Excel. I tried Mint but it didn't make sense for me: I log into my individual accounts so much that there was no added value to having them all in one place.
people it is a real perm card that they send you yes but look at it this way even if i have your card i cant activated it i would have to know you dob and ssn with out that i would have to fax in proof that i am you to there company and the info that i would send to them is social, drivers license or state issued ID, and a utility bill with name and address. i know this because i work there and take these kinds of calls all the time it happens yes you might get a card with someone elses name or they might get yours but nothing that you can do because they run id checks on you no credit checks on id checks. ALL OF YOU PARENTS WITH YOUR KIDS UNDER 18 GETTING A CARD THEY WENT ONLINE FILLED OUT A SURVEY OR WENT TO THE SITE AND ORDERED ONE SO DONT BLAME US THAT OUR DAMN LITTLE ANGELS GOT A CARD THEY DID SOMETHING TO GET IT AND YOU NEED TO WATCH WHAT THEY HELL THEY ARE DOING ON THE DAMN INTERNET AND IF YOU CALL IN AND GET ME I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING IM TIRED OF HEARING IT THEY DONT DO THAT THEY ARE GOOD BULL THEY SCREW AROUND ON THE NET AND GET INTO TROUBLE SO GET OVER THE CARD DONT WANT IT SHRED IT CALL US AND WE WILL TAKE YOU OFF THE MARKETING LIST. I WORK THERE AND DAMN PROUD ABOUT IT.
I keep my finances simple a few ways:
* notepad - I create simple views of budgets and spend.
* monthly burn - to keep it simple, I figure out my ballpark monthly spend so I know the ranges of goodness (and so I can do quick adjustments or calculations.)
* pay myself first - I treat myself as my most important bill and auto-pay myself each check.
The notepad technique surprises people, but I've managed million dollar budgets very effectively. It's all about the views and info organization.
1. Most of the stimulus is coming not from the government, but from the borrower. Think about it - the government gives you a little money, but, with that cash, you're borrowing a lot more money.
2. By easing the credit requirement, you cause demand to increase, and prices to rise. The nominal increase is around what the tax credit will help you borrow, which is around an extra 200k.
This tax credit is great for the government. They pay you 8k. You borrow an extra 100k or more. You pay taxes, which amount to around 10k. The government is ahead around 2k.
You keep paying taxes on that overvalued property... amounting to thousands more dollars.
Then, they claim that 8k is debt and must be paid back from taxes, later. The investors get paid!
This is just neo-liberal pseudo-Keynsian pseudo-deficit spending. It's a smoke and mirrors trick to get people to accept more debt, to stimulate the economy.
I think direct spending on reparing infrastructure is more useful. We have roads to fix. It's less dramatic, but, it needs to be done, and labor is cheap today.
What would help the lower-income worker is slightly higher interest rates combined with a large infrastructure spend. It would cause the price of houses to drop, due to a reduction of demand (and speculators avoiding the market). At the same time, the price of labor would rise.
If you guys that are complaining about the Netspend cards that are being sent to you, you do need to get off your lazy asses and acutally do some research. Netspend does not send REAL cards in those letters. Those are temp. cards. IF you activate the card, and YES they do check to see if you are who you say you are, THEN they will send you your actual card. My wife and I have had a Netspend card for a little over two years now, and yes i agree some of the fees are a little out there, but for those of us that do not have much money and are living paycheck to paycheck cannot afford the fees that a regular bank wants to charge for overdraft protection, annual fees, buying checks, paying upwards of $10.00 for a replacement debit card, not to mention all of the other random fees that a bank wants to charge, don't really have a choice. I speak from experience. We had an account at Wachovia. They are a good bank, but as we almost always have, we live paycheck to paycheck. We would sometimes overdraw by somewhere between $1.00 to around $20.00. The fees that they charged us were completely uncalled for. We closed the account after they told me that because i had overdrawn by $22.00 that i had to pay them an additional $50.00. Since we started using Netspend, I have yet to had to pay an overdraft fee. And again, some of their fees are a little high, but when you are on the poor side of the street, you really dont have many choices. So, I would suggest that BEFORE you start trying to files complaints about unsolicited cards being sent to you, get off of your ass and actually do a little research.www.netspend.com
The best deals seem to be for NYC members. Still, it's a good organization to join, because joining costs nothing. (I've joined.)
