My wife and I got married at 18 and are still married 22 years later. It hasn't always been easy but we've always seen each other through the hard times.
A few of the comments mentioned respect and I personally think this one word sums up all the rest. And it works in many aspects of life, not just marriage.
If I had to add a second one, I'd have to say "don't take your spouse for granted, ever". That's a road, you don't want to travel. Don't assume the she (he) will always be there because that's when you start saying and doing things that will hurt.
When we were younger, we would even plan our divorce. Why? We figured that when (not if) it would happen, we might be more civil about it that what we had seen other couples do. But, it definitely has an added advantage, it puts things into perspective. It reminds you why you're with her (him) and why it's worth continuing.
My personal feeling, is that if you can't calmly plan how it will end, one or both of you might not be invested enough in the success of the relationship. It's not about finding ways to argue but about finding solutions; and to a set of problems that can be very emotional.
Think of it as a partnership but with a stronger emotional bond.
Okay folks I haven't seen someone mention the tortilla's. A STEAL at Costco! I am feeding 7 people and you can't beat their price for those!
Other big savings items:
Dog and cat food
Sourdough bread rounds - 6 for like $3.50. I put the garlic spread (big jar at Costco for $4 that you blend with butter and the jar lasts FOREVER) and use that as my garlic bread on spagetti night.
Butter
Eggs
Coffee! WAY CHEAP! Its worth a trip just to buy that!
Drugs - pain meds, allergy meds, etc. Can't beat their prices especially if you buy the Kirkland brand.
Diaper and Wipes (though we are past having to buy those!)
It may be something almost unheard of these days in a society who widely accepts people who live off of (and with) their parents until almost 35 (or older!) but my parents raised me with tough love. I would not be doing so well as a young professional if they hadn't.
Since I was a child, I earned everything. I was a natural born entrepreneur, coming up with savvy and smart ways to earn money to put towards my manga addiction.
As I got older and moved out, I decided to become a writer because it was something I was naturally good at. I am thankful that my parents taught me the value of money at a young age. I am successful and though young, I rarely need their financial help.
Instead of writing a whole paragraph detailing your ignorance, why don't you simply reread the intro to this article? What's that you say, you don't have time to read the whole thing? You don't have to read everything because you understand the gist of it? I bet you thought the exact same thing when you "read" your new insurance policy or mortgage contract.
Where I live isn't exactly suburbs, but still two miles to the city centre. I walk that two miles to get to work. It's 45 minutes at a leisurely stroll, I can do it in half an hour. There are supermarkets on my walk back. I rent a car for some of my holidays, and while I've got it, I'll run errands that are difficult on foot. I'm 25, never owned a car, and only took my test less than a year ago. I've been places where not having a car may have been more difficult, or even impossible, but most people are too easily scared.
Hi, I agree with your comment. Companies have double standards. They expect you to follow the instructions and guidelines perfectly, however, when it comes time to pay you for the assignment, if the payment is not received on time (via paypal) all they do is apologize. Mystery shopping is very demanding and time consuming for the amount of monies they want to pay you for the assignment.
I had one company tell me they were going to look at the video tape to confirm my report. I welcome it and then they decided to reject my report. I contacted the scheduler to discuss the situation and she said it was not on the video camera. I told the scheduler I had a video camera also and I wanted to be compensated for this assignment because I have proof of following the instructions per the assignment. I explained to the scheduler that the company that I mystery shopped is lieing. Once I provided that information to the scheduler, they reconsider. It is a doggie dog world and they don't give a crap about you as a professional shopper. You have to go thru extremes to receive a measly paycheck.
Mystery shoppers need to demand more pay. The mystery shopping companies makes monies and pay the shopper crap for the service. This has to stop..... Mystery shoppers have to demand more to get more pay and respect.
Also every editor have there on unique writing style and they expect you to write like them. I had one editor inform me of my writing style to include the name of the person I am evaluating as associate instead of the employee name. When I followed those instructions, that editor commented negatively to me about the report and told me I was supposed to include the employee name instead of writing the words associate. I responded back to the editor and redirected the editor to review the instructions that was given to me per the shop. I also recommended to the editor that they need to update or have a staff meeting to make sure everybody (which includes the company, scheduler, editor, etc) were working according to the guidelines that are given to the mystery shopper and have updated information so the mystery shopper rating is not penalized for their mistake.
I have read that some passport photos from drug stores that advertise passport photos are rejected by the US State Dept - you would hope that you are getting photos that would be acceptable but I don't think it is guaranteed.
Also, for people, getting a good shot is difficult. Are you going to stand there at the drug store, asking the employee to "take just one more" shot because the other photos look awful? At least if you or a friend takes the photo, you can take as many as you want, and in a more relaxed setting.
