I feel cheated of my time. My son was having a hard time with regular 2% milk. I tried Horizon and it made my fussy baby not so fussy. Something was odviously missing from horizon. I talked to his doctor and he said that Horizon dosen't have a lot of the chemicals that regular milk has. It makes my son happy and he drinks it like there is no tomorrow. OBTW, USDA and the FDA do not certify everything on the shelves whether it be American made or not. Read some other labels and you will see.
I can appreciate the viewpoints that you describe in your post...
...however, in my opinion....
(1) Your views have a tremendous female slant. For men, there would be a very different list (and I'm tempted to write one).
(2) Many of the items in your list sound like you haven't had to deal with any serious struggles. Example: it's easy to "laugh laugh laugh" when your husband hasn't been laid off and you don't have debt stacking up. This makes you sound like a princess.
I have more (and stronger) feelings along these lines, but I'll leave it a that.
Financial Wellness is my business. Life is a matter of balance.
As in nature, we want that God created formula to work in our finances as well. Having too much of a good thing is costly.
We are all capable but are we willing? Living life abundantly is all about giving. If you have nothing to give then love your brother. And if you have something to give then be your brother's keeper. Taking care of each other is our God given privilege. It is the answer to our health care woes, both physical and financial.
I keep hearing far-lefties (I'm a registered Democrat myself) say that the system is not bankrupt...but they never explain why or how the system will remain in tact without raising taxes or cutting benefits, or even that it will remain in tact. let's pretend the system is a see-saw. on one side, you have 6 people paying into a system, and one person collecting, which you had during the baby boom. NOW, eventually, you will have 1 person paying into the system and 6 people collecting. theoretically, it is not sustainable. there is evidence that Bush lied, but not enough to convince me that the system is sound.
That is a very positive way to view things. We could all learn a lot by living a bit below our means. I feel like I am contributing to my physical health and spiritual growth by the way I have chosen to live or should I say, had to live due to having unsteady income for many what seemed like long and grueling months. I drive a vespa, I live in a small two-bedroom apartment that is very inexpensive, I try to volunteer when I can, and the list goes on. Had I not lost everything I owned twice over I feel that I would not have learned these valuable lessons. When you have less you are truly free.
Most people let their standard of living drift up as their income rises, without really giving it much thought. I suggest being more deliberate about it than that.
Does it really make sense and is it naturally right and good "to have a gradually rising standard of living"?
I'm not so certain.
If I am happy with how I am living now, is there a need, or even a good reason, to increase my standard of living, which, in turn, requires more money to sustain? It's easy to make the argument that if I'm making more money I should be able to spend a little bit more to have nicer stuff and do cooler things. But I'm not certain that's the best way to live.
I've read and heard stories of many people who rather than allowing their standard of living to increase as their income increases, instead increase their charitable giving. That's very appealing to me. That's partly because I have a number of friends who are involved in Christian ministry (and more who are headed that way) and are required to raise their own support. I believe in what they're doing and love them and want to be a part of the work. And by keeping my standard of living relatively constant (it has creeped up a bit as my income has increased), I'm able to support these men and women. And, to me, that's a better way to live. Not everyone may agree.
I always love your posts, and this one encapsulates the reasons for that. All your points resonate with me as well, and help remind my why (and how) to choose how to live rather than have my life chosen for me by ambient culture.
has anyone transferred from paypal to netspend ? just wondering how long it usually takes, i transferred a few days ago and it says cleared thru paypal but it hasnt cleared netspend. is there usually a certain day/time it clears or just random ?
One thing no one has remembered to mention is that it helps to have a freezer chest to keep large quantities of food!
A regular freezer gets full very fast!
For frozen eggs microwave works best or also in a dish with a bit of water in the microwave so the eggs do not dry out.
Subway when they make their breakfast sandwiches they cook their eggs in the microwave in a glass cup
If you live in a big city that has an Indian restaurant, go and buy some Naan bread-it is a flatbread baked over coals and usually pretty cheap-I pay $1.75 for 1 piece and if you buy a bunch the restaurant might sell them to you more cheaply.
