Archive for October, 2009

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Cable Company Problems

October 16th, 2009

Wow!  I might have to re-evaluate my blogging system configuration!  A good portion of today, my site wasn’t reachable by the internet.

Here is my current configuration:

  • Linux server in a virtual environment – fine
  • VirtualBox as the Virtual environment – fine
  • Dlink router -(I’d prefer a Linksys) – fine
  • Local cable company, a non-static ip address – problem
  • Zoneedit account (free) – fine

Okay, the problem is with my local cable company, and the fact that I only have a non-static ip address.  It took about 45 minutes for the new ip address I got assigned to propogate to all of the other DNS servers.  In the mean time, nobody can hit my blog site.

For now, this is something that I will have to live with, but eventually, I’d like to get a permanent static ip address.

Well so much for today :(

-D

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Posted in Problems

How To Eat Out Cheaply At Lunch With Co-workers

October 15th, 2009

I broke down and decided to go to lunch with the guys.

We ended up going to Macaroni Grill.  A great restaurant, but a bit more pricey than I like to spend at lunch.  While the bulk of the group I was with bought meals that were over $12, I decided I didn’t want to spend that much.

On the menu, I usually go to the soup section to save money.  Low and behold, they have listed a cup of soup for $3.59.  The portion was very large for a cup, but not enough to fill me up.  But ahh, the bread, the combination of the bread and the soup more than satisfied me.  And it was tasty to boot.

So the total lunch cost me $5.59.  I gave the waitress a $2.00 tip (that’s a 55% tip) , she was really good, and deserved at least that much.  Beside, I always feel kind of cheap if I don’t at least tip at a minimum $1.00 for food.

I justify my tipping about by the following logic: she still had to serve me just as much as the other (silverware, drink, bread, bread, dish, etc).  So the quality and quantity of work she prepared getting mey food was the same as the other guys…  If she didn’t do a good job, I still would have tipped her at least a dollar.

I’m pretty frugal about a lot of things, but giving fair tips for the amount of work performed is one area that I’m not…

2 comments »

Posted in Frugality

Library Savings

October 14th, 2009

I’m lucky, that I work close to a library (it’s about 2 miles away from work).  My work library has an added bonus!  I found a special little spot in the library, that has a peacefully homey feeling to it!  It a small nook that looks like it could be a family room with a nice fireplace as the center focal point.

Much like superman’s fortress of solitude, I go here for lunch to escape the stress of work!  I find that the trip, which is less than 2 minutes drive, often leaves me refreshed and I go back to work with new vigor, ready to get back to the rat race.

Library Fireplace

Library Fireplace

 

While I’m at the library, I typical do the following for free:

  • Read magazines that I’m interested in
  • Surf the web and enter/edit this blog
  • Walk back to the pond behind the library
  • Sit and read a book out on the patio
  • Read the newspaper
  • Check out books, CD, DVDs, Audio books
  • Play Xbox with Kinect while I’m there (not often though)
  • Request books from other libraries
  • Check out software (but it’s mostly old stuff)
  • Check out the Leapster cartridges (wish they had DS ones)
  • For the kids, I check out board games, and activity kits
  • Some libraries (not this one) even have a weekly movie night

These are the reasons I go to the library. But probably my favorite reason for going to the library is for the 3 day DVD selection!

Some libraries now offer 3 day videos!

The way this works is when the library gets new DVDs, the videos are tagged 3 day videos.  What this means is instead of people checking them out online, they have to come in and pick them up first come, first serve.  People can then checkout the videos (both DVD and VHS) only for 3 days and only 2 at a time.

I know many think that the library is nerdy, but it’s also a frugal way to go!

Check it out!

MR

3 comments »

Posted in Frugality

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Mortgage Free Countdown

October 13th, 2009

Early next year (around February or March 2010), I’ll soon be making my last mortgage payment on my primary house.  I’ve been make extra payments for the past 11 years, and finally, I’m almost there.

After I pay off my mortgage, I’ll be able to increase my cash flow by $12,000.  I don’t know what I’m going to do that that extra money yet.  I’ve been playing around with some ideas…  I do know that in some way, it will go into investments of some sort.  I’m not sure if I’m going to go with stocks, bond, rental property, gold or what yet… but it should be an exciting time and decision!

In some ways, I’ve been fortunate with my “paying off the house” decision.  The anxiety this year of companies laying off workers, and stock market losses in general, has definitely been lessened.  By knowing that I could pay off my house at any time, if I needed to, was a great relief.  Have the basic need of shelter checked off on the “to do” list is always a plus.

Initially, I had a hard time deciding whether to pay of the mortgage early or invest the additional money in stocks or other investments.   And to be honest, my choice wasn’t the best for everybody.  I decided to go the “pay off the mortgage early” decision because I didn’t think I had the will power to invest the difference in stocks, and the fact that I hate to be in so much debt.

So anyhow, that’s my current financial position.

I feel like I’ve completed a large step towards financial independence.  Unfortunately, there appears to be 3 or 4 more steps to go.  But I do think this 1st step was the hardest.  I now have a “I can do it” attitude.

1 comment »

Posted in Mortgages

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Saving Gas At Lunch

October 12th, 2009
High gas prices

Fight back against gas prices!

Lately, I’ve been trying to cut back on car gas consumption cost.  Not that long ago, I would go to McDonalds and order off of the dollar menu a few days a week, via the drive-thru line.

What I never thought about was the amount of gas I would waste waiting in that long line, not to mention the carbon emissions.  Sometimes, the wait in line would take up to 10 minutes or longer.  While it’s true that gas consumption when a car is running at idle is less than the gas consumption while driving, it’s still a waste of gas.

So after thinking about it, I decided that if I were going to a fast food restaurant for lunch, and the line was long, I’d stop and go in and order instead of wait in a long drive-thru line.  Ironically (at least where I work), the lines inside the restaurant would be very short, and I actually could get my food more quickly by going in, than waiting in the drive-thru line.

That said, I have to admit, if it is raining hard or really cold outside, I still go through the drive-thru.  I think every little bit helps though!

While this new way of buying lunch, might seem like it wouldn’t matter… it could be a huge both economically and environmentally if more people started doing the same thing.  Gas wasted in drive-thru lines are one of the small costs that adds up, that nobody takes into account or even thinks of.

-MR

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Posted in Frugality, Ideas

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