Despite the recent dips in the markets, when I look back on the past year of my blogging life, I realize that I really have made tremendous progress. I have a budget, where I never did before – specific, measurable goals where I previously had wishes, and a bit more confidence where I only had questions. More than that, my attitude has been focused on simply making progress. My budget is more accurate than it was even a few months ago, and I try not to get sidetracked when I have a few dips or when I disappoint myself. It’s all about the journey… I get it, and I’m happy with that.
So with all of those reflections, just past my one-year blogging anniversary, I will note for the records that I’m ending December and 2008 with a Net Worth of $39,460, nudged up nominally since November, but up a lot since I started!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Mini-Rant on Megaplex Movie Theaters
So much for saving money being back home for the holidays. Out of our enforced boredom, the Guy and I decided to crown our monotony with a visit the local megaplex to see a few holiday flicks.
> Night 1: Marley & Me – really cute, more-than-I’d-hoped-for fun, until the fire alarm went off at 10:45, 30 minutes into our movie
> Night 2: Used our readmission passes to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Profound, moving, get-you-excited-for-Oscar-buzz-already, until the fire alarm again went off at exactly the same time, with only 10 minutes to go in our movie.
More worthless readmission passes later, we still wasted $36 seeing not one full movie over the holiday break. Geez… Makes me glad for my AFI Movie Challenge – in December, I checked five off the list already! $50 to the Dog fund!
> Night 1: Marley & Me – really cute, more-than-I’d-hoped-for fun, until the fire alarm went off at 10:45, 30 minutes into our movie
> Night 2: Used our readmission passes to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Profound, moving, get-you-excited-for-Oscar-buzz-already, until the fire alarm again went off at exactly the same time, with only 10 minutes to go in our movie.
More worthless readmission passes later, we still wasted $36 seeing not one full movie over the holiday break. Geez… Makes me glad for my AFI Movie Challenge – in December, I checked five off the list already! $50 to the Dog fund!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Ending the Year with a Sigh (and not of Satisfaction)
As the year closes and most bloggers of any sort turn to indulgent predictions, recaps or lofty goals for the following year, I have to admit that I am feeling a bit of impatience at my own lack of progress. It seems I will probably have to change my already-declared 2009 goal because of all these forces out of my control, but I’m leaving it on the books for now… and simply declaring my very-human impatience at the lack of progress or sign of any pay-off at all for all this diligence. Maybe it’s that I haven’t been diligent enough (and don’t have it in me, at this stage in life, to be any more frugal than I already am) – or maybe it’s just that I can’t see that parallel track of “what might have been,” the non-blogging road not taken. Still, I am ending this calendar year, feeling a bit off-kilter.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
'Above my Pay Grade'
I’m rather fond of the expression “must be above my pay grade.” I most often use it to crack a wry joke about something that is complicated to the degree of farce (ridiculous furniture assembly instructions or the insane views on foreign policy espoused by my uncle, for example).
But thinking of getting back to work in a few more days, and in the context of what I am actually paid, a pay grade speaks to a unit in monetary compensation – which my company employs strictly. And though some may disagree, I do appreciate this system (as opposed to alternatives of free negotiation). Some might argue that pay grades could be employed arbitrarily and that negotiation might enable employees to have more meaningful variables considered (like past experience and how much value those specific roles might bring to the current). I, however, would rather embrace these distinct levels, because my sensibilities are highly attuned to fairness (I blame my having a sibling remarkably close in age). In reality, I see that negotiation could really reward the best negotiators and the most obnoxious and whiny.
However, in researching a bit, I have found it interesting that legally, companies are not required to adhere to pay ranges of any sort, and more interesting to me, that if they do employ pay ranges, they are not required to publish them at all. In short, you can never be certain of fairness, I suppose.
What my company does disclose is their theory on employee market value. They maintain that they will always pay me at 85% of my market value. When my friend in HR tried to explain this to me, she said it was based on my skills in that role, and that I would move to the next role too fast to ever reach a level of 100% proficiency which would essentially equate to that 100% of market value level. Makes sense, but it still feels funny when I see that huge number listed as my market value and my salary listed well below.
But in this time, I know I would be grateful to be paid at 50% of my market value, so long as I kept that job.
But thinking of getting back to work in a few more days, and in the context of what I am actually paid, a pay grade speaks to a unit in monetary compensation – which my company employs strictly. And though some may disagree, I do appreciate this system (as opposed to alternatives of free negotiation). Some might argue that pay grades could be employed arbitrarily and that negotiation might enable employees to have more meaningful variables considered (like past experience and how much value those specific roles might bring to the current). I, however, would rather embrace these distinct levels, because my sensibilities are highly attuned to fairness (I blame my having a sibling remarkably close in age). In reality, I see that negotiation could really reward the best negotiators and the most obnoxious and whiny.
However, in researching a bit, I have found it interesting that legally, companies are not required to adhere to pay ranges of any sort, and more interesting to me, that if they do employ pay ranges, they are not required to publish them at all. In short, you can never be certain of fairness, I suppose.
What my company does disclose is their theory on employee market value. They maintain that they will always pay me at 85% of my market value. When my friend in HR tried to explain this to me, she said it was based on my skills in that role, and that I would move to the next role too fast to ever reach a level of 100% proficiency which would essentially equate to that 100% of market value level. Makes sense, but it still feels funny when I see that huge number listed as my market value and my salary listed well below.
But in this time, I know I would be grateful to be paid at 50% of my market value, so long as I kept that job.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
My own Christmas Reverance for a Transitional Year.