I usually use that for my pizza and add tomato sauce and vegatables,cheese ect.
The bread freezes well also and it only takes 5 minutes to melt the cheese in the oven and you have a fire roasted taste to the pizza.
I try and stay away from the store bought pizza as they contain too many preservatives I can't eat.
Thank you for the comments, all! I second (or by this time, fourth or fifth!) the endorsement for Simple Green, as I have used it in the past with great results. What I was going for with this article are homemade solutions, but sometimes the storebought solution can be both cost effective as well as good for the environment and ourselves.
Keep 'em coming, folks! What are your household cleaning hacks?
Poster #2, the really great thing about Bing is using it to get cashback on those cheap ebay purchases! Try "cheap wii" as your search on Bing. Right now that's coming up with 14% cashback on ebay. You don't have to buy a Wii once you get to ebay, any purchase finalized within an hour will do. Your ebay purchase does have to utilize BuyItNow & Paypal to be eligible, but, hey, you get 14% back!
life ay we ar all leading to the same destination or so we think. thats wher religion comes in to it and i think if u dont know anything about it maybe have a look down that road it might be what your looking for. Or if it comes to u dont be so quick to dismiss it. dont worry i wont start preaching :)
I should have read the comments first! I tried it one one lens first, and while it removed the old scratches, I gained some new ones by rubbing it in! The second lens is crystal clear though. Works well, but don't rub!
I have lived in the Orlando area for my entire life and never knew that Disney was free on my birthday! That is amazing. I may be a grown adult but I am psyched to go there this year :-) Thanks for that tip!
First of all, I think you handled the situation appropriately and I am very glad that you did not just give this person your money. People like this are leeches, sponges and con artists who are constantly looking for someone to bail them out. I had a friend like this 20 years ago, when I was just out of college and was starting a good paying career. She was always around on payday, with a need for money that for some reason, only I could fulfill. I was very young and naive and I am now embarrassed to say that I believed her every time. I later found out, from her own family, that she had a history of using people for money. Once I got wise to this, of course I stopped giving it to her. She called one day and told me her utilities were being cut off if I didn't give her money to pay the bill. I told her I would go to the utility company office with her and help her set up a payment arrangement so she could pay the bill herself over time.
Of course, there was no utility bill, she just wanted money for booze, drugs, who knows what. She went through the roof and hung up on me.
We're annual pass holders, and go to the park at least once a month, sometimes more. Here are some of our favorite tips:
1. The cheapest place to eat at Disneyland is Bengal BBQ, across the way from the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. They have beef, chicken or veggie skewers for under $3.50 a piece. Two skewers are usually sufficient for my husband for lunch. Plus they're delicious!
2. To really do things on the cheap, exit the park, walk over to Harbor Boulevard and hit the McDonald's across the street. It's a pretty short walk, and even doable for kids.
3. If you have a car with you, nix the in-park souvenirs and head to the Disney Character Outlet in Fullerton (about a 10-15 minute drive from Disneyland). They have a huge store full of "last season's" souvenirs at a steep discount.
Sites like Swoopo are more for fun than for people actually looking for a bargain. I suggest you look around at the other auction sites similar to Swoopo. Hasteno.com is a new one that I’ve been playing on and I’ve actually won a couple things. Playstation 3 games going for $.08 (2 bids!) and a Nintendo Wii going for $2.16 is ridiculous. Before you completely discount the idea, you should check them out.
I agree with a point made by #8 DivaJean. I too have a friend who brings her kids to Disney multiple times a year. She too searches out the best deals but I think the kids don't really care to go anymore. They expect to go, and the magic seems gone for them. They never seem excited about it. My friend justifies it by saying they are young only once, but I think just spending time WITH them is better then spending FOR time with them.
