I am glad you are immune to the cost of living increases. I am not. I watched the cost of housing go up by 40% in Austin and I did not get a cost of living adjustment. As a matter of fact, our wages were frozen for over 3 years. I finally quit and moved back home at 34 years old. My raises did not keep up with the cost of inflation, let alone the cost of living. I have a BS and I am working on a MS. I received my BS in Dec 2007. I have yet to find a job. The gov't in Texas has been under a hiring freeze for well over a year now. I do not see what little money I have going very far. The cost of food has increased so much that my Mom who is on Social Security can hardly afford to buy food. We recently learned she will not be receiving a cost of living adjustment for 2010. She never earned more than what it cost to buy the basics in life. It was all she could do to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. I am the first to go to college and get a degree. We expected me to pull us out of the poor house. Seems to me the poor house only increased in size.
The internet has uses beyond entertainment. I use my PC
for TV, Telephone and of course the internet itself and it saves me more money than it costs. I could never pull off the kind of product research I do at a library with a short time limit. I guess it all boils down to how much you are willing to give up to save a hundred dollars a month for me its all worth it and I don't feel the pain.
I use Skype and a wireless USB phone it has served me well beyond my expectations and costs me just 2.99 a month unlimited in the U.S and Canada.
I use torrents and live streaming for my favorite shows
and there is almost nothing I cannot find.
Some useful sites are Btjunkie for finding torrents and Utorrent has the program to download. Downloading this way gives you an easier viewing experience no commercials or glitches to deal with like streaming.
I have sold a house on my own once and used Realtors the other times to buy/sell homes. I have to say, selling my house on my own took awhile and it was frustrating to have people ringing my doorbell all time time without an appointment. Being single and letting strangers into my home really made me uncomfortable. I hired an attorney to assist me in the contract negotiations and closing for a flat fee of $500. It sure beats the huge Realtor commission!
There was definite comfort and convenience in allowing my Realtor to sell my home for me during my most recent transaction. However, it frustrates me that I wasn't successful in negotiating the 6% rate. I just wanted out of this house. I wanted to put my failed marriage, all my dreams and expectations of having a family, and memories of this house behind me. I feel that the commissions are really quite high for the amount of work that they actually do.
I've sold a house both ways and feel that if you want the convenience and safety go with a reputable Realtor.
If the house is listed with a known real estate company, I would rather buy the house on my own without a Realtor representing me. If the contract negotiations aren't easy, I will walk away from the deal. There are such a huge amount of inventory that I don't need the headache.
In years past I bought expensive gifts for friends and family usually late in the year and really didn't think twice about sales or "deals". Then in March 2008 I quit my job to stay home with my two young sons and we rely on a single income from a small business my husband runs - clearly not a financial "rock" these days. Regardless, I wouldn't trade my time with my boys for my previous Executive paycheck for the world - it's been priceless! And although we spend great quality time together doing things like hide-and-seek and "monster get me" which are absolutely free but come with hours of giggles and laugh - we still want our kids, family and friends to have a "good" Christmas. I take the approach of "recycling" old toys, household items and anything that we don't use anymore and then "bank" the money I make from selling those items into a special envelope. When I'm out and about doing errands I look for deals and use my "envelope" money to pay for those items. It is AMAZING the deals you can find (i.e. $13 for a $50 Leapster)! I don't think you can wait but I do think you have to be patient and really know prices or your great deal might not be all that great.
All signs point towards this year's Black Friday to have some incredible deals, esp on electronics. Stores are desperate to make sales.
Clothes, shoes, cosmetics- unless you're like the editor of Vogue who must dress at the height of fashion, then you can pretty much go shopping for these at any time. I feel like these constantly go on sale, and if you're not picky about brand then you're almost guaranteed to find some good alternative when you shop. It just depends on whether you feel like spending that day. Sales on these items are nearly constant. Just look at Kohls and how every weekend they have their "Biggest Sale Ever!" advertisements.
It's actually a pre-paid DEBT card......not a credit card because then your identity most likely could be stolen. And if you don't like "whiners" then leave them alone. What is one's concern just may not be another's. Doesn't mean you have to put your prude opinon in there. These people showed concern......and for that you talk to them as if you were a rabid monkey. Who Peed in your cornflakes?
