The Happy Guy

Get a $1000 Raise With Your Personal Fast Food Outlet

April 10, 2012 by David Leonhardt 1 Comment

It’s not Wendy’s. It’s not McDonald’s. It’s not the Colonel. It’s…

… your freezer.

Yes, fast food is as close as your freezer. The appeal of fast food is that it is fast. No cooking. No time spent cooking. No cleaning twenty pots and twenty pans. But it does cost a bit – certainly much more than eating in.

Sure, it’s fun to make a Nasi Briani stir fry, and much cheaper than eating out, but fast food is – fast!

But so is your freezer.

What? Your freezer has tubs of ice cream, frozen peas and something that looks like it once was gravy? Or spaghetti? Or something?

Next time you cook Nasi Briani, spaghetti sauce, any casserole or dish, cook lots. Cook enough for five or six meals. Cook two different dishes at the same time (many of the ingredients might be the same, so you need only grate cheese or chop tomatoes once for two dishes (10-12 meals).

Eat one of the dishes – that’s your supper. Yum.

Once the others have cooled enough, separate them into 9-11 containers. Label each with what is in the container – including the date it was frozen, so you can keep track and not leave it too long (ideally, eaten within 6-8 weeks).

Nasi Briani with rice
One portion
April 23, 2012

FRUGAL: So a traditional fast food meal that might cost something like ten dollars to eat, will cost you more like three dollars at home. Not much of a dent in your budget for one day, but if you can replace 100 meals a year this way, you have saved about $700. When you factor in taxes, that’s like getting close to $1000 raise!

GREEN: Have you ever given a moment to really review how much paper and plastic and foam you throw away after eating at a fast food restaurant? No? I don’t blame you. It’s enough to make anyone who hopes for a future on this planet churl their stomach. Save the planet at your own, personal fast food outlet – your freezer.

HEALTH: It’s no secret that traditional fat food – oops, I mean “fast” food – is not exactly very healthy. Loaded in fats and sugars, and bearing little resemblance to anything Mother Nature has grown for us, fast food has been fingered as to blame for much of America’s obesity epidemic.

PERSONAL: Do you want food prepared just for you, the way you like it. Freezer fast food is 100% customizable. Put in what you want. Nothing more. Nothing less. Like t spicy? Like it mild? Want a big portion? Want a small portion? You decide how you will serve yourself.

Fast food in the comfort of your home, made exactly the way you like it, easy on the planet, easy on your body, easy on your pocket book. Time to check your freezer fast food.

Filed Under: Frugal Tagged With: fast food, freezer, Frugal, green, nutrition

You Are Never Too Old

April 5, 2012 by David Leonhardt 3 Comments

From the You Are Never Too Old Department…

A story that recently made it into pretty much every news outlet from Florida to Pakistan was how 80 year old Helen Collins remained calm as she made an emergency crash landing in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. (It skidded down the runway for 1000 feet before coming to an abrupt halt.)

The Cessna her husband had been flying.

When he suffered a heart attack.

With one operating engine.

With barely enough fuel.

Her son, Richard, a trained pilot, guided his mother down from the control tower. “She was calmer than everybody on the ground. She had it totally under control,” Richard Collins said. “The amazing thing is she landed that plane on one engine – I don’t know if there are a lot of trained pilots that could do that. I already knew I lost my dad; I didn’t want to lose my mom. It could have been both of them at once.”

Yes, you can accomplish amazing things when you put your mind to it. Don’t sell yourself short.

Filed Under: Happiness Tagged With: aging, old, success

Searching High and Low for a Deal

March 28, 2012 by David Leonhardt Leave a Comment

Which of these three animals pays more for his groceries?

A) The beaver
B) The moose
C) The giraffe

If you guessed the moose, you are right. But do you know why?

Manufacturers fight hard for eye-level space in grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores and other retail outlets. They often pay for the space. Retailers, for their part, want to place those items that earn them the biggest profits (the highest mark-up) at eye level. This is because of: “The Rule of Lazy”. Which states that people will look where it is easiest to look, in other words, at eye level.

