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  • Calling all guys your needed here!!!!!!!?

    Singles & Dating - 4 hours ago

    Additional Details

    ok so I always have guy friends but never a boyfriend. Well I have but it's been a long time since I Had one. So how do I get a guy friend to ask me out? or just any guy for that matter
  • Do you ever listen to girls conversation? What kind of things do you hear?

    Singles & Dating - 5 hours ago

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    I overheard some girls talking when I was walking through the hallway. I know this is sneaky and the fact that I was behind a door is different than sitting down somewhere and listening to people talk to try to talk to them or you just happen to be there. I have no experience with girls.....I never been on a date and I never had a girl that was really a friend...more like acquaintances or short term people I associate myself with I guess i'm just trying to figure them out since I can't seem to get a date
  • Does your girl want to party all the time, party all the time, parrr-tay all the tiiime?

    Singles & Dating - 6 hours ago

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    1kay made me ask this question, btw.
  • How to deal with nights like tonight?

    Singles & Dating - 6 hours ago

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    Perhaps I've seen one to many horror movies about a teen girl home alone but im genuinly scared right now. Im only 14 but my mom lives an hour away and my dad works nights! He started working nights like during the summer but i was never worried because i was always 1 mile away from my grandparents and my aunt so i knew they could be here in a matter of minutes. either that or on nights he had to work i'd just spend the night with them. But tonight my dad wont be back for hours and my aunt is out of town and my grandparents went out to eat with some long lost relatives ( i was not invited ) so im very paranoid as you can tell. Every noise freaks me out (which there are many because even though its the country i live in a busy neighborhood. how do i deal with this? all my family is either at dinner 30 min away and no where near ready to finish, out of town on buisness or (my moms side of the family) lives 4 states away!! IM ONLY 14!!! I talked to my dad but he wont work days so i have to deal with it but my aunt is a cop and this city isnt exactly safe so please help me!!! How do i get through the night without being scared?
  • How do I stay with him, when his friends are like this?

    Singles & Dating - 6 hours ago

    Additional Details

    So earlier today, this guy asked me out. Hey guess what! we're going out now ! Now, I'm going through some problems. I'm bengali[if you don't know what that is, loook it up foool!] and hes black. so we're completely different, I dont know why he'd go for a girl like me . But I really really like him. Its being so awkward for me , and Im not racist, but its playing around with my hormones; getting me mad, some of his black friends come up to mee & they're like; "dayymm , didn't know you liked niggaaas" I try to ignore them. But also, a lot of people aren't liking us together. I was gonna be with him at lunch, but I saw him with his "brothaaas" ; He said he wanted to chill with me , BUT its really affecting everything. So I chilled with my bestfriend, and stayed away from him. the only alone time we have, are some passing periods, when no-one's looking . He said to give them time, and they'll get over it. but it annoys the shit out of me. D:
  • does anyone else think that they're going to end up alone?

    Singles & Dating - 7 hours ago

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    i know i will.
  • I'm so lost In my life right now! What should I do?

    Other - Family & Relationships - 7 hours ago

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    I need to be as understanding to you guys as possible so that I can get as much help as possible. Let me give you the low down of how I've stuffed up my life.I'm 19 years old..Okay It was all working well I was In a Job for 4 months then I left because I wanted to move back out west which Is where all of my mates were and It was a hassle to drive out back home every Friday to go see my friends for the weekend. It was one of the most relaxed Jobs I've ever had but as with every other Job there is It got too repetitive and I didn't have the correct frame of mind to continue the Job. Then.. I was unemployed for about 5 months sitting at home.. every day for 5 months so I decided to do a course In automotive that course cost me $5000 New Zealand dollars which I have to pay back. Then I was out of money for a while so I could not get to school and I missed out on alot of classes so I gave that up In less than a month. That's $5000 In debt so far, then my Mum gave me her car which cost her $5000 then I got a speeding ticket which was $500 then my car conked out on me I don't have the money to fix It It's pretty stuffed up now I can only sell It for about $1000 and that's $500 towards my fine. So I got a car then I blew It I'm In debt. Then I decided to go Join the gym. I only earnt $160 a week the gym cost me $30 a week. Then my bank account got shut down therefore the gym could not receive anymore of my payments and now they're racked up at $120. I also owe my friend $325 and my other friend $120. And my pay of $160 was coming from my student allowance which I have to pay back. I have no Job.. I can't seem to find one or stick to one. No car my Dad still buys me groceries and pays my rent he works his ass off at work I pretty much live off him and I feel so horrible every single day that I am hear I feel so sorry for my Dad but I cannot leave because I have no where else to go. I also have OCD which Just ruined me. I cannot hide the fact that I am so very depressed and It feels like I am at the end of the road and It Is hard to keep positive ='( Far out the human brain Is wicked Isn't It. I'm getting different opinions from all over the place based on your peoples experience. I am getting unnecessary Answers here one of them which Is very rude. No I am not a girl yes I do pray because I want to believe In something that can help me. I do have other stuff going on In my life so please don't Judge me too much. I know what I need to do I know It Isn't fun but I can only handle so much. I came here for answers not criticism. Thank you all for your advice I do agree with some of you. These are all my first mistakes which Is why I made them In the first place. I do not have much motivation to do things I do not know how to Initiate motivation In myself okay. I know I'm not the only one but all I've asked for Is help not cold hearted rudeness alright. Thank you all for your advice I will take It.
  • Please read this poem that I made about my dad?