I feel cheated of my time. My son was having a hard time with regular 2% milk. I tried Horizon and it made my fussy baby not so fussy. Something was odviously missing from horizon. I talked to his doctor and he said that Horizon dosen't have a lot of the chemicals that regular milk has. It makes my son happy and he drinks it like there is no tomorrow. OBTW, USDA and the FDA do not certify everything on the shelves whether it be American made or not. Read some other labels and you will see.
I can appreciate the viewpoints that you describe in your post...
...however, in my opinion....
(1) Your views have a tremendous female slant. For men, there would be a very different list (and I'm tempted to write one).
(2) Many of the items in your list sound like you haven't had to deal with any serious struggles. Example: it's easy to "laugh laugh laugh" when your husband hasn't been laid off and you don't have debt stacking up. This makes you sound like a princess.
I have more (and stronger) feelings along these lines, but I'll leave it a that.
(note: I've been married to my wife for 13 years)
Financial Wellness is my business. Life is a matter of balance.
As in nature, we want that God created formula to work in our finances as well. Having too much of a good thing is costly.
We are all capable but are we willing? Living life abundantly is all about giving. If you have nothing to give then love your brother. And if you have something to give then be your brother's keeper. Taking care of each other is our God given privilege. It is the answer to our health care woes, both physical and financial.
I keep hearing far-lefties (I'm a registered Democrat myself) say that the system is not bankrupt...but they never explain why or how the system will remain in tact without raising taxes or cutting benefits, or even that it will remain in tact. let's pretend the system is a see-saw. on one side, you have 6 people paying into a system, and one person collecting, which you had during the baby boom. NOW, eventually, you will have 1 person paying into the system and 6 people collecting. theoretically, it is not sustainable. there is evidence that Bush lied, but not enough to convince me that the system is sound.
That is a very positive way to view things. We could all learn a lot by living a bit below our means. I feel like I am contributing to my physical health and spiritual growth by the way I have chosen to live or should I say, had to live due to having unsteady income for many what seemed like long and grueling months. I drive a vespa, I live in a small two-bedroom apartment that is very inexpensive, I try to volunteer when I can, and the list goes on. Had I not lost everything I owned twice over I feel that I would not have learned these valuable lessons. When you have less you are truly free.
Learn the truth about yourself.
So very important. So little realized.
Thanks for this life-affirming post.
@GT0163C:
It's a good enough question that I actually wrote a post on exactly that topic: Should your standard of living rise? Among other things, I say:
Does it really make sense and is it naturally right and good "to have a gradually rising standard of living"?
I'm not so certain.
If I am happy with how I am living now, is there a need, or even a good reason, to increase my standard of living, which, in turn, requires more money to sustain? It's easy to make the argument that if I'm making more money I should be able to spend a little bit more to have nicer stuff and do cooler things. But I'm not certain that's the best way to live.
I've read and heard stories of many people who rather than allowing their standard of living to increase as their income increases, instead increase their charitable giving. That's very appealing to me. That's partly because I have a number of friends who are involved in Christian ministry (and more who are headed that way) and are required to raise their own support. I believe in what they're doing and love them and want to be a part of the work. And by keeping my standard of living relatively constant (it has creeped up a bit as my income has increased), I'm able to support these men and women. And, to me, that's a better way to live. Not everyone may agree.
I always love your posts, and this one encapsulates the reasons for that. All your points resonate with me as well, and help remind my why (and how) to choose how to live rather than have my life chosen for me by ambient culture.
has anyone transferred from paypal to netspend ? just wondering how long it usually takes, i transferred a few days ago and it says cleared thru paypal but it hasnt cleared netspend. is there usually a certain day/time it clears or just random ?
all this talk of pizza is making me want a papa's murphy's right now.
One thing no one has remembered to mention is that it helps to have a freezer chest to keep large quantities of food!
A regular freezer gets full very fast!
For frozen eggs microwave works best or also in a dish with a bit of water in the microwave so the eggs do not dry out.
Subway when they make their breakfast sandwiches they cook their eggs in the microwave in a glass cup
If you live in a big city that has an Indian restaurant, go and buy some Naan bread-it is a flatbread baked over coals and usually pretty cheap-I pay $1.75 for 1 piece and if you buy a bunch the restaurant might sell them to you more cheaply.
