Perfect timing. I just started getting on my game again. After 4 close-together c-section deliveries, I thought I would NEVER do a crunch again. It took awhile, but I'm back. Thanks for all the little reminders to get us going. (You rock.)
My parents bought a home on my dad's VA loan (~1965) but he abandoned us and my mom (23 years old with three little girls under 5, stay at home mom, no education and unemployed) couldn't make the payments. She never owned a home while I was growing up, and we moved a lot (evicted from more than one place due to not making rent payments on time). In my early twenties, I had a friend of the same age and HER mother lived in the family home with no payment as the home had been paid off several years earlier. I thought it was the greatest thing. No house payment. Wow. When I tell people this is my goal with my current mortgage, they act like I'm nuts. But my mortgage is under $50K and there is no tax benefit for such a small amount of interest. I really appreciate the detailed information you have included in this post, thank you. Posting to delicious for future reference.
Except for cloth diapers and my dislike of the Dollar Store, I do everything on -both- lists (and then some!). However, to me it's not about saving money. I'm sick of the corporate takeover/outsourcing of jobs in this country and I'm sick of watching our environment get destroyed. After reading the "anti-consumer" website www.verdant.net our family decided to vote with our dollars and take a stand against the status quo.
We -cautiously- use past-date-of-sale food and medicine because I hate to waste it. Most items don't go "bad" on the expiration date ... they simply begin to lose color and flavor (or potency) and must be used as quickly as possible. The only past-due item I'll actually buy is day-old bread, but every once in a while you find a past-date whatever sauce stashed in the back of the cupboard and we'll use it. I once found a stashed bottle of 5-year-expired aspirin ... a bit too far past the due date to use for people ... but a crushed aspirin makes a great floral preservative mixed in with your bouquet water.
We don't buy new unless it can't be purchased used someplace else after quite a bit of hunting. Hand-me-downs from friends are great ... if they're too worn to use for clothing they get turned into craft supplies or braided into rag rugs. We save a ton of money ... but money isn't the point. I haven't bought Saran wrap, baggies, or napkins for years ... plastic bags get rinsed out and reused until they develop holes. Your dollar is a vote, the only vote big business and corrupt politicians understand, so use it wisely.
But you put the money in those different accounts to take advantage of their benefits based on what you're planning on using the money for. How else do you know how much to put in each account type? How do you arrive at that "necessary sum"?
It seems like you're mostly concerned with having your money serve multiple purposes. Just because a person compartmentalizes, doesn't mean your money can't serve multiple purposes. When you decide how much cash to keep on hand in case of an emergency, you're designating that money for any and all emergencies. You don't sit there and save 5k in case the roof needs it plus 2k in case my transmission goes on my car plus 3k in case I get hospitalized for my asthma, etc. You'd never stop saving if that were the case!
People don't go on vacation instead of repaving the driveway because the market went a certain way, they go because people don't want to give up their fun to do what they should do. They do it because they think it would be nice to do both, but don't do what it takes to make that happen.
Great post! Many people adopt pets on a "whim" with the idea that if it doesn't work out they can just "get rid of him". It should be approached as a life time commitment and well researched. Of course what should we expect as marriages and children are often treated with this same mentality.
I am glad to hear that second hand stores will be exempt. I don't know anyone who makes children's clothing, but this idea is similar to NAIS - the National Animal Identification System. Big ranchers can afford the machinery to tag and identify every animal, but hobby farmers will be put out of business if NAIS is passed. http://nonais.org I see the same thing happening here - only big business will be able to withstand the testing costs, so I hope they do make exceptions for home crafters. Great post, thanks!
Just got a Digital Stream 9950 from Radio Shack, hooked it up easily to a 1988 Sears tv.. I already had an antenna to boost reception.. but after entering all the codes for Sears, and following instructions to press the up and down buttons to hunt for a code when those didn't work, still can't get the remote to work.
