Save Money on Clothing

It's been quite a while since I've spent any considerable amount of money on clothing. Some of this is because I'm lazy and it's perfectly normal to wear an old T-shirt. (One person at work has a T-shirt from a sporting event 20 years ago that I'd really like to forget.) However, if you need to maintain some kind of appearance it doesn't mean that you have to break the bank. Here are some ideas I had on how to save money on clothing:


-Buy clothes at a discount store. I know this is obvious, but some people overlook it. I used to buy stuff at Macy's, but I've found that TJ Maxx has better deals if you are willing to do a little more hunting and pecking. I find the search for new clothing fun. Once again, I know I'm weird. You might also want to check out Marshall's and maybe Ross or Kohl's, but I never seemed to have as much luck there.

-Consider buying "pre-worn" clothes at thrift stores. I say consider because many people have an extreme aversion to this. On the other hand, other people consider vintage clothing to be a great style.

-Buy clothes off-season. I often buy my summer clothes in September and my winter clothes in March. There are many discounts to be had as merchants try to free up shelf space.

-From my wife: Borrow clothing from a friend. Of course you need to have friends of similar sizes to take full advantage of the swap.

-Maintain a healthy weight. If you pack on a pile of pounds, you'll out-grow all the clothing you currently have. You'll also be spending money on food and, very likely, health procedures later on in life - but that's a topic for another day.

-Search for coupon codes online before you pay. There are plenty of promotion codes available online which can easily save your money.

Watches can be a good investment, but not for everybody...

Watches can be a good investment, but not for everybody. One really important thing to remember, watches, like automobiles, normally lose value over time and are not good investments unless you really know a lot about the market and specific items you are investing in. Anytime you buy a watch or car new, the value immediately drops. For fine wristwatches, many can be resold for only 40% to 80% of what you will pay for them from a new watch dealer.

For the average watch enthusiast, buying and selling of watches is usually at a loss. Maybe a break even at best. Most consider this simply the cost of owning the watch for the months or years they enjoy it.

Do not be confused or misled by statements that certain watches have a 'higher resale value' than others. Since almost all watches (except the truly rare and special collectibles) lose value over time, you have to judge the resale value of a watch by what you lose, not what you get back.

For example, say you have a choice between a $3500 watch that has an 80% resale value versus a $1750 watch with only a 60% resale value. The more expensive watch sounds like the better investment. But when you look at how much you will lose, the result may be surprising.

$3500 new, resell for $2800 (80%), net loss $700

$1750 new, resell for $1050 (60%), net loss $700

While these numbers are only examples, they show that you need to specifically evaluate your choices rather than simply relying on generalizations about 'better resale.' For investing and resale, used watches are often a better financial deal because they are already depreciated to the resale value--so you are much more likely to be able to resell them at close to what you paid for them.

Student brought weapons to Endeavor Elementary School - Orlando, FL

Friday, September 27th 2013
We just dropped our kid at Endeavor and We noticed that not "extra" security was add it and looks like another day, just like the day before. Also around 9 a.m. after all the students are in the classroom We noticed a security car from the Orange County Public School coming to the school and wondering what is he doing in there?

Extra security should be before school start, that's what I think. Or do we have to wait until someone does get hurt to take it seriously? Maybe I could be wrong

Thursday, September 26th 2013
ORLANDO, FL —An Orange County elementary school student was found with weapons Thursday, September 26th 2013, according to officials. The Endeavor Elementary School student apparently brought several weapons in a backpack and told friends about them.

“This morning before school began, a student told three other students that he had weapons in his backpack. The three students immediately reported this to our School Resource Officer,” Principal Sharon Jenkins said in a statement to parents. Deputies said the weapons included an unloaded handgun, a magazine with six bullets, a kitchen steak knife and a small-handled sledge hammer.
Some parents said they weren't happy with how school officials handled the situation. They said they didn't get an automated alert until 1:39 p.m. even though the incident happened about 8:30 a.m. "I go pick him up at 3 (p.m.). There is one police car, and no one is around the police car. You have a serious incident that happened earlier in the day. There should be police presence at this school," parent Tina Presslar said to WESH News.

