Happy New Year! What a year it has been. It’s amazing to look back on not only a year, but a decade gone by. It was really the decade of personal “technology” with the advent of HD Radio, HD Television, GPS devices in so many cars, Ipods, Nanos, PDA’s, Blackberrys, Tivo’s, DVR’s, and more! Cell phones got smaller and even little kids have them now. It’s hard to imagine life without all this stuff! What will this decade bring us? Time will tell.
Comments (1) | Posted by Jenna Kehoe on December 30, 2009
Triple A & Hoffman Beverage Company are offering free New Year’s Eve rides home as a safe alternative to drinking and driving. The service is available across Hampton Roads until 6:00 a.m. on January 3rd. You car will also be towed for free. Cool, isn’t it!
In an effort to scrimp where possible, I scoured the web in search of money saving ideas…I took the liberty of not including ridiculous ideas like “Double Up On Your Mortgage Payment Each Month” … yeah … uhm … people who CAN double up on their mortgage payment aren’t looking to the web for “cutting finanacial corners” … however -
Pay a little extra on your mortgage.You’ll save thousands in the new year. Paying $100 extra a month on a 30-year, $200k mortgage will save you $63,308.63 over the life of the loan, and pay it off over 5 years early! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! That’s pretty cool!
Enroll in your employer’s flexible healthcare spending plan. If you put a set amount into the plan, you can pay expenses like co-pays, prescription costs, over the counter medications, and more, with pre-tax money. I have this and LOVE it!
Get started on a few small projects to make your home more energy-efficient. You could seal up your doors and windows with new weather stripping, add more insulation to your attic, clean up your a/c condenser, or something as simple as switching out your old light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs. Check out www.virginianaturalgas.com for easy, cheap tips!
Become a coupon clipper. Put in the time and effort…it’s not as tedious as you might imagine and you’ll save a ton of money. Total hassle, it’s true – I don’t do it now, but I need to. Below you’ll see great ways to not get ‘hosed’ at the grocery store
Try Google Alerts to find out when an item you want is on sale. This new feature from Google allows you to create up to 1,000 alerts where they will email you when something new that you are searching for shows up on the internet. You’ll need to do a little research to find the right search terms, but it’s a powerful tool. For example, if you are waiting for a “no interest” sale at BestBuy, you could use the search term [ site:www.bestbuy.com "no interest" ]. When Google sees the words “no interest” at the BestBuy website, it’ll email you straight away. Head over to http://google.com/alerts to check it out. SUPER COOL – DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY IT! JUST TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND FIGURE IT OUT SO YOU CAN SAVE SOME DOUGH!
Stop ordering soft drinks when you dine out. Most restaurants will bring you a glass of water with ice for free, and it’s better for you too. If your kids whine too much about it, bring along a packet of flavoring like Krystal Lite, Kool-Aid, etc. You might feel a little embarrassed about dumping it in the water, but with the restaurants charging $2 a drink, it means you’re smart. If you kids complain about it, tell them to get a job and buy they’re own overpriced soda
Here are some grocery store shopping tips I got at www.billeater.com
Food manufacturers and retailers are corporations looking to make money, and they have developed quite a few tricks to get consumers to spend more. Here are 5 tips you can use to be a truly savvy shopper and save some of your hard earned cash:
1. Scrutinize On-Sale Items
Grocery stores are highly organized with the purpose of getting consumers to spend the most money. Large displays of foods “on sale” at the front of the store are often not what they seem. Typically, it’s the manufacturer of the displayed foods that has paid the retailer to showcase their product. Go to the isle the display food is on and compare it to other sizes and brands – 9 times out of 10 there is a much better deal to be won. 2. Beware of Bulk
It used to be that buying in bulk (or even just any larger quantity) saved you money. Well, manufacturers figured out that consumers took advantage of this and decided to sometimes quietly price the food in bulk quantities higher than those in smaller quantities. Most consumers grab the bigger box of cereal assuming it’s a better deal and the manufacturer wins again. Take your calculator with you shopping. Figure out the price per ounce for those two boxes of cereal – You’d be surprised at how often the smaller boxes are priced less per ounce.