The guide says finally, if all that fails, the remote may not work with the TV.
We don't watch a huge amount, but will miss the remote. Its maddening. The picture isn't improved either, as far as I can see.
All my original cloth diapers came from thrift shops. After that, I used old hand/dish towels. They worked just as well. I could buy them for $.99 at thrift stores, vs. several $$ for a store-bought diaper. The baby didn't care; I didn't care, but I did save a lot of $$$.
Mrs. Accountability, you make me smile. We have the same situation at our house now. Our house is usually so dark people think we aren't home or in bed. But we're up with lights on only where we need them. Sometimes it's been that three or four people are in one room reading, not each in their own room with a light on in each. We all have mastered using the bathroom with no light--not even a nightlight. I have been in houses where, after dark, every room on the first floor is lit, whether or not anyone was in it. My parents grew up during the Depression and I took away a lot of valuable lessons from them. What I see passing for 'lifestyle' these days makes me depressed.
The CPSC is working on clarification for people like crafters who make things for sale. Etsy is working with them to get some sort of clear rules to exempt crafters who make small numbers or one of something. There is more info on Etsy's home page.
In reality most crafters source their materials from large national retailers unless they are sourcing something like raw wool and spinning it or buying domestic handspun wool from another small business or crafter. So CPSC should be able to establish something that requires things like yardage material or yarns to be tested before coming into the country. Possibly something like a label showing the item is kid safe or not kid safe.
I'm very bothered by the effect this will have on small businesses and those at-home crafters who make and sell things (as I was up until last year). Throughout this whole election season, we heard quite a bit about how important small business is to the economy...and how small businesses create jobs. But legislation like this effectively kills those small businesses! I'm glad they came to their senses and exempted thrift stores and the like.
Good piece, Xin. You know, it just seems to me like if international companies want their goods sold here, why shouldn't the cost of the testing or quality control go there first? That way stores would have a list of products they would be able to carry with confidence. I realize that's not the way it worked out, but it just seems like it's something the legislation would have taken into account. I wonder if there's any history on that issue, and how it got addressed during the legislative process.
try washing detergant it works alot toothpaste kinda got my brian lara cricket 2005 working i tried soap on my uber scratched ssx 1 on my ps2 that got working for half an hour then it freezes never cirucular motion i screwed my ps2 demo that has ZOE2 chaos leigon freedom fighters (the best shooter ever) Soul calibur 2 (like DOA but with weapons) colin mcRae 4 f1 2003 rugby 2004 perfect ace amplitude (same creators of guitar hero 1) Sphinx Warhammer 4k time crisis 3 trailer metal gear solid 4 trailer the making of amlitude and i forgot i also scratched my forza 2 by tipping the 360 over and my DOA 4 was pre owned so i had to clean it
These are all great responses! After reading through them, all I can say is --- wow, I'm pretty inspired by how everyone is managing to cut costs so deeply. I was happy to have shaved off the 25% from our original budget, but it looks like I can do so much more. The question, I guess, is how much sacrifice are we willing to do.
I've always focused more on trying to increase income rather than cutting the budget to its barest bones because I found that the largest expenses I have are "fixed": the mortgage at 5% rate, taxes, medical stuff. Given that we'd like to commit our efforts to improve our financial situation, I've opted to focus mainly on the income generation aspect while attempting to keep the budget under control.
While I don't know what I'd do in this situation (I hope my husband would have our gun ready to go...) I think alot of people keep a smaller stash of cash for just this reason. If you can give the smaller amount to the robber to appease him, it may work. Hopefully, this is just a hypothetical, guest.
It can be higher, especially if your toppings are more exotic. But I like to use lots and lots of piled high cheap fresh veggies... You can fill up fast that way!
It sounds like you have it figured out. Sometimes the best money decisions are a simple math calculation. There is a risk with HD insurance... but it will usually be no more than the actual deductible. If you are healthy and stay healthy, however, you can save big money. Good luck!
