<p>My big guy is on the green bean diet for weight loss, NOT to turn him into a vegetarian! We serve a carefully measured cup of dry food which he gobblesup and then give him the can of beans (drain half). He LOVES the beans and if we put the food and beans out together, he will go for the beans first. I would have never believed it. He also gets glucosamine tablets, which he also loves. Our downfall is sneaking him pieces of bread or other treats. He needs to lose about 10 pounds for his health and joints. He doesn’t appear fat, but he is way over-sized for a Golden.</p>
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<p>My parents want to do that as well since we all have cell phones and they’re all through the same company. Our problem is our current ISP requires that we have a phone line so we can have the DSL.</p>
<p>MofWC, I was just kidding about your dog 
but it is a true story. 120 lb is huge for a golden, I agree. Our shepherd is close to 100 lb, but he is a tall boy, so he is still lean.
Do you know that pets work great as heating devices? Our thermostat is programmed so the heater goes off at 10 pm, and it’s great for energy savings, but if we stay too late watching TV, I just pile the cats on top of us. They are soft and warm. The dog could work more efficiently as a heat source, but he stinks.</p>
<p>Regarding dog diets, there was a Cornell study that found that underfeeding dogs could increase their lifespan. Don’t try this at home without proper guidance. Anyway, years ago, our lab was a bit overweight, and I took to following what she ate carefully. I kept her to the recommended amount of dry food to lose weight, or if we gave her table food, I subtracted from the dog food. She is still going at 15. Actually, we gave her quite a bit of table food over the years (some family members despise leftovers), and I think this was really more healthy than the dog food. It included real protein not that processed stuff (although she ate a lot of processed stuff too.) I love a cat or small dog as a heating pad, but they don’t go to just anyone. We actually reduced our bill for phone, cable and internet by getting one of those package deals from the cable company. Of course sometimes the cable phone seems to be interrupted by the internet use… Do I need to ask for a bigger “broadband?” Anyway, I don’t talk that much on the house phone.</p>
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<p>Our local cable provider has similar packages and my parents have considered it in the past. Now my dad is holding out for them to get the “Big Ten Network” which they have been “in negotiations” for more than a year now.</p>
<p>Anybody remember the group ‘Three Dog Night’? It means a night so cold you want 3 big dogs on the bed! </p>
<p>Is it your dog’s breath that’s bad or overall dog smell? My guy had terrible breath for about two weeks until we found a part of a tooth on the floor. He’d cracked it on something and it turned bad. Between that discovery and taking him to the vet, he lost the rest of it…somewhere. His breath cleared right up.</p>
<p>He has a Greenie every day, which cleans their teeth. But be warned…they don’t call them Doggie Crack for nothing! And they aren’t inexpensive but they are the highlight of the dog’s day.</p>
<p>BB–lol at the pet heating units! And brave of you to turn of the thermo at 10 p.m. I managed to convince family to turn down to 62 in the winter, but they wouldn’t go much lower.</p>
<p>We have the heat on a timer so it goes down at night and during the day while we’re at work to 64’. I keep the heat on 68’ when we’re home and wear sweaters in the house (the family does complain) I never buy coffee/tea at Starbucks or the like, always make my own and carry in a stainless steel “to go” cup. I keep special occasion dresses for years and wear them over and over…sometimes they come back in style…sometimes I look a little eccentric. It does help to complement my vintage dresses with more up to date shoes and accessories, usually bought from Marshalls or on sale.</p>
<p>Big money saver- if you sign up for the cable package, usually high speed, phone, some cable package for around $100/month for one year…at the end of the year ask for the conservation dept and ask them to match that offer to keep you or you will go to the competitor…they will usually do it.</p>
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we did this several years ago, but last month I downgraded to the lowest package (fewest channels) that still gave us the ‘bundled discounts’.</p>
<p>Some of these companies have special offers. Our cable company gives us a rewards card, for free, and we can get 2 free movie tickets every Tuesday, at Clearview Cinemas!!! Pretty sweet deal.</p>
<p>always hire illegals.</p>
<p>You get better quality at lower price.</p>
<p>Kidding aside, I really do have good luck with Hispanic, Vietnamese, african american craftsmen. Recently we had a plumbing issue (they are very hard to come by). I had appointments with two plumber one a white guy and other a hispanic. It so happened that I made a deal with the hispanic, I called several hours ahead to tell the white guy that I will not need his services.</p>
