Here's one I saw on TV: use an empty bottle (they were using the 2L Coke plastic Coke bottle) to easily separate the yoke from the egg white by squeezing the bottle a bit then placing it over the yoke and releasing the squeeze, the yoke gets sucked up and is ready to be placed elsewhere. Genius!
Thanks. Great tip about ignoring ads that fail to mention appropriate details. I will save time from now on and ignore these ads, even if there may be potential because, overall, it's a waste of my time.
If someone takes the time to search your pinterest for a "wish list" board or amazon wish list, that is awesome.
Some favorite specific ideas are a magazine subscription... you get a little treat every month that way and usually are inexpensive. I'm personally hoping for a subscription to DIY magazine.
I keep a little list on my phone of ideas throughout the year for people as I think of them, and watch for them to be on sale.
It surprised me how much grocery stores mark up cheese that are pre-cut. I love eating cheddar cheese and crackers. For the convenience of having it already cubed for me is over $1 more than just buying the block and doing it myself.
I agree with the batteries as well. I usually buy mine at CVS. They regularly run BOGO sales on their batteries. I buy two packs for $5. I haven't noticed them not lasting as long as name brand versions, so I keep buying them.
One year I got my closest girlfriends personalized stationery through an online printing business like Vistaprint. It was classy and individualized, and it showed them I put a lot of thought and effort into their gifts. They all loved it. Plus it wasn't that expensive -- though you have to make sure to pay a little extra so they don't put tacky Vistaprint logos on the backs of the card. I also ordered more high quality card stock and put it in a pretty box with a bow and a nice pen.
But the BEST gift I ever got was a photo album from my husband that he had put together chronicling our relationship from first attraction to present tense! It was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen. But I know that you can't do something like that every year!
My mother (who is now 81) is a hoarder, and my siblings and I had to grow up in a forest of dirt, mold and useless things that someone else could have used.. She truly does put her "stuff" before her relationships, including her children and grandchildren. Never has she had them (or me) over for a meal or a visit, the hoard keeps people out. It makes me so sad for her and myself. Watching the show lets me know I am not alone, there are other families out there dealing UNSUCCESSFULLY with hoarders. It left me with issues of always having to have a cleanand liveable house and a place for everything. my worst nightmare would be to turn into her!
Simplest way I've found to save money is to shop at Sprouts rather than a regular grocery store. I spend about half what I do on the rare occasions I go to a regular grocery store and eat much better. Why? Much fewer processed foods and nonfood goods so less temptation and lots and lots of fresh produce, ads for last AND coming week apply on Wednesdays and always great deals on something.
If you are going to restructure your house, just make sure that you are going to enhance ventilation and natural lighting in the darker portions of your home. It will help you to provide a feeling of freshness.
Great article! I always suggest that clients leave the credit cards at home and try living a cash based life, simply because of the urge to splurge people seem to have when using a credit card.
While I agree with the this article on many points, there are a few things that it doesn't address......many of us do not live close to a Costco or Sam's Club and have to buy these items at our local grocery....items such as detergent, batteries, cereal, etc. If I'm driving 1 1/2 hours to get to one of these warehouse stores, I'm definitely not saving......especially with gas prices hovering around $4! Second...buying canned goods in bulk when they're on sale can save a lot of money, but unless you have an area where you can STORE these items, it doesn't make sense either. Also, generally you should replace your toothbrush more than twice a year! Minimum should be every 3 to 4 months. And sure, if you're buying ready-made foods from the deli regularly, it's definitely not saving money.....but there is nothing wrong with the occasional use of deli foods or pre-made cakes!
I do what I can to save.....buy on sale, use coupons when I can, buy seasonal foods and use the local farm markets. But to say that we shouldn't buy these items at the local grocery isn't always the best answer to keeping our costs down!
Do you work for wharehouse store. There was an article recently that shows that wharehouse stores are not as good a deal as many people think. Whgen you buy things from a wharehouse store, you are paying premium prices for brand items. The best thing to do is to shop at several grocery stores, discount stores and wharehouse stores. Yoou will find that the right price on any item can be found if you look hard enough. I promise you that if you wnet shopping at a wharehouse store and I went shopping at a variety of stroes and used coupons, I could get the same amount of food at a mch lower price. It is all about knowinghow much things should cost before you buy.
A pretty scarf. It doesn't mess up her hair, will fit and will get a lot of use. If the woman in your life might have skin allergies, stick to cotton or silk. Pick a color that matches her winter coat. It is a thoughtful, useful gift.
