I have a $10 threshold on the value of the item. If it's worth $10 or more then I give it to my wife to post on Freecycle. If it's more than $20 then it goes on craigslist first, then over to freecycle if it doesn't sell quickly.
My wife's freecycle threshold is much lower. I just can't handle all the hassle of arranging a pickup time for a $2 plastic dishrack.
I'm a bit of a pack rat. If I can't find on Craigslist a market for an item I'm no longer using, I'll usually just hang on to it until I can give it to someone else who actually needs it.
I collect beer and wine bottles from my own stock or from friends and use them when I make batches of my own beer or wine. I try to recycle most things, but there are other items that can be reused or repurposed. There are a ton of ideas online for repurposing items for decoration or other uses.
If it's something that I think somebody else *might* want, I post it on craigslist in the free section, just to see what response I can get.
Here is an expanded answer:
I reuse items creatively first (metal orange juice lids can be painted/decorated to make a fun matching game, the backs of cereal boxes that have games/puzzles can be cut out and put in a plastic sheet protector to be enjoyed over and over) and if I can't, I donate to the nearest recycling center.
If its gently used (such as clothing and other useable items) I donate to the local center who helps pass it on to those who really need it.
Most of the time, what I would gain from cleaning something up or fixing it in order to sell it isn't worth the time I'd spend doing it. If it were something potentially valuable, sure. But most of the time, I prefer to give things to thrift stores, charities, or a friend I know might like the item.
Thanks for the comments; the sports angle is one I like and is suitable for a variety of ages.
Graduating during a recession is tough. I spent my entire senior year looking for a job and finally landed one the following October (13-month search); most of my friends opted to go to graduate school. I especially enjoyed the tips from the Student Branding Blog; covering coursework (specifically presentations and group projects) for example is another technique to add depth and something I've found to be helpful. Obviously, this is one aspect of the entire process.
I love the athletics angle, especially triathlons, marathons, etc. Not only does it give your profile a little personality, it also shows prospective employers that you're conscious of your health and challenge yourself outside of work.
As a recent college graduate, I have some of these things on my resume (extracurriculars of which I was president and very involved in, research, etc). Unfortunately, nearly nine months and 600+ job applications later later it doesn't seem to have made a difference. If I remove it, though, then my resume is nearly empty, so I'm at a loss.
When we first met I moved to a small studio in the same building as my boyfriend. It was 1/3 the space I had. I had also lived in a converted single car garage so I knew I could handle the smaller space. We then moved in to one space. Since then we've married and lived in spaces we felt were too big and not one yet we felt too small. We could easily afford a McMansion but have come to realize that one of the things that makes the little luxuries of the hotel so special is that they are at the hotel. I wouldn't want birthday cake every day.
In place of that we've used the money elsewhere which has brought us a whole other type of reward. Meanwhile the unMcMansion properties we own are easy to rent and have much lower utilities, although a couple are downtown and have higher taxes. We don't compare to our friends who are tied to McMansions and praying that they will be able to find a millionaire to buy it when they are ready to sell.
This works out well for our personalities and hopefully for the earth. It does take some personal convictions to ignore the peer pressure but we've found these lesser is better choices have also helped us in finding good friends. Those who are not so easily impressed by our material items.
I’ve written nearly an entire chapter on how to Shop Thrift. Since it’s a completely different culture than conventional retail, one must reframe the mind. A series of posts on this subject appear in the left column of our blog. When newbies switch to thrift, I want them to become converts. The reuse market in this country needs to expand like nobodies business. It’s great for the local economy. It’s one of the easiest ways to lower the carbon footprint of your shopping. Shopping repurposed goods, is poetic in that it provides funds to help charities reporpose lives in need. I could write a hundred reasons why we need to develop a more robust reuse market.
Thanks for all the comments.
ALDI is but one place with great prices. As they're owned by the same people that own Trader Joe's (great organic healthy store) they're bringing in great items.
Coupon downloading: I love coupons.com, Smartsource and RedPlum and wholeheartedly trust them.
Finally, on the grocery snapshot: that would be an interesting one! For me (without the diary!) we eat out about once/week, we eat healthy meals and rarely eat pre-packaged frozen items or things like frozen pizza. I cook from scratch (although I don't enjoy it) and I buy wholewheat more often than not.
When you get most of your toiletries for free (http://www.mummydeals.org/search/label/Walgreens) and are able to use coupon overage to buy the rest/toilet paper, it really helps!
This info is spot-on! We paid off our mortgage and became totally debt-free in June 2009. I can tell you that everything you said is correct!
Also, people forget that being "debt-free" doesn't mean that you don't "owe" anyone...because you still have your utilities, insurances, etc...your "living expenses", so to speak. You just aren't paying any debts that contain interest. People think when you say you are debt-free that you get to keep 100% of your paycheck...no...I only get to "keep" 50% of my paycheck...and even that has to be invested for the future...so like you said, I still live on the same budget that I did before I paid off everything. And, like losing weight...if I revert back to my bad spending habits, I will be right back to square one.
