var json_comments = new Array("
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umbriago
October 19, 2009 3:28 PM
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I see the back cover promises I can learn to \"earn money posing as a fortune teller on Craigslist.\"

That said, he also advocates not using watches anymore. No. I will not stop wearing watches and in fact will probably buy more watches.

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2 replies
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krista
October 20, 2009 6:22 AM
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@LadySiren: I was feeling the same way until it hit me it was a joke.

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pecan 3.14159265
October 19, 2009 3:29 PM
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The tip on price matching made me laugh, cause I'm sure someone's going to try it. And I'm pretty sure it'll work at least once. That said, I don't condone it because it's shady and jerkish behavior. Also, people in line will really, really hate you for it.


One really obscenely frugal tip is to save paper towels. If you wipe your mouth only once or use a piece of paper towel to wipe your hands after washing them, fold the paper towel, dry it, and save it. My grandma used to do it all the time, and I'm surprised we didn't snap and throw out all the remnants. As long as she never gave us any piece of previously used paper towel, we were good with her \"old person\" quirk. My grandpa would sneeze once into a tissue and tuck it back into his pocket. Ugggh.

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12 replies
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TCama
October 19, 2009 7:42 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: A lot of people do this with zip-top bags. It makes slightly more sense with them, since you can clean them and keep re-zipping them and stuff. But it's still more than a bit weird to me.

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JamieSueAustin
October 19, 2009 7:52 PM
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@TCama: I do it with zipper bags all the time. As long as they didn't have meat in them. Wash 'em, put them on an overturned glass or bottle to dry, use them again (mostly for sorting craft bits.)

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webweazel
October 19, 2009 9:18 PM
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@JamieSueAustin: Yup, I wash and reuse Ziploc bags all the time. I also have one of those seal-a-meal things, and those bags are so ungodly $$$$ I always wash and reuse those, so, while I'm there, I do the Ziplocs, too. Doesn't everybody?


My ultimate cheap tip: When we order take-out pizza, I save the CLEAN top flap of the box, and cut out circles to use as cake cardboards, as needed, with a box knife. (Ever see the price on a set of these things?!?!) The bonus is, if I'm making a funky shaped cake, I can cut the cardboard to compliment it! They get covered in foil usually, so who's the wiser?

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pecan 3.14159265
October 20, 2009 11:30 AM
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@weazel662: Nope! I have never done this. I bought a box of 450 sandwich bags and I've only used about 200 of them. Saving them isn't prudent mostly because I have only purchased one box in the last 2 years. It's not worth the hassle.

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speedwell (!)
October 19, 2009 7:49 PM
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@TCama: They make a plastic bag drier gadget for these people. How many plastic bags do you imagine it costs?

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shepd
October 19, 2009 5:51 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265:

My horribly cheap-ass boss from a previous job at a now out-of-business computer store would send employees down to the local place to price match an item when we were out of stock yet had orders to fill.

He'd set the website to show stock, lower the price by 30 - 40%, and be ready to answer the phone the the other store came calling to double check.

*sigh* Only worked there about 3 months. Quit once they stopped paying for lunch breaks, yet expected me to serve customers while I ate lunch.

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dragonfire81
October 19, 2009 6:33 PM
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@shepd: Wow, that boss was a grade A douchebag.

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RecordStoreToughGuy_starcommandseries.com
October 19, 2009 4:28 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Probably a holdover from the Depression. I save some paper towels to use as brush rags when I'm painting minis, but only if they were used to wipe up water, or maybe as very little-used napkin (no obvious food leavings on it). Some chemicals or residues can seriously fark up brushes.

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pecan 3.14159265
October 19, 2009 4:40 PM
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@RecordStoreToughGuy_IsBeing(pur)SuedByAMonster: I know a lot of older people do this regardless of where or during what era in which they grew up. My grandparents are all immigrants, so there was no \"depression era\" for them - but their families were always very frugal, to the point of ridiculousness, even when they had money, so I can see how they came to collect squares of paper towels in kitchen drawers.

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tekkierich
October 19, 2009 5:04 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265:

What country was this that was not affected by the world wide depression of the 1930's?

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pecan 3.14159265
October 19, 2009 5:11 PM
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@tekkierich: They were affected, but not nearly as much as other countries. I don't attribute their behavior directly to any Depression-era experiences. I think they were just very, very stingy, in a family in which saving and scrimping was already encouraged.

