I really appreciated your article on how the subprime crisis affects even those who weren't sold these types of mortgages. I have become a victim of the things described in Part One of your post.
Just on our street, there are 3 vacant bank owned homes that are not being maintained and decreased the value of the rest of our homes in the neighborhood.
We definitely go as high as we can on vehicle and home owner deductibles. I know one thing my insurance agent out in Arizona did for us was have a revew twice a year to assess needs. Sometimes we needed more coverage in a certain area. Sometimes we needed less. She was very honest about the whole thing and always had our best interests at heart. I realize not everybody has that with their insurance agent, though.
The needs for insurance for seniors are unique and sometimes difficult to find. Many websites provide helpful information (i.e. seniorresource.com, seniornet.com). However as our population ages more atention and government help needs to be focused on this area.
The most important rule for insurance that I had to learn was to insure the risks that I couldn't afford to take, and then to bear the others myself.
The way medical insurance is done in the US is a good (bad) example. It's a wretched combination of real insurance against catastrophic medical bills, combined with a sort of weird program of pre-paid medical care. The former is something I really need. The second just makes medical care more expensive. (I really don't need insurance to cover the $80 office visit. I do need insurance against the risk of $500,000 in costs if I have a bad accident.)
For car insurance, figure out the biggest deductible you can safely afford and go with that. Otherwise you're insuring a risk that you can afford to bear on your own--which means the profit goes to the insurance company. Similarly for homeowners insurance, make sure the policy covers the full replacement value of the house, but then go with the biggest deductible you safely can.
Figuring out the cheapest way to buy insurance really comes second to figuring out the right amount of insurance to buy. Too much insurance and you're wasting money; too little insurance and you're putting your whole financial future at risk. The rule of thumb is: bear the risks you can afford and insure the rest.
There are a few new discount ideas I didn't know about listed here. Specifically the garaged car, green car and online ones. Thanks. I believe in insurance too, but it's such a balance between getting enough and being insurance poor, as they say. I love any tips I can find on that.
Sorry if that got mis-communicated. What I meant was that since I share a great deal of your philosophies, I've often noticed posts from you while they are only still floating around in my head before I ever even start to write them down. You're just too darn savvy and fast for me, dude!
I thought the apple thing was cool, too. For the life of her, my friend couldn't remember where she'd heard of it. And for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why such a fabulous idea wasn't all over the internet.
The push down slicer / corer tools are really fun if you are doing caramel apples, or want to do an easy-to-eat candy apple with a choose your own topping bar. You can put them in a bowl and pour the stuff over the top. Then just break off a piece and enjoy. Or, you can push all the way through and have the pieces to dunk in hot caramel dip you can make in a crock pot.
Paul, thanks for the great resources -- though my kids are older and not nursing or on formula. I remember there being many types of formulas, including some pricey ones for kids with possible allergic reactions or those who just couldn't tolerate certain ingredients. When you have a midly sick child, it's hard to discern the source of the problem and of course, you want it to go away as quickly as possible.
But it seems that physicians may recommend another type of formula to try just to keep the parent calm while the child is recovering from a mild illness. I say this because, during a brief interruption at one of my child's check-ups, I heard my physician advise his nurse to tell a parent just to try a new formula and then made the remark (not for the call-in parent's ears) that basically by the time the parent had tried all the formulas, the child's problem will most likely be resolved or the parent will stop calling. So, while certain ingredients may cause digestive problems and formulas need to be changed, it could also be wise to go back and try the less expensive formula after mild problems have passed.
I just saw the apple suggestion on Lifehacker - that's a great idea (not that I have an apple slicing gadget yet, though I think I have just found my excuse to buy one)
As an American living in Europe, I can attest that this is really painful. I earn 90% of my income from the U.S. and the downward spiral really hurts. This last week alone, the exchange rate in Paypal went down almost 2% between the dollar and the Euro, which makes it difficult if you are trying to run a business because if you are in a service based business, you can't change your rates week to week.
As far as Morris' comment above about living in the Eurozone, I'm not sure that always makes sense. It's all relative really so just because you are earning in Euros doesn't necessarily mean you have a higher standard of living because often prices are relative to that too.
I don't know how it is in Germany, but in Spain the average wage compared to the cost of living is almost criminal. Most people I know are making about 1000 to 1500€ a month and paying 550-750€ of that just in rent alone and people are living with their parents well into their 30's.
