I updated my networth. You may notice that my networth took a large fall. This is because I decided to remove my car from my networth. It's constantly being devalued, and I just don't feel like dealing with it. So, I updated all of my months so the car is not included.
Rent--$380 (this will be doubling because my roommate moved out)
Utilities--$83.88 (once again this is double, but I will be cancelling my cable)
Medical--$184.04
Car (gas, maintenance, and payment)--866.49 (this is more than last month)
Food--$216.08 ($182.15 on groceries and $33.93 on eating out)
Clothing--$212.39 (this is over budget, and I will be returning one of the dresses that I purchased)
Misc (haircut, stamps, junk at Target)--$45.16
Retirement
401(k)--$450
Roth IRA--$250
An article from USA Today, discusses the rising costs of college tuition.
Pamela Hrovoski says her daughter, Sarah, a junior at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, received scholarships that cover only about a fifth of her costs. The Hrovoskis, who live in a suburb of Pittsburgh, also cleaned out their emergency savings account and their college savings fund and borrowed from Pamela's 401(k) plan. Still, Sarah will graduate with about $45,000 in loans.
What's more, the majority of money going into 529s ends up in high-fee plans sold by advisers rather than in low-cost, do-it-yourself offerings from the likes of Vanguard, TIAA-CREF and Fidelity. That suggests that 529s are a product brokers love to sell but parents still aren't sure they want to buy.
I sold another item on eBay over the weekend. After shipping, I made $22.53. I deposited the money into my savings account--bringing the grand total to....$275.19 (0.91% of my goal). I'm crawling toward my goal right now, but it feels good.
With the recent car problems and roommate issues, I haven't been able to put any money aside from my primary pay check. I plan on redistributing my budget, but right now I'm in a little bit of a crunch situation. I do have an emergency fund (if needed), but I would prefer to keep my emergency fun full.
How do you redistribute your budget to deal with the every day hassles of life? Do you even have a budget? Also, how much do you put aside in your emergency fund?
Kumiko at CashQuests is promoting her new site name http://cashquests.com with a $100 drawing. I just stumbled across her page (a link from another blog). I've been mesmerized by the pink. She's super funny! I would recommend checking out her page...
I also added an additional $5 to my savings account from my Paypal account. This brings the grand total of my down payment savings account to $252.66 (or 0.84% of my total goal. I am a member of the Pinecone Research Panel. I only fill out about one survey a month, but the $5 is always placed into my paypal account within a few days. I recommend Pinecone, but it is hard to get in.
I'm currently trying out Panda Research. I have $5 approved (from just signing up and I included the link below), but I have quite a bit of money pending. I'll post how much money I make from this website, and I will add it directly to my savings account.
My second automatic deposit from my part-time teaching job went through last week, but I just noticed it today. The total amount was $94.21, which brings the grand total of my down payment savings account to $247.66 (or 0.83% of my goal).
I usually only teach one class every other week, but I got quite a few hours on my last paycheck. While the checks won't bet this big every pay period, I'm feeling very pumped about my decision to set-up the automatic deposit into my savings account.
MSN Money has an amusing article about hypermilers.
Hypermiling, if you don't know, is the art of wringing every last ounce of fuel efficiency out of a car. It had its genesis in some Internet chat rooms and bulletin boards frequented by owners of hybrid vehicles. Soon, boys being boys -- and generally it's men who are involved -- competitions were held, gauntlets were thrown and some astounding figures were being posted.
If I'm really feeling motivated,
Pay attention to load. When you're driving up a hill, keep a steady load on the engine. Gerdes recommends accelerating to a target speed and then locking your foot in position so the gas pedal is held steady. That will keep gas consumption at a constant level. Maintaining a constant speed, on the other hand, requires increasing the fuel burn rate as the hill is climbed. Do that and a vehicle that registers 40 mpg on a level road can see fuel efficiency decline to as low as 15 mpg, Gerdes says.
My car is fixed...and the grand total is....$510!!!! Just to fix a window!!!!! My car expenses are going to be even higher this month than last month. I think I will be extremely disappointed with my May spending--at least I can put it off for a few more days.
