Feeling Paranoid Yet?
Filed under: Credit, FICO, Rant, Spending, Statistics, Uncategorized
When I read this article on MSN, I felt sick, then angry and then decided to share it with everyone.
The idea that we are so analyzed that everything we buy can be used in such a manner is upsetting.
Have you ever went to the store to pick up a few things and got to the checkout and realized that it’s a strange combination? For example, electrical tape to fix that wire, hand lotion because your hands are cracked, those little potting tools, a feather duster and cat food? Well instead of just freaking out the cashier with this very unusual combination, it has the potential to affect your credit score if you forgot to bring cash. Did the shopping visual make you laugh or just disturb you?
This may sound like a paranoid rant but considering that most of the criteria these companies use are secret, we can’t be sure. I’d like to think I’m overreacting, but read the full article and judge for yourself. Personally I feel like Bob Seger was right in Feel Like A Number.
Christmas?!?!?!?! Already?!?!?!
Filed under: Charity, Christmas, Holiday, Rant, Saving, Spending, Uncategorized
This is August right? Isn’t it too early for Christmas?
Maybe I’m just getting really old but I can remember when Christmas didn’t get advertised until after Thanksgiving. Then it was the Monday after Thanksgiving. Then it was around Halloween. I just looked at the TV guide and The Count down to Christmas is on QVC. What’s next? 4th of July, May 1st?
It’s not that I have a lot against ( actually I hate it) a holiday that forces us to buy useless crap that means little to give to people so we feel better about ourselves. I mean REALLY. Is it just so we don’t look like cheap skates? I think it’s 90% to look good. The only people who should get presents on Christmas is children, and that’s only because they believe in the magic of Santa and haven’t been brainwashed by corporate media.
Do me a favor and give to charity, give to the homeless person on the corner, donate to save the planet, anything but going into debt just to buy a bunch of cheap useless crap. If you really have to buy a present, buy something that means something, and that the recipient actually needs. If they really really want a novelty singing fish, they can buy it themselves.
Wouldn’t it be better to give to friends, family and loved ones all year instead of making them wait 364 days to get loads of stuff? I can bet your gift and mine would really stand out if it showed up on August 25th.
Think of the fun of dropping hints all year and actually being able to find that perfect gift for your family and friends. Better yet, think of the insanity of a Ground Hogs day present…think of the wrapping paper.
Even better, Think of having Good will toward men 365 days a year.
Viva La Revolution!!! Chri$tma$ Anarchy!!! Who’s with me?
Office Ultimate 2007
I just ran across this and thought I’d pass it on. Microsoft is giving a discount to students. 59.95 for Office Ultimate.
http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/default.aspx
The page also says that Vista Ultimate will be available for 64.95 on Sept 8th
There is one thing to keep in mind with the agreement. I have no idea how often they will check.
Individual must be a student at a U.S. educational institution and must be actively enrolled in at least 0.5 course credit and be able to provide proof of enrollment upon request. Microsoft or an appointed vendor may contact you to verify that you are a current student. If documentation is not provided indicating that you are a current student, you will be liable to reimburse Microsoft for the difference between what you paid and the estimated retail price of the software.
Credit limits being lowered and hurting credit scores
It’s amazing how I can get an e-mail from a friend and it leads to a blog post.
I ran across this story on CNN about credit limits hurting credit scores.
If there’s anyone who knows the importance of guarding your credit score, it’s me. But for an outside agency to be able to drop your score through no action of your own, seems unfair. So much for Fair Issac being fair.
This also shows that we need to keep our balance low and our limit high.
Financial Education
Filed under: Education, Investing, Rant, Robert Kiyosaki, Statistics
While reading my ever growing list of blogs today I ran across this post with the statistics about what students know. It’s pretty sad and disturbing.
The State of Financial Education in the U.S.
Here’s another minor rant.
When the government made the change that allowed companies to switch from Pension plans to 401k etc plans and the schools didn’t start teaching finance to school kids they did a severe disservice to Americans. What they did was make millions of people enter the stock market without teaching them anything about it. The equivalent of forcing people to drive without teaching how to drive or driver testing. The results are the same, CRASH!!! Only difference is that one crash is early and the other later in life.
I think it was Rich Dad’s Prophecy that talked about how our lack of financial education is going to cause severe problems when the baby boomers are forced to start withdrawing money from their retirement plan.
I find it insane that they will be forced to withdraw regardless of how the market is or even if they want to sell off their holdings. I’m hoping that someone figures it out and changes the rule but I’m not holding my breath.
I’m not saying that we should stop contributing to our 401k etc plans since it’s pretax and has employer matching. However learn how it works. Stop believing everything the experts say and learn for yourself. Education never ends.
