Should We Be Prepared For Much Higher Gas Prices?

     I say yes. I predict that within a month gas will be at least $4 a gallon. Why? Primarily and in the short run the unrest in the Mid East and Eastern Europe. Even if these is no real reason it creates a bandwagon for gas to go up. 

     The second reason is I do not believe that we are embracing the windfall that we have had with the oil that has been made available and being produced in the US and Canada. Now that we have found a domestic source of energy it seems we are wanting to hold it back. We should get that pipeline going. We are hammering the railroads about shipping oil. I seen something on PBS with Robert Redford slamming the oil exploration somewhere. Did he walk or ride a bicycle there for the film shoot? Probably took a Lear Jet and a big SUV there. 

     The third reason is worrying about coal. We still have a lot of coal resources. We have coal power plants that are in place. They for the most part have decent pollution counter measures. Lets keep them going and try to make them most environmentally friendly. Coal provides higher paying jobs in areas that would not have any other means to support itself. Going to put them all on food stamps? These people buy homes, autos and appliances. That causes other people to work too. Coal can also be converted to gasoline and diesel fuel. The Germans used it in the thirties and forties. The company my father worked for done it in the fifties. The caveat then was it cost 25 cents a gallon to produce when gas was selling at the pump for 17 cents a gallon. We have coal. Lets use it. 

     Fourth. We seem to have an abundance of natural gas. Gas can be used in a sundry of uses. It can run internal combustion engines, heat homes and water. You can cook with gas. I had a gas stove in my former house. If the electric went off for some reason you could still cook. Our gas grills are powered  by gas. It is clean burning. What else can you ask for? The gas seems to come from areas that again have not much to offer to the economy but that. But if it gets them by I am for it. The folks there are making a paycheck and not collecting welfare. The local businesses flourish. Again a win win situation. Why do we keep beating down industries that have been made and make an economy for the local folks. These people spend the money they make.Local businesses do better. We get a valuable energy source.

     Fifth. Conservation of energy. People do not think nothing about driving. As a nation we have not cut down our consumption of fuel . We still keep out thermostats at 72 degrees when it is hot and 80 degrees when it is cold. We are just stupid about that. Keep it cooler when it is cold and warmer when it is hot. Go figure. Make less frequent auto trips. Combine your trips into a loop. Start out on the right side and end up at home. A loop. How many lights do you have on? Unplug small kitchen appliances when not in use. It may seem like a pain in the beginning but after a while it becomes routine. Install power strips for your TV and stereo systems. Also for your computer. This not only prevents these appliances from using the phantom charge they do ever when off but can help protect damage from lightning. Turn up that thermostat when it's hot. Down when it's cold. Turn off a few lights. In the evening I can get by with just a night light on in the kitchen if I am on the computer or watching TV. A night light in the bathroom is enough light to see in the hall. Switch to CFL or compact florescent lights. They have been around for a long time now and can be found at a good price. They use only about 30% of the power that a comparable incandescent light uses. When I switched I immediately realized a 30% saving in my electric bill. I got this tip in 2007 from Trent Hamm's The Simple Dollar blog. Which I have read daily since 2006.

     Sixth. Cars and trucks seem to be more powerful than ever. How much power do you need? I remember a 1981 Toyota Tercel commercial saying the car got 41 mpg. So we are obsessed with power and luxury when we can not afford a car at all. If we can create all this horsepower how come we cannot create high fuel mileage? I feel we can forgo a few amenities and get better mileage and still have some nice features. I think that the top speed limit in the USA is 85 miles an hour. Most every car will do that.

     Seventh. We are not a gang buster economy now. We may be sliding into a second or third rate country status. You work at one low paying job and I work at another, then we spent the money amongst our selves. Then you have to realize that we are going down. And you people that have to stay with mommy and daddy are not getting the job done. We are only sliding  by with government support. The help of family and friends. I used to be able to make more money by working overtime. My company does not permit overtime now. So you can't work harder and longer to make more money. So you have to have other income streams.Perhaps work a part time job or have your own little side business. If you watch some of those travel shows on PBS it seems most of these people just have some little job to get by. They are always sitting in parks, walking or in restaurants. I guess they work in restaurant and spend their money in another. I think that the era of working at one high paying job then retiring with a good pension is over. That money will eventually dry up and there is only going to be a bunch of low income people left.
     Anyway, get out your bicycle. Higher gas prices are probably coming which leads to higher food prices.

