Michael's Crafts Store has a weekly ad in the paper here with a 50% off coupon, good on just about anything in the store that's not already on sale. Their frame selection is pretty good, and they'll cut custom matting for pretty cheap as well if you go that route.
I have a lot of nice pictures from my travels and love taking them and putting them up. they mean a lot to me and are of my travels experiences so i don't want them in a bad frame. Michaels always has great deals on custom frames, 50-60% off and that is where I get mine done and for the best price around. the pictures come out great, and for me its an investment cause I will keep these pictures with me forever.
As a working artist I always appreciate when none art blogs do anything that move the idea of art appreciation further. Great post. IKEA has small great basic frames that are cheap and look great.
Since I'm such a klutz, I tend to stay away from glass altogether these days, but it does lend such a professional finish to framed art. I never thought of checking with glass repair places for cutting art glass - that's brilliant.
Personally, I'm a clip frame and black painted wood frame fan from way back. You're so right too, the framing can eat up more of your art budget than the actual art.
Another hack I've used for empty frames without glass is to get the glass cut and put in at an auto repair shop. They don't necessarily have low glare glass, but they can put it in with epoxy and it doesn't even show. I've also had them cut and glue in mirror in the same way, turning fun frames picked up at markets around the world into funky bathroom and guest bedroom mirrors for cheap. It just takes adding on some of the DIY hardware you suggested onto the back afterward.
It would be great if we all just LOVED our job, and that's what part of this article tries to address. I'm pretty sure most people have tons of things they'd rather be doing than working.
Obama will implement Universal Healthcare within 4 years, so don't worry! We'll all be able to kick back and have the working folks pay for our premiums. Ouch, that's controversial! :)
Keigu,
Financial Samurai
"Slicing Through Money's Mysteries"
Follow up note: if you do use soap on them and you feel it has begun to strip the pan of its sheen, then simply slater on another thick coat of oil and place in a hot oven, in order to allow the oil to soak into the pan. As far as I know, there is no "ruining" these pans.
Everyone says you can't use soap on the pans, but I always have, and my mother, and my grandmother. We live in the south in the country and you don't find a home without an assortment of iron skillets. We have no problem using the soap. These things are indestructible. You can find rusty ones at flea markets and take it home, season it up, and they are good as new.
For the best cornbread that won't ever stick, use the same iron skillet everytime and only wipe it out instead of washing with soap. Only use for cornbread and you will have the best tasting cornbread in town. Other than that go to town with the soap, it won't hurt a thing as long as you dry after washing.
What about the added wear-and-tear you are putting on your starter? If you stop your engine at each red light, you are going to need to spend money replacing your starter a LOT sooner than normal. I'd say that the cost of the replaced starter outweighs any savings you would get from gas.
Great points on the tweaks you can make with a Swiffer base head: felt (I should try this!), rags, etc. There is a whole cool world of felt crafting: maybe some craftier-than-I Etsy superstar can corner the market on beautiful, multi-colored felted Swiffer replacement pads.
Re: cast iron no-no's: I need to learn more about the cast iron-tomato reaction. I have not heeded this, but with no ill effects that I can tell. If you are concerned about raw meat/etc contamination, simply lightly wash the pan and dry over VERY high heat, then perhaps wipe or wash again. I still feel cast iron is the best pan to use because it cooks fast and treats flavors well. (Some would say it retains the flavors from the previous meal, mixing them all with strange alchemy - unless the last meal was fish, and then you might want to let that flavor burn out of the pores before starting again.)
Putting the pan back on the stove to dry while I wipe down the counters doesn't seem like extra time now that I'm used to it.
I suppose one's pans become very personal and taste-driven once they are used often. That's an interesting discussion in itself.
In regards to #35 - Instead of a brick in double bagged plastic baggies... take a milk jug and fill it with water and put it in your toilet tank.
You will save a gallon of water per flush, and you won't have to worry about the baggies leaking and the brick dissolving. If the milk jug leaks... oh well!
