Comments

Episode-663- Modern Survival Ways to Save Money Part Two — 35 Comments

  1. On the craigslist notification, if you have an android phone there is a FREE app (probably many of them) for searching your local or regional craigslist for whatever you want. I run mine and I have 4 or 5 searches going all the time.

  2. I use priceline.com all the time for my travel and hotels. We stayed in sandestin resort for a week at $60 a night. Name your own price is the best but it comes with a risk of not being in the best locations or further away from areas of interest. My fav place for travel survival 🙂

  3. Any time you do a search on craigslist, there is an RSS feed associated with it. The same goes for browsing a section.

    I add those feeds to Google Reader and check them periodically throughout the day. Today I am going to price a bushhogging job (side gig, not my normal 9-5) i got from one of those feeds.

  4. @blueprint – that’s a great point. I just took it a step further and have my site setup to get an email instantly when new results are posted. Just so I don’t miss out on anything. I built it for myself and figured other people might want to use it or not want to figure out RSS

  5. @Nick LaDieu

    I have never worried about instant notification, I’m at work and its not like I can just drop what I’m doing…

    BUT, this thread got me thinking about that so I just downloaded and installed Google Desktop to see if I could set it up to notify me when a new item comes into a feed. For all I know GReader will also send me an email for new items in a feed (idk).

    No offense, but if I could make these work I would consider it preferable to giving out my email address to someone else. Good luck with that site though. Maybe you’ll get lots of participation.

  6. Not at all, I was just responding to the whole issue…just my thoughts in general including the issue of using tools like Google if I can instead of submitting my email to a new site. Seriously good luck with it.

    Continuing with the Google tools, the Desktop app has a “webclips” gadget. You can turn on alerts for that gadget and add any RSS feed to it you want.

    Also, I just found out you can create a “bundle” in G Reader then get an RSS link to that bundle. So for example, I might have a ton of feeds in GReader but only want instant notification of a few, so I could add those to a bundle (and I’ll name it “Instant”) then put the RSS link to that bundle into the Media Clips gadget in Desktop.

    I think I’m going to start doing this for a couple of my feeds.

  7. That sounds like a great way to leverage existing tech. I’ll toss out that my site will search all CLs in a 100 mile radius simultaneously w/o any configuration required… anyway sorry to everyone for the hijack of these comments. I’m done posting about it now 😀

  8. Please use caution when poking around in any electrical device. Microwaves and most other devices that have more that just a heating element or motor, will contain components that can hold a charge and deliver a nasty shock even when unplugged. Also, do not go to the auto store for appliance fuses. They sell automotive fuses that are rated for 32V. Go to Radio Shack or a hardware store with the original fuse to ensure you get the right one. They can also test yours to determine if it is in fact bad.

  9. On driving habits and mileage, I am about to purchase a MPG meter that plugs into the OBD2 connector found on modern vehicles. It also does a lot more than MPG. They can be found on eBay, Amazon, etc. for around $90. Here is a link to their site:

    http://www.plxkiwi.com/kiwimpg/

  10. For mileage… the best advice I have been given is “pretend like your brakes are failing or you don’t have brakes.

    Drive like that and you won’t be “gas braking” etc

  11. After this series is done it would be great to put it all in a document or spreadsheet that has a brief summary of the particular tip and where appropriate the possible savings.

    It would be nice to have a saving money guide like this you could peruse and try a few at a time.

    Maybe Jack can make an e-book out of it for the MSB…

  12. Messing around inside a microwave oven can be extremely dangerous, so much so that I would say unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing inside one, you shouldn’t attempt repairing it.

  13. Be careful with old CRT TV’s & computer monitors. They have capacitors that can hold a charge for some time. If you open them up and short out a capacitor (high voltage) you may be in a world of hurt.
    I’m all for fixing things and not buying new, but you need to have enough common sense (that seems to be a dying thing) to know when you are out of your league.

  14. I used to repair TVs and VCRs professionally MANY years ago. The picture tube in a TV *IS* the capacitor. And, yes, it can hold a charge for a long time….as in years.

  15. Theese saver tips could be a regular feature say 1 st Wednesday of every month could be the tip show. So much great info in yesterday’s show and can’t wait till I can listen to today’s to find new ideas to make my money go past the end of the month.

  16. Gossner Foods makes quarts of milk that can be stored on the shelf and taste like regular milk. I buy them for $1 at the dollar store and keep several in the fridge. Although it is a bit more than regular milk, I don’t have to pour out sour milk. I don’t use milk often enough to use a gallon, and I never have thawed milk when I need it when I freeze the extra milk. They say they don’t use rbST and it is pasteurized, not irradiated. Sometimes I can get 1 cup cartons for 25 cents as well. Even better for small amounts to cook with.

  17. If you have an email that ends in .edu on amazon, you get free amazon prime for a year. I think I have had it for over a year though and I have yet to pay.

