I can see my nieces and nephews doing this, which (for me) is even funnier.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Yes We Can (eat you)
I'll have a post up a little later about my Inauguration fun, but I have to say, one of the best things about going to an event like this is the swag. Obama magnets, Obama shot-glasses, Obama lifesize cutouts. Stuff is everywhere. On the way to the event people along the route were selling homemade t-shirts and buttons from their porches. I think it is awesome, I mean, why not? Our NY couchsurfer said she had been seeing t-shirts that said things like "Baby Seals for Obama!". I sadly didn't see them, but at the event there were a couple of girls in French Can-Can dresses with a sign that said "Yes we can-can!"
David and I found the best one though. At the Safeway, no less. Obama cookies. We bought some for all our guests (there were nine of us total), and believe it or not they were much better tasting than they look. I wonder how long they will keep selling them?
David and I found the best one though. At the Safeway, no less. Obama cookies. We bought some for all our guests (there were nine of us total), and believe it or not they were much better tasting than they look. I wonder how long they will keep selling them?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Free book!
Now here is a deal I just stumbled across. If you want to hear some great financial advice from a true expert, Suze Orman is a great place to start. She was on Oprah this week (or so I hear, I can't say I'm in the Oprah demographic). The great news is that for the next week you can download her latest book, "Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan" for FREE off the Oprah website. This book will cover a lot of the same issues that I've been talking about recently, with obviously a lot more detail and examples. I just read it myself (well, at least the sections that apply to me, not having any credit card debt or owning real estate), and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is ready to start planning for their own financial future.
And I hope anyone reading this is ready, you can never start too early. Click the link. Click it!
And I hope anyone reading this is ready, you can never start too early. Click the link. Click it!
Monday, January 5, 2009
Your savings account as an emergency fund
It might seem a bit early to be jumping on the finance theme, as we are all trying to pay off our Christmas debt. But with any luck, you are indeed paying off your credit cards, not just making the minimum payment. And it is never too early to start saving money.
Actually, this is a pretty simple post. Once you've paid off your credit cards, your next goal should be in getting your savings account up to snuff. This concept kind of surprised me, because I'd never really thought of my savings account as anything except as a place to save up for vacations or Christmas or other things I wanted to buy. It turns out it should really be more than that. I'm sure you've at one point or another considered your monthly budget, if not down to the dollar, at least a rough estimate of how much money you spend on living every month. Rent/mortgage payments, utilities, food - the essentials. Take that number and multiply it by eight - and that is how much money you should really have in your savings account. Rather than just being a vehicle for saving for that special something, your savings account should really be a liquid cash emergency fund. As I recently found out, having a very stupid accident at work that almost caused me to miss some work, bad things can happen when you least expect it. That eight month emergency fund should be sitting there for you when you unexpectedly find yourself out of work, to give you a cushion to pay your bills while you are searching for a new job.
The first goal should be to get that number where it should be. I'm currently pretty short, but one of my three financial goals for the year is to get it up where it should be. Once you've got it in place, then you can start to think about ways to maximize earnings. Regular bank interest isn't generally that great, especially in an economy like this one. My credit union offers some more attractive vehicles than a plain savings account, so I'm making something like 2.75% interest, which isn't terrible in this economy, but isn't great either. I'm thinking what I might do is start opening up short-term CDs, maybe 6 months or possibly a year. I wouldn't want to put everything into the same CD though, locking the money away for a year. As an emergency fund it is critical that I have access to the money should something happen, and not have to waste it on early withdrawal penalties. But I could, say, put small amounts in a 6 month CD each month for six months, staggering them so that every month I have at least some money at term that I could use if I needed it. If I'm still employed and don't need it, I can roll it over into another CD. Returns on 6 month CDs certainly aren't going to be all that great either mind you, but with a little research it could be better than just sitting in a savings account. And, at this point, when planning for your financial future every dollar counts.
I guess this brings up another point, but I'd look very carefully at your bank right now. We often pick banks for convenience, but there are differences between them and what they offer. If you have access to a credit union, either because of your job or where you live, it is very likely to your advantage to join that rather than the default local bank. Credit unions almost always offer better interest rates, higher to pay you and lower to charge you. If you move a lot, it can be a bit of a hassle, believe me I know. But still I stay with my New York-based credit union, because the benefits far outweigh the annoyances of trying to find shared branches in other cities. Now, credit unions are as different from each other as anything else, so be sure to do your homework. But I'd say, at least anecdotally speaking, they are almost always better than their bank counterparts as far as saving money goes.
Actually, this is a pretty simple post. Once you've paid off your credit cards, your next goal should be in getting your savings account up to snuff. This concept kind of surprised me, because I'd never really thought of my savings account as anything except as a place to save up for vacations or Christmas or other things I wanted to buy. It turns out it should really be more than that. I'm sure you've at one point or another considered your monthly budget, if not down to the dollar, at least a rough estimate of how much money you spend on living every month. Rent/mortgage payments, utilities, food - the essentials. Take that number and multiply it by eight - and that is how much money you should really have in your savings account. Rather than just being a vehicle for saving for that special something, your savings account should really be a liquid cash emergency fund. As I recently found out, having a very stupid accident at work that almost caused me to miss some work, bad things can happen when you least expect it. That eight month emergency fund should be sitting there for you when you unexpectedly find yourself out of work, to give you a cushion to pay your bills while you are searching for a new job.
