Saturday, January 24, 2015
Don't Heat your Closets and Save
Do you keep your closet doors open at home? What about your cabinets in the kitchen, your basement, or your pantry?
Although it seems like nothing much, these storage spaces in the home add up to a lot of cubic footage, and when you are trying to save money on heating expenses, the cost of heating your closets, cellars and pantry can really stack up.
Just by closing the doors and ensuring that there are minimal leaks, you can reduce your heating bills by a significant fraction, which is more dramatic if your closets are on an outside wall.
While you are at it, you can consider closing off a wing of your home during the cold season, to help conserve energy. If you have enough space in your home to live in just a fraction of it, it can be a great way to save on costs such as lighting, heating, and cleaning for the winter.
Borrow Before you Buy
When you live in a community of average folks, chances are there are going to be a lot of people with similar and different interests to your own. I happen to be enthusiastic about cycling, gardening, writing, and crafts, but my neighbors like reality television, music, and horseback riding.
Sure, there are a lot of differences between us, but when one of us needs a specialized tool the other might happen to have it, and that can save a ton of money when extended over the course of a month or a year's worth of weekend and evening projects.
I recently found myself trying to hand some posters without a hammer, nails, or sufficiently strong adhesives. Sure, I could have made a run to the local hardware store and kitted myself out, but instead I didn't spend a dime, bonded with the neighbors, and borrowed all that I need with an open invitation to take whatever I wanted, since they had a lot of leftover supplies from a construction project last year.
You can easily save 5-10 dollars a week by borrowing tools and supplies that you might need, a savings of well over 250 dollars per year!
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Get Plants for Free
Play your cards right, and you might be able to snag a tree, bush, or other plant for free just for giving a call to your city or town planning and public works departments.
Lots of tree species are encouraged for use in cities and towns due to their air purification qualities and a generally metropolitan aesthetic. If you are looking for new feature plants for your lawn or garden, give a call to your city government and save $300 or more in plant costs.
Friday, January 16, 2015
Stay Simple on Paint Color and Save
If you can stand a simple interior, toning down the colors and styles of paint in your house or apartment could save you a bundle over the more vibrant hues.
Simple colors like white, beige, and brown are a little boring but also much cheaper to acquire and touch up than bright reds, yellows, and other colors. There are usually discounted cans in the right color available, and you never have to worry about furniture not matching the paint color or using the wrong can of paint in a certain room.
To make matters even better, neutral colors of paint are often better for home sales and can help your home appeal to renters and buyers, saving you time on the market and a bit of money too!
Clean on your own terms, and save a bundle
If you are like the average American household, you don't worry a bit about dropping 4 or 5 dollars a month on cleaning supplies.
After all, a clean home is a healthy home, and a healthy home is a happy home!
But if you are regularly buying an average household's worth of home staples, you might be able to save about 50 dollars a year by using them to clean your home too.
Distilled vinegar, baking soda, used tea bags and a few other common household ingredients can do wonders around the house, and are useful for cleaning tile, glass, metal, and even hardwood surfaces to shining glory.
For more information, check out The Green Guide, but you can also look into Pinterest for a ton of great recipes for home-cleaning solutions that you can prepare yourself!
You'll be squeaky clean while you laugh all the way to the bank.
After all, a clean home is a healthy home, and a healthy home is a happy home!
But if you are regularly buying an average household's worth of home staples, you might be able to save about 50 dollars a year by using them to clean your home too.
Distilled vinegar, baking soda, used tea bags and a few other common household ingredients can do wonders around the house, and are useful for cleaning tile, glass, metal, and even hardwood surfaces to shining glory.
For more information, check out The Green Guide, but you can also look into Pinterest for a ton of great recipes for home-cleaning solutions that you can prepare yourself!
You'll be squeaky clean while you laugh all the way to the bank.
Pre-Pay your Bills and Debts to Save Fees and Interest
If you have a particularly good month, quarter, or year, there are a number of options to take.
You could increase your savings rate, and bank the money.
You could increase your spending rate, and improve your lifestyle by purchasing goods and services you want or need.
You could invest the money, and try to build wealth for the future,
Or, if you carry a large debt burden, you could try to pay down debts faster.
I like the idea of getting a guaranteed return on my money, and by paying down my loans faster I can reduce my principal and cut down my payments overall.