The most important thing they do, in my estimation, is political lobbying. That is something you can't really do alone. (I mean, you can, but, that really gives the politician the upper hand in deciding what's really right for you. You need organized voters to make them pay attention.)
Hi there - I just read your post about Netspend. I have to say - I've been dealing with Netspend for over 3 years - and other than the fact that they do charge fees - and they are a PREPAID Card, they have been WONDERFUL!
I asked for them - so it was NOT a card that was sent to me out of the blue.
They have been monumental in the fight for freedom against Congress telling people how to spend their own money - if you would like more info - please contact me on that.
I'm sorry if you felt your experience with them was negative - however, I have only had positive experiences with Netspend.
I worked in newspaper classified advertising for years, a world in which my customers paid for their space. I know how to space and format attractively.
The average resume is chock full and does not have enough "white space." Employers are busy and are more likely to read clean, well-spaced resumes.
You don't need fancy stationery and graphics. It's a business communication, not an art contest. Use all caps for headings, but never put a paragraph in all caps.
I have a rule for resumes and any business communication to never us a character not available on a regular typewriter. Make it the kind of document a business person is used to ready. I will list features like this with asteriks or dashes.
QUALIFICATIONS:
*Internet savvy
*Customer service specialist
*Sales background
QUALIFICATIONS:
-Internet savvy
-Customer service specialist
-Sales background
GEE, I hope it all shows up properly formatted here.
Unemployment regulations are generally the same throughout the US: you have to be looking for work (maybe as minimal as ONE RESUME per week--not much of a search), accept certain work at a lesser pay if offered, and usually can't go to school unless the Workforce Commission pays it. It may be possible in some states to go to college if you sign a waiver that says you will quit school if you get work. You can read your state's policy on the net.
Usually, your state employment or workforce commission won't do squat to help you get a job, so most of the regulations are a joke.
I have a college degree. I could not get public money for school, join the military and get their perks, or get any other initial breaks. But I paid for everyone else's breaks.
It's always been difficult for me to find a job, but I worked for many years. I'm on SS disability. But the two times I got unemployment compensation, I felt entitled to it.
My UIB benefits were a tiny drop in the bucket compared to what the NASA staff who just squandered my tax dollars on bombing the moon get in perks.
It is true that Europe has a better safety net than the US.
Someone complained that food stamps would only give a family of 5 who received $275 weekly unemployment partial food benefits.
I worked in food stamps many years. You are supposed to spend part of your UIB money, paycheck, Social Security, or whatever for food! Full food stamp benefits go to people who have ZERO countable income.
Some government money is "worth" more than other government money. Unemployment compensation helps you out better than food stamp assistance in terms of the dollars you get.
There was a time when I used cash advances againt a credit card to cover COBRA expenses, around 1989-1990, when my premium was only $147.74 month. Eventually, I could not pay the credit card balance, so I'm a credit deadbeat too.
If you lose your job, you don't have to pay for costly COBRA. The emergency rooms can't turn you away. Try and find public or charity clinics for ongoing medical needs. You can get costly meds thru drug company programs. Maybe you can pay a doctor $150 month in lieu of COBRA and get some $4 drugs. I have a wealthy cousin who doesn't have insurance and she pays her doctor herself; he works with her to prescribe drugs she can afford.
For those of you in California, I do understand that the undocumented aliens overload the public health care system and that it's hard for the taxpayer to get anything. Keep trying.
For some reason, any kind of social service spending in US gets blasted, yet it's just a tiny drop in the bucket. Look at the pie slice on an income tax 1040 booklet and you'll see where the money goes. Most of it goes to Social Security. So-called welfare programs are minimal.
The mystery shopping companies that pay thru paypal can be trusted. Paypal has a reputable site and some strict guidelines to follow to help secure your account. If you receive payment thru paypal, most of the time you will get paid faster than waiting on a check in the mail. I've had assignments from mystery shopping companies that pay via check and the waiting period to receive your check is longer. Receiving payment thru paypal is similar to direct deposit. As soon as you receive it, the monies have cleared for your use. Also if you set-up a paypal account you can transfer that monies to your checking account or you can have a paypal debit card and use it at any atm machine. Just like banks there will be atm fees associated with it.
