Cheap Date Ideas?
Used bicycles are cheap and plentiful, sometimes free. There may be a bicycle touring group near you. That can be fun, Im trying to talk my wife into doing that next spring. Its too cold here now though.
Advice for a Dealing with Fiance's Family?
Sometimes its not the fiancés fault. DW went through that during our engagement period with her own relatives, she sometimes tries too hard to please everyone and tends to put her own interests last. I told her that Were the ones paying for it, if they dont...
Should I Use Blue Painter's Tape When I Paint?
Another trick is to paint along the edge of the tape first with the same color that is under the tape. Let that coat dry; if it does seep under the tape it wont be visible. Then paint the different color. When you pull the tape back along itself the dried paint...
Spending Money on Things You Don't Need?
Try to stay away from Disneyland. My nephew works at Disney World in Florida (so we got in free!) but he tells me that to break even the company has to extract $300 per day, per person. And that was five years ago! Thats why the food and logo stuff prices are...
Free Entertainment Ideas?
Bicycling is cheap, once you have the bicycle. Look on craigslist for used ones for sale in your area. There may also be a bicycle touring group near you. If you have the bike and brown-bag your lunch you can have a fun day for almost nothing. Hiking is even...
Set Your Sights High
There is also an intangible value - We dont owe anybody anything. Thats one reason we paid off our house. The other is not being slaves to the credit industry.
Do You Need a Credit Card to Establish Credit?
(quote)At my age and income I doubt that Ill ever buy anything more expensive than a refrigerator(Ive got enough cash saved up to cover stuff like that). Could somebody please advise me? I am so confused and scared and worried -- this is all so overwhelming...
Neighbors Added Onto Our Fence without Permission?
I highly recommend that you talk to an attorney, very soon, about the fence. Most of them charge little or nothing for the initial consultation, and you can find out what your legal options are. The worst thing is to do nothing - after a certain period of time...
Keeping Rabbits Out of Engine Compartment?
Try rat traps. The rabbit probably wont actually be caught by it but the snap and painful foot will scare it off - hopefully itll learn to stay out of there. A long time ago I owned an airplane and birds would build nests on top of the muffler and that worked...
Health Insurance Options for 25 Year Old?
Are you working - or could you - work part time? There are employers who do offer benefits including medical insurance - Home Depot is one - to part timers who work 20 or more hours per week. For a full-time student that wont leave you much time for fun stuff...
Putting a Small Gift Inside a Big Box?
Stop by a U-haul or USP store and get a bag of plastic peanuts (actually theyre starch now so theyre biodegradable) and fill the large box with that. Then later you can dump the peanuts in the back seat of someones car you want to play a joke on.
Gray Smoke Coming from My Van's Tailpipe?
Youll probably have better luck on one of the automotive sites with a forum, but: Have you been keeping an eye on the radiator coolant level? If theres a blown head gasket coolant can leak into the cylinder(s) and that will show up as smoke, usually white though...
Scoring a Wall?
Assuming you mean wallboard, just cut the paper with a utility knife. What are you trying to do? Patch a hole? Install wallboard?
Save On Oil Changes For High End Cars
What car is that, a Rolls? I never heard of a $200 oil change on a car. Half the time I do it myself if the weather isnt too bad. I suggest she take it to another shop - shes getting ripped off for sure! Or even read the owners manual and do it herself. Its...
Getting Better Mileage?
Regarding the use of A/C, recent research shows that at speeds above about 40-50 mph it is actually cheaper to run the A/C with the windows up because of decreased wind resistance. There are a bunch of web sites documenting that.
What Are We Saving All This Money For?
To me its just about efficiency and not wasting the money I worked for. I buy quality over the lowest priced items most of the time since the lowest price (often) means poor value. I learned that from my father, who always bought the cheapest tools and then...
What Percentage of My Income Should I Pay for Rent or a Mortgage?
Individual situations vary. After a divorce in 1984 I found a dirt-cheap place to live and saved $18K in 18 months and bought a house on my own that I could barely afford. The house payment was about equal to one whole paycheck and I was so up to my eyeballs...
Hobbies to Avoid Gambling?
Building and flying radio control airplanes works for me. If the building part doesnt interest you they are available already built. The mental concentration required to fly one is VERY intense and makes everything else go away. Simple ones can be bought for...
Removing a Super Glued Rear View Mirror?
Go to www.towerhobbies.com or your local hobby shop if you have one nearby and search on debonder. It is a chemical that will dissolve super glue. It should be in the $5 range. Local is better since the shipping on that one item will cost more than the order...
Saving Money on Car Repairs (and Maintenance)
Another thought is to buy the service manual for your specific year, make and model of car. The service manual will have specific steps and drawings for your car. While more costly than the generic books it may tell you enough to fix something simple and when...
Who Makes Store Brands?
My next-door neighbors son is a Mobil oil distributor, he says Wal Marts store brand full synthetic motor oil is the same as Mobil 1. The difference in price is about $4 per quart. I dont know about the other store brand motor oils Wal Mart sells, just the...
Cleaning a Freezer After a Power Outage?
Eons ago I was a refrigerator/freezer service technician. If liquids like blood leaked into the insulation you have two options: pull the liner out of the freezer and replace the insulation, which takes two people who really know what they are doing, or replace...
Garden Chipper Reviews?
Consumer Reports does good reviews of products, Ive never been disappointed buying something they recommended. I have a chipper-shredder from Sears that has worked well, but the design has changed significantly since I bought it about 15 years ago.
Storm Preparation for Emergency Power Outage
Well, this is definitely NOT the thrifty way to go, but I bought a Honda super-quiet generator after an ice storm left us powerless for four days. That got real old real fast in February. Hooking it up to the house requires a transfer switch to keep your generator...