What this means is that anything at eye level has the highest mark-up. And guess who pays that markup? Poor Mr. Moose. The can of beans that the giraffe buys from the top shelf and the can of beans that the beaver buys from the bottom shelf will have less of a marketing fee tacked onto the price than the can of beans that the poor moose will end up buying.

You can look high and low and never find the meaning of life. But you will find a cheaper can of beans.

This post was featured at Managing Your Personal Finances List #3.

Filed Under: Frugal Tagged With: animals, deals, Frugal, groceries

Five Options for UK Divorce

March 21, 2012 by Guest Leave a Comment

If you feel that your marriage might be headed for a divorce, it is a wise idea to consult with a lawyer to find out what a divorce entails. UK attorney Irwin Mitchell (our guest blogger today) provides a variety of expertise in this area.

Unlike in America, a divorce can only be obtained in either England or Wales if you can prove your marriage has ended and cannot be repaired. A divorce petition can be filed through the court system. A couple must be married for at least one year and provide grounds for seeking the divorce. Your legal counsel can provide you with more specific information but there are generally five different grounds for divorce.

Adultery can be grounds for divorce if you discover that your spouse has had an extramarital affair. The petition must be made within six months of learning about the affair for it to be valid. In the UK, ancient history is, well, ancient history. The adultery must be proven or admitted to by the cheating party – so good luck if you have a stubborn spouse.
A second ground for divorce would be unreasonable behaviour. This is typically the most used grounds for divorce. A lot of reasons fall into this category. Let’s face it, if you are prepared to divorce your spouse, chances are there has been behaviour that you find unreasonable. Plus, this is the only one of the five grounds not encumbered by a time limitation that many people find challenging. But best seek legal advice as to what the courts consider unreasonable..
Desertion is another reason for divorce. While it’s not commonly used, your spouse must have abandoned you for at least two years. After this time period elapses, the deserted party can file for divorce. Unlike with adultery, you have no choice but to wait on this one. If your spouse returns after a year and a half, you cannot use this option (maybe try “unreasonable behaviour” above?)
Separation is another reason that one can file for divorce. If the separation occurred for a minimum of two years, then this is known as an uncontested divorce. Yes, more waiting, but that is the law.
On the other hand, if your spouse does not want the divorce, you can file for divorce if you’ve lived apart for at least five years. This is referred to as a contested divorce. And this obviously is likely to be a messy option – not to mention one that requires a lot of patience.

The legal ramifications of divorce are many. Legal advice can help guide someone through this difficult process.

This guest post was written by Irwin Mitchell, who also handles personal injury cases and many other services. Get in touch with them if you happen to live in England or Wales. And remember that the rules are vastly different in different countries.

Filed Under: Happiness Tagged With: divorce, uk

This Blog Post Is Fun!

March 19, 2012 by David Leonhardt Leave a Comment

Don’t you love that title? Sure you do. And do you know why? Because it’s fun. And no matter how dour a person might be, everybody loves fun.

You might be involved in a local community group, such as a neighborhood association, a charity group or a service club. If you are, you might also be familiar with the challenge of fundraising. But what about “fun”raising? Would your group not benefit from a little more fun?

Your bowling team might already have fun, but your service club might be missing that element.

Fun builds a community and lets people relate to each other beyond just the parameters of the group’s stated goals. Yes, even the most serious of causes can benefit from a little fun.

Why not hold a fun-raising night some time soon?

READ ALSO: Make a Silly Face

Filed Under: Fun

How Do You Fill Your Time?

March 15, 2012 by David Leonhardt 2 Comments

Did you play with your kids yesterday? True, it was the middle of the week, and you did get home late from work, and there were so many things to do around the house.

It is so easy to get caught up in the little things we feel we ought to do, without thinking about what is more important. If we actually stop to think about what we want in life, we might rearrange our entire schedules.

What comes first playing with your kids, or washing dishes? Playing with your kids, or painting the window sill? Playing with your kids, or finishing an important e-mail?

