After reading through all the responses it is clear that few of them are educated responses. I am not claiming to know all the ins and outs of the lucrative industry of laundering but I can sense bs when I see it.
Offshore accounts are made possible because of Bank Secrecy Acts. These allow for transfers from offshore accounts to other legitimate accounts. I could not tell you how difficult it is to set up an offshore account, however if I were to guess I would say this is the most difficult part of the offshore theory.
The fact is that as long as there are banks hiding individuals personal information large amounts of laundering will always be possible.
I want to thank whoever posted about the Latin Money Laundering. This in my opinion, was the most rational scheme I've heard of that didn't include hundreds of steps and numerous accounts.
I have to say this has saved my family hundreds of dollars. It costs us almost $6 (for about 45 minutes) for a decent phone card to call my husband's family in North Africa. We picked this up for them and it drastically cut down the cost of phone cards and amount of time he can talk to his family.
I have had this happen to me also. Now it is so bad I am getting collection calls and being threatened with jail time for"Theft by Deception".
I thought my money was available, but they decided to clear my deposit when they wanted to. I am thinking about using all cash, but here where I live, some places won't take cash!! That was a shocker.
I am so disgusted with FEES.I am on disability which isn't very much to live on. I have been hit with fees to the point I am sick. I went in to talk with a bank manager and was told "You can't beat the system, the bank is going to get their money".
I was
trying to figure out when the deposits were made and I got so many different answers, From, After 4:00pm the next business day to 11:59 the next night. I am supposed to have the money available to me the next day, which according to them was 12:00am 24 hours later. Needless to say I was hit with a bunch of overdraft charges.
I have found trying to reason with them is impossible. I have complained to the FDIC several times and it all sums up that we are being legally robbed.
For people on such a low income, any overdraft puts them behind in their bills. I have all of my money allocated to pay bills, but when I pay them, the money is never there, But, I do have plenty of fees to pay.
There are many manly-man skills in the book that I didn't mention, such as how to give advice to a male friend, when/how to have appropriate man hugs, and what to say when your wife tells her husband that she is pregnant -- the guys might especially enjoy these topics. It wasn't so easy to discuss these from my perspective so I went with the ones that made sense to me, based on my experience. Thanks for comments and ideas on what you may be interested in sharing and/or learning about.
I think this would be right up my alley: I'm technically savvy and could probably make it work no matter what. But I have DSL through my land line and never go over my cell minutes anyway, so there's no reason for me to get it.
I was just intrigued by the crazy claims they make in their commercials and how my first impression was "What's the catch?"
Much to my surprise, the downside isn't really that big a deal. It's a great product!
savings on gasoline alone more than pays for my costco membership over a yr. prices can be 10 cents a gallon less than the street price. couple wks ago i got gas there and then passed a station a block away that was selling the same grade for 13 cents a gallon more.
if u live in my part of the country where grocery-store meat isn't the greatest, costco beef & lamb are so much better quality it's worth the membership even if u never save a dime.
My husband and I have been very lucky when it comes to gifts in recent years. Our friends seem to know well enough what we like or don't like, so returning something isn't so much an issue. Our families will more often than not send us money, since they've learned over time that every gift attempt generally ends in the very definition of fail.
The one thing we haven't figured out is how to get people to look at wish lists. That would have solved a whole lot of problems in our gift-receiving past.
Gifts should not be burdens, and honesty should be part of any gift-giver/receiver relationship. If I don't like/want/need a gift, I'll find some way to say so that is polite, since it avoids future gift awkwardness, and supports honesty. If I can return it for something else or for store credit, or trade/barter/donate/re-gift it, I will.
I'd certainly return and/or exchange clothes that don't fit, and I have. And I'd like to think that I'd return something that I really don't like or wouldn't have a use for...
But I can't think of a time I ever have. So I really don't know.
What's funny, of course, is that with the possible exception of buying a suit those are all skills that both men and women can and frequently do both master and enjoy. And for that matter, to write with authority about since the book itself was written by a man and woman.
Actually, since the unquestionably manly Chief Sitting Bull, General Tso or even Charles Gordon would have been completely at sea in either Brooks Brothers or Ross Dress for Less even the suit-choosing business isn't essential to manliness.
Speaking as a 100% red-blooded hetero man, if I was to write such book about genuinely universal manly arts I might include a section on the manly skill of massaging your partner's sacrum, lower back muscles, ribs, and abdomen when she's cramping or of unlatching a baby when both mother and child have fallen back to sleep so you can change the inevitably-soiled diaper. You never see that in manly-man books but they're great skills that roughly 90% of men could use at some point in their lives that roughly 90% of women probably don't. And maybe something on the manly art of calming another man who hasn't figured out there are ways besides trying to pick a fight to boost his momentarily-low testosterone levels.
