Saving Money; Earning Money

Cubicle and I have been carpooling to work to save gas. It's great. We talk, crack jokes, listen to the radio. Our a.m. radio station has been doing quiz contests and giving away $50 gas cards. We need to get on their calling lists, becasue we've known most of the answers. Do you? Here are last week's questions, from (in my opinion) easiest to hardest. Of course, like I tell my students, they're all easy if you know the answer! No cheating by Googling the answers (even though it's turning 10).

1. What is the capitol of Australia?

2. Who is the wealthiest member of the U.S. Congress (House and Senate)?

3. 1 in 9 high school boys do this at least 3 times a week for money.

4. After the microwave, what is the number 1 most useful kitchen innovation?

5. According to a survey conducted by the Library of Congress in 1991 the Bible was the most influential book in America. What was the second?

Like My Best Friends

Since I'm getting married in 30 days (yippee) and moving into a 1-bedroom apartment with my new husband, I've been downsizing my belongings. Now, I'm not yet down to only owning only 100 items, but I'm proud to say I've deleted a few things from my collection*. The most difficult classification of clutter for me is books. Now, I don't consider them clutter; I consider them my best friends, so saying "good-bye" has more to do with emotion then square footage. Luckily a blog I read lists some important questions to ask about a book before one decides to keep it on her self. I'm not so sure this will make a difference, but hey, I promise not to apply the principles to my true** best friends!


*This is pretty much a moot point when it comes to space though, seeing as how we've received several thousand pounds worth of wedding gifts, but it's the thought that counts right?

**Read: human

Kiss Me if You're Irish!

In lieu of posting' it's linking! Click a clover and enjoy!

Just Your Friendly, Neighborhood Nazi

Too funny not to post.

Heading to Ikea? Shopping For "Cultural Imperialism?"
by CitizenSugar
I don't know too many houses that don't contain an Ikea doodad or two (hundred, in my case) but I had no idea that I was disrespecting my Danish heritage with my love of the ISERUD. So the story is this: the Danes are accusing Swedish home-furnishings giant Ikea of cultural imperialism because in the wacky Ikea naming scheme, it turns out all of the doormats, floor coverings, and less-than-glamorous items are given Danish names, while the fancy things like beds and sofas are all Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish names.

Follow the link to read more.

And a related article.

What Kind of Clutterbug Are You?

The items that constitute clutter are extremely varied and depend on the circumstances and personalities in each household. And there are several different categories of clutter, depending on the nature of a person’s “attachment”‘ to things, our research showed.

Emotional clutter has sentimental meaning but little financial value. It could include children’s toys or drawings, unused or unwanted gifts, school or university notes, or the personal possessions of absent loved ones.

Just-in-case clutter has little or no sentimental value but since it “might come in handy one day” it is kept for some time. Examples include old bills or bank statements, tools or stationery.

Bargain clutter is free or very cheap items acquired at sales, from friends or family or “by the side of the road”. Certain personality types tend to be especially attracted to bargain clutter.

Bought clutter consists of impulse purchases that never end up being used. It commonly includes clothes, fashion accessories and electronic items and is strongly linked to wasteful consumption.

Guess which I am before you click the comments and tell the world which you are.

From: unclutterer.com