Post your money saving tips
Posted By: Let's all save on 2008-05-12
In Reply to:
Times are tough, gas prices through the roof, food costs climbing... what are you doing to compensate? I'm lucky to live in a walkable community. I'm glad that I can work at home and not have to use so much gas, but I do use my car for errands. Since I am able to walk to the grocery store, doctor's offices, post office and friends' homes that's what I'm doing these days. Last week I used my car only once.
That's just the first big step (pun intended). How about everyone else? What are you doing (or forced to do) with rising prices?
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Do you guys have any money saving tips?
BF and I want to buy a house.
Of course be mad. Tell him start saving HIS money,
x
Any tips for post rotator cuff surgery? Recovering
s
saving self
In saving yourself, you WILL be helping them by setting an example and showing the both of them how a strong woman survives.
They may never, ever realize what they are doing to you and you may be in for rough waters ahead as you try to extricte youself from this because living like this has become the norm among the 3 of you.
The nature of this beast is that you never see it coming, you always think you are doing the "right thing" until it gets to the point where you feel you can't take it anymore and then you wonder where in the world you went wrong. Then you're hit with another guilt trip.
Once you can get free and find a therapist to explain to you how THEY think this greatly helps you deal with undeserved feelings of guilt which is a fast track to depression. If you're dealing with true mental illness in them, get a pro to explain to you how their illness works in them and how it affects you in YOUR particular circumstances and then work on ways of dealing with it once you understand better what is going on. Your anger and frustration and everything else that is eating away at you will be directed toward the illness and the drugs, etc. and not them. You acquire a balanced perspective and the guilt and depression begin to subside as strength returns as you begin to see things as they truly are.
Check out those books. They will bring you much comfort and help give you courage and direction. But please seek help for yourself. You are entrenched in this more than you realize. A pro can help you out quicker than the books by focusing on YOU. I recommend both.
I am saving some now so we have - sm
a cushion for emergencies. After all the bills are paid each month we have about $500 if my calculations is correct. I don't want to rely on that, want more if necessary. Just saving $50 a week and set aside $1000 from selling back 2 weeks on my DHs vacation pay. Have an $400 propane bill coming due around Dec. 26, and then $500 in car insurance in Feb., and just had to pay about $500 for personal property tax...due today. But I will have that $3K paid off I hope by March. I make about $800 every 2 weeks and only need $800 a month for my cc payments right now--so will use the other $800 to pay off the rest of his cards. My hardship plans are only for a year, guess I will have to renegotiate then if I don't go the debt settlement route, but it will take me like 10 years to pay it all off otherwise. Totally sucks, but I made the mess, need to clean it up. Mine was caused by too much spending, family death, family serious illness, loss of job due to taking care of family member, private school payments, just too much going out and not enough coming in. Luckily we have lots saved in 401K, but only borrowed enough to pay off his cards (shy about $2K on what we borrowed); I am to fix my mess which is $10k worse than his. But all is going okay, and my DH came thru like a trooper surprising me, he is still mad and totally lost it last week on me one night but kids intervened, and no they don't know anything, though he does make little remarks in front of them though I have told him not to. If they figure it out I will explain the evils of credit cards, we do tell them that anyway, but they will know first hand how quickly it can get away from you. We will be okay, though cash poor for five years. I am working on getting a job outside the home and am on the second step of a job now that is $28K a year from 8-4:30; so I can still do some MT--which I would do and use that money for gas and childcare. I'd miss the freedom I have now but would make about $800 more a month if I get this job and still do about $600 a month with MT, which would more than cover the gas and childcare since I only need it for about 90 mins after school. We will see how it goes.
Saving photos to CD
Does anyone know how to save digital photos (in My Pictures) to a CD? Do you need to download a program for that or is it possible just with what I've got in my computer? I need to get them off of my computer and saved. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
well he's a musician and says he's saving up for
he has bought 2 different pieces of music equipment this year. He angrily offered to pay the electric bill from his savings, even wrote a check but I couldn't take it.
Quite honestly I have never been in love with him, he loves me oldest son very much so it's hard to just tell him to leave because his own dad has never met him and barely pays child support. SO and i have a son together so it's a complicted situation. I really just wish he would hurry up and go on the road so at least I would have a chance to see how I feel without him. He also works for his mother and stays over at her house a few nights out of the week. She is in her 60s and alone and she needs a lot of help. So, by the time he gets home here he is tired from working and helping her so he just wants to veg out all the time. I guess from his POV i don't have anything else to do but clean since i'm here all the time but my god I like to have time to do things too. I have dreamed of the day I tell him to leave but I can't bear to break my children's hearts. We have an on again/off again relationship and have been back together for 2-1/2 years now and I figure it's just pointless to break it off again. But i can't bring it to myself to marry him because of all of the above. Suze Orman said it best: Love is easy. Finding somebody you LIKE is the hard part.
meant to say you would be saving other - sm
women if you testify, ignore the "not". Not reading what I typed obviously.
