The OFFICIAL Unofficial Achewood Message Board
Trivial Pursuits => Wild Card => Topic started by: linnea on December 12, 2007, 03:45:26 am
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Well, I'm attempting to change my ways and stop lusting after retarded stuff like a $798 handbag or a Tempur-Pedic bed. I am trying to join the ranks of the Frugal.
Ash, I know that you're a man who is very careful with his budget. Do you and any of the other TOUAMB party people have some tips for me? I got Microsoft Money to balance my checkbook. I have stopped going out to restaurants and have limited my grocery trips to twice a month, and with severe limits on spending (before I used to just wander the aisles whenever I got a hankering and buy tons of shit that I didn't need).
Being unemployed for four months really decimated me, so now I'm slowly trying to rebuild. Pros/cons on the frugality lifestyle? Helpful tips to disabuse me of my desire for a retarded handbag that costs two car payments?
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I am hoping I can avoid cultivating expensive tastes. At this point it's basically just CDs and sometimes going out to get cheap food or something. I guess it helps, though, that my food and board and everything are payed for. So, I can't really give advice.
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Don't have a credit card that you use.
At all.
Its OK to have one, but its not ok to carry a balance on it for any length of time. Get home, write a check for the amount and put it somewhere you can see it until you can afford to send it to the credit card company.
When you get the urge to buy something, make a note of it and how much it cost. Have a look at the note the next day and decide whether its something you really want. I use that technique a lot.
I don't actually have a credit card (I have a check card), but if I did have one the first tip there is what I would use to control my behaviour with it.
YMMV. You're actually getting old enough to have a reasonable chance at impulse control. People under 25 should never have a credit card.
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People under 25 should never have a credit card.
QFT.
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Yeah, fuck credit cards and any kind of financing or loan for anything short of a car. If you don't have money to buy a thing you should not buy that thing, you end up paying huge amounts more than it was ever worth and you're still paying for it after you don't like it anymore.
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I guess this isn't a problem I have. Because when I started reading that post, my first thought was "$800? That's like 4 car payments."
I think the best thing is to not totally deny yourself. If you try to never eat out or not buy any CDs or whatever you'll go crazy and binge at some point. Set aside $20 or $50 or whatever per paycheck for completely frivolous purposes. Whether you buy 2 CDs every month or save up for something bigger is up to you.
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QFT.
Wish I had realized that during my senior year of college / post-graduation Europe trip. My debt isn't bad, and it should be paid off probably by summer, but still. Bad stuff, debt.
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green living = lower costs.
Try to use re-useable products rather than disposable ones -- e.g. 99 cent melamine plates you can wash and re-use instead of a pack of 100 paper plates for $2.99. Use dishrags and cut-up ratty t-shirts to clean instead of paper towels. Get a package of dryer balls ($10 at Target) and stop buying dryer sheets. Make your own cleaning supplies with recipes from websites like this one (http://www.girlistic.com/diy/cleaning_products.htm). (Be careful not to mix ammonia and bleach, if you choose to use them, and always use cold water when cleaning with ammonia.)
Also, see if there's a farmer's market nearby. Skip convenience foods. Eat less meat. When you do eat meat, buy large cuts and freeze individual-size servings. Learn how to bone and separate a whole chicken -- a large bird can feed you for at least a week for under a buck a serving. (And you can use the carcass to make your own stock for soup.) You can also make a meal large enough for a family of four, divide it into individual-size portions, and make your own TV dinners.
If you're *really* filled with the pioneer spirit, you can also switch to reusable feminine products (http://www.lunapads.com). Good for your body, good for the environment, and great for the wallet.
Good luck!
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A lot of FSA's will even give you a debit card so you don't have to wait for a reimbursement check.
Virtually all OTC drugs are covered by FSA's as are things like band-aids. So if you have money from this year you can load up on Tylenol Advil and Pepcid so you'll be ready for January 1.
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I think it would be really hard to go without a credit card in the modern world. But you have to see it as no different from writing a check - it's just a convenient way to use the money that you already have. Just because they're crazy enough to offer to lend you money doesn't mean you should take them up on it. Anyway, it's fun to rip off the credit card company by never paying them any interest.
But I see that no one has given any advice on the other question of how not to want an expensive handbag. I have never wanted an expensive handbag, so I can't help, but I'm curious about how one could kick such a habit.
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I think it would be really hard to go without a credit card in the modern world. But you have to see it as no different from writing a check - it's just a convenient way to use the money that you already have. Just because they're crazy enough to offer to lend you money doesn't mean you should take them up on it. Anyway, it's fun to rip off the credit card company by never paying them any interest.
But I see that no one has given any advice on the other question of how not to want an expensive handbag. I have never wanted an expensive handbag, so I can't help, but I'm curious about how one could kick such a habit.
I suggest constant (quality) lovin'. It distracts the mind. You don't see Nabu pining for any handbags, do you?
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1) Jaydub mentioned the ideal, use a debit card that will also function as a credit card issued by your bank, linked to your checking account and account for it just like you would a check.
Can you use a debit card for those kinds of things that only accept credit cards? Like rental cars? What is a debit card that is also a credit card? Doesn't it have to be one or the other?
