Main > Living > Money > Bills
Companies rely on laziness, not loyalty. So ask yourself if your gas, electricity, phone, mobile, broadband, or insurance bills are still the best deal for you. Check a comparison website then talk to the disconnections department, who have the power to authorise special rates in order to keep customers.
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Bills
Before shifting from one company to another, check for 'leaving' charges, or fees on early contract termination.
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Saving money
In the United Kingdom, there are plenty of money-saving websites with good tips. For example:
* www.uswitch.com
* www.moneysavingexpert.com
* www.moneyfacts.co.uk
* www.moneysupermarket.com
These sites have articles, free tools, and advice that are not limited to the UK.
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Relaxation > Holidays
A holiday is not a holiday if you have to do it. Make it worth-while, and take your time.
Panoculus (40)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking > Pressure Cookers
Steaming: place food in a steaming basket or ceramic bowl inside the cooker, in a few centimeters of water. Grains: cover the bowl with alfoil. Bagels and bread: don't cover the bowl.
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Relaxation
Hammock: If you find it hard to take a lie-down, use a hammock. The gentle rocking motion is something of a compromise.
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Food & drink > Food and cooking
Disposable vinyl or plastic gloves will keep your hands from staining and keep them from being irritated by hot peppers.
thesource (378)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Holidays
Cycle-touring is a cheaper way to travel and see a region, if bush-camping, cooking food yourself, and buying it from supermarkets.
Panoculus (40)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Holidays
Accommodation: The daily rate is often reduced if staying for 3-7 days.
Panoculus (40)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Credit & store cards > Interest rates
Interest rate reduction with lock-in: One of the most underutilised methods of saving on credit card debt interest is to try to negotiate a lifetime interest rate. Simply shift all the debt out to another card with a balance transfer, and call the credit card company to say you are about to close the card unless they offer a reduced rate. Go for about a quarter to a third of the regular interest rate. It will remain at that low rate for eight years to life, making the accrued interest bearable.
I recently did this with two balance transfers. If I had not done this, I would have been struggling to pay the interest charges.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Saving money
Methods for saving cash: Early 1900s German language contains a full system for building money. Did you ever wonder why technology and societal rules changed so much from the 1880s to the 1920s? It wasn't chance. The early 1900s was a Renaissance, of equal strength to that of Da Vinci's.
Within the language of that time is contained a full catalogue of how to play the money game. Remaining motivated. Detachment. The roll of the dice. The thrill of going for a triumph. Victory. Defeat is impossible in this system. Your life game can be the number game, but it must always be a game.
I didn't realise my gift with cash gathering until I developed enough competency with this system and it all came as a full piece with it. That's how people of that time who knew German could build so much capital. Many huge businesses started around that time with these skills. The biggest battle in this system is, like life itself, with yourself.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Credit & store cards > Interest rates
Rentalrewards.com.au. In Australia, this system enables you to pay your (housing) rent on your credit card for a 1.76% fee per charge. Sounds like a good way to lose money but it's the other way around.
With 55 days interest free, you earn up to two months interest on the rent, so long as you have the money in an interest bearing account paid monthly and calculated daily. Also, if you use a credit card with airline frequent flyer points, you get tens of thousands of points per year. Altogether, you make a gain of substantial proportions.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Credit & store cards > 'Rewards'
Buy everything on credit card if you get frequent flyer points for each dollar, and pay your statement in full each month through making scheduled online payments as soon as the bill arrives. The fastest way to build points is to have two people using different cards but linked to the same account (an additional cardholder). All purchases go to the one account (primary cardholder). Do not purchase anything on credit if an additional fee applies (i.e. some supermarkets and budget vendors charge extra for credit purchases).
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Debt
Make a spreadsheet of all your credit cards, loans etc, how much you owe and how much savings you have. A running tally of your total debt minus savings and money owed to you will motivate you to reduce your debt levels. You can create your own running equations for almost anything, including your next month's interest and minimum monthly payment, total debt and interest paid over the next year, and total minimum monthly payments per month.