The 4 jars Method Of Saving Money
Filed under: 4 jars, Cashflow Quadrant, Charity, Doo Dads, Getting Started, Investing, Rich Dad Poor dad, Robert Kiyosaki, Saving, Spending
Here’s an interesting way to save money that I adapted from Rich Dad Poor Dad or maybe it was Cashflow Quadrant or one of the other Robert Kiyosaki books. He said to take 3 jars and label them as the following:
Saving
Charity
Investing
I added Doo Dads and if you’ve read the Rich Dad Poor Dad books you know that Doo Dads are the little toys that usually drain our paychecks.
So what you do is take 4 piggy banks or jars or whatever and put in a dollar to each jar everyday and then deposit the investing jar into an investment account, donate the charity jar, deposit the saving jar into your saving account and buy a toy with the doo dad jar.
If you can’t swing a dollar for each to start, then do a quarter or if you can do more, then do that. The important thing is to put something in daily and to use it for what the jar is for. When you’re first starting out, you may be tempted to take money out of the jars, treat it as a loan and pay yourself back asap.
You’ll be surprised how little you notice the money gone and how fast it adds up.
Extra Money
Here comes a minor rant.
I’m sure you know people who complain about not having enough money and being broke all the time. How many of those people are doing ANYTHING to change it? Complaining does nothing, NOTHING to solve the problem. It may feel good to vent but after you’re finished venting, you need to get off your butt and do something.
I believe there is money all around us. It’s there for the people with open eyes and a desire. I know it is in America and I have a feeling it’s in almost every country in the world. Heck (I’m trying to watch my language), you can find money on the ground walking to your car.
When you say you can’t afford something, you give your mind permission to shut down. Ask yourself how you can afford it and your mind will usually answer you.
Need more money? Here’s a few ways to increase your income.
Sell some of the crap you don’t need on Ebay or Craig’s list. Why keep something you’ll never need? Especially something that will decline in value such as electronics or clothes. The life span of electronics is short and fashion is always changing.
Get a part time job.
Start a home based business. There are reputable companies that take little money or none to start. Just a lot of hard work.
If you have skills, post an ad on Craig’s List or grocery store bulletin boards and offer to teach other people or write a book.
Even better, use the extra to invest or pay down high interest debt or prepare yourself for the next opportunity. There will be a lot of millionaires created by the housing crash. Have you ever heard the term to buy when there’s blood in the street? Some experts are saying it’s almost over. I forecast prices to start going up within the next few months.
The possibilities are endless. All it takes is an open mind.
The important thing to do is have multiple streams of income or a backup plan.
Getting Started
Filed under: Discounts, Getting Started, Saving, Software, Spending
I hope you have a sense of humor because I can go off on a rant from time to time.
In todays times, more and more people are struggling. Some are victims of unscrupulous loan agents and some are victims of their own lack of financial education.
If you are living paycheck to paycheck, you have 4 choices.
Cut back on spending
Increase income
Both
Or the worst, neither
We all have things we can live without so that is a definite choice.
Personally, I chose to increase my income and cut my spending. But if you want to get your finances under control, the first thing you need to know is where the money is coming from and where it’s going. I use Microsoft Money Home and Business which you can try for 60 days for free. If you like it, you should look into Amazon and check prices. I chose Money simply because of the free trial and it was pretty easy to learn. I also love the cash flow forecast since you can play with different scenarios and see what happens if you chose to spend or earn more money.
You may chose a different program such as Quicken, one of the new web based programs or some other way.
Regardless of how you track your money, you must if you want to get ahead.
NAKED RETIREMENT
Naked Retirement strips down the old traditional models of retirement planning and replaces the it with a more creative and intuitive one that helps people take control of their retirement planning, saving, and investing.
The book details the evolution of retirement and uses it to help baby boomers and retirees understand why they are behind in saving and what they can do about it.
"Retirement planning can no longer be one-dimensional, focused exclusively on merely providing information such as how pensions or a 401(k)’s work. It needs to extend beyond financial planning to include aspects of health and social issues that will impact future retirees," according to author, Robert Laura.
Billed as the ultimate defense against the scary, anxious, and stressful feelings people get on their first day of retirement when they have only a financial plan full of numbers and charts to guide them, Laura simplifies the mental and emotional aspects of retirement planning with thought-provoking questions about your definition and approach to retirement as well as important retirement conversations that foster strong relationships in retirement.
The book culminates into a one-page Naked Retirement plan that will help people as well as planners successfully estimate retirement preparedness and future success.
Book is available at NakedRetirement.com and is emailed in pdf format directly to participants.