I usually use that for my pizza and add tomato sauce and vegatables,cheese ect.
The bread freezes well also and it only takes 5 minutes to melt the cheese in the oven and you have a fire roasted taste to the pizza.
I try and stay away from the store bought pizza as they contain too many preservatives I can't eat.
Trent of The Simple Dollar
Thank you for the comments, all! I second (or by this time, fourth or fifth!) the endorsement for Simple Green, as I have used it in the past with great results. What I was going for with this article are homemade solutions, but sometimes the storebought solution can be both cost effective as well as good for the environment and ourselves.
Keep 'em coming, folks! What are your household cleaning hacks?
Poster #2, the really great thing about Bing is using it to get cashback on those cheap ebay purchases! Try "cheap wii" as your search on Bing. Right now that's coming up with 14% cashback on ebay. You don't have to buy a Wii once you get to ebay, any purchase finalized within an hour will do. Your ebay purchase does have to utilize BuyItNow & Paypal to be eligible, but, hey, you get 14% back!
life ay we ar all leading to the same destination or so we think. thats wher religion comes in to it and i think if u dont know anything about it maybe have a look down that road it might be what your looking for. Or if it comes to u dont be so quick to dismiss it. dont worry i wont start preaching :)
I was working off of D-Land info.
Margaret Garcia-Couoh
AAA has Disney World ticket discounts on their site, www.aaa.com
I should have read the comments first! I tried it one one lens first, and while it removed the old scratches, I gained some new ones by rubbing it in! The second lens is crystal clear though. Works well, but don't rub!
I have lived in the Orlando area for my entire life and never knew that Disney was free on my birthday! That is amazing. I may be a grown adult but I am psyched to go there this year :-) Thanks for that tip!
First of all, I think you handled the situation appropriately and I am very glad that you did not just give this person your money. People like this are leeches, sponges and con artists who are constantly looking for someone to bail them out. I had a friend like this 20 years ago, when I was just out of college and was starting a good paying career. She was always around on payday, with a need for money that for some reason, only I could fulfill. I was very young and naive and I am now embarrassed to say that I believed her every time. I later found out, from her own family, that she had a history of using people for money. Once I got wise to this, of course I stopped giving it to her. She called one day and told me her utilities were being cut off if I didn't give her money to pay the bill. I told her I would go to the utility company office with her and help her set up a payment arrangement so she could pay the bill herself over time.
Of course, there was no utility bill, she just wanted money for booze, drugs, who knows what. She went through the roof and hung up on me.
We're annual pass holders, and go to the park at least once a month, sometimes more. Here are some of our favorite tips:
1. The cheapest place to eat at Disneyland is Bengal BBQ, across the way from the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. They have beef, chicken or veggie skewers for under $3.50 a piece. Two skewers are usually sufficient for my husband for lunch. Plus they're delicious!
2. To really do things on the cheap, exit the park, walk over to Harbor Boulevard and hit the McDonald's across the street. It's a pretty short walk, and even doable for kids.
3. If you have a car with you, nix the in-park souvenirs and head to the Disney Character Outlet in Fullerton (about a 10-15 minute drive from Disneyland). They have a huge store full of "last season's" souvenirs at a steep discount.
Sites like Swoopo are more for fun than for people actually looking for a bargain. I suggest you look around at the other auction sites similar to Swoopo. Hasteno.com is a new one that I’ve been playing on and I’ve actually won a couple things. Playstation 3 games going for $.08 (2 bids!) and a Nintendo Wii going for $2.16 is ridiculous. Before you completely discount the idea, you should check them out.
I agree with a point made by #8 DivaJean. I too have a friend who brings her kids to Disney multiple times a year. She too searches out the best deals but I think the kids don't really care to go anymore. They expect to go, and the magic seems gone for them. They never seem excited about it. My friend justifies it by saying they are young only once, but I think just spending time WITH them is better then spending FOR time with them.
Anyway, food for thought.