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SkokieGuy
October 19, 2009 3:55 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: I clearly must be your grandmother. I use paper towels and glass cleaner to wipe my glasses. Since the towel only gets slightly moist and not very dirty, I leave the barely used towel by the windex bottle for the next day's cleaning. I might use the same square of towel for a week.


I will now begin practicing barking 'get off my lawn'.

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chrialg6 is a happy effing cupcake
October 19, 2009 4:17 PM
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@SkokieGuy: Can I just mention that paper towels are bad for the planet?


K, thanks!

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SJActress
October 19, 2009 7:34 PM
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@chrialg6 is a happy effing cupcake: Not really. Trees are a renewable resource.

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Marimomo
October 19, 2009 8:52 PM
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@SJActress: uh... what about the fossil fuels used to make them... I don't see anyone shitting out anymore of that at a rate that we're using them

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LadySiren is murdering her kids with HFCS and processed cheese
October 19, 2009 3:32 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Authors like this piss off those of us who do the price-matching and couponing thing, as it ruins it for those of us who don't cheat the system. Shame on him. And bah, humbug, too.

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LadySiren is murdering her kids with HFCS and processed cheese
October 19, 2009 3:37 PM
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@LadySiren: Hmmm, one of the sites linked above mentioned this book was intended as a humorous piece. If it was meant as satire, I hereby unwad my panties, retract my previous bah-humbuggishness, and sentence myself to four hours of remedial humor training.

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Oranges w/ Cheese hates what Christmas has become
October 19, 2009 3:31 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: My parents would do this. We'd basically drape the towel over the faucet to let it dry until it was really icky. I hated this.

I'd much rather use rags and throw them in the washing machine at the end of the day.

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Smashville
October 19, 2009 3:29 PM
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I just put on a fake beard and glasses, park my car out of range of security cameras and shoplift from places that don't allow employees to confront shoplifters.

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2 replies
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Sanspants
October 19, 2009 3:48 PM
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@Smashville_now with Monster Energy: What disguise should you use if you're like me and have a beard and glasses?

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AstroPig7
October 19, 2009 4:41 PM
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@Sanspants: I suggest a beard for your beard and glasses above your normal glasses.

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Xerloq
October 19, 2009 5:24 PM
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@AstroPig7: Better yet, glasses for your beard, and a beard for your glasses... and ears.

And carry a ventriloquists' dummy and make him steal the stuff - only if he has a disguise, though.

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Oranges w/ Cheese hates what Christmas has become
October 19, 2009 3:30 PM
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On the additional notes, if you buy a zirconium ring, don't pass it off as real because that will bite you in the butt. If you're marrying someone with a reasonable economical sense, they'll understand the reasoning behind NOT buying a clear rock that's been price fixed instead.

And I'd imagine that pouring your milk back into the carton creates all sorts of nasty bacteria - you've been adding your saliva to the spoon and you've just contaminated the whole jug with it when you pour it back in - plus my cereals always make my milk flavored. I don't want my entire jug tasting like fruity pebbles.

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7 replies
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lvixen
October 19, 2009 6:43 PM
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@Oranges w/ Cheese wants it to be winter already: Personally I would rather have a a really good fake than a crappy real diamond ring. The simulated stones are getting so good, it's getting hard to tell the difference. I would WANT to know that it was not real but if it looked good, I'm fine with that.

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pecan 3.14159265
October 19, 2009 7:14 PM
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@lvixen: Like treimel said, simulated diamonds may look like real diamonds, but if you know what it is and you're cool with it, it's fine. But cubic zirconia wouldn't fool many people.

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Phil Villarreal
October 19, 2009 8:07 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: You just explain that's how diamond's were back in the 40s.

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treimel
October 19, 2009 6:50 PM
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@lvixen:


Getting better does not mean \"the same\" Took me all of about an afternoon of shopping before I could spot the fakes with accuracy.

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DoubleBaconVeggieBurger
October 19, 2009 5:10 PM
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@Oranges w/ Cheese wants it to be winter already: I realize it's a parody, but I don't see how anyone would pull off the CZ-as-diamond trick. The bride-to-be should always get an appraisal so that she can put it on her insurance, and the deception would definitely be apparent then.

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bohemian
October 19, 2009 3:55 PM
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@Oranges w/ Cheese wants it to be winter already: Better yet, don't marry someone obsessed with diamonds in the first place.