By making a slightly higher monthly payment, you can use this online calculator to see how much interest it will save you over what timeframe compared to the compulsory minimum monthly payment: link
For those who find it difficult to imagine why someone with credit card debt would have any savings in the bank, the average interest bearing account does pay more than the lower (sub 7%) interest rates on credit cards. So it makes no sense to pay off a card that is charging less in interest than the money would make in interest by sitting in a bank account. However, you do have to pay tax on interest as it is taxable income.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Holidays
Cutting rental car insurance excess: Some car rental companies offer reduced insurance cover excess when you book through an airline's site or use an airline frequent flyer points card. You can reduce the maximum insurance excess you would have to pay by as much as 40% (from $3000 to $1800 for example). There is nothing so good about renting a car on a holiday as knowing that if it gets stolen, written off, heavily damaged etc, your liability will be $1200 less than the usual.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget
Buy a compost bin and use the compost you scoop out from the bottom of it as fertiliser for your own vegetable garden. Saves on vegetable and fertiliser costs at the same time, and you get free exercise when you dig. Also, you don't have to empty the garbage so often as you accrue vegetable waste in a seperate container so your bin doesn't fill up as fast. In that way you also save on bin-liners, which you should buy in bulk rolls of 100. These are often cheaper at large hardware/homeware places, and of top quality.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Banking & loans
Paying-off student loans (Australia): Don't pay off student loans in Australia before they get transferred to the tax system. You will still get 10% off for voluntary payments of $500 or more, so the saving you make by paying it off before it gets into the tax system is actually quite minor.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Food & drink > Drink and drinking > Coffee
Keeping coffee fresh: Ground coffee can start losing its freshness as soon as you open the packet. Roasted beans will remain fresh for about a week. Keep your coffee as dry as possible, and away from extreme heat or cold. Refrigeration can damage coffee.
thesource (378)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Food & drink > Drink and drinking > Coffee
Grinding coffee beans: Never grind more beans than you need for immediate consumption. Once the beans are ground, the flavorful oils are exposed to the damaging air. As these oils dissipate, so will the flavor and aroma of your coffee.
thesource (378)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Food & drink > Drink and drinking > Coffee
Espresso at Home: When selecting a machine for home, look for one that will drive the water through the coffee with the aid of a pump vs. a steam driven machine. A good pump machine will cost more, but you will probably find that the investment worth it if you are serious about enjoying tasty espresso.
thesource (378)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Food & drink > Drink and drinking > Coffee
Drink coffee straight: Sugar, milk or cream ruins the flavor of good coffee.
thesource (378)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Shopping
Specials: Don't buy anything unless it is on special or on sale. These days the "special", or "sale" price is the price you should normally be paying anyway. That is, the "special" price is really the normal price, dished up to make it seem you are getting a bargain.
thesource (378)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Shopping
Bread: When buying bread, have a look at the weight of the loaf. Heavy loaves often cost the same amount as light loaves, and the heavy loaf contains more food, and will last longer.
thesource (378)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget
Always rent a unit with the newest kitchen you can afford. Money saved on cooking at home will be money saved off your rent. Old kitchens are often uncomfortable to cook in, increasing the likelihood of eating out. Kitchens don't have to be that large, but must be relatively modern with sufficient cupboard space and a relatively new stove, fridge, sink. Microwaves also encourage eating at home.
Never rent a unit with an electric stove. Gas is much cheaper. Over three months, I regularly paid about $2 for cooking gas (30 times more for hot water heating). There is no way electricity would be that cheap.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget
Keep a running list on your PC of things that pay for themselves. There are many items that return a profit over time. For example, a stick-on fridge thermometer to monitor the internal temperature will save on overcooling.
Some of the best skills that will save you money are computer technician skills, car repairs (mechanical/electrical/body(rust)), electrical (power points) and phone skills (wiring new sockets). Also, knowing how to pipe away split system airconditioning water into a drain is useful. Woodglue is a useful product to own around the house so you can save wooden things from falling into greater states of disrepair when left neglected for too long.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Holidays
If you travel with a friend, accommodation packages that offer food and board are often quite affordable even in top resorts, especially when you book over 2 nights (i.e. 3-4 nights). Keep an eagle eye on their websites for price changes that happen by the hour, and haggle with places that have a dearth of clients (i.e. remote lodges). A remote, poorly visited lodge will gladly take an $80 cut off a $1000 booking for four nights. Never take a room or cabin until you look at it, unless you are turning up there so late that you don't have the luxury of choice, and don't care as you will be leaving in the morning anyway.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Bills
Online payment scheduling: Put as many of your bills on direct debit as you can, but those you can't, schedule the payment for the last day via online banking the moment you receive the bill. The knowledge that you have so many payments automatically coming out of your account will encourage you not to overspend so the money isn't there, and enables you to earn interest on each dollar before the final payday (only if you have an account that calculates interest daily, and usually pays monthly).
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget
Compost in-ground: Dig a deep hole in the ground and leave the dirt in a mound next to the hole. Add the composting material daily (immediately is better, but if you leave it in your house longer than a day, you will attract bugs) and put a light layer of soil over each layer of composting material. This saves a significant amount of work.
If you are free of disease, you may also consider erecting a privacy screen around your compost hole, place a seatless chair over the hole (can be obtained from medical supply stores or used medical equipment) in order to participate in humanure composting. You will want to put a larger layer over the human biological waste in order to eliminate the smell. Wood shavings sprinkled over the humanure is also helpful.