My search for a roommate continues, but I'm considering cancelling my Comcast High Speed Cable Internet. I found an ad for the Comcast Triple Play--Internet, Cable, and Telephone for $33 each--and I was able to get internet for $33/month plus $3/month for renting a cable modem. Should I cancel my internet because I don't have roommate?
CNN Money has a list of credit cards that "pay big-time rewards." I thought I would check out the list.
If you don't always pay off your balance: The Discover® More CardI highlighted two Discover cards above because I love my Discover card. Any rewards I earn, I am able to just put the money toward my balance. I consider it a free $20 when I earn a reward. You can also request a check or gift certificate options. Some gift certificates give you double what you would get back with cash! I always choose cash because that's what I need more of...not stuff...
Rate: Introductory APR of 0 percent for one year, then a 10.99 percent variable rate This card, formerly known as the Discover Platinum Card, offers decent cash rewards at a not-too-scary interest rate.Earn 5 percent cash back on purchases of items at major retailers. The retailers, and the types of items eligible, change four times a year.Other purchases will snag you 1 percent after you've charged $3,000.
Heavy Drivers also consider: Discover® Open Road Card
Rate: Introductory APR of 0 percent for one year, then a 10.99 percent variable rate If you practically live in your car (without actually living in your car, because then you have bigger issues than rewards cards), the lower-interest Discover Open Road card may be a better deal.It earns you 5 percent cash back on gas-station purchases and auto maintenance, as well as on purchases at Discover's partners.Other purchases earn you 1 percent back (after charging $3,000).
As I mentioned earlier, my roommate is no longer. I have sent her several e-mails and left a few voice messages. However, I have received no response. I did receive a change of address form in the mailbox yesterday, but no new address was listed.
Since my lease is up at the end of July and I do not plan on renewing, I think it will be relatively difficult to find a subleaser. I will list on craigslit, and I think I might try out apartments.com. I've never tried this site before, so I will let everyone know if it works out.
On my way trip home, I rolled down my window...and it wouldn't roll back up! Then the window started slipping down until it was totally down. I had to drive 3 hours with the window rolled down! Anyway, tomorrow morning I have to take my car to the dealership before work. I hope this won't be too expensive!
This Memorial Day weekend I've been trying to save a few dollars. I did drive to visit my boyfriend, so the gas prices alone were murder. However, I have stopped driving my car in town, so this trip might take up the majority of my gas budget for the month.
However, I did find some Kashi granola bars on sale at Wild Oats...They were around $2.50 per box...a much better deal! :)
I hope everyone is their weekend (extended or not)....
I am adding 4 additional rebates to my savings account
I made cookies for a coworker/friend for her birthday tomorrow. I feel a little ridiculous giving someone cookies for a birthday present, but I figure it's better than nothing. I'm missing her birthday party, so I'm just going to bring the cookies to work tomorrow.
When I drafted my original budget, Krystal recommended I try to cut back on spending for presents. This is my lame attempt to try to stop spending so much money. I hope that she appreciates the cookies....and hasn't just started a diet!
My roommate moved out yesterday. I found out last weekend that she was planning on moving in with her boyfriend, and we agreed to talk about it. However, the next thing I know, she's totally moved out. Anyway, she still owes me for two months of utilities (April and May). She was supposed to stay in the apartment until the end of July, but there was no formal document. She did say that she would be willing to pay for June rent. So, I guess I'll just have to pay double rent for a single month. Why are roommates so stressful?!
For the past two days, I have packed a nutritious and filling lunch. While I wish I would pack more candy, I have been surprisingly content with my lunch packing abilities. Also, it's a great way to monitor my eating and to make sure that I'm getting all of the food groups...I sound like such an adult!
I also would like to report that I have made an okay version of Thai Curry. It's not the best curry that I've ever had, but I can make it in under 30 minutes (from turning on the stove to eating). It's also pretty inexpensive. I use 1 Tbl Curry Paste ($2.49 for package), 1 can of coconut milk ($.99), a few squirts of fish sauce, 1 large onion ($1.30), 2 large green peppers ($2.56), and 1 chicken breast (from my freezer). Chop up the onion and peppers and cook with oil. Heat the coconut milk and whisk in the curry paste, add fish oil to taste (I just squirt a little bit in), and boil for until thick (about 3 minutes). Add the vegetables and chicken (already cooked). Serve over rice.
