Personally, I think the Roth 401(k) still endorses the idea of allowing your employers to control your financial future.
Everyone should have an IRA at least, and the Roth IRA account is by far the best and most efficient tax-sheltered account because it protects against shaky tax brackets in the future.
We all know that America is in debt - heck the author's byline mentions Generation Debt, but not to be confused with Generation Y.
I don't trust congress nor any political advocate in the future, therefore I will go with the Roth IRA until something better reveals itself in the future.
Also, I compared my top 7 favorite Roth IRA Brokeers on my website, so feel free to check out my personal reviews.
Finally, Great article, and honestly whether you choose a 401(k) or IRA, JUST CHOOSE SOMETHING. Don't let paralysis by analysis limit your financial potential in the future.
I have a turbo sports sedan (subaru WRX) and the stock MPG is 21/26. add to the fact that I have to use premium, and filling up really starts to hurt.
what I've done is pump up the tires (but not too much to affect brake distance and water traction) to about 43front /40rear psi.
I Have an ECU reflasher that changes the mapping of the Car's computer. I first used it to get more HP out of the stock motor. but I switched it to the econ map. which pretty much "turns off" the turbo and leans out the AFR, and my exhust has a hightflow cat, thus making the engine a bit more efficient than stock.
To get the most out of the gas when accelerating, I find that I need to get to my target speed as efficiently as possible and then coast at the tallest gear possible. I accelerate it firmly, (not stabbing with the gas, but accelerate linearly) short shift before 4k (as fast as I can up to the speed I need.
I keep the rpm's under 4k at all times, this keeps the car out of the closed loop /open loop transition that can really suck up the gas (I think this is a subaru only thing, I'm not familiar with other makes and their how their ECUs work).
so far this has netted me 32mpg around town and 36 on the highway. I'm pretty much maxing out the best I can do right now before moving to more extreme measures to improve milage; such as putting on low-rolling restience tires that are skinnier than stock, smoothing out the air turblence under the car with a few aerodynamic bits, taking off the box spoiler wing and mudflaps, putting on some slimmer mirrors and some moon hubcaps to net some more mpg. Thats a bit too extreme right now but not out of reach in the future.
Unfortunately, I can't usually just hang up, since my home line is also used for business. Hubby and I both work as independent contractors, and often we get calls from clients or co-workers trying to get ahold of us at home. Very often it is difficult to tell what they are saying at first (if they call from a cell, airport, etc) so I almost always listen for quite a while to be sure I am hearing everything I need to know. This is where caller ID is useful, but we know how that doesn't always work, either.
Hanging up doesn't remove me from their list. They may just call back again. But I do enjoy hearing how other people try to have a little fun with unsolicited calls.... I'm just not that assertive, I guess!
First, why not just hang up? And why not put that annoying "disconnected phone number" sound on your answering machine so that when the machines do the first "are you home" call and get your machine it thinks it's a disconnected phone number.
That aside, I do like to mess with telemarketers. I had one from the local paper call me. She talked really really fast and gave a sales pitch in one breath that must have lasted five minutes. When she was done, I said, “I'm sorry, you speak REALLY fast. Can you repeat all of that?” She said, “F^(< You!” and hung up on me. She hung up on me! I was really shocked. Another asked if I needed repairs on my home. I was watching the news at the time and a story about tornadoes came up. So, I told the guy I needed a new roof. And he got really exited. Then I told him I need my walls fixed. And he got even more existed. This continued for like 10 minutes until finally he said, “Why do you need all this work done?” And I said, “My house was destroyed and I need it rebuilt.” And he said, “Are you messing with me?” And I said, “Yup.” To which he laughed and said, “I knew it was too good to be true.” I thanked him for at least having a good sense of humor, we talked for 10 more minutes and hung up. He was a nice guy.
We have been using Mvelopes for about 2 years now, and it works great! What it does is use the cash envelope system, but it's an online system. You create folders or "envelopes" when you get your paycheck, so you only spend what you already have, instead of spending what you anticipate you have. It syncs with your bank accounts so all your transactions come out of your "funded envelopes".