Even other bills, like rent, insurance, and phone service, can usually be negotiated ahead of time and paid for, so that it is possible to go for a considerable length of time with no impending bills other than utilities and unexpected expenses.
While you might be sacrificing some flexibility with that money, you are gaining security in that you are guaranteeing that you will have no late fees, no lapses in coverage or service, and a better track record with those companies.
The best part of paying down a loan early is that you are reducing the overall cost of that loan. Especially early in the repayment process, reductions in the principal, or amount of money that is accumulating interest, can drastically reduce the amount of interest paid. For my student loans, for every dollar that I pay down now I am saving 2 dollars in interest payments over the term of the loan, and for people with mortgages and lines of credit, this is doubly true.
You could increase your savings rate, and bank the money.
You could increase your spending rate, and improve your lifestyle by purchasing goods and services you want or need.
You could invest the money, and try to build wealth for the future,
Or, if you carry a large debt burden, you could try to pay down debts faster.
I like the idea of getting a guaranteed return on my money, and by paying down my loans faster I can reduce my principal and cut down my payments overall.
Even other bills, like rent, insurance, and phone service, can usually be negotiated ahead of time and paid for, so that it is possible to go for a considerable length of time with no impending bills other than utilities and unexpected expenses.
While you might be sacrificing some flexibility with that money, you are gaining security in that you are guaranteeing that you will have no late fees, no lapses in coverage or service, and a better track record with those companies.
The best part of paying down a loan early is that you are reducing the overall cost of that loan. Especially early in the repayment process, reductions in the principal, or amount of money that is accumulating interest, can drastically reduce the amount of interest paid. For my student loans, for every dollar that I pay down now I am saving 2 dollars in interest payments over the term of the loan, and for people with mortgages and lines of credit, this is doubly true.
Save Money by Buying Items in Stock
I've got no qualms about saving 50 dollars and buying an open box appliance instead of waiting for an equivalent device that is more expensive to arrive, and if the savings could be as high as $300 on a big ticket item like a dryer or washing machine, then it is probably worth at least comparing in store prices with what is available online.
Even better, when you are in the store you can look over items before buying, point out any cosmetic or structural flaws to a sales associate, and identify any discounts or price reductions in real time.
Even better, when you are in the store you can look over items before buying, point out any cosmetic or structural flaws to a sales associate, and identify any discounts or price reductions in real time.
Save $500 By Paying Your Own Property Taxes Every Year
For a homeowner of good credit and great frugality, it should be more than possible to pay your taxes when they come due. However, for those who have been lucky enough to sign up for a mortgage, most banks will be administering their property taxes, home insurance, and miscellaneous expenses of home ownership through an escrow account, which earns little to no interest and requires a deposit to maintain.
For a borrower with good credit, it is possible to set up a brokerage account with the equivalent of a year's property taxes held in fief, at rates of up to 3% interest at a service like ING or Capitol One. Currently Capitol One is offering a bonus for opening any kind of account, between $25 for a simple savings account to $50 for a checking account and $150 for a Sharebuilder account.
Once you have that bank account set up and funded, you can use it as a guarantee that you will be able to pay insurance and your mortgage servicing bank will release your deposit back to you, usually a check for $500 or more, as well as the balance in your escrow account at that time.
From then on, you can just put that money into a dedicated savings account and earn interest on it during the year, then use it to pay your homeowner's insurance and taxes every April. If you would like, you can even pay your taxes in quarterly installments under this scenario, just like one would do with a small business or contracting income.
Not only do you save money, earn interest, and receive a big fat check, you get to be more responsible for your own finances!
Now all I need to do is pick a house to live in, and I can start using all of these cool tricks.
Saving Money with a Newer Water Heater
For a homeowner, which I currently am not but hope to be in the future, one of the more energy intensive tasks is heating and cooling. There are a number of different devices and technologies available to heat and cool the air and water supplies in a home, but most American households have central water heaters, fueled by either electricity or natural gas.
A new water heater can cost you between $500 and $3000 dollars off the shelf including installation, but Americans may qualify for up to $500 in federal tax credits, in addition to possible rebates from your electric company for the old water heater (anywhere from 100 dollars up), state tax incentives or grants, or in the worst case the scrap metal value of the old tank.
