Thanks for the story Nora, you truly put things in perspective when you talk about the three pillars. Furthermore, refocusing your expectations is the key to finding inner peace. We recently posted a piece where we provide a few tips on prioritizing, and most importantly, how to say no to the things or people that distract you from achieving your objectives - even your own boss. I hope it's useful. - Erich
Well, there's the proof in the pudding! Every dollar saved on food is another dollar you can use on souvenirs (or just save more money on your vacation in general). Most people don't realize that you can bring food into the parks though! Thanks for the personal example, Wojo!
save the non eaten socks that the washer hasn't eaten yet and you don't have a match too and stuff them inside another unmatched sock, knot the end, and have hours of fun
I really wish Mint.com would work for me, but I can never seem to get it to connect to my bank accounts! I used it when I was with Bank of America, but this might be the one downside to my credit union - I never could get the accounts to link. :( I feel like I am really missing out on some great money tracking capabilities.
Electronics and associated periphials are especially prone to accumulate. Chargers with no idea what they charge, unlabeled CD's, yes there are a few floppies left.
We need to go through our kitchen and eliminate a lot of unneeded "stuff". I can't recall where I read it, but souvenir cups and coffee mugs take a lot of pantry space. Forget the china and family heirlooms...they are off limits.
One of the most urgent methods I use to clear my place of stuff is to watch an episode of Hoarders. By the time the credits roll, garbage is gone, dishes are clean and possible cat skeleton hideouts (why are there always cat skeletons in these people's homes??) are thoroughly inspected.
Couldn't agree more. As a single mom in an incredibly small two-bedroom apartment, all that was requested for Christmas were Amazon gift cards (to feed my Kindle) and books for my three-year-old. Anything else takes up too much space and takes away from time with each other.
I totally agree. We tend to move a lot and I don't want to pack more "stuff". So, for the last several years, my request for birthday, Christmas, etc. has been "give me anything consumable". Works great!
I was having an issue with my Comcast DVR box. Usually I just ignore it and it rights itself within a few hours, but I decided to call. Boy was I glad I did! The guy walked me through re-booting it, and then offered me 6months free of any movie channel of my choice. I asked for Showtime and then we hung up. But Showtime wasn't coming through, so I called back, got another guy, told him that the previous guy had promised me 6months of showtime but it wasn't going through (it was past midnight and the guy was probably bored). He said "I have a whole screen of special offers here, let me look through them and see what we can find" He ended up finding an offer for 6months of Showtime, HBO and Starz for free. I verified that the channels were coming through before I hung up with him.
So, bottom line, any time your screen says there is an issue and suggests calling the 1-800-COMCAST number? Do it. There is very little to no wait time (especially at night) and because you are being inconvenienced, they will usually give you free offers.
Using Mint has allowed us to not only see what's going on with our money but also to take real control of our finances. It's impossible for us to do that if we have to go to a jillion different sites to see what's what. Viva Mint!
If you've ever been through having your card compromised (pay at the pump is particularly susceptible) using cash is far less hassle. I just find it as a simple method of paying. I ask for discounts (and get them) for large purchases when using cash. Every card transaction costs the merchant money.
I love the idea of having less stuff. To get there, though, I'd have to stop wanting the stuff, and that's the hardest part for me. I *like* my DVDs, and my books, and jewlery, and my pretty but useless trinkets that line the shelves in my home.
Would my life be simpler without all the stuff? Absolutely. Am I working on paring things down? Yes, every day. Does it ever seem to help? *sighs* No, because something always seems to come and take the place of the thing I just got rid of.
I'll occasionally squeeze half of a lemon into a hot cup of tea -- similar to #9 and delicious.
#14 about writing notes reminded me of some guys in college who always wrote funny things on their bananas whenever one of the roommates bought a new ones.
This info is great! Thanks so much! I am about to have a double mastectomy due to breast cancer and our insurance does not cover everything. I am not working and we are so stressed right now just making the mortgage payments.
I'm going to march over to the hospital today to see what I can do to start the process now before the surgery which is coming up on 1/27.
Thanks so much again!
