It is that special end-of-the-month counting time! The coin jar will need to be tipped over and the contents tallied, the wallet audited, and all the various accounts logged into and balances noted. Rent checks & paychecks will be deposited and the Net Worth spreadsheet will slowly fill. Ah, end of month - gotta love this time of year :)
I hope to have my current Net Worth updated in a few days.
This beautiful day can't pass without getting outside. So I am abandoning my computer and heading out for a walk on my lunch hour. Hope the rest of you are experiencing a day as nice as this.
For those of you stuck inside and looking for something to read - here is a story about the Great Tulip Bubble - When the Tulip Bubble Burst. - Enjoy!
TGIF! Amazon.com is once again having its weekly sale. My pick this week? The FURminator DeShedding tool. Why this when I don't own a dog or cat? Because shedding is not just a quadruped problem! (Too bad I don't have the necessary silky undercoat - *sigh*) Check it out and find your own bargain at the Friday Sale
Interesting article about why France has a rising population (as compared to the declining numbers most other European countries are seeing). French government eyes 'le baby boom'.
In addition, government figures show that France has one of Europe's highest rates of women in the workforce - some 80% of women between 25 and 49 have jobs, which shows that with the right policies work and babies can go hand in hand.
It is great that the French are having so many children. Now, if only they could figure out how to employ them all - French job law 'constitutional'
More than 20% of French 18- to 25-year-olds are unemployed - more than twice the national average.
A reader left me a comment with the following question:
At 2:00 PM, March 30, 2006, Judy said... Can you provide any advice on rolling over a 401K? My DH just recently quit his job and I know I need to do something with it. Should I get a professionl or is this something I should be able to do online? Do you recommend any onlines?? You always have such great advice - thought you might be able to help. Thank you!
Judy, you should definitely be able to do this yourself (which ever financial institution you choose to open your rollover account with will be more than happy to help you).
Your husband may need to coordinate this through his former HR department (they should have forms and information about his 401(k) plan which you will need). Here is a great article from Bankrate.com: 401(k)s: To roll or not to roll? If, after reading the article you still want to rollover, then you should think about the balance amount your husband has in his old plan. You will need to pay attention to any minimums the financial institution requires to avoid fees. Since I am not an expert, I don't want to direct you to any one institution. However, I do open this up to my readers - can you leave a comment for Judy with your recommendations for where her husband should park his rollover-401(k)?
Here are some posts on this subject by other bloggers who know more about this than I:
As March draws to a close, I find myself reflecting back on my six months of blogging. It has been amazingly rewarding in so many ways. For the first time in my financial life I can accurately state my current Net Worth. Just knowing where I stand has been empowering. But more importantly, I now have a goal to work toward - that magic retirement number.
Taking a hard look at my monthly expenses has saved me money. I have also saved a significant amount on my car insurance bill. I feel good about switching my Mastercard from an airline miles card to a cash reward card. All of these steps are things I should have done a long time ago, but until I started reading and sharing I just never got around to it.
I have cleared out an entire bookcase of books and sold them on eBay thanks to blogging. Reading about Amazon's 30-day price-match policy has saved me cash as well. When shopping I find myself either sharing my deals on my blog, or researching other blogs before heading out to the stores. Again, the money savings have been significant.
But beyond the money savings or deal findings, blogging has provided hours of entertainment, education, camaraderie, and yes enlightenment. I want to thank everyone who has been reading and who have been sharing. The folks that I link to under Interesting Blogs get a special shout-out, as do the many readers who have been kind enough to leave comments. Thank you again, and I look forward to the next six months!
The April issue of Good Housekeeping's Savvy Consumer column features Best Container Gardening Kits. I was intrigued by The EzGro Outdoor Hydroponic Kit. The price seemed right (about $60 or $185 for the Elite which is pictured). I realize I am a bit obsessed with gardening this Spring. I think it has something to do with being a homeowner and feeling like I am going to be staying in one place for a long time. But at the same time I have so many outdoor improvements that need to be done, that creating a traditional garden is not practical at this time. Plus, to be realistic, I am a bit of a geek, so finding "new, cool, and easy" ways to garden really appeals to me. I have already invested in the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter and can't wait to test that out. The EzGro may be a bit much at this point. Perhaps I will just stick to growing tomatoes, flowers, and lemons
While roaming around in the vast reaches of the internet I came across the Global Rich List website. This little site has you plug in your yearly income and it tells you how rich you are in comparison with the rest of the world. For kicks I plugged in that I have an annual income of $91* and I got back the following:
You are in the top 96.34% richest people in the world. There are 219,277,108 people poorer than you.
Amazing how many people are poorer than some who makes only $91 a year.
* I could not enter just $1 - the lowest number I could use and still get a result was $91 - that is why I used that number...
A local news magazine show here in Boston devoted a 1/2 hour to Strapped
It’s a perfect storm of personal financial burdens, bearing down on 20- and 30-somethings: staggering student debt, high housing costs, and a competitive job market.
For some, it means working multiple jobs; for others, it means a move out of town.
Tonight, we’ll see why many young Bostonians are worried about making ends meet, and we’ll discover why that has city leaders worried about the Hub’s future.
I missed it and am hoping someone can leave me a comment* with a review of the show.
* I have turned on comment moderation - someone seems to be a bit upset with me. So I am screening the comments for now until annonymous cools down. Please do continue to leave comments - I love them and will try to review and post them as often as I can.
This article blew me away (do you see now why I love the Christian Science Monitor?) Google's hidden payroll - It is about how people in developing nations are creating websites, putting up Google Adsense Ads and quitting their day jobs.
But Gandhi's Adsense profits have exceeded his wildest dreams. He now earns about $1,000 a month from the program, the same salary he previously earned as a software engineer. His new income has allowed him to leave his job and return to school. "Today I am able to sponsor my higher studies because of Adsense," he says.
Imagine - the same few dollars someone in the U.S. gets from Adsense which does nothing more than generate some extra pocket money*, is enough for folks in other parts of the world to provide for their families. What a crazy passive income stream for these folks!
* Adsense does not allow you to talk about how much you make from your ads. What I can say is that I see a fraction of what Mr. Gandhi is pulling in each month. I assume his income is not typical. But then in most places around the world folks can live on a lot less a month.
Man Finds Million Dollar Purse in Sausalito, CA park. This is one of those feel good, man does the right thing, kind of stories. I do applaud him for doing that.
OK, now for the rant about the stupid, stupid people who carelessly walked around with a million dollars worth of jewlery and cash. Not only do they walk around with it, they carelessly leave it behind on a park bench. Is it even legal to cross from Canada into the US with that much scratch? But my real beef is with the quote from the purse owner about the purse finder
Saied Ghannadian: "Please tell him that God found somebody like you in the world. Someone honest like you and I hope to see you face to face and I hope to start a very good friendship and relation with this gentleman."
If you really want to thank the man how about sharing some of that cash you are so careless about? [End of rant]
I asked for and received some great motivation a couple of weeks ago. The motivation was for listing some miscellaneous items I had gathered to sell on eBay. Of the items I listed all have finally sold. A couple of items had to be relisted since they did not sell the first time. While most winners paid for their items via PayPal, one went the snail mail route with a money order.