I hear you on the saving water, etc. sm
We also had the low water toilets in our last place, upgraded one of them to a better model because the plumbers said the standard ones were terrible and we were going to hate them, but it still had problems and not cheap!!. We're always conscious about running water around here for washing dishes, brushing teeth, etc. and would like to buy a different washer but can't afford right now, tryin' to do our part, ya know... I don't know about your low water toilets but ours were a joke, had to flush sometimes 3 or 4 times to get #2 to go down, had to have plungers beside each, which our guests had to use also. We wondered where the water-saving feature came in if you had to flush multiple times to get it to work. Was really embarrassing for us and people who stayed when they had to tell us they plugged the toilet up or couldn't get it to go down, but don't know what the solution is, maybe a different diet?? Lol, and quiz everyone who stays with you about their bowel habits and proceed with caution when using our facilities... We don't live there anymore, but maybe someone here has some suggestions on this... Don't mean to hijack your post, but am interested if someone has suggestions on brands.
How much money rasied for Katrina, how much money for the diasters due to the tidal waves and what?
Every single one of them have had some smoke around it with the money not getting to where it was supposed to go. I did not contribute, I hardly watched, was not caught up again as I have seen things like this before. They should give a all you can give benefit for Darfur where people are being massacared each and every day. Genocide going on there each and every day. I have not seen any benefits to help them out yet.
Burn Notice, Army Wives, Closer, Saving Grace
ss
Chevy ང flex fuel - love it! Big saving on price now, used to buy Olds.
...
But her money is her money to spend as she pleases -
I don't understand how you can think it is wrong for her to spend whatever she wants to on whatever she buys. It is their personal money they spend. It is not like they are saying give me those shoes and add it to the taxpayer's bill.
And in all actuality, they are saying spend, spend, spend to get the economy going.
I am sorry, I am jealous that some people still have plenty of money to spend and I don't, but I don't expect those people to quit spending just because I had to.
Tips
My general out look on tipping is I tip for a job well done and a lot of times when they are in my house my previous have been known to throw the bathroom rugs in the wash(which wasnt on the list but was appreciated), vacuum the dog bed, one lady would wash my dishes and would actually take great pains to make sure she put them up correctly (major points there) and would run my families laundry (correctly) while she did the cleaning which was not requested so I tipped. BUT then after a couple of months she would rescedule, show up hours or a day late and would only half complete the list but would do the extra and got attitude when she did not get a tip.
A tip (IN MY OPINION) is for above average service. If you do not complete the minimum then I do not even consider tipping.
A few tips...
First, taking a taxi is even scarier than the subway! (keep in mind everyone I am from a small town in West Virginia and New York was a little intimidating!) I went with my mother for my 21st birthday. We got two maps - a subway map and a detailed map of the streets. We either walked or took the subway everywhere we went. We learned after having to take a cab from the airport to our hotel that it was probably safer just to walk!
The hotel that we stayed in was in China Town and it was very tiny - don't expect any alone time with your hubby! :)
Central Park was excellent and your kids will love the zoo. That would definitely be a good place to go. We did all the touristy things -went to the statue of liberty and all that.
The Lion King was the best show I have ever seen!! We also saw Wicked, which was also great and would probably be kid friendly.
Overall, it was an excellent experience and I cannot wait to go back some day. My only suggestion would be to get any map you can! Preferably, a subway map and the street map like I did. Even if you do take a taxi, you need to know where you are so the cab driver doesn't 'take you for a ride'! I hope you have a wonderful, safe trip!
Thanks for the tips - sm
I have spent a small fortune trying to find a mascara that doesn't irritate my skin. Even the hypoallergenic mascara is irritating or clumpy.
Definitely going to try the false lashes.
Tips
It's easy to get mad at someone, but getting to the deeper root of the problem is sometimes more difficult. If you have recurring arguments, get to the root of the issue once and for all. Knowing what the sore spot is will help you understand each other more and will help avoid future blow outs.
Admit when you're wrong. The power of a simple apology is extremely underrated so when you're in the wrong, own up to it; I guarantee he will appreciate it.
Although fighting is serious, breaking the tension if the timing is right is sometimes necessary. Don't mock or undermine the argument, but making a joke will prove that your relationship means more than simply winning an argument.
You really get to see someone's insecurities during a fight so talk about them with each other in order to get to know each other even better than you thought you did.
Try to avoid hitting below the belt and bringing up past fights. No matter how angry you are, it will behoove you to fight fairly.
These are some good tips I came across. Good luck!
Lilly
Thanks for the tips - I too....
am not quite at that stage where I think I'm ready for all gray. (I'm only...48 - wait a minute...there's no way I can be 48...born in 1960....yeah I guess that's right 48 - egaads!) :-) Anyway...maybe I should start just going gray, but just bought the hair color so will use it. I'd love to have a hairdresser color my hair but I can't afford monthly trips to the beauty salon. I just got this shampoo and conditioner from a hair salon, but when I'm out I'm going to use the stuff you suggested. I also have a jar of cholesterol hair conditioner, so I'm going to try that too and hopefully it will make it softer. I used to have such beautiful hair a few years back. Natural curls, and all the hairdressers that cut my hair said how everyone wishes they had hair like mine. Over the past few years I've noticed my hair thinning (going bald) towards the front. I also don't have any more natural curls like I used to and now I have to keep my hair shorter because if it goes longer it just looks stringy. I only wash my hair about once every 3 days. I figured seeing as I sit at my desk every day and only go out of the house once every other weekend to grocery shop there's no need to wash it so much. Thanks for the tips. I should put a post up in about a month with an update of how my hair turns out :-) or if I do end up just "doing the gray thing".