No one at the school was hurt. Law enforcement officers are investigating.

Best Used Cars of 2013

Honda and Toyota had the most models make Edmunds.com Best Used Cars for 2013, filling out nearly half the list with four vehicles each.

Ford also placed well, with three of its models making the list.

List based on vehicle reliability, safety, value and availability. Only vehicle model years 2006 to 2011 were eligible.

Here’s the full list:

Subcompact Sedan: 2007-2011 Honda Fit,  Toyota Yaris
Compact Sedan: 2006-2011 Hyundai Elantra
Midsize Sedan: 2006-2011 Honda Accord
Large Sedan: 2006-2011 Toyota Avalon
Coupe: 2006-2011 Honda Accord
Convertible: 2006-2011 Volvo C70
Wagon: 2006-2011 Subaru Outback
Compact SUV/Crossover: 2006-2011 Honda CR-V, Toyota Rav4
Midsize SUV/Crossover: 2006-2011 Toyota Highlander
Large SUV/Crossover: 2007-2011 Mazda CX-9
Minivan/Van: 2006-2011 Honda Odyssey
Cargo Van: 2006-2011 Dodge/Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Compact Truck: 2006-2011 Toyota Tacoma
Large Truck: 2006-2011 Ford F-150
Luxury: 2006-2011 Infiniti G35/G37
Hybrid: 2006-2011 Toyota Prius
Two-Seat Sports Car: 2006-2011 Chevrolet Corvette

Used car loans made up 62.3% of outstanding auto loans in the second quarter of 2013. The average loan on a used car was $17,913 — up $480 from the second quarter 2012 — and the average credit score of consumers with used loans was 660, the lowest it’s been since 2007.

A consumer’s credit score impacts the rate he or she will get on an auto loan, and higher scores will likely translate into more favorable rates. Credit scores are based on consumer credit history, so it’s important to check your credit reports for potential errors before applying for loans.

Basic Care About Goldfish 101 Freshwater Tank Cycle

If you have come here you're most likely looking for information on how to take care of your goldfish. We have plenty of information on how to get started and how to help your goldfish have a long, healthy life.

There are many things you need to know before you get started. Goldfish have special needs compared to other fish, for example fancy goldfish needs 10-15 gallons for one fish, with an ideal minimum tank size of 40 gallons having very good filtration.

Goldfish don't live very long in a Bowl. Why?
1. Not enough air surface in a bowl.
2. No filtration at all in a bowl.

Cycle Of The Tank

Cycling of the tank is necessary to raise goldfish. So you've got a 40 gallon tank and you just got the tank home with no fish at all at this point. Well the first thing is to set the tank up. In short terms setting up the tank is placing water into the tank, rocks, filter, chemicals, and plants if you want to. Now once the tank is all put together you will need to let the tank run for at least 24 hours before adding the fish.

After 24 hours of running with the filter in the tank, you will need a fish that will help cycle the tank. I wouldn't get your goldfish right now, there are Danio's that are very hardy fish and they can take they cycling of the tank better than the goldfish can. After you add the fish in to the tank I would strongly suggest getting a test kit so that you can see the levels of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates in the water. This is going to be the only way for you to find out if its safe for you to add the goldfish to this tank.

Okay, so now the fish is in the tank and your wondering whats next... Well now we get into the cycling of the tank. The cycling of the tank is simple but can be complicated. So I'm going to try to make it easy to understand.

The first thing that's going to happen to the tank is the ammonia is going to get very high, this is caused by the fish waste (food, plant decay). You will need to test this, because if the levels get to high the fish can die of ammonia poisoning (blood poisoning). You will need to make sure that the level stays below the 1.0 mark on the test kit. The way to help this level if it gets to high is small water changes every day of at least 20-30% this will help to relieve the ammonia level off of the fish.