There's a lot of saying "no" even after getting debt-free. But I'd rather be on this side of the coin than where I was prior to June 2009!
I was doing Dave Ramsey and drinking the kool-aid, when I got out of consumer debt and then the goal was the emergency fund. It was more stressful than the debt. I was seriously bummed that the next step on the journey, I had less money to spend. I looked at all the steps and realized I could "Live like no one else" when I paid off the house, probably when I turned 60ish. That is when I stopped drinking the kool-aid. The odds of me making it to 60 with all the medical problems I had were miniscule.
I live right now, don't go back into debt, but also don't feverishly work on the emergency fund. Everyone is happier.
After becoming debt-free the next challenge is to become financially independent!
Money management never ends, the problems to be solved just change. For me the next step is to reach true financial indpendence. After that is reached, I am sure that the problems of maintaining that independence from an ever-increasing greedy gov't, inflation, and life's woes will keep me busy.
I had my credit limit drop significantly because I stopped using a particular card on a regular basis. It went from over $20K to $7500.
If you are traveling overseas, I recommend you call your credit card company anyway and tell them. Even if your card limit has not changed, you run the risk of them thinking it is a fraudulent transaction.
This is a really good article, but not really what I was expecting by the title. I think another aspect of an emergency plan should be how to make money.
I think it's good to plan some ways, besides just having a savings account and lowering you expenses, to really get through an emergency. Things like tutoring, taking a "crappy" job, freelancing, etc.
Haggling at Macies that sounds like fun! I really want an iPad but I know it is just my inner geek screaming out for one. I don't think it will sell well at all.
The sad thing about this is that many people see becoming debt free as the light at the end of the tunnel, and yet they find that once they get there, there's phase of their financial journey that have to cope with. How do you recommend people approach that transition? How do should they take advantage of their much earned accomplishment without falling back where they came from?
I have a $10 threshold on the value of the item. If it's worth $10 or more then I give it to my wife to post on Freecycle. If it's more than $20 then it goes on craigslist first, then over to freecycle if it doesn't sell quickly.
My wife's freecycle threshold is much lower. I just can't handle all the hassle of arranging a pickup time for a $2 plastic dishrack.
I'm a bit of a pack rat. If I can't find on Craigslist a market for an item I'm no longer using, I'll usually just hang on to it until I can give it to someone else who actually needs it.
I collect it all and then do a bulk donation to goodwill or the local re-use shop.
I collect beer and wine bottles from my own stock or from friends and use them when I make batches of my own beer or wine. I try to recycle most things, but there are other items that can be reused or repurposed. There are a ton of ideas online for repurposing items for decoration or other uses.
If it's something that I think somebody else *might* want, I post it on craigslist in the free section, just to see what response I can get.
If it's repairable and worth repairing (eg. not yet another crappy broken TV from Craigslist http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/zip/1581421519.html) then I'll fix it.
If it's trash, I throw it away.
If it's working and I don't want it, I usually put it on Craigslist for free.
http://twitter.com/sarahbelleisk/status/8552656901
Here is an expanded answer:
I reuse items creatively first (metal orange juice lids can be painted/decorated to make a fun matching game, the backs of cereal boxes that have games/puzzles can be cut out and put in a plastic sheet protector to be enjoyed over and over) and if I can't, I donate to the nearest recycling center.
If its gently used (such as clothing and other useable items) I donate to the local center who helps pass it on to those who really need it.
Thanks for helping me think about it!
Most of the time, what I would gain from cleaning something up or fixing it in order to sell it isn't worth the time I'd spend doing it. If it were something potentially valuable, sure. But most of the time, I prefer to give things to thrift stores, charities, or a friend I know might like the item.
Thanks for the comments; the sports angle is one I like and is suitable for a variety of ages.
Graduating during a recession is tough. I spent my entire senior year looking for a job and finally landed one the following October (13-month search); most of my friends opted to go to graduate school. I especially enjoyed the tips from the Student Branding Blog; covering coursework (specifically presentations and group projects) for example is another technique to add depth and something I've found to be helpful. Obviously, this is one aspect of the entire process.
The muffins idea is fantastic. I think I'll try that one.
I love the athletics angle, especially triathlons, marathons, etc. Not only does it give your profile a little personality, it also shows prospective employers that you're conscious of your health and challenge yourself outside of work.
I would like to get my credit line increased. Do you have any tips concerning that? Thanks.
As a recent college graduate, I have some of these things on my resume (extracurriculars of which I was president and very involved in, research, etc). Unfortunately, nearly nine months and 600+ job applications later later it doesn't seem to have made a difference. If I remove it, though, then my resume is nearly empty, so I'm at a loss.