True, there's the problem of who'd want to read a three-chapter book... ok, four chapters since you could do one on urinal stunts. But at the end of the day there aren't a lot of other genuinely and exclusively manly things to know... that wouldn't be just as interesting and useful for women to know. (And don't get me started on all the things men could learn that are supposed to be the exclusive domain of women.)
Love the blog, by the way, and this post is great (I've known and used the steel-wool/battery trick when I was a boy but never really mastered skipping stones.) The book sounds interesting too, even though I disagree those are skills exclusive to men.
When it comes to health care, we shouldn't hesitate to ask "Why?," "How much?" and "Is it necessary?" I got a kick out of this fun, short video. Check it out.
I operate under the principle that I like to be told when a gift I give doesn't work---too small, duplicate or "I stopped collecting pig themed items 10 years ago." So, I extend the same courtesy by thinking people profusely but letting them know if I plan to exchange it.
However, this seldom happens to me since I have told everyone I know that I like consumables as gifts---especially toilet paper.
It's funny that you could even consider for a second that you were being unethical by using the coupons to "make money." The coupon company, the store, and the manufacturer wants you to believe you are getting a great deal, which you are, but really the store is getting your loyalty (and possibly your kids' loyalty in the future), the manufacturer's are getting you to try some of their products you might not have otherwise (my main reason for skipping almost all grocery coupons) and hope that you will come back for more, or that your kids will get hooked on something in particular. You have to remember, they know what they are doing, they spend tons of money to research customer behavior (and we help them by using our loyalty cards to tell them exactly what we buy and when) and to market to us. This is why they make so much more money than smaller, local stores who can't afford that kind of research. Go ahead and take advantage of their deals - since you are so hardcore about couponing, it's possible you are spending less in the end, but realize that most people don't put this much effort into it and when you tell them about a coupon you are doing the work of a store and getting people to buy things they weren't planning on buying or going to a store they don't usually go to. Don't get me wrong, I like reading this blog once in a while (got some free christmas cards recently because of it!) and I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I'm just cynical I guess :)
I always return gifts I don't like. Even if the store has a restocking fee or some other sort of hideous return policy, then at least I get something for the gift whereas otherwise it will probably sit in its box unused for eternity.
I got a good chuckle when I saw this article pop up in my google reader at the same moment my fiance just got off the phone (magicjack) with her mother. Magicjack has been awesome for us. She use to kill her cell phone daytime minutes yakin to her mom everday before work, her bill was up around a hundred bucks a month. Then she bought magicjack, and she's been saving money ever since. I was a little skeptical until I heard Clark Howard talking about it one afternoon. We've had no problems at all. One minor thing we noticed, if it was plugged into our laptop with a Wi-Fi connection, it was a little spotty. Once we switched it to our desktop with a wired connection, it's been perfect. Can't comment on their customer service, never had to use them. It's been nothing but awesome for us.
You bring up some common problems. The hard part is that when talking about taxable investments not only to you have to account for the cost but also the opportunity cost. Since you now have to pay taxes on your gains you're not only losing money to taxes but you're also losing your gains to taxes. Something to consider is cash value life insurance. It works well in conjunction with a maxed out Roth IRA. There are a lot of things to be careful of with life insurance and I won't go into them all here. What I will say is don't let a bad insurance agent spoil the lot. The most important part to using life insurance is the way in which it is funded. The hardest part about that is finding a insurance guy that really knows how to set up a policy to be funded properly for your situation.
I would strongly recommend looking into a company such a Vonage. It is definitely the cheapest option you can go with, without sacrificing reliability and customer service. Their base unlimited calling packages are cheap, but where the real appeal with Vonage lies is their unlimited around-the-world calling for $25/month, which just blows everyone else out of the water. If you make phone calls outside of the country there really is no other way to go.
What's the point of having something lying around that you'll never uses. If you can return or exchange a gift for something you will want and use then you should do it!
I also include gift receipts with all the gifts I give people and I most definitely would not be offended if they'd rather go get something else.
After reading through all the responses it is clear that few of them are educated responses. I am not claiming to know all the ins and outs of the lucrative industry of laundering but I can sense bs when I see it.
Offshore accounts are made possible because of Bank Secrecy Acts. These allow for transfers from offshore accounts to other legitimate accounts. I could not tell you how difficult it is to set up an offshore account, however if I were to guess I would say this is the most difficult part of the offshore theory.
