This is a nice article with a number of good tips, but I think that 1 of your tips is incorrect and another could use some clarification. The one about waiting until debts are payed off should be clarified to explain that it makes sense to pay off high interest debt first, but when you get to low interest student loans, the decision becomes a lot more difficult. The bigger issue is with #3. Morningstar released a report recently that showed that expense ratio was the single best predictor of future returns. Looking at a fund's previous returns can be dangerous, especially if you are only looking at recent annual returns. Expense ratios, on the other hand, have been an accurate predictor of returns of over all time spans examined by Morningstar. To quote their report "Investors should make expense ratios a primary test in fund selection. They are still the most dependable predictor of performance."
1. Become a Millionaire
2. Finish license for Skydiving
3. Finish at least 1 book
4. Base Jump Grand Canyon
5. Scuba Dive the Great Barrier Reef for a month
6. Build a Boat house in Amsterdam
7. Live off-grid for one year
8. Build and own a Craft Brewery
I never thought of it that way. Now, it seems totally obvious, but it's never been presented to me as this contrast between this story we believe about debt, and the reality that we've all seen happen to people.
I think it's somewhat sustainable. The problem is that word, "sustainable." Greenies want everything to be sustainable forever - a closed system with no waste and sufficient production.
Reality is more open ended and uneven. There are unusual situations. People change - they grow, age, die, and at different times in their life, will have different ideas. If everyone's zigging, someone will zag. When more people are zagging, someone will zig.
So, her life isn't sustainable forever, but maybe it's sustainable for now. Not everyone can be a scavenger, but, maybe there's a very useful social role for scavengers.
Consider the can and bottle fees. We have pretty high ones in California, and the side effect is that you don't see very much can or bottle litter in the cities. You *do* see a lot of chip bags and paper and styrofoam cups. That fee has helped clean the cities, and uses scavengers to do it. It's not totally sustainable - but it has helped make the city more livable. If they added a fee to chip bags and drink cups, those would get picked up too.
Ultimately, it's not a highly sustainable plan, but it's better than what we have now.
I got a card and it said in the letter my local bank recomend this and what was worse they had my bank name and type of account. It went on to say just activate and bring the secound page sighned to the bank and the bank will link you accounts. I though that my little small town bank won't do this, but I ask them and they said unless you tell us otherwise by law we can sell your info. So, I had them proptly stop selling my ifo to scamers and the teller tried to ensure me that all banks do this and we only send your info to affilates and othe companies we are partners with. Plus she said when you first sined up we asked you if we could share your info with the our partners and I said I didn't you sennd me scams. That didn't seem right that if I didn't tell them otherwise basically the bank could sell my info. I had a small savings account at anouther bank out of town so it stay saving, I thought I ask them if they heard of that and turned out they have simalier policy, but the lady said for your protection I can't put your requset in over the phone you have to come in person and requset we don't share your info. I said why if someone wanted steal my info they woudn't block it, but she said that how it works. I just think they knew I woudn't gen there right away and wanted it on as long as possible, but I couldn't belive that any bank would just sell your personal information to the highest bider or the bank executives friends. They should just assume people don't want there info shared.
I need help, like a coach or someone who is willing to help me out. I lost my job while I had pnuemonia last year. This meant that I also lost my Medical insurance. My pnuemonia go worse and I ended up in the hospital where I had to have surgery. I know have with all my bills added together 65K in debt with the largest portion going to the hospital. I feel so overwhelmed I don't know where to start. I am working again but still not making great money and when you throw in Childsupport that I pay it becomes really crappy money. Any help will be appreciated.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned bringing a small bottle of Woolite and a universal drain plug. I got through 5 days in Patagonia with just a backpack (and my boots inside it!) by using the Woolite to wash dirty shirts at night before bed. They'd be dry in just over a day.
The one toiletry I can't find in travel-size is sunscreen. Still all 4oz bottles where I shop. :(
On the other hand, WB is urging you to take hold of the entrepreneurial spirit and take advantage of any tools that may be beneficial to you. I read somewhere that most MTurk users are international anyway, in which case the income earned from it may be relatively more substantial. Besides, I thought the get-rich-quick working online schemes died away long ago?
