Queercents

My grandfather grew up during the Great Depression and though I have very few memories of him–he died right before my thirteenth birthday–I remember the stories. Someone told a story at his funeral about how his mother would scrap the insides of egg shells with her finger just to make sure she got all the egg out. My uncle, who is a master builder, recounted how, when building a porch for him, my grandfather would have him straighten out bent nails with a hammer so they could be used again. One year, he gave my aunt a can of dented, generic peas from the grocery store, partly as a joke and partly to teach her that it wasn’t necessarily the package but the product that mattered and to save where she could.

The most prominent stories for me though are the countless examples of what we called “The Bob Gene”, because the family referred to my grandfather simply as “Bob”. Clearly influenced by growing up during the Depression he was unwilling to let anything go to waste. If he noticed someone throwing away something good or useful, he would salvage it and put it to good use. Over the years my mother has teased me for inheriting this gene, but if you want to save money (and resources, and the environment…) it’s a good habit to cultivate. Even as a high-schooler, I was making my grandfather proud, rescuing an arm chair and a futon from a dumpster. My father often encouraged this habit by pulling over to check out what people were throwing away. Though furniture is one of the more common things to find, kitchen appliances are my new favorite grab: often old but functional appliances don’t fetch enough to sell but still work. My roommates now even alert me if they see something while they’re walking that they think I might like. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve recently moved to a big city, and not just a big city, but one notorious for bike theft. I consider myself pretty good at locking bikes, but after hearing reports of how bad the theft problem is, I’ve had to up the ante, particularly since I don’t own a car and on a student budget I won’t be replacing my bike any time soon. Fortunately, I was able to substantially increase my bike’s security for under five bucks and very little extra time. Here’s how you can make your bike more theft proof.

I picked up this idea from a bike I saw chained up one day. Your bike may be well locked, but some accessories can still be vulnerable. A simple hose clamp works wonders to fix this. At the local hardware store I was able to pick up a handful for $1.49 a piece. In the picture, the rack is clamped to the seat stay, or the thin, down-slopping tube. I used them to clamp my rack as well as my frame pump to the frame. This makes the frame pump a little less convenient to use but I also don’t worry about having to replace it if it’s stolen. BikeHacks also suggests that once you find your idea seat post height, you affix a clamp flush to the tube so that you can easily slid the seat in and out when you park. This makes it more convenient to return your seat to it’s original height if you own a quick release and are constantly taking your seat out and putting it back in.

If constantly removing and replacing your seat is too much of a hassle, I simply asked the local bike co-op for an old chain and tube. Snake the chain through the tube to prevent the chain from scratching your bike or spreading grease everywhere. Run the tube/chain through the bottom of your seat and part of the frame. Using your chain tool, remove the extra links and join the chain back together. Now you don’t have to worry about locking up your saddle or removing it whenever you enter a building.

Photo Credit: Murray Corp

When I’m contemplating making a purchase outside of my daily expenses, one of the first things I do before I spend any money is power up my computer and check out what sort of reviews exist online for whatever product I’m looking at. (I’m sure our readers do this frequently too!)
If I eventually buy the product, I also make a point of going online after I’ve had a period to use it and enter my own review, as a way of participating in the online conversation. Very often these reviews dramatically influence my decision to buy items and so I make sure to provide substantial feedback, particularly since many people I know see these reviews as a one-way street. Here’s how you can make sure you’re participating in the conversation and providing useful reviews.

Things I Hit:
Does the product do what it advertises to do?
How well does it do what it advertises to do?
Is it built well, and does it last?
Amount of use and type? Since I’ve made a number of bike related purchases, I make sure to note the conditions I ride in and how much. A product that held up well under light use can be quite different than a product that held up well under heavy use.

Usually these things can be covered relatively quickly and easily. Contributing to online communities is a great way to ensure their continued viability.

Photo Credit: Nashbar

Since I write books and have self-published I sometimes get asked: How does a person go about writing a book and then publishing it? In this article I will share with you what I know from experience. As you will see there are several steps and computer programs involved. Assuming you have all the software and don’t charge yourself for all the time you put into your book project from start to finish it should cost you under $1000. Below are my recommended steps:

Pick Your Topic: What is it that you want to say? What do you feel called to write? More specifically, what is your primary message (and secondary messages)?

Determine Your Audience: Who are you writing for: women, men, children, addicts, boat racers, sports fans, people interested in finances, etc.?

Outline Your Writing Plan: Brainstorm chapters and sub-chapters while still allowing for the organic unfolding of the writing process. The writing process itself may change your initial plan but at least if you have a blueprint from which to begin you will jumpstart the writing journey. Read the rest of this entry »

On August 15 – 16, 2009 the United States National Park System will offer a fee-free weekend at over 100 National Parks. This is an incredible savings as the fees typically begin at $10 per car but can run over $35 per car. For the weekend, almost every state has a National Park, National Historical Site, or a National Monument included in this special value, so it appears that almost every American should be able to take advantage of this deal.