For example, you want to have some money in a local bank, because sometimes you simply have to have money that's right there in town (to bail a friend out of jail, or to get a certified check to close an important business deal). On the other hand, maybe the internet bank pays a higher interest rate. As long as you have the necessary sum in a local bank, maybe the rest of your cash can go in the internet bank and earn the higher return.
Another example would be putting some money into a near-cash investment, such as a savings bond. Once savings bond is one year old you can redeem up to $1000 worth at any US bank any time during banking hours, and yet they often pay a much higher rate of interest than other investments that you can turn into cash wherever you happen to be.
My point is that the division ought to be decided on that kind of basis, not on the basis of what you're planning to use the money for.
My wife and I just purchased some reusable diapers with disposable liners. By our calculations it cost us almost $40 a box for disposable diapers and a 5 usable diapers, 10 reusable liners and two rolls of disposable liners cost just about $60. We're already seeing the benefits and these new reusable diapers are much easier and cleaner to use than the standard cloth style reusable diapers.
I would definitely consider stretching yourself to save and pay down debt. After all if you're in debt you probably got it by stretching the opposite way when you spent more than you could afford. So put in a little extra work and take some steps to get that money back!
+1 for the gift wrapping supplies, stocking stuffers, and glow sticks.
I think my favorite item from Dollar Tree is their California's Awesome Cleaner/Degreaser. I use it on my car's floor mats and rims, pots and pans, anywhere I need to scrub. It's concentrated so a little goes a long way. Oh, and here's the kicker: it's nontoxic. Safe for the little ones.
Perfect timing. I just started getting on my game again. After 4 close-together c-section deliveries, I thought I would NEVER do a crunch again. It took awhile, but I'm back. Thanks for all the little reminders to get us going. (You rock.)
Linsey Knerl
My parents bought a home on my dad's VA loan (~1965) but he abandoned us and my mom (23 years old with three little girls under 5, stay at home mom, no education and unemployed) couldn't make the payments. She never owned a home while I was growing up, and we moved a lot (evicted from more than one place due to not making rent payments on time). In my early twenties, I had a friend of the same age and HER mother lived in the family home with no payment as the home had been paid off several years earlier. I thought it was the greatest thing. No house payment. Wow. When I tell people this is my goal with my current mortgage, they act like I'm nuts. But my mortgage is under $50K and there is no tax benefit for such a small amount of interest. I really appreciate the detailed information you have included in this post, thank you. Posting to delicious for future reference.
Except for cloth diapers and my dislike of the Dollar Store, I do everything on -both- lists (and then some!). However, to me it's not about saving money. I'm sick of the corporate takeover/outsourcing of jobs in this country and I'm sick of watching our environment get destroyed. After reading the "anti-consumer" website www.verdant.net our family decided to vote with our dollars and take a stand against the status quo.
We -cautiously- use past-date-of-sale food and medicine because I hate to waste it. Most items don't go "bad" on the expiration date ... they simply begin to lose color and flavor (or potency) and must be used as quickly as possible. The only past-due item I'll actually buy is day-old bread, but every once in a while you find a past-date whatever sauce stashed in the back of the cupboard and we'll use it. I once found a stashed bottle of 5-year-expired aspirin ... a bit too far past the due date to use for people ... but a crushed aspirin makes a great floral preservative mixed in with your bouquet water.
We don't buy new unless it can't be purchased used someplace else after quite a bit of hunting. Hand-me-downs from friends are great ... if they're too worn to use for clothing they get turned into craft supplies or braided into rag rugs. We save a ton of money ... but money isn't the point. I haven't bought Saran wrap, baggies, or napkins for years ... plastic bags get rinsed out and reused until they develop holes. Your dollar is a vote, the only vote big business and corrupt politicians understand, so use it wisely.
But you put the money in those different accounts to take advantage of their benefits based on what you're planning on using the money for. How else do you know how much to put in each account type? How do you arrive at that "necessary sum"?
