I really like numbers 1, 6 and 10 you included in this list. Researching reviews can give you a VERY good sense of how the hotel operates because anyone can take nice pictures and throw them up on the internet, but reviews from real guests say a lot. Being smart with free wifi is essential when traveling, this is one of the easiest ways for people to acquire personal information and use it against you. Being discrete is a very good tip. When I'm traveling and go off on an excursion for the day and don't want to being important items, I will usually hang the do not disturb sign on my door and pass up the cleaning service for the peace of mind that no one will be going into my room.
I'm obsessed with pinterest these days too, and all of my friends are benefitting from it. So far in the past couple of weeks I have made homemade snickers, some sort of chef breakfast and bacon bars, and I actually did try the baked mozzarella sticks! They were awesome. You can definitely find some awesome snack ideas (and plenty of ones including popcorn) on Pinterest. And red box is the best invention since sliced bread IMO!
I used garlic powder and disolved it in water, until the water was saturated, then I added it and a couple squirts of dish washing liquid to my hose end sprayer. Sprayed all of the trees and all over the lawn. While it was wet there was a strong smell of garlic, but once it dried the smell was gone, the bugs (especially mosquitoes) were gone and it lasted through 2 rain storms before I had to reapply.
Probably #1 on this list should be always use the security latch/chain and deadbolt when you are in your room. Don't stay in a room that doesn't have one -- otherwise anyone from the hotel can get into your room while you are sleeping.
I do most of my selling through rummage sales. I've only sold a couple of things on eBay and tried several times on Craigslist but sold nothing (partly because we're a rural area?) I've also used Paperbackswap for books - but all you're doing there is trading for more books. The same goes for turning in books for credit at the local used bookstore. Anything we don't sell we donate to a couple of local charities. I try and only give items I'd be willing to buy - anything else goes in the trash.
It was difficult for me to differentiate scams from the real thing, when I started mystery shopping. I've since compiled a guide to help potential shoppers get through the process.
Very good advice. Mystery shopping has been glamorized in the media as this super high-paying gig. While it's very enjoyable (especially if you're shopping with high-end companies), it doesn't always pay well. It's a nice way to make some extra cash, but don't quit your day job.
Here's a few problems and notes I have for each of the 3 points in this article.
1) Not all financial aid is need-based. A lot of scholarships are merit-based, which will not take (or shouldn't take) into consideration your finances. Ergo, regardless of how much you save for college, your children should be on a level playing field with merit-based scholarships. Also, regardless of your finances, every kid has equal access to Stafford student loans. It doesn't matter whether you make $50,000 a year or $500,000...everyone can get student loans. I think any article talking about financial aid should have mentioned this.
2) Thank you! It's about time that some parents realize giving their kid a free ride is a great way to keep hammering home the idea that they should get everything handed to them on a silver platter and nothing should be earned. Every single kid who goes to college should have to work part-time and have some skin in the game. It also reduces the chance they'll get a really useless major that no employer has any interest in.
3) You're leaving out information here too on savings plans such as 529 plans. 529 plans are not just for college...they're for any qualified educational expenses. As far as I'm aware, as long as the school is accredited, withdrawals from a 529 plan can be used to pay for the program. This includes a lot of trade programs such as auto mechanic, welder, etc. that you can do through a community college. Again, I think the reader should be given full disclosure on these topics so that they have all the facts.
I'm not necessarily sure I agree with all the comments that it's negligent to provide such advice. You're still putting away some money for a 529 plan, as everyone with kids should, but I think more information on financial aid and 529 plans would have gone a long way to making this a more fulfilling article.
Hi Camilla, This is a nice list - As a self-confessed Man With Everything I sympathise with my wife who always does a great job every birthday. I like your 'Anything Wireless' item - that just about sums up men and their gadgets.
I think a really nice version of an everyday item be it a nice scarf or leather iPhone case is often a better and safer bet than gadgets because let's face it, we don't need most of them and they usually end up in the drawer gathering dust after a week.
I frist ask friends and family if they need anything. Then, if I have a lot of stuff, I have a yard sale, or if it's just a few things(especially if they;re of value), I might put it on craigslist to sell. After that, I'll take whatever's left to the the goodwill.
