My understanding is that reselling new items at yard sales is illega, but is a law that doesn't often get enforced. And depending on the quantity you're reselling, the issues with legality have to do with needing a license to be a reseller.
Why I like K-Mart. Where I live Wall Mart and K-Mart are only a quarter of a mile apart. Admittedly, I do have an aversion to Wall Mart, and avoid it if at all possible. But here's the clincher for me: I will ALWAYS stop at K-Mart first because parking is never a problem. At the Wall you always have to park in Outer Mongolia and hike a mile to get to the front door. I just don't love traffic jams that much!!!
Hey, I heard you can buy shine that is different flavors; apple, apple pie, blueberry, peach, raspberry, strawberry, etc. They are all very good, or so I've heard, I was wondering how they are made. Does putting these items in the must have anything to do with that? Why would you add things like apples at this point? Doesn't all of this get left behind upon distillation? I suspect it is added after the distilling process but is the batch then cooked or aged at this point, is there anything else added other than the obvious ingredient?
Also, I'm still curious how much drinkable beverage will result from the 3 gallon batch. I know it depends when you decide to stop "collecting" but approximately? Was post number 99 correct? It makes sence.
btw, truely appreciate your sharing, seems as though many people have enjoyed the discussion, Happy Holidays
You can make your formulas in Excel more comprehensible by defining the important variables (interest and period) as names.
it's under Insert>Name>Define and then you type in "interest" as the name and at the bottom of the box you can either type in "=$A$7" or whatever cell you are using to define the interest rate.
you could also define interest (in the Name control box) as a constant by typing in "interest" and then defining it as "=6%".
The only problem with this approach on the current spreadhseet is that to change the interest rate you would have to go into the Names menu. So having "interest" refer to an absolute cell address (the kind with the $ signs before the letters and the numbers of the address, i.e. "$A$7" instead of, for example, "A7") makes more sense for this schedule.
Do the same thing for period.
Now your PMT formula, for example, can be written in forms like this:
=pmt(a8,(interest/12),period*12)
which is a heck of a lot more comprehensible when you go to read it.
you are lots of other things you can do with naming bsides this, but this is a small sampling. naming comes in most handy when you have more complex spreadsheets.
umm--too "time consuming to make a spreadsheet???!!"
come on!
actually, I shouldn't be surprised that there are people that think this way. But if you are planning on getting ahead financially, you need to rely on yourself, not just others, to calculate things in order to have good information to make decisions. Learning how to assemble an amortization schedule is pretty basic. Also, knowing how to assemble a credit card payoff schedule on a spreadsheet has come in handy for seeing exactly which card is the most beneficial to devote more of my payments to in various situations.
if you have debt, or or planning to invest (in other words, if you have and use money, or plan to have and use money) you NEED to know this stuff!
Got some awesome bargains at the double coupon deal last week. The cashier even doubled a 3.00, don't know how she made that happen, but she did. And in her hurry to get me through the line she doubled a few $2.00 coupons 2 times. Didn't notice any of this till I got home and looked at the receipt.
To continue what was said above about the "hoarding", I've seen pics on other sites of people's stashes, shelves upon shelves and totes and boxes and bags of shampoo, conditioner, soap, dish detergent, hundreds of dollars worth of stuff purchased for pennies. ANd while I envy their money saving abilty and respect the time it takes to do it, it strikes me as being more than a little over the top. How can you possibly use all that stuff? Part of the thrill of saving money is the big score, coming out of WAGS or CVS with $50 worth of stuff for $2.00. Keep doing that, and pretty soon you need a garage or extra room to stash all your goodies. Those few shopping trips a week with the great sales and double coupons will bring more stuff into your house way faster than you can ever use it up. It just seems to me that it borders on sickness, the need to hoard all that crap. I do have a little stash in my closet, maybe 3-4 each of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. Any excess beyond that goes into grocery bags I'm always adding to, and every other month or so that all goes to the local womens shelter. I'm all for frugality, I was raised with depression-era parents and grandparents so it's in my blood, but there are so many people who would be so very grateful for a tiny bit of your excess. Just my two cents...