Remember the good old days when all you had to do is grab your lunch box and run out the door? Well, now I'm an "adult" (the quotes are totally necessary), and I'm supposed to have figured out how to feed myself. I've decided that I need to have a checklist for packing my lunch, so that I get most of the food groups and enough food to eat.
Any additions? Any tips? Is anyone else so much better at packing a lunch? I'm begging for advice!!!!!! :)
In a relationship, should you tell your significant other how much money/debt you have? I have a fantastic boyfriend, but I'm not sure how much information I should disclose about my financial situation. He knows that I don't have any student loans or credit card debt, and I feel like that is enough for right now. I don't think he has any credit card debt because he always uses his debit card (never seen him use any of the credit cards in his wallet), but I'm not sure about student loans. At what point do you sit down and discuss your financial plans?
Currently, we are in two different states. Recently we have been talking about moving in together. This hinges on him first getting a job in the area (so keep your fingers crossed). I've never lived with a boyfriend, so this might be me flipping out over such a big step in the relationship.
I'm trying to eat out less, so that would require me to cook more often and also to pack my lunch. The only thing I hate more than cooking is grocery shopping. However, I convinced myself to go because it was such a nice day. I decided to buy a few things to cook for dinner, and a few other necessities for packing lunches--bread, sliced turkey, and granola bars. Not including the items for dinner, I only walked out of the store with Kashi granola bars and Kashi cereal. Unfortunately, I didn't look at the prices of the two items--$5.39 and $5.99, respectively. Is this normal?! I was in shock when I first saw the price tag while putting away my groceries. I've never purchased Kashi products before, so if I like the products I might want to buy them again. The granola bars are almost a dollar per bar--I could have bought snickers bars for less. I learned my lesson. I will always check prices....and I will ride my bike a little farther to shop at Trader Joe's, not this local grocery store.
I sold a few more items on eBay. Since USPS increased Priority mail prices, I lost a little bit of the profit on additional shipping. I will have to alter my shipping prices to match the new priority mail rates. However, I still was able to put $22.17 into my savings account--bringing the grand total to....$133.97.
Rich Minx had a great post about how to make 4 cents per week from your blog. I found her post extremely amusing, and I couldn't help myself when I came across her 4c Bloggers' Club. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be allowed into the group...mainly because I've made a total of 0 cents from my blog, so I'm not exactly a highly desirable blogger.
money blog
I really like Rich Minx's blog, so she will become a regular staple in my daily procrastination routine.
Krystal at Give Me Back My Five Bucks wrote about her weekend spending, and I thought I would do the same.
Friday--$0
Saturday--$206.75
Breakfast--$21.00
2 dresses from Macy's--$120
1 Shirt from Ann Taylor--$40
1 Nike DriFit Running Top--$10
Free Box of Frango Chocolates for filling out a survey at Macy's
$2.25 Frozen Yogurt
$13.50 2 tickets to Shrek 3
Sunday--$0
I really went a little crazy on Saturday, but I do need a few dresses to wear to the three weddings (June, July, and August). I'm not totally sure that I'm going to keep both of the dresses from Macy's, but I have the options available.
As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I love to sell things on eBay. I sold an additional item. I paid my shipping costs through Paypal, and I had $18.26 left in profit. I moved it into my savings account (bringing the account to the total of $111.80). I have a few items that end this weekend, so I hope to make a little more cash.
I have a few boxes of clothes that I no longer need/want. I'm considering giving them to a charity, but I'm unsure about how to donate in order to get the tax write-off. Any help?
I get paid bi-weekly, so I considered 2 paychecks as my monthly income. I am not considering my second job income at all. Any money I make from my second job will go directly to my down payment savings account. Since I received a raise, I'm unsure of how the amount of money that taxes will cut out of my paycheck. I used my last budget as a template and increased areas that I was really screwing up on.
Taxes--?
