I'd strongly advice against taking Photography classes. Until a year ago and a half ago, I had no idea what is a shutter speed and what is an aperture. Since, I've watched countless youtube tutorials, books, and free year/six month subscriptions to photography magazines. Basically anything I could get my hands on.
I've so far won 3 photography contests and have even made a respectable sum from paid gigs.
If you are serious enough to learn, 99% of the information you need is freely available online. If anything, I'll advice to get Lighting classes much later in your "quest". Just my two cents.
I agree about the communication skills. I was a writing major in college, but I took one class that I think has been more useful in work than any other -- Proposals, Grants, and Reports. While I've never actually been employed as a grant writer, the combination of marketing and business writing has served me incredibly well in my working life.
I agree with many of these things, but I disagree on a few. For example, I love washing my car, but that is because it's a great way to enjoy the outdoors, spend time with my family, and the car wash is quite a drive away. It would cost me much more time and money to go out and get it washed than to do it myself.
Also, we generally keep the heat and A/C use under control. This is not only to help save a lot of money over the year (we notice the difference very clearly) but also because we have a wood stove to give us extra heat in the winter and we have a pool to keep us cool in the summer. Yes, we might turn on the A/C if it's a very hot night and we can't get a comfortable rest, but for the most part a few fans and a dip in the pool do the trick.
One thing I won't do to save money is go generic on my favorite products. Sure, they cost a little more, but you can really tell the difference with things like specialty hair products and certain articles of clothing. If I buy the cheap stuff just to save money, I'll just be uncomfortable and unhappy - I would rather have bought nothing at all!
Great overview of inflation and how to protect yourself from loss of values over time. I always assumed that stock portfolios would be the most protected from inflation, but never knew why until now. And although candy bars sounds like a very entertainment investment option, wouldn't your arguement work for just about any asset? Cabbage? Beef? Water?
I keep the soy sauce packets that I get from Chinese restaurants and the like, but I would never take more than I needed from a serve-yourself bar like they have at fast food restaurants. That's just unconscionable.
I whole-heartedly agree with points 1-4. If it's stealing, I won't do it. Period.
Point #5 I agree with because I have been a server. I have tipped below 15% (my average is 18%, but I've tipped as much as 25%) when server was truly rude or neglectful for no reason I can discern. (This has happened twice. Ever.) The "upside" to having worked in restaurants is that I can judge pretty well if there's anything happening in the restaurant that would lead to bad service beyond the server's control. I also always tip on the price of a meal *before* any coupons or discounts. Doing otherwise just sucks (from a servers perspective).
#8 I have done while in the mountains (I live in Colorado), becuase water is a scarce resource, and it's part of the culture up there.
#9 I disagree with, but only because my dad (a clean car fanatic) taught me his method for cleaning cars at the DIY car wash places. I can clean my car well in 10-15 minutes for around $4. (If I don't dry it off after, it only takes 7 minutes.)
I go back and forth on #10. My family has *always* used fans instead of the A/C, but we've always lived in houses where the A/C was installed when we moved in. Another upside to living in Colorado: with a very few exceptions, it cools down considerably at night. Even living on the 3rd floor of an apartment building with west-facing windows, we can run the A/C for only an hour or two in the late afternoon and be perfectly comfortable.
First - how do you get "2-4 more hours sleep"? And "get to bed earlier"? Last night, for example, I went to bed at 10:30, and I lie awake staring at the dark room for 2 hours. Alarm still buzzes at 7:25AM (which is about 40 minutes later than I really need it to go off if I want to be at work by 8AM... but I am rebelling and fighting our work schedule!)
Research the company you are interviewing for! Know the company's mission statement, values, what they have currently going on, etc. During the interview, when appropriate, show off your knowledge.
Its designer, Harry Browne, was worried after the US pulled off the gold standard in the early 1970s and needed a way to hedge that. So he created a low-maintenance investment portfolio that stayed ahead of inflation (for most years) while providing very little volatility (2008 was a positive year although it didn't stay ahead of inflation.)
"The success of baby carrots speaks to two things about American culture that sort of bug me"
... or actually, maybe people just can't stand the taste of carrots? I hate carrots, and now I finally understand why I can tolerate baby carrots. Barely. I can eat a baby carrot or two before their flavor becomes overbearing. I can't even take a bite of a normal carrot without disgust. Yes there is something very carrot-y about carrots, it's very strong, and quite unpleasant. I prefer baby carrots because I know I can choke them down as a healthy snack, a feat I'd never be able to accomplish with a "normal" carrot. Yuck.
