I'm not positive, but aren't a lot of the games you want to watch found online? I think ESPN can stream a lot of the games you'd want to see, and if you don't want to watch it on your lap top, a connecting cord to your television will probably still cost less than an entire sports package.
I do not attend networking events. First off, I'm unaware of any such events in my field or parallel fields in my area. Second, I am uncomfortable in large crowds of individuals I don't know.
There's an error in the article. It mentions that NFL Ticket is $200, which is true, but that doesn't allow you view the content on a computer or tablet. For that feature you need to subscribe to NFL Ticket Max which is $295.
I am with Xin that saving for college under the child’s name, even in a 529, is not a good idea. However, I still plan to save for my daughter’s education. But my approach is unconventional.
1. Open 529. All birthday & gift money (since I am Chinese, my daughter get small amounts throughout the year) goes into this account. We are also contributing a small amount to this fund each year.
2. Open a Roth IRA. The money in this account could be use for college before retirement age since it is penalty free if we take out only the principal. The flexibility of this account also allows us to keep it for retirement or to help the child start out in life.
3. Pay off our mortgage. If we pay off our mortgage by the time my daughter goes to college, we can channel the mortgage payment to a college payment.
4. Fully fund our retirement accounts. Most middle class families feel the squeeze when the college bills hits. However, if our retirement accounts are fully funded when we are young, we could reduce our retirement savings.
My expectation is that between the 529, Roth IRA, the money from the mortgage payment, and my child working a few hours a week, we can pay for her college education at a public university. I worked all through college and have a degree in engineering. I expect my child to work even if she decides in a major in the sciences.
By the way, if my child decides to go to college for a degree that is not marketable in the workplace (ie. Art history), we don’t plan to financially support that decision. I’ve seen too many friends flounder after graduation and have no idea what to do with their lives. If my daughter has no idea what she wants to do, then she can go to a community college for a while to figure it.
I do not attend formal networking events, but I should. I believe my lack of networking has contributed to the slower movement of my carer than I would like. I am very interested in others' suggestions about how to identify and capitalize on networking opportunities.
Thanks very much for the tips! I've been using hotel and airline points for years but never realized there were such loop holes in frequent flyer programs! Going to check out Travel Hacking asap and see what I've been missing all these years!
I go to networking events regularly. I don't do it to seek clients, but rather to stay on the top of people's minds in the community. It's also a great way to meet interesting people you would never cross paths with otherwise.
the person who wrote this article, knows little about dairy farms. milk cows are never constantly hooked up to a milk machine. they are milked twice a day,.. and they like it. if they are not milked on time, they will come looking for you. i dont normaly buy into this "organic" fad, but horizon milk is just a very good milk,
In college, I went to networking events but didn't end up generating leads. I did however get a job from a personal connection, which proves to me that networking of any sort is very valuable.
Nope! I don't like the whole "networking" aspect of things sometimes. But my business is so small that I don't really have the $$ or time to do much schmoozing, etc. And that's okay, I like it that way! It's not something I can do full time right now, so it works for me. Maybe later though...
Matt, I just made a post on your topic, should update on this site shortly. I do not have Direct TV and have used a VPN and my laptop/TV to watch games through NFL.com the last two seasons. I've had access to all the games. I did pay for the package but it was cheaper (by a lot) than having a Direct TV or cable bill each month. Contact me on twitter @sameritech if you have questions.
I also use a VPN. I connect to the NFL network to watch any game I want. I do have to pay for the NFL package at NFL.com but it allows me to watch games from any market and I don't need Direct TV/cable. Here's how it works.
You need to get a VPN service. Good thing to have regardless to prevent your ISP or anyone for that matter snooping on your internet activity. You use a VPN to connect to a server in another country. For example Canada, UK, or Mexico. Then navigate to the sports website and purchase the package you want. NFL.com, MLB.com, etc will think the purchase is coming from that country, rather than the US. This is what allows you to purchase the package in the first place. If your connection looks like it's coming from inside the US, for the NFL anyway, they won't let you purchase the packages due to Direct TV's exclusive contract. Once you have the package, when you login later to watch your games, just ensure you have your VPN connected to another country. Once your connected, you can usually disconnect your VPN link and the video plays just fine. I learned last year that you only need the VPN to connect to the service. Once you're in, it doesn't register where the signal is going, just that the original connection came from outside the country. In year 1, my connection was pretty crappy because I thought I had to have the VPN connected continuously. This reduced the picture quality when it's routed outside the country or long distances. Last season, for the heck of it I disconnected the VPN after I logged in and was happy to see the games came in crystal clear without the VPN.