Health care--$69.06
Rent--$380
Utilities (gas&electric)--$30
Car Payment--$222.65
Car Insurance--$105
Gas (for my car)--$100 I've started taking the bus to work, but I still have to drive to see my boyfriend. Long distance relationships are not easy on the budget.
Gym--$27
Food--$300
Cable/Internet--$18
Down Payment Savings--$50 (in addition to any money I make from my 2nd job)
Retirement (401k)--$150
Roth IRA--$250
Fun Money--$250 (I can do whatever I want with this money)
Clothing--$100
Travel--$100
Presents--$100
The total, excluding taxes, is $2251.71. I think I will be able to fit taxes in and try to squeeze a little more savings into my budget. I'm also considering opening ING accounts for my clothing, travel, and presents savings. I think it would be easier to have them separated.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
On Tuesday night, I was a little too quick to post about my unhappiness with Road Runner Sports. I wrote them an e-mail explain the problem, and they refunded my money.
Hello SavingDiva.
I apologize for the confusion and inconvenience! You will pleased to know that we have refunded $3.99 to your credit card and it should posted within the next 2-3 business days. I hope that this is helpful, Saving Diva. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to let us know and we will be more than happy to take care of you. We hope to hear from you again soon! Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Zikarra
Customer Care Expert
Krystal from Give Me Back My Five Bucks asked me how much I was planning on saving for my down payment. Good question, Krystal! I am trying to save for a 20% down payment, so I don't end up like Casey Serin. As I posted earlier, I would like to purchase a condo. I'm guessing that it will be around $140,000. I'm trying to save $30,000 in my down payment account. It will be nice to have a little extra wiggle room for closing costs, moving costs, etc. I was considering making a bar to show how close I am to reaching my goal, but 0.3% toward my goal does not motivate me.
I've decided not to cut down on my retirement savings (5% of my net pay goes to my 401(k) and $250/month goes to a Roth IRA). I also do not plan on withdrawing any money from either of my retirement accounts to help with the down payment. I was contemplating taking money from my Roth IRA, but I thought that I would rather rent for a few more years than have to work for a few more :)
If anyone has any advice, I would really appreciate it. I've never bought a house, and it's not the in thing to talk about with my friends. Any experiences, articles or blog posts that you think would be relevant, please post in the comments sections.
Adventures in Money Making had a post about Detroit Real Estate being a hot commodity. After reading his post, I thought I should check out the article that he was referencing. Mike Ramsay starts off the article with an interview with Bob Bartlett. However, Bob is purchasing the million dollar condo as his primary residence--not as an investment property. The article goes on to discuss other development in Detroit--expensive housing, hotels, and casinos. However, with all of this new construction, I have to question if this will bring any permanent job stability to the area. Detroit has a notoriously high unemployment rate with companies like Comerica and the big three cutting jobs and, in the case of Comerica, moving it's headquarters out of Detroit.
I also wrote about the Detroit housing market. However, the article that I referenced was more grounded in reality. Detroit is losing more jobs every day. I don't think expensive housing is going to entice people to move to the city without any real job prospects. Also, why would anyone buy a million dollar condo, when you could buy a mansion, "a sprawling, four-bedroom mansion from Detroit's boom days with an ornate stone entrance," for $135,000.
Investing in the future of Detroit is not a total bust. However, I do disagree with the lavish and over-the-top developments being built. Why not build reasonably priced, quality homes (for medium-income workers) near an area that is open to development. This type of development would help to draw new businesses to the area.
When I got home from my second job tonight (Gotta love working 13 hours in a row), I had two packages waiting for me. One I was expecting, and the other was a pleasant surprise.
The good news first. I purchased a Feit Electric CFL a little over a year ago. When it burned out a month ago, I was upset because the company claims their bulbs last for 5 years. I sent an e-mail to their customer service department saying how disappointed I was with their product. The company shipped a replacement bulb at no cost. The customer service representative also explained that a small percentage of the bulbs are faulty, but the bulbs are backed by a guarantee. I had a wonderful experience with Feit Electric, and I would not hesitate to purchase from the company again.