The ammonia level will rise until about the 10th day, the nitrites will kick in around the 10th day also. Nitrites can be just as dangerous as the ammonia levels. Nitrite bacteria basically convert the ammonia into nitrites. If the level of nitrites gets above the 1.0 mark on the test kits you can get Nitrite poisoning (fin rot, flashing, bacterial ulcers etc.). This level can be controlled to by small water changes of 20-30% when you test the water.

After about 20 days the next level of the cycling will happen: Nitrates. This is not harmful like the others. The only other thing that you will need to do now is regular water changes. Now you can add your goldfish. 

One thing to remember, tanks at temps 78*F will cycle in about 30 days, tanks with lower temps will take much longer to cycle. 

I have found over the years that changing 50%-60% of the water every week is very important, because of the large amount of waste they produce and the oxygen they use. When replacing the water you need to treat it with a detoxifier. I highly recommend either Prime or Amquel, it gets rid of toxins and also doesn't turn the chlorine to ammonia. 

MESSY: Friday The 13th at Disney Hollywood Studios

Disney parks on both coasts had overly crowded and imperfect events on Friday. However, it was complete chaos at Disney World’s Limited Time Magic event for Friday the 13th at Disney Hollywood Studios. A lack of proper staffing led to a traffic jam heading into the parking lot that lasted for hours (staring around 4:30pm), many guests were ultimately rerouted by security/police to Epcot for parking. The park was gridlocked on Hollywood Blvd and guests had trouble finding where and when the villains would be located in the park and special event merchandise sold out immediately, leaving lots of angry customers (who seemed to be mostly passholders and off duty cast members). Guest Relations processed  a massive list of complaints all night long. However, to his credit, park Vice President was personally taking guest complaints, handing out communication cards and handling issues all night long. You can bet that he was upset with how the event transpired and that there will be some heavy discussions about the situation in Team Disney Orlando come Monday morning.

Many people keep saying "you did not miss anything", "no fun at all", "I better stay on my couch", just to name few...

We hope to see something like a 3-5 days of this special event. Besides that Guest Relations received many complaints, we were hoping to get discount, to be extend event, or/and cast members and friend only show for one day (showing that way the appreciation for their cast members if there is any).

2013 Walt Disney World - Main Entrance Block Out Dates

Last Update: 08/29/2013
Block-Out Dates for the Walt Disney World® Theme Parks. Please check back monthly for Block-Out Dates. Block-Out Dates are subject to change. You may also call 407-566-5675 (8-296-5675) or toll-free 1-855-706-2516 for a current listing of Block-Out Dates.

Magic Kingdom® Park - Main Entrance Passes

• January 2013: Tuesday, January 1 thru Thursday, January 17
• February 2013: none
• March 2013: Sunday, March 10 thru Friday, March 15 and Sunday, March 24 thru Sunday, March 31
• April 2013: Monday, April 1 thru Sunday, April 7
• May 2013: Friday, May 24 thru Sunday, May 26
• June 2013: Monday, June 3 thru Sunday, June 30
• July 2013: Monday, July 1 thru Friday, July 12
• August 2013: none
• September 2013: none
• October 2013: Friday, October 4; Saturday, October 5; Friday, October 11; Saturday, October 12; Friday, October 18; Saturday, October 19; Friday, October 25; Saturday, October 26
• November 2013: Friday, November 1; Saturday, November 2; Friday, November 8; Saturday, November 9; Friday, November 15; Saturday, November 16; Friday, November 22 thru Saturday, November 30
• December 2013: Friday, December 6; Saturday, December 7; Friday, December 13; Saturday, December 14; Friday, December 20 thru Tuesday, December 31

Magic Kingdom® Park - Disney Family Holiday Party Tickets

• October 2013: Friday, October 4; Saturday, October 5; Friday, October 11; Saturday, October 12; Friday, October 18; Saturday, October 19; Friday, October 25; Saturday, October 26
• November 2013: Friday, November 1; Saturday, November 2; Friday, November 8; Saturday, November 9; Friday, November 15; Saturday, November 16; Friday, November 22 thru Saturday, November 30
• December 2013: Friday, December 6; Saturday, December 7; Friday, December 13; Saturday, December 14; Friday, December 20 thru Tuesday, December 31
• January 2014: TBD
• February 2014: TBD

How to Cut College Costs With Community College!

