Just because you pay your bills on time.....
myfask
17 years ago
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Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoharriethomeowner
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
how much do you guys save on your grocery bill from your garden?
Comments (20)It would be difficult (and time-consuming) to add that up, but especially if you buy organic vegetables, you will save money. Last year I purchased two kale plants and at the time I bought them I thought they were sort of expensive, I think they were over a dollar apiece. But they produced enormous amounts of kale for many months, until our weather got really hot in the early summer. I think I could have kept them alive through the summer if I had tried, but I needed the space for other things, and by then the kale leaves were tasting bitter. But for all those months, I noticed that organic kale of the same variety at the farmers market was about $4 a bunch. If I had bought just one bunch each week I guess would have saved between $80 and $100 just on kale. I was eating at least that much of it, and giving more away. Then there was the organic looseleaf lettuce I grew. I paid $2 or $3 for a large packet of mixed seed (still using it this year) and also supplied myself, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Organic lettuce was going for $2 to $3 a head but since I cut my lettuce leaves with scissors and let them regrow from the roots, I used the same plants all fall and winter and spring and saved an awful lot of money for myself and others. Beets were another good example. They are ridiculously easy to grow and a seed packet seems to last a lifetime. Yet organic beets (heck, even non-organic fresh beets) are very expensive at the market. Not every vegetable provides such a drastic cost comparison, of course. Zucchini squash is usually pretty cheap at the store, and of course it produces so much on the vine that you want to pay people to take it off your hands. Some other vegetables can be bought cheaply, although if you buy only organic vegetables most of those will cost twice as much as non-organic and that makes your cost comparison with homegrown a little more meaningful. But as most every gardener points out, the taste of homegrown food is much better, and the knowledge that food you grew yourself is safe for you and your family is priceless. When you factor in pride of accomplishment, convenience at cooking time, and the joy and pleasure of being close to nature, the value of gardening rises exponentially....See MoreDo You Use Bill Pay
Comments (9)Below is a link to a similar thread at Household Finances Forum. While I don't use it, I do think there is one 'Con'. One must still remember and take the time to do it. Instead of, and better in my opinion, is completely automatic bill payment being deducted from my checking. I have for years been able to afford the luxury of having and keeping a fairly large checking balance. Some payments are the same each exact amount each month Health Ins premium Homeowners premium Auto insurance Dial up internet Long Distance Minimum payment on the credit card I always use. I then write a check for the balance-but this is my guanantee that the payment will 'never' be late. Then these others are a little different each month. I receive what looks like a bill as usual, but instead of saying what is owed and when, it tells me the amount that will be withdrawn and on what day. Set up on that is Telephone Electric The local rural water company isn't set up to do anything like that. My bill is I get paid once a month (retirement) so about once a month or so, I go through all the bills, and just log and deduct them from checking. I've been doing it for years, and no one has ever made a mistake on any amount withdrawn, or the date. For me, it is just foolproof. Sue Here is a link that might be useful: Pro's and Con's of online banking...See MoreHardwood flooring install a 48 day nightmare. Should we pay our bill?
Comments (13)I'm going to play devil's advocate here and also try to fill some holes in your story. This whole thing could have certainly been handled better, for both parties. It was an unfortunate mistake on their part, but would you rather they'd gotten it done faster with the wrong wood? Everyone makes mistakes. If I was faced with a potential 4 week delay without a stove I'd go to a used appliance store the first day, buy a cheap stove, bring it home, use it, then donate it later. In a 3 to 4 week period it's not unreasonable to think the furniture situation could have been remedied to make your lot more palatable. You could have prevailed on the floor man to set up your rooms and he would have likely complied. Now let me address the 48 days vs. 7 to 10 days. Where did the 7 to 10 day timeframe originate? It sounds implausible, at least the way I do floors. When the proper floor arrived, how soon was it installed? How long did it take to install? Did they start sanding and finishing right away? How many square feet of flooring was there to sand and finish? What type of finish was used. Answers to these questions will determine how long it really should have taken. Most of this is really pointless at this point because as the tired saying goes, it is what it is. From a retailer's perspective, if you didn't pay me, I'd lien your house. Once I liened your house (which takes my time and costs money) I'd be far less willing to provide any price concession. I would suggest you be proactive to make a settlement. The time you lost is water under the bridge but the floor finish is a real issue. Ask the retailer how much he would charge you to sand and finish the floor and suggest he deduct that amount from the bill. Tell him that in the future, you'd expect him to do the job for that amount of money, to keep him honest. In fact, make him give you a written estimate with no expiration date. I've done that in the past when something didn't turn out well and there was no time to re-do the job. Contact another reputable finisher for a quote so you can compare. Or get the other quote and deduct it from the invoice. PLEASE, PLEASE don't burden another finisher with a long tale of woe. While I might derive a little schadenfreude from hearing of the shortcomings of one of my rivals, I don't want to get the impression that a potential customer will be difficult to work for. Someone who tells me that a 7 day job took 48 days doesn't come across as reasonable when I know that it's not a 7 day job. Keep it short and simple....See MoreHave you ever billed your contractor for YOUR time (half-kidding)?
Comments (17)I am having a similar situation with my contractor where he went out of town suddenly right after he demoed my kitchen and then I had to be home and schedule the rest of the work/trades. What should be expected when a contractor included a overhead/profit in their estimate/invoice, but the homeowner was the one who had to stay home and talk to the trades (including scheduling, staying home while people did demo, install, labor, etc.)? I am genuinely curious what this overhead/profit is supposed to cover when the other items on the invoice already included things like labor and materials separately. I know overhead is usually 1.5 of the contractor's cost, but that usually includes things like project management and design. In my case, a lot of the PM and design was on me and I had to miss a lot of work to be home for different people who came over. I also am tempted to bill my contractor for my time -- but, of course, I won't. I would probably just try to talk with him about what I was unhappy with and see if he gives a discount....See Moremyfask
17 years agolast modified: 9 years agochisue
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9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoPeter1142
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9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoPeter1142
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