But it is not just about kids. It is about what you want put of life. It is easy to get distracted by a thousand little things close at hand. But that often blinds us to what really matters. So what does really matter in your life? And are you making time for it, or are you filling your time with a thousand less-important matters?

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”
by Dr. Seuss

Filed Under: Happiness

Does it make Financial Sense to Trade in your Car?

March 15, 2012 by Guest Leave a Comment

There is nothing better than the new car smell. The thought of this alone attracts many people into a car dealership. While there is nothing wrong with buying a new car, you have to consider your current situation before moving forward. For example, what are you going to do with the vehicle that you have right now? You may think that it makes financial sense to trade in your car and upgrade to a new one, but until you focus on the finer details you will never really know for sure.

Are you Upside Down?

If you own your current car outright, you are in good position to trade it in if necessary. This means that any money you receive on your trade in can be put towards the down payment of your new vehicle.

On the other hand, you may still owe money on your car loan. If so, you have to decide if you are really in position to upgrade. If you owe more than the car is worth, you are going to “take a hit” when you trade it in. In turn, you will have to roll this amount into your new loan.

Does your Car have any Life Left?

If your car is paid off you may be tempted to trade it in. After all, you can receive money for your trade that can be used to lower the cost of your new vehicle. But remember one thing: you are going to be spending additional money. In most cases, this means another car payment. And most likely a higher car insurance premium, as well.

Although buying a new car may be exciting, you don’t want to jump the gun if it is not going to benefit you financially. If your car is doing its job without showing any signs of breaking down, you may want to hold onto it a bit longer. With each month that goes by, you can save the cost of a car payment.

Should I Keep my Trade In and Buy a New Car?

In some cases, it may make sense to keep your current car and buy a new one. Of course, this is based on a case-by-case situation. For example, maybe you have a child who just received his/her driver’s license. At this point, you may want to give your child your old vehicle and buy a new one for yourself. This gives you access to enough cars, without having to buy two new ones.

Some people decide to keep their old car and buy a new one, even though they don’t need both vehicles. Even if your car is paid off, there are other financial considerations such as the cost of insurance and maintenance.

Sometimes it makes sense to trade in your vehicle. Other times you are better off keeping it. In the end, you need to make the decision that is going to best benefit you from a financial point of view.

Does it make Financial Sense to Trade in your Car? is a guest post by Chris at CarInsuranceComparison.com.au.

Filed Under: Frugal Tagged With: cars, shopping

Define Success

February 29, 2012 by David Leonhardt 1 Comment

Quick! What do happiness and success have in common?

Both are a matter of perspective. This point was driven home to me in an article I read in “The Toastmaster” magazine. A teenager sat next to Albert Einstein at a public gathering. The teenager asked Einstein what he did for a living. He replied that he studied physics.

The astonished teenager said, “At your age! I finished physics two years ago!”

Think about what you do for a living, for hobbies, for your family, etc. How do you describe what you do? More important, how does your own description about it make you feel? If your description does not sound like you are a success, maybe it is time to find a new description.

Why not share this thought with some of your close friends? You could have fun brainstorming together about how to redefine your job or your role as a parent, coach, worshiper, goddess, explorer or whatever else you might happen to be.

Filed Under: Happiness Tagged With: einstein, physics, success

The Purpose of Regret

February 24, 2012 by David Leonhardt 2 Comments

I love this quote by George Eliot:

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

As we get older, regret starts becoming a more frequent emotion. And although we sometimes regret things we have done, it is more those things we have not done that we regret the most (yes, there have been studies that show this is true).

What might you have been? A scholar? A hero? A concert pianist?

What might you have done? Gotten a university diploma? Traveled around the world? Given more to charity?

Whatever it is, it is never too late to be that person, to do what you wish you had done — to live that dream. That is the purpose of regret. My mother went back to school and earned a university degree – graduating with my youngest brother!

Go out and live that dream now, because regrets of the past are useless if they don’t propel you to a better future.