I have no idea how most of these things work. My financial knowledge is very primitive. I would probably keep cash under the mattress if the Technical Staff would allow it. We have some money 'invested,' which seems to me like giving a bunch of cash to a stranger and crossing your fingers for luck, and whenever we talk about it my eyes go all fuzzy and I get a buzzing in my ears...
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yeah, I know very little about these things. Right now, what I am aware of is that I have a few hundred dollars in the bank, and I owe my dad a few hundred dollars for the amp I bought over the summer. He has said he will not start reminding me that I need to pay him back until after I buy x-mas presents for my family, which I appreciate.
So I guess the other thing I am aware of is that this is the only time in my life I will owe someone money and have them be OK with me waiting to pay them back. I guess, you know, he knows where I live. Also my money is coming from him, anyway, so it's kind of a weird situation to begin with.
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I'm nervous about check cards. I remember a few years ago a couple of major retailers (notably Wal-Mart) were accidentally double and triple charging people who paid by card. The whole thing was worked out and the money credited back in a few days. But I'm sure quite a few people bounced their rent checks in the mean time.
I'm also a lot more comfortable with the "securing" that gas stations, restaurants, &c do happening on a credit card than with it happening in my checking account.
Plus, I like being able to carry a balance should the need arise.
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I think it would be really hard to go without a credit card in the modern world. But you have to see it as no different from writing a check - it's just a convenient way to use the money that you already have. Just because they're crazy enough to offer to lend you money doesn't mean you should take them up on it. Anyway, it's fun to rip off the credit card company by never paying them any interest.
But I see that no one has given any advice on the other question of how not to want an expensive handbag. I have never wanted an expensive handbag, so I can't help, but I'm curious about how one could kick such a habit.
I suggest constant (quality) lovin'. It distracts the mind. You don't see Nabu pining for any handbags, do you?
I think that what you're saying is that the expensive-ass handbag is really just a potent metaphor for my pent-up frustrations.
Ash, thank you for the quality tips. I do allocate myself an "entertainment" budget each month. If I save part of it for long enough, I should be able to buy that handbag in about 6-10 months.
The retirement tips are incredibly important. Thank god I have a great job. I do have long term disability, life insurance (which means that my parents and sisters will get $30k each if I die...I'm going to increase the coverage after my cash flow situation improves), and retirement. I started a Roth IRA when I was 18 years old at my parents' behest and now I have almost $20k in that bad boy. I have mandatory pension plan contributions of 6.75% pretax, and I also opened a voluntary 457 (similar to a 401(k)). Of course...when I am 65 and have 2 million dollars in my damn Roth IRA and retirement accounts, you can bet your sweet ass that the IRS will figure out some way to tax my Roth earnings again.
Anyone under the age of 28: DO NOT GET ANY credit cards. Do not get them no matter how badly you're tempted. I had a bunch and had a stellar credit score for several years. Then bad stuff started happening and I started getting behind on payments. When I lost my job, it was all over. After being unemployed for nearly 4 months, I had to declare bankruptcy when I moved to Alaska because of the mountain of credit card debt that I amassed between age 18-24. YOU DO NOT WANT TO DECLARE BANKRUPTCY, TRUST ME. I am gonna be cryin' when I try to buy a god damned house, because all the lenders are just gonna laugh at me.
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With my career choice plus my total lack of family support I've always had to be very good with money. Plus having worked for Mastercard for so long, I learnt a lot about financial management.
The best of all advice is to adopt a philosophy of peace in simplicity. As JL notes, living green is financially beneficial, but it can also be very peaceful to look at what you really need in life. It's amazing how little you need to be healthy and happy. Taking on a DIY attitude toward everything is very empowering. Most communities have DIY organizations, and there's tons of tips on-line and at the library about this. Buying used clothing, especially if you can deal with basic alterations, is a great way to save. It's amazing how many hardly-worn cast offs there are out there!
I definitely agree with the credit card advice. If you have a card call the company and put a block on it, then either cut it up, or freeze it in a block of ice (that way you have to unthaw it and put a lot of thought into why you're using it.) Don't cancel the card - having and maintaining a card is good for your credit rating. Only unblock it if it's an actual life or death emergency involving your health.
Living expenses - it seems to sound like you're already living in a situation that should be pretty cheap, but definitely investigate your options. We've chosen to live in a poor neighbourhood because it's so much more affordable. Yes it's more dangerous here, but even with the cost of high-quality alarm monitoring our mortgage payment is lower than our rent used to be. If your city's much like mine, the shitty neighbourhoods are also the ones near the city centre, which means access to public transportation, which takes me to my next point...
The best thing I've done to cut costs is to drastically reduce my dependence on a vehicle - walk, bike, use public transpo, car pool - put every single option before using a car. Having made this change I went from fueling up twice a month to fueling up 4-5 times a year (this saves me about $700 a year, not even including the reduction in regular maintenance costs). If at all possible, find out if there are cheaper insurance rates for vehicles only used for "pleasure" and/or parked/dormant vehicles. I have my car registered for "pleasure" during times when I need it and switch it to "dormant" to cover vandalism and theft for 5 months of the year. My insurance is pretty high, so this saves another $300 a year. Yeah, it's not fun to be walking out in bad weather, but the added benefits of the extra exercises I get are pretty awesome, and I'm pretty happy with the stress reduction of not having to deal with traffic.
