A while back when I returned to school, I deliberately took an office job at Metro Transit in order to get an employee free bus pass and sell-off my car. That was nearly 20 years ago and today I'm still car-less and that's allowed me to effortlessly plow thousands of dollars every year into my retirement fund.
Our family of 6 has one car. My husband drives it to work most days. We drop him off on days we need the car. It's not ideal in the small-town midwest to live like this, but it's better than taking on a car payment.
While debt accumulated due to non-investment goods and services - a nice house, remodelling, new car, new home entertainment equipment, and so on - can really sink us, there's also the other kind of debt that makes money for us: other people's money used as leverage for investments. If you invest carefully into solid and stable assets or businesses, debt used as leverage can really make a huge positive difference to you. We all know how well it can work in real estate, for example. Obviously, recent stories on real estate investment also remind us of the other side of using debt as leverage. If your investments go south, your leverage will just multiply the effect and get you into a hole that can be very hard to get out of.
So, debt - having both the "evil" and good sides - is a bit like fire: it can serve you very well in many ways, but it can also really burn you if used in a wrong way or for wrong purposes.
As of right now Chase does not offer a secured credit card. I have been banking with chase for over a year and have asked if they had one and it turns out that they dont.. Wells Fargo and Bank of America have some pretty decent secure credit cards that will surely help you to establish a credit history.
Hi! I have a tiny kitchen. I , too, use the less is more principle; less glasses, less plates, less coffee mugs... I don't miss them at all. Most people use the same cup everyday anyway. I keep silverware in 3 navy mugs on the counter (the kind that are like a beer stein). They are heavy and just the right size. I have a crock for wooden utensils and pots hang on hooks on the wall over the stove. I cheat by keeping the microwave in the dining room on a cart that also has the coffee pot/coffee jar/salt and pepper shakers on top of it and sometimes fruit. The toaster oven is on a shelf of the same unit (bread fits there, too) with all mixing bowls inside the cabinet. I love my rice cooker and crock pot which are on small shelves in the DR while the rest of the small appliances (George Foreman, blender, stand mixer, waffle maker)are on the dryer in the kitchen. I hang up large cooking utensils and anything that will fit on a hook. I keep cereal boxes on the fridge with the sugar tins. White tin white sugar brown tin brown sugar. We all have our own kitchy sets of salt and pepper shakers in our rooms and the main ones are french fries and a burger. When someone needs the salt you'll hear, "Where are the french fries?" There is a tiny closet in the hall where we keep most cans and dry goods. I use the top of the washer and the sink for food prep using a large cutting board. I built small shelves for spices. It is an 8'x11' room, but has a DW and W/D. I feed the cats under the sink. I removed the under sink cabinets to squeeze in the DW and use a rubbermaid bin for baking/roasting pans. Hope this helps someone! I am happier with less, for sure.
That's awesome and you're right: how can you reach your goals without being determined? And passion is definitely what makes things fun - I can't imagine going through life without it :) In hindsight, I probably should have also added "living in the now" because vamps have a knack for being in the moment, which allows them to get things done. I'm definitely passionate and determined but I'm also a little ADD, so it's hard for me to stay focused sometimes. Glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comments!
I'm actually struggling with this right now. I'd love to have no car at all, but it's just not realistic quite yet. We have it narrowed down, but we're still struggling with some fundamentals, like whether we need a hatchback and whether we should always have one car with four-wheel-drive. Anyone have experience using car brokers?
What I miss most are the stock bargains. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCL) at $6 -- my big fish that got away. Back then, though, buying stocks was like shooting fish in a barrel. Those were the days...
This post caught my eye...Vampires! I am living like a Vampire by being Passionate and Determined! Those are two traits that I would say fit myself. I am very passionate about my field of Advertising and Communications and whatever assignment/project i'm given, I gear my passion toward it. I am determined to land my dream job in either the Fashion or Entertainment business. I can't imagine not being passionate in whatever I do and how can you reach your goals without being determined?
It's nice to know that my credit card company loves me! I have been their favorite type of customer for about ten years. I am finally getting my act together though. No one ever realizes how much minimum payments end up costing you either. Especially if you are routinely late or go over your limit. I did that, a lot.
