Kentin, I definitely agree with you on interest specifically for things such as credit card finance charges. This can be insidious in the sense that it will pile up over time without possibly being noticed until it's a big problem.
As far as the advantage of paying off loans early goes, I suppose it really boils down to when the loan was made. If it was made recently, the interest is likely so low that the value of the loan payment will diminish over time to where the debt will be very cheap if you pay it off as you go due to inflation (which is a debtor's best friend and a creditor's worst nightmare). On the other hand, if the interest is pushing 6% or more, it's probably best if it's paid off as early as possible.
Kelly, its great that you're analyzing a decision like that in the first place. I have to ask though, why regularly use cash in the first place? Why not just get a credit card and use it like a debit card? It's the same thing, you don't have to carry cash (which can get lost or stolen) and you just send a check at the end of each month for the balance. In fact, if you get a rewards card, you can even get free stuff out of it as well. Virtually every business accepts credit cards, and if they don't, they probably don't deserve your business.
Good article, although you really won't save that much money by foregoing AC alone in a hot area. Yes, you'll save some money but you'll also be miserable in the process. Here's the thing. You're going to have a certain amount of money owed to utilities for trash (if you pay for it), gas for cooking and water. Unless you have your thermostat set to 74 or something really low, you're not going to spend that much money running the AC. If you live somewhere really hot, like Arizona, consider moving. There's a reason it's cheap to live there....no one wants to.
You're better off leaving your thermostat at say 82, which is still manageable, but still using it. If you want to save a hundred bucks a month, start eating more at home...you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of that than sitting in your own sweat at home after a long day at work. Also, try to invest in double-paned windows and ceiling fans...as the article mentions, just the simple breeze from moving air with a fan will help a lot.
Thanks on the input. On the packet of "48 hour " yeast, it says 5.5 gallons of water, 13 lbs of sugar for 14% in 2 days. or 18 lbs for 20% in 5 days. That's why I went with 17 pounds.
Should I add just the tomato paste (not more sugar) when it slows down, or do it in the beginning? A table spoon? A small can? Should it be stirred in? If stirred, just gently on the top or all the way to the bottom?
I just had an idea of taking full jeans and sewing the legs side by side and sew at least three more pairs and put then all together and you have a curtain!
@Mark - You touch on two interesting concepts:
1) Enduring lengthy flight routes to get frequent flyer miles or special status on airlines you use a lot from which you can benefit from their perks, and
2) The joys of overland travel. I normally would take days on end of overland travel (and in fact, on many occasions I have voluntarily - and unnecessarily, and joyfully! - done so), but when combined with an extensive air travel agenda as well, I find it tiring.
@Kelly - I agree that searching nearby cities and airports are a great way to find cheaper fares. The only consideration however, is the cost of getting to/from the different airport.
I've flown with super-budget airlines in Europe like Ryan Air (and Easy Jet, and Vueling, etc) before, and it's certainly an experience! I particularly enjoy the mad scramble for seats on the plane, since my experience with Ryan Air is that there's no assigned seating.
But the cost is rarely the cost....there's always taxes, and fees for every little incidental from checked bags to carry on bags etc etc etc. If you play your cards right the fare is still inexpensive, but not as slamming a deal as it may seem at the outset.
@Meg - I like using sites like Kayak (and Yapta) for searching for fares too. Do you book directly through Kayak to get their "hacker" fares? Or does it still direct you to another booking site?
@Adam - I agree, if the trip is limited in time and/or for business, then sometimes it's worth the extra money to reduce travel time. (Unless, that is, you're really good at getting work done on planes...which interestingly, I'm not).
Nora, I love this article! Great advice about using multiple connections, alternate airports and making the trip a journey if you have the time.
Though I may have outdone you on this on a couple of occasions. I just came back from Uruguay, temporarily to Colorado in the States, where my last leg was on a free Amtrak Guest Rewards train ticket from San Francisco! And the intercontinental legs were Montevideo Uruguay to Lima Peru, Lima to San Salvador El Salvador, and then my third flight to SFO.
A couple of years ago I flew from Raleigh-Durham NC to Spokane Washington via JFK, then from NYC to Toronto on South America's LAN airlines, then on Air Canada to Vancouver, AC Jazz to Seattle, and Alaska Airlines to Spokane. And yes, economically and in frequent flyer terms it made perfect sense. The JFK-YYZ LAN leg renewed all my LAN kilometers that were in danger of expiration from 3 years inactivity, YYZ-YVR-SEA on AC got me one more year of United Premier status, and that Seattle-Spokane on Air Canada helped me keep Alaska Airlines MVP elite status one more year. Which is also good for extra miles and benefits when flying on American and Delta. Plus I made a nice day and a half layover in Toronto, one of my favorite cities.
