I agree with both of you that it's the personal connections services like CouchSurfing and Servas foster that makes them incredible. Not every meet up will be a perfect match, of course, but this is just a fact of life.
Great post! Like any purchase-- one has to be very careful to get real value for your money including your education dollar..
Further, I do believe it is time to "retool", but school is only one way. Here is a list of "retooling" choices:
-Get or finish that GED
-Get or finish that college degree
-Get or finish that master's or doctoral degree
-Pick up some post-graduate courses or certificates
-Learn a new skill or trade
-Do some professional development courses
-Qualify for professional licenses
-Take sales or public speaking courses
The older people of society do fall victim to these type of things because of the generation gap with technology.
Laws are never what they seem. Most people do not realize it but by having a birth certificate (SS card etc..) you are owned by your government. The U.S.A went into debt that they could not pay back, so they started using people are collateral. This is how power overcame law, by granting corporations individual rights as people. This was done through a court decision.
Thank you for the reminder. My grandpa did get a new computer this year.
Guest, you can click on each individual offer on Restaurant.com and read the terms before you buy it. Some of the restaurants do require a minimum purchase. It is a gift certificate because it doesn't expire in states that prevent gift certificates from expiring.
One of my friends gets one of these. He says he saves enough money from them to be worth it... and that's with sharing the movie coupons (my favorites!) and restaurant ones, and really anything else we can use among our group of friends. There are about 5 of us who get a lot of use from these books. So I'd love to return the favor and win one for free to give him!
I have been a member of Couchsurfing (couchsurfing.com) for 7 years and have NEVER had a bad experience!!! There are a few things to keep systems like these safe, such as only staying with or hosting members who have only positive references from others AND who are verified, as well as being a good host/surfer yourself to keep the positive community going!
Couchsurfing is particularly good about instilling safety measures for those who use it. It's an incredible way to see the world, not for someone who is cheap and wants to stay at a free place, but for TRAVELERS who want to get to know a country through the people who actually live there! Because of Couchsurfing, I have been invited to a Greek wedding, got free juggling lessons from a local university instructor in Ireland, stayed with a Japanese Beatles fan in Japan, and have had NUMEROUS beers, dinners, and amazing conversations with people I would have NEVER met had I stayed in hotels!
By the way, for those of you not ready to open your homes or stay in the homes of others, Couchsurfing also gives you the options of meeting travelers (or locals) for coffee, or giving a short tour of your city. It's all about breaking down the wall of perpetual FEAR that is constantly instilled by our wonderful media!
The only free source of 3v batteries are junk computers, I have access to a virtually unlimited amount of junk computers and the 3v batteries come in handy, good for car remote door lock jobbers.
I stumbled here looking for a way to cut the cable with the least expense. The last time I tried to ditch Comcast, I was told it would cost $50. I'm sick of the my service costs being increased, so I'm switching to dsl... anyone have experience with disconnect fees?
I took advantage of this paying $4 dollars for a $25 so called gift certificate only to discover after the purchase that it could only be used with a purchase of $50 or more. Now we'll either have to gorge on a ton of food we don't really want, or get a group together. What a hassle. It's a coupon, not a gift certificate.
We avoid the expense and hassle of going out to dinner on Valentine's Day (it often snows here in Indiana or roads are icy on Valentine's Day) and go out to lunch for for an afternoon hot chocolate and dessert. It's much less expensive, more relaxing and fun that waiting for a table in a crowded restaurant.
Hi!
Since my husband and I both are students, every year we make a pact of not celebrating just one day as a valentine.
We try to make each day a Valentine's (and ofcourse we fight a lot and have differences and ofcourse despite the pact we celebrate on Valentine's too)
I gift him hand made cards and he buys me a soft-toy.
and ofcourse we just hang out but eat at home that night and postpone the movie and dinner to some other time!!!
:)
Hi!
Since my husband and I both are students, every year we make a pact of not celebrating just one day as a valentine.
We try to make each day a Valentine's (and ofcourse we fight a lot and have differences and ofcourse despite the pact we celebrate on Valentine's too)
I gift him hand made cards and he buys me a soft-toy.
and ofcourse we just hang out but eat at home that night and postpone the movie and dinner to some other time!!!
:)
My frugal tip works for any holiday. Go out for a special lunch rather than dinner - can be just as, and even more romantic because now your afternoon and evening are free. Even better, go out for a romantic dinner the night before or after Valentines. Still just as romantic, but can cost less if the restaurant amps up the menu on the Day.
And even transferred the warranty when I sold the computer with a few months remaining. Just make sure you get a sales receipt as they use this when transferring the agreement to the new owner. And file it in a very safe place!
