for the freakin' nail polish!! Which was right there on the coupon. I felt sorry for the cashiers and the people in line behind me (who all had coupons, by the way). As an earlier commenter mentioned, they weren't ready for an increase in business brought on by their COUPON promotion, i.e, having the equipment and staff ready for increased traffic. I had never shopped at K-Mart before this, and I was really disappointed. The local store is dirty and disorganized. There were gaping holes in the stock. Their were never more than 2 cashiers on eithr time that I went. The registers don't even have conveyor belts, so the cashier has to manually slide all the items down, across the scanner, and the stack them precariously on the edge of the counter because only one bag is available at a time. Crazy! I won't bother shopping there again.
Nothing seems to be easier than seeing someone whom you can help but not helping.
I suggest we start giving it a try. Give love to the ones that need it.
God will appreciate it.
Whatever my pecuniary circumstances may be, I don't want to "make due" with transient friends. My friendships are what I value most. I hope that no amazing job, boyfriend, or adventure would compel me to flake out on my friends.
Sorry if someone already mentioned this reason, but I just got a job and desperately wanted to move right next door to where I work, but alas, it's in a pretty high-cost neighborhood (you'd never know it by looking at it, but location location, blah blah), so have had to settle for a few miles away. At least I can take the bus.
they have small strips you can test for lead in paint, get them everywhere, maybe even walmart. if there is lead, you can take it out and put in silver solder pretty easy,
Not all kids are going to be able to juggle school and a job. The results can be pretty ugly when only one is paying you money. My senior year in HS I actually quit school because I was exhausted(this was before they legislated limits on how much a teen could work)and couldn't juggle both. My mother and stepdad missed the warning signs. You should be really careful because if you have a teen going from little money to having enough to buy that cute outfit or those neat games they always wanted the job may take priority over schoolwork. Some teens are not going to easily be able to see the long term benefits that doing well in school offer when weighing it against the money they can earn in the here and now. Carefully weigh the maturity level of your teen and make sure to keep up with their behavior and activity(I skipped 40 days of school before they notified my parent because I had called in "sick" from the 7 eleven). Set aside some time weekly to ensure that they understand balance and are keeping sight of those long term goals and not just looking at short term gratification and that they haven't put too much on their plate. I was fortunate my "quitting" could have resulted in my having to forgo my long term goal of the military (I was female so unable to join with a GED). Luckily, I had a clean record prior to that year, a decent GPA, and a compassionate stepfather who didn't want to see me jettison an opportunity(he called a congressperson and I ended up doing independant study in summer school and going to night school to get my diploma on time). Looking back I recognize that I just didn't have a sophisticated enough thinking process to understand long term planning.
Watch the clips again. DB doesn't pay with paper at all. He pays with real banknotes. He just says he pays with paper, and because you trust him, you believe him. You never see the transactions at all - just a bit of camera-based mis-direction. It's obvious all he's doing is a normal cash transaction, but you're not seeing it because you have believed all his psycho-babble.
The only time he tries to pay with paper - to buy a hot dog from a street vendor (fancy that being the only one that 'failed'), the guy hands it straight back to him and asks for real money. Just as anyone else would.
Watch it again and think about it.
The guy is conning you and everyone else who watches this sham and actually believes it. He's not smart enough to con anyone into actually accepting blank paper instead of real money, and so he cons you, the viewer, instead.
I have a son who is willing to work, but not to take responsibility for getting himself there. He wants me to pick him up from school and drive him, then drive him home. We are a one-car family, and most days I don't have a car. I certainly don't have an hour in my day to sit in traffic at his school. He rides the bus home and there are many, many job opportunities within 5 miles, easily reached by bicycle.
Both his father and I rode ourselves to our jobs as teens. My husband continued this practice well after we were married. Son won't even consider it. What if it rains? What if I get a flat tire? What if it's hot? I've told him if he wants a car he'll have to work to get one. We have no money for a car or insurance for him and believe strongly he should earn it for himself. He is willing as long as it doesn't inconvenience him.
It's hard enough finding a job for adults in this economy... Responsibility starts at home... don't expect the workplace to teach your kids something you haven't bothered to do yourself.
Two major downsides to having your teen work (particularly at some typical McJob):
First, the hours can tend to expand until it affects your child's schoolwork. Many managers don't care about your kid's educational aspirations. They only care about getting their shifts covered. It's unlikely that a child is going to be able to flip burgers each evening and all day Saturday and still get their homework done. What's minimum wage if it keeps them out of college?