My final profit after paying shipping, listing & final valuation fees, and PayPal fees was - $15.17. Not a very impressive number, unless you saw the junk I got rid of for that amount! I would have been lucky to get $5.00 for the bunch at a yard sale. Most of the books I sold this time around had been picked up for free from various book swap sources (bookcases around the city of Boston where folks leave a book - generally a dog eared paperback - which you can take for free, in exchange for a book you place on the shelf).
My next round of EBay selling will hopefully do better since I have some better quality paperbacks to sell this time around. I think I need to make it a goal to list auctions at least once every month. While the money these auctions bring in is welcome, it is not worth the time and effort. What does make the EBay thing worthwhile is decluttering my house while at the same time knowing the items I no longer need are being used by someone else.
I hate waiting. When I was young and had to wait to be picked up somewhere, I almost never sat on the stoop like I was suppose to. Instead I would start walking. It used to drive my Mother crazy to see me walking along the sidewalk toward her instead of standing at the designated spot. There were times I would walk in the door while she was still hunting for her car keys to drive and pick me up.
I try to practice patience now. But it is still hard to wait. Here are a few things I am waiting for:
1) Meyer Dwarf Lemon Tree. I placed the order when it was too cold for the grower to ship for my region and now they are back ordered. They say I should see my tree in early April - fingers crossed!
2) Amazon.com $5 Gift Certificate for filling out survey. It said I should receive payment 72 hours after taking survey. It has been more than that now. This worked last time, so I am still holding out hope it will pay out. Perhaps I just need to be patient? This is why I hate mentioning surveys to my readers, I don't like folks to get disappointed.
3) Federal Tax Refund. It has only been 8 days since I eFiled, so realize it is probably early to be getting impatient. But knowing something and feeling something are two very different things.
So there you have just a few of the things I am currently waiting for. Nothing I can really do about any of them. So I will just sit and practice that patience!
*Sigh* According to this article in the Boston Herald : Buy me some peanuts and ... scratch tickets, my beloved Boston Red Sox have sold their soul to the Massachusetts State Lottery by teaming up with them with this scratch ticket which will "offer a mix of killer ticket deals, cash prizes and Sox paraphernalia."
Why do I get the feeling this move will be as bad for Red Sox Nation as the Musical No,No, Nanette?
Below is a breakdown of how much I spent preparing and filing my 2005 State and Federal taxes:
TaxCut Federal & State Software - $5.43 eFile Federal Taxes - $0.39* Mail State Taxes - $0.68 --------------------------------- Total Cost - $6.50
* TaxCut included a rebate for eFiling your Federal return. The $0.39 is the cost of the stamp I used to claim my rebate.
All in all I am pleased with the amount I spent. I have a somewhat complex return since I have the rental income & expenses. Using tax software is much easier than filling out the forms manually. Obviously doing my taxes myself instead of handing them off to an H&R BLOCK rep or accountant saved me a lot of money. Since I have always done my taxes myself and I can't say how much this saved me - but I will assume $100?
Before I purchased my home I didn't think about things like hollow core vrs. solid wood doors or sash windows with divided lights vrs. fixed plate glass "picture" windows. Now I think about those things too much of the time.
My little house has a small side-porch which features jalousied windows and a warped back door. The front door to my house is an oh-so-attractive "simulated wood" metal door. Since I don't have an entryway, that metal door is the main "feature" of my large livingroom/dining room. I find myself gazing longingly at doors like the one pictured above. Walking around my neighborhood of old Victorian homes I can be stopped in my tracks by a particularly gorgeous diamond paned window. I am starting to feel some bizarre door & window lust.
I may have to satisfy this feeling soon. At least a little door shopping/price comparison trip may be in order.
Not Buying It : My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine is the book I am currently reading. I feel like a real grown-up blogger now because the publisher sent me a copy and asked me to review it. I will post the full review later. For now I wanted to comment on a decision Judith and her partner Paul made - when deciding what was a necessity (and could be purchased during their year-long "Not Buying It" experiment) and what was not - Q-tips got put on the not-necessary list.
I totally disagree with this decision. I use Q-tips all the time around my house. Besides cleaning my ears, I use Q-tips for the following:
1) Dip them in bleach and use them to clean the grout between the tiles in my bathroom and kitchen.
2) Dip them in alcohol and use them to clean the clogging dust that accumulates in my hair dryer vent.
3) When gluing or repairing a small item I generally use Q-tips to brush the glue on broken pieces.
4) I clean out parts of my rice cooker by pushing damp Q-tips through vent holes.
5) I use them to clean between the tines of my comes and brushes.
On and on and on I could go. For me they are a necessity of life :)
I review my fixed monthly expenses fairly frequently, as you can tell by my monthly utility updates. I do what I can to keep my costs low. One thing that I will not cut out is my cable broadband internet connection. It feeds my need for speed!
This broadband connection does so much for me. The speed allows me the occasional "work from home" day. I get to be generous and provide my basement tenant with free fast internet access. My VOIP phone is cheap and has a fixed monthly cost. Having a connection that is always on and always up allows me to blog frequently when at home. I can watch old TV shows for free. If I thought hard enough I could go on and on and on about the benefits.
If I had to choose between cable TV and cable broadband internet - the broadband would win hands down!
Maybe it is because the season has turned to Spring, or perhaps it is because I spent a good portion of today cleaning house. But for whatever reason I started thinking about my house plants. I currently have four which have been with me for years. One was a gift and the other three were "rescued" from folks moving house and thwarted from committing planticide by me (I prefer to consider myself a plant superhero instead of a trash picker - please let me keep my delusions - sometimes they are all I have...)
All four need repotting, soil redressing, and some extra love and care. I have just heard of a plant in need of a new home and hope to soon grow my little collection to five. I frequently use cuttings from my houseplants to create little "gift" plants. These go to friends who have moved into new apartments or homes and to new colleagues at the office (everyone loves a plant for the cubicle!)
I was watching a show on PBS the other day which talked about a Russian cosmonaut's extended time in space and how growing wheat plants became something he obsessed about. He really needed that connection to some growing thing up there in space. Other's have told me everyone should have a few living plants in the home since they are good for your health. Searching to see if that was true, I came across: Indoor House Plants Can Actually Improve Your Health
You will need at least one large houseplant for every 100 square feet of living space. Using a variety of indoor plants is good because your home will have many different kinds of toxins and one type of houseplant can't purify all pollutants.
According to this, I need to double my little plant collection.
Jay Fitzgerald of the Boston Herald's EconoBlog, wrote today's article: Report: Boston workers ‘most productive’. According to the story, a San Francisco economic development group's study reports Boston as the most productive region in the U.S.
The average worker in the Boston area produces $54,000 worth of goods and services each year, compared to a [San Francisco] Bay Area worker’s $51,000, the analysis found.
I knew those San Franciscan's were slackers all along :)
While chatting on the phone tonight I discovered that my friend, who is a frequent business traveler, had never heard of some of the hotel living strategies I had thought were common knowledge. I have spent far too much of my life traveling either for pleasure or for business and the following little tricks helped me survive many a hotel stay.
