The Budget Geek

Money, money, money, money...

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 22:38:33 -0400

John Carlton of The Marketing Rebel Rant blog has posted one of the most profound articles on the subject of money that I have read in a long time.

In fact, there is so much wisdom in this article that I’m having a hard time finding a suitable quote for this post. I really want to share the whole thing right here. But, as a matter of courtesy, I will refrain from doing so.

John’s article has this to say about money:

Happiness is in your head. It’s a state of mind, which doesn’t require cash… unless the lack of cash moves you off your game.

Which lead to the one big realization that helped me clarify what “success” really meant, for me:

Big Damn Observation #2: Money will only solve those problems that not having money creates.

People usually blink back at me the first time I share this with them. It seems too obvious to qualify for “wisdom”.

For me, though, it’s freaking profound. The problems that ate me up during the first half of my life… when I was lost, directionless and kept ending up sleeping on people’s couches (because the business world kept spitting me out) (and my girlfriends kept leaving cuz I was such a loser)…

… were all specifically related to not having enough money to get a toehold in life.

Please do yourself a huge favor and read John’s article in its entirety. You will be glad you did!

Money, money, money, money…
http://www.john-carlton.com/2010/07/money-money-money-money/

Every Life Has A Story If We Only Bother To Read It

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:14:57 -0400

Every Life Has A Story - Chick-fil-A from Dan T. Cathy on Vimeo.

As if we needed another reason to love Chick-fil-A, this video was called to my attention yesterday. According to Dan T Cathy, President and COO of Chick-fil-A, this video was created to remind us that everyone we interact with is a chance to create a remarkable experience.

May 21, 1980: The Greatest Day In Geek History

Sun, 23 May 2010 02:14:13 -0400

This is belated, but Happy 30th Birthday to both Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Pac-Man! I can’t think of a single day that had more impact on geek culture for my generation than May 21, 1980.

The Budget Geek’s Week In Geek - May 23, 2010

Sun, 23 May 2010 02:02:04 -0400

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Big Bang Theory - Monday, May 24, 9:31pm CBS
“The Lunar Excitation” Season 3, Episode 23
Episode Synopsis: In the third-season finale, Wolowitz and Koothrappali play matchmaker for Sheldon by setting up an online-dating profile for him. Meanwhile, Penny thinks that her relationship with Leonard has affected her ability to date “normal” men.

The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray of the Week

Trick ‘r Treat (2008)

A creepy, darkly comic celebration of the scariest night of the year from producer BRYAN SINGER (director of X-Men and Superman Returns) and writer-director MICHAEL DOUGHERTY(co-scripter of X2 and Superman Returns). Trick ’R Treat takes the Creepshow/Tales from the Crypt approach to nefarious new depths with four interwoven tales set on Halloween night: a high school principal (DYLAN BAKER) moonlights as a vicious serial killer; the quest of a young virgin (ANNA PAQUIN) for that special someone takes a gruesome turn; a group of teens carries out a cruel prank with disastrous consequences; and a cantankerous old man (BRIAN COX) battles a mischievous trick-or-treating demon.

The Budget Geek’s What’s New in Stores and Online This Week:

Blockade Billy by Stephen King (Hardcover, Unabridged Audio Book)

A quirky baseball player with a past shrouded in secrecy is the tragic hero of this macabre tale from the dark side of the all-American sport. In the voice of George Granny Grantham, retired third-base coach of the New Jersey Titans, King (Under the Dome) recalls the spring of 1957, when Billy Blakely, a catcher called up from the Titans’ Iowa farm system, helped to boost the team out of the basement and add some excitement to the national pastime. Billy hits with such power and guards the plate with such determination (hence his eponymous nickname) that teammates are willing to forgive such eccentricities as his frequently addressing himself in the third person, or bloodying runners who collide with him. Of course, these kinks are clues to a shocking pathology that King coaxes out in a narrative steeped so perfectly in the argot of the game and the behavior of its players and fans that readers will willingly suspend their disbelief. As King’s fiction goes, this suspenseful short is a deftly executed suicide squeeze, with sharp spikes hoisted high and aimed at the jugular on the slide home.

