I wish I read this article before my trip to England! Long and short flights can make me feel like i'm loosing my marbles. I never thought to bring my own instant coffee!! The coffee served are most plane is never enough for my caffeine addiction and now I can save money by not drinking Starbucks in the airport! Thanks for the tips
Wow, I had no idea there were such things are "Tool Libraries"! Basic tools and repair items can be so expensive, and they spend more time in the garage then being used! Thanks for these great tips, I will be borrowing more items then I thought.
Love this article! I've been whitening my teeth for years and it really can be expensive! I stopped the dentist trips and did it myself at home with stripes and mouthwash/toothpaste! The results were basically the same and I saved not only money but a lot of time. You don't have to have your teeth professionally whitened in order to have perfect pearls!
This article is making me very hungry!! They all sounds so delicious and pretty easy to make, especially Papas Rellenas. And I love the "food doesn’t get much cheaper than stuffed spuds" Yummy and affordable!
Thanks Paul for your words of wisdom. I agree that brevity is the key to not saying something stupid. Following up later is helpful, especially if someone is a close friend or you have become closer since then. A few people have done that with me, though I know that others would be willing to listen if I needed to talk more.
I am sorry to hear about your nephew. The scenario you described was not even one that I had envisioned (I was thinking along the lines of family members not ready to let people know yet, rather than hearing about a loss via Facebook) so I appreciate your mention of what could go wrong. Social media is often a source of news (for me, and my kids) but as you mention, being cautious in such a sensitive area is the kind thing to do.
In my experience, people say something stupid because they either feel they have to relate something more than condolences in order for it to be meaningful (e.g., telling a "funny" story about the deceased) or by trying to empathize with those they are giving sympathy to. The second, in my experience, is far worse. By saying things like "I know exactly what you're going through" or (worse yet) "I'm sure it's difficult losing your husband/wife/best friend, my dog died last year and I was devastated." You can't know what they're going through: everyone's grief is different and personal.
What is better is to express condolences and let them know that you will be thinking or praying for them and then follow up later. Following up weeks, months, or years later ("I've been thinking about Bob and I hope you're doing ok with his loss. Is there anything I can do?") tells the bereaved that you really care and are truly sympathetic to their loss. It will likely result in an awkward conversation but, for many, a healing one. Forgetting about it (or worse, pretending that everything is ok now) communicates that you never cared in the first place. Remembering and giving support is a way that shows deep respect and true care for both the deceased and his survivors.
While it is not free, www.entertainment.com now has an app, with phone redeemable coupons. I pay about $15 for a year of access, one good buy one get one free coupon and it pays for itself. They have lots of BOGOs and %off coupons even for cities that Groupon and Scoutmob and Living Social do not have.
Don't start Activity B until you have cleaned up from Activity A. Otherwise, you have a whole bunch of semi completed/in progress tasks and none of them are even close to being completed or at least put away.
I wish I could take credit for the briliance of this rule but I observed it when I lived across the street from a daycare. When outside playtime was done, all the kids were instructed to put everything away in it's place. Everything was colour coded so the kids new exactly where to put things.
Maybe we need to send some business folks to daycare for a refresher!
"Use Facebook only if the news has been shared publicly, preferably on your friend's wall. Realize that your job is to express sympathy, not announce the death or discuss details surrounding the death or the family’s reaction to the world. "
This is so true. My 19 year old nephew recently passed away and the news was on Facebook before the family had been notified. My niece was receiving text messages of support before a family member arrived to tell her what had happened. I think it's really important that we teach the kids in our lives that there's no prize for being the first person to post something on Facebook. It's best to err on the side of caution. If you aren't certain the death (or any other news) is common knowledge, keep quiet. Nobody should learn of the death of a loved one via Facebook or text message.
It is always good to know what you should be asking when looking for a car warranty, I don't think anyone has money to throw away so always make sure you get the most out of your warranty :)
I agree that the credit repair companies are usually a waste of time. With some basic knowledge of how your credit scores are calculated and why your credit score should be protected, I think most people can manage this themselves. And the consolidations could also be done DIY if you had enough capacity in other credit areas.
You can only ask yourself that question. One persons frugality is different from another persons frugality. If you feel you are being too frugal, then that is your answer. If not, then you have acheived a comfortable balance. Personally I believe, being frugal to the point that it negatively impacts the quality of your life, your liberty or the pursuit of your happiness--is being too frugal
Great list of healthy foods! Thanks for mentioning my Potato-Leek soup so I could find and now follow along on you site.
