Great idea to have your own list -- I have a file but should create my own document as you have. Seth Godin wrote about such a form a while back and this post contains a link to a template:
This is exactly why I haven't gotten caught up in chasing rewards cards: It's such a pain in the butt to change over all the automated bills. And since I don't pay interest, there isn't much reason to worry about the rate.
I am a big fan of the Dental Discount plan as well! My program, DentalCALL, saved my family thousands of dollars on dental work last year alone! I love my dentist and he was already a participating provider of the DentalCALL network. I referred 5 of my friends to DentalCALL (getting a free month for every referral) and found that they have providers across the United States too. I have an agent that helps me through any and all of my needs. If I call Monday - Friday 9-5pm I will always get a live person. There is no automatic renewal, I can renew on my own and opt out at any time. We are currently getting braces for my son which is saving us $2,350 for the 2 yr treatment alone!! You can't beat that with a stick! Also, my girlfriend who has insurance through her husband's employer, took her daughter for the ortho consult and found out that she would have had to pay $4,500 after the insurance claim. Then she decided to use the DentalCALL where she only had to pay the $3,650 submitted a "self claim" and in turn only put out $2,150! What a way to save! Dental discount plans are the way of the future...
Mascara is definitely something to buy from the drugstore/discount store, and so is lipstick. But eyeliner varies dramatically in quality by brand, and higher end eyeshadow pigments are much stronger and adhere much better. Concealer is also something that's hard to find in high quality at the drugstore. Maybeline's Dream Matte Foundations are only one step below Chanel foundations, though--they are simply amazing for the price point.
Just because not everyone can get the "best deals" doesn't make credit card uncompetitive or the differences between them not important to consumers. First, no one makes you close an old line of credit just because you open a new one--to do so is highly foolish. Second, different types of consumers have different wants from credit cards. I want a high level of rewards or cash back, and I don't care at all about APR because I pay off my cards every month. So that "trade off" is no trade off at all for me. Someone who carries debt would be foolhardy to hunt for a rewards card--they should choose the lowest APR possible and should be focused on paying off debt rather than getting a profit from their cards.
Good list. If your employer offers a health flexible spending account, you may be able to do some of your out-of-pocket spending tax free even if you don't have an HSA.
Before deciding you don't need a professional photographer, ask your friends, coworkers etc who have made that decision if they're happy with it after the fact. Getting "uncle Bob" to shoot your wedding could be a major mistake, and you only get the one chance. You are unlikely to remember for very long if the food was sub-par, but you'll remember forever that you have no photos of important moments that were missed.
This is so funny that you posted this today. This is the first day that I left the house for work or class without makeup in over 16 years! When I say, without makeup, I mean I wore mascara and lipstick. Everyday before I work foundation, under-eye cover, several shades of shadow, blush, eyeliner, a few more steps in the bare minerals system, mascara and lipstick. It took a lot of time, cost at least $200 a year (on my standard products, I usually got talked into something new whenever I went to replace something) and kept me from doing a lot of other things, like working out at lunch time. It also kept me from having the feeling of "getting dressed up" because I was so overdone all the time. So far, no one has said anything or looked at me strangely. I prefer the way my skin feels and really liked having the extra time this morning.
I regret to admit that I'm 23 and still don't know anything about a lot of makeup tips and tricks. Luckily, I have friends who are great at putting on eyeshadow and things like that. I do love Sephora but hate salespeople who are just trying to get you to buy a bunch of different things- I feel like I can only semi-trust them because they have an invested interest in what I buy. I did like this article though!
Nice article Aaron. I practice much of what you talk about here. A good way I like to look at spending habits is how much they add up to over a period of five or ten years. Once I started to see things in this light, it put a perspective on my spending. Recently, I have also adopted a "don't spend $5 bills on anything." Every time I receive a $5 back in change, I stash it away in my money chest. This adds up very quickly!
I also went through a rough patch after downsizing, fifteen years ago.
1, 4, 11, 12, and 15, I now do as a way of life, on a permanent basis.
5 I do a modified version of (I only buy what I can clearly justify) .... 8 I also do a modified version of (I DO go to all church suppers! that way you can have fellowship, but the expenses are more realistic).
I've loved and read all the book by Economides and my favorite is 'America's cheapest Family'. I also love Suze Orman's book 'The Money Class'. In addition, I read serveral blogs like the Dollar Strecher, Wise Bread, and Blissful & Domsestic.
I love cottage cheese so I already have it in my fridge at all times. The bonus? It can be substituted for a lot more than just Ricotta. It can be used in place of sour cream, cream cheese and even mayonnaise. I absolutely love it's versatility.
Wow! This article is so informal. I wasn't expecting that. You definitely covered a wide range of information in a very clear and interesting way. Thank you for sharing. Make up and I are best friends and enemies. I rarely buy it for myself but use whatever my mother or grandmother or sister get as samples just because I don't like dropping a lot of money on make up when I am not a huge fan of taking the time to put it on, but I love wearing it.
The first wealth book I read was "The Wealthy Barber" by David Chilton. I won't say it changed my life, but it certainly changed the way I approach my finances.
