A collection of cloth diapers for diapering my children. A large one time expense will get me through 3 kids and then I'll resell them or pass them along.
I would like to add one, and that would be to ask to do an unpaid internship with a business or industry you are interested in getting into. My daughter was considering career choices and having a hard time making a decision, so she called businesses in 2 fields she wanted to get into, explained her situation and asked if they would take her on as an unpaid intern and they both said yes. She was able to get experience for her resume, insight into what each job really entailed and was able to make her decision about which career to pursue. She also made a list of other possible jobs in each industry that she could use her degree for, and seeing exactly how much flexibility she had helped a lot.
We have been living car payment free for about a year now and having that extra money has helped us max out our IRA. We will be trading our cars in soon and this article was very helpful. We always buy 2-4 year old cars and let someone else pay most of the depreciation.
This comment addresses the hilarious dioscussion about wood.
-When wood burns, it is actually gasses that are burning; gasses released from the material due to heat. Same with gasoline: it does not burn by itself. It is the fumes emanating off surface of this liquid that combust!
-as a btw: wood burns from the outside; never from the inside. Reason why lumber beam supports are preferred over steel beams - in residenrial construction.
Believe it or not a 30 oz. Porcelain Teapot. I brew loose leaf tea leaves and can get more than one brew out of them. The tea pot cost $90.00 several years ago and used several times each day.
I have heard all this , Yet My wife has worked at the Walmart for 22 years , My daughter worked at Target and If you didn't get enough apps for their credit cards your hours got cut untill you no longer had a reason to go to work
I mean one hour on a Saturday , really You go Target,, not any better than the Big Walmart
I have a Masters degree and for about a month or so, I've been at a retail job (while I actively search for another "real" job). I HATE IT! I want to quit so bad, but can't - yet. People (aka customers) can be rude, condescending, sanctimonious, conniving, and just plain nasty. So I endure. Gut it out, so to speak. I do so with a smile on my face, while crying on the inside. I tell myself "hey, it's only temporary", which keeps my sanity and dignity intact. I suffer in silence, but not alone.
For setting and getting goals, using sequence mapping, you may want to check out a goal setting app called GoalsOnTrack, a very nicely built web app designed for tracking goals and todo lists, and supports time tracking too. It's clear, focused, easy to navigate.
The link to the schedule should show you how to build your own amortization schedule (though it doesn't create the schedule automatically) if you have a digital spreadsheet. It's been a while now since I have used OpenOffice but any spreadsheet should work as long as you can calculate your payment correctly. A great free source for spreadsheets now is Google Drive (formerly Google Docs).
This is definitely a fresh perspective. As one of those over-busy people, I have done a lot of dumping what's important to me, especially as I pursued things other that I wanted (i.e. I pursued a non-conventional business, but gave up my love for playwriting and sports.) I think it's a great idea to add something you love that doesn't directly correlate with those "have to do's" in our lives.
Three years ago I bought an amplified indoor antenna for $40 thru amazon for my HDTV. It was paid for within the first 2 months (I used to get dish). One of the best money saving purchases I made!
Great tips! I love your articles because I gain a great deal of practical knowledge from them. My wife loves massages and for the reasons you mentioned. It's work. I rarely feel like it. I've even paid for massages for her. But she says it means more to her if I give them. ; )
Your thinking is correct, now take it to the next step buy a Mororhome, best decision we have made in 40 years. Screw Property Tax, Lawn Mowing, Painting it's all BS. I pity the fools in the Southwest and Midwest assuming Climate change is for real. Being mobile is the only way to go.
I purchase gas station gift cards with my reward points - they make a great gift for any occasion (only time my niece actually texted to thank me for her bday gift lol), I keep one in the car for my own use and have a few set aside for Christmas gifts for mail and newspaper delivery...everyone loves free fuel!
I have been in a good amount of focus groups and have earned some easy cash. That would probably be one of my favorite ways to earn a little extra. What can be better than providing our opinions for cash? We all know that everyone has opinions, so get paid for them!
