Dollar Stretcher Community

On Being a Number Monkey

Emily Guy Birken — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:14:00 GMT

(Yes, I realize that this is a chimpanzee which is an ape rather than a monkey, but I still feel as though this makes for a rather apt self portrait of a self-proclaimed number monkey who writes.)

Donna Freedman, one of my favorite personal finance writers/bloggers, once described herself as a number monkey. She was referring to her (and other bloggers') habit of checking, re-checking, and then once again re-re-checking the number of page views she got on her blog.

I really liked the term number monkey, because it summed up how I tend to look at life. For a word-nerd lifelong English major (and if you think you can't major in English in the real world, I would say you haven't met my overflowing bookshelves), I find it a little odd how much of my life I gleefully reduce to numbers. I, like Donna and other bloggers, spend an indordinate amount of time on Google Analytics trying to determine just how I got two readers in Slovakia to check out my blog, while also wondering how I can get those Slovakian readers to multiply.

But, of course, obsessively checking to see just how many people have viewed a particular page on my blog is not the only way I am a number monkey. No, I take my number obsessions to new heights. At the risk of having the greater internet (which has certainly seen some weird things) tell me "Dude, you are WEIRD," here are three of the ways I let my number monkey tendencies carry me through each day:

1. I create debt payoff thermometers.

I know others do this, but I derive an incredible joy in coloring each tiny increment towards $0. It's this bad boy that led me to sending another $20 to my student loan this month, because I was just a hair over $9000 owed, and darn it, I wanted to pass another milestone so I could add it to the thermometer.

2. I count down the number of seconds I have to run to finish the next mile.

Photo courtesy of Beyond silence.

So, there are 900 seconds in 15 minutes. When I'm slogging through a particularly tough mile and half or so on the treadmill, I'll count down the seconds ("900, 899, 898...") until I've reached whatever goal I've set. When I mentioned this habit to J, he shook his head and asked me "OCD much?" But I find the countdown both soothing and motivating. It also helps me push past goals I've set--even if I've promised myself a break at the end of the 900 seconds, I'll start over with another 900. Becuase it's really not that long.

I have to admit that this is a fairly weird number monkey habit. And it is kind of a crutch for my running. But darn it, those 900 seconds are a heck of a lot easier to deal with than 15 minutes.

3. I calculate percentages in my head.

This isn't just about the fact that I can calculate percentages in my head. (Which is really just about me taking 10% and then multiplying it). No, I spend a ridiculous amount of time thinking about the percentages of each paycheck I earn through my writing. 20% goes to retirement, 35% goes to taxes, 3% goes to LO's 529, and the remainder (42%) goes to the money kitty. (Something like a number monkey, except that it's not really a feline).

For most non-number monkeys, just knowing these percentages would be enough. This is why G-d invented calculators, after all. But for me, I love determining in my head how much each account will get while I'm also doing other things, like running, driving, taming lions, or other day-to-day activities. I particularly love it when the amount is not easily divisible--like a recent payment I received for $353. I'd come back to those percentages over and over again, just to check my math. Heaven!

Any other number monkeys out there? Or are Donna and I the only ones?

By the way, don't forget to enter my interactive giveaway! I will be giving away an Amazon gift card to one lucky reader who comments on this post by noon on May 31. The randomly chosen winner will receive a gift card--and the denomination will depend on the number of miles I run between now and 5/31! I will load $0.50 per mile on the gift card. Here are the numbers so far:

Miles Run: 4

Gift Card Amount: $2

Goal: 45 more miles

Mileage for Giveaway: 4

Mileage for the year: 145

Running Update #9: Amazon Giveaway Edition

Emily Guy Birken — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:05:00 GMT

Photo courtesy of Brandon.wiggins

We have reached the time of year when I most enjoy running. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, flowers are blooming, days are longer, and more people are out and about. It's a very good thing that now is when I most feel like running, since I am dreadfully behind on my 500 mile challenge. I had originally planned to run 42 miles each month, but I have only broken the 42 miles in a month marker once this year.

Still, I am hoping to reach 250 miles by the end of June. If I am halfway through the year and halfway through my challenge at the same time, I'll feel pretty good about tackling the second half of my challenge. It's not going to be easy to get there, though. Here is where I stand as of today:

Miles run in May: 23

Miles for the year: 145

Mileage breakdown: Week of May 1-8: 12 miles total, with one 3-miler, one 4-miler and one 5-miler

Week of May 9-15: 11 miles total, with one 2-miler, one 4-miler and one 5-miler.

I think that I can potentially run another 40 to 45 miles this month, bringing to 185-190 miles for the year, which will only leave me 60-65 miles to run in June to catch up with my halfway deadline. That's certainly doable, especially during my favorite part of the year. It's doable, but then again--yikes! So, I've decided that I could use some help with motivation. That's where you and the Amazon giveaway come in.

For every mile I run between now and May 31, I will load $0.50 on an Amazon gift card to be given away to one lucky winner on May 31. Each mile I run makes your gift card bigger--and gives you more reason to cheer me on.

To enter, write a comment on this blog post by May 31 at 12 noon. The lucky winner will be chosen randomly and alerted via email.

Between now and then, I'll keep a running tab--no pun intended--of my miles at the bottom of each blog post. I'm even going to start the giveaway with today's miles (all four of them!) to get the ball rolling, so that gift card already has $2 on it. Let's see just how high we can get this prize!

Please, leave a comment here to win the ever-increasing Amazon Gift Card. And may the odds be ever in your favor!

Membership Has Its Pitfalls

Emily Guy Birken — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:56:00 GMT

Photo courtesy of Crazycomputers

For my second ever Mother's Day, I requested that the entire Mensch family amble down to The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Because nothing says maternal love like showing your toddler the 6-inch razor sharp teeth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Between the baby play room, the real steam locomotive that is so big it had to actually be built into the museum and will rest there forevermore, the Legos, and of course, the aforementioned dinosaurs, a good time was had by all. And that was barely scratching the surface of all the museum has to offer.

However, on the way into the museum, a recording playing on continuous loop admonished us (and all the other patrons) to sign up for a family membership. The ticket booth made a similar pitch. I was putty in their hands, since there was so much cool stuff to see, and I loved seeing my little one enjoying himself.

Unfortunately, I seem to have some sort of brick wall in my head where the simple calculation of cost of membership divided by one time cost times number of planned visits per year--that is, cm/1c x vpy = it's still cheaper to pay as you go--seems to throw me into a delusional state wherein I think time flows muuuuuch more slowly. For some reason, I overestimate the visits per year (because we always have free time every weekend) and no matter what, I assume membership is best. Even when I've seen it burn me before.

