Christmas gift from Joyful Guy

19 years ago

Note to long-term devotees of the "Saving" forum: this is the same gift that I offered last year, so if you received it then, you can shift to another thread. Except that if you didn't follow my suggestion, it might be helpful to read on.

Greetings of the holiday season to all.

This suggestion should save you hundreds, more likely thousands, during your life (unless you have one foot in the grave).

Write down the name of all of the people that you've known: family, friends, school, sport, social, mosque/synagogue/church, etc. acquaintances. Add phone numbers and email addresses as they become available.

After New Year, when things settle down, spend some spare moments recalling more names.

Write down information about their training, work, hobbies, vacation destinations, interests, etc.

Soon you will find that you will pay attention when further items of interest are mentioned, will remember them to record on your return home.

You'll be asking related questions when you meet them - but don't give then the third degree - you don't want them to wonder whether you're working for the FBI.

When you have a need for a product or service in your life, home, etc., give someone familiar with that subject a call. People appreciate being consulted about things which they know about and in which they are interested.

If you have some good ideas at times, hear a funny story, etc. you can send a message to part or all of the group, occasionally. If you can make the items memorable and interesting enough that people look forward to your next message, great.

Some may even offer suggestions that you can include in the next message - that may develop into a newsletter.

You'll be developing a coterie of people whose skills you can access as needed.

Probably some will ask you if you know wwhere they can find information about this, that or whatever, if you let them know what you're doing.

If you help someone find some good advice, help, whatever - s/he'll owe you a favour.

For ease of editing, adding further information, etc. it's really much easier to keep this system on computer. With frequent back-up, of course: if you lose the infor, I'll bet you'll feel that you've lost something of real value.

As I said - if you follow this suggestion and it doesn't save you hundreds, more likely thousands, in your lifetime, I'll be surprised.

I hope that you and yours enjoy health, happiness, good times, renewal of some valued friendships and prosperity during the coming days.

Offered with affection, for I have developed regard for the wisdom - and in some cases the humour - of a number of you here.

joyful guy

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Comments (10)

ivamae
19 years ago
Great suggestion. I must admit I haven't kept in touch with many I went to school with - my loss.

Hope you have a great Chrismas. Are you still going back and forth to your Uncles place? The driving has been petty good so far.

My computer will be down starting to-morrow as we are getting ready to move later this month.

All the best for the holiday season to everyone else on these forums as well.
ivamae
joyfulguy
Original Author
19 years ago
Hi ivamae,

Still going to (Step-)Unle's daily - in the old van, now, since the car died on 401 (fortunately, by the Ingersoll service centre) a couple of weeks ago.

Helped son gather a bunch of leaves and compost from his Mom's house this afternoon, as some neighbours complained and the by-law people told them to get the stuff out of there, as it could harbour (horrors!) mice or (double horrors!!) rats. It's O.K. to compost - in a can. The stuff they had would have filled several cans - Bruce said they hadn't seen the ground there in several years. It'll enrich the field at Uncle's.

I hope that you have an easy and uneventful move - and enjoy your new place. Where is it - still in or near London?

Good wishes to you and yours for the days ahead.

ole joyful
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greg, When Spike ran things here, he took a dim view of copying identical items from one forum to another. Possibly we can get away with it, these days. But I guess I sort of got habits entrenched at an earlier time. Somewhat similar to the (probably mythical) sign by a Prairie dirt road, which gets rather heavily rutted after a rain, "Pick your rut carefully - you'll be in it for the next ten miles!". Make a list of all the friends, relatives, acquaintances you've known thru life, their phone, email, etc. Plus their training, interests, work, skills and various other issues related to them. When you need something, consult one of them who knows about that situation: most folks like to talk about things that they know about (and some of us like to talk about most anything). Some of them may be able to help you find the product or service that you need at a better price, that'll give you better service, e.g. mechanics who know which engines in which cars have given trouble, etc. Add to the database as more information comes along. It should save you hundreds, possibly thousands, during your lifetime. I'd plsanned to go to the Kitchen Table and add another message, which would bring the post to the top of page one again (moves about 2 pages per day) but haven't done it yet. Hope that you have a really fine New Year. ole joyful P.S. On the other hand ... you could go back to look for a former year's post, on a slow-moving forum, as the message might still be there. I posted it on different forms in successive years. o j
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Ginny_Ca
19 years ago
Sounds like a great idea, not to mention staying more tuned in to our friends and family.
Ginny
joyfulguy
Original Author
19 years ago
Hi again, all.

