Category: Money

Money Saving Tips

6/4/2014

The truth is, there are lots of money saving tips out there. Browse Amazon or any ebook or regular bookstore, and you’ll find countless books with advice on how to save money and make it grow. There’s no way I can compete with that, but what I do offer in this entry are practical tips that we’ve applied, and that worked for keeping money in the bank. The key is realizing what you’re paying for, and analyzing if it’s worth it. For example:

1.       Cut back on disposable products. I know a lot of people that like to have fancy, scented hand soaps and lotions in the kitchen and every bathroom. Frankly, I have a problem spending $8 - $10 on something that’s going down the drain. Instead, I bought soap dispensers and buy the large $6 refill container. It’s the same with other things that are doing down the drain or in the trash can, like tissues, paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, dishwashing liquid soap, saline solution, laundry detergent, and garbage bags. Why spend a fortune on something that’s designed to clean or get thing out of your house? Unless you have allergy issues with certain products, don’t go big on disposable items.

2.       Cut the land line. We got rid of ours two and a half years ago and never missed it. Why pay 2 phone bills? Plus, we each get a phone, so there’s no waiting for the other person to finish, or worrying about answering machines. Consider whether you really need that land line.

3.       Cut back or cut out satellite and/or cable. This was a bigger moneysaver than losing the landline, and we’re surprised we don’t miss it either. The truth is that you can watch most things online or buy a season of a TV show for cheaper than a month’s satellite bill (you can buy seasons of TV shows in progress through iTunes and access the new episodes the next day). And for the few things we don’t get, friends have helped us with. Check your TV watching habits and consider if you watch enough to spend that kind of money on. And the time you gain from cutting the TV habit is incredible!

4.       Consider services for hobbies you like. For $10, one person can go to the movies once, or your family can watch unlimited movies and TV shows through Netflix. I’ve heard there are similar services for video games and “checking out” ebooks. Look into these and see if they’re cheaper than buying.

5.       Invest in your home. Sometimes, you do save money by spending money. Apple TV has been a great investment for us – it cost $100, but we can stream so much through our TV that it’s worth it. Entertaining at home is cheaper than going out, so consider cooking more meals at home on weekends, DVD or streaming video nights at home instead of the movies, or a game night on the game system or with a Board game instead of tickets or admission prices to venues. Go out less, and you may find that you can afford to do better things when you do decide to go out.

6.       Consider your tech. I know it’s tempting to buy the latest and greatest gadgets when everybody’s flashing them all over the place, but consider whether you really need it. Computers, tablets, and smartphones are expensive, and unless you can trade in or trade up, that can really set you back. What do you really need to take care of your day to day tasks at home and work? Don’t give in to the temptation to buy the latest phone or tablet unless the one you have isn’t working and the “new thing” is something you feel would be a worthy investment in helping with your life. Believe me, a new version is just around the corner, and it will be outdated before you know it.

7.       Streamline your “going.” Gas is expensive, so streamline your going out to make sure a tank gets you as far. Don’t go to 2 stores if there’s 1 that has all you need, and try to do all of your shopping and entertaining in the same area. Staying closer to home can save you big bucks at the pump, which seems to be where more and more of our money is going.

8.       Set up auto payments on your bills. Whether it’s through your bank or directly with each vendor, set up as many of your bills as possible on regular auto payments. This is great for several reasons: you don’t have to worry about your bill or payment being delayed or tampered with in the mail, you have peace of mind knowing that they get paid on time, and you eliminate the possibility of late fees (because if they take it after the agreed upon date, it’s on them and they can’t penalize you for it). Set your reminder app on your phone to show when the payments come out so you can keep your checkbook balanced and your finances in order.

9.       Capitalize on gift giving holidays. If there’s something that you know you want, ask for money or gift cards for gift giving holidays to buy it. Rick and I got a lot of things for our home this way that we otherwise couldn’t afford to splurge on for ourselves.

10.   Check your debit and credit cards for rewards. The ones with cash back advantages are great, because you can use your points to get things you want, or “cash” them in for money put back in your account. They usually expire, so be sure to keep an eye on them so you don’t lose good money!

No doubt, there are many other (and better) tips for saving money, but this is a blog, not a dissertation. These are a few things we do that keep our account a little fatter and our lives a lot happier. I hope you find some inspiration and ideas in them.

I hope you’re enjoying this mini-blog series. The final entry in the Graduation 2014 series will be General Tips. Look for that next time.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great rest of the week.

Bye!

Yakkity Yak!

