Cheap or No Cost Dates

77 Ideas for Everyone!

  1. Cheap or No Cost DatesSketch your dream-house floor plan and talk about the possibilities of each room.
  2. Write the story of how you met. Get it printed and bound.
  3. List your spouse’s best qualities in alphabetic order.
  4. Tour a museum or art gallery
  5. Purchase a $1.00 lotto ticket and set around and talk about what you’d do if you won.
  6. Take a stroll around the block and hold hands.
  7. Back rubs are always good.
  8. Rent a classic love story video, microwave some popcorn and watch the video while cuddling.
  9. Build a fire in the fireplace or fireplace DVD, turn out the lights, cuddle and talk.
  10. Go swimming in the middle of the night.
  11. Write a poem for your spouse, something they’ll keep forever.
  12. Remember to look in your spouse’s eyes as he/she tells you about the day.
  13. Walk the mall together with the goal of not to buy, but to test perfume and cologne along the way.
  14. Hug your spouse from behind and give him/her a kiss on the back of the neck.
  15. Stop in the middle of your busy day and talk to your spouse for 15 minutes.
  16. Take a free tour of a local factory.
  17. Do something your spouse loves to do, even though it doesn’t interest you personally.
  18. Send your spouse a love letter through snail mail.
  19. Both take a sick day during the week and play “skip school day”…hide out as if you may get caught.
  20. Watch a sunrise or sunset together.
  21. Get dressed and go out for coffee and donut after dinner
  22. Sit on the same side of a restaurant booth.
  23. Picnic by a pond, lake, or ocean.
  24. Give your mate a foot massage.
  25. Put together a puzzle on a rainy evening.
  26. On a hot summer day, wash the car together, with the intent of splashing each other with water.
  27. Plant a tree together in honor of your marriage.
  28. Work on a Scrapbook together
  29. Whisper something romantic to your spouse in a crowded room.
  30. Leave a note for your spouse about a “remember when” moment; try to recreate the scene at home.
  31. Have a candlelight picnic in the back yard.
  32. Perfume the bed sheets.
  33. Serve breakfast in bed.
  34. Reminisce through old photo albums
  35. Share a homemade milkshake with two straws.
  36. Go on a photo shoot with your spouse, taking photos of them
  37. Take the TV outside and do a drive in with nachos/popcorn.
  38. Watch local for local or high school plays and get dressed up and go
  39. Buy a kiddies pool and go for a poor man’s swim/hot tub
  40. Dedicate a song to him/her over the radio.
  41. Make your spouse a favorite love song CD
  42. On your anniversary, renew your wedding vows with family and friends.
  43. Have a hot bubble bath ready for him/her at the end of a long day.
  44. Tenderly touch your spouse as you pass one another around the house.
  45. Reminisce about your first date.
  46. Build a little fire in the grill and make smores and have a thermos full of hot chocolate or coffee.
  47. Attend a sporting event you’ve never been to together. (a lot of local high school events)
  48. Create your own special holiday – May 3 for me.
  49. By a special blend of coffee/tea and wake your spouse up real early to watch the sunrise.
  50. Go fishing with some cane poles just to talk
  51. Make a photo map (photos of the route) for your spouse or someplace, with a picture of a clock set to the time, and be there with a picnic basket / bottle of wine.
  52. After everyone else goes to bed go outside and share a packet of hostess cupcakes.
  53. Go for a walk in the rain with your spouse.
  54. Go to a cemetery at night on a ghost hunt
  55. Order some Chinese and feed each other with chop sticks.
  56. Serenade her from an open outside window.
  57. Get a blanket and lay on the ground looking at the stars
  58. Make a table garden together (typically $10.00)
  59. Watch the newspaper for free events happening locally. They have car shows, concerts, bike nights, etc.
  60. Go to a flea market and have a set price ($10.00) to perchance the other the nicest gift you can find
  61. Watch local theaters for $2.00 movie night. Typically there older releases and are offered during the week.
  62. Make a slide show with digital photos and play some relaxing music and reminisce
  63. Have a NO TV night… play board games, cards, or dance around the house
  64. Go to library or bookstore and pick up logic game / riddles book.
  65. Take a hometown tour. Many Chambers of Commerce have walking tours or tape-guided car tours.
  66. Visit the fanciest hotel in your area. Tour its public places; enjoy the harpist in the lobby. Soak up the ambiance.
  67. Take a “Magical Mystery Tour.” All you need is a car and a coin. Each time you come to an intersection, flip the coin.  Heads, you turn right; tails, you turn left.  See where you end up. See if you can find your way back.
  68. Go parking. Drive to a scenic overlook and enjoy the view from inside your car (in cold or rainy weather) or outside (in warmer weather). Take along some refreshments or some romantic music, and make a night of it.
  69. Go out for ice cream. Just get a single dip cone and set there and talk
  70. Go to public library and check out a copy of a civil war journal and read to each other the entries.
  71. Photo contest. Each person gets to take 10 photos. Print or load on a computer and view what attracted the other person
  72. Together go out in a busy part of town and photograph strangers. Ask permission of course.
  73. Create a blog together…
  74. Go to dinner at McDonalds and order a single meal and share, then go to Burger King and do the same thing.
  75. We bought a “Mr. Bill” figurine about 5 ½ inches tall and take him around and do photos with him.
  76. Take a flashlight and go on a night walk through the woods. Everything changes at night!
  77. Go Camping, just a tent, sleeping bag, light, and your dinner.