3. Look Above and Below
Most consumers buy products that are placed at eye level on the shelves. As a result of this, most grocery stores place their highest priced items at eye level. Scan the entire shelf, high and low, for better bargains. 4. Shop the Perimeter First
Again, grocery stores are organized in such a way to get you to spend the most money. Costlier, prepackaged foods usually sit in the middle of the store, while staple foods, such as milk, eggs and bread line the perimeter. If you buy your staple items first, your cart will already be filled with food and you’ll be less likely to indulge in prepackaged goodies on your way out of the store. 5. Don’t Fall for the Marketing
Food manufacturers spend millions of dollars each year studying you – and what prompts you to buy one brand over another. As a result of all this research, they’ve created some pretty tempting products that are hard to walk away from. However, you have to simply think about what you need versus what you want. Sure those diet snack packs look fun and convenient, but they’re also expensive – incredibly expensive when you consider the amount of calories and nutrients you’re getting for the price. Also, it really does not take that much longer to peel or wash a piece of fruit than it does to open that snack pack. Plus, the piece of fruit is probably even healthier for you anyways!
Wow! Where do I begin. It was a great Christmas, long weekend for me. Christmas was terrific. Time with family and friends is invaluable. Karen had a delicious brunch for her family and I on Friday morning and we exchanged gifts. I got a lot of things I’ve wanted for a long time, but didn’t buy myself. I caught up on a lot of rest over the long weekend and got a lot done around her house and mine. We saw Sherlock Holmes which I thought was just “ok”. This will be a fast week too and another holiday weekend. Happy New Year!
Comments (2) | Posted by Jenna Kehoe on December 22, 2009
My parents, oldest brother – and hopefully my sisters 3 teenagers – will be arriving in Va Beach within 48 hours. With all due respect to Gracie (my mother), yesterday she said “So Jenn, what are we going to do when we’re in town? What’s going on? I want to spend some time seeing all the beautiful things and places down there.” And quite frankly I thought, “I dunno what YOU’RE gonna do, but I’ll have a 3 and 6 year old with a house full of new toys – chances are I won’t make it passed the front door for the next week!” … but it’s my mom…and I love and respect her…so I replied “Oh, mom! So much! In fact, I’ll send you a list of all the cool stuff in town this week!” … So here are a few things I’ve gathered – if you have more PLEASE email me at jenna@2wd.com THANKS!
P.S. Would it be SUPER tacky to have a “honey-do” list prepared for my dad & brother? ‘Cause I totally do have one ready to go!
Dec. 24: Colonial Williamsburg and the Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg will host more than 2,000 guests as they gather at the steps of the Courthouse to listen to past Christmas tales, remarks from the mayor of Williamsburg and witness the tree lighting. Colonial Williamsburg. 800-HISTORY
New Year’s Eve Celebration at 31st Street Hilton
MacArthur On Ice at Mac Center in Downtown Norfolk
Holiday Lights at the Beach
A Christmas Carol – Va Stage Company – Wells Theater
Symphonicity – Dec 23rd at Sandler Center – Messiah Sing A Long!
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM Restless Planet.
Grand Opening of the newly renovated, 12,000-square-foot area featuring habitats, exhibits and aquariums home to 6,000 new animals.
What I weekend! I can hardly remember parts of it. I was at the Postoffice at 12:30 am on Saturday morning mailing my last few gifts that needed to be shipped. The good news was that I was the only one there at the automated shipping machine. The bad news was, I was a little concerned about my safety. Karen and I went to a Christmas party Saturday night and she had Donald and I over for dinner last night. It was very nice. I got the rest of my Christmas presents wrapped and I’m glad we’re in the home stretch now with Christmas coming fast on Friday. I’m thinking of a New Year’s resolution. Do you have one yet?
It’s time fot the TOP 10 blah, blah, blah of 2009 LISTS! I love this stuff! Here are the most viewed (globally) videos on YouTube – David after Dentist is HILARIOUS!!!