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pecan 3.14159265
October 19, 2009 4:04 PM
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@bohemian: I find your comment presumptive. I'm not obsessed with diamonds. They're pretty, sure, but I'd rather have a good book than a nice diamond bracelet. However...if my husband tried to pass off a cubic zirconia as a diamond, you bet I'd be really, really upset. It's about the dishonesty.

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calquist
October 19, 2009 4:33 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Definitely dishonesty. Plus if he can't afford to pay a solid amount (doesn't have to crazy expensive) for something that I am going to wear every single day for the rest of my life, then I don't think we are ready to be married.

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JamieSueAustin
October 19, 2009 7:58 PM
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@calquist: Huh... We are way different people... I specifically asked for a cheap silver ring for my engagement ring because I have silver rings that are over 15 years old now that are in good shape. I didn't see the point in buying something expensive that could get lost or damaged when the silver holds up fine.

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subtlefrog
October 19, 2009 11:28 PM
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@JamieSueAustin: I'm with you. I'm accident prone and forgetful with things like jewelery. I'd take a ring off and lose it or forget it or something. I asked for no engagement ring, and said that when we get married, I just want a simple band.

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calquist
October 19, 2009 4:35 PM
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@calquist: I'm not sure if that came out right... but I don't think people should be getting engaged if they aren't financial ready for it. Have a job, some savings, etc.

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pecan 3.14159265
October 19, 2009 4:42 PM
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@calquist: Yep. Some people have longer engagements because they're trying to figure out the financial side. It's vital to talk about that stuff before getting engaged. If you're not on the same page, financially, or have the same goals, or can balance your two different ways of spending, you're in trouble.

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GuinevereRucker
October 19, 2009 4:57 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: First off, I've been married over eight years and my wife has a real diamond that was actually my dead Grandma's. So I'm not anti-heirloom, and I'm not anti-diamond. I also agree that people should be aware of finances and such before getting married.

That said, I do question the status quo a lot, and the whole diamond thing is weird. Just like spending $10k on a wedding is weird. If I was a lady, I think the romantic part of me would appreciate the hard work my beau put into giving me a beautiful ring - the frugal part would wish that money was spent on a down payment for our house.

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pecan 3.14159265
October 19, 2009 5:18 PM
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@GuinevereRucker: We spent $10k or more on our wedding. Our share as a couple was probably $3,500 when all was said and done. We could have had it in someone's backyard, but it wasn't what we wanted, and if it's not what you want, it's money wasted, no matter how much you save. Anyway, the majority of the cost was due to the venue and a good portion of it went to the photography team (which I do not regret paying for at all). Other than that, we more or less hand made our favors, spent relatively little on flowers and a cake (but it was oh so good cake), and negotiated the hell out of everything.

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webweazel
October 19, 2009 7:54 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: We spent a total of $3,500 on our wedding. People who attended said it was the best one they ever went to, and are still comparing other ones to ours, and ours still wins, so I hear. It's not the cost, but what you do to make the day fun for everybody, and thinking \"outside the box\" makes it all the more memorable.


Some acquaintances of ours, years back, inherited $10,000 from a deceased relative that they planned to either use for their wedding, or a down payment on a house. Stupidly, they chose the wedding. And probably wasted much more than that living in rentals until they could save up for a down payment on their own.

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pecan 3.14159265
October 19, 2009 8:09 PM
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@weazel662: *shrug* it's what you make of it, I agree. We wanted the best photography team we could afford, and we got it. Things cost more where we live. $3,500 wouldn't have paid for our whole wedding. We didn't have friends with historical homes or large backyards in beautiful countrysides, and we didn't want a church wedding because we weren't part of a church. It could have been cheaper, sure, but it wouldn't have been better. We're happy with what we did. We still have friends tell us they really enjoyed eating our wedding cake, and we have family even now telling us they looked at all of our wedding photos again and they really love them.

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webweazel
October 19, 2009 9:07 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: That's what really matters. I wasn't really trashing you specifically, just trying to make the point that it is what you MAKE of it, not how much it cost. It should be an intimate, fun celebration of love and a new beginning spent with those who are closest to you. People who have weddings for a guest list of 500 (plus their mail carrier and newspaper boy) need to have their heads examined, really. That's not what it should be about. But then, there's always those women who have been subscribing to Bride's magazine since they were 12, and that goes right out the window.

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dragonfire81
October 19, 2009 6:34 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: My wife has a moissanite (not sure if that is the correct spelling) set that looks very much like the real thing (she also has her engagement ring which IS the real thing).

