Yes, I think people think my husband makes a lot more than he actually does because we live in a nice neighborhood. However, they don't see all my student loan debt and the frustration that I'm unemployed and currently unable to make payments toward the debt as a result.
Absolutely. In the long term we will all die. Making a fortune and not enjoying your life is the biggest risk I can think for.
Live within your means, create a passive income stream(some business which does not need your attention all the time)and invest aggressively. And then live the stupid corporate jungle and do what you love to do( it even may be some work which can bring some money to the table, provided you love it).
Also make sure you enjoy your life and have fun even when you are working. Because you never know if you will live tomorrow.
SVB, after this massive run-up, I believe you will get your chance to follow your gut soon enough. Possibly not at 6 - 7000, but certainly below 10,000!
"What were things* like when you started your new job and how did they improve while you were there?" This is a very important question, and I think when starting a new job it is important to recognize what can be improved
I find your article extremely offensive for I am poor. I do NOT have a low intelligience, in fact, I was an A student in school. I know the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. I don't have a car, most poor people don't, so I, like most poor people, are forced to walk around lugging bags of groceries on my back all the way home. You don't get fat from walking miles with heavy bags on your back.
You article insults me because you say how "dumb" and "obese" poor people are. I can only afford foods such as "top ramen". I am not obese, I end up starving at the end of the month and barely scrapping by on instant soup. How about you try surviving on that or less? Your so ignorant it's sick.
So, in your opinion, the little babies in Africa who are starving, are they obese? The poor comunity is not all obese. I've seen the people around my town who are obese, and it's not the poor, it's the middle-class. Those are the ones who can actually aford to buy loads of junk food.
Geez, do your research before you start running your mouth. Also, grow a damn heart.
How much is your cost for the family plan? Contract length? Do these discounts apply to non-family membership plans?
■Autobuying Programs – Around $1500-$5000 saving on a new car
Any auto maker? Just new or does it include used?
■15% off my T-Mobile bill – Around $15/month saving
How much is your bill? Is it only good for T-mobile? Any of thier plans?
■$100 gift cards for $85 at Sports Authority
How pricey is that store? Is a 17 2/3% discount worth whatever their markup is? do you shop there normally?
■10% off all Drugstore.com purchases
Do you shop here? Are the prices good?
■20% off at Footlocker, Champ Sports and many other sports stores
All goods? All sales? Any exemptions?
■Over $500 off a Dish Network package
Any package? Is this a one time deal or a yearly discount?
■Half-price tanning at various salons in the area
Can you use this along with the 365 day 1/2 price sales that tanning salons normally run?
■10% off at UPS
Ok, useful.
■Up to 25% off at many restaurants, some as high as 50% off.
Various quality. I suppose if you eat at these places.
■Up to 50% off Budget car rentals
In addition to the many other discounts they off?
■$50 off rooms at the Marriott
Expensive place to stay anyway. Any restrictions of time, dates, or places?
■Preferred pricing at many golf clubs
ha.
■Up to $400 off per eye on Lasik
Yeah, every radio ad offers better deals than this. Can one use it in addition to other discounts?
■Bank deals, including reduced closing costs
This is probably worthless but details needed.
■Up to 12% off Dell computers
Rather worthless but maybe ok if one can use this with other discounts.
All in all, the extras sound mostly worthless to me. not enough to sign up by itself but I suppose it is alright if you were going to sign up for other reasons.
With luck these 'deals' did not cause you to go out and spend unplanned money on golf clubs, tanning sessions, and fancy meals!
I just returned from a ten day trip to the South Island in New Zealand. It's the low season there now and tourist numbers are pretty low. So if you're willing to ask at each venue you can get a pretty large saving, much better than any 'internet' deals. My Dad (who never afraid of asking) I'm sure saved us all (group of 4) more than nzd1000 over ten days.
Many of the smaller local operators can also offer you a better deal. With less people, they're also willing to spend more time with you giving you a better experience. ^_^ Not to mention we were helping out a lot of great local guys in their slow season.
