10 Tips To Save Money When Dining Out
June 29, 2006
Here are some tips that can help you save money when dining out. Keep in mind that these tips are intended to help you save money when dining out at a restaurant type setting. In other words, these tips will not be related to fast food establishments for their food is already priced reasonably.
10 TIPS TO SAVE MONEY WHEN DINING OUT
1. If you can choose the time of day, breakfast meals are usually lower in cost. If that’s not possible, dine out during lunch or brunch time, which tends to be cheaper than at dinner time.
2. Dine out during the week rather than on the weekend. Most all restaurants offer weekly specials where you’ll find prices that are much lower than usual.
3. If you have a family, go to places that offer children’s menus with low priced meals.
4. If you are not a big eater, share an entree with someone else and order salad or soup to supplement your meal.
5. Try and avoid alcoholic drinks and desserts since their markup is very high. $4.50 for a beer is just not worth it!
6. Your local city newspaper should have coupons for many of the popular restaurants in your area. Take a look and see what’s available to you.
7. If you dine out alot, it may be more economical to buy a coupon book of restaurants in your area or a “frequent dining card”. You’ll find lots of 2-for-1 and 50% off coupons that can add up to big savings.
8. If you eat out and you have a huge appetite, go for the all-you-can-eat buffets. That might be all you need for the day! 
9. If you own a business, dining out for business purposes is a legitimate expense you can write off. Check with your local tax laws for the percentage allowed.
10. Last but not least, why not cook? Not only is it much healthier, but you’ll save hundreds if not thousands of dollars every year by avoiding restaurants. Plus you can get creative with weekly meal planning, freezer portions, and leftovers which will save you even more money!
CONCLUSION
Most everyone enjoys eating out from time to time. However this can get quite expensive especially if you eat out on a regular basis.
Think out it this way. If you are able to change a few eating habits, you might find yourself saving hundreds of dollars each year… food for thought don’t you think?
Gregory Thomas, editor of http://www.SavingSecrets.com - has written hundreds of effective money-saving tips, strategies, and articles over the past 6 years. Visit their website and you’ll find FREE money-saving articles, a monthly newsletter, and even a FREE Ebook download just for stopping by!
HomeHammer Improve Your Business Lesson 5: Using Links On Your Website
June 29, 2006
HomeHammer Improve Your Business Lesson 5: Using Links On Your Website
by: Kris Koonar
Thanks for your continued interest in the Homehammer.com home improvement network. This course will continue to help you watch your profit margin in the home improvement industry grow.
HomeHammer is a website that allows users to find professionals like realtors, general contractors, plumbers, framers, and electricians more quickly and easily. These lessons help us keep our promise to you: we will help you connect with customers, generate business and improve yourself so you can be a better service provider to the folks who look to use.
Lesson 5: How Using Links On Your Website Can Help Your Business
Business websites are a necessity in today’s society. Linking to other sites helps tell customers products you use and trust. It also forms a bond of trust between you and other sites.
The internet is only as good as its links. Without links, the internet simply would not be able to exist. To ensure a quality world wide web continues, you must provide links that your customers might be interested in.
There are several ways to decide which links to include in your site. You might start by visiting competitors web sites. Check out their links section to understand what sites they provide links for. This might help you figure out what your customers are looking for. It might also provide you with a good base for a reciprocal linking system, which will be discussed in the next lesson.
Another way to decide what links to include in your site is to consult with your customers. Internet-savvy customers will be able to tell you what they look for in a professional site and what they like and do not like about your links. This can help you control the quality of your links section. You could do this through a survey or by simply informally interviewing your clientèle.
Be sure to provide links that have a high page rank with internet search engines. This will increase your web traffic. You can do this by typing a key phrase in a search engine and look at the highest ranked pages that match your results.
The next lesson discusses how to use reciprocal links on your web site. This quick read could help you increase your revenue. Be sure to watch for it!
Now that you’re on the way to a healthier business, be sure to visit the HomeHammer website and sign your business up in our directory today. We are the world’s largest home improvement site, and the way we stay large is by making sure we have the most extensive database of contractors and home professionals around, so make sure you’re on that list!
kris@crackmarketing.com
Unique Gift Ideas for the 21st Century
June 29, 2006
As a personal growth specialist, I like to think I’m hip. I like to think I am avant garde. I like to think I am on the cutting edge ? despite what everyone else around thinks about me.
I read last year that the growth sector of the future is in healthcare and wellness. So, being the hip, avant garde, cutting edge kind of guy I think I am, I decided I would give very unique and personal healthcare birthday gifts.
For Aunt Marsha, I settled on a facelift. I was so excited, I just couldn’t wait to see her face. Either the old one or the new one would do.
“What’s this?”
“It’s an appointment for a facelift.”
“A facelift?
“Yes. Next week.”
“An appointment for a facelift? Next week?”
“That’s right.”
“This can mean one of only two things…”
“What two things, Aunt Marsha?”
