1. You really know how to dance.  Seriously, you break it down better than anyone I know.

2. You contribute the full 5% that your employer matches to your 401k.  Great work. 

3. You pay your credit card bill in full at the end of every month. 

4. You clip coupons; not like it’s your job or anything, but you make an effort and that’s groovy.

5. You have a Roth IRA and you feel all warm and fuzzy when you make a contribution. 

6. You aren’t flipping out and considering selling all your stocks every day that the stock market dips.

7. You know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em.  Thanks for not dwelling on every single financial mistake you’ve ever made.   Whiners really get me down. 

8. You don’t buy a pallet of anything from Sam’s just because “it’s a good deal.”

9. You take care of the stuff you have so that you don’t have to buy new stuff later. 

10. Seeing anything about “get rich quick” schemes gets you started on one of your world-fameous rants.  

11. You don’t eat out frequently and then complain about being broke (or overweight). 

12. Even though they don’t always stick, you’re always looking for new ways to spend your money better.

13. You don’t buy crap on an impulse. 

14. You’re generous.

15. You don’t expect a raise or promotion without doing above-and-beyond type of work.  You work hard for the money.  So hard for it honey.

16. You don’t buy houses, cars or anything else that would require you to live beyond your means.

17. You can’t stand it when people say things like “ATM machine” or “BFF’s forever.”  They’re redundant and redundant.  This may seem a bit off topic, but it needed to be said. 

18. You don’t pay for things you can do yourself. 

19. You spend less than than you earn.

20. You review, tweak and improve your budget every month.  The fact that you even have a budget is something I like about you. 

 

You rock.

 

Article publié pour la première fois le 11/10/2010

In school your teachers assigned you grades.  At work the boss man monitors your output. Tell me, who’s tracking your financial performance?

It’s pretty popular for financial bloggers to publicly track their net worth.  And that’s great.

Why do they do it?  While I cannot know their intentions for sure, I’m betting they aren’t just being smug (though I would feel pretty smug if I were some of them).  Public accountability works.  

Since I’ve started working from home, I’ve realized that no one, aside from my mother, really cares if I’m up before 8 o’clock.  

Adulthood carries much responsibility; the unpleasant kind that too often seems to go unrewarded.  

Why do you brush your teeth every day?   Aside from the distinctly unpleasant fuzzy feeling, people tend to have a bad reaction towards smelly breath.  

Peer pressure can be a good thing.  For one thing, it can motivate you to ward off cavities. For another, it can keep you from giving up on a goal.

 

Humorous Anecdote (to prove my point):

I committed to running my first 5k with Husband on our Air Force base.  For those of you that don’t know, the U.S. Military requires their employees to stay in freakishly good shape (lucky me :)).  

I workout pretty regularly, so I thought to myself, “This should be a piece of cake.  I wonder if there will be a 5k cake.  That would be awesome.”

I finished in 30 minutes (respectable), but second to last behind all those freaks (with the safety car following close behind).  

If no one had been expecting me at the finish line, I might have ducked into our house (on the route) and crawled back into bed.  5k’s start way too early anyways.  

Perhaps the biggest motivator was that car following me.  I’d be danged if I was going to let that lazy driver see me give up.  

Call it “pride” or call it “Mike,” I really don’t care what you call it, but it kept me going.

 

You may not have a blog to announce your progress to the world.  Heck, I have a blog and I don’t even announce my progress to the world.  The world is much too nosey for my taste. But we do share our big goals with close friends and family.

The lame responsibilities we assume in adulthood somehow seem less lame when we get a little recognition. 

Go on and share your goals with someone; make sure that you are expected at the finish line.  While you’re at it, hire a car to chase you, it’s quite thrilling. 

 

Article publié pour la première fois le 13/10/2010

60% more for my PB&J?  I’ll make it myself, thank you very much.

 

I may be alone on this one, but I used to think that those frozen, pre-made dinners were  cheaper than buying all of the ingredients and making the same meal from scratch.  It makes sense, buy one thing in one package and it should be cheaper; well, it makes sense in my mind at least.  As I’ve become a more savvy shopper, I’ve noticed that these meals are seeming more and more expensive.  This week I went to the store to compare the cost of store-bought, frozen meals and the cost of making the same meals at home on my own time.  I found that, as usual, when someone does the work for you, it’s going to cost you more. 

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Article publié pour la première fois le 29/07/2010

I am a lousy tipper.  Husband is an excellent tipper.  Can you imagine a more outrageous couple?