Also remember there are some experiences that unfortunately you just have to pay for (and will be worth every dollar). I fully recommend taking a helicopter trip up Fox Glacier with Fox Glacier Heli-flights (I think). Their cheaper flights in Hughes 500 choppers is amazing and unforgettable!
for all the people who like to diss spam: consider what goes into hot dogs. the very thought of hot dogs is unsettling. i'd go for spam any day over a hot dog. and for the one who mentioned tuna, look into its mercury content and what mercury does to your brain. fish as brain food? only if you like holes in your head. spam spam eggs and spam...
Great job on the content Jeff. I agree that this is bookmark material for anyone working with or looking for a financial advisor.
However, I find it humorous that "Pegpaw" was so concerned about the editing done and the missing (grammar) article - "THE" from the title that they obviously couldn't check their own post for errors. The end of the last sentence "it goes to quality of contentn." - Content has two "N's", not three.
Paul, that's a no brainer now for $110/month for the family. All these promotional offerings are attractive. The club should throw in some more health related stuff too like it has with Footlocker.
Maybe like discount national park passes, more sports stores etc.
Keigu,
Financial Samurai
"Slicing Through Money's Mysteries"
I am 27 and have 2 kids, a laid off husband, and we're both in grad school (husband's recession strategy). We saved 150K during the time my husband worked at a 145K salary for 2 years, while paying for VERY EXPENSIVE child care while I was still a student, also. We sold our car after lay-off, no cell phones, no cable, no toilet paper (apparently this shocks people), no paper products, nothing bought that we will use once and throw away, no entertainment, rented out our condo and moved into a studio. we receive WIC, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and eat at all university free-food events when possible. I think people know we're poor, but they'd be shocked to know how little we live on--and the relatively low amount of federal student loans we've taken out to cover childcare. Since we sold the car, our spending has decreased by over 300% and we've lost weight. Obviously we live in an urban area....very high rents, but in university housing, which covers utilities and maintenence.
Great advice--and another side effect of coming up with your vision is that you start to notice opportunities you might have missed before. (I strongly suggest writing it down because it seems to reinforce it in your mind somehow.)
Earlier in life, I left a job without having something else lined up. I made a list of what I wanted: type of work, salary, how many hours/week, physically where it should be, etc. A few days later, I saw an ad for that exact job. I ended up getting it partly because there was a mistake in the ad (wrong phone number) and I was the only person persistent enough to track down where to find the job contact. Without knowing this was my dream job, I might not have pursued it so passionately. It was a great experience. I stayed until that position was moved to another location after 3.5 years (which I knew it would from the start).
We do the DIY photos on a computer, burn them onto a disc and take them to a drugstore and print them out, and cut them afterwards.
Once we took our disc to Rite-Aid to print out 2 pics, which total a 4X6 print in size, which amounts to $.29. The Luddite behind the counter called the manager on me and accused me of somehow breaking into Rite-Aid's passport photo system and using it. I tried to explain to her that we did it at home, copied our photos to a disc and brought the disc from home to print out on their self-serve machine. Neither she nor the manager got it, and I had to go to corporate level to get my $.29 photo. So be careful who's behind the counter.
We got into and out of Japan just fine with these.
I have a home loan that is 9.9%interest balance is $37625.00 my payment is 385.00 per month I want to pay $200. a month extra will this help to pay this loan off. The current loan is a 20yr. loan thanks Mary
Micah! Good to see you on Wisebread. I know buying an iPhone isn't a way to save money, but for those people out there that want to buy one or already have one, my article was trying to point out different ways they could save some money with their new purchase.
@ comment 122:
smart, frugal, go-getters will always have a decent partner that will help them. When a man knows you don't need him to survive, they feel less of a man. However, the smart ones know that it's always smarter to marry someone smarter than you. Beauty fades but intelligence increases, and when we are too old to care for looks, it's our conversations that carry us through.
@ comment 126:
sounds to me like you need new friends. Only three of my friends know I will never have to work to pay bills even though they do. I'm retired, they still have ages to go. We all still go out and have fun with each others company. Even though they are in debt, they would never make comments about me being "rich". They know I earned it on my own, it's not like someone gave it to me, they are even proud of me.