The only place the expensive higher quality HDMI cables might matter is if the cable is longer than 6' or if in the future you've got a higher signal like something above 1080p.
When you have a hammer (in this case, artificial economic incentives via tax legislation), everything is a nail. And the world of economics is one of unintended consequences. Sure, a tax on junk food might give me that extra little push to reach for an apple instead of a chocolate bar once in awhile, but I suspect that demand for junk food is relatively inelastic to price, especially among the high-risk groups that are already hooked on fast food. Instead of helping people eat better, your tax might just make people eat more to feel better about their sudden decrease in purchasing power, drive up inflation, or what have you.
Here's a thought: instead of trying to internalize every factor of life with economic incentives like fat taxes, why don't you try to broaden your arsenal of incentives, try a little consumer education, a little encouragement, and stop being so possessed by the almighty dollar.
I remember an article a couple years ago on a tech website comparing HDMI cables. They hooked the cables up to an oscilloscope and sent test signals through so you could see how badly the signal got degraded. The fuzzier the scope picture, the more degraded the signal. IIRC the results were that even the cheapest 3' and 6' cables were fine for any HD signal. Increase the length to something like 9-12' and the cheapest couldn't handle 1080p reliably, but did 1080i and 720p just fine. I might be a bit wrong on the lengths, but what I understood was that for most cases, cheap cables are more than good enough, and for longer runs (like across the room) a lower-mid-range cable is plenty.
Thanks for the timely reminders Craig.
I find it is so easy to get negative when things are not working out as I think they should.
Doing something positive as you have suggested in this post can often be a catalyst to get moving along.
I was interested that you did not suggest using facebook. I have found that facebook is an amazing place for connecting with old colleagues and friends and can often be a starter to finding out about opportunities in a wider circle of people.
Have NEVER gone to "black Fri." sales! NEVER. In my adult life I have started collecting gifts bit by bit at the beginning of September, which has left me several months to defray costs and amass bargains. This year, I am justifying my thriftshop yarn purchases by making EVERYONE scarves!
While I agree Redfin is an awesome site that is extremely helpful in viewing properties I just want to point out that it is not nationwide. It currently only has listing for about 10 metro areas so it's only useful if you are searching for homes around Seattle, Los Angeles, DC, Sacramento, etc.
I will let it be. I just take the lid off every couple of days to SMELL IT.... It smells so good... Also to see if its still bubbling... Sitting still under the kitchen center island cabinets... I am so waitting... and Waiting....
I think your being kind of an A-hole yourself to tear down a whole industry of people. I think that wisebread needs to screen their articles better so they aren't just dumb rants that have zero validity.
I applaud everyone willing to do the kind of legwork necessary to purchase (or sell!) without an agent. I am aware of some companies that will even draw up a formal contract for an FSBO deal for less than 1% commission for the peace of mind of all involved.
That said I'll make the following analogy:
I'm a chemist. I can admit most bench chemistry could be tought to anyone with good motor skills and a basic understanding of math. So why would a company hire chemists with college or graduate degrees to do simple work?
Answer: They are/(can be) worth the investment. They know rules, through past experience they make things more efficient. They catch a lot of seemingly minor details that can be all the difference. They know procedure and operate in a quality manner. A realtor worth his salt has all the same qualities: experienced for negotiations, likely not to propose offensive/unethical/illegal tactics, knows the little things a virgin buyer doesn't. Hopefully they know your target area better than you, and can give you some historical perspective. Most importantly, you can assume they'll do all this more efficiently than the untrained buyer.
Just my two cents on real estate agents. My wife and I did switch from the first RE agent we used when we didn't really like her vibe, but our 2nd was a great guy. Lots of information is available for first-timers and DIYers, but I'm not unhappy that I used one.
Cloudy is ok, it’s alive with love in there. When it stops, it will start to settle. You can give it an extra couple days if you want, to settle all out. The clearer, the less taste from yeast you will pick up.
I am suppressed bread yeast is still working. Let it be, let it be. Just like the Beatles said. It’s coming along. Keep us informed on your status.
Sadly, this is how Best Buy gets you. You can buy a TV for cheap but they nail you on accessories. They prey on a consumer's lack of knowledge and it's very aggravating. They not only do this for HDMI cables, but also for many other accessories like component cables, speaker cables, etc...