Maybe not for some but we’ve rode around the night before garbage day a tried to see which one could spot the best treasure.  We’ve actually found some pretty cool things!

Facts on Honey and Cinnamon

StockArtHoneyIt is found that a mix of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also note honey as very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects which is also a plus. Today’s science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, put it on toast instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol and could potentially save one from heart attack. Also, even if you have already had an attack studies show you could be kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of cinnamon honey strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients can benefit by taking one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken daily even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain — and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder….who knew?

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol-could be cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses, and it’s delicious too!

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also is said to clear stomach ulcers from its root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ‘Ingredient’ which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of boiling water to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

RASPY OR SORE THROAT: When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS: Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin Infections.

WEIGHT LOSS: Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing.

Cookin’ In a Milk Can

xlargc__08261.1345434542.1280.1280The milk cans come in various sizes, the biggest being 10 1/2 gallons. That can is about 3 1/2 feet tall and about a foot in diameter. I personally would by a new one and then you’ll have something to pass along to generations to come. I don’t know if I’d trust a used one from someone I didn’t know.

They have enough room for Cyberhobo to put in ~25 lbs of potatoes (I like the little red ones), ~a bunch of carrots, ~maybe peppers, ~some people add some onions, ~and several roasts. Spice everything to your liking’ , added some water and put it over a propane burner with the lid slightly cracked to allow the steam to escape and slow cooked it for several hours. You can smell it all over the property when it’s cookin’. When everything is done, the roasts will be so tender they fall apart with your fork and the vegetables should be done – but not mushy.

People and Hobos have been cookin’ these dinners for years! Try a milk can dinner for your next family / friend gathering and see how it is. I bet a tradition starts.

The downside to the milk can / cream cans is they’re not cheap. This one cost $239.00 (I got FREE shipping) but I’m sure my grandkids will be cooking dinner for their grandkids out of it. Talkin’ about how ol’ grandpa bought the dang can bang in 2013.

Here is a link to the cans “The Ogallala Cream Can Supper Company

Just Give a Damn

marylovejpg-4d5b7bb16e28521bSeveral years ago, I was working for a company and I traveled the U.S. I was in Denver, Colorado and I stopped to eat breakfast. I was tired and the waffle house had a wait. So I got some coffee to wait. I had already downed my coffee and decided to sit down; there was no chair, so I resigned to spot on the ground and closed my eyes. Not long after, I heard a few clinks as strangers started throwing change into my emptied cup. Shocked, and pleased, I told the waitress the story and many others since then.

While this is an amusing anecdote, it always made me ponder; why was that so easy? It’s not unheard of for people to panhandle, despite having a home and plenty of food. To them, it’s just an easy way of making a buck. Many people see this as an issue of someone abusing the populace’s generosity; but I see it in a different light.

Is the issue really that we — the panhandlers — are abusing generosity, or has society just trained the masses to throw money at people lying on the street?

I’ve met very few people who give money to the homeless because they honestly care about that individual; many of us do it because we’ve been told it’s a good thing to do.

Most of the people I’ve met in this world — you’re probably one of them — have come across people down on their luck, and have never paid them any mind. Sure we all say, “It’s a shame,” or, “Someone should do something about the homeless.” But how many of us truly care enough to actually help them on our own dime.

Back in the early 90’s I was living in Orlando, Florida. Very late on evening after leaving a night club, two friends and I were walking into a Perkins and a homeless lady asked us if she could come with. (what a stud I was, I picked up a homeless lady)

I bought her some coffee and food, and we sat there for almost three hours just listening to her talk about life and where she’s been. At nearly daybreak, we headed home, and she hitched a ride with one of the staff who was going her way. My friends made me swear to never pick up homeless people with them again and we never saw her again.