Kathleen
Hrm. We did a deal with an agent here in Ontario Canada who represented a builder (as the seller) and us (as the buyer).
After having completed the deal, waited for the build to complete and moved in, we found out there is an easement on the property. The agent didn't tell us about that at any point. Did he know about it? I can't know for sure, but I suspect he did. And even if he didn't, I don't think he carried out his due diligence to us in representing us as the buyer's agent in not discovering it.
When we sold the house we moved away from the buyer's agent in that case asked us for a survey. I can't imagine what else they would have wanted that for other than to discover easements, etc.
I that when that agent is representing clients solely as a buyer agent and not in a dual-representation situation, he gets the survey and discovers things like easements for his clients.
It makes me wonder how much resale value we have lost with that easement being there. That makes me wonder if I should be suing that agent for breach of contract.
I like to get my kids involved. They love going through the cabinets, organizing and putting away groceries. (Even in an organized home, with three kids, it's easy for the pantry to get in disarray. Keeping them a part of the progress really encourages them to be neat, too.)
To that end, we have a "kids drawer" in the kitchen, where they can put after-school snacks, at kid-level. They must keep it neat, organized, with tops sealed. The oldest brings the groceries in from the car, and the two younger kids put items away.
If you're more into the 'art' of it all, check out Home Distiller Forum. I've been a member there for several years, and they have an awesome collection of in-depth recipes (both mashes, and after distillations). Moreover, if you aren't a savvy enough DIYer to build a still, Whiskey Still sells the old fashioned ones cheap. Well, the cheapest we've found for a novice.
This is great! I never thought of buying coupons on eBay. I too am also plagued by instances where I have not had a specific coupon where I knew they existed.
Thank you!
I will try it!
Thanks for the story Nora, you truly put things in perspective when you talk about the three pillars. Furthermore, refocusing your expectations is the key to finding inner peace. We recently posted a piece where we provide a few tips on prioritizing, and most importantly, how to say no to the things or people that distract you from achieving your objectives - even your own boss. I hope it's useful. - Erich
Well, there's the proof in the pudding! Every dollar saved on food is another dollar you can use on souvenirs (or just save more money on your vacation in general). Most people don't realize that you can bring food into the parks though! Thanks for the personal example, Wojo!
save the non eaten socks that the washer hasn't eaten yet and you don't have a match too and stuff them inside another unmatched sock, knot the end, and have hours of fun
I really wish Mint.com would work for me, but I can never seem to get it to connect to my bank accounts! I used it when I was with Bank of America, but this might be the one downside to my credit union - I never could get the accounts to link. :( I feel like I am really missing out on some great money tracking capabilities.
Sure, I use them. I'm a free-lancer, I leave them everywhere I work.
Electronics and associated periphials are especially prone to accumulate. Chargers with no idea what they charge, unlabeled CD's, yes there are a few floppies left.
We need to go through our kitchen and eliminate a lot of unneeded "stuff". I can't recall where I read it, but souvenir cups and coffee mugs take a lot of pantry space. Forget the china and family heirlooms...they are off limits.
Not yet, but someday soon :)
One of the most urgent methods I use to clear my place of stuff is to watch an episode of Hoarders. By the time the credits roll, garbage is gone, dishes are clean and possible cat skeleton hideouts (why are there always cat skeletons in these people's homes??) are thoroughly inspected.
Couldn't agree more. As a single mom in an incredibly small two-bedroom apartment, all that was requested for Christmas were Amazon gift cards (to feed my Kindle) and books for my three-year-old. Anything else takes up too much space and takes away from time with each other.
Mary -- great way to phrase it. I think I just may make "give me anything consumable" my new mantra for birthdays/holidays. Thanks for sharing!
I totally agree. We tend to move a lot and I don't want to pack more "stuff". So, for the last several years, my request for birthday, Christmas, etc. has been "give me anything consumable". Works great!
Yes, I put grocery lists on the back ... perfect size ... and these old cards the most useful takeaway from the previous big company employer.