The fact is that as long as there are banks hiding individuals personal information large amounts of laundering will always be possible.
I want to thank whoever posted about the Latin Money Laundering. This in my opinion, was the most rational scheme I've heard of that didn't include hundreds of steps and numerous accounts.
Money and monkey?Intresting!
I have to say this has saved my family hundreds of dollars. It costs us almost $6 (for about 45 minutes) for a decent phone card to call my husband's family in North Africa. We picked this up for them and it drastically cut down the cost of phone cards and amount of time he can talk to his family.
My step dad used to make us sugar & butter bread with coffee drizzled on top. Yummmy!
I have had this happen to me also. Now it is so bad I am getting collection calls and being threatened with jail time for"Theft by Deception".
I thought my money was available, but they decided to clear my deposit when they wanted to. I am thinking about using all cash, but here where I live, some places won't take cash!! That was a shocker.
I am so disgusted with FEES.I am on disability which isn't very much to live on. I have been hit with fees to the point I am sick. I went in to talk with a bank manager and was told "You can't beat the system, the bank is going to get their money".
I was
trying to figure out when the deposits were made and I got so many different answers, From, After 4:00pm the next business day to 11:59 the next night. I am supposed to have the money available to me the next day, which according to them was 12:00am 24 hours later. Needless to say I was hit with a bunch of overdraft charges.
I have found trying to reason with them is impossible. I have complained to the FDIC several times and it all sums up that we are being legally robbed.
For people on such a low income, any overdraft puts them behind in their bills. I have all of my money allocated to pay bills, but when I pay them, the money is never there, But, I do have plenty of fees to pay.
There are many manly-man skills in the book that I didn't mention, such as how to give advice to a male friend, when/how to have appropriate man hugs, and what to say when your wife tells her husband that she is pregnant -- the guys might especially enjoy these topics. It wasn't so easy to discuss these from my perspective so I went with the ones that made sense to me, based on my experience. Thanks for comments and ideas on what you may be interested in sharing and/or learning about.
I think this would be right up my alley: I'm technically savvy and could probably make it work no matter what. But I have DSL through my land line and never go over my cell minutes anyway, so there's no reason for me to get it.
I was just intrigued by the crazy claims they make in their commercials and how my first impression was "What's the catch?"
Much to my surprise, the downside isn't really that big a deal. It's a great product!
The Writer's Coin | Follow me on Twitter
If I don't love it or need it, I will totally return or exchange a gift. Otherwise I feel it's a waste of money.
savings on gasoline alone more than pays for my costco membership over a yr. prices can be 10 cents a gallon less than the street price. couple wks ago i got gas there and then passed a station a block away that was selling the same grade for 13 cents a gallon more.
if u live in my part of the country where grocery-store meat isn't the greatest, costco beef & lamb are so much better quality it's worth the membership even if u never save a dime.
I'll take gifts back if they're worth over $20. If less than that, I'll regift them.
My husband and I have been very lucky when it comes to gifts in recent years. Our friends seem to know well enough what we like or don't like, so returning something isn't so much an issue. Our families will more often than not send us money, since they've learned over time that every gift attempt generally ends in the very definition of fail.
The one thing we haven't figured out is how to get people to look at wish lists. That would have solved a whole lot of problems in our gift-receiving past.
Gifts should not be burdens, and honesty should be part of any gift-giver/receiver relationship. If I don't like/want/need a gift, I'll find some way to say so that is polite, since it avoids future gift awkwardness, and supports honesty. If I can return it for something else or for store credit, or trade/barter/donate/re-gift it, I will.
I'd certainly return and/or exchange clothes that don't fit, and I have. And I'd like to think that I'd return something that I really don't like or wouldn't have a use for...
But I can't think of a time I ever have. So I really don't know.
What's funny, of course, is that with the possible exception of buying a suit those are all skills that both men and women can and frequently do both master and enjoy. And for that matter, to write with authority about since the book itself was written by a man and woman.
Actually, since the unquestionably manly Chief Sitting Bull, General Tso or even Charles Gordon would have been completely at sea in either Brooks Brothers or Ross Dress for Less even the suit-choosing business isn't essential to manliness.
Speaking as a 100% red-blooded hetero man, if I was to write such book about genuinely universal manly arts I might include a section on the manly skill of massaging your partner's sacrum, lower back muscles, ribs, and abdomen when she's cramping or of unlatching a baby when both mother and child have fallen back to sleep so you can change the inevitably-soiled diaper. You never see that in manly-man books but they're great skills that roughly 90% of men could use at some point in their lives that roughly 90% of women probably don't. And maybe something on the manly art of calming another man who hasn't figured out there are ways besides trying to pick a fight to boost his momentarily-low testosterone levels.
