Interesting article, but I think outsourcing is pretty different from venture capital. Venture capitalists generally put up "seed money" to bootstrap and start up a company and get shares in the company. Their role is of an investor, and having worked in venture funded startups I think they do have a purpose because they often provide the original capital for a business or money to expand the business. Without the original funding a lot of people I know would not have jobs.
Outsourcing is where a company hires contractors or people outside of the US for its own operations. So the company is still producing something, but they are trying to cut their costs by not having employees. I think that's completely different from venture capital so I'm not sure if the two things are very comparable.
Another good point to keep in mind is depression. I have known so many people to become depressed while unemployed and it spirels them down until they find it almost impossible to find work anyway. At least by working you have a sense of worth.
We're just staying all in and contributing as much as possible. We still have 30 years to go until retirement. I don't think we're going to see fast recovery. I think we'll be stuck here for a while. I'm crossing my fingers that investing now will pay big returns in a few decades.
Something that has not been mentioned and should be considered is that in some (if not most) states, if you turn down a "reasonable" job offer, even if it pays poorly, consists of requirements which are not acceptable to you, or is just not a good fit, your unemployment benefits can be discontinued.
This happened to me in Ohio a few years ago. I was laid off, then offered a position within the same company consisting of part-time hours, no benefits, little more than minimum wage, and a significant quantity of personal-use vehicle travelling. I turned it down. Then my unemployment benefits were denied due to turning down a "reasonable" offer.
specialization looks risky to me, no matter if you know to do one thing well or invest your money in one company only
secondly, self-sufficiency allows me a better peace of mind knowing that i can do so many things alone
when i do something for myself- a bike, a cloth, food anything- it relaxes me so i don't spend money because i'm stressed- and it saves me time and nerves when i look for what i want and nobody makes the thing the way i desire
thirdly- whatever i buy there is a tax that i pay too- by doing things my way i pay the tax only when i buy raw materials- if i don't have them already or can't obtain them in a different way
Wow Nora. Great article. You must have had some time on your hands.
Another product that has come along that usually has better rates than the typical guaranteed whole life insurance is universal life insurance with a no-lapse guarantee premium. It works just like a universal life insurance product in that your extra premiums can be invested with tax free build up, but if the crediting rate goes down or the investment piece doesn't turn out like you expected then as long as you are making the minimum payment your insurance stays inforce even if your policy fund value drops to zero. These products typically have more competitive rates than traditional whole life insurance and more investment upside.
Both UL and WL may be riddled with fees, but they provide another method of tax sheltering. After your 401K is topped up, your IRA's are maxed and your college funding is getting paid where can you put your money to not be paying that marginal rate? Insurance. If you already need insurance and have your normal methods of tax-sheltering covered then Permanent life insurance can make it much better than term+investing.
Good Post and approach WC...My space is rather limited and I tend to have the same jitters about big ticket items as you mention in the post. My way of taking the edge off it is to find something to part with as a small sacrifice to the "Retail Gods"...
In your case I would sell my old laptop on Ebay once the new one arrives or donate it to a frugal friend looking for a free MP3 garage machine.
Enjoy the new laptop...Sounds like you've earned it.
That is great! I do the same thing, but on a much smaller scale. I really enjoy little snacks throughout the week that I did not budget for (we are on a very tight budget right now). So, with the money I make online through surveys and other little things, I buy my little snacks. It is money that I never accounted for so I do not feel guilty using it!
Count me among those who only believe in term. Both UL and WL are riddled with fees and generally represent poor investment choices. Buy term and take the difference and invest it yourself. The only people who believe in UL or WL are those who sell it and those whom they have convinced to buy it.
Does it make any sense for the purposes of this conversation to distinguish between personal debt and debt that is legally secured by the assets of a business?
Wow! This article is awesome. I've been considering a policy for awhile, but never got serious about it because I was baffled by the choices. This article serves as a great "decision tree" of sorts.
Once you spot your crazy hot job--whether through a Web site or personal connection, the next step is having the courage to go out and get it. Sometimes that is the hardest part. This is my current inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Let's not forget the great Bill Clinton era had a Republican Congress. We deserve what is happening to us as we have given (via the election process) total control to one party. We are very close folks to form of government never seen in this country. With the left and right so far apart. We are approaching socialism, and in some ways fascism, as our government moves to make decisions that have no historical facts to back them. We can fix this mess by voting in those who would question every idea proposed by one party. Less may get done by government; allowing private enterprise to get it done right. I have traveled the world and the U.S.A. is the best place in the world. No place else even comes close, so why do we allow others to suggest we should be like any other government? Our system works, let's not allow the media and big government to ruin it.