And for my disappointment....I ordered a pair of running shoes from Road Runner Sports last week. The shipping was much slower than other online companies that I have dealt with (a full week for an item that was in stock). However, I was extremely upset when I looked at the invoice included in the package. The shipping charge was $8.99, $3.99 more than the $5 that was displayed on the screen when I finalized my order. I made a mistake and didn't print out the invoice after I placed my order. I also checked my e-mails from them--the e-mails did not include the price of the shoes or the shipping rate. It appears as though I will be out $3.99. I did send an e-mail to the Road Runner Sports customer service department, so I will post an update if the situation is happily resolved (I get $3.99 refunded).
I set up direct deposit at my part time job to put everything into my savings account. This week, I had a whopping $9.28 deposited. I'm planning on around $100/month depending on how many classes I teach.
However, this brings my savings account to the grand total of $93.54. I'm still feeling good about this process. I might be starting off slow, but I feel like I'm getting some momentum in the right direction.
baking sodawashing sodawhite distilled vinegara good liquid soap or detergenttea tree oil6 clean spray bottles2 glass jars
I updated my networth because I was so far off on my mutual fund estimate. I hadn't checked on my mutual fund in a while (just glanced at it while doing my taxes). When I looked at it today, I was pleasantly surprised that it was $1200 higher than I thought it was. So....since I'm such a nerd, I ran and recacluated my networth...
Fueled by my lucrative weekend, I listed a few more items on eBay tonight. However, I had to slow myself down because I'm tempted to sell everything in my apartment (might be a good thing). I stopped at 4 listings for today. I feels great to receive money for junk that I didn't want or use. I also feel fantastic mailing those items. It's very refreshing to make clutter disappear...
CNN Money has a great article, "Why a Gasoline Boycott Won't Work. " I won't purchase gas tomorrow (just in case anyone thinks this boycott will work) because I won't drive my car. However, the article does make a good point--unless we are going to reduce gasoline consumption, there will be no change in gasoline prices. Therefore, I think we should all try to cut back on our gasoline usage. Krystal at Give Me Back My Five Bucks drives a scooter (imagine how much less she spends on fuel in comparison to someone driving a huge SUV). I know a lot of people that commute using public transportation (including me). If we are really serious about reducing gas prices, we must first reduce the demand of gasoline (which probably won't happen with SUVs and summer road trips) permanently--not just for a day.
Please note the exclamation point above (!). I just checked my savings account, and I had earned $.06 of interest. I realize that I have more money jammed between my couch cushions. However, it feels good to earn money for doing nothing (even if I could earn that much money by returning a pop can). Even though my first interest payment is small, I appreciate free money when it is given to me!
Madame X from My Open Wallet is the host of this week's Carnival of Personal Finance. Super exciting news! My post, Scoring Discounts, was one of the 100 articles featured.
Over the weekend, I sold a few items on eBay. I received payment and deposited the money ($40.20) into my CitiBank Savings Account.
My second job is starting up this week. I'll be using direct deposit )linked to my CitiBank Savings Account) for my second job. Any money that I make from that job will go towards my future down payment. I should admit that I will be working about 6 hours a month, so it won't be thousands of dollars pouring into the account. However, I do hope to continue the forward momentum and save whatever money I have left over.
I have tried Zotspot for about 4 months now, but I haven't earned any money (not even a penny), so I am officially closing my account. If anyone else has had a better experience, please feel free to post them here. I would be really interested.
I have recently started reading the Harry Potter books. I just finished the 5th book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I rarely buy books, and I haven't bought a new book in years. I'm a die-hard fan of my local library. However, when I put my name on the waiting list for the 7th book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I was SO far down on the list. So...I pre-ordered the book from Amazon. This is when I knew that I was truly addicted to the series--I am buying a new, hardcover book! I also splurged so the book will be delivered to me on the day it comes out, July 21st. I'm currently racked with guilt. However, there is one saving grace. I will read the book as fast as I can--probably about 2 days--and then list it for sale on half.com or amazon.com. I will make back most of the money that I paid for the book, but definitely not for shipping.
With mother's day quickly approaching, I started to think about the summer gift giving season. While I love to give presents, I feel like it's starting to take its toll. I have three weddings (and bridal showers) to attend, plus 3 family members' birthdays.