I bought an iPod Touch two years ago and it has become my "all in one" entertainment device. I read books on it (bought on sale for 2.99). Free or 99 cent App Store games have replaced 50-60 dollar console video games. I also use Facetime and Skype to keep in touch with out of town relatives. No more long distance calls. Yes, it was an expensive outlay to start, but I think I've more than made my money back in savings so far.
I love this. Most of my friends both have jobs and are trying to pursue another career part- or full-time in addition to that, and this reminds me of when everyone started posting this article around:http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/
There's a lot I don't agree with there, but it did also seem to set off a universal light bulb about how a well-rounded, happy life is about more than work (even if you are working on something you love).
A comparison of the 9.9% property return to stock mutual fund returns is apples to oranges for the following important reasons that are often overlooked.
First, the property is a levered investment. Stock mutual funds are not. The leverage is 200/60, or 3.3x. The same leverage applied to a stock mutual fund investment would yield returns far superior to 9.9%. Something closer to 25% based on historic norms for the S&P 500 Index after borrowing costs.
Another way of looking at the effect of leverage is that it would only take a 15% decline in the property value to lose half of the investment ($30,000). It would take a 50% decline in the stock market to lose the same amount. Which has a higher probability?
Liquidity is also not addressed. An investment in a stock index mutual fund is very liquid; your dollars are available in one business day at negligible transaction costs. The property is highly illiquid. Selling the property may take months or longer, and the transaction costs (3%) would represent a 10% loss on your original $60,000. Ouch.
In summary, the 9.9% return does not compare "quite nicely" to stocks on a level playing field. In fact, the return on the property is woefully inadequate for a levered, illiquid investment. Higher returns are available elsewhere for significantly less overall risk, even ignoring deadbeat tenants, liability, etc. Apples to apples.
Big purchase I made that saved me money was my house. I bought it last May when the price was pretty low. Bought it for $260K and when I checked the estimated price recently on Zillow, it went up to $270K. Paying bit more than renting, but I have luxury of more space and less noise from neighbors. Good investment.
A collection of cloth diapers for diapering my children. A large one time expense will get me through 3 kids and then I'll resell them or pass them along.
I would like to add one, and that would be to ask to do an unpaid internship with a business or industry you are interested in getting into. My daughter was considering career choices and having a hard time making a decision, so she called businesses in 2 fields she wanted to get into, explained her situation and asked if they would take her on as an unpaid intern and they both said yes. She was able to get experience for her resume, insight into what each job really entailed and was able to make her decision about which career to pursue. She also made a list of other possible jobs in each industry that she could use her degree for, and seeing exactly how much flexibility she had helped a lot.
We have been living car payment free for about a year now and having that extra money has helped us max out our IRA. We will be trading our cars in soon and this article was very helpful. We always buy 2-4 year old cars and let someone else pay most of the depreciation.
Great information!!!
I purchased a carpet shampooer. Compared to paying out to have a company come every time we had a potty training accident, I'd say I saved a bundle.
This comment addresses the hilarious dioscussion about wood.
-When wood burns, it is actually gasses that are burning; gasses released from the material due to heat. Same with gasoline: it does not burn by itself. It is the fumes emanating off surface of this liquid that combust!
-as a btw: wood burns from the outside; never from the inside. Reason why lumber beam supports are preferred over steel beams - in residenrial construction.
Believe it or not a 30 oz. Porcelain Teapot. I brew loose leaf tea leaves and can get more than one brew out of them. The tea pot cost $90.00 several years ago and used several times each day.
I have heard all this , Yet My wife has worked at the Walmart for 22 years , My daughter worked at Target and If you didn't get enough apps for their credit cards your hours got cut untill you no longer had a reason to go to work
I mean one hour on a Saturday , really You go Target,, not any better than the Big Walmart
I have a Masters degree and for about a month or so, I've been at a retail job (while I actively search for another "real" job). I HATE IT! I want to quit so bad, but can't - yet. People (aka customers) can be rude, condescending, sanctimonious, conniving, and just plain nasty. So I endure. Gut it out, so to speak. I do so with a smile on my face, while crying on the inside. I tell myself "hey, it's only temporary", which keeps my sanity and dignity intact. I suffer in silence, but not alone.
My laptop has always helped me find deals and coupons across the web. I have always considered it a good investment!