“Either you think I am uglier than a bearded manatee with blow torch burns…”
“Oh no, Aunt Marsha. You are as beautiful as a graceful flamingo with blow torch burns.”
“…or you foresee me seeking shelter under the witness protection program. What is it you think I saw, and who do you think wants to do me in?”
“Well, when I was ten years old, you saw me scribble all over my brother’s baseball cards. I got in a whack of trouble, so I suppose I could be a suspect.”
“I somehow doubt I have anything to fear from you, except the threat of receiving another gift. Just what do you think you were thinking?”
“I know you don’t need a facelift yet, Aunt Marsha. But someday when you get all old and withered and crumbly and crinkly, a few months from now…BANG!”
When I came to, I remembered a frying pan lunging at me to plant a kiss on my lips.
For my buddy, I settled on a different gift, although still quite unique and personal.
“What?!?”
“Hey, these tickets are very hard to come by. You should be thrilled that I secured an appointment for you.”
“But I don’t need open heart surgery. My heart is ticking along just fine.”
“Sure it is ? right now. But someday you might need open heart surgery, so you might as well take it now and get it over with. That way you’ll have it when you need it.”
“Open heart surgery isn’t something you just take and save for later. You can’t place it in a box or in a safe somewhere.”
“Whoa, Buddy. Cool your tonsils a moment. I considered getting you a lobotomy, but I worried about wasting my money…you know, in case they didn’t find anything. ”
Never let it be said that this personal growth specialist doesn’t learn from his success. This year I read that the entertainment industry is the growth sector of the future. So, being the hip, avant garde, cutting edge kind of guy I think I am, I decided I would give hip, avant garde, cutting edge entertainment gifts.
I thought about some of my personal favorites. Unfortunately I could not find in the Yellow Pages any singing Gumby balloon-a-grams. I considered getting Aunt Marsha 1,000 self-destructing, ketchup-filled pink flamingo lawn ornaments with pirate hats, but I was not sure how to place them in the apartment corridor. Toenail clippers always bring me hours of entertainment, but I had no idea which of my family members have toe nails.
In the end, I settled on this column. Hey, it’s humor, it’s personal growth, it’s entertainment. And you have to admit that it is unique. I printed a copy out for each of them. And guess what? I think it was a success. Each one opened up their gift, looked at it, looked up at me, looked back at the gift, looked back up at me and said, “Very funny!”
If you don’t want to end up like me, why not get your relatives a dog gift or a horse-themed gift or an angel gift from Unique Gift Ideas at: http://www.unique-gift-ideas.ws . They do NOT sell facelifts. After all, people love unique gift ideas, but not quite that unique.
About The Author
The author is freelance writer David Leonhardt.
Sign up for his weekly humor column up at: http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/positive-thinking-free-ezine.html
Or read more personal growth columns at: http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/self-actualization-articles.html.
The Old and the New
June 29, 2006
During one “generation gap” quarrel with his parents young Michael cried, “I want excitement, adventure, money, and beautiful women. I’ll never find it here at home, so I’m leaving. Don’t try and stop me!” With that he headed toward the door. His father rose and followed close behind. “Didn’t you hear what I said? I don’t want you to try and stop me.” “Who’s trying to stop you?” replied his father. “If you wait a minute, I’ll go with you.”
This is a joke doing its rounds on how the new generation gap has taken shape!
The friction between the young and old exists for ages. The joint family concept had the elders putting the flame off now and then. The younger generation of those days had to meekly submit to the advice of the elders and worked themselves up to success. But of late the nuclear family consists of the parents and maximum two children these days ? the office goers, career oriented fathers and mothers have rarely little time to spend with their children. The children are forced to make independent decisions right or wrong.
This kind of generation gap happens more when the children grow up and the son gets married. Nowadays the parenting concept accepts only parents and not the grandparents. The competitive world makes the parents concentrate more on their children who have to mould their career and settle in life rather than spend time for their old parents who are becoming more and more dependent on their children as they grow older.
The old parents being alive are considered to be a burden. The son is more enthusiastic about giving the best to his children and wants them to compete with their peers. He does not want to lose control over them and certainly feels that there should be a set pattern in bringing up his children.
The grandparents now feel that their son who had been so obedient and submissive now ignores him and does not allow grandchildren to play with them. The son in turn feels that his parents do not know anything of technological advancement and their son in turn should cope up with the latest technologies and not waste time in playing with grandparents. They would prefer their children playing on the computers rather than the grandparents.
Has the new generation gap, which is emerging now, taken a turn to disregard the elders? Or should the older persons step down and adjust to the new developments?
Hpriya Sivan
Kona Cotton: The Quilters & Embroiderers Dream Fabric
June 29, 2006
What, Exactly, Is Kona Cotton?