Lastly, if you have a skill you can make extra cash off, put yourself out there and do it. Odd jobs are usually pretty fun, and even when they're not, they're usually short term enough that it doesn't matter. If you're crafty, if you have fix-it skills, if you can pet sit... anything. Market yourself to your bud's, around the neighbourhood and/or find something on-line. I made money pet sitting, writing for a few on-line magazines, delivering fliers, editing papers... all sorts of odd jobs. One thing that's really fun that I didn't get into but that was a way friends made money is by advertising yourself as a conversational English instructor by posting ads around university campuses with large foreign student/ESL populations. Many of these students have particularly come to North America to learn English, and you obviously have the skill they need already. You can meet you students in public places like grocery stores, coffee shops etc and make your lesson about the world around you.
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I definitely agree with the credit card advice. If you have a card call the company and put a block on it, then either cut it up, or freeze it in a block of ice (that way you have to unthaw it and put a lot of thought into why you're using it.) Don't cancel the card - having and maintaining a card is good for your credit rating. Only unblock it if it's an actual life or death emergency involving your health.
Ok, education time! Why do you still need to block it if it is frozen in ice or cut up? What exactly does blocking it accomplish, if you can call at any time and unblock it? I was under the impression that the "blocking" thing was for if, for example, your card were stolen. And I know a few people who've thought their card was lost, blocked it, and then found it, only to have to request that a new one be sent to them? Am I misunderstanding?
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Lastly, if you have a skill you can make extra cash off, put yourself out there and do it. Odd jobs are usually pretty fun, and even when they're not, they're usually short term enough that it doesn't matter. If you're crafty, if you have fix-it skills, if you can pet sit... anything. Market yourself to your bud's, around the neighbourhood and/or find something on-line. I made money pet sitting, writing for a few on-line magazines, delivering fliers, editing papers... all sorts of odd jobs.
Alright so I walked dogs for like 5 years (2 years of those were vet tech-draw blood, give medicine, help w surgery, deal with clients first, basically a dog or cat nurse m-f then walk dogs on weekends. Anyways, if I wanted to walk dogs around San Francisco (I think I do), how would I go about doing that. I have never lived in a big city, but like fliers? Do people really do this? I remember seeing it in some horrible tv show/ movie when I was a pre teen. You know, jsut walk dogs around in packs of like 7 in parks and stuf, does this exist? Will being able to give dogs shots/ previous experience help?
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Keith, there are millions of small companies that do that now, and I am sure they'd be thrilled to hire someone with tech experience. Go to the job ads in the "ETC" category on Craigslist and you'll find the places hiring petsitters and dog walkers. Or just call all the dog walking services in town and ask. There's a lot of turnover in these places around here and they're always hiring - I can't imagine why that would be any different in SF.
I think you're better off working for an established service than putting up fliers. Also, I don't think that walking a big pack of dogs is state of the art in this business anymore - people expect individual attention for their dogs. Especially in the SF area which is pretty animal-crazy, there's probably a much higher standard than that.
I interviewed a franchisee for a national outfit a while ago and she hires people with no experience and trains them. She would have fainted with gratitude to get someone with your experience. I can't imagine it's that much different in other cities - it's not a job someone could live on forever so there has to be a fair amount of turnover.
Edit: This is the company I did the story about - they even have on-line job application
http://fetchpetcare.com/ (http://fetchpetcare.com/)
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Damn fine idea, omba!!! I can also give shots and draw blood, and although I've never done it on an animal (aside from giving my cats subcutaneous injections once) I'm sure I could do that. I have been trying to get a job as a blood tech/phlebotomist on Saturdays and Sundays with Bonfils, our local blood bank, but they have zero openings right now.
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These places do hire people with other full-time jobs who are willing to petsit before and after work for people who are on vacation. Fetch actually offers overnight stays with pets, which you could do if you have a day job. Being able to give meds is a really good skill for this.
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Yeah, I would rather just walk a dog (rather than a lot) anyways. Just what I saw on said horrible show.
Awesome though, thanks for the tips. Just something to do for a while or, if I can somehow get another part time job that allows me rent, food, and party, for as long as I feel like having a good time.
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Ok, education time! Why do you still need to block it if it is frozen in ice or cut up? What exactly does blocking it accomplish, if you can call at any time and unblock it? I was under the impression that the "blocking" thing was for if, for example, your card were stolen. And I know a few people who've thought their card was lost, blocked it, and then found it, only to have to request that a new one be sent to them? Am I misunderstanding?
Well, blocking it adds yet another step to take before use. Calling in and waiting to talk to an agent makes you think about your actions more - anything that decreases the convenience of use is a good thing because sometimes when you've had a really bad day a bottle of whiskey/the perfect pair of shoes/a bottle of perfume you've been looking for for 8 years/etc feels like an emergency, but when you think about saying so to some agent at a call centre... you start to realize it's not. Basically what any credit councilor will tell you is that a credit card should not be conveniently accessable if you are in a situation where money is tight.