Maybe some tips that might help sm
i to am gray, not sure how much cause i color my hair. i'm 36 and i got my first gray at 22. my mom is 55 and i have more gray than her. my dad is completely silver (he's 56). his hair is beautiful!!! anyway, i color my hair. i used to buy my stuff from walmart and highlight too. my hair would look really dry. i found a great hairdresser and she told me to wash with Redken Allsoft (and conditioner too). she said to also give myself a conditioning treatment twice a week where after you wash your hair, towel dry it and put this conditioner in (she gave me the stuff) on the tips or wherever it's dry and leave it in for about five minutes then rinse. what happened was before i started going to her, i used one of those caps and pulled my hair through and highlighted it that way. that really dries out the hair. so now i'm not doing to that anymore. i'm going to let my hairdresser take care of the coloring. she's really great and full of information. i've often thought about going gray too, but i'm still too young to look about 10 years older. i have like a dirty brown with gray (yuck). oh she also said to try and only wash hair about every other day. washing every day dries it out too. use conditioner every time you wash. i hope it helps!
Thanks for the tips - sm
I know our daughter wants to be in a State school. She has lots to choose from in NY. And she wants to live at college. Over the past several days since I posted, she's looked up three particular schools and signed up for the open houses, the first of which we're going to on Monday. I liked that advice about going to the open houses and then if it looks like something she might want to then schedule a more private tour. So now it starts. I'm excited and scared stiff at the same time, living vicariously through her. I never went to college, and I really hopes she gets everything she wants out of it!
Tips
Been working over 25 years. Raised my 2 boys by myself in a small hick impoverished town. Had plenty. Had nothing.
Here's the lessons I learned and the tips that helped me and still will, I am sure, at some point:
1. When you are in dire straits (we're talking long-term problem, not just a little short this month), you must reprioritize. Make a list of the things you MUST have to survive. You must secure those first and foremost. Once you do that, anything extra does NOT buy extras -- it goes into savings. No more extras until you are caught up on your MUST HAVES and you have enough savings for to cover those for at least 2 months.
2. Change your food budget immediately. Eat basic staples. Another poster below had the right idea: Beans, potatoes, etc. Get cozy with a family-size can of Campbell's Tomato Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Cook. Don't order out or buy any convenience foods at all. Give up sodas, coffee. Clip coupons. Any money saved goes to savings only.
3. Get rid of the junk in your home -- any/all of it -- sell it. Use consignment shops, sell it on eBay, have a garage sale, call a junk man. ALL the money goes to savings.
4. Make change at home: Change the thermostat in your home. Make it cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer. Bundle up or wear lighter clothes. Only wash clothes in cold water. Do you need the cable TV package you have? Do you have telephone extras? Do you need that cell phone?
5. Cut down your driving. Car pool for shopping trips or kids to school, etc.
6. Raise the deductible on your car insurance. This you should be doing anyway -- insurance is a paid risk, that's all. Take the max deductible allowed by your insurance company. It is unlikely you will use it and you will pay less per month. The idea is to PAY LESS but still have the necessary coverage. If you can drop full coverage for liability only - do it.
7. Pack lunches for kids or get on a free/reduced lunch program at school.
8. Evaluate your job(s). You need steady income and work that is available to you. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that MT work is the only work you can do. Convenience stores need help, so do retailers, etc. It is your RESPONSIBILITY to do what is necessary to bring home the money. If MT work is not paying you enough, then get out of it or at least supplement it. You would do better to work two outside jobs at $10 an hour than to sit at home on 3 MT jobs making only $7 an hour WHEN you get to work.
9. Make sure all in your household are aware of the crunch THE FAMILY is in. It is not just YOU in the crunch, but the entire family. Even the children. Everyone must do something to contribute. For children, this means just doing their part at home with chores but also turning off lights not used, turning off the water while brushing teeth, taking a bath with a little less water, etc.
These are just some tips to get started.
You have to recognize and accept that the responsibility is yours to ensure the money is coming in and being spent responsibly. There is no excuse for waiting for work nor for spending foolishly.
My heart is with you ... I have truly been there and done that.
Survivalist
Thanks for the tips! -sm
What you said about putting in the veggies last makes sense. Probably similar to steaming them, huh? Mine is also a small, 3-qt. one. (They were on sale at Target in Dec. for only $15!)
I've also had some interesting microwave experiences. Like one day I went to cook something on a plate that had gold metallic-looking paint around the rim of it. There were sparks everywhere! Scared me to death! I know you can't put metal in, but I guess metallic or gold-leaf paint is a no-no, as well. I've also had some things I microwaves for too long explode.