You have to keep up with it by logging all your transactions, but it helps being able to track all your spending, so you can create reports about what you've spent vs. your budget and be able to analyze it. We rarely have overdraft fees (and we had a lot when we used Quicken).
You do have to be disciplined to "consult" Emvelopes when you want to spend, instead of just looking at your account balance. It also has a mobile based program so you can consult it from your phone or your PDA.
I particularly like the part about how an suv can sometimes cost more than a kid. I am always sitting around wondering whether I'll have enough money to start a family. I am now thinking twice about that worry. I find this podcast useful regarding money management. Check it out. http://blog.investtalk.com
I cant say I dont agree.. my taxes where mis-filed this year (the preparer put me as head of household, and made my wife a dependent- and isnt willing to fix the issue! ( my wife is partially disabled so no work, as well as is raising our child) I didnt find the "error" until the check came in the mail, and it was $600.00 short! I of course called and got nowhere, just a bunch of rude blah blah blah. No one caress and no one wants to help, all they say is that the check is based on how the taxes where filed, and they are not doing "correction checks" "I should be happy I got what I got at all"
I waited a day and called back. The person I spoke to actually had the balls to tell me that it was my mistake and that it was a $600.00 lesson learned! Nice government this country has huh?? Of course filed the correction paperwork, as the nano-second I owed the govt $600.00 and don't pay, they would be on my doorstep ready to take me away- but I cant demand the same from the govt. Isn't this "for the people, by the people" Or was that somewhere else??
My family isn't one of those that went and bought a flat screen, I actually had to pay bills with it. because of the check being short-my family is in the process or loosing our house (I owed exactly 1500) and of course promised that as soon as I got the check, it would be the mortgage companies! I looked like a fool calling them and having to say that we only had $900.00.The mortgage company cant wait any longer, and had to process the paperwork for the foreclosure. Thanks President Bush! I appreciate all that you've not done for this country and my family.
Two thumbs up for Elance! It's easy to post a project, review and communicate with bidders, and then work with and pay the work providers.
On a recent logo design job I was hiring for (less than $500 budget), I got 28 bids from 11 different countries. The bids ranged from $65 - $385. The bidders ranged from independents with limited portfolios to huge design firms with thousands of projects under their belt.
Two Indian logo design companies had the largest portfolios for fairly cheap $100 bids. I was about to pick one of them before a late bidder fulfilled everything on my wishlist! I ended up going with an independent designer in the U.S. for $75 because she had relevant experience in the industry (with great samples) and was cheaper than the big Indian companies.
1. United States (8 bids)
2. India (7)
3. Argentina (3)
4. United Kingdom (3)
5. Russia (1)
6. Belarus (1)
7. Qatar (1)
8. Pakistan (1)
9. Spain (1)
10. Indonesia (1)
11. Romania (1)
I've had successful projects on Elance for:
* data entry and Internet research
* design (logo and website)
* video editing
* technical (build this site, do some programming...)
I love our new global marketplace. It allows small and one-person businesses look and act "big".
Anyone who has some coupon savvy and watches the ads can cash out big time at a store like Shaws (also Star Market and Albertson's). I am a family of two with two dogs. I regularly spend $50 a week on groceries and pet treats, etc, however the actual amount of stuff I bring home is equal to $100-150 retail. Because Shaws doubles coupons under .99 (up to six of the same coupon per order) I have found coupons which make items free to bump up my grocery total without costing me. I also buy pet treats and soda which I normally buy at Walmart from Shaws now when the price is equal or less. Walmart soda is up to almost 2.50/12 pack. Shaws ran a 5/$11 promotion so we bought there instead. Thats 1/5 the required minimum. Alot of the 10/$10 items can regularly be had for free with coupons as well. My Shaws is next door to Hannaford and down the street from Market Basket. I spend alot less at Shaws than anyone I know. My best friend spends $100+ a week on groceries for her and her husband and thats before she had to buy formula for their new baby. They shop at Market Basket which is supposedly the cheapest in the area.