Should We Be Prepared For Much Higher Gas Prices?

     I say yes. I predict that within a month gas will be at least $4 a gallon. Why? Primarily and in the short run the unrest in the Mid East and Eastern Europe. Even if these is no real reason it creates a bandwagon for gas to go up. 

     The second reason is I do not believe that we are embracing the windfall that we have had with the oil that has been made available and being produced in the US and Canada. Now that we have found a domestic source of energy it seems we are wanting to hold it back. We should get that pipeline going. We are hammering the railroads about shipping oil. I seen something on PBS with Robert Redford slamming the oil exploration somewhere. Did he walk or ride a bicycle there for the film shoot? Probably took a Lear Jet and a big SUV there. 

     The third reason is worrying about coal. We still have a lot of coal resources. We have coal power plants that are in place. They for the most part have decent pollution counter measures. Lets keep them going and try to make them most environmentally friendly. Coal provides higher paying jobs in areas that would not have any other means to support itself. Going to put them all on food stamps? These people buy homes, autos and appliances. That causes other people to work too. Coal can also be converted to gasoline and diesel fuel. The Germans used it in the thirties and forties. The company my father worked for done it in the fifties. The caveat then was it cost 25 cents a gallon to produce when gas was selling at the pump for 17 cents a gallon. We have coal. Lets use it. 

     Fourth. We seem to have an abundance of natural gas. Gas can be used in a sundry of uses. It can run internal combustion engines, heat homes and water. You can cook with gas. I had a gas stove in my former house. If the electric went off for some reason you could still cook. Our gas grills are powered  by gas. It is clean burning. What else can you ask for? The gas seems to come from areas that again have not much to offer to the economy but that. But if it gets them by I am for it. The folks there are making a paycheck and not collecting welfare. The local businesses flourish. Again a win win situation. Why do we keep beating down industries that have been made and make an economy for the local folks. These people spend the money they make.Local businesses do better. We get a valuable energy source.

     Fifth. Conservation of energy. People do not think nothing about driving. As a nation we have not cut down our consumption of fuel . We still keep out thermostats at 72 degrees when it is hot and 80 degrees when it is cold. We are just stupid about that. Keep it cooler when it is cold and warmer when it is hot. Go figure. Make less frequent auto trips. Combine your trips into a loop. Start out on the right side and end up at home. A loop. How many lights do you have on? Unplug small kitchen appliances when not in use. It may seem like a pain in the beginning but after a while it becomes routine. Install power strips for your TV and stereo systems. Also for your computer. This not only prevents these appliances from using the phantom charge they do ever when off but can help protect damage from lightning. Turn up that thermostat when it's hot. Down when it's cold. Turn off a few lights. In the evening I can get by with just a night light on in the kitchen if I am on the computer or watching TV. A night light in the bathroom is enough light to see in the hall. Switch to CFL or compact florescent lights. They have been around for a long time now and can be found at a good price. They use only about 30% of the power that a comparable incandescent light uses. When I switched I immediately realized a 30% saving in my electric bill. I got this tip in 2007 from Trent Hamm's The Simple Dollar blog. Which I have read daily since 2006.

     Sixth. Cars and trucks seem to be more powerful than ever. How much power do you need? I remember a 1981 Toyota Tercel commercial saying the car got 41 mpg. So we are obsessed with power and luxury when we can not afford a car at all. If we can create all this horsepower how come we cannot create high fuel mileage? I feel we can forgo a few amenities and get better mileage and still have some nice features. I think that the top speed limit in the USA is 85 miles an hour. Most every car will do that.

     Seventh. We are not a gang buster economy now. We may be sliding into a second or third rate country status. You work at one low paying job and I work at another, then we spent the money amongst our selves. Then you have to realize that we are going down. And you people that have to stay with mommy and daddy are not getting the job done. We are only sliding  by with government support. The help of family and friends. I used to be able to make more money by working overtime. My company does not permit overtime now. So you can't work harder and longer to make more money. So you have to have other income streams.Perhaps work a part time job or have your own little side business. If you watch some of those travel shows on PBS it seems most of these people just have some little job to get by. They are always sitting in parks, walking or in restaurants. I guess they work in restaurant and spend their money in another. I think that the era of working at one high paying job then retiring with a good pension is over. That money will eventually dry up and there is only going to be a bunch of low income people left.
     Anyway, get out your bicycle. Higher gas prices are probably coming which leads to higher food prices.