If you are curious as to whether or not you qualify for any additional credits and rebates, take a look at the national Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency, available online at Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency | Department of Energy
I could Always do More: the 50 Tricks edition
I love to learn more ways to save money, and while I was trawling the web looking for things to learn I found a great article on plash about frugality. The article is titled "50 nifty DIY tricks that save you $50-$500 ", and while it seems clear that most of the measures are directed towards homowners with lots of appliances and likely $2,500-$25,000 of waste in their budgets already, I'm still hopeful that I could potentially use at least some of them.
In pursuance of this goal, I'm going to start trying out the methods on and off, and seeing what happens.
Who knows, I might save myself an extra $2,500, but I'd be happy if I could save an extra $50.
In pursuance of this goal, I'm going to start trying out the methods on and off, and seeing what happens.
Who knows, I might save myself an extra $2,500, but I'd be happy if I could save an extra $50.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Update on some Writing Sites
As I mentioned about a week ago (http://www.bubblews.com/news/9723786-signing-up-for-some-writing-sites), I signed up for a number of writing sites and I've been building up work there.
I managed to get to the point where 5 of my Hubpages Hubs were featured Hubs, and that means that I'm on the map for search engines.
I have active accounts on seekyt and wizzley with a couple of live articles each, and I still have a lot more that I want to write and adapt from my bubbling with the rest of my week off.
I haven't made progress on Zazzle, but I managed to figure out the processes of registration with Viglink, Chitika, and Amazon for the newer sites.
Hopefully this will turn out to be a good decision for me.
As of yet I haven't made any money on them, and they've consumed a lot of time.
Initially posted to bubblews at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9757880-update-on-writing-sites
I managed to get to the point where 5 of my Hubpages Hubs were featured Hubs, and that means that I'm on the map for search engines.
I have active accounts on seekyt and wizzley with a couple of live articles each, and I still have a lot more that I want to write and adapt from my bubbling with the rest of my week off.
I haven't made progress on Zazzle, but I managed to figure out the processes of registration with Viglink, Chitika, and Amazon for the newer sites.
Hopefully this will turn out to be a good decision for me.
As of yet I haven't made any money on them, and they've consumed a lot of time.
Initially posted to bubblews at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9757880-update-on-writing-sites
Charity isn't always given freely
I don't know about you but I've been in the situation where I was forced to donate to a charity, can not really one of my choosing.
I think that it's somewhat disingenuous for a charitable organization to compel donations from people, especially people that would otherwise be supporting their activities.
I'm also not a fan of aggressive solicitation for donation to charities.
I would like to think that a good charity would draw money because it is good not because it's popular, but this is of course naive.
This post was initially posted at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9755986-charity-isn039t-always-given-freely
I think that it's somewhat disingenuous for a charitable organization to compel donations from people, especially people that would otherwise be supporting their activities.
I'm also not a fan of aggressive solicitation for donation to charities.
I would like to think that a good charity would draw money because it is good not because it's popular, but this is of course naive.
This post was initially posted at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9755986-charity-isn039t-always-given-freely
King of Anything, King of Nothing
There has been a pretty popular song going around the artsy fartsy circles of the past few years called King of Anything.
I first heard it in a Japanese cantina in New Orleans, played by a young lady on an acoustic guitar, but it is a commercial song and I assume that there are a number of CDs available.
I think that the song has a lot of messages, most importantly that despite our conceptions of what we have, our power or lack thereof, our influence on others or even on ourselves, we only have, at the end of the day, what we can rely on.
In many cases, that is nothing.
Originally posted on Bubblews at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9758572-king-of-anything-king-of-nothing
I first heard it in a Japanese cantina in New Orleans, played by a young lady on an acoustic guitar, but it is a commercial song and I assume that there are a number of CDs available.
I think that the song has a lot of messages, most importantly that despite our conceptions of what we have, our power or lack thereof, our influence on others or even on ourselves, we only have, at the end of the day, what we can rely on.
In many cases, that is nothing.
Originally posted on Bubblews at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9758572-king-of-anything-king-of-nothing
Something just Clicks
Every once in your while, going through life at maximum speed, you just find your center.
Something in your mind, maybe a little switch too small or slender to see gets clicked on or off, and your energy is so much more productive.
You start to feel more efficient, more effective, like the chemistry that works to make you run just got an extra catalyst and you're in overdrive.
Everything you do seems just right, even if it isn't, and you think things are totally going your way.
That is a good day, or time of day.
Too bad that they don't last forever.
Even though you can click on, you can switch back off too.
Are you in the zone, or in a cool-down right now?