Self-employment topic is so very familiar to me. And God, it can be hard to organize yourself! You need discipline and perhaps a little help ;) I try to practice GTD method by Dave Allen. He worked out a very effective way to make up your day. But it will be useless for me without Wrike http://www.wrike.com that lets me to keep all my stuff in one place and reminds of upcoming things.
These things always happen in cycles. Once everything blows over, you will see new lenders showing back up slowly, however, they will not be so aggressive this time.
I use wooden clothes pins, the kind that have the little spring. They come in handy fro multiple purposes. I lost the belt to my robe, so I use a clothes pin to keep the front closed.
Yeah..........you know u've nailed one more on "to-be" list when u meet someone who is ever so charming.....! and effortlessly so.... the very fact that we are all reading and commenting and blogging about this "charming" attribute that is charm.... does leave that to be desired huh!.....Hey but Andrea.... keep em coming....
Is anyone takes Wikipedia seriously ?
it is just public editable reference, just like the scratch paper that anyone can rewrite. To your amazement Wikipedia has 50/50 junk and good information, misleading and profane and at the end if you want to know something you go to respectable existing dictionaries.
The exchange rate depends on the market demand for dollars in
Europe. European economy has its own downturn and export to US is not as it should be. Remember Europe is expanding and looking for new markets in new members of European Union. I predict that Europe will be heavy regualated economy in nearest future and will move from free market to centralized Euro-conomy.
this is not an article on the benefits of breastfeeding vs formula. As I mentioned, my wife breastfed both of our children before they weined themselves. If you can, breastfeed. It's the best option both nutritionally and for cost.
Was there some specific reason not to nurse? I think one wouldn't have to worry about money if one was breastfeeding, not the mention that the benefits for the child are countless.
I have a friend whose mother made a huge circular outdoor blanket with something like a dozen blue jeans. It is great to sit on and big enough (probably about 10 feet in diameter) to share with friends. Very unique and fun!
"The worst situation is to be living in a country with a rising currency while earning your income from a country with a falling one. (The situation of Americans living abroad just now.)"
Exactly right, and this is why so many Americans are learning the relevant languages of the Eurozone countries (German and French I guess being the two biggies, with Dutch nestling in there somewhere), and actually emigrating there to live, work and raise their children. I've been seeing this emigration for a while for American IT and other skilled workers hit hard by outsourcing and the H1B visa mania (and with college debts still to pay), but with the dollar decline, the trickle has become a flood. Nobody really going to places like Britain or Australia since they're having bank runs and debt crises of their own, but the Eurozone is really becoming a draw for both investments and labor.
Not hard to see why-- if you're a trained US high-tech worker and have some language skills, why languish in a job in the USA working ridiculous 80+ hour weeks in abusive environments, for diminishing salaries and the likelihood that you'll soon be laid off anyway, with lousy public schools and inevitably rising obligations (from our country's multiple wars), and worst of all, a tanking national currency that's increasingly worthless and erodes your real wages through inflation and other factors? When you could work in a gorgeous European city like Grenoble, Bonn, Antwerp, Rotterdam or Milan, with reasonable hours (usually 50-60/wk at most and often less), nice benefits, outstanding schools to send your kids to, plus getting paid in a currency like the Euro?
Especially for high-tech centers like the cities in Germany or Belgium, with the gorgeous surroundings of German cities and affordable cost of living (esp in eastern German regions following the Berlin Wall's tumble), the migration flows are easy to understand. I don't think that these flows will get too crazy and I suspect the situation will eventually self-correct somewhat, but the underlying push-pull forces for talented labor are definitely in the Eurozone's direction.
I have a denim quilt that I used the pockets on. When I get a new camera I will have to post the picture for you. It fits a king and I still had denim left over. It is also very heavy.
I really like the the belt loops idea, I'll have to try it on the next one.
My dishwasher book, I have a kitchenaide dishwasher says with pro-longed use of vinegar will make your dishwasher not run properly. Is this true? I use to use vinegar in my dishwasher but stopped.
I really appreciated your article on how the subprime crisis affects even those who weren't sold these types of mortgages. I have become a victim of the things described in Part One of your post.
Just on our street, there are 3 vacant bank owned homes that are not being maintained and decreased the value of the rest of our homes in the neighborhood.
Sadly, I also feel prey to Part Two of your post in 2005. I recently wrote about how I was sold an interest-only loan and the background on the housing market. Thankfully, we are not in over heads and we are one of the few whose income caught up with our mortgage.