I typically recommend to people if they don't want to buy online (and there's no other electronic store in town) to check out Home Depot or similar hardware store for cables. Their prices are reasonable for having it that day and you're not being ripped off.
You realize that these cable manufacturers are blowing hot air when you find a gold-plated fiber optic cable. (I have picture proof.)
Bicker about cables all you want, but when broadcasters jack up the compression (and the ABSOLUTELY do) you lose A/V quality and no cable will fix that.
Well, i used Fleischmann's ActiveDry yeast for baking. I used one package. Five pounds of sugar and three gallons of water. There isn't a brewers store close. You can smell the alcohol. Looks a little cloudy like the yeast. Is this wrong ??? I was going by what I read in the posts above..
I generally find that often Best Buy will have a great price on the big stuff, the computer or printer or camera or tv, etc. but be much higher on the peripheral stuff, cables, cases, earphones, etc. Not every single time, but often enough that I tend to price them at other places before I buy.
Strictly speaking, if the digital information being sent isn't coming through properly, the protocol, that is, the standard being used to send the information is usually designed to make up for this missing information by either sending it again, or filling in the holes.
When a cable is poorly-made, the digital information can't get through in a timely manner and you will see dropouts, that look like colored squares, appear on the screen.
So it really isn't all-or-nothing for the entire picture. But it does seem to be easier to make cheap digital cables than analog cables.
When I bought my HD TV a few years ago I went into CompUSA and Best Buy looking for HDMI cables. Prices were around $100 for a Monster HDMI cable and I just could not justify it. A little Googling and I found one for $20 that has never failed me. Instand $80 savings.
when I find something that would be perfect for someone, I get it. I usually never spend more than $50 on a gift and am definitely trying to spend far less this year.
It doesn't matter if I pay for it on a cc or a debit card - it all gets paid at the end of the month anyways.
Also - I keep a spreadsheet with each person's name, the holiday and what gift I've bought them. It's a great way to keep track of things and I never forget what's in my 'gift drawer' or what I've bought them in the past.
I am glad you are immune to the cost of living increases. I am not. I watched the cost of housing go up by 40% in Austin and I did not get a cost of living adjustment. As a matter of fact, our wages were frozen for over 3 years. I finally quit and moved back home at 34 years old. My raises did not keep up with the cost of inflation, let alone the cost of living. I have a BS and I am working on a MS. I received my BS in Dec 2007. I have yet to find a job. The gov't in Texas has been under a hiring freeze for well over a year now. I do not see what little money I have going very far. The cost of food has increased so much that my Mom who is on Social Security can hardly afford to buy food. We recently learned she will not be receiving a cost of living adjustment for 2010. She never earned more than what it cost to buy the basics in life. It was all she could do to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table. I am the first to go to college and get a degree. We expected me to pull us out of the poor house. Seems to me the poor house only increased in size.
The internet has uses beyond entertainment. I use my PC
for TV, Telephone and of course the internet itself and it saves me more money than it costs. I could never pull off the kind of product research I do at a library with a short time limit. I guess it all boils down to how much you are willing to give up to save a hundred dollars a month for me its all worth it and I don't feel the pain.
I use Skype and a wireless USB phone it has served me well beyond my expectations and costs me just 2.99 a month unlimited in the U.S and Canada.
I use torrents and live streaming for my favorite shows
and there is almost nothing I cannot find.
Some useful sites are Btjunkie for finding torrents and Utorrent has the program to download. Downloading this way gives you an easier viewing experience no commercials or glitches to deal with like streaming.
I have sold a house on my own once and used Realtors the other times to buy/sell homes. I have to say, selling my house on my own took awhile and it was frustrating to have people ringing my doorbell all time time without an appointment. Being single and letting strangers into my home really made me uncomfortable. I hired an attorney to assist me in the contract negotiations and closing for a flat fee of $500. It sure beats the huge Realtor commission!
There was definite comfort and convenience in allowing my Realtor to sell my home for me during my most recent transaction. However, it frustrates me that I wasn't successful in negotiating the 6% rate. I just wanted out of this house. I wanted to put my failed marriage, all my dreams and expectations of having a family, and memories of this house behind me. I feel that the commissions are really quite high for the amount of work that they actually do.
I've sold a house both ways and feel that if you want the convenience and safety go with a reputable Realtor.