Originally posted here: http://www.bubblews.com/news/9758585-something-just-clicks
Something in your mind, maybe a little switch too small or slender to see gets clicked on or off, and your energy is so much more productive.
You start to feel more efficient, more effective, like the chemistry that works to make you run just got an extra catalyst and you're in overdrive.
Everything you do seems just right, even if it isn't, and you think things are totally going your way.
That is a good day, or time of day.
Too bad that they don't last forever.
Even though you can click on, you can switch back off too.
Are you in the zone, or in a cool-down right now?
Originally posted here: http://www.bubblews.com/news/9758585-something-just-clicks
Should There Be A Best Of Bubblews?
I think that it would be great if there were a "Best of Bubblews" section, where people who had never visited before could go to check out the best and most interesting or amusing or useful posts from the past.
I don't even know if my work would qualify for it, but I would love to see a top 100 list of all the very best Bubblews posts since the site began.
I don't know if we would organize it based on interest or likes or views, or the number of comments, but there could be a great potential for cool content and an understanding of the people on the site through a feature like that.
Just a thought, late at night, from a person who spent a lot of time here this year.
Originally posted on Bubblews at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9758559-should-there-be-a-best-of-bubblews
My Menu
For our potluck every person attending is supposed to bring whatever they want to bring.
But I have done a lot of preparation ahead of time, so here are the dishes that I cooked so that we could be ready for the party.
I made glazed carrots with mashed potatoes, oven roasted turkey basted in its own juices and butter with stuffing, hummus and pita bread, both of which were homemade, and a big pot of rice.
My musical roommate seems to have tapped into his Trust fund.
He ordered a dozen pizzas from the local store.
My last roomie made so many cookies!
I hope that lots of people come by.
Starting the Year out Right
I have a check in my "business folder" right now. It has the cash value of my security deposit, and all of the furniture that I sold to my landlord, and is approaching three thousand dollars in value.
I received that today, and after I deposit it into the bank I am going to depend on it for the following:
Re-establishment of my savings that I borrowed from to put down the deposit on my efficiency.
Groceries, so that I can eat food with fresh ingredients instead of dried ingredients.
Student Loans, in order to make a large payment and eliminate one my my smallest loans entirely.
I believe that I can do this, and the math works out.
All in all, it's a good way to start off 2015, and if I can keep this kind of momentum going I might be able to start off 2016 saying I paid off 20k in student loans lat year.
http://www.bubblews.com/news/9763111-starting-the-year-out-right
Take Chances
In life we have very few guarantees. I would be lying to you if I said that I could always answer your questions and I knew exactly what I need to work effectively.
But I am telling you the truth when I see that taking risks can often have a large reward.I prefer to take chances when the options are slim because that chance and potential for my wasting can often resulted in a very strong reward.
I am successful 100% of the time but 100% of the time I am happy to take that risk because I understand even though there is a chance of failure there is also a possibility of success.
Indeed that unseen potential, unrealized possibility, that's what keeps me getting up in the morning.
As we approach this new year I want all of you to take chances and make some mistakes, sounds does up with success.
http://www.bubblews.com/news/9758962-take-chances
The Party is Over
The food has been eaten, and the party is over. Time to clear out and sweep it all clean.
I've got the day off today, and tomorrow too. My landlord is coming through for a final inspection in 7 or 8 hours, so I need to make sure that the place is spick and span, and maybe even sterile.
I've got a good stock of cleaning supplies together in a box, and I bought a few bottles of Febreeze for the upholstery on my couch and chairs. I'll throw out the scraps and clean all my dishes, sweep and vacuum the floors, and make sure that the things I'm keeping are all in my car before I sleep.
Hopefully I can get a check for the full value of my furniture and deposit from the landlord today, or if not tomorrow.
That is a serious amount of money, about as much as I got from selling my last car.
My budget is sort of strained without it, since I put down my other apartment's rent and deposit from my savings and I didn't working much last month (2 weeks off).
This was initially posted on Bubblews.com at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9761773-the-party-is-over
All Done
Originally posted on Bubblews at :http://www.bubblews.com/news/9763096-all-done
I've been completely removed from my apartment.
I'm out, no going back, and I'm bringing the last of my things to my new efficiency.
All in all, things could be a lot worse. I'm moving into a stable environment from an unstable one, I am actually going to have slightly lower bills, and the position I'm in will hopefully spur me along to seek new employment.
I just don't know about missing my old perks of living with my roommates.
