Author Topic: you be careful with that cheapo stuff  (Read 17320 times)

psychomoustache

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you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« on: April 02, 2013, 01:57:24 PM »
http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2013/04/01/when-frugality-goes-too-far

You might get hurt! You might get cold! You might just be an idiot!

See if you're an idiot, then Obviously you Should have Done your Shopping, like, DUH.

Oy vey.

Self-employed-swami

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2013, 02:02:59 PM »
Most of those people are dumb.

Daley

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2013, 02:15:45 PM »
Were the subjects foolish with their money in the oh so stereotypical, "penny wise, pound foolish," sort of way? Absolutely. There's a pretty solid line between smart frugality and being a stingy miser who doesn't think things through.

Should we throw stones and make fun? Only if our own little community doesn't frequently indulge in that same sort of short-sighted stingy stupidity.... and there totally isn't a whole mess of that sort of thing here in these forums on a regular basis! No sir!

I Love Cake

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2013, 02:19:52 PM »
A 'non frugal' habit that people think is frugal is this

They save all their coins. Then they spend the 9% getting a coinstar machine to count it for them. I tell these people-you are automatically LOSING 9% on your money-how is this saving anything? Either roll it yourself and take it to the bank or stop saving your coins and begin to save $5 bills (which I've done in the past)

Just can't wrap my head around these folks that feel they are coming out ahead

Spork

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2013, 02:58:40 PM »
A 'non frugal' habit that people think is frugal is this

They save all their coins. Then they spend the 9% getting a coinstar machine to count it for them. I tell these people-you are automatically LOSING 9% on your money-how is this saving anything? Either roll it yourself and take it to the bank or stop saving your coins and begin to save $5 bills (which I've done in the past)

Just can't wrap my head around these folks that feel they are coming out ahead

...or take it to the Coinstar machine and select "Give me an Amazon gift certificate".  Then buy something you were already planning on buying.

Cost of counting: $0

I Love Cake

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2013, 03:03:56 PM »
A 'non frugal' habit that people think is frugal is this

They save all their coins. Then they spend the 9% getting a coinstar machine to count it for them. I tell these people-you are automatically LOSING 9% on your money-how is this saving anything? Either roll it yourself and take it to the bank or stop saving your coins and begin to save $5 bills (which I've done in the past)

Just can't wrap my head around these folks that feel they are coming out ahead

...or take it to the Coinstar machine and select "Give me an Amazon gift certificate".  Then buy something you were already planning on buying.

Cost of counting: $0

I don't think our machines have that option.

Spork

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2013, 03:23:59 PM »
A 'non frugal' habit that people think is frugal is this

They save all their coins. Then they spend the 9% getting a coinstar machine to count it for them. I tell these people-you are automatically LOSING 9% on your money-how is this saving anything? Either roll it yourself and take it to the bank or stop saving your coins and begin to save $5 bills (which I've done in the past)

Just can't wrap my head around these folks that feel they are coming out ahead

...or take it to the Coinstar machine and select "Give me an Amazon gift certificate".  Then buy something you were already planning on buying.

Cost of counting: $0

I don't think our machines have that option.

This will give you a way to search for one near you... with details of what ecerts are available at each one.  If you use amazon, it's totally worth it.

I Love Cake

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2013, 04:30:33 PM »
A 'non frugal' habit that people think is frugal is this

They save all their coins. Then they spend the 9% getting a coinstar machine to count it for them. I tell these people-you are automatically LOSING 9% on your money-how is this saving anything? Either roll it yourself and take it to the bank or stop saving your coins and begin to save $5 bills (which I've done in the past)

Just can't wrap my head around these folks that feel they are coming out ahead

...or take it to the Coinstar machine and select "Give me an Amazon gift certificate".  Then buy something you were already planning on buying.

Cost of counting: $0

I don't think our machines have that option.

This will give you a way to search for one near you... with details of what ecerts are available at each one.  If you use amazon, it's totally worth it.

thanks! Checked it out and only 'cash vouchers' which means 9% off in my neck of the woods. I live in Canada so maybe they don't do the store vouchers here?

kisserofsinners

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2013, 05:33:11 PM »
A 'non frugal' habit that people think is frugal is this

They save all their coins. Then they spend the 9% getting a coinstar machine to count it for them. I tell these people-you are automatically LOSING 9% on your money-how is this saving anything? Either roll it yourself and take it to the bank or stop saving your coins and begin to save $5 bills (which I've done in the past)

Just can't wrap my head around these folks that feel they are coming out ahead

...or take it to the Coinstar machine and select "Give me an Amazon gift certificate".  Then buy something you were already planning on buying.