Once I bought a really expensive piggy bank to my kids to encourage them to save money only to realize the piggy bank cost more than what they actually managed to save:)
Interesting concept - the new American Yeoman - I can tell you from personal experience that this a real trend - Young professionals in their 20s and 30s, witnessing and being impacted by economic devastation of the past 4-5 years are making significantly different lifestyle choices.
It should be pointed out though that this doesn't mean we're in "survivalist" mode - what it does mean is that we're consciously choosing to live below our means - money in the bank or invested is sexier than a big house or new car. We work "normal" professional jobs, but if you looked at our paycheck and then at our homes and cars (Paid for in many cases) you might scratch your head and wonder why we don't live in fancier neighborhoods, and why we're driving that old ford when we could easily make the monthly payments on a new Lexus.
The answer is we know there is no such thing as job security. The axe could fall at any time and there is no guarantee anymore that your old salary will mean anything when looking for a new job. We've set up our lifestyles so that while the good times and high paying jobs are rolling, we're building wealth...and when the axe falls, we can quickly find something else that will keep us at our current lifestyle going while we plan our next steps and conduct a new job search over the much longer timeframe that has become reality for the unemployed.
The answer is we've learned to tune out the constant grind of marketing and advertising...telling us over and over and over again that to be happy and appear successful we must have the huge house, the new car, the glamorous lifestyle. The conventional wisdom used to be that if two guys drive up, one in a new Lexus and one in an eight year old ford, the Lexus guy is happier, wealthier, and more successful. These days we know the Lexus guy has probably got a 500-1000 monthly payment stretched out over as many as 84 months. Do you know how much I'll have to pay on my ford next month if I lose my job? $0.00.
I just gave away over half of my possessions because I moved into a smaller home. I am still not completely done, but it has been both freeing and draining. The books were the hardest, and the albums and CDs are still sitting in the kitchen waiting...I was thinking today about when I was headed off to college, and all I owned fit into my Honda. Now, after a marriage (and a divorce) and child, I think it took me two 14ft Uhaul trips to get in this house. But, as I said, half of that is gone. It's amazing, but I'm exhausted. One thing I recommend, a merciless friend or family member who does not let you talk for too long about the stories behind things.
Thanks for sharing!
We have a big yard sale, usually twice a year and most of what doesn't get sold goes up on freecycle.
Most of my son's outgrown clothes go to the school's Clothes Closet, which is used for kids who have accidents, aren't dressed appropriately for the weather, etc. I didn't even know about it until one day my son came home in a different shirt because he'd had a nosebleed. His bloody shirt was in a bag with a note saying where the shirt came from, and that it didn't need to be returned. I thought that was just a great idea so I donate to help keep it stocked.
I've also sold things on eBay and Craigslist, but tend to save those for higher-ticket items.
I, like you, wanted to move on past my middle name (Mildred, anyone?). I already had a pseudonym I had been using for almost a decade, but when it came time to change my name after the wedding I found that I could change my middle and last names for free but it would cost around $100 and require a visit with a judge (?!) in order to change my first. So I kept the first, made the name I'd been using the middle, and changed the last to my husband's. I still use my first name on medical and tax records, but the middle everywhere else.
The only way I would partially agree with this article is if the parents were truly strapped for cash and tring to pay down debt with a debt snowball and/or not able to save enough for retirement. Parents should put their retirement first but once you are savings enough their college saving should be a priority for most situations. I just can't agree with any plan that is depending solely on student loans or scholarships. No guarantee of scholoarships and true financial aid grants not loans are extremely rare and only for those parents and students with very low incomes and net-worth. The attitude of "I'm not going to save for my own kids college because it might effect my ability to get government handouts and let other tax payers pay for my child to go to college" is irresponsible and just plain wrong. This is why our country is buried in national debit. This lack of proper planning, personal responsibility, and sacrifice. We should all do everything we possibly can to avoid having to take government handouts and/or handicap and burden our kids with huge debt she they are just coming out of school and starting their adult lives. The amount of Student loan debt is this country has now passed credit card debt and is the next great bubble. Politicians and student loan debtors are already lobbying for bailouts of debtors. Who pays for it? The government. Nope. The government doesn't have any income. It's the tax payers. It's your neighbors who may not even have kids or who sacrificed and saved enough to pay for their kids college but now they have to pay for your kids too. Of course there are genuinely families who need college grants and needs based scholarships, but there is no excuse for parents who like you who are planning ahead to game the system and let other tax payers pay for your kids to go to college. People think the money grows on trees. It doesn't.