I have since tried to get both my teenage kids to read it - it is a simple read, but no luck so far
Good post. I especially like the tips related to using your insurance company as a resource and creating a list of what's important to you when it comes to your health care.
I maintain a document that lists the history of my surgeries, medication, vitamins, emergency contacts, etc. This comes in handy when I go to a new doctor. I never struggle when filling out their paperwork because I have all the information on my sheet and simply put "see attached" in the applicable sections.
Hi Jennifer!
Great article and really helpful advice! I am also make-up illiterate. I generally just use waterproof eyeliner AND mascara, because I exercise and am outside for a living (plus I cry a lot, ha!). I use Maybelline waterproof remover at night which works really well. I'll also put on some cover-up (it's probably grossly expired, I got it at Big Lots years ago...sick!) and mineral powder to make it stay put. I also put mineral powder on my eyes BEFORE applying eyeliner--this makes it stay longer and doesn't crease or "fall off" in my daily sweating routine.
I love the advice about going to the mall or Ulta for advice and samples!!
Thanks, hope this helps!
Laura
Cute article! My mom (now 63) still loves plain mayo sandwiches. I can't go that far, but I do love a sandwich with fresh white bread, mayo, and homegrown tomatoes....YUM.
I prefer my butter and sugar on white bread broiled open-face in the oven. It's surprisingly tasty! Sometimes I add cinnamon on top.
I just put up fig preserves a few months ago, and we also canned the unused sugar water -- we call it "fig syrup" -- EXCELLENT on pancakes and waffles, just like "plum runny." haha
I grew up eating a lot of fish because PaPaw had 2 stocked ponds -- many a day I've literally caught my dinner......I still do it at 40 years old. :-)
My mom is well-off, but still saves tin foil and Ziploc bags.....old habits die hard.
The article left out an important category of single women, single mothers.
According to the U.S. Census,
- 17 million kids live only with their mother
- 1/3 of all single mothers have no life insurance
- most of the other two-thirds are underinsured.
A major impediment to single mothers owning life insurance, surveys have found, is that they think life insurance is way more expensive than it actually is.
The solution to that is to go look at real rates. You can easily check out the cost of term life using an online term insurance quoting engine. (You can find one at Quality Term Life's website that is fast and easy to use.)
This is exactly what I need these days. I need a lot of tips on how to get track on my budget since things are not going so well with my budget these days.
Great idea to have your own list -- I have a file but should create my own document as you have. Seth Godin wrote about such a form a while back and this post contains a link to a template:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2013/02/the-simple-form-that-cou...
Thanks for your comment!
This is exactly why I haven't gotten caught up in chasing rewards cards: It's such a pain in the butt to change over all the automated bills. And since I don't pay interest, there isn't much reason to worry about the rate.
I am a big fan of the Dental Discount plan as well! My program, DentalCALL, saved my family thousands of dollars on dental work last year alone! I love my dentist and he was already a participating provider of the DentalCALL network. I referred 5 of my friends to DentalCALL (getting a free month for every referral) and found that they have providers across the United States too. I have an agent that helps me through any and all of my needs. If I call Monday - Friday 9-5pm I will always get a live person. There is no automatic renewal, I can renew on my own and opt out at any time. We are currently getting braces for my son which is saving us $2,350 for the 2 yr treatment alone!! You can't beat that with a stick! Also, my girlfriend who has insurance through her husband's employer, took her daughter for the ortho consult and found out that she would have had to pay $4,500 after the insurance claim. Then she decided to use the DentalCALL where she only had to pay the $3,650 submitted a "self claim" and in turn only put out $2,150! What a way to save! Dental discount plans are the way of the future...
Mascara is definitely something to buy from the drugstore/discount store, and so is lipstick. But eyeliner varies dramatically in quality by brand, and higher end eyeshadow pigments are much stronger and adhere much better. Concealer is also something that's hard to find in high quality at the drugstore. Maybeline's Dream Matte Foundations are only one step below Chanel foundations, though--they are simply amazing for the price point.
Just because not everyone can get the "best deals" doesn't make credit card uncompetitive or the differences between them not important to consumers. First, no one makes you close an old line of credit just because you open a new one--to do so is highly foolish. Second, different types of consumers have different wants from credit cards. I want a high level of rewards or cash back, and I don't care at all about APR because I pay off my cards every month. So that "trade off" is no trade off at all for me. Someone who carries debt would be foolhardy to hunt for a rewards card--they should choose the lowest APR possible and should be focused on paying off debt rather than getting a profit from their cards.
Good list. If your employer offers a health flexible spending account, you may be able to do some of your out-of-pocket spending tax free even if you don't have an HSA.
Before deciding you don't need a professional photographer, ask your friends, coworkers etc who have made that decision if they're happy with it after the fact. Getting "uncle Bob" to shoot your wedding could be a major mistake, and you only get the one chance. You are unlikely to remember for very long if the food was sub-par, but you'll remember forever that you have no photos of important moments that were missed.