Great list...I agree with pretty much everything you say. I'm all for saving money when you can but some people take frugality to the extreme and that's just not for me.
"If it's yellow let it mellow..." LOL...never heard that before!
Very interesting! I must secretly be Chinese, as this is how we are doing it- penny pinch the small things (even cars), in order to save and buy a house with little or no mortgage, after our children are in college. The house we can afford will be tiny, and rural, as we have spent most of our income to rent in a top school district. It makes a lot of sense to me, as I hate uncertainty, and we prefer lack of worry to material comforts. My children, however, see it differently.
As to your point of getting what you want on credit, then maneuvering out of it- the bankruptcy reforms attempted to make that much more difficult. Knowingly doing so to inflate lifestyle is not admirable, as others pay the burden in higher prices on everything to compensate. And student loans never go away.
I'd love to know how much financial help Americans give to their grown children in comparison to other countries. We told our kids- No scholarship, no college. No college, no good wages. No money, hard life. And once you are 18, you are a guest in our home. It worked- they are motivated achievers.
In the US, gasoline is cheap. That is a fact. Americans just use so damn much of it!
I buy about one US gallon of gasoline a week, and often none at all. The US is so addicted and dependent on oil that it passed the point of lunacy years ago. Because the US has designed its economy around the automobile, it feels the pinch so much more when prices increase slightly.
Its pretty safe to sell any stuff you want to on eBay as you get payment first before you send the item to the buyer. If you don’t get the money – you don’t send it..
I'd strongly advice against taking Photography classes. Until a year ago and a half ago, I had no idea what is a shutter speed and what is an aperture. Since, I've watched countless youtube tutorials, books, and free year/six month subscriptions to photography magazines. Basically anything I could get my hands on.
I've so far won 3 photography contests and have even made a respectable sum from paid gigs.
If you are serious enough to learn, 99% of the information you need is freely available online. If anything, I'll advice to get Lighting classes much later in your "quest". Just my two cents.
As far as stocks are concerned, another option would be to buy into funds that invest in international companies that don't hedge the dollar.
I agree about the communication skills. I was a writing major in college, but I took one class that I think has been more useful in work than any other -- Proposals, Grants, and Reports. While I've never actually been employed as a grant writer, the combination of marketing and business writing has served me incredibly well in my working life.
I agree with many of these things, but I disagree on a few. For example, I love washing my car, but that is because it's a great way to enjoy the outdoors, spend time with my family, and the car wash is quite a drive away. It would cost me much more time and money to go out and get it washed than to do it myself.
Also, we generally keep the heat and A/C use under control. This is not only to help save a lot of money over the year (we notice the difference very clearly) but also because we have a wood stove to give us extra heat in the winter and we have a pool to keep us cool in the summer. Yes, we might turn on the A/C if it's a very hot night and we can't get a comfortable rest, but for the most part a few fans and a dip in the pool do the trick.
One thing I won't do to save money is go generic on my favorite products. Sure, they cost a little more, but you can really tell the difference with things like specialty hair products and certain articles of clothing. If I buy the cheap stuff just to save money, I'll just be uncomfortable and unhappy - I would rather have bought nothing at all!
Great overview of inflation and how to protect yourself from loss of values over time. I always assumed that stock portfolios would be the most protected from inflation, but never knew why until now. And although candy bars sounds like a very entertainment investment option, wouldn't your arguement work for just about any asset? Cabbage? Beef? Water?
Yeah, I'm familiar with the Permanent Portfolio from way back. It's a reasonable take on asset allocation among a similar set of asset classes.
I liked you and the post on facebook.
Learn about the company and be prepared.
I keep the soy sauce packets that I get from Chinese restaurants and the like, but I would never take more than I needed from a serve-yourself bar like they have at fast food restaurants. That's just unconscionable.
I whole-heartedly agree with points 1-4. If it's stealing, I won't do it. Period.