Another time I put something in the oven and left the pot-holders inside the the oven by accident, and started a fire.
This is all why, when I go to my parents' for Thanksgiving, my sisters do all the cooking, and I just sit around and watch.
;D
She needs more than just packing tips sm
She just told her father and I that she changed the message on our answering machine. We listened "Hi, the Hurts are in New York right now so we won't be able to call you back for about a week." This is a straight A student Geesh! Don't know what she was thinking, actucally she wasn't thinking at all.LOL
Thank you for the reply and the tips.
Been thinking of going the natural route myself. There sure do not seem to be any good diagnosticians around today like there were years ago. Nowadays, most put the symptoms into the computer and see what comes up. Well, I can do that too!
I've been reading up on the many diseases and syndromes that affect multiple body systems that often go undiagnosed or are treated separately for years, probably partly because everybody is a *specialist* these days.
But the last two I saw actually called each other, so HEY maybe they're finally onto something! lol
Gotta have a sense of humor or it'll make you insane.
Sorry to hear of your problems. And I'm glad you are doing better!
Here are some tips from a fellow
I have really curly hair and I only wash it once a week with organic shampoo. It does not have sodium laureth sulfate in it, which really makes your hair frizzy and tangled. I also use a good quality conditioner and put it in my hair (just a little) between washings and work it through with my fingers. Good luck. It took me into my 20s to really appreciate my hair. I think less is more as far as doing stuff with it. Don't cut it, you'll regret it later because sometimes curly won't sit right cut short.
good tips
thanks for the tips - I like the one about making a joke or trying to lighten the mood - I have used that one before and it usually works.. I also like the one about not hitting below the belt - I used to do that with my first husband - that's not good. . it is just hurtful.
Believe it or not we live off those tips.
DH gets 2 bucks an hour. He gets none of the surcharge, nothing for gas, nothing for delivery fee you all pay. He gets stiffed, he gets 2 bucks an hour. That is our spending money. Since I am an MT and you know these days what that means, and I watch the kids, he works at the post office and with a church, and the only way to make bills stretch is to live off his tips on pizza. So, we eat mostly the discounted (not free) pizza he gets from work (the left overs people don't pay for or are deadbeats). So next time you tip the pizza guy remember these truths. Our 3 kids depend on the tips, and so does this MT, whose 2 jobs typing goes to bills and growing kids clothes.
Need frugal tips
I love the fall but this is the time of year that I also get to thinking about summer vacation in order to start saving early. I want to take my 7-year-old son to the beach. Does anyone have any ideas for a cheap but fun vacation. We would drive so I know packing to eat on the road would be one thing. What else? Is it cheaper to get a hotel or a condo? Eat out or go to the grocery store? ANY ideas would be greatly appreciated!! TY
Canning tips.
I see that you'd like to learn to can. I do a lot of canning. In fact, I have a weird little room between my kitchen and dining room that I call "the pantry". We put shelves up on all the walls. One little shelf unit along one wall is my office. (I call the place the Pantroffice. :) The rest of the shelves, floor to ceiling, are filled with canned items. It's more of a hobby and a way to ensure that I know what is going into the cans. I can't say that it is necessarily cheaper than buying canned goods at a store.
If you are interested in learning, I highly recommend the latest edition of the Ball Blue Book. It costs about $5 or $6, and includes recipes and basic guidelines for canning. It's updated regularly, so find the most recent version. The Ball Blue Book will tell you when it's safe to can using a hot water bath, and when you must use a pressure canner. For years, I only did foods that required hot water canning, because that was the cheapest way to go. Several years ago, I invested in a very large pressure canner. Now I can can my own broths, soups, stews, and much more. It makes for quick foods at times.
It is something of a science, and lots of guidelines have changed from the days our grandmother's canned food. You certainly don't want to poison anyone! You need to know how to can the modern way.
If you want to know more, feel free to email.
Some tips..for next time...sm
Crock pots are not as "dummy proof" as they profess to be. I have found that most of them have too high a heat, even on low, to cook anything for 10 hours!! Everything pretty much depends on the size of the crock pot, as well. I am alone, so mine is small at 3 qt. Remember that the crock pot must be filled to about 2/3 full of food, or it will burn! Boneless chicken breasts cook a whole lot faster than the ones with the ribs. Most are done in three to four hours. Potatoes can go in at the same time as the meat, but as far as veggies, don't put them in until about an hour before the meat is due to be done or they will turn to mush! particularly anything frozen or canned. Fresh might take a little longer, but not much. Quite honestly, you really can't "just throw in everything together" and cook it for 12 hours like they advertise on TV. Crock pot cooking is just like any other cooking. It is a learning process by trial and error. There are some good crock pot recipe books out there that explain all this stuff. basically, three to four hours for meats and potatoes, one hour for veggies. good luck to you on your next try.
Tips on walking my dog
This is my dog Kane, doesn't he look sweet?
He is not sweet on our walks, he is a big butt nugget, he pulls and wants to walk as fast as he can.
