The first time I read the list I agreed with Stephanie. But the second time, I had to admit that my mother, who wasn't poor at the time I was growing up, did many of those things including reheating coffee (but not for days), cutting off mold, and getting free soup bones from the butcher. She never pretended they were for the dog.
The thing about the mayonnaise, hamburger helper or buttter/sugar sandwiches would never have happened in my house. The food was always good quality, it was just never thrown out.
Most people wouldn't serve mayo or sugar/butter sandwiches just to save money on a regular basis. Only if they couldn't afford nutritious food.
Was my family the only one to have corn syrup sandwiches? Sort of like pancakes to go, but on cheap bread and corn syrup was cheaper than the other kind. They were a little sticky unless you squished all the edges closed.
I think everyone deserves care that does not cost them everything they have. We shouldn't lose homes over cancer.
But here's my thing. My grandfather and father (and currently my husband) and many other family members served in the military. They were sent off to wars and promised that the one thing they didn't have to worry about was health care because the government was going to provide that care or insurance for the rest of their lives.
Since their bodies and/or minds were ruined by those wars, it was a good thing.
And then those promises? Those CONTRACTS and promises in writing? Taken away. Substituted with a new plan with deductibles and co-pays and not being able to use the military hospitals. Forget what we promised. That was Clinton.
And this new plan?? Pages of new things they are taking away from the vets. Again.
That sucks.
I can't support that.
THis government can promise anything it wants and even put it in writing. The next one can make it worse. And the next one can make it worse. And the next one....
Paul, these rental scammers ticked me off so much I decided to create a rental scam quiz so people could get a score and see if they are being scammed or not. Hope it can help someone. http://www.rentvine.com/tools/rentalscamquiz/
I would love it if you could add my resource to your list above in the post.
Actually, the police are not a socialist program. It is actually spelled out in the Constitution. We pay money for a service. If a private company can do a better job and keep us safe, we should switch to that.
What I don't want to do is have to pay for my healthcare through taxes and then have to purchase an additional plan to cover areas the government doesn't.
The author of this post forgot to mention that.
"How can you even maintain that health care is not a basic right? Do you even know what socialism is? This country is not exempt from "socialist" programs (see: police department, fire department, public libraries). Would you like to start paying premiums on police protection?"
How long does it stay an option. If the government plan is $500 less than a private plan, how many corporations will not take it? Let's think a little into the future.
There are better solutions. It seems you were fine with the insurance here when your company subsidized it. Well, why cant individuals get the same benefits. We should be able to purchase private health care just like we do with car insurance. You shop around, you educate yourself, you pick a plan that works for your family, e.g., you don't get acupuncture if you don't want it. (NY State makes you pay for this if you want it or not). By choosing your own company with your own features you can purchase cheaper, affordable healthcare coverage on your own. But this is not being talked about. We are talking about taking it from corporations and giving it to the government. I would rather have control over the money I make.
Now people talk about all these great drugs and how cheap they are to purchase elsewhere. Where does all of the research money come from for these drugs. The U.S. Pharma companies. The UK government is not innovating new drugs and equipment.
Our capitalistic society and military is what affords a nation like Canada to spend most of their tax revenue on health care. Even Canada's president of CMA says they can keep up with the costs and need to find private solutions.
This all comes down to work. Some work hard, others don't. Those who don't want to share with those who worked hard. I guess if you worked in environment like this all of your life you wouldn't know any different.
I am currently employed full time in TX at a job I've had for almost 2 years in a very small town where daycare is not available. I have been having friends and family members babysit my children while I work. I have two small (one who goes to school and one who does not) I am having trouble finding and KEEPING a baby sitter. If I end up having to quit my job to care for my children will I be eligable for unemployment benefits in TX and if so, what type of documentation should I get from my babysitters or employer?
I would also like to comment on a couple of the above posts. I am a master plumber of 32 years and have seen the ill efects of hard water over the years but never understood the reasons why. I went to water school the fall of 08 and went to work for a local water conditioning company about a year ago as a "water specialist" (cool name for salesperson). I will try and briefly explain what a softer does that shows how a softener pays for itself.