A vice president of sales for a media company relies on the information I, a virtual assistant, provide about new and emerging technologies to monitor trends in his market.
A small business coach utilizes the research I provide to create her blog posts.
A president of an association monitors her association's presence in the media with the research I provide.
I agree with Nora Dunn. There is an interest in outsourcing tasks. I disagree with the comment posted by Curt. Outsourcing is not part of the old economy. It is an emerging trend that will become a way of life in the future.
Outsourcing is becoming the norm. Why would a company want to pay the maintenance on a large office building, utility bills, office equipment, health care and benefits for employees when for a fraction of the cost they can outsource to an expert who is responsible for their own office, utility bills, office equipment, health care and benefits? Is it not more ecologically friendly to have people working from home then commuting into work everyday? If you would like to see a cost comparison, check out the blog "Your Virtual Assistant" by Denise Griffitts http://virtualassistantindustry.com/blog/
In my daily research, I see more and more companies starting up with simply a board of directors. There are no employees, only independent contractors, consultants, and experts in the field. There are no office buildings, corporate utility bills or office equipment. These companies are existing virtually.
My experience here is with the regular weekly farmer's market in Edmonton, AB that's actually open 12 months of the year. Much of the produce comes from local greenhouses during the winter, but it's also coming out of the ground during the summer.
The Farmer's market veggies had a much better shelf life, which actually saved us money. We had less waste and less trips to the grocery store. Vegetables were typically lasting up to 14 days instead of 5 and we were wasting less "bad" vegetables. There are also the documented benefits of eating "fresher whole foods".
Of course, if the farmer's market is "far" and the local store is "close", that can also affect the equation. Saving $8 out of $200 is no good if you spent an extra 30 minutes driving. And the quality of your farmer's market will vary from the quality of mine.
The big problem with such a comparison is that it's often (pardon the pun) apples to oranges. The only way that you'll know is to give it a try and compare your experiences. There are definitely going to be vast regional differences on this issue.
Good post- but it is way to pricey to shop at my farmers market. i live near Valley Forge, PA and there is onein Phoenixville. I can drop $20-30 on a few ears of corn, 2 organic chicken breasts, 2 cukes, 6 tomatoes and 6 apples. Whiel everything is quite good, it is absurd to pay this amount. Instead I go to Produce Junction. Not sure if this is a PA thing, but you can get bags and bags of produce- mostly in 1-2-5 pound bags for about 10-15 bucks. Since I get so much I usually split it with my grandmom. Plus, the place is a store with vegs on one side and fruit on the other, you just call out what you want, pay and walk out. there's no fancy building, signs or packaging, most people bring their own bags. it is worth it, and i think some of the produce is local.
I'm not sure Curt understands ... Consider: spending 3 hours doing your own taxes and because you're not an expert, you miss a significant deduction vs. handing your taxes to a tax professional who does them for you, catches the big deduction and frees up 3 hours of your time to spend with family or producing more income.
You might say that with the Internet, you can do all your own research so that you can catch that big deduction on your own. But how much time would that take? It's just not scalable to do that all yourself in every area of your life. Outsourcing means letting people who CAN spend time researching these things do it for you, and at a lower cost in time and money than you can do for yourself.
And, really, spending 3 hours at home doing your own taxes is NOT quality time with loved ones, even if you happen to be in the same room with them.
Outsourcing your life is about freeing your time to spend at home, or creating new businesses. The point is that you have a choice, and that it can be a profitable option if approached correctly.
This is not "old economy" at all, this is using the ubiquity of available information and the billion people out there eager to supply it to you in a targeted way to your advantage. Thinking you have to do it all yourself is not your only choice anymore. Free your mind.
This is a great post. The expected inflation is always lower in the short-run, yet should begin to spike once prices begin to affect the economy. I would be interested in seeing what will happen to the Treasury minus tips line within the next year. As inflation begins to increase expected inflation will begin to rise.
This is a very insightful outline of what is to come.
