If you have a septic system instead of sewer for your home you HAVE to fix the leak promptly. If you don't the leak will eventually cause your leech fields to fail resulting in thousands of dollars to repair or replace them.
As an aside, most manufacturers (American Standard comes to mind) offer lifetime warranties on their faucets and will ship parts out free when they fail. Something to look into.
If you are believing the press releases by Washington that says unemployment is down to 8.5% you are sadly mis-informed. The true numbers are in excess of 30%, they are only counting the people that are still drawing un-employment. They don't count the people that have run out of benefits and still haven't found a job. Or the ones that could only find a minimum wage job that won't pay for anything. There are some areas of the country that are doing better, but the majority are in very sad shape.
I traveled for fifteen years as a road/air warrior and nothing is as frustrating as poor quality luggage: busted zippers, tears, hardware that breaks. The best (I used a Red Oxx Air Boss) offer long term repair that's usually free.
Thanks for the article. I could have the worse day at work then come home to my family and everything changes like that. Stress from work can really build up on you sometimes!
I think too much of anything can be bad. If you feel deprived or are not even getting to enjoy the fruits of your labor, you're probably too frugal. I choose to pick my battles with frugality -- would argue over a dime for one thing but drop hundreds of dollars for something else.
Good stuff. Check out your "Modern Resume" - I know modern is good, but even a "Modern" resume should not list References - especially as "Referees" - unless of course you are applying for a job as a Referee :). References are supplied on request - if you want to continue the process. Otherwise don't just hand them out as you should value your references and their time - you don't want them to be contacted if you don't wish to pursue a position. And you don't want their contact info to go into someone's database for who knows what purpose. So be discrete in handing out your reference (not "Referees'") info.
My daughters and I schedule a "Day of Health and Beauty" every few months. We pretend we are at a spa and make spa foods. We do a mountain hike in the morning, then yoga and aerobics later. Then we do a homemade facial, mani and pedi. If there is still time, we try new makeup techniques or the whirlpool tub.
Since I only buy souvenirs for my parents and a very few close friends, I buy either fridge magnets, shot glasses, or decorative little spoons...neither of them are expensive, don't take up a lot of space, in the luggage or at home and everyone is happy!
Please don't throw away or flush old drugs. Take them to a pharmacist for proper disposal.
Tossed or flushed drugs can get into the groundwater system and are doing messed up stuff to fish.
I am currently about to close on our home and I must say I wish we didn't have our listing agent. He is a nice guy and all, but I have found that I can get stuff done more efficiently than he can. For example, our home inspection was taking forever, after questioning my agent about this, he said there is just nothing we can do, we have to wait, so I decided to take matters in to my own hands and I looked at my bank statement to get a company name. I called them myselves, and long story short, they happily reassigned our inspection and it was done the next day. Had we waited, it could have taken weeks longer, thus only delaying the process. Same situation is happening now, we are held up by a title commitment, instead of "waiting" I simply called the title company myself to check the status, they basically didn't realize that we didn't have the tital commitment yet, so it is being taken care of today. I don't mean to step on anyone's toes, but I get things done quicker.
The weight should be a dead giveaway. A SS keg will be around 35 pounds. Aluminum MUCH less. Aluminum kegs are rare as they were only used for a little while. SS will be much brighter in color. Aluminum dull (since it reacts with the air).
SS is always better. However, aluminum isn't going to harm anyone. That's a myth. And no....aluminum doesn't cause Alzheimer any more than Mikey died for eating pop rocks and coke. :)
All of Trader Joe's manufacturers adhere to good manufacturing processes. This means segregated production runs with a equipment cleanings in between. I have friends with nut allergies, and they have no problems with these items.
Totally agree with you on the food category. I feel like if I buy quality food and spend a little more, I am less inclined to overeat, and I appreciate the food more. I eat more slowly, and I think this makes me more healthy in the end. Win-win: delicious and beneficial to health.
On wine, totally on board! Life is way too short to drink Two Buck Chuck. I like the Found Object Shiraz from Chile, only $8 and tastes like a $15 wine!
My only worry is that there area a lot of things here to spend more on. I feel like we need a post about what not to spend more on to balance this one out!
Great article with vital information! I'm taking notes and going to investigate free (or cheap) healthcare in my community. Appreciate all your research - Thanks again!
KateH.
I like to think that it was a big deal DQYDJ was blacked out compared to those sites above - but I'm just glad to be in good company! Thanks for the link, Ashley!