Interesting stuff. When I was studying accounting, we talked a lot about the issue of sunk costs (essentially #4) and how you can't take that into effect. But it's definitely hard for the human brain to wrap its head around. Which, as a turn of phrase, makes no sense, but you get my point.
Raising credit limits never did anything for me except make me smirk and shake my head wondering what on earth they were thinking. I can certainly see how it and 0% transfers can be a big danger. We were mainly able to use the latter to get out of debt on a faster timetable.
As for immediacy... My ADD husband and I still go rounds about that. So I can definitely see how all of these create a willingness to go into debt.
Wow, that is absolutely different from where I live (Europe). Most of those things are cheaper at the hypermaket (basically the big boxes). Cosmetics can cost up to 70% more in a drug store, so I always buy them from the store (unless I'm looking for really fancy once, which the stores don't sell).
Reading this article definitely made me hungry. Not to mention, I am already hungry. This article was very eye catching especially by the name. Every time I am having a difficult time on what to cook for dinner I always run for rotisserie chicken. It’s so good. Now that I have read other things to do with the chicken, I can definitely add more variety to my meals. Yumm. I cannot wait.
A perfect gift would be something for just me. My favorite kind of candy, body wash, gift card. As a mom and wife do not usually buy these things for herself!
This article was very insightful. I definitely would say one of the key points that stuck out to me was the magazines. Every time I am at the checkout line, I am drawn in by the front cover. I can just read and read and read. Next minute I realize I am at the cash register. Now what?? I can do two things, purchase or leave it. I usually leave it because I always think to myself …when I get home am I really going to finish the magazine? So I’ve learned to not make decisions off of impulse but on the importance of the item.
The best gifts are from the heart. It is always a wonderful feeling knowing that it was unexpected and yet simple. Most women including myself love jewelry. The one important thing would just be to stay within your budget. One of the best gifts I received was a Hello Kitty watch with diamonds all over. It was a complete surprise because it was unexpected. It came all the way from Japan.
I usually buy fresh fruits and vegetables from the local market. There I can find variety and cheap prices as well.
I prefer not to enter in small grocery shops because they are more costly than superstores.
If she likes to travel, that makes a good gift. Even if it's just a day trip to some place not too far away, a day out with a nice lunch is perfect. If she collects specific things, buy something for her collection. I collect Pop-up books, and I love it when someone gives me one that I don't have. I am also at that age where I don't really need "stuff" anymore, so home repairs, painting & landscaping help by my grown children are always welcome gifts for me.
About #5, stew meat. I no longer buy ground beef either. At today's prices, it's cheaper to buy chuck roast when it's on sale for $2.99 or less and grind it myself. I bought discounted gift card and used it to buy a grinder attachment for my stand mixer. Now I grind all my ground beef for less, plus I know exactly what goes into it.
About #13. I do buy cereal at the grocery store. I buy the store brand and take advantage of the "buy more, pay less" price by buying 5 boxes at a time.
About #16, greeting cards. I gave up greeting cards years ago. Instead of spending 15 minutes picking out a card, I use the time to pen a handwritten note, which is more personal and appreciated.
About #21, swiffer cloths. The consumables drive me crazy. Instead of swiffer, I bought a duster/mop with a refillable bottle and some washable, reusable pads. Vinegar and water does just as well as more expensive brand-name floor cleaners.
About #25, milk. It's not always convenient to get to the warehouse store when milk is needed. Plus my need for milk is less now that the kids are grown. However because milk freezes well, I often stock up when at Costco. Just remember to pour off a small amount because the liquid expands when it freezes.
One of the best things we've done is start a price book. We keep track of commonly purchased items at every available venue. Dollar stores, warehouse clubs, bump and dent places, farmer's markets, roadside stands, CSA's, farmers (they may advertize in your local penny savers), pick your own farms, vo techs (those with culinary departments), chain drugs stores with loyalty programs. It may be worth it to grow your own, or barter with neighbors. There are benefits to combining sales with coupons at local grocery stores and it doesn't have to be complex.
We've found for our own shopping style, warehouse clubs aren't worth it. We do better using coupons locally. Dollar tree is our go to place for birthday cards, jack mackeral, bar soap and hair products. We stockpile peanut butter and pasta from our local bump and dent place. We keep a small garden and can. Recently a friend hooked me up with For the Mommas, a site that tracks sales and coupons in our local area. We've benefitted greatly from the CVS loyalty program as a result. We get our eggs from a farm lady near my husband's twice monthly travels at $1 a flat. It all adds up.