I always check my KMart at the end of each season and have found great buys on yard furniture, gardening supplies, outdoor lighting, post holiday candy, home decor, sandals, bathing suits and beach towels, summer clothes (after July 4th), dress up clothes (after New Years). Pricing is clearly meant to move these things out.
The large kitchen area often has an ongoing clearance area where I have found super buys on cookware, serving items, silverware, baking supplies, and small appliances.
I have also bought sturdy, useful-though-not fancy furniture for a rental unit, often cheaper than at thrift shops.
Thanks, Julie, for the tips on socks and necessities.
I hope my post provided the necessary context, but perhaps not.
Food pantries are a good model. They were created so that food that couldn't be sold could still feed people, rather than ending up in the garbage. Similarly, Freecycle exists so that people who want to get rid of stuff can put it into the hands of people who need it, rather than sending it to a landfill.
I suppose some people go to food pantries and then complain that they can't get their favorite brand of breakfast cereal. Don't be like them. Not at food pantries--and not at Freecycle either.
There's one close by here. I'll have to check out the Joe Boxer socks for the hubster. He runs, and blows through socks like there's no tomorrow.
I second the unusual kitchen items and the Martha Stewart Everyday merchandise, although I haven't needed any of that for a while.
One deal I remember the Super K-Mart offering quite a bit when we lived by one was the 10 pound bags of chicken leg quarters for $2.50. Every few months they'd run that. Pretty slamming deal, if you ask me. They weren't always the best stocked though.
I have bought Basic Edition and Lee shorts for women clearanced to $1 each. We bought a great prelit Christmas tree there several years ago that has turned out to be the best tree we've ever purchases. They also have some nice Christmas ornaments and IMO they decorate their display trees prettier than other stores. Hubby likes the Fireside house shoes and went back for another pair. My own have lasted 6 years so far! I love the Olan Mills photo studios that are in many of their stores.
I do the virgin wireless cell phone. No contracts- no bills.
I just top off the phone every 45 days- $20.00
The cool thing is that my $20.00 just keeps adding up if I don't use it. A couple of years ago I dropped my phone in the lake and I just used the money that had been accumulating in my account and got a new phone for free.
I only use my phone for emergencies and when I want to see what time it is. I don't like wearing a watch.
First, let me say that this has been a great series of articles.
I do have one point I'd like to expand on. You say:
"If you need free stuff, probably the first place to look is Freecycle, a group whose goal is specifically to match people who have stuff to give away with people who need stuff. "
I am the Freecycle group owner in my area, and this isn't quite our goal. Freecycle is primarily a recycling group, whose mission is to keep useful stuff out of landfills. We give people with too much stuff a way to unload some of it that isn't throwing it in the dump.
Sure, people get free stuff from Freecycle all the time. But it is bad form to join a Freecycle group and send an e-mail such as "Wanted: all kinds of kitchen things: dishes, pots, furniture ..." Similarly, many groups reject "sob stories": "Help me. I lost my job and apartment, and I have nothing. I'll take anything." Freecycle isn't a charity, a make-a-wish foundation, or a personal shopping service.
So, how should someone use Freecycle? First, understand that it is a recycling service. Don't look for things that aren't likely to be tossed away. 16 bricks, or outgrown baby clothing, are good things to ask about, new computers and working cars aren't.
Second, you should offer what you can. Things needn't be valuable, or in working condition to be offered. We have people who want paper towel insert rolls, or broken electronics.
Third, always understand you are dealing directly with the individuals getting rid of their stuff. You need to be polite, and understanding.
I use my personal landline so little that I'm transfering the number to my Tracfone.
I have a huge surplus of minutes, so for the foreseeable future, I'll be spending merely $20 every 3 months for my phone. If usage increases to where I'm spending $50 a month or so, I'll get a regular cell phone plan.... Maybe.
Tracfone at least has inexpensive phones. The cost is partially subsidized, but not bound by contracts, My current phone currently sells for $20. Most 'real' cell phone companies' cheapest phones available are at least several hundred dollars. The best you can hope to pay for a phone is $50, and that's with a 2 year contract. God help you if you need to replace an out of warrantee phone that breaks during the middle of your contract...