Blocking a card is different than reporting it stolen. If you call in and give any indication that a card is stolen or being used fraudulently, that card number is automatically, irreversibly cancelled and you're issued a new card number, which can only be accessed after the physical replacement card comes to you in the mail in 10-14 business days and is activated from your home phone number. If you call in and say that you are managing your debt and want to freeze your card from use for that purpose you can still make payments and/or your automatic payments will still go to that number, and in an actual emergency (say you're life depends on getting out of Reno after watching a man die) you can call, reactivate the card and use the card number to get yourself a one way ticket to Mexico or whatever. In a lot of real-life emergency situations the physical card isn't necessary as long as you know the card number and the last three digits of the code on the back, while say... going to the Olive Garden or a Shopping Spree at Target, you need the physical card. Also, in the case of cutting it up, in an actual emergency Mastercard can FedEx an emergency replacement card to you within 24 hours anywhere in the world -this probably goes for Visa also. It has to be an actual, verifiable emergency and the card works with a certified bank wherever you are in the world to verify your identity and the situation, but it does happen.
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Fuck, I have seventeen days until I get paid again. I have enough money to buy petrol for my car and that's it. Fortunately I have purchased some canned goods on previous shopping trips and I have enough food to last out the month, but it's going to be uncomfortable.
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Well, obviously step 1 is to save enough so that you can actually start keeping money in your checking account. This amount is your stake, safety net, or whatever else you want to call it -- do NOT count it when you do your budgeting. This amount is only to be touched if there are no other options.
Once you have a reserve in your checking account, think about setting up one of those high-interest internet savings accounts and having your paycheck direct-deposited there. I use ING Direct (http://www.ingdirect.com), but there are others. This does a couple things for me:
1) Because I can't withdraw cash until it's been in my savings account for 5 business days, this essentially forces me to gain interest on my money before I can spend it.
2) I have to make an effort to move money to my checking account, which means I have to plan my purchases beforehand.
3) I have a highly visible number that gets added back in to my account the more I leave in the savings account. This is a really big incentive (for me, at least) to leave money there as much as possible. I find myself thinking "I'll wait until next month to buy that thing, and it'll be like getting 4.5% off of the price," and then the next month I think, "If I wait again, it's like almost 10% off the price!" And then I think, "I've lived without that thing for two months, maybe I'll just leave that money in savings and not get it for 100% off..."
While it's really easy to transfer money back and forth, the extra effort involved makes me think twice before transferring more than my standard budget for rent/bills/gas (which is re-deposited in my checking account automatically each month, pretty sweet). As Side Show said, that extra effort is usually enough to overcome the impulse.
I have friends who make about $80 a month by completing surveys online -- if I can remember their email (they're never on IM any more) I'll find out where they do that. :)
* If you do decide on ING, there may be promotional programs where we both get money if you open an account, so let me know.
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Yes, please find that out. Amazon used to do this thing called Mturk (they still do, but it was better), and I could make like $250 in a week if I was going on a trip or real strapped for cash.
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Also, seriously - it sounds like you're dipping right below the poverty line. If it comes down to it, there is nothing wrong with picking up a pack of noodles and jar of tomato sauce from a food bank if the other option is not eating or sacrificing another necessity to do so.
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Also, seriously - it sounds like you're dipping right below the poverty line. If it comes down to it, there is nothing wrong with picking up a pack of noodles and jar of tomato sauce from a food bank if the other option is not eating or sacrificing another necessity to do so.
Make sure you're going through the right channels, though. My daughter's mother works for the food bank back in Virginia, and one of the misconceptions that a lot of people had was that the food bank gave food to people. They (at least that one) did not. They gave the food to other groups (church volunteer groups, etc.) that did the actual disbursement of food to the people. This became a sticking point after Hurricane Isabel left the area without power. People were going to the food bank warehouse for food, and being told to go elsewhere.
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Yes, please find that out. Amazon used to do this thing called Mturk (they still do, but it was better), and I could make like $250 in a week if I was going on a trip or real strapped for cash.
Re: Mturk
This paid-by-the-minute podcast transcription stuff looks like a better use of my time than what Im usually doing.
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I know this is easier said than done, but if you put 10% of your take-home pay into a savings account, you'll have a month's salary saved in ten months.
Sell anything you don't need or want anymore, which is also easier said than done. You know anyone who wants to buy a couple hundred DVDs?
Seventeen days between paychecks is a long time. After paying bills and regular expenses, do the math and figure out how much you have every day.
As someone who has his eye on a $2500 HDTV set, saying not to buy $800 purses may be hypocritical, but seriously, does an $800 purse really look or work that much better than a $100 purse? Clearly I do not understand, as I'm dating a girl who has 4,100 pairs of shoes and I have two.
Also, payday is dangerous because you feel rich. Maybe stick out the week after payday and act as if you don't get paid until the following week?
Another tip someone told me is to really scrimp the first few pays until you have a whole paycheck in the bank, and then live off of that and always be living a paycheck ahead. That way you won't *need* that paycheck when it comes, as you're already ahead of it.