I'm a single person and I keep enough for at least six months in a money market account. You never know what kind of emergency expenses can come your way, especially if you have pets.
My 14-year-old cat was recently diagnosed with renal disease. She's only at Stage 1 and doesn't need any major medical treatment yet, but I'm assuming she will. I'm making sure there is enough money to give her what she needs as her disease progresses.
FYI, I used to have pet insurance on both of my cats, but found the insurance company's vet questioned everything my vet did in an effort to get out of paying a medical claim. I've found it's better just to set aside money in my budget for potential vet bills.
With a joint return, and they go by the SSN of the frist person on the form, whos name will the check be written to? Will it have both spouses or ONLY the spouse whos SSN they used??
Another thing to take into consideration is the hidden cost of cheap supermarket produce--the subsidized transportation of food over long distances, for example. Your taxes are paying for that somewhere, and the environment is picking up the tab for foods produced with pesticides that compromise the soil and pollute waterways. I realize that sometimes when the budget is limited you have to choose food function over food ethics, but farmer's markets and CSAs are a great option for getting the best quality and nutritional value at a reasonable price, AND they are helping the local economy.
We live in the North Shore area and found a great CSA in Home Grown Wisconsin (http://homegrownwisconsin.com/csa.htm). We save a wad of money over what we'd pay at Jewel or Wholefoods, which is where we'd have to go for comparable organic produce. Besides the money we save every week we get to participate in fun events like the June strawberry u-pick. We'll take our 4yo daughter to pick up to 10 pounds of strawberries for free.
That reminds me ... Once at the Wednesday SAn Francisco farmer's market (at Civic Center) I was eyeing some portobellas, but they were too expensive. The vendor saw what I was thinking and whipped out a big bag of broken and ugly ones for a buck. He said they would taste just as good ... and they did.
Personally, I think the Roth 401(k) still endorses the idea of allowing your employers to control your financial future.
Everyone should have an IRA at least, and the Roth IRA account is by far the best and most efficient tax-sheltered account because it protects against shaky tax brackets in the future.
We all know that America is in debt - heck the author's byline mentions Generation Debt, but not to be confused with Generation Y.
I don't trust congress nor any political advocate in the future, therefore I will go with the Roth IRA until something better reveals itself in the future.
Also, I compared my top 7 favorite Roth IRA Brokeers on my website, so feel free to check out my personal reviews.
Finally, Great article, and honestly whether you choose a 401(k) or IRA, JUST CHOOSE SOMETHING. Don't let paralysis by analysis limit your financial potential in the future.
really good article..
ngo stands for non governmental organization (if im not mistaken)
I have a turbo sports sedan (subaru WRX) and the stock MPG is 21/26. add to the fact that I have to use premium, and filling up really starts to hurt.
what I've done is pump up the tires (but not too much to affect brake distance and water traction) to about 43front /40rear psi.
I Have an ECU reflasher that changes the mapping of the Car's computer. I first used it to get more HP out of the stock motor. but I switched it to the econ map. which pretty much "turns off" the turbo and leans out the AFR, and my exhust has a hightflow cat, thus making the engine a bit more efficient than stock.
To get the most out of the gas when accelerating, I find that I need to get to my target speed as efficiently as possible and then coast at the tallest gear possible. I accelerate it firmly, (not stabbing with the gas, but accelerate linearly) short shift before 4k (as fast as I can up to the speed I need.
I keep the rpm's under 4k at all times, this keeps the car out of the closed loop /open loop transition that can really suck up the gas (I think this is a subaru only thing, I'm not familiar with other makes and their how their ECUs work).
so far this has netted me 32mpg around town and 36 on the highway. I'm pretty much maxing out the best I can do right now before moving to more extreme measures to improve milage; such as putting on low-rolling restience tires that are skinnier than stock, smoothing out the air turblence under the car with a few aerodynamic bits, taking off the box spoiler wing and mudflaps, putting on some slimmer mirrors and some moon hubcaps to net some more mpg. Thats a bit too extreme right now but not out of reach in the future.