This is why J and I make a great team. Last summer, when the water park that is literally across the street from our neighborhood opened for the season, I spent a ridiculous amount of time and brain space trying to determine if we would visit it often enough to justify the $100 season pass, considering it was just $14 for all three of us to go for the day--and $7 if only LO and I went.

The water park is just across the street, I reasoned. It's practically like stepping into our back yard. Of course we'll be there most days over the summer. We only need to go as an entire family 7 times to make membership worthwhile. My goodness, we'll knock that out before the 4th of July!

J listened to my reasoning. He, to his everlasting credit, did not make fun of me. He did not point out the amount of effort necessary for packing up, transporting, unpacking, repacking, returning home, and then laundering all of the required baby gear one must have for a quick jaunt to the pool. (If you've never done it, just know that some graduate degrees take less time.) He didn't even take the calendar down from the wall and point out all of the events we already had planned for the summer, and which were written on said calendar in my handwriting. No, the ever-practical J simply proposed that we go to the water park as often as we liked over the summer, and decide afterwards if it would make more financial sense to become members in 2012.

As of Labor Day, 2011, we had gone a grand total of twice. Score one for J.

So, when the siren's song of The Children's Museum of Indianapolis started scrambling my brain (which J could sense because a distinct burning smell accompanied my far off look into potential futures), J said "Let's treat this like we did the water park."

It's good to have a plan.

Play: Why It Is Important

Lori Blatzheim — Sun, 13 May 2012 16:21:00 GMT

May is Older Americans Month and the theme for this year is "You're Never Too Old To Play.

Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.

My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.

Do you know a Senior who always seems to be on top of things? Someone who appears content with life and ready for a new adventure?

Or maybe you know a Senior who seems bored, sad, irritable, or difficult to get to know?

What do you think makes the difference?

Play can make a real difference in life.

I suppose we have to define what play is. In my opinion it is an activity that challenges us, that makes us look forward to an activity, that usually involves other people.It is something that we really enjoy.

People of all ages and abilities can participate in play.

Look around you. Watch for Seniors participating in activities they enjoy.

About a year ago I was visiting Arcadia, California. The sky was blue, the sun was out, the grass was green. I noticed a group of people performing t'ai chi in a lovely park. They appeared to be Seniors. They had concentration with a smile on their faces. They seemed pleased with their ability to perform the exercise.

What does this have to do with Thrift?

Let me introduce you to the concept that "a happy Senior is a healthy Senior." Think about it. A person pleased with self will not spend money indiscriminately. That person will want to engage in something that they enjoy rather than something that blocks out pain.

How many people do you see, with a scowl on their face, when they are succeeding in play.

Play can be had for little money.

A lot of play activities are inexpensive. "Kick the can" comes to mind. Those Seniors participating in play may already have the equipment needed for a game. All they need is one or more people to participate.

Are you a Senior? Do you have a friend or relative who is considering retirement or has already retired? Check out this web site: Retire and Renew:

www.retireandrenew.com

For more posts on the topic of play for Seniors, try the post below. Or, if you want to play "find another post on play" just google the words and see what comes up. I guarantee there a some great posts out there.

http://retireandrenew.com/?page_id=40

Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.

Yeast Bread, Quick or Easy (But Not Both)

Pat — Sun, 13 May 2012 00:09:00 GMT

I love homemade bread - too much, actually, because when I make it, I don't want anything else. A beef or chicken sandwich for dinner, bread and butter and jelly for breakfast, bread and soup for lunch...but when the weather gets hot, there's no way I'm going to fire up the oven to bake it. There are two options and I use both of them at different times.

First, there's fried yeast bread. I've written about this elsewhere (and maybe here, too) several times, but basically, you just use a recipe for yeast loaf bread and instead of baking it, you fry it. After it's all kneaded and rested for a few minutes, pinch off walnut size pieces, flatten them and let them rest a moment while the skillet heats up. If you have a nonstick or a cast iron, you won't absolutely need oil, but it tastes better if you use a little. In a skillet that needs oil, use just enough to keep it from sticking. Heat the skillet to medium heat and fry the bread until itls browned on each side. Brush it with a little butter while it's still hot.

The other way I make bread when it's too hot to use the oven is in a solar oven. It's an art and a science but it's fun no matter how you look at it. You can buy solar ovens all ready to go or you can make your own inexpensively. Either way, it costs nothing at all to operate.

Yeast Bread in the Solar Oven
Baking Bread Maker Recipes Without A Bread Maker
I've really fallen behind on making bread

The Marital Money Dance

Emily Guy Birken — Fri, 11 May 2012 23:02:00 GMT

One of the unanticipated joys of marriage is the money dance. You know what I'm talking about. When you have a great idea for the use of your shared money. Only you need to get spousey on board.

For example, J knows that I am already mourning the loss of my hoopty, the Mazda 626.

It has been a faithful pile of crap for the six years that I have driven it. But I will be moving on to greener pastures soon--a 2002 Honda Accord that my parents will be selling me. The Accord has fewer than 35,000 miles on it, all the options, and is a real grown up car. It is also an automatic, which is the main reason why I am sad to see Old Mazda go. Driving a manual shift car was a hard-won battle for teenage me, as I am not particularly mechanical. Now that I can drive a stick shift, it feels like a chapter is closing to drive a real grown up car with an automatic transmission. (Don't get me wrong. I'm THRILLED to be buying Grandpa and Bubbie's car from them at a price I can't refuse. There's just a tinge of sadness to say goodbye to my skull-topped stick shift. [That skull shifter was actually a gift J gave me when he was in the doghouse one time, which tells you all you need to know about me and J's understanding of my quirks. It definitely got him out of the doghouse]).

In any case, J pitched me the following idea to help me overcome my stick shift malaise. We should buy a Mazda Miata for the summer, and sell it when the fast-driving season is over.

Photo courtesy of Bull Doser

I told him I'd think about it, which he and I both knew meant I hated the idea. Buy a car that we don't need and don't have space for just to sell it at a loss several months later?

Meanwhile, I'm trying to convince J that he and LO and I all need to go to New York City in August. I'll be heading to the BlogHer conference and staying with a friend in Astoria, and wouldn't it be a wonderful opportunity for the Mensch family to crowd into said friend's living room and spend some time in the city that never sleeps?

Photo courtesy of Javier Carbajal

After some preliminary searching, it appears that flying to New York will cost us approximately $750, and that doesn't include whatever we'll have to pay for once we're there. J said he'd think about it. Which we both know means he's not so thrilled about the idea.