1) Leaky Faucet? Nothing is more aggravating than hearing the plop, plop, plop of a leaky faucet. Tie a piece of string on the end of the faucet dangling down to the bottom of the sink. The dripping water will now travel down the string and silently roll off the end. I keep a small ball of bakery box string in my travel suitcase just for this problem. I have had to use this trick far too many times.
2) Noisy Neighbors? I once stayed in a very nice San Francisco hotel Halloween Eve. Nobody told me the city goes mad that evening! Having forgotten my ear plugs, I finally made my own by slightly dampening some toilet paper. Just sticking dry paper in your ears will not work because the wads will fall out as you sleep and your noisy neighbors will just wake you up again...
3) Strange Smell? Sometimes it is the cleaners they are using, other times it is the restaurant vent near your window... If some smell is preventing me from drifting off to sleep I go into my cosmetic bag and dab Noxema on my upper lip. If I am not carrying Noxema, I look for the strongest smelling item - fruity lip gloss, scented hand cream, whatever.
I am sure there are many, many more. If you have a coping strategy and would like to share, leave a comment!
I was making myself a fairly uninspiring meal of pre-packaged Alfredo noodles when something just occurred to me. Many of the things I did while preparing this meal were done because that is how my Nana taught me to do things. I will walk you through the little behaviors I now blame Nana for:
1) The package instructs you to use 1 and 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup milk. Seeing that I immediately grab the milk first and measure it out. I then use the same measuring cup and fill it with 1 cup water and then again with 1/2 cup water. By going in this order I am in effect rinsing the measuring cup with the water after using the milk AND I am ensuring all of the 1/2 cup of milk makes it into the pot. Why? Because Nana told me to do it this way.
2) When I grab for the butter I see that my butter dish is empty. I grab a fresh stick from the refrigerator and place it in the dish. I then take the wax wrapper and fold it and place it in my sarawrap/tinfoil drawer. Why? Because when I need to grease or butter a pan in the future I will grab that folded wax paper and use it to smear the butter or grease on the baking dish. Don't blame me for this - blame Nana.
3) Once all the ingredients are in the pot I then walk over to my gas stove and place the pot - on the counter. I then turn the knob, the gas burner lights in a WOOSH of flame, I adjust the knob to get the flame down to where I want it, and now I finally pick the pot off the counter and place it on the lit burner. Why? Because according to Nana if you light the gas flame under the pot you will scorch and damage your pots over time.
4) Now that the pot is on the stove I grab a wooden spoon and rest it horizontally over the pot. Why? Because I am boiling liquids and Nana always insisted you do this to prevent the water in the pot from boiling over.
5) Once the liquid is boiling and I am ready to pour in my packaged ingredients, I walk over to my junk drawer and pull out a pair of old scissors and use those to cut open the package. According to Nana you don't throw away items like scissors as they get old, rusty, dull, or in this case loose. Instead you reassign the tool to a new task that it can still be used for (no longer good for cutting hair, but still good to use for opening packages).
So there you have it - many of my frugal tendencies - I blame them on Nana!
Last night I posted a quick review of Oprah's Debt Diet - Episode 4. I started responding to a couple of the comments left by reader's, but my response was getting long, so figured I would post about it instead.
Pete said... One thing I don't understand is that David Bach teaches two ways to fight the debt monster. The one he mentioned on the show (debt divided by minimum payment=DOLP) is different than what he says in other websites (payoff the highest interest card first.
??????????
AND
lpkitten said... was it just me or did david bach seem like a slimy used car salesman? i can't put my finger on it; just a vibe i got from him.
To be fair to all of the experts on the show, they are spending days with the families teaching them skills and lessons and on the show they have just minutes to tell Oprah what they have been up to.
Now, I am not a fan or follower of David Bach(he came on the scene long after I paid off my own credit cards and recognized my own latte factor - the term he copywrited) but he must have some good advice since he is popular and many people credit him for helping them.
OK - saying all that, I assume what he was trying to tell Oprah was the "old advice" of paying the highest interest card first (irregardless of the balance) is no longer best because the credit card companies have changed the rules of the game. The amount and variety of the fees companies are now charging are so significant that it is now important for folks to first reduce the number of cards they owe on.
The example he was working with had 12 credit cards with balances. Each of those cards were costing the couple with late fees, carrying balances over the minimum fees, and yearly "just for the privilege of having this card in your wallet" fees. So for them he felt the priority was to reduce the sheer number of cards first. That means paying off the low balance ones first. This will immediately help the family by having them go from writing 12 checks a month, to 11, then 10, then 9, etc. etc. With so many credit card bills to pay just trying to juggle that many payments was a big reason why the couple had so many late fees and charges. Secondly, the motivation and psychological relief this couple will get from "killing-off" the small balance cards will hopefully keep them on the Debt Diet Plan.
Since David Bach will continue to help and follow this couple it would not surprise me if at some point he switches the strategy for them. Once they get the credit cards down to a more reasonable number, at that point he may start focusing more on the interest rates. But that is just me guessing, so we will have to stay tuned to see what will happen...
Today I was able to watch episode 4 of Oprah's on-going Friday series America's Debt Diet. Today we got an update on all three families (I had wondered what happened to the Egglestons!). All three seem to have moved beyond the embarrassment, anger, and shock all felt in the first three episodes. Now they are starting to dig in and work on the behaviors that got them into this mess in the first place.
The Bradley's and the Widlunds both got a lesson in how to shop for food in the grocery store using a list and cash (each had a set amount of cash to spend - both families had never before gone food shopping with just $100 or $140 to spend for a weeks worth of groceries). For the Bradley's the simple routine of shopping for groceries and preparing meals at home was a foreign concept. For years the family had purchased breakfast, lunch, and dinner away from the home. A common routine for Mrs. Bradley was to get in her SUV, drive to four different fast food drive-thru windows, get four different meals (in four bags), bring them home, and hand them to each of the four members of the family. Each then took the bag of food and went off to four separate areas of the home and ate. On today's show Mrs. Bradley said the best thing about cooking and eating as a family around the dinner table was the communication. She is feeling proud of herself and her family for doing this.
While the Debt Diet series so far has not had any particularly impressive tips or strategies that are new or useful to me, I have found the series fascinating. The Oprah website has updates from today's episode online - check it out!
Can a gal get any happier on a Friday afternoon? Working from home AND getting a bonus! I am not sure which makes me happier - nah, I do know - the bonus! Upper management had been making a lot of noise earlier in the quarter about profits being down and generally lowering our poor employee expectations. So when mid-month came and went without a word about bonus dollars, I figured I wasn't getting one this year. Happily I was wrong and I have something extra to look forward to in my end-of-month check. Between the tax refund and bonus dollars, the next Net Worth statement should be exciting!
Man looks in crystal ball, sees future, creates video
Last week, when interviewed by Scott over at Money Blogger Podcast, I was asked where I thought personal finance blogging would be in 5 years. I gave a personal answer of where I hope it will be, but I think Scott was asking a broader and more general question.