Also, it doesn't matter how little or a lot you make, if you don't know how to handle your finances, you will still be poor. I had friends that have been making 300-500k a year only to be burried in debt while others below the poverty level have even managed to fund their IRAs. It's all about how you handle YOUR MONEY an how you choose to allocate it.
" Copied or digitally scanned photos of photos will not be accepted. In addition, photos must not be retouched to alter the customer''s appearance in any way."
DIY passport photos are along the lines of what I discussed in Part One of this series. If you have the patience and relevant software to do it on your computer, go ahead! It seems that some of these services above (the free ones anyway) do pretty much the same thing, without you having to whip out a ruler or double check the requirements yourself.
I can use all the help I can get on how to save and stretch my money. Informative and to the point. I have listened to four topics. I learned about a couple new blogs, sites and had no idea about Target's clearance schedule. Can't wait to learn more. Just enough time that I can listen to the podcast on my lunch. When I found this on ITunes, there were hardly any other podcasts about coupons or saving money. I'll keep listening. Keep them coming. Thanks.
This is an ok list, author, but you could save even more money if you just used a little forethought and had money when you went out, if used Amazon instead of bookstores (which are always more expensive -- don't know why you'd need your iPhone to "check" prices), and so on. The iPhone might be a decent ebook reader, but doesn't really do anything a cheap used Palm Pilot from 2001 can't do.
I took my husband's picture against a white wall, popped out the memory card and made a print in my printer. Then I measured the size of his head and adjusted the percentage to the guidelines on the passport application. Popped it back into the printer/scanner/copier, made two copies and trimmed them to the specs. Took about 15 minutes total.
Yes, I think people think my husband makes a lot more than he actually does because we live in a nice neighborhood. However, they don't see all my student loan debt and the frustration that I'm unemployed and currently unable to make payments toward the debt as a result.
Absolutely. In the long term we will all die. Making a fortune and not enjoying your life is the biggest risk I can think for.
Live within your means, create a passive income stream(some business which does not need your attention all the time)and invest aggressively. And then live the stupid corporate jungle and do what you love to do( it even may be some work which can bring some money to the table, provided you love it).
Also make sure you enjoy your life and have fun even when you are working. Because you never know if you will live tomorrow.
SVB, after this massive run-up, I believe you will get your chance to follow your gut soon enough. Possibly not at 6 - 7000, but certainly below 10,000!
RS
"What were things* like when you started your new job and how did they improve while you were there?" This is a very important question, and I think when starting a new job it is important to recognize what can be improved
I find your article extremely offensive for I am poor. I do NOT have a low intelligience, in fact, I was an A student in school. I know the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. I don't have a car, most poor people don't, so I, like most poor people, are forced to walk around lugging bags of groceries on my back all the way home. You don't get fat from walking miles with heavy bags on your back.
You article insults me because you say how "dumb" and "obese" poor people are. I can only afford foods such as "top ramen". I am not obese, I end up starving at the end of the month and barely scrapping by on instant soup. How about you try surviving on that or less? Your so ignorant it's sick.
So, in your opinion, the little babies in Africa who are starving, are they obese? The poor comunity is not all obese. I've seen the people around my town who are obese, and it's not the poor, it's the middle-class. Those are the ones who can actually aford to buy loads of junk food.
Geez, do your research before you start running your mouth. Also, grow a damn heart.
Playing and winning online is much more easier than this! :) More dollars, more fun!
How much is your cost for the family plan? Contract length? Do these discounts apply to non-family membership plans?
■Autobuying Programs – Around $1500-$5000 saving on a new car
Any auto maker? Just new or does it include used?
■15% off my T-Mobile bill – Around $15/month saving
How much is your bill? Is it only good for T-mobile? Any of thier plans?
■$100 gift cards for $85 at Sports Authority
How pricey is that store? Is a 17 2/3% discount worth whatever their markup is? do you shop there normally?