The Guy and I are at my parents home in the South - celebrating Hanukkah privately - and my favorite Christmas rituals publicly with my entire family. Sleeping in separate bedrooms and cooking dinners and revisiting childhood haunts in this low-fifties winter (quite refreshing from the sub-zero temperatures we left in the midwest). It's a transitional year for us. I'm waiting to hear back about grad school, and thus, potentially moving us to a new city. We're poised to become a blended family - though not quite there yet, it still feels like family to me.
It feels like a transitional year for the nation as well. So while there will be moments of uncomfortability over the holidays for all of us, I am certain we will look back to remember this year's close profoundly. So I am keeping that quasi-optimistic, reverant outlook for the lull of these next two weeks... before grinding into the next year again.
It feels like a transitional year for the nation as well. So while there will be moments of uncomfortability over the holidays for all of us, I am certain we will look back to remember this year's close profoundly. So I am keeping that quasi-optimistic, reverant outlook for the lull of these next two weeks... before grinding into the next year again.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Indulge Me On This
I’ve been disappointed in the quality of the articles in the Sunday Styles in the past year. Often the writing itself is still stand-out, but the articles and actual topics chosen have seemed almost purposefully out-of-touch, like some editor’s pet interests are being indulged, week after week after “really? A brand of napkins sold only in the Hamptons?” week. The topic of this past Sunday’s headline - Indulge Me On This - struck me as no different. But some of the writing itself didn’t disappoint, and as Dave Eggers has famously said, got right to the business of “speaking eloquently about what it’s like to be alive right now.” The indulgences – the beach, the Nutcracker, the right Scotch, a culinary treat, nice cardstock for greetings, the right pacifier of diet coke – were appropriate for the paper’s readership.
For my own readership and indulgence, I would say my own indulgences this Christmas Eve are really good wine, splurges on family and friends, an excess of ‘wasting time’ pleasure reading.
For my own readership and indulgence, I would say my own indulgences this Christmas Eve are really good wine, splurges on family and friends, an excess of ‘wasting time’ pleasure reading.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
What I'm Learning from Dog Adoptions this December
I’ve recently started volunteering at my area Animal Humane Society, facilitating adoptions of abandoned dogs, which has been significantly more fulfilling than I expected. I am no animal activist, by any means. In my entrance interview even, I stumbled over the questions regarding what part of animal rights I was most concerned about. Umm, general animal cruelty? I wasn’t even sure of what the options were for such a question. I was motivated by a fond feeling of nostalgia for the string of miniature dauschands our family had growing up, as well as, yet another hare-brained business idea of the Guy and I’s (a doggie day care which would be based on the premises of big companies, much like the actual day care service that many large companies already provide). So far I’ve been truly impressed by the charming, devoted people I’ve interacted with as well as the professionalism and well-oiled engine of the AHS.
Two observations on volunteering around this time of year:
ONE. I’ve found the benefits of volunteering at such an organization with such a clear, simple, single-minded mission blissfully uncomplicated. Sure – Darfur, Iraqi refugee, and women’s or immigrant rights funds may be more politically important and impactful in our society. But no one really disagrees that Fido shouldn’t be abused, and witnessing the love and real connection and meaning that an animal can bring to a somewhat haphazard or lonely set of owners, is really quite majestic – in a small, authentic way. As a poet friend of mine always says, ‘What a good and fine thing it is to do a good and fine thing.’
TWO. This experience is helping correct my unasked personal stance that in the whole ‘Time vs. Money’ debate on charitable giving, your money is far more impactful. After experiencing this organization’s operations, in this case, it really does seem that giving of my time and energies provides them maximum benefit, and leaves me devoid of angst over the absolutism of the financial experience of charitable giving (one unaltered number, un-wishy-washy: can I afford this?, is it too much?, Is it nearly enough?)
Two observations on volunteering around this time of year:
ONE. I’ve found the benefits of volunteering at such an organization with such a clear, simple, single-minded mission blissfully uncomplicated. Sure – Darfur, Iraqi refugee, and women’s or immigrant rights funds may be more politically important and impactful in our society. But no one really disagrees that Fido shouldn’t be abused, and witnessing the love and real connection and meaning that an animal can bring to a somewhat haphazard or lonely set of owners, is really quite majestic – in a small, authentic way. As a poet friend of mine always says, ‘What a good and fine thing it is to do a good and fine thing.’
TWO. This experience is helping correct my unasked personal stance that in the whole ‘Time vs. Money’ debate on charitable giving, your money is far more impactful. After experiencing this organization’s operations, in this case, it really does seem that giving of my time and energies provides them maximum benefit, and leaves me devoid of angst over the absolutism of the financial experience of charitable giving (one unaltered number, un-wishy-washy: can I afford this?, is it too much?, Is it nearly enough?)
Monday, December 22, 2008
The 10-10-10 Principle
In cruising around the blogosphere, I stumbled upon Dave Ramsay’s 10-10-10 principle. And being just the type of person to cherish any kind of arbitrary, if firm principle, I immediately rushed to check myself against his. And found myself… yes, lacking.
The Principle is based on the notion of saving 30% of your income… 10% to retirement, 10% to an emergency fund, and 10% to saving for future fun purchases. I only made the cut on retirement.
Me:
__ 6% Pretax +8% Post-Tax for Retirement
__4% Post-Tax on Emergencys
__4% Post-Tax on Fun future purchases
I also save about 6% on a cash-value life insurance policy which I’m using as a mid-term investment (kid’s college one day, far far away I imagine), which doesn’t fold into the 10-10-10 principle as described. So all in all, if I included this as well, I think I would just need to increase my savings to another 6% to meet the full criterion. But starting small, as I usually do, it will be my goal to move my Emergency Fund Savings up first. If I can move my automatic withdrawls up another $60, I will move it up 2% there!