The first goal should be to get that number where it should be. I'm currently pretty short, but one of my three financial goals for the year is to get it up where it should be. Once you've got it in place, then you can start to think about ways to maximize earnings. Regular bank interest isn't generally that great, especially in an economy like this one. My credit union offers some more attractive vehicles than a plain savings account, so I'm making something like 2.75% interest, which isn't terrible in this economy, but isn't great either. I'm thinking what I might do is start opening up short-term CDs, maybe 6 months or possibly a year. I wouldn't want to put everything into the same CD though, locking the money away for a year. As an emergency fund it is critical that I have access to the money should something happen, and not have to waste it on early withdrawal penalties. But I could, say, put small amounts in a 6 month CD each month for six months, staggering them so that every month I have at least some money at term that I could use if I needed it. If I'm still employed and don't need it, I can roll it over into another CD. Returns on 6 month CDs certainly aren't going to be all that great either mind you, but with a little research it could be better than just sitting in a savings account. And, at this point, when planning for your financial future every dollar counts.
I guess this brings up another point, but I'd look very carefully at your bank right now. We often pick banks for convenience, but there are differences between them and what they offer. If you have access to a credit union, either because of your job or where you live, it is very likely to your advantage to join that rather than the default local bank. Credit unions almost always offer better interest rates, higher to pay you and lower to charge you. If you move a lot, it can be a bit of a hassle, believe me I know. But still I stay with my New York-based credit union, because the benefits far outweigh the annoyances of trying to find shared branches in other cities. Now, credit unions are as different from each other as anything else, so be sure to do your homework. But I'd say, at least anecdotally speaking, they are almost always better than their bank counterparts as far as saving money goes.
I couldn't blog because I was too busy Sudokuing
Happy New Year everyone! Sorry I haven't been blogging lately, but the Christmas genie decreed that I must spend all my time eating fondue and opening presents and hanging out with David, and that I couldn't blog until after the new year, and who am I to argue with the Christmas genie?
Also, a post just went up I started writing on December 10th, so you have to scroll back past the Survivor stuff to find it, cause it got dated when I started writing, not when I finished.
A few thoughts:
The holidays have been nice here, with no snow to report, so my perpetual Christmas wish came true, although David was a bit sad at that. But it is coming, my luck surely can't hold too much longer.
We've had some new couchsurfers, mostly international exchange students, hailing from China, Taiwan, Austria and the Czech Republic, and they were all a lot of fun. We have six more scheduled to be here for the Inauguration, so that should be a lot of fun. I'm sure I will have plenty more to say about the Inauguration when the time comes, it is going to be a madhouse here.
David got me a book of Sudoku for Christmas, and I'm actually doing them. Such a time waster, but strangely satisfying. I'm not really much of a puzzle person, but I keep doing these. Surely I am victim to some Asian warlock who has cast a spell over us all, because I have no rational explanation, but there it is.
I'm also reading those stupid Twilight books. Thanks a lot Tiffany for the recommendation. I'm through the first two, and so far there have been, generously speaking, maybe 100 pages of good story. The rest is all high-school girl romance mush. However, I am a total sucker, and am completely unable to just walk away, so I'm waiting for the last two to come in to the library. (Thank goodness I had the foresight not to actually buy the books.) I did save David from the misery though, and I'm just telling him the story so he doesn't have to read it himself. One of our first exchanges, after I told him the vampire was going to high school.
David: "But, what happens when he is in the sunlight?"
Me: "Uh, well, he...he sparkles."
David: (unable to speak because he is laughing too hard)
It isn't the worst writing I've ever read, I'm just not the target audience. Harry Potter spoiled me into thinking I could read young adult fiction, but clearly that isn't always the case. But Brenda, Breanne is going to LOVE this stuff in another year or two.
Also, a post just went up I started writing on December 10th, so you have to scroll back past the Survivor stuff to find it, cause it got dated when I started writing, not when I finished.
A few thoughts:
The holidays have been nice here, with no snow to report, so my perpetual Christmas wish came true, although David was a bit sad at that. But it is coming, my luck surely can't hold too much longer.
We've had some new couchsurfers, mostly international exchange students, hailing from China, Taiwan, Austria and the Czech Republic, and they were all a lot of fun. We have six more scheduled to be here for the Inauguration, so that should be a lot of fun. I'm sure I will have plenty more to say about the Inauguration when the time comes, it is going to be a madhouse here.
David got me a book of Sudoku for Christmas, and I'm actually doing them. Such a time waster, but strangely satisfying. I'm not really much of a puzzle person, but I keep doing these. Surely I am victim to some Asian warlock who has cast a spell over us all, because I have no rational explanation, but there it is.
I'm also reading those stupid Twilight books. Thanks a lot Tiffany for the recommendation. I'm through the first two, and so far there have been, generously speaking, maybe 100 pages of good story. The rest is all high-school girl romance mush. However, I am a total sucker, and am completely unable to just walk away, so I'm waiting for the last two to come in to the library. (Thank goodness I had the foresight not to actually buy the books.) I did save David from the misery though, and I'm just telling him the story so he doesn't have to read it himself. One of our first exchanges, after I told him the vampire was going to high school.
David: "But, what happens when he is in the sunlight?"
Me: "Uh, well, he...he sparkles."
David: (unable to speak because he is laughing too hard)
It isn't the worst writing I've ever read, I'm just not the target audience. Harry Potter spoiled me into thinking I could read young adult fiction, but clearly that isn't always the case. But Brenda, Breanne is going to LOVE this stuff in another year or two.
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