(March 1, 2009) – When I was a kid looking for a job, all I had to do was go down to the state employment agency and talk to a counselor. The counselor made a phone call, I went over to the business, filled out a one page application, and started work that afternoon. Things [...]
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Tightwad Assignment – Avoid buying duplicates
(February 28, 2009) – It’s Saturday – the day for hitting the yard sales and thrift stores. I love to read, so finding cheap books is always a delight. But some authors have written so much, it’s hard to remember what you already have. I learned to make a list. First, I kept a little [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Free medical advice
(February 27, 2009) – You’ve got a health problem and need first aid – should you go to the doctor, the emergency room, or treat it yourself? The Mayo Clinic has a web page that may help you decide. A visit to the doctor or emergency room is expensive, and sometimes unneeded. The Mayo site [...]
Tightwad Gourmet – Make bread at home
(February 27, 2009) – One way to save money is to make your food at home. If nothing else, you save money by not driving to a restaurant. You can make food that’s better for you, and if you have food allergies or need to watch your diet, you can carefully choose the ingredients in [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Make laundry detergent at home
(February 26, 2009) – I have a sensitivity to perfumes. Doctors say it’s not an allergy – I think they call allergies only those things they can treat. A lot of laundry detergent is so perfumed, it makes me sick, so I began to experiment with making my own detergent. Here’s a formula I found, [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Shaving update
On February 1, I began shaving with a cheap disposable razor. To preserve the razor, I dunk it in mineral oil – all detailed here. Just an update – I’m still using the same razor.
Tightwad Assignment – Clear clutter
(February 24, 2009) – We’re a nation beset by clutter. Clean it out. Get your closets empty. You can organize a yard sale, or sell the stuff on Craig’s List, or on eBay. You can donate your junk to charity and maybe get a tax deduction. At any rate, someone who can use the stuff [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Use your clothes to the fullest
(February 23, 2009) – Get off the stylish clothing bandwagon. Buy clothes that are more conservative. Since they are not stylish, you can wear them for more years before they look really outdated. Look over the old Dress for Success books for some ideas. When an article of clothing is damaged, repair it. Patch a [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Make a shopping list
(February 19, 2009) – Avoid impulse buying and you’ll avoid impulse checkbook balance reduction. Before you go shopping, make a shopping list. Check out sales, particularly at the grocery store. When you arrive at the store, buy only what’s on the list. Don’t think about buying anything else, no matter how tempting. If you’re at [...]
Tightwad Assignment – Avoid high bank fees
(February 17, 2009) – Let’s face it – the big banks are in trouble. For year’s they’ve made profits by charging their customers additional fees for everything. When I had an account with a bank, it greatly annoyed me to see the bank charging a fee for savings – often the fee was higher than [...]