I'm sure the majority of the people here are listing legitimate items on craigslist. But, as a heavy user of it, I have to say that many (if not most) people don't bother reading the terms of use. That leads to flagging and that makes people unhappy.
Many people have no clue that they're either selling/giving away something on cl's "prohibited" list. Worse are the people who post in "Items wanted" for stuff on the "prohibited" list and then get irate that their post got flagged off. It's Craig's house and Craig's rules. And seeking a product creates just as much of a market as selling it or giving it away.
While I'm at it, cl is NOT an auction site. No "best" or "reasonable" offers. You know what price you want for an item; don't make the rest of us have to work at guessing.
I was waiting for you to shed some light. I think that many people will see the job, and think that it may be easy. For many it will still seem like a great gig (as many are taking jobs that are far below what they would consider enjoyable), but it will also be hard work. I know that there are some aspects to my job, for example, that I thought were pretty cool -- before I had to do it 30+ hours a week! Thanks for reminding us that work is still work.
My hubby works in games as a developer, and I can tell you that video game testing isn't really an awesome job. It usually doesn't pay very well, and you are required to play the same thing over and over again until you hate the game you used to love to play. For the people who are outside of the games industry getting paid to play a game seems pretty glamorous, but really it isn't. You usually have to follow a test plan, so you aren't really free to play whatever you want, and then you have to do the same actions over and over. CrazyHotJob seems like a cool site, though, but I just wanted to clarify that video game testing is actually a pretty grueling and painful job.
I found my current crazy hot job by accident through Craigslist. I surf the Internet all day at the office and give feedback about Web sites from a user POV to help improve search strategies. So much fun, I should pay THEM!
Moral of the story is: keep an open mind in your job search. I could never have even imagined that such a cool job existed--before they hired me.
I have bought and sold a lot of things on Craigslist and never had a problem. Last year I was selling a PVR and it keep getting flagged for no apparent reason. Then I noticed someone else was selling the same thing. I was wondering how they did it. Now I know.
Interesting article, but I think outsourcing is pretty different from venture capital. Venture capitalists generally put up "seed money" to bootstrap and start up a company and get shares in the company. Their role is of an investor, and having worked in venture funded startups I think they do have a purpose because they often provide the original capital for a business or money to expand the business. Without the original funding a lot of people I know would not have jobs.
Outsourcing is where a company hires contractors or people outside of the US for its own operations. So the company is still producing something, but they are trying to cut their costs by not having employees. I think that's completely different from venture capital so I'm not sure if the two things are very comparable.
Another good point to keep in mind is depression. I have known so many people to become depressed while unemployed and it spirels them down until they find it almost impossible to find work anyway. At least by working you have a sense of worth.
*fool-proof
We're just staying all in and contributing as much as possible. We still have 30 years to go until retirement. I don't think we're going to see fast recovery. I think we'll be stuck here for a while. I'm crossing my fingers that investing now will pay big returns in a few decades.
Guest
Very good point to consider. Thank you for bringing this up.
Linsey Knerl
Something that has not been mentioned and should be considered is that in some (if not most) states, if you turn down a "reasonable" job offer, even if it pays poorly, consists of requirements which are not acceptable to you, or is just not a good fit, your unemployment benefits can be discontinued.
This happened to me in Ohio a few years ago. I was laid off, then offered a position within the same company consisting of part-time hours, no benefits, little more than minimum wage, and a significant quantity of personal-use vehicle travelling. I turned it down. Then my unemployment benefits were denied due to turning down a "reasonable" offer.
specialization looks risky to me, no matter if you know to do one thing well or invest your money in one company only
secondly, self-sufficiency allows me a better peace of mind knowing that i can do so many things alone
when i do something for myself- a bike, a cloth, food anything- it relaxes me so i don't spend money because i'm stressed- and it saves me time and nerves when i look for what i want and nobody makes the thing the way i desire
thirdly- whatever i buy there is a tax that i pay too- by doing things my way i pay the tax only when i buy raw materials- if i don't have them already or can't obtain them in a different way
Wow Nora. Great article. You must have had some time on your hands.
Another product that has come along that usually has better rates than the typical guaranteed whole life insurance is universal life insurance with a no-lapse guarantee premium. It works just like a universal life insurance product in that your extra premiums can be invested with tax free build up, but if the crediting rate goes down or the investment piece doesn't turn out like you expected then as long as you are making the minimum payment your insurance stays inforce even if your policy fund value drops to zero. These products typically have more competitive rates than traditional whole life insurance and more investment upside.
