Hi! If you find out your house is in foreclosure or being taken back by the bank or landlord filing bankruptcy, please move out immediately. Our friend here in town, her daughter lived in house on next block from us & she works at gas station & one of town cops told her it was being filed on for bankruptcy. He told her to find someplace to move & get all her stuff out of the house cause , if they didn't when he put a lock on the door in next few weeks ,they would lose everything they had inside & the bank would throw it all away& there is nothing that will be done about it, You lose everything thing you own if they put the lock on it while you are gone. The landlord never did tell them he was losing the place.This is accurate. I checked it out. Lisa
As the economic theory of "opportunity cost" goes, I feel that, when it comes to my job and career, a sense of contentment and a lesser degree of stress are essentially worth their weight in gold. Yes, I could make more money by constantly striving to advance to the next higher position, but I'm content where I'm at right now in my job. I like it and my working environment, it has variety, and pays enough for me to cover all of my regular expenses, with a good amount leftover to put into savings. Yeah, it may not allow me to afford the best cars, houses, clothes and such, by that's not what I'm all about. I am content with what I have, and that's more important to me.
I'm a bit shocked. before I started makin shine... I did lots of research on the safety issues of using an alluminiun cooker and found several people who use alluminium. I have since been using it and have had good tasting shine and I'm still breathing. haha.
Good to see a money post from you again Jabulani. :)
I like the concept of fasting for a week. I guess it could be a reality for me with a little planning and grocery shopping on Saturday to last me a week. Well, and filling the gas tank. Definitely something I think I should try!
about not messing with the scammers. I vaguely remember a post awhile back (most like on here?) about how dangerous scammers can be if you mess with them. I have a friend who got some really nasty emails when she continued to email back a scammer with frivolous responses--scary enough that she closed the email account!
Oh pleasepleaseplease choose me to win a free copy of this book. I've got the "geek" part downpat, the "goddess", not so much. With four children and a husband all far more computer savvy than I, you'd think I would have all the help I need to navigate the information highway, but alas, 'tis not so. My frequent requests for assistance in all things computer related are met with frowns and stern "I showed you this yesterday! What's so hard?" What can I say, for me, it is. I'm hoping this book would help.
I never thought about the similarities, but they're definitely there. Is it a fast if I do those things most of the time anyway? Sadly, I do know people who have manic-depressive spending habits. It's painful to watch. (BTW, linked to this article on my blog.)
I am a bit confused. My connection was so slow it would sometimes just timeout and not connect at all. I checked the autotuning as the article directed and it was set to highly restricted. I changed it to "restricted" and it seemed to work much better. Would disabling it or setting it to normal be better or worse?
just get downsized and do it for realz.. that's what we've been doing for the last 8 weeks.. finance fasting.. it's a learning experience, to say the least..
Hi Nora...great work on the budgeting! I will admit, my wife is the whiz when it comes to that. Most people's view of long-term travel is definitely skewed thanks to luxury vacations and the like. The difference is night and day between a 2 week vacation to Cabo and a 6-month trip to SE Asia (even Europe for that matter).
It always bugs me to hear people say "I wish I could do that" or "I'm so jealous" and things like that. Cuz the fact is, you CAN do it. There is no need to feel jealous. It comes down to "what do you want?" What are you willing to sacrifice to acheive it? It's amazing, when you think how much you have lived and experienced with only $20,000 for two people. Not only experienced, but how much you've learned, because, living on those means takes a lot of resourcefulness and learning about yourself!
We will be traveling Oz at some point, camping mostly (when not, will be couchsurfing or wwoofing and the like) and our goal is $1500 AUD per month.
Hey Paul,
I just found your blog, and you write some interesting articles :) Kudos!
That's a pretty amazing scam to be running. I feel like when I've rented apartments before I'm usually not expecting to get scammed (at least like that), so it's good to be reminded to be on my toes next time I'm in the market! Thanks :)
I blog over at paidquik.com. I just started a few days ago, so I'm still getting the lay of the land, but I thought I'd say hi!
If you want to take the concept further, consider that the money fast, like the food fast, also has the added bonus of making each expenditure matter more. After one has fasted, the first few meals afterward are more meaningful and satisfying, and one often eats less food.
With money, after not spending for a while, you find that you get greater pleasure out of those little fiscal indulgences than you did before. My husband and I are doing a little post-holiday "fiscal fasting", and I have to say that it's been both interesting and rewarding.