All of these are hilarious and very true! A great way to coupon without wasting a lot of time, money, and paper is to download one of the many applications available through your smartphone that will help you organize products and stores in your area so you know that you are getting the best deal.
Kelly Blue Book and Car Max are resources that shouldn't be overlooked when going to buy a used car. I bought my car through the Volkswagen Pre-Loved program so I never had to use either of these websites because Volkswagen provided all of the information I needed, but I have had friends who found interesting information by doing a background check on their cars through those sites!
Great tips! I always clean and workout in my free time if I'm not too exhausted. My favorite tip is the first one about updating your LinkedIn profile, I feel like I constantly neglect mine and don't use it for enough interaction so posting about interviews and accomplishments sounds like a great way to promote yourself and interact with your peers.
I've almost finished my guide to frugal approaches to auto buying, maintenance, etc. These are some great points, but I'd like to add that Consumer Reports is a MUCH better source for reliability data and how much you'll spend maintaining that used car than either Edmunds.com or KBB.com. You can either subscribe at their website or check out their yearly auto guide from your library.
Also, I recommend that people DON'T get fixated on a certain style of car prematurely. You may thing you need a hatchback, but then you might try a large sedan that actually offers more room for what you need.
We've bought two used cars and two new cars--one new car because the old models lacked important safety features back then (for which we paid the fleet price), and one because it was the same price as a two-year-old car. We've had great experiences with all of them, given the prices we paid!
We throw a get-together. Afterwards, I mean. It motivates us to clean, and for spring cleaning we just kick it up a notch. Best wishes for happy sweeping, washing, and dusting every one!
Take advantage of wagework if your employer provides it.
I live in Ohio so we don't have huge public transportation save for the bus, but we do have a Honda Insight that gets 60mpg so it helps save on costs!
A while back when I returned to school, I deliberately took an office job at Metro Transit in order to get an employee free bus pass and sell-off my car. That was nearly 20 years ago and today I'm still car-less and that's allowed me to effortlessly plow thousands of dollars every year into my retirement fund.
Our family of 6 has one car. My husband drives it to work most days. We drop him off on days we need the car. It's not ideal in the small-town midwest to live like this, but it's better than taking on a car payment.
I sold my minivan and bought a used smaller car that's more fuel efficient.
ride my bike or walk
Great parallels, Ben, and spot-on advice on debt!
While debt accumulated due to non-investment goods and services - a nice house, remodelling, new car, new home entertainment equipment, and so on - can really sink us, there's also the other kind of debt that makes money for us: other people's money used as leverage for investments. If you invest carefully into solid and stable assets or businesses, debt used as leverage can really make a huge positive difference to you. We all know how well it can work in real estate, for example. Obviously, recent stories on real estate investment also remind us of the other side of using debt as leverage. If your investments go south, your leverage will just multiply the effect and get you into a hole that can be very hard to get out of.
So, debt - having both the "evil" and good sides - is a bit like fire: it can serve you very well in many ways, but it can also really burn you if used in a wrong way or for wrong purposes.
As of right now Chase does not offer a secured credit card. I have been banking with chase for over a year and have asked if they had one and it turns out that they dont.. Wells Fargo and Bank of America have some pretty decent secure credit cards that will surely help you to establish a credit history.
A researcher by nature, I found these sites (in no particular order) to be of enormous benefit a couple years ago while deciding on my car purchase:
1) http://editorial.autos.msn.com/new-used-cars/?icid=nav1
2) http://www.safercar.gov/
3) http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicles/new/reviews/index.html
Hi! I have a tiny kitchen. I , too, use the less is more principle; less glasses, less plates, less coffee mugs... I don't miss them at all. Most people use the same cup everyday anyway. I keep silverware in 3 navy mugs on the counter (the kind that are like a beer stein). They are heavy and just the right size. I have a crock for wooden utensils and pots hang on hooks on the wall over the stove. I cheat by keeping the microwave in the dining room on a cart that also has the coffee pot/coffee jar/salt and pepper shakers on top of it and sometimes fruit. The toaster oven is on a shelf of the same unit (bread fits there, too) with all mixing bowls inside the cabinet. I love my rice cooker and crock pot which are on small shelves in the DR while the rest of the small appliances (George Foreman, blender, stand mixer, waffle maker)are on the dryer in the kitchen. I hang up large cooking utensils and anything that will fit on a hook. I keep cereal boxes on the fridge with the sugar tins. White tin white sugar brown tin brown sugar. We all have our own kitchy sets of salt and pepper shakers in our rooms and the main ones are french fries and a burger. When someone needs the salt you'll hear, "Where are the french fries?" There is a tiny closet in the hall where we keep most cans and dry goods. I use the top of the washer and the sink for food prep using a large cutting board. I built small shelves for spices. It is an 8'x11' room, but has a DW and W/D. I feed the cats under the sink. I removed the under sink cabinets to squeeze in the DW and use a rubbermaid bin for baking/roasting pans. Hope this helps someone! I am happier with less, for sure.