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chrialg6 is a happy effing cupcake
October 19, 2009 4:19 PM
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@pecan 3.14159265: Agreed.


On the other hand.. Diamonds are bad. If I ever hit my head really hard and get married again I would want a good old grubby Flea Market ring.


I like old crap. :o)

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HIV 2 Elway
October 19, 2009 3:38 PM
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Seems like a great idea, if you have no pride.

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MargaretMN
October 19, 2009 3:41 PM
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Speaking of old person quirks, my mom has done the price matching extravaganza for years, enhanced by \"double coupon days\" and senior discount days. I am sure she saves boatloads of money but it's a full time job which she can do now that she's retired. Maybe I'll do it when I'm unemployed.

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Darrone
October 19, 2009 3:52 PM
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Yes, its called self checkout. And that's not steak, its a tomato.

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3 replies
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osiris73
October 19, 2009 8:53 PM
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@Darrone: And no, those aren't $2.88/lb Honeycrisp apples, they're $.97/lb gala apples. All organic produce magically becomes non-organic.

I have yet to have the cajones to do this, but I know people who do on a regular basis.

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whateverthisis
October 19, 2009 5:29 PM
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@Darrone: Yes... and you have a cover story. Always use *beefsteak\" tomatoes for your scam.

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nofelix
October 19, 2009 4:13 PM
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@Darrone: Often those tricky to scan expensive items end up being the last one before you start a new bag, so the machine doesn't notice the weight change.

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friendlynerd
October 19, 2009 3:53 PM
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It's funny for sure, but I doubt the cashier has the authority to override prices without getting a supervisor involved.

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2 replies
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Nicole
October 20, 2009 1:06 AM
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@friendlynerd: Depends on the store. Where I work, we have $50 worth of wiggle room before a supervisor needs to approve it.

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mac-phisto
October 19, 2009 4:38 PM
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@friendlynerd: no kidding. you should have seen the rigmarole i went thru just to use a rain check the other day (had to get one - 50¢/can for goya beans, which are a main ingredient in my chili). 2 supervisor overrides were needed & a co-worker had to come over to show the supervisors how to enter the check. FOUR employees. ONE raincheck.

phil's advice might just work. or you might get the ragu broken over your head. i'm thinking it's a 50/50.

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jamesdenver
October 19, 2009 4:03 PM
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I reuse paper towels if it's for something on disgusting like covering a microwave dish or just wiping up some water or coffee grounds. (When I don't just use a regular towel.)


Tin foil I'm very stingy with. Most dishes you cover don't gunk up the underside, so I just fold it up and put it back next to my tin foil roll.

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1 replies
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BklynHotniss
October 19, 2009 10:14 PM
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@jamesdenver: I save foil as well but I cringe at your room temperature method. There is always trace bacteria, so I fold the foil in the fridge and use later.

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B1663R
October 19, 2009 4:09 PM
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here's a tip - Scour your local Craigslist's free section and scoop as much as you can, later post all the items on Ebay for a profit!

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2 replies
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Saites
October 19, 2009 7:52 PM
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@B1663R: My roommate and I bought our couch off craigslist (which was an incredibly difficult process, I might add). When we did, the seller required us to take a chair that came with it (we knew it wasn't going to fit in our apartment, so we didn't want it). As it turned out, we were able to sell it back on craigslist. It sold within 24 hours, and we ended up only paying $50 total for our awesome couch.

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cmdrsass
October 19, 2009 4:28 PM
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@B1663R: This describes every freecycler and craiglist respondent I have ever given anything to. They're like vultures!

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TBGBoodler
October 19, 2009 4:15 PM
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My favorite bit of frugality came when attempting to take homemade food into an NFL stadium where no outside food is allowed. I had casually thrown in a couple of my Always pads in the bag, not trying to hide anything, but because I remembered them at the last minute.

When our bag was searched (we had, indeed, try to hide the food under a scarf or something), the man doing the search looked in and said, \"You can't take sandwiches in there!\" My husband yelled in his booming voice, \"Those aren't sandwiches... those are her FEMININE NAPKINS!\"

The man's face turned white and he ushered us quickly past. That's when we decided to throw some tampons and napkins in the bag every week and make sure we go through a line with a man searching bags. Works like a charm: they never ask, they just glance inside and move us along!