This is all well and good, for folks who live in areas where Comcast has some viable competition. Many of, particularly in rural and even suburban areas of the U.S., Comcast has no true competition for either television or broadband internet. Where I live, far enough away from major metropolitan areas for broadcast television reception to be poor, dish service is only competitive if I were a rabid sports or movie fan. There's no dish competition to basic cable. There's also no DSL, so Comcast has a lock on wired broadband services. And, am I going to pay the rates offered by cell phone companies, to get high speed Internet into my home? Are you crazy? Comcast has a lock on both television and broadband Internet. FCC protections? Again, I ask you, are you crazy? This merger spells "trouble," plain and simple. If not immediately, then pretty soon.
I have been following Dave Ramsey's plan for about 2 years and I will be 100% debt free in August of 2012. House and everything! The plan works--but only if you are focused and have self-control. I will have paid off a total of $100K in the four years. I talk about my path to debt freedom in my blog.
Yes a second wedding is less then a first as there should only be one wedding in your life. Now if your spouse passed on & you were to remarry that is different but it should be kept low key. A marriage is about a man & a lady showing their love by making a life time commitment to each other. Not how big of a party we can throw to show off to our friends nor on how good of gifts we will get... They are to stand in front of God & make their commitment for life & the rest is just over kill & for the ego...
I have to say that as a single person, I think it's high time the entire big wedding with all the gifts be questioned, whether it's first, second or third. And I don't buy the idea that these young people who aren't making much money are trying to build a home and they need help, etc. Try being young and not making much money and building a home on ONE income. Does it seem right that a single person in that situation is expected to shell out for a gift for the couple? I don't think so.
I have a ryobi 18V trimmer, I LOVE it. i love there is no 'starting' session where I spend anywhere from 10-15minutes angry at the weedeater. It's light easy to use. The battery life could go longer but I don't really want to weed eat for more than 30-45min @ a time anyways, it's a cue to take a break and do something else! If you need to get it all in one day have plenty of batteries charging :)
@PF - I did a reader survey last year for my blog (www.theprofessionalhobo.com), and one of the themes that readers requested was more of a personal edge. To know the "nitty gritty" of what my full-time travel lifestyle is like, even if sometimes it isn't pretty. And I've found in general that the posts I've written where I've exposed more of myself than I've generally felt comfortable with have also been the posts in which I've connected most deeply with readers. So don't be afraid to add that personal edge to your writing...it's what people want to read!
One other tip to mention--look at the fine print of the balance transfer offers. If you are a few days late on a payment, does the rate skyrocket? If you are late on a payment to ANOTHER credit card, does the rate rise (that's the universal default clause)? Are you sure you are in good health and that your job is secure? If not, and something unexpected and unavoidable happens and you aren't able to make the minimum payments, it could be financially devastating.
First, I'd say it's largely not at the expensive of others—nobody has to pay a penny more to live just because she's pulling valuable stuff out of the trash or sleeping in otherwise vacant buildings.
But I'm more interested in the idea that living well is an obligation, because I feel very much the opposite.
To me, the important thing is to live in accordance with your own values. By my values, I should do the things that are important to me—and if at all possible, find a way to live on the money I can earn doing those things (instead of spending my time doing unimportant things merely to earn some more money).
So, I'm a big fan of barely surviving—if it's a pathway to spending your life doing important work.
Great points - I should probably clarify; in a case where one of the parties is having a first marriage, and a traditional (eh um...expensive) wedding is something they've always dreamed of and want to live out, then perhaps it's no different for them than anyone else first go-around. They shouldn't be "penalized" or slighted because they happen to be marrying someone on a 2nd marriage. But then again, the people on THEIR side of the wedding will not have already been through this with them once before. So, not a huge difference, but point of clarification.
This is a nice article with a number of good tips, but I think that 1 of your tips is incorrect and another could use some clarification. The one about waiting until debts are payed off should be clarified to explain that it makes sense to pay off high interest debt first, but when you get to low interest student loans, the decision becomes a lot more difficult. The bigger issue is with #3. Morningstar released a report recently that showed that expense ratio was the single best predictor of future returns. Looking at a fund's previous returns can be dangerous, especially if you are only looking at recent annual returns. Expense ratios, on the other hand, have been an accurate predictor of returns of over all time spans examined by Morningstar. To quote their report "Investors should make expense ratios a primary test in fund selection. They are still the most dependable predictor of performance."