Now, we start the dance. Suddenly, movies about sports cars and New York will show up in our Netflix queue. We'll happen to bring home Rough Guides to New York and/or Miata owners' manuals. Friends who happen to live in New York or own Miatas might stop by or call suddenly, just burning with a passion to share how much their experience has enriched their lives. All of this will appear to be unprompted and out of the blue.

Unfortunately, the jig is up now that I've written about this. But, things are probably going to work out, anyway. When J asked me what I was writing about today, I told him I was going to talk about the money dance married couples make, like with New York and the Miata. He sighed and said, "Yes, but we're probably going to New York and I'm not getting my car, am I?"

Poor, dear, sweet, smart man.

Snap, Crackle and Pop Are Crafty Little Elves

Emily Guy Birken — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:32:00 GMT

After serving the Menschkin a pickle, some hummus, and part of a turkey sandwich for breakfast, I realized that part of my dinner (and lunch and breakfast) conundrum this week stemmed from the fact that we were out of all the staples. So, after dropping LO off at daycare today, I stopped by our local Marsh supermarket to do a little light shopping.

It was at the end of the cereal aisle that I nearly became the victim of rampant marketing. There was a large display of reusable canvas grocery bags, over which a large sign proudly proclaimed "FREE!" Now, I'm a bit of a sucker for canvas grocery totes, particularly when they are cute. These were all Kellogg cereal related, and offered adorable scenes of the various spokes-suns/elves/tigers. Since I had only grabbed two of my own grocery bags on the way out the door, I was happy to throw one of these free bad boys in my cart. After all, Marsh gives you $0.05 off for every reusable tote you use for bagging.

That was the point at which the non-acquisitive portion of my brain started asking questions.

"Wait a minute," it said, dashing some cold water on my new bag happiness. "No one gives anything away for free. Read the fine print."

Lo and behold, that portion of my brain was absolutely correct. Underneath the intelligence-dulling word FREE was a smaller notice that read "with the purchase of two Kellogg's cereals or Pop Tarts."

"Not a problem," said my acquisitive side. "I wanted to get cereal anyway."

I waded into the cereal aisle, and started the arduous process of trying to find a breakfast cereal that meets my (admittedly ridiculous) standards for nutrition. Generally, I only buy the kind of cereal that one could mistake for a bowl of twigs and tree bark, with a couple of unsweeted cranberries thrown in. Those cereals cost a mint, but they don't have sugar as one of the first five ingredients--and generally they only have five ingredients anyway. While I might happily snark down a Wendy's burger or a Domino's pizza, I try to keep the foods in the house to a higher nutritional standard.

Raisin Bran just barely met my requirements, even though the sugar coated raisins bother me. But at least it's high in dietary fiber.

"Mmmmm! Fiber!"

But I could not find a single other cereal that I was willing to purchase. Not one.

Ms. Acquisitive shrugged and grabbed a second box of Raisin Bran. That Sun guy is awfully friendly, you know.

And then I argued with myself for the rest of the shopping.

I already have more grocery sacks than any one environmentalist needs.

But this one is SOOOO cute.

I really don't need two boxes of nutritionally questionable cereal in the house.

But it's a healthier after-dinner treat than ice cream.

I'm spending more than I intended to.

But, FREE! And you'll save $0.05 for having another tote!

Finally, my sensible side prevailed, but only because I had to go back near that aisle to pick up the raisins I'd forgotten on the first pass-through. Wheeling past the endcap display of FREE! bags, I reluctantly placed my cutie cute Kellogg's bag back, along with one of the two boxes of cereal. It simply wasn't worth it to bring in an extra box of sugary cereal, plus an unnecessary extra tote bag, and pay for the privilege.

I was a little sad at the time, but now I feel almost as if I've kicked some butt. Yeah, that's how I roll Snap, Crackle, and Pop. I don't let intelligent marketing or breakfast cereal elves into my head.

The Keebler Elves might be a different story, however. Those Fudge Stripe cookies are delicious.

Vacationing on a Shoestring: Cheap Road Trips

PamH — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:08:00 GMT

Summer is all about vacations, but in these tough times, not everybody can afford to jet off for two weeks in the sun. When a vacation costs thousands of dollars and you’re struggling to make ends meet, it means you’re going to have to find a cheaper way to enjoy some holiday time this year.

The great news is that cheap road trips offer a chance to get out and about, to enjoy the company of others, and to realise it’s not all about beach living and pina coladas. If that’s what you really do want, then why not take your road trip along a coastal route and enjoy the high life for less? It’s all about making do with what you can afford, but making your vacation as exciting and as memorable as you possibly can.

More and more people are starting to look closer to home when booking a vacation and it makes perfect sense financially. There are some really fantastic places to visit and the family won’t mind that you haven’t had to take an airplane to reach your destination. In fact, many families will tell you that their road trip vacations are some of the best they have ever had.

Arranging Your Vacation

Sit down and talk out your road trip with your travelling buddies. Make sure you include the children in discussions too as they are going to need entertaining if you’re going on a long trip. Talk about where you would like to go and the attractions you would like to visit. A very popular journey is California where you’ll find gorgeous beaches, wonderful towns, and of course Disneyland and many of the other famous resorts. Discuss accommodation options too, such as camping and motels. Talk about whether you want to eat in diners most of the time or you’d rather grab a bite on the road. Work out your budget and stick to it. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you might set out with no planned destination and just drive wherever the mood takes you. Just remember maps and a good quality SatNav to guide you.

To Camp Or Not to Camp?

Many people vacationing on a shoestring will camp as hotels and motels can push the cost of your vacation through the roof. When you’re paying for the family to sleep in a plush hotel room whilst your RV is parked out in the parking lot, it kind of defeats the object of a cheap vacation. RVs are great fun and allow you to pack a lot more on board, and they are cheap! If you don’t have your own, you can usually hire an RV for a good price. The only downside to an RV is that they use more gas than a conventional car, but the cost savings are still huge.

Camping has got to be one of the cheapest ways to spend your vacation and it’s fun too! Camping under the stars, waking up to the sound of bird song, and the thrill of the great outdoors are just some of the reasons why more and more families are choosing this option. Kids love camping too and will love helping out with the fire and pitching the tent. There are some great life skills to be learned on a camping vaction and they are skills that will stay with you for life.

Starting Out

Make sure your car or RV is totally roadworthy before you commence your trip. The last thing you want to do is have to turn back or be towed off the road due to a breakdown. Check the oil, tire pressure, and water and always make sure you have enough gas to reach your first stop.

If this is your first road trip be prepared for a rollercoaster journey of ups, downs, thrills and spills. One thing is for certain. You’ll have a great vacation, and it won’t have cost you the farm!

There's never a 'best time' to arrange life insurance, but the truth is you really do never know when you're going to need it. Thankfully, www.lifeinsure.co.uk/ helps those make the right decisions on choosing life insurance.