When you mix hard water (anyting over about 5 grains per gallon) and soap it makes a stickey substance called "soap curd" that sticks to everything. Your skin (if it's not slippery, you've got soap stuck on your skin), your clothes (take a clean hard-water-washed wash cloth out and shake it up in a mason jar 1/2 full of water, wring out the wash cloth into the jar and hold it up to a light...still think it was clean? Its discusting!), your dishes (tired of re-cleaning your glasses?), your plumbing fixtures (you can get a bath tub ring with hard water and soap alone...you dont even have to get in!), your hair (squeeky clean is NOT clean, you've got soap stuck in your hair!), it just sticks to everything it touches. A 10 min demo by a reputible salesperson will convince you of this.
You will save about 75% of detergents and soaps with soft water. Calgon is a liquid softener that, along with whiteners and brightners that make up about 80% of a liquid detergent you buy in a store. Only about 20% is actually soap! In soft water you only need 1 OZ of pure soap to do a load of laundry. My last bottle of Tide (large, about $20 in stores) lasted my wife and I 11 months! No Bull!
Water heaters not only last longer, your heating costs about 30% less with no scale built up on elements and sitting on the bottom of gas fired heaters. Only 1/2" of scale at the bottom of a heater can increase heating costs by 20%. (Picture a brick under a tea kettle on the stove...it has to heat the brick before the heat can be transfered to the water).
Clothing lasts 20% longer. Calcium and magnesium that make up most well water hardness is desolved limestone. Thats the stuff thay make CONCRETE out of!! You've got min. rocks tumbling around with your clothes wearing them out faster.
Appliances last longer without the calcium build up also. So does all of your plumbing. Have you replaced a water heater or dishwasher lately? You probabably could have doubled their life on soft water.
What is your time worth? Cleaning times are cut in half when "calcium free-soap curd free" fixtures dont need cleaning as often, and when they do it is effortless. (your time is worth something isn't it? Would you go clean your neighbors toilet for min. wage?)
In conclusion, many people, including myself, will find that a water softener almost always pays for itself. I had a recent customer tell me that she is saving $40/month above the cost of the softener. With large familys this is possible with soap savings alone.
Negetive effects? Yes, a small amount of sodium is exchanged into the water. On 20 grain water it amounts to the same amount of sodium you get in a slice of bread if you drink a quart of water. Septic systems are healthier because of the reduced detergents going into them-proven fact!
Ryan made some very good points. The only one I disagree with is the negetive effects of soft water on lawns. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sprinkling with soft water. For most people it is a capacity issue. I have put in large capacity units for people who have problems with iron staining of expensive landscaping rocks. It is done commonly.
Sorry this got so winded, but there is alot of mis-information out there. Soften and enjoy!!
You are so right about getting to know the food service people. When I was in grad school many, many years ago, I several times got a free steak dinner after the football team finished eating dinner at the dining hall and didn't eat up all the steaks that had been prepared for them. I guess I looked hungry.
Spam the processed psuedo-meat product, that is.
Fried potatoes with everything.
2 pieces of bacon for each person.
Splitting a bottle of soda pop between 2 or 3 kids.
Meatloaf that was more loaf than meat.
Moldy cheese - after all, that's how you make cheese!
Just a quick additional comment to let anyone who comes across this great blog entry that LiveMocha (http://www.livemocha.com) now has free, great, multimedia driven Esperanto lessons.
Just started my first lesson, and am loving it.
A great way to learn Esperanto.
Not to all, but to a lot, the mold, about a dozen ways to eat mac and cheese, the deer.... It wasn't about growing up poor though, that is a misconception. Frugal people may seem like poor people in some regards, but it is often a choice so they can use their money to pursue other things.
In college years, I used to like macaroni and cheese with a can of tomato soup added - good, cheap stretcher, but I don't know 96 other ways! I also ate a lot of cheap, packaged ramen noodles. And for a long time, I couldn't even think about Huevos Rancheros, I had eaten it so often in college - beans, lettuce and eggs were cheap, at the time.
I was a member of the Clean Plate Club, too, but not by choice! My parents used the, "starving children in China," line to coerce me into cleaning my plate.
When I was a little kid, I accidentally coined my own word to describe powdered milk. When my mom "hydrated" it, she used the blender, which would make the milk all frothy. I saw her making it one day, and I said, "Mmmmm. I like this kind of milk."