I would add: fight your traffic tickets in court. I don't get many tickets, but I did get one that I hired a traffic lawyer for, who got me off for $300. $300 isn't cheap, but 3 years later, I got a speeding ticket and simply paid the fine - and my insurance went up by $600 per year.
I got this awesome program that helps with my menu planning Making menus and counting nutritional information is So easy now. Does anyone have any other good ideas?
Just go to Walgreens and spend $7 and wait 10 minutes for the photos to develop. I believe I got 2 photos for the $7.
This way you can guarantee your passport application will be accepted the first time, and you won't waste time messing with other websites and waiting for delivery.
I then went straight to the post office and turned in my passport application with photos.
Why make things difficult? I guess it might be worthwhile to go with an online company if you needed to order multiple passports (for an entire family?) to save a minimal amount of money. Or if you live in the middle of nowhere.
But how much is your time worth? I'd rather spend $7 and have it done in 10 minutes than spend up to an hour taking my own photo, uploading it on the computer, submitting it to the website, waiting for the final product & downloading it, and then taking that photo down somewhere else to get it printed and waiting some more at the store!
You can't use tomatoes in cast iron pans? C'mon...I only agree with going "eco friendly" only if it sames me money, time and doesn't make my life harder. The fact that I can't use soap on a pan after I cooked raw chicken and eggs makes me sick to my stomach....
I do agree on the Swiffer mops...I still use the swiffer duster, because one box of refills has lasted me over a year (you don't have to change them often) I stopped using the mop though after we bought a house with all wood floors. It's great for a small apartment (with one linoleum floor, no point in making a huge mop bucket) but when you have a lot of wood floors, you go through the refills often and it doesn't seem to clean as well.
We have one cast iron pan that we use pretty much every day, and from living with a variety of roomates I can pretty much say that you can pretty much wash it however you want as long as you're not sticking it back in the cupboard for weeks between uses. People get scared off by having special handling instructions, and they're pretty unecessary.
And I love my Swiffer - I just use old cut up rags on it, instead of the stuff they sell. Damping a rag and using it, then tossing it in the wash, is WAY easier than lugging around a mop and bucket.
I don't buy these. I buy white felt squares at Joanne's Fabrics for 25 cents and use these and wash them. They fit the swiffer sweeper head and can be washed and reused many times.
I wouldn't recommend crafting if you actually want to make money. If you price your items to include labor (both the labor of producing and sitting at a booth and selling it) nobody will buy it.
Just a heads up on cast iron pans. Make sure they are seasoned before using them (instructions on seasoning should be with the pan). You shouldn't use any soap on them, just scrub when hot with a rag and salt to clean. You can't use them on glass top stoves, b/c they can crack the glass b/c of their weight. You shouldn't put tomatoes in them, b/c there will be a chemical reaction with the acid in the tomatoes and the pan itself. If you want to use tomatoes in one, you should use an enameled cast iron pan. To keep it well seasoned you should oil it after every use. Cast iron pans are awsome, my husband loves cooking with them (he has several different types). They are also sometimes cheaper if you you look for them back in the camping items part of the store.
I got my cartridge refilled at Walgreens, paid $12 still a good deal, but it won't work. HP deskjet 940c, yellow light continues to flash. Do you think the cartridge was damaged? Any suggestions. Walgreens will refund the $12.
thanks
I have a small amount of land and much was not useful to me because of the tall pine trees that cast so much shade. I thought that a back hoe service would be astronomical to clear out the stumps, but it turned out to be very reasonable. I'm looking forward to a couple hundred dollars making my land eminently more usable, and I think I'm going to have him dig for a small pond and move my catfish in there for good free food for years to come.
In terms of art investments, knowing an artist can help. You buy art supporting that artist, and they provide you with artwork that has to potential to return you a lot of money (or simply enjoyment). Original art is really underrated.
@kenyantykoon the term "fossil investment" really has a ring to it though, don't you think?
Michael's Crafts Store has a weekly ad in the paper here with a 50% off coupon, good on just about anything in the store that's not already on sale. Their frame selection is pretty good, and they'll cut custom matting for pretty cheap as well if you go that route.
