Frugal Living: misc.consumers.frugal-living - 18 new messages in 10 topics

Monday, December 22, 2008

misc.consumers.frugal-living - 18 new messages in 10 topics - digest

misc.consumers.frugal-living
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living?hl=en

misc.consumers.frugal-living@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

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TOPIC: What minor frugal change did you make this year?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/2d2a9d8612f0c718?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 6:06 pm
From: "Daniel T."

OhioGuy <none@none.net> wrote:

> I thought it would be fun to share stories about things we have done
> this year to make a small but frugal difference in our budgets and
> such.
>
> For me, this year I got annoyed at having to buy sandwich bags over
> and over, and realized I could cut down on this some if I started
> reusing the bread, bagel and English Muffin wrappers (and even
> plastic cereal bags from inside the boxes). So now we reuse our
> bread wrappers, and I've cut down on the purchase of sandwich bags
> by about 20%. It feels good to reuse something we were formerly
> throwing away without thinking about it, too.
>
> Another small change I made was installing a power strip to have our
> laptop and accessories plugged in to. I read that not having the
> laptop plugged in all the time will make the batteries last longer.
> We also have a visioneer scanner with no power switch that sucks a
> bit of energy all the time, and a Yahoo Messenger phone that I use
> once in a great while. I put all of these on the power strip, and
> now I switch it all off at night. No more power draw on the electric
> bill for a whole weekend if we are away.
>
> So that's a couple of small changes we have made. How about you?

We put up a cloths line and stopped using the dryer.

We started car pooling to work and now turn off our cars at stop lights.

My wife carries her bike on the back of the car now, so she can park
where it's free and bike the rest of the way to work. (The car pooling
works by her driving me to work, which is between home and her work.)

Those of the family going to college started checking out their books
from the library instead of buying them.

Lastly, we planed a "recycle christmas" all presents purchased had to be
used (thrift store stuff for example.)

--
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add,
but when there is nothing left to take away.
-- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

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TOPIC: Locksmith spammer
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/e87efe27cfcdf066?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 6:28 pm
From: larry

John A. Weeks III wrote:
> In article
> <a9fb6909-d125-44c8-9d87-9ps.com>,
> linkswanted <movier4u.cm> wrote:
>> Locksith Secuty Services, Los Aes Safe & Vault Sales and
>> Installan For All Your Home & Busess Needs Dos instion
>> wood, metal, Kalamein, and fe rated wood doors for bh heavyweight
>> commcial and stanrd residential needs.
>
> Great...I locked my keys in my car here in Minneapolis. How
> soon can you get here to open my car?
>
> -john-
>

Maybe a few of us should post these spammers numbers in
public restrooms, with better offers... ;-)

(there are 3.6 million hits for that 800 number)

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 7:51 pm
From: Dave Garland

larry wrote:

> Maybe a few of us should post these spammers numbers in public
> restrooms, with better offers... ;-)

If you call from a pay phone, it costs them quite a bit extra. Not
that I'm recommending writing "Lockouts, call 877-364-5264" on the
wall behind the bar's pay phone, mind you.

Dave

==============================================================================
TOPIC: self-employed, the price?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/25ab6d7a439ac7f1?hl=en
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== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 6:38 pm
From: Larry Caldwell

In article <0q-dnV5DSMzT59DUnZ2dnUVZ_jSdnZ2d@posted.visi>,
belfert@visi.com (Brian Elfert) says...
> Larry Caldwell <firstnamelastinitial@peaksky.com> writes:
>
> >7.5%. And of course, the self-employed have access to hundreds of tax
> >breaks not available to wage earner. Anything sheltered by the business
> >is not taxable at all. The tax code is written to give businesses a
> >free ride.
>
> Hmm, I must have missed that free ride when I ran a business. I paid
> taxes just like any other American.
>
> Now, A LOT of small business owners cheat on their taxes. The biggest
> thing I see is personal use of business vehicles. You're supposed to note
> the percentage the vehicle is used personally and not deduct that portion,
> but a lot just use the vehicle for personal too and deduct everything.
>
> A lot of small business owners will pay personal expenses through the
> business to get the deduction. Big things like non-business computers and
> personal insurance along with lots of small things like postage and office
> supplies for personal use.

One break that self-employed get that wage earners don't is commuting
expenses. Even if you don't use your vehicle for hauling, you can write
off every trip to the office supply store, and every work related trip.
My commuting expenses are at least 80% of my total vehicle costs, and
some months reach 90%. You can either take the standard $0.55 a mile
write-off, or go the actual cost and depreciation route, take your pick.

If you are incorporated, you can rent a room in your house to the
corporation as office space. The rent is income, but not earned income,
so you don't have to pay FICA on it. You can write off telephone
expenses. You can write off business meeting expenses. You can write
off office supplies, including a computer an internet connection, web
site, advertising, and technical support.