One of my goals for 2008 is to be able to live for at least six months on savings - and not just get by, but live the extravagant life to which I've grown accustomed.
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Clearly I do not understand, as I'm dating a girl who has 4,100 pairs of shoes and I have two.
Now, wait a minute. Shoes are different from purses. You never need to buy another purse because all the ones you have hurt your feet.
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It is one of my highest goals to live ahead of my paycheck. My goal is to have three paychecks in the bank, which will take me 14 months to accomplish after I pay off the last of my debts in July 2008. I also want to buy a house. One of the women I work with said that she bought a HUD home with only $500 down, but she also lived with horrible stained carpets until she could afford to have them replaced. Most of the HUD homes are also completely lacking in any major appliances (the tenants usually steal anything that isn't nailed down after they get foreclosed upon), and I think I'd rather use the same amount of money to
buy get a mortgage on a semi-decent condo instead of having to spend $5,000 on new appliances and new carpeting for the HUD place.
My sister and her boyfriend are going to Australia for three weeks this summer. I wish like hell I could join them, but I'll only have 9 days of vacation by that point. It would be supremely retarded for me to take leave without pay, and I wouldn't even be able to afford the damn plane ticket. Sigh. Once I get back on my feet, I can start prioritizing and saving up for those big-ticket items like a trip to Oz or tickets to the opera or ballet (or my coveted handbag). I was reading on a frugality board that one woman forgoes certain creature comforts, like cable television and long distance, so that she can afford season tickets to the opera each year. A (crazy, hard to get along with) roommate that I had in college was 45 years old and delivered automobile parts as her full time job, yet she was so frugal that she would periodically take off for 3 months at a go and backpack through foreign countries.
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one woman forgoes certain creature comforts, like cable television and long distance,
I haven't had either of these in several years. In fact, we gave up our land line this year because I don't see the point in paying for three phones for two adults. The cell phones aren't going anywhere, so...bye bye, BellSouth. Even though we only have 500 minutes to split between the two of us -- the cheapest, lowest-rate plan we can get -- we rarely go over our allotment because everyone we know/call regularly is on Verizon. So we basically only pay for calls to land lines -- doctor's offices, my son's school, my mother-in-law. It works out for us, but it's not for everyone.
Things I am willing to spend money on: high-speed internet, name-brand toilet paper, weekly yoga classes, having my brows waxed four times a year, getting a really good haircut every six weeks.
Luxuries I can live without: dining out every Sunday, the daily newspaper, fabric softener, paying someone else to change my oil, professional manicures, Netflix, having too many magazine subscriptions (I gave up Bon Appetit but I'm not giving up Interweave Knits).
This is all part of what Cort said about not letting yourself feel deprived. I would seriously suffer if I were so poor I had to buy store-brand toilet paper. But I didn't watch cable much when I had it, so I don't miss it. I think I discovered all this when Pedro was out of work, and we basically cut everything out of our lives besides food, housing, and utilities, and added back in the things we really missed as we could afford to do so.
Worked for us, anyway.
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Wow, what's so bad about the store brand toilet paper? We like the Safeway brand better. The brand names are too soft and mushy.
Being the newspaper-writing business now, I'm very sorry to hear that the the daily paper is a luxury you don't need. (Damn, why do I keep finding myself with useless job skills no matter what I do?) But, fabric softener - yeah, I'm not even sure what that's for.
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Wow, what's so bad about the store brand toilet paper? We like the Safeway brand better. The brand names are too soft and mushy.
Being the newspaper-writing business now, I'm very sorry to hear that the the daily paper is a luxury you don't need. (Damn, why do I keep finding myself with useless job skills no matter what I do?) But, fabric softener - yeah, I'm not even sure what that's for.
I don't know, I just...I have a very delicate tushie. Pedro and I are in agreement on the toilet paper issue. It's important. Then again, we don't have Safeways around here, so maybe Safeway makes a good TP, as compared to, for instance, Target brand?
As a journalism minor, I also feel semi-bad about not getting the paper. But really, I only read the comics in the print edition; our local paper is almost entirely available online. And seeing as how the only excuse to get the print version are the Sunday coupons, the environmental impact of having it delivered to my house seven days a week seems a bit too high a price. For us. YM, of course, MV.
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It's all a tradeoff. I buy the $7.99 package of ultra-rad Charmin Deluxe and it lasts me at least 2 months. Then again, I almost never have guests and that is only for me. With a family, the Charmin would be much more costly.
With the cheap brands, I burn through a roll much faster. It's stupid, but I will not do without the Charmin. Then again, I probably do most of my pottying at work since I'm there for 11 hours a day. But even when I was unemployed and spending all my time at home, the Charmin lasts a very long time. We used generic paper when I was growing up, and in college I had several roommates who insisted on buying Charmin. At first I HATED it, it was like using a damn Belgian waffle (http://achewood.com/index.php?date=10282005). But now I vastly prefer it.
I NEVER want to be like a freegan who uses a washcloth set by the toilet (shudder of disgust). It would be different if I had a bidet, but I do not.
