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How can grocery coupons cost you more than they save? When is whole wheat not really whole wheat? Why are some frozen foods better for you than fresh foods? Should you buy the small or large bananas? Read on for the answers.

Grocery Coupons

Coupons are designed to get you to buy something you weren't planning to buy. If the things you buy with them don't replace more expensive options, you spend even more instead of saving money. To save money with them, then, you should use them for products you regularly buy, or to try new brands that are similar in price to what you already use.

Some stores still offer to double the value of your coupons on given days or for temporary promotions. The key to saving money in these cases is to use as many coupons as you can, and buy the smallest sizes of the product that the coupons allow. This will almost always get you the lowest unit-cost.

For example, if you have a coupon for 50 cents off on dish detergent, and the store is doubling your coupons, you'll get 1 dollar off. If you buy the 38-ounce size, priced at $2.19, it will cost you $1.19, or 3.1 cents per ounce. However, if you buy the 18-ounce size, priced at $1.19, it will cost you only 19 cents! That's just a bit over a penny per ounce, or one third the cost. Sometimes you can even get a 99-cent item for free with a doubled 50 cent coupon.

Other Grocery Store Secrets

Read the labels and you'll see that sugar is showing up in almost everything. Most recently, it has been added to most brands of kidney beans, which used to be packed in just water and salt. Why? For the same reason it is added to peanut butter and many other products that don't need it for taste - it is cheap. Cheaper than the other ingredients, in fact. Due to government subsidies, there is so much cheap sugar that growers need to dump it into as many products as they can.

You will also notice that almost all packaged products have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil in them. This is the stuff that is used to give mice heart disease when scientists want to study that disease! Fortunately, due to consumer demand, some brands, like Doritos, have stopped using it in some of their products. It is still in well over half of all packaged products, though.

Whole wheat is only whole wheat if it says exactly that. "Wheat flour," "unbleached wheat flour," and "wheat," all just mean some variety of processed white flour. "Wheat" bread is nothing more than white bread with enough whole grain thrown in to color it. "Wheat blend" pasta is yet another trick to make you think you're buying whole wheat.

Frozen fruits and vegetables, when tested against "fresh" fruits and vegetables, usually have more vitamin content. It makes sense. They are flash-frozen shortly after being picked, while the "fresh" foods are in trucks for days, exposed to heat and air. Then they sit at the grocery store for days, then in your refrigerator for days. Buying frozen fruits and veggies, then, can be healthier, and they are even cheaper at times, like when the particular fruit or vegetable isn't in season.

Grocery coupons aren't the only way to save money buying food. Store brands are often substantially cheaper, and guess what? Often they are really the name brands in disguise. Read the label and you may see something like, "Packed for ABC Grocery Stores by Kraft Foods, Inc." In any case, you can try the store brands, and if you can't tell the difference, why pay more?

Finally, what size bananas, eggplant and other fruits or vegetables should you buy? If they are sold by the piece, buy the biggest, to get the most for your money. If they are sold by the pound, buy the smallest. You'll still eat one banana at a time for a snack, right? The small ones might be half the price of the large, saving you money with every snack. When it comes to saving money shopping, there is more to it than grocery coupons.

See yourself standing on the bank of a swiftly moving stream in the shade of a gnarled willow, your fishing rod bent beneath the weight of an unusually large catch.

Whether or not you land that fish depends on the decisions you made at the shop -- primarily the type of rod.

The ABCs Of Fishing Rods

Your rod is the most important tool you will use while fishing, and you can chose from a wide range of types, styles and lengths.

A fishing rod is a shaft of graphite, fiberglass, steel, wood or bamboo used to catch fish (duh). Fishing filament (line), is threaded through the ferrules (eyes) along the rod. The ferrule at the tip directs the cast. 1 end of the line winds around a reel at the base of the pole. The other end of the line has a baited hook attached to it.

Fishing rods vary from 4 feet (for children) to 16 feet, with the average being 6 feet long. Rod length is chosen based on: the species of fish you target and the environment you will fish at.

Landscape

If your fishing hole is beside trees with overhead branches, you'll need a short, flexible rod. Flexibility -- the amount the rod can bend before breaking -- is determined by the diameter of the pole. Light rods are thin and flexible, while stronger rods are thicker and more rigid.

For open terrain, flexible, thin rods that are 10 to 12 feet long are good, unless it is too windy.

Fresh Water Or Salt Water?

Freshwater fishing occurs in lakes, ponds, rivers and streams, while saltwater fishing is done in oceans and along the coast. Choose a rod appropriate to the environment.

Plan For Species Of Fish

Short, strong rods are best for landing game fish. Stronger and thicker rods should be used for large, aggressive fish. Such fish could break a lighter pole.

Select Rod By Material

Common types of fishing rods include bamboo, fiberglass and graphite.

Bamboo rods can be a basic, inexpensive pole with a line attached, to very expensive handcrafted rods that are used for fly-fishing. Bamboo rods run from $5 up to hundreds of dollars for handcrafted fly fishing rods. If you are not planning to do fly-fishing, fiberglass or graphite rods are best.

Fiberglass rods are good for beginners and kids and they're reasonably priced. They come in many lengths, flexibility characteristics, and require very little maintenance.

Many experienced anglers prefer graphite rods, because they are very lightweight and extremely strong.

A Fitting Rod

Your goal should be to find a rod that fits your arm and is comfortable. If you have trouble choosing, ask someone with experience to go along or just ask the staff at a fishing store. A few pointers will quickly get you on your way -- to a world of fun.

