Just because you're in the boonies doesn't mean you have to be uncivilized. Here are a few neat tricks
Laundromat
Put your clothes in a wide-mouth water bottle, fill 3/4 with water and a teaspoon of biodegradable soap. Toss in the backpack. The churning action strips out the stench and you have fresh laundry. (from Dave Trendler)
Food that does double duties
Tortillas are dense in calories and don't need special packing care (they're already flat!), and it works as a yummy potholder/hotpad.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Bagging a bargain according to the calendar
Excerpt, Vanguard
Some goods are less expensive at certain times of the year. You can find opportunities through an online search engine, using a phrase such as "best time to buy" either by itself, or in combination with the type of product you need.
Appliances
Just like automobiles and many other goods, appliances go through annual makeovers. And the new versions emerge in September and October.
That makes those months a great time to buy appliances because prices on the old models get slashed to get them out of the store, according to Bankrate.com.
Automobiles
Getting a car at a great price often depends a lot on how good a bargainer you are. However, according to Edmunds.com, an authoritative automotive website, you can get closer to your ideal price if you shop for those wheels:
Who thinks of buying carpeting in January? Very few of us, says Kiplinger magazine, which is why the people selling wall-to-wall carpets tend to offer very good deals that month to get us to consider new rugs.
But, it is best to find that plush carpet by mid-February, the magazine says. After that, tax refunds start arriving in and prices on carpets tend to start going back up, the magazine adds.
Computers
It is possible to find good deals on computers during the holiday season and the weeks just before school starts—times when electronics stores like to put computers on sale.
However, February and March also bring good money-saving opportunities on computers and other electronic products. Why? Because early in January and February manufacturers of electronic products gather at the International Consumer Electronics Show and Macworld to announce their coolest, newest products, automatically rendering the ones announced the previous year obsolete.
"Deals often come up when a technology is outdated and retailers want to get rid of older models," the website GetRichSlowly.org says.
Cooking stuff
Absolutely need new pots and pans? Look for bargains in May, April, October and November, according to an article on Bankrate.com.
Stores put cookware on sale in April and May because shoppers look for wedding and graduation gifts. Cookware goes on sale again in October and November to appeal to holiday gift-givers, says the website.
Digital cameras
February and March are also particularly good months to snag a deal on a digital camera because new models are introduced in January at International CES and the Photo Marketing Association show, according to the magazine PCWorld.
"As new cameras arrive, sellers deeply discount the older models … a boon for bargain hunters who don't need the latest and greatest technology," the magazine points out.
Furniture
New furniture models come to the stores in February, according to Bankrate.com. And that turns February into a good month to save on furniture.
However, if you are looking to replace that age-old bedraggled couch and miss the February window, you may get another chance in July, a month when the new stuff for fall starts arriving, according to Bankrate.com.
Health club memberships
July, August, and September "are traditionally fire-sale season for fitness centers," because many fitness buffs quit their gyms and take to exercising outdoors, according to Forbes magazine.
Outdoor toys
All that fun stuff for summer—everything from bathing suits to swing sets—sees prices drop in August, when stores are looking to increase their stocks of fall merchandise, according to Kiplinger. During those dog days of summer you can look for discounts that range from 30% to 75%, the magazine says.
Plane tickets
Airline ticket prices veer crazily, driven by competition among airlines, the season, and even fuel prices.
Still, experts point to one time when you can look for good deals: Wednesday, which is the midpoint of a complicated weekly cycle that sees prices start to rise late in the week and then start to fall early the following week.
"What’s the best time to buy your ticket on Wednesday? One hour after Tuesday midnight (1 a.m. Wednesday morning)," Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News and travel editor at large for AARP, writes on his website.
"Why? At about midnight, the airlines usually reload their computers with the latest low-cost fares that were announced the previous day but will be canceled if they are not purchased within 24 hours," Greenberg advises.
Vacuum cleaners
Yes, there's even a good time to wind up with a deal on a vacuum cleaner: April and May, just before new models are announced in June, says FreeShipping.org, a website for bargain hunters.
We can’t always plan when we have to make purchases. But if you think there’s a new purchase in your future consider the above guidelines. You may just find yourself spending less than you anticipated.
Some goods are less expensive at certain times of the year. You can find opportunities through an online search engine, using a phrase such as "best time to buy" either by itself, or in combination with the type of product you need.