Cost of counting: $0

I don't think our machines have that option.

This will give you a way to search for one near you... with details of what ecerts are available at each one.  If you use amazon, it's totally worth it.

thanks! Checked it out and only 'cash vouchers' which means 9% off in my neck of the woods. I live in Canada so maybe they don't do the store vouchers here?
More and more credit unions have these available for their members to use for free. San Fran Fire CU, for one. :)

Jamesqf

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2013, 09:50:43 PM »
There's also a major attitude problem in some of the examples, as for instance
Quote
...concerns about the economy inspired her to plant a "victory garden" in her backyard. But instead of yielding fresh produce and reducing her grocery bill, the garden grew into a source of frustration. Hanes, who is self-employed, estimates she invested more than $3,500 worth of work hours over the course of the summer for about $20 worth of produce.

Sure, if you look at the hours you spend on gardening as work hours, you're bound to lose money.  If you look at them as recreation and/or relaxation, it's a different story.

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2013, 11:01:18 PM »
There's also a major attitude problem in some of the examples, as for instance
Quote
...concerns about the economy inspired her to plant a "victory garden" in her backyard. But instead of yielding fresh produce and reducing her grocery bill, the garden grew into a source of frustration. Hanes, who is self-employed, estimates she invested more than $3,500 worth of work hours over the course of the summer for about $20 worth of produce.

Sure, if you look at the hours you spend on gardening as work hours, you're bound to lose money.  If you look at them as recreation and/or relaxation, it's a different story.

Exactly. I wrote a whole post about this as it applies to the economics of growing food. http://www.nwedible.com/2013/01/is-growing-your-own-food-worth-it.html

psychomoustache

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #11 on: April 03, 2013, 02:00:39 AM »

Should we throw stones and make fun? Only if our own little community doesn't frequently indulge in that same sort of short-sighted stingy stupidity.... and there totally isn't a whole mess of that sort of thing here in these forums on a regular basis! No sir!

Who me, make fun? As a Total Wimpy-Ass Mustachian, who is wearing today a nail polish color called "Trophy Wife" (could I make that up?) (bought by my mom who sent me SEVEN of these nail polish things) (I come by my Princess-nature God-honestly, there's always that) I wouldn't dare make fun of people who decide to rent unheated spaces in Philly.

It's live and learn, babe, we all gotta do what we gotta do. I gotta fix the chips on my "Trophy Wife" here. Be where you are, and Own it, y'know?

ShavenLlama

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #12 on: April 03, 2013, 09:52:01 AM »
There's also a major attitude problem in some of the examples, as for instance
Quote
...concerns about the economy inspired her to plant a "victory garden" in her backyard. But instead of yielding fresh produce and reducing her grocery bill, the garden grew into a source of frustration. Hanes, who is self-employed, estimates she invested more than $3,500 worth of work hours over the course of the summer for about $20 worth of produce.

Sure, if you look at the hours you spend on gardening as work hours, you're bound to lose money.  If you look at them as recreation and/or relaxation, it's a different story.

How can you not get a single tomato? Not a single one? Sometimes they already have baby fruits before you even get them off the shelf at the Depot!

We've put a little cash into the infrastructure of our "victory garden" this year, and several hours of our time. And we're not done yet. But even before we put our seedlings in the ground, the yard already looks nicer and we can proudly say we did it ourselves.

Of course, some neighbors try to pull the "Yeah, but what's your TIME worth?" nonsense, to which I say, "Yeah, but how many hours did your fat ass find comfort on your couch cushions this week while your brain was turned to mush by reality TV reruns? How much did THAT earn you?"
I don't actually say that. But I want to.

KatieSSS

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #13 on: April 03, 2013, 11:21:25 AM »
A 'non frugal' habit that people think is frugal is this

They save all their coins. Then they spend the 9% getting a coinstar machine to count it for them. I tell these people-you are automatically LOSING 9% on your money-how is this saving anything? Either roll it yourself and take it to the bank or stop saving your coins and begin to save $5 bills (which I've done in the past)

Just can't wrap my head around these folks that feel they are coming out ahead

TRUTH! Except...was I just very fortunate that the bank I went to growing up counted your coins and gave you the cash equivalent for free? No banks do this anymore. What is the deal? I grew up in the 80s-90s, so I'm not talking half a century ago or anything.