Red pepper hummus is my favorite choice here! I take mine with left over pita bread that gets warmed up and its a real frugal treat. Thanks for the list!
It sounds like your boss is playing favorites. Your coworker may be friends with your boss or having an affair with your boss. In any case, if your boss wants to keep your coworker around, despite his or her performance, it's not going to help you to complain about your coworker. Keep quiet and cover your coworker's ass while finding a job where the employees are on an even playing field.
Agreed. When Mr. Everyday Dollar settles down with the future Mrs. Everyday Dollar, I actually hope she does not want her to change her last name. It's so 1950s to me.
I say wait it out. The best decision we (my wife and I) could have made is to drop out of college and use the money we would have spent to do self training in things that we felt relevant to the industry. Not out dated like many of the curriculums offered in college.
Within six months of deciding not to pay a college to study and after doing tons to online tutorials and projects to build up my portfolio, we had a successful freelance business.
With the skills we picked up we were able to take our business on the road. Today we are overlanding through South America while maintaining a steady 15 hours of work for clients back in Seattle per week.
Once you know what your passion is go back to school for a fancy stamp on a piece of paper.
Jam a rubber door stop on the inside of the door. If someone, including cleaning when you're sleeping in, tries to enter the room with a key card they will struggle to be able to move the door at all. $2 and you'll be a lot safer.
I really like numbers 1, 6 and 10 you included in this list. Researching reviews can give you a VERY good sense of how the hotel operates because anyone can take nice pictures and throw them up on the internet, but reviews from real guests say a lot. Being smart with free wifi is essential when traveling, this is one of the easiest ways for people to acquire personal information and use it against you. Being discrete is a very good tip. When I'm traveling and go off on an excursion for the day and don't want to being important items, I will usually hang the do not disturb sign on my door and pass up the cleaning service for the peace of mind that no one will be going into my room.
I'm obsessed with pinterest these days too, and all of my friends are benefitting from it. So far in the past couple of weeks I have made homemade snickers, some sort of chef breakfast and bacon bars, and I actually did try the baked mozzarella sticks! They were awesome. You can definitely find some awesome snack ideas (and plenty of ones including popcorn) on Pinterest. And red box is the best invention since sliced bread IMO!
I used garlic powder and disolved it in water, until the water was saturated, then I added it and a couple squirts of dish washing liquid to my hose end sprayer. Sprayed all of the trees and all over the lawn. While it was wet there was a strong smell of garlic, but once it dried the smell was gone, the bugs (especially mosquitoes) were gone and it lasted through 2 rain storms before I had to reapply.
Probably #1 on this list should be always use the security latch/chain and deadbolt when you are in your room. Don't stay in a room that doesn't have one -- otherwise anyone from the hotel can get into your room while you are sleeping.
I sell on ebay, craigslist or donate depending on the item and quality!
I do most of my selling through rummage sales. I've only sold a couple of things on eBay and tried several times on Craigslist but sold nothing (partly because we're a rural area?) I've also used Paperbackswap for books - but all you're doing there is trading for more books. The same goes for turning in books for credit at the local used bookstore. Anything we don't sell we donate to a couple of local charities. I try and only give items I'd be willing to buy - anything else goes in the trash.
When you get paid for something you are NOT donating it, you are SELLING it. Donate means to give freely with no strings attached.
It was difficult for me to differentiate scams from the real thing, when I started mystery shopping. I've since compiled a guide to help potential shoppers get through the process.