I do think that it's important to mention that edamame/soy should be purchased Organic & Non-GMO (genetically modified). There is much research over the last several years indicating that non organic, GMO soy is actually harmful to your health.
Happy Day!
If you've ever watched the show "Extreme Cheapskate", you'd know it *is* possible to be too frugal. Asking other people for their leftover food from restaurants? Not just gross, but a safety hazard. (although I've seen other ideas from the show I don't consider extreme)
Rub surface of any inexpensive roast with pepper and salt (or salt substitute). Brown slightly in large roasting pot. Add 1 c water, 8 oz tomato sauce, 1-3 medium chopped onions to taste. Add 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1/4 - 1/2 vinegar to taste, 1/2 c ketchup, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Cook 2-3 hours, until done. I cook it at 350 in a covered roast pan. I also use unsalted tomato sauce & unsalted ketchup & low sodium Worcestershire nowadays, because my husband has high blood pressure. You can vary the spices anyway you like, or add others - what's really important is to include the dry mustard, vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, tomato sauce. Add anything else you like.
I am late in adding my comments, but after reading the article and the comments, I imagine that this article wasn't meant for 95% of the workforce who are terrified of being laid off, as they are your average 9-5ers. That's not a knock on those workers, the workplace needs the "worker bees" so to speak, who value their personal lives more than their work lives.
However, there are a very few people, who are natural superstars. No matter what they do, they are considered the top performers, producers, idea makers, leaders, etc. I am one of those. I value my home life a great deal, but I also am gifted with high intelligence, motivation and an unhealthy work ethic. I work for a large company though, and while I am fairly compensated (well into 6 figures) plus options, commissions, bonuses, etc. the job itself can be very soul sucking. You know you are only doing it for the benefit of a very few shareholders. Meanwhile, I see lots of up and coming companies that I would love to go to, but simply can't because of non-disclosure agreements and non-compete clauses.
Being laid-off frees me of these, while providing my family with a nice cushion to weather through a couple of comparatively lean years providing my talents to an organization where my input would have more impact. Again, not saying I am not appreciated, but when you are one superstar employee in a company of 100,000, there are 1000 other stars and your comparative impact is negligible. I know I would actually be more helpful to my clients, where my passion truly lies, with another organization than I can be with the one I am in.
That said though, few of these suggestions really work. Last time I tried the laid-back approach, the Senior Management Team thought I needed a new challenge and instead of getting laid off, I was moved to a new territory.
The best way to do this, is to have a frank discussion with your leadership, telling them of your dissatisfaction, and your true intentions, and work on an exit strategy that meets their needs and your own. That way, you keep the contacts and respect, without injuring your reputation. Or consider yourself lucky to have a great job and fight through the tough years that inevitably come during a recession.
Just wanted to say that I love this site and find it an invaluable resource to my studies! I have read this book "Your Money or Your Life." You have summarized it very well. Some of the lessons that I have learned from this book are following:-
1. This book brings you to an interesting journey of your past and encourages you to calculate how much money you have earned in the your life till now.
2. Then you need to calculate your actual net worth. Your net worth is equal to your total assets minus your total liabilities.
3. I think this simple exercise can open eyes of many people and bring them back on the road to financial freedom.
4. Calculate how much money you are earning per hour.
5. Write down all the expenses you make each day for a few months.This simple exercise will work magically to reduce your expenses.
6. you need to ask yourself this question before making any acquisition decisions that – Does this acquisition will bring the true fulfillment and satisfaction in my life in proportion to the life energy spent on the work?
I highly recommend this book to all. Thank you so much for this book review. This article was very helpful.
Interesting perspective on boosting your confidence. Some of the methods listed are great such as getting exercise and choosing healthier eating. Reliving past moments of greatness through pictures can be helpful.
However, using alcohol, and sitting at a bar seems to me to be counterproductive and not at all helpful.
I wish I read this article before my trip to England! Long and short flights can make me feel like i'm loosing my marbles. I never thought to bring my own instant coffee!! The coffee served are most plane is never enough for my caffeine addiction and now I can save money by not drinking Starbucks in the airport! Thanks for the tips
Wow, I had no idea there were such things are "Tool Libraries"! Basic tools and repair items can be so expensive, and they spend more time in the garage then being used! Thanks for these great tips, I will be borrowing more items then I thought.