<p>The hispanic didn’t show up to do the work, so I called the white guy again and boy was he rude on the phone - he essentially hung up on me.</p>
<p>The next one was again hispanic and him and his brother did very good job. I gave his brother some additional work too (I am sure they were legal. Both of them had kids in college.</p>
<p>1.Rather than fly mid-day, I’m scheduling all flights during the early morning commute hours and asking to be bumped, flying on days when I don’t mind what happens schedule-wise. </p>
<p>Last month, H and I got bumped off a little bitty flight from Boston to Buffalo, in exchange for 2 tickets to anywhere in the Continental U.S. They’re transferrable, so can be used to fly S home from college in California. </p>
<p>The flight attendant told me that college kids know how to collect up to five of these on their Spring Breaks, if they play their cards right. So I told S-2 he has a new job: harvesting tickets.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you have to throw a party or wedding reception, try costing out the restaurant room versus your church or temple social hall. The cost of rent per square foot is usually less at a house of worship, plus you can write off the room rental as a tax-deductible charitable donation, unlike the restaurant room rental.</p></li>
<li><p>Buy your next used car on E-bay, not from a private individual but from a used car lot. They advertise cars nationally, simply to improve their market exposure. They’re subject to the same rules and laws as if they sold it to you as a person walking up to their dealership. First figure out the model you want, then watch for it by name on ebay. Factor in the location of the dealership when you bid, but understand that they will hire a driver to get the car to you. Adjust your bid accordingly; if the used car lot is located in the next state, you might bid less than if it’s across half the country. We saved several thousand dollars on our last used car this way.</p></li>
<li><p>H buys high-end, sometimes custom-made “pre-owned” sportsjackets on Ebay a size or two larger, then takes them to a local tailor. His suits must be tailored anyway, but for the same tailoring cost he can now buy a $2,000 sportsjacket for $50, invest the same tailoring cost, and walk around for $200 in a $2,000 garment. People who own these garments don’t exactly throw them on the floor, either; they’re always well-cared for when they arrive here; pampered, cleaned weekly by the previous owner, and so on. It’s hard to get a full suit, but easy to find sportscoats and separate pants.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>northeastmom, great idea about taking out lunch entrees to serve for dinner! mafool, you and me both when it comes to harassing (um, I meant cheering on) both sons to graduate on time. Only three weeks now until the eldest’s graduation!</p>
<p>northeastmom, I also brew my own DD and bring it to work everyday but I kinda feel guilty about it since my office provides free coffee.</p>
<p>I am hoping this is the right decision but my D is taking the CLEP exams for College Math and Natural Sciences, if she passes it will be 3 classes she will not have to take in college for about $160 total!! Her HS does not offer much in the way of AP so she is only bringing 3 AP classes with her to college. I spoke to admissions at her college and they said they definitely will take the CLEP credits for the exams I asked about. This should save a bundle in time and money!</p>
<p>Here are some money saving food ideas that my mother uses. When she travels (she drives about 3-4 hours with another relative every couple of months to see her son), she takes sandwiches and fresh veggies and drinks. This way she does not spend $8 ea. per meal along the highway for that unhealthy fast food lunch meal. She also does not care for ice cold drinks. Except for the warmest days of summer, and coldest days of winter, she always carries cans/bottles of water or soda pop (put in that “pop” for midwesterners, LOL) in her car. She doesn’t like paying $2 for a drink when she is goes out. I realize that is not for everyone who likes a cold beverage. We have a travel fridge for cold beverages that we take with us when we travel as a family.</p>
<p>credit cards and cash back can add up - we get on AMEX 3% cash back on gas and travel related expenses, 2% back on restaurants/take out and 1% back on everything else. VISA gives us 5% on groceries and pharmacy and 1% on everything else. Just drives DH crazy trying to remember which card to use where.</p>
<p>Here’s one I don’t think anyone has mentioned: Encourage your high school aged kid to work at Blockbuster like mine did senior year. You not only get free rentals (in fact, employees are encouraged to view 5 new movies per week to be well versed in the inventory) but you get them prior to their general release! They also get a discount on the store munchies :)</p>
<p>Worrywart, if you work at a gas station, do you get a discount on gas?? Now that would be worthwhile in this day and age!!</p>
<p>(Not that Blockbuster isn’t useful too – just less essential.)</p>
<p>Thankyou worrywart. Reminds me of my sisters’ hs job at Brown’s chicken.</p>
<p>But a discount on gas? Now we’re talking.</p>