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Aunt Toby explains investments

Apr 4th, 2009
by htwollin.
2 comments

Fasten your seatbelts kids because Aunt Toby is going to tell you one of the most important ‘home truths’ you will ever hear. Commit this to memory. Write it down and embroider it for a wee bit of framed art over your desk. Never forget it and don’t allow anyone to ever tell you otherwise.

Here it is: Investments are things that you spend money on that bring in income.

Income. Real cash flow. Revenue streams (sort of like the Mississippi only with greenbacks). Dividends. Interest. Rents. Payments to YOU.

Why am I saying this? (more…)

Cheap and Good: No Excuses Weightlifting

Mar 21st, 2009
by htwollin.
1 comment

Today, Aunt Toby wants you to think of our little meeting place here as Kitchen Counter Gymnasium. We’re going to talk today about getting more strength into our lives … at home.

So, you say you don’t have the money for a gym membership. Okay – Aunt Toby is good with that.
And you say you have never lifted weights and are just a little bit scared of hurting yourself. Yep – I’m with you there too. And you say that it’s not something you worry about really.

Just hold it right there, bucko. (more…)

Urban Gardening, or, How to Survive When You Aren’t a Homeowner and Don’t Have a Lawn to Rip Up

Oct 11th, 2008
by htwollin.
Comments are off for this post

lightbulblokywoky in a thread asked: What I would like to know is what all of us lowly apartment and other rental unit dwellers who don’t have yards for gardens and no control over the kind of heating/cooling equipment etc are supposed to do. Info is all over the place for stuff for home OWNERS but there doesn’t seem to be much for those of us who don’t own a home.

First, as is said in The Hitchhikers Guide: Don’t Panic. Don’t feel that there is nothing you can do because you have a landlord or are occupying a unit that is 60 feet up over the asphalt. The trick in your situation is to think: not permanent — movable. Let’s look at people’s costs of living one at a time in terms of what we can do to lower those costs. (more…)

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