Menu

Author: John

Extreme Saving – Paying myself first
Posted by: | September 10, 2020
| 5 Comments
| Personal

Many of you know I was poor all my life. I desperately needed to save for retirement, but I had absolutely nothing saved. Fortunately, my new job offered a retirement plan. I started late, so saving for retirement is important to me, especially because I live alone – and likely to die alone.

2020 has been a scary and unstable year. I was hit hard financially (long story skipped). Things are now looking semi-normal. So, I assessed my financial situation and made the needed adjustments for 2020. My plan is extreme. But I am going for it.

It’s September now. For the next 4 months (the rest of the year) I will receive 8 paychecks. For that 8 paychecks, I am investing 50% to 401K. This will put me back on my retirement track. After investing 50%, I will take home 33% of my paychecks. This is extreme. It looks like this.

I am paying a less amount of tax because I am paying tax from 50% of my paycheck. That’s another benefit of 401k. You pay less tax.

This is an unrealistic reduction of take-home pay. But I had to try this. I will make a game out of it. I will make it a personal challenge. It doesn’t matter how I do it. I will survive the next 4 months with less cash. This is for my retirement. I imagine myself 30-40 years older, possibly immobile, and still living alone. I am giving him my money. Hence paying me first.

I am lucky that I’m healthy and have a steady income. There are millions of us without income and/or cannot pay rent. I know how it is to be poor. But this pandemic is different. It’s scary to imagine what’s happening to them.

For now, I will survive the next 4 months. I shall take it day by day. I will cut down on everything. There will be no more Sunday coffee and no more online shopping. My Costco shopping will look sad for the next 4 months.

Today is September 10, 2020. So, 10 days down – 113 more days to go.

Please take care. I will talk to you soon.

Costco In News – September 2020
Posted by: | September 10, 2020
| No Comments
| Costco in the News
Merrillville, Indiana, November 2018

Roasted Garlic Cauli Dip at Costco Midwest
Posted by: | September 5, 2020
| 2 Comments
| Costco Product Review, Food, Household, Pet

Hello US Midwest Costco shoppers. Your local Costco warehouse is currently selling Roasted Garlic Cauli Dip (Cauliflower Dip) by Boulder Organic Foods. They are available now, and during September 2020.

Warehouse locator and more information at Boulder Organic Foods

I have tasted nothing like this before (in a good way). And I never ate this many carrots in my life. I kept dipping my carrots into it. It’s tasty, and it’s light. So, I thought I would make my cauliflower dip. How hard can it be? Then I learned I need a food processor, and it takes one hour to make it.

Cauli Dip is not only tasty, but I think it’s healthier than other dips in the market. If you are trying to stay in shape, every bite counts. Every healthy alternative count.

Have a nice Labor Day weekend. Talk to you soon.

Raffle – youtheory turmeric 1,000 mg ($39 value)
Posted by: | August 18, 2020
| No Comments
| Raffle

Raffle is closed – drawing winners now.

** Do your research before taking supplements.

youtheory is giving away 5 bottles of turmeric capsules. This raffle is only available from ILoveCostco.com. Enter from the form below on this page.

On Raffle – youtheory Turmeric 1,000 mg., Extra Strength Formula, 180 Capsules ($38.99 value).

Prize:

  • youtheory Turmeric 1,000 mg., Extra Strength Formula, 180 Capsules
  • Costco item #1221450 – $38.99
  • 5 winners will receive 1 bottle each.
  • I will draw 5 winners on Saturday, September 12, 2020.
  • US mailing address only.

Turmeric:

Turmeric became popular in recent years after a number of studies showed promising results with its anti-inflammatory properties.

People use turmeric to control:

  • Joint pain
  • Depression
  • Hay fever
  • Itching (kidney disease)
  • High cholesterol

At Costco website, youtheory Turmeric has a near perfect rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, from 1700+ Costco shoppers.

youtheory:

youtheory is a supplement company. They sell online, Costco, and in 60,000+ stores worldwide. youtheory is one of the largest manufacturers of collagen and turmeric in the U.S.

For those who take immune booster amid global COVID-19 pandemic, youtheory started to stock Costco with immune+. You may find immune+ at your local Costco warehouse. They should be available on Costco website soon. immune+ is currently available on youtheory website.

Below is youtheory products currently available at Costco .

Read more:

Raffle is closed:

3 hot sauces I always keep
Posted by: | August 15, 2020
| 4 Comments
| Kitchen

My song of the day – Purple Rain. I bought this tape back in the 80’s.

I have 14 bottles of hot sauce. It’s fun to try different hot sauces. To me, it’s an inexpensive activity to get my mind off of what’s going on in the world. I am not a crazy hot sauce guy. I can comfortably enjoy the SHU heat scale of 40,000. This means, I can handle spicy food better than average people, but I am not in the extreme tier.

I don’t need 10 bottles of hot sauce. I only need three. My 3 favorite hot sauces are Tapatio, After Death, and Crystal. Tapatio and After Death have been my favorite for about ten years. Crystal became one of my favorites after my trip to New Orleans.

*SHU (Scoville Heat Units) – measurement heat of chili peppers.

  • Tapatio – Super cheap, super tasty, but not very hot (SHU 3,000). They are made in California, but Mexican folks love it. If you go to authentic Mexican taquerias (restaurants), you are likely to see Tapatios. You will rarely see Valentinas, which is a Mexican counterpart of Tapatio.
  • After Death – It is expensive and hard to find. I will be lucky if I find this online for $10. It has a SHU of 50,000, which is way too hot for me. But I mix this with Tapatio. I’ve been mixing Tapatio and After Death for about ten years, and I really like the taste of that mix. Depends on my mood, I can make a mild or strong mix. Because it’s too hot, one bottle lasts a few years.
  • Crystal – Cheap and not very hot. To me, Crystal is more of spice than hot sauce. Crystal is a true Louisiana product. A few years ago, I visited New Orleans and tried a lot of different food. Everywhere I went I saw a bottle of Crystal on the table. I had such a memorable experience in New Orleans. Since then, I always keep Crystal in my house. I replaced Tabasco with Crystal. I respect Tabasco for its history and taste. But, Tabasco is too expensive for what they offer. Frank’s Red Hot can also replace Tabasco. They all have that vinegary taste. To me, Tabasco is for rich people.

I went to Costco in New Orleans and took a picture of Crystal Hot Sauce (left). New Orleans will always be special to me.

crystal-2
crystal-1

I have some Asian spices as well. But I didn’t include them in this line-up, because these Asian sauces need their own weight class. Fried Chili in Oil is not hot at all. Sriracha comes in a 28 oz jug because we use a shot glass full at a time.

I will talk to you soon. Keep in touch.

I send special love to those who are alone and feeling depressed.