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JL, can't you get just the Sunday paper delivered? Every paper I've ever known would do that. It's a nice thing, the Sunday paper. Lounging around the living room reading real pieces of the Sunday paper is such a civilized tradition. It's totally different from reading it on line.
I know, it's a losing battle. I swear, someday I'll find me a profession that isn't going down the tubes faster than I can figure out how to be successful in it.
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Toilet paper is important.
Toilet paper and meat are what I will happily spend too much money on, I don't wanna be wiping with no half ply and I don't want my mince to be struggling out of the pan.
Also I just got to feel proud of myself because this thread reminded me to check the account where I've been automatically saving 20% of my pay and I have over a fortnight's pay in there now, totally rad. I still feel I should be saving more though, you know? I don't have many major expenses after rent, bills and food and I'm planning on going back to uni in '09 so having a decent nest egg will be a requirement.
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I steal Toilet paper from work and agree with the SUnday paper only.
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Sunday-only is still too much. We did that for a while, but again, I only clipped the coupons (which I then promptly filed and forgot to use) and read the comics.
I'm not going to have the luxury of lounging around reading the Sunday paper again for at least five years. Kids under five are NOT conducive to lazy Sunday afternoons.
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I'm not going to have the luxury of lounging around reading the Sunday paper again for at least five years. Kids under five are NOT conducive to lazy Sunday afternoons.
But isn't that what cartoons on TV are for?
But back to another thing: the phone. I can't imagine giving up my land line phone even though we both have cells also. I guess this is because I am incredibly old? It's partly that we've had the same phone number for over ten years and I can't begin to imagine tracking down all the places that have it and changing it. But that's just an excuse. I just feel like I would be so... adrift.
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But isn't that what cartoons on TV are for?
But back to another thing: the phone. I can't imagine giving up my land line phone even though we both have cells also. I guess this is because I am incredibly old? It's partly that we've had the same phone number for over ten years and I can't begin to imagine tracking down all the places that have it and changing it. But that's just an excuse. I just feel like I would be so... adrift.
When I first moved out, I had a land line. I couldn't even tell you what the telephone number was, and we rarely used it. All I really need is a cell phone and internet access. I keep in contact with my out of town friends through email, messageboards, and social networking sites. I haven't made a long distance telephone call in ages, probably not since I left Alaska. I like the fact that I get free long distance from my cell phone company. And with having to pay $65 a month for my damn cell phone, there's no way I'm going to pay extra for a land line.
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I only have a landline because we can't get adsl without it, but we barely ever use it. Our monthly bill is usually line rental + 5 bucks worth of calls.
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But here's the thing: a cell phone is so little and fragile. If you lose it or drop it in a frog pond at work, you're totally without a phone and no one can call you. We have like five phones on the land line and they're all much too large to lose.
OK, what are all these important calls that I would be missing? I don't know. Our phone service broke a while ago and I think it took us at least three days to notice. And then as soon as I got it fixed, I realized how nice it had been not having to spend every evening looking at the caller ID when the phone rang and not answering because it was a sales call.
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But here's the thing: a cell phone is so little and fragile. If you lose it or drop it in a frog pond at work, you're totally without a phone and no one can call you. We have like five phones on the land line and they're all much too large to lose.
But letting out all that wire when you drive someplace so you still have your phone sucks. But not as much as picking it all back up.
OK, what are all these important calls that I would be missing? I don't know. Our phone service broke a while ago and I think it took us at least three days to notice. And then as soon as I got it fixed, I realized how nice it had been not having to spend every evening looking at the caller ID when the phone rang and not answering because it was a sales call.
I'm confused. How did you not notice that every evening was no longer spent looking at the caller ID for three days?
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I don't know how we didn't notice. But it might be all of a piece with things like, I just noticed that a magazine I renewed in February stopped coming in February, and I just found a jug of buttermilk in the fridge that expired in August.
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I don't know how we didn't notice. But it might be all of a piece with things like, I just noticed that a magazine I renewed in February stopped coming in February, and I just found a jug of buttermilk in the fridge that expired in August.
What is...buttermilk? I mean, I have heard of it but I've never heard of anybody just straight-up drinking a glass of buttermilk. Do you drink it? Or did you buy it for baking and just forget about it?
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My mom and grandma buy a carton of buttermilk every Saturday morning when they go grocery shopping. They then come home and drink the whole thing between them for lunch. They often put a little pepper on top. My grandma will then point out that in the good old days buttermilk had little chunks of butter floating in it.
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argh. Since I have been back, I have taken to buying lottery tickets almost weekly. At $2 a week, it's not that costly. But after going to my office Christmas party and not winning so much as a poinsettia in the raffle...I'm starting to really understand just how huge the odds are and how fallacious gambler's logic can be.
Every time I check the numbers, I realize that I need to focus even harder on living happily on a budget. Unless I stop spending, budget wisely, and stick to the plan, I'm doomed.
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Um, yeah.
That's the idea.
Also, buttermilk is not too bad actually. Lots of Indian things call for it.
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I have to humbly disagree here.
Buttermilk is nearly as nasty as the concept of mushrooms.
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Gee, that must be why no one eats mushrooms and why they are so hard to find in the grocery store.