I count my own coins, thanks, as I'm not forking over any % of my own money just for a machine to count it!

MrMoneyMullet

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #14 on: April 03, 2013, 12:14:35 PM »

TRUTH! Except...was I just very fortunate that the bank I went to growing up counted your coins and gave you the cash equivalent for free? No banks do this anymore. What is the deal? I grew up in the 80s-90s, so I'm not talking half a century ago or anything.

I count my own coins, thanks, as I'm not forking over any % of my own money just for a machine to count it!

I have used several different banks over the years and they always have a coin counting machine and do not charge a fee....? The last time I had this done was a few months ago at a USBank. What bank do you use?

Spork

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #15 on: April 03, 2013, 12:49:51 PM »

TRUTH! Except...was I just very fortunate that the bank I went to growing up counted your coins and gave you the cash equivalent for free? No banks do this anymore. What is the deal? I grew up in the 80s-90s, so I'm not talking half a century ago or anything.

I count my own coins, thanks, as I'm not forking over any % of my own money just for a machine to count it!

I have used several different banks over the years and they always have a coin counting machine and do not charge a fee....? The last time I had this done was a few months ago at a USBank. What bank do you use?

Over the past 10 years or so, I've seen fewer and fewer of the free counts.  It's sort of dumb, too.  You'll trust me to count them myself and stuff them in rolls ... but you'll charge me to assure a good count using a machine you're already using?  (It was about that time that I discovered the free coinstar gift certs.)

Jamesqf

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #16 on: April 03, 2013, 12:55:28 PM »
How can you not get a single tomato? Not a single one? Sometimes they already have baby fruits before you even get them off the shelf at the Depot!

Don't know about tomatos (I don't regard them as either edible or ornamental), but hereabouts (east side of the Sierra Nevada) we can get late/early frosts that wipe out a lot of tender stuff.  I count on getting peaches, cherries, &c maybe two years out of five, sweet corn & melons are pretty iffy, etc.  OTOH I almost always get a good crop of peas & asparagus.

A 'non frugal' habit that people think is frugal is this

They save all their coins. Then they spend the 9% getting a coinstar machine to count it for them. I tell these people-you are automatically LOSING 9% on your money-how is this saving anything? Either roll it yourself and take it to the bank or stop saving your coins and begin to save $5 bills (which I've done in the past)

I can't understand that, either.  Why not just give exact change when you're paying?  I seldom have much change, as it tends to go out about as fast as it comes in.

mm31

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #17 on: April 03, 2013, 12:55:53 PM »
US Bank still does this, I changed around $120 worth of coins there last month. I had to close my account with them this month though, I was not satisfied with the overall service

innkeeper77

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #18 on: April 03, 2013, 01:47:38 PM »
On change counting: what happens if you merely count the coins yourself, write out a deposit slip, and plunk down a bowl of change on the counter? My bank will count for you, for free. (Chase. They aren't terrible.. but I just have a credit card and checking account with them, nothing else)

strider3700

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #19 on: April 03, 2013, 02:49:41 PM »

How can you not get a single tomato? Not a single one? Sometimes they already have baby fruits before you even get them off the shelf at the Depot!



As a long time gardener who's spent way way more on gardens then they've ever saved me it's really easy to not get a tomato.  Start a bit too early and get wiped out by a late frost,  start a bit late and get wiped out by an early frost.  Start things at the perfect time do everything right and get blight wiping out everyting anyways...   

I for instance am trying for parsnips for my 7th straight year.  I've never grown 1 successfully.  They're not even that hard I'm told but I keep losing them when they're just tiny....

Still the hobby is so different from my day job I love the change and can't give it up.   It doesn't have to be expensive but it's easy to do so.  I just dropped $1200 on a new greenhouse for the backyard...