If you have ever wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, the Everglades, or Acadia National Park, this is a great weekend to do so. This is the third and final weekend this summer that the National Park System will be doing the fee-free weekends, and I hope they bring back this program next year.

Reservations for camping or any other additional services are not included in this offer, but this is still a great deal.

It appears the National Park Service, which falls under the Department of the Interior, has been trying to improve its image with the LGBT traveler. A page on its websites highlights gay and lesbian contributors to its workforce. The website also features the Stonewall Inn, which became a National Historic Landmark in 1999.

As for me, I’ll be taking advantage of this weekend. I will be visiting Olympic National Park in the state of Washington.

Jeanine knows someone who is having a costly ordeal with getting rid of bed bugs. At this point, I think he’s spent over a thousand dollars and he’s not even sure they’re completely gone from his apartment.

I’ve heard a few horror stories, but my perception had the problem confined to modest apartment buildings in New York City. Apparently that’s not the case. In April, the EPA called the first-ever bed bug summit because the country is experiencing its biggest outbreak since World War II.

When infestation is detected, people often will do whatever it takes to eradicate them. This, of course, is a breeding ground for fraud.

The New York Times recently reported that it’s not unusual for people to spend up to $5,000 to get rid of the critters. The article focused on what the afflicted can do to avoid getting bed bugs in the first place as well as getting taken to the cleaners by dishonest exterminators.

Spending money on prevention seems like the smart thing to do. Experts agree that mattress and box spring encasements are the best protection. The good ones, like these from Protect-A-Bed start upwards of $100: Read the rest of this entry »

So while we look for a new vlogger to take over where Clint left off, here is a video about how to buy a used car from my new favorite how-to site, Howcast.com.

Video credit: Howcast.com.

Last week I got a new toy in the mail: a shiny new 13″ MacBook Pro.  It’s a gorgeous machine!  It’s sturdy, ergonomic, and – of course – very sexy.

It was also expensive.

Compare the price of this laptop to something you could get from Dell or Gateway, and you’ll find what Microsoft loves to call the “Apple Tax”.  I’ve been hearing this for years: anytime I would get excited about an Apple product, there would be countless people telling me that it’s a waste of money.  But is it?

I don’t think so.  If you’re willing to put up the extra cash up front, as well as follow a few guidelines, you can end up ahead of the game with a lower total cost of ownership.  Just keep these tips in mind:

1.  Be patient.
If your current computer is still functioning, wait for the right model at the right price.  The last 13″ MacBook was tempting, but it was a new model with a few quirks, such as the absence of a Firewire port.  My previous laptop was over 6 years old already, so waiting a few more months wasn’t a big deal.  It turns out the wait was worth it: this new model has Firewire, it’s $200 cheaper, it has a backlit keyboard, a 7 hour battery, and I used my student ID to get $100 off and a free iPod Touch.  Not too bad.  If you’re OK with certified refurbished models, those tend to pop up after a few months as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you able to spot a bargain when you see it?  Can you look at a sales flyer or a coupon and know that it’s a good deal?

I can’t.  Or, at least, I couldn’t until fairly recently.  What helped was putting together my own – perfect – price list.

The concept of a price list is old and simple: it’s a list of grocery items (or items purchased regularly from any store) and how much they cost.  The idea is that you take your list with you when you’re shopping and, if you find that the price has gone down, you can stock up.

The old way of doing it is rather tedious and potentially a waste of time.  To get started, there are lists of “standard” items you should track so you print out a list, grab a pen and clipboard, and then head to the store for a fun-filled afternoon of writing down prices.  By the end of your trip, you have a hand-scrawled page of numbers (for items you may never purchase), and you’re supposed to remember to bring it with you every time you go shopping.  Oh yeah, and if you lose that list, you can start over! Read the rest of this entry »

It’s that time of year here at colleges across the country and students are packing up to move home. Of course, for one reason or another students don’t want to take everything with them and so it gets left behind. Fortunately, colleges have instituted fantastic programs, the one at my school is called “Rescue”, for collecting these items and reselling them at low prices at the start of the academic year. As students are moving out, a collection of volunteers goes from dorm to dorm gathering up abandoned items to put in storage. (The volunteers actually get “paid” in the sense that they have first pick of everything being rescued, which is a pretty fantastic perk). When school starts in the fall, all the items are taken out of storage and find new homes.

What Can You Find?
Just about everything. Most common are electronics like refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, electric kettles, tvs, printers and speakers but you can also find couches, chairs, shelves, cleaning supplies and kitchenware. Often these items are more expensive to ship back and forth than they are to replace and things like microwaves and refrigerators have often been passed through the rescue sale for years. Just about anything you could need to furnish a dorm room (or an apartment or house for that matter) can be found at a rescue sale. Read the rest of this entry »