It seems like you're mostly concerned with having your money serve multiple purposes. Just because a person compartmentalizes, doesn't mean your money can't serve multiple purposes. When you decide how much cash to keep on hand in case of an emergency, you're designating that money for any and all emergencies. You don't sit there and save 5k in case the roof needs it plus 2k in case my transmission goes on my car plus 3k in case I get hospitalized for my asthma, etc. You'd never stop saving if that were the case!
People don't go on vacation instead of repaving the driveway because the market went a certain way, they go because people don't want to give up their fun to do what they should do. They do it because they think it would be nice to do both, but don't do what it takes to make that happen.
Great post! Many people adopt pets on a "whim" with the idea that if it doesn't work out they can just "get rid of him". It should be approached as a life time commitment and well researched. Of course what should we expect as marriages and children are often treated with this same mentality.
Fred, you're so right in that the hardest step is actually getting started.
Motivation will be different for everybody, but it's amazing what just getting out the door can do to help. Thanks for some great tips!
I am glad to hear that second hand stores will be exempt. I don't know anyone who makes children's clothing, but this idea is similar to NAIS - the National Animal Identification System. Big ranchers can afford the machinery to tag and identify every animal, but hobby farmers will be put out of business if NAIS is passed. http://nonais.org I see the same thing happening here - only big business will be able to withstand the testing costs, so I hope they do make exceptions for home crafters. Great post, thanks!
Just got a Digital Stream 9950 from Radio Shack, hooked it up easily to a 1988 Sears tv.. I already had an antenna to boost reception.. but after entering all the codes for Sears, and following instructions to press the up and down buttons to hunt for a code when those didn't work, still can't get the remote to work.
The guide says finally, if all that fails, the remote may not work with the TV.
We don't watch a huge amount, but will miss the remote. Its maddening. The picture isn't improved either, as far as I can see.
All my original cloth diapers came from thrift shops. After that, I used old hand/dish towels. They worked just as well. I could buy them for $.99 at thrift stores, vs. several $$ for a store-bought diaper. The baby didn't care; I didn't care, but I did save a lot of $$$.
Mrs. Accountability, you make me smile. We have the same situation at our house now. Our house is usually so dark people think we aren't home or in bed. But we're up with lights on only where we need them. Sometimes it's been that three or four people are in one room reading, not each in their own room with a light on in each. We all have mastered using the bathroom with no light--not even a nightlight. I have been in houses where, after dark, every room on the first floor is lit, whether or not anyone was in it. My parents grew up during the Depression and I took away a lot of valuable lessons from them. What I see passing for 'lifestyle' these days makes me depressed.
The CPSC is working on clarification for people like crafters who make things for sale. Etsy is working with them to get some sort of clear rules to exempt crafters who make small numbers or one of something. There is more info on Etsy's home page.
In reality most crafters source their materials from large national retailers unless they are sourcing something like raw wool and spinning it or buying domestic handspun wool from another small business or crafter. So CPSC should be able to establish something that requires things like yardage material or yarns to be tested before coming into the country. Possibly something like a label showing the item is kid safe or not kid safe.
So when you wake up this morning
And those blues are hangin' round, yeah
Just listen baby,
And I'll tell you what to do
- Chicago III
I'm very bothered by the effect this will have on small businesses and those at-home crafters who make and sell things (as I was up until last year). Throughout this whole election season, we heard quite a bit about how important small business is to the economy...and how small businesses create jobs. But legislation like this effectively kills those small businesses! I'm glad they came to their senses and exempted thrift stores and the like.
