One interesting comment that I got in person, rather than via the website:
"Routinely paying everything off is like a clean sweep every month."
Yep. That's about right. It's the winning strategy in the long run. But if you're not there yet, an annual clean sweep is better than not knowing whether your debt is under control or not.
Four years, ago, my wife and I made a clean sweep of all debt. Over 15 months, we paid off and closed our credit cards and paid off our auto loans. Two years later, our net worth has tripled since we don't have money going towards credit cards and car loans; the money is now going into investment (the recent Bull market has helped). Our clean sweep approach was the right one for us and we will never go back into debt.
Open the windows if it is cooler when the sun goes down. Otherwise, use a fan for circulation, and if I use the A.C. window unit, I make sure to keep unused rooms closed off.
This is a decent article...but some of the author's answers to those questions are very weak and cater to a pretty simplistic audience. On the whole, this is a great read for someone doing some interview prep work for an interview they have later in the day (some good useful reminders), but I wouldn't count on this as a end-all-be-all foundation for your own interview strategy.
Summer is one time when I care less about my budget and more about comfort. I hate hot weather so, when necessary, the AC goes on in my house regardless of cost!
1. Dip a thin towel in ice water and hang it around your neck. or, dip it in water, squeeze it out, freeze it, then later put it around your neck.
2. Ice water, towel, and fan. This will cool you down nice and quick and /thoroughly/. Cloth diapers work best. Dip it in ice water, drape it over your face, and sit in front of a fan for a short while. I get over heated very quickly and easily-- this is how I save myself.
3. Dip a cloth diaper in ice water, ring it out, and drape it over a fan (make sure it's not dripping water and not covering the whole fan, be aware never to leave this unattended. Direct the fan at yourself and the air blowing through the cold towel will cool you down.
4. stick your feet in a bucket of ice water.
In some places with some houses, they get hotter than the outdoors. Open a door and a window so air can flow /through/ your room. This keeps it cooler when you don't have AC or need to cut down on the electric bill by turning the AC off.
Power down unnecessary electronics. When you aren't at your computer or TV, turn them, off. In small rooms, these make a LOT of excess heat.
If you live in a humid area like Florida (I DO!) make sure to run the vent in the bathroom when you shower. Especially if you take HOT showers. Also run the fans in the kitchen, open windows in the kitchen, to let heat from cooking escape.
Sleep with an ice pack wrapped in a towel! stick it in a pillow to hug!
Stuff your pillow in the freezer before bed. Seriously.
Some great points...but I think #1 might be a bit too much. Don't start too early? One of the best things you can do is stop procrastinating and get your money working for you ASAP! It takes time for money to grow, and the longer you sit on your hands the more of it you're losing! Of course you should go in educated etc, but you don't have to be an expert to get started. Waiting for the "perfect moment" is not good advice.
A few great points in here Julie, thanks. The most important thing for young people to do is start contributing to their IRA early! Let compound interest do it's thing. Too many people I know wait until it's too late!
I can't tell you how many cartons of chicken stock I go through in a week. I feel like every time I go into the grocery store (which is practically every day) I buy at least one carton if not two. I absolutely adore it, even if I am just cooking pastina in it for a quick, easy soup.
I love the idea of DIY Drive-In. I love spending nights in with my boyfriend and getting away from the normal nights we spend with all of our friends. Being at home together is about the only time we get real nights just the two of us because where ever we are, our friends expect us to meet them out after or they show up. Being able to hide away and spend quality time at home is great.
We were given some A/C window units, so we have those in a few rooms in the house, and only run them if absolutely necessary. Most of them have a 'power save' or other automatic feature that will shut it off after it gets cool enough. We have regular window fans in other windows.
We use the AC sparingly while home. We turn it up to 82 when we leave, so we don't cool our apartment for the cat. We also visit family a lot, their cool house costs nothing to us.