Now if I had to be there that same day... maybe not.
I think the effectiveness of the treatment depends on causes of your stomach ache. If it is because of indigestion and stomach gas, ginger tea works very well.
I've done more selling than buying on eBay, but even then I have moved away from selling on eBay in favor of craigslist - free to post, no commission charged, cash transactions, and I don't have to deal with shipping.
Have have been an Ebay for around 13 years. I have sold items on Ebay before, but it can be more hassle than it is worth unless you only list things on occasion or buy supplies and have an postage scale and either work from home and can schedule pickup or have a place nearby to drop off packages or leave packages for pick up.
I buy stuff on Ebay all of the time and get good deals, but also go their for convenience so I don't have to wander around different stores for hours. The downside is there are some very crazy people out out there and some of them post things for sale on Ebay (and never send it out).
The worst was a seller that started stalking me on Ebay after I opened a case on Ebay after never receiving an item and not getting a response and started seeing others filling negative ratings as they had the same problem. I received scathing emails from the seller and she started checking everything I had bought or bid on and made all sorts of horrible comments via email. I emailed her back just asking for my money back and any further contact needed to go through Square Trade.
As she kept it up, I blocked her email address, but she creating new ones (or maybe she already had them?) and even implied threat in that "I lived within driving distance". I did eventually get my money back, but continued to receive emails for a few months even after that, which I would block the email address and delete without reading.
Yes, definitely! I actually just purchased a new housing and battery for my cellphone instead of buying a new phone I'm gonna switch out the housing on the one I love! My favorite cell! When I'm done with it it will look like new again for way less then purchasing another cellphone! So yes eBay is my first stop for looking for what I need! :)
I already follow you on Facebook
I haven't used eBay more than once or twice in the last few years. But that's mainly because I have been trying to cut down on my spending.
Kentin, I definitely agree with you on interest specifically for things such as credit card finance charges. This can be insidious in the sense that it will pile up over time without possibly being noticed until it's a big problem.
As far as the advantage of paying off loans early goes, I suppose it really boils down to when the loan was made. If it was made recently, the interest is likely so low that the value of the loan payment will diminish over time to where the debt will be very cheap if you pay it off as you go due to inflation (which is a debtor's best friend and a creditor's worst nightmare). On the other hand, if the interest is pushing 6% or more, it's probably best if it's paid off as early as possible.
Kelly, its great that you're analyzing a decision like that in the first place. I have to ask though, why regularly use cash in the first place? Why not just get a credit card and use it like a debit card? It's the same thing, you don't have to carry cash (which can get lost or stolen) and you just send a check at the end of each month for the balance. In fact, if you get a rewards card, you can even get free stuff out of it as well. Virtually every business accepts credit cards, and if they don't, they probably don't deserve your business.
I'm a fan of tips!! Keep them coming (and thanks for including mine on car buying)!
Good article, although you really won't save that much money by foregoing AC alone in a hot area. Yes, you'll save some money but you'll also be miserable in the process. Here's the thing. You're going to have a certain amount of money owed to utilities for trash (if you pay for it), gas for cooking and water. Unless you have your thermostat set to 74 or something really low, you're not going to spend that much money running the AC. If you live somewhere really hot, like Arizona, consider moving. There's a reason it's cheap to live there....no one wants to.
You're better off leaving your thermostat at say 82, which is still manageable, but still using it. If you want to save a hundred bucks a month, start eating more at home...you'll get a lot more enjoyment out of that than sitting in your own sweat at home after a long day at work. Also, try to invest in double-paned windows and ceiling fans...as the article mentions, just the simple breeze from moving air with a fan will help a lot.
Just buy a new phone.?
Thanks on the input. On the packet of "48 hour " yeast, it says 5.5 gallons of water, 13 lbs of sugar for 14% in 2 days. or 18 lbs for 20% in 5 days. That's why I went with 17 pounds.
Should I add just the tomato paste (not more sugar) when it slows down, or do it in the beginning? A table spoon? A small can? Should it be stirred in? If stirred, just gently on the top or all the way to the bottom?
Thanks again.
it makes me locos that i grow so slowly so i cant use my jeans that often
I just had an idea of taking full jeans and sewing the legs side by side and sew at least three more pairs and put then all together and you have a curtain!