If the house is listed with a known real estate company, I would rather buy the house on my own without a Realtor representing me. If the contract negotiations aren't easy, I will walk away from the deal. There are such a huge amount of inventory that I don't need the headache.
Best,
Kim
In years past I bought expensive gifts for friends and family usually late in the year and really didn't think twice about sales or "deals". Then in March 2008 I quit my job to stay home with my two young sons and we rely on a single income from a small business my husband runs - clearly not a financial "rock" these days. Regardless, I wouldn't trade my time with my boys for my previous Executive paycheck for the world - it's been priceless! And although we spend great quality time together doing things like hide-and-seek and "monster get me" which are absolutely free but come with hours of giggles and laugh - we still want our kids, family and friends to have a "good" Christmas. I take the approach of "recycling" old toys, household items and anything that we don't use anymore and then "bank" the money I make from selling those items into a special envelope. When I'm out and about doing errands I look for deals and use my "envelope" money to pay for those items. It is AMAZING the deals you can find (i.e. $13 for a $50 Leapster)! I don't think you can wait but I do think you have to be patient and really know prices or your great deal might not be all that great.
All signs point towards this year's Black Friday to have some incredible deals, esp on electronics. Stores are desperate to make sales.
Clothes, shoes, cosmetics- unless you're like the editor of Vogue who must dress at the height of fashion, then you can pretty much go shopping for these at any time. I feel like these constantly go on sale, and if you're not picky about brand then you're almost guaranteed to find some good alternative when you shop. It just depends on whether you feel like spending that day. Sales on these items are nearly constant. Just look at Kohls and how every weekend they have their "Biggest Sale Ever!" advertisements.
It's actually a pre-paid DEBT card......not a credit card because then your identity most likely could be stolen. And if you don't like "whiners" then leave them alone. What is one's concern just may not be another's. Doesn't mean you have to put your prude opinon in there. These people showed concern......and for that you talk to them as if you were a rabid monkey. Who Peed in your cornflakes?
I bought a $10 cable from Newegg myself and it works just fine.
I wrote about the same thing myself not long ago: Don't over pay for HDMI cables.
The only place the expensive higher quality HDMI cables might matter is if the cable is longer than 6' or if in the future you've got a higher signal like something above 1080p.
When you have a hammer (in this case, artificial economic incentives via tax legislation), everything is a nail. And the world of economics is one of unintended consequences. Sure, a tax on junk food might give me that extra little push to reach for an apple instead of a chocolate bar once in awhile, but I suspect that demand for junk food is relatively inelastic to price, especially among the high-risk groups that are already hooked on fast food. Instead of helping people eat better, your tax might just make people eat more to feel better about their sudden decrease in purchasing power, drive up inflation, or what have you.
Here's a thought: instead of trying to internalize every factor of life with economic incentives like fat taxes, why don't you try to broaden your arsenal of incentives, try a little consumer education, a little encouragement, and stop being so possessed by the almighty dollar.
I remember an article a couple years ago on a tech website comparing HDMI cables. They hooked the cables up to an oscilloscope and sent test signals through so you could see how badly the signal got degraded. The fuzzier the scope picture, the more degraded the signal. IIRC the results were that even the cheapest 3' and 6' cables were fine for any HD signal. Increase the length to something like 9-12' and the cheapest couldn't handle 1080p reliably, but did 1080i and 720p just fine. I might be a bit wrong on the lengths, but what I understood was that for most cases, cheap cables are more than good enough, and for longer runs (like across the room) a lower-mid-range cable is plenty.
Thanks for the timely reminders Craig.
I find it is so easy to get negative when things are not working out as I think they should.
Doing something positive as you have suggested in this post can often be a catalyst to get moving along.
I was interested that you did not suggest using facebook. I have found that facebook is an amazing place for connecting with old colleagues and friends and can often be a starter to finding out about opportunities in a wider circle of people.
Have NEVER gone to "black Fri." sales! NEVER. In my adult life I have started collecting gifts bit by bit at the beginning of September, which has left me several months to defray costs and amass bargains. This year, I am justifying my thriftshop yarn purchases by making EVERYONE scarves!
While I agree Redfin is an awesome site that is extremely helpful in viewing properties I just want to point out that it is not nationwide. It currently only has listing for about 10 metro areas so it's only useful if you are searching for homes around Seattle, Los Angeles, DC, Sacramento, etc.