4/18/2014

Hi everybody, and welcome to Yakkity Yack. Basically, this means that I have nothing specific to blog about, so this entry will be a scatter shot of musings on this and that. I did an entry like this over at Conure Corner a few weeks ago called “Chatter With Chloe” and it seemed to go over well, so we’ll see if I can be as entertaining as my female sun conure is.

Spring fever has hit in the Southeast. Everything is turning green again, if you can see it beyond the yellow pollen haze. I’ll take some sinus drainage to see the world come alive again. Problem is, people don’t seem to be doing so well on the “paying attention” front. They’re driving as badly as they do over the holidays, and I’ve noticed a general decline in attending to and following instructions. I know you guys have better things to do than work and stuff, but that’s being an adult, folks. We don’t get spring break, summer break, and chances to shut the brain off. That’s called retirement, and if you aren’t there yet, then you’re SOL. Suck it up and keep at it. You’ll be glad you did later when you don’t have to correct or redo everything that should already be done. Or when you’re insurance is still nice and low because you didn’t have that wreck from pulling out in front of traffic like you usually do. Yea, you saw that car coming. You just thought you were bigger and/or faster. That’s as dangerous as putting money in the vending machines at work. It’s like playing the slot machines. Sometimes you win and get something out, sometimes you don’t and bam! Crash. Your money’s gone and you’re standing there saying “what the hell?”

So pay attention, follow the directions, and you’ll do well. You can use the time and money you save on buying a tablet or combination tablet/laptop device, and figuring out how the heck it works. That seems to be all the craze these days. Truth be told, I still use my laptop more than my tablet, because of my writing. The tablet is great for checking email and reading books, and it’s also good if you just need to get on the Internet or want to play games. Problem is, you can’t create and modify documents on a tablet, which drives me to the laptop a lot. I did look at the combination devices at Best Buy a few weeks ago, but I’m not impressed. Not that I can afford one anyway, but they need to upgrade and do some work on those before I’m in. Ditto on the SmartWatches. Rick has his eye on these, but I’m not interested. Frankly, my phone is the smallest screen I can handle. And I really wonder if those are going to get people wearing watches again. Maybe. We’ll see.

I’m not one to jump on trends. I like to keep my eye on things to see how/if they last and what improvements are made. Any first version of tech has bugs to work out, and later versions are generally better and faster. I know my Nexus 7 is faster than Rick’s iPad. All of us Generation X and older should remember the VHS and Beta thing, you know. Or 8-track tapes and cassette tapes. We learned early that what’s popular may or may not work out long term. Let’s remember that lesson.

Two things that have impressed me are ebooks and streaming video. Thank God for those, because I’m already running out of storage space for books and DVD’s, and the house is only six and a half years old. Digital anything makes me happy. The only thing is that sometimes, paperbacks and DVD’s can be cheaper than the digital versions. You really have to watch out for that one, especially when buying TV series or new books by traditionally published authors. So the bookshelves will stay in our home, but hopefully we won’t be filling them up as fast as we once did. I tell you, Cloud storage is probably the best thing to happen since antibiotics and the Internet.

So, Easter is upon us again. You know, I have a pretty big problem with Easter. The problem is that the holiday is more pagan than religious. Even as a child, I couldn’t understand what eggs and bunnies had to do with Christ’s resurrection – and then I grew up and realized that they had nothing at all to do with Him and are symbols of old pagan fertility rituals. Even the word “easter” is a translation of the original name of Austron (or Eostre), a fertility goddess with roots at least back to Babylon and perhaps even Sodom and Gomorrah. Well, no wonder that creepy bunny freaked me out! I know, it’s kind of like my objection to Christmas angels not being true depictions of angels because they’re really warriors and don’t have time to sit on top of your Christmas trees (which are also pagan symbols). You think I’m being ridiculous and don’t want to hear it. Well, fine. Have your egg hunts. And when the easter demon comes for us , he’ll find you first. Cause I know what that bunny really is. Cadberry, my butt! I’ve got a devil’s trap for that darn rabbit!

OK, rant over. I refer to it as “The Resurrection” and will refrain from my complaints. Until next Easter, at least. And if you’re still with me, let’s move on.

Let’s get back to the sinus and allergy problems. I’ve been pretty lucky, but others haven’t. There’s been a lot of sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy-head, fever, runny nose, watery eyes, why-can’t-I-have-bird-sinuses- instead going around (really, birds have a much more effective respiratory system – I envy Zack and Chloe that!). They say it was the brutally cold winter that caused excessive pollination. Too bad the meth heads inspired the politicians to make antihistamine/decongestants neigh on impossible to obtain. I swear, it’s harder to get Claritin-D (or anything-D) than it was with a prescription. Not only do you get treated like a criminal at the pharmacy for having sinus woes, but they never restock, especially Allegra-D. It’s a constant source of irritation for Rick, because that’s what really helps him. And yet we suffer while meth labs are still running. If the people in charge didn’t learn from Breaking Bad that the criminals will find other ways to make it, they’re as dumb as bricks. Lift the restrictions. They’ll just rob a train or something. And us law-abiding citizens will still be sneezing all over you.

