If you're a Bank of America customer (for anything that gives you a card - credit or debit), you can get into some museums free during the first weekend of the month! http://museums.bankofamerica.com/
Black Friday used to be the highlight and official kickoff to the holiday season for me. Getting up at 4am, immersing myself in the crowds of shoppers, and the thrill of finding a bargain gave me a high. Maybe I'm just getting older, but I have passed on Black Friday the past couple years. I enjoy my sleep after the holiday commotion on Thursday! But from a practical standpoint, there is no way that retailers will limit their deals to one solitary morning in this economy. I am confident that there will be deals to be had this season beyond the hours of 7am. So I am going to sit this Black Friday out....but Cyber Monday is another story!
This also works for things like fabric softeners. I use dryer sheets and have been ripping them into thirds or quarters for years (when I had easy access to a band saw, I used to cut a full box into quarters and put the sheets into a plastic bag). With my sensitive skin and dislike of extra scents on my clothes, this works great.
For dishwasher and clothes detergents the amount needed is also dependent on the hardness of your water.
Another way to use less detergent is to wash clothing less. If what I'm wearing didn't get stinky or dirty, I'll wear it again before washing. I get two to three wearings of button down shirts (worn with a t-shirt underneath) before washing. Similarly, I'll wear a t-shirt that I've only worn for a few hours after showering after the gym for multiple days before tossing it in the hamper.
About a year ago, I bought an HE washing machine, and, of course, have been buying HE detergent. With all the above posts about using less detergent, has anyone tried using regular detergent in their HE machines....but of course, much less? I haven't...though the thought has occurred to me.
I started replacing commercial products with home made ones or looked for ways to reduce the use of them last year.
I switched to distilled vinegar and water as all purpose cleaner. That combined with using microfiber rags saved us a ton of money in the last year. I need to calculate how much we saved in cleaners and paper towels but it was significant.
I started diluting our dish soap with 1/4 distilled water. It is already highly concentrated so the water helps you waste less because it pours easier. The distilled water helps it from going rancid due to the water added. I do the same with liquid hand soap. It makes it come out of the dispenser easier plus both save 1/4 on your usage plus whatever from not accidentally using too much like when it was concentrated.
We used a super concentrated laundry soap but it was impossible to get it all out of our clothes even using 1/4 of the suggested amount. We switched to Seventh Generation. It is more expensive but we only need to use about a tablespoon for a large load of clothes. We noticed the reduction in how much we used meant our clothes felt less "crunchy" when you hung them to dry. We also noticed people in the house getting fewer skin rashes.
I quit buying toothpaste and instead use a mix of baking soda, sea salt and essential oil. After a year of doing these I have no desire to go back so I really am not depriving myself of anything.
I only use about 1/3 the amount of detergent called for in my front-loader and it cleans great. Plus I always add about 1/4 cup Borax to it. It's been cleaning MUCH better since I started doing this. Borax is way cheaper than bleach, brightens better, enhances cleaning, and is like $3 for a huge box that will last you 6 months to a year.
Just another example of the "best laid plans" syndrome of the Obama administraion. You can add this one to the list containing the Cash for Clunkers program and the Homebuyers Credit.
Its a shame that these people will be penalized for something that was supposed to help them. Fortunately, after checking mine, it doesn't seem like it will affect me.
Tis the season! Here is a challenge. If you have a large supply of apples, make some very strong Apple Jack. Distill it. Take some apple juice and reduce it to apple syrup. Mix the 2 and let it age a bit. Should be nice warmed up with a cinnamon stick!
I'm already thinking of everyone to give the fudge to and I can't wait to make the tea for me :) I love chai, and since it smells like Christmas I know it will be a great hit!!! Thanks!
I've done this with credit cards in the past just by asking them to reduce my interest rates but not with my cable company. It's a good idea. I'll try it.
Did this using a Professional heatgun and unloaded an entire can of compressed air on the the dent i have, its a door ding with pulling you end up with a crease, you need to take it to a body shop and have PDR tech remove it, Most of the FIX a dent items will do good enough job to make it not noticeable execpt under close inspection however to restore it to factory look it needs a PDR Tech,
So if you have huge dent that you could pop out if you pushed it from behind this will most likely work, if your dent is smaller than 3 inches this isnt going to work. when i say work make the dent look as if it was never thier better isnt fixed.
You shouldn't do what you hate (eg. work in a high-stress environment when that drives you crazy). But the advice to "do what you love" should be taken with a large grain of salt:
1. Try very hard to make your career "something that you love". Work your butt off (but don't go deep into debt to try to make it work, be realistic about it's potential for success).