This is so funny that you posted this today. This is the first day that I left the house for work or class without makeup in over 16 years! When I say, without makeup, I mean I wore mascara and lipstick. Everyday before I work foundation, under-eye cover, several shades of shadow, blush, eyeliner, a few more steps in the bare minerals system, mascara and lipstick. It took a lot of time, cost at least $200 a year (on my standard products, I usually got talked into something new whenever I went to replace something) and kept me from doing a lot of other things, like working out at lunch time. It also kept me from having the feeling of "getting dressed up" because I was so overdone all the time. So far, no one has said anything or looked at me strangely. I prefer the way my skin feels and really liked having the extra time this morning.
I regret to admit that I'm 23 and still don't know anything about a lot of makeup tips and tricks. Luckily, I have friends who are great at putting on eyeshadow and things like that. I do love Sephora but hate salespeople who are just trying to get you to buy a bunch of different things- I feel like I can only semi-trust them because they have an invested interest in what I buy. I did like this article though!
Love these posts. Getting a number of good articles on topics like this that so many people need to read about is perfect. Thanks for the links!
Nice article Aaron. I practice much of what you talk about here. A good way I like to look at spending habits is how much they add up to over a period of five or ten years. Once I started to see things in this light, it put a perspective on my spending. Recently, I have also adopted a "don't spend $5 bills on anything." Every time I receive a $5 back in change, I stash it away in my money chest. This adds up very quickly!
PC
Sounds like a fun trip. Enjoy!
I also went through a rough patch after downsizing, fifteen years ago.
1, 4, 11, 12, and 15, I now do as a way of life, on a permanent basis.
5 I do a modified version of (I only buy what I can clearly justify) .... 8 I also do a modified version of (I DO go to all church suppers! that way you can have fellowship, but the expenses are more realistic).
I've loved and read all the book by Economides and my favorite is 'America's cheapest Family'. I also love Suze Orman's book 'The Money Class'. In addition, I read serveral blogs like the Dollar Strecher, Wise Bread, and Blissful & Domsestic.
I love cottage cheese so I already have it in my fridge at all times. The bonus? It can be substituted for a lot more than just Ricotta. It can be used in place of sour cream, cream cheese and even mayonnaise. I absolutely love it's versatility.
Wow! This article is so informal. I wasn't expecting that. You definitely covered a wide range of information in a very clear and interesting way. Thank you for sharing. Make up and I are best friends and enemies. I rarely buy it for myself but use whatever my mother or grandmother or sister get as samples just because I don't like dropping a lot of money on make up when I am not a huge fan of taking the time to put it on, but I love wearing it.
The first wealth book I read was "The Wealthy Barber" by David Chilton. I won't say it changed my life, but it certainly changed the way I approach my finances.
I have since tried to get both my teenage kids to read it - it is a simple read, but no luck so far
Good post. I especially like the tips related to using your insurance company as a resource and creating a list of what's important to you when it comes to your health care.
I maintain a document that lists the history of my surgeries, medication, vitamins, emergency contacts, etc. This comes in handy when I go to a new doctor. I never struggle when filling out their paperwork because I have all the information on my sheet and simply put "see attached" in the applicable sections.
Ree ~ I post at EscapingDodge.com
Hi Jennifer!
Great article and really helpful advice! I am also make-up illiterate. I generally just use waterproof eyeliner AND mascara, because I exercise and am outside for a living (plus I cry a lot, ha!). I use Maybelline waterproof remover at night which works really well. I'll also put on some cover-up (it's probably grossly expired, I got it at Big Lots years ago...sick!) and mineral powder to make it stay put. I also put mineral powder on my eyes BEFORE applying eyeliner--this makes it stay longer and doesn't crease or "fall off" in my daily sweating routine.
I love the advice about going to the mall or Ulta for advice and samples!!
Thanks, hope this helps!
Laura
Cute article! My mom (now 63) still loves plain mayo sandwiches. I can't go that far, but I do love a sandwich with fresh white bread, mayo, and homegrown tomatoes....YUM.
I prefer my butter and sugar on white bread broiled open-face in the oven. It's surprisingly tasty! Sometimes I add cinnamon on top.
I just put up fig preserves a few months ago, and we also canned the unused sugar water -- we call it "fig syrup" -- EXCELLENT on pancakes and waffles, just like "plum runny." haha
I grew up eating a lot of fish because PaPaw had 2 stocked ponds -- many a day I've literally caught my dinner......I still do it at 40 years old. :-)
My mom is well-off, but still saves tin foil and Ziploc bags.....old habits die hard.
I've tried reading a few but then stop. These days I don't have much time to read anything.
The article left out an important category of single women, single mothers.
According to the U.S. Census,
- 17 million kids live only with their mother
- 1/3 of all single mothers have no life insurance
- most of the other two-thirds are underinsured.
A major impediment to single mothers owning life insurance, surveys have found, is that they think life insurance is way more expensive than it actually is.
The solution to that is to go look at real rates. You can easily check out the cost of term life using an online term insurance quoting engine. (You can find one at Quality Term Life's website that is fast and easy to use.)
Great article, only when we rid ourselves of debt can we start to live true life freedom like we were meant to.
Check to see if you library has eBooks that you can download and borrow.
This is exactly what I need these days. I need a lot of tips on how to get track on my budget since things are not going so well with my budget these days.