That crap about cheating on taxes is just crap. When you are in
business for yourself, it is your life. It consumes most of your waking
hours, and almost everything you do is work related. If you can squeeze
out 10% in profit you are doing good. Everything else goes back into
the business.

I haven't even scratched the surface of all the tax advantages available
to a business owner. The first employee any business should hire is a
good bookkeeper. Both you and the bookkeeper should have regular
meetings with your accountant to make sure you are not missing
legitimate business expenses. It's hard enough being self employed
without paying 10x as much income tax as you should. The biggest
problem with small businesses is that they don't know how to keep
records, so they end up screwing themselves.

--
For email, replace firstnamelastinitial
with my first name and last initial.

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 8:39 pm
From: The Real Bev

clams_casino wrote:

> Jim wrote:
>
>>"SE tax rate. The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%. The rate consists
>>of two parts: 12.4% for social security (old-age, survivors, and disability
>>insurance) and 2.9% for Medicare (hospital insurance)."
>
> But the total rate is 7.6% (after tax income) higher than a regular (non
> self employed) worker.

That's probably irrelevant -- the employer just works it, along with
other payroll taxes, into its salary structure.

--
Cheers,
Bev
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"The fact that windows is one of the most popular ways to
operate a computer means that evolution has made a general
fuckup and our race is doomed." -- Anon.

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 11:06 pm
From: Neon John

On Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:39:55 -0800, The Real Bev <bashley101+usenet@gmail.com>
wrote:

>clams_casino wrote:
>
>> Jim wrote:
>>
>>>"SE tax rate. The self-employment tax rate is 15.3%. The rate consists
>>>of two parts: 12.4% for social security (old-age, survivors, and disability
>>>insurance) and 2.9% for Medicare (hospital insurance)."
>>
>> But the total rate is 7.6% (after tax income) higher than a regular (non
>> self employed) worker.
>
>That's probably irrelevant -- the employer just works it, along with
>other payroll taxes, into its salary structure.

Of course we do. So many dollars is budgeted for each employee. The crap
that the government requires is simply subtracted from that amount to arrive
at what the employee actually gets paid. In the case of minimum wage workers,
an increase in government-mandated cost simply prompts us employers to figure
out how to eliminate jobs.

The last minimum wage increase caused me to do that in my restaurant. I knew
my staffing was fat but the place was making money, I liked the employees and
I'm a charter member of Procrastinator's Anonymous. When the increase took
effect, it kick-started me into looking at my labor costs and what jobs each
employee was performing. I quickly determined that I could eliminate 2 min
wage jobs by distributing their workload across the other staff.

Bottom line: 2 pink slips and everyone else had to work a bit harder.

An interesting calculation is to take the bottom line dollar amount from your
check and divide it by the hours worked to see what you're REALLY making. Most
folks are shocked when they do that.

In one of the business magazines I read an article a few years ago reporting
on a survey of the public. Only slightly over 50% of the citizens (I use that
term loosely) understood that the money flowing from Washington actually came
from the taxes they pay. I was flabbergasted. How could anyone become an
adult and not know that government spending == taxation? No doubt these same
folks think that the money for their wages comes from a money tree somewhere.

John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
There is much pleasure in useless knowledge. —Bertrand Russell

==============================================================================
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http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/34593fdd2d647b71?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 6:55 pm
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==============================================================================
TOPIC: .99 store complaint
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/344e32ee920ae3a2?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 7:45 pm
From: The Real Bev

Macuser wrote:

> Does anybody have a .99 or $1.00 store that actually still sells ALL items
> for this amount? There are several near me, and all of them are trying to
> pry more out of the customers by raising prices about that threshold.
> Certain items, like cheap little power strips have doubled in price. I buy
> less now than ever. How about you?

The 99-Cents-Only Stores have recently jacked their price up to 99.9
cents. Shocking, I tell you, the government ought to do something about it.

That's the maximum price. Some stuff, mostly food, is less than that,
and they've recently expanded their food offerings. I love these stores.

http://www.99only.com/about/index.htm

--
Cheers,
Bev
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"If you see me running, try to keep up."
...Back of bomb technician's shirt

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 8:20 pm
From: ultimauw@live.com

On Dec 21, 2:23 pm, "Macuser" <spamisalunch...@meat.com> wrote:
> Does anybody have a .99 or $1.00 store that actually still sells ALL items
> for this amount? There are several near me, and all of them are trying to
> pry more out of the customers by raising prices about that threshold.
> Certain items, like cheap little power strips have doubled in price. I buy
> less now than ever. How about you?
>

99 cent power strips?! ick! I for one would not want to use those fire
hazards let alone leave them plugged in unattended. Same with the
lights they sell.