Anyway it got me thinking, and when I think I tend to search. That is when I came across the EPIC 2015* video. While it is not geared to personal finance blogging, it does explore where blogging and mainstream media are headed. So if you have five minutes to kill (it's Friday afterall) and a connection with decent speed, check out the video.
* While listening to the narrator I pictured him in a dark room, wearing a tin foil cap, and hunched over a glowing crystal ball... New York Times refugee... Gotta love that imaginative prediction :)
Another work week is coming to an end which means Amazon.com is having it's weekly sale. My pick this week? The Ironman Recumbent Exercise Bike, because I like the idea of being able to call myself an "ironlady" while seated on my iron you-know-what! Check it out and find your own bargain at the Friday Sale
Tonight while watching my local news I came across the story of a jewelry store in Salt Lake City, Utah which is selling crystal studded cockroach broaches. The catch? The cockroaches are ALIVE!. These bejewled insects crawl around the wearer while tethered with a small chain. Check out the local Utah tv stations story if you don't believe me - Salt Lake Designer Offers Unique Living Cockroach "Jewelry". Anyone looking to buy me a gift can save the $40 - this is one item I REALLY don't want.
While watching the news I am also cruising the internet (multi-tasker than I am) and catching up on some Comedy Central clips. I stumbled across this one from the always funny Steven Colbert of the Colbert Report. Eat It (you will have to scroll down and click on the "Watch" link under the video Eat It and have the viewer load to see it). Nice to be able to laugh about mad cow disease and bird flu.
And on the not-so-funny front, tomorrow is Debt Diet day #4 on Oprah. Looks like Oprah will be dishing about credit cards and maybe eBay? Courtesy of the nicest boss in the whole-wide-world, I am working from home tomorrow. Hum... Wonder if I can take my lunch break at 4PM to catch the show? ;')
OK, so earlier today I put up the little post about three tables and asked which one my reader's thought I had purchased. I found it interesting that a couple guessed the mid-priced table. I wonder how common it is for people when presented with three options like these to go for the middle? It is easy to discount the highest priced item ($1,700 for an accent table!?!) but when choosing between a $400 table and a $100 table which do you go for?
The $400 table is obviously of a better quality - but is it four times better? The $100 table may scratch more easily or be made of a lower-grade material, but so what? In this case it is an occasional table, hence used very occasionally. When I have guests visit the coasters come out. If I want to put a vase of flowers on it I put a doily or other cloth underneath to protect the surface. I assume I would do the same if I purchased the $400 or even the $1,700 table. Meanwhile, the $300 I didn't spend is accruing interest in my savings account and available to be spent elsewhere when needed.
Today's Boston Globe has the story: A marketplace-driven sport makes strides in the US. The article is about the Finnish* company Exel Oyj, which is hoping to start a new fitness craze in the U.S. and sell boatloads of its product here in the U.S. What does Exel Oyj produce? Ski Poles. What is this new fitness craze? Nordic Walking (or walking while using ski poles).
Before you snigger at this idea, millions of Europeans are already doing it (and shelled out $99 a pop for a set of poles) and Reebok has created a new shoe just for this sport. The company is now introducing the sport to Spa's in Vermont and soon will be marketing it to fitness trainers in gyms across the U.S. I can't wait for the infomercial that is sure to follow...
* I am getting a bunch of Finnish visitors to my blog and am curious what they are saying about me. Knew I should have taken Finnish instead of Latin in High School! If anyone can translate let me know, unless it is bad, then really, I don't want to know :)
I was just informed of a new survey posted by the same company I linked to way back in December. For filling out this brief survey you will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift certificate via Email 72 hours after completion. This worked out well last time, so be nice and don't abuse this - read the questions and answer honestly. Last time it was only good for the first 1,000 respondents - so click now or regret it later!
Welcome. You are about to participate in a brief and fun survey which should only take you a few minutes to complete. In return for volunteering your time, and providing thoughtful responses, you will be given a $5 gift certificate to Amazon.com after you have completed the survey.
participation rules: one gift certificate per person per household / location. Repeat submissions, thoughtless answers, and/or failure to accurately complete survey are cause for withholding of gift certificate.
I get a Nigerian scam Email about once a week. No, I am not tempted to send large amounts of money to people I don't know - no matter how enticing the story.
Then I read this story: Bogus healer convicted in mermaids case. I mean really - mermaids are going to find your stolen car? Where - in the underwater parking lot?
You can laugh at stupid criminal stories, but how are you suppose to react to stupid victim stories?
Yet another new article for all those like me who love that Money Makeover - Millionaire in the Making type stories.
Good habits are hard to break With a baby on the way, Natalie and Greg Turner put saving first...and Pearl Jam second.
"He invests 19 percent of his paycheck, while I put 15 percent into retirement, but we also put aside about $12,000 a year into mutual funds and always have at least a year of living expenses saved up just in case of an emergency."
If you are in the market for a new pair of Reebok or Rockport shoes, now just might be the time to make that purchase. The Reebok friend's and family sale is now. If you are near one of the stores and visit in person you can save 50% or shop online and save 40%. Read the fine print on each of the printable coupons linked below before you shop to make sure your purchase qualifies for the deal. As always, if you see a coupon online you think you may use print it out right away, these things sometimes get yanked by the companies - Enjoy!
Today's Christian Science Monitor has the article: A family oddity becomes the norm about the nearly 19 million adults between the ages of 18 and 34 who still live at home with Mom and Dad.
In another sign of delayed independence, New Jersey has just passed a law allowing unmarried adult children to be covered under their parents' health insurance until they're 30. They must live in state and have no children. Six states - Illinois, New Mexico, Colorado, South Dakota, Utah, and Texas - now extend coverage to offspring in their mid-20s.
Here is another Money Makeover for your enjoyment. This one is from Money Magazine. A marital merger - MONEY Makeover: These newlyweds made smart decisions while single. Now they need to plan for their future as a team.
My take-aways after reading the article:
- Interesting to see what happens when two money-responsible 30-somethings get hitched, the "problems" they have are too much cash and needing to sell and consolidate some assets.
- Foreign equities = good, more stock funds = good, upgrading to larger home you can afford = good, bonds = bad.
Tonight I have to make a stop at Staples for some printer paper, envelopes, and file folders for the home office (Need to get all that Tax stuff printed out and organized away). A co-worker just asked what I was planning on doing tonight. When I replied with the above shopping trip info his response was "Why not just stop at the supply cabinet on your way out? It has all that stuff and it is free."
This attitude that work supplies are really everyone's free supplies is fairly common. At least it is in my experience. I have arrived at client sites for extended work details and generally the person who is giving me the tour of the office (here is your desk, here is the kitchenette, here are the bathrooms) would invariably swing me by the supply cabinet and point out the special goodies. "Be sure to grab some of the pens - they are the really nice $3 kind."
My first temp job years ago had me in charge of the reception desk, the mailroom, and ordering supplies. The office manager, when explaining my duties, made it clear that the postage machine was for business use only, long-distance personal phone calls are a no-no, and I was to keep a frugal eye on the supply ordering.