True, there's the problem of who'd want to read a three-chapter book... ok, four chapters since you could do one on urinal stunts. But at the end of the day there aren't a lot of other genuinely and exclusively manly things to know... that wouldn't be just as interesting and useful for women to know. (And don't get me started on all the things men could learn that are supposed to be the exclusive domain of women.)
Love the blog, by the way, and this post is great (I've known and used the steel-wool/battery trick when I was a boy but never really mastered skipping stones.) The book sounds interesting too, even though I disagree those are skills exclusive to men.
figleaf
Send these to your friends/relatives overseas.
When it comes to health care, we shouldn't hesitate to ask "Why?," "How much?" and "Is it necessary?" I got a kick out of this fun, short video. Check it out.
I operate under the principle that I like to be told when a gift I give doesn't work---too small, duplicate or "I stopped collecting pig themed items 10 years ago." So, I extend the same courtesy by thinking people profusely but letting them know if I plan to exchange it.
However, this seldom happens to me since I have told everyone I know that I like consumables as gifts---especially toilet paper.
It's funny that you could even consider for a second that you were being unethical by using the coupons to "make money." The coupon company, the store, and the manufacturer wants you to believe you are getting a great deal, which you are, but really the store is getting your loyalty (and possibly your kids' loyalty in the future), the manufacturer's are getting you to try some of their products you might not have otherwise (my main reason for skipping almost all grocery coupons) and hope that you will come back for more, or that your kids will get hooked on something in particular. You have to remember, they know what they are doing, they spend tons of money to research customer behavior (and we help them by using our loyalty cards to tell them exactly what we buy and when) and to market to us. This is why they make so much more money than smaller, local stores who can't afford that kind of research. Go ahead and take advantage of their deals - since you are so hardcore about couponing, it's possible you are spending less in the end, but realize that most people don't put this much effort into it and when you tell them about a coupon you are doing the work of a store and getting people to buy things they weren't planning on buying or going to a store they don't usually go to. Don't get me wrong, I like reading this blog once in a while (got some free christmas cards recently because of it!) and I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I'm just cynical I guess :)
I always return gifts I don't like. Even if the store has a restocking fee or some other sort of hideous return policy, then at least I get something for the gift whereas otherwise it will probably sit in its box unused for eternity.
Considering this problem, I thought of a more pleasing and professional solution.
Attach the formatted resume to google docs, make it publicly avaliable and send the link with your email body and/or cover letter.
Here's a sample of mine: http://www.bit.ly/dele_resusme
I've been meaning to write something up about this anyways. Enjoy!
Google Voice for Tightwads : http://stuporglue.org/google-voice.php
I got a good chuckle when I saw this article pop up in my google reader at the same moment my fiance just got off the phone (magicjack) with her mother. Magicjack has been awesome for us. She use to kill her cell phone daytime minutes yakin to her mom everday before work, her bill was up around a hundred bucks a month. Then she bought magicjack, and she's been saving money ever since. I was a little skeptical until I heard Clark Howard talking about it one afternoon. We've had no problems at all. One minor thing we noticed, if it was plugged into our laptop with a Wi-Fi connection, it was a little spotty. Once we switched it to our desktop with a wired connection, it's been perfect. Can't comment on their customer service, never had to use them. It's been nothing but awesome for us.
@Her Every Cents & @SVB
You bring up some common problems. The hard part is that when talking about taxable investments not only to you have to account for the cost but also the opportunity cost. Since you now have to pay taxes on your gains you're not only losing money to taxes but you're also losing your gains to taxes. Something to consider is cash value life insurance. It works well in conjunction with a maxed out Roth IRA. There are a lot of things to be careful of with life insurance and I won't go into them all here. What I will say is don't let a bad insurance agent spoil the lot. The most important part to using life insurance is the way in which it is funded. The hardest part about that is finding a insurance guy that really knows how to set up a policy to be funded properly for your situation.
I would strongly recommend looking into a company such a Vonage. It is definitely the cheapest option you can go with, without sacrificing reliability and customer service. Their base unlimited calling packages are cheap, but where the real appeal with Vonage lies is their unlimited around-the-world calling for $25/month, which just blows everyone else out of the water. If you make phone calls outside of the country there really is no other way to go.
What's the point of having something lying around that you'll never uses. If you can return or exchange a gift for something you will want and use then you should do it!
I also include gift receipts with all the gifts I give people and I most definitely would not be offended if they'd rather go get something else.