The Principle is based on the notion of saving 30% of your income… 10% to retirement, 10% to an emergency fund, and 10% to saving for future fun purchases. I only made the cut on retirement.
Me:
__ 6% Pretax +8% Post-Tax for Retirement
__4% Post-Tax on Emergencys
__4% Post-Tax on Fun future purchases
I also save about 6% on a cash-value life insurance policy which I’m using as a mid-term investment (kid’s college one day, far far away I imagine), which doesn’t fold into the 10-10-10 principle as described. So all in all, if I included this as well, I think I would just need to increase my savings to another 6% to meet the full criterion. But starting small, as I usually do, it will be my goal to move my Emergency Fund Savings up first. If I can move my automatic withdrawls up another $60, I will move it up 2% there!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
What Writing Means in My Life
A certain grad school that I applied to asks a notoriously difficult and probing question about what you deem “matters” – what you hold most dearly in your life. I (quite obviously) wrestled with this question for a long time, and I decided in the end that my writing does mean most to me. I don’t explicitly acknowledge my writing enough on this blog, and how much it means to me, and I haven't yet heard about my admission to this school... am getting quite anxious, and so I thought it would be purgative to post an excerpt from my response to that question here:
I love figuring people out. My moment of self-actualization came after reading a book about a middle-aged dentist. A novella with pastel, eighties-style graphics on its cover. The story details how said dentist met his wife and the subtle difficulties of their marriage, sharing a dental practice. That is all that happens. But as I read, I wept, because I recognized myself. I immediately fell for him. And for the author’s power to communicate the fullness of this man’s “mundane” experiences – being a father, touching strangers’ mouths. Through my own writing, I’ve found meaning in illustrating these kinds of details – being able to dimensionalize my own and others’ experiences and translate them into something universal. Through writing, I’ve developed a habit of meticulous empathy for the seemingly ordinary things that make people who they are.
Last year, I finished a novel I love. For now, it lives in one-hundred-page stacks on my coffee table, but with luck, will live on a used bookshelf with an outdated Millennium-style cover someday. Not what I have written, but the practice of writing – the solitary hours of empathy, spent imagining myself as someone else – is what matters most to me.
Fiction matters because it moves people to see themselves, and to see what they share with others. It helps explain the world and diminishes our confusion when the world doesn’t operate the way we would like. Ultimately, I find writing important because it helps me understand why people are who they are and why they do what they do.
Happy Hanukkah all... May you treasure what "matters" as well! With affection, Suzy.
I love figuring people out. My moment of self-actualization came after reading a book about a middle-aged dentist. A novella with pastel, eighties-style graphics on its cover. The story details how said dentist met his wife and the subtle difficulties of their marriage, sharing a dental practice. That is all that happens. But as I read, I wept, because I recognized myself. I immediately fell for him. And for the author’s power to communicate the fullness of this man’s “mundane” experiences – being a father, touching strangers’ mouths. Through my own writing, I’ve found meaning in illustrating these kinds of details – being able to dimensionalize my own and others’ experiences and translate them into something universal. Through writing, I’ve developed a habit of meticulous empathy for the seemingly ordinary things that make people who they are.
Last year, I finished a novel I love. For now, it lives in one-hundred-page stacks on my coffee table, but with luck, will live on a used bookshelf with an outdated Millennium-style cover someday. Not what I have written, but the practice of writing – the solitary hours of empathy, spent imagining myself as someone else – is what matters most to me.
Fiction matters because it moves people to see themselves, and to see what they share with others. It helps explain the world and diminishes our confusion when the world doesn’t operate the way we would like. Ultimately, I find writing important because it helps me understand why people are who they are and why they do what they do.
Happy Hanukkah all... May you treasure what "matters" as well! With affection, Suzy.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Last Minute Gift Ideas?
Only a few more days before the holiday gift-giving season officially closes, so thought I would give an update on how I did - and maybe provide a few last minute ideas!
I did okay on my budget... due to my grand plan to stagger giving and use credit card rewards for some of it... plus Macy's was giving away merchandise in a depressing display of retailing desparation. But I'm still looking for one last Hanukkah gift which I clearly need to remedy before the final nights. Any ideas???
For the Whole Fam: some great olive oil, and new holiday ornaments
For the parents collectively: Theater tickets at their favorite spot
Mom: cake stand and topper, a gift package of an assortment of spices
Dad: tie, shirt & cashmere sweater (boring i know, but that's what he wants...)
Brother: a portable solar charger and Itunes Gift Card
Friends: Argentina souvenirs!
And finally, the Guy: Handmade Book of Poems, a pineapple slicer (he asked for it!), a 30 min massage “certificate” (from me), a bottle of really really nice scotch, a cute tie I found on sale at PINK, the Paris J’Taime DVD (Movie we saw on our first date), a few Brooks Brothers clothes/sweaters
Seems like a lot, but it's only 7 gifts... and I don't make the rules, there are 8 nights! He comes home tomorrow and I'm desparate to get something good - something thoughtful, and personal, but not too terribly expensive... so if happen to be a guy reading this, about to enter your fourth decade, and have found at least one of those gifts above remotely apealing, please respond and tell me what you would love!
I did okay on my budget... due to my grand plan to stagger giving and use credit card rewards for some of it... plus Macy's was giving away merchandise in a depressing display of retailing desparation. But I'm still looking for one last Hanukkah gift which I clearly need to remedy before the final nights. Any ideas???
For the Whole Fam: some great olive oil, and new holiday ornaments
For the parents collectively: Theater tickets at their favorite spot
Mom: cake stand and topper, a gift package of an assortment of spices
Dad: tie, shirt & cashmere sweater (boring i know, but that's what he wants...)