I used the NFL package like that the last two years. I also connect my laptop to my TV to watch the games via the TV instead of the computer. It's really easy but you'll have to consider the cost of the VPN to what the sports package costs when deciding if it's right for you. A good VPN service costs $50 - $75/year and I use it for all my internet activity, not just for sports. So I'm getting my money's worth on that. Once again, good thing to have for privacy reasons. Since I also cut the cable cord, the money I'm saving far outweighs a Direct TV/cable subscription or the cost of a VPN and the NFL Network package.
I usually just assume that I'll eat about 1 to 1.5 cups of dried beans every day so every morning I just throw that amount into the slow cooker with some water and maybe some potatoes, onions, and carrots for a stew. By the time supper rolls around everything is cooked.
I can only say that i am glad that put a lot of money into 529 making sure that my son will get a BA , MS or a phd free of debt. When i decided to become a mother higher education is a part of my plan.
It is puzzle me to see people who put as little as possible into the 529plan but they spend fortune on luxury goods and vacations.
Well not all financial aid comes from the government. Many private schools offer their own financial aid from their own endowment. Public schools are funded by tax payers but still offer merit scholarships and work study programs. If there is a will there is a way. Like a previous commenter said, retirement is something you can't really take out a loan for. If parents do not save enough for retirement and instead spent the money on their kid's college expenses then it is not certain that their kids will actually take care of them when they are old. I am coming from the point of view of a parent who wants my child to be independent, but also I want to be independent from my child when I'm older.
Your points are valid and I agree that families shouldn't put too much in their childs college accounts, but I think you should look at the current issues that center around student loans. If government financial aid was stable and there wasn't a massive amount of student loan debt looming above everyone, it would make sense to point out things like FAFSA and other loans. But I personally think that won't be reliable pretty soon. Even people who are responsibly taking out loan will hurt when the government hands out less student loans and increases interest on the current ones. Isn't it better to have money to spend rather than taking out a loan in an unstable market? source: I'm in my 2nd year of college. Parents help significantly and we saved about 10k before I started attending. We are fortunate in that we don't have to take out many loans, I have only about 5k in my name.
I'm not positive, but aren't a lot of the games you want to watch found online? I think ESPN can stream a lot of the games you'd want to see, and if you don't want to watch it on your lap top, a connecting cord to your television will probably still cost less than an entire sports package.
Yup. As a freelancer, it is necessary. There's only so much you can do online, and meeting in person just tends to be better for me.
I do not attend networking events. First off, I'm unaware of any such events in my field or parallel fields in my area. Second, I am uncomfortable in large crowds of individuals I don't know.
Pads and tampons
There's an error in the article. It mentions that NFL Ticket is $200, which is true, but that doesn't allow you view the content on a computer or tablet. For that feature you need to subscribe to NFL Ticket Max which is $295.
I definitely feel that I should as I've just been told my company has been sold but its so hard to find a sitter after work for my daughter.
I am with Xin that saving for college under the child’s name, even in a 529, is not a good idea. However, I still plan to save for my daughter’s education. But my approach is unconventional.
1. Open 529. All birthday & gift money (since I am Chinese, my daughter get small amounts throughout the year) goes into this account. We are also contributing a small amount to this fund each year.
2. Open a Roth IRA. The money in this account could be use for college before retirement age since it is penalty free if we take out only the principal. The flexibility of this account also allows us to keep it for retirement or to help the child start out in life.
3. Pay off our mortgage. If we pay off our mortgage by the time my daughter goes to college, we can channel the mortgage payment to a college payment.
4. Fully fund our retirement accounts. Most middle class families feel the squeeze when the college bills hits. However, if our retirement accounts are fully funded when we are young, we could reduce our retirement savings.
My expectation is that between the 529, Roth IRA, the money from the mortgage payment, and my child working a few hours a week, we can pay for her college education at a public university. I worked all through college and have a degree in engineering. I expect my child to work even if she decides in a major in the sciences.
By the way, if my child decides to go to college for a degree that is not marketable in the workplace (ie. Art history), we don’t plan to financially support that decision. I’ve seen too many friends flounder after graduation and have no idea what to do with their lives. If my daughter has no idea what she wants to do, then she can go to a community college for a while to figure it.
I do not attend formal networking events, but I should. I believe my lack of networking has contributed to the slower movement of my carer than I would like. I am very interested in others' suggestions about how to identify and capitalize on networking opportunities.
Epic list! I'm going to have to try some of these out (and I thought I knew every paid survey site out there!).
I have heard of this idea but never really tried it. I think it would be a lot of fun to "couch surf"!
Thanks very much for the tips! I've been using hotel and airline points for years but never realized there were such loop holes in frequent flyer programs! Going to check out Travel Hacking asap and see what I've been missing all these years!
Cheers!
