I think it's wrong to equate selling online or at your own garage sale with what you could be making at a minimum wage job or what your time is "worth". I find the point of the exercise is more to get rid of something I don't need while decluttering. ...And if I can make a few bucks from stuff I don't want, why not? I'd rather make $10 by putting a DVD in an evelope and dropping it in the mail because I'd probably just be watching TV with that 15 minutes of time instead.
Thrift stores are a good option for clothing, books, and other light items that it is easy to haul yourself. They sell the items and the money goes to charity except for their overhead.
I recently was reminded how satisfying it is to teach yourself something. I had 3D footage to edit, but instead of asking my friend who knows how to do it, I downloaded the Final Cut plugin and taught myself through a combination of online tutorials and trial and error. Having my friend teach me would have been great, too -- but doing it alone, I felt like I had really accomplished something when I got it right.
My Mom always taught me to just buy the basics for your child when they are small. They outgrow clothes so fast, and you receive so many gifts and hand-me-downs from others. Plus shop the clearance racks for next seasons clothes!
As someone who was very recently a college graduate, I think the best gift to give is a car - even a little, 17-year-old, four-cylinder, little puttering box of a car. That car lasted me for three years, getting me to and from my first job and then through another year of school, too. It finally died, but now I'm finally at a stage where I can consider buying another used car in slightly better condition. Thanks for the help, Mom & Dad. :)
If you want to get rid of an item on the curb, put a sign on it with a fairly low price. People will then steal the item, now thinking it has some value. On the off chance an honest person wants it, whatever they offer you (25% of the sign price?) is better than nothing.
~For ladies I think a Pearl necklace would be nice. I rec'd a set when I graduated and still wear them to ceremonies, weddings, funerals ect. They are timeless.
~If that is too expensive, a monogrammed Blanket/throw for the dorm room and beyond.
~The book The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach would be good. I wish I had read that book when I was starting out!
That amount is after 8 or 9 years. My average monthly bill is $2,500 - $3,000. That covers groceries, eating out, shopping, cable bill, cell phone bill, insurance, etc. Plus, a few vacations, home improvements, etc. over the past few years. If I can, I run business travel expenses through that account as well. Every couple of months, Discover has a bonus category so I can get up to 5% on a certain category - - gas, groceries, clothes, entertainment, etc. I don't go spend more that month, it's just a nice bonus.
If you want something you can buy with points, and you seek out and find a card that offers that thing (and that has a generous points scheme), and nothing changes between when you make your plan and when you have the points to execute it—then points can be a better deal.
But things do change. Your plan may change. Your credit card's rewards scheme may change. And if that happens, maybe your points will still be useful and maybe they won't. But cash will still be cash.
We're in our 15th year of a in perpetuity, 2 week, time-share in the Caribbean. We've used miles for all those years, sometimes using a new card for the minimum to get the 75000 bonus miles. It's a win-win for us. Bob M
My husband and I bought 11 years ago and can still afford our house. But I'm feeling it's a lousy investment and waste of money when the comps in the area are selling for 80 to 100,000.00 less. We would like to sell in a few years to by another house and we have wasted alot of money paying a high mortgage on a house that doesn't have value. Its a bunch of bull
Betty
i had a serious problem with ant infestation, especially in my kitchen. The ants even congregated in my dishwasher. I mixed 20 Mule Team Borax with equal amount of powdered sugar being sure to really blend the two ingredients thoroughly. I sprinkled this mixture on the ants' trail and voila, the ants started dying. However, after a few days, the 20 Mule Team Borax/powder sugar mixture got as hard a cement, and I had to chisel it off the countertops. This year, the ants returned and instead of sprinkling the mixture inside the kitchen, I went outside and found where the ants were marching. They were marching up the posts of my deck and on the beams under the deck. I sprinkled the mixture on the beams, and on the ground where they were congregating. Within three days, I observed hundreds of dead ants in and around the borax sugar mixture. There were one or two lone ants, but they were moving very slowly, like they were drunk. I will continue sprinkling this mixture outside weekly. By the way, the ants have stopped coming into my kitchen. This technique really worked for me.
Luggage! My mom bought me a large and medium sized set of rolling suitcases that I still have and use 10 years later. It is the kind of thing you don't realize is expensive when you are 22 but will appreciate for a lifetime!
A good set of tools! My parents gave me a thorough set of tools – beyond a basic screwdriver/hammer set up – and it has been profoundly useful. I strongly suggest a small organizer kit including nails, wall hangers, drywall screws, and other small accessories. The gift recipient will become the go-to person when other students need something fixed or to hang their dorm room posters.
I think it's wrong to equate selling online or at your own garage sale with what you could be making at a minimum wage job or what your time is "worth". I find the point of the exercise is more to get rid of something I don't need while decluttering. ...And if I can make a few bucks from stuff I don't want, why not? I'd rather make $10 by putting a DVD in an evelope and dropping it in the mail because I'd probably just be watching TV with that 15 minutes of time instead.
Thrift stores are a good option for clothing, books, and other light items that it is easy to haul yourself. They sell the items and the money goes to charity except for their overhead.