My number one tip for healthy skin is: drink lots of water.
Sometimes, that's not enough. When I was younger and had break-outs, someone told me of a low-cost way of dealing with them and I stopped buying all those expensive creams and cleaners after that.
Aspirin masks.
Get uncoated generic aspirin, put a few pills in your palm, a few drops of water, and rub your hands together to dissolve the pills into a paste. Apply that to your face in the acne-prone spots, leave for a minute or two, and then just wash off.
"Watching your money is one thing. Being cheap is another. If you can only afford the kid's menu, opt for a less pricier place. Or, if you really enjoy the atmosphere, eat at home and have a couple drinks in the bar. One more thing, if you can not afford to tip decently, choose a cheaper establishment."
I just feel like I need to comment. First, I'm 5'2" and very petite. I order off the kid's menu all of the time if I find something that is a half sized portion and the waiter/waitress doesn't mind. It doesn't make me cheap, it makes me health conscious and not wasteful. This is a typical example of American culture making people care so much about the status quo.
Second, my husband is French and I lived in Europe for awhile. Tips in America are so expected without an emphasis of people earning them. I tip, and I tip reasonably. But I do not think people should have to eat at a cheaper establishment simply because they don't want to shell out 20% for someone to bring a plate to the table or pack up take-out. Service just isn't what it once was.
Bettie, I'm a Minnesota lawyer and I've NEVER heard of anyone sneaking alcohol into a restaurant, I just don't think it's realistic. Liability would fall on the driver, as it should. Places like NYC, however, you can save a bundle on byob...especially at little places like Indian and Ethiopian restaurants. Mmmm!
I happened to stumble upon this when searching for something else. Let me tell you my story that happened to us. We went on a trip to Las Vegas for vacation, and when we got home we came home to an Eviction notice on our door giving us only weeks to get out! We were renting a carriage house at the time, on the same piece of land as another house, a huge barn, little store and old camp site. The other tenants were the owners daughter, husband and child. The owner had approached my husband as possibly buying the property. We gave it some thought but decided not too. What a surprise to find out that the owner was taking our rent money but not paying his mortgage! I went to court and the big bad bank was there with their lawyers. I went alone to speak with the judge, sure that I would receive some justice! Not so...the judge even yelled at me, and told us to be out at the end of the week as he slammed down his gavel! Even though we had done nothing wrong! I was in tears he was so mean to me, that one of the bank managers came over to comfort me. Even though they were the enemy at the time, they understood our dilema. Even so we had to get out. We ended up borrowing money from a family member with interest to get a down payment on a mortgage for a house of our own, but what a way to do it!! Talk about stress!! So hopefully if anyone else goes through what we did, they will make out a lot better. GOOD LUCK!
I'm a big fan of sidereel.com - - - I got hooked on the Showtime show Dexter during a free preview. Then I found Dexter on sidereel and was able to watch each episode. At the end of season 2, I even saw a couple episodes BEFORE they aired!
For each show and episode, there are multiple links. The only caveat is if you get one of the megavideo links, you're limited to 72 minutes of viewing - - then you have to wait an hour before you can view anything else. Sometimes, you've got to refresh or shut down your browser and restart. But it beats paying high cable / premium channel prices! (BTW, lots of the links in turn link to megavideo, so I check out multiple links before actually clicking and committing.)
This is of interest to me, as we might be looking to rent an affordable house on our next extended trip. Having this happen in a foreign country, well . . . it might be hard to spot. If someone were looking to rent to travelers, I would expect the English to be broken and might not catch it, as even the English language newspapers in many countries don't exactly read like somebody fluent wrote the articles. Not sure if others are aware of that.
Those con-artists can really be convincing. People really need to be on their guard. And these days, they're using pay-as-you-go cell phones, which can be bought for as little as $20. You get a local number to call, they meet you, everything seems legit and then they can disappear without a single trace.
By the way, the numbers listed in the email I received are the real deal. I never called. I advise anyone else to stay away from them, too. Some people like to mess with scammers, but it's not advisable. You never know who you're actually dealing with.