Check out my Christian Mommy Blog at:
dreamingofperfect.weebly.com
We rent our house and there are no shade trees anywhere near us. The rear of the house (with windows in the living room and spare room) has direct sunlight most of the day. In the mid-south that means lots of heat. Therefore, we keep the blinds closed and I made curtains made of reflective material on one side and fleece on the other. It helps keep the house cooler and dimmer (which feels cooler). On the advice of our HVAC technician friend - we use our programmable thermostat to keep the house a moderate temp while we are away so it doesn't have to work twice as hard to cool the house before we get home. When at home we run about it temperature appropriate clothing - shorts, tanks, tees, etc. so the house doesn't have to be cold, just temperate. If it is cool enough in the evenings we open the side and front doors to get some cool air circulating. Finally - we use a small window unit in the bedroom to keep it cool enough to sleep but it is also programmable so it doesn't run during the day and only for about three hours at bedtime.
Due to a bunch of life circumstances, I have moved a lot in the past few years. (Each summer since 2009 - but we are breaking the trend this summer!) I have learned that the neighborhood is key to really liking your home. A couple more things that I learned:
1. With your school also check the reputation of the principal. Even if the district is great one bad principal can make or break a school and your experience.
2. Check out the schools PTA - you can learn a lot from there!
3. Drive around the neighborhood at different times of the day and week. Just because you see no kids the first time through does not mean the area is not full of them. Things such as school, and the weather can make the kids stay inside. Also, look for swing sets!
4. If the neighborhood has an association, check out what activities they offer. Often an active association means a good friendly area. No organization or activities and it can be harder to meet and interact with your neighbors.
Luckily for me, my basement is nice and chilly in the summer, so I simply walk a few steps downstairs to get out of the heat. If I must stay upstairs though I open all the windows and run the house fan/box fans. During the day I leave the blinds closed to prevent the sun from heating up the rooms.
I moved to Albuquerque, where swamp coolers work their magic! ;) I also wear loose skirts/dresses all summer, avoid running errands in the heat of the day, keep cold drinks and smoothies on hand, and try to escape once or twice a summer to somewhere cool in the area. Mountains are the best this time of year, as even an afternoon in the pines makes everything feel better!
One interesting comment that I got in person, rather than via the website:
"Routinely paying everything off is like a clean sweep every month."
Yep. That's about right. It's the winning strategy in the long run. But if you're not there yet, an annual clean sweep is better than not knowing whether your debt is under control or not.
Four years, ago, my wife and I made a clean sweep of all debt. Over 15 months, we paid off and closed our credit cards and paid off our auto loans. Two years later, our net worth has tripled since we don't have money going towards credit cards and car loans; the money is now going into investment (the recent Bull market has helped). Our clean sweep approach was the right one for us and we will never go back into debt.
Open the windows if it is cooler when the sun goes down. Otherwise, use a fan for circulation, and if I use the A.C. window unit, I make sure to keep unused rooms closed off.
This is a decent article...but some of the author's answers to those questions are very weak and cater to a pretty simplistic audience. On the whole, this is a great read for someone doing some interview prep work for an interview they have later in the day (some good useful reminders), but I wouldn't count on this as a end-all-be-all foundation for your own interview strategy.
I go to the gym or run extra errands on really hot days after work so I'm at home less--thus using less AC (because I only turn it on when I'm home).
A quick inexpensive way to cool down is to dampen a washcloth in cool water and lightly run over exposed skin.
Summer is one time when I care less about my budget and more about comfort. I hate hot weather so, when necessary, the AC goes on in my house regardless of cost!
I cool off by opening the windows at night and using a fan. It makes a huge difference
1. Dip a thin towel in ice water and hang it around your neck. or, dip it in water, squeeze it out, freeze it, then later put it around your neck.
2. Ice water, towel, and fan. This will cool you down nice and quick and /thoroughly/. Cloth diapers work best. Dip it in ice water, drape it over your face, and sit in front of a fan for a short while. I get over heated very quickly and easily-- this is how I save myself.
3. Dip a cloth diaper in ice water, ring it out, and drape it over a fan (make sure it's not dripping water and not covering the whole fan, be aware never to leave this unattended. Direct the fan at yourself and the air blowing through the cold towel will cool you down.
4. stick your feet in a bucket of ice water.
In some places with some houses, they get hotter than the outdoors. Open a door and a window so air can flow /through/ your room. This keeps it cooler when you don't have AC or need to cut down on the electric bill by turning the AC off.
Power down unnecessary electronics. When you aren't at your computer or TV, turn them, off. In small rooms, these make a LOT of excess heat.