I think most of us do the best we can, and that can work out alright. In the end, it’s best to know what is and isn’t your business, and tend to what’s yours. It might not be glamorous or fascinating. It may even be boring. But if you pray and do what’s right, you’ll be fine, both on the journey and in the end. You never go wrong by doing right. Turning tricks, laying traps, and weaving webs of deception are how so many people get and stay in trouble. Manipulation and deceit make for entertaining fiction, but in reality nobody’s got time for that. Webs tangle, obscure, separate, and destroy, but shooting straight keeps everything clear, whether you’re in the desert, the valley, or the mountaintop.

Well, I think that’s enough yakking for today. If you want to know what’s going on in my head, that’s it! I hope you enjoyed it, because I’ll be back in my own little world doing rewrites on Rearview Mirror next week (and trying to find a better title for it, too). Yea, we’re going back there again. It’s great fun for me, at least.

Take care, and have a great weekend.

Bye!

Truth and a Sad Realization

1/24/2014

I read an article last night that revealed what writer’s already know, but the rest of the world doesn’t: most writers make less than $1,000 a year from writing. That’s true whether they were traditionally published, self published, or mixed and matched the methods. The end result seems to be the same, no matter which route you take.

It’s a depressing fact to be sure, but what’s more depressing is the fact that so many people discourage writers because of this. “Why spend your time doing it if it doesn’t pay the bills better than that?” is a question I often hear and, from my online communications with other writers, is a common question we all hear. People don’t seem to understand why we would invest so much time in an endeavor that, in their opinion, gives back so little. But that’s the problem. The common denominator I notice in all of these questions (and other snarky “it isn’t getting you anywhere, now is it?” comments) is that these are also the most miserable people I know. They measure everything two ways: in dollars and cents, or what they stand to get back from it. If the scales don’t balance perfectly, they’re out. And they’re miserable because they’re stuck in a confinement of their own making.

If we only do things that pay back, then why on earth do people invest so much time in relationships and entertainment? We gain nothing through hobbies, or watching television or movies, or (Heaven forbid) spending any amount of time with people that can’t advance our careers, our bank accounts, or our convenience in life. If everything in life has to have a definite, measurable function in advancing our cause or purpose, then nothing matters beyond function. Relationships are useless. What good are common interests and hobbies if they don’t make money? Why get married, or have a family, or have pets, or take out mortgages on things like homes and cars and boats and other high ticket items – after all, that’s a drain of financial resources. Why bother with friends, or church, or eating out, or entertainment, or even buying more than the basic necessities if we aren’t going to allow ourselves to enjoy anything life has to offer unless it has a monetary value attached to it?

What scares me more than the paltry balance in my writing account is the fact that there are so many people that don’t understand what it means to do something just because you enjoy it, and you want to share it with the world. They don’t understand that it means more to have a niche audience that appreciates your work and is touched by it than a fat royalty check. They don’t understand the joy of finally getting that novel written, polished, and published – out of your head and into the world where as many (or as few!) people can access it as they please. They don’t even like stories, because reading makes them think, and thinking is a waste of time unless it leads to profit. I’ve known some people that say “I won’t get out of bed for less than ‘X’ dollars a day,” and they’re miserable once the income stream dries up. Because nothing lasts forever, and eventually you’re purpose is redefined. If money is your driving force, then you’re in real trouble. Especially in this crappy economy. You’re world can fall apart very quickly if your foundation is on money.

So yes, I know there are a lot of people out there that don’t get it. They don’t understand why I want to write novels and invest so much time in something that pays so little. That’s OK. Writing brings me joy, and sharing it with others expands that joy. , because for every one of them, I have more saying “thanks for writing this, I enjoyed it,” and the gratitude outweighs all the criticism. And that joy is something that nobody can ever take away.

Now if anybody wants to explain to me why playing video games is a useful pursuit, I’m all ears. That’s one that I don’t get.

That’s all today. Have a Happy Friday and a great weekend!

Bye!