The cost of attending college has exploded in recent years, and so has the level of student loan debt being used to pay for it. On top of that, graduates are learning the hard way that not all college degrees are equal. While jobs are plentiful for certain majors, they’re close to nonexistent for others.

There is no question that you are likely to earn more money over a lifetime with a college degree than without one. But it is equally clear that the cost/benefit ratio is not nearly as lucrative as it once was. There is no way to predict the job market, but you can control how much money you invest in your education. One way of cutting college costs is by attending community college – at least for the first two years of your education.


Keeping Costs Low During the First Two Years of College
Attending a four-year college typically costs $20,000 to $60,000 per year. Taking an average of $40,000, that will be $160,000 over four years.

Community colleges typically cost anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 per year. Taking an average of $10,000, that’ll be $20,000 for attending a community college for two years.

If you spend your freshman and sophomore years at a community college, at a cost of $20,000 – then complete your junior and senior years at a typical four-year school at $80,000 ($40,000 per year) – the total cost of your college education will come to $100,000.

That’s still a lot of money, but it’s $60,000 less than if you were to spend the entire four years at a four-year school! That would leave $60,000 less in potential student loan debt.

Having a Degree to Trade After Just Two Years
For a moment, consider the fact that you may not be able to complete a four-year degree. It could be because your motivation crashes, you and your family run out of money, or any one of a number of other reasons. Should you drop out of a four-year school after just two years, you will have little to show for your effort. After all, four-year colleges don’t give out partial degrees.

But let’s say that you attend a two-year college and decide two years is all you can stand. You will likely graduate with an Associates degree. Your two-year education will be completed, and you’ll come out with a degree in whatever it was you studied. At that point, you may decide to take some time off to earn some money, gain some hands-on experience, or just to get your head together.

And there’s some good news on this front. There are certain careers that you can enter with just a two-year degree and make some decent money. Those careers include nursing, paralegal, and certain computer fields, including computer programming.

How to Make Room in Your Schedule to Earn More Money?

We often think of making more money in terms of having money (i.e., you need money to make money), having certain skills, or having certain assets and equipment that can generate income. In truth, making more money typically has more to do with time, and how we use it. If you think that you want to make more money, you may need to make room in your schedule.

Life seems busier than ever, so how do you make room in your schedule to make more money?

1. Learn to say “no.”
One of the biggest reasons why we never seem to have enough time to do what it is we really want to do, is simply because we have too much going on. Like the people in our lives – children, friends, coworkers, etc...

In order to make room in your schedule to make more money it is crucial that you learn to say “no.” On the surface, this may seem somewhat insensitive. In truth, it is the only way to gain control of your time. Not only will saying no give you more time to work on what you need to, but once the people around you become accustomed to hearing you say it, they will also be less likely to ask you for help in the future. It’s a matter of disciplining yourself – as well as the people in your life.

2. Get up an hour earlier.
This recommendation has two benefits. First, getting up an hour earlier gives you one extra hour to do it you need to do. Second, it gets you up early in the day when most of us are most productive. While you may have to make it up by going to bed earlier at night, it is likely that that evening time is also “wind down time,” when you’re not terribly productive anyway.

You can use that extra hour in the morning either to work on what it is that will make you more money, or to take care of other tasks so that you will have more time to work on your new venture later in the day.
Is getting up early a sacrifice? Yes! But if you want to make more money, the only way to do it is by sacrifice. And once you get used to getting up earlier, it will become part of your routine and it won’t bother you nearly as much.

How Can I Possibly Retired at age 30?