I think your information is informative and can help new borrowers be aware of the potential danger of purchasing subprime mortgages.
Thanks Myscha (and everyone).
Thanks, Philip.
We definitely go as high as we can on vehicle and home owner deductibles. I know one thing my insurance agent out in Arizona did for us was have a revew twice a year to assess needs. Sometimes we needed more coverage in a certain area. Sometimes we needed less. She was very honest about the whole thing and always had our best interests at heart. I realize not everybody has that with their insurance agent, though.
The needs for insurance for seniors are unique and sometimes difficult to find. Many websites provide helpful information (i.e. seniorresource.com, seniornet.com). However as our population ages more atention and government help needs to be focused on this area.
The most important rule for insurance that I had to learn was to insure the risks that I couldn't afford to take, and then to bear the others myself.
The way medical insurance is done in the US is a good (bad) example. It's a wretched combination of real insurance against catastrophic medical bills, combined with a sort of weird program of pre-paid medical care. The former is something I really need. The second just makes medical care more expensive. (I really don't need insurance to cover the $80 office visit. I do need insurance against the risk of $500,000 in costs if I have a bad accident.)
For car insurance, figure out the biggest deductible you can safely afford and go with that. Otherwise you're insuring a risk that you can afford to bear on your own--which means the profit goes to the insurance company. Similarly for homeowners insurance, make sure the policy covers the full replacement value of the house, but then go with the biggest deductible you safely can.
Figuring out the cheapest way to buy insurance really comes second to figuring out the right amount of insurance to buy. Too much insurance and you're wasting money; too little insurance and you're putting your whole financial future at risk. The rule of thumb is: bear the risks you can afford and insure the rest.
There are a few new discount ideas I didn't know about listed here. Specifically the garaged car, green car and online ones. Thanks. I believe in insurance too, but it's such a balance between getting enough and being insurance poor, as they say. I love any tips I can find on that.
Sorry if that got mis-communicated. What I meant was that since I share a great deal of your philosophies, I've often noticed posts from you while they are only still floating around in my head before I ever even start to write them down. You're just too darn savvy and fast for me, dude!
Keep up the good work!
I thought the apple thing was cool, too. For the life of her, my friend couldn't remember where she'd heard of it. And for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why such a fabulous idea wasn't all over the internet.
The push down slicer / corer tools are really fun if you are doing caramel apples, or want to do an easy-to-eat candy apple with a choose your own topping bar. You can put them in a bowl and pour the stuff over the top. Then just break off a piece and enjoy. Or, you can push all the way through and have the pieces to dunk in hot caramel dip you can make in a crock pot.
Thanks for taking the time to post.
Paul, thanks for the great resources -- though my kids are older and not nursing or on formula. I remember there being many types of formulas, including some pricey ones for kids with possible allergic reactions or those who just couldn't tolerate certain ingredients. When you have a midly sick child, it's hard to discern the source of the problem and of course, you want it to go away as quickly as possible.
But it seems that physicians may recommend another type of formula to try just to keep the parent calm while the child is recovering from a mild illness. I say this because, during a brief interruption at one of my child's check-ups, I heard my physician advise his nurse to tell a parent just to try a new formula and then made the remark (not for the call-in parent's ears) that basically by the time the parent had tried all the formulas, the child's problem will most likely be resolved or the parent will stop calling. So, while certain ingredients may cause digestive problems and formulas need to be changed, it could also be wise to go back and try the less expensive formula after mild problems have passed.
I just saw the apple suggestion on Lifehacker - that's a great idea (not that I have an apple slicing gadget yet, though I think I have just found my excuse to buy one)
Talk about ingenuity! Good for you.
As an American living in Europe, I can attest that this is really painful. I earn 90% of my income from the U.S. and the downward spiral really hurts. This last week alone, the exchange rate in Paypal went down almost 2% between the dollar and the Euro, which makes it difficult if you are trying to run a business because if you are in a service based business, you can't change your rates week to week.
As far as Morris' comment above about living in the Eurozone, I'm not sure that always makes sense. It's all relative really so just because you are earning in Euros doesn't necessarily mean you have a higher standard of living because often prices are relative to that too.
I don't know how it is in Germany, but in Spain the average wage compared to the cost of living is almost criminal. Most people I know are making about 1000 to 1500€ a month and paying 550-750€ of that just in rent alone and people are living with their parents well into their 30's.
