Not now, nor any time soon. (1) My landline phones live on charger bases; battery life is never an issue. (2) I live in a two-story house. When my cell phone is being charged (or I leave it on a table somewhere) it can only be on one floor while I may be on the other. My landline phones are on both floors all the time. (3) Sometimes my wife and I both want to talk to someone. With landline phones, we don't have to be in the same room (in our two-story house) and put up with the vagaries of being on speakerphone. (4) When somebody just wants to talk to one of us, the landline is a number that we both can answer - no need to try one then the other.
I always enjoy Max Wong's articles. She chooses interesting, timely topics that are well researched and well written. Looking forward to reading more from this talented writer.
We got rid of the land line six years ago, and haven't regretted it for a moment. The change has saved us hundreds if not a thousand dollars and vastly reduced commercial intrusions into our home. And we're not young, either.
Isn't this country full of enough criminals all ready without this person telling us we should all be crooks and lie on our taxes? No thanks, I, and a lot of other American citizens, still have good morals.
I disagree with you on #9. I have a standard cookie-cutter 3/2 ranch but I only live in two rooms (master bedroom and kitchen/den) of it. The rest of the house is unfurnished and closed off and is only there for resale. The highest natural gas bill I have ever had is $56 (month) and that was a very cold winter. I have gas logs that are 99.9% efficient (do not require the flu to be open) with all the heat it produces coming out into the room as heat. It will sometimes get my den too warm. Rather than run my central system (an ultra-high 95% efficient system) I use the gas logs when I am in the den and a small gas catalytic heater in my bedroom and I stay as warm as I want to be. So, respectfully, to say gas logs are wasteful is not true. But I understand your point ... it CAN be. If your flue is open all of your heat is going away and all you're paying for is a pretty flame. If your fireplace is glassed-over, the same thing - none of that heat is coming into your room.
I've considered dropping my landline but then something like Hurricane Sandy happens, I lose power for a week, and suddenly having a landline makes sense! If power lines and cell connectivity were as reliable as my phone connection, I'd drop in a minute.
I would never get rid of my landline. Why? Power outages! We've had several extended power outages caused by bad storms - including one that also knocked out cell phone towers. My cell phone was pretty useless to me during these times.
While those outages don't happen often, I feel the security of a landline is worth every penny.
Don't forget that cell phones require electricity for charging, accessories, and upgrades. You can still use a basic landline phone from 1990 today. You can't say that about a cell phone from 1990.
I love having a cell phone, but I still think there's a place in the world for landlines. And if you get a very basic package, it's not that expensive to have one.
closing off unused rooms IS NOT good idea, b/c (per my HVAC man) it causes too much "draw" on the heat/AC system...you or whoever bought this heat/AC system to heat /cool a certain number of cubic feet. when you change the number of cubic feet, it causes the system to work much harder than it's built/bought for
dunno bout you, but i want to replace my system NO SOONER than every 20 years
I saved $5 on a StraightTalk 30-Day PrePaid Unlimited Airtime Refill. Normal price is $45, picked it up for $39.99. Not a lot but every bit helps and it all adds up when combined with the ideas you listed on this post. bit.ly/UXkh6u
Wow, what a great list of side jobs. It's not hard to find one if you really look, I think the challenge comes in getting some to want to find one. It is great to be able to supplement your income.
Prioritizing and patience... rating events on a scale of 1-10 and only spending on 9's and 10's for the most part, and being willing to wait for things to be less expensive. Regular (free) Hulu means a month's delay on our favorite shows, but once we forget about that it is just as entertaining. :) Waiting for movies to get to the dollar theater or hit Redbox, attending free concerts unless it's a favorite group, sharing meals at nicer restaurants and using Groupons. Free admission day at the State Fair was great, and extra tickets a client had for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta meant this was the year to attend!
I live in NYC and most of my friends like to hang out on the weekend what I have started to do is meet up with them at the end of dinner when it's time for dessert that way I still get to spend time with them and not waste a large amount of cash on a meal. Also I only order water as my beverage.