5 Ways to Make Extra Money, Even in a Tough Economy

jasoncabler — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:31:00 GMT

If you need to make extra money because you’re having trouble making ends meet in a tough economy and you’ve already cut expenses to the bone, here are a few ways you can make some extra money that you can do right now to help get your bills caught up, and start paying down your debt. Some of these are just plain common sense and some you may have never thought about, but all of them can make you some extra scratch to get by on even when the overall economy is not so hot. Freelancing Whether you...(read more)

Don't Order Food on an Empty Stomach

Emily Guy Birken — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:11:00 GMT

This might sound like nonsensical advice, but I have just discovered that using the internets to order delivery is like going to buy a gallon of milk when you're ready to gnaw off a hand.

As you may remember, LO and I are by ourselves this week. LO has been feeling under the weather, and he's been kind enough to share his cough with me. This led to a 3 1/2 hour co-nap this afternoon after a mostly non-existent lunch. I woke up ravenous, and LO felt about the same way. Since I didn't want to wait the amount of time it would take to cook before I could provide my hungry little boy something to eat (rationalize much?), I decided to check out the freaky fastness of a certain sandwich delivery chain:

Photo courtesy of Ed!

After placing a reasonable order, I got out the peanut butter, the raisins, a sliced apple, and the last of Monday's Chinese food to tide us over for the wait.

Therein lay the first problem. Apparently, Jimmy Johns is one of the very few believers in truth in advertising. I didn't time the delivery, but it was certainly less than 20 minutes. Which, if you listen to stomach scientists (that's a thing, right?) is about the amount of time one needs to go from full on red alert FEEEEEEEED ME to "I don't know. I might be a little peckish." (Provided there is a sliced apple, raisins, peanut butter and some broccoli with garlic sauce in between).

And then I encountered my second problem. The amount of food that seemed reasonable when I was placing the order is a heck of a lot more food than one woman and a half-pint toddler can easily consume in TWO sittings. (For reals--what made me think I needed a sandwich, a pickle, a bag of chips, an order of lemonade and TWO cookies?)

Since J's business trip will continue until Friday, I guess I should just be grateful that I have tomorrow's dinner covered.

I'm willing to take bets on whether that second cookie will make it until Thursday.

You can't stop Time. We can't change Change. The Gen Y generation is here.

Lori Blatzheim — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:48:00 GMT

Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.

My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.

I was speaking with two women recently and the topic of JC Penney came up.

The new "Penney's" merchandise ads currently being sent with the newspaper are so unusual and unique, that I can't seem to understand what is on sale. They don't resemble ads from any other department store I have seen.

One of the women had been to a small business conference recently where

JCP had been discussed.

It seems that this department store has studied Generation Y. It is now trying to attract people from this age group and encourage them to explore the JCP ads and the JCP stores.

My natural inclination is to say "wow, this is wrong. I don't know how much anything costs! Why don't these people write down the prices?" But, maybe I am being critical because I am viewing this from a different point in time. I like what I am use to seeing, and deciding, and doing.

How Time Changes our Perspective and our Lives

We tend to think that our lives were the best time to live. We are familiar with ways of doing things and buying things. Many of us aren't comfortable with new change in modern life and we don't want to accept it.

I have news. Life goes on whether we want it or not.

When I was a child, I used to discuss change with my grandfather. He grew up on a small farm in Norway. When he was a child, his family had no radio, television, electric refrigerator, or telephone. For transportation there were no airplanes and the family usually travelled by boat or horse drawn carriage.

People communicated by pen and paper.

I couldn't understand how he could possibly live in a world like that.

Problems and expectations of adults and children were very different from today.

Generation Y is a new way of living and it is vastly different. Here are some thoughts on the interests and behavior of the "Y" set. Those who know them claim that:

they don’t watch TV
they don’t read that much

they don't watch MTV anymore

they may replace "baby boomers" as the largest percentage of the workforce

Parents of this country have raised their Gen Y children to believe that they can do anything and be anything. They made their lives easy enough that they now believe they deserve to live first and work second.

Why Gen Y people are special

They are very optomistic.
They absolutely believe that miracles are possible.

They refuse to work a job that does not bring them a sense of joy.

They care about the earth and servicing their community.

What Is My Point

Why am I discussing Gen Y people on a Thrift centered site? The title of this blog is Thrifty Living Today. I know that many of us have developed ways of thinking, doing, and succeeding at a Thrift centered life but this is today.

Now we have the opportunity to watch younger people as they address frugality in their own personal way. This may be different from the skills we have learned. We will need to watch and see what happens in a future some of us will never see.

Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.

For more information please see: "Marketing to Gen Y: What you can't afford not to know," by Bea Fields in Start Up Nation. Thank you to Bea Fields for information on Gen Y.

Make Budgeting Easier- Use Financial Software

PamH — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:16:00 GMT

by Chris Neighbors

I’m a late starter when it comes to using personal finance software. I’ve always viewed it as a boring spreadsheet that I could make myself in Excel if I really wanted to. Boy was I wrong! I was lucky enough to receive Quicken as a gift yesterday. I had heard great things about it from family members so I was eager to get it installed. After starting the registration process, I realized that it was able to link directly to my bank account. I was very happy with this because I really didn’t want to enter everything manually. Once everything was in sync (not the boy band), I received a ton of information. It was definitely an eye opener! I don’t understand why there are so many blogs written about how to keep track of your personal finances when software like Quicken exists. Those blogs should all be titled "Buy Personal Finance Budgeting Software if You Want to Make Your Life Easier." I suppose there is a lot to be said for someone that can do it by hand, but who has time for that nowadays?

Good:

It syncs to your bank account which saves time: I was blown away by this. It gives you an automatic starting point. If you did this by hand you would either have to wait a month to get the new information, or you would have to dig through all your old bank records.
It automatically sorts your expenses: My expenses showed up in a nice, color coded pie chart.
If you set spending goals for yourself they are easy to follow: They just show up on the front page. Apparently I’m already 3/4 the way to my monthly goal on food.
It seems to be user friendly: So far I haven’t had any issues with it. It only took me 15 minutes to set up.

Bad:

Some of the expense sorting is inaccurate: When I bought food at Wal-Mart, it went into the shopping category instead of the food category. I guess you can’t expect it to know everything right off the bat.
You can’t pay bills from it (that I know of): Quicken has you list all your expenses, but it didn’t offer me an option to pay them. It seems like that would be a huge time saver.
I don’t know how to sync other billing information to it: For example, when I entered my Charter monthly billing expense, I had to mark that it changed monthly. I think it would be helpful if Quicken could sync to my Charter account to know what my bill will be. This might be possible, but it wasn’t apparent to me.