12.20.09 The clock is ticking. Won’t be long until the big day is here and all the hassle and bussle is over (for 364 days at least!) Check out this funny Christmas can-can..pass it along!
12.15.09
I celebrated my birthday yesterday and had great time. A steak dinner and a Chocolate Volcano dessert. My Mom and Dad sent me a dollar for every year I’ve been in existence!
I know never send cash in the mail!…wow…but it made it to me. ALL of them.
Who is gonna help me eat all these cookies? No one? Oh, well, OK. ; ) >>>>>
Beautiful decorations….Jilly and Alli…..↓
And sitting next to birthday boy Sarah!
11.30.09
Nothing tops a good Thanksgiving dinner like throwing a pie on the floor in the kitchen!
…actually what happened was the pie was in a foil pie pan and when Jill went to pull it from the oven….well…whooops!
Thanksgiving! Friends and family…..and a great Dallas Cowboy win!
I thought it would be fun for my daughters to put together a gingerbread house for dessert….until I saw All’s boyfriend using a glue gun to hold the walls together!
..clean up on aisle 4 please…..
I think after the kids unveiled the gingerbread house, that’s when the pie got dropped!
And happy 24th birthday to my wife Jilly ; )
11.19.09
Are you in a healthy relationship? Check out the 10 habits of Happy Couples below….are they missing any? Let me know at barry@2wd.com
1. Go to bed at the same time.
2. Cultivate common interests. Find activities you can do together that you both enjoy.
3. Walk hand in hand or side by side.
4. Make trust and forgiveness your default mode. If you have an argument, and can’t resolve it, just forgive the other person and get on with life.
5. Focus more on what your partner does right than what he or she does wrong.
6. Hug each other as soon as you see each other after work.
7. Say “I love you” and “Have a good day” every morning.
8. Say “Good night” every night, regardless of how you feel.
9. Call your partner at home or at work to see how his or her day is going. If your partner is having an awful day, you’ll be ready for it when you get home. Maybe you can do something to make their day better.
10. Be proud to be seen with your partner. Happy couples are pleased to be seen together and are often in some kind of affectionate contact – hand on hand or hand on shoulder or knee or back of neck. They are not showing off but rather just saying that they belong with each other.
11.12.09
Is this weather great or what? Driving down Indian River Road this morning was fun. I almost hit a fallen tree, drove into ditch because of high water and hyro-planed, all while eating an egg McMuffin! I thought I would post some safe driving tips while we sit out the next few days of extreme rain and wind. Stay dry!
When the road is wet, the film of the water on the asphalt causes tires to lose traction. Less obvious is the fact that rain reduces driver perception — it’s harder to see through the rain — and also decreases visibility through its action on headlights, windshields and the road itself. While most people know to slow down in the rain, there are definitely other tips that will help keep you, and those who share the road with you, from becoming a statistic.
Exercise extreme caution after a long dry spell. During a dry period, engine oil and grease build up on the road over time. When mixed with water from a new rainfall, the road becomes extremely slick. Continued rainfall will eventually wash away the oil, but the first few hours can be the most dangerous.
Allow for more travel time. You should plan to drive at a slower pace than normal when the roads are wet. Keep in mind that traffic is likely to be moving slower as well. There’s also the possibility that your preplanned route may be flooded or jammed. Whatever the case, rushing equals higher risk.
Brake earlier and with less force than you would normally. Not only does this increase the stopping distance between you and the car in front of you, it also lets the driver behind you know that you’re slowing down. Also, be more meticulous about using turn signals, so that other drivers know your intentions, and take turns and curves with less speed than you would in dry conditions.
Most of America’s roads are crowned in the middle, which means that the water will run off to the sides. If possible, stay toward the middle of the road to avoid deep standing puddles.
Don’t use cruise control. If you hydroplane, there’s the chance your car could actually accelerate. Cruise control also allows drivers to be less vigilant and to take their foot away from the pedals — not a great idea when reaction time is so important.