That's why I dropped my original cell plan in favor of Tracfone several years ago. My phone would not work, it wasn't soon enough to offer me a contract extension for a new phone, but beyond the phone's warrantee. It'd cost me $100 to fix, or $100 to replace with an older used phone. I used the service so little it wasn't worth it. Switching to Tracfone was so economical, that it was worth it to just pay the termination fee on my old cell contract.
So I may not want to jump into that even when the monthly plan becomes cheaper
well, if you keep the food away from moving parts and in a place where it wont move so much, or if you tie it down with a hose clamp and/or pray and dont drive like yer teenage son.
You know I use my phone mainly for texting my husband when I'm away from the IM on my computer. It hasn't even been charged for a week. I have a Blackberry, but I cancelled the data service. I figure if my employer needs me to be available 24/7 by email, they can pay for the service.
Sometimes I wonder what I'm paying for. And WHO are all those people who cut me off on the road with their SUV's talking to that's so important that they can't wait until they get where they're going?
I'm a Gen-Xer and I don't have a cell phone.
Mostly it's due to the cost. Although prepaid phones are definitely affordable. But, it's also because I don't see a real need for one. Over 75% of the time I'm either at home or at work. All the important people in my life have both of those numbers (as well as my email addresses) and have a pretty good idea of which one to use to get in touch with me. The rest of the time, I'm places where I really don't want to talk to anyone who's not physically with me (the gym, church, driving, hanging out with friends).
There are times when it would be nice to have a cell. But, overall, as long as everyone understands that I don't have one and can actually plan ahead (something that seems to have become a lost skill for many people), I'm good. In the very few cases where I've NEEDED to use a phone, one has always been available either in the form of a pay phone, business phone or the cell phone of a random stranger I've politely asked to make a call (that's mostly been at the airport, informing friends providing transportation of flight changes. In those cases, when I ask someone, I usually get at least three people offering me their phone. I've never had someone say "no".)
I spent a few seconds wondering why you'd even write about this, but recalled a comment by my step daughter: "You two are SOOooo disconnected..." (a teen rant that resulted from a failed bid for an iphone).
No cable here either, no cell (it wouldn't work anyway cuz we're remote), and we both WAH.
I'm convinced that some people talk just to convince themselves that they're still alive. Why else would they blither as if their lives depended on it; interrupting a family meal at a restaurant, etc?
My conclusion, and what I told my step-daughter: if you're talking, you're not thinking. The two activities are mutually exclusive.
Cell phones make talking very convenient, but what we need is a device that encourages people to think. So, my step-daughter will get a book instead. Maybe one with a better approach to negotiating with others...
Very true. There are many toxic mushrooms--and many of them look quite a bit like others that are good to eat. I certainly hope no one would read my post as suggesting that you could just pick any old mushrooms and eat them. That'll get you killed. Get someone who knows (and eats) wild mushrooms to show you what's safe to eat.
Gardening isn't free, but it can be very inexpensive if your goal is maximum food production for minimum cost. (For most people, that isn't the goal. Most people want great-tasting, healthful produce--and are willing to put out some cash to get it, especially since it's still cheaper than what you get at the grocery store.) Also, there are many options for swapping time for money, and someone who's getting by without a job can spend time that a weekend gardener can't.
note that wild mushrooms should be considered toxic unless you are seasoned enough to identify the non-toxic ones, or have someone along with you who is.
I couldn't agree with you more on the Joe Boxer line. I purchased their socks three years ago and still wear them - NO HOLES!
When I moved into my apartment and needed linens, I turned to their $4 bath towels. They produced a lot of lint when I first dried them but I still use them today, two years later.
House-sitting often provides free housing. Sometimes you're expected to water the plants and walk the dogs. It's usually short-term, though; then you have to find another place to live.
Similar to house-sitting, various sorts of caretaker jobs sometimes come with free housing. The work involved is usually pretty modest--just a few hours a week--but there may be other downsides, such as living conditions that are pretty basic and locations that are far from town.
For many more examples, check out Myscha's post on the topic:
My understanding is that reselling new items at yard sales is illega, but is a law that doesn't often get enforced. And depending on the quantity you're reselling, the issues with legality have to do with needing a license to be a reseller.