Answering Question #2
For any business or job you must report earned income. Posting your SS# with a reputable companies that have a secure site will be ok. Make sure you review the website to see if they have inforce key programs for a secured site. If you are not comfortable with that process, there are companies that will allow you to contact them via telephone and give them your SS#. Also, they will allow you to download a tax id form and allow you to fax that information to them. Lately the mystery shopping companies are requesting a scan copy of your social security cards to verify your SS#.
FYI...I've been a victim of identity theft twice. I also have taken the necessary steps to protect my identity. No matter what, there are skillful people out here who will continue to hack the most secure systems available and get your identity. It benefits you to check your credit background, bank accounts, etc...if you want to be secure. I had a security breach at Chase Bank and they adverstise strongly that they have a secure program in place to prevent these type of fraudulent activities. I am very proactive with checking my credit report, banking activities, and credit background. Because I am very proactive, I found the security breach before Chase did. The more automated we become, the less security we will have....
That is unfortunate, however, that is the reality of the evolving world we live in. If someone is a genius to create a secure site, then there is someone who is a genius to hack the secure site........
Our clinic ran out of seasonal flu vaccine, and suggested we go to one of the retail clinics for it. They're a good idea for vaccinations, or for when you're self-diagnosing something you've experienced before (like strep or a UTI) and just need confirmation so you can get a prescription.
I'm really basic with my tools. I just graduated, so until very recently, I haven't had much to budget (and it's only a little more now), but I still use the same methods: a combination of a good ol' fashioned legal pad and digital-desktop-sticky notes to keep track of when things are due/paid, etc (a different color for each type of thing!). It works for me, especially since I only budget month-to-month.
I found trying to sell books on Amazon, Ebay, Half, etc. was way too time consuming for me and much more than just a "weekend job". Luckily, I found some other sites that bought the books I found. I didn't get quite as much as I would selling them myself, but they gave me a prepaid label so after I entered the ISBNs on the site, I packaged up the books, dropped them in the mail and got my check within 3 weeks. The site I liked the best is www.bookjingle.com
After graduating from college, I started keeping a tally of all of my expenses using microsoft excel. However now that I've switched to a new computer and don't have Office, I'm working on finding a new system.
I had an excel file that I used for years (totally second the comment above about using pivot tables), but once I got MS Money, I found it did a pretty job of tracking transactions and was slightly less labor-intensive.
My husband previous base salary plus benefits and commissions sales position has just been cut to pay him only the commissions. Now we are on our own to cover medical insurance.
Thanks for this information. I am going to look into whether we can get our $1000+ medical insurance bill cut by joining.
I use excel too. (A lot of the free services aren't available here in Canada, alas.) I use a spreadsheet to track my spending, budget and savings/debt repayment goals. Simple and easy to use.
You want to keep your sugars between 90 and 120. And if you wake up with high blood sugars, it means that you either need to cut down on the carbs you eat at night, or ask your doctor about long-acting medication.
Blood sugar in the 300s is bad. Very bad. Causing-damage-to-your-organs bad.
I very seriously doubt that you have blood sugar in the 40s for an entire afternoon. Blood sugar at 40 or below is considered insulin shock, and you won't last very long.
I keep track in a google docs spreadsheet which I update weekly, I use good old paper and pencil to write in expenses and google calendar to list bill due dates which are set up to send me email reminders.
My favorite online finance tools are Mint and Google Calendar.
Mint-- I know there's the whole security issue, but I just love the way it captures all my investments and expenditures in 1 place. It really is such a pleasure to NOT have to load everything into 1 program and fiddle with it. Also, it's great for analyzing your expenses and tracking your budget.
Google Calendar-- I have a separate calendar set up for all the bills that have to be paid, and email reminders for all of the bills. That takes a bit of time, but then you're golden-- no more unpaid bills! This is especially useful for bills that aren't on autopay.
Excel. I tried Mint but it didn't make sense for me: I log into my individual accounts so much that there was no added value to having them all in one place.