I had a lot of benefits, since I was friendly with them.
Nights out on the town, days spent in settings I didn't have the social capital to work myself into, and a feel for the culture of a town that working stiffs don't usually have.
Oh well, I'll make friends wherever I go, and I'm only across town. We can still hang out.
I've been completely removed from my apartment.
I'm out, no going back, and I'm bringing the last of my things to my new efficiency.
All in all, things could be a lot worse. I'm moving into a stable environment from an unstable one, I am actually going to have slightly lower bills, and the position I'm in will hopefully spur me along to seek new employment.
I just don't know about missing my old perks of living with my roommates.
I had a lot of benefits, since I was friendly with them.
Nights out on the town, days spent in settings I didn't have the social capital to work myself into, and a feel for the culture of a town that working stiffs don't usually have.
Oh well, I'll make friends wherever I go, and I'm only across town. We can still hang out.
I made a bank commission
Originally posted on Bubblews.com at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9759180-i-made-a-bank-commission
I may have mentioned before but Capital One Bank offers a $50 credit to referrals, as well as a credit to the rendered by person.
It is a method of incentives and rewarding customers that I both admire and really take advantage of.
I am sharing that link all over social media: twitter, facebook, anywhere that I can put it.
The best part is that my identity is preserved while I still make money.
I just got a person to sign up today, so I'm happy to get that payment. So all in all I couldn't really be more pleased with it.
I may have mentioned before but Capital One Bank offers a $50 credit to referrals, as well as a credit to the rendered by person.
It is a method of incentives and rewarding customers that I both admire and really take advantage of.
I am sharing that link all over social media: twitter, facebook, anywhere that I can put it.
The best part is that my identity is preserved while I still make money.
I just got a person to sign up today, so I'm happy to get that payment. So all in all I couldn't really be more pleased with it.
A year's Challenge
I have a challenge that I'm going to try this year.
I normally scorn those who attempt to use a trick to save more money, and tell myself that if I just manage the money that I leave in my bank I can probably get better outcomes than the penny stackers and envelope users, but I think that I haven't been giving them a chance.
Therefore, I'm going to do a combination of the change challenge and the 52 week challenge.
The 52 week challenge is an effort to save 1 dollar a week, and an extra dollar each week. That means that by the end of the year you'll be saving 52 dollars a week, but you can start with just saving a dollar.
That isn't interesting enough to me. I'm also going to save all of my change.
Every red or silver coin I get back, is going into a dedicated savings account ASAP
We'll see how it goes, if I have enough at the end of 2015 I'll get a secured credit card to boost my credit score and earn rewards.
Originally this was posted to Bubblews.com at this address http://www.bubblews.com/news/9761809-a-year039s-challenge
I normally scorn those who attempt to use a trick to save more money, and tell myself that if I just manage the money that I leave in my bank I can probably get better outcomes than the penny stackers and envelope users, but I think that I haven't been giving them a chance.
Therefore, I'm going to do a combination of the change challenge and the 52 week challenge.
The 52 week challenge is an effort to save 1 dollar a week, and an extra dollar each week. That means that by the end of the year you'll be saving 52 dollars a week, but you can start with just saving a dollar.
That isn't interesting enough to me. I'm also going to save all of my change.
Every red or silver coin I get back, is going into a dedicated savings account ASAP
We'll see how it goes, if I have enough at the end of 2015 I'll get a secured credit card to boost my credit score and earn rewards.
Originally this was posted to Bubblews.com at this address http://www.bubblews.com/news/9761809-a-year039s-challenge
Arabic and English Television Networks
I've been advertised at pretty heavily over the past couple of days to sign up for bilingual television broadcasts in Arabic and English.
You spend one hour browsing Al Jazeera and all of a sudden advertisers think that you want to watch Adnan wa Leena and Dexter's Maktabariya in Arabic.
I'm not 100% sure that there is a need for me to be watching Arabic television anyway, I am trying to cut down on standard American television too.
I don't really have the time to be watching TV anyway, I've got a lot of other things on .
Originally written and submitted to Bubblews.com at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9763185-arabic-and-english-television-networks
You spend one hour browsing Al Jazeera and all of a sudden advertisers think that you want to watch Adnan wa Leena and Dexter's Maktabariya in Arabic.
I'm not 100% sure that there is a need for me to be watching Arabic television anyway, I am trying to cut down on standard American television too.