What software like Quicken shows is that budgeting doesn’t have to be difficult. The information it has given me is so valuable. I’m pretty sure my copy was purchased from eBay for $30, which is a great deal. I’m sure there are other useful things Quicken 2011 can do. If you know of any, please share!

Chris Neighbors is a MBA student at the University of Nevada, Reno and an employee of the Bureau of Land Management. When he isn't at school or work, you can find him hiking, reading, and blogging. His blog has a relaxed atmosphere where people can learn about personal finance. Chris believes that we all have an abundance of financial knowledge, and if we just share it with one another our lives will be better (and we can save a lot of money). Check out his blog at Chrisneighbors.com and quench your thirst for knowledge, or share one of your financial adventures!

Close, But No Cigar

Emily Guy Birken — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:09:00 GMT

Last night, LO and I were reading the perennial favorite Pat the Bunny, which is now one of the young man's favorite pre-bedtime reads. In particular, he loves the opportunity to play peek-a-boo with Paul, and when Paul's Mummy holds out her ring. I had the thought that perhaps I should show LO the real world application to what he's reading, in good former English teacher style. So, I slipped off my engagement ring and held it out to LO, saying, "Can you put your finger through the ring?"

Photo courtesy of Jeff Belmonte

LO, without so much as a how-do-you-do, grabbed the ring out of my hand and strode purposefully into the other room, giving me plenty of time to wonder if anything good could ever come of my educational impulses. I caught up with him crouched over his piggy bank, attempting to deposit the beautiful, jewel-tipped and hollow coin. He was pretty understanding about my retrieval of said "coin," which makes me think he knew all along that it didn't really belong in with his 529 plan.

It also probably helped that I was laughing and hugging him, since it was so dang cute.

The Dinner Delivery Dilemma

Emily Guy Birken — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:04:00 GMT

Photo courtesy of dslrninja

J is out of town this week for a business trip. As much as he did not want to go--he'll be in a small town in Illinois for a week working 12 hours a day, which is just about anyone's idea of fun--I was really sad to see him head out. Single parenting a toddler, even for a week, is one of the lesser known methods of prying secrets from military spies.

I do pretty well in the morning and afternoon. The problem hits around 5 pm. This is my normal low-energy time, and add the idea of having to put together dinner for myself and LO, and you have a recipe for eating a home-cooked nutritious meal of greasy takeout every night.

Tonight, it's Chinese. We've got the noodle food group, the saucy food group, and the deep fried filled dumpling food group covered.

Tomorrow night, we'll probably order pizza, making sure we cover the all important cheesy-covered bread group.

I really would like to round out our dinner selection a little more with other vitamin-infused foods, but unfortunately, no one has yet started a company that will deliver a hot fudge sundae within 45 minutes. (Which I simply do not understand, because they would be a millionaire!)

So, at the end of J's business trip, poor J will be exhausted and ready to come home, and LO and I will be in danger of getting Rickets.

I'm just glad he'll be home before the Scurvy sets in.

Free Solar Power

Pat — Sat, 05 May 2012 02:48:00 GMT

Bet you didn't know that you could get solar power for free. It's available to anyone, no income guidelines or other rule following is necessary to use it. There are some places where it may be limited, but no matter where you are, you can take advantage of this freebie.

When you can cook a meal, dry a load of laundry, and lighten your hair color with the same thing, it's pretty convenient, too.

It's called "SUN." As in sunlight.

Solar ovens can be made from things you already have on hand. Hang your clothes outside - on a tree branch if you want to. The sun will dry them. Put a little lemon juice in your hair and go sit in the sun for awhile. It's a guaranteed lightener.

Other things to use the sun for:

Warm up the house in the winter.
Get a dose of Vitamin D
Grow some food.
Charge your rechargeable batteries.
Hotwire a fence to keep animals in - or out.
Dehydrate food for storage.

And the list goes on.

Got it? Let the sun shine!

Solar Power and You
Solar Ovens
Solar Oven (Community)

The Corner Cutting Corollary

Emily Guy Birken — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:10:00 GMT

As I mentioned earlier this week, I have learned through the course of my 33 years that attempting to save money in the short run often costs money in the long run.

Unfortunately, there is a corollary to this universal truth: Any attempts to save time completing a dreaded task tends to make said task last infinitely longer. That is, attempting to save time in the short run often takes much more time all together.

I first encountered this a young lass in 12th grade Social Studies. (I won't mention the year, although the following description of the technology we were using will let you know it was in the dark ages before Y2K.) I was working on a group project with several friends, and we had a great deal of typed material that needed to be transcribed into one of our computers. Rather than just sitting down and re-typing the information, which would have taken approximately thirty minutes or so, one of the members of our group decided to try out his technophile father's brand-spanking new scanner. While yes, the scanner did quickly scan the information, it then needed to be put into a Microsoft Word format, which the scanner could theoretically do--but it gibberished up much of the text.

The scanner-owning friend (who shall remain nameless, although I know he doesn't read this blog, so I could very well call him out) was working for several hours on the night before this project was due trying to get the information in a readable form. I was waiting at the other end of a spiffy new AOL email account for this part of the project so that I could complete my portion. At some point, I believe I offered to drive over to the friend's house to get the original copy to re-type, just because I wanted to get the heck to bed, and I didn't see that possibility on the horizon if we continued with the "The scanner will save us so much time!!" course of action.

I can't remember exactly how the entire situation played out, probably because I've blocked it out of my mind.

While I still fall for the fallacy that cutting financial corners will work for me this time, I have kept the scanner cautionary tale in my head for 15 years. That's not to say that I never forget myself and try to "save" time. I just tend to be more honest with myself when the question I'm trying to answer is "Which course of action is going to let me get to bed the soonest?"

I was reminded of this corner cutting corollary the other day when J came in from doing some gardeing in our back yard. It seems that our next door neighbor is looking to re-roof her detached garage. She had a roofing company over early in the week to measure the roof and give her an estimate. The roofers brought a ladder and a tape measure and measured the holy heck out of that roof.

On the day that J was gardening, our neighbor's son apparently also went out to take some measurements. Rather than get out the ladder, he held up the measuring tape to the eaves and guesstimated.

While it is certainly possible to discern the necessary measurements for a roof without climbing onto it, the amount of math necessary to get your numbers correct is prohibitive. Considering it will probably take a non-genius at least an hour to run the correct math, if not more, it would seem that getting out the ladder would be the quicker course of action. That's what I'd do if roof-measurement stood between me and the possibility of going to sleep at a decent hour.