In the three months I was at that job I watched 6-figure plus executives routinely run their personal mail through the postage meter, engineers filling their briefcases with toilet paper rolls, and secretaries throw hissy fits when I refused to order electric desktop staplers (because manual swingline was just too old school for them).
Anyway, I am not going to shop in the office supply cabinet tonight and I am going to go to Staples and pay for my own damn printer paper. If I had the restraint to resist free postage when I was a poor temp employee I certainly can resist stealing from the office now that I actually make a decent wage.
My decor is more Sanford & Son less Martha Stewart
When I moved into my home I depleted my savings with the down payment, closing costs, moving costs, and essential home improvement changes. This meant that I did not get to run out and buy new sets of furnishings, custom window treatments, or area rugs. Instead my home is furnished with a motley collection of items I have picked up over the years. A set of yard sale leather-like arm chairs, a dining table and chairs purchased second-hand via craigslist, a desk from a wholesale furniture warehouse, a kitchen table purchased online on clearance, a dresser missing half of it's drawer bottom found at an antique store, the IKEA items, and on and on it goes.
I struggle sometimes with this low-budget approach. Do I spend thousands of dollars on home furnishings or do I spend the money on improvements to the home and yard? My sister and her husband recently invested their tax refund in a new couch and chair. Their living room looks so much nicer with the new furniture and now they have more room for the family to sit. A co-worker just purchased a new bedroom set and the pictures are making me wish I could do the same.
It is hard to be patient, prudent, and practical. But for now that is what I am doing. While the inside of my home may look like Sanford and Son decorated it, the outside will eventually look like Martha Stewart wouldn't be ashamed to visit.
If you have always wanted to hear the dulcet tones of this Boston Gal then check out the podcast interview I gave which is now posted on Money Blogger Podcast.
Ah, the insightful comments I made, the financial pearls of wisdom I spoke... OK, OK, that is the way I remember the interview - why let reality intrude on a good fantasy I say! Since I can't stand listening to my own recorded voice the rest of you will just have to listen to it and comment back with the brutal truth.
As if being interviewed wasn't enough, I also got a nice mention (and link) in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune. Ah, brings back fond memories of my Midwest years reading that paper. The road trip to LaCrosse, Wisconsin to see the world's largest six pack, then the trip across the Mississippi river into Minnesota... Good times, Good times.
That is the picture emerging here as foreclosures rise and the housing prices falter. More than one-quarter of Boston's mortgage-holders appear to be stretched thin financially, spending at least half their income on housing, according to an analysis of census figures. That's more than twice the national average and the highest of any major city except Miami.
Well, at least we are better-off than Miami... I hate reading stuff like this, it just makes me anxious for when that other shoe is finally going to drop. Articles like this have been appearing since 2004. Can someone please consult their magic ball and tell me when the sky will fall already!
Tonight when I arrived home from work and retrieved the mail from my mailbox; I sorted through the usual collection of junk mail (graduate degree from local community college - no thanks. 90 Day Risk-Free AOL subscription - pass. Expensive catalogues - keep for pretty pictures.) and came up with two envelopes.
The first contained a check for $1.00 from an online survey I filled-out so long ago I don't even recall what it was all about. The second envelope? It contained the long awaited car insurance rebate - $600! Woo Hoo! This rebate is a combination of the statewide lowering of the insurance rate and my five year incident free driving record. If all goes well, next year's bill should be even lower since I will reach the magical 6 year incident free mark, which is when your slate is finally wiped clean in Massachusetts.
According to the BusinessWeek article: A Crisis in the Making it is if you are a baby boomer and want to retire someday. Personal Finance writers have gone from just tsk tsking the public for not saving enough to strident nagging. But so far, it does not appear that enough are listening or heeding their advice.
As of 1:26 PM Eastern time today the Spring Season will have officially begun here in Massachusetts. While we have had a very weird and mild winter, the season does not rely on tree buds or daffodil flowers to mark it's beginning. Instead it waits for the vernal equinox - the date when day and night are about equal in length.
While enjoying my twelve hours of sunlight, my thoughts start to turn to growing things. This year I am going to try to grow flowers from seeds. Hopefully my flower pots will be filled with blooms I have grown "from scratch". This is also the year I am going to try to grow tomatoes using my new Topsy Turvey planter.
I have been saving old egg cartons and plastic muffin holders and other planting containers. This week I will pick up some potting mix and purchase some seeds. I will have to track the costs and success (or failure) of the project to see if planting from scratch is cheaper than just buying plants later in the season from a garden center (which is what I have always done in the past).
Woo Hoo! I finished plugging in all of the various bits of data and numbers from all of the sources of income and expenses and TaxCut chugged and chewed and finally burped out a Federal and State refund for little ol' me.
I realize that this is the point where I am suppose to get out the hairshirt and start flogging myself for being so silly and stupid as to give the federal and state government's free loans. But with so many stupid things I do, choosing to reprimand myself on this one just seems un-necessary.
TaxCut did draw a pretty pie chart to visually show me how much of 2005 income I got to keep versus how much I had to give to Uncle Sam and Cousin Commonwealth. Ah green - such a pretty, pretty color!
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So I am doing the happy dance of taxes paid and almost all filed (for some reason my state won't efile, so I have to print it out and manually send it on its way) as I head off to bed. The relief of getting this chore done and the added sweetness of money* coming back my way should make for sweet dreams.
* When the federal and state money hits my account I will reveal the total refund. Until that time, sit tight and wait. Anticipation will just make the refund number all the sweeter, right? :)
- Single women today may be able to afford a condo, a car, even the medical costs incurred in artificial insemination, but once a career gal has that baby (or two) who the heck can afford the day care?
- If you are thinking you may someday want to try parenting as a single make sure to purchase a home or condo with enough room for yourself, baby, and au pair...
Last night I heard about an old co-worker's good-bye party. I did not attend (I was not very close to her), but a friend did. Why a party on a Saturday night for an old work colleague? Because for this woman, it was not the job she left that people were celebrating, it was the consequences of leaving that job - last night was her last night in the United States. Her work visa had expired since she was no longer employed and today she is flying back to China. A country she has not lived in since she was sixteen (she is in her late 20's now). Both of her parents are now living in the U.S., as are her other close family members.
I knew she was not very happy at her job, but would you quit if doing so meant you would not only lose your paycheck but also your resident status? Today when she gets on that plane she is leaving behind her parents, her boyfriend, her friends, and the life she has know since a teenager. Tomorrow when she steps off the plane she will be starting all over again in a country that is now foreign to her.
How much would you have to hate your job to make the decision she did? Why could she not have worked hard to find another job and sponsor before making this decision? I can only hope it all works out for her, and be grateful that I have never faced the kinds of challenges she is about to face.
Get your Carbon Monoxide Detectors Massachusetts residents!
According to the new emergency regulations on carbon monoxide detectors enacted last month, Massachusetts residents are required to have carbon monoxide alarms in their homes if they have fossil-fuel burning equipment or enclosed parking areas. This new regulation will be enforced as of March 31, 2006. I need to pick these up for myself and my tenants. Since I am planning on purchasing mine online I need to place my order soon to ensure the units arrive in time.