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RE: Newspapers
Despite my prior discourse to the contrary, we have done the Sunday only paper thing forever. Mrs. West gets up on Sunday morning and goes to the Kroger wherein she purchases a paper and Sunday breakfast. She buys it for the "guts", i.e. the coupons and advertising circulars. I get to read the rest of it and to do the Sunday crossword while I'm watching TV on Sunday night (preferably football).
RE: Buttermilk
Buttermilk rocks. It's great for cooking and great for drinking. Linnea, I can forgive your ignorance of buttermilk, but LFM, you have been decanned for hatin' on the buttermilk, you dang Yankee.
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ok see this is what happens when theres more than one conversation and Im too lazy to parse it all.
Up to and including August's last post, I thought there was serious discussion about advising the lady to use the sunday paper to solve the toilet paper problem. Then August was going on about his wife using the coupons and him using the rest... while watching football. Im not trying to make a haha, im serious. I thought you all had lost your fuck*ng minds.
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Well, we have, y'know.
But that's hardly the proper evidence.
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My grandfather used to drink buttermilk. He was as yankee as all get-out (aside from not being from New England - Iowa and Seattle mostly). I tried it once and had a similar sort of experience as the day I tried baking chocolate. It might look like something tasty (eggnog), but that stuff is vile.
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Buttermilk is a good ingredient in things. It makes excellent cornbread, and is a nice base for building a crust on soon-to-be fried chicken.
It is not a thing for drinking on its own. Really.
Slightly more on-topic, the difference in the chances of winning the lottery between buying one ticket and buying 0 tickets is so small that it's within the statistical margin of error. That said, I'll buy a ticket or five when the jackpot value is higher than the odds of winning. It's a nice thing to dream about*.
There are a lot of little expenses that add up if you let them -- taking my lunch in to work 2 or 3 days a week saves, in my case, about $4 per meal (and usually tastes better). I skip the vending machines too if I can. By not buying two sodas a day I save $20 or so a month. For some reason, 20-oz soda bottles cost ten cents less than 2-liter soda bottles. I just refill them and do the same with water bottles. Two big pre-made chicken caesar salads cost $10, but making them myself costs $4 or less. Heck, buying unflavored couscous in bulk saves me something like $1 an ounce over the preflavored types, AND there's less packaging to deal with. While I love how convenient those Uncle Ben's flavored microwavable rice pouches are, those things cost some amazing premium over even the really high-quality dry rice.
Oh yeah, do you have a grocery store 'club card?' You don't actually have to fill those forms out when you get one. Just do it at a busy time and ask if you can send the form in later -- boom, you get to save money without tying your shopping history to any personally-identifying information.
Okay, it's 3:30 am and I need to go to bed.
* I plan to purchase and renovate a duplex to live in while I'm scouting for a location for my dream home. This home will not be very big, but it will be built to exceptional specifications, with 8-inch outer walls and solar panels. Also I will begin funding an endowment with the goal of sustaining a good $100000 in charity funds off of investment returns alone. Also I will purchase billboards that say "PUT THE PHONE DOWN AND DRIVE."
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I buy the buttermilk to make pancakes. And sometimes scones. But now I'm wondering if I should try drinking some just for the hell of it.
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I just woke up from an excruciating dream. I dreamt that I was at Whole Foods or something, having a retardedly expensive sandwich and grelicious pickle spears. In the dream, I ate three pickles, and then I woke up. I wanted to cry with rage when I realized that I could not just get up and drive over there. Hell, I can't even go to the damn grocery store and buy some pickles. BLAST!
Also, LFM, mushrooms are delicious. Here is a recipe that Kelli taught me. You will probably hate it.
1 carton of mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 yellow or sweet onion, diced
1 cup of red wine
2 teaspoons "Better Than Boullion" paste from the jar, or a bullion cube.
Olive oil and butter
Heat a medium skillet over high-medium heat. While the skillet heats, dissolve the bullion into the red wine and set aside. Once the skillet heats up, add about a tablespoon of olive oil and a pat of butter. Add the diced onions and saute until they are softened and beginning to caramelize (darken). Add the mushrooms and saute until softened. Stir in the wine/boullion mixture to deglaze the pan and leave on high-medium to help the sauce reduce, stirring frequently. This should take about 5 minutes, longer if you have used more ingredients. Once the sauce looks like it's thickening nicely, reduce to low heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes.
This is an amazing topping for marinated, grilled steak and mashed potatoes. God, it is so delicious. Just make sure you don't use too much bullion (i.e., I used a heaping tablespoon and it was far too much), or else it gets extremely salty.
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as long as we are talking about recipes and cooking...
when making eggs over-easy, how do you flip the egg over without the yolk sliding off? I ended up with basically a yolk separate from the rest of the egg, and then I got frustrated with trying to get the whites back on top of the yolks and just mashed everything up until it was just "egg." Is there a trick, or just "practice"?
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Don't flip too soon. Wait 'til the top of the white has turned opaque, then flip, count to five, and serve. (This leaves the yolks pretty runny.) If the bottom of the egg gets too brown while you're waiting for the top to cook, turn the heat down a notch or two.