Second, minimum wage is crap, but not to a teen's mind. To their way of thinking it's a ton of money for very little mental effort. Depending on your teen's personality, they might just decide that working and bringing in some cash is better than spending a ton of money and being broke through four years (forever!) of boring college.
If you want your kid to get a work ethic and can afford it, I'd recommend giving them an extra allowance in exchange for volunteering someplace either intellectually stimulating or morally uplifting (or both). Match what their after tax wage would be at the "Joe job" and remember that you don't have to pay employment taxes. This has the added benefit of leaving more jobs for adults who may desperately need them right now as well as supporting good causes that may lack funding. And you control their hours and working conditions.
If you can't afford that (and I sympathize with that position) then look for low paid internships that match your child's educational interests. Things like fetching and carrying for professors or professionals. If your teen has a professional career already in mind you could even work with them to approach prominent local examples to propose an unofficial internship. They'll make a little money and maybe learn something in the process.
I have been married to a lovely Lady from Beihai China for 3 years now. My Chinese is very limited but I go out with all my Chinese friends whom speak no English and we do just fine. I spend 3 months every year in Beihai,a very lovely beach city. Food is great.People are very friendly and I will retire there in 3 years when I retire.You can get a "CHINESE GREEN CARD: now if you are married to a Chinese national. Which I am going to apply for this summer when I go back to Beihai. Yoou can also stay in China for more then 90 days if you have a job working there. The Chinese people are very friendly as long as you know and understand their culture. Chinese language is not that hard to learn if you live there and have someone who can help you.I have a friend there who runs a school teaching English.So he is my teacher and I am his for English.You will not find a better place to retire. I am from America and I can live there like a king on my little retirement,but I could never retire if I stayed in the United States.Chinese food is great,nothing like you get in the U.S.A. Which by the way is not Chinese food. I hate coming back to the USA after my 3 months in China ,Chinese are just more friendly then Americans. Plus there laws are inforced. Very little crime compared to any place in America. Chinese show respect,to elders,teachers, and all visitors as long as you understand their culture. No better place to reire to of live in for that matter. I look forward to my life in China.
I got an letter in the mail today from ISCL Independent Shopers Company LTD. the campaign Coordinator is Patric Newman and I just wanted to know if it was legit or not.
The thing I disliked about high school-era jobs were the mindlessness. What I did not realize is that by doing those mindless jobs, I was also being exposed to different working cultures. When it came time to interview for a "real" job, I had a sense of office dynamics, retail dynamics, and freelancing dynamics. I wish my parents had been able to articulate that to me and point it out at the time! I would have paid more attention to that most valuable aspect of the high school job.
I'm not sure I agree that take out orders should be tipped. (And I used to work in the food industry where I depended on tips.) Do you tip the employees at McDonald's for taking the time to pack your order to go?
Tips are for service. That means checking on your table, filling your drink glass, getting you more salad dressing, etc. Also a lot of places split tips between wait staff, bussers and dish washers. Since there is no service, so bussing needed and no dishes to wash just what are you tipping for?
this is great advice, and back when I was in high school, my part time jobs were great experiences. I would just hope that parents won't be too hard on those kids who can't find a job, now or this summer. Unemployment is highest for teenagers right now; given the poor economy, they may be unable to find anything as older workers in harder hit areas take jobs, out of necessity, that teenagers would ordinarily take.
Thanks for a great article. You've come up with a great concept and have a ton of meaty ideas to go along with it. I also like the weekly item swap idea. It keeps people focused at least once a week on what items they really haven't used in a while. If people don't want to be bothered with a monthly yard sale, the person hosting the event each week could be responsible for taking the extras to Goodwill. Just a suggestion. But certainly if they have the time to organize one, having the extra few bucks is great.
Kids have to have their own motivation to go look for a job. Do keep an eye on where they are considering working. We had another parent offer to hire our oldest to do summer construction with his company, but was going to pay him far below the minimum wage and treat him as an "independent contractor" so he would have no work comp or other typical employee rights or benefits.
We put a stop to that idea pretty quick. It served as a good lesson in labor law, safety at work and how to figure out if a job offer is worth taking or not.
I love your post. Frugal club is something new to me but I like the idea. I can replicate it with my friends. Its like "hitting two birds with one stone" e.g. it's guaranteed to have fun with close friends and at the same time do some brainstorming and undergo activities wherein everybody can save some money. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
for the freakin' nail polish!! Which was right there on the coupon. I felt sorry for the cashiers and the people in line behind me (who all had coupons, by the way). As an earlier commenter mentioned, they weren't ready for an increase in business brought on by their COUPON promotion, i.e, having the equipment and staff ready for increased traffic. I had never shopped at K-Mart before this, and I was really disappointed. The local store is dirty and disorganized. There were gaping holes in the stock. Their were never more than 2 cashiers on eithr time that I went. The registers don't even have conveyor belts, so the cashier has to manually slide all the items down, across the scanner, and the stack them precariously on the edge of the counter because only one bag is available at a time. Crazy! I won't bother shopping there again.