As you're a valued Amazon.com customer in Massachusetts, we want to make it easier for you to comply with recent legislation that requires every residence in the Commonwealth be equipped with working and listed carbon monoxide alarm protection. So, through March 31, you can save an additional 10% on select CO detectors. Simply purchase any of the detectors listed here, and enter promotional code CODETECT at checkout.
My current eBay auctions should be ending tomorrow. I hope to put a few new auctions up and keep the de-cluttering and selling ball rolling.
I am enjoying the free HBO weekend. I caught the first episode of the new HBO series "Big Love" last night. Interesting show about a Hardware store entrepreneur family man in Utah. The twist? He has seven children and three wives! You would think a show about a modern day polygamous would be all about the bed hopping (and yes, there is a bunch of that) but funnily enough a main theme in the show are the financial issues involved in maintaining three households, the wants of seven children, and the stress of growing and expanding your business.
Since I plan on watching a bunch of those free HBO movies and shows, I might as well make use of all this house-time. This weekend will be a good time to explore the pantry and see what I can cook and have for the next week. I have not made brownies in a long time...
Finally, this is the weekend I will tackle doing those dreaded taxes. After getting those done I will need a brownie!
OK SingleMom & Money - only for you would I do this...
SingleMom over at Single Ma's Fabulous Financials has tagged me to list 7 songs I am enjoying now regardless of genre (these may be slightly tinged with my recent pub experience). So here we go...
1) Dirty Water by The Standells
Down by the banks of the river Charles (aw, that's what's happenin' baby) That's where you'll find me Along with lovers, fuggers, and thieves (aw, but they're cool people) Well I love that dirty water Oh, Boston, you're my home
2) What shall we do with the Drunken Sailor?
What'll we do with a drunken sailor, What'll we do with a drunken sailor, What'll we do with a drunken sailor, Earl-aye in the morning?
3) Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
Why don’t you ask him if he’s going to stay? Why don’t you ask him if he’s going away?
4) Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners
These people round here wear beaten down eyes Sunk in smoke dried faces They're so resigned to what their fate is But not us, no not us We are far too young and clever Go toora loora toora loo rye aye Eileen, I'll sing this tune forever
5) She's A Brick House by The Commodores
The clothes she wears, the sexy ways, make an old man wish for younger days She knows she's built and knows how to please Sure enough to knock a man to his knees
6) Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel
Today I don’t need a replacement I’ll tell them what the smile on my face meant My heart was going boom boom boom Hey, I said, you can keep my things, they’ve come to take me home.
7) The Logical Song by Supertramp
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible, Logical, responsible, practical. And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable, Clinical, intellectual, cynical.
Happy Evacuation Day! (St. Patrick's Day to all you non-Bostonians)
Today is Evacuation Day in Suffolk County (the county where Boston, MA resides). This means a number of folks who work or live in Boston have today off. Hum... Obscure holiday that celebrates the day British Troops threw in the towel and skedaddled from Boston, which just so happens to fall on St. Patrick's Day... This holiday couldn't be a good excuse to give all the city employees a day off to drink... Nah! Boston is just really, really, really into it's history. Has absolutely nothing to do with giving the politicians and city workers plenty of time to get a bar stool before the rest of the working stiffs get off the clock and head to the pubs...
Yes, another work week is coming to an end which means Amazon.com is having it's weekly sale. My pick this week? The Omron Ear Thermometer, because if you have to stick a thermometer somewhere, I would far rather it be in the ear! Check it out and find your own bargain at the Friday Sale
Since March is Women's History month I figured I would continue profiling some success women of the past. I don't know about the rest of you, but I get a lot of my inspiration from those who have come before me. Like Madame C. J. Walker who went from picking cotton at seven, a child bride at fourteen, to eventually morphing herself into a beauty product tycoon.
Out of necessity (she was losing her hair) she invented home brewed hair and scalp treatments for African American women. Over a five year period she went from selling door to door to building a factory and selling her products from a central distribution center. At the time of her death she had built a beauty empire and invented the concept of the self-made American businesswoman.
It is the time of year this dutiful daughter both looks forward to and dreads. My Mom is cooking her annual Irish supper of Corned Beef and Cabbage.
In case you had not guessed, I am of Irish decent (shocking I know - what with being from Boston and all) and frankly, since I am a fourth generation American on both sides of my family tree, eating this yearly meal is about as Irish as I get. But my Mom has been working hard all day boiling the heck out of a pot full of grey beef that has been sitting in brine for God knows how long, along with the cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. So I am off to purchase a few bottles of beer and together we will sit down to enjoy dining on a bit of our heritage (oh why could I not be French or Italian or Chinese - you know from a people with GOOD food?) Think kind edible thoughts for me readers and hopefully I will survive to blog another day :)
Does washing your clothes with bleach leave your fabrics yellow, feeling rough and smelling harsh? Try something new! Whiten in the rinse cycle.
Downy Plus Whitening is specially-formulated to brighten your whites in every wash, give them a soft feel and pleasant scent, and is completely safe on colors.
I fear selling. Oh, I can sell books, trinkets, or miscellaneous household items without misgivings. It is appreciating assets I fear selling.
Rationally I understand that you should buy a stock (hopefully at a low price) and when it appreciates sell all or at least some to lock in your gains. Logically it is the smart thing to do. But for some reason I have a very hard time hitting that sell button. I fear that if I sell it will be a costly mistake. Currently the majority of my investment dollars are in retirement funds. I don't plan on using those dollars for 30 years or more. So when I buy a stock I somehow feel I should hold onto it for a L O N G time. So far stocks that I purchased 5 or 6 years ago have done very well. Is it unreasonable to think that they will perform even better in the next 30 years?
This fear also applies to real estate that I have purchased. Is buying and holding an unreasonable thing to do? (obviously I am speaking in very general terms and about stable companies and properties). What do you do? Do you tend to buy and hold?
Be Careful About Living in the Suburbs of the Suburbs
Two years ago my aunt and uncle sold their home of the past 35 years in the suburbs of Boston and moved into a newly constructed home located in the suburbs of the suburbs of Boston. USA Today would call it a move to the "fringes" or the "exurbs". Around here we call it "Moving out to the sticks". This trend of moving farther and farther away from core centers is discussed in the USA Today article: Metro area 'fringes' are booming.
For many the decision to move so far out are financial. The further out you are generally the larger the home and more land you can afford. Going back to the example of my aunt and uncle, it was the need for one-level living that prompted them to buy where they did. Their old home required you to climb 15 steps from the sidewalk to get into the front door and once inside the bedrooms were an additional 10 steps up on the second floor. For aging knees this was getting to be too much. After looking at aging ranch or bungalow homes in their old suburb nothing quite appealed. That is when they started looking into building their own home. Since empty buildable land is scarce close to Boston this prompted the move out to the sticks.