ElizabethI (6)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > DIY > Cleaning products
It is at least four times more expensive to buy toilet paper than to use washable cloths. Use a cheap laundry-soaker without phosphates or chlorine, and hand-made cloths from old towels.
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget
Save money by buying versatile cheap products:
- liquid soap: cleans hands, body and hair, dishes, clothes, and windows (add some vinegar). Put it in a pump bottle for better hygiene.
- mouthwash = disinfectant = antiseptic
- antibacterial pre-soak laundry powder = toilet-bowl, basin, and bath cleaner
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget
Dental: Save huge money by availing yourself of free dental work at public dental hospitals. In Australia, you qualify when you are unemployed OR a low income earner. I even got a gold crown with a metal core fitted that saved me over $1800 (the quote I got from my private dentist). By that I mean a full gold crown made in a lab (took a few weeks) molded to my tooth from a prior impression taken of them, and a drill out of my tooth's filling material to replace it with amalgam metal (that was due to a soft material being used to fill the body of the tooth after a root canal 11 years earlier).
The point is that even if the work you need is complicated, if you say you are in pain, they have to technically take on the job, regardless of how extensive it may be. The funny thing about my case is that teeth that have had a root canal have no nerve so cannot cause any pain sensation - all the drilling was done without anaesthetic. However, they can cause pain with gums and nearby teeth.
It pays to get a full diagnosis BEFORE you go to the public dentist from a private dentist you can trust, because what he tells you is what you must tell the free dentist, so he doesn't miss anything important. Furthermore, if you commence your treatment while you are unemployed, but later get work, they are obliged to complete the treatment regardless because they cannot leave it unfinished.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Shopping
Generally, go to the big chain warehouses like Home Depot (or Bunnings in Australia) for most products as the prices will be lower. Car cleaning products for example are much cheaper. ALDI is the cheapest supermarket by a long shot and fruit and vegetable shops are always cheaper than at the supermarket. Check your local newspaper for vouchers for fruit and veg shops - some run weekly giveaways to attract you to the store.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Shopping
Supermarkets: ALWAYS check the prices meticulously when you get a docket. If the price is wrong, don't say anything to the checkout person - go straight to the counter and get a refund. This can be tricky if you don't have a head for remembering prices. The big chains (Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Bi-Lo) get it wrong about once every four visits.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget
Internet Sharing: If you are in a block of units, ask neighbouring tenants if they want to share the internet with you. Charge them by the month only and buy an ADSL 4-port router and some long blue network cables (CAT5). Make sure you get the cash by the end of the first week of each calendar month. Cables are more reliable than a wireless connection, and cannot be tapped as easily. You can get cable skirting to run them around the walls or run them through the roof via ports on the walls.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget
Shaving: Electric shavers save you money on buying disposables, and you get a better shave. Buy the replacement foil and cutter every 18 months from the US, where prices are usually half that in Australia. Do not throw out your old foil because they can break easily at which time they are useless, so keep a worn spare. Shavers that have a cleaning station take the hassle out of that and can cost as little as $11 per three months to stock with cleaning agent. Given the amount of time you will lose cleaning stubble out of the shaver, it's worth that small amount as the shaver won't work as well when not clean. ShaverGuard spray helps preserve the metal components and makes shaving smoother.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget
Hobbies: Develop hobbies that require little or no cash, such as jigsaw puzzles, computer games, bush or beachwalking, mountainbiking, car repairing, language translation, many home and garden improvements.
Hobbies like scuba diving, interstate or overseas travel, collecting DVD movies, restaurant eating, country drives, constantly upgrading your PC and going to concerts may be more glamorous but really dig into your pocket.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Garage/yard sales > Selling
If you have any uncertainty about whether you really want to sell an item, give it some more thought. If you still can't decide, keep it. You'll probably use it later and be glad. Go with your gut feeling.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Credit & store cards > Interest rates
Bust annual credit card fees: Empty all debt off the card through a balance transfer. Then threaten to close the card unless the annual fee is waived this year. Or, if the card is upgradeable to another card, ask a curly question about a feature of the more expensive, deluxe card (i.e. does it cover domestic car rental excess or just international?) and if they say yes and you know that is wrong, upgrade the card and get details of who told you the wrong information. Call back a week or so later and say you were given the wrong information. They will refund the WHOLE FEE as a gesture of goodwill, even though the upgraded card fee might only be an extra $30 over the budget version. Downgrade the card later if you don't want its extra features.
Keep a list of when annual fees are due so you can close the card before they charge it if they refuse to waive it. In general, don't keep cards with annual fees unless they offer exceptional benefits like frequent flyer points for each dollar spent, annual 0% for six months balance transfers on several thousand dollars, low balance transfer rates (under %6) or free travel insurance.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Living on a budget > Garage/yard sales > Buying
Sometimes sellers are happy to sell you their advertised items the day before the official opening time. You may pick up a bargain in this way, and it doesn't hurt to ask.
thesource (378)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Credit & store cards > 'Rewards'
Credit Cards vs Cash:
When you use a credit card, you don't feel the pain of parting with anything, like you do with cash. Studies have shown that people spend 12-18% more when using credit cards than cash. You don't get the ouch-y moment you get when you spend cash.