2. If that does not work, do something that you like, or at least don't mind. Do something that gets you motivated in some way (eg. a job that challenges you, or that 'makes a difference').
3. It is a balancing act - what is your priority? You can do something you LOVE that earns you little money, therefore you work hard and spend less time with your family and worry about finances. Or you do something that you DON'T LOVE, but it earns lots of money, and you get to work less (or retire early) and do the things that you love in your free time.
I used to work in retail, which in translation means I had almost NO days off, and I worked on the corporate side, not even on the floor. As a result, I will not shop, even at grocery stores, during a holiday weekend. I believe that EVERYONE should get time off, so I shop pre-holidays. I advocate stores to close their doors for holiday weekends.
Harvest festivals go way back and the Thanksgiving for the USA was recorded as a big deal true. BUT they got the idea from the Bible (a celebration God ordered to thank HIM for the harvest)
The Bible is also were they took many of their life examples of how to live and put them into motion. Right or Wrong they at least had a standard to govern their action and a life style that allows us today to freely discuss their fame.
Does not matter how it came into being there. A blessing it is and a blessing you will make it. You will spend it on something because that is human nature with something you get free. You may put it in the bank to hold and gain interest but someone will spend it sometime.
We use to do the same thing for years. My mom could never cook a moist bird no matter what. Love her to death but OMG! DH's family likes to cook the bird way to long & burn it every time GRRR! Now, I have just taken over the task of Thanksgiving dinner at my house. The first 2 years was hard as it upset a few people but now everyone cannot wait to come over! I let my mom make her pies & his mom make any side dish she wants & everyone is happy!
I think it's fair to say that incentive programs are not a pancea for poor management, sub-standard wages, or poor internal communications. And I think it's only fair to separate the bonus-linked work incentives that are offered to managers (more of a compensation factor) from employee recognition and reward programs that engage (mostly) line staff.
I work for a company that supports employee incentive programs and clients that have carefully thought through the objectives, audience, value proposition and communications underlying their programs find the most success. Steph mentions an effective call center application. This is a metrics-driven work environment that is typically fraught with churn. Giving managers a platform from which to recognize excellent performance and reinforce the important role the employee plays in organizational success can easily spur performance...and even the slightest improvement in retention can have a dramatic impact on the bottom line.
Everyone responds differently to incentive programs. Most of the posters here appear to be experienced and management/contractor types, not a group that's going to get excited or motivated by a group hug or public recognition from their manager. It is internal marketing - the key is designing a program with the right offer and approach for the target audience.
We go to "Family Thanksgiving" on the actual holiday, which consists of the overly dry turkey, horribly bland and dry stuffing, unseasoned mashed potatoes, jello salad, green bean casserole with fried onions, and mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. DH's family swears that they are amazing cooks, and we pretty much have to go or it will become a huge family argument (and no, no one else can cook or bring anything or MIL gets really offended). Then a week after Thanksgiving we have "Good Thanksgiving" where I essentially cook the whole turkey dinner again at my house, but this time making the food actually moist and flavorful, adding in good recipes, and using no jello or marshmallows. It used to be just me, DH, and DS in attendance, but then one year my sister and her family starting coming (her in-laws are just as bad at cooking), and then the next year DH swore his sister to secrecy and she came with her family, and now it is to the point where "Good Thanksgiving is just as crowded as "Family Thanksgiving", but a whole lot more fun.
One more thought. The article mentions that you can't use the RR on the same product and still generate a RR. It is actually the same manufacturer. So if Wyeth made the cough drops that gave you a $2 RR and also made the lip balm which should give you a $3RR you bought with the $2 RR, it won't give you the $3 RR.
If you're a Bank of America customer (for anything that gives you a card - credit or debit), you can get into some museums free during the first weekend of the month! http://museums.bankofamerica.com/
Black Friday used to be the highlight and official kickoff to the holiday season for me. Getting up at 4am, immersing myself in the crowds of shoppers, and the thrill of finding a bargain gave me a high. Maybe I'm just getting older, but I have passed on Black Friday the past couple years. I enjoy my sleep after the holiday commotion on Thursday! But from a practical standpoint, there is no way that retailers will limit their deals to one solitary morning in this economy. I am confident that there will be deals to be had this season beyond the hours of 7am. So I am going to sit this Black Friday out....but Cyber Monday is another story!