While they love the house, they don't love the location. They are a good half-hour drive from the closest grocery store. To shop for more than food or medicine they need to travel at least 45 minutes away. To visit old friends and family it is a minimum hour and a half drive. The infrastructure and amenities are lacking in the sticks. So while their knees are happy, the rest of them feel lonely and somewhat isolated. When asked if they would make the same decision knowing what they know now, they answered "We would have purchased one of those ranch or bungalow homes in our old suburb and paid to have it rehabed to meet our needs. It may have cost more, but at least we would be happier."
The March utility bills are all in and somehow I pulled off another under-$300 month! This despite my Comcast bill being a bit higher due to an OnDemand movie rental. Once again I thank Vonage* for keeping my phone bill a fixed and predictable cost. Having those unlimited local and long distance minutes really helps me meet my $300 or less goal. I credit the lower electric bill to the energy efficient light bulbs I placed around the house, being more vigilant about shutting off lights in rooms I am not occupying, and the generally sunny winter Boston is enjoying.
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* If you are thinking of switching your phone service to Vonage VOIP and would like a referral (you get one month free and I get two free months) send me an Email and I will be glad to send it along.
Today is the day Julius Caesar was betrayed by the senators of Rome and executed. So if you are feeling a bit uneasy or wondering if your co-worker's seem vaguely threatening this could be the reason why :)
According to the BBC the "Ides" was traditionally the day of the month debts were settled - so perhaps the best way to honor this day is to pay a bill and think a kind thought for the historic leader who has made this day infamous.
The ides seems set only to survive as a literary and historical reference - in spite of it being the date by which debts (including Caesar's) were usually settled.
Free HBO this weekend! - Comcast Digital Subscribers
Not sure if this is nationwide or just in the Boston area. But this weekend (March 17th - March 21) Comcast digital subscribers (those with the digital cable box) will receive free HBO. This is probably being done to hook everyone on the Soprano's again (the new season started last Sunday night). The last time HBO did this I was able to watch a number of great movies and shows using the ON DEMAND feature (they should have the current Soprano's episodes available). So if you are a Comcast customer be sure to check it out this weekend. - Enjoy!
I would like to thank Tim over at My Money Forest for interviewing me on his website. He is a new blogger, but getting off to a great start! Thanks Tim.
But wait - there is more! Jay Fitzgerald of the Boston Herald EconoBlog mentioned me along with Five Cent Nickel. Thank you Jay!
Always nice to get a little attention - but now back to the salt mines...
I called my car insurance company today to check on the 2006 rates. I have the pleasure of living in one of the only states in this nation where my state legislature sets insurance rates. So every year we have to wait and see what the politicians and auto insurance lobbyist come up with as far as our insurance rate table. (I swear these guys meet in the back room of some bar, knock back a few and play darts or pool to see who gets what each year - at least that is my theory) This year they agreed on a rate cut - which is great! But my bill was due at the beginning of the year and my insurance company had to charge me using last years rates. That means I should be getting a rebate back once the company finishes pricing it's policies.
The insurance rep I spoke with on the phone told me the company is finishing the pricing this week, so I should be getting my letter (and hopefully my check) in the mail in the next two weeks. So fingers-crossed that I get a nice chunk of change back!
Today's Boston Globe has the story: Fewer banks offer big gifts to lure clients. While Eastern Bank is offering a 7-inch Polaroid DVD player (retails for $150) for customers who open select checking accounts, many other local banks have pulled back on promotions.
Banks could afford to be generous with freebies a year ago. When the gap is wide between short- and long-term interest rates, banks thrive because they can borrow at the low rate, make loans at a higher rate, and pocket some of the difference as profit. But when the gap between rates narrows, profits get squeezed.
On March 14, 2005, 10-year interest rates were 0.77 percent higher than two-year rates, according to the US Treasury Department. As of last week, that spread had narrowed to 0.02 percent, and between January and early March, that spread was often a slightly negative number.
''Banks are between a rock and a hard place," said analyst Gerard Cassidy of RBC Capital Markets.
If you are thinking of switching banks and have been tempted by some of the gifts or other offers out there, it looks like you should jump on the offers and not wait - since they may not be around for long. For me? I am sticking with my old tried and true Credit Union. While I don't get things like fancy DVD players, I do get solid service, free checking, free ATM access (when using machines in the SUM network), free online banking, and free online bill pay. True, the interest rate is pretty low, but then I keep the bulk of my savings in online accounts which give me a high rate of return. But knowing that I can walk to my local credit union, be greeted by a teller who knows me, and have any questions or concerns answered immediately is worth more than a DVD player to me.
Once again I was wasting time on YouTube (my new favorite site) and I found this little video. It appears to be a group of college kids on a road trip who pan handled their way back to Boston.
Not sure what this says about the youth of today. It is not clear why they don't have money. Perhaps they were robbed (yeah right, a thief who takes all your cash but leaves behind the video camera?) or maybe this was a sociology experiment? More likely they blew all their cash on booze on Spring Break and kind strangers helped them fund the trip back home...
i want money road trip in 2003. We went on a road trip with no money, and by the time we made it back to Boston, we made money!
OK - I just finished watching the Discover Times show "Runaway Grooms" and it was pretty interesting in a sad sort of way. The show profiled two Indian women who had each entered into arranged marriages with Indian men who now live in Canada. In each case the families of the women did not know a lot about the men or their families, but had entered into the arranged marriage contract on the advice of trusted family or friends.
Both women gave the men dowry money at the marriage ($13,000 and $10,000), had a big ceremony (which were video-taped so you got to see the elaborate ceremonies, the grooms, and the groom's families). The marriages were consummated and the men headed back to Canada. The women's families then received demands for additional money before the men would submit paperwork to get visas for the new wives to join them in Canada ($30,000 addition from one woman's family and $10,000 additional from the other). In both cases the women could not afford the additional payments.
Now the women were stuck in this weird limbo. They could not explain to family and friends why they were still in India and not moving to Canada to join their new husbands. Since they are officially married women they can not work (although one woman does finally start her own beauty salon in her parent's home to earn some money). It gets worse, the men file for divorce in Canada once one year passes citing abandonment by their wives (the wives can't fight this charge since they can't get visas to leave India and show up in Canadian courts without the husband's sponsorship). So while they are divorced in Canada, in India they are still considered married.
The really sad thing was seeing how these women become depressed and shut-ins since they don't want anyone who knows them to see them and ask questions. The women are stuck in their parent's home knowing that they are now burdens with no escape. One woman said about herself "I am like a stained sheet, I can never be washed clean". They are dishonored and even if divorced in India they could not marry again since they are no longer virgins and no longer have dowry money.
The men? They pretty much get off scott free. The film crew does track them down in Canada, but not much can be done. One woman does finally get the Indian courts to declare her husband a fugitive and he can no longer enter India. He has also been commanded to pay back $10,000 of the dowry money - but still her life is ruined.
Runaway Grooms - What I am planning on watching tonight
Tonight I am rewarding myself for getting all those eBay auctions listed by ordering in some chinese food and parking myself on the sofa to watch Runaway Grooms on the Discovery Times channel.