  18. speaking of amazon prime. If your expecting OR anyone in your immediate family is expecting you qualify for free amazon prime. Just google “amazon mom”

    despite the name granparents, dads, etc all qualify

  19. @Nick, that is awesome, thanks. Still have one kid in diapers and my SIL is expecting in July so this will help them as well.
    Thanks

  20. Ryan… i sent this to jack but I didn’t want you to have to wait for this. I have made some decent money off this and I think it is something everyone should do.
    ————————–
    Jack,

    When giving out my amazon wish list for Christmas, wedding registry, and baby registry I include my Amazon affiliates ID in the link.

    It doesn’t cost the people buying items a dime and I get a nice commission on all of the items purchased. I also get commissions on all the other items they might purchase. I am very transparent about it and nobody minds helping me out.

    Additionally when I buy items for my family we use my wife’s account and purchase it through my amazon affiliate link so that we get additional money off the purchase.

    If your using amazon.com for purchasing and not getting the commission that amazon affiliate program offers you are leaving money on the table.

    Thanks,

    Nick

  21. Tea drinkers…don’t waste energy. Only fill your tea kettle to a volume that you will pour into your cup. I do this by counting 1/1000, 2/1000, 3/1000, 4/1000 at the tap. Fill your cup once at the sink and do the mental calibration.

    Over time, this should add up!

  22. Jack,
    did you get a URL for the timer for the water heater? the one for $40? Would like to check that out.

  23. there is a good documentary on cnbc about shop lifting. It pretty much states if your buying things like cosmetics, shaving needs, and medicines from the internet or flea markets for pennies on the dollar you are most likely supporting theft

  24. These have been great! I make our yogurt with powdered milk by the gallon and it’s so easy.
    One tip on making up powdered milk to make it taste good. Most people mix too much in their water. I use 2 c of milk powder (noninstant) for one gallon. If you want to make it palatable, try adding back in a tablespoon of butter for some fat. You can also add a capfull of vanilla flavoring or 1 t of sugar and you will be amazed at the taste difference. It’s great and then instead of saving $240 a year, you can save $480 a year!

  25. Regarding chuck eye, I checked HEB and it was $6.29 a pound! Will keep looking…
    Also, with Amazon Prime lets you watch lots of movies and tv shows for free which we use with our Roku box and plan to use with Netflix.

  26. @10 @CPH thank you. I posted similar things in Friday’s show because I listened to so many shows today that I forgot which one it was in. Reposting below verbatim.

  27. others have covered it, but just posting because oringinally I had the wrong show to post to …

    Was this the episode about fixing your own microwave? If so, I want to caution people that there could still be hazardous voltages present in your appliances once you unplug them. Capacitors (an electronic device) store charges, and depending on the design, could store voltages for a while. To be safe, be careful what you touch, and you might want to pull the plug for at least 24 hours (sometimes 24 hours is not long enough) before opening something up to work on it. Older TVs were this way, not sure about newer ones, but just to be safe, unplug it for a while and THEN look around.

  28. @25 Kevin. also, Tea leaves can be re-used multiple times, depending on what they are. I don’t buy that Lipton sh*t anymore! They are the cast-offs of tea leaves. I can get 2 or 3 brewings with my stuff from adagio.com and true tea leaves, not packets packed for mass sale. (other websites that sell REAL tea leaves and not bags are good as well.) Check out their tea-ware, I use their products very happily.

  29. Humans are hunters and gatherers and everyone has a running list of new items they feel they must have. We are like pack rats gathering shiny things.

    I keep a running list of all the items I need or want. I try to weed out a lot of items and just not get them but sometimes that is unavoidable.

    For some of the items I’ll figure out an alternative or make them myself or improvise.

    I keep this list with me and try to find each item for free on craigslist, freecycle or in the trash. If not free the next best thing would be at the lowest price possible, i.e. garage sales,estate sales, or by combining coupons with sales.

    For example, (in just the last two days) the short connector hose on my hose winder was broken. On a bike ride I saw someone else was throwing away a hose reeling device. I cut off the hose and replaced my broken hose saving $6.99.

    I needed rocks to help the drainage on the bottom of my raised garden beds. I live in the city where rocks are hard to come by. I found someone getting rid of broken concrete and bricks. One session with a sledge hammer and I had free rocks. I saved atleast $50.

    I easily save thousands of dollars every year by not running to the store for all my needs. I rarely buy new or buy at all. You get better at it over time. You can even be stylish doing it. Our house is full of nice trashed picked and garage sale bought furniture and we have great second hand wardrobes.When people find out how we shop (or don’t shop) they are amazed.

  30. Great show. The information Jack stated about combining proteins on a vegetarian diet and that you have to be meticulous about it is outdated. As long as you are eating a varied diet and not just eating potatoes or something goofy like that you will meet all your nutritional requirements for protein. You will do much better than just “get by with it” LOL
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_combining