I don't really have the time to be watching TV anyway, I've got a lot of other things on .
Originally written and submitted to Bubblews.com at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9763185-arabic-and-english-television-networks
Another Student Loan Repayment Adjustment
I was able to request an adjustment to my student loan repayment schedule.
Based on my W2 from 2013, I was actually making so little money that based on an Income Based Repayment Plan courtesy of President Obama, I could actually just pay nothing every month and meet federal requirements.
But since I want to still eliminate this debt ASAP, I am going to keep making payments at scale, and try and wipe it out.
The idea behind my method is this: each loan has an attached payment. If I pay off a loan, the payment will disappear, and I'll be able to pay off other loans.
Since my income this year is much bigger than last year, and last year was much bigger than 2013, I will eventually have payments again, and when I do I want the minimums to be low. Just paying extra on them now won't reduce my payments, so removal of the loans by paying them off will be the real way to cut my monthly expenditure on student loans.
Luckily, I have a few low balance loans amounting to well over 10k, so I can do this for several months before I start getting to higher balances to pay.
I originally published this as a post on Bubblews, as seen here: http://www.bubblews.com/news/9763123-another-student-loan-repayment-adjustment
Based on my W2 from 2013, I was actually making so little money that based on an Income Based Repayment Plan courtesy of President Obama, I could actually just pay nothing every month and meet federal requirements.
But since I want to still eliminate this debt ASAP, I am going to keep making payments at scale, and try and wipe it out.
The idea behind my method is this: each loan has an attached payment. If I pay off a loan, the payment will disappear, and I'll be able to pay off other loans.
Since my income this year is much bigger than last year, and last year was much bigger than 2013, I will eventually have payments again, and when I do I want the minimums to be low. Just paying extra on them now won't reduce my payments, so removal of the loans by paying them off will be the real way to cut my monthly expenditure on student loans.
Luckily, I have a few low balance loans amounting to well over 10k, so I can do this for several months before I start getting to higher balances to pay.
I originally published this as a post on Bubblews, as seen here: http://www.bubblews.com/news/9763123-another-student-loan-repayment-adjustment
Which one is more like you?
I had a poster in my old apartment, that I ended up selling to my landlord.
It was a picture of a bear in the middle of a stream, catching fish that were swimming and jumping out of the water.
In this image, you have two creatures that are clearly in opposition, and both of them are struggling to resist the flow of the water to avoid being caried downtream.
When I ask whether people are closer to the bear or the salmon, I get a lot of different answers, usually related to their mentality or their upbringing, but what I've never heard from anyone else is my own answer and reasoning.
I don't want to be the bear that catches salmon, it's too easy.
I don't want to be the salmon in the clutches of the bear, it's fatalist and we all know what will happen.
I want to be the salmon that gets past the bear, and mates, and lives a good life until he floats to the bottom, spent.
That is what I would choose.
Originally posted on Bubblews.com at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9763171-which-one-is-more-like-you
New Neighborhood
I'm in a new part of town now, and I'm trying to get used to the neighborhood.
I'm taking my bike out for a ride through in an hour or so, so that I can get really familiar with the
streets and the ways around.
If it works out, I'll hopefully be able to get around more easily on two wheels in this neighborhood, and if it doesn't then I'll be in command of a better understanding of the area.
Maybe tomorrow I'll go looking for a grocery store.
I know where the community center is from here, and how to get to work, but it will require some getting used to before I'm comfortable here.
Originally posted on Bubblews at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9766549-new-neighborhood
I'm taking my bike out for a ride through in an hour or so, so that I can get really familiar with the
streets and the ways around.
If it works out, I'll hopefully be able to get around more easily on two wheels in this neighborhood, and if it doesn't then I'll be in command of a better understanding of the area.
Maybe tomorrow I'll go looking for a grocery store.
I know where the community center is from here, and how to get to work, but it will require some getting used to before I'm comfortable here.
Originally posted on Bubblews at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9766549-new-neighborhood
Intellectual Superiority? Come on down!
I've been chatting online. I don't just use one site to chat, since it is primarily an activity I do for fun and have only lately begun monetizing.
And since the local variety of compensation has been "variable" to say the least, it is not really so important to me anymore to redirect all of my chatting to Bubblews as it once was.
But I digress. I once again had my mental capacity called into question by someone who didn't approve of my particular taste in memes.