My mother, surprised, said "You do? Why?"
Transposing sounds in the word, "fuzzy," I said, referring to the frothy bubbles on top, "Because it's 'suvvy.'" Powdered milk was thereafter known as "suvvy" milk in my house.
It is an OPTION. You don't have to take it. You are more than welcomed to keep your current coverage. The OPTION is for those who have no coverage or poor coverage and who have no other viable options.
my wife and I have had lots of money talks, some were great and some ended up in tears. the most important thing is that we kept talking. so make sure you keep talking no matter what
I can relate to many things on this list, the deer one really had me laughing because my dad once hit one with a car he just bought and it didn't go to waste.
But I don't know what they have to do with saving, seems like its just poor as Beth and Stephanie have pointed out. I don't know why people have such a hard time coming to terms with it, but being poor was pretty common especially in the depression and for a long time in America. Still a lot of poor people.
There are plenty of good foods that were darn cheap. Take rice for instance, you can't get much cheaper than rice especially in 10 to 50 lb bags. I think we had rice nearly every day growing up. Sure we had things like the bacon grease container, but my mom made some pretty cheap meals that were still healthy for us and she had a ridiculously small budget.
Signs of savers:
1) My parents were mortgage free on our house before I got to high school
2) My dad ran his cars into the ground before he bought a new one
3) Virtually nothing was wasted in my mom's kitchen
4) I don't remember a single vacation where we stayed in anything more than a 2 star hotel, but we had some great vacations. Most of the time we spent in an old camper.
5) My mom opened a savings account for us before I got to first grade
6) We ate out maybe once a month, maybe less and it was a big treat. My dad always paid in cash.
7) We never hired anything out although we could have: no gardeners, housekeepers, snow removal - - that's what kids were for
I'm right there with you. I can't relate to any of these except for cut the mold off the cheese (unless it was REALLY moldy, then we threw it away).
My parents didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up but my mom was VERY health conscious. We ate a lot of tofu and brown rice, spaghetti with homemade vegetable sauce (from the Moosewood cookbook) and not a lot of meat and very little processed foods if any. My mom sewed all my prom dresses (man I wish I still had those), made all our bread, bought food from a food co-op, etc. Now I do the exact same things (except the sewing) and it's because it's a better way to live. The idea of eating hamburger helper is repulsive - you can make a delicious meal that doesn't involve processed foods and is much much better for you. I'm thankful I didn't grow up eating things out of a can or a box.
Ahh the memories :)
I remember how it snowed almost all winter long in my home town but the heat was never turned on in the house – except on holidays. We used electric place heaters and the fireplace. Other than that we had plenty of blankets and thick PJs. Before going to bed (bedrooms had no heat) we’d stand beside the fireplace until we felt the ‘burn’ and ran to our beds before our clothes cooled down.
Things, financially, are a lot better now but the heat never ever goes over 68 degrees. Old habits die hard, I guess…
As for “A little mold won’t hurt you. Just cut that piece off.” Well my parents would tell us the story about how mold is really penicillin and that it’s really good for you… so eat it up kiddo, you should be thankful you got that piece
If we left some food in our plate, it was saved to be eaten next meal or we were told horror stories about how people in other parts of the world are dying of hunger and that God is looking down on us all disappointed
We of course planted enough vegetables and fruits to make jam, vinegar, frozen vegetables and dried vegetables to last us most of the year. It made me appreciate earth, Mother Nature, and the joy of planting and picking my own food. I live in apartment now and I truly miss the joy of having a sunny yard.
My mom just spent the night at the hospital for some tests. When they brought her one of her meals there was a very thick, plush disposable napkin on the tray. She said "put that in your purse and take it home. It would be perfect for use in the kitchen. Don't waste it as a dinner napkin!" Then she made me get up and get a paper towel from the restroom for her to use as her napkin.
The first time I read the list I agreed with Stephanie. But the second time, I had to admit that my mother, who wasn't poor at the time I was growing up, did many of those things including reheating coffee (but not for days), cutting off mold, and getting free soup bones from the butcher. She never pretended they were for the dog.
The thing about the mayonnaise, hamburger helper or buttter/sugar sandwiches would never have happened in my house. The food was always good quality, it was just never thrown out.