Love this article! I've been whitening my teeth for years and it really can be expensive! I stopped the dentist trips and did it myself at home with stripes and mouthwash/toothpaste! The results were basically the same and I saved not only money but a lot of time. You don't have to have your teeth professionally whitened in order to have perfect pearls!
This article is making me very hungry!! They all sounds so delicious and pretty easy to make, especially Papas Rellenas. And I love the "food doesn’t get much cheaper than stuffed spuds" Yummy and affordable!
Thanks Paul for your words of wisdom. I agree that brevity is the key to not saying something stupid. Following up later is helpful, especially if someone is a close friend or you have become closer since then. A few people have done that with me, though I know that others would be willing to listen if I needed to talk more.
I am sorry to hear about your nephew. The scenario you described was not even one that I had envisioned (I was thinking along the lines of family members not ready to let people know yet, rather than hearing about a loss via Facebook) so I appreciate your mention of what could go wrong. Social media is often a source of news (for me, and my kids) but as you mention, being cautious in such a sensitive area is the kind thing to do.
In my experience, people say something stupid because they either feel they have to relate something more than condolences in order for it to be meaningful (e.g., telling a "funny" story about the deceased) or by trying to empathize with those they are giving sympathy to. The second, in my experience, is far worse. By saying things like "I know exactly what you're going through" or (worse yet) "I'm sure it's difficult losing your husband/wife/best friend, my dog died last year and I was devastated." You can't know what they're going through: everyone's grief is different and personal.
What is better is to express condolences and let them know that you will be thinking or praying for them and then follow up later. Following up weeks, months, or years later ("I've been thinking about Bob and I hope you're doing ok with his loss. Is there anything I can do?") tells the bereaved that you really care and are truly sympathetic to their loss. It will likely result in an awkward conversation but, for many, a healing one. Forgetting about it (or worse, pretending that everything is ok now) communicates that you never cared in the first place. Remembering and giving support is a way that shows deep respect and true care for both the deceased and his survivors.
Thanks for the article. Great thoughts. We need to look back more often in order to keep ourselves focused on the right way to go.
While it is not free, www.entertainment.com now has an app, with phone redeemable coupons. I pay about $15 for a year of access, one good buy one get one free coupon and it pays for itself. They have lots of BOGOs and %off coupons even for cities that Groupon and Scoutmob and Living Social do not have.
Don't start Activity B until you have cleaned up from Activity A. Otherwise, you have a whole bunch of semi completed/in progress tasks and none of them are even close to being completed or at least put away.
I wish I could take credit for the briliance of this rule but I observed it when I lived across the street from a daycare. When outside playtime was done, all the kids were instructed to put everything away in it's place. Everything was colour coded so the kids new exactly where to put things.
Maybe we need to send some business folks to daycare for a refresher!
"Use Facebook only if the news has been shared publicly, preferably on your friend's wall. Realize that your job is to express sympathy, not announce the death or discuss details surrounding the death or the family’s reaction to the world. "
This is so true. My 19 year old nephew recently passed away and the news was on Facebook before the family had been notified. My niece was receiving text messages of support before a family member arrived to tell her what had happened. I think it's really important that we teach the kids in our lives that there's no prize for being the first person to post something on Facebook. It's best to err on the side of caution. If you aren't certain the death (or any other news) is common knowledge, keep quiet. Nobody should learn of the death of a loved one via Facebook or text message.
It is always good to know what you should be asking when looking for a car warranty, I don't think anyone has money to throw away so always make sure you get the most out of your warranty :)
I agree that the credit repair companies are usually a waste of time. With some basic knowledge of how your credit scores are calculated and why your credit score should be protected, I think most people can manage this themselves. And the consolidations could also be done DIY if you had enough capacity in other credit areas.
You can only ask yourself that question. One persons frugality is different from another persons frugality. If you feel you are being too frugal, then that is your answer. If not, then you have acheived a comfortable balance. Personally I believe, being frugal to the point that it negatively impacts the quality of your life, your liberty or the pursuit of your happiness--is being too frugal
#5 - turn off things when your not home, better yet turn off the main power switch when you leave and then turn it back on when you get back home!