BTW - I have done iTunes gift cards also with no trouble to date. Alsomassive savings.
I never had this book earlier. But I think if we have most of the coupons for grocery and food that will be useful as those are our recurring expenses throught the year
I love the idea of asking for discounts or bargaining down your service providers, especially when your contract ends and you hold all of the power in your hands.
I was able to save $15 a month on my phone bill recently with TDS, with no contract extension needed, and I wasn't even calling for that reason in this case.
I was actually calling regarding my Internet line, and the sales rep was just so nice, they suggested some changes I could do to my phone service to save money there as well.
I did end up receiving a discount offer for my Internet line as well, but a contract extension was required in this case.
Something I thought about when reading the post & again when reading what dannatx said about the brown boots . . .
When I was a starving English major with big loans to pay off and a low-wage starter job, I learned to shop by function: I was coveting a down comforter because I was cold in bed at night & knew I couldn't swing the $80 cost on a budget where I was lucky to have $30 month to spend on anything other than the basic basics. I came across a garage sale where a woman in her 70s or 80s was selling off some worn comforters that she had made decades ago -- with wool batting, no less! For $3, I filled what had been looking to me like an $80 need. That kind of serendipity (or grace, depending upon your perspective) has been there for me again & again & again.
So, I say it's fine to be inspired by the pair of glorious brown boots that you spotted somewhere -- just think about what it is that you like about them & watch for serendipity -- if you can detach from the "it's gotta be . . ." you may find yourself with something you truly love that did not cost you a bundle.
just want to add that I have never tried the homemade stuff but my 3 year old loves moonsand (will try this very soon). I do let her play with it in the house. I threw away the silly moon sand playmat and bought one of those rubbermade bins made to slide under the bed. It's a great little sand box. I only let her play with it on the kitchen floor. So when she's done, pop the lid back on and a quick sweep and it's all cleaned up.
I agree with both of you that it's the personal connections services like CouchSurfing and Servas foster that makes them incredible. Not every meet up will be a perfect match, of course, but this is just a fact of life.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Great post! Like any purchase-- one has to be very careful to get real value for your money including your education dollar..
Further, I do believe it is time to "retool", but school is only one way. Here is a list of "retooling" choices:
-Get or finish that GED
-Get or finish that college degree
-Get or finish that master's or doctoral degree
-Pick up some post-graduate courses or certificates
-Learn a new skill or trade
-Do some professional development courses
-Qualify for professional licenses
-Take sales or public speaking courses
More on retooling here:
http://divorceddadfrugaldad.com/2009/01/28/now-may-be-the-time-to-retool...
These emails are very entertaining. I sometimes do replies with some "choice" insults.
The unfunny part is there are people that fall for it-- otherwise these idiots wouldn't be doing it . . .
Sounds like you need GMail. =)
The older people of society do fall victim to these type of things because of the generation gap with technology.
Laws are never what they seem. Most people do not realize it but by having a birth certificate (SS card etc..) you are owned by your government. The U.S.A went into debt that they could not pay back, so they started using people are collateral. This is how power overcame law, by granting corporations individual rights as people. This was done through a court decision.
Thank you for the reminder. My grandpa did get a new computer this year.
Guest, you can click on each individual offer on Restaurant.com and read the terms before you buy it. Some of the restaurants do require a minimum purchase. It is a gift certificate because it doesn't expire in states that prevent gift certificates from expiring.
There are some iPod and iPhone resources for Valentine's Day 2009.
Free Download...
One of my friends gets one of these. He says he saves enough money from them to be worth it... and that's with sharing the movie coupons (my favorites!) and restaurant ones, and really anything else we can use among our group of friends. There are about 5 of us who get a lot of use from these books. So I'd love to return the favor and win one for free to give him!
I have been a member of Couchsurfing (couchsurfing.com) for 7 years and have NEVER had a bad experience!!! There are a few things to keep systems like these safe, such as only staying with or hosting members who have only positive references from others AND who are verified, as well as being a good host/surfer yourself to keep the positive community going!
Couchsurfing is particularly good about instilling safety measures for those who use it. It's an incredible way to see the world, not for someone who is cheap and wants to stay at a free place, but for TRAVELERS who want to get to know a country through the people who actually live there! Because of Couchsurfing, I have been invited to a Greek wedding, got free juggling lessons from a local university instructor in Ireland, stayed with a Japanese Beatles fan in Japan, and have had NUMEROUS beers, dinners, and amazing conversations with people I would have NEVER met had I stayed in hotels!
