I never thought I am a good gift-giver. LOL. I hit a few on the list.
When my cousin got married, I gave the newly-married couple a 3D/2N vacation. Of course, I bought it in Groupon at a discounted price. In as much as I would love to receive books, I also love giving books to children, especially toddlers and preschoolers. To other family members and friends, I have gifted them with personalized music CDs and framed photos, gift cards, herbs on pots, dried herbs on cute bottles, gift baskets, and crocheted tablecloth.
The best gift I received on my last birthday is a spa/massage treat from one of my friends. I would love to receive an aromatherapy oil burner (with oil, of course!). I hope a friend reads this.
John,
I haven't flown on the new American business class seats, but I've seen some reviews. There is a huge difference between business class and economy class, but I wouldn't ever fork over the cash.
I agree it seems like the low interest rates are here to stay, at least for a while. While I love my 3% mortgage, it certainly makes it frustrating to be a saver.
From my research into home births and experiences of friends it sounds like she either went against her midwife's wishes and/or had an irresponsible midwife. Most mid-wives will only do extremely low-risk deliveries. While there are sad stories from all types of births I think many women are scared into a medical and/or hospital birth. There are many resources out there about home birth and the benefits/risks. Every women has to consult a responsible provider and be well educate whether they are choosing a hospital or home birth.
Kristin, thanks for writing! Glad you tried the apple pie (and thanks for the ideas about giving it even more apple-pie realism.
My new favorite is the frozen banana ice cream - just freezing bananas and then tossing them in a blender. It is so much like soft-serve ice cream and no dairy, no fat, etc. I thought it would be really banana-y, but weirdly, it's not - especially if you add another flavor to it, like chocolate, or strawberries, etc. Glad to hear from another person who understands immediate dessert gratification!
I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing such discomfort. However, if the lesions are inside of your mouth and on your tongue, then they are not cold sores. Cold sores occur on the outside of your mouth and lips.
If you have lesions inside of your mouth, those are usually canker sores. They could be caused by any number of problems - please see a doctor.
Aaaaannnnnnd, I made the apple pie one today. It's awesome!
My dad always made homemade pie, and so I used a few of his tricks, too -- like putting a little butter on top, and sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar.
As a rule, my step-son doesn't like fruit in anything, and he loved this. It was delicious!!! :)
It took almost forever to get our daughter's birth billed and paid for correctly. (Let's just say I was pregnant with our second by the time the final statement came in and it was all finished!) One not-so-bright person in accounts tried to make us pay our 20% co-pay on the entire bill, including our deductible! After months of phone discussions and getting nowhere, we ended up having to make an appointment in person, go in and with pen and paper, show this person that since we were paying 100% of the deductible, and we had to pay 20% of the remainder as our co-pay, we didn't have to pay 20% on the full amount. After arguing with this person for 20 minutes and trying to explain it as many ways we could think of, they FINALLY got it and didn't charge us the extra 20% for our deductible too. Aye yi yi. I wonder how many other patients had been overcharged and for how much -- they wanted several hundred dollars for our extra 20%!
Have you seen the new American Airlines business class seats? Truly amazing . . . you can kick back your feet and relax without anyone right next to you. Those are very expensive, but using your tips here should help those who are willing to pay for these seats. Thanks!
Savy spender using 3 credit cards which get paid in full every month. I charge everything, even a $2.03 medical co-pay (One stress test, 10 separate bills). I usually have a little left of my monthly $20.00 bill........
I knew someone who was self-employed with her husband. They didn't have pregnancy coverage when they got pregnant and decided to have a midwife-attended home birth. This was their first child.
The pregnancy did not go well. The baby has interuterine growth restriction, and the wife was in and out of premature labor for many weeks. She also did not gain enough weight in the pregnancy, and there were other signs of fetal distress.
However, she pushed on with her decision to have a home birth. After the baby was born it had to be transported to the hospital and stay in the NICU for several days. To make a long story short, the child ended up suffering from disabilities related to the pregnancy and birth. We can't know for sure that he wouldn't have had suffered from a birth injury if she'd been supervised by a doctor from the moment things began looking high risk, but it seems likely that this was avoidable.