1. Become a Millionaire
2. Finish license for Skydiving
3. Finish at least 1 book
4. Base Jump Grand Canyon
5. Scuba Dive the Great Barrier Reef for a month
6. Build a Boat house in Amsterdam
7. Live off-grid for one year
8. Build and own a Craft Brewery
I never thought of it that way. Now, it seems totally obvious, but it's never been presented to me as this contrast between this story we believe about debt, and the reality that we've all seen happen to people.
I thought the article was charming.
I think it's somewhat sustainable. The problem is that word, "sustainable." Greenies want everything to be sustainable forever - a closed system with no waste and sufficient production.
Reality is more open ended and uneven. There are unusual situations. People change - they grow, age, die, and at different times in their life, will have different ideas. If everyone's zigging, someone will zag. When more people are zagging, someone will zig.
So, her life isn't sustainable forever, but maybe it's sustainable for now. Not everyone can be a scavenger, but, maybe there's a very useful social role for scavengers.
Consider the can and bottle fees. We have pretty high ones in California, and the side effect is that you don't see very much can or bottle litter in the cities. You *do* see a lot of chip bags and paper and styrofoam cups. That fee has helped clean the cities, and uses scavengers to do it. It's not totally sustainable - but it has helped make the city more livable. If they added a fee to chip bags and drink cups, those would get picked up too.
Ultimately, it's not a highly sustainable plan, but it's better than what we have now.
I got a card and it said in the letter my local bank recomend this and what was worse they had my bank name and type of account. It went on to say just activate and bring the secound page sighned to the bank and the bank will link you accounts. I though that my little small town bank won't do this, but I ask them and they said unless you tell us otherwise by law we can sell your info. So, I had them proptly stop selling my ifo to scamers and the teller tried to ensure me that all banks do this and we only send your info to affilates and othe companies we are partners with. Plus she said when you first sined up we asked you if we could share your info with the our partners and I said I didn't you sennd me scams. That didn't seem right that if I didn't tell them otherwise basically the bank could sell my info. I had a small savings account at anouther bank out of town so it stay saving, I thought I ask them if they heard of that and turned out they have simalier policy, but the lady said for your protection I can't put your requset in over the phone you have to come in person and requset we don't share your info. I said why if someone wanted steal my info they woudn't block it, but she said that how it works. I just think they knew I woudn't gen there right away and wanted it on as long as possible, but I couldn't belive that any bank would just sell your personal information to the highest bider or the bank executives friends. They should just assume people don't want there info shared.
I need help, like a coach or someone who is willing to help me out. I lost my job while I had pnuemonia last year. This meant that I also lost my Medical insurance. My pnuemonia go worse and I ended up in the hospital where I had to have surgery. I know have with all my bills added together 65K in debt with the largest portion going to the hospital. I feel so overwhelmed I don't know where to start. I am working again but still not making great money and when you throw in Childsupport that I pay it becomes really crappy money. Any help will be appreciated.
One day after Comcast took over, Keith Olbermann was gone from MSNBC. When media companies combine, fewer voices are heard. That may not affect the prices you pay, but it still has an effect. http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/olbermann-hosts-last-co...
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned bringing a small bottle of Woolite and a universal drain plug. I got through 5 days in Patagonia with just a backpack (and my boots inside it!) by using the Woolite to wash dirty shirts at night before bed. They'd be dry in just over a day.
The one toiletry I can't find in travel-size is sunscreen. Still all 4oz bottles where I shop. :(
On the other hand, WB is urging you to take hold of the entrepreneurial spirit and take advantage of any tools that may be beneficial to you. I read somewhere that most MTurk users are international anyway, in which case the income earned from it may be relatively more substantial. Besides, I thought the get-rich-quick working online schemes died away long ago?
This is all well and good, for folks who live in areas where Comcast has some viable competition. Many of, particularly in rural and even suburban areas of the U.S., Comcast has no true competition for either television or broadband internet. Where I live, far enough away from major metropolitan areas for broadcast television reception to be poor, dish service is only competitive if I were a rabid sports or movie fan. There's no dish competition to basic cable. There's also no DSL, so Comcast has a lock on wired broadband services. And, am I going to pay the rates offered by cell phone companies, to get high speed Internet into my home? Are you crazy? Comcast has a lock on both television and broadband Internet. FCC protections? Again, I ask you, are you crazy? This merger spells "trouble," plain and simple. If not immediately, then pretty soon.