■10% off all Drugstore.com purchases
Do you shop here? Are the prices good?
■20% off at Footlocker, Champ Sports and many other sports stores
All goods? All sales? Any exemptions?
■Over $500 off a Dish Network package
Any package? Is this a one time deal or a yearly discount?
■Half-price tanning at various salons in the area
Can you use this along with the 365 day 1/2 price sales that tanning salons normally run?
■10% off at UPS
Ok, useful.
■Up to 25% off at many restaurants, some as high as 50% off.
Various quality. I suppose if you eat at these places.
■Up to 50% off Budget car rentals
In addition to the many other discounts they off?
■$50 off rooms at the Marriott
Expensive place to stay anyway. Any restrictions of time, dates, or places?
■Preferred pricing at many golf clubs
ha.
■Up to $400 off per eye on Lasik
Yeah, every radio ad offers better deals than this. Can one use it in addition to other discounts?
■Bank deals, including reduced closing costs
This is probably worthless but details needed.
■Up to 12% off Dell computers
Rather worthless but maybe ok if one can use this with other discounts.
All in all, the extras sound mostly worthless to me. not enough to sign up by itself but I suppose it is alright if you were going to sign up for other reasons.
With luck these 'deals' did not cause you to go out and spend unplanned money on golf clubs, tanning sessions, and fancy meals!
I just returned from a ten day trip to the South Island in New Zealand. It's the low season there now and tourist numbers are pretty low. So if you're willing to ask at each venue you can get a pretty large saving, much better than any 'internet' deals. My Dad (who never afraid of asking) I'm sure saved us all (group of 4) more than nzd1000 over ten days.
Many of the smaller local operators can also offer you a better deal. With less people, they're also willing to spend more time with you giving you a better experience. ^_^ Not to mention we were helping out a lot of great local guys in their slow season.
Also remember there are some experiences that unfortunately you just have to pay for (and will be worth every dollar). I fully recommend taking a helicopter trip up Fox Glacier with Fox Glacier Heli-flights (I think). Their cheaper flights in Hughes 500 choppers is amazing and unforgettable!
for all the people who like to diss spam: consider what goes into hot dogs. the very thought of hot dogs is unsettling. i'd go for spam any day over a hot dog. and for the one who mentioned tuna, look into its mercury content and what mercury does to your brain. fish as brain food? only if you like holes in your head. spam spam eggs and spam...
Ok seriously guys...netspend only provides PREPAID cards, why is everyone freaking out?
Great job on the content Jeff. I agree that this is bookmark material for anyone working with or looking for a financial advisor.
However, I find it humorous that "Pegpaw" was so concerned about the editing done and the missing (grammar) article - "THE" from the title that they obviously couldn't check their own post for errors. The end of the last sentence "it goes to quality of contentn." - Content has two "N's", not three.
Paul, that's a no brainer now for $110/month for the family. All these promotional offerings are attractive. The club should throw in some more health related stuff too like it has with Footlocker.
Maybe like discount national park passes, more sports stores etc.
Keigu,
Financial Samurai
"Slicing Through Money's Mysteries"
Mobile coupons are a *great* way to save money with your iPhone. I use Yowza!! It has coupons from stores nationwide. http://getyowza.com
I am 27 and have 2 kids, a laid off husband, and we're both in grad school (husband's recession strategy). We saved 150K during the time my husband worked at a 145K salary for 2 years, while paying for VERY EXPENSIVE child care while I was still a student, also. We sold our car after lay-off, no cell phones, no cable, no toilet paper (apparently this shocks people), no paper products, nothing bought that we will use once and throw away, no entertainment, rented out our condo and moved into a studio. we receive WIC, Medicaid, Food Stamps, and eat at all university free-food events when possible. I think people know we're poor, but they'd be shocked to know how little we live on--and the relatively low amount of federal student loans we've taken out to cover childcare. Since we sold the car, our spending has decreased by over 300% and we've lost weight. Obviously we live in an urban area....very high rents, but in university housing, which covers utilities and maintenence.