Brother: a portable solar charger and Itunes Gift Card
Friends: Argentina souvenirs!
And finally, the Guy: Handmade Book of Poems, a pineapple slicer (he asked for it!), a 30 min massage “certificate” (from me), a bottle of really really nice scotch, a cute tie I found on sale at PINK, the Paris J’Taime DVD (Movie we saw on our first date), a few Brooks Brothers clothes/sweaters
Seems like a lot, but it's only 7 gifts... and I don't make the rules, there are 8 nights! He comes home tomorrow and I'm desparate to get something good - something thoughtful, and personal, but not too terribly expensive... so if happen to be a guy reading this, about to enter your fourth decade, and have found at least one of those gifts above remotely apealing, please respond and tell me what you would love!
Friday, December 12, 2008
I Should Receive a Frugal Gold Star
I eliminated a bit more of my discretionary spending this month – and it was something that I just recently professed to being unable to do. But I finally overcame my reluctance and decided to cancel my home delivery of the New York Sunday Times. That’s right, I’m now one more straw on the back of the newspaper industry’s decline. One, my promotional rate shot up to $27 bucks a month. For FOUR papers – almost $30 bucks! And despite how much enjoyment it affords me, I just don’t need it delivered to my doorstep four weeks out of the year. I will probably still go pick up the paper at a newsstand twice a month – if the Guy and I split, I’ll still be spending $5 per month on my beloved paper indulgence. But really, that’s $25 of savings and given how hard it is to make my budget fit on more essential nonessentials, I realized, sacrificing my Times is really an easy call. In short, I should get a gold star for giving up my fave thing!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
On Milestones and Arguing About Money
A couple weeks ago, The Guy and I passed the “Year-and-a-Half Mark” in our relationship. Sorry if some of you are scoffing, but 18 Months is quite monumental in my eyes. And truly, I’ve never been happier or more comfortable with anyone. Because my real-life best friends have been going through some difficult times lately, I really haven’t taken the opportunity to gloat: but, I mean, wow, I’m really happy with this guy. And given how difficult I can be, it’s kind of something that we both still enjoy each other’s company and feel like true partners.
I also really appreciate that when we argue, we really talk it out – and generally do so without belittling or caricaturizing the other person. Which is really one of those important "in the long-term" kinds of things. Anyway, to the second point of my post. We had an argument the other day – I think it would most accurately be labeled as a “spat” – that was really about different philosophies on money, somewhere underneath the silliness.
Scenario: The Guy and I have these free movie passes that expire at the end of the year. So last weekend we decided we would go see a movie at this theater, only to discover upon arrival that we can’t use the passes on Saturday. At which point, we can either retreat or pay $18 to see the movie. I suggest we check out another movie we really wanted to see at another theater. (Read: If I’m going to spend money, it better be something I actually want to see). The Guy overrides and says we should just see it because it's not worth the trouble to hike all 2 blocks to the nearest theater. He wins. I buy the tickets, but I am miffed, and borderline bitter. My gripe is not the $18, but the fact that I feel The Guy doesn’t take into account my frugal tendencies enough (at all?)
Seems trivial enough, but isn’t this where it starts? Am I just being ridiculously small? Or is this a legitimate claim that boils into something bigger? I guess, given that a lot of marital issues are caused by disputes over money, I’m wondering if this is just inevitable or a signpost. Thoughts?
I also really appreciate that when we argue, we really talk it out – and generally do so without belittling or caricaturizing the other person. Which is really one of those important "in the long-term" kinds of things. Anyway, to the second point of my post. We had an argument the other day – I think it would most accurately be labeled as a “spat” – that was really about different philosophies on money, somewhere underneath the silliness.
Scenario: The Guy and I have these free movie passes that expire at the end of the year. So last weekend we decided we would go see a movie at this theater, only to discover upon arrival that we can’t use the passes on Saturday. At which point, we can either retreat or pay $18 to see the movie. I suggest we check out another movie we really wanted to see at another theater. (Read: If I’m going to spend money, it better be something I actually want to see). The Guy overrides and says we should just see it because it's not worth the trouble to hike all 2 blocks to the nearest theater. He wins. I buy the tickets, but I am miffed, and borderline bitter. My gripe is not the $18, but the fact that I feel The Guy doesn’t take into account my frugal tendencies enough (at all?)
Seems trivial enough, but isn’t this where it starts? Am I just being ridiculously small? Or is this a legitimate claim that boils into something bigger? I guess, given that a lot of marital issues are caused by disputes over money, I’m wondering if this is just inevitable or a signpost. Thoughts?
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The "Why" Behind Expensive Health Care
I wanted to do a series about how much health care costs (i.e. literally answering the “what” for all of these services), but the more I researched, the more I found answers to a different question, the “why.” As in “Why does U.S. health care cost so much?”
The variations in how much health care costs in various nations are mostly explained by G.D.P. per capita. And everything else is being attributed to:
1. Simply higher prices for the same thing
2. Higher admin/overheard costs
3. More widespread use of high tech equipment
4. More defensive medicine and tests to fend off malpractice suits
I wonder if any of Obama’s universal health care plans are addressing any of these specific issues or if universalizing will simply being evening the playing field for lower income families who can’t even get the baseline of care being offered in the U.S. I will be interested to learn more.
To my original question of how much health care costs… does anyone have ideas for good resources on where to find better itemization of what things cost?
In the meantime, I'm doing a pretty good job of noting Rx costs on my recipts (that little line that tells you how much your insurance saved you....)