I have a lot of nice pictures from my travels and love taking them and putting them up. they mean a lot to me and are of my travels experiences so i don't want them in a bad frame. Michaels always has great deals on custom frames, 50-60% off and that is where I get mine done and for the best price around. the pictures come out great, and for me its an investment cause I will keep these pictures with me forever.
Thanks for putting a smile on my face. Your style makes frugality that much less boring!
As a working artist I always appreciate when none art blogs do anything that move the idea of art appreciation further. Great post. IKEA has small great basic frames that are cheap and look great.
Thanks, Myscha, those are great ideas!
Since I'm such a klutz, I tend to stay away from glass altogether these days, but it does lend such a professional finish to framed art. I never thought of checking with glass repair places for cutting art glass - that's brilliant.
This is a great article, I'm going to pass this on!
Nice piece, Andrea.
Personally, I'm a clip frame and black painted wood frame fan from way back. You're so right too, the framing can eat up more of your art budget than the actual art.
Another hack I've used for empty frames without glass is to get the glass cut and put in at an auto repair shop. They don't necessarily have low glare glass, but they can put it in with epoxy and it doesn't even show. I've also had them cut and glue in mirror in the same way, turning fun frames picked up at markets around the world into funky bathroom and guest bedroom mirrors for cheap. It just takes adding on some of the DIY hardware you suggested onto the back afterward.
Congratulations on a cool article.
You can also follow me on Twitter and Trek Hound.
It would be great if we all just LOVED our job, and that's what part of this article tries to address. I'm pretty sure most people have tons of things they'd rather be doing than working.
Obama will implement Universal Healthcare within 4 years, so don't worry! We'll all be able to kick back and have the working folks pay for our premiums. Ouch, that's controversial! :)
Keigu,
Financial Samurai
"Slicing Through Money's Mysteries"
I know many adults 30+ years old still on their parents family plan. That's the biggest savings right there i.e. 50% less than on your own.
Bank of Mom & Dad is a powerful savings technique.
Keigu,
Financial Samurai
"Slicing Through Money's Mysteries"
Follow up note: if you do use soap on them and you feel it has begun to strip the pan of its sheen, then simply slater on another thick coat of oil and place in a hot oven, in order to allow the oil to soak into the pan. As far as I know, there is no "ruining" these pans.
Annalise
Everyone says you can't use soap on the pans, but I always have, and my mother, and my grandmother. We live in the south in the country and you don't find a home without an assortment of iron skillets. We have no problem using the soap. These things are indestructible. You can find rusty ones at flea markets and take it home, season it up, and they are good as new.
For the best cornbread that won't ever stick, use the same iron skillet everytime and only wipe it out instead of washing with soap. Only use for cornbread and you will have the best tasting cornbread in town. Other than that go to town with the soap, it won't hurt a thing as long as you dry after washing.
What about the added wear-and-tear you are putting on your starter? If you stop your engine at each red light, you are going to need to spend money replacing your starter a LOT sooner than normal. I'd say that the cost of the replaced starter outweighs any savings you would get from gas.
BTW - my husband is an automotive tech
Great points on the tweaks you can make with a Swiffer base head: felt (I should try this!), rags, etc. There is a whole cool world of felt crafting: maybe some craftier-than-I Etsy superstar can corner the market on beautiful, multi-colored felted Swiffer replacement pads.
Re: cast iron no-no's: I need to learn more about the cast iron-tomato reaction. I have not heeded this, but with no ill effects that I can tell. If you are concerned about raw meat/etc contamination, simply lightly wash the pan and dry over VERY high heat, then perhaps wipe or wash again. I still feel cast iron is the best pan to use because it cooks fast and treats flavors well. (Some would say it retains the flavors from the previous meal, mixing them all with strange alchemy - unless the last meal was fish, and then you might want to let that flavor burn out of the pores before starting again.)
Putting the pan back on the stove to dry while I wipe down the counters doesn't seem like extra time now that I'm used to it.
I suppose one's pans become very personal and taste-driven once they are used often. That's an interesting discussion in itself.
In regards to #35 - Instead of a brick in double bagged plastic baggies... take a milk jug and fill it with water and put it in your toilet tank.