If you live in a humid area like Florida (I DO!) make sure to run the vent in the bathroom when you shower. Especially if you take HOT showers. Also run the fans in the kitchen, open windows in the kitchen, to let heat from cooking escape.
Sleep with an ice pack wrapped in a towel! stick it in a pillow to hug!
Stuff your pillow in the freezer before bed. Seriously.
Some great points...but I think #1 might be a bit too much. Don't start too early? One of the best things you can do is stop procrastinating and get your money working for you ASAP! It takes time for money to grow, and the longer you sit on your hands the more of it you're losing! Of course you should go in educated etc, but you don't have to be an expert to get started. Waiting for the "perfect moment" is not good advice.
A few great points in here Julie, thanks. The most important thing for young people to do is start contributing to their IRA early! Let compound interest do it's thing. Too many people I know wait until it's too late!
I can't tell you how many cartons of chicken stock I go through in a week. I feel like every time I go into the grocery store (which is practically every day) I buy at least one carton if not two. I absolutely adore it, even if I am just cooking pastina in it for a quick, easy soup.
I love the idea of DIY Drive-In. I love spending nights in with my boyfriend and getting away from the normal nights we spend with all of our friends. Being at home together is about the only time we get real nights just the two of us because where ever we are, our friends expect us to meet them out after or they show up. Being able to hide away and spend quality time at home is great.
I eat copious amounts of ice cream and popsicles!
Thanks! That's a great idea!
We were given some A/C window units, so we have those in a few rooms in the house, and only run them if absolutely necessary. Most of them have a 'power save' or other automatic feature that will shut it off after it gets cool enough. We have regular window fans in other windows.
We use the AC sparingly while home. We turn it up to 82 when we leave, so we don't cool our apartment for the cat. We also visit family a lot, their cool house costs nothing to us.
Check out my Christian Mommy Blog at:
dreamingofperfect.weebly.com
We rent our house and there are no shade trees anywhere near us. The rear of the house (with windows in the living room and spare room) has direct sunlight most of the day. In the mid-south that means lots of heat. Therefore, we keep the blinds closed and I made curtains made of reflective material on one side and fleece on the other. It helps keep the house cooler and dimmer (which feels cooler). On the advice of our HVAC technician friend - we use our programmable thermostat to keep the house a moderate temp while we are away so it doesn't have to work twice as hard to cool the house before we get home. When at home we run about it temperature appropriate clothing - shorts, tanks, tees, etc. so the house doesn't have to be cold, just temperate. If it is cool enough in the evenings we open the side and front doors to get some cool air circulating. Finally - we use a small window unit in the bedroom to keep it cool enough to sleep but it is also programmable so it doesn't run during the day and only for about three hours at bedtime.
Due to a bunch of life circumstances, I have moved a lot in the past few years. (Each summer since 2009 - but we are breaking the trend this summer!) I have learned that the neighborhood is key to really liking your home. A couple more things that I learned:
1. With your school also check the reputation of the principal. Even if the district is great one bad principal can make or break a school and your experience.
2. Check out the schools PTA - you can learn a lot from there!
3. Drive around the neighborhood at different times of the day and week. Just because you see no kids the first time through does not mean the area is not full of them. Things such as school, and the weather can make the kids stay inside. Also, look for swing sets!
4. If the neighborhood has an association, check out what activities they offer. Often an active association means a good friendly area. No organization or activities and it can be harder to meet and interact with your neighbors.
Happy moving!
Great ideas! Particularly liked the last #5 Book Bundler/Reseller, super creative and useful.
I go swimming in my friends pool
I finally live in a home where theres a cross breeze so for right now opening the window works.
Luckily for me, my basement is nice and chilly in the summer, so I simply walk a few steps downstairs to get out of the heat. If I must stay upstairs though I open all the windows and run the house fan/box fans. During the day I leave the blinds closed to prevent the sun from heating up the rooms.
I moved to Albuquerque, where swamp coolers work their magic! ;) I also wear loose skirts/dresses all summer, avoid running errands in the heat of the day, keep cold drinks and smoothies on hand, and try to escape once or twice a summer to somewhere cool in the area. Mountains are the best this time of year, as even an afternoon in the pines makes everything feel better!
Sit in the shade outside, use the gas grill and nice bowl of ice cream helps!