Both UL and WL may be riddled with fees, but they provide another method of tax sheltering. After your 401K is topped up, your IRA's are maxed and your college funding is getting paid where can you put your money to not be paying that marginal rate? Insurance. If you already need insurance and have your normal methods of tax-sheltering covered then Permanent life insurance can make it much better than term+investing.
Did you get a Mac?
Good Post and approach WC...My space is rather limited and I tend to have the same jitters about big ticket items as you mention in the post. My way of taking the edge off it is to find something to part with as a small sacrifice to the "Retail Gods"...
In your case I would sell my old laptop on Ebay once the new one arrives or donate it to a frugal friend looking for a free MP3 garage machine.
Enjoy the new laptop...Sounds like you've earned it.
That is great! I do the same thing, but on a much smaller scale. I really enjoy little snacks throughout the week that I did not budget for (we are on a very tight budget right now). So, with the money I make online through surveys and other little things, I buy my little snacks. It is money that I never accounted for so I do not feel guilty using it!
That's all fine and dandy, but I want to know what kind of computer you decided to buy!
Count me among those who only believe in term. Both UL and WL are riddled with fees and generally represent poor investment choices. Buy term and take the difference and invest it yourself. The only people who believe in UL or WL are those who sell it and those whom they have convinced to buy it.
Does it make any sense for the purposes of this conversation to distinguish between personal debt and debt that is legally secured by the assets of a business?
Wow! This article is awesome. I've been considering a policy for awhile, but never got serious about it because I was baffled by the choices. This article serves as a great "decision tree" of sorts.
Thanks!
Once you spot your crazy hot job--whether through a Web site or personal connection, the next step is having the courage to go out and get it. Sometimes that is the hardest part. This is my current inspiration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
I farted on the dent in my car and it came out. can anybody explain that.
Let's not forget the great Bill Clinton era had a Republican Congress. We deserve what is happening to us as we have given (via the election process) total control to one party. We are very close folks to form of government never seen in this country. With the left and right so far apart. We are approaching socialism, and in some ways fascism, as our government moves to make decisions that have no historical facts to back them. We can fix this mess by voting in those who would question every idea proposed by one party. Less may get done by government; allowing private enterprise to get it done right. I have traveled the world and the U.S.A. is the best place in the world. No place else even comes close, so why do we allow others to suggest we should be like any other government? Our system works, let's not allow the media and big government to ruin it.
I'm sure the majority of the people here are listing legitimate items on craigslist. But, as a heavy user of it, I have to say that many (if not most) people don't bother reading the terms of use. That leads to flagging and that makes people unhappy.
Many people have no clue that they're either selling/giving away something on cl's "prohibited" list. Worse are the people who post in "Items wanted" for stuff on the "prohibited" list and then get irate that their post got flagged off. It's Craig's house and Craig's rules. And seeking a product creates just as much of a market as selling it or giving it away.
While I'm at it, cl is NOT an auction site. No "best" or "reasonable" offers. You know what price you want for an item; don't make the rest of us have to work at guessing.
I was waiting for you to shed some light. I think that many people will see the job, and think that it may be easy. For many it will still seem like a great gig (as many are taking jobs that are far below what they would consider enjoyable), but it will also be hard work. I know that there are some aspects to my job, for example, that I thought were pretty cool -- before I had to do it 30+ hours a week! Thanks for reminding us that work is still work.
Linsey Knerl
My hubby works in games as a developer, and I can tell you that video game testing isn't really an awesome job. It usually doesn't pay very well, and you are required to play the same thing over and over again until you hate the game you used to love to play. For the people who are outside of the games industry getting paid to play a game seems pretty glamorous, but really it isn't. You usually have to follow a test plan, so you aren't really free to play whatever you want, and then you have to do the same actions over and over. CrazyHotJob seems like a cool site, though, but I just wanted to clarify that video game testing is actually a pretty grueling and painful job.
Thanks for posting info about this cool Web site.
I found my current crazy hot job by accident through Craigslist. I surf the Internet all day at the office and give feedback about Web sites from a user POV to help improve search strategies. So much fun, I should pay THEM!
Moral of the story is: keep an open mind in your job search. I could never have even imagined that such a cool job existed--before they hired me.
6. make photocopies of it and hand them out to people on the street
I have bought and sold a lot of things on Craigslist and never had a problem. Last year I was selling a PVR and it keep getting flagged for no apparent reason. Then I noticed someone else was selling the same thing. I was wondering how they did it. Now I know.