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Imperial Holonet Radio

A podcast revolving around everything Star Wars, from the movies and discussions about them, to comic books, to games, and everything else!

The Budget Geek’s Week In Geek - May 16, 2010

Sat, 15 May 2010 22:41:25 -0400

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Big Bang Theory - Monday, May 17, 9:31pm CBS
“The Staircase Implementation” Season 3, Episode 22
Episode Synopsis: Leonard tells Penny the story of how he met Sheldon.

The Office - Thursday, May 20, 9:00pm NBC
“Whistleblower” Season 6, Episode 24
Episode Synopsis: In the Season 6 finale, the heat is on when the media discover that Sabre’s printers catch on fire. When Sabre CEO Jo Bennett (Kathy Bates) arrives to unmask the whistle-blower, the staffers point accusatory fingers at Andy, who passionately denies that he’s the leak

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

The IndyCast: Indiana Jones News and Commentary

Welcome to the IndyCast, the World’s first weekly Indiana Jones podcast! Each week you can get your Indy fix as host Ed Dolista takes a look at the latest news, interviews, events and opinions from the Indiana Jones fan community. Listen in as we head toward the release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and beyond!

Seth Godin: Consumer Debt Is Not Your Friend

Mon, 10 May 2010 18:58:25 -0400

I rarely repost an entire blog entry from another site, but I am making an exception here. Seth Godin is perhaps the most brilliant marketer in the world today and his blog is the most read blog on the Internet.

On May 5th, Seth posted the article below that hits home with my personal philosophy on debt. In fact, in the article, Seth cites another article by Dave Ramsey, so how could it not line up with my philosophy?

Read the article for yourself and, when you are finished, go ahead and subscribe to Seth’s blog. You will be glad you did!

Consumer debt is not your friend

Here’s a simple MBA lesson: borrow money to buy things that go up in value. Borrow money if it improves your productivity and makes you more money. Leverage multiplies the power of your business because with leverage, every dollar you make in profit is multiplied.

That’s very different from the consumer version of this lesson: borrow money to buy things that go down in value. This is wrongheaded, short-term and irrational.

A few decades ago, mass marketers had a problem: American consumers had bought all they could buy. It was hard to grow because dispensable income was spoken for. The only way to grow was to steal market share, and that’s difficult. Enter consumer debt.

Why fight for a bigger piece of pie when you can make the whole pie bigger, the marketers think. Charge it, they say. Put it on your card. Pay now, why not, it’s like it’s free, because you don’t have to repay it until later. Why buy a Honda for cash when you can buy a Lexus with credit?

One argument is income shifting: you’re going to make a lot of money later, so borrow now so you can have a nicer car, etc. Then, when money is worth less to you, you can pay it back. This idea is actually reasonably new—fifty years or so—and it’s not borne out by what actually happens. Debt creates stress, stress creates behaviors that don’t lead to happiness…

The other argument is that it’s been around so long, it’s like a trusted friend. Debt seems like fun for a long time, until it’s not. And everyone does it. We’ve been sold very hard on acquisition = happiness, and consumer debt is the engine that permits this. Until it doesn’t.

The thing is, debt has become a marketed product in and of itself. It’s not a free service or a convenience, it’s a massive industry. And that industry works with all the other players in the system to grow, because (at least for now) when they grow, other marketers benefit as well. As soon as you get into serious consumer debt, you work for them, not for you.

It’s simple: when the utility of what you want (however you measure it) is less than the cost of the debt, don’t buy it.

Go read Dave Ramsey’s post: The truth about debt.

Dave has spent his career teaching people a lesson that many marketers are afraid of: debt is expensive, it compounds, it punishes you. Stuff now is rarely better than stuff later, because stuff now costs you forever if you go into debt to purchase it. He’s persistent and persuasive.

It takes discipline to forego pleasure now to avoid a lifetime of pain and fees. Many people, especially when confronted with a blizzard of debt marketing, can’t resist.

Resist. Smart people work at keeping their monthly consumer debt burden to zero. Borrow only for things that go up in value. Easy to say, hard to do. Worth it.