By the way, for those of you not ready to open your homes or stay in the homes of others, Couchsurfing also gives you the options of meeting travelers (or locals) for coffee, or giving a short tour of your city. It's all about breaking down the wall of perpetual FEAR that is constantly instilled by our wonderful media!
The only free source of 3v batteries are junk computers, I have access to a virtually unlimited amount of junk computers and the 3v batteries come in handy, good for car remote door lock jobbers.
I am surprised people actually put gold in envelopes and post it to some guy to tell them the value. This already sounds dangerous.
Perhaps like Roman commented above, Cash4Gold must be the most organized fence for stolen goods in town.
I stumbled here looking for a way to cut the cable with the least expense. The last time I tried to ditch Comcast, I was told it would cost $50. I'm sick of the my service costs being increased, so I'm switching to dsl... anyone have experience with disconnect fees?
I took advantage of this paying $4 dollars for a $25 so called gift certificate only to discover after the purchase that it could only be used with a purchase of $50 or more. Now we'll either have to gorge on a ton of food we don't really want, or get a group together. What a hassle. It's a coupon, not a gift certificate.
We avoid the expense and hassle of going out to dinner on Valentine's Day (it often snows here in Indiana or roads are icy on Valentine's Day) and go out to lunch for for an afternoon hot chocolate and dessert. It's much less expensive, more relaxing and fun that waiting for a table in a crowded restaurant.
Thanks for a great giveaway! Elevenmoms ROCK!
That is soooooooo sweet Cathie.....
Hi!
Since my husband and I both are students, every year we make a pact of not celebrating just one day as a valentine.
We try to make each day a Valentine's (and ofcourse we fight a lot and have differences and ofcourse despite the pact we celebrate on Valentine's too)
I gift him hand made cards and he buys me a soft-toy.
and ofcourse we just hang out but eat at home that night and postpone the movie and dinner to some other time!!!
:)
Hi!
Since my husband and I both are students, every year we make a pact of not celebrating just one day as a valentine.
We try to make each day a Valentine's (and ofcourse we fight a lot and have differences and ofcourse despite the pact we celebrate on Valentine's too)
I gift him hand made cards and he buys me a soft-toy.
and ofcourse we just hang out but eat at home that night and postpone the movie and dinner to some other time!!!
:)
My frugal tip works for any holiday. Go out for a special lunch rather than dinner - can be just as, and even more romantic because now your afternoon and evening are free. Even better, go out for a romantic dinner the night before or after Valentines. Still just as romantic, but can cost less if the restaurant amps up the menu on the Day.
And even transferred the warranty when I sold the computer with a few months remaining. Just make sure you get a sales receipt as they use this when transferring the agreement to the new owner. And file it in a very safe place!
BTW - I have done iTunes gift cards also with no trouble to date. Alsomassive savings.
I never had this book earlier. But I think if we have most of the coupons for grocery and food that will be useful as those are our recurring expenses throught the year
I love the idea of asking for discounts or bargaining down your service providers, especially when your contract ends and you hold all of the power in your hands.
I was able to save $15 a month on my phone bill recently with TDS, with no contract extension needed, and I wasn't even calling for that reason in this case.
I was actually calling regarding my Internet line, and the sales rep was just so nice, they suggested some changes I could do to my phone service to save money there as well.
I did end up receiving a discount offer for my Internet line as well, but a contract extension was required in this case.
Ask and you shall receive.
Give squidoo a try, would love to see a review on it.
Something I thought about when reading the post & again when reading what dannatx said about the brown boots . . .
When I was a starving English major with big loans to pay off and a low-wage starter job, I learned to shop by function: I was coveting a down comforter because I was cold in bed at night & knew I couldn't swing the $80 cost on a budget where I was lucky to have $30 month to spend on anything other than the basic basics. I came across a garage sale where a woman in her 70s or 80s was selling off some worn comforters that she had made decades ago -- with wool batting, no less! For $3, I filled what had been looking to me like an $80 need. That kind of serendipity (or grace, depending upon your perspective) has been there for me again & again & again.
So, I say it's fine to be inspired by the pair of glorious brown boots that you spotted somewhere -- just think about what it is that you like about them & watch for serendipity -- if you can detach from the "it's gotta be . . ." you may find yourself with something you truly love that did not cost you a bundle.
great way to try new restaurants with the bogo coupons. and if the food turns out to be less than great, at least you didn't pay full price for it!
just want to add that I have never tried the homemade stuff but my 3 year old loves moonsand (will try this very soon). I do let her play with it in the house. I threw away the silly moon sand playmat and bought one of those rubbermade bins made to slide under the bed. It's a great little sand box. I only let her play with it on the kitchen floor. So when she's done, pop the lid back on and a quick sweep and it's all cleaned up.