Unfortunately, I can't usually just hang up, since my home line is also used for business. Hubby and I both work as independent contractors, and often we get calls from clients or co-workers trying to get ahold of us at home. Very often it is difficult to tell what they are saying at first (if they call from a cell, airport, etc) so I almost always listen for quite a while to be sure I am hearing everything I need to know. This is where caller ID is useful, but we know how that doesn't always work, either.
Hanging up doesn't remove me from their list. They may just call back again. But I do enjoy hearing how other people try to have a little fun with unsolicited calls.... I'm just not that assertive, I guess!
Thanks for the comments!
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=147089.0
First, why not just hang up? And why not put that annoying "disconnected phone number" sound on your answering machine so that when the machines do the first "are you home" call and get your machine it thinks it's a disconnected phone number.
That aside, I do like to mess with telemarketers. I had one from the local paper call me. She talked really really fast and gave a sales pitch in one breath that must have lasted five minutes. When she was done, I said, “I'm sorry, you speak REALLY fast. Can you repeat all of that?” She said, “F^(< You!” and hung up on me. She hung up on me! I was really shocked. Another asked if I needed repairs on my home. I was watching the news at the time and a story about tornadoes came up. So, I told the guy I needed a new roof. And he got really exited. Then I told him I need my walls fixed. And he got even more existed. This continued for like 10 minutes until finally he said, “Why do you need all this work done?” And I said, “My house was destroyed and I need it rebuilt.” And he said, “Are you messing with me?” And I said, “Yup.” To which he laughed and said, “I knew it was too good to be true.” I thanked him for at least having a good sense of humor, we talked for 10 more minutes and hung up. He was a nice guy.
We have been using Mvelopes for about 2 years now, and it works great! What it does is use the cash envelope system, but it's an online system. You create folders or "envelopes" when you get your paycheck, so you only spend what you already have, instead of spending what you anticipate you have. It syncs with your bank accounts so all your transactions come out of your "funded envelopes".
You have to keep up with it by logging all your transactions, but it helps being able to track all your spending, so you can create reports about what you've spent vs. your budget and be able to analyze it. We rarely have overdraft fees (and we had a lot when we used Quicken).
You do have to be disciplined to "consult" Emvelopes when you want to spend, instead of just looking at your account balance. It also has a mobile based program so you can consult it from your phone or your PDA.
Here's the link: http://www.mvelopes.com/
We love it!
I particularly like the part about how an suv can sometimes cost more than a kid. I am always sitting around wondering whether I'll have enough money to start a family. I am now thinking twice about that worry. I find this podcast useful regarding money management. Check it out. http://blog.investtalk.com
I cant say I dont agree.. my taxes where mis-filed this year (the preparer put me as head of household, and made my wife a dependent- and isnt willing to fix the issue! ( my wife is partially disabled so no work, as well as is raising our child) I didnt find the "error" until the check came in the mail, and it was $600.00 short! I of course called and got nowhere, just a bunch of rude blah blah blah. No one caress and no one wants to help, all they say is that the check is based on how the taxes where filed, and they are not doing "correction checks" "I should be happy I got what I got at all"
I waited a day and called back. The person I spoke to actually had the balls to tell me that it was my mistake and that it was a $600.00 lesson learned! Nice government this country has huh?? Of course filed the correction paperwork, as the nano-second I owed the govt $600.00 and don't pay, they would be on my doorstep ready to take me away- but I cant demand the same from the govt. Isn't this "for the people, by the people" Or was that somewhere else??
My family isn't one of those that went and bought a flat screen, I actually had to pay bills with it. because of the check being short-my family is in the process or loosing our house (I owed exactly 1500) and of course promised that as soon as I got the check, it would be the mortgage companies! I looked like a fool calling them and having to say that we only had $900.00.The mortgage company cant wait any longer, and had to process the paperwork for the foreclosure. Thanks President Bush! I appreciate all that you've not done for this country and my family.
Ya Ive had that to!
