When Expensive Spray Bottles Refuse to Spray

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Mary Hunt in Dear Mary 19 Comments

Dear Mary,
I have several bottles of perfume and cologne that I cannot use anymore because they no longer spray. How can I clear the tube so I can spray the scent? Margie, California

perfume

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Dear Margie,
Cologne and perfume are by nature somewhat sticky. If a bottle sits unused for a period of time, the tiny opening in the sprayer can clog so it will not spray. Try this: Remove the sprayer pump from the top of the cologne bottle. Run the spray pump under hot water. Place the sprayer pump back on the cologne bottle and test to see if it is unclogged. Another option is to force a needle into the hole of the spray to break through the sticky residue that is clogging it. If these methods don’t work, as a last resort, remove the top altogether and transfer the balance of the cologne to a new spray bottle.

Dear Mary,
I’m recently retired and wonder where I should invest my retirement fund. The banks are not paying much interest and the stock market can be such a roller coaster. We need something more stable, but with some growth. Sharon, email

Dear Sharon,
If I had an answer for where your investments could be stable while experiencing steady growth, I’d be a very rich woman. We are living in very difficult times—when the U.S. dollar is teetering, interest rates on simple savings are nearly 0 percent and the stock market is at best, rocky. Add to this, I am not qualified as an investment professional to give the kind of advice you seek. But I can recommend what I think is a terrific resource for these times in which we live.

First a little background. Everything I know about investing I’ve learned from the book Sound Mind Investing, by Austin Pryor. Recently, he has written The Prudent Investor’s Guide to Owning Gold. This small book is an easy read, and not at all whacky. I highly recommend that you read it. I believe it will help you to understand where the world is right now and steps you can take to protect and preserve your retirement fund. This eBook, priced at around $2.99, is offered as a Kindle book at Amazon.com.

Dear Mary,
We are a retired two-person household. Our only income is my husband’s social security check, which you and I both know has to stretch a long way. We have no debt and own our own home. Up until now we have always tithed 10 percent faithfully. Should we continue to tithe, now on our social security income? What would you do? Shellee, email

Dear Shellee,
I believe that gratitude is the cornerstone of a well-lived, abundant life. Giving away part of what we have is a tangible way to express our gratitude. It sounds to me as though you and your family have been greatly blessed given that you have no debt, you own your own home and you have steady income. In that giving has been part of your lives up to now, I cannot imagine why you would even think of changing that. My suggestion is that you not get hung up on percentages, but instead give to others as you’ve been blessed. My experience is that it is impossible to “out-give.” The more you give, the more you will be blessed.

Perhaps you’ve experienced what Margie, Sharon or Shellee have written about. If so, what advice would you share? Let’s talk in the comments section below.

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Posted on August 16, 2012 by Mary Hunt in Dear Mary 19 Comments
  • Roger BArcus

    About tithing – the Bible requires 10% plus an offering as tithing started before the law of Moses, was incorporated into that law, Jesus said to do it and it was still a fact in Heb 7. Tithing is on one’s income. When a person pays on what they REALLY make – the gross income – part of what is taken out is for SS. That being true, one may not be required to pay 10% on what has already been paid on throughout one’s life’s earnings. This takes record keeping to know how much SS one has paid which is available on the SS website etc.

    BUT to go along with the attitude of gratitude you wrote about which would keep one giving, I AGREE! Give and it shall given unto you.

    Roger Barcus,
    StPaulApostolic.com

    • http://twitter.com/DebtProofLiving Mary Hunt

      Thanks for sharing your opinions, Roger. It’s great that we can discuss things here, even when we may not always agree.

  • Joyce, Michigan

    I learned a long time ago that to keep a can of spray adhesive from clogging, after you’ve used the product, turn the can upside-down and spray (into the wastebasket) for a couple seconds. It even works with hair spray. Thank you. Joyce

  • judi

    where does the bible say 10%?

    • Grace

      That’s interesting. I’ll have to look that up. But from what Vernon Mcgee says the Jews were instructed to give 10% in one area. I think in all they gave much more than 10%, It has been told to me that the Jews are the greatest givers in the world. If they still keep their law that would make them the greatest givers. Maybe that is why they seem to be so prosperous in everything they do.

  • suekay3

    When I have a stuck sprayer, in addition to Mary’s advice to run the sprayer under hot water, I also put the tube’s bottom end in hot water and pump away! The hot water in the tube may help with your clog.

  • SheryS

    I believe you can also draw on your husband’s social security, even if you never worked or worked very little. It doesn’t affect his amount. Check with your social security office.

  • Virginia M

    I have always made it a priority to give to my church, worthy charities, and individuals in need. I have been blessed in doing so. God meets my needs and then some.