You will save a gallon of water per flush, and you won't have to worry about the baggies leaking and the brick dissolving. If the milk jug leaks... oh well!
I would add: fight your traffic tickets in court. I don't get many tickets, but I did get one that I hired a traffic lawyer for, who got me off for $300. $300 isn't cheap, but 3 years later, I got a speeding ticket and simply paid the fine - and my insurance went up by $600 per year.
I got this awesome program that helps with my menu planning Making menus and counting nutritional information is So easy now. Does anyone have any other good ideas?
This seems a little over-the-top.
Just go to Walgreens and spend $7 and wait 10 minutes for the photos to develop. I believe I got 2 photos for the $7.
This way you can guarantee your passport application will be accepted the first time, and you won't waste time messing with other websites and waiting for delivery.
I then went straight to the post office and turned in my passport application with photos.
Why make things difficult? I guess it might be worthwhile to go with an online company if you needed to order multiple passports (for an entire family?) to save a minimal amount of money. Or if you live in the middle of nowhere.
But how much is your time worth? I'd rather spend $7 and have it done in 10 minutes than spend up to an hour taking my own photo, uploading it on the computer, submitting it to the website, waiting for the final product & downloading it, and then taking that photo down somewhere else to get it printed and waiting some more at the store!
You can't use tomatoes in cast iron pans? C'mon...I only agree with going "eco friendly" only if it sames me money, time and doesn't make my life harder. The fact that I can't use soap on a pan after I cooked raw chicken and eggs makes me sick to my stomach....
I do agree on the Swiffer mops...I still use the swiffer duster, because one box of refills has lasted me over a year (you don't have to change them often) I stopped using the mop though after we bought a house with all wood floors. It's great for a small apartment (with one linoleum floor, no point in making a huge mop bucket) but when you have a lot of wood floors, you go through the refills often and it doesn't seem to clean as well.
We have one cast iron pan that we use pretty much every day, and from living with a variety of roomates I can pretty much say that you can pretty much wash it however you want as long as you're not sticking it back in the cupboard for weeks between uses. People get scared off by having special handling instructions, and they're pretty unecessary.
And I love my Swiffer - I just use old cut up rags on it, instead of the stuff they sell. Damping a rag and using it, then tossing it in the wash, is WAY easier than lugging around a mop and bucket.
I don't buy these. I buy white felt squares at Joanne's Fabrics for 25 cents and use these and wash them. They fit the swiffer sweeper head and can be washed and reused many times.
I wouldn't recommend crafting if you actually want to make money. If you price your items to include labor (both the labor of producing and sitting at a booth and selling it) nobody will buy it.
Just a heads up on cast iron pans. Make sure they are seasoned before using them (instructions on seasoning should be with the pan). You shouldn't use any soap on them, just scrub when hot with a rag and salt to clean. You can't use them on glass top stoves, b/c they can crack the glass b/c of their weight. You shouldn't put tomatoes in them, b/c there will be a chemical reaction with the acid in the tomatoes and the pan itself. If you want to use tomatoes in one, you should use an enameled cast iron pan. To keep it well seasoned you should oil it after every use. Cast iron pans are awsome, my husband loves cooking with them (he has several different types). They are also sometimes cheaper if you you look for them back in the camping items part of the store.
I got my cartridge refilled at Walgreens, paid $12 still a good deal, but it won't work. HP deskjet 940c, yellow light continues to flash. Do you think the cartridge was damaged? Any suggestions. Walgreens will refund the $12.
thanks
I have a small amount of land and much was not useful to me because of the tall pine trees that cast so much shade. I thought that a back hoe service would be astronomical to clear out the stumps, but it turned out to be very reasonable. I'm looking forward to a couple hundred dollars making my land eminently more usable, and I think I'm going to have him dig for a small pond and move my catfish in there for good free food for years to come.
In terms of art investments, knowing an artist can help. You buy art supporting that artist, and they provide you with artwork that has to potential to return you a lot of money (or simply enjoyment). Original art is really underrated.
@kenyantykoon the term "fossil investment" really has a ring to it though, don't you think?