Kona(R) cotton is a premium, 100% cotton broadcloth from Robert Kaufman Fabrics in Los Angeles. The company introduced the fabric in the 1980’s in response to the then rapidly emerging quilting industry, an interest that continues unabated today. It is a soft, light fabric, often called the ‘Quilter’s Cotton’, that is also ideal for fine apparel such as children’s clothing; soft, comfortable shirts; dresses; applique and home decorating. It has a ‘meaty’ hand, which means you can really feel the difference when you touch the fabric and that makes it a joy to work with.
Warps. And Wefts, Too
Kona cotton has a high 60 by 60 thread count. This means there are 60 warp threads and 60 weft threads per square inch of fabric. Until I did some research, I didn’t know what warp and weft threads were. (I had never even heard the word ‘weft’.) A warp thread is a support thread in the loom, long and strong and usually tied down onto the loom; a weft thread is passed back and forth between the warp threads to form cloth. It is that high thread count, all those warps and wefts playing together, that make Kona cotton a soft, light, yet very durable material; one of the best woven fabrics available for hand or machine quilting.
Pre-use Care
It’s a good idea to launder the fabric to remove any sizing/finish before using it in your project. Treat it as you would any new 100% cotton fabric: Gentle wash, mild detergent, tumble dry low, remove promptly and iron. Expect about a 1-3% shrinkage.
What About Color?
Kona is available in plenty of colors, 170 solid colors according to the manufacturer’s web site, RobertKaufman.com. And a quick search for ‘hand dyed Kona cotton’ will pop up vendors offering hundreds of colors and patterns of beautifully dyed Kona cotton fabric.
But Aren’t You an Embroiderer?
Yes, I am a machine embroiderer and those same qualities that make Kona cotton ideal for quilting and sewing apply to machine embroidery, too. That meaty feel I mentioned makes it very easy to hoop and quick to stabilize. The push/pull factor is minimal and, best of all, the stitched out designs are gorgeous on it. Even though there a many cheaper fabrics, I test all my embroidery designs on Kona cotton and turn to it first for any finished embroidery project I have.
Embroidery design digitizer Deb Schneider offers her machine embroidery designs on her website, WindstarEmbroidery.com.
You can contact Deb by visiting her website or by email at dschneider@WindstarEmbroidery.com
HomeHammer Improve Your Business Lesson 3: Promoting Your Business
June 29, 2006
HomeHammer Improve Your Business Lesson 3: Promoting Your Business
by: Kris Koonar
We appreciate your interest in Homehammer.com home improvement network. Staying with this course will help you build your home improvement business and watch your profits rise.
HomeHammer helps average people connect with home improvement professionals like realtors, general contractors, plumbers, framers, and electricians quickly and easily. This course helps us help you. We can help you find customers, create business, and improve yourself as a business person so our customers will have an excellent network of service providers to choose from.
Lesson 3: Advertising To Increase Your Bottom Line
Learning how to advertise your business will help direct customers to you which will generate more revenue for your profit margin.
Most people love what they do, but they hate advertising. It’s no wonder, too, because it can be difficult to write good advertising copy and to find a place where consumers you will actually want to work for will see your copy and give you a call. Moreover, placing good advertisements can get a bit expensive.
There are, though, several easy ways to advertise that will increase your customer base.
Your Vehicle: You spend a lot of time moving from place to place in your work vehicle. People see your vehicle in front of your customers’ homes. Why not turn it into a moving billboard? Put your business name, phone number, and website on the doors and back of your vehicle. Be sure to make is large enough for customers to read. This is a fairly inexpensive way to get some quick, yet effective advertisement. You can even purchase inexpensive magnetic advertisements if you feel like you might want to remove them for some purposes.
Free Publicity: Consider some pro bono work to increase your visibility. This could include donations of product to the less fortunate or helping out in times of need like natural disaster. Some community papers allow you to submit your own press releases detailing the work that you have done. You might also consider printing some fliers for your business advertising the free work you have completed to give to your current customers.
Internet Marketing: With the explosion of the internet, there are a number of business with websites. In fact, no business should be without one. Once you have a site, though, there are several things you can do to increase your traffic. First, consider search engine optimization. Search engines work by finding particular words and directing customers to sites based on a ranking of the number of words on the site matching the word searched for. Optimizing your site for particular terms related to your product will increase your ranking and the likelihood that customers will be directed to your site.
You might also consider reciprocal linking. A reciprocal link is text or a banner ad on one site that links to another site with a link back to the original site. Reciprocal links are a commitment between parties that tell customers “I like and trust the content on this other site.” It also involves an element of trust between the sites. You must remember not to bury your reciprocal links where customers cannot find them.
Don’t forget that you can sign up for a free directory listing at Homehammer.com. This can help customers in your area connect with you and your services.
The next lesson discusses how quality copywriting in all of your materials can help generate customers for you. This quick read could help you increase your revenue. Be sure to watch for it!
Now that you’re on the way to a healthier business, be sure to visit the HomeHammer website and sign your business up in our directory today. We are the world’s largest home improvement site, and the way we stay large is by making sure we have the most extensive database of contractors and home professionals around, so make sure you’re on that list!
kris@crackmarketing.com