Spork

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #20 on: April 03, 2013, 03:08:12 PM »
On change counting: what happens if you merely count the coins yourself, write out a deposit slip, and plunk down a bowl of change on the counter? My bank will count for you, for free. (Chase. They aren't terrible.. but I just have a credit card and checking account with them, nothing else)

I've had them tell me to hump a rock.  (Not exactly in that wording, mind you.)  My banks have had a policy that they had to be rolled.  I tried pointing out that it was legal tender and they had to take it.... didn't help.  They also had some silly "and we'll only take 5 rolls per day" rule.  So ... count yourself, roll them, bring them in 5 at a time.  Blech.

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #21 on: April 03, 2013, 03:19:14 PM »

How can you not get a single tomato? Not a single one? Sometimes they already have baby fruits before you even get them off the shelf at the Depot!


Says the person from Southern California. How do you not get tomatoes? Easy. Move north. ;)

Rural

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #22 on: April 03, 2013, 04:01:39 PM »

TRUTH! Except...was I just very fortunate that the bank I went to growing up counted your coins and gave you the cash equivalent for free? No banks do this anymore. What is the deal? I grew up in the 80s-90s, so I'm not talking half a century ago or anything.

I count my own coins, thanks, as I'm not forking over any % of my own money just for a machine to count it!

I have used several different banks over the years and they always have a coin counting machine and do not charge a fee....? The last time I had this done was a few months ago at a USBank. What bank do you use?

Over the past 10 years or so, I've seen fewer and fewer of the free counts.  It's sort of dumb, too.  You'll trust me to count them myself and stuff them in rolls ... but you'll charge me to assure a good count using a machine you're already using?  (It was about that time that I discovered the free coinstar gift certs.)

My small local bank lets me drop change off, counts it, deposits it in my account, and returns the canning jars I took the change in the next time I stop by. Try that with one of the majors!

I Love Cake

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #23 on: April 03, 2013, 05:02:13 PM »
On change counting: what happens if you merely count the coins yourself, write out a deposit slip, and plunk down a bowl of change on the counter? My bank will count for you, for free. (Chase. They aren't terrible.. but I just have a credit card and checking account with them, nothing else)

I've had them tell me to hump a rock.  (Not exactly in that wording, mind you.)  My banks have had a policy that they had to be rolled.  I tried pointing out that it was legal tender and they had to take it.... didn't help.  They also had some silly "and we'll only take 5 rolls per day" rule.  So ... count yourself, roll them, bring them in 5 at a time.  Blech.

not so sure about the legal tender bit. I remember looking that up once many moons ago. And in my country (Canada) you could give up to 25 pennies and $20 in change-anymore and they could say 'no'. So all those urban myths about the tenant being pissed off at landlord and giving final rent money in pennies probably wasn't true-or if it was, the landlord didn't have to accept it

Banks here will slide over those paper rollers to you if you plunk down your piggy full of change

sheepstache

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #24 on: April 03, 2013, 07:03:29 PM »
On change counting: what happens if you merely count the coins yourself, write out a deposit slip, and plunk down a bowl of change on the counter? My bank will count for you, for free. (Chase. They aren't terrible.. but I just have a credit card and checking account with them, nothing else)

I've had them tell me to hump a rock.  (Not exactly in that wording, mind you.)  My banks have had a policy that they had to be rolled.  I tried pointing out that it was legal tender and they had to take it.... didn't help.  They also had some silly "and we'll only take 5 rolls per day" rule.  So ... count yourself, roll them, bring them in 5 at a time.  Blech.

not so sure about the legal tender bit. I remember looking that up once many moons ago. And in my country (Canada) you could give up to 25 pennies and $20 in change-anymore and they could say 'no'. So all those urban myths about the tenant being pissed off at landlord and giving final rent money in pennies probably wasn't true-or if it was, the landlord didn't have to accept it

Banks here will slide over those paper rollers to you if you plunk down your piggy full of change

My understanding in the US is that cash and change is legal tender that must be accepted . . . for debts.  Thus, your landlord has to take change if you owe them rent, but not necessarily if you're paying for the coming month.  Your credit card company has to accept change.  The policy here that buses only accept change and no cash is legal because your bus fare isn't a debt.

I think what confuses me about the garden part is: it didn't work the first time therefore it's a waste of time?  How do you ever get good at anything with that attitude?

ShavenLlama

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #25 on: April 04, 2013, 12:33:33 PM »

How can you not get a single tomato? Not a single one? Sometimes they already have baby fruits before you even get them off the shelf at the Depot!