I try and wait for him to calm down before we leave for the walk but as soon as I touch the door knob he gets excited.
I am just using the leash as a collar and leash, I wrap it around his neck so I can pull it when he acts up, which is the enitre walk!
Any ideas on how to stop the pulling and make him focus and mind?
Thanks a bunch, great tips!
//
favorite diet tips?
Mine is putting sauces on vegetables according to cravings. My son mentioned he had ribs for lunch today and that made me want some so badly I went and put BBQ sauce on my veggies w/ rice!!!
Just wanted to thank you all for the great tips and
info and links. I called HSN today to speak with a supervisor, and read them the letter from their collection agency. They truly sounded horrified, and said that was not in the spirit of their company. Probably a bunch of phooey, but I also said that if the collection agency can threaten to ruin my reputation, I should also feel the same to mention to as many I can about HSN and the quality of computers they hawk. LOL. Best I could think of. At any rate, it felt good to voice my opinion to someone at HSN. I'll just wait and see what next week brings as far as if this company calls me and what I'll say. Am also following some leads on the sites for reporting collection agencies. All info said that they can never be demeaning, or insulting, or emotional/personal, etc. I think the things they said in the letter cover all of the above. Thanks for the help.
we generally give $4, my DH usually tips 20% - sm
everywhere we go, also for pickup orders as well which I am sure most people don't do but should do something (I do 10-15% when I pick it up, depends on the place).
Any tips on getting paint out of carpet? sm
My daughter had a party tonight with probably 10 kids here. One of the girls spilled a can of paint in the garage they were using for their "haunted house" and stepped all in it. Rather than staying outside until she got the paint off with the water hose, she tracked it all into my house! I am furious! Of course, she wasn't wearing her shoes. She was playing and put my 16-yo's shoes on. I highly doubt she would go tracking through her home with paint on the bottom of her feet and she even came upstairs laughing saying I stepped in that paint that we spilled. I said then what are you doing tracking it all through my house, get in the bathroom and wash it off! She is 12 years old and should know better. Kids these days are so disrespectful.........Any tried and true tips for getting paint out of carpet? Should I say something to her parents? This is the same child I almost sent home earlier today because she slapped my 9-yo son and I did call her mom about that and informed her of what happened and if I had any more incidences out of her she was going home. Hitting is not allowed in my house period! Geez, can I say this child will not be a vistor at my house anymore! 
Do you think you could give a few tips to my daughter? : ) - nm
x
Holiday Eating Tips
Come on girl, you gotta have more than one slice!! :)
HOLIDAY EATING TIPS
1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.
2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!
3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them aga! in.
8. Same for pies. Apple , Pumpkin , Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples a! ND one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more t han one dessert? Labor Day ?
9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, even I have some standards.
10! . One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
Have a great holiday season !!
Here's a link to some office tips
I'll look for some more for home tips in general. I liked these office tips. This is the clearest explanation I have found yet for some of it. I need to move my desk around.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-feng-shui-office.html
tips for sick kitty. sm
What is the mineral content of your water? I know it seemed to help giving my boy distilled water. My vet recommended anything high in acid foodwise. I remember him recommending tomato juice. He said raw hamburger would work, which I did occasionally give the cat. The Purina variety cat food for urinary tract health worked for him.
Moving/packing tips???
My husband and I are moving to another state on FRIDAY!!! I can't believe how quickly the moving date has come around. We still have well over half of our packing to do. Do you guys have any tips or motivation techniques to get my butt in gear? I do NOT want to have to be up until 2:00 in the morning Thursday night, but that's what it is starting to look like. HELP!!!
tips on rehoming kitties
Pleeeease go to the petfinder website--I'm not sure if this site lets you post url's, but you can find if if you search. You can look through listed local rescue groups there. In the meantime, DO NOT GIVE AWAY "FREE TO GOOD HOME" because that frequently ends up very, very badly. Either charge a fee, or do a home visit to check out the people you give them away to. Preferably ask all sorts of good questions to find out where the cat will be housed, are there other animals there (if so, spayed/neutered? up to date on vaccines? what would they do if they had to move or something and could not keep the cat?), etc.
At the very least, if you're giving the animals to your local humane society, look into that society's euthanasia policies. If you're in the south, those cats could be gassed to death, which is not a fun way to go. If at all possible and you're determined to drop them off somewhere, please drive them to a no-kill facility. Those are my tips (and I've done a lot of animal rescues and transports--I just can't do them right now). Thanks for thinking of them--lots of people don't bother....
Haven't started shopping yet, but have started saving $$$
Don't have an awful lot yet, but both hubby and I are doing it (separate accounts) so we should have a good amount when we combine. My goal is to start shopping in September after my daughter's birthday and finish by Thanksgiving. That's my goal. I have never reached it! Maybe this year!
packing tips for the 14yo and Today (sm)
If you're not already gone...
My daughter went to NY with a high school tour a couple summers ago. They went to the Today show and Dave Price stole her basketball!! It was some promotion they were doing where some of the crowd was given a basketball. He wanted to use it for his segment, grabbed it from her, and never gave it back!!