Fortunately we're not fans of organized sports, so we never buy tickets to those games. We rent one good movie per week. We watch a lot of good movies on TV. We watch free or low-cost movies on the computer or Kindle. We do go to a movie theater about once a month, so that doesn't add up too fast. Overall we find generally inexpensive ways to entertain ourselves. We like to dine out and do that about once a week. We have library cards and make good use of them: libraries have not only fine books but also a host of other great materials, CDs, movies, audio tapes, and so on. We get books on Amazon, but usually order about $25 worth to save shipping costs. We read a lot.
I made the original recipe and liked it. I used dried cherries rather than raisins because it is what I had and love. On it's own, it taste somewhat between an oatmeal cookie and an oatmeal breakfast to me, plus banana. I keep them in my freezer and pop them in the microwave. When I want something sweeter I spread nutella on the top and it is very good together. There are a few things I want to try with this in the future. One is to add quinoa for protein. I also want to try it with steel cut oats, and with coconut palm sugar which absorbs into the bloodstream slower. Have you tried any of those in this recipe? Any thoughts?
Wait, so you used the points you earned on your credit card from buying PERSONAL Christmas presents and other items to pay for your PROFESSIONAL Business travels?
That alone means your traveling expenses are horrible misrepresented.
Lots of good ideas, although cutting out basic elements from life - like milk - isn't smart. If you're already saving money by not eating out, at least eat well at home. If you're going to cut out items from a grocery list, remove processed foods that would be better to make yourself.
Great point about making your savings non-negotiable Kelly. Maybe that's where the "pay yourself first" phrase came from - it's a commitment to save before you spend.
You're absolutely right Bridget. It's no fun to be stuck with an emergency bill and have no money to pay it. And automating your savings is a form of discipline that'll help you reach your goal.
Not now, nor any time soon. (1) My landline phones live on charger bases; battery life is never an issue. (2) I live in a two-story house. When my cell phone is being charged (or I leave it on a table somewhere) it can only be on one floor while I may be on the other. My landline phones are on both floors all the time. (3) Sometimes my wife and I both want to talk to someone. With landline phones, we don't have to be in the same room (in our two-story house) and put up with the vagaries of being on speakerphone. (4) When somebody just wants to talk to one of us, the landline is a number that we both can answer - no need to try one then the other.
I always enjoy Max Wong's articles. She chooses interesting, timely topics that are well researched and well written. Looking forward to reading more from this talented writer.
We got rid of the land line six years ago, and haven't regretted it for a moment. The change has saved us hundreds if not a thousand dollars and vastly reduced commercial intrusions into our home. And we're not young, either.
Hi There,
Yes - a few new posts along the same lines:
http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-sell-your-crap-a-book-review-and-tips
and
http://www.wisebread.com/11-unusual-ways-to-sell-your-stuff
Enjoy!
Isn't this country full of enough criminals all ready without this person telling us we should all be crooks and lie on our taxes? No thanks, I, and a lot of other American citizens, still have good morals.
I disagree with you on #9. I have a standard cookie-cutter 3/2 ranch but I only live in two rooms (master bedroom and kitchen/den) of it. The rest of the house is unfurnished and closed off and is only there for resale. The highest natural gas bill I have ever had is $56 (month) and that was a very cold winter. I have gas logs that are 99.9% efficient (do not require the flu to be open) with all the heat it produces coming out into the room as heat. It will sometimes get my den too warm. Rather than run my central system (an ultra-high 95% efficient system) I use the gas logs when I am in the den and a small gas catalytic heater in my bedroom and I stay as warm as I want to be. So, respectfully, to say gas logs are wasteful is not true. But I understand your point ... it CAN be. If your flue is open all of your heat is going away and all you're paying for is a pretty flame. If your fireplace is glassed-over, the same thing - none of that heat is coming into your room.
I've considered dropping my landline but then something like Hurricane Sandy happens, I lose power for a week, and suddenly having a landline makes sense! If power lines and cell connectivity were as reliable as my phone connection, I'd drop in a minute.
I would never get rid of my landline. Why? Power outages! We've had several extended power outages caused by bad storms - including one that also knocked out cell phone towers. My cell phone was pretty useless to me during these times.
While those outages don't happen often, I feel the security of a landline is worth every penny.