Read more in-depth in this great Economix article from Nov. 14 NYTimes
The variations in how much health care costs in various nations are mostly explained by G.D.P. per capita. And everything else is being attributed to:
1. Simply higher prices for the same thing
2. Higher admin/overheard costs
3. More widespread use of high tech equipment
4. More defensive medicine and tests to fend off malpractice suits
I wonder if any of Obama’s universal health care plans are addressing any of these specific issues or if universalizing will simply being evening the playing field for lower income families who can’t even get the baseline of care being offered in the U.S. I will be interested to learn more.
To my original question of how much health care costs… does anyone have ideas for good resources on where to find better itemization of what things cost?
In the meantime, I'm doing a pretty good job of noting Rx costs on my recipts (that little line that tells you how much your insurance saved you....)
Read more in-depth in this great Economix article from Nov. 14 NYTimes
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A Frugal Winter Project - and a Challenge?
Instead of spending lots to see movies or go shopping or go out to keep ourselves entertained over the LONG months of Minnesota winter, the Guy and I decided on a little project. We’re planning to see every single movie on the AFI’s Top 100 list… with a deadline of April 1st. The significance of April 1st is supposedly when Winter will have ended here in Minnesota and it is also the date for when we’ve planned to get a DOG! So the idea is to contribute what we would have spent on movie tickets ($10 each) and putting it toward the dog savings fund, everytime we see one on our list. (For now, we’re ignoring the fixed cost of Netflix).
So I looked through and we haven’t seen 75 of the movies (wow, I’m uncultured)…. Leaving us at a savings total of $750 each if we see all of them by then. Maybe we won't make it, but it will be a fun little winter project... want to take the challenge and put the savings towards your own savings goal? Customize it any way you'd like and leave a comment on this post if you want to take the challenge!
1. Citizen Kane (1941)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler's List (1993)
9. Vertigo (1958)
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars (1977)
14. Psycho (1960)
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
18. The General (1927)
19. On the Waterfront (1954)
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Some Like It Hot (1959)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part II (1974)
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
41. King Kong (1933)
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Sotry (1940)
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1954)
49. Intolerance (1916)
51. West Side Story (1961)
52. Taxi Driver (1976)
53. The Deer Hunter (1978)
54. M*a*s*h (1970)
55. North By Northwest (1959)
57. Rocky (1976)
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan's Travels (1958)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1972)
64. Network (1976)
65. The African Queen (1951)
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
67. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)
70. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
73. Butch Caddidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise (1927)
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie's Choice (1982)
92. Goodfellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
97. Blade Runner (1982)
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Let me know if you want to take the Frugal Winter Project Challenge with a post! Oh, and let me know if you have favorite movies on this list where I should start!
So I looked through and we haven’t seen 75 of the movies (wow, I’m uncultured)…. Leaving us at a savings total of $750 each if we see all of them by then. Maybe we won't make it, but it will be a fun little winter project... want to take the challenge and put the savings towards your own savings goal? Customize it any way you'd like and leave a comment on this post if you want to take the challenge!
1. Citizen Kane (1941)
4. Raging Bull (1980)
5. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
7. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8. Schindler's List (1993)
9. Vertigo (1958)
11. City Lights (1931)
12. The Searchers (1956)
13. Star Wars (1977)
14. Psycho (1960)
15. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
16. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
18. The General (1927)
19. On the Waterfront (1954)
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Some Like It Hot (1959)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. All About Eve (1950)
29. Double Indemnity (1944)
30. Apocalypse Now (1979)
31. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
32. The Godfather Part II (1974)
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
36. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
37. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
38. Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
39. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
41. King Kong (1933)
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
43. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
44. The Philadelphia Sotry (1940)
45. Shane (1953)
46. It Happened One Night (1934)
47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
48. Rear Window (1954)
49. Intolerance (1916)
51. West Side Story (1961)
52. Taxi Driver (1976)
53. The Deer Hunter (1978)
54. M*a*s*h (1970)
55. North By Northwest (1959)
57. Rocky (1976)
58. The Gold Rush (1925)
59. Nashville (1975)
60. Duck Soup (1933)
61. Sullivan's Travels (1958)
62. American Graffiti (1973)
63. Cabaret (1972)
64. Network (1976)
65. The African Queen (1951)
66. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
67. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
68. Unforgiven (1992)
69. Tootsie (1982)
70. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
73. Butch Caddidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
75. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
78. Modern Times (1936)
79. The Wild Bunch (1969)
80. The Apartment (1960)
81. Spartacus (1960)
82. Sunrise (1927)
84. Easy Rider (1969)
85. A Night at the Opera (1935)
86. Platoon (1986)
88. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
90. Swing Time (1936)
91. Sophie's Choice (1982)
92. Goodfellas (1990)
93. The French Connection (1971)
94. Pulp Fiction (1994)
95. The Last Picture Show (1971)
97. Blade Runner (1982)
98. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Let me know if you want to take the Frugal Winter Project Challenge with a post! Oh, and let me know if you have favorite movies on this list where I should start!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Save $1000 in 30 Days - Volume II
So I promised to post back on all of the things that I didn't do to try to save $1000 in 30 days (or how I ended up saving only $185). I might dip back into these at a later date... but for now, I'm keeping them on the shelf. Hopefully some of you can find something here that works... or I would encourage you to dip back into the original posts at IWTYTBR.
Things I Didn't Do:
> Enlist the help of friends to help support your savings. – the Guy hears enough about my various savings schemes as is...
> Save money on cell phone bill – I did use billshrink.com and found two offers/plans from other carriers that could save me around $40 a year. For that much money, it’s not really worth my time and patience to pick up the phone and talk to customer retention people, but next year when I move and have to deal with it, I’m going to dig up this resource.
> Fuel Hedging - Now that prices are coming down, I'm less motivated to squirrel away money for smaller expenses like this. I would rather handle it with flexible budgeting.