Why I like K-Mart. Where I live Wall Mart and K-Mart are only a quarter of a mile apart. Admittedly, I do have an aversion to Wall Mart, and avoid it if at all possible. But here's the clincher for me: I will ALWAYS stop at K-Mart first because parking is never a problem. At the Wall you always have to park in Outer Mongolia and hike a mile to get to the front door. I just don't love traffic jams that much!!!
Hey, I heard you can buy shine that is different flavors; apple, apple pie, blueberry, peach, raspberry, strawberry, etc. They are all very good, or so I've heard, I was wondering how they are made. Does putting these items in the must have anything to do with that? Why would you add things like apples at this point? Doesn't all of this get left behind upon distillation? I suspect it is added after the distilling process but is the batch then cooked or aged at this point, is there anything else added other than the obvious ingredient?
Also, I'm still curious how much drinkable beverage will result from the 3 gallon batch. I know it depends when you decide to stop "collecting" but approximately? Was post number 99 correct? It makes sence.
btw, truely appreciate your sharing, seems as though many people have enjoyed the discussion, Happy Holidays
You can make your formulas in Excel more comprehensible by defining the important variables (interest and period) as names.
it's under Insert>Name>Define and then you type in "interest" as the name and at the bottom of the box you can either type in "=$A$7" or whatever cell you are using to define the interest rate.
you could also define interest (in the Name control box) as a constant by typing in "interest" and then defining it as "=6%".
The only problem with this approach on the current spreadhseet is that to change the interest rate you would have to go into the Names menu. So having "interest" refer to an absolute cell address (the kind with the $ signs before the letters and the numbers of the address, i.e. "$A$7" instead of, for example, "A7") makes more sense for this schedule.
Do the same thing for period.
Now your PMT formula, for example, can be written in forms like this:
=pmt(a8,(interest/12),period*12)
which is a heck of a lot more comprehensible when you go to read it.
you are lots of other things you can do with naming bsides this, but this is a small sampling. naming comes in most handy when you have more complex spreadsheets.
umm--too "time consuming to make a spreadsheet???!!"
come on!
actually, I shouldn't be surprised that there are people that think this way. But if you are planning on getting ahead financially, you need to rely on yourself, not just others, to calculate things in order to have good information to make decisions. Learning how to assemble an amortization schedule is pretty basic. Also, knowing how to assemble a credit card payoff schedule on a spreadsheet has come in handy for seeing exactly which card is the most beneficial to devote more of my payments to in various situations.
if you have debt, or or planning to invest (in other words, if you have and use money, or plan to have and use money) you NEED to know this stuff!
Got some awesome bargains at the double coupon deal last week. The cashier even doubled a 3.00, don't know how she made that happen, but she did. And in her hurry to get me through the line she doubled a few $2.00 coupons 2 times. Didn't notice any of this till I got home and looked at the receipt.
To continue what was said above about the "hoarding", I've seen pics on other sites of people's stashes, shelves upon shelves and totes and boxes and bags of shampoo, conditioner, soap, dish detergent, hundreds of dollars worth of stuff purchased for pennies. ANd while I envy their money saving abilty and respect the time it takes to do it, it strikes me as being more than a little over the top. How can you possibly use all that stuff? Part of the thrill of saving money is the big score, coming out of WAGS or CVS with $50 worth of stuff for $2.00. Keep doing that, and pretty soon you need a garage or extra room to stash all your goodies. Those few shopping trips a week with the great sales and double coupons will bring more stuff into your house way faster than you can ever use it up. It just seems to me that it borders on sickness, the need to hoard all that crap. I do have a little stash in my closet, maybe 3-4 each of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. Any excess beyond that goes into grocery bags I'm always adding to, and every other month or so that all goes to the local womens shelter. I'm all for frugality, I was raised with depression-era parents and grandparents so it's in my blood, but there are so many people who would be so very grateful for a tiny bit of your excess. Just my two cents...
I always check my KMart at the end of each season and have found great buys on yard furniture, gardening supplies, outdoor lighting, post holiday candy, home decor, sandals, bathing suits and beach towels, summer clothes (after July 4th), dress up clothes (after New Years). Pricing is clearly meant to move these things out.