Appliances
Just like automobiles and many other goods, appliances go through annual makeovers. And the new versions emerge in September and October.
That makes those months a great time to buy appliances because prices on the old models get slashed to get them out of the store, according to Bankrate.com.
Automobiles
Getting a car at a great price often depends a lot on how good a bargainer you are. However, according to Edmunds.com, an authoritative automotive website, you can get closer to your ideal price if you shop for those wheels:
- At the end of the month, when dealerships are eager to earn manufacturer bonuses for meeting sales quotas.
- At the end of a model year, when last year's car looks so out of date.
- At the end of a car's design cycle, just before the car been redesigned bumper to bumper.
Who thinks of buying carpeting in January? Very few of us, says Kiplinger magazine, which is why the people selling wall-to-wall carpets tend to offer very good deals that month to get us to consider new rugs.
But, it is best to find that plush carpet by mid-February, the magazine says. After that, tax refunds start arriving in and prices on carpets tend to start going back up, the magazine adds.
Computers
It is possible to find good deals on computers during the holiday season and the weeks just before school starts—times when electronics stores like to put computers on sale.
However, February and March also bring good money-saving opportunities on computers and other electronic products. Why? Because early in January and February manufacturers of electronic products gather at the International Consumer Electronics Show and Macworld to announce their coolest, newest products, automatically rendering the ones announced the previous year obsolete.
"Deals often come up when a technology is outdated and retailers want to get rid of older models," the website GetRichSlowly.org says.
Cooking stuff
Absolutely need new pots and pans? Look for bargains in May, April, October and November, according to an article on Bankrate.com.
Stores put cookware on sale in April and May because shoppers look for wedding and graduation gifts. Cookware goes on sale again in October and November to appeal to holiday gift-givers, says the website.
Digital cameras
February and March are also particularly good months to snag a deal on a digital camera because new models are introduced in January at International CES and the Photo Marketing Association show, according to the magazine PCWorld.
"As new cameras arrive, sellers deeply discount the older models … a boon for bargain hunters who don't need the latest and greatest technology," the magazine points out.
Furniture
New furniture models come to the stores in February, according to Bankrate.com. And that turns February into a good month to save on furniture.
However, if you are looking to replace that age-old bedraggled couch and miss the February window, you may get another chance in July, a month when the new stuff for fall starts arriving, according to Bankrate.com.
Health club memberships
July, August, and September "are traditionally fire-sale season for fitness centers," because many fitness buffs quit their gyms and take to exercising outdoors, according to Forbes magazine.
Outdoor toys
All that fun stuff for summer—everything from bathing suits to swing sets—sees prices drop in August, when stores are looking to increase their stocks of fall merchandise, according to Kiplinger. During those dog days of summer you can look for discounts that range from 30% to 75%, the magazine says.
Plane tickets
Airline ticket prices veer crazily, driven by competition among airlines, the season, and even fuel prices.
Still, experts point to one time when you can look for good deals: Wednesday, which is the midpoint of a complicated weekly cycle that sees prices start to rise late in the week and then start to fall early the following week.
"What’s the best time to buy your ticket on Wednesday? One hour after Tuesday midnight (1 a.m. Wednesday morning)," Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News and travel editor at large for AARP, writes on his website.
"Why? At about midnight, the airlines usually reload their computers with the latest low-cost fares that were announced the previous day but will be canceled if they are not purchased within 24 hours," Greenberg advises.
Vacuum cleaners
Yes, there's even a good time to wind up with a deal on a vacuum cleaner: April and May, just before new models are announced in June, says FreeShipping.org, a website for bargain hunters.
We can’t always plan when we have to make purchases. But if you think there’s a new purchase in your future consider the above guidelines. You may just find yourself spending less than you anticipated.
How to compliment people
From "Why Compliments Terrify Us" by Elizabeth Bernstein for the Wall Street Journal
- Be sincere.
- Be selective. Think Goldilocks. Not too big or too small.
- Be specific. Don't say" You look pretty today. Say: That sweater really brings out the color of your eyes.
- Show impact. Tell people how they have positively affected you. Instead of "I like your column today," try "Your story made me run out and complement a stranger.
When you receive a compliment, just say thank you. Be gracious, not self-deprecating. Don't worry about returning the praise. It's a compliment, not a volley.
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