chemicals that are in traditional detergents, but it has also eliminated my need for fabric softener. When people say they would miss the scent softener adds, I simply say my hubby doesn't want to smell flower-y and the scent of my lotion doesn't have to compete...lol. The kids don't really care, and no softener scent can compete with that fresh line dried smell!
Also, drying your clothes for 10 minutes in the dryer first helps a lot, or you can hang your laundry on a breezy day.
We own, and we wish we rented, home maintenance is costly and time consuming, much easier to have someone else maintain it
I'm about to move into my new place in Boston! I'll be renting. I'm sharing the house with four others, a dog and a goldfish. I'm still trying to work out the details of my monthly rate, but hopefully I can barter a bit - do some chores, keep things tidy, paint, plumb, mow, etc., in return for a little discount. Do I have any hope? Are those agreements ever arranged?
Currently, we went and it's awful to the point where I am scrambling to save up anything I can to buy even a co-op apartment. Management companies especially in New York are ruthless, greedy sharks. We've had our rent raised twice already and are expected to pay $30 per month PER air conditioner for hanging out of the window. Power is not included in the rent, so its a $60 fee for just having the air conditioner exist in the spot where it is meant to exist. Did I mention this is year-round? Even in December! Renting is heartbreaking.
We own our home. We made a large down payment so we only had 5 years of payments. Too many of our friends and family lived in rented single family homes that were either put up for sale or in foreclosure for defaulted mortgages or back taxes and we opted not to live with that uncertainty.
Upside of owning?-You have more choice, stability and equity/net worth. (For us anyway, the previous owners needed to get out from under the home so we got a great deal.)
Downside of owning?-Things can break at any time and your responsible.
While in some ways this may be helpful in creating ideas....A little more research was needed, and no, in the warmer climates it would certainly not be reversed as they may grow totally different crops then we do that is "exotic" or Foreign to us, but common to them (durian fruit, lychee,tomotillo etc) http://www.eatwellguide.org/i.php?id=Seasonalfoodguides here is a good guide some links are broken but you can always type in google the state/country you reside in and the month for in season food can even get exact by typing in exact lat/long (easily found through google maps) . off the subject Wow our economy has been sinking a long time.from 2008 and its now 2012 (well its been sinking even before those years) well the USA and the world survived the 1930's great depression and rose to great success in the 1950's -1960's only to fall again. hopefully the economy rises again( a little more quickly fingers crossed)
I have fallen into the letting food rot trap. Although it involves a lot of planning and effort, you really need to plan every single meal to ensure you are using up the ingredients you have. I don't know how many times, we have found rotting produce in the fridge because someone forgot they bought it. It is such a horrible waste!
what a great post, I feel like a just talked to a good friend in confidence.
In respect of the point about how queuing up for a free Starbucks just isn't worth it: I've seen you make this point before with regards to not washing your car, and I'd agree in that it's always good to think about things in terms of their hourly rate and the opportunity cost of doing them. I find it useful to think about this for a whole range of things. For example, if I know I can walk to the shop that's an extra 30 minutes to get a cheaper loaf of bread, I think about how much my time is worth in the given context and might opt for the nearer, but more expensive, option on the basis that I'll actually be making a saving when I factor in the monetary value of my time.
Also, good point about mattresses - we do spend a hell of a lot of time in our bed across our lifetimes! (Now to go and replace my god-knows-how-old lumpy mattress).
Our biggest goal right now is to save up to cross-country move. My husband's job will transfer him, and there we can afford to purchase our own property as opposed to this high-cost-of-living area.
What great uses! Love how they range from relieving sore muscles to storing game pieces!