The large kitchen area often has an ongoing clearance area where I have found super buys on cookware, serving items, silverware, baking supplies, and small appliances.
I have also bought sturdy, useful-though-not fancy furniture for a rental unit, often cheaper than at thrift shops.
Thanks, Julie, for the tips on socks and necessities.
I hope my post provided the necessary context, but perhaps not.
Food pantries are a good model. They were created so that food that couldn't be sold could still feed people, rather than ending up in the garbage. Similarly, Freecycle exists so that people who want to get rid of stuff can put it into the hands of people who need it, rather than sending it to a landfill.
I suppose some people go to food pantries and then complain that they can't get their favorite brand of breakfast cereal. Don't be like them. Not at food pantries--and not at Freecycle either.
There's one close by here. I'll have to check out the Joe Boxer socks for the hubster. He runs, and blows through socks like there's no tomorrow.
I second the unusual kitchen items and the Martha Stewart Everyday merchandise, although I haven't needed any of that for a while.
One deal I remember the Super K-Mart offering quite a bit when we lived by one was the 10 pound bags of chicken leg quarters for $2.50. Every few months they'd run that. Pretty slamming deal, if you ask me. They weren't always the best stocked though.
I have bought Basic Edition and Lee shorts for women clearanced to $1 each. We bought a great prelit Christmas tree there several years ago that has turned out to be the best tree we've ever purchases. They also have some nice Christmas ornaments and IMO they decorate their display trees prettier than other stores. Hubby likes the Fireside house shoes and went back for another pair. My own have lasted 6 years so far! I love the Olan Mills photo studios that are in many of their stores.
I do the virgin wireless cell phone. No contracts- no bills.
I just top off the phone every 45 days- $20.00
The cool thing is that my $20.00 just keeps adding up if I don't use it. A couple of years ago I dropped my phone in the lake and I just used the money that had been accumulating in my account and got a new phone for free.
I only use my phone for emergencies and when I want to see what time it is. I don't like wearing a watch.
First, let me say that this has been a great series of articles.
I do have one point I'd like to expand on. You say:
"If you need free stuff, probably the first place to look is Freecycle, a group whose goal is specifically to match people who have stuff to give away with people who need stuff. "
I am the Freecycle group owner in my area, and this isn't quite our goal. Freecycle is primarily a recycling group, whose mission is to keep useful stuff out of landfills. We give people with too much stuff a way to unload some of it that isn't throwing it in the dump.
Sure, people get free stuff from Freecycle all the time. But it is bad form to join a Freecycle group and send an e-mail such as "Wanted: all kinds of kitchen things: dishes, pots, furniture ..." Similarly, many groups reject "sob stories": "Help me. I lost my job and apartment, and I have nothing. I'll take anything." Freecycle isn't a charity, a make-a-wish foundation, or a personal shopping service.
So, how should someone use Freecycle? First, understand that it is a recycling service. Don't look for things that aren't likely to be tossed away. 16 bricks, or outgrown baby clothing, are good things to ask about, new computers and working cars aren't.
Second, you should offer what you can. Things needn't be valuable, or in working condition to be offered. We have people who want paper towel insert rolls, or broken electronics.
Third, always understand you are dealing directly with the individuals getting rid of their stuff. You need to be polite, and understanding.
I use my personal landline so little that I'm transfering the number to my Tracfone.
I have a huge surplus of minutes, so for the foreseeable future, I'll be spending merely $20 every 3 months for my phone. If usage increases to where I'm spending $50 a month or so, I'll get a regular cell phone plan.... Maybe.
Tracfone at least has inexpensive phones. The cost is partially subsidized, but not bound by contracts, My current phone currently sells for $20. Most 'real' cell phone companies' cheapest phones available are at least several hundred dollars. The best you can hope to pay for a phone is $50, and that's with a 2 year contract. God help you if you need to replace an out of warrantee phone that breaks during the middle of your contract...
That's why I dropped my original cell plan in favor of Tracfone several years ago. My phone would not work, it wasn't soon enough to offer me a contract extension for a new phone, but beyond the phone's warrantee. It'd cost me $100 to fix, or $100 to replace with an older used phone. I used the service so little it wasn't worth it. Switching to Tracfone was so economical, that it was worth it to just pay the termination fee on my old cell contract.