Trying To Kick It Up A Notch By Hooking Up With Frugal Living Wise Bread

     I would like to hook up my blog with Frugal Living Wise Bread. A blog that I read daily. Their blog co insides with mine writing about frugality and home living. My content leans more to the lower end of the income spectrum. So I know that most of their writers are a few notches above me.
     I do however feel that I have something to contribute in a positive way to their readers. A lot of their articles are about traveling and and other higher end things that I do not do. My bicycling, frugality, cooking, cleaning and other subjects may fit into their niche.
     The ability to get by on a lower income should be important to a lot of folks. As we see the gap between actual individual income the the national average a farce. Average includes all incomes. The very rich and the very poor. So the very rich bring up the income of the poor. I personally am putting the real average income between twenty and twenty-five thousand. As usual I probably stand to be corrected on this, but I feel I am close.
     A lot of folks now are working multiple part time jobs. Or a part time job receiving a government subsidy of some sort to get by.
     I was put on Frugal Living Wise Bread by the blog The Simple Dollar. I have followed this blog for years. I have picked up a lot of good advise from The Simple Dollar. It inspired me to blog myself. I have read The Simple Dollar for eight years.
     By also reading Frugal Living Wise Bread I have also picked up a lot of tips as they have a vast array of topics. Something to suit every reader out there. So it would be nice if I could join their team and provide something for more people ten I reach now.

Trying To Kick It Up A Notch By Hooking Up With Frugal Living Wise Bread

     I would like to hook up my blog with Frugal Living Wise Bread. A blog that I read daily. Their blog co insides with mine writing about frugality and home living. My content leans more to the lower end of the income spectrum. So I know that most of their writers are a few notches above me.
     I do however feel that I have something to contribute in a positive way to their readers. A lot of their articles are about traveling and and other higher end things that I do not do. My bicycling, frugality, cooking, cleaning and other subjects may fit into their niche.
     The ability to get by on a lower income should be important to a lot of folks. As we see the gap between actual individual income the the national average a farce. Average includes all incomes. The very rich and the very poor. So the very rich bring up the income of the poor. I personally am putting the real average income between twenty and twenty-five thousand. As usual I probably stand to be corrected on this, but I feel I am close.
     A lot of folks now are working multiple part time jobs. Or a part time job receiving a government subsidy of some sort to get by.
     I was put on Frugal Living Wise Bread by the blog The Simple Dollar. I have followed this blog for years. I have picked up a lot of good advise from The Simple Dollar. It inspired me to blog myself. I have read The Simple Dollar for eight years.
     By also reading Frugal Living Wise Bread I have also picked up a lot of tips as they have a vast array of topics. Something to suit every reader out there. So it would be nice if I could join their team and provide something for more people ten I reach now.

The Laundry Thing

     A week or so ago I did a post about different detergents and temperatures. I did buy some premium detergent and really haven't noticed much difference. I did however use cold water as I was washing some casual clothes along with my work clothes. This messed up the experiment but I guess I was being cheap and lazy. Or I could just be vain and say it is part of our experiment. So let's do that for now. 

     One thing that will remain consistent through this test is the machine. It is a front loading machine that allows you to add five minutes extra to the wash cycle and five minutes to the rinse cycle. I feel that the front loaders do a better job. Not just in cleaning your clothes but not beating them to death as the agitator does. 

     So on test number one using premium detergent I used cold water. At least twice the amount of detergent as is recommended. I washed casual cotton clothes, work clothes and whites together. The results were pretty well. The most soiled clothes were the work clothes. They came out as well as they usually do. The casual clothes came out well without ruining them. The whites came out clean too. So in theory you can wash all types of clothes together in cold water without fear of fading and not getting clothes done. 

     I would not however suggest washing towels and sheets with clothes. As the towels tend to leave unwanted residue on your clothes. So always wash them separately. 

      Next project is to wash work clothes by themselves in warm water and use the recommended amount  of detergent. Any casual clothes will be washed separately in cold water with a minimum amount of detergent. Don't forget to turn those shirts inside out. As the majority of sweat is from the inside. And you will not fade the outside as much.
     I have done the work clothes in warm water with the recommended amount of detergent. Number 3 on the cap The results appear to be the same with the premium detergent as with the regular stuff. The work shirts with my kitchen stains from work still had the stains which just do not seem to come out. Even though the premium detergent bottle said tough on stains. Maybe that means tough luck on stains.
     So in conclusion I do not see the value of purchasing the premium laundry detergent. Nor do I see a difference of  what water temperature makes. So if I were a homeowner and had to provide my own hot water I would just use cold. Since I use a coin laundry I will continue to wash my work clothes in hot water in a valiant effort to get rid of stains and grease. But the filth that I get on work clothes is not tantamount to normal of daily wear clothes. So these will washed in cold water as not to fade or prematurely wear them out. 