Great advice--and another side effect of coming up with your vision is that you start to notice opportunities you might have missed before. (I strongly suggest writing it down because it seems to reinforce it in your mind somehow.)
Earlier in life, I left a job without having something else lined up. I made a list of what I wanted: type of work, salary, how many hours/week, physically where it should be, etc. A few days later, I saw an ad for that exact job. I ended up getting it partly because there was a mistake in the ad (wrong phone number) and I was the only person persistent enough to track down where to find the job contact. Without knowing this was my dream job, I might not have pursued it so passionately. It was a great experience. I stayed until that position was moved to another location after 3.5 years (which I knew it would from the start).
We do the DIY photos on a computer, burn them onto a disc and take them to a drugstore and print them out, and cut them afterwards.
Once we took our disc to Rite-Aid to print out 2 pics, which total a 4X6 print in size, which amounts to $.29. The Luddite behind the counter called the manager on me and accused me of somehow breaking into Rite-Aid's passport photo system and using it. I tried to explain to her that we did it at home, copied our photos to a disc and brought the disc from home to print out on their self-serve machine. Neither she nor the manager got it, and I had to go to corporate level to get my $.29 photo. So be careful who's behind the counter.
We got into and out of Japan just fine with these.
I have a home loan that is 9.9%interest balance is $37625.00 my payment is 385.00 per month I want to pay $200. a month extra will this help to pay this loan off. The current loan is a 20yr. loan thanks Mary
Micah! Good to see you on Wisebread. I know buying an iPhone isn't a way to save money, but for those people out there that want to buy one or already have one, my article was trying to point out different ways they could save some money with their new purchase.
The Writer's Coin | Follow me on Twitter
@ comment 122:
smart, frugal, go-getters will always have a decent partner that will help them. When a man knows you don't need him to survive, they feel less of a man. However, the smart ones know that it's always smarter to marry someone smarter than you. Beauty fades but intelligence increases, and when we are too old to care for looks, it's our conversations that carry us through.
@ comment 126:
sounds to me like you need new friends. Only three of my friends know I will never have to work to pay bills even though they do. I'm retired, they still have ages to go. We all still go out and have fun with each others company. Even though they are in debt, they would never make comments about me being "rich". They know I earned it on my own, it's not like someone gave it to me, they are even proud of me.
Also, it doesn't matter how little or a lot you make, if you don't know how to handle your finances, you will still be poor. I had friends that have been making 300-500k a year only to be burried in debt while others below the poverty level have even managed to fund their IRAs. It's all about how you handle YOUR MONEY an how you choose to allocate it.
The local post office will take passport photos for a few bucks that meet all federal requirements.
From what I read at http://travel.state.gov/passport/
" Copied or digitally scanned photos of photos will not be accepted. In addition, photos must not be retouched to alter the customer''s appearance in any way."
DIY passport photos are along the lines of what I discussed in Part One of this series. If you have the patience and relevant software to do it on your computer, go ahead! It seems that some of these services above (the free ones anyway) do pretty much the same thing, without you having to whip out a ruler or double check the requirements yourself.
I can use all the help I can get on how to save and stretch my money. Informative and to the point. I have listened to four topics. I learned about a couple new blogs, sites and had no idea about Target's clearance schedule. Can't wait to learn more. Just enough time that I can listen to the podcast on my lunch. When I found this on ITunes, there were hardly any other podcasts about coupons or saving money. I'll keep listening. Keep them coming. Thanks.
Because you can't use Mint.com on your computer!
This is an ok list, author, but you could save even more money if you just used a little forethought and had money when you went out, if used Amazon instead of bookstores (which are always more expensive -- don't know why you'd need your iPhone to "check" prices), and so on. The iPhone might be a decent ebook reader, but doesn't really do anything a cheap used Palm Pilot from 2001 can't do.
I took my husband's picture against a white wall, popped out the memory card and made a print in my printer. Then I measured the size of his head and adjusted the percentage to the guidelines on the passport application. Popped it back into the printer/scanner/copier, made two copies and trimmed them to the specs. Took about 15 minutes total.