I did see her on TV, but she didn't look her happy self. Poor thing!
It was funny because even though we live in Florida, we had the NY feed when Dave Price was on a local NY channel and she just LOVED him. But after he stole her basketball, she was not as fond. LOL.
Oh, and the packing. Quick, fast, easy, and it keeps clothes in somewhat good condition is to roll them tight. It's easy for kids to do, especially impatient, busy teens.
Have fun!!
Tips on cleaning porcelain lamp
Hi All,
I bought a beautiful old oil lamp. It has a white porcelain shade that has a darkish ring around the top rim. I put a little diluted bleach water on it and, as is typical for things I try to fix, the stain kind of ran and spread. Any tips on cleaning this would surely be appreciated. I don't know what the stain is, just that it's dark. lol TIA!
Anyone have tips on teaching ESL child to read? (sm)
I have been volunteering at my children's school once a week helping some of the children in my daughter's 2nd grade class practice reading. The children having the greatest problems are the English Second Language children and I have been working more with them, but one child in particular needs help and the teacher and I have decided that I should dedicate more time to him. In his home, his parents speak Spanish (he tells me) and he has two younger siblings. He is a very sweet, very popular child at school. The problem is he doesn't even recognize all the letters in the alphabet yet, even though he has been through kindergarten and first grade (how has he passed?). Trying to teach him the sounds that correspond to the alphabet has also been difficult, because he does not know the names of common objects/animals used to teach children alphabet sounds. For example, we have been making an alphabet book, cutting pictures out of magazines and gluing them to the page with the corresponding letter at the top of the page. He calls all large animals "elephant" and cannot remember from one week to the next that the "D" animal on his page is a "dinosaur" and not an elephant. He confuses letters like "e" with "n" when he is writing the name of the animal (with me dictating the spelling to him). I want to help this child so badly, but I dont' know where to begin.
Just a few tips/suggestions (kinda long)
Don't think about how long it is going to take you to lose X amount of pounds. As long as you are going in the right direction, you're on the right track. Be patient. Think of it as 1/2 pound lost instead of 1 pound gained. Take one minute at a time because that's all the time it takes to consume something evil!
Try to establish some sort of eating schedule. I know things can get hectic, but if you can get in some kind of rhythm and structure, it's easier to stay on track.
Take fruit and vegies out of the hydrator and put them where you can see them when you open the fridge. If you have the time when you get home from the store immediately cut your snack veggies so they're ready to grab when you need them.
If you drink whole milk, wean yourself down to at least 1%. Obviously, no-fat dairy products, etc. are best.
Same with sodas. When I first started WW, I just couldn't do diet drinks. I just drank water for the first 4 months, but then I started out with Diet Sierra Mist or Diet Sprite. I think they have less aftertaste and eventually I was able to tolerate all diet drinks. Eliminating as much sugar as possible makes a big difference.
A couple things I really like that are pretty low-cal/fat/points are sandwiches of lettuce, tomato, sprouts, cucumbers, and dill pickles (the sandwich stuffer kind) on whole-wheat bread. Really fills me up and is tasty.
I also make taco salads with the normal taco veggies, but with fat-free sour cream and fat-free refried beans with either no meat or lean meat and lotsa salsa!
Eat high fiber-content foods. Another one of my favs is kidney beans (light and dark), garbanzo beans, green onions and vinegar. Filling, tasty, and pretty.
Also, Progresso now has 0-point soups. Whether or not you do WW, these are really low in calories and fat with a really good fiber content.
Of course, drink your water :-) and avoid alchol (a contributing factor to my recent gain -- kicked back with a couple cold ones on my only day off 'to relieve stress' -- that is coming to a screeching halt).
Plan meals as much as possible, but have some frozen dinners on hand just in case.
Oh and vegie burgers!! They aren't the greatest in the world but if you fry them in some spray rather than microwaving them and add losts of vegies, pickles, etc., they aren't too bad.
Read labels before you consume. Wake up call there :-)
And if you can, exercise. I didn't when I lost my 70 pounds, but no doubt things would have toned up a lot nicer if I had.
And don't be afraid of the people in your house (if you have them). When I started bringing in healthy food and started cooking more healthy, the only complaints were from me because they ate all my stuff!! ;-) I eventually stopped buying the previous evil food. I have to start working on that one again too...
Sorry this is so long, but you asked for tips and I didn't give you any in my other post LOL.
I'm very happy you posted. It helped me to remember and reinforce the things I need to practice again starting now.
Our pizza guys get $7.50 an hour plus tips.
I don't feel bad at $2 tips. He's making more than min wage here.
If he wants more money, he needs to get into a better job.
Need tips on teaching husband to be frugal..sm
Here is the situation...for quite some time I have been trying to be more frugal and really watch my spending and our money. It seems my husband is doing the total opposite. I asked him while at the store to get some fabric softener for the laundry. He gets an $8.00 bottle and I know this store has Downy for $4.99. To some people $3.00 may not seem like much, but over time it does add up. We do not have the extra money that we used to and he thinks nothing of spending constantly. I have said things to him and he does better for a little while, but then it gets out of control. I had to convince him that he had to get a part-time job because we were sinking fast as he changed jobs and took and major pay cut.