Nothing seems to be easier than seeing someone whom you can help but not helping.
I suggest we start giving it a try. Give love to the ones that need it.
God will appreciate it.
Whatever my pecuniary circumstances may be, I don't want to "make due" with transient friends. My friendships are what I value most. I hope that no amazing job, boyfriend, or adventure would compel me to flake out on my friends.
Sorry if someone already mentioned this reason, but I just got a job and desperately wanted to move right next door to where I work, but alas, it's in a pretty high-cost neighborhood (you'd never know it by looking at it, but location location, blah blah), so have had to settle for a few miles away. At least I can take the bus.
xin lu,
just a note to let you know that i recently added this article to my blog love roundup.
http://sunnysavings.blogspot.com/2009/01/blog-love-12109.html
thank you for the great entry!
they have small strips you can test for lead in paint, get them everywhere, maybe even walmart. if there is lead, you can take it out and put in silver solder pretty easy,
How do I get started?
regale* you with tales...
Not all kids are going to be able to juggle school and a job. The results can be pretty ugly when only one is paying you money. My senior year in HS I actually quit school because I was exhausted(this was before they legislated limits on how much a teen could work)and couldn't juggle both. My mother and stepdad missed the warning signs. You should be really careful because if you have a teen going from little money to having enough to buy that cute outfit or those neat games they always wanted the job may take priority over schoolwork. Some teens are not going to easily be able to see the long term benefits that doing well in school offer when weighing it against the money they can earn in the here and now. Carefully weigh the maturity level of your teen and make sure to keep up with their behavior and activity(I skipped 40 days of school before they notified my parent because I had called in "sick" from the 7 eleven). Set aside some time weekly to ensure that they understand balance and are keeping sight of those long term goals and not just looking at short term gratification and that they haven't put too much on their plate. I was fortunate my "quitting" could have resulted in my having to forgo my long term goal of the military (I was female so unable to join with a GED). Luckily, I had a clean record prior to that year, a decent GPA, and a compassionate stepfather who didn't want to see me jettison an opportunity(he called a congressperson and I ended up doing independant study in summer school and going to night school to get my diploma on time). Looking back I recognize that I just didn't have a sophisticated enough thinking process to understand long term planning.
I love it. I am considering starting this. Not sure of the enthusiasim of others, but thinking of checking it out......thanks for the great ideas.
I just read your blog and you're a mug.
Watch the clips again. DB doesn't pay with paper at all. He pays with real banknotes. He just says he pays with paper, and because you trust him, you believe him. You never see the transactions at all - just a bit of camera-based mis-direction. It's obvious all he's doing is a normal cash transaction, but you're not seeing it because you have believed all his psycho-babble.
The only time he tries to pay with paper - to buy a hot dog from a street vendor (fancy that being the only one that 'failed'), the guy hands it straight back to him and asks for real money. Just as anyone else would.
Watch it again and think about it.
The guy is conning you and everyone else who watches this sham and actually believes it. He's not smart enough to con anyone into actually accepting blank paper instead of real money, and so he cons you, the viewer, instead.
It's cheap, it's shoddy, and it's shameless.
I have a son who is willing to work, but not to take responsibility for getting himself there. He wants me to pick him up from school and drive him, then drive him home. We are a one-car family, and most days I don't have a car. I certainly don't have an hour in my day to sit in traffic at his school. He rides the bus home and there are many, many job opportunities within 5 miles, easily reached by bicycle.
Both his father and I rode ourselves to our jobs as teens. My husband continued this practice well after we were married. Son won't even consider it. What if it rains? What if I get a flat tire? What if it's hot? I've told him if he wants a car he'll have to work to get one. We have no money for a car or insurance for him and believe strongly he should earn it for himself. He is willing as long as it doesn't inconvenience him.
Wimp.
It's hard enough finding a job for adults in this economy... Responsibility starts at home... don't expect the workplace to teach your kids something you haven't bothered to do yourself.
Two major downsides to having your teen work (particularly at some typical McJob):
First, the hours can tend to expand until it affects your child's schoolwork. Many managers don't care about your kid's educational aspirations. They only care about getting their shifts covered. It's unlikely that a child is going to be able to flip burgers each evening and all day Saturday and still get their homework done. What's minimum wage if it keeps them out of college?