If you see a large puddle up ahead, drive around it or choose a different route. It could be that it’s covering a huge gaping maw into the front door of hell. Well, maybe not, but water splashing up into your car’s engine compartment could damage its internal electrical systems. Also, a pothole may be hiding under the water, just waiting in ambush to damage a wheel or knock your suspension out of alignment. If you can’t gauge the depth, or if it’s covering up the side curb, try to avoid it.
Don’t attempt to cross running water. This ain’t an SUV commercial, and you’ll probably get into a heckuva lot of trouble if the force of the water is greater than the weight of your vehicle. All-wheel drive isn’t going to be much help if your vehicle is being pushed sideways. Don’t end up like those folks on the nightly news who had to abandon their cars to Mother Nature.
After you cross a puddle, tap on your brake pedal lightly to dry off some of the water on your rotors.
Turn on your headlights, even when there’s a light sprinkle. It helps you see the road, and more importantly, it helps other motorists see you. However, don’t blast your high beams in the rain or fog — it’ll obscure your view further, as the light will reflect back at you off the water droplets in the air. If your car is equipped with foglights, you may find it helpful to turn these on, as they throw a little extra light on the road while making your car easier to see.
Watch out for pedestrians. An ordinarily observant pedestrian may become distracted by fiddling with an umbrella or a rain slicker. Plus, raindrops deaden sound, so the usual audio clues for measuring car distances become obscured. Keep a sharp lookout for people in the road.
If it’s raining so hard that you can’t see the road or the car in front of you, pull over and wait it out.
Track the car ahead of you. Let the car ahead pave a clear path, so to speak, through the water.
Give a truck or bus extra distance. Their extra-large tires can create enough spray to block your vision completely. Avoid passing one, but if you must pass, do it as quickly as safety allows.
Defog your windows. Rain will quickly cause your windshield to fog up. Switch on both front and rear defrosters and make sure the air conditioning is turned on. Most cars’ climate control systems will automatically engage the A/C when the windshield defrost function is selected.
If you start to hydroplane, don’t brake suddenly or turn the wheel, or you might spin into a skid. Release the gas pedal slowly and steer straight until the car regains traction. If you must brake, tap the brake pedal (unless you have antilock brakes, in which case you can put your foot down).
11.10.09
Season finale of Mad Men was off the hook! So many story lines they can go with next season. Are you into this show? Let me know. Send me a note, barry@2wd.com. Take a minute and Mad Men yourself! Click here. Here I am in Mad Men!
11.5.09
I did not know that it was one of the Doobie Brothers who provided the hot guitar solo in Donna Summers’ song, “HOT STUFF.” I love cool music info like that. I’m reading Gene Simmons from KISS’ new book right now. This guy is a master marketer. It’s a good read if you can get past his constant reminder to ‘never get married.’ Ha Ha.
Is Jenna going to come back from Jamaica with a tan in the middle of November? I’m callin’ my pal Waverly at Copacabana tanning so I keep up with Jenna. And I better get some sort of souvenir! Wait till Jenna finds out I’ve been eating lunch at her desk while she’s gone …and I’m sloppy.
So how you liking the new look of our website? Send me your feedback.
So what has been your favorite Halloween costume that you have worn to a party or trick or treating? I’ve gone as a bag of garbage, Ken (Barbies man) and an elephant! Favorite candy? Fireballs baby! My dentist can tell you more…but hey, hit me back with your Halloween story. Have you ever been really scared? Email me- HERE.
I was watching CNN the other and saw an interesting story about new images of space that are now available for the first time through the Hubble telescope. This is pretty facinating stuff. I took Astronomy in college and thought it was very interesting. Here’s the link to the Hubble web site http://hubblesite.org/ . Here’s a great collection of photos from Hubble too.
This is a descendant of Rudolph. This deer was seen the other day preparing for the long trip around the world on December 24th. If you ever doubted if Santa’s sleigh was real or not, this deer proves it. Watch the video and see for yourself! Happy Holidays!
A Friend Of Rudolph’s Getting Ready For Christmas Eve!