Here's one I saw on TV: use an empty bottle (they were using the 2L Coke plastic Coke bottle) to easily separate the yoke from the egg white by squeezing the bottle a bit then placing it over the yoke and releasing the squeeze, the yoke gets sucked up and is ready to be placed elsewhere. Genius!
Thanks. Great tip about ignoring ads that fail to mention appropriate details. I will save time from now on and ignore these ads, even if there may be potential because, overall, it's a waste of my time.
If someone takes the time to search your pinterest for a "wish list" board or amazon wish list, that is awesome.
Some favorite specific ideas are a magazine subscription... you get a little treat every month that way and usually are inexpensive. I'm personally hoping for a subscription to DIY magazine.
I keep a little list on my phone of ideas throughout the year for people as I think of them, and watch for them to be on sale.
It surprised me how much grocery stores mark up cheese that are pre-cut. I love eating cheddar cheese and crackers. For the convenience of having it already cubed for me is over $1 more than just buying the block and doing it myself.
I agree with the batteries as well. I usually buy mine at CVS. They regularly run BOGO sales on their batteries. I buy two packs for $5. I haven't noticed them not lasting as long as name brand versions, so I keep buying them.
One year I got my closest girlfriends personalized stationery through an online printing business like Vistaprint. It was classy and individualized, and it showed them I put a lot of thought and effort into their gifts. They all loved it. Plus it wasn't that expensive -- though you have to make sure to pay a little extra so they don't put tacky Vistaprint logos on the backs of the card. I also ordered more high quality card stock and put it in a pretty box with a bow and a nice pen.
But the BEST gift I ever got was a photo album from my husband that he had put together chronicling our relationship from first attraction to present tense! It was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen. But I know that you can't do something like that every year!
My mother (who is now 81) is a hoarder, and my siblings and I had to grow up in a forest of dirt, mold and useless things that someone else could have used.. She truly does put her "stuff" before her relationships, including her children and grandchildren. Never has she had them (or me) over for a meal or a visit, the hoard keeps people out. It makes me so sad for her and myself. Watching the show lets me know I am not alone, there are other families out there dealing UNSUCCESSFULLY with hoarders. It left me with issues of always having to have a cleanand liveable house and a place for everything. my worst nightmare would be to turn into her!
Simplest way I've found to save money is to shop at Sprouts rather than a regular grocery store. I spend about half what I do on the rare occasions I go to a regular grocery store and eat much better. Why? Much fewer processed foods and nonfood goods so less temptation and lots and lots of fresh produce, ads for last AND coming week apply on Wednesdays and always great deals on something.
If you are going to restructure your house, just make sure that you are going to enhance ventilation and natural lighting in the darker portions of your home. It will help you to provide a feeling of freshness.
Great article! I always suggest that clients leave the credit cards at home and try living a cash based life, simply because of the urge to splurge people seem to have when using a credit card.
While I agree with the this article on many points, there are a few things that it doesn't address......many of us do not live close to a Costco or Sam's Club and have to buy these items at our local grocery....items such as detergent, batteries, cereal, etc. If I'm driving 1 1/2 hours to get to one of these warehouse stores, I'm definitely not saving......especially with gas prices hovering around $4! Second...buying canned goods in bulk when they're on sale can save a lot of money, but unless you have an area where you can STORE these items, it doesn't make sense either. Also, generally you should replace your toothbrush more than twice a year! Minimum should be every 3 to 4 months. And sure, if you're buying ready-made foods from the deli regularly, it's definitely not saving money.....but there is nothing wrong with the occasional use of deli foods or pre-made cakes!
I do what I can to save.....buy on sale, use coupons when I can, buy seasonal foods and use the local farm markets. But to say that we shouldn't buy these items at the local grocery isn't always the best answer to keeping our costs down!
Do you work for wharehouse store. There was an article recently that shows that wharehouse stores are not as good a deal as many people think. Whgen you buy things from a wharehouse store, you are paying premium prices for brand items. The best thing to do is to shop at several grocery stores, discount stores and wharehouse stores. Yoou will find that the right price on any item can be found if you look hard enough. I promise you that if you wnet shopping at a wharehouse store and I went shopping at a variety of stroes and used coupons, I could get the same amount of food at a mch lower price. It is all about knowinghow much things should cost before you buy.
A pretty scarf. It doesn't mess up her hair, will fit and will get a lot of use. If the woman in your life might have skin allergies, stick to cotton or silk. Pick a color that matches her winter coat. It is a thoughtful, useful gift.
You can also sell old CDs if you like the cd burn a copy and sell the original.