Unfortunately, this young man never tried to scan several pages of work when he could easily have typed it, so he doesn't know that he's actually costing himself time. I'd say something, but this is the sort of lesson one must learn through one's own personal hardship. You can't transfer the pain of lost sleep to another, meaning epiphanies on time-wastage are eminently personal. However, I do suspect that the roofing project may end up being this young man's scanner-type epiphany.

We'll be watching the roofing project with interest. I'd love to see whether the professional roofers end up doing the job, or if the ladder-averse young man will do it.

I'm putting my money on the roofers.

Accidents can lead to pain, suffering, and loss of money

Lori Blatzheim — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:12:00 GMT

Welcome to Thrifty Living Today. A special way of life for the Twenty-first Century.

My name is Lori Blatzheim and I am your host.

What is an accident?

Among other things, the Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines an accident as:

an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance
lack of intention or necessity
an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance

In brief, an accident is an event that shouldn't have happened, was probably caused by poor thinking or planning, and can result in an injury, pain, loss.

If we are speaking of physical injury, and I am, an accident frequently requires rest or surgical repair, and inability to work for some time. It will probably lead to a loss of money.

How do accidents happen?

Poor understanding of how to do something

Inadequate planning
Inappropriate or disfunctional equipment

Lack of understanding of the problem

Poor follow through

An unpreventable event

What can we do to prevent an accident?

Let's do the opposite of the above:

Learn everything you can before you proceed

Plan carefully

Make certain the equipment you are using works and that you know how to use it.

Double check everything before you proceed.

Be careful while actually taking action. Think while doing. Don't distract yourself.

Consider your safety. Don't invite risk.

When is the best time to perform an action?

Consider:

the time of day

the time of year

whether you will be distracted

what your goals are, what are you really trying to do?

the equipment you need

Preventing Accidents

Recently, I have been writing posts for a Senior web site

www.retireandrenew.com

I have been trying to find answers on how to really minimize or totally prevent accidents. In googling a lot of sites, I did find suggestions for preventing accidents. I will share these with you. I am also convinced that you can find additional sites.

I don't care how old we are, we all need to think about preventing accidents. Simple strategies can really help. For example, picking up the clutter on the floor before going to sleep at night, keeping potential flammable items away from children, making certain pools of water are not reachable by children.

Here is the collection of posts I have found so far:

http://www.homecare.com/senior-safety-and-security-outside-house

http://www.farmers.com/home_safety.html

http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/senior_citizen_safety_accidents_in_the_home

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/wound-care-10/preventing-common-home-injuries

http://www.rospa.com/homesafety/adviceandinformation/general/preventing-accidents.aspx

Lori Blatzheim is a wife, mother, grandmother, writer, thrift advocate, and retired nurse. She knows that use of Thrift can help people because she has experienced the benefits.

Whitney Houston's Estate

Rick Kahler — Thu, 03 May 2012 19:00:00 GMT

by Rick Kahler

Since the death of singer Whitney Houston, I've seen several articles from attorneys and financial advisors about the errors in her estate planning. They have summarized three areas where it was badly flawed:

Lack of privacy. Ms. Houston had a simple will that was subject to public probate, rather than a living trust that would have kept her affairs private. Anyone with thumbs and access to the Internet can see a copy of her will.
Lack of protection from claims, con artists, and circumstances. The estate, estimated to be worth over 20 million dollars, was left to Ms. Houston's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. A vulnerable young woman just barely of legal age will receive three huge payouts over the next decade and become a multi-millionaire by the time she's 30. A trust could have given her some limits and structure, as well as providing for advisors to help her learn how to manage her wealth and protect herself from predators.
Lack of tax planning. The federal estate tax of 35% on anything over $5,120,000 will apply to the estate, so Uncle Sam will take around a third of it off the top.

Unfortunately, this lack of skilled estate planning isn't all that rare among wealthy people. Here are a few of the money beliefs that may be behind inadequate estate planning:

"Complicated estate planning is for rich people, and I'm not rich." This may especially apply to owners of small businesses who don't have a particularly high income or lifestyle but whose land or businesses may be worth several million dollars. Yet good estate planning advice is especially important for them, because their heirs aren't necessarily aware of or prepared for a substantial inheritance.

"The financial advice that was good enough when I was just starting out is good enough now that I'm successful." A tax preparer, accountant, or financial advisor who is highly competent with small individual or business matters may not have the knowledge necessary for more complex estate planning. Seeking out different financial advisors as your income and net worth grow is no different from consulting a specialist rather than a general practitioner if you have specific medical needs.

"When you can afford the best, you'll get the best." Trying to save money by hiring bargain-basement financial advisors is almost always a mistake. It can also be a mistake to assume that someone who charges top-tier fees will always have top-tier skills and integrity. Even if a financial planner or other professional has a reputation as an advisor to the wealthy, it's still essential to verify that the person or firm is right for you. Ask for references and be willing to ask hard questions about compensation, investment philosophy, and services. Make sure you are a client, not a customer. Work only with financial advisors who, like accountants or attorneys, have a fiduciary duty to put your interests first.

"I know how to make money, so of course I know how to manage money." Many highly educated and skilled professionals are high earners but don't necessarily have the knowledge to manage their earnings well. In order to know whether the advisors you hire are competent, it's important to learn the basics of investing and money management. Look for advisors who don't set themselves up as "gurus" but are willing to teach and to work in partnership with you.

When it comes to financial advice, it isn't enough to find someone who will "make you feel like a million dollar bill." It's more important to find advisors who will help you take good care of all your dollars.

Rick Kahler, Certified Financial Planner®, MS, ChFC, CCIM, founded Kahler Financial Group, and became South Dakota’s first fee-only financial planner in 1983. In 2009, Wealth Manager named Kahler Financial Group as the largest financial planning firm in a seven-state area. A pioneer in the evolution of integrating financial psychology with traditional financial planning profession, Rick is co-founder and co-facilitator of the five-day intensive Healing Money Issues Workshop offered by Onsite Workshops of Nashville, Tennessee. He is one of only a handful of planners nationwide who partner with professional coaches and financial therapists to deliver financial coaching and therapy to his clients. Visit KahlerFinancial.com today!

Bookstore Temptation

Emily Guy Birken — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:16:00 GMT

I have not yet posted about my spring cleaning efforts because so far, those efforts have been mostly non-existent. However, I did finally take care of something yesterday that has been bothering me pretty much since we moved in. I had a big pile of books that I no longer wanted--mostly extra copies of A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving and The Princess Bride by William Goldman, both of which I used to teach when I was a high school English teacher. While I have no problems owning 18 copies of a single title, it does tend to cut down on your bookshelf space. Since 2010, I've been trying to give the books away on www.paperbackswap.com, but it's been slow going, despite these both being wonderful reads. (Apparently, no one else wants 18 copies at once, either. Who knew?)