Breaking Down "Breaking Bad"

8/11/2013

I read an interesting op/ed piece yesterday on CNN about how the show Breaking Bad mirrors the evil within us all. The writer described in great detail how her Christian faith helped her to see how this show mirrors the tough moral decision that we face in all of our lives, each and every day. I think it's a great piece and encourage you to follow the link and read it - after, of course, you read my humble opinion on it. I agree with all of the points in this write-up, but I think Breaking Bad is popular for more than the general reason of seeing the good versus evil battle from the other side of the equation. In fact, I believe we can break this show, and it's popularity, down to a more central, core issue than good and evil.

Breaking Bad is about what happens when you make money your god. I mean, isn't that really what it all boiled down to? Let's follow how the dominoes fall:

1. Walt White gets lung cancer. He battles whether or not to get treatment and thinks hey, maybe now, but
2. Skyler White wants him to get treatment, no matter what the cost, but
3. The problem is that they're broke, so
4. Walt goes on a drug bust with his brother-in-law and DEA agent, Hank Shrader, and gets the brainstorm that crystal meth makes money when he sees his former student, Jessie Pinkman, fleeing the scene of the bust, so
5. Walt approaches Jessie about going into business together ...

And that's how the dominoes start falling. The problem is, this is a secret too big to hide. And when Skyler finds out, she strikes back by having an affair with Ted Beneke, her boss, to get back at Walt. But the problem is, the drug money is not only paying for Walt's treatment, but many other things too. And money solves a lot of problems in their society. So the dominoes start falling, one by one, as the business build and the relationships deteriorate.

Think about it, and you'll see that this show is a 5 year battle of money verses, well, pretty much everything else in life. And this is something we can all relate to because frankly, we see it ourselves on smaller scales every day. For all the ladies that tell me this show is too "rough" for them to handle, I say that's crap. Really? You can't handle it? And how often do you buy lottery tickets and fanaticize about how you're going to take that money and tell the world to KMA? Okay, then.

We all know what it's like to be short on money and to have to make tough decisions. And really, think about it: how tempting would it be if you discovered that you have a skill like that that could bring in unimaginable amounts of cash and solve all your financial problems FOREVER? Would the fact that it's illegal deter you? How about if you were dying of cancer and leaving behind a family? Life isn't black and white and frankly, the moral battles are tougher when you're looking at life and death. Throw in regrets over past failures and missed opportunities and really, how would you stand? Nobody knows. And this show gives us a look at how one man did it.

But there are always consequences, and the consequences don't care about ends and means. Walt claims that he did everything he did "for the family," but I call crap on that because I remember the episode when he told Jessie he was building an empire to make up for the one he lost out on in the past - the business he sold out of for $5,000 that went on to make multi-millions. He started in it for the money, but the demons got a foothold through that chink in the armor and now the fame of Heisenburg is clamoring to make up for all of his other mistakes. Jessie is showing signs of cracking and Walt is, as Mike put it so well last season, is a bomb about to go off. Walt spends more time scrambling to cover his tracks than enjoying the fruits of his labors, which is the nature of the whole beast. When you put yourself in a place where you aren't meant to be, you have to work all the time to keep yourself there. Walt is learning that as this decision is taking it's toll on everything in his life. Sure, he decided to get out, but this particular "business" isn't exactly one you can quietly retire from. He thinks he has it handled, but we know the bomb is still ticking. And now, in these final 8 episodes, we see it go boom. Because you know there's no happy ending for anybody here. Not for anybody. The question is, where does the boom happen, and who goes out with it?

We find out soon. The final 8 dominoes fall starting tonight at 9:00 on AMC. I'll be watching, along with the rest of you.

That's all today. Enjoy this video in honor of the final season of Breaking Bad and have a good week.

Bye!

Working Women Versus Stay At Homes - The Great Divide

6/13/2013

I stopped by the Target near my dentist office yesterday, which is on the side of town near the lake where the "haves" live - you know, the upper class echelon of society. I was the only working woman in the store at the time. Every other woman there was an upper class, stay-at-home mom with at least one child in tow. It was an interesting 10 minutes: the employees nearly pestered me to death with "how are you, ma'am - can I help you - are you finding everything alright - come to my line!," and the other customers shuffled away like my job was a nasty disease they were afraid of catching.

I've experienced this at that Target before and honestly, I just shook it off. I wasn't going to inconvenience myself by driving to someplace out of my way, and I figured the upper echelon could put up with my presence for a small slice of my income. What was interesting was what happened later. I went to lunch at a place closer to my job, and there was an even mix of working women and stay-at-homes there. The reaction? Nothing. The employees treated everybody the same, served everybody the same, and we all coexisted in the restaurant, enjoying burgers and fries and shaking our heads at CNN on the televisions, in harmony. One of the customers even asked for a manager to tell her good job on her staff handing all of us so well.