It all depends on whether you would rather pay for convenience (in which case, you can just get your photo taken at the post office and turn in your application at the same time!) or if you would rather spend some time, spend less money and be in charge of the experience. I'd choose the latter but not everyone would feel the same way.
I switched a few years ago to a safety (double-sided) razor without regret. I invested quite a bit up front (Merkur Futur razor set for home and a Merkur HD Classic - barber pole - razor for my Dopp kit) and exclusively use products from Nancy Boy http://www.nancyboy.com/ (Signature shave cream, Ultramarine night cream or replenishing facial moisturizer and facial toner) - its really worth the price and lasts a long time. You can get a good deal on Merkur replacement blades on Amazon.
I know I saved quite a bit by switching; I even noticed that I change blades less frequently, about every 45 days. I get an excellent shave and I no longer have frequent skin problems. Even purchasing the old 5-blade packs from Costco was expensive ($45 for six cartridge sets?) vs. pennies per safety blade. I also take a bit more time now shaving but it really is more relaxing. The badger hair brush does the trick with working up a good lather and conditioning the skin/whiskers for a shave.
Thanks for posting that it's on hulu now! I was hoping it'd be on there, my Mom told me about the show and I've wanted to see it myself, but I don't have soapnet on cable. So thanks for the heads up! :)
Hello, I just found this site and it sounds great. Where can i turn to next for reciepts and step by step directions on making some shine? I have an old preasure cooker that I can convert. It does have a rubber seal though. Dont know if that will cause a problem.
I did try a wine that was made in a sparklets bottle with a bubbler on top. When it stopped bubbling it was done. Boy that was strong, made with mashed up grapes.
Any Civil War reciepts?? I'm a reenactor.
I think maybe it is because it's on a network about soap operas, so they think their target audience is women. I think it's pretty bizarre that it's on a network about soap operas,actually. In the BBC original Bank of Mum and Dad they did feature quite a few young men.
How to boost your cell phone signal with no problem in your house works!!!! I tried this one with the coffee cans and wow man did it work !!!!
Step 1.
You buy two steel contructed coffee cans; not from China because of lead in steel and in plastic.... To make sure the coffee can is metal: use a magnet, becareful the magnet may pinch a finger, so slide the magnet... Be sure of the negative polarization on the magnet: test by repelling the magnets one side, negative one side positive..Becareful and watch your fingers.
Step 2.
Recycle the plastic lid, for this could cause interference with reception. Turn the coffee cans upside down. Use a Hammer and 1/8 inch punch. Hit the coffee cans dead center on both cans.. Use Safety Goggles, and Watch your hands!!!! Do not punch more than one hole in each can: this would cause a loss on connectivity between the cans and the wire when connected between the two coffee cans..
Step 3.
Insure you use a nylon string for insulation of copper wires, take 2 strands of 3 foot long copper wire, 1/8 in diameter (more maybe required determine the distance to a local window or door) Twist the nylon string around the two copper wires for insulation enough to hold together and insulate the copper from the weather..
Step 4.
Place one end of the wires through the coffee can and the other end through the second coffee can.. Make a L shape on each end of wires after you put through each coffee can. Hang the coffee cans above your door or near you porch light front or back; most likely where you have best cell reception outside the house.... Make sure you fasten this properly with the wire above door ways of you house.. Works great with French Style Doors and Sliding Glass Doors...
Step 5.
Now turn you cell phone on and test the signal boost...
Hope This work, it worked for me... My neighbors now do the same.. I think alot of people use this method in our area now.. simple lifes has its simple life turn of events turn of events.... This is geared for those who dont want to damage a cell phone with a paper clipp and have internal antenna on their cell phones......
Based on the opening credits, it seems like this show will focus primarily on women with money issues. I'm not sure why, I'm pretty sure there's PLENTY of spend thrifty men.
A video game system, unlike computers and some other electronics, is a returnable item at Costco. (So are the video games). Xbox is notorious for failing. Mine has twice. Instead of sending it to Microsoft support, I boxed it up & returned it to Costco, then went and bought a new one at a greatly reduced price since the price is always dropping. I've done this twice.
say my winning is 100 mil after tithe and tax, and assume I've done my research and hired the correct people and now I'm invested to get 5% interest a year for the rest of my life. that means I can live off of the 5% (including any taxes that come out of that, again I will figure that out) very nicely without touching the principal. this would be adjusted with inflation as well, with a yearly evaluation and then more immediate evaluations as things happen with the global economy as well.