The Laundry Thing

     A week or so ago I did a post about different detergents and temperatures. I did buy some premium detergent and really haven't noticed much difference. I did however use cold water as I was washing some casual clothes along with my work clothes. This messed up the experiment but I guess I was being cheap and lazy. Or I could just be vain and say it is part of our experiment. So let's do that for now. 

     One thing that will remain consistent through this test is the machine. It is a front loading machine that allows you to add five minutes extra to the wash cycle and five minutes to the rinse cycle. I feel that the front loaders do a better job. Not just in cleaning your clothes but not beating them to death as the agitator does. 

     So on test number one using premium detergent I used cold water. At least twice the amount of detergent as is recommended. I washed casual cotton clothes, work clothes and whites together. The results were pretty well. The most soiled clothes were the work clothes. They came out as well as they usually do. The casual clothes came out well without ruining them. The whites came out clean too. So in theory you can wash all types of clothes together in cold water without fear of fading and not getting clothes done. 

     I would not however suggest washing towels and sheets with clothes. As the towels tend to leave unwanted residue on your clothes. So always wash them separately. 

      Next project is to wash work clothes by themselves in warm water and use the recommended amount  of detergent. Any casual clothes will be washed separately in cold water with a minimum amount of detergent. Don't forget to turn those shirts inside out. As the majority of sweat is from the inside. And you will not fade the outside as much.
     I have done the work clothes in warm water with the recommended amount of detergent. Number 3 on the cap The results appear to be the same with the premium detergent as with the regular stuff. The work shirts with my kitchen stains from work still had the stains which just do not seem to come out. Even though the premium detergent bottle said tough on stains. Maybe that means tough luck on stains.
     So in conclusion I do not see the value of purchasing the premium laundry detergent. Nor do I see a difference of  what water temperature makes. So if I were a homeowner and had to provide my own hot water I would just use cold. Since I use a coin laundry I will continue to wash my work clothes in hot water in a valiant effort to get rid of stains and grease. But the filth that I get on work clothes is not tantamount to normal of daily wear clothes. So these will washed in cold water as not to fade or prematurely wear them out. 

Readers From Around The World

     This blog has been happening about a year and a half. So far I have amassed $8 in my Google account. At this rate I am considering quitting my job and just living the life of leisure. I have only received two comments. I have had almost 5000 views.
     Readers have been from all over the world. But I do not seem to get any comments. You will not break my heart if you do not like my posts. So any comments would be welcome. Good or bad.
     Russia used to be one of my largest viewers. Haven't seen any thing from them for a while. A lot of other countries have viewed. I wish that I could check the stats and see half the world in green. I Would like to see 5000 views per day. Can you help me do that?
     Are my articles not worthy of reading? Please give me some impute as to what you would be interested in. So that way it may let me improve upon the content and have more interest in the posts.
     For all practical purposes I feel that my posts are relevant. To someone, sometime. So help! Let me know what you are interested in. I will try to have a relevant post. The ads I see are good for the most part. I do not see Verizon or ITT tech like I used to. So maybe I am a failure at this endeavour.
     I write about frugality, bicycling, food, cooking, taking care of the home, being green, automobiles, motorcycles, personal finance, home audio, gardens, current events, history, healthcare, society, energy conservation, TV, music, tools, commuting, golf, eight track tapes, food stamps, disability, nerds, girls and women, hype, boats, workplaces and much more.
     How broad of a spectrum could I touch. I may come across as blunt. I refer to call it candid and pragmatic. But it is the truth as rare as I am concerned. In retrospect I came from poor descendants.My father didn't even have running water till 1957. But they still found a way to cook and be clean. Dress nicely and be groomed.
      So be happy and live well.