Says the person from Southern California. How do you not get tomatoes? Easy. Move north. ;)

Ok, fair enough, but this woman was in Albequerque. And tomatoes are native to Mexico! :)



Regarding the coin argument, I once took some counted and rolled coins into the frighten US Post Office and the guy told me he couldn't take them rolled. So I told him to count them, it's US Currency and this is the post office! I felt bad for the line that started to form. But not that bad.
Then once I broke the automated stamp seller because I overloaded it with pennies and nickels. I've noticed that the newer machines won't even take pennies.

EMP

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #26 on: April 04, 2013, 02:04:03 PM »

How can you not get a single tomato? Not a single one? Sometimes they already have baby fruits before you even get them off the shelf at the Depot!


Says the person from Southern California. How do you not get tomatoes? Easy. Move north. ;)

Ok, fair enough, but this woman was in Albequerque. And tomatoes are native to Mexico! :)



Regarding the coin argument, I once took some counted and rolled coins into the frighten US Post Office and the guy told me he couldn't take them rolled. So I told him to count them, it's US Currency and this is the post office! I felt bad for the line that started to form. But not that bad.
Then once I broke the automated stamp seller because I overloaded it with pennies and nickels. I've noticed that the newer machines won't even take pennies.

Tomatoes are hard for beginners.  Now if you couldn't get a single radish or pepper, then you've got problems.

strider3700

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #27 on: April 04, 2013, 02:55:41 PM »
peppers need even more heat then tomatoes. without assistance they're almost impossible here in the ground.  I need to start them indoors, harden them off, plant in the ground, and then near the end of the season provide cover for a few extra weeks to get something from them. 
 Radish, garlic or peas are pretty hard to screw up though. 

EMP

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #28 on: April 04, 2013, 03:48:38 PM »
In my experience a pepper plant can take much more abuse than a tomato plant.  Tomatoes will stop setting blossoms once it gets too hot, which is not a problem for peppers.  So if you get your tomatoes in too late for one reason or another, you have to hope it stays mild long enough to get a crop.  Peppers are also less finicky about the amount of water they get. 

strider3700

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #29 on: April 04, 2013, 04:19:54 PM »
I'd agree on those points.  Heat and time are seriously lacking this far north so non-babied peppers are a crap shoot for me.     Frost usually hits before any of them mature.

c

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #30 on: April 04, 2013, 06:13:40 PM »
None of these examples seem particularly shameful to me. They all seem like people trying to make a difference.

I spent some time and money trying to grow various things last year, it didn't work out and for what I spent I could ave bought quite a bit at the farmer's market. Who knew?

This year I'm sticking to herbs, which I did very well with.

Erica/NWEdible

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #31 on: April 04, 2013, 08:40:00 PM »
In my experience a pepper plant can take much more abuse than a tomato plant.  Tomatoes will stop setting blossoms once it gets too hot, which is not a problem for peppers.  So if you get your tomatoes in too late for one reason or another, you have to hope it stays mild long enough to get a crop.

Bwwwaaaaa haaa haaa!! ::wipes tears from her eyes:: Oh, thanks, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Too much heat for tomatoes. Hah haaaa! "Once it gets too hot..." That's a good one, seriously.

You have to understand, Strider and I are gardening in a place where it is a shocking heat wave if the summer overnight lows stay above 58 or 60 for more than a week in the entire year, and anything above 83 causes people to swoon about the intense heat. Too much heat is NEVER a problem for the fruiting veg here. I'd say that, for maybe 90% of the year in my town, the temperature is within 20 degrees of 50.

On the other hand, we can grow lettuce in August most years without it bolting, so each region has its advantages.

Jamesqf

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #32 on: April 04, 2013, 11:06:37 PM »
Ah, but you're still lucky.  Try gardening in a place where summer daytime highs can be over 100, and the overnight low (the same day) can be sub-50.  And it's quite possible to get snow in any month, or 70 degree highs in February...

EMP

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #33 on: April 05, 2013, 11:10:43 AM »
In my experience a pepper plant can take much more abuse than a tomato plant.  Tomatoes will stop setting blossoms once it gets too hot, which is not a problem for peppers.  So if you get your tomatoes in too late for one reason or another, you have to hope it stays mild long enough to get a crop.

Bwwwaaaaa haaa haaa!! ::wipes tears from her eyes:: Oh, thanks, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Too much heat for tomatoes. Hah haaaa! "Once it gets too hot..." That's a good one, seriously.