Ya Ive had that to!
Two thumbs up for Elance! It's easy to post a project, review and communicate with bidders, and then work with and pay the work providers.
On a recent logo design job I was hiring for (less than $500 budget), I got 28 bids from 11 different countries. The bids ranged from $65 - $385. The bidders ranged from independents with limited portfolios to huge design firms with thousands of projects under their belt.
Two Indian logo design companies had the largest portfolios for fairly cheap $100 bids. I was about to pick one of them before a late bidder fulfilled everything on my wishlist! I ended up going with an independent designer in the U.S. for $75 because she had relevant experience in the industry (with great samples) and was cheaper than the big Indian companies.
1. United States (8 bids)
2. India (7)
3. Argentina (3)
4. United Kingdom (3)
5. Russia (1)
6. Belarus (1)
7. Qatar (1)
8. Pakistan (1)
9. Spain (1)
10. Indonesia (1)
11. Romania (1)
I've had successful projects on Elance for:
* data entry and Internet research
* design (logo and website)
* video editing
* technical (build this site, do some programming...)
I love our new global marketplace. It allows small and one-person businesses look and act "big".
boiling does not work at all. It wreaked my CD
Another one for your collection of misspell search tools:
GetMyAuction.com - misspell eBay search with RSS support
Anyone who has some coupon savvy and watches the ads can cash out big time at a store like Shaws (also Star Market and Albertson's). I am a family of two with two dogs. I regularly spend $50 a week on groceries and pet treats, etc, however the actual amount of stuff I bring home is equal to $100-150 retail. Because Shaws doubles coupons under .99 (up to six of the same coupon per order) I have found coupons which make items free to bump up my grocery total without costing me. I also buy pet treats and soda which I normally buy at Walmart from Shaws now when the price is equal or less. Walmart soda is up to almost 2.50/12 pack. Shaws ran a 5/$11 promotion so we bought there instead. Thats 1/5 the required minimum. Alot of the 10/$10 items can regularly be had for free with coupons as well. My Shaws is next door to Hannaford and down the street from Market Basket. I spend alot less at Shaws than anyone I know. My best friend spends $100+ a week on groceries for her and her husband and thats before she had to buy formula for their new baby. They shop at Market Basket which is supposedly the cheapest in the area.
A vice president of sales for a media company relies on the information I, a virtual assistant, provide about new and emerging technologies to monitor trends in his market.
A small business coach utilizes the research I provide to create her blog posts.
A president of an association monitors her association's presence in the media with the research I provide.
I agree with Nora Dunn. There is an interest in outsourcing tasks. I disagree with the comment posted by Curt. Outsourcing is not part of the old economy. It is an emerging trend that will become a way of life in the future.
Outsourcing is becoming the norm. Why would a company want to pay the maintenance on a large office building, utility bills, office equipment, health care and benefits for employees when for a fraction of the cost they can outsource to an expert who is responsible for their own office, utility bills, office equipment, health care and benefits? Is it not more ecologically friendly to have people working from home then commuting into work everyday? If you would like to see a cost comparison, check out the blog "Your Virtual Assistant" by Denise Griffitts http://virtualassistantindustry.com/blog/
In my daily research, I see more and more companies starting up with simply a board of directors. There are no employees, only independent contractors, consultants, and experts in the field. There are no office buildings, corporate utility bills or office equipment. These companies are existing virtually.
My experience here is with the regular weekly farmer's market in Edmonton, AB that's actually open 12 months of the year. Much of the produce comes from local greenhouses during the winter, but it's also coming out of the ground during the summer.
The Farmer's market veggies had a much better shelf life, which actually saved us money. We had less waste and less trips to the grocery store. Vegetables were typically lasting up to 14 days instead of 5 and we were wasting less "bad" vegetables. There are also the documented benefits of eating "fresher whole foods".
Of course, if the farmer's market is "far" and the local store is "close", that can also affect the equation. Saving $8 out of $200 is no good if you spent an extra 30 minutes driving. And the quality of your farmer's market will vary from the quality of mine.