He even asked me today after stating he wanted to go get something from the store why are we broke? I said we are not totally broke, but we do not have the extra money to splurge either. I go days without spending money. Yes I work at home, but I do have to spend money on gas now because our oldest daughter started school this year. Her lunch is $1.75 a day, but most days she wants to take her lunch box. I am getting so frustrated with him. I work two jobs myself as well as take care of the home and our kids (2). I go to the grocery store and buy plenty of food (breakfast and lunch for him to take to work) and try to make sure that we are not going to the store just because, you end up spending way more money that way. On the days he has to go to his part-time job he comes home before going to the part-time job. I do not even see the real reason for coming home before going to the part-time job. He is only home for 15-30 minutes before going to the part-time job. The reason I think it is crazy for him to come home before going to his part-time job is the fact that it is 13 miles out of the way. He is too old to break and too lazy to make the effort to change. He is more about convenience.
Some times I think if we were to split he really would not survive. I handle all the money and frankly after 14 years I have come to the conclusion he has no money sense. He says I nickle and dime him to death, but money in his pocket is money definitely spent. He has to spend it or die and then looks pitiful when he is broke. But guess what, I'm to the point where I do not even care when he does not have money because he should be more sensible. Just as long as he has money for gas to go to work, forget carrying around money. I feel like sometimes I am having to lie about money simply because if he knows it is there he finds a reason to spend it. I told him he will never have anything because he just cannot learn to do without.
I guess I am finished fuming for now.
BTW, there really is more to it than an $8.00 bottle of fabric softener, but over time it just builds....look for a bargain at least sometimes.
What a great list of tips! I'm going to memorize them.
LAUNDRY: The apartment I live in is an old house divided up, with no laundry facilities. There is also no laundrymat in my little town, so I had to drive a long way to do laundry. Our laundrymat charges $2.25 per load to wash and/or dry! I was going broke! Sometimes, you have to spend money to save money. When I got my $600 economic stimulus check, THANK GOD I didn't invest it in my 401K! (I almost did.) Instead, I bought a cute little Haier portable washing machine and portable dryer. They use very little power, very little water, and since the 'gray-water' drains into the kitchen sink, I use it to pre-soak really dirty dishes. The washer just sips detergent - only ONE TABLESPOON per load! I've only had it about 6 months, but considering all the wash I've done, it's come close to paying for itself. (And that doesn't include gasoline, car mileage, or lost time from working.)
FOOD: Potatoes are cheap and versatile. I hate to cook, and am bad at it, so do mostly fast, easy meals. I eat lots of grilled cheese sandwiches, and also like to take a flour tortilla, sprinkle cheese on it (and/or anything else), and put it under the broiler for about 1 min., then fold it in half and eat it. I use tons of Top Ramen. Besides soup, the noodles are great to add to salads to make them more interesting. When baking cookies, I make lots of oatmeal ones. Lower in cholesterol, saves on flour, and very versatile.
I TAKE HANDOUTS! Without being obnoxious about it, I'm honest with my friends and family that I live on an extremely tight budget. One of my sisters (who makes really good money), occasionally gets paid extra cash at some of her jobs, and she sends it to me as a gift. (We stopped exchanging XMas & B-Day gifts a number of years ago). I accept it graciously, thank her profusely, and always give her an update on what the money was used for. (That last point is important, I think. Lets her know how useful & appreciated her gift was).
A friend of mine has a rather picky-eater husband. So when she has alot of extra food that either she bought, or she cooked, that he doesn't like, she gives it to me. I currently have about a year's supply of that wonderful staple, Rice-A-Roni, in my cupboards! Another friend has a 20-something year-old daughter who is my size, and gets tired of her clothes quickly. Before taking them to the Goodwill, she often brings me a bag of her daughter's clothes that I get first-pick of. I've gotten some of my favorite clothing items from her! Her daughter's name is (Linda, so we call the clothing "Lindawear".) I have LOTS of Lindawear in my closet! ;)
HEAT: I keep the thermostate OFF, and just turn it on long enough to take off the chill. I keep a space-heater next to my desk, and can close my bedroom-office door to keep the heat in here. It, too, gets turned on only as necessary. Keeping my feet warm in turn warms the rest of me, so I rotate warm socks and slippers by placing them on the space heater (only under my supervision, of course - never left alone!) Then when my feet feel cold, I put on the warm socks and slippers, and man, is that ever NICE!
PHONE: I still have my cellphone, but really only use it for occasional calls & emergencies. I removed the text-messaging and email capabilities, which I rarely used, anyway. Now all it does is send/receive calls, and take photos. Even though I have a land-line for my DSL, I consider the cell a necessity these days. I feel *naked* if I drive the car without it with me. I stick it in my pocket when I hike (which I usually do alone, and yes - we have mountain lions in the hills around here). I got cornered by a mean pit bull a few months back, and was going to call the sheriff with it when the dog's owner finally showed up. The phone also goes with me when I do sports, like bike, jog, or (used to)ski. I used to horseback ride a lot, and now, if I still had a horse, wouldn't think of going out on a long trail-ride without a cellphone with me.