All these years later, I couldn’t tell you what she specifically said; but us just sitting there and actually paying attention meant the world to her.
I’m not calling for action where we all rise up and build enough shelters or buy enough food to make every homeless person live like a king. The point isn’t that we should donate; the point is that we should care. As it stands, we treat homeless people as a fact of life, giving no more thought to them as you do a traffic jam.

All I’m asking is that the next time you see someone down on their luck, offer to buy him a drink; listen to their stories. Just caring about them, even if only for an hour, will do more good than all the money in the world for them.

After all, the only thing anyone ever really wants is for someone to give a damn.

CyberHobo Valentine’s Day Gifts

2If you have ever bought roses for a loved one on Valentine’s Day you have likely noticed that roses are significantly more expensive on that day than they are at any other day of the year, upward of $70 – $100 on average. This fact alone may make you think that a great Valentine’s Day gift has to be expensive. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. You can find really inexpensive gifts that your loved one will greatly appreciate. This article will provide some tips for how traditional, expensive Valentine’s Day gifts can be  unique in a way that makes them more affordable.

Consider the roses we previously mentioned. Buying your loved one a dozen roses on Valentine’s Day can be extremely expensive. However, there are other ways to give flowers without emptying your bank account. One way to make giving flowers more affordable is to consider giving a gift of a single red rose. This is not only an incredibly dramatic gift but it is also very affordable. Another way to make giving flowers on Valentine’s Day more affordable is to consider flowers which are not so popular on Valentine’s Day. These types of flowers are likely to be much less expensive. As long as it is a flower your partner enjoys it will make a great gift for Valentine’s Day.

There is another unique and inexpensive way to give a flower related gift on Valentine’s Day. You can give your loved one some seeds or bulbs of her favorite flowers and pots to grow these in. This is a great gift idea because it is original and it shows that you really know what your partner likes. It is also extremely affordable.

Ordering Italian and renting a few movies is another inexpensive gift idea for Valentine’s Day. You can even present your partner with a gift basket filled with a couple of movies, microwave popcorn, candy and a bottle of wine. Then the two of you can spend the evening together watching movies, snacking and just generally spending quality time together. Going out on Valentine’s Day can often be stressful not to mention expensive. However, you can save a great deal of money and have a more relaxing evening just by renting a few movies and spending an evening in with our loved one.

One final inexpensive gift idea for a Valentine’s Day gift is an elegant journal. You can find journals in a variety of sizes, shapes and styles basically anywhere books are solid. You can search for a journal in a style you know your partner will really love. Many journals come with a picture or a quote on the front and if you select one of these you should take care to ensure the picture or quote is something which will be meaningful and special to your partner. However, if you opt for a journal without a picture or a quote you should still seek out a style which will be visually appealing to your partner. This is very important because although a journal is essentially a book filled with empty pages, your partner is more likely to fill up these pages if she likes the look of the journal. Finally, you should fill the first page of the journal with a heartfelt note letting your partner know why you selecting this particular gift and encouraging your partner to use this book for whatever purpose she desires.

Why do a lot of Hobo have dogs?

Someone sent me a question about, “why do a lot of Hobos have dogs?”

merlinI guess the main reason a lot of Hobos have dogs is that being a Hobo is a life of solitude. It may sound strange to some but it’s for companionship. I think we all want to have someone there for us, and some want someone to care for. May sound stupid but someone to love and be loved.  I’ve known people to love their dogs why more than any other person in the world. Even to the point that they split their food 50-50. To them their dog is part of their family or all the family they have. Having a dog while traveling is a big burden so when I see someone who has traveled all over with theirs I salute them.

This one guy, Worker Bob, love this little mixed breed dog named ‘Scraps’ more than I’ve known some to love their kids. If he got a cheeseburger so did Scraps. If he drank a beer, Scraps got a little bowl of beer. He would take Scraps to the vet and wouldn’t see a doctor himself. He talked to Scraps as if he was a person and sometimes I’d almost expect Scraps to answer. Worker Bob came down with cancer and he checked himself out of the hostpital because he didn’t want Scraps to be alone. Scraps passed away suddenly and Worker Bob lived two more weeks and died himself. I really believe he wanted to go to the afterlife with his dog. If I had died a came back as a dog I’d wanted to have been Scraps. Ol’ Worker Bob wouldn’t have taken a billion dollars for that ol’ ugly loyal dog… Rest in Peace (both of you)

It is odd that all Hobos (or most) chose the solitude way of life and then choose to get a pet. Oddly enough though people trust a person who has a dog with them more than the ones without pets.

That’s my 5 year old border collie, Merlin. My previous border collie, “Hobo” died 7 years ago. Both dogs are super sweet and very intelligent. Hobo had hip displashia and I spend a couple thousand dollars on him trying to fix him up. Poor dog lived in a lot of pain there at the end.

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