Very good advice. Mystery shopping has been glamorized in the media as this super high-paying gig. While it's very enjoyable (especially if you're shopping with high-end companies), it doesn't always pay well. It's a nice way to make some extra cash, but don't quit your day job.
Here's a few problems and notes I have for each of the 3 points in this article.
1) Not all financial aid is need-based. A lot of scholarships are merit-based, which will not take (or shouldn't take) into consideration your finances. Ergo, regardless of how much you save for college, your children should be on a level playing field with merit-based scholarships. Also, regardless of your finances, every kid has equal access to Stafford student loans. It doesn't matter whether you make $50,000 a year or $500,000...everyone can get student loans. I think any article talking about financial aid should have mentioned this.
2) Thank you! It's about time that some parents realize giving their kid a free ride is a great way to keep hammering home the idea that they should get everything handed to them on a silver platter and nothing should be earned. Every single kid who goes to college should have to work part-time and have some skin in the game. It also reduces the chance they'll get a really useless major that no employer has any interest in.
3) You're leaving out information here too on savings plans such as 529 plans. 529 plans are not just for college...they're for any qualified educational expenses. As far as I'm aware, as long as the school is accredited, withdrawals from a 529 plan can be used to pay for the program. This includes a lot of trade programs such as auto mechanic, welder, etc. that you can do through a community college. Again, I think the reader should be given full disclosure on these topics so that they have all the facts.
I'm not necessarily sure I agree with all the comments that it's negligent to provide such advice. You're still putting away some money for a 529 plan, as everyone with kids should, but I think more information on financial aid and 529 plans would have gone a long way to making this a more fulfilling article.
Hi Camilla, This is a nice list - As a self-confessed Man With Everything I sympathise with my wife who always does a great job every birthday. I like your 'Anything Wireless' item - that just about sums up men and their gadgets.
I think a really nice version of an everyday item be it a nice scarf or leather iPhone case is often a better and safer bet than gadgets because let's face it, we don't need most of them and they usually end up in the drawer gathering dust after a week.
I frist ask friends and family if they need anything. Then, if I have a lot of stuff, I have a yard sale, or if it's just a few things(especially if they;re of value), I might put it on craigslist to sell. After that, I'll take whatever's left to the the goodwill.
Once I bought a really expensive piggy bank to my kids to encourage them to save money only to realize the piggy bank cost more than what they actually managed to save:)
Interesting concept - the new American Yeoman - I can tell you from personal experience that this a real trend - Young professionals in their 20s and 30s, witnessing and being impacted by economic devastation of the past 4-5 years are making significantly different lifestyle choices.
It should be pointed out though that this doesn't mean we're in "survivalist" mode - what it does mean is that we're consciously choosing to live below our means - money in the bank or invested is sexier than a big house or new car. We work "normal" professional jobs, but if you looked at our paycheck and then at our homes and cars (Paid for in many cases) you might scratch your head and wonder why we don't live in fancier neighborhoods, and why we're driving that old ford when we could easily make the monthly payments on a new Lexus.
The answer is we know there is no such thing as job security. The axe could fall at any time and there is no guarantee anymore that your old salary will mean anything when looking for a new job. We've set up our lifestyles so that while the good times and high paying jobs are rolling, we're building wealth...and when the axe falls, we can quickly find something else that will keep us at our current lifestyle going while we plan our next steps and conduct a new job search over the much longer timeframe that has become reality for the unemployed.
The answer is we've learned to tune out the constant grind of marketing and advertising...telling us over and over and over again that to be happy and appear successful we must have the huge house, the new car, the glamorous lifestyle. The conventional wisdom used to be that if two guys drive up, one in a new Lexus and one in an eight year old ford, the Lexus guy is happier, wealthier, and more successful. These days we know the Lexus guy has probably got a 500-1000 monthly payment stretched out over as many as 84 months. Do you know how much I'll have to pay on my ford next month if I lose my job? $0.00.