So, the books have been sitting in a pile under my desk for going on two years. If you look carefully, you can see the books in the original picture of my bomb-explosion of an office:

So, yesterday I finally gathered up those books, along with several others I had extra copies of/no longer needed and high-tailed it down to our local used bookstore, Buy the Book. (Selling those books means that I have officially taken care of 0.00017% of the cleaning I need to do in this room.)

Despite my deep and abiding adoration of bookstores--and especially small independent bookstores--I had never been to Buy the Book, which is literally within walking distance. The moment I stepped inside, I felt the urge to shout "Lansman!" and embrace everyone in the store.

I also couldn't help but notice that there were help wanted signs posted outside the store.

I should back up here and explain something of my background. When I first graduated from college, the only job I was able to find was working as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble. As an idealistic 22-year-old, I was both a little chagrined that my English major only seemed to prepare me for book sales, and a little weirded out about working for a corporation. (I liked to tell people that I worked for the literary branch of the Evil Empire).

Despite my misgivings about it, I found that I loved my job. I was surrounded by books and people who loved books who would talk about them for hours on end with me. It was the ideal job for an aspiring writer: I never brought anything from work home (well, other than books), and I had plenty of time to work on my own fiction. I ended up working for Barnes & Noble for 4 years total.

Now, don't get me wrong. I tried to take other jobs. But like Jake Gyllenhaal, I found it difficult to quit Barnes & Noble. I'd leave to take an office job, only to come back nine months later. I'd start more career-worthy paths, but keep B&N on the part-time leash as a backup. When I started graduate school, I only needed to tell the campus bookstore (which was owned by B&N) that I had three years of bookstore experience to find myself employed.

Around the time I was starting my fourth year of employment by Barnes & Noble, a psychologist friend of my mother told her that typically writers see working in a bookstore as the only legitimate paycheck employment that they are willing to accept. I'm glad to know I'm typical.

So, the news that our local independent bookstore was looking for a sales clerk affected me in much the same way that peanut butter affects my dog. He knows he's not supposed to have it. He knows that we expect him to behave and pretend that there is no peanut butter being eaten within his line of sight/smell. But he can't help but drool, anyway.

I had a very difficult time restraining myself from telling the clerk who bought my books that I had bookstore experience. Several times I almost asked what kind of time commitment they were looking for from their new associate. In the car on the way to my next errand, I found myself calculating how much they would have to pay me per hour in order to make putting LO in daycare worthwhile. (Answer: A LOT!)

What's funny is that part of the reason I have such fond memories of my time as a bookseller is because it gave me time to write. Which, if you'll notice, I'm doing right now.

Since it would make no sense money-wise, time-wise, or otherwise for me to take a job hawking books when I could be spending my time writing or being a stay-at-home-mom, I'm going to wipe up my metaphorical bookstore drool and continue as I have been. However, I think LO and I might be taking more walks to the bookstore together. Because who wouldn't want to spend an afternoon here?

Photo courtesy of Warburg, who I'm hoping dove into that pile of books and read his way out.

Is That a Savings Bond In Your Pocket?

Emily Guy Birken — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:29:00 GMT

When I was about six years old, I won a $50 savings bond in a drawing at a school carnival. Now, I have always been an individual who tends to over-emote when I win something. When I won a discman (kind of like an iPod, but kerosene powered) at my senior prom after party, I went from drooping with 3 am exhaustion to whooping like a loon around the bowling alley (kind of like a Wii game, but in the real world--which is kind of like the internet, but with less typing). Since that $50 savings bond from so long ago was probably the first thing I ever won, I had quite the outsize reaction to it.

You might think that a piece of paper saying I was entitled to $50 at some point in the distant future (to a six-year-old, 12 months is an eternity) would not be a particularly exciting prize. There were toys also being given away. But, as I've always been something of an anticipator/future dweller, it mattered nothing to me that I would not see my cash until I had passed through another sixth of my life. No, that future money was going to be put to good use!

That very day, I told my mother that I would pay for college, help a homeless family, buy a pony, and take the whole family out to dinner on my savings bond when it matured. (I either had higher expectations of interest rates or less of a grasp on how much things cost. Or perhaps both.) I can still remember my excitement at what my future riches would purchase for me--which just proves that planning on spending money can often be more fun than actually spending money.

I'm not entirely sure what happened to that fateful savings bond. Last week, while digging through a box of odds and ends belonging to myself and my sister that my dad was hoping we would finally transfer to one of our houses, I found a $50 savings bond from 1985 with my name on it. It's not the savings bond, since apparently my dad purchased this one for me. But, still, it's nice to find unexpected money.

It was even nicer to discover that after 27 years, this bond is now worth $102.40. While not quite enough to pay off my student loan or buy a pony, it could potentially help a homeless person or pay for a nice dinner.

But probably not both.

Eating Brie and Cutting Corners

Emily Guy Birken — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:27:00 GMT

Pictured: What heaven looks like.

Brie is one of my favorite foods that I always forget I like. I generally only buy/eat brie when I'm hosting/attending a posh party. (For example, my college roommate and I once hosted a "Bring Your Own Mug" Tea Party wherein brie was supposed to be the centerpiece of our delicate munchable table. I say "supposed to be" because it was probably a good 15 minutes before our first guest arrived when Erika and I were asking each other if anyone would mind if we finished the brie. No one did.)

Since I host/attend relatively few posh parties, I can go long periods of time without eating brie, which kind of makes me forget how much I LUUUUUUVVVV it. When we recently started making a regular pilgrimage to Trader Joe's in Indy, however, I found myself spending an inordinate amount of time in the cheese section of the store, meaning I could hardly miss the wondrous selection of soft cheeses available.

So, I started purchasing some French brie and eating it all by myself within about 24 hours of arriving home from Indy. I am fortunate that both J and LO have no taste when it comes to the best thing in the whole world, so the brie I buy is just for me. (I still ask the house at large "Does anybody mind if I finish the brie?" because I have a feeling that somehow Erika can hear me from seven or eight states away.)

On our last trip to Trader Joe's, instead of picking up my usual wedge of Franco-goodness, I started looking at the other brie selections. My favorite treat is not exactly cheap, and considering I eat it far too quickly to be good for anyone's waist or wallet, I thought it might be a good idea to scope out the other options. That trip, I came home with a wedge of Canadian brie.

My thought processes were thus: "They speak French in Canada. They have dairies in Canada. Surely this will be tasty stuff. And it's a lot less expensive."