Should be an interesting show. I guess one way to increase your Net Worth is to just keep marrying women and stealing their dowry... Wait, isn't Karma an Indian word? Don't these men realize doing stuff like this can only lead to bad things in the end? Guess I will find out once I watch the show...
Five-Finger Discounts - Those are no-no's in my book
I heard this story on NPR this evening (it was originally reported by Slate magazine over the weekend.)
Claude Allen was participating in a refund fraud scam. This is where you purchase an item, pay for it, and walk out of the store. You then go back into the store with your receipt, go back to the aisles and pick up the item you had previously purchased, and take it with the receipt to the customer service counter and get a refund for the item you had just "returned".
Who is Claude Allen? He was a former White House advisor who has just recently purchased a million dollar home. It was not because he could not afford the mop or the Bose stereo system (two of the many items he did this refund scheme with). He obviously has some sort of compulsion that has caused him to shop-lift in this way.
Shop lifting, refund fraud, five-finger discounting - it is all wrong. I am all for getting bargains and saving money, but stealing is sleazy and not something I would do.
On my lunch break I went to CVS to pick up a few items I noticed on sale this week. Buy one 12pk of Cottonelle toilet paper (double roll) and get a second pack free - $9.49. Buy one box of Kleenex facial tissue get one free - $1.99. While in the store I also saw a cute flowered wreath for my front door, which was on sale for $7.49. So I spent $18.97 ($19.92 after 5% MA sales tax), picked up a few bargains, and generally was happy with my little shopping excursion. But wait, it gets better. Look at the little bonuses I got for this little shopping trip:
Upromise Bonus
Cottonelle Toilet Paper (5%) - $0.47 Kleenex Facial Tissues (3%) - $0.06 ------------------------------------ Total Upromise Bonus - $0.53
CVS ExtraCare Bonus
CVS Money percent of total (2%) - $0.38
MasterCard Dividend Platinum Cashback Card
Pharmacy Purchases Cash Back (5%) - $0.95
Total bonus money? $0.95 + $0.53 + $0.38 = $1.86
That is $1.86 for purchasing items I was going to buy anyway.
I just recently signed-up for Upromise* and can kick myself for not doing this sooner. Upromise is a Massachusetts company and I have been aware of them for years. However, I never signed-up because I did not have children and because none of my nieces or nephews had 529 Plans. I did not realize that I could sign-up and start accruing dollars in the account and LATER decide who to give them to. So I could theoretically keep accruing Upromise dollars for a future child of my own. Or opened my own 529 plan if I thought I might someday want to take additional courses. Or in the hopes that one of my nieces or nephews would finally get a 529 plan (my Brother recently did just that for one of my nephews, so currently my Upromise dollars are going to him). Oh well, I am doing it now (but all that money I have spent on Diet Coke - I could have funded a semester at least!)
When you sign-up for a CVS discount card you are automatically enrolled in the ExtraCare Bonus program. Your bonus dollars accrue for a quarter then you get 2% of your total purchases back in CVS dollars to spend at the store.
I switched my Citi Mastercard from an Airline card to a Cash Back Card just a few months ago. For more information about the switch and the program you can read my post: Citi Dividend Platinum Select Rebate Program.
Now, some may say - "Why get excited about $1.86?" Well, it is found money as far as I am concerned. If companies are willing to give it to me why would I be stupid and not take it? This is also money that is easy to get - just shop as I normally do in stores that I normally frequent and buy products I normally buy with a credit card I normally use (and pay off the balance in full each and every month). Knowing that one purchase is rewarding me three ways is SWEET!
* If you are going to sign-up for Upromise for the first time use Promotional Code BN5 for $5.00 to get your account started!
Update - a reader sent me an Email suggesting I retitle this post - to humor her I have done so and bumped it back up.
The Christian Science Monitor is reporting the Return of the tight job market. Hiring is up all over the country (except the Midwest) and wages are rising.
Just as I am about to cheer I read The Poor Get Richer from FORTUNE Magazine. The article notes that while income is rising for those with only a high school education it is shrinking for those with a college education.
The evidence is in a new Fed study of family finances, the latest in a triennial series. It shows modest but clear signs of incomes converging rather than diverging. Between 2001 and 2004 (the most recent year for which data are available), incomes of the poorest 20 percent of families increased while incomes of the richest 20 percent fell. Basically, the poorest families' share of total incomes grew, and the richest families' share shrank. Incomes became just a little less unequal.
Outsourcing of white-collar jobs appears to be the reason for this trend.
So, if you have a job or are looking for a job things appear to be looking up in the near-term. However, according to FORTUNE you may want to encourage your child to become a plumber instead of programmer since Corporate America has yet to figure out how to outsource fixing leaky pipes...
I am happy to report that I have successfully listed my auctions on eBay and am now sitting back just waiting for the bidding to begin :)
My now clean dining room table and my de-boxed home office thanks you for all your motivational comments - they did the trick! Once all the auctions have ended, payment has been received, and boxes shipped out, I will report the results.
Whew! This weekend has been a busy one for me. Some family unexpectedly came into town for a visit, wining and dining has kept me away from my home and computer for most of the weekend. But now I am back and ready to dive into my eBay pile and start listing some auctions.
I managed to glance quickly through Parade Magazine's What People Earn. The magazine runs this story every year and I always look forward to reading it. I don't know why I am so nosy about what other people make, I just know that I am and this annual report helps satisfy my curiosity.
Another interest article I hope to check out is What You'll Really Need To Retire. Looks like lots of good reading for me in this issue.
But now it is back to that pile of clutter on my dining room table. I am rolling up my sleeves and diving in - eBay here I come!
adultescents, mammoni, nesthockers, - call them what you will
Today's Boston Globe has the article: Home boys which comments on the growing phenomenon of adult men living at home with their parents. While women do it too, men are more likely to not want to leave home.
In 2000, 12.9 percent of 25- to 34-year-old men lived at home, up from 10.5 percent in 1980. So did 8.3 percent of women the same age, up from 7 percent in 1980. (In Italy, a third of men between 30 and 34 were still living with their padres and madres, according to a 2005 government study.)
Money seems to be a big reason. When you are slogging away at an entry-level job getting entry-level wages and burdened by student loans, car loans, credit card debt, etc. having a rent free room at Mom & Dad's is pretty hard to resist. But the men in the article also stress the sociability factor for why they stay. They enjoy being with their family and like living with them. They also like the home cooked meals, free laundry and house keeping services...
My eldest sister lived at home until she was in her late 20's. I think she liked being around all of her younger siblings. She also helped out my Mom by paying certain utility bills and making large purchases when needed (when the washing machine broke she replaced it with a new one). She had her own little suite (bedroom and bathroom) and was happy to stay. While the situation worked for both her and my Mom for many years, I think everyone was relieved when she finally moved out and got her own place. When I graduated from college and moved back home I was very aware of how tempting it was to just stay. But having watched my sister do that, I knew I did not want to fall into that trap. That was why I took the leap and purchased my condo. While everyone's situation is different, I do believe you can't really consider yourself an adult unless you are 100% paying your own way (living away from home, doing your own laundry, cooking your own meals, scrubbing your own toilet, etc.)