I just gave away over half of my possessions because I moved into a smaller home. I am still not completely done, but it has been both freeing and draining. The books were the hardest, and the albums and CDs are still sitting in the kitchen waiting...I was thinking today about when I was headed off to college, and all I owned fit into my Honda. Now, after a marriage (and a divorce) and child, I think it took me two 14ft Uhaul trips to get in this house. But, as I said, half of that is gone. It's amazing, but I'm exhausted. One thing I recommend, a merciless friend or family member who does not let you talk for too long about the stories behind things.
Thanks for sharing!
We have a big yard sale, usually twice a year and most of what doesn't get sold goes up on freecycle.
Most of my son's outgrown clothes go to the school's Clothes Closet, which is used for kids who have accidents, aren't dressed appropriately for the weather, etc. I didn't even know about it until one day my son came home in a different shirt because he'd had a nosebleed. His bloody shirt was in a bag with a note saying where the shirt came from, and that it didn't need to be returned. I thought that was just a great idea so I donate to help keep it stocked.
I've also sold things on eBay and Craigslist, but tend to save those for higher-ticket items.
I, like you, wanted to move on past my middle name (Mildred, anyone?). I already had a pseudonym I had been using for almost a decade, but when it came time to change my name after the wedding I found that I could change my middle and last names for free but it would cost around $100 and require a visit with a judge (?!) in order to change my first. So I kept the first, made the name I'd been using the middle, and changed the last to my husband's. I still use my first name on medical and tax records, but the middle everywhere else.
The only way I would partially agree with this article is if the parents were truly strapped for cash and tring to pay down debt with a debt snowball and/or not able to save enough for retirement. Parents should put their retirement first but once you are savings enough their college saving should be a priority for most situations. I just can't agree with any plan that is depending solely on student loans or scholarships. No guarantee of scholoarships and true financial aid grants not loans are extremely rare and only for those parents and students with very low incomes and net-worth. The attitude of "I'm not going to save for my own kids college because it might effect my ability to get government handouts and let other tax payers pay for my child to go to college" is irresponsible and just plain wrong. This is why our country is buried in national debit. This lack of proper planning, personal responsibility, and sacrifice. We should all do everything we possibly can to avoid having to take government handouts and/or handicap and burden our kids with huge debt she they are just coming out of school and starting their adult lives. The amount of Student loan debt is this country has now passed credit card debt and is the next great bubble. Politicians and student loan debtors are already lobbying for bailouts of debtors. Who pays for it? The government. Nope. The government doesn't have any income. It's the tax payers. It's your neighbors who may not even have kids or who sacrificed and saved enough to pay for their kids college but now they have to pay for your kids too. Of course there are genuinely families who need college grants and needs based scholarships, but there is no excuse for parents who like you who are planning ahead to game the system and let other tax payers pay for your kids to go to college. People think the money grows on trees. It doesn't.
Red pepper hummus is my favorite choice here! I take mine with left over pita bread that gets warmed up and its a real frugal treat. Thanks for the list!
Good point. That's another sign of impending doom - your boss just doesn't like you
It sounds like your boss is playing favorites. Your coworker may be friends with your boss or having an affair with your boss. In any case, if your boss wants to keep your coworker around, despite his or her performance, it's not going to help you to complain about your coworker. Keep quiet and cover your coworker's ass while finding a job where the employees are on an even playing field.
Agreed. When Mr. Everyday Dollar settles down with the future Mrs. Everyday Dollar, I actually hope she does not want her to change her last name. It's so 1950s to me.
Great article!
I say wait it out. The best decision we (my wife and I) could have made is to drop out of college and use the money we would have spent to do self training in things that we felt relevant to the industry. Not out dated like many of the curriculums offered in college.
Within six months of deciding not to pay a college to study and after doing tons to online tutorials and projects to build up my portfolio, we had a successful freelance business.
With the skills we picked up we were able to take our business on the road. Today we are overlanding through South America while maintaining a steady 15 hours of work for clients back in Seattle per week.
Once you know what your passion is go back to school for a fancy stamp on a piece of paper.
Jam a rubber door stop on the inside of the door. If someone, including cleaning when you're sleeping in, tries to enter the room with a key card they will struggle to be able to move the door at all. $2 and you'll be a lot safer.
Craigslist, craigslist, craigslist! It is less of a hassle than mailing on Ebay!