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5 replies
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Trai_Dep
October 19, 2009 8:07 PM
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@TBGBoodler: That works for smuggling in Bloody Marys as well, if you don't mind wringing the sanitary napkins into a cocktail glass once you're seated.
Bonus points for the horrified stares you'll earn from neighbors as you take your first gulping sip.
And guys: the observing women will think you're SO sensitive!

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coraspartan
October 20, 2009 1:41 AM
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@Trai_Dep: Oh. My. God. Possibly the funniest Consumerist reply ever!! hahahaha

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osiris73
October 19, 2009 8:56 PM
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@Trai_Dep: That reminds me of a joke I used to tell in grade school.

What can used tampons be used for?

Teabags for vampires.

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catniplover
October 19, 2009 7:49 PM
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@TBGBoodler:

OMG that's great! I'm never searched at the park though, they just look at women and let them go. So next time I'm going to strap stuff to my body (like that old horrible taco bell commercial w/the boy pretending to be pregnant).

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cscastle
October 19, 2009 4:31 PM
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Y'all think he's kidding...

There's a checker at the local WallyWorld, who used to be a computer programmer at the state mental hospital. He claims to know ALL the sale prices for ALL the items in ALL the competitors' ads. You don't have to ask him for price matches; he just gives them to you, out of his head, without ever picking up a sale paper to verify amounts. He overrides the price on probably 90% of the items he rings up.

But don't you dare question him about the accuracy of his pricing, much less complain about how long checkout is taking. He glares at you angrily and says, \"Do you want to save money, or not?\"

You pay for the price savings in your time. It takes him 20 to 30 seconds to scan an item and change its price--I timed him one day. My 50- to 60-item basket took well over 20 minutes to check out. (That doesn't count time spent waiting my turn.)

The stay-at-home moms and off-shift workers, who have time to shop during the day, love him.

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BOO_BOO_HOFF
October 19, 2009 4:42 PM
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We used to save seltzer bottles for my in-laws when they came to visit, as there was no deposit in PA where we live, but they could get a nickel for each one in NY where they lived.


The money gained may have paid for part of their toll on the Verrazano (when the trunk was full).


(There was a Seinfeld episode on the same theme, where Kramer and Newman took bottles from NY to MI in Newman's mail truck, since they got a dime in MI.)

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2 replies
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KMan13 still wants a Pontiac G8
October 20, 2009 10:33 AM
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@BOO_BOO_HOFF: there was a HUGE fraud case involving a group moving cans and bottles to michigan to try to take advantage of the higher return rate. It came out of michigan's reserves, instead of the proper state ... it really does mess things up on a large scale.

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TCama
October 19, 2009 7:47 PM
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@BOO_BOO_HOFF: That only works near the borders. Your bottles need to come from a deposit state, because bottles in non-deposit states don't usually have the necessary markings to get the deposit back. So yeah, you buy them in the non-deposit state, redeem them in the deposit state, and make 5 cents!

It was a major fundraising activity in my high school robotics team (live in Pennsylvania near the New York border.

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Hoss
October 19, 2009 4:58 PM
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My grandmother -- now long gone -- would make birthday cards out of the white cardboard from nylon packages. She didn't attempt to draw anything or write a poem - you got just the white card with a sentence in Italian. But there was cash inside, so no harm, no foal

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2 replies
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wvFrugan
October 19, 2009 7:48 PM
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@RandomHookup:
YES! I am still waiting on my god damned childhood pony!

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Outrun1986
October 19, 2009 5:17 PM
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I don't think the thing with the grocery prices would work here, the cashier's here can't make up any price they want to and just put it in the register, if you tried it a supervisor would be called immediately and you might be ushered out of the store for trying to scam. If a cashier did oblige then they would probably be fired quickly, and I wouldn't want to see that around here, that cashier probably really needs that job. If you had ads with you that stated the lower prices, then they would probably have to oblige provided they had a price matching policy. You can't just write down the lowest prices though and expect them to match it though.

Around here grocery stores don't have price matching policies though, most retail stores don't have them either. Kmart and Toys R Us used to price match but they do not anymore.

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1 replies
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osiris73
October 19, 2009 8:58 PM
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@Outrun1986: The only store around here that price-matches is Wal-Mart.

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MostlyHarmless
October 19, 2009 6:04 PM
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Ha! I twitted to Phil about that review last week. Apparently a lot of people do not understand the concept of parody.

