What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to five word summaries. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question.
1. Paying off low interest debt
2. Refinancing question
3. Coaching youth sports
4. Building credit from scratch
5. Buying home without down payment
6. Breakfast question
7. What happened to WaMu?
8.
This post is from GRS staff writer Donna Freedman. Donna writes a personal finance column for MSN Money, and writes about frugality and intentional living at Surviving And Thriving.
A basic burial averages close to $6,600 in the United States. Many people worry about the financial burden this places on their families.
Materials: Leksvik Pine CD Cabinets + Set of 5 Ikea antique pine shelves
Description: 1. Saw off the bottom of both units to remove base.
2. Fix both to the wall.
3. Use a whole shelf vertically on the left (against the wall) to give a more finished effect.
4. Fit shelves screwing them from the inside of each cabinet.
I recently posted a question to readers about what to do in an uncertain airport situation. This was the scenario:
You arrive very late at an airport you haven’t been to before. Security takes forever, but the flight is on time—which means you’re even more rushed.
You walk into the terminal and look for your gate: A70. Damn… you’re currently at A18.
Who the hell are you? Are you for real? That’s the message I got when I had forgotten my twitter password for the umpteenth time. And it got me thinking (something I have been known to do on occasions). Do we really know who we are?
Next time you pass by a mirror, just stay there for a while and look at the person staring back at you. Is that you or an image of you?
Last November we published our second book: The Art of Manliness Manvotionals: Timeless Wisdom and Advice on Living the 7 Manly Virtues. The book is a collection of the best advice ever written down for men.
Who will thrive in the new economy? Why doesn't brainstorming really work? How come our devices make us feel so empty inside? Your monthly 99% need-to-know...
Materials: The materials for this desk are 100% IKEA! One stop shopping:
1 x LAGAN Countertop (96 7/8” x 25 5/8” x 1 1/8”) - $59.00
4 x VIKA KAJ Leg, adjustable ($15.00 x 4) - $60.00
2 x CAPITA Bracket, stainless steel ($15.00 x 2) - $30.00
… and if you are just starting with a standing desk, get a barstool to take sitting breaks as you build up your tolerance for standing.
Description: Hi! I'd like to realize a hack from Ikea product to obtain a table like that in the photo. Someone has to give me tips to make it happen?
Thanks!!
~ Tiziana
Materials: Frosta StoolDescription: We needed something to hold our drinks while on the couch. We live in a small apartment so we didn't want a coffee table that takes up floor space. But didn't want to pay $199 for the STOCKHOLM side table. I saw a few Frosta hacks on this site and I thought I'll do my own one.
2011
Unitasker Wednesday: BeanSlice
It is rare that someone submits a unitasker and my first thought is, “I want that!” But this week, that was my response.
Materials: RegolitDescription: Instead of gluing on coffee filters, I sewed on muffin cases. I used a running stitch around the support canes, quite loose. The muffin cases were scrunched up a bit, and I tried to avoid being precise. The only tricky bit was that I had to wear a t-shirt to avoid getting my arm stuck/ sewn inside the shade.
Every Sunday, The Simple Dollar reviews a personal finance or other book of interest. Also available is a complete list of the hundreds of book reviews that have appeared on The Simple Dollar over the years.
I’ve had the blog Money Saving Mom bookmarked for years.
Materials: DUKTIG doll bed, paint, metal brackets, material & stuffing optionalDescription: Name brand doll beds for the 18in dolls are expensive. I had already found the DUKTIG bed to be a great deal. As the doll collection expanded, so did the DUKTIG collection. Short on space in a room that the girls share, we decided the dolls needed bunkbeds.