Second, minimum wage is crap, but not to a teen's mind. To their way of thinking it's a ton of money for very little mental effort. Depending on your teen's personality, they might just decide that working and bringing in some cash is better than spending a ton of money and being broke through four years (forever!) of boring college.
If you want your kid to get a work ethic and can afford it, I'd recommend giving them an extra allowance in exchange for volunteering someplace either intellectually stimulating or morally uplifting (or both). Match what their after tax wage would be at the "Joe job" and remember that you don't have to pay employment taxes. This has the added benefit of leaving more jobs for adults who may desperately need them right now as well as supporting good causes that may lack funding. And you control their hours and working conditions.
If you can't afford that (and I sympathize with that position) then look for low paid internships that match your child's educational interests. Things like fetching and carrying for professors or professionals. If your teen has a professional career already in mind you could even work with them to approach prominent local examples to propose an unofficial internship. They'll make a little money and maybe learn something in the process.
Not very timely, since even supermarkets are laying people off now. Anyway, it might be a good idea to mention Roth IRAs
Sorry I Made some typing mistakes.OPPS
I have been married to a lovely Lady from Beihai China for 3 years now. My Chinese is very limited but I go out with all my Chinese friends whom speak no English and we do just fine. I spend 3 months every year in Beihai,a very lovely beach city. Food is great.People are very friendly and I will retire there in 3 years when I retire.You can get a "CHINESE GREEN CARD: now if you are married to a Chinese national. Which I am going to apply for this summer when I go back to Beihai. Yoou can also stay in China for more then 90 days if you have a job working there. The Chinese people are very friendly as long as you know and understand their culture. Chinese language is not that hard to learn if you live there and have someone who can help you.I have a friend there who runs a school teaching English.So he is my teacher and I am his for English.You will not find a better place to retire. I am from America and I can live there like a king on my little retirement,but I could never retire if I stayed in the United States.Chinese food is great,nothing like you get in the U.S.A. Which by the way is not Chinese food. I hate coming back to the USA after my 3 months in China ,Chinese are just more friendly then Americans. Plus there laws are inforced. Very little crime compared to any place in America. Chinese show respect,to elders,teachers, and all visitors as long as you understand their culture. No better place to reire to of live in for that matter. I look forward to my life in China.
I got an letter in the mail today from ISCL Independent Shopers Company LTD. the campaign Coordinator is Patric Newman and I just wanted to know if it was legit or not.
Tracey
The thing I disliked about high school-era jobs were the mindlessness. What I did not realize is that by doing those mindless jobs, I was also being exposed to different working cultures. When it came time to interview for a "real" job, I had a sense of office dynamics, retail dynamics, and freelancing dynamics. I wish my parents had been able to articulate that to me and point it out at the time! I would have paid more attention to that most valuable aspect of the high school job.
I'm not sure I agree that take out orders should be tipped. (And I used to work in the food industry where I depended on tips.) Do you tip the employees at McDonald's for taking the time to pack your order to go?
Tips are for service. That means checking on your table, filling your drink glass, getting you more salad dressing, etc. Also a lot of places split tips between wait staff, bussers and dish washers. Since there is no service, so bussing needed and no dishes to wash just what are you tipping for?
this is great advice, and back when I was in high school, my part time jobs were great experiences. I would just hope that parents won't be too hard on those kids who can't find a job, now or this summer. Unemployment is highest for teenagers right now; given the poor economy, they may be unable to find anything as older workers in harder hit areas take jobs, out of necessity, that teenagers would ordinarily take.
Thanks for a great article. You've come up with a great concept and have a ton of meaty ideas to go along with it. I also like the weekly item swap idea. It keeps people focused at least once a week on what items they really haven't used in a while. If people don't want to be bothered with a monthly yard sale, the person hosting the event each week could be responsible for taking the extras to Goodwill. Just a suggestion. But certainly if they have the time to organize one, having the extra few bucks is great.
I can't seem to get to the place where you change the code?
Kids have to have their own motivation to go look for a job. Do keep an eye on where they are considering working. We had another parent offer to hire our oldest to do summer construction with his company, but was going to pay him far below the minimum wage and treat him as an "independent contractor" so he would have no work comp or other typical employee rights or benefits.
We put a stop to that idea pretty quick. It served as a good lesson in labor law, safety at work and how to figure out if a job offer is worth taking or not.
I love your post. Frugal club is something new to me but I like the idea. I can replicate it with my friends. Its like "hitting two birds with one stone" e.g. it's guaranteed to have fun with close friends and at the same time do some brainstorming and undergo activities wherein everybody can save some money. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.