Readers From Around The World

     This blog has been happening about a year and a half. So far I have amassed $8 in my Google account. At this rate I am considering quitting my job and just living the life of leisure. I have only received two comments. I have had almost 5000 views.
     Readers have been from all over the world. But I do not seem to get any comments. You will not break my heart if you do not like my posts. So any comments would be welcome. Good or bad.
     Russia used to be one of my largest viewers. Haven't seen any thing from them for a while. A lot of other countries have viewed. I wish that I could check the stats and see half the world in green. I Would like to see 5000 views per day. Can you help me do that?
     Are my articles not worthy of reading? Please give me some impute as to what you would be interested in. So that way it may let me improve upon the content and have more interest in the posts.
     For all practical purposes I feel that my posts are relevant. To someone, sometime. So help! Let me know what you are interested in. I will try to have a relevant post. The ads I see are good for the most part. I do not see Verizon or ITT tech like I used to. So maybe I am a failure at this endeavour.
     I write about frugality, bicycling, food, cooking, taking care of the home, being green, automobiles, motorcycles, personal finance, home audio, gardens, current events, history, healthcare, society, energy conservation, TV, music, tools, commuting, golf, eight track tapes, food stamps, disability, nerds, girls and women, hype, boats, workplaces and much more.
     How broad of a spectrum could I touch. I may come across as blunt. I refer to call it candid and pragmatic. But it is the truth as rare as I am concerned. In retrospect I came from poor descendants.My father didn't even have running water till 1957. But they still found a way to cook and be clean. Dress nicely and be groomed.
      So be happy and live well.

The Baseball Game From The Point Of View Of A Frugal Nerd

     This week I went to a MLB game. I haven't been to one for twenty years. And I probably won't go again for another twenty years. Not that it was bad, just something I wouldn't waste time or money for. 

     I do not remember the details of the other games I went to. I seen the Pirates a couple times in the early seventies. The Reds in 1994.

     This time it was the Tampa Bay Rays. On a nine game losing streak. That didn't bother me As I do not follow the sport anyway. My buddy has been trying to get me to go to a game for years and asked if I would go and he would treat. I do not get out much on my off days so I said OK. We would go to lunch, hit the train shop and go to the game. A different diversion on my normal calm laundry, grocery store and guarding the television day off. 

     So off we went. Had lunch. Stopped at a couple of hobby shops. Hit a bicycle shop to look for a part I was searching for on ebay. Found the part at a local bike shop in St. Pete. Otherwise I would have probably bought the wrong part on ebay. 

     Checked out downtown St. Pete. Good to get out now and then. I like checking out downtown big cities as I like to look at how people live there. Walking, running, riding bicycles, riding motor scooters. Catching buses. The buildings. The streets. The people. Again fun. 

     So we went to the stadium. Then the robbery starts. Game tickets, $50 each. Parking $15. Walked into the store. Hats were $45. Tee shirts $30. I didn't even pick up the nice jerseys to check the prices. Baseball bats for $75. These real fans must be rich! 

     Heading to the seats we stopped in this like a bar place. A beer was $10. A soft drink was $5. So after drinking $20 worth of beer we went to our seats. Countless food places. I went for the $9 Italian sausage. Hotdogs were only $8 and maybe would have given me less heartburn. Bag of peanuts were only $6.50. The best deal was the $10 soft drink that can with a special cup that would give you refills. 

     So we have the national anthem. Most people stood. Very few put their hand on their heart. I guess people don't do that anymore. It could be politically incorrect. But we had great seats. I did not think there was going to be many chances for a foul. ball. But a lot came our way. I sat on the end seat and had the luxury of having the cheer leaders right there. 

     I guess all the rig a ma role is part of the show. I was bored. The mascot thing came up to me and stared. Then patted me on the head. I do not know why it picked me out. The sound system was too load. I had a screamer behind me. The game was boring and slow. 

     I just do not get excited about the sports hype. I would have rather stayed home and watched Leave It To Beaver while performing household chores. Must be a boring person without any social skills. But every once in a while one should check it out. As I said in an earlier post called Nerds. Once in a while a nerd just has to rear up his ugly head and see what the regular people do. Only to realize it much more fun to just be a nerd. A lot less expensive too!

The Baseball Game From The Point Of View Of A Frugal Nerd

     This week I went to a MLB game. I haven't been to one for twenty years. And I probably won't go again for another twenty years. Not that it was bad, just something I wouldn't waste time or money for. 

     I do not remember the details of the other games I went to. I seen the Pirates a couple times in the early seventies. The Reds in 1994.