  • http://www.facebook.com/kate.belko Kate Davini Belko

    Regarding the two retirees and contributing: more should be said about non-cash donations. With being retired comes more time, a commodity working folks don’t always have. Giving of time toward a worthy charity or endeavor brings feelings of gratitude too!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Pat-Weiser/1202604084 Pat Weiser

    I would advise Mary to search around for a certified financial advisor. I will be retiring next year, so I knew it was too late for much accumulation. I found a man with a large company that did not try to sell me expensive insurance immediately, so he is the one I went with. It’s been too soon to tell if it was a good move, but his suggestions seemed thoughtful and good for me. I have moved some of the riskier stocks into mutual funds with a good return and dividends. I think it’s gonna work.

  • B

    If you have been married to your husband for ten years, and you are of retirement age, you may qualify for “spousal benefits” through social security.

  • Amy

    Tithing means one-tenth. In Malachi 3:10, God told the Israelites to “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” This is the only place in the bible we are told to test God. About 20 years ago, my pastor asked us to do a “faith” offering, as we were raising money for our new building. God laid the amount of $20 a week on my heart. I was a single mom, and that $20 was my lunch money, but I decided to step out in faith. After giving that $20 for two weeks in a row, a manager left one of our stores and I was quite unexpectedly given the position, along with a $160 a week raise! I tithe 10% on my gross income AND I tithe on the alimony I receive. I also give extra to three different missionaries. I have found that, indeed, I can’t outgive God. Don’t quibble about before or after taxes, or whether it’s social security whether it’s social security or alimony income. Just give generously and watch the blessings pour out.

  • Wynne

    To Shellee, on tithing on Social Security – I know that sometimes it is close to impossible to survive on Social Security benefits alone. May I suggest that since you are retired, you donate your time (which is now more abundant than your money) instead of money and get involved in volunteering. Check out the non-profit organizations, hospitals, schools, etc. in your area and find something that you can be passionate about and donate your time. Giving of yourself can be so much more rewarding to all concerned than just giving money.

  • Robin

    Also to Shellee on tithing: I think several before me have already said this, but it’s true: you absolutely cannot outgive God. I am single so for me, it’s also one income. I found out several years ago (and am sad to say fairly late in life) that when I was faithful to give to God (it’s His already, right?), He was so faithful to give back & MORE. He was good to me before my change of heart, but I can see His goodness even more clearly today.

  • maria

    to shelley – in my ethnic community it is the younger people’s responsibility to carry the financial load so the elders can enjoy their rest and perhaps share their wisdom. i would suggest giving as you feel you can, not on a formula, and perhaps offer some time to support a younger family or single mom with advice, foster grandparenting or an invitation to dinner at your home.
    i’m a single mom and more than anything wish some of my elderly neighbors would take an interest in my son, an only child, as far as inviting him to help them garden, fishing at the local lake or throwing a baseball with him. we don’t need money. wisdom and guidance, however, are priceless.

  • countrygirl312

    Dear Shellee, I am a single parent of a mentally disable adult son and I am on IHSS. I don’t get much money. I don’t own a home but we have lived in this apt for 20 yrs ( Praise God) I too thought that I could use the tithe money for rent one time and the Lord impressed me to read Malachi 3: 8-10. I love the Lord with all my heart and I will not rob him. So. I took the money to Church and tithed it and after church the secturay gave me a envelope that she said was laying on the counter with my name on it. It had $100.00 in it and a note that said “Gods Blessing”. I got a envelope every 2 weeks with $100.00 IN IT. And I will always pay my tithe. He ( God has Blessed us with this apt for 20 yrs and food and a car. God is Good all the time! You have been Blessed you with no dept and your own home. I advise you to KEEP on Tithing. God has Promised you to keep the Blessings coming as long as you do your part . Tithing keeps Churches going. and think about it, God is only asking for 10% NOT 90%.
    I will pray for you to make the right choice.
    May God Bless you with good health, finances,Love.

  • Ernestine

    I believe the bible teaches tithing for believers. Even if I didn’t, I would use it as a baseline for what i give back to God. I would never stop it unless my income completely stopped. It is His. It is an act of faith. It is an act of obedience. And it does show gratitude.

  • Ernestine

    Tithing under the law was different from straight out tithing. I believe they had about three tithes a year. But many, many years before there was a nation, Abraham paid tithes to Melcizidek (sp?) who was a type of Christ, so it was begun a long time before the law was given. The New Testament does not reverse this, rather reinforces it when Jesus said “This you ought to have done (tithing) without neglecting the other”.

  • Anne

    To understand tithing you need to understand you will have everything you need, not necessarily everything you want. My life has always been better when I pay a full tithe and give what I can above that.