I am often amused by the misconception of the environmentally friendly benefits of going paperless and confused why so many follow this dogma blindly. Why have one statement sent to your home when you can print out the pdf repeatedly when you can’t find the information. You believe your e-reader the environmentally responsible choice. Think again. I am currently reading a paperback book that was published before I was born. It has been read and re-read for decades. It will continue to be enjoyed. If for some reason I should choice to dispose of it (not likely), it is made of completely biodegradable materials. The only power need for operation is for me to pick it up and open it. The e-reader is composed of plastic - it will not break down. In addition, it is powered by a battery that not only will not break down but is composed of highly toxic materials. Continued energy is needed to keep it charged - another waste of resources. Like most toys, it will be replace not when it has been used up; but when the next toy hits the streets. Eventually it will be trash and only trash - pure pollution. And finally, please keep in mind that paper is created from trees - a renewable source. The paper and printing industries are major players in reforesting. The land that is now being used for growing trees for the paper industry would not just remain in its pristine state if that industry just disappeared. To paraphrase - they would be torn down to build a parking lot.
It great to do the right thing - just be sure that it is the right thing.
Thanks for the eye-opening posts… My Advice is to use Amazon and eBay ONLY!
I recently purchased a Kit from Silver Star Cameras on eBay. While I researched the company, I couldn’t find much info. Since the purchase was done on eBay I felt comfortable knowing that I was somewhat protected (I use eBay for the past 5 years and NEVER had a problem). I talked to no one over the phone and received my kit (Canon T3i with an 18-55IS lens) 2 days later! Bottom line - I had a good deal and got everything as described with no problems at all. My advice is to buy only on eBay or Amazon and to pay through PayPal ONLY!
For anyone with hoarding tendencies or general OCD a great idea is to transfer the behavior towards digital hoarding. For instance, I just snap a picture of anything that I had an attachment to at one point but is ultimately useless. If there's a greeting card or piece of memorabilia I feel bad about throwing out I usually scan it.
Ultimately this behavior is a waste of time but the benefits of chucking everything guilt-free outweigh the expense.
If you're in debt to the point where it's difficult to make debt payments and cover your necessary expenses, I don't think it's possible to be too frugal until that pressure is relieved by paying off debts, following a budget, and/or making more money.
But once that point it reached, you should loosen up a little to enjoy life and the results of your frugality.
If you have a septic system instead of sewer for your home you HAVE to fix the leak promptly. If you don't the leak will eventually cause your leech fields to fail resulting in thousands of dollars to repair or replace them.
As an aside, most manufacturers (American Standard comes to mind) offer lifetime warranties on their faucets and will ship parts out free when they fail. Something to look into.
If you are believing the press releases by Washington that says unemployment is down to 8.5% you are sadly mis-informed. The true numbers are in excess of 30%, they are only counting the people that are still drawing un-employment. They don't count the people that have run out of benefits and still haven't found a job. Or the ones that could only find a minimum wage job that won't pay for anything. There are some areas of the country that are doing better, but the majority are in very sad shape.
That's an excellent list....
I traveled for fifteen years as a road/air warrior and nothing is as frustrating as poor quality luggage: busted zippers, tears, hardware that breaks. The best (I used a Red Oxx Air Boss) offer long term repair that's usually free.
Thanks for the article. I could have the worse day at work then come home to my family and everything changes like that. Stress from work can really build up on you sometimes!
I think too much of anything can be bad. If you feel deprived or are not even getting to enjoy the fruits of your labor, you're probably too frugal. I choose to pick my battles with frugality -- would argue over a dime for one thing but drop hundreds of dollars for something else.
Hey, Savy,
Good stuff. Check out your "Modern Resume" - I know modern is good, but even a "Modern" resume should not list References - especially as "Referees" - unless of course you are applying for a job as a Referee :). References are supplied on request - if you want to continue the process. Otherwise don't just hand them out as you should value your references and their time - you don't want them to be contacted if you don't wish to pursue a position. And you don't want their contact info to go into someone's database for who knows what purpose. So be discrete in handing out your reference (not "Referees'") info.
My daughters and I schedule a "Day of Health and Beauty" every few months. We pretend we are at a spa and make spa foods. We do a mountain hike in the morning, then yoga and aerobics later. Then we do a homemade facial, mani and pedi. If there is still time, we try new makeup techniques or the whirlpool tub.
Since I only buy souvenirs for my parents and a very few close friends, I buy either fridge magnets, shot glasses, or decorative little spoons...neither of them are expensive, don't take up a lot of space, in the luggage or at home and everyone is happy!
Strange! Thanks for the heads up!
Please don't throw away or flush old drugs. Take them to a pharmacist for proper disposal.
Tossed or flushed drugs can get into the groundwater system and are doing messed up stuff to fish.