so, 5 million a year, say 3 million after taxes:
in the first 5 years (15 mill?):
I'd buy the land I want and have my dream house built and do the basic setting up of everything on my land, as well as buying the cars and furniture and giving my dogs a nice area to be when they are not running around the acreage and things like that. I'd get a large garden going and a greenhouse full of things as well. basically the goal here is to be able to live off my land as much as possible and give to (hand picked people, not just anyone) those in need. I'd have animals as well, so I could have for myself and them, eggs, chicken, beef, pork etc. I'd also stock my storage of things that I can't grow on my property (assuming there are these things, and that I still really really want them) food wise and things like shampoo etc. lol
once my place is set up, and possibly during that whole process, I'd be going on some nice vacations. I've never been on one, so that would be nice. I'd go all over the world.
as for helping family out, I'd give my parents X amount for their mortgage, but that might be it. I'd rather help a little bit at a time as the years go by. I'd help one of my sisters and her husband buy a house or do something like that, but I wouldn't do a lot, and my other two sisters, one wouldn't get a dime cause she'd just blow it on booze and concerts and cigarettes and God knows what else, and my last sister... I'd buy her a horse (actually two, one for my mom as well and they would ride together).
as for cars, I drive a mid nineties SUV, so not only is it bad on gas, but it's starting to have issues. it would get replaced buy a few cars that I've wanted for years, nothing fancy though.
I'd put a gym in my new house and I'd work out a good amount to get down to the size/weight/health I want to be, THEN I'd fill my walk in closet. nothing fancy again, but I'd need clothes lol just do basic things like that, and be modest but not live like I'm poor either.
Idk... it would be nice wouldn't it? but you know what they say, if you want to win the lottery, you gotta do your share and buy a ticket :-p
I was much intrigued by this story. There was always something that bothered me about Costco. I should mention upfront that I received my Costco membership as a gift. The last time I was there, I stood at the exit and counted people as they exited and noted their race. In about 200 that I counted, just one was African American. There were 2 other African-Americans that I inadvertently counted as I later noticed their Costco employee badges.
What I find bothersome about Costco, even before I read this story, was that I found it "classist", if there is such a word. I noted the parking lot filled with late model high end cars such as Lexuses, Mercedes, Infinitis, BMWs, etc. These are the people who need the type of discounts that Costcos has the least. Though I have a Costco card, I try to avoid Costco -- as I feel it gives price breaks to people who need it the least. Why can't these people shop at smaller locally owned stores that may be more expensive but that would benefit the local community more ? I believe that shopping at Costco's actually makes products more expensive to the working poor. They can't afford the Costco memberships so they shop at higher priced stores who stock these products in smaller size packages. The manufacturer, because he has had his margins cut so thin by Costco's, charges higher margins to those stores that the working poor frequent.
There is a fundamental difference between Wal-Mart and stores of that ilk and Costco's. At a Wal-Mart, one sees people from a variety of races and social-economic classes. Not so at Costco. At Costco's, you see mainly whites as well as over-represented professional Asians (including East Indians).
Next time of you Costco members is at Costco's, do a count. See how many blacks and hispanics there are. You won't find many. They are out shopping at local stores who have bought the same items at prices -- because Costco's has pushed the manufacturer "to the wall" in getting the items to it over-privileged customers.
#7 -- just 2 meals for the price of 2 (relatively expensive dining-out meals), for those of us who don't mooch off our dates. It used to be that men paid for dates because we couldn't work, and therefore *couldn't* pay. Why are they still paying now...? I know there's a wage gap but I have a funny feeling that doesn't have much to do with it. If you can't afford to eat somewhere, go somewhere else!
#30 -- if you're in a rural area, you can probably pick wildflowers instead (depending on the time of year). There are lots of pretty wildflowers around my place. This method might not get you the same kind of flowers you'd get from the florist, but at least you're not stealing from dead people.
#23 -- not only is this stealing, the cup would get really gross really fast.
#32, 33 -- eww. If you're that hard up for money, you can buy cheap bedding from most thrift stores.
#36 -- some bookstores actually want a few people to sit around and read. This is why they have coffee shops and so many comfy chairs inside. Reading the book in the store might mean you don't buy the book, but it makes the store seem warmer (less corporate) and the books seem more interesting, attracting other customers. Of course, not all bookstores feel the same way about this, and I think it's inappropriate to do it in bookstores that don't encourage it. And in the ones that do, it's important to make sure you're not wrecking the books (obv. nobody wants to buy a dog-eared, creased-spine book), and to remember that store's generosity next time you're actually looking to buy something.
#46 -- true or not (most likely not), isn't the whole point of frugality so that we can save money to do the things that are important? If getting married to a particular person isn't important to you, you shouldn't even be considering it in the first place.
The Canadian coin thing was funny to me. I'm Canadian, and sometimes American coins are mixed in with our change. I use them just the same as I would Canadian money. I guess that makes me a spendthrift! :)
I also thought the show was entertaining and plan to watch it again. I also agree some advice about managing her income could have gone a long way, in addition to controlling spending. All she has to do to solve her financial problems is work another couple of shifts each week (hardly a tall order).