So, your selling your home. Prepare yourself both physically and mentally for the agony of the endless phone calls and interruptions to your daily schedule. But more importantly, prepare your home for the ever critical eye of each person walking through the door. For it is not their goal to see the good in your home, but to see each and every flaw that has ever been. What can you do as a seller to minimize these flaws and highlight your homes best features? Let's take a look at several reasons why your home may not be selling and some easy-to-do remedies.

Reason #1 - Curb Appeal. Stand across the street and critically evaluate your front yard. Is it weed free? What about the "For Sale" sign? Is it easily visible from the street with current information? Do you have flyers available? Seems small, but this is actually a "biggie".

Reason #2 - Clutter. From the front yard to the back gate, get rid of everything that takes up space (everything that you can live without). You're moving into your new home (soon), so why not start packing now? Home buyers are looking for cabinets, closets and kitchen space. Home sellers need to reduce, reduce, reduce!

Reason #3 - Clean. How long has it been since you had a professional cleaning service do the job right? Having the property cleaned by someone who is not emotionally attached to the property is the only way to go. Not only do they see things that you don't, they're especially detailed oriented in cleaning the home.

Reason #4 - Color. "Real Estate Beige" comes in many different shades these days, but whatever shade of neutral you decide to go with, make sure it is properly applied. If painting over dark colors, be sure to use a primer. Hiring quality contracts to paint for you is worth the money. Walls in good condition are important, but so are walls that buyers can see.

Reason #5 - Compromise. Pick challenges with your children based on what is truly important. The kids room need to be organized, but it's more important that the dirty clothes are out of sight.

Reason #6 - Creativity. Setting matching accessories together and displaying nice towels are not labor intensive or expensive. It's using what you alreayd own to highlight the home.

Reason #7 - Consistency. Make sure the home is prepared daily for buyers. Put wet towels in the dryer during the day (running the dryer before heading off to work). Dirty clothes need to be picked up and put in the laundry basket. Used dishes should also be put in the dishwasher each morning. Remember, people will recall what they saw, more than what they didn't see.

Reason #8 - Check Your Senses. How do the house smell? (Cinnamon? Vanilla? Wet dog?) What do you hear? (Leaky faucets? Soft music?) What's the first thing you see when you open the door? (Nice entry, clean floors? Walls with cracks? Stained carpet?)

Remember, buyers will make their decision within the first few seconds of driving up to your house. It is your responsibility to give them an invitation to come in!

Have you ever watched a speaker and said, "Wow, I wish I could speak like that"? or "That person was just so wonderful. I could never do that." Well, I've got some good news for you. You too can be a public speaker. Public speaking is a learned skill, so anyone can do it. You just need to follow some simple steps and practice, practice, practice. If you know how to talk, you can become a public speaker.

Becoming really good at public speaking requires some risk, but you have been taking risks all your life. When you were a toddler, you risked falling down when you took your first steps. You risk scraping your knees or falling when you start roller blading. You risk falling off when you start bike riding. You risk being rejected when you ask someone out on a date, and you risk getting into an accident every time you drive your car.

If you gave up after your first fall, you'd still be crawling. If you were afraid to fall off your bike, you'd still be riding with training wheels. If you were afraid of getting into an accident, you'd never get behind the wheel of a car. And guess what, you're still here - you've survived all of that. You're risk takers!! You've proved that by coming to Toastmasters. The greatest fear is that of public speaking and here you are - wanting to learn how to do it.

How many of you enjoy watching figure skating? Now, you wouldn't expect to be a world class figure skater the minute you put on a pair of skates, would you? No, you'd expect to have to practice for years before becoming that good. Nor would you expect to make the NHL without years and years of winter and summer hockey.

How many of you enjoy watching racing? Would you expect to be another Mario Andretti the minute you get behind the wheel? Now, I will admit that there seem to be a few drivers out there who think they are Mario, but most people would expect to have to practice for years before reaching his status.

Now, I think everyone here knows how to walk. When you think of walking 25 miles, it seems like a long distance, but it is actually only putting one foot in front of the other a number of times and you know how to do that. It just takes practice to go the distance. It's the same thing with public speaking. It just takes putting one word after another.

The key to getting up in front of an audience is believing that you have something to share with them that may make a difference in their lives - by entertaining them, warning them, encouraging them, or giving them direction or information.

The great thing is - you all do have something to say that people would be interested in hearing. Each of you has come through life in a different way. You may have encountered difficult circumstances and survived. Your experience could help someone else in the same situation.

If you remember jokes or enjoy telling stories to your friends, practice a little more and soon you can be telling your jokes and stories to large audiences. If you are really good at something, consider sharing the steps of how you got there.

By following the steps outlined in the Toastmasters' manuals, and with the encouragement of fellow Toastmasters, you can learn how to craft a speech and how to deliver it. You can learn how to use props, how to modulate your voice, and how to use words that your audience will understand.

You will often hear the words "stage time" used by Toastmasters. That is the only way to get better. In order to be good at anything, you have to practice. Winston Churchill overcame a speech impediment to become a master orator. He had to practice for hours to deliver a speech.

You can get very discouraged if you expect to be as good as Zig Ziglar right away. But if you listen to his story, you will find that it took a very long time before he was able to do what he does so well.

The thing to remember is that the only person you need to compare yourself to is you. You are working for your personal best, so when you are preparing your speech and practicing, all you need to ask yourself is - is your second speech better in some way than your first? Did you learn something new as you prepared for your speech? Did you learn something from the evaluative comments of others after you gave your speech? Then, that's all you need to do. You can use what you've learned to make the next speech your best to date and then use the same process for each speech you give. Just take one step at a time.

Remember, public speaking is a skill, so anyone can learn to do it. You just need to be taught how and then practice, practice, practice. Then one day someone may watch you and say, "Wow, I wish I could speak like that."