So I may not want to jump into that even when the monthly plan becomes cheaper
well, if you keep the food away from moving parts and in a place where it wont move so much, or if you tie it down with a hose clamp and/or pray and dont drive like yer teenage son.
The belts there are cheap.
You know I use my phone mainly for texting my husband when I'm away from the IM on my computer. It hasn't even been charged for a week. I have a Blackberry, but I cancelled the data service. I figure if my employer needs me to be available 24/7 by email, they can pay for the service.
Sometimes I wonder what I'm paying for. And WHO are all those people who cut me off on the road with their SUV's talking to that's so important that they can't wait until they get where they're going?
Im not going to lie like everyone else on this page, ive been playing runescape for 4-5 years, im totally addicted
I'm a Gen-Xer and I don't have a cell phone.
Mostly it's due to the cost. Although prepaid phones are definitely affordable. But, it's also because I don't see a real need for one. Over 75% of the time I'm either at home or at work. All the important people in my life have both of those numbers (as well as my email addresses) and have a pretty good idea of which one to use to get in touch with me. The rest of the time, I'm places where I really don't want to talk to anyone who's not physically with me (the gym, church, driving, hanging out with friends).
There are times when it would be nice to have a cell. But, overall, as long as everyone understands that I don't have one and can actually plan ahead (something that seems to have become a lost skill for many people), I'm good. In the very few cases where I've NEEDED to use a phone, one has always been available either in the form of a pay phone, business phone or the cell phone of a random stranger I've politely asked to make a call (that's mostly been at the airport, informing friends providing transportation of flight changes. In those cases, when I ask someone, I usually get at least three people offering me their phone. I've never had someone say "no".)
I spent a few seconds wondering why you'd even write about this, but recalled a comment by my step daughter: "You two are SOOooo disconnected..." (a teen rant that resulted from a failed bid for an iphone).
No cable here either, no cell (it wouldn't work anyway cuz we're remote), and we both WAH.
I'm convinced that some people talk just to convince themselves that they're still alive. Why else would they blither as if their lives depended on it; interrupting a family meal at a restaurant, etc?
My conclusion, and what I told my step-daughter: if you're talking, you're not thinking. The two activities are mutually exclusive.
Cell phones make talking very convenient, but what we need is a device that encourages people to think. So, my step-daughter will get a book instead. Maybe one with a better approach to negotiating with others...
@ Guest:
Very true. There are many toxic mushrooms--and many of them look quite a bit like others that are good to eat. I certainly hope no one would read my post as suggesting that you could just pick any old mushrooms and eat them. That'll get you killed. Get someone who knows (and eats) wild mushrooms to show you what's safe to eat.
@ Mom of 6:
Gardening isn't free, but it can be very inexpensive if your goal is maximum food production for minimum cost. (For most people, that isn't the goal. Most people want great-tasting, healthful produce--and are willing to put out some cash to get it, especially since it's still cheaper than what you get at the grocery store.) Also, there are many options for swapping time for money, and someone who's getting by without a job can spend time that a weekend gardener can't.
note that wild mushrooms should be considered toxic unless you are seasoned enough to identify the non-toxic ones, or have someone along with you who is.
I couldn't agree with you more on the Joe Boxer line. I purchased their socks three years ago and still wear them - NO HOLES!
When I moved into my apartment and needed linens, I turned to their $4 bath towels. They produced a lot of lint when I first dried them but I still use them today, two years later.
Thanks, Myscha. :-)
There's actually free housing all over the place.
House-sitting often provides free housing. Sometimes you're expected to water the plants and walk the dogs. It's usually short-term, though; then you have to find another place to live.
Similar to house-sitting, various sorts of caretaker jobs sometimes come with free housing. The work involved is usually pretty modest--just a few hours a week--but there may be other downsides, such as living conditions that are pretty basic and locations that are far from town.
For many more examples, check out Myscha's post on the topic:
http://www.wisebread.com/twelve-ways-to-become-rent-or-mortgage-free