You have to understand, Strider and I are gardening in a place where it is a shocking heat wave if the summer overnight lows stay above 58 or 60 for more than a week in the entire year, and anything above 83 causes people to swoon about the intense heat. Too much heat is NEVER a problem for the fruiting veg here. I'd say that, for maybe 90% of the year in my town, the temperature is within 20 degrees of 50.

On the other hand, we can grow lettuce in August most years without it bolting, so each region has its advantages.

I'm in the Great Plains.  Last year we had a few weeks of 70 degree days in Feb followed by snow in March and the last frost in May I think.  Then it got up to 100 for many more days than normal during the summer.  By late August I had some blossoms and a couple tiny tomatoes by September.  Oh, and the extreme drought/water restrictions.  The summer before I lost everything b/c of too much rain/blight. 

Peppers, though.  I did great with peppers both years. 

My parents do better, but they have better sunlight exposure and more time to devote to this. 

the fixer

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #34 on: April 05, 2013, 06:43:47 PM »
Ah, but you're still lucky.  Try gardening in a place where summer daytime highs can be over 100, and the overnight low (the same day) can be sub-50.  And it's quite possible to get snow in any month, or 70 degree highs in February...
Try living in a place where summer daytime highs can be over 100, and the overnight low doesn't get below 85! This is what happened the last summer or two in the mid-Atlantic, and it wreaks havoc on crops. They need to cool off overnight.

The mid-Atlantic also has bad humidity, and last year our garden got decimated by blight around August; lost all the tomato plants (but we still got a few tomatoes) and our cucumbers. We read something that said pepper plants can't take the heat, but amazingly they were the only plants that did pretty well and seemed to be blight-resistant.

Our lesson learned: there's a reason it's near impossible to find local produce that's organic in our area! Local organic produce would consist of yellowed, blighted greens and not much else.

strider3700

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #35 on: April 05, 2013, 07:04:19 PM »
Diversification. It's not just for investments.

EMP

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #36 on: April 06, 2013, 06:55:22 AM »
Diversification. It's not just for investments.

+1

mm1970

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #37 on: April 07, 2013, 05:22:41 PM »
In my experience a pepper plant can take much more abuse than a tomato plant.  Tomatoes will stop setting blossoms once it gets too hot, which is not a problem for peppers.  So if you get your tomatoes in too late for one reason or another, you have to hope it stays mild long enough to get a crop.

Bwwwaaaaa haaa haaa!! ::wipes tears from her eyes:: Oh, thanks, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Too much heat for tomatoes. Hah haaaa! "Once it gets too hot..." That's a good one, seriously.

You have to understand, Strider and I are gardening in a place where it is a shocking heat wave if the summer overnight lows stay above 58 or 60 for more than a week in the entire year, and anything above 83 causes people to swoon about the intense heat. Too much heat is NEVER a problem for the fruiting veg here. I'd say that, for maybe 90% of the year in my town, the temperature is within 20 degrees of 50.

On the other hand, we can grow lettuce in August most years without it bolting, so each region has its advantages.

My tomatoes grow great in So Cal...as in, I had one tomato plant survive the winter and fruit again.

I've never been able to grow a pepper.  I admit, I've only tried a few times.

jnik

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #38 on: April 10, 2013, 01:39:08 PM »
Ok, fair enough, but this woman was in Albequerque. And tomatoes are native to Mexico! :)
Mexico and New Mexico aren't the same....

This time of year about half the weekly newsletters from my CSA are agonizing over tomatoes. That's a professional farm, open 10 years in the same location plus several years of experience from elsewhere. In Albuquerque.

Tomatoes ain't easy.

Jamesqf

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #39 on: April 10, 2013, 05:42:48 PM »
Mexico and New Mexico aren't the same....

Even Mexico and Mexico aren't the same.  Parts of Mexico are tropical jungles, others are deserts.  Parts of the northern interior are at fairly high elevations, too, so below freezing temperatures are fairly common there.

ShavenLlama

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Re: you be careful with that cheapo stuff
« Reply #40 on: April 11, 2013, 05:57:23 PM »

Mexico and New Mexico aren't the same....


Historically and naturally, they kind of are. I wasn't aware that the border fence created a drastic change in the climate. I stand corrected. And since tomatoes are hard, yeah the lady in the article should just give up instead of trying a new technique or variety.