Most people wouldn't serve mayo or sugar/butter sandwiches just to save money on a regular basis. Only if they couldn't afford nutritious food.
I usually keep the temp down around 62 in the winter but I can't put i any lower than that without hurting my fish and making myself miserable.
Was my family the only one to have corn syrup sandwiches? Sort of like pancakes to go, but on cheap bread and corn syrup was cheaper than the other kind. They were a little sticky unless you squished all the edges closed.
I think everyone deserves care that does not cost them everything they have. We shouldn't lose homes over cancer.
But here's my thing. My grandfather and father (and currently my husband) and many other family members served in the military. They were sent off to wars and promised that the one thing they didn't have to worry about was health care because the government was going to provide that care or insurance for the rest of their lives.
Since their bodies and/or minds were ruined by those wars, it was a good thing.
And then those promises? Those CONTRACTS and promises in writing? Taken away. Substituted with a new plan with deductibles and co-pays and not being able to use the military hospitals. Forget what we promised. That was Clinton.
And this new plan?? Pages of new things they are taking away from the vets. Again.
That sucks.
I can't support that.
THis government can promise anything it wants and even put it in writing. The next one can make it worse. And the next one can make it worse. And the next one....
Paul, these rental scammers ticked me off so much I decided to create a rental scam quiz so people could get a score and see if they are being scammed or not. Hope it can help someone.
http://www.rentvine.com/tools/rentalscamquiz/
I would love it if you could add my resource to your list above in the post.
Thanks!
Dave
If it were only 1% we all would have signed on. Do you really think $10T dollars of spending is only going to cost you 1%?
"I'd rather pay 1% higher taxes every year"
Actually, the police are not a socialist program. It is actually spelled out in the Constitution. We pay money for a service. If a private company can do a better job and keep us safe, we should switch to that.
What I don't want to do is have to pay for my healthcare through taxes and then have to purchase an additional plan to cover areas the government doesn't.
The author of this post forgot to mention that.
"How can you even maintain that health care is not a basic right? Do you even know what socialism is? This country is not exempt from "socialist" programs (see: police department, fire department, public libraries). Would you like to start paying premiums on police protection?"
I'm no scientist, but isn't antimony the payments ants make to each other when the get divorced?
How long does it stay an option. If the government plan is $500 less than a private plan, how many corporations will not take it? Let's think a little into the future.
There are better solutions. It seems you were fine with the insurance here when your company subsidized it. Well, why cant individuals get the same benefits. We should be able to purchase private health care just like we do with car insurance. You shop around, you educate yourself, you pick a plan that works for your family, e.g., you don't get acupuncture if you don't want it. (NY State makes you pay for this if you want it or not). By choosing your own company with your own features you can purchase cheaper, affordable healthcare coverage on your own. But this is not being talked about. We are talking about taking it from corporations and giving it to the government. I would rather have control over the money I make.
Now people talk about all these great drugs and how cheap they are to purchase elsewhere. Where does all of the research money come from for these drugs. The U.S. Pharma companies. The UK government is not innovating new drugs and equipment.
Our capitalistic society and military is what affords a nation like Canada to spend most of their tax revenue on health care. Even Canada's president of CMA says they can keep up with the costs and need to find private solutions.
This all comes down to work. Some work hard, others don't. Those who don't want to share with those who worked hard. I guess if you worked in environment like this all of your life you wouldn't know any different.
I am currently employed full time in TX at a job I've had for almost 2 years in a very small town where daycare is not available. I have been having friends and family members babysit my children while I work. I have two small (one who goes to school and one who does not) I am having trouble finding and KEEPING a baby sitter. If I end up having to quit my job to care for my children will I be eligable for unemployment benefits in TX and if so, what type of documentation should I get from my babysitters or employer?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870482550457458239376284924...
I would also like to comment on a couple of the above posts. I am a master plumber of 32 years and have seen the ill efects of hard water over the years but never understood the reasons why. I went to water school the fall of 08 and went to work for a local water conditioning company about a year ago as a "water specialist" (cool name for salesperson). I will try and briefly explain what a softer does that shows how a softener pays for itself.