MB
ThePassportReport.com
Left a like on your Facebook page.
I go to networking events regularly. I don't do it to seek clients, but rather to stay on the top of people's minds in the community. It's also a great way to meet interesting people you would never cross paths with otherwise.
the person who wrote this article, knows little about dairy farms. milk cows are never constantly hooked up to a milk machine. they are milked twice a day,.. and they like it. if they are not milked on time, they will come looking for you. i dont normaly buy into this "organic" fad, but horizon milk is just a very good milk,
In college, I went to networking events but didn't end up generating leads. I did however get a job from a personal connection, which proves to me that networking of any sort is very valuable.
Nope! I don't like the whole "networking" aspect of things sometimes. But my business is so small that I don't really have the $$ or time to do much schmoozing, etc. And that's okay, I like it that way! It's not something I can do full time right now, so it works for me. Maybe later though...
I consider myself an informal networker. :)
I use ebay quite often.
Interesting, but sometimes not useful. For example, using vinegar and baking soda is good but using it you can`t even wash the dishes!
Matt, I just made a post on your topic, should update on this site shortly. I do not have Direct TV and have used a VPN and my laptop/TV to watch games through NFL.com the last two seasons. I've had access to all the games. I did pay for the package but it was cheaper (by a lot) than having a Direct TV or cable bill each month. Contact me on twitter @sameritech if you have questions.
I also use a VPN. I connect to the NFL network to watch any game I want. I do have to pay for the NFL package at NFL.com but it allows me to watch games from any market and I don't need Direct TV/cable. Here's how it works.
You need to get a VPN service. Good thing to have regardless to prevent your ISP or anyone for that matter snooping on your internet activity. You use a VPN to connect to a server in another country. For example Canada, UK, or Mexico. Then navigate to the sports website and purchase the package you want. NFL.com, MLB.com, etc will think the purchase is coming from that country, rather than the US. This is what allows you to purchase the package in the first place. If your connection looks like it's coming from inside the US, for the NFL anyway, they won't let you purchase the packages due to Direct TV's exclusive contract. Once you have the package, when you login later to watch your games, just ensure you have your VPN connected to another country. Once your connected, you can usually disconnect your VPN link and the video plays just fine. I learned last year that you only need the VPN to connect to the service. Once you're in, it doesn't register where the signal is going, just that the original connection came from outside the country. In year 1, my connection was pretty crappy because I thought I had to have the VPN connected continuously. This reduced the picture quality when it's routed outside the country or long distances. Last season, for the heck of it I disconnected the VPN after I logged in and was happy to see the games came in crystal clear without the VPN.
I used the NFL package like that the last two years. I also connect my laptop to my TV to watch the games via the TV instead of the computer. It's really easy but you'll have to consider the cost of the VPN to what the sports package costs when deciding if it's right for you. A good VPN service costs $50 - $75/year and I use it for all my internet activity, not just for sports. So I'm getting my money's worth on that. Once again, good thing to have for privacy reasons. Since I also cut the cable cord, the money I'm saving far outweighs a Direct TV/cable subscription or the cost of a VPN and the NFL Network package.
Follow me on twitter @sameritech
I usually just assume that I'll eat about 1 to 1.5 cups of dried beans every day so every morning I just throw that amount into the slow cooker with some water and maybe some potatoes, onions, and carrots for a stew. By the time supper rolls around everything is cooked.
I can only say that i am glad that put a lot of money into 529 making sure that my son will get a BA , MS or a phd free of debt. When i decided to become a mother higher education is a part of my plan.
It is puzzle me to see people who put as little as possible into the 529plan but they spend fortune on luxury goods and vacations.
Well not all financial aid comes from the government. Many private schools offer their own financial aid from their own endowment. Public schools are funded by tax payers but still offer merit scholarships and work study programs. If there is a will there is a way. Like a previous commenter said, retirement is something you can't really take out a loan for. If parents do not save enough for retirement and instead spent the money on their kid's college expenses then it is not certain that their kids will actually take care of them when they are old. I am coming from the point of view of a parent who wants my child to be independent, but also I want to be independent from my child when I'm older.
Your points are valid and I agree that families shouldn't put too much in their childs college accounts, but I think you should look at the current issues that center around student loans. If government financial aid was stable and there wasn't a massive amount of student loan debt looming above everyone, it would make sense to point out things like FAFSA and other loans. But I personally think that won't be reliable pretty soon. Even people who are responsibly taking out loan will hurt when the government hands out less student loans and increases interest on the current ones. Isn't it better to have money to spend rather than taking out a loan in an unstable market? source: I'm in my 2nd year of college. Parents help significantly and we saved about 10k before I started attending. We are fortunate in that we don't have to take out many loans, I have only about 5k in my name.