The Budget Geek’s Week In Geek - May 9, 2010

Sun, 09 May 2010 21:16:00 -0400

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Big Bang Theory - Monday, May 10, 9:31pm CBS
“The Plimpton Simulation” Season 3, Episode 21
Episode Synopsis: The arrival of a famous physicist (Judy Greer), has Sheldon and Leonard competing for her attention.

The Office - Thursday, May 13, 9:00pm NBC
“The Chump” Season 6, Episode 23
Episode Synopsis: Newbie parents Jim and Pam are sleepless in Scranton, as they learn that it’s awfully hard to stay awake at the office. Meanwhile, Michael displays unforeseen maturity when he discovers something negative about Donna (Amy Pietz). And it’s the wrath of Angela when Dwight reneges on their most unusual contract.

The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray Release of the Week:

The Karate Kid (1984)

A fatherless teenager faces his moment of truth in The Karate Kid. Daniel (Ralph Macchio) arrives in Los Angeles from the east coast and faces the difficult task of making new friends. However, he becomes the object of bullying by the Cobras, a menacing gang of karate students, when he strikes up a relationship with Ali (Elisabeth Shue), the Cobra leader’s ex-girlfriend. Eager to fight back and impress his new girlfriend but afraid to confront the dangerous gang, Daniel asks his handyman Miyagi (Noriyuki ‘Pat’ Morita), whom he learns is a master of the martial arts, to teach him karate. Miyagi teaches Daniel that karate is a mastery over the self, mind, and body and that fighting is always the last answer to a problem. Under Miyagi’s guidance, Daniel develops not only physical skills but also the faith and self-confidence to compete despite tremendous odds as he encounters the fight of his life in the exciting finale to this entertaining film.

The Budget Geek’s What’s New in Stores and Online This Week:

Five Classic Stephen King Novels Released As Unabridged Audio Books

May 13th sees the release of five classic Stephen King novels in unabridged audio book format.

Christine

A love triangle involving 17-year-old misfit Arnie Cunningham, his new girlfriend and a haunted 1958 Plymouth Fury. Dubbed Christine by her previous owner, Arnie’s first car is jealous, possessive and deadly.

The Dark Half

For years, Thad Beaumont has been writing books under the pseudonym George Stark. When a journalist threatens to expose Beaumont’s pen name, the author decides to go public first, killing off his pseudonym. Stark isn’t content to be dispatched that easily, though. Beaumont’s alter ego comes to life and begins to stalk those responsible for his demise. The police suspect Beaumont is responsible for these violent crimes.

The Eyes of the Dragon

Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Delain, King Roland is murdered and his son and heir, Peter, is framed for the crime. Peter and his loyal friends must battle an evil wizard and Peter’s usurper brother, Thomas, for the throne. Imprisoned in a tower, Peter conceives an escape plan that will take him years to execute before taking on Flagg, the powerful sorcerer who has masterminded this coup.

A promise made twenty-eight years ago calls seven adults to reunite in Derry, Maine, where as teenagers they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Unsure that their Losers Club had vanquished the creature all those years ago, the seven had vowed to return to Derry if IT should ever reappear. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that summer return as they prepare to do battle with the monster lurking in Derry’s sewers once more.

The Tommyknockers

Writer Bobbi Anderson becomes obsessed with digging up something she’s found buried in the woods near her home. With the help of her friend, Jim Gardener, she uncovers an alien spaceship. Though exposure to the Tommyknockers who piloted the alien craft has detrimental effects on residents’ health, the people of Haven develop a talent for creating innovative devices under its increasingly malignant influence.

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

HDTV and Home Theater Podcast

The HT Guys, Ara Derderian and Braden Russell, are Engineers who formerly worked for the Advanced Digital Systems Group (ADSG) of Sony Pictures Entertainment. ADSG was the R&D unit of the sound department producing products for movie theaters and movie studios. Two of the products they worked on include the DCP-1000 and DADR-5000. The DCP is a digital cinema processor used in movie theaters around the world. The DADR-5000 is a disk-based audio dubber used on Hollywood sound stages. ADSG was awarded a Technical Academy Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2000 for the development of the DADR-5000. Ara holds three patents for his development work in Digital Cinema and Digital Audio Recording. Every week they put together a podcast about High Definition TV and Home Theater. Each episode brings news from the A/V world, helpful product reviews and insights and help in demystifying and simplifying HDTV and home theater. Our email address is hdtvpodcast@mac.com

Are You On Track To Becoming Wealthy?