I have been following Dave Ramsey's plan for about 2 years and I will be 100% debt free in August of 2012. House and everything! The plan works--but only if you are focused and have self-control. I will have paid off a total of $100K in the four years. I talk about my path to debt freedom in my blog.
Dollars Not Debt
I would love to travel across the country in an RV.
Thank you for your help. Did your strainer come with different screens?
I haven't "found one" per se. But I can make them. Here's a link to that article.
http://www.wisebread.com/frugal-gluten-free-living-flour-tortillas-that-...
Yes a second wedding is less then a first as there should only be one wedding in your life. Now if your spouse passed on & you were to remarry that is different but it should be kept low key. A marriage is about a man & a lady showing their love by making a life time commitment to each other. Not how big of a party we can throw to show off to our friends nor on how good of gifts we will get... They are to stand in front of God & make their commitment for life & the rest is just over kill & for the ego...
I have to say that as a single person, I think it's high time the entire big wedding with all the gifts be questioned, whether it's first, second or third. And I don't buy the idea that these young people who aren't making much money are trying to build a home and they need help, etc. Try being young and not making much money and building a home on ONE income. Does it seem right that a single person in that situation is expected to shell out for a gift for the couple? I don't think so.
I have a ryobi 18V trimmer, I LOVE it. i love there is no 'starting' session where I spend anywhere from 10-15minutes angry at the weedeater. It's light easy to use. The battery life could go longer but I don't really want to weed eat for more than 30-45min @ a time anyways, it's a cue to take a break and do something else! If you need to get it all in one day have plenty of batteries charging :)
@PF - I did a reader survey last year for my blog (www.theprofessionalhobo.com), and one of the themes that readers requested was more of a personal edge. To know the "nitty gritty" of what my full-time travel lifestyle is like, even if sometimes it isn't pretty. And I've found in general that the posts I've written where I've exposed more of myself than I've generally felt comfortable with have also been the posts in which I've connected most deeply with readers. So don't be afraid to add that personal edge to your writing...it's what people want to read!
Bicycle ski
Take a cruise
Travel europe
Ride a zip-line
See both of my children graduate college
One other tip to mention--look at the fine print of the balance transfer offers. If you are a few days late on a payment, does the rate skyrocket? If you are late on a payment to ANOTHER credit card, does the rate rise (that's the universal default clause)? Are you sure you are in good health and that your job is secure? If not, and something unexpected and unavoidable happens and you aren't able to make the minimum payments, it could be financially devastating.
So, has anyone ever found a gluten-free tortilla you can wrap/fold without it splitting and curling? If so, let me know!!
That's an interesting perspective.
First, I'd say it's largely not at the expensive of others—nobody has to pay a penny more to live just because she's pulling valuable stuff out of the trash or sleeping in otherwise vacant buildings.
But I'm more interested in the idea that living well is an obligation, because I feel very much the opposite.
To me, the important thing is to live in accordance with your own values. By my values, I should do the things that are important to me—and if at all possible, find a way to live on the money I can earn doing those things (instead of spending my time doing unimportant things merely to earn some more money).
So, I'm a big fan of barely surviving—if it's a pathway to spending your life doing important work.
I like the name! Great post on the Anti-New Years Resolution Movement, and good luck achieving your goals for 2011!
"Weddings are a celebration of 2 people deciding to join their lives together, and want to share that event with others."
Yes but ... what does that have to do with spending extravagant sums of money?
I will NOT buy a wedding gift for any of my friends or family on their second ( or third of whatever ) marriage.
Great points - I should probably clarify; in a case where one of the parties is having a first marriage, and a traditional (eh um...expensive) wedding is something they've always dreamed of and want to live out, then perhaps it's no different for them than anyone else first go-around. They shouldn't be "penalized" or slighted because they happen to be marrying someone on a 2nd marriage. But then again, the people on THEIR side of the wedding will not have already been through this with them once before. So, not a huge difference, but point of clarification.