Interesting stuff. When I was studying accounting, we talked a lot about the issue of sunk costs (essentially #4) and how you can't take that into effect. But it's definitely hard for the human brain to wrap its head around. Which, as a turn of phrase, makes no sense, but you get my point.
Raising credit limits never did anything for me except make me smirk and shake my head wondering what on earth they were thinking. I can certainly see how it and 0% transfers can be a big danger. We were mainly able to use the latter to get out of debt on a faster timetable.
As for immediacy... My ADD husband and I still go rounds about that. So I can definitely see how all of these create a willingness to go into debt.
Wow, that is absolutely different from where I live (Europe). Most of those things are cheaper at the hypermaket (basically the big boxes). Cosmetics can cost up to 70% more in a drug store, so I always buy them from the store (unless I'm looking for really fancy once, which the stores don't sell).
Reading this article definitely made me hungry. Not to mention, I am already hungry. This article was very eye catching especially by the name. Every time I am having a difficult time on what to cook for dinner I always run for rotisserie chicken. It’s so good. Now that I have read other things to do with the chicken, I can definitely add more variety to my meals. Yumm. I cannot wait.
A perfect gift would be something for just me. My favorite kind of candy, body wash, gift card. As a mom and wife do not usually buy these things for herself!
This article was very insightful. I definitely would say one of the key points that stuck out to me was the magazines. Every time I am at the checkout line, I am drawn in by the front cover. I can just read and read and read. Next minute I realize I am at the cash register. Now what?? I can do two things, purchase or leave it. I usually leave it because I always think to myself …when I get home am I really going to finish the magazine? So I’ve learned to not make decisions off of impulse but on the importance of the item.
The best gifts are from the heart. It is always a wonderful feeling knowing that it was unexpected and yet simple. Most women including myself love jewelry. The one important thing would just be to stay within your budget. One of the best gifts I received was a Hello Kitty watch with diamonds all over. It was a complete surprise because it was unexpected. It came all the way from Japan.
I usually buy fresh fruits and vegetables from the local market. There I can find variety and cheap prices as well.
I prefer not to enter in small grocery shops because they are more costly than superstores.
If she likes to travel, that makes a good gift. Even if it's just a day trip to some place not too far away, a day out with a nice lunch is perfect. If she collects specific things, buy something for her collection. I collect Pop-up books, and I love it when someone gives me one that I don't have. I am also at that age where I don't really need "stuff" anymore, so home repairs, painting & landscaping help by my grown children are always welcome gifts for me.
About #5, stew meat. I no longer buy ground beef either. At today's prices, it's cheaper to buy chuck roast when it's on sale for $2.99 or less and grind it myself. I bought discounted gift card and used it to buy a grinder attachment for my stand mixer. Now I grind all my ground beef for less, plus I know exactly what goes into it.
About #13. I do buy cereal at the grocery store. I buy the store brand and take advantage of the "buy more, pay less" price by buying 5 boxes at a time.
About #16, greeting cards. I gave up greeting cards years ago. Instead of spending 15 minutes picking out a card, I use the time to pen a handwritten note, which is more personal and appreciated.
About #21, swiffer cloths. The consumables drive me crazy. Instead of swiffer, I bought a duster/mop with a refillable bottle and some washable, reusable pads. Vinegar and water does just as well as more expensive brand-name floor cleaners.
About #25, milk. It's not always convenient to get to the warehouse store when milk is needed. Plus my need for milk is less now that the kids are grown. However because milk freezes well, I often stock up when at Costco. Just remember to pour off a small amount because the liquid expands when it freezes.
One of the best things we've done is start a price book. We keep track of commonly purchased items at every available venue. Dollar stores, warehouse clubs, bump and dent places, farmer's markets, roadside stands, CSA's, farmers (they may advertize in your local penny savers), pick your own farms, vo techs (those with culinary departments), chain drugs stores with loyalty programs. It may be worth it to grow your own, or barter with neighbors. There are benefits to combining sales with coupons at local grocery stores and it doesn't have to be complex.
We've found for our own shopping style, warehouse clubs aren't worth it. We do better using coupons locally. Dollar tree is our go to place for birthday cards, jack mackeral, bar soap and hair products. We stockpile peanut butter and pasta from our local bump and dent place. We keep a small garden and can. Recently a friend hooked me up with For the Mommas, a site that tracks sales and coupons in our local area. We've benefitted greatly from the CVS loyalty program as a result. We get our eggs from a farm lady near my husband's twice monthly travels at $1 a flat. It all adds up.
Something indulgent that I wouldn't normally buy and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money - scented candles, hand cream, etc.
Cookbooks!