I will let it be. I just take the lid off every couple of days to SMELL IT.... It smells so good... Also to see if its still bubbling... Sitting still under the kitchen center island cabinets... I am so waitting... and Waiting....
I think your being kind of an A-hole yourself to tear down a whole industry of people. I think that wisebread needs to screen their articles better so they aren't just dumb rants that have zero validity.
I applaud everyone willing to do the kind of legwork necessary to purchase (or sell!) without an agent. I am aware of some companies that will even draw up a formal contract for an FSBO deal for less than 1% commission for the peace of mind of all involved.
That said I'll make the following analogy:
I'm a chemist. I can admit most bench chemistry could be tought to anyone with good motor skills and a basic understanding of math. So why would a company hire chemists with college or graduate degrees to do simple work?
Answer: They are/(can be) worth the investment. They know rules, through past experience they make things more efficient. They catch a lot of seemingly minor details that can be all the difference. They know procedure and operate in a quality manner. A realtor worth his salt has all the same qualities: experienced for negotiations, likely not to propose offensive/unethical/illegal tactics, knows the little things a virgin buyer doesn't. Hopefully they know your target area better than you, and can give you some historical perspective. Most importantly, you can assume they'll do all this more efficiently than the untrained buyer.
Just my two cents on real estate agents. My wife and I did switch from the first RE agent we used when we didn't really like her vibe, but our 2nd was a great guy. Lots of information is available for first-timers and DIYers, but I'm not unhappy that I used one.
this is the attitude that made us wealthy. we need to learn how to work hard and use our financial resources wisely
No offense, but your owl looked like a jelly fish at first glance to me.
Love the blog though
Cloudy is ok, it’s alive with love in there. When it stops, it will start to settle. You can give it an extra couple days if you want, to settle all out. The clearer, the less taste from yeast you will pick up.
I am suppressed bread yeast is still working. Let it be, let it be. Just like the Beatles said. It’s coming along. Keep us informed on your status.
Sadly, this is how Best Buy gets you. You can buy a TV for cheap but they nail you on accessories. They prey on a consumer's lack of knowledge and it's very aggravating. They not only do this for HDMI cables, but also for many other accessories like component cables, speaker cables, etc...
I typically recommend to people if they don't want to buy online (and there's no other electronic store in town) to check out Home Depot or similar hardware store for cables. Their prices are reasonable for having it that day and you're not being ripped off.
You realize that these cable manufacturers are blowing hot air when you find a gold-plated fiber optic cable. (I have picture proof.)
Bicker about cables all you want, but when broadcasters jack up the compression (and the ABSOLUTELY do) you lose A/V quality and no cable will fix that.
Well, i used Fleischmann's ActiveDry yeast for baking. I used one package. Five pounds of sugar and three gallons of water. There isn't a brewers store close. You can smell the alcohol. Looks a little cloudy like the yeast. Is this wrong ??? I was going by what I read in the posts above..
I generally find that often Best Buy will have a great price on the big stuff, the computer or printer or camera or tv, etc. but be much higher on the peripheral stuff, cables, cases, earphones, etc. Not every single time, but often enough that I tend to price them at other places before I buy.
Strictly speaking, if the digital information being sent isn't coming through properly, the protocol, that is, the standard being used to send the information is usually designed to make up for this missing information by either sending it again, or filling in the holes.
When a cable is poorly-made, the digital information can't get through in a timely manner and you will see dropouts, that look like colored squares, appear on the screen.
So it really isn't all-or-nothing for the entire picture. But it does seem to be easier to make cheap digital cables than analog cables.
When I bought my HD TV a few years ago I went into CompUSA and Best Buy looking for HDMI cables. Prices were around $100 for a Monster HDMI cable and I just could not justify it. A little Googling and I found one for $20 that has never failed me. Instand $80 savings.
when I find something that would be perfect for someone, I get it. I usually never spend more than $50 on a gift and am definitely trying to spend far less this year.
It doesn't matter if I pay for it on a cc or a debit card - it all gets paid at the end of the month anyways.
Also - I keep a spreadsheet with each person's name, the holiday and what gift I've bought them. It's a great way to keep track of things and I never forget what's in my 'gift drawer' or what I've bought them in the past.