I think you should try a card that has airline reward points for every purchase with a major airline. If after 12-18 months you do not find you achieved any real reward with the points (i.e. you just got a toaster or something), you should revert to cash for face-to-face purchases, debit cards for the internet, and one credit card for credit card only internet purchases and travel.
If on the other hand you get 80% off a flight to Bali or something, you should stay with the credit card system, but not use it to spend more. I don't actually understand why anyone would spend more with a card because if you think of it as cash (as I do), you would want to minimise what goes on it at all times.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Debt
An alternative method of paying off debt is to pay off the smallest debt first. The theory goes that the psychological kick of beating a debt is worth more than saving a bit on the interest but having to still have it hanging over your head. I can tell you it worked for me. I paid down one card nine(9) months ago and still feel like I conquered it (and still have as it has always been paid in full since). I recommend you shuffle your debts with balance transfers to the lowest interest rates (call your credit providers to get those details as balance transfer rates are always different than other rates). Whatever card has the smallest balance thereafter is the one you should tackle.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Annoyances > Noise > Noisy sex
Leave a pamphlet in their mailbox about family planning, and how unwanted children often become criminals. This may slowly reduce the frequency and style of mating from high and selfish to medium and thoughtful.
Panoculus (40)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Bills
Prepaid: If you take the prepaid option when it is available (eg, for mobile phones), it can prevent you from getting bills that you can't afford.
thesource (378)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Relationships
If a male tells a female about his ideal emotional/sexual relationship, and does not talk of non-attachment at all, he is certain to be courting her.
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Credit & store cards > Balance transfers
Paying off the full balance: You can do two things:
1) Throw every dollar you can at it to get it down and then "live off the credit" as you will have no cash
2) Balance transfer whatever the shortfall is to another card and pay the rest. Go for cards that offer sub 6% balance transfer rates, usually just for 5 or 6 months.
Balance Transfers: When you conduct a large balance transfer to another card (with a lower interest rate), for the sole purpose of taking advantage of the lower interest rate, it is advisable to divest the new card of all direct debits and cut up the card (if you need to) to prevent you from using it. This is because any purchase you make on the new card will accrue interest at the normal high rate until such time as the transferred balance is completely paid-off.
If you intend to make a large balance transfer, make sure it happens after an annual fee is applied if you can. This is because annual Fees are actually regarded as purchases (crazy, I know) and so you will pay interest on them until the huge balance transfer is paid. Some cards deliberately do this so they can charge you a purchase interest rate for something on a card they know you want as a balance transfer card.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Credit & store cards > Paying debts
Rules to save you extra costs: Try to pay your card 72 hours before it is due as internet payments may clear after the due date. The bank's computer will automatically charge interest in that case.
Be aware of the first day of your statement cycle (usually listed on the statement). Purchases made on that day get the full 55 or 62 days interest free before payment is due. Also, hold back on purchases during the last 10 days of your monthly payment cycle.
If you cancel a gym membership or something and they still charge you, keep a copy of the letter you sent (and send it at least two weeks before the last payment) and call the credit card company which processed the disputed transaction. With a copy of your letter, they will take up your case on your behalf, as a disputed transaction case. I have received refunds through this method.
Be wary of phone and utility companies that charge an extra percentage for direct debits off credit cards. Use a bank account direct debit instead.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Credit & store cards > 'Rewards'
Bonuses: Some credit cards offer an extra 1 year warranty on whitegoods and appliances purchased on the card.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Money > Credit & store cards > Interest rates
6% interest rate with no expiry: Asked your credit card company for a rate reduction and got rejected? You needn't worry. Find two cards that offer 5.99% on balance transfers for 5 or 6 months. It's not an uncommon feature. Transfer the balance to one card, and make a note of its expiry date. A week before the special rate is due to expire, transfer it to the other <6% card. Do this ad infinitum and you will always be under 6% interest. It's a bit more work than a lifetime or long-term interest rate reduction but they are not always freely available. Sometimes they include punitive conditions like having to close down the card the transfer is coming from, for example.
myxlfidian (150)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Relationships > Domestic violence
The one with dominating emotions is the perpetrator of violence; the one with submitting emotions is the perpetuator of violence. There is no violence without the game of domination-submission.
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
Main > Living > Relationships > Domestic violence
Being a 'people person', who depends on others to motivate, inspire, think, and stimulate one, creates violence. The reason is because person-dependency demands others for directions in life. Such gullibility asks for tyranny.
kellyjones00 (593)
|
|
|