Great list of healthy foods! Thanks for mentioning my Potato-Leek soup so I could find and now follow along on you site.
I do think that it's important to mention that edamame/soy should be purchased Organic & Non-GMO (genetically modified). There is much research over the last several years indicating that non organic, GMO soy is actually harmful to your health.
Happy Day!
I have "liked" you on Facebook
If you've ever watched the show "Extreme Cheapskate", you'd know it *is* possible to be too frugal. Asking other people for their leftover food from restaurants? Not just gross, but a safety hazard. (although I've seen other ideas from the show I don't consider extreme)
Modern Resume & Job Interview One Sheeter links go to 'Document doesn't exist'.
Happy to share. Barbecue Pot Roast:
Rub surface of any inexpensive roast with pepper and salt (or salt substitute). Brown slightly in large roasting pot. Add 1 c water, 8 oz tomato sauce, 1-3 medium chopped onions to taste. Add 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1/4 - 1/2 vinegar to taste, 1/2 c ketchup, 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Cook 2-3 hours, until done. I cook it at 350 in a covered roast pan. I also use unsalted tomato sauce & unsalted ketchup & low sodium Worcestershire nowadays, because my husband has high blood pressure. You can vary the spices anyway you like, or add others - what's really important is to include the dry mustard, vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, tomato sauce. Add anything else you like.
I am late in adding my comments, but after reading the article and the comments, I imagine that this article wasn't meant for 95% of the workforce who are terrified of being laid off, as they are your average 9-5ers. That's not a knock on those workers, the workplace needs the "worker bees" so to speak, who value their personal lives more than their work lives.
However, there are a very few people, who are natural superstars. No matter what they do, they are considered the top performers, producers, idea makers, leaders, etc. I am one of those. I value my home life a great deal, but I also am gifted with high intelligence, motivation and an unhealthy work ethic. I work for a large company though, and while I am fairly compensated (well into 6 figures) plus options, commissions, bonuses, etc. the job itself can be very soul sucking. You know you are only doing it for the benefit of a very few shareholders. Meanwhile, I see lots of up and coming companies that I would love to go to, but simply can't because of non-disclosure agreements and non-compete clauses.
Being laid-off frees me of these, while providing my family with a nice cushion to weather through a couple of comparatively lean years providing my talents to an organization where my input would have more impact. Again, not saying I am not appreciated, but when you are one superstar employee in a company of 100,000, there are 1000 other stars and your comparative impact is negligible. I know I would actually be more helpful to my clients, where my passion truly lies, with another organization than I can be with the one I am in.
That said though, few of these suggestions really work. Last time I tried the laid-back approach, the Senior Management Team thought I needed a new challenge and instead of getting laid off, I was moved to a new territory.
The best way to do this, is to have a frank discussion with your leadership, telling them of your dissatisfaction, and your true intentions, and work on an exit strategy that meets their needs and your own. That way, you keep the contacts and respect, without injuring your reputation. Or consider yourself lucky to have a great job and fight through the tough years that inevitably come during a recession.
Just wanted to say that I love this site and find it an invaluable resource to my studies! I have read this book "Your Money or Your Life." You have summarized it very well. Some of the lessons that I have learned from this book are following:-
1. This book brings you to an interesting journey of your past and encourages you to calculate how much money you have earned in the your life till now.
2. Then you need to calculate your actual net worth. Your net worth is equal to your total assets minus your total liabilities.
3. I think this simple exercise can open eyes of many people and bring them back on the road to financial freedom.
4. Calculate how much money you are earning per hour.
5. Write down all the expenses you make each day for a few months.This simple exercise will work magically to reduce your expenses.
6. you need to ask yourself this question before making any acquisition decisions that – Does this acquisition will bring the true fulfillment and satisfaction in my life in proportion to the life energy spent on the work?
I highly recommend this book to all. Thank you so much for this book review. This article was very helpful.
Interesting perspective on boosting your confidence. Some of the methods listed are great such as getting exercise and choosing healthier eating. Reliving past moments of greatness through pictures can be helpful.
However, using alcohol, and sitting at a bar seems to me to be counterproductive and not at all helpful.
Using coupons at a restaurant is frugal. Tipping on the reduced bill is cheap.
Wow, the wet&dry vacuum worked great for me!