I fixed the car - I've spent more on it in the past year than I paid for it 7 1/2 years ago but I've put over 100,000 miles on it, with not a lot of repairs through those years, so am happy with it.

Still going to old step-uncle's place, but place has been sold and new owner willing to have me live there, as he only wants to use the land.

If anyone has any questions about the system that I outlined above - ask here or email me.

I think that you'll find it a very useful resource.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to get a more flexible computer - with more storage, as I can't put more modern operating systems on mine (so have been using the one at the library for some time). Will use some of Uncle's bequest, I guess - I sent some of it to my long-deceased brother's three "kids" (now in their 40s), as I'd suggested to Uncle that he leave something to them, but he didn't get around to it. Their Dad and Uncle farmed together for several years when they were young while brother owned Grandma's farm, and brother died when they were in early teens, so they've known some rough times.

Good wishes to all for the days, weeks and months ahead.

ole joyful
ivamae
19 years ago
Does this mean that you will be moving from the apartment to the farm on a permanent basis? We did get moved but still in the same part of the city ~ from a condo to a house.
ivamae
joyfulguy
Original Author
19 years ago
Yes, I'll be moving from the two bedroom townhouse, where I've lived for over 15 years. Uncle's house has two bedrooms, but some of the rooms are a bit smaller than mine and the basement in the townhouse is modern, but the one at the farm is old-style. They added an extra living room a few years ago, heated only with a woodstove.

The water on the farm isn't potable, so I've had to carry water for drinking and cooking.

Have got stuck in snowbanks a few times - for about an hour, last night. Landlord operates a sod farm, so has large grass mower, plus tractor with snowplow that it sounds as though he'll store there in winter.

He wants to cut a couple of Manitoba maple trees down - one large old one that had mushrooms growing on it fell over in a windstorm a few weeks ago and neighbour cut some of the branches for firewood the other day. One of the trees that he wants to cut overhangs the garage, so we'll likely have a bit of a job removing it.

The rent is much lower. Heat plus hydro will be more (he spoke of installing more insulation) and travel to city will be more expensive, of course.

Good wishes for improvements in your life in the New Year.

joyful guy
joyfulguy
Original Author
19 years ago
Hi again, all,

Hey - this is a lot like a Christmas gift of magazines - the gift that keeps on giving ...

... all year long.

And don't run out, as magazine subscriptions do.

Have a joyful holiday weekend, all.

ole joyful
joyfulguy
Original Author
19 years ago
Not only does it not run out, as magazine subscriptions do, but it's a good idea to keep adding info from time to time, to keep it current.

(Could cost you hundreds, even thousands, if you choose not to use the gift).

Good wishes for skilful use of your assets.

ole joyful
joyfulguy
Original Author
18 years ago
Rats!

It's too late to offer this gift at Easter.

And ... too late for Mother's Day.

But ... Father's Day is coming up.

Doesn't it make you mad when some friend re-wraps a gift that they gave you earlier ...

... and gives you the *same* *thing* ...

... **again**???

Inconsiderate (read "cheap") rat!

Have a great weekend, all.

o j
joyfulguy
Original Author
18 years ago
If I make you the same gift again this year ...

... is that "re-gifting"?

Or - just plain cheap?

Actually, if you didn't act on it last year - there's still time.

Who knows - you may not be around, next year.

Perhaps I might not be, either.

So I'm suggesting that you "Save" this at least - if you're not willing to act on it now.

ole joyful

Christmas gift from Joyful Guy

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