Now, I'm not OB/GYN fan girl. I had both my births so far completely medication free and didn't end up needing the OB/GYN or really wanting them there at all, to be perfectly honest. I only had an OB at all as a back up in case things went badly and there was a need for their expertise, which I firmly believe happens in 1/6th of births or less. If my insurance covered it, my primary caregiver WOULD have been a midwife, with an OB only as back up. (It didn't.)
But a FIRST birth as a home birth, a known HIGH RISK pregnancy as a home birth, and a birth that is not progressing well to be continued as a home birth....this is a very, very bad thing. Her desire to save money and have a "peaceful" experience very nearly cost her son his life.
So in all things...moderation. Caution. Care. Birth, included.
I definitely like the outdoor festivals with free concerts and many large cities have these as well as some arts-oriented smaller towns. As a tourist to DC, I think of all the free museums (a few of these are open in the early evening) plus the nighttime walks around town. But the cheapness activities available definitely depend on the city. Thanks for reading!
I agree that it's always best to have coverage ahead of time. As a self-employed person, our individual health plans never covered maternity, and until the new health laws go into effect in 2014, many plans won't. As far as selective diagnostics go, doctors are running more and more "tests" without even asking the mother if it is something they would like. One of the things I found with my last pregnancy, is that many of the tests aren't actually able to provide any preventative benefits. A DNA test, for example, could tell you that your child has genetic disorder, for example, but most of the doctors I talked to said that -- unless you are considering a termination of pregnancy -- it's not very useful in providing any specialized care for that baby, and (in some cases) could cause worry in the pregnant mother that could be more dangerous than useful. There is a myriad of testing available, from bloodwork to ultrasounds to amnios, and some of them are considered controversial in some circles. Some doctors do all of these tests as a matter of preference, but some doctors choose to do them only as they see fit (or as the mother requests them.) The important thing is to remember that your course of care will (and should) differ based on the needs of you and your baby. Being billed for everything just because you can, isn't right, and it may not actually provide the best benefit for you and your child. Ask lots of questions!
So glad that it worked out for you! The "pay it forward" spirit behind some of the hospital funds is really a great way for communities to help one another!
Well, the BBB isn't going to care that Netspend is sending cards out like that. Why? Because they're COMPLETELY ALLOWED TO DO SO. You idiots gave your names and addresses to companies that sell them, they probably even TOLD you they were selling them, but you were too lazy to read something that you agreed to it without knowing that. Netspend is one of the companies names and addresses gets sold to, so they send you a prepaid debit card without you asking for one. OH NO! First of all: They didn't use any serious information, just your name and address. Second: The card is worthless until you activate it. Third: When you're 18 and get credit card offers in the same fashion is that horrible? Are you going to call the BBB on...oh...ALL THE MAJOR CARD COMPANIES IN THE WORLD? This Netspend thing is actually LESS bad than Credit Card companies doing that because once credit cards are activated they can be charged up and cost you a lot of money if you aren't smart. The netspend card can't even be used until it's activated AND money is put on it.
Trust me, you all are whining about something ridiculous and stupid that is perfectly legal, probably your own fault, and just makes you look like you have nothing better to do in life than whine about petty things. Stop. Get a life. Please. Stupid people are insanely irritating. Oh, and, go ahead and contact the BBB; they'l tell you the same thing I have.
They should be shot??? You're a moron. If you don't like them sending that kind of stuff to you then stop giving your name and address out to people who can sell it to card companies. Stop singing up for stupid **** and you wouldn't get cards like that in the mail. Also, it IS a real debit card you idiot. Its just not activated until you do so.
The kitchen in my new apartment, although sizable, has no cabinets or counter space only a stove and my refridgerator. The sink, cabinets, counter space and dishwasher are in a separate galley area...what do you do for storage and counter space on a budget.
PLEASE HELP...love the apartment it is fabulous but the kitchen needs work...definitely has potential though because it's very sizable.
I never thought I am a good gift-giver. LOL. I hit a few on the list.
When my cousin got married, I gave the newly-married couple a 3D/2N vacation. Of course, I bought it in Groupon at a discounted price. In as much as I would love to receive books, I also love giving books to children, especially toddlers and preschoolers. To other family members and friends, I have gifted them with personalized music CDs and framed photos, gift cards, herbs on pots, dried herbs on cute bottles, gift baskets, and crocheted tablecloth.