> Cancel Discretionary Subscriptions – I did cancel my Netflix subscription about 6 months ago, and I haven’t really regretted it at all. The only subscription I have now is my Sunday times, and I get more enjoyment out of that on Sunday mornings than anything. I noticed that the monthly charge is $27, which is expensive, and has definitely creeped back up from the promotional price I opted in at. So I may cancel out and buy newstand in coming months if I need to tighten further. I'm so on the fence...
> No Christmas Gifts this Year. I would like to do this this year. Christmas gifts are so guilt-ridden and awkward sometimes. I would rather do something else to show people that I care about them. But I can’t seem to actually do this one. I want to at least moderate my gift giving this year…. But giving smaller gifts seems even lamer than giving no gifts somehow. I think the best thing is when everyone is on the same page though, which I think we are.
> Cancel any large purchases temporarily – I don’t think I really had any on the docket, but I like the tip of putting a calendar reminder 30 days out, to make sure you really do need whatever decently large purchase you might be considering. I live by calendar reminders so that system might work.
> Self-persuasion…. This one was kind of lost on me frankly. Sorry, Ramit.
> Only Buy new things when replacing something old (also take issue with this guy… I mean, some old things DON’T need to be replaced…
> Minimize interest by paying a little extra off your loan each month (no loans and I pay credit cards off in full)
> Change the Date of Christmas to avoid paying high premiums for airfare, etc (Next year for sure). Or, I may even consider coming home less next year. I hate to say it... but I'm getting older, I have the Guy's side of the family that I could visit instead, or maybe just stay at home awhile. I am coming to realize that I really don't enjoy those extra days in my childhood bed... and I might be able to satisfy the family obligation elsewhere.
Things I Didn't Do:
> Enlist the help of friends to help support your savings. – the Guy hears enough about my various savings schemes as is...
> Save money on cell phone bill – I did use billshrink.com and found two offers/plans from other carriers that could save me around $40 a year. For that much money, it’s not really worth my time and patience to pick up the phone and talk to customer retention people, but next year when I move and have to deal with it, I’m going to dig up this resource.
> Fuel Hedging - Now that prices are coming down, I'm less motivated to squirrel away money for smaller expenses like this. I would rather handle it with flexible budgeting.
> Cancel Discretionary Subscriptions – I did cancel my Netflix subscription about 6 months ago, and I haven’t really regretted it at all. The only subscription I have now is my Sunday times, and I get more enjoyment out of that on Sunday mornings than anything. I noticed that the monthly charge is $27, which is expensive, and has definitely creeped back up from the promotional price I opted in at. So I may cancel out and buy newstand in coming months if I need to tighten further. I'm so on the fence...
> No Christmas Gifts this Year. I would like to do this this year. Christmas gifts are so guilt-ridden and awkward sometimes. I would rather do something else to show people that I care about them. But I can’t seem to actually do this one. I want to at least moderate my gift giving this year…. But giving smaller gifts seems even lamer than giving no gifts somehow. I think the best thing is when everyone is on the same page though, which I think we are.
> Cancel any large purchases temporarily – I don’t think I really had any on the docket, but I like the tip of putting a calendar reminder 30 days out, to make sure you really do need whatever decently large purchase you might be considering. I live by calendar reminders so that system might work.
> Self-persuasion…. This one was kind of lost on me frankly. Sorry, Ramit.
> Only Buy new things when replacing something old (also take issue with this guy… I mean, some old things DON’T need to be replaced…
> Minimize interest by paying a little extra off your loan each month (no loans and I pay credit cards off in full)
> Change the Date of Christmas to avoid paying high premiums for airfare, etc (Next year for sure). Or, I may even consider coming home less next year. I hate to say it... but I'm getting older, I have the Guy's side of the family that I could visit instead, or maybe just stay at home awhile. I am coming to realize that I really don't enjoy those extra days in my childhood bed... and I might be able to satisfy the family obligation elsewhere.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Save $1000 (or $185) in 30 Days.
Recently I started reading the blog “I Will Teach You to Be Reach” who recently sponsored a challenge to save $1000 in 30 days. I didn't save anywhere near that amount, but I did record all of the tips and tried to implement many of them. The summary is below, noting which things I actually did and how much I'm thinking I could have saved. The basic idea is that hopefully you can find at least a few things, and hey, maybe you’ll save $100 instead of a $1000. Every bit counts… My calculation: $185 savings. I'll post again on all of the things I didn't do.
Things I Did:
> Packed my lunch for a week. I did this, but beyond this one tip, I would say the underlying idea is to create a system to help reduce food costs at work. Whether you only allow yourself two lunches in the work cafeteria or maybe there’s a set amount per week, it’s easy to exceed what you would budget on these types of expenses because they’re more blind.
($12 savings)
> Sell something on EBAY. Okay, I tried. But it didn’t sell. I think I might stick with good ‘ole Craigslist from now on. Same principle.
($0 savings)
> Create one no-spending day each week. I love this idea. Mine’s going to be each Monday.
($20 savings - probably a generous estimate)
> Buy Generic for Stuff you don’t care about. I do think this is very smart. I already do so with some things, but I know I can go further.
($8 savings)
> Invite People over to one’s house instead of going out (we do this all the time).
($20 savings)
> Use free rewards from credit cards etc (I do already, for holiday gifts!)
($125 savings)
Things I Did:
> Packed my lunch for a week. I did this, but beyond this one tip, I would say the underlying idea is to create a system to help reduce food costs at work. Whether you only allow yourself two lunches in the work cafeteria or maybe there’s a set amount per week, it’s easy to exceed what you would budget on these types of expenses because they’re more blind.
