Mrs. Mecomber's Scrapbook

Thoughts About Retirement

Mrs. M — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:57:22 +0000

Frugal people are some of the most financially secure people. Unfortunately, I started my frugality a little late. :S I wish I had gotten an earlier start. While I am not absolutely determined to retire at age 65, I do wish my husband and I had started saving money much, much earlier. Even if it was just to get that “dream house” or be able to afford a few weeks off together– it would have been lovely. Of course, it’s not too late! But I regret missing all that opportunity to do so. Oh well, it’s like I tell people who ask about my Social Security funds– my four children are my security in my old age.

How about you? I know I have a lot of frugal-minded and investment-minded readers. If you could do things differently, what would it be? Would you ever seek the advice of a financial consultant? My husband worked for several years as an insurance salesman, and got some training in financial consulting. It was not an easy job! It required lots of constant training, and keeping up-to-date with the latest financial tool, and the ups and downs of the stock market. I couldn’t imagine building a serious portfolio without the aid of a consultant or reputable company, like Northern Trust. The Northern Trust website is loaded with information, tips, market information from Reuters, and an assortment of personal and institutional service to build that financial security we desire. Believe me– trusting in the government for Social Security is NOT going to cut it in today’s world! I believe that Social Security will not even be available for my generation. Things like building one’s own private banking accounts for savings, and investments is the only way retirement will be tangible. Check out Northern Trust for more information about how to secure your financial future.

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Cell Phone Text Messages Via IM

Mrs. M — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:44:13 +0000

Did you know that you can send text messages to cell phones from certain Instant Messaging programs? Yes! I use the MSN Instant Messenger, and I have my friends’ mobile phone numbers in the contact lists. When I want to send them a text, I right-click on their icon and choose “Send a message to a mobile device.” There is a special phone number the receiver must allow in his phone contacts before receiving regular messages.

I use it a lot, but I will say that it is not 100% reliable. I don’t know if it’s an MSN thing or not, but sometimes my husband doesn’t get his messages right away. So if you have an emergency message, it’s probably best to use your cell phone. But the IM texts are handy, and they are free to send!

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An Amazing Video

Mrs. M — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:25:31 +0000

I saw in some news circles that they are calling NASA’s new video, “An Alien’s Eye View,” which is so juvenile. Might as well say it’s a flying pig’s eye view. Sheesh! Well, anyway, the video is neat. It’s a video of the lunar cycle as view by a camera– NASA’s Deep Impact– 31 million miles out in space.

Isn’t it beautiful? And that’s just a little YouTube video– imagine what it would look like sitting in a home theater seating setting!

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Online Car Repair Estimates

Mrs. M — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:19:27 +0000

I found this news story through VistaNews newsletter. It’s a terrific news letter (e-zine) full of great tech articles.

The news story is about RepairPal.com. It sounds terrific!

RepairPal, which went live roughly three weeks ago, culls data to determine how much every car repair will cost based on the region. RepairPal licensed information on how much it takes mechanics to repair something from an undisclosed data provider. The company will also alert users to what other parts may need to be replaced when getting a specific service.

Unfortunately it’s true– when it comes to car repairs, most of us are at the mercy of the auto mechanic. I don’t like that. When I have car problems, I’ve always done a search first, but it’s been like finding a needle in a haystack to find something relevant about my repair. This looks like a great site to bookmark!

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Used Stuff Online

Mrs. M — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:55:58 +0000

Looking for used stuff? Used to be, we had to wait for summertime garage sales to hunt for great deals on used items, Not any more! The Internet never ceases to amaze me! Check out UsedPrices.com for a great selection of used stuff at fair market value. The website is very well-organized. Find guns, electronics, appliances, cameras, musical instruments, vintage music, power tools, and more! I’m very impressed with the site. They also have price guides and equipment calculators. They’ve joined with Orion Bluebook to expand their selection. Frugal Hacks, you have GOT to check out this site! It’s like an online garage sale. You can also sign up to register, and list things yourself. Go to the UsedPrices.com FAQ section for more information.