When we first met I moved to a small studio in the same building as my boyfriend. It was 1/3 the space I had. I had also lived in a converted single car garage so I knew I could handle the smaller space. We then moved in to one space. Since then we've married and lived in spaces we felt were too big and not one yet we felt too small. We could easily afford a McMansion but have come to realize that one of the things that makes the little luxuries of the hotel so special is that they are at the hotel. I wouldn't want birthday cake every day.
In place of that we've used the money elsewhere which has brought us a whole other type of reward. Meanwhile the unMcMansion properties we own are easy to rent and have much lower utilities, although a couple are downtown and have higher taxes. We don't compare to our friends who are tied to McMansions and praying that they will be able to find a millionaire to buy it when they are ready to sell.
This works out well for our personalities and hopefully for the earth. It does take some personal convictions to ignore the peer pressure but we've found these lesser is better choices have also helped us in finding good friends. Those who are not so easily impressed by our material items.
Excellent tips on clothing.
I’ve written nearly an entire chapter on how to Shop Thrift. Since it’s a completely different culture than conventional retail, one must reframe the mind. A series of posts on this subject appear in the left column of our blog. When newbies switch to thrift, I want them to become converts. The reuse market in this country needs to expand like nobodies business. It’s great for the local economy. It’s one of the easiest ways to lower the carbon footprint of your shopping. Shopping repurposed goods, is poetic in that it provides funds to help charities reporpose lives in need. I could write a hundred reasons why we need to develop a more robust reuse market.
Thanks for all the comments.
ALDI is but one place with great prices. As they're owned by the same people that own Trader Joe's (great organic healthy store) they're bringing in great items.
Coupon downloading: I love coupons.com, Smartsource and RedPlum and wholeheartedly trust them.
Finally, on the grocery snapshot: that would be an interesting one! For me (without the diary!) we eat out about once/week, we eat healthy meals and rarely eat pre-packaged frozen items or things like frozen pizza. I cook from scratch (although I don't enjoy it) and I buy wholewheat more often than not.
When you get most of your toiletries for free (http://www.mummydeals.org/search/label/Walgreens) and are able to use coupon overage to buy the rest/toilet paper, it really helps!
Hope that helps!
Nice Post!
Here is a nice tool to calculate how much insurance you might need.
http://partners.leadfusion.com/tools/allstate/lifeins01/tool.fcs
Hope you like it.
Thanks,
Kevin N
Allstate Advocate
This info is spot-on! We paid off our mortgage and became totally debt-free in June 2009. I can tell you that everything you said is correct!
Also, people forget that being "debt-free" doesn't mean that you don't "owe" anyone...because you still have your utilities, insurances, etc...your "living expenses", so to speak. You just aren't paying any debts that contain interest. People think when you say you are debt-free that you get to keep 100% of your paycheck...no...I only get to "keep" 50% of my paycheck...and even that has to be invested for the future...so like you said, I still live on the same budget that I did before I paid off everything. And, like losing weight...if I revert back to my bad spending habits, I will be right back to square one.
There's a lot of saying "no" even after getting debt-free. But I'd rather be on this side of the coin than where I was prior to June 2009!
I was doing Dave Ramsey and drinking the kool-aid, when I got out of consumer debt and then the goal was the emergency fund. It was more stressful than the debt. I was seriously bummed that the next step on the journey, I had less money to spend. I looked at all the steps and realized I could "Live like no one else" when I paid off the house, probably when I turned 60ish. That is when I stopped drinking the kool-aid. The odds of me making it to 60 with all the medical problems I had were miniscule.
I live right now, don't go back into debt, but also don't feverishly work on the emergency fund. Everyone is happier.
Connie
After becoming debt-free the next challenge is to become financially independent!
Money management never ends, the problems to be solved just change. For me the next step is to reach true financial indpendence. After that is reached, I am sure that the problems of maintaining that independence from an ever-increasing greedy gov't, inflation, and life's woes will keep me busy.
I had my credit limit drop significantly because I stopped using a particular card on a regular basis. It went from over $20K to $7500.
If you are traveling overseas, I recommend you call your credit card company anyway and tell them. Even if your card limit has not changed, you run the risk of them thinking it is a fraudulent transaction.
This is a really good article, but not really what I was expecting by the title. I think another aspect of an emergency plan should be how to make money.
I think it's good to plan some ways, besides just having a savings account and lowering you expenses, to really get through an emergency. Things like tutoring, taking a "crappy" job, freelancing, etc.
You will still have to set budgets etc. It does feel great for a short while to know you are fully in control though.
I feel for anyone that this happens too, seriously. I don't have a credit card, I just have a bank card so I'm luckily ok.
Haggling at Macies that sounds like fun! I really want an iPad but I know it is just my inner geek screaming out for one. I don't think it will sell well at all.
The sad thing about this is that many people see becoming debt free as the light at the end of the tunnel, and yet they find that once they get there, there's phase of their financial journey that have to cope with. How do you recommend people approach that transition? How do should they take advantage of their much earned accomplishment without falling back where they came from?