Essentially what we’d be proposing is that on each “side” of the family we’d go from giving everyone (siblings, nieces, nephews, parents, etc.) a present to a system such that each person get matched with a “giver” and a “givee” and that we set a limit on the $ so.

EX: sister Jane gets matched with other sister Julie (gets a present from her) and gives to nephew Brian (gives a present to him).

Julie gives a present to Jane and gets a present from niece Sara.

Brian gets a present from Jane and gives a present to Uncle Matthew.

Etc.

All presents would have a limit of say $35 and the givee could give the giver “hints” of a wish list or not.

Sara

Our income has taken a major hit this year and that combined with a desire to reduce the number of “things” that we have in our home leads us to want to propose to our families (both sides) a significant scaling back of gift giving this holiday season. Essentially what we’d be proposing is that on each “side” of the family we’d go from giving everyone (siblings, nieces, nephews, parents, etc.) a present that each person get matched with a “giver” and a “givee” and that we set a limit on the $ so. So, for example, my sister Jane would be assigned someone (say, my daughter Ann) as the person she would buy for and another person (say my husband Jim) as the person who would buy for her. So, each person, on each side, gives one present and gets one present. That would dramatically reduce the $$ spent, the stress, the running around, and the STUFF.

My sister is already on board as her in laws already practice this on their side but we’re wondering how to approach it with the remainder of our family…particularly my husband’s side who a) we’re not particularly close to but b) we spend oodles of $ on every year and c) tend to read into our most innocent comments.

Thanks, Sara

Anyway, I thought you’d be interested in this: Once a year, I go through my house and make a list of all the things we routinely buy (whole wheat pasta, eggs, bananas, toilet paper, etc… the stuff that you buy whenever you run out, as opposed to buy especially for a recipe or project). Then I visit five stores that are nearby (for me, they are Aldi, Wegmans, Walmart, Target, and Big Lots). I bring my daughter, and we write down the unit prices of everything on the list (or the item price and size and we figure the unit price at home). Then we compare prices and make a shopping map that we use for the rest of the year. While this project does take a couple days to complete, I have to be honest with myself that I don’t use coupons and I rrarely have time to comparison shop at the moment that I need an item. I figure with this method, I might miss a sale once in a while, but overall I average out to saving money.

I’d also like to add that quality totally matters to me. For example, the chicken breasts at Aldi have saline injected before they’re frozen to make them heavier. When they thaw, the chicken breast is much smaller than you expected. Therefore, the chicken breasts at Wegmans, though seemingly more expensive per pound, are actually a better price because they have more edible meat. In addition, we eat whole foods whenever possible (whole wheat pasta instead of white, etc.) which are usually a little more expensive, but worth it.

Just a thought,
Shevaun

My husband used one 8-9″ skillet on too hot of a heat. But, that skillet is still non-stick and I use it several times a week. My daughter actually had one large skillet actually have a fire in it and it is still non-stick. They have tempered glass lids and they have handles that do not get hot. You can also use them in the oven up to 350 degrees. I would not change mine for anything. I actually got 2-3 of the items on the clearance rack at HSN for $10. Best use of my money ever.

I also have 2 waterless pans and lids that I have had for over 25 years.

Re the library – our local city council threatened the same thing several years ago; they finally negotiated reduced hours to get through the crisis. Still not quite back to the original, but close! IMHO this is one of those pseudo-threats to focus attention on the budget problem – like having to fire all the police officers or something. If anything, our recent library crisis focused attention on the library & it is getting heavier use now than before.

What is the effect on my credit rating if I contact credit card companies to negotiate different terms on my account? For example, does my credit score or credit report change if I negotiate for a lower interest rates? What about if I negotiate for a less-than-100% payoff amount? Thanks in advance!

I know of three cases in two different libraries, of library workers involved in thefts of various kinds, including documents theft and internet identity fraud. If you use library computers, do not post any financial info whatever, and don’t put anything on the computer which could be stolen, including book or document research.

clean with hot water (a little soap if needed) and dry immediately to avoid rust, ‘season’ with olive oil
don’t cook fish on it repeatedly as the pan can get ‘fishy’, go stainless for that

Another option for free books is to look online. Gutenberg.org is one of the largest collections of free online books in the world. It’s fun to just go on the site and browse…you never know what you’ll find! Some other sites are Fullbooks.com and Authorama.com.

I’m sorry to hear about your libraries closing. I love books so much they’re almost sacred…to lose the local library would be a tragedy.

It probably doesn’t make sense to post fiction directly to this blog, but why not promote oneself gently through all the channels available to you? Would you hold back your fiction from your friends and family, hoping it will “succeed on its own merits”? Other authors? Literary agents? Include a link when you feel it’s ready for public consumption and be prepared for feedback of all sorts.