     This time it was the Tampa Bay Rays. On a nine game losing streak. That didn't bother me As I do not follow the sport anyway. My buddy has been trying to get me to go to a game for years and asked if I would go and he would treat. I do not get out much on my off days so I said OK. We would go to lunch, hit the train shop and go to the game. A different diversion on my normal calm laundry, grocery store and guarding the television day off. 

     So off we went. Had lunch. Stopped at a couple of hobby shops. Hit a bicycle shop to look for a part I was searching for on ebay. Found the part at a local bike shop in St. Pete. Otherwise I would have probably bought the wrong part on ebay. 

     Checked out downtown St. Pete. Good to get out now and then. I like checking out downtown big cities as I like to look at how people live there. Walking, running, riding bicycles, riding motor scooters. Catching buses. The buildings. The streets. The people. Again fun. 

     So we went to the stadium. Then the robbery starts. Game tickets, $50 each. Parking $15. Walked into the store. Hats were $45. Tee shirts $30. I didn't even pick up the nice jerseys to check the prices. Baseball bats for $75. These real fans must be rich! 

     Heading to the seats we stopped in this like a bar place. A beer was $10. A soft drink was $5. So after drinking $20 worth of beer we went to our seats. Countless food places. I went for the $9 Italian sausage. Hotdogs were only $8 and maybe would have given me less heartburn. Bag of peanuts were only $6.50. The best deal was the $10 soft drink that can with a special cup that would give you refills. 

     So we have the national anthem. Most people stood. Very few put their hand on their heart. I guess people don't do that anymore. It could be politically incorrect. But we had great seats. I did not think there was going to be many chances for a foul. ball. But a lot came our way. I sat on the end seat and had the luxury of having the cheer leaders right there. 

     I guess all the rig a ma role is part of the show. I was bored. The mascot thing came up to me and stared. Then patted me on the head. I do not know why it picked me out. The sound system was too load. I had a screamer behind me. The game was boring and slow. 

     I just do not get excited about the sports hype. I would have rather stayed home and watched Leave It To Beaver while performing household chores. Must be a boring person without any social skills. But every once in a while one should check it out. As I said in an earlier post called Nerds. Once in a while a nerd just has to rear up his ugly head and see what the regular people do. Only to realize it much more fun to just be a nerd. A lot less expensive too!

The Bell Curve

     I have effectively been working for forty four years. I started a lawn business in 1970. Just a little and it grew into a business that in 1974 I was making $375 a week. That was a lot of money considering then most of the yards I mowed were paying anywhere form $2 to $5. Some larger commercial accounts got me to that figure. But I did not abandon the smaller jobs that got me going.
     I continued this avocation on a side basis well into the nineties.
     The point I am trying to drive here is an old business adage. The Bell Curve. The Bell Curve states that you have 20% of your customers that will never be happy. 60% that will take things as they are. And 20% that you can never upset.
      So as a business person you have 60% of your business that I consider volatile. Not only is this the majority of your business. It is the business that you can lose if you do not make them happy. These are the people that will continue to do business with you if they are treated accordingly. But will at the same token not do business  with you if you in most cases disappoint them.
      They will not go screaming to manager. They will not call corporate. They will just go elsewhere. So when your actions make someone unhappy they do not whine. Just go somewhere else. Causing you to loose your main business.
     This can be effectively dealt with if you train your employees. We have to remember as employes that we are not there to just cash a check. But to receive a check if we effectively perform our functions. In most cases to satisfy a customer's needs.
      In the most part customers are not concerned with your personal situation. They are on their own track and don't care about you. Sorry, but that is the way it is.
       So that is the way it is in business.

The Bell Curve

     I have effectively been working for forty four years. I started a lawn business in 1970. Just a little and it grew into a business that in 1974 I was making $375 a week. That was a lot of money considering then most of the yards I mowed were paying anywhere form $2 to $5. Some larger commercial accounts got me to that figure. But I did not abandon the smaller jobs that got me going.
     I continued this avocation on a side basis well into the nineties.
     The point I am trying to drive here is an old business adage. The Bell Curve. The Bell Curve states that you have 20% of your customers that will never be happy. 60% that will take things as they are. And 20% that you can never upset.
      So as a business person you have 60% of your business that I consider volatile. Not only is this the majority of your business. It is the business that you can lose if you do not make them happy. These are the people that will continue to do business with you if they are treated accordingly. But will at the same token not do business  with you if you in most cases disappoint them.
      They will not go screaming to manager. They will not call corporate. They will just go elsewhere. So when your actions make someone unhappy they do not whine. Just go somewhere else. Causing you to loose your main business.
     This can be effectively dealt with if you train your employees. We have to remember as employes that we are not there to just cash a check. But to receive a check if we effectively perform our functions. In most cases to satisfy a customer's needs.
      In the most part customers are not concerned with your personal situation. They are on their own track and don't care about you. Sorry, but that is the way it is.
       So that is the way it is in business.