Self-employment topic is so very familiar to me. And God, it can be hard to organize yourself! You need discipline and perhaps a little help ;) I try to practice GTD method by Dave Allen. He worked out a very effective way to make up your day. But it will be useless for me without Wrike http://www.wrike.com that lets me to keep all my stuff in one place and reminds of upcoming things.
These things always happen in cycles. Once everything blows over, you will see new lenders showing back up slowly, however, they will not be so aggressive this time.
I use wooden clothes pins, the kind that have the little spring. They come in handy fro multiple purposes. I lost the belt to my robe, so I use a clothes pin to keep the front closed.
Yeah..........you know u've nailed one more on "to-be" list when u meet someone who is ever so charming.....! and effortlessly so.... the very fact that we are all reading and commenting and blogging about this "charming" attribute that is charm.... does leave that to be desired huh!.....Hey but Andrea.... keep em coming....
Is anyone takes Wikipedia seriously ?
it is just public editable reference, just like the scratch paper that anyone can rewrite. To your amazement Wikipedia has 50/50 junk and good information, misleading and profane and at the end if you want to know something you go to respectable existing dictionaries.
The exchange rate depends on the market demand for dollars in
Europe. European economy has its own downturn and export to US is not as it should be. Remember Europe is expanding and looking for new markets in new members of European Union. I predict that Europe will be heavy regualated economy in nearest future and will move from free market to centralized Euro-conomy.
For average US family it is time to reconsider portofolio of mutual funds and stocks oriented in Europe or elsewhere. I would diversify so major developments in Europe will not affect my stocks.
It is not sign for major reconsidirations or portofolio changes just slight correction
www.efamilyfinance.com
this is not an article on the benefits of breastfeeding vs formula. As I mentioned, my wife breastfed both of our children before they weined themselves. If you can, breastfeed. It's the best option both nutritionally and for cost.
Was there some specific reason not to nurse? I think one wouldn't have to worry about money if one was breastfeeding, not the mention that the benefits for the child are countless.
http://www.breastfeeding.com/all_about/all_about_more.html
there are a few good reasons not to breastfeed, but it can be a serious advantage to the child.
I have a friend whose mother made a huge circular outdoor blanket with something like a dozen blue jeans. It is great to sit on and big enough (probably about 10 feet in diameter) to share with friends. Very unique and fun!
"The worst situation is to be living in a country with a rising currency while earning your income from a country with a falling one. (The situation of Americans living abroad just now.)"
Exactly right, and this is why so many Americans are learning the relevant languages of the Eurozone countries (German and French I guess being the two biggies, with Dutch nestling in there somewhere), and actually emigrating there to live, work and raise their children. I've been seeing this emigration for a while for American IT and other skilled workers hit hard by outsourcing and the H1B visa mania (and with college debts still to pay), but with the dollar decline, the trickle has become a flood. Nobody really going to places like Britain or Australia since they're having bank runs and debt crises of their own, but the Eurozone is really becoming a draw for both investments and labor.
Not hard to see why-- if you're a trained US high-tech worker and have some language skills, why languish in a job in the USA working ridiculous 80+ hour weeks in abusive environments, for diminishing salaries and the likelihood that you'll soon be laid off anyway, with lousy public schools and inevitably rising obligations (from our country's multiple wars), and worst of all, a tanking national currency that's increasingly worthless and erodes your real wages through inflation and other factors? When you could work in a gorgeous European city like Grenoble, Bonn, Antwerp, Rotterdam or Milan, with reasonable hours (usually 50-60/wk at most and often less), nice benefits, outstanding schools to send your kids to, plus getting paid in a currency like the Euro?
Especially for high-tech centers like the cities in Germany or Belgium, with the gorgeous surroundings of German cities and affordable cost of living (esp in eastern German regions following the Berlin Wall's tumble), the migration flows are easy to understand. I don't think that these flows will get too crazy and I suspect the situation will eventually self-correct somewhat, but the underlying push-pull forces for talented labor are definitely in the Eurozone's direction.
I love it!
Right now I'm using old quilt fabric to do some sweet spiral patching up the side of an old pair. They're quite hot now! :-)
I'll have to remember these for when they break down again.
I have a denim quilt that I used the pockets on. When I get a new camera I will have to post the picture for you. It fits a king and I still had denim left over. It is also very heavy.
I really like the the belt loops idea, I'll have to try it on the next one.
My dishwasher book, I have a kitchenaide dishwasher says with pro-longed use of vinegar will make your dishwasher not run properly. Is this true? I use to use vinegar in my dishwasher but stopped.