    Family - 7 hours ago

    Additional Details

    Hi, Please read my poem - I know that it's long. However, it would be greatly appreciated i you can tell me what you think of it. (Please not that I am almost eighteen years old) It’s been so long since our family fell apart. I’ll never forget the damage that you punctured into my heart. All the grief, the misery, and the darkness that you put me through and how you never cared what I wanted to do. Now that you have a new family, suddenly now you decide to care. Words are only words that I only hear, but the truth is that you’re never there. You never saw the development of the woman that I became today. You only remember the bad choices that I made. But still, you want me back in your life just to please your new daughter and your wife. I’m sure that you never told them how you made my life burn like fire and how you tried to persuade me of throwing away my true desires. So, I can be daddy’s perfect picture. My heart will always remain pure, unlike yours who destroyed every hope that I had in you. Good luck to you trying to pretend to your baby girl that you’re a perfect dad. Honey, he’ll only tear your heart apart and at the end at of the day he will only see the bad. He’ll leave you crying in the corner full of misery and then he’ll try to convince you that he will change. Dad, it’s always the same. The games you play, the lies that slip out of your mouth and how you smile with that evil grin. You’re such a disappointment in my eyes, and I can count how many times you commuted sin. I’m better off now with out you holding my hand, because you were never there after all. You only watched every time someone punched me into the wall. Saying that I should do better, and you only let me down. I only hoped that one day that you would come around, to tell me that you are proud. We can’t rewrite history, and you can’t fixed the damage in my heart. Because you made me feel worthless, and that I can never end what I started. After everything that you put me through, I’m glad that I never put my faith in you.
  • My brother's wife got mad at me about a "Facebook" entry. Please Read?

    Friends - 7 hours ago

    Additional Details

    Okay, I am friends with brothers wife on facebook, my brother's wife name is Bridget and she is from Belize. Now, someone she knows asked for my friendship, when I notice it was one of her friends I trusted the source and accepted the friend which was a male. I am single and have already raised my daughter who is know 22years old. For some reason I thought she (Bridget) told him to be-friend me. Well, anyway the guy made a comment on my picture saying "Nice Picture" and I responded saying Thanks, & how are you related to my sis Bridget. Well, before he could even respond, she (Bridget) calls me and says: "If you want to be his friend, then be his friend, don't question our relationship, I don't go around on your friends asking: How are they related to you" Well, I was soo furious, because the question I ask him was just a conversation starter. And wasn't even like I really wanted to know how they were related, I just wanted to break the ice and start conversation with him. I didn't appreciate Bridget Tone and just hung up the phone, I really wanted to start cussing her out but I didn't. Then I went to Facebook and deleted her and this other guy as friend. What do you think, Was I wrong or was she wrong?. She keep calling me back, and she told my dad how I didn't have to hang up like a fool. Right Now, I am still mad and need to calm down because I didn't think she would go there. Its funny how you think things will turn out one way but it turns out to go LEFT
  • Do you know somone who you've tried your hardest to be friends with, but they still find a way to insult you?

    Friends - 7 hours ago

    Additional Details

    What would you do in a situation like that? Thank you, Jaguar. It's like, I really don't wanna argue with this person either. I honestly don't know why they would do that...
Yahoo! Parenting

Family budget makeover: Finding ways to cut back

Posted Mon, May 11, 2009
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A recent study conducted by the US-based Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends Project indicates that families are making major lifestyle adjustments in order to get by in tough times.

Household items that parents and kids once considered necessities have shifted to the luxury goods lists.

"No longer do significant majorities of the public say a microwave oven, a television, or even home air conditioning is a necessity," report researchers Rich Morin and Paul Taylor on the Center's website. "Instead, nearly half or more now see each of these items as a luxury. Similarly, the proportion that considers a dishwasher or a clothes dryer to be essential has dropped sharply."

Chopping household spending has also become a top priority.

  • Six in ten adults report shopping in discount stores more frequently or reducing their reliance on name-brand products.
  • One in four say they've cut back on their cable or satellite TV service or pulled the plug entirely.
  • One in five say they're handling more home repair tasks themselves rather than contracting them out to others.
  • One in five say that they plan to grow their own vegetables to reduce their family's grocery bill.

Canadian families are experiencing job losses, wage cuts, and other fallout from the recession. Even those who haven't been directly impacted by the fallout are being extra cautious with their dollars. What is your family doing to get through these tough economic times? Are your summer vacation plans likely to be affected by what's going on with the economy these days? Are you still finding ways to take care of yourself and each other, despite having fewer dollars to spend?

Average (1 Rating)3.00 out of 5 stars

2 Comments

  • 1. Posted by Cinnamon on Sat, May 23, 2009

    Indeed it is tough economic times! I carefully plan and budget my meals. We only eat out once a month. I do not skimp on milk, fruit and vegetables as it is costlier in the long run if you do. Our grocery stores are all close so I browse the flyers and shop the sales- as they say- cycle the sales as they will come up again later. I know it is possible to do this and work also, as I work 7:30-5:30 many days. Planning ahead is the key to saving money always! Don't be caught at the last minute to have to make a purchase. We also have amazing second hand shops and yard/garage sales so buy then. I needed a love seat for the living room and decided to wait until spring before purchasing from the furniture store. Two weeks ago I found a brand new futon/love seat at a garage sale for $40- it doubles as sleeping accommodations in a pinch. I joined Canadian sites where I can hear first promotions and deals in my area, copy coupons from save. ca. We browse kijiji. My home is tastefully decorated and people compliment me on my clothing "style". Determine to live within your means before it is too late because of the credit card debt you have incurred. It does catch up eventually.

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  • 2. Posted by allie on Mon, May 25, 2009

    hmm, we havent done much cut backs at all, unless you consider eating steak twice a week instead of 3 or 4 times a week an actual cut back. we have not cut back on cable, we actually just upgraded our service package. we are moving into a bigger house to accomodate the mastiffs we just bought, and I recently got a new car. yeah we see the effects of the economy but without any debt and both of us having solid jobs we dont really feel it ourselves.

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