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 8:44 pm
From: The Real Bev

ultimauw@live.com wrote:

> On Dec 21, 2:23 pm, "Macuser" <spamisalunch...@meat.com> wrote:
>> Does anybody have a .99 or $1.00 store that actually still sells ALL items
>> for this amount? There are several near me, and all of them are trying to
>> pry more out of the customers by raising prices about that threshold.
>> Certain items, like cheap little power strips have doubled in price. I buy
>> less now than ever. How about you?
>
> 99 cent power strips?! ick! I for one would not want to use those fire
> hazards let alone leave them plugged in unattended. Same with the
> lights they sell.

So what do you think of their condoms and pregnancy tests?

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Saving Money on Calendars
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/9b326729403ee2be?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 7:44 pm
From: LC18BR38@webtv.net (Rick V)

The Real Bev wrote...

>Along with untold thousands of begging letters
> from the charities the first one sold your name
> to. When the "forward" on my mom's mail
> expired, the post office kindly told all the
> charities the address to which her mail had
> been forwarded, so now I receive all the
> begging letters for her at MY address.

When the forward on ALL your mom's mail expired, your address was
included on ALL of the return mail and not just the mail from charities.

If you did not want ALL of your mom's mail, you need not submit a change
of address but you choose to do so.

You could have personally contacted the senders whose mail you did want
forwarded but it is much easier to criticize than to do the actual work.

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 8:55 pm
From: The Real Bev

Rick V wrote:

> The Real Bev wrote...
>
>> Along with untold thousands of begging letters
>> from the charities the first one sold your name
>> to. When the "forward" on my mom's mail
>> expired, the post office kindly told all the
>> charities the address to which her mail had
>> been forwarded, so now I receive all the
>> begging letters for her at MY address.
>
> When the forward on ALL your mom's mail expired, your address was
> included on ALL of the return mail and not just the mail from charities.
>
> If you did not want ALL of your mom's mail, you need not submit a change
> of address but you choose to do so.

You misunderstand.

Forwarded was fine. Letters were sent to her at her address and the
post office applied 'forward to' yellow stickers with MY address. But
after the forwarding expired the letters started coming directly to her
name at my address. Neither of us ever gave anybody that combination,
so it must have been the post office. Makes sense that they'd do it --
it keeps the postage flowing.

> You could have personally contacted the senders whose mail you did want
> forwarded but it is much easier to criticize than to do the actual work.

I wrote DECEASED on the ones that appeared to be first class so that
they would be returned to the sender who ought to take the next step.
Apparently it's cheaper to just keep sending the letters than fix the
mailing list, although they had to make some changes when the post
office gave (or sold) them the new address.

That's as much trouble as I'm willing to go to. If they want to spend
other people's money sending me crap, that's their problem. Theory has
it that bulk mail is GOOD because it supports first class mail, so I
guess I'm doing my bit for the good of society. I open the one that I
know contains a stamped envelope and toss the rest into the recycle bin.

You're right, it's easier to criticize than actually fix the problem.
BUT you forget that it's THEIR problem, not mine.

--
Cheers, Bev
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"The fact that windows is one of the most popular ways to
operate a computer means that evolution has made a general
fuckup and our race is doomed." -- Anon.

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Surge protectors melting down and causing fires
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/9da9f3133ea46935?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 8:25 pm
From: ultimauw@live.com

http://www.nmsu.edu/%7Esafety/news/lesson-learned/surgeprotectorfire.htm

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 8:25 pm
From: ultimauw@live.com

http://www.nmsu.edu/%7Esafety/news/lesson-learned/surgeprotectorfire.htm

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TOPIC: Surge protector=fire hazard?
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/ce2a4303bca9f839?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 8:27 pm
From: ultimauw@live.com

http://www.nmsu.edu/%7Esafety/news/lesson-learned/surgeprotectorfire.htm

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Gov't to big 3 seeking bailout: no more private jets for you!
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/6b69b9f5b3b347b9?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 8:27 pm
From: ultimauw@live.com

On Dec 20, 4:36 pm, Liberal Whisperer <hoofhearte...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Dec 20, 5:58 pm, ultim...@live.com wrote:
>
> >http://consumerist.com/5114395/auto-executives-will-have-to-give-up-t...
>
> > HAHA!
>
> Does that mean Madame Pelosi and Dr.Gore will give theirs up too??

How about Bu$h and his friends?

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Companies closing down without telling their employees
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/e9ad2a790d1b3e5a?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 11:24 pm
From: ultimauw@gmail.com

On Dec 21, 8:37 pm, ultim...@live.com wrote:
> http://consumerist.com/5113170/three-tgifridays-mysteriously-close-no...

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Dec 21 2008 11:26 pm
From: ultimauw@gmail.com

On Dec 21, 11:24 pm, ultim...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Dec 21, 8:37 pm, ultim...@live.com wrote:
>
> >http://consumerist.com/5113170/three-tgifridays-mysteriously-close-no...

How does the Orthodox Capitalists feel about companies closing down
without telling their employees?

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misc.consumers.frugal-living - 18 new messages in 10 topics - digest

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