But this woman's problems weren't really financial - at least not at the root. Her laziness and apathy and ignorance are the real issues that are just manifesting themselves as financial problems. Everything about her life and habits is/was totally self-indulgent. Thank goodness her credit is so bad she can't get credit cards, or else she'd really be in trouble.
She accumulated $1300 in parking tickets, which is ridiculous in and of itself (I can just see her rolling out of bed and driving to yoga and deciding a $25 ticket is totally worth it so she doesn't have to walk a block or show up late). But not paying those tickets is even stupider; she could have ended up in jail or at least without her car, and would have had no money to get out. And she spends thousands of dollars a year on international travel, but has just never gotten around to getting health insurance even though she has health problems.
There were also plenty of places she could cut spending without even having to change her lifestyle, as her mom pointed out. But the real thing she needs to do is educate herself and set some goals. I was struck by her lack of ambition or desire for change, especially at her age.
I totally forgot about carpet sweepers! Hazzah. On my way to use it for my area rug (too big to shake out the window).
Ditto to @Retirement Saviour (#10) on the Reel Mover...just gota find one.
I'm addicted to bread machines. (I was lucky enough to acquire mine from a friend who didn't use theirs and was all too happy to see it out of their kitchen).
And dust? Meh. Who needs to dust!? (just kidding - I use rags).
And in Australia where I'm curently living, clothes dryers are not as common. Drying racks and clotheslines are generally the name of the day, even for many people who own dryers. (They only dry certain items based on necessity or time or wet weather).
I would love for you to check out my baby deal website which is updated daily to provide the best deals and bargains available to parents. We like saving you a bundle on your bundle of joy!
Cheese (which freezes really well, FYI) ~$2.50/lb,
very good dog food (high fat, protein content) for 40lbs/$22,
baby wipes (about 1/3 less than WalMart or Target),
butter ($1.65/lb, unsalted, yesterday),
dried spices,
organic salad mix,
yeast,
sugar,
basmati rice,
flour,
the pumpkin pies for $5 at Thanksgiving (huge!!),
padded mailing envelopes (20/$6),
men's dress pants (~$20/pr)
Birkenstocks ($40/pr)
nuts (almonds, raw, $6/3lbs)
hot chocolate
instant mashed potatoes (4x as much for the same price of the largest on the grocery store shelf)
bagels (ginormous ones, 12/$4)
.
Items that are a good deal that I don't buy:
-fruit. The quality is better than at the grocery store, and usually cheaper. However, I rarely find organic at my local Sam's Club and we don't have a Costco.
-eggs. We don't have a free-range option, but they're $1.96/3 dozen.
-diapers. My daughter only wears pullups now and they don't sell generic ones. So, I have a standing order at Amazon.com for pullups, which saves me 15% and nets free shipping. $23/case.
-paper towels. Cheap, but I'm trying to cut down on them.
-infant/toddler's fleece playsuits - cheap ($7 or so) and terribly useful!
-milk. No organic, and the soy isn't terribly cheaper.
-ground beef/pork loin. They often have those big tubes of ground beef cheap, as well as $2/lb pork loin. I buy mine by the animal (1/2 cow, etc) organic, from a local farmer, for $2.65/lb, which I figure is a better deal.
The Costco rotisserie chickens are much cheaper, and much larger, than at any of the grocery stores in my area - and much yummier. I can make multiple uses of the leftovers, such as really quick chicken fajitas, for even bigger savings. Flour tortillas, white or whole wheat, are MUCH cheaper than any grocery store prices in my area, and their large quantity stores for a long time in the fridge with no ill effects.
I make my own pizza (and breads occasionally), and I've found Costco is the cheapest place to buy yeast, sliced pepperoni, as well as shredded cheeses - parmesan and mozzarella, as well as cheddar. The cheeses come in 3 - 5 lb bags, which I divide into smaller quantities and freeze the extra. There have been comments that frozen then thawed cheese loses some quality, but I haven't found this to be true, especially if you're using the cheese for cooking.
Costco is also the only place I buy gas. We have 3 different gasoline brands in our small city, including Costco, and their price is always cheapest, even when the prices spike upward. A survey of surrounding cities has proven Costco gas prices are regularly the cheapest in the whole area.
Whether its about sex or money, if parents are not open and honest with their kids, kids grow up and are forced to make mistakes to learn on their own.
Goes to show what happens when parents don't communicate with their kids.
My wife and I got married at 18 and are still married 22 years later. It hasn't always been easy but we've always seen each other through the hard times.
A few of the comments mentioned respect and I personally think this one word sums up all the rest. And it works in many aspects of life, not just marriage.