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people it is a real perm card that they send you yes but look at it this way even if i have your card i cant activated it i would have to know you dob and ssn with out that i would have to fax in proof that i am you to there company and the info that i would send to them is social, drivers license or state issued ID, and a utility bill with name and address. i know this because i work there and take these kinds of calls all the time it happens yes you might get a card with someone elses name or they might get yours but nothing that you can do because they run id checks on you no credit checks on id checks. ALL OF YOU PARENTS WITH YOUR KIDS UNDER 18 GETTING A CARD THEY WENT ONLINE FILLED OUT A SURVEY OR WENT TO THE SITE AND ORDERED ONE SO DONT BLAME US THAT OUR DAMN LITTLE ANGELS GOT A CARD THEY DID SOMETHING TO GET IT AND YOU NEED TO WATCH WHAT THEY HELL THEY ARE DOING ON THE DAMN INTERNET AND IF YOU CALL IN AND GET ME I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING IM TIRED OF HEARING IT THEY DONT DO THAT THEY ARE GOOD BULL THEY SCREW AROUND ON THE NET AND GET INTO TROUBLE SO GET OVER THE CARD DONT WANT IT SHRED IT CALL US AND WE WILL TAKE YOU OFF THE MARKETING LIST. I WORK THERE AND DAMN PROUD ABOUT IT.
I keep my finances simple a few ways:
* notepad - I create simple views of budgets and spend.
* monthly burn - to keep it simple, I figure out my ballpark monthly spend so I know the ranges of goodness (and so I can do quick adjustments or calculations.)
* pay myself first - I treat myself as my most important bill and auto-pay myself each check.
The notepad technique surprises people, but I've managed million dollar budgets very effectively. It's all about the views and info organization.
I think it's not a good way to get stimulus.
1. Most of the stimulus is coming not from the government, but from the borrower. Think about it - the government gives you a little money, but, with that cash, you're borrowing a lot more money.
2. By easing the credit requirement, you cause demand to increase, and prices to rise. The nominal increase is around what the tax credit will help you borrow, which is around an extra 200k.
This tax credit is great for the government. They pay you 8k. You borrow an extra 100k or more. You pay taxes, which amount to around 10k. The government is ahead around 2k.
You keep paying taxes on that overvalued property... amounting to thousands more dollars.
Then, they claim that 8k is debt and must be paid back from taxes, later. The investors get paid!
This is just neo-liberal pseudo-Keynsian pseudo-deficit spending. It's a smoke and mirrors trick to get people to accept more debt, to stimulate the economy.
I think direct spending on reparing infrastructure is more useful. We have roads to fix. It's less dramatic, but, it needs to be done, and labor is cheap today.
What would help the lower-income worker is slightly higher interest rates combined with a large infrastructure spend. It would cause the price of houses to drop, due to a reduction of demand (and speculators avoiding the market). At the same time, the price of labor would rise.
If you guys that are complaining about the Netspend cards that are being sent to you, you do need to get off your lazy asses and acutally do some research. Netspend does not send REAL cards in those letters. Those are temp. cards. IF you activate the card, and YES they do check to see if you are who you say you are, THEN they will send you your actual card. My wife and I have had a Netspend card for a little over two years now, and yes i agree some of the fees are a little out there, but for those of us that do not have much money and are living paycheck to paycheck cannot afford the fees that a regular bank wants to charge for overdraft protection, annual fees, buying checks, paying upwards of $10.00 for a replacement debit card, not to mention all of the other random fees that a bank wants to charge, don't really have a choice. I speak from experience. We had an account at Wachovia. They are a good bank, but as we almost always have, we live paycheck to paycheck. We would sometimes overdraw by somewhere between $1.00 to around $20.00. The fees that they charged us were completely uncalled for. We closed the account after they told me that because i had overdrawn by $22.00 that i had to pay them an additional $50.00. Since we started using Netspend, I have yet to had to pay an overdraft fee. And again, some of their fees are a little high, but when you are on the poor side of the street, you really dont have many choices. So, I would suggest that BEFORE you start trying to files complaints about unsolicited cards being sent to you, get off of your ass and actually do a little research.www.netspend.com
The best deals seem to be for NYC members. Still, it's a good organization to join, because joining costs nothing. (I've joined.)
The most important thing they do, in my estimation, is political lobbying. That is something you can't really do alone. (I mean, you can, but, that really gives the politician the upper hand in deciding what's really right for you. You need organized voters to make them pay attention.)