Which brings me to an important life lesson: Don't ever assume the Canadians can rival the French when it comes to food.

No, wait, that's not the lesson. No, the lesson is: When you try to save money in the short run, you usually end up spending more in the long run.

Yes, the Canadian brie left a little something to be desired. Even doctoring it with a dab of honey and a grape on top did not disguise the fact that it just wasn't quite right. After several days of politely sitting in the cheese drawer, making sure not to elbow the cheddar and gouda, the inexpensive Canadian brie started turning (oh-so-politely) to the dark side. (I've never seen French brie turn bad, but I suspect that it's rather in-your-face about it--stinking up the fridge, dribbling onto other foods making them inedible, and all-in-all proclaiming its rankness to the world/refrigerator at large.)

So, by trying to save money on my treat, I ended up spending money on something that didn't get eaten.

Unfortunately, no matter how many times I see this phenomenon in action, I still find myself thinking that this time it will be different. This time I'll spend less money and more goodness will come my way. But no, every time I buy the cheap option, I end up having to spend more later to fix my misplaced frugality.

Since I will never again buy cheap brie, I now have yet one more item on my constantly growing list of things I know better than to try to buy cheap. I figure that eventually I'll have cut corners on every item I might ever purchase and I will finally know better.

In the meantime, does anybody mind if I finish the brie?

Running Update #8: Epic Fail Edition

Emily Guy Birken — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:06:00 GMT

Entering into April, I had the grand scheme of running 47 miles for the month. This was complicated by the fact that I was out of town from April 22-28, and started taking LO to swimming lessons twice a week during my usual running time. So, that meant I had to run five miles a day Tuesday, Thursday and Friday of each week I was at home, and run another two miles today, in order to make it.

Piece of cake, is what I told myself.

And how many miles have I run this month?

16!

If you'll recall, 13 of those miles were run in the first week. That means since the last time I updated you, I have run a grand total of 3 miles.

What makes me really hang my head in shame is the fact that my parents happened to have set up their treadmill right next to the guest bed I was sleeping in while I was in Baltimore. Theoretically, I could have been running in Baltimore. I think, however, that like my weekly Friday "heck with it!" reaction, my body decided that since I couldn't possibly get to 47 miles this month, I might as well deepen the butt-prints on my sofa.

I'm actually proud of the fact that I'm feeling pretty calm and zen-like about this epic fail. Normally, I would be freaking out about how behind I am and how likely it is that my least favorite charity in the world might be receiving a check from me. But there is a great deal of time left. I have gotten to where I can run five miles at a stretch--at around 5.5 mph. I'm having fun with the running, when I do it. Life's too short for that kind of panicking. There will be time enough to panic later.

In addition, a neighbor told me that Lafayette will be hosting its very own half-marathon in October. I'm planning on signing up--and that will take care of 13.1 miles in one fell swoop. I can almost add that to my total already. (Okay, not really).

And, I doubt that even at the height of my running bug I could claim to have run 122 miles by the end of April in any given year.

Somehow, I've managed to make an Epic Fail feel like a big win. So, this is either a sign of personal growth, or complete and utter delusional thinking.

Baking Soda: More Uses and More Uses

Pat — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:15:00 GMT

Baking soda is most often used to bake, clean and deodorize, but there's much more to it. I have, on my computer, a very long list of uses that covers personal care, cooking, first aid, laundry, pets and a lot more.

A few examples:

As a facial scrub, it can't be beat, even by those expensive products. Using your usual facial cleanser, add about a half teaspoon of baking soda, mix it well and scrub your face with it. It
not only clears pores, it removes fungi and other impurities and leaves your face smooth.

Dump baking soda onto acid spills and to quickly neutralize them.

If you have allergies to laundry products, try using baking soda to wash your clothing, especially bedding.

Instead of buying expensive cat litter, buy the cheapest and add a box of baking soda. It will eliminate the odor and make the box easier to clean.

Mix two tablespoons of baking soda and two tablespoons of molasses per gallon of water and spray plants that have fungal disease.

Don't Forget the Baking Soda
Baking Soda
How many ways do you use baking soda?

Road Tripping With LO--UPDATED

Emily Guy Birken — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:40:00 GMT

LO and I are currently in sunny Norfolk, Virginia to meet the newest Mensch in the family, the Menschlette, who is not quite five weeks old. ~~(Picture to come when I am no longer stuck with fershtunkiner technology that doesn't allow me to post images.)~~

In order to get here, LO and I drove from Baltimore (where LO's Grandma Mensch is recovering from her pneumonia at a rapid pace and is thrilled to be entertaining a certain 2-foot tall gentleman caller). The drive between Baltimore and Norfolk is about 4 1/2 hours, provided you avoid the DC rush hours, which last from midnight to 6 p.m. and from late Wednesday through early Tuesday. LO and I were lucky enough to miss pretty much all of the DC traffic and made it to my sister's house in record time.

We did, however, have both the requisite drive-through stop for my large Diet Coke and the subsequent Code Yellow emergency stop halfway through the drive. I must tell you, restroom breaks when traveling by oneself with an infant are possibly the most difficult part of parenting I have yet encountered.

The problem is thus:

1. The child is sleeping when the Code Yellow signal is first tripped meaning you have two impossible choices:

A. Wake up the child when you stop, thereby subjecting yourself to angry crying for much of the rest of the drive.

B. Leave the child in the car while you run into the restroom, which can't possibly end well for anyone.

2. The Code Yellow signal continues to go off as you make deals with yourself as to how long you can drive before you have to stop. "I can make it another 50 miles...I can wait until 12:30." All the while, you are hoping against hope that the child might wake up on his own before you reach a critical Diet Coke mass.

3. When you finally do stop because you must and discover to your delight that the child has, in fact, awoken on his own just moments before the wheels stopped moving, you will find that you have waited long enough for your Code Yellow break that you must hurry, but that your child is still in the lethargic non-hurriable state that he only enjoys immediately after a nap when you are in a terrible rush.

The non-anxiety inducing fun of such moments is the reason why I'm limiting my liquid intake starting at midnight tonight in preparation for tomorrow's drive back to Baltimore. No need for this barrel of monkeys to play itself out twice in three days.

12 Wise Steps for Buying a Home (Part 2)

jasoncabler — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:20:00 GMT

If you read my last post “12 Wise Steps for Buying a Home” a couple of days ago, you discovered the first six wise things you should do when buying a home to make sure you buy wisely and keep from getting burned financially on what is usually the largest purchase you’ll ever make. Most of these items are common sense, but you’d be surprised how some home buyers don’t pay attention to these details and end up regretting that they really didn’t sit down and consider the future consequences of how they...(read more)