Last Tuesday evening, a special PTO meeting was called. A representative from our school district came to speak about next year’s budget. Sadly, only 13 parents, including me, showed up. I knew the budget situation was bad. In December, they cut this year’s budget the first time. It meant cutting back on buying supplies for … Read morePublic School Budget Cuts. What Should a Parent Do?
I can tell you after returning from both South by Southwest and the CPG Summit that companies are all abuzz about social media marketing. Transparency is the new key word in marketing. Transparency when bloggers blog about your stuff, transparency in what you put in your products…basically the new thing to do is to be … Read moreAnother Bad Customer Service Horror Story: LunarPages
You all know that I’m not a stranger to financial strain. My husband has lost his job a few times, and we’re pretty much a one income family. Yes, when you lose your only income, things look interesting. So I try to remember a few things when times get tough. 1. Money isn’t Everything Yes, … Read moreGetting Through Tough Financial Times
For those following my DirecTV/Qwest saga from this morning, I have good news to report. After 3 calls and one Twitter conversation with DirecTV representatives last night. After another call with Qwest this morning. After writing a blog post and talking with other dissatisfied DirecTV customers this morning. And after launching an EECB (Executive Email … Read moreScore One For The Little Guy!
I don’t rant often, but I must warn you. There’s a doozy ahead. My Initial Contact With DirecTV As you all know, we moved in September. At the time, we signed up for a bundle package through Qwest that included our home phone and DirecTV. When I agreed to the service, I was told by … Read moreIt Might Be Legal, but It Sure Isn’t Ethical!
You never know when disaster will strike. Be prepared. On New Year’s Eve 1996, I got a call from my parents, who lived 100 miles away from me at the time. The home they lived in was a rented home right next to a creek. The rain that year was terrible. Do you see where … Read moreThe Importance of Renters Insurance
I believe that success in life is rarely a case of luck, but rather a matter of cause and effect. If you do A and B you will get C. In most cases if you just do what others have done to get a desired effect you will get the same. So, if you want … Read moreAn Interview with a Millionaire
My Frugal Story begins as a child. Growing up, my parents were frugal and it was a mindset they passed along to me. In 1978, my father bought a one way ticket from Taiwan to the United States to go to graduate school. Tickets back then cost thousands of dollars and my father looked to … Read moreMy Frugal Story by Jim of Bargaineering
Take the time to get to know senior citizens. It’s well worth it. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about relationships between older people and younger people. You see, a women’s group I’m involved in with my church planned a night of hymn singing and testimonies that took place Friday night. As a younger person, … Read moreThe Wisdom of Generations Past
It is stressful when your husband loses his job. No, not my husband. Not since last October, anyway. Unfortunately “my husband lost his job” is one of the frequent search terms people use to find BeingFrugal.net. And it seems to be increasing in frequency. Other search terms I’ve seen recently are “god’s provision during unemployment,” … Read moreMy Husband Lost His Job: How to Survive a Job Loss