The major source of my annoyance is the wedding registry. Normally, I spend about $50 on a wedding gift, and another $50 on a shower gift. After looking at two gift registries for summer weddings I am attending, I realized that my friends are going to make sticking to my budget difficult. Even a single bath towel was over my projected budget. Therefore, I had to act fast. I have purchased wedding gifts for the weddings in August because there were only a few items that I could afford (actually two--one for wedding, one for the shower).
As a young professional that isn't totally on firm financial footing, I am frustrated that most of the items my friends register for are over $100. Am I a horrible person? I am happy for them, but at the same time, I'm annoyed that they expect such expensive presents. Also, I wonder what type of gifts they give each other. Are they more financial stable than I am? Are they just racking up credit card debt? Are they regifting?
Discover is advertising a new card "that pays you for paying on-time." Since I always pay my credit card bills on time and in full, I thought that it would be a great card for me. However, the card refunds one-month of interest if you pay 6 months on time. Therefore, if you pay your card off every month, this card is not anything new.
I got my hair cut recently. I did it an Aveda school. I got a scalp massage, a bunch of great Aveda products in my hair, and a hair cut for $15 (plus, you can't tip). It's fantastic! I would recommend this cost saving method to any female.
I've been a member of Brandport since January 2004. You're paid $.25 for watching a 30 second commercial and answering a few questions. While I don't think that I'll become rich from this site, it is a nice way to waste a little time.
However, I have noticed that Brandport has not been putting up new ads for me. On their main page they are advertising their new Sweepstakes page. I finally decided to join. It's a nice set-up, and you earn points and sweepstakes entries. Unfortunately, they don't let you know what you can redeem your points for yet (since this site is still underdevelopment). I will keep everyone posted on any wins/prizes.
I continue to put money into my 401(k) and my Roth IRA, but I sometimes think that I should put my money in more accessible accounts (like mutual funds). I tell myself that I could always borrow from my Roth IRA for my down payment (wouldn't have to pay taxes), but not my 401(k).
$7,500 in a 401(k) today equals $34,957 in 20 years (assuming an 8 percent annual return).
$4,000 in a Roth today equals $18,644 in 20 years (assuming an 8 percent annual return).
As I have mentioned, I have tried a few services to cut down the amount of junk mail that I receive. This service is the cheapest pay service ($19.95), and I think it's a good investment. Who doesn't want to save time and trees?
I've started to look for a new apartment. My lease is up at the end of July. Moving is stressful, but I'm tired of living in an apartment that receives no sunlight. However, my rent is extremely low for this area, so it will be sad to have to throw away more money.
My current roommate is leaving the area, so I was thinking about living alone. However, I don't think that I can afford $700/month for a one bedroom apartment. I'm starting to look for potential roommates, but it's so frustrating. I really wish there was an easy button for moving (finding a new roommate, finding a new apartment, packing, moving, and unpacking).
This is scary, but here are the amounts that I spend in different categories last month
Car (gasoline, insurance, maintenance, parking) $702.20 (257.52 in gasoline)
Rent $380
Utilities(gas, electric, cable, Internet) $50.71
Medical $84.04
Shopping (clothes, products, iTunes) $140.92
Presents $102.63
Food $205.61 (Restaurants $83.55, Groceries $122.06)
Cable/Internet $18
Gym membership $27
Misc (eBay fees, hotels) $196.03
After seeing the chunk of my income gobbled up by my car, I have made a few changes. I have stopped driving to work (mentioned about a zillion times in this blog). This will save about $55/month for parking and will decrease my gas usage. Except for the giant dent that my car produced, I am proud of my budgeting abilities.
Already, prices in California average $3.48 a gallon, according to the motorist organization AAA. And one service station in San Francisco was charging $3.95, according to GasBuddy.com, a handy site that lists the cheapest and most expensive gas stations by city and state across the country. Refinery problems and strong demand are the two main reasons cited for the runup. Prices hit a record high of $3.07 a gallon, according to the Lundberg survey released Sunday.
I'm trying to cut driving down to a minimum. I've started to take the bus or ride my bike to work. I walk to the gym. I'm also trying to use the Top 10 Fuel Saving Tips to increase my gas mileage when I do drive.