CAR: Got a good, reliable make (Toyota), and got it used. I change the oil regularly to protect the engine (cheap insurance!), and keep the tires inflated properly for the best mileage. Stopped going to the car-wash (even though they did a better job!), and either wash it by hand, or let it stay dirty. (Got a light, off-white color that doesn't show the dirt!) ;D
CAR/RENTER'S INSURANCE: This year I'm trying to make my payments in the lump sum, instead of monthly, because it saves me about $8-10/month in added fees.
TV: Instead of springing for a fancy new TV for the digital conversion coming next month, I got the converter box for my old TV, and a better antenna. And OMG! The picture is unbelievably clear! Best of all, it's FREE - no cable or satellite. I only watch it about 2 hours a week, anyway.
PHOTOS: No way will i pay what it used to cost for film - I got a digital camera. I have a little Canon i850 photo printer that was inexpensive (Amazon.com), runs like a top, and doubles as a regular printer. Instead of buying expensive Canon inkjet tanks for it, I order generic, Canon-compatible ones online for much, much less. Most photos I just download & store on the PC and on CD's. For photos I print out, I look for sales on the high-quality photo paper.
AND! Here's a tip on saving money with photo paper: Most of my prints are 4x6". But I don't buy the expensive 4x6 packets of paper. I buy the regular 8-1/2 x 11" paper, and cut it into quarters on a paper-cutter. Even if I'm printing the photo as 4x6", it doesn't print all the way out to the edges, anyway.... there is a margin around the sides. So, even though my photo papers cut from an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet aren't 4x6, it doesn't matter, as the printout is smaller than 4x6 anyway. It saves a TON of paper, which equals money! For really nice enlargements, I print them on half of an 8-1/2 x 11 sheet.
BEDDING: I discovered duvet covers when I was in Scandinavia. They not only keep a comforter clean, they also hide the ugly dust-mite cover I have over the comforter. They also take the place of a top sheet. So all you need most of the time is the bottom sheet, the duvet, and pillows. The cover can be easily washed, and looks nice. (Comfy, too!) Saves on weight in cold weather. In winter I used to have the sheets, 2 or 3 blankets, a heavy comforter, and a wool blanket on top of that. Now, even on the coldest nights, I just have the duvet (with a medium weight comforter), and a lightweight, decorative patchwork quilt over that.
CRAIGSLIST: OMG - have I ever found that helpful for both buying and selling used things! I met a lot of really nice people that way, too, and got AMAZING deals.
SHAMPOO: I find the less-expensive brands like Suave, etc., are JUST AS GOOD as the fancy ones. And sometimes even better. I also add a little water to the shampoo in the bottle. Lasts longer that way, and works better, with less waste.
STORAGE SPACE: I live in a VERY tiny 1-bedroom apartment. I've made full use of door-storage items, not only over-the door hangers, but also over-the door shoe-hangers. I have one in my clothes closet for actual shoes, and another over the back of the bedroom door, in which I store tools, like hammers, boxes of screws and nails, extra flashlights, extension cords, etc. I ditched my old on-the-ground bed, and got a tall loft-bed. Lots of advantages, there! You don't have to 'make' it every day, because no one can see up there, anyway! My workstation and a couple bookshelves fit easily beneath it, and there is still tons of space under the bed (over the desk) for hanging things, or to install storage shelves. Definitely one of my better investments.
HOME INSULATION: This old place is drafty & cold in winter. Not having double-paned windows, I created a similar effect by purchasing that window-sealing plastic (attached with double-sided tape). It was inexpensive, and even without being able to do EVERY window in the house, due to configuration of a couple of them, it HAS made a difference in heat-retention. I also applied masking tape over the space around the kitchen door, which I never use anyway, to keep out the drafts in the kitchen. (Door can still be fairly easily opened in an emergency).
GARDEN, MOTION, WALKWAY, OR X-MAS LIGHTS: 'Solar, baby, solar'! Inexpensive, and they work pretty well! Best of all, no electricity!
WALKING: Although I have to drive to the next town for the bi-monthly trip to the supermarket (on payday, of course!), if I need just 1 or 2 items in-between (yesterday I ran out of coffee - a major necessity!), I combine a good workout with gas-savings by walking to the little mom-&-pop general store down the hill from me. The extra cost of the coffee at the little store is more than made up by the savings in gas.
COINS: Instead of lugging coins around in my wallet, whenever I receive change for something I've bought, the dollars go in my wallet, and the coins go into a little savings-box I keep. That way I have emergency quarters in case I have to feed a parking-meter (which is rare), and when the box overflows, it goes into my savings account.
STALE BREAD: You can feed birds with it, and it makes great French toast!
:)
Hope she saved lots of the tips for you for therapy...
just kidding ;)
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