Hi there - I just read your post about Netspend. I have to say - I've been dealing with Netspend for over 3 years - and other than the fact that they do charge fees - and they are a PREPAID Card, they have been WONDERFUL!
I asked for them - so it was NOT a card that was sent to me out of the blue.
They have been monumental in the fight for freedom against Congress telling people how to spend their own money - if you would like more info - please contact me on that.
I'm sorry if you felt your experience with them was negative - however, I have only had positive experiences with Netspend.
Good luck with ya!
WW
What a great article!
I worked in newspaper classified advertising for years, a world in which my customers paid for their space. I know how to space and format attractively.
The average resume is chock full and does not have enough "white space." Employers are busy and are more likely to read clean, well-spaced resumes.
You don't need fancy stationery and graphics. It's a business communication, not an art contest. Use all caps for headings, but never put a paragraph in all caps.
I have a rule for resumes and any business communication to never us a character not available on a regular typewriter. Make it the kind of document a business person is used to ready. I will list features like this with asteriks or dashes.
QUALIFICATIONS:
*Internet savvy
*Customer service specialist
*Sales background
QUALIFICATIONS:
-Internet savvy
-Customer service specialist
-Sales background
GEE, I hope it all shows up properly formatted here.
Unemployment regulations are generally the same throughout the US: you have to be looking for work (maybe as minimal as ONE RESUME per week--not much of a search), accept certain work at a lesser pay if offered, and usually can't go to school unless the Workforce Commission pays it. It may be possible in some states to go to college if you sign a waiver that says you will quit school if you get work. You can read your state's policy on the net.
Usually, your state employment or workforce commission won't do squat to help you get a job, so most of the regulations are a joke.
I have a college degree. I could not get public money for school, join the military and get their perks, or get any other initial breaks. But I paid for everyone else's breaks.
It's always been difficult for me to find a job, but I worked for many years. I'm on SS disability. But the two times I got unemployment compensation, I felt entitled to it.
My UIB benefits were a tiny drop in the bucket compared to what the NASA staff who just squandered my tax dollars on bombing the moon get in perks.
It is true that Europe has a better safety net than the US.
Someone complained that food stamps would only give a family of 5 who received $275 weekly unemployment partial food benefits.
I worked in food stamps many years. You are supposed to spend part of your UIB money, paycheck, Social Security, or whatever for food! Full food stamp benefits go to people who have ZERO countable income.
Some government money is "worth" more than other government money. Unemployment compensation helps you out better than food stamp assistance in terms of the dollars you get.
There was a time when I used cash advances againt a credit card to cover COBRA expenses, around 1989-1990, when my premium was only $147.74 month. Eventually, I could not pay the credit card balance, so I'm a credit deadbeat too.
If you lose your job, you don't have to pay for costly COBRA. The emergency rooms can't turn you away. Try and find public or charity clinics for ongoing medical needs. You can get costly meds thru drug company programs. Maybe you can pay a doctor $150 month in lieu of COBRA and get some $4 drugs. I have a wealthy cousin who doesn't have insurance and she pays her doctor herself; he works with her to prescribe drugs she can afford.
For those of you in California, I do understand that the undocumented aliens overload the public health care system and that it's hard for the taxpayer to get anything. Keep trying.
For some reason, any kind of social service spending in US gets blasted, yet it's just a tiny drop in the bucket. Look at the pie slice on an income tax 1040 booklet and you'll see where the money goes. Most of it goes to Social Security. So-called welfare programs are minimal.
I use Quicken to manage my finances daily.
and also use Yodlee for online tracking and account related alerts.
Answering Question #1:
The mystery shopping companies that pay thru paypal can be trusted. Paypal has a reputable site and some strict guidelines to follow to help secure your account. If you receive payment thru paypal, most of the time you will get paid faster than waiting on a check in the mail. I've had assignments from mystery shopping companies that pay via check and the waiting period to receive your check is longer. Receiving payment thru paypal is similar to direct deposit. As soon as you receive it, the monies have cleared for your use. Also if you set-up a paypal account you can transfer that monies to your checking account or you can have a paypal debit card and use it at any atm machine. Just like banks there will be atm fees associated with it.