I am a freak...I own a 19" RCA TV...no flat, big screen for me...I couldn't bring myself to spend money on a television while my TV was still fully functional.
As I was leaving my apartment complex yesterday, I noticed a few televisions next to the dumpster. One was a really nice 27" TV. Well, I carried it down to my apartment...and guess what?! It worked! I have a nicer TV now. It's still not a plasma or LCD like my friends have, but at least I can watch TV from across the room.
Yeah, for lazy college students with too much money! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my little RCA. I don't really have any storage space in my apartment, so I might have to put it in a corner in my bedroom.
...but I would love a puppy! Add puppy to the long list of things that I want, but I can't have/afford.
However, for those of you that have canine companions, Greenies is offering a free dental chew. My parents requested one for their dog, and it came quickly. Also, it was a full size bone. The dog really liked it, but they live in a small town and can't purchase them at the local grocery store. The package came with a coupon, so I've got to look for them at the local pet stores (I live in a MUCH bigger city).
I'm allergic to cats, but Greenies also have a sample for your feline friends.
I hate to cook. I hate to grocery shop. I love restaurants. These three things make me one of the worst people at packing a lunch. Kindergartners laugh at my attempts to brown bag it.
Last week, I had lunch with a guy who had all of his food carefully packaged in plastic bags and then put into perfectly sized Tupperware containers. As I pulled out my quickly thrown together "lunch," I couldn't help, but ask the guy, "How do you do that?" He said that he packed it at night. The five minutes before I dash for the bus isn't enough time to put together a masterpiece. However, even if I did pack my lunch the night before, I wouldn't have any normal food to bring with me. A sandwich? I don't have any bread, but I do have hot dog buns. However, I think PB&J would lose its appeal on a hot dog bun. Also, I always run out of plastic bags. Where do they all go? I feel a twinge of guilt every time I use a plastic bag because that plastic is going to sit in a landfill FOREVER (if anyone has any good ways to pack a lunch without baggies, please let me know). Also, what else do you put in a lunch? Should I toss in some carrot sticks and pudding cups? I wish I had normal things like that in my kitchen pantry.
Organizing dinner is even worse...There is a great thing called the frozen pizza. Trader Joe's has a lot of great options that are really helping me out.
I found this article, Why Rent? To Get Richer.... on MSN. Although, it doesn't change my goal to purchase a home, this article makes me feel better about renting while saving for a down payment. The author argues that renting saves money. He makes a great point. This article makes me feel like I'm not wasting time, but that I'm saving up to purchase an item (like a coffee-maker).
However, the reason why I want to own a home is because I want my own home. I want a place to call my own. I want to be able to paint the walls blue and to know that it's mine. I guess the author can spend a small fortune on restaurants, and I'll spend my non-investment money on a condo.
I appreciate the point of the article--don't view a home as an investment. I agree. I will not sacrifice any of my investments (for retirement and otherwise) to purchase a home. This is why my savings account is growing slowly. I'm not willing to sacrifice any of my other investment accounts to save for the down payment.
I want a home to live in and to build a life in.
SF Money Musing saw a comment that I left on another page about befriending sales associates. So, I thought I should just write a whole post about one of my favorite past times, shopping!
The best resource at any store is the employees. They're great about letting customers know about upcoming sales, freebies, and any sort of coupons. I recommend having a sales associate that knows you by name in the department that you shop in. I have a sales associate that calls me when my favorite type of jeans goes on sale, and she will even put them on hold for me if my size goes on clearance. So, how do I make these friends? I start by shopping during slow times. During a weekday (take your lunch break) is the best, but weeknights will also work. A sales associate will be much more willing to give you additional help if you're the only person in the department. Also, remain loyal. Remember their name and use it often. If another associate rings you up, let that associate know who helped you. You might want to check if the department store has clientele. If they do, tell your favorite sales associate that you would like to know about when this item goes on sale.
I also shop online and check out whether it would be better to buy stuff over the Internet. http://fatwallet.com and http://slickdeals.net are great resources for online coupon codes, and occasionally printable coupons that are good for in-store. Also, sign-up for the e-mails through the store that you frequent. I'm a huge fan of Marshall Field's...now Macy's...I received an e-mail with an in-store shopping pass for 20% off (I hope this helps with your shoe purchase).