When you mix hard water (anyting over about 5 grains per gallon) and soap it makes a stickey substance called "soap curd" that sticks to everything. Your skin (if it's not slippery, you've got soap stuck on your skin), your clothes (take a clean hard-water-washed wash cloth out and shake it up in a mason jar 1/2 full of water, wring out the wash cloth into the jar and hold it up to a light...still think it was clean? Its discusting!), your dishes (tired of re-cleaning your glasses?), your plumbing fixtures (you can get a bath tub ring with hard water and soap alone...you dont even have to get in!), your hair (squeeky clean is NOT clean, you've got soap stuck in your hair!), it just sticks to everything it touches. A 10 min demo by a reputible salesperson will convince you of this.
You will save about 75% of detergents and soaps with soft water. Calgon is a liquid softener that, along with whiteners and brightners that make up about 80% of a liquid detergent you buy in a store. Only about 20% is actually soap! In soft water you only need 1 OZ of pure soap to do a load of laundry. My last bottle of Tide (large, about $20 in stores) lasted my wife and I 11 months! No Bull!
Water heaters not only last longer, your heating costs about 30% less with no scale built up on elements and sitting on the bottom of gas fired heaters. Only 1/2" of scale at the bottom of a heater can increase heating costs by 20%. (Picture a brick under a tea kettle on the stove...it has to heat the brick before the heat can be transfered to the water).
Clothing lasts 20% longer. Calcium and magnesium that make up most well water hardness is desolved limestone. Thats the stuff thay make CONCRETE out of!! You've got min. rocks tumbling around with your clothes wearing them out faster.
Appliances last longer without the calcium build up also. So does all of your plumbing. Have you replaced a water heater or dishwasher lately? You probabably could have doubled their life on soft water.
What is your time worth? Cleaning times are cut in half when "calcium free-soap curd free" fixtures dont need cleaning as often, and when they do it is effortless. (your time is worth something isn't it? Would you go clean your neighbors toilet for min. wage?)
In conclusion, many people, including myself, will find that a water softener almost always pays for itself. I had a recent customer tell me that she is saving $40/month above the cost of the softener. With large familys this is possible with soap savings alone.
Negetive effects? Yes, a small amount of sodium is exchanged into the water. On 20 grain water it amounts to the same amount of sodium you get in a slice of bread if you drink a quart of water. Septic systems are healthier because of the reduced detergents going into them-proven fact!
Ryan made some very good points. The only one I disagree with is the negetive effects of soft water on lawns. There is absolutely nothing wrong with sprinkling with soft water. For most people it is a capacity issue. I have put in large capacity units for people who have problems with iron staining of expensive landscaping rocks. It is done commonly.
Sorry this got so winded, but there is alot of mis-information out there. Soften and enjoy!!
Jon Anderson
You are so right about getting to know the food service people. When I was in grad school many, many years ago, I several times got a free steak dinner after the football team finished eating dinner at the dining hall and didn't eat up all the steaks that had been prepared for them. I guess I looked hungry.
Mmmm...spam.
Spam the processed psuedo-meat product, that is.
Fried potatoes with everything.
2 pieces of bacon for each person.
Splitting a bottle of soda pop between 2 or 3 kids.
Meatloaf that was more loaf than meat.
Moldy cheese - after all, that's how you make cheese!
and, finally, a good one:
Homemade pickles!
Just a quick additional comment to let anyone who comes across this great blog entry that LiveMocha (http://www.livemocha.com) now has free, great, multimedia driven Esperanto lessons.
Just started my first lesson, and am loving it.
A great way to learn Esperanto.
Not to all, but to a lot, the mold, about a dozen ways to eat mac and cheese, the deer.... It wasn't about growing up poor though, that is a misconception. Frugal people may seem like poor people in some regards, but it is often a choice so they can use their money to pursue other things.
In college years, I used to like macaroni and cheese with a can of tomato soup added - good, cheap stretcher, but I don't know 96 other ways! I also ate a lot of cheap, packaged ramen noodles. And for a long time, I couldn't even think about Huevos Rancheros, I had eaten it so often in college - beans, lettuce and eggs were cheap, at the time.
I was a member of the Clean Plate Club, too, but not by choice! My parents used the, "starving children in China," line to coerce me into cleaning my plate.