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I'm in no way saying that it is wrong or bad that y'all enjoy things like mushrooms or punk music.
If these things make you happy, I'm sincerely happy that you dig it.
I... I just have given things like these many chances and do not personally get it at all.
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oh, see, I actually don't want the yolk that runny. just... some-runny. I think the pan I used was too small, I couldn't get a good angle with the spatula.
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I think JL is right -- you're flipping too soon. Basically you're doing almost all the cooking on one side and flipping the egg just to finish off the other side.
Getting the exactly right degree of runniness is a matter of expirimentation. Personally, I like my eggs hard so it's not a problem. But the rest of my family likes them runny, so, being as how I'm the chief cook around here, I've had to learn how to do it. They do seem to cook a lot quicker than you think. A gentle touch on the back of the yolk after the flip can be revealing.
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OK, so I have the information from my friend about these sites. His actual words are quoted, my comments aren't. In general, you'll want to set up some free email address to do these with:
www.mypoints.com (http://www.mypoints.com)
- This site gives you points for clicking on links in your email, as well as doing online shopping through their referral links.
www.globaltestmarket.com (http://www.globaltestmarket.com)
- This is a survey site. You get 50-75 points per survey and can "cash out" at 1000 points ($50). Protip: Always answer "Never" or "A very long time" when asked how recently you've filled out a survey.
www.mysurvey.com (http://www.mysurvey.com)
www.your2cents.com (http://www.your2cents.com)
- More survey sites. Not as good as the test market.
www.hotspex.com (http://www.hotspex.com)
That one doesn't look as great because its "rewards" are entries into contests. But they have a partnership with Points.com where you can "trade" your hotspex bux for gift certificates on Points.com
www.fusioncash.net (http://www.fusioncash.net)
That's the one to be careful with and that they would want a separate email address probably. It pays you for signing up for all kinds of junk. Contests, other survey sites which are bogus. If they don't want spam, or phone calls to their cell phones that they would have to ignore then stay away from that one
It also pays a lot like $2-10 for signing up to a lot of free trials that you have to cancel within the month or start getting charged. I stay away from those but I could see making a crapload of money that way. I could also see spending a crapload if you're not diligent
- The only way I'd recommend this would be if you have an empty gift card to use instead of a credit card.
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Can and respect to Lister for not using "Referral" links in his post.
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I did three Mturk HITs and realized that I spent 15 minutes to earn thirty cents. Back to the drawing board. Maybe I can get paid for donating plasma or something?
Semi-random rant that is tangentially related to making money: A woman that I work with just got her second kidney transplant. The first one failed. I was quite inspired to sign up with the live donor registry...Until I realized that I would receive zero compensation for the time I would have to take off work. You have to spend 2-3 days in the hospital after kidney donation, and who knows how long it would take until you're back up to full speed!
Of course, selling organs is a felony in this country. I guess that nobody wants to start down that slippery slope of even offering donors basic recompense for time, pain, and suffering. Meanwhile, the donor pool is abysmally small.
On the organ-selling topic, the thought of getting $30K in exchange for a duplicitous organ is tempting, but the thought of being a convicted felon is not.
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On the organ-selling topic, the thought of getting $30K in exchange for a duplicitous organ is tempting...
I know a guy who can make this happen.
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I don't want to break the law, I just want to help save someone's life and get some recompense for taking time off work and maybe some walkin' around money. I have type O+ blood. I donate blood every 2 months, have no diseases except a slow thyroid and some depression, and I have an extremely low-risk lifestyle.
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I've spent much of this thread imagining "Frugality!" as a fighting video game "Fatality!" move.
Such as... literally nickeling and diming a dude to death instead of... ripping out his spine or whatever.
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I have been a MyPoints user for several years now, and can vouch for its awesomeness. All of their e-mails have the word "MyPoints" in the subject line, so it's easy to filter them to a folder, and then once a week or so when you have 15 minutes, go through and click through the e-mails. I buy from a lot of their merchants anyway, so it's kind of a no-brainer. I turn in my MyPoints for Hilton HHonors points, and have gotten two free nights from my efforts. Not bad for answering e-mail. Now that my wife are I are entering a phase where we need to be frugal as well, we may start turning them for less fun stuff and more necessity stuff.
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I have been a MyPoints user for several years now, and can vouch for its awesomeness. All of their e-mails have the word "MyPoints" in the subject line, so it's easy to filter them to a folder, and then once a week or so when you have 15 minutes, go through and click through the e-mails. I buy from a lot of their merchants anyway, so it's kind of a no-brainer. I turn in my MyPoints for Hilton HHonors points, and have gotten two free nights from my efforts. Not bad for answering e-mail. Now that my wife are I are entering a phase where we need to be frugal as well, we may start turning them for less fun stuff and more necessity stuff.
I've been using MyPoints for about 9 years and it's pretty painless. The only downsides are that if you want to get points for shopping at Office Depot, BN.com, &c you have to not only have to go the mypoints.com and click a refferal link but also make your purchase with the same e-mail address that you registered at MyPoints with. So it makes it harder to use a dummy e-mail to keep out spam. And that the rewards vary greatly in their points-to-dollar ratio.