Of course, one might respond to such an attack with vitriol and defensiveness. Instead, I merely allowed the individual to flounder in their own ill feelings, and eventually get frustrated and leave.
I've said it before. If you are smarter than someone, it really doesn't matter what you say or do, or they say or do. That will not change. You won't benefit materially from calling someone stupid, nor will you improve them or their lives. Just let it go, or help them with insights.
Unfortunately, when the person who belives themselves to be mentally superior is not, the "insights" are often less valid than the initial expression
And since the local variety of compensation has been "variable" to say the least, it is not really so important to me anymore to redirect all of my chatting to Bubblews as it once was.
But I digress. I once again had my mental capacity called into question by someone who didn't approve of my particular taste in memes.
Of course, one might respond to such an attack with vitriol and defensiveness. Instead, I merely allowed the individual to flounder in their own ill feelings, and eventually get frustrated and leave.
I've said it before. If you are smarter than someone, it really doesn't matter what you say or do, or they say or do. That will not change. You won't benefit materially from calling someone stupid, nor will you improve them or their lives. Just let it go, or help them with insights.
Unfortunately, when the person who belives themselves to be mentally superior is not, the "insights" are often less valid than the initial expression
What grows in this soil?
When I was gardening with my mother as a child, I quickly learned that the differences between areas of the garden made them better and worse for some types of plants versus other types of plants.
The same can be said for many things.
I am thinking of my own decisions about where and how I ought to contribute, and I am reminded of the time that I spent wondering what should go into the soil.
The ground here is fertile, the weather mild.
Is this place suited for the flower of creative expression, or the knobs and gnarled bolls of cotton?
First posted on Bubblews at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9765478-what-grows-in-this-soil
The same can be said for many things.
I am thinking of my own decisions about where and how I ought to contribute, and I am reminded of the time that I spent wondering what should go into the soil.
The ground here is fertile, the weather mild.
Is this place suited for the flower of creative expression, or the knobs and gnarled bolls of cotton?
First posted on Bubblews at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9765478-what-grows-in-this-soil
Saturday, January 3, 2015
The End of Two Weeks Off
I've had the past two weeks essentially to myself, and it was pretty great. I "telecommuted" for two days, and the rest of the time I had completely to myself.
I love time off, I just wish that I could get paid more for it.
Anyway, it is a good time right now for me to get started with the long and grueling process of cross posting and promoting content, so that I can build up a backup on my various blogs and start to utilize the masses of content that I've put up on the internet over time.
Hopefully I can make things much better for myself in the process.I love time off, I just wish that I could get paid more for it.
Anyway, it is a good time right now for me to get started with the long and grueling process of cross posting and promoting content, so that I can build up a backup on my various blogs and start to utilize the masses of content that I've put up on the internet over time.
This post was initially posted on Bubblews.com at the following address: http://www.bubblews.com/news/9766560-the-end-of-two-weeks-off
Personal Finance Master Class
I am really good at managing my money. The best case scenario would, of course, be that I had more money to manage, but I make do with what I have.
I've actually been reworking this lately.
Every time that I get my paycheck, I'm going to try and split up where it is directly deposited by percentages. A certain amount goes into a dedicated checking account for monthly expenses, and another amount goes into an account dedicated to paying my student loans.
There are a lot of different kinds of accounts, but the ones that I have are pretty much dedicated to spending. I have a pretty nonexistent retirement fund right now, so I should also try to find enough money this year to drop the limit into my Roth IRA.Every time that I get my paycheck, I'm going to try and split up where it is directly deposited by percentages. A certain amount goes into a dedicated checking account for monthly expenses, and another amount goes into an account dedicated to paying my student loans.
This was initially posted on Bubblews.com at the following address: http://www.bubblews.com/news/9766519-personal-finance-master-class
I need new socks
I've been using the same pair of socks for the past month or so.
Since it's now the new year, I think that I should avail myself of some gift cards and get a new bag of them.
Since it's now the new year, I think that I should avail myself of some gift cards and get a new bag of them.
I have a lot of clothes, and they usually allow me to wear them only occasionally. That said, there is a problem with having only one pair of socks: it can start to smell if I'm not careful.
Hopefully they are all on sale, and I can get a zillion pairs of socks!
Just kidding, I think that I only want six pairs. That should be more than enough for me.
Just kidding, I think that I only want six pairs. That should be more than enough for me.