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Free Online Scientific Calculator

Mrs. M — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:19:40 +0000

When my two daughters were taking Algebra, we scrambled to find scientific calculators. This was before WalMart had them, and there was no office-supply store nearby. We used a regular calculator for a while, but it didn’t go far. Finally, we plunked down $25 for a scientific calculator! And we had to get TWO of them! Ugh. God forbid if one of the girls had homework but left the all-important calculator at school. That happened a few times, ugh.

I have found an online scientific calculator! It’s eCalc. What a lifesaver! It’s free to use. Computer calculators are a little hard to use, especially the one that comes with Windows operating system. You have to click the mouse to punch the calculator “buttons,” which I find very tedious. But an online calculator is better than no calculator, and the one at eCalc is pretty nice. It’s a great back up for those forgetful evenings.

a screenshot of the scientific calculator

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I’m Impressed with WordPress 2.6

Mrs. M — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:04:04 +0000

I updated a few blogs with WordPress 2.6. I admit– I am extremely cautious about these things. I am relatively new to WordPress (although I spend a lot of time studying the software), and am still wary of certain things. One thing I have learned is to ALWAYS back up the blog before making any major changes. Very, very important.

Anyway, WP 2.6 seems very stable. I absolutely LOVE the word count feature! This is what sold the new version to me. In the past, I have always had to copy and paste my content into a Notepad Pro+ document and do a word count through that. Doing such usually added ten extra steps- all for a word count! I just love that WordPress has included it. And come to think of it, what took them so long to include it?? Anyway, these WP guys deserve a vacation at some Barbados villa rentals! They’ve done well! I give a Thumbs Up to WordPress 2.6.

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WordPress 2.6 Is Here!

Mrs. M — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:05:54 +0000

I CAN’T believe that Wordpress already ha a new version. What is it, a new one every two or three months?? I have a lot of blogs, so it is quite a bit of work for me.

However, WordPress 2.6 looks smashing. I found this video explaining some new developments. I am going to enjoy updating this!

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Quick Tip For Printing with MS Word

Mrs. M — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:06:27 +0000

I do a lot of printing. I print worksheets for my children’s schoolwork. I also have a small business where I need to print out all my expenses and profits every month. UGH! I used to like paperwork, but now… lol. Anyway, I have this problem where sometimes a small portion of my information prints out on a second sheet of paper. Paper is becoming very expensive (I remember when I could get a ream for $15, and now it’s $40!). I’m always looking for tips and other small business opportunitites to save me money or time.

Here’s a terrific tip I found for saving a little bit of money when printing documents in Microsoft Word. I use an older version of Word, so the details may be different for your version. The option will still be there, you’ll just have to look around a little.

I click File>>> Print Preview

Choose “Shrink to Fit” button.

When you do this, Word will automatically tweak the page (the font size, the margin space, etc). Of course, if you don’t like it, go to Edit>>> Undo, and it will take you back to where you were.

Cool idea, huh!

Hat tip WXPNews.com, a great website!

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Government, According to Dear Abby

Mrs. M — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:58:17 +0000

My grandparents used to love reading the Dear Abby columns. Her columns were syndicated in our local newspaper, tucked between the comics, the television listings, and colorful ads for office supplies. I don’t think her advice was always wholesome, but it certainly was always entertaining. I saw this at a blog, and had to pass it on. SO FUNNY because it is so true!!

I read this in the newspaper many years ago and got a kick out of it then. Thought someone might enjoy it. Dear Abby has given advice for many years and one reader wrote in with a request to define different forms of government. This was her response:

COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The government takes both of them and gives you part of the milk.

SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.

FASCISM: You have two cows. The government takes both cows and sells you the milk.

NAZISM: You have two cows. The government takes both your cows, then shoots you.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows. The government takes both of them, shoots one, milks the other, then pours the milk down the drain.

CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one of them and buy a bull.

Abby, what happens in a democracy? — MRS. J. MC C.

DEAR MRS. MC C.: In a democracy, everyone has two cows, then a vote is taken, and whatever the majority decides to do, you do, and that’s no bull!

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