Answering Question #2
For any business or job you must report earned income. Posting your SS# with a reputable companies that have a secure site will be ok. Make sure you review the website to see if they have inforce key programs for a secured site. If you are not comfortable with that process, there are companies that will allow you to contact them via telephone and give them your SS#. Also, they will allow you to download a tax id form and allow you to fax that information to them. Lately the mystery shopping companies are requesting a scan copy of your social security cards to verify your SS#.
FYI...I've been a victim of identity theft twice. I also have taken the necessary steps to protect my identity. No matter what, there are skillful people out here who will continue to hack the most secure systems available and get your identity. It benefits you to check your credit background, bank accounts, etc...if you want to be secure. I had a security breach at Chase Bank and they adverstise strongly that they have a secure program in place to prevent these type of fraudulent activities. I am very proactive with checking my credit report, banking activities, and credit background. Because I am very proactive, I found the security breach before Chase did. The more automated we become, the less security we will have....
That is unfortunate, however, that is the reality of the evolving world we live in. If someone is a genius to create a secure site, then there is someone who is a genius to hack the secure site........
I hope this helps
Our clinic ran out of seasonal flu vaccine, and suggested we go to one of the retail clinics for it. They're a good idea for vaccinations, or for when you're self-diagnosing something you've experienced before (like strep or a UTI) and just need confirmation so you can get a prescription.
I'm really basic with my tools. I just graduated, so until very recently, I haven't had much to budget (and it's only a little more now), but I still use the same methods: a combination of a good ol' fashioned legal pad and digital-desktop-sticky notes to keep track of when things are due/paid, etc (a different color for each type of thing!). It works for me, especially since I only budget month-to-month.
I found trying to sell books on Amazon, Ebay, Half, etc. was way too time consuming for me and much more than just a "weekend job". Luckily, I found some other sites that bought the books I found. I didn't get quite as much as I would selling them myself, but they gave me a prepaid label so after I entered the ISBNs on the site, I packaged up the books, dropped them in the mail and got my check within 3 weeks. The site I liked the best is www.bookjingle.com
After graduating from college, I started keeping a tally of all of my expenses using microsoft excel. However now that I've switched to a new computer and don't have Office, I'm working on finding a new system.
I had an excel file that I used for years (totally second the comment above about using pivot tables), but once I got MS Money, I found it did a pretty job of tracking transactions and was slightly less labor-intensive.
We just use pencil, and paper, and try to be as frugal as possible.....
I use Google Docs Spreadsheet since it is accessible at home, work, or on the road (via notebook). It works well for most of my needs.
My local bank also has a financial tracker on their website. Simply called FNB Financial Tracker, it looks and works much like Excel.
Both are free applications and freely available to me whenever and wherever I need them.
We use Excel spreadsheets to keep things in order
We use Money and several Excel spreadsheets at home and at work I use Quickbooks and lots of Excel spreadsheets.
My husband previous base salary plus benefits and commissions sales position has just been cut to pay him only the commissions. Now we are on our own to cover medical insurance.
Thanks for this information. I am going to look into whether we can get our $1000+ medical insurance bill cut by joining.
I use excel too. (A lot of the free services aren't available here in Canada, alas.) I use a spreadsheet to track my spending, budget and savings/debt repayment goals. Simple and easy to use.
You want to keep your sugars between 90 and 120. And if you wake up with high blood sugars, it means that you either need to cut down on the carbs you eat at night, or ask your doctor about long-acting medication.
Blood sugar in the 300s is bad. Very bad. Causing-damage-to-your-organs bad.
I very seriously doubt that you have blood sugar in the 40s for an entire afternoon. Blood sugar at 40 or below is considered insulin shock, and you won't last very long.
Talk to your doctor. Seriously. ASAP.
I keep track in a google docs spreadsheet which I update weekly, I use good old paper and pencil to write in expenses and google calendar to list bill due dates which are set up to send me email reminders.
My favorite online finance tools are Mint and Google Calendar.
Mint-- I know there's the whole security issue, but I just love the way it captures all my investments and expenditures in 1 place. It really is such a pleasure to NOT have to load everything into 1 program and fiddle with it. Also, it's great for analyzing your expenses and tracking your budget.
Google Calendar-- I have a separate calendar set up for all the bills that have to be paid, and email reminders for all of the bills. That takes a bit of time, but then you're golden-- no more unpaid bills! This is especially useful for bills that aren't on autopay.