Good piece, Xin. You know, it just seems to me like if international companies want their goods sold here, why shouldn't the cost of the testing or quality control go there first? That way stores would have a list of products they would be able to carry with confidence. I realize that's not the way it worked out, but it just seems like it's something the legislation would have taken into account. I wonder if there's any history on that issue, and how it got addressed during the legislative process.
try washing detergant it works alot toothpaste kinda got my brian lara cricket 2005 working i tried soap on my uber scratched ssx 1 on my ps2 that got working for half an hour then it freezes never cirucular motion i screwed my ps2 demo that has ZOE2 chaos leigon freedom fighters (the best shooter ever) Soul calibur 2 (like DOA but with weapons) colin mcRae 4 f1 2003 rugby 2004 perfect ace amplitude (same creators of guitar hero 1) Sphinx Warhammer 4k time crisis 3 trailer metal gear solid 4 trailer the making of amlitude and i forgot i also scratched my forza 2 by tipping the 360 over and my DOA 4 was pre owned so i had to clean it
These are all great responses! After reading through them, all I can say is --- wow, I'm pretty inspired by how everyone is managing to cut costs so deeply. I was happy to have shaved off the 25% from our original budget, but it looks like I can do so much more. The question, I guess, is how much sacrifice are we willing to do.
I've always focused more on trying to increase income rather than cutting the budget to its barest bones because I found that the largest expenses I have are "fixed": the mortgage at 5% rate, taxes, medical stuff. Given that we'd like to commit our efforts to improve our financial situation, I've opted to focus mainly on the income generation aspect while attempting to keep the budget under control.
Hopefully my measures work!
SVB @ The Digerati Life
While I don't know what I'd do in this situation (I hope my husband would have our gun ready to go...) I think alot of people keep a smaller stash of cash for just this reason. If you can give the smaller amount to the robber to appease him, it may work. Hopefully, this is just a hypothetical, guest.
Linsey Knerl
It can be higher, especially if your toppings are more exotic. But I like to use lots and lots of piled high cheap fresh veggies... You can fill up fast that way!
Linsey Knerl
It sounds like you have it figured out. Sometimes the best money decisions are a simple math calculation. There is a risk with HD insurance... but it will usually be no more than the actual deductible. If you are healthy and stay healthy, however, you can save big money. Good luck!
Linsey Knerl
A number of Clear Channel radio stations do this in Phoenix (possibly in other markets). For example KEZ 99.9.
They have links to other Phoenix stations that have deals on the same page.
For example, you want to have some money in a local bank, because sometimes you simply have to have money that's right there in town (to bail a friend out of jail, or to get a certified check to close an important business deal). On the other hand, maybe the internet bank pays a higher interest rate. As long as you have the necessary sum in a local bank, maybe the rest of your cash can go in the internet bank and earn the higher return.
Another example would be putting some money into a near-cash investment, such as a savings bond. Once savings bond is one year old you can redeem up to $1000 worth at any US bank any time during banking hours, and yet they often pay a much higher rate of interest than other investments that you can turn into cash wherever you happen to be.
My point is that the division ought to be decided on that kind of basis, not on the basis of what you're planning to use the money for.
I got you people all beat for extreme living.
After rent (for a room in a house with nine people), health ins, and a student loan payment, I live on $120 per month.
My wife and I just purchased some reusable diapers with disposable liners. By our calculations it cost us almost $40 a box for disposable diapers and a 5 usable diapers, 10 reusable liners and two rolls of disposable liners cost just about $60. We're already seeing the benefits and these new reusable diapers are much easier and cleaner to use than the standard cloth style reusable diapers.
I would definitely consider stretching yourself to save and pay down debt. After all if you're in debt you probably got it by stretching the opposite way when you spent more than you could afford. So put in a little extra work and take some steps to get that money back!
Non toxic, cheap and multi-purpose. Cool tip.
+1 for the gift wrapping supplies, stocking stuffers, and glow sticks.
I think my favorite item from Dollar Tree is their California's Awesome Cleaner/Degreaser. I use it on my car's floor mats and rims, pots and pans, anywhere I need to scrub. It's concentrated so a little goes a long way. Oh, and here's the kicker: it's nontoxic. Safe for the little ones.