If you have any other questions about shopping, I'm always happy to answer. As a reformed shopaholic, I still shop, but I keep it to necessities and I buy things on sale and with a coupon.
My Money Blog had a post about house sizes (here). It made me think, what type of house do I want to buy? I might be more motivated if I knew exactly what I wanted instead of, yeah, I'd like to buy a house some day.
I think that I would like to live in a condo, so I don't have to do any yard work. I would like a garage (or a place to park my car, so I don't have to chip ice off of the windshield in the winter). I would also like to have a washer and dryer in unit. Oh! I would LOVE a dishwasher. I would like to have a walk-in closet. I think that's about it. Since it is just me, I would probably just need a one bedroom, one bathroom condo.
What type of house do you have/want to purchase?
I added a reimbursement check from work for $14.83. I also added $5 from Pinecone to the account.
I promise that I will revamp my budget to make larger deposits (especially now with the raise).
This article (here) discusses how young adults ignore their retirement and aren't saving properly. While I think they have a point, one of the points just really got to me. "Though the vast majority of eligible baby boomers participate in their 401(k)s, less than a third of workers 25 and under are contributing to these employer sponsored retirement plans. Even worse, only 4% of young workers are maxing out their workplace retirement plans, according to a recent survey by the tax information service CCH." Only 4% max out their 401(k)s, well, that's probably because only 4% can afford to max out their 401(k)s.
For 2006, the 401k maximum contribution was $15,000. I know plenty of new college graduates that are making under $30,000 per year, paying off school loans, and contributing as much as they can to their retirement funds. However, the above article seems to think that it is daunting that only 4% are maxing out their 401ks.
As I have written before, I contribute about 15% of my income to retirement accounts (5% to 401(k) and about 10% to my Roth IRA). I also receive a full company match on my 401(k). However, according to this author, I am not properly saving for my future. I find the statistics mentioned above as annoying and useless!
I also was disturbed by the quote about FSAs, "Unfortunately, only around 4% are contributing the maximum amount allowed into these tax-advantaged FSAs." At 25, I don't really find myself needing $5,000 for health care costs annually. I put aside $500 this year, which will be more than enough to cover my appointments, copays, vaccines, medications (prescription and over the counter), band-aids and anything else that is covered.
However, there were a few sections that I agree with,
It's not enough to simply participate in a 401(k). You have to save adequately inside it. According to the Schwab Center for Investment Research, workers in their 20s should set aside at least 10% to 15% of their paychecks for retirement savings. Yet the majority of young workers don't save anywhere near that amount. Among Generation Y workers who are participating in a 401(k), the average savings rate is just 5.6%, according to Hewitt.
I've noticed that most personal finance bloggers share their networth. I think a graph will add a little lift to the page, so....I visited NetWorthIQ. I can't guarantee that I'll keep this up monthly, but if you want to see it, post a comment...and I'll try to keep it going!
An article from CNNMoney (here) discussed Washington Mutual's Mortgage Plus loan, which allows the type of loan to be changed without refinancing. I don't know very much about mortgages (if anyone has a post written about them, please post the link in a comment), but I'm trying to become educated before I even have to think about getting one.
Mortgage Plus has a built in HELOC section--you can borrow up to 90% of the home's value (this type of loan requires a 20% down). However, after reading another article (here) about the very subjective appraisal value of a home, I worry that this easy to access HELOC will put borrowers in situations that they might have been able to avoid by fearing the extra paperwork.
I received a small raise at work, so I need to rework my budget. I will post the updated budget as soon as I put it together!
Since I started writing this blog, I have become obsessed with reading other blogs. I stumbled across this post, "Expensive Products that Were Crap."
I found this article amusing, but I also had to agree! I have finally purchased a DVD player instead of a DVD/VCR because I thought I might have better luck. We'll see how long my DVD player lasts! About the cordless phone, I've always purchased the ones for $10. Sure they suck, but I don't actually use them very much. My favorite item on the list is the Hahn red wine because I'm sure that's happened to everyone (maybe not with wine, but with some item).
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