The best gift I received on my last birthday is a spa/massage treat from one of my friends. I would love to receive an aromatherapy oil burner (with oil, of course!). I hope a friend reads this.
John,
I haven't flown on the new American business class seats, but I've seen some reviews. There is a huge difference between business class and economy class, but I wouldn't ever fork over the cash.
I agree it seems like the low interest rates are here to stay, at least for a while. While I love my 3% mortgage, it certainly makes it frustrating to be a saver.
From my research into home births and experiences of friends it sounds like she either went against her midwife's wishes and/or had an irresponsible midwife. Most mid-wives will only do extremely low-risk deliveries. While there are sad stories from all types of births I think many women are scared into a medical and/or hospital birth. There are many resources out there about home birth and the benefits/risks. Every women has to consult a responsible provider and be well educate whether they are choosing a hospital or home birth.
Kristin, thanks for writing! Glad you tried the apple pie (and thanks for the ideas about giving it even more apple-pie realism.
My new favorite is the frozen banana ice cream - just freezing bananas and then tossing them in a blender. It is so much like soft-serve ice cream and no dairy, no fat, etc. I thought it would be really banana-y, but weirdly, it's not - especially if you add another flavor to it, like chocolate, or strawberries, etc. Glad to hear from another person who understands immediate dessert gratification!
I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing such discomfort. However, if the lesions are inside of your mouth and on your tongue, then they are not cold sores. Cold sores occur on the outside of your mouth and lips.
If you have lesions inside of your mouth, those are usually canker sores. They could be caused by any number of problems - please see a doctor.
You are welcome!
Now, that's useful! I'm going to have to beg for the coffee can though.
Aaaaannnnnnd, I made the apple pie one today. It's awesome!
My dad always made homemade pie, and so I used a few of his tricks, too -- like putting a little butter on top, and sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar.
As a rule, my step-son doesn't like fruit in anything, and he loved this. It was delicious!!! :)
It took almost forever to get our daughter's birth billed and paid for correctly. (Let's just say I was pregnant with our second by the time the final statement came in and it was all finished!) One not-so-bright person in accounts tried to make us pay our 20% co-pay on the entire bill, including our deductible! After months of phone discussions and getting nowhere, we ended up having to make an appointment in person, go in and with pen and paper, show this person that since we were paying 100% of the deductible, and we had to pay 20% of the remainder as our co-pay, we didn't have to pay 20% on the full amount. After arguing with this person for 20 minutes and trying to explain it as many ways we could think of, they FINALLY got it and didn't charge us the extra 20% for our deductible too. Aye yi yi. I wonder how many other patients had been overcharged and for how much -- they wanted several hundred dollars for our extra 20%!
This is an excellent, well written article. I agree with everything you say in the article.
Thanks, Jon
Have you seen the new American Airlines business class seats? Truly amazing . . . you can kick back your feet and relax without anyone right next to you. Those are very expensive, but using your tips here should help those who are willing to pay for these seats. Thanks!
I hear you!! And then we go to Menard's to see what they charge for the same thing....
Savy spender using 3 credit cards which get paid in full every month. I charge everything, even a $2.03 medical co-pay (One stress test, 10 separate bills). I usually have a little left of my monthly $20.00 bill........
I knew someone who was self-employed with her husband. They didn't have pregnancy coverage when they got pregnant and decided to have a midwife-attended home birth. This was their first child.
The pregnancy did not go well. The baby has interuterine growth restriction, and the wife was in and out of premature labor for many weeks. She also did not gain enough weight in the pregnancy, and there were other signs of fetal distress.
However, she pushed on with her decision to have a home birth. After the baby was born it had to be transported to the hospital and stay in the NICU for several days. To make a long story short, the child ended up suffering from disabilities related to the pregnancy and birth. We can't know for sure that he wouldn't have had suffered from a birth injury if she'd been supervised by a doctor from the moment things began looking high risk, but it seems likely that this was avoidable.