Hot Or Cold Water? Premium Or Bargin Detergent? What Is Most Frugal?

     Some time ago I did a post on laundry. Different temps for different types of laundry and such. A big question I have been thinking about is detergent. Why is there so big of a spread in price?

      I usually buy my store's brand. It seems to work fine. But would I get a much better result with the high dollar name brand? Or am I just paying for advertising and sponsorships. 

     As I am writing this I am doing a load of work clothes. Tonight I am using cold water instead of the hottest setting that I usually use. When I wash my pots and pans at work I use very hot water as it cuts the grease better. So I will find out if cold water will cut the grease in work clothes. 

     As I will be doing my grocery shopping tomorrow I am going to buy a small size of the high dollar detergent. I will try another load of work clothes in cold water and check the results. If the results are similar I can deduce that high dollar detergent is only paying for advertising and sponsorships. If I find a difference one of life's mysteries will be solved. As at this juncture I am under the impression that soap is soap. 

     The same goes for bleach. Several years ago Clorox cut the size down from a gallon and still raised the price. Sort of spearheaded a trend. As most manufacturers have done the same thing over the last few years. As with detergent I have been buying the store brand or even dollar store brand for years. It still seems like bleach. 

     So over a period of a week or two I should be able to have a concise answer to these mysteries. As I use a coin laundry hot or cold water does not change the price. But as a homeowner that has to supply the water and machines these results could save a lot over the long run. As not having to use hot water will cut done on your energy bill. Whether you generate your hot water by electric or gas. 

     Again this is a boring subject. But when I see people using a high dollar brand I wonder if it is worth it. Imagine if you are buying $12 detergent and are getting the same results as my store brand for $3? So this experiment could potentially save you $9 a week. Or conversely justify the extra expense. Nine dollars a week comes out to $468 a year. Cold water for the homeowner would probably save around $100 a year. So this is a lot of cash you could do other things with in my book. 

     So stay in touch. I will keep you posted as to the results. If they are mark ed that represents something to consider. If they are not, It's up to you.

Hot Or Cold Water? Premium Or Bargin Detergent? What Is Most Frugal?

     Some time ago I did a post on laundry. Different temps for different types of laundry and such. A big question I have been thinking about is detergent. Why is there so big of a spread in price?

      I usually buy my store's brand. It seems to work fine. But would I get a much better result with the high dollar name brand? Or am I just paying for advertising and sponsorships. 

     As I am writing this I am doing a load of work clothes. Tonight I am using cold water instead of the hottest setting that I usually use. When I wash my pots and pans at work I use very hot water as it cuts the grease better. So I will find out if cold water will cut the grease in work clothes. 

     As I will be doing my grocery shopping tomorrow I am going to buy a small size of the high dollar detergent. I will try another load of work clothes in cold water and check the results. If the results are similar I can deduce that high dollar detergent is only paying for advertising and sponsorships. If I find a difference one of life's mysteries will be solved. As at this juncture I am under the impression that soap is soap. 

     The same goes for bleach. Several years ago Clorox cut the size down from a gallon and still raised the price. Sort of spearheaded a trend. As most manufacturers have done the same thing over the last few years. As with detergent I have been buying the store brand or even dollar store brand for years. It still seems like bleach. 

     So over a period of a week or two I should be able to have a concise answer to these mysteries. As I use a coin laundry hot or cold water does not change the price. But as a homeowner that has to supply the water and machines these results could save a lot over the long run. As not having to use hot water will cut done on your energy bill. Whether you generate your hot water by electric or gas. 

     Again this is a boring subject. But when I see people using a high dollar brand I wonder if it is worth it. Imagine if you are buying $12 detergent and are getting the same results as my store brand for $3? So this experiment could potentially save you $9 a week. Or conversely justify the extra expense. Nine dollars a week comes out to $468 a year. Cold water for the homeowner would probably save around $100 a year. So this is a lot of cash you could do other things with in my book. 

     So stay in touch. I will keep you posted as to the results. If they are mark ed that represents something to consider. If they are not, It's up to you.