It's February.........what are you reading ? what do you recommend ?
yoyobon_gw
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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annpanagain
3 years agovee_new
3 years agoRelated Discussions
It's February, what are you doing Now in your Garden?
Comments (42)Very cool tomato supports! I am going to copy them, for sure. :) We had a GORGEOUS weekend here in NC - high 60s. Got SO much done, cleaned up the old veggie bed, perennial beds, and even double-dug a new bed for blueberry plants I will get next month. Incorporated a very large bag of chopped, aged leaves into the bed, then planted irises along the border. Sowed some mesclun, spinach, chives and Chinese leaves in half of the fenced veggie bed. Pulled tons of weeds (Does anyone else really hate winter weeds?) and set out my new bird feeder. The daffodils are in bud, not blooming yet, and the hyacinths are peeking through the mulch. Looking forward to spring color!...See MoreWhy do you do it? And what are you getting out of it?
Comments (26)It would seem I'm a bit younger than most here. I'm 30, grew up in a home with one sister, and parents that were relatively frugal. My father was the more frugal one, avoiding debt, not wanting to spend money on anything he didn't need. He didn't have much of a reason, just that debt was a bad thing to have, for several reasons. We never went without, though, taking family trips each year to various places around the country. We always had good food, nice home and vehicles, etc. I started a summer job when I was 14, then an afterschool / full time job through high school and college. I started with my current employer 10 years ago, making less than the rest of my peers. Living on my own, and making more than I ever had before, I thought it would be wise to start furnishing my apartment and buy a brand new car, despite having a perfectly good vehicle already. This new car wasn't designed for Colorado winters, so I kept the other car as well as the new one. Along with that brand new car, I got brand new insurance, which was quite a bit. This all stretched me pretty thin, living paycheck to paycheck. At one point, my company was going through layoffs, and I was concerned that I would be one of those laid off. I was pretty worried about how I was going to pay my bills, and whether or not I was going to lose my vehicle and whatnot. My father payed off my car for me, and even though I didn't get laid off, I continued to pay him what the loan payments would have been. Bonuses and other extra payments went to pay off the car a couple of years earlier than I was scheduled. This opened my eyes to what could happen if I "lived the American way", and bought whatever I wanted, at whatever price I wanted. At some point, I could be in this situation again, and I don't want to have to worry if something should happen to my income. I paid off all of my debt, and then started finding ways to live more frugally. I started shopping around for the best deals, taking things that others didn't want anymore, and didn't buy things I didn't need. When I wanted something, I usually waited at least a week, at which time I rarely wanted whatever it was in the first place. I was able to direct deposit money into two accounts, so I gave myself an allowance each paycheck, with the rest going to a savings account. The allowance was enough to cover all bills, and still have some left over for entertainment. I also started contributing to a 401k, and each pay raise translated to an increase in the percent going to the 401k. After a few years, my winter car died on me, so I found another winter vehicle for around $1000 to get me around. I did this a couple of times over the next 5 years. All the while, I was still finding ways to lower my outgoing expenses. After those 5 years, I had enough to put down 20% on a house. I found one that had a low mortgage, even though I could qualify for much more. I readjusted my allowance, and continued finding ways to lower expenses in my house. My father never did much in the way of home or auto work himself. He always paid someone else to, so I don't have much knowledge in that regard. That hasn't stopped me from using the internet and friends to figure out how to do things myself, which has saved me countless dollars. I finally paid cash for a good all-use pickup, so I won't have to worry about vehicles for quite a while. All through this, I've continued to build my savings and emergency fund. Once the economy went down the crapper, nothing really changed for me. I still lived my life how I had before, quite comfortably. All of my friends, who have continued to make more than me, are struggling to pay their bills. Throughout the years, they gave me crap for being cheap, yet look at us now. I have no stress, as far as money is concerned. I have over 9 months of living expenses in a true emergency account, am funding a 401k and Roth IRA, and managed to save enough for my honeymoon cruise to Antarctica next year. If something were to happen, my fiancee and I would be in a decent position to handle what occurs. We have everything we want, and need, and are able to do basically what we want. If I screw up my timecard, and don't get paid, I don't have to worry about waiting an extra week for my money. If something breaks in my house, I know I can take care of the problem, one way or the other. Once we have children, I know we will be able to meet their needs, at least financially. Once we retire, hopefully we will be comfortable at that point, too. Ultimately, what I am getting out of being frugal is peace of mind, with regards to money. It's also nice to see just how far I can stretch something, how many different incarnations an item can turn into before it is truly unusable....See MoreDo You Have A Jenn-Air French Door Fridge?Would You Recommend It?
Comments (9)It's good to hear a variety of opinions on the Jenn-Air fridge. Chicgoans, yours might be three years old but Whirlpool sticks with a design for many years, no doubt it's not too different for Jenn-Air. We have lots of freezing going on in our current Whirlpool fridge, but I think a lot of that has to do with the constant opening and closing that goes on with a family of nine.... we must keep the temp down to keep the cabinet cold enough for the milk to taste good, but it freezes lettuce and strawberries. Even our eggs, sometimes. sskit: Where did you buy yours? You got a fabulous deal - what a price! I'm looking at $2900 as the lowest so far for the 72" CD french door fridge. That is so much money, but I have to have the SS all the way around the cabinet. I'm thinking this recession should have more of a downward pressure on appliance prices! Thanks to all who replied. Any other opinions or recommendations?...See MoreFebruary fervor: what are you reading?
Comments (53)Mini-review: I've just finished a "tour de force" memoir by renowned William Shirer: "Love & Hate: the Stormy Marriage of Leo and Sonya Tolstoy." For anyone with a deep interest in old Russia or Tolstoy, this is a must-read. Shirer is a brilliant author. Normally, I would not choose to read such a depressing story of a long but doomed marriage but there is so much here that touches on timeless topics: women's rights, the foreshadowing of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Tolstoy's influence upon Gandhi, his revolt against the Russian Orthodox Church, because he took the side of the peasants against the Tzar, etc. Tolstoy was excommunicated, although he constantly preached his version of the love of Christ to his serfs on his estate. To them, he was a hero. Tolstoy prefigured the ideas of Marx, that ultimately fomented the Revolution that overthrew the Tzar. He was prescient, loved by many,hated by his intelligent wife, who copied all his manuscripts by hand, as well as his diaries. Sonya also bore him 13 children and ran his estate. The couple were larger than life, in their strong personalities. Ultimately, matters became so bad between them that their grown children had to physically intervene. Tolstoy fled his home and died in the cottage of a stranger at a railroad station. How his death plays out is fascinating, in a bizarre way. Reading this, one gains perspective re a vast Empire on the cusp of great change. This was Shirer's last work, written in his late 80's. Frieda, I think you might like this.......See Moreyoyobon_gw
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agolaceyvail 6A, WV
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3 years agoCarolyn Newlen
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3 years agoCarolyn Newlen
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3 years agoCarolyn Newlen
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3 years agoCarolyn Newlen
3 years agoannpanagain
3 years agoCarolyn Newlen
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3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoCarolyn Newlen
3 years ago
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