Meet Mr. Money Mustache. Hundreds of thousands of readers follow his bold advice on his self-titled blog — and for good reason. He has cracked the retirement code while many of us were struggling with student loans. At 23 years old he began working and saving…and saving some more. By age 30, he’d amassed some $800,000 in cash and investments, and then entered early retirement.

The Rule of 70%

While a popular rule of thumb is to try to save 10% of your income every month, in the race to retirement Mr. Money Mustache saved and invested close to 70% of each paycheck until he had about $800,000 racked up. At that point he felt comfortable quitting his job, as the dividends from his stock portfolio and income from a rental property were finally enough to support his family’s lifestyle. “I just figured based on a 4% withdrawal rate of your savings, if you have $800,000 saved, you could draw an income of $32,000 a year from that. Our needs are less than that, so we actually don’t need $800,000 in savings.”

Also see: 24 Best Ways To Save Money by NOT being Normal

Live Simply

But wait. How does the family live on less than $30,000 a year with a child? “It’s by cutting out stuff, the invisible stuff, that’s most expensive. I kept the headline items, like a house, trip to Australia and good friends and good food, but I cut out stuff like spending $50 on coffee a week or having a brand new car every few years,” he says. “We do a lot of stuff ourselves. We go to parks. We do music together. We ride our bikes, go to the library. Kids love it. Costs almost nothing to do.” Live Simply, which is way better!

Treat Debt Like Your Hair Is on Fire

We should mention that Mr. Money Mustache graduated without any student loans. He never really had any credit card debt and advises his readers, who aim to retire early like him, to treat debt like a scary emergency, as if their hair is literally on fire. “If you have credit card debt, you don’t make little payments on it. You don’t go to the movies and put $10 on the credit card. You stay home, you earn as much money as possible, you eat the cheapest food possible (be careful) and get that emergency solved,” he says.

Also see: Prepare for the Unknown

Should Only Poor People Shop at Thrift Stores?

“You can’t be shopping there, dude!! Those stores are for POOR PEOPLE ONLY!!!” That’s what I freakin’ hear every time I walk into a Salvation Army or Goodwill now, ever since a friend yelled at me a good 10 years ago. Which, let me tell you SUCK – do you know how many times I go into those stores?? ;)

I get mad at her every time I think about it, but in her weird twisted logic I can kinda see her point. Which is simply this: If you buy something out of a thrift store, you’re taking it away from someone who needs it MORE than you. And not only that, but someone else who can afford it way less than you can. You’re pretty much snatching up the bargains beneath their nose. Okay, makes sense.

Now, I like to think of it a different way: EVERY time I buy something from these stores the money I give goes BACK IN to these places and helps keep the lights on every day. Which in turn continues to provide a cheap alternative to big box shops, all the while helping the associates to get paid and making sure everyone involved is pretty happy. Plus, a deal is a deal, and should be up for anyone who happens to find it (and want it).

After reading both sides, though, I’m curious to see what YOU think. Usually I’m pretty adamant about being right in cases like these, but it occurred to me on my way into one of these stores yesterday that the only reason I THINK I’m right is because of my background. I’ve been going to yard sales and thrift stores my whole entire life, so of course I’m gonna think there’s nothing wrong with it! :)

My friend, on the other hand, comes from a VERY different culture. To put it bluntly, her family’s filthy rich. Add that to a little racism in her blood, and the idea of walking INTO a thrift store, nonetheless BUYING something from one, comes with a pretty hefty stigma. Hence, her idea that “only poor people go shopping there.” (Mix this with her impression that whites don’t belong there, and you can see where she’s going with this whole thing. And why we’re no longer friends.) I do, however, give her credit for continuously dropping off donations every year. At least she’s good at giving back.

Now that you know our different backgrounds though, I wanna hear what YOU think about shopping at these places. IS it wrong to search for bargains, when we can easily afford it from other stores? SHOULD we leave these cheaper items for the less fortunate?