Don't forget that cell phones require electricity for charging, accessories, and upgrades. You can still use a basic landline phone from 1990 today. You can't say that about a cell phone from 1990.
I love having a cell phone, but I still think there's a place in the world for landlines. And if you get a very basic package, it's not that expensive to have one.
closing off unused rooms IS NOT good idea, b/c (per my HVAC man) it causes too much "draw" on the heat/AC system...you or whoever bought this heat/AC system to heat /cool a certain number of cubic feet. when you change the number of cubic feet, it causes the system to work much harder than it's built/bought for
dunno bout you, but i want to replace my system NO SOONER than every 20 years
I saved $5 on a StraightTalk 30-Day PrePaid Unlimited Airtime Refill. Normal price is $45, picked it up for $39.99. Not a lot but every bit helps and it all adds up when combined with the ideas you listed on this post. bit.ly/UXkh6u
LOL, to: soft like a puppy's bottom :) Thanks for that!
Wow, what a great list of side jobs. It's not hard to find one if you really look, I think the challenge comes in getting some to want to find one. It is great to be able to supplement your income.
Prioritizing and patience... rating events on a scale of 1-10 and only spending on 9's and 10's for the most part, and being willing to wait for things to be less expensive. Regular (free) Hulu means a month's delay on our favorite shows, but once we forget about that it is just as entertaining. :) Waiting for movies to get to the dollar theater or hit Redbox, attending free concerts unless it's a favorite group, sharing meals at nicer restaurants and using Groupons. Free admission day at the State Fair was great, and extra tickets a client had for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta meant this was the year to attend!
I live in NYC and most of my friends like to hang out on the weekend what I have started to do is meet up with them at the end of dinner when it's time for dessert that way I still get to spend time with them and not waste a large amount of cash on a meal. Also I only order water as my beverage.
Fortunately we're not fans of organized sports, so we never buy tickets to those games. We rent one good movie per week. We watch a lot of good movies on TV. We watch free or low-cost movies on the computer or Kindle. We do go to a movie theater about once a month, so that doesn't add up too fast. Overall we find generally inexpensive ways to entertain ourselves. We like to dine out and do that about once a week. We have library cards and make good use of them: libraries have not only fine books but also a host of other great materials, CDs, movies, audio tapes, and so on. We get books on Amazon, but usually order about $25 worth to save shipping costs. We read a lot.
I made the original recipe and liked it. I used dried cherries rather than raisins because it is what I had and love. On it's own, it taste somewhat between an oatmeal cookie and an oatmeal breakfast to me, plus banana. I keep them in my freezer and pop them in the microwave. When I want something sweeter I spread nutella on the top and it is very good together. There are a few things I want to try with this in the future. One is to add quinoa for protein. I also want to try it with steel cut oats, and with coconut palm sugar which absorbs into the bloodstream slower. Have you tried any of those in this recipe? Any thoughts?
Wait, so you used the points you earned on your credit card from buying PERSONAL Christmas presents and other items to pay for your PROFESSIONAL Business travels?
That alone means your traveling expenses are horrible misrepresented.
Discount coupons and I've purchased a few discounts off of Groupon
Lots of good ideas, although cutting out basic elements from life - like milk - isn't smart. If you're already saving money by not eating out, at least eat well at home. If you're going to cut out items from a grocery list, remove processed foods that would be better to make yourself.
Thanks for mentioning Wealthy Turtle!
That is a great safety/energy saving tip! Thank you.
Great point about making your savings non-negotiable Kelly. Maybe that's where the "pay yourself first" phrase came from - it's a commitment to save before you spend.
You're absolutely right Bridget. It's no fun to be stuck with an emergency bill and have no money to pay it. And automating your savings is a form of discipline that'll help you reach your goal.
Thanks for the insight. I've never thought about having the emergency fund be big enough to pay for a decent car, but you make a valid point.
I also like your idea about increasing the size of your fund if your income is more unstable.
Hey there, the 10% number is just a rule of thumb. Since you're already contributing to your 401k, then that's a good start.
How much are you contributing to your 401k? If you're putting in 10% of your paycheck there, then you should be in good shape.