If I had to add a second one, I'd have to say "don't take your spouse for granted, ever". That's a road, you don't want to travel. Don't assume the she (he) will always be there because that's when you start saying and doing things that will hurt.
When we were younger, we would even plan our divorce. Why? We figured that when (not if) it would happen, we might be more civil about it that what we had seen other couples do. But, it definitely has an added advantage, it puts things into perspective. It reminds you why you're with her (him) and why it's worth continuing.
My personal feeling, is that if you can't calmly plan how it will end, one or both of you might not be invested enough in the success of the relationship. It's not about finding ways to argue but about finding solutions; and to a set of problems that can be very emotional.
Think of it as a partnership but with a stronger emotional bond.
Cheers and thanks for a great post!
Okay folks I haven't seen someone mention the tortilla's. A STEAL at Costco! I am feeding 7 people and you can't beat their price for those!
Other big savings items:
Dog and cat food
Sourdough bread rounds - 6 for like $3.50. I put the garlic spread (big jar at Costco for $4 that you blend with butter and the jar lasts FOREVER) and use that as my garlic bread on spagetti night.
Butter
Eggs
Coffee! WAY CHEAP! Its worth a trip just to buy that!
Drugs - pain meds, allergy meds, etc. Can't beat their prices especially if you buy the Kirkland brand.
Diaper and Wipes (though we are past having to buy those!)
I love Costco! Saves me family a ton of money!
It may be something almost unheard of these days in a society who widely accepts people who live off of (and with) their parents until almost 35 (or older!) but my parents raised me with tough love. I would not be doing so well as a young professional if they hadn't.
Since I was a child, I earned everything. I was a natural born entrepreneur, coming up with savvy and smart ways to earn money to put towards my manga addiction.
As I got older and moved out, I decided to become a writer because it was something I was naturally good at. I am thankful that my parents taught me the value of money at a young age. I am successful and though young, I rarely need their financial help.
To This comment:
Instead of writing a whole paragraph detailing your ignorance, why don't you simply reread the intro to this article? What's that you say, you don't have time to read the whole thing? You don't have to read everything because you understand the gist of it? I bet you thought the exact same thing when you "read" your new insurance policy or mortgage contract.
You sicken me.
Where I live isn't exactly suburbs, but still two miles to the city centre. I walk that two miles to get to work. It's 45 minutes at a leisurely stroll, I can do it in half an hour. There are supermarkets on my walk back. I rent a car for some of my holidays, and while I've got it, I'll run errands that are difficult on foot. I'm 25, never owned a car, and only took my test less than a year ago. I've been places where not having a car may have been more difficult, or even impossible, but most people are too easily scared.
Hi, I agree with your comment. Companies have double standards. They expect you to follow the instructions and guidelines perfectly, however, when it comes time to pay you for the assignment, if the payment is not received on time (via paypal) all they do is apologize. Mystery shopping is very demanding and time consuming for the amount of monies they want to pay you for the assignment.
I had one company tell me they were going to look at the video tape to confirm my report. I welcome it and then they decided to reject my report. I contacted the scheduler to discuss the situation and she said it was not on the video camera. I told the scheduler I had a video camera also and I wanted to be compensated for this assignment because I have proof of following the instructions per the assignment. I explained to the scheduler that the company that I mystery shopped is lieing. Once I provided that information to the scheduler, they reconsider. It is a doggie dog world and they don't give a crap about you as a professional shopper. You have to go thru extremes to receive a measly paycheck.
Mystery shoppers need to demand more pay. The mystery shopping companies makes monies and pay the shopper crap for the service. This has to stop..... Mystery shoppers have to demand more to get more pay and respect.
Also every editor have there on unique writing style and they expect you to write like them. I had one editor inform me of my writing style to include the name of the person I am evaluating as associate instead of the employee name. When I followed those instructions, that editor commented negatively to me about the report and told me I was supposed to include the employee name instead of writing the words associate. I responded back to the editor and redirected the editor to review the instructions that was given to me per the shop. I also recommended to the editor that they need to update or have a staff meeting to make sure everybody (which includes the company, scheduler, editor, etc) were working according to the guidelines that are given to the mystery shopper and have updated information so the mystery shopper rating is not penalized for their mistake.
mysteryshopperguru
I have read that some passport photos from drug stores that advertise passport photos are rejected by the US State Dept - you would hope that you are getting photos that would be acceptable but I don't think it is guaranteed.
Also, for people, getting a good shot is difficult. Are you going to stand there at the drug store, asking the employee to "take just one more" shot because the other photos look awful? At least if you or a friend takes the photo, you can take as many as you want, and in a more relaxed setting.
It all depends on whether you would rather pay for convenience (in which case, you can just get your photo taken at the post office and turn in your application at the same time!) or if you would rather spend some time, spend less money and be in charge of the experience. I'd choose the latter but not everyone would feel the same way.