I recently was reminded how satisfying it is to teach yourself something. I had 3D footage to edit, but instead of asking my friend who knows how to do it, I downloaded the Final Cut plugin and taught myself through a combination of online tutorials and trial and error. Having my friend teach me would have been great, too -- but doing it alone, I felt like I had really accomplished something when I got it right.
These are wonderful apps and one of the reasons I want to change my Blackberry into an Android or Iphone.
My Mom always taught me to just buy the basics for your child when they are small. They outgrow clothes so fast, and you receive so many gifts and hand-me-downs from others. Plus shop the clearance racks for next seasons clothes!
As someone who was very recently a college graduate, I think the best gift to give is a car - even a little, 17-year-old, four-cylinder, little puttering box of a car. That car lasted me for three years, getting me to and from my first job and then through another year of school, too. It finally died, but now I'm finally at a stage where I can consider buying another used car in slightly better condition. Thanks for the help, Mom & Dad. :)
If you want to get rid of an item on the curb, put a sign on it with a fairly low price. People will then steal the item, now thinking it has some value. On the off chance an honest person wants it, whatever they offer you (25% of the sign price?) is better than nothing.
I have WB liked on FB.
Coming straight from College, money (or even gift cards for regularly used stores) is always needed.
~For ladies I think a Pearl necklace would be nice. I rec'd a set when I graduated and still wear them to ceremonies, weddings, funerals ect. They are timeless.
~If that is too expensive, a monogrammed Blanket/throw for the dorm room and beyond.
~The book The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach would be good. I wish I had read that book when I was starting out!
Oh, and sorry about the captcha. I'll mention it to the admins.
A suitcase. Now the world is at your feet, and you need to go out and use your skills to help make it a better place!
That amount is after 8 or 9 years. My average monthly bill is $2,500 - $3,000. That covers groceries, eating out, shopping, cable bill, cell phone bill, insurance, etc. Plus, a few vacations, home improvements, etc. over the past few years. If I can, I run business travel expenses through that account as well. Every couple of months, Discover has a bonus category so I can get up to 5% on a certain category - - gas, groceries, clothes, entertainment, etc. I don't go spend more that month, it's just a nice bonus.
If you want something you can buy with points, and you seek out and find a card that offers that thing (and that has a generous points scheme), and nothing changes between when you make your plan and when you have the points to execute it—then points can be a better deal.
But things do change. Your plan may change. Your credit card's rewards scheme may change. And if that happens, maybe your points will still be useful and maybe they won't. But cash will still be cash.
How much did you have to spend on the card in order to get that amount of money in cash back?
We're in our 15th year of a in perpetuity, 2 week, time-share in the Caribbean. We've used miles for all those years, sometimes using a new card for the minimum to get the 75000 bonus miles. It's a win-win for us. Bob M
My husband and I bought 11 years ago and can still afford our house. But I'm feeling it's a lousy investment and waste of money when the comps in the area are selling for 80 to 100,000.00 less. We would like to sell in a few years to by another house and we have wasted alot of money paying a high mortgage on a house that doesn't have value. Its a bunch of bull
Cash is easier than points, however in most all cases points will get you further than cash.
Disagree?
P.S. Your captcha / spam prevention is overly aggressive. Took me 3 tries to post.
Betty
i had a serious problem with ant infestation, especially in my kitchen. The ants even congregated in my dishwasher. I mixed 20 Mule Team Borax with equal amount of powdered sugar being sure to really blend the two ingredients thoroughly. I sprinkled this mixture on the ants' trail and voila, the ants started dying. However, after a few days, the 20 Mule Team Borax/powder sugar mixture got as hard a cement, and I had to chisel it off the countertops. This year, the ants returned and instead of sprinkling the mixture inside the kitchen, I went outside and found where the ants were marching. They were marching up the posts of my deck and on the beams under the deck. I sprinkled the mixture on the beams, and on the ground where they were congregating. Within three days, I observed hundreds of dead ants in and around the borax sugar mixture. There were one or two lone ants, but they were moving very slowly, like they were drunk. I will continue sprinkling this mixture outside weekly. By the way, the ants have stopped coming into my kitchen. This technique really worked for me.
I think the best gift for a college graduate is a course by a financial planner about budgeting. www.iwillteachyoutosave.com
Luggage! My mom bought me a large and medium sized set of rolling suitcases that I still have and use 10 years later. It is the kind of thing you don't realize is expensive when you are 22 but will appreciate for a lifetime!
The book Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin, Joe Dominguez and Monique Tilford, and $20 to put towards their student loans!
A good set of tools! My parents gave me a thorough set of tools – beyond a basic screwdriver/hammer set up – and it has been profoundly useful. I strongly suggest a small organizer kit including nails, wall hangers, drywall screws, and other small accessories. The gift recipient will become the go-to person when other students need something fixed or to hang their dorm room posters.
best shopping tip: If you love it and look amazing in it, don't worry about the price tag.
Yes, as long as your plans don't change, this can be a good deal. But cash is a good deal even when your plans do change.