($12 savings)
> Sell something on EBAY. Okay, I tried. But it didn’t sell. I think I might stick with good ‘ole Craigslist from now on. Same principle.
($0 savings)
> Create one no-spending day each week. I love this idea. Mine’s going to be each Monday.
($20 savings - probably a generous estimate)
> Buy Generic for Stuff you don’t care about. I do think this is very smart. I already do so with some things, but I know I can go further.
($8 savings)
> Invite People over to one’s house instead of going out (we do this all the time).
($20 savings)
> Use free rewards from credit cards etc (I do already, for holiday gifts!)
($125 savings)
Friday, December 5, 2008
Improving My Credit Score...
It seems like every other story on NPR these past few weeks have been about how the economy and credit crunch is affecting the colloquial “Main Street.” And the way I’ve been hearing it, it all comes down to one thing…. Your Credit Score. It seems like that one little number is really the difference between how you’re impacted by any of this.
I posted my score here before: 748 (which is only considered “Good”)
To take it up to “Great” and getting beyond the 78th percentile before I really need a loan would be ideal.
A few actions I’ll be taking to help do what I can to improve my credit score:
--> Scheduling my credit card payments monthly so I never turn anything in late.
--> Close my one dormant retail credit card I opened when I was 17.
--> Keep my balance low. Keep charging one tank of gas a month on the two cards that aren’t my primary card.
I posted my score here before: 748 (which is only considered “Good”)
To take it up to “Great” and getting beyond the 78th percentile before I really need a loan would be ideal.
A few actions I’ll be taking to help do what I can to improve my credit score:
--> Scheduling my credit card payments monthly so I never turn anything in late.
--> Close my one dormant retail credit card I opened when I was 17.
--> Keep my balance low. Keep charging one tank of gas a month on the two cards that aren’t my primary card.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Evaluating My Portfolio of Assets
So, I did it... I took the plunge and upped my automatic savings by another $100. I decided I would increase my cash-value life insurance contributions so that I can hopefully cover this no problem, even when I'm in grad school. I think I may even be able to do more... but I want to wait it out and see.
The one blessing of not having a lot of money in these times, as I told my advisor yesterday, is not having to worry so much about the right balance of your portfolio. When you only have a little teensy bit in the market, there’s just not that much nuance you can introduce. But for the future, I do want to re-evaluate my entire portfolio of assets and get a sober assessment of the right balance. I recently found a quick list of resources to help you do just that on your own.
Step 1: Break down all of your assets into three major categories; stocks, bonds and cash.
Step 2: Use Morningstar’s free Instant X-Ray tool (Morningstar.com/goto/instantxray) to display the assets in a pie chart.
Step 3: Decide your target allocation and shift from investments you’re overweighted in to those you’re light on.
Rinse and repeat annually. I think the categorization will be enlightening for me for instance, because often, even when I have my money in many different places, they all might fall into the same category.
The one blessing of not having a lot of money in these times, as I told my advisor yesterday, is not having to worry so much about the right balance of your portfolio. When you only have a little teensy bit in the market, there’s just not that much nuance you can introduce. But for the future, I do want to re-evaluate my entire portfolio of assets and get a sober assessment of the right balance. I recently found a quick list of resources to help you do just that on your own.
Step 1: Break down all of your assets into three major categories; stocks, bonds and cash.
Step 2: Use Morningstar’s free Instant X-Ray tool (Morningstar.com/goto/instantxray) to display the assets in a pie chart.
Step 3: Decide your target allocation and shift from investments you’re overweighted in to those you’re light on.
Rinse and repeat annually. I think the categorization will be enlightening for me for instance, because often, even when I have my money in many different places, they all might fall into the same category.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Meeting with my Financial Advisor Today
I'm meeting with my financial advisor today – long overdue considering the progress I’ve made since our last meeting (a. became a personal finance blogger, b. applied to business school, c. moved in with the Guy, etc. etc.)
I completed the two update worksheets – one which had all of my income statistics and also what I hoped to be making in three years which was a lovely exercise in “who knows” now that the ceiling has come crumbling down. And the other was my monthly budget. I remember being handed this at our initial meeting and thinking it was pretty preposterous. How was I supposed to know how much I spent on all of this stuff? How naïve and not-yet-anal I was! I flew through it more or less with ease, applying a few ranges where appropriate, and was happy to see how close I was matching their categories with mine… I came up with only having a $38 surplus from my income to my expenses. We all know how quickly $38 can be sprinkled throughout multiple categories, so I’m sure that’s where it actually goes.
But it did make me think. Could I contribute $38 more to my Roth? Could I up my cash savings $38? Or more? I know it will only work when I increase something that I don’t already see. So I might just ask my friends at Northwestern Mutual to increase something without telling me. More later to report on the meeting....
I completed the two update worksheets – one which had all of my income statistics and also what I hoped to be making in three years which was a lovely exercise in “who knows” now that the ceiling has come crumbling down. And the other was my monthly budget. I remember being handed this at our initial meeting and thinking it was pretty preposterous. How was I supposed to know how much I spent on all of this stuff? How naïve and not-yet-anal I was! I flew through it more or less with ease, applying a few ranges where appropriate, and was happy to see how close I was matching their categories with mine… I came up with only having a $38 surplus from my income to my expenses. We all know how quickly $38 can be sprinkled throughout multiple categories, so I’m sure that’s where it actually goes.
But it did make me think. Could I contribute $38 more to my Roth? Could I up my cash savings $38? Or more? I know it will only work when I increase something that I don’t already see. So I might just ask my friends at Northwestern Mutual to increase something without telling me. More later to report on the meeting....