This also works for things like fabric softeners. I use dryer sheets and have been ripping them into thirds or quarters for years (when I had easy access to a band saw, I used to cut a full box into quarters and put the sheets into a plastic bag). With my sensitive skin and dislike of extra scents on my clothes, this works great.
For dishwasher and clothes detergents the amount needed is also dependent on the hardness of your water.
Another way to use less detergent is to wash clothing less. If what I'm wearing didn't get stinky or dirty, I'll wear it again before washing. I get two to three wearings of button down shirts (worn with a t-shirt underneath) before washing. Similarly, I'll wear a t-shirt that I've only worn for a few hours after showering after the gym for multiple days before tossing it in the hamper.
About a year ago, I bought an HE washing machine, and, of course, have been buying HE detergent. With all the above posts about using less detergent, has anyone tried using regular detergent in their HE machines....but of course, much less? I haven't...though the thought has occurred to me.
I started replacing commercial products with home made ones or looked for ways to reduce the use of them last year.
I switched to distilled vinegar and water as all purpose cleaner. That combined with using microfiber rags saved us a ton of money in the last year. I need to calculate how much we saved in cleaners and paper towels but it was significant.
I started diluting our dish soap with 1/4 distilled water. It is already highly concentrated so the water helps you waste less because it pours easier. The distilled water helps it from going rancid due to the water added. I do the same with liquid hand soap. It makes it come out of the dispenser easier plus both save 1/4 on your usage plus whatever from not accidentally using too much like when it was concentrated.
We used a super concentrated laundry soap but it was impossible to get it all out of our clothes even using 1/4 of the suggested amount. We switched to Seventh Generation. It is more expensive but we only need to use about a tablespoon for a large load of clothes. We noticed the reduction in how much we used meant our clothes felt less "crunchy" when you hung them to dry. We also noticed people in the house getting fewer skin rashes.
I quit buying toothpaste and instead use a mix of baking soda, sea salt and essential oil. After a year of doing these I have no desire to go back so I really am not depriving myself of anything.
I only use about 1/3 the amount of detergent called for in my front-loader and it cleans great. Plus I always add about 1/4 cup Borax to it. It's been cleaning MUCH better since I started doing this. Borax is way cheaper than bleach, brightens better, enhances cleaning, and is like $3 for a huge box that will last you 6 months to a year.
Just another example of the "best laid plans" syndrome of the Obama administraion. You can add this one to the list containing the Cash for Clunkers program and the Homebuyers Credit.
Its a shame that these people will be penalized for something that was supposed to help them. Fortunately, after checking mine, it doesn't seem like it will affect me.
Tis the season! Here is a challenge. If you have a large supply of apples, make some very strong Apple Jack. Distill it. Take some apple juice and reduce it to apple syrup. Mix the 2 and let it age a bit. Should be nice warmed up with a cinnamon stick!
hey anyone know how to hack a region 10 dvd player, cheers
I'm already thinking of everyone to give the fudge to and I can't wait to make the tea for me :) I love chai, and since it smells like Christmas I know it will be a great hit!!! Thanks!
I've done this with credit cards in the past just by asking them to reduce my interest rates but not with my cable company. It's a good idea. I'll try it.
I dont think the few dollars saved is worth fighting crowds and traffic
tmc480(at)yahoo(dot)com
Did this using a Professional heatgun and unloaded an entire can of compressed air on the the dent i have, its a door ding with pulling you end up with a crease, you need to take it to a body shop and have PDR tech remove it, Most of the FIX a dent items will do good enough job to make it not noticeable execpt under close inspection however to restore it to factory look it needs a PDR Tech,
So if you have huge dent that you could pop out if you pushed it from behind this will most likely work, if your dent is smaller than 3 inches this isnt going to work. when i say work make the dent look as if it was never thier better isnt fixed.
I thank you for helping out so many people including myself. This is how everyone should live their lives. Thank You So Much!
You shouldn't do what you hate (eg. work in a high-stress environment when that drives you crazy). But the advice to "do what you love" should be taken with a large grain of salt:
1. Try very hard to make your career "something that you love". Work your butt off (but don't go deep into debt to try to make it work, be realistic about it's potential for success).
2. If that does not work, do something that you like, or at least don't mind. Do something that gets you motivated in some way (eg. a job that challenges you, or that 'makes a difference').
3. It is a balancing act - what is your priority? You can do something you LOVE that earns you little money, therefore you work hard and spend less time with your family and worry about finances. Or you do something that you DON'T LOVE, but it earns lots of money, and you get to work less (or retire early) and do the things that you love in your free time.