We bought a coffee maker and it saves a lot of money because now we drink coffee at home, not at Starbucks
money can't buy you love, but can get you the pink jacket. -Haykay
Great goal setting advice.
For setting and getting goals, using sequence mapping, you may want to check out a goal setting app called GoalsOnTrack, a very nicely built web app designed for tracking goals and todo lists, and supports time tracking too. It's clear, focused, easy to navigate.
The link to the schedule should show you how to build your own amortization schedule (though it doesn't create the schedule automatically) if you have a digital spreadsheet. It's been a while now since I have used OpenOffice but any spreadsheet should work as long as you can calculate your payment correctly. A great free source for spreadsheets now is Google Drive (formerly Google Docs).
This is definitely a fresh perspective. As one of those over-busy people, I have done a lot of dumping what's important to me, especially as I pursued things other that I wanted (i.e. I pursued a non-conventional business, but gave up my love for playwriting and sports.) I think it's a great idea to add something you love that doesn't directly correlate with those "have to do's" in our lives.
Three years ago I bought an amplified indoor antenna for $40 thru amazon for my HDTV. It was paid for within the first 2 months (I used to get dish). One of the best money saving purchases I made!
Great tips! I love your articles because I gain a great deal of practical knowledge from them. My wife loves massages and for the reasons you mentioned. It's work. I rarely feel like it. I've even paid for massages for her. But she says it means more to her if I give them. ; )
Your thinking is correct, now take it to the next step buy a Mororhome, best decision we have made in 40 years. Screw Property Tax, Lawn Mowing, Painting it's all BS. I pity the fools in the Southwest and Midwest assuming Climate change is for real. Being mobile is the only way to go.
3,2,1 great contest! thanks
I purchase gas station gift cards with my reward points - they make a great gift for any occasion (only time my niece actually texted to thank me for her bday gift lol), I keep one in the car for my own use and have a few set aside for Christmas gifts for mail and newspaper delivery...everyone loves free fuel!
I have been in a good amount of focus groups and have earned some easy cash. That would probably be one of my favorite ways to earn a little extra. What can be better than providing our opinions for cash? We all know that everyone has opinions, so get paid for them!
I bought an iPod Touch two years ago and it has become my "all in one" entertainment device. I read books on it (bought on sale for 2.99). Free or 99 cent App Store games have replaced 50-60 dollar console video games. I also use Facetime and Skype to keep in touch with out of town relatives. No more long distance calls. Yes, it was an expensive outlay to start, but I think I've more than made my money back in savings so far.
I love this. Most of my friends both have jobs and are trying to pursue another career part- or full-time in addition to that, and this reminds me of when everyone started posting this article around:http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/
There's a lot I don't agree with there, but it did also seem to set off a universal light bulb about how a well-rounded, happy life is about more than work (even if you are working on something you love).
A comparison of the 9.9% property return to stock mutual fund returns is apples to oranges for the following important reasons that are often overlooked.
First, the property is a levered investment. Stock mutual funds are not. The leverage is 200/60, or 3.3x. The same leverage applied to a stock mutual fund investment would yield returns far superior to 9.9%. Something closer to 25% based on historic norms for the S&P 500 Index after borrowing costs.
Another way of looking at the effect of leverage is that it would only take a 15% decline in the property value to lose half of the investment ($30,000). It would take a 50% decline in the stock market to lose the same amount. Which has a higher probability?
Liquidity is also not addressed. An investment in a stock index mutual fund is very liquid; your dollars are available in one business day at negligible transaction costs. The property is highly illiquid. Selling the property may take months or longer, and the transaction costs (3%) would represent a 10% loss on your original $60,000. Ouch.
In summary, the 9.9% return does not compare "quite nicely" to stocks on a level playing field. In fact, the return on the property is woefully inadequate for a levered, illiquid investment. Higher returns are available elsewhere for significantly less overall risk, even ignoring deadbeat tenants, liability, etc. Apples to apples.
Big purchase I made that saved me money was my house. I bought it last May when the price was pretty low. Bought it for $260K and when I checked the estimated price recently on Zillow, it went up to $270K. Paying bit more than renting, but I have luxury of more space and less noise from neighbors. Good investment.