That's awesome and you're right: how can you reach your goals without being determined? And passion is definitely what makes things fun - I can't imagine going through life without it :) In hindsight, I probably should have also added "living in the now" because vamps have a knack for being in the moment, which allows them to get things done. I'm definitely passionate and determined but I'm also a little ADD, so it's hard for me to stay focused sometimes. Glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comments!
I'm actually struggling with this right now. I'd love to have no car at all, but it's just not realistic quite yet. We have it narrowed down, but we're still struggling with some fundamentals, like whether we need a hatchback and whether we should always have one car with four-wheel-drive. Anyone have experience using car brokers?
What I miss most are the stock bargains. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCL) at $6 -- my big fish that got away. Back then, though, buying stocks was like shooting fish in a barrel. Those were the days...
Yep. Much wiser now... especially when I look at the date.
Well done! :)
This post caught my eye...Vampires! I am living like a Vampire by being Passionate and Determined! Those are two traits that I would say fit myself. I am very passionate about my field of Advertising and Communications and whatever assignment/project i'm given, I gear my passion toward it. I am determined to land my dream job in either the Fashion or Entertainment business. I can't imagine not being passionate in whatever I do and how can you reach your goals without being determined?
This is a great list. If you completed just one of these each month you would improve yourself a lot financially and/or personally.
Thanks for these financial facts! Check out some popular money-saving apps... they are mostly free apps that help you manage your finances!
It's nice to know that my credit card company loves me! I have been their favorite type of customer for about ten years. I am finally getting my act together though. No one ever realizes how much minimum payments end up costing you either. Especially if you are routinely late or go over your limit. I did that, a lot.
This is such a great read for people who are always on the go! I know many people who like to stay busy AT ALL TIMES even in that spare 15 minutes.
All of these are hilarious and very true! A great way to coupon without wasting a lot of time, money, and paper is to download one of the many applications available through your smartphone that will help you organize products and stores in your area so you know that you are getting the best deal.
Kelly Blue Book and Car Max are resources that shouldn't be overlooked when going to buy a used car. I bought my car through the Volkswagen Pre-Loved program so I never had to use either of these websites because Volkswagen provided all of the information I needed, but I have had friends who found interesting information by doing a background check on their cars through those sites!
Great tips! I always clean and workout in my free time if I'm not too exhausted. My favorite tip is the first one about updating your LinkedIn profile, I feel like I constantly neglect mine and don't use it for enough interaction so posting about interviews and accomplishments sounds like a great way to promote yourself and interact with your peers.
I've almost finished my guide to frugal approaches to auto buying, maintenance, etc. These are some great points, but I'd like to add that Consumer Reports is a MUCH better source for reliability data and how much you'll spend maintaining that used car than either Edmunds.com or KBB.com. You can either subscribe at their website or check out their yearly auto guide from your library.
Also, I recommend that people DON'T get fixated on a certain style of car prematurely. You may thing you need a hatchback, but then you might try a large sedan that actually offers more room for what you need.
We've bought two used cars and two new cars--one new car because the old models lacked important safety features back then (for which we paid the fleet price), and one because it was the same price as a two-year-old car. We've had great experiences with all of them, given the prices we paid!
We throw a get-together. Afterwards, I mean. It motivates us to clean, and for spring cleaning we just kick it up a notch. Best wishes for happy sweeping, washing, and dusting every one!
There are quite a population of plantain in my yard as well. I have eaten a bit and it is pretty good.