Blog
-
Carnival of Coupons
Why would anyone go shopping, for anything, anywhere, without first checking online for coupons? It literally takes 30 seconds, and if you haven’t tried it you might be amazed by what you can find. Yesterday I determined that I would finally get the oil changed in my Toyota. Since I live in a one-horse country…
Written by
-
Ask for Preferential Treatment
“He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” — Chinese Proverb Rich proclaims below, “Everything is negotiable!” This made me think of another money-saving idea: be bold and ask for preferential treatment. Act like a queen and you’ll get the queen treatment. This tip…
Written by
-
Cancellation tips
It’s all in the fine print: non-refundable tickets, auto-renewing subscriptions, opt-out charges. You really have to be on your toes these days as companies figure out ever more devious ways to take advantage of our high-speed, high convenience ways. Sometimes you can negotiate. Last week our CEO imposed a travel ban on all staff the…
Written by
-
Of Speeding, Money and Time
I was reading PFadvice’s post on whether it is possible to drive slowly. I recalled coming across another article that had some interesting thoughts on the benefits of driving fast and I have come to the conclusion that I will always drive 5-10 miles slower or about 58-65mph when I am on the highway.
Written by
-
Leisure Extensions at the End of Business Trips
“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” — St. Augustine Michael Luongo at OutTraveler.com writes that gay business travelers should, “Pack the silk tie, but don’t forget the sleeveless tee.” Back in the days when airlines enforced a Saturday overnight stay, people seemed more inclined to extend…
Written by
-
The High Cost of Materialism
Lao Zsu- Chase after the money and security And your heart will never unclench Care about people’s approval And you will be their prisoner. Do your Work, then step back The only path to serenity The Dangers of materialism and “keeping up with the joneses” has been around since 500b.c – This detracts from what…
Written by
-
Ten Money Questions for Abigail Garner
For several years, Abigail Garner has been at the forefront of the Queerspawn movement. Queerspawn means that you are an adult child of one or more LGBT parent(s). Abigail is the author of Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is. She provided us with poignant views on family finances, the…
Written by
-
Splurge or Self-Sabotage?
Last weekend while I was taking a short vacation in Rehoboth Beach to enjoy the jazz festival, I started pondering a common spending conundrum. When we spend money on things we enjoy, particularly if they are expensive things (relative to our financial picture) — when it is splurging and when does it cross the line…
Written by
-
A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words
Queercents housekeeping: We use a site/service called Gravatar which enables our pictures to show up on our respective posts. Unfortunately, they are upgrading the site, so Rich and Paula haven’t been able to register and have their headshots miraculously appear on Queercents. They both have been posting often so I thought it would be good…
Written by
-
Reverse-Engineer Your Life
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.” — Abraham Maslow Nate Nickerson, the former managing editor of FastCompany, wrote an article on priorities and how it impacts happiness. He writes, “A few years ago, a colleague in his fifties mentioned a TV program in…
Written by