Hi! If you find out your house is in foreclosure or being taken back by the bank or landlord filing bankruptcy, please move out immediately. Our friend here in town, her daughter lived in house on next block from us & she works at gas station & one of town cops told her it was being filed on for bankruptcy. He told her to find someplace to move & get all her stuff out of the house cause , if they didn't when he put a lock on the door in next few weeks ,they would lose everything they had inside & the bank would throw it all away& there is nothing that will be done about it, You lose everything thing you own if they put the lock on it while you are gone. The landlord never did tell them he was losing the place.This is accurate. I checked it out. Lisa
As the economic theory of "opportunity cost" goes, I feel that, when it comes to my job and career, a sense of contentment and a lesser degree of stress are essentially worth their weight in gold. Yes, I could make more money by constantly striving to advance to the next higher position, but I'm content where I'm at right now in my job. I like it and my working environment, it has variety, and pays enough for me to cover all of my regular expenses, with a good amount leftover to put into savings. Yeah, it may not allow me to afford the best cars, houses, clothes and such, by that's not what I'm all about. I am content with what I have, and that's more important to me.
I'm a bit shocked. before I started makin shine... I did lots of research on the safety issues of using an alluminiun cooker and found several people who use alluminium. I have since been using it and have had good tasting shine and I'm still breathing. haha.
Thank you for such a thought provoking post, Jabulani!
I hope that 2009 (for most of us) will be a return to the "less is more" attitude on life.
Good to see a money post from you again Jabulani. :)
I like the concept of fasting for a week. I guess it could be a reality for me with a little planning and grocery shopping on Saturday to last me a week. Well, and filling the gas tank. Definitely something I think I should try!
about not messing with the scammers. I vaguely remember a post awhile back (most like on here?) about how dangerous scammers can be if you mess with them. I have a friend who got some really nasty emails when she continued to email back a scammer with frivolous responses--scary enough that she closed the email account!
Oh pleasepleaseplease choose me to win a free copy of this book. I've got the "geek" part downpat, the "goddess", not so much. With four children and a husband all far more computer savvy than I, you'd think I would have all the help I need to navigate the information highway, but alas, 'tis not so. My frequent requests for assistance in all things computer related are met with frowns and stern "I showed you this yesterday! What's so hard?" What can I say, for me, it is. I'm hoping this book would help.
Thank you,
Mona.
I never thought about the similarities, but they're definitely there. Is it a fast if I do those things most of the time anyway? Sadly, I do know people who have manic-depressive spending habits. It's painful to watch. (BTW, linked to this article on my blog.)
as above, as above.
I am a bit confused. My connection was so slow it would sometimes just timeout and not connect at all. I checked the autotuning as the article directed and it was set to highly restricted. I changed it to "restricted" and it seemed to work much better. Would disabling it or setting it to normal be better or worse?
I always appreciate feedback and a new reader. Thanks for stopping by, I'll be sure to check out paidquik.com as well. Happy New Year.
just get downsized and do it for realz.. that's what we've been doing for the last 8 weeks.. finance fasting.. it's a learning experience, to say the least..
Sorry, one question...what currency are your figures in? Should I assume Canadian?
Will this raise my rent?
Hi Nora...great work on the budgeting! I will admit, my wife is the whiz when it comes to that. Most people's view of long-term travel is definitely skewed thanks to luxury vacations and the like. The difference is night and day between a 2 week vacation to Cabo and a 6-month trip to SE Asia (even Europe for that matter).
It always bugs me to hear people say "I wish I could do that" or "I'm so jealous" and things like that. Cuz the fact is, you CAN do it. There is no need to feel jealous. It comes down to "what do you want?" What are you willing to sacrifice to acheive it? It's amazing, when you think how much you have lived and experienced with only $20,000 for two people. Not only experienced, but how much you've learned, because, living on those means takes a lot of resourcefulness and learning about yourself!
We will be traveling Oz at some point, camping mostly (when not, will be couchsurfing or wwoofing and the like) and our goal is $1500 AUD per month.
Cheers!
Hey Paul,
I just found your blog, and you write some interesting articles :) Kudos!
That's a pretty amazing scam to be running. I feel like when I've rented apartments before I'm usually not expecting to get scammed (at least like that), so it's good to be reminded to be on my toes next time I'm in the market! Thanks :)
I blog over at paidquik.com. I just started a few days ago, so I'm still getting the lay of the land, but I thought I'd say hi!
If you want to take the concept further, consider that the money fast, like the food fast, also has the added bonus of making each expenditure matter more. After one has fasted, the first few meals afterward are more meaningful and satisfying, and one often eats less food.