I am currently about to close on our home and I must say I wish we didn't have our listing agent. He is a nice guy and all, but I have found that I can get stuff done more efficiently than he can. For example, our home inspection was taking forever, after questioning my agent about this, he said there is just nothing we can do, we have to wait, so I decided to take matters in to my own hands and I looked at my bank statement to get a company name. I called them myselves, and long story short, they happily reassigned our inspection and it was done the next day. Had we waited, it could have taken weeks longer, thus only delaying the process. Same situation is happening now, we are held up by a title commitment, instead of "waiting" I simply called the title company myself to check the status, they basically didn't realize that we didn't have the tital commitment yet, so it is being taken care of today. I don't mean to step on anyone's toes, but I get things done quicker.
The RSVP form adds an extra http:// at the beginning of the URL so it doesn't work when clicked on. Just wanted to let you know!
The weight should be a dead giveaway. A SS keg will be around 35 pounds. Aluminum MUCH less. Aluminum kegs are rare as they were only used for a little while. SS will be much brighter in color. Aluminum dull (since it reacts with the air).
SS is always better. However, aluminum isn't going to harm anyone. That's a myth. And no....aluminum doesn't cause Alzheimer any more than Mikey died for eating pop rocks and coke. :)
I think if you're not enjoying life, then you're too frugal.
...or send me your old audio tapes. My "new" car has a tape player. =)
Sorry about that! RSVP form is working now.
Sorry about that! RSVP form is working now.
All of Trader Joe's manufacturers adhere to good manufacturing processes. This means segregated production runs with a equipment cleanings in between. I have friends with nut allergies, and they have no problems with these items.
Totally agree with you on the food category. I feel like if I buy quality food and spend a little more, I am less inclined to overeat, and I appreciate the food more. I eat more slowly, and I think this makes me more healthy in the end. Win-win: delicious and beneficial to health.
On wine, totally on board! Life is way too short to drink Two Buck Chuck. I like the Found Object Shiraz from Chile, only $8 and tastes like a $15 wine!
My only worry is that there area a lot of things here to spend more on. I feel like we need a post about what not to spend more on to balance this one out!
Great article with vital information! I'm taking notes and going to investigate free (or cheap) healthcare in my community. Appreciate all your research - Thanks again!
KateH.
I like to think that it was a big deal DQYDJ was blacked out compared to those sites above - but I'm just glad to be in good company! Thanks for the link, Ashley!
I am often amused by the misconception of the environmentally friendly benefits of going paperless and confused why so many follow this dogma blindly. Why have one statement sent to your home when you can print out the pdf repeatedly when you can’t find the information. You believe your e-reader the environmentally responsible choice. Think again. I am currently reading a paperback book that was published before I was born. It has been read and re-read for decades. It will continue to be enjoyed. If for some reason I should choice to dispose of it (not likely), it is made of completely biodegradable materials. The only power need for operation is for me to pick it up and open it. The e-reader is composed of plastic - it will not break down. In addition, it is powered by a battery that not only will not break down but is composed of highly toxic materials. Continued energy is needed to keep it charged - another waste of resources. Like most toys, it will be replace not when it has been used up; but when the next toy hits the streets. Eventually it will be trash and only trash - pure pollution. And finally, please keep in mind that paper is created from trees - a renewable source. The paper and printing industries are major players in reforesting. The land that is now being used for growing trees for the paper industry would not just remain in its pristine state if that industry just disappeared. To paraphrase - they would be torn down to build a parking lot.
It great to do the right thing - just be sure that it is the right thing.
Thanks for the eye-opening posts… My Advice is to use Amazon and eBay ONLY!
I recently purchased a Kit from Silver Star Cameras on eBay. While I researched the company, I couldn’t find much info. Since the purchase was done on eBay I felt comfortable knowing that I was somewhat protected (I use eBay for the past 5 years and NEVER had a problem). I talked to no one over the phone and received my kit (Canon T3i with an 18-55IS lens) 2 days later! Bottom line - I had a good deal and got everything as described with no problems at all. My advice is to buy only on eBay or Amazon and to pay through PayPal ONLY!
One general tip.
For anyone with hoarding tendencies or general OCD a great idea is to transfer the behavior towards digital hoarding. For instance, I just snap a picture of anything that I had an attachment to at one point but is ultimately useless. If there's a greeting card or piece of memorabilia I feel bad about throwing out I usually scan it.
Ultimately this behavior is a waste of time but the benefits of chucking everything guilt-free outweigh the expense.
If you're in debt to the point where it's difficult to make debt payments and cover your necessary expenses, I don't think it's possible to be too frugal until that pressure is relieved by paying off debts, following a budget, and/or making more money.
But once that point it reached, you should loosen up a little to enjoy life and the results of your frugality.