I switched a few years ago to a safety (double-sided) razor without regret. I invested quite a bit up front (Merkur Futur razor set for home and a Merkur HD Classic - barber pole - razor for my Dopp kit) and exclusively use products from Nancy Boy http://www.nancyboy.com/ (Signature shave cream, Ultramarine night cream or replenishing facial moisturizer and facial toner) - its really worth the price and lasts a long time. You can get a good deal on Merkur replacement blades on Amazon.
I know I saved quite a bit by switching; I even noticed that I change blades less frequently, about every 45 days. I get an excellent shave and I no longer have frequent skin problems. Even purchasing the old 5-blade packs from Costco was expensive ($45 for six cartridge sets?) vs. pennies per safety blade. I also take a bit more time now shaving but it really is more relaxing. The badger hair brush does the trick with working up a good lather and conditioning the skin/whiskers for a shave.
Thanks for posting that it's on hulu now! I was hoping it'd be on there, my Mom told me about the show and I've wanted to see it myself, but I don't have soapnet on cable. So thanks for the heads up! :)
Hello, I just found this site and it sounds great. Where can i turn to next for reciepts and step by step directions on making some shine? I have an old preasure cooker that I can convert. It does have a rubber seal though. Dont know if that will cause a problem.
I did try a wine that was made in a sparklets bottle with a bubbler on top. When it stopped bubbling it was done. Boy that was strong, made with mashed up grapes.
Any Civil War reciepts?? I'm a reenactor.
I think maybe it is because it's on a network about soap operas, so they think their target audience is women. I think it's pretty bizarre that it's on a network about soap operas,actually. In the BBC original Bank of Mum and Dad they did feature quite a few young men.
How to boost your cell phone signal with no problem in your house works!!!! I tried this one with the coffee cans and wow man did it work !!!!
Step 1.
You buy two steel contructed coffee cans; not from China because of lead in steel and in plastic.... To make sure the coffee can is metal: use a magnet, becareful the magnet may pinch a finger, so slide the magnet... Be sure of the negative polarization on the magnet: test by repelling the magnets one side, negative one side positive..Becareful and watch your fingers.
Step 2.
Recycle the plastic lid, for this could cause interference with reception. Turn the coffee cans upside down. Use a Hammer and 1/8 inch punch. Hit the coffee cans dead center on both cans.. Use Safety Goggles, and Watch your hands!!!! Do not punch more than one hole in each can: this would cause a loss on connectivity between the cans and the wire when connected between the two coffee cans..
Step 3.
Insure you use a nylon string for insulation of copper wires, take 2 strands of 3 foot long copper wire, 1/8 in diameter (more maybe required determine the distance to a local window or door) Twist the nylon string around the two copper wires for insulation enough to hold together and insulate the copper from the weather..
Step 4.
Place one end of the wires through the coffee can and the other end through the second coffee can.. Make a L shape on each end of wires after you put through each coffee can. Hang the coffee cans above your door or near you porch light front or back; most likely where you have best cell reception outside the house.... Make sure you fasten this properly with the wire above door ways of you house.. Works great with French Style Doors and Sliding Glass Doors...
Step 5.
Now turn you cell phone on and test the signal boost...
Hope This work, it worked for me... My neighbors now do the same.. I think alot of people use this method in our area now.. simple lifes has its simple life turn of events turn of events.... This is geared for those who dont want to damage a cell phone with a paper clipp and have internal antenna on their cell phones......
Based on the opening credits, it seems like this show will focus primarily on women with money issues. I'm not sure why, I'm pretty sure there's PLENTY of spend thrifty men.
A video game system, unlike computers and some other electronics, is a returnable item at Costco. (So are the video games). Xbox is notorious for failing. Mine has twice. Instead of sending it to Microsoft support, I boxed it up & returned it to Costco, then went and bought a new one at a greatly reduced price since the price is always dropping. I've done this twice.
say my winning is 100 mil after tithe and tax, and assume I've done my research and hired the correct people and now I'm invested to get 5% interest a year for the rest of my life. that means I can live off of the 5% (including any taxes that come out of that, again I will figure that out) very nicely without touching the principal. this would be adjusted with inflation as well, with a yearly evaluation and then more immediate evaluations as things happen with the global economy as well.
so, 5 million a year, say 3 million after taxes:
in the first 5 years (15 mill?):
I'd buy the land I want and have my dream house built and do the basic setting up of everything on my land, as well as buying the cars and furniture and giving my dogs a nice area to be when they are not running around the acreage and things like that. I'd get a large garden going and a greenhouse full of things as well. basically the goal here is to be able to live off my land as much as possible and give to (hand picked people, not just anyone) those in need. I'd have animals as well, so I could have for myself and them, eggs, chicken, beef, pork etc. I'd also stock my storage of things that I can't grow on my property (assuming there are these things, and that I still really really want them) food wise and things like shampoo etc. lol
once my place is set up, and possibly during that whole process, I'd be going on some nice vacations. I've never been on one, so that would be nice. I'd go all over the world.