With money, after not spending for a while, you find that you get greater pleasure out of those little fiscal indulgences than you did before. My husband and I are doing a little post-holiday "fiscal fasting", and I have to say that it's been both interesting and rewarding.
My number one tip for healthy skin is: drink lots of water.
Sometimes, that's not enough. When I was younger and had break-outs, someone told me of a low-cost way of dealing with them and I stopped buying all those expensive creams and cleaners after that.
Aspirin masks.
Get uncoated generic aspirin, put a few pills in your palm, a few drops of water, and rub your hands together to dissolve the pills into a paste. Apply that to your face in the acne-prone spots, leave for a minute or two, and then just wash off.
It leaves my skin feeling soft and clean.
"Watching your money is one thing. Being cheap is another. If you can only afford the kid's menu, opt for a less pricier place. Or, if you really enjoy the atmosphere, eat at home and have a couple drinks in the bar. One more thing, if you can not afford to tip decently, choose a cheaper establishment."
I just feel like I need to comment. First, I'm 5'2" and very petite. I order off the kid's menu all of the time if I find something that is a half sized portion and the waiter/waitress doesn't mind. It doesn't make me cheap, it makes me health conscious and not wasteful. This is a typical example of American culture making people care so much about the status quo.
Second, my husband is French and I lived in Europe for awhile. Tips in America are so expected without an emphasis of people earning them. I tip, and I tip reasonably. But I do not think people should have to eat at a cheaper establishment simply because they don't want to shell out 20% for someone to bring a plate to the table or pack up take-out. Service just isn't what it once was.
Bettie, I'm a Minnesota lawyer and I've NEVER heard of anyone sneaking alcohol into a restaurant, I just don't think it's realistic. Liability would fall on the driver, as it should. Places like NYC, however, you can save a bundle on byob...especially at little places like Indian and Ethiopian restaurants. Mmmm!
I happened to stumble upon this when searching for something else. Let me tell you my story that happened to us. We went on a trip to Las Vegas for vacation, and when we got home we came home to an Eviction notice on our door giving us only weeks to get out! We were renting a carriage house at the time, on the same piece of land as another house, a huge barn, little store and old camp site. The other tenants were the owners daughter, husband and child. The owner had approached my husband as possibly buying the property. We gave it some thought but decided not too. What a surprise to find out that the owner was taking our rent money but not paying his mortgage! I went to court and the big bad bank was there with their lawyers. I went alone to speak with the judge, sure that I would receive some justice! Not so...the judge even yelled at me, and told us to be out at the end of the week as he slammed down his gavel! Even though we had done nothing wrong! I was in tears he was so mean to me, that one of the bank managers came over to comfort me. Even though they were the enemy at the time, they understood our dilema. Even so we had to get out. We ended up borrowing money from a family member with interest to get a down payment on a mortgage for a house of our own, but what a way to do it!! Talk about stress!! So hopefully if anyone else goes through what we did, they will make out a lot better. GOOD LUCK!
I'm a big fan of sidereel.com - - - I got hooked on the Showtime show Dexter during a free preview. Then I found Dexter on sidereel and was able to watch each episode. At the end of season 2, I even saw a couple episodes BEFORE they aired!
For each show and episode, there are multiple links. The only caveat is if you get one of the megavideo links, you're limited to 72 minutes of viewing - - then you have to wait an hour before you can view anything else. Sometimes, you've got to refresh or shut down your browser and restart. But it beats paying high cable / premium channel prices! (BTW, lots of the links in turn link to megavideo, so I check out multiple links before actually clicking and committing.)
This is of interest to me, as we might be looking to rent an affordable house on our next extended trip. Having this happen in a foreign country, well . . . it might be hard to spot. If someone were looking to rent to travelers, I would expect the English to be broken and might not catch it, as even the English language newspapers in many countries don't exactly read like somebody fluent wrote the articles. Not sure if others are aware of that.
What a terrific article - well laid-out and you covered all the basics of your travels. I am inspired!
Those con-artists can really be convincing. People really need to be on their guard. And these days, they're using pay-as-you-go cell phones, which can be bought for as little as $20. You get a local number to call, they meet you, everything seems legit and then they can disappear without a single trace.
By the way, the numbers listed in the email I received are the real deal. I never called. I advise anyone else to stay away from them, too. Some people like to mess with scammers, but it's not advisable. You never know who you're actually dealing with.
Wow this is really detailed! great job, Iv'e never heard about this type of Nigerian scam before!