Thu, 06 May 2010 22:24:17 -0400

In their book The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas J. Stanley, Ph.D. and William D. Danko, Ph.D. detail their study of over one thousand millionaires and write about the personal, ethical, and business traits that most have in common. If you have not read The Millionaire Next Door, it is a must-read if you ever intend to become financially independent.

I have spoken with many people about money and budgeting and the one question that I often hear is: Am I on track to becoming wealthy? In The Millionaire Next Door, there is a simple formula to use that will help you determine what your net worth should be right now, at this point in time, regardless of your age or income.

The formula is:

(Your Age x Annual Pretax Household Income) / 10

For example, Callie is 30 years old and has an annual pretax income of $65,000. If Callie hopes to become wealthy one day, her net worth at this moment in her life should be (30 x 65000) / 10, or at least $195,000.

Remember that net worth is calculated as your assets minus your liabilities. In simple terms, net worth is what you own minus what you owe.

If you add up the current value of all of your assets (cash, investments, home, vehicle, etc.) and then subtract any debt that you have (credit cards, mortgages, home equity loans, car payments, student loans, etc.), the result will be your net worth. If your net worth is $1,000,000, then you are a millionaire.

Given your age and income, how does your net worth match up? If it does not match up as well as you had hoped, what are you going to do about it?

The Budget Geek’s Week In Geek - May 2, 2010

Sat, 01 May 2010 23:51:00 -0400

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Big Bang Theory - Monday, May 3, 9:31pm CBS
“The Spaghetti Catalyst” Season 3, Episode 20
Episode Synopsis: Sheldon tells a lie to appease Penny and Leonard, who aren’t speaking to each other, but then he gets caught.

The Office - Thursday, May 6, 9:00pm NBC
“The Cover-Up” Season 6, Episode 22
Episode Synopsis: When Michael concludes that his girlfriend (Amy Pietz) is cheating on him, he enlists Dwight to snoop. Elsewhere, Andy receives a customer complaint and grows frustrated when none of his fellow staffers seem to care.

Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 3 Trailer

Season 2 of Star Wars The Clone Wars has just ended, but it is never too early to begin speculation about Season 3. Click the image below to watch an exciting sneak preview!

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Geek Radio Daily

Geek Radio Daily; All the geek without the wait! Billy Flynn, The Vicar, the Flynnstress, and the Bruce bring you a daily 15 minute podcast covering daily TV highlights, comic and DVD releases and geekly news! And don’t forget our sweekly show!

Star Wars Celebration V Exclusive T-Shirts

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:49:00 -0400

I know what my wife and I are going to be wearing when we attend Star Wars Celebration V in August!

Another good design sports the logo of the Hoth Blue Milk Brewing Company.

Only 107 days to go…

The Budget Geek’s Week In Geek - April 25, 2010

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:17:00 -0400

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Office - Thursday, April 29, 9:00pm NBC
“Body Language” Season 6, Episode 21
Episode Synopsis: Pam and Jim team up for their first sales pitch together. They deliver it to the manager of a regional hot spot, resulting in mix-ups when Michael has difficulty deciphering body language. Meanwhile, Dwight pushes Mindy to participate in the minority training program. Amy Pietz guest stars.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 30, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“R2 Come Home” and “ Lethal Trackdown”
Episode Synopsis: When a band of bounty hunters leads Anakin and Mace into a deadly trap on Vanqor, it’s up to R2-D2 to battle his way back to Coruscant and warn the Jedi. After combing the Coruscant underworld for a young fugitive, Plo Koon and Ahsoka pursue him to Florrum for a climactic confrontation.

The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray Release of the Week:

Armageddon

From the mega-hitmakers who produced and directed The Rock and Pearl Harbor comes Armageddon. And now, these mind-blowing action-adventure explodes on Blu-ray for the first time ever! Bruce Willis (Surrogates, Sin City) and Academy Award winners Ben Affleck (1997, Best Original Screenplay, Good Will Hunting) and