as for helping family out, I'd give my parents X amount for their mortgage, but that might be it. I'd rather help a little bit at a time as the years go by. I'd help one of my sisters and her husband buy a house or do something like that, but I wouldn't do a lot, and my other two sisters, one wouldn't get a dime cause she'd just blow it on booze and concerts and cigarettes and God knows what else, and my last sister... I'd buy her a horse (actually two, one for my mom as well and they would ride together).
as for cars, I drive a mid nineties SUV, so not only is it bad on gas, but it's starting to have issues. it would get replaced buy a few cars that I've wanted for years, nothing fancy though.
I'd put a gym in my new house and I'd work out a good amount to get down to the size/weight/health I want to be, THEN I'd fill my walk in closet. nothing fancy again, but I'd need clothes lol just do basic things like that, and be modest but not live like I'm poor either.
Idk... it would be nice wouldn't it? but you know what they say, if you want to win the lottery, you gotta do your share and buy a ticket :-p
I was much intrigued by this story. There was always something that bothered me about Costco. I should mention upfront that I received my Costco membership as a gift. The last time I was there, I stood at the exit and counted people as they exited and noted their race. In about 200 that I counted, just one was African American. There were 2 other African-Americans that I inadvertently counted as I later noticed their Costco employee badges.
What I find bothersome about Costco, even before I read this story, was that I found it "classist", if there is such a word. I noted the parking lot filled with late model high end cars such as Lexuses, Mercedes, Infinitis, BMWs, etc. These are the people who need the type of discounts that Costcos has the least. Though I have a Costco card, I try to avoid Costco -- as I feel it gives price breaks to people who need it the least. Why can't these people shop at smaller locally owned stores that may be more expensive but that would benefit the local community more ? I believe that shopping at Costco's actually makes products more expensive to the working poor. They can't afford the Costco memberships so they shop at higher priced stores who stock these products in smaller size packages. The manufacturer, because he has had his margins cut so thin by Costco's, charges higher margins to those stores that the working poor frequent.
There is a fundamental difference between Wal-Mart and stores of that ilk and Costco's. At a Wal-Mart, one sees people from a variety of races and social-economic classes. Not so at Costco. At Costco's, you see mainly whites as well as over-represented professional Asians (including East Indians).
Next time of you Costco members is at Costco's, do a count. See how many blacks and hispanics there are. You won't find many. They are out shopping at local stores who have bought the same items at prices -- because Costco's has pushed the manufacturer "to the wall" in getting the items to it over-privileged customers.
I agree the biggest problem is lack of income. Her budget only allowed $250/month towards debt.
$38,000 / $250/month = 152 months or 12.7 years at 0% interest.
And the student loans are a huge waste. Why go to school then become a low paid bartender? Getting roommates would be another option.
I'll continue watching this if I remember to watch it. It's amazing how bad people can be with money.
#7 -- just 2 meals for the price of 2 (relatively expensive dining-out meals), for those of us who don't mooch off our dates. It used to be that men paid for dates because we couldn't work, and therefore *couldn't* pay. Why are they still paying now...? I know there's a wage gap but I have a funny feeling that doesn't have much to do with it. If you can't afford to eat somewhere, go somewhere else!
#30 -- if you're in a rural area, you can probably pick wildflowers instead (depending on the time of year). There are lots of pretty wildflowers around my place. This method might not get you the same kind of flowers you'd get from the florist, but at least you're not stealing from dead people.
#23 -- not only is this stealing, the cup would get really gross really fast.
#32, 33 -- eww. If you're that hard up for money, you can buy cheap bedding from most thrift stores.
#36 -- some bookstores actually want a few people to sit around and read. This is why they have coffee shops and so many comfy chairs inside. Reading the book in the store might mean you don't buy the book, but it makes the store seem warmer (less corporate) and the books seem more interesting, attracting other customers. Of course, not all bookstores feel the same way about this, and I think it's inappropriate to do it in bookstores that don't encourage it. And in the ones that do, it's important to make sure you're not wrecking the books (obv. nobody wants to buy a dog-eared, creased-spine book), and to remember that store's generosity next time you're actually looking to buy something.
#46 -- true or not (most likely not), isn't the whole point of frugality so that we can save money to do the things that are important? If getting married to a particular person isn't important to you, you shouldn't even be considering it in the first place.
