It’s that time again. You ask, and I pretend to know things and answer your burning questions. It really is so much fun to open my inbox and see the wide variety of questions you guys have. Reminds me that my readers are so diverse and pretty dang awesome. So keep those questions coming and I’ll keep racking my brain for answers. As always, please pipe up if you have any input or are knowledgeable when it comes to any of the following questions:
I was wondering if you have used Ollas pots? If so, how did that work out for you? I would like to give it a go. I think they are steep in price though. I’ve seen online people making their own,but I need to know results of home made vs store bought. I love your blog. Happy gardening!!
~ Carolyn- Everett, WA
I have not tried them, but they are definitely an interesting “try smarter, not harder” sort of concept. I wonder if you could kind of DIY these using a small terra cotta plant with a homemade lid {I am thinking a little soda bottle lid cut off and fitted of the top}? It might be worth a try to get around the steep price? Then again, if you are using these in only a couple of pots and they will be readily visible, like on your front porch, they may be worth the investment? If you do decide to give them a try, make sure to report back on how you like them.
Do you have any ideas to save money on Internet without having cable I was thinking about doing away with both when contract is up!!!!!
~Cheryl from Facebook
I think you are asking because you will no longer be getting a bundle price? Honestly, I think that if you call around {and ask your neighbors}, you will be surprised to find there are TONS of options for internet out there. I hesitate to start naming them off, because it’s my understanding that it really depends where you are located as to which services are available. Ask your current provider if they would rather lose you altogether, or give you a decent rate on internet service. Remember, that while you may pay slightly more for internet after ditching cable, you will be paying NOTHING for cable, so you will have to do the math and make sure, however it lands, you still have more money in your pocket at the end of the month than you did when you had both services.
Here’s an interesting article– thought you might enjoy it!
~Amy
I did appreciate it, thanks Amy. Definitely pop over an read the entire article, if you haven’t already, but in a nutshell, France recently passed a law banning grocery stores from wasting food {putting it into garbage bins}. They will now have to create contracts with local charities, food kitchens, etc. to arrange for the food to be used and distributed.
Food waste bugs me more than anything. The picture above is from a post I did a couple of years back {How Much Food Does the Average Family Throw Away in One Year?} If one family throws away this much, can you imagine what the grocery stores are throwing away?!
You are obviously an accomplished interior painter and I am anything but. In fact the whole idea scares me. But I like the idea of being ABLE to do it. How does one learn without making too big a mess or wasting too much money in the process?
~Pauline
Honestly, the only way to get good at it is to actually do it. Trust me, it’s not as technical as you think, as long as you take the TIME to do all of the prep work. Check out My Top 10 Interior Painting Secrets, and hit YouTube, HGTV.com, and even the Home Depot website for great tips on DIY painting.
Not a question… just an observation. This is a colossal waste of money, and I thought you would appreciate it.
Seriously. If you paid $65 {or even the sale price of $38.98} for this Valentine, you need to visit the bulk bin in your grocery store. You could throw this whole thing together at the bulk bins for $10-15 with canisters, easy.
Donna from Michigan
P.S. Like us on Facebook at sanfordsmetal works
This is probably not what you want to hear, but here’s how I have figured my cost to sell items in the past: It does cost about 12-15% to sell items on Ebay or Etsy. I add in another 10-13% in supplies for my rugs. Total, I think about 25% percent of the total sale price goes to selling and making the product. That leaves me about 75% profit. If I tallied the hours it takes to make my rugs, I don’t think I would even be making minimum wage. For me, though, that’s not the point. I do it because it’s a joy. Selling them is just a bonus to me.
I obviously also have my own website where I can generate traffic that leads people to Ebay and Etsy. I still feel it is worth it to have a store-front like Ebay and Etsy to for my products, because those sites have more people searching their products than I could alone. In my personal experience, building a website that generates enough traffic to draw regular numbers takes years and years. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done, though!
Readers, what do you think is the best route for Donna?
Have a question for me? Submit them HERE and I’ll try to answer them.
~Mavis
Melissa says
If I cut our cable, I’ll only save $2 off having a cable/Internet bundle. Right now I’m paying $76 for both. I’d love to find a better deal, but so far I’ve had no luck.
Jennifer says
We visited that candy store when we were in Miami Beach last week. I had heard such good things about it…my expectations were high. And then smashed into the ground when we actually visited. It’s nothing more than a typical mall pre-packaged candy store. Owned by someone with a famous parent.
The store had shelves in disarray…they were low on stock & run by teenage clerks who treated customers like an inconvenience.
Sorry to say that my mom bought stuff from there – just to say that she had bought stuff from there. You’re completely right. A bulk bin would have been better.
Beth Anne says
Mavis just read your top 10 painting tips but you don’t mention anything about wall/ceiling prep – how important is it? What do you do to prep your walls beside the standard washing them before you paint. As a “newbie” painter would love to hear what you do to prep prior to painting.
RebekahU says
Mavis – The next time you have a mean comment, march straight to the mirror and state: I AM AWESOME! You really are, and you do such a service in all the information and encouragement you share here. So! No matter what anyone says, know that many of us who read are for the most part silent, and we think you are awesome possum. Keep on keeping on!
Sarah says
Hey Mavis, while i have not ever heard about Ollas pot/watering system I have always used (and adored) old soda/juice bottles with small holes in them. I sink them into the ground before I plant, covering all of it but the cap with dirt. To water, just unscrew the cap, pour water in (a hose is best as some of the bottles are large) and then screw cap back on. I’m from SoCal with constant droughts, so I can’t waste a single drop! My plants always go CRAZY even though on the surface the dirt doesn’t look very wet/damp.
Claudette says
I love, love, love ollas! They are great for people in drought-stricken areas trying to save water. I’ve actually done a lot of research and testing with them. I wrote up a blog post about them if you want to read more: http://cdhobbart.blogspot.com/2016/02/all-about-ollas-water-saving-wonders.html.