Point #5 I agree with because I have been a server. I have tipped below 15% (my average is 18%, but I've tipped as much as 25%) when server was truly rude or neglectful for no reason I can discern. (This has happened twice. Ever.) The "upside" to having worked in restaurants is that I can judge pretty well if there's anything happening in the restaurant that would lead to bad service beyond the server's control. I also always tip on the price of a meal *before* any coupons or discounts. Doing otherwise just sucks (from a servers perspective).
#8 I have done while in the mountains (I live in Colorado), becuase water is a scarce resource, and it's part of the culture up there.
#9 I disagree with, but only because my dad (a clean car fanatic) taught me his method for cleaning cars at the DIY car wash places. I can clean my car well in 10-15 minutes for around $4. (If I don't dry it off after, it only takes 7 minutes.)
I go back and forth on #10. My family has *always* used fans instead of the A/C, but we've always lived in houses where the A/C was installed when we moved in. Another upside to living in Colorado: with a very few exceptions, it cools down considerably at night. Even living on the 3rd floor of an apartment building with west-facing windows, we can run the A/C for only an hour or two in the late afternoon and be perfectly comfortable.
First - how do you get "2-4 more hours sleep"? And "get to bed earlier"? Last night, for example, I went to bed at 10:30, and I lie awake staring at the dark room for 2 hours. Alarm still buzzes at 7:25AM (which is about 40 minutes later than I really need it to go off if I want to be at work by 8AM... but I am rebelling and fighting our work schedule!)
Research the company you are interviewing for! Know the company's mission statement, values, what they have currently going on, etc. During the interview, when appropriate, show off your knowledge.
This is all good to know! I just bought flights for me and my friends. I keep tracking it and hopefully it'll go down.
You might want to read about the Permanent Portfolio: http://crawlingroad.com/blog/2008/12/18/the-permanent-portfolio-allocation/
Its designer, Harry Browne, was worried after the US pulled off the gold standard in the early 1970s and needed a way to hedge that. So he created a low-maintenance investment portfolio that stayed ahead of inflation (for most years) while providing very little volatility (2008 was a positive year although it didn't stay ahead of inflation.)
I don't do this, but I need to. Batch cooking would save so much time
"The success of baby carrots speaks to two things about American culture that sort of bug me"
... or actually, maybe people just can't stand the taste of carrots? I hate carrots, and now I finally understand why I can tolerate baby carrots. Barely. I can eat a baby carrot or two before their flavor becomes overbearing. I can't even take a bite of a normal carrot without disgust. Yes there is something very carrot-y about carrots, it's very strong, and quite unpleasant. I prefer baby carrots because I know I can choke them down as a healthy snack, a feat I'd never be able to accomplish with a "normal" carrot. Yuck.
Great list...I agree with pretty much everything you say. I'm all for saving money when you can but some people take frugality to the extreme and that's just not for me.
"If it's yellow let it mellow..." LOL...never heard that before!
I ment Rum not Brandy like I said part way through lol
Very interesting! I must secretly be Chinese, as this is how we are doing it- penny pinch the small things (even cars), in order to save and buy a house with little or no mortgage, after our children are in college. The house we can afford will be tiny, and rural, as we have spent most of our income to rent in a top school district. It makes a lot of sense to me, as I hate uncertainty, and we prefer lack of worry to material comforts. My children, however, see it differently.
As to your point of getting what you want on credit, then maneuvering out of it- the bankruptcy reforms attempted to make that much more difficult. Knowingly doing so to inflate lifestyle is not admirable, as others pay the burden in higher prices on everything to compensate. And student loans never go away.
I'd love to know how much financial help Americans give to their grown children in comparison to other countries. We told our kids- No scholarship, no college. No college, no good wages. No money, hard life. And once you are 18, you are a guest in our home. It worked- they are motivated achievers.
I agree with this list! I want to start taking a photography class to improve my skills (which I have none of).
In the US, gasoline is cheap. That is a fact. Americans just use so damn much of it!
I buy about one US gallon of gasoline a week, and often none at all. The US is so addicted and dependent on oil that it passed the point of lunacy years ago. Because the US has designed its economy around the automobile, it feels the pinch so much more when prices increase slightly.
Its pretty safe to sell any stuff you want to on eBay as you get payment first before you send the item to the buyer. If you don’t get the money – you don’t send it..
Be confident, friendly, and tactfully honest.
i like wisebread on facebook
tweeted https://twitter.com/oshkoshbgosh123/status/212737103199608832