The Canadian coin thing was funny to me. I'm Canadian, and sometimes American coins are mixed in with our change. I use them just the same as I would Canadian money. I guess that makes me a spendthrift! :)
I also thought the show was entertaining and plan to watch it again. I also agree some advice about managing her income could have gone a long way, in addition to controlling spending. All she has to do to solve her financial problems is work another couple of shifts each week (hardly a tall order).
But this woman's problems weren't really financial - at least not at the root. Her laziness and apathy and ignorance are the real issues that are just manifesting themselves as financial problems. Everything about her life and habits is/was totally self-indulgent. Thank goodness her credit is so bad she can't get credit cards, or else she'd really be in trouble.
She accumulated $1300 in parking tickets, which is ridiculous in and of itself (I can just see her rolling out of bed and driving to yoga and deciding a $25 ticket is totally worth it so she doesn't have to walk a block or show up late). But not paying those tickets is even stupider; she could have ended up in jail or at least without her car, and would have had no money to get out. And she spends thousands of dollars a year on international travel, but has just never gotten around to getting health insurance even though she has health problems.
There were also plenty of places she could cut spending without even having to change her lifestyle, as her mom pointed out. But the real thing she needs to do is educate herself and set some goals. I was struck by her lack of ambition or desire for change, especially at her age.
I totally forgot about carpet sweepers! Hazzah. On my way to use it for my area rug (too big to shake out the window).
Ditto to @Retirement Saviour (#10) on the Reel Mover...just gota find one.
I'm addicted to bread machines. (I was lucky enough to acquire mine from a friend who didn't use theirs and was all too happy to see it out of their kitchen).
And dust? Meh. Who needs to dust!? (just kidding - I use rags).
And in Australia where I'm curently living, clothes dryers are not as common. Drying racks and clotheslines are generally the name of the day, even for many people who own dryers. (They only dry certain items based on necessity or time or wet weather).
great mentions!! I love the soymilk!
Mercedes
I would love for you to check out my baby deal website which is updated daily to provide the best deals and bargains available to parents. We like saving you a bundle on your bundle of joy!
Cheese (which freezes really well, FYI) ~$2.50/lb,
very good dog food (high fat, protein content) for 40lbs/$22,
baby wipes (about 1/3 less than WalMart or Target),
butter ($1.65/lb, unsalted, yesterday),
dried spices,
organic salad mix,
yeast,
sugar,
basmati rice,
flour,
the pumpkin pies for $5 at Thanksgiving (huge!!),
padded mailing envelopes (20/$6),
men's dress pants (~$20/pr)
Birkenstocks ($40/pr)
nuts (almonds, raw, $6/3lbs)
hot chocolate
instant mashed potatoes (4x as much for the same price of the largest on the grocery store shelf)
bagels (ginormous ones, 12/$4)
.
Items that are a good deal that I don't buy:
-fruit. The quality is better than at the grocery store, and usually cheaper. However, I rarely find organic at my local Sam's Club and we don't have a Costco.
-eggs. We don't have a free-range option, but they're $1.96/3 dozen.
-diapers. My daughter only wears pullups now and they don't sell generic ones. So, I have a standing order at Amazon.com for pullups, which saves me 15% and nets free shipping. $23/case.
-paper towels. Cheap, but I'm trying to cut down on them.
-infant/toddler's fleece playsuits - cheap ($7 or so) and terribly useful!
-milk. No organic, and the soy isn't terribly cheaper.
-ground beef/pork loin. They often have those big tubes of ground beef cheap, as well as $2/lb pork loin. I buy mine by the animal (1/2 cow, etc) organic, from a local farmer, for $2.65/lb, which I figure is a better deal.
The Costco rotisserie chickens are much cheaper, and much larger, than at any of the grocery stores in my area - and much yummier. I can make multiple uses of the leftovers, such as really quick chicken fajitas, for even bigger savings. Flour tortillas, white or whole wheat, are MUCH cheaper than any grocery store prices in my area, and their large quantity stores for a long time in the fridge with no ill effects.
I make my own pizza (and breads occasionally), and I've found Costco is the cheapest place to buy yeast, sliced pepperoni, as well as shredded cheeses - parmesan and mozzarella, as well as cheddar. The cheeses come in 3 - 5 lb bags, which I divide into smaller quantities and freeze the extra. There have been comments that frozen then thawed cheese loses some quality, but I haven't found this to be true, especially if you're using the cheese for cooking.
Costco is also the only place I buy gas. We have 3 different gasoline brands in our small city, including Costco, and their price is always cheapest, even when the prices spike upward. A survey of surrounding cities has proven Costco gas prices are regularly the cheapest in the whole area.
Whether its about sex or money, if parents are not open and honest with their kids, kids grow up and are forced to make mistakes to learn on their own.
Goes to show what happens when parents don't communicate with their kids.