 

You may have gotten the cutesy email that explains that the word ‘tips’ is actually an acronym, short for the phrase “to insure prompt service.”  Well, stop spreading that rumor, because according to Snopes, it’s not true; and it really doesn’t make any sense if you think about it.   Truth be told, I will generally, begrudgingly, tip at least 15%.  Buy why?  Today I wanted to find out where that magical 15% comes from, but as far as I could find, the waitress union pushed the initiative through a top secret campaign.  15% actually does seem like a reasonable amount for good service, but what about just OK or bad service?

 

Reasons Why We Might Over-Tip:

We Don’t Know It 

Many people just glance at their receipt, which is normal, because they have lives to get to.  But if you’re not careful, you may miss the automatic gratuity that can be added to parties as few as 6 in some restaurants.  Doing some quick math can ensure the proper compensation and prevent double tipping.

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Article publié pour la première fois le 02/08/2010

Babies are fun, cute, cuddly and freaking expensive!  Before my son, I never felt so rich in my heart or so broke in my wallet.  From doctor visits to cribs, the bills start to pile up where your savings used to be.  So, in my infinite new-mom wisdom (ha!) I will give you a few money saving tips for what baby stuff to skip, whether you are about to become a parent or need a gift for one.

1.            ich mУЖchte flirten Wipe Warmer.  This is a waste of money, space, and electricity.  Think about this: your baby is sitting in a hot, sticky, plastic-y, papery diaper all day and night, and you know the stuff filling up those diapers is also warm and sticky.   Don’t you think a cool clean wipe would feel good after all that?  Besides, your baby will have a lot ruder awakenings in the future than a cold wipe, he can tough it out.

2.            look at here now Crib-in-a-Bag Sets.  Ok, so you saw the pictures in the baby catalogue with the nursery all set up, a warm and cozy wonderland of fluff and cuteness.  And you thought “oooh, so sweet! But how will I afford it?”  Well, great news!  You won’t have to because the American Academy of Pediatrics has labeled this a SIDS deathtrap.  Bumpers, pillows, quilts, positioners, are some of the cute but unsafe items that come in bedding sets.  Some people buy all this just to take a picture, then they stuff most of it into a closet.  Big waste of money!  A crib needs a fitted sheet and a wearable blanket or light cotton blanket, that’s it.  Another waste item in these sets and also sold separately is the diaper stacker, a hanging fabric sack that holds diapers.  It’s cute in a matchy-matchy kind of way, but ultimately useless and annoying to keep refilling.  Put a stack of diapers on the changing table or fill a dresser drawer.

3.            lieu de drague oise Newborn Clothes and Shoes.  New babies sleep, …a lot. What they need for that are sleepers, not a ton of tiny jeans or frilly skirts or three piece suits.  It’s not like they wake up in the morning and get ready for a day at the office.  They get up to eat, then go right back to bed.  Also, they grow out of this size so quickly (if they ever fit into them at all).  Get a few “nice” outfits for pictures, coming home from the hospital, or special occasions like baby’s christening or blessing at church.  As for baby shoes: bottom line, babies don’t need shoes until they start walking. Before then, barefoot is better for muscle development and to allow growth and formation of feet. Get some socks to keep those piggies warm or crotchet some booties during that long third trimester.

4.            http://www.federalbakeshop.com/limited/2435 Drool Bibs.  You will need plenty of large bibs when your little one starts eating solids (those mashed peas get everywhere!), but you don’t need the tiny bibs designed for new babies to drool or spit up on.  They are even too small for doing that job well.

5.            rencontres dinan 22 Baby Monitor.  With audio and video night vision monitors you could drop a wad of cash on these, but the truth is you don’t need them.  Unless you live in a mansion or spend an inordinate amount of time in your garden or garage you will hear when your baby needs you.  Also, baby monitors can rob you of precious moments of sleep new parents are desperate for.  You hear every little squeak and wiggle the baby makes.  It continually wakes you up and turns you into a paranoid freak, anxiously listening to every breath the baby makes wondering, “Was that normal? …Was THAT normal??”  Get some rest, save your money.

Baby stores would love for you to buy one of everything in their inventory, and well-meaning friends and grandparents would love to buy them for you.  But you don’t need all of it, and what you really don’t need is a money crunch on top of the new-parent stress.  Friends of new parents, please don’t waste your money on something they will never use or use only once.  New parents are really grateful for help, so buy them necessities, not a bunch of “cute” junk to fill up their house. Diapers and wipes are always welcome and in a variety of sizes—my kid only wore one newborn diaper, in the operating room, fresh from the oven, and it looked like a bikini.  The nurse took one look and said, “That’s not going to work.” So all the packages of newborn diapers from my shower are in the back of the closet in hopes that baby #2 isn’t 10lbs and a week overdue.

Finally, to the baby gift searchers out there, when in doubt, ask the proud parents what they need.  And to those new moms and dads, good night, good luck, and happy savings.

 

Article publié pour la première fois le 12/03/2012