This post was initially published on Bubblews.com, at the following address: http://www.bubblews.com/news/9766567-i-need-new-socks
Clear and Cold
It's really cold today. I didn't realize that there was such a temperature out, it's about 20 degrees Fahrenheit and the winds are strong.
I will have to bundle up pretty well if I want to be out and about.
Anyway, it seems like there is always going to be something that would otherwise keep me from doing what I want to do, whether it is cold temperature, insecurity, fear, or unease.
I'll just do it, and deal with the consequences. Out the door I go, next stop (hopefully) a nice place that I haven't seen before.
I'll just do it, and deal with the consequences. Out the door I go, next stop (hopefully) a nice place that I haven't seen before.
A Strange Intersection of Anonymity and Vanity
I've been more and more in tune to the ways that people seem to motivate themselves to do things online.
Lately there has been a trend for people to reveal deeply personal and controversial things about themselves, but without revealing their identities.
When you think it over, it seems silly to make a confession anonymously, and even sillier to do it in a public forum for open discussion.
I think that the base cause of these types of things may lie in a fundamental difference between all of these temporarily anonymous people posting with "throwaway" user profiles, and myself, a steadfastly anonymous person that maintains a stable, anonymous identity.
I'm not vain, and they are.
These people do things that they don't really agree with, and seek confirmation from others without the coloration of acquaintanceship or familiarity.
These people do things that they don't really agree with, and seek confirmation from others without the coloration of acquaintanceship or familiarity.
This was originally published on Bubblews.com at:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/9766612-a-strange-intersection-of-anonymity-and-vanity
Brilliant Earth Jewelers
Do you like jewelry?
I like jewelry.
I actually have a bit of an understanding of the geology and gemology that underlies the trade of jewelry making, and as a youngster I wanted to be a lapidary, a jewel cutter and polisher, one of the legion that is responsible for turning worthless mineral substances into valuable trinkets through the clever use of facets and band saws.
I like jewelry.
I actually have a bit of an understanding of the geology and gemology that underlies the trade of jewelry making, and as a youngster I wanted to be a lapidary, a jewel cutter and polisher, one of the legion that is responsible for turning worthless mineral substances into valuable trinkets through the clever use of facets and band saws.
I recently found out about a new company, that offers silver and gold alloys inlaid with conflict free diamonds.
It's a solid company, and the trinkets are at market rates.
I'd buy from them, if I was in the market for a thing.
I'd buy from them, if I was in the market for a thing.
This post was originally published on Bubblews.com at the following address:
http://www.bubblews.com/news/9766638-brilliant-earth
Glitches in Cyberspace: This Year's Y2K
The international dateline, in combination with the spread of time zones and the variability in web hosting from server to server and site to site, means that every year, web based businesses and services face a mountain of glitches and errors.
On the lower levels, our emails may be lost or arrive late. As you go higher though, things get more serious. Bank transfers either don't go through or end up sitting too long, transactions go unpaid, merchants lose access to necessary operating funds, and international loans, administered by the IMF and UN, may sit in escrow for an unscheduled day.
It reminds one of the debacle that preceded and followed the year 2000, when all the software needed to be rewritten for dates with 4 digits instead of 2.
This was originally written and published on Bubblews.com at http://www.bubblews.com/news/9766654-glitches-in-cyberspace-this-years-y2k
Getting "Nerfed" On Swagbucks
Are you familiar with this term?
Before I started in on the forums, the closest thing that I ever guessed that it could mean was being hit with a soft plastic dart or baton.
Before I started in on the forums, the closest thing that I ever guessed that it could mean was being hit with a soft plastic dart or baton.
In modern parlance, getting nerfed is used to refer to a program or profitable opportunity or offering becoming crippled by design, in order to prevent potential harm for users or reduce liability on the part of manufacturers or service providers.
Over the past couple of days, I've come to the realization that I'm getting nerfed on Swagbucks, as the mobile apps are freezing up multiple times in a given 10 minute period as opposed to running without interruption for hours at a time.
It's to the point where I'm not guaranteed to earn a full nickel before the app conks out, as compared to the summer of 2014 when I could easily earn 2 dollars without tapping on the screen or resetting the programs more than 3 times in a day.
Still, it's a free dollar every day. I'll jump through a few hoops for a dollar a day. Not many, but then again, I'm only moving one hand.
I originally posted this as content to Bubblews.com at this address: http://www.bubblews.com/news/9769349-getting-quotnerfedquot-on-swagbucks
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