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
November Book Reccommendations
I have to admit that I haven’t been very good at updating the sidebar on What I’m Currently Reading. I picked up and rather quickly put down Oliver Stone’s USA because I hadn’t yet seen many of the films referenced. I will hopefully be picking that up when that task is completed! What I have been reading instead:
The Straight Man by Richard Russo
I was lead to believe (by an overly chipper member of our HR dept at work) that this was a funny book. It was funny only in the wryest sense, in which you feel bemused but somehow more depressed for the characters. Coming from an HR recommendation, that just made my reading of the book rather weird. Other than that, it picked up in the second half and was definitely an easy read if nothing else. The one line that stuck with me which I thought was salient: “I’m not a ______ (fill in the blank: sadist, misogynist, whatever), but I can play that role.” There are so many times we pick up the end of a joke or deliver a line knowing that we’re playing a role, more than we’re being true to our own characters. Such an interesting behavior.
The Good Book by Peter J. Gomes
This has been a truly seminal read for me. Growing up in a conservative (Southern Baptist) family, I have had a hard time reconciling what I do see as my own true faith, with my now fairly-liberal political and social views. How can I have faith in the same God of my childhood upbringing and also believe something so heretically different from what my parents/grandparents/minister/ believe about the world. This book takes an intellectual look at what it means to read the Bible and how much the Bible has been misused to mean whatever the cultural consensus prefers. Using examples like prohibition/temperance, slavery, women’s rights, anti-Semitism, abortion, and other cultural battles, Gomes outlines exactly what the Bible does say that could be related to these topics and gives examples of how these passages have been interpreted (for better, or more often for worse). The cultural construction of spirituality is a subject I’ve always been interested in, and this was a really enlightening and truly NEW understanding of some of these issues and how people can construct very different worldviews while still believing in the God of the Bible. I highly recommend it.
The Latest Non-Required Reading Anthology Edited by Dave Eggers
This time the guest editor was Judy Blume and some of the front matter they’ve compiled is truly hysterical. I haven’t gotten to any of the stories yet (I’m sharing this read with the Guy so I’m waiting for him to finish). But the opening bits were just classic. My favorite was seeing the Best Facebook Groups and seeing some of mine in there! Yes, I’m a member of the Facebook Group “I judge you when you use poor grammar.”
The Straight Man by Richard Russo
I was lead to believe (by an overly chipper member of our HR dept at work) that this was a funny book. It was funny only in the wryest sense, in which you feel bemused but somehow more depressed for the characters. Coming from an HR recommendation, that just made my reading of the book rather weird. Other than that, it picked up in the second half and was definitely an easy read if nothing else. The one line that stuck with me which I thought was salient: “I’m not a ______ (fill in the blank: sadist, misogynist, whatever), but I can play that role.” There are so many times we pick up the end of a joke or deliver a line knowing that we’re playing a role, more than we’re being true to our own characters. Such an interesting behavior.
The Good Book by Peter J. Gomes
This has been a truly seminal read for me. Growing up in a conservative (Southern Baptist) family, I have had a hard time reconciling what I do see as my own true faith, with my now fairly-liberal political and social views. How can I have faith in the same God of my childhood upbringing and also believe something so heretically different from what my parents/grandparents/minister/ believe about the world. This book takes an intellectual look at what it means to read the Bible and how much the Bible has been misused to mean whatever the cultural consensus prefers. Using examples like prohibition/temperance, slavery, women’s rights, anti-Semitism, abortion, and other cultural battles, Gomes outlines exactly what the Bible does say that could be related to these topics and gives examples of how these passages have been interpreted (for better, or more often for worse). The cultural construction of spirituality is a subject I’ve always been interested in, and this was a really enlightening and truly NEW understanding of some of these issues and how people can construct very different worldviews while still believing in the God of the Bible. I highly recommend it.
The Latest Non-Required Reading Anthology Edited by Dave Eggers
This time the guest editor was Judy Blume and some of the front matter they’ve compiled is truly hysterical. I haven’t gotten to any of the stories yet (I’m sharing this read with the Guy so I’m waiting for him to finish). But the opening bits were just classic. My favorite was seeing the Best Facebook Groups and seeing some of mine in there! Yes, I’m a member of the Facebook Group “I judge you when you use poor grammar.”
Monday, December 1, 2008
November Goals Wrap-Up
A little ahead of things since I already posted my December goals, but I won't let myself get away with a recap on last month. With my Argentina wiping out most of my month altogether, I had only three goals. How’d I do?
Devote 1 solid hour of weekend time to reading and organizing current projects.
I made good strides but I want to keep this going into December, to get serious about my writing especially.
Read the Wall Street Journal everyday.
Complete fail. I read the WSJ three days entirely: 11/1, 11/6, 11/25
Create a Detailed Holiday Gift Plan
Check! And so far, I’m sticking to it!
Limit “Employee Badge spending” to $40
Sorta-kinda. For the things I normally spend money on (food/coffee), I actually limited my spending to $16. But I put a $50 dry cleaning bill on my badge, for an overage of $26 over my goal. I will still be monitoring this next month though.
Devote 1 solid hour of weekend time to reading and organizing current projects.
I made good strides but I want to keep this going into December, to get serious about my writing especially.
Read the Wall Street Journal everyday.
Complete fail. I read the WSJ three days entirely: 11/1, 11/6, 11/25
Create a Detailed Holiday Gift Plan
Check! And so far, I’m sticking to it!
Limit “Employee Badge spending” to $40
Sorta-kinda. For the things I normally spend money on (food/coffee), I actually limited my spending to $16. But I put a $50 dry cleaning bill on my badge, for an overage of $26 over my goal. I will still be monitoring this next month though.
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