Liz Pulliam Weston had an article today on the new tip-jar economy (article link broken as of 10/2014) — that new business practice of putting out the tip jar, raising the “customary” tipping percentage, and adding other tip-like fees that are no longer discretionary, but mandatory. Her take regarding the tip jars was, in essence: … Read more
While my wife was at a quilt guild meeting this weekend, I went around to a few places with my daughter. We went to what will probably be the last flea market this year in our town. (Next month might be too cold.) We hit the flea market right at the very end. I think … Read more
We just arrived in West Virginia to visit my wife’s parents and her grandmother who’s visiting them. We’re bringing along a three-month-old puppy that we got a few weeks ago from a friend. We stopped at Five Brothers for dinner and ate outside so that Taffy could get out, too. While we were eating, I … Read more
Cube farms are great for overhearing little bits of random quotable goodness, like this gem from one of my (male) co-workers while he was talking on the phone with his wife (I can only assume): I like to smell like a man, but sometimes I like to smell like a different-smelling man. But this isn’t … Read more
The author’s marketing company kindly sent me a complimentary company of Bill Schultheis’ latest reworking of his book: The New Coffeehouse Investor. According to the “about the author” section in the book, Mr. Schultheis is an investment adviser with Soundmark Wealth Management, LLC, a fee-only registered investment adviser located in Kirkland, Washington. In the preface … Read more
OK, so I’m reading the July, 2009, issue of U.S. News & World Report that my mother-in-law left the last time she visited, and I happen on an article called “Frugal Forever?” written by Kimberly Palmer, senior editor at U.S. News and blogger at Alpha Consumer. (She had several articles in that issue.) The gist … Read more
Dawn over at Frugal For Life discusses some of the ethical implications of stockpiling foods. She gets into a few rules of thumb for testing to see whether stockpiling has crossed into greed, or just plain inconsideration. Talking to the store to have them do a special large-quantity order is much more considerate than cleaning … Read more
And the fifth person is really thinking hard about it. He’ll come around eventually. No, seriously: Who doesn’t want to save money on their car insurance? I don’t know of any good reason why you wouldn’t, so here are some tips for knocking that expense down as much as possible. Hopefully at least a couple … Read more