I agree with the first comment. It's hard enough to calculate withholding in and of itself.
I will be royally pissed if I owe taxes come April 15th. Thank you for the information.
I used to work in retail, which in translation means I had almost NO days off, and I worked on the corporate side, not even on the floor. As a result, I will not shop, even at grocery stores, during a holiday weekend. I believe that EVERYONE should get time off, so I shop pre-holidays. I advocate stores to close their doors for holiday weekends.
Harvest festivals go way back and the Thanksgiving for the USA was recorded as a big deal true. BUT they got the idea from the Bible (a celebration God ordered to thank HIM for the harvest)
The Bible is also were they took many of their life examples of how to live and put them into motion. Right or Wrong they at least had a standard to govern their action and a life style that allows us today to freely discuss their fame.
Take the money and enjoy.
Does not matter how it came into being there. A blessing it is and a blessing you will make it. You will spend it on something because that is human nature with something you get free. You may put it in the bank to hold and gain interest but someone will spend it sometime.
It's hard enough to figure out your withholding right now. Good thing they threw this in for good measure.
It will be tough for those who this affected to catch up in...3-6 paychecks for most.
We use to do the same thing for years. My mom could never cook a moist bird no matter what. Love her to death but OMG! DH's family likes to cook the bird way to long & burn it every time GRRR! Now, I have just taken over the task of Thanksgiving dinner at my house. The first 2 years was hard as it upset a few people but now everyone cannot wait to come over! I let my mom make her pies & his mom make any side dish she wants & everyone is happy!
I think it's fair to say that incentive programs are not a pancea for poor management, sub-standard wages, or poor internal communications. And I think it's only fair to separate the bonus-linked work incentives that are offered to managers (more of a compensation factor) from employee recognition and reward programs that engage (mostly) line staff.
I work for a company that supports employee incentive programs and clients that have carefully thought through the objectives, audience, value proposition and communications underlying their programs find the most success. Steph mentions an effective call center application. This is a metrics-driven work environment that is typically fraught with churn. Giving managers a platform from which to recognize excellent performance and reinforce the important role the employee plays in organizational success can easily spur performance...and even the slightest improvement in retention can have a dramatic impact on the bottom line.
Everyone responds differently to incentive programs. Most of the posters here appear to be experienced and management/contractor types, not a group that's going to get excited or motivated by a group hug or public recognition from their manager. It is internal marketing - the key is designing a program with the right offer and approach for the target audience.
Find more info on incentive programs at Loyaltyworks.com
We go to "Family Thanksgiving" on the actual holiday, which consists of the overly dry turkey, horribly bland and dry stuffing, unseasoned mashed potatoes, jello salad, green bean casserole with fried onions, and mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. DH's family swears that they are amazing cooks, and we pretty much have to go or it will become a huge family argument (and no, no one else can cook or bring anything or MIL gets really offended). Then a week after Thanksgiving we have "Good Thanksgiving" where I essentially cook the whole turkey dinner again at my house, but this time making the food actually moist and flavorful, adding in good recipes, and using no jello or marshmallows. It used to be just me, DH, and DS in attendance, but then one year my sister and her family starting coming (her in-laws are just as bad at cooking), and then the next year DH swore his sister to secrecy and she came with her family, and now it is to the point where "Good Thanksgiving is just as crowded as "Family Thanksgiving", but a whole lot more fun.
One more thought. The article mentions that you can't use the RR on the same product and still generate a RR. It is actually the same manufacturer. So if Wyeth made the cough drops that gave you a $2 RR and also made the lip balm which should give you a $3RR you bought with the $2 RR, it won't give you the $3 RR.
Great tips guys, here are a few more that I know from experience:
1. RRs must be more than your subtotal That means that you are counting on tax to put you over the amount, it's a no go.
2. Using an Instant Value Coupon from the monthly book does NOT count towards your number of coupons.
3. P&G RRs can not be used for other P&G items, so know your manufacturers otherwise you are out RRs.
4. When you get a RRs for a free item on next visit, using that RR on the next one will not generate a new RR. In other words, no rolling.
5. Never let the cashier say that the reason you didn't/won't get a RR is because you used coupons. Simply not true.
6. Check quantities, types, and styles carefully. Sometimes the item next to it won't be eligible for the RR, so be careful.
7. Some stores only let you use one RR per transaction. So plan ahead and be flexible.