I think the disparity in reaction based on just going a few miles away shows that there's still a divide between working women and stay at home women, but it's not the same as it once was. The question is no longer "is it appropriate for women to work." It's now "under what conditions is it socially acceptable and even expected for women to work." It seems to me that educated, middle class women are expected to work, while there's still a question of whether it's appropriate for upper class women to be in the workforce. Certainly, I know upper class women that work, but they're usually in high power careers like law, medicine, or another field where they hold a post graduate or even a doctoral degree. The bottom line: when a great deal has been invested in getting an education, it's somewhat expected that one got it to pursue a career. I've read many articles on whether a women that got a degree is wasting her education if she chooses to be a stay-at-home, and I've been approached by many people that have outright said "well, at least you're USING your degree. So-and-so quit to raise the kids and look at all of that time and money they invested in what's now nothing more than an expensive piece of paper." While it's true that I heard a fair share of wisecracks while in college about people saying that some women were in college more for their Mrs. than their B.S., I've found this reaction somewhat more common since the economy took a nosedive. It's surprising and shocking. Even now, having heard it a few times, I'm not 100% sure how to react to it.

On the other side are people that say it's not healthy for children to be raised in day cares or even by extended family or friends while mom's work. They feel that being a mother is a primary career and if you can't dedicate yourself to it 100%, then why do it? I think this mindset is waning, but I will agree that there's a great deal of conflict in the mothers I know that work. Many of them would love to stay at home, but they simply can't afford it. That's a situation for most people. Let's face it - the cost of living has skyrocketed, and it's virtually impossible for a middle class family to have a decent standard of living off one income. Sometimes the mother HAS to work to contribute to the household income. The expectations on women have only increased. We're still expected to tend to home and hearth, but the rising cost of living also adds the expectation that we also contribute to the household income. I recently read that people have to pay a lot for services now that used to be free, with television and telephone service being the primary examples (of course, we've gone from 3 channels to how many hundreds and party lines to smart phones too). The world has certainly created the perfect no-win situation for mothers. Kids need their parents and it's not healthy for them to have both parents working outside the home full-time, but affording the perks of a decent lifestyle requires two incomes. Part time jobs used to be the answer, but those have drastically shrunk since the economy tanked. And a woman dropping out of the workforce for 5-6 years and going back to work when the kids start school is also becoming less of an option, as the high unemployment rate usually means that there aren't as many jobs to go back to, and the ones that are open will have more issues with "outdated skills."

Personally, I think the answer lies with the individual. I don't think that an education is ever wasted, and if a woman has the means to be a stay at home and that's what they want, then they certainly should take advantage of having that time with their children. But I don't think that women that want to work or have to work to provide for their children should be made to feel bad, either, because their work is to provide the best lifestyle they can for their kids. Certainly it's a juggling act, and it forces women in a situation of being dependent on others for child-care when their kids aren't in school, but I believe that in and of itself requires excellent scheduling, time management, and people skills. And they probably have a great support network to help them along, which is always a good thing. It's good to have people in your life that you can trust and that can help you along the way. Every choice we make has costs and benefits, and we have to decide what we can live with and what we can manage on a day to day basis.

As for me, I don't believe that the women in Target were looking down on me. Rather, I think it was discomfort because they didn't know how to relate to me. I'm going to be bluntly honest in my takeaway for this entry here: I think the bottom line is that each is privy to a world that the other doesn't understand. As a working woman, I don't know what they could possibly do all day at home. I'd go batty because there's only so much cooking, cleaning, housework, chores, errands, and shopping you can do before it's done, and eventually I'd have to get out and participate in the wide world or I'd go crazy. But that's just me. And frankly, people that don't work don't understand the limitations that having the responsibility of job puts on your life. A change in your job literally changes your whole life - it's that major. And people aren't away from the workforce long before they completely forget what it's like. Sorry, retirees and work force drop outs, but it's true, and it's not just "selective memory" either. Thanks to technology, the 21st century workforce is a shapeshifter. Things are always changing and are constantly in motion, and the workforce is a shapeshifter you don't really "get" unless you're in the middle of morphing with it. But that may be evolving in itself, as this "culture of change" is starting to seep out of work life and into other facets of living in the coming years. It's a large part of the reason why people job hop so much these days. But that's a topic for my next entry - so before you blow that steam and say I'm not being fair on this one, there's more to come on the topic of change next time. Stay tuned.

That's all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Bye!

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Money Saving Tips

Yakkity Yak!

Truth and a Sad Realization

Breaking Down "Breaking Bad"

Working Women Versus Stay At Homes - The Great Divide

Escape Reality

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