I was having an issue with my Comcast DVR box. Usually I just ignore it and it rights itself within a few hours, but I decided to call. Boy was I glad I did! The guy walked me through re-booting it, and then offered me 6months free of any movie channel of my choice. I asked for Showtime and then we hung up. But Showtime wasn't coming through, so I called back, got another guy, told him that the previous guy had promised me 6months of showtime but it wasn't going through (it was past midnight and the guy was probably bored). He said "I have a whole screen of special offers here, let me look through them and see what we can find" He ended up finding an offer for 6months of Showtime, HBO and Starz for free. I verified that the channels were coming through before I hung up with him.
So, bottom line, any time your screen says there is an issue and suggests calling the 1-800-COMCAST number? Do it. There is very little to no wait time (especially at night) and because you are being inconvenienced, they will usually give you free offers.
Using Mint has allowed us to not only see what's going on with our money but also to take real control of our finances. It's impossible for us to do that if we have to go to a jillion different sites to see what's what. Viva Mint!
If you've ever been through having your card compromised (pay at the pump is particularly susceptible) using cash is far less hassle. I just find it as a simple method of paying. I ask for discounts (and get them) for large purchases when using cash. Every card transaction costs the merchant money.
I love the idea of having less stuff. To get there, though, I'd have to stop wanting the stuff, and that's the hardest part for me. I *like* my DVDs, and my books, and jewlery, and my pretty but useless trinkets that line the shelves in my home.
Would my life be simpler without all the stuff? Absolutely. Am I working on paring things down? Yes, every day. Does it ever seem to help? *sighs* No, because something always seems to come and take the place of the thing I just got rid of.
But I'm working on it, and that's something.
I'll occasionally squeeze half of a lemon into a hot cup of tea -- similar to #9 and delicious.
#14 about writing notes reminded me of some guys in college who always wrote funny things on their bananas whenever one of the roommates bought a new ones.
Thanks for including us!!
This info is great! Thanks so much! I am about to have a double mastectomy due to breast cancer and our insurance does not cover everything. I am not working and we are so stressed right now just making the mortgage payments.
I'm going to march over to the hospital today to see what I can do to start the process now before the surgery which is coming up on 1/27.
Thanks so much again!
Kathleen
Encircle plants in the garden with a line of cat litter to deter slugs.
one can't be too mean but one must take care of himself first, period.
The way to help the poor is not to become one of them.. so with this in mind your grandfather was correct in his thinking.
Hrm. We did a deal with an agent here in Ontario Canada who represented a builder (as the seller) and us (as the buyer).
After having completed the deal, waited for the build to complete and moved in, we found out there is an easement on the property. The agent didn't tell us about that at any point. Did he know about it? I can't know for sure, but I suspect he did. And even if he didn't, I don't think he carried out his due diligence to us in representing us as the buyer's agent in not discovering it.
When we sold the house we moved away from the buyer's agent in that case asked us for a survey. I can't imagine what else they would have wanted that for other than to discover easements, etc.
I that when that agent is representing clients solely as a buyer agent and not in a dual-representation situation, he gets the survey and discovers things like easements for his clients.
It makes me wonder how much resale value we have lost with that easement being there. That makes me wonder if I should be suing that agent for breach of contract.
I like to get my kids involved. They love going through the cabinets, organizing and putting away groceries. (Even in an organized home, with three kids, it's easy for the pantry to get in disarray. Keeping them a part of the progress really encourages them to be neat, too.)
To that end, we have a "kids drawer" in the kitchen, where they can put after-school snacks, at kid-level. They must keep it neat, organized, with tops sealed. The oldest brings the groceries in from the car, and the two younger kids put items away.
If you're more into the 'art' of it all, check out Home Distiller Forum. I've been a member there for several years, and they have an awesome collection of in-depth recipes (both mashes, and after distillations). Moreover, if you aren't a savvy enough DIYer to build a still, Whiskey Still sells the old fashioned ones cheap. Well, the cheapest we've found for a novice.
Good luck, and welcome to the family!
This is great! I never thought of buying coupons on eBay. I too am also plagued by instances where I have not had a specific coupon where I knew they existed.
Thank you!
I will try it!