The big problem with such a comparison is that it's often (pardon the pun) apples to oranges. The only way that you'll know is to give it a try and compare your experiences. There are definitely going to be vast regional differences on this issue.
Good post- but it is way to pricey to shop at my farmers market. i live near Valley Forge, PA and there is onein Phoenixville. I can drop $20-30 on a few ears of corn, 2 organic chicken breasts, 2 cukes, 6 tomatoes and 6 apples. Whiel everything is quite good, it is absurd to pay this amount. Instead I go to Produce Junction. Not sure if this is a PA thing, but you can get bags and bags of produce- mostly in 1-2-5 pound bags for about 10-15 bucks. Since I get so much I usually split it with my grandmom. Plus, the place is a store with vegs on one side and fruit on the other, you just call out what you want, pay and walk out. there's no fancy building, signs or packaging, most people bring their own bags. it is worth it, and i think some of the produce is local.
I'm not sure Curt understands ... Consider: spending 3 hours doing your own taxes and because you're not an expert, you miss a significant deduction vs. handing your taxes to a tax professional who does them for you, catches the big deduction and frees up 3 hours of your time to spend with family or producing more income.
You might say that with the Internet, you can do all your own research so that you can catch that big deduction on your own. But how much time would that take? It's just not scalable to do that all yourself in every area of your life. Outsourcing means letting people who CAN spend time researching these things do it for you, and at a lower cost in time and money than you can do for yourself.
And, really, spending 3 hours at home doing your own taxes is NOT quality time with loved ones, even if you happen to be in the same room with them.
Outsourcing your life is about freeing your time to spend at home, or creating new businesses. The point is that you have a choice, and that it can be a profitable option if approached correctly.
This is not "old economy" at all, this is using the ubiquity of available information and the billion people out there eager to supply it to you in a targeted way to your advantage. Thinking you have to do it all yourself is not your only choice anymore. Free your mind.
This is a great post. The expected inflation is always lower in the short-run, yet should begin to spike once prices begin to affect the economy. I would be interested in seeing what will happen to the Treasury minus tips line within the next year. As inflation begins to increase expected inflation will begin to rise.
This is a very insightful outline of what is to come.
I'm a single person and I keep enough for at least six months in a money market account. You never know what kind of emergency expenses can come your way, especially if you have pets.
My 14-year-old cat was recently diagnosed with renal disease. She's only at Stage 1 and doesn't need any major medical treatment yet, but I'm assuming she will. I'm making sure there is enough money to give her what she needs as her disease progresses.
FYI, I used to have pet insurance on both of my cats, but found the insurance company's vet questioned everything my vet did in an effort to get out of paying a medical claim. I've found it's better just to set aside money in my budget for potential vet bills.
With a joint return, and they go by the SSN of the frist person on the form, whos name will the check be written to? Will it have both spouses or ONLY the spouse whos SSN they used??
Another thing to take into consideration is the hidden cost of cheap supermarket produce--the subsidized transportation of food over long distances, for example. Your taxes are paying for that somewhere, and the environment is picking up the tab for foods produced with pesticides that compromise the soil and pollute waterways. I realize that sometimes when the budget is limited you have to choose food function over food ethics, but farmer's markets and CSAs are a great option for getting the best quality and nutritional value at a reasonable price, AND they are helping the local economy.
We live in the North Shore area and found a great CSA in Home Grown Wisconsin (http://homegrownwisconsin.com/csa.htm). We save a wad of money over what we'd pay at Jewel or Wholefoods, which is where we'd have to go for comparable organic produce. Besides the money we save every week we get to participate in fun events like the June strawberry u-pick. We'll take our 4yo daughter to pick up to 10 pounds of strawberries for free.
That reminds me ... Once at the Wednesday SAn Francisco farmer's market (at Civic Center) I was eyeing some portobellas, but they were too expensive. The vendor saw what I was thinking and whipped out a big bag of broken and ugly ones for a buck. He said they would taste just as good ... and they did.