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bagumpity
October 19, 2009 6:34 PM
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Fraud? I'm sure the author meant it in a totally tongue-in-cheek manner, but some idiot's going to try this and then get stuck in jail.

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Smashville
October 19, 2009 6:35 PM
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Have you no conscious?!?!

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MrsWhiskerson
October 19, 2009 6:48 PM
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Always wait to use the restroom until you get in to work in the morning. Also, always use the restroom before you leave work at night. This saves on both bathroom tissue and water expenses.


You think I'm joking, but I'm not.

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catniplover
October 19, 2009 7:51 PM
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@MrsWhiskerson:

If it's yellow, let it mellow - if it's brown, flush it down. Works in our house.

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speedwell (!)
October 19, 2009 6:56 PM
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Write a cool, trendy self-help book by inducing all your friends to contribute an idea apiece. People are always happy to share their opinions. They'll be so happy to see their ideas in print, they'll consider it well worth the royalty pittance they might have gotten.


Just kidding :D

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Stephmo
October 19, 2009 7:17 PM
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@speedwell, avatar of snark: OR, have commenters post their ideas on Consumerist and INSTANT SEQUEL!

:)

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Stephmo
October 20, 2009 1:39 PM
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@Phil Villarreal: I'm jealous that I didn't think of it first?

;)

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Phil Villarreal
October 22, 2009 7:55 PM
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@Stephmo: Nothing's stopping you from collecting these into a sequel before I do.

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speedwell (!)
October 19, 2009 7:28 PM
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I actually have \"funny, obscenely frugal tips that are too embarrassing to use in real life\" but I'm too embarrassed to mention them.


Case in point: a little gaily printed flannel, a little cotton wadding, a little waterproof fabric, a couple snaps, and a half hour's worth of sewing. Then, after use, a bucket with water and enzyme detergent and that all-important item, a well-fitting lid.


If you're enough of a hippy, you'll never buy those wasteful disposable feminine products again.


I went as far as making these and I just laugh every time I look at them. Hell, I squirm out of diapering babies.

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quail
October 19, 2009 7:31 PM
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In the book, TIGHTWAD'S GAZETTE, I read about guys who's buy two ply toilet paper. Then they'd unroll the roll, splitting the one two-ply roll into two one-ply rolls. Their thinking was that you'd get two for the price of one.

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speedwell (!)
October 19, 2009 8:11 PM
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@quail: No, no. The REAL hardcore readers used the MAGAZINE.

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Trai_Dep
October 19, 2009 7:52 PM
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Rather than pay exorbitant baby-sitting fees, I do one of the following:
1) Let underaged temptress bring a \"study partner\" with her (him) with the clear understanding that you & the missus will be back at 12am sharp.
Of course, arrive an hour early (with camera primed if you live in Europe). As teenaged paramours hastily, embarrassedly dress themselves, sadly shake head in regretful, adult fashion. Employ pained expression of inevitability of calling both sets of parents (with pictures (if Europe) or video (if France)). Appear to soften as the two lovebirds collapse sobbing at your feet in shame and embarrassment.
> Offer, at this point, your silence in exchange for free baby-sitting for the duration. (For Europeans, your silence and their not becoming an X-Tube sensation)

2) Summer camp costs are exorbitant. Camps charge these rates for the peace of mind of your sending your children to be cared for by other, responsible adults in a generally same-sex environment, far from home (but close enough for visits and phone calls), filled with supervised tasks which they'd never do when at home. At the end, your adorable lil' scamps have many exciting tales to share with classmates upon their return, and possibly an enhanced social reputation and possibly the learning of new, useful skills.
Juvenile Hall offers many of these same benefits, but these fools don't charge anything for the experience! What bozos!
So, for the price of one phone call (okay, and perhaps one socially tense Thanksgiving), drop a dime on your kid. Years later, you'll laugh together at all the exciting times your savvy thinking afforded them.

Don't let the fact that you're cursed with well-behaved, law-observing children make you miss the boat. Children often lack worldly experience and many of them trust their parents and close relatives. This makes it a snap to frame them for crimes they were too chicken (or ethical) to commit in the first place. Particularly especially young children (Balloon Boy: I'm talking to you!)
If the crime you're setting up lil' Jimmy or darling Dora to take the fall for has remunerative possibilities, you'll find not only is free vacation taken care of, it's as though someone is paying YOU to send your kids off for the summer!

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ajpress
October 20, 2009 8:20 PM
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Here's an idea for free frozen yogurt:
[www.youtube.com]

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