When I was a little kid, I accidentally coined my own word to describe powdered milk. When my mom "hydrated" it, she used the blender, which would make the milk all frothy. I saw her making it one day, and I said, "Mmmmm. I like this kind of milk."
My mother, surprised, said "You do? Why?"
Transposing sounds in the word, "fuzzy," I said, referring to the frothy bubbles on top, "Because it's 'suvvy.'" Powdered milk was thereafter known as "suvvy" milk in my house.
Great list!
It is an OPTION. You don't have to take it. You are more than welcomed to keep your current coverage. The OPTION is for those who have no coverage or poor coverage and who have no other viable options.
my wife and I have had lots of money talks, some were great and some ended up in tears. the most important thing is that we kept talking. so make sure you keep talking no matter what
I can relate to many things on this list, the deer one really had me laughing because my dad once hit one with a car he just bought and it didn't go to waste.
But I don't know what they have to do with saving, seems like its just poor as Beth and Stephanie have pointed out. I don't know why people have such a hard time coming to terms with it, but being poor was pretty common especially in the depression and for a long time in America. Still a lot of poor people.
There are plenty of good foods that were darn cheap. Take rice for instance, you can't get much cheaper than rice especially in 10 to 50 lb bags. I think we had rice nearly every day growing up. Sure we had things like the bacon grease container, but my mom made some pretty cheap meals that were still healthy for us and she had a ridiculously small budget.
Signs of savers:
1) My parents were mortgage free on our house before I got to high school
2) My dad ran his cars into the ground before he bought a new one
3) Virtually nothing was wasted in my mom's kitchen
4) I don't remember a single vacation where we stayed in anything more than a 2 star hotel, but we had some great vacations. Most of the time we spent in an old camper.
5) My mom opened a savings account for us before I got to first grade
6) We ate out maybe once a month, maybe less and it was a big treat. My dad always paid in cash.
7) We never hired anything out although we could have: no gardeners, housekeepers, snow removal - - that's what kids were for
I'm right there with you. I can't relate to any of these except for cut the mold off the cheese (unless it was REALLY moldy, then we threw it away).
My parents didn't have a lot of money when I was growing up but my mom was VERY health conscious. We ate a lot of tofu and brown rice, spaghetti with homemade vegetable sauce (from the Moosewood cookbook) and not a lot of meat and very little processed foods if any. My mom sewed all my prom dresses (man I wish I still had those), made all our bread, bought food from a food co-op, etc. Now I do the exact same things (except the sewing) and it's because it's a better way to live. The idea of eating hamburger helper is repulsive - you can make a delicious meal that doesn't involve processed foods and is much much better for you. I'm thankful I didn't grow up eating things out of a can or a box.
I can only relate to #10 Sugar and butter do taste good together, gosh I'm craving one of those right now... I'm off to make on xD
Ahh the memories :)
I remember how it snowed almost all winter long in my home town but the heat was never turned on in the house – except on holidays. We used electric place heaters and the fireplace. Other than that we had plenty of blankets and thick PJs. Before going to bed (bedrooms had no heat) we’d stand beside the fireplace until we felt the ‘burn’ and ran to our beds before our clothes cooled down.
Things, financially, are a lot better now but the heat never ever goes over 68 degrees. Old habits die hard, I guess…
As for “A little mold won’t hurt you. Just cut that piece off.” Well my parents would tell us the story about how mold is really penicillin and that it’s really good for you… so eat it up kiddo, you should be thankful you got that piece
If we left some food in our plate, it was saved to be eaten next meal or we were told horror stories about how people in other parts of the world are dying of hunger and that God is looking down on us all disappointed
We of course planted enough vegetables and fruits to make jam, vinegar, frozen vegetables and dried vegetables to last us most of the year. It made me appreciate earth, Mother Nature, and the joy of planting and picking my own food. I live in apartment now and I truly miss the joy of having a sunny yard.
My mom just spent the night at the hospital for some tests. When they brought her one of her meals there was a very thick, plush disposable napkin on the tray. She said "put that in your purse and take it home. It would be perfect for use in the kitchen. Don't waste it as a dinner napkin!" Then she made me get up and get a paper towel from the restroom for her to use as her napkin.
Gotta love it!