@Mark - You touch on two interesting concepts:
1) Enduring lengthy flight routes to get frequent flyer miles or special status on airlines you use a lot from which you can benefit from their perks, and
2) The joys of overland travel. I normally would take days on end of overland travel (and in fact, on many occasions I have voluntarily - and unnecessarily, and joyfully! - done so), but when combined with an extensive air travel agenda as well, I find it tiring.
Happy travels!
@Kelly - I agree that searching nearby cities and airports are a great way to find cheaper fares. The only consideration however, is the cost of getting to/from the different airport.
I've flown with super-budget airlines in Europe like Ryan Air (and Easy Jet, and Vueling, etc) before, and it's certainly an experience! I particularly enjoy the mad scramble for seats on the plane, since my experience with Ryan Air is that there's no assigned seating.
But the cost is rarely the cost....there's always taxes, and fees for every little incidental from checked bags to carry on bags etc etc etc. If you play your cards right the fare is still inexpensive, but not as slamming a deal as it may seem at the outset.
@Guest - I would normally totally agree, but you can actually (sometimes) get a refund on flights if the price goes down, even after you buy! Check it out: http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-get-the-lowest-price-on-airfare-even-aft...
Speaking of which, here are some other airfare saving tips for business travelers:
http://www.wisebread.com/small-business/14-travel-hacks-and-airfare-savi...
@Meg - I like using sites like Kayak (and Yapta) for searching for fares too. Do you book directly through Kayak to get their "hacker" fares? Or does it still direct you to another booking site?
@Adam - I agree, if the trip is limited in time and/or for business, then sometimes it's worth the extra money to reduce travel time. (Unless, that is, you're really good at getting work done on planes...which interestingly, I'm not).
Nora, I love this article! Great advice about using multiple connections, alternate airports and making the trip a journey if you have the time.
Though I may have outdone you on this on a couple of occasions. I just came back from Uruguay, temporarily to Colorado in the States, where my last leg was on a free Amtrak Guest Rewards train ticket from San Francisco! And the intercontinental legs were Montevideo Uruguay to Lima Peru, Lima to San Salvador El Salvador, and then my third flight to SFO.
A couple of years ago I flew from Raleigh-Durham NC to Spokane Washington via JFK, then from NYC to Toronto on South America's LAN airlines, then on Air Canada to Vancouver, AC Jazz to Seattle, and Alaska Airlines to Spokane. And yes, economically and in frequent flyer terms it made perfect sense. The JFK-YYZ LAN leg renewed all my LAN kilometers that were in danger of expiration from 3 years inactivity, YYZ-YVR-SEA on AC got me one more year of United Premier status, and that Seattle-Spokane on Air Canada helped me keep Alaska Airlines MVP elite status one more year. Which is also good for extra miles and benefits when flying on American and Delta. Plus I made a nice day and a half layover in Toronto, one of my favorite cities.
Now if I had to be there that same day... maybe not.
I think the effectiveness of the treatment depends on causes of your stomach ache. If it is because of indigestion and stomach gas, ginger tea works very well.
https://twitter.com/FtC80526/status/221848983549657088
Also, I just "liked" you on Facebook!
I've done more selling than buying on eBay, but even then I have moved away from selling on eBay in favor of craigslist - free to post, no commission charged, cash transactions, and I don't have to deal with shipping.
I have "liked" Wisebread on Facebook
Have have been an Ebay for around 13 years. I have sold items on Ebay before, but it can be more hassle than it is worth unless you only list things on occasion or buy supplies and have an postage scale and either work from home and can schedule pickup or have a place nearby to drop off packages or leave packages for pick up.
I buy stuff on Ebay all of the time and get good deals, but also go their for convenience so I don't have to wander around different stores for hours. The downside is there are some very crazy people out out there and some of them post things for sale on Ebay (and never send it out).
The worst was a seller that started stalking me on Ebay after I opened a case on Ebay after never receiving an item and not getting a response and started seeing others filling negative ratings as they had the same problem. I received scathing emails from the seller and she started checking everything I had bought or bid on and made all sorts of horrible comments via email. I emailed her back just asking for my money back and any further contact needed to go through Square Trade.
As she kept it up, I blocked her email address, but she creating new ones (or maybe she already had them?) and even implied threat in that "I lived within driving distance". I did eventually get my money back, but continued to receive emails for a few months even after that, which I would block the email address and delete without reading.
Yes! Well, really my boyfriend. He sells a lot of stuff and
probably makes an extra $12,000 a year!
Yes, definitely! I actually just purchased a new housing and battery for my cellphone instead of buying a new phone I'm gonna switch out the housing on the one I love! My favorite cell! When I'm done with it it will look like new again for way less then purchasing another cellphone! So yes eBay is my first stop for looking for what I need! :)