Now, I'm not OB/GYN fan girl. I had both my births so far completely medication free and didn't end up needing the OB/GYN or really wanting them there at all, to be perfectly honest. I only had an OB at all as a back up in case things went badly and there was a need for their expertise, which I firmly believe happens in 1/6th of births or less. If my insurance covered it, my primary caregiver WOULD have been a midwife, with an OB only as back up. (It didn't.)
But a FIRST birth as a home birth, a known HIGH RISK pregnancy as a home birth, and a birth that is not progressing well to be continued as a home birth....this is a very, very bad thing. Her desire to save money and have a "peaceful" experience very nearly cost her son his life.
So in all things...moderation. Caution. Care. Birth, included.
Savvy spender, all the way. I use my credit cards extensively for the cash back.
Planning projects and looking at the outdoor garden area sounds fun, and cheap if you just look and don't buy. Thanks for sharing!
I definitely like the outdoor festivals with free concerts and many large cities have these as well as some arts-oriented smaller towns. As a tourist to DC, I think of all the free museums (a few of these are open in the early evening) plus the nighttime walks around town. But the cheapness activities available definitely depend on the city. Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the tip on eventful.com -- I was just wondering if there was an online source of activities (besides what my Facebook friends my mention).
Morgan,
I agree that it's always best to have coverage ahead of time. As a self-employed person, our individual health plans never covered maternity, and until the new health laws go into effect in 2014, many plans won't. As far as selective diagnostics go, doctors are running more and more "tests" without even asking the mother if it is something they would like. One of the things I found with my last pregnancy, is that many of the tests aren't actually able to provide any preventative benefits. A DNA test, for example, could tell you that your child has genetic disorder, for example, but most of the doctors I talked to said that -- unless you are considering a termination of pregnancy -- it's not very useful in providing any specialized care for that baby, and (in some cases) could cause worry in the pregnant mother that could be more dangerous than useful. There is a myriad of testing available, from bloodwork to ultrasounds to amnios, and some of them are considered controversial in some circles. Some doctors do all of these tests as a matter of preference, but some doctors choose to do them only as they see fit (or as the mother requests them.) The important thing is to remember that your course of care will (and should) differ based on the needs of you and your baby. Being billed for everything just because you can, isn't right, and it may not actually provide the best benefit for you and your child. Ask lots of questions!
So glad that it worked out for you! The "pay it forward" spirit behind some of the hospital funds is really a great way for communities to help one another!
Well, the BBB isn't going to care that Netspend is sending cards out like that. Why? Because they're COMPLETELY ALLOWED TO DO SO. You idiots gave your names and addresses to companies that sell them, they probably even TOLD you they were selling them, but you were too lazy to read something that you agreed to it without knowing that. Netspend is one of the companies names and addresses gets sold to, so they send you a prepaid debit card without you asking for one. OH NO! First of all: They didn't use any serious information, just your name and address. Second: The card is worthless until you activate it. Third: When you're 18 and get credit card offers in the same fashion is that horrible? Are you going to call the BBB on...oh...ALL THE MAJOR CARD COMPANIES IN THE WORLD? This Netspend thing is actually LESS bad than Credit Card companies doing that because once credit cards are activated they can be charged up and cost you a lot of money if you aren't smart. The netspend card can't even be used until it's activated AND money is put on it.
Trust me, you all are whining about something ridiculous and stupid that is perfectly legal, probably your own fault, and just makes you look like you have nothing better to do in life than whine about petty things. Stop. Get a life. Please. Stupid people are insanely irritating. Oh, and, go ahead and contact the BBB; they'l tell you the same thing I have.
After 30 years together, my hubby and I go to Lowe's for fun.....
They should be shot??? You're a moron. If you don't like them sending that kind of stuff to you then stop giving your name and address out to people who can sell it to card companies. Stop singing up for stupid **** and you wouldn't get cards like that in the mail. Also, it IS a real debit card you idiot. Its just not activated until you do so.
The kitchen in my new apartment, although sizable, has no cabinets or counter space only a stove and my refridgerator. The sink, cabinets, counter space and dishwasher are in a separate galley area...what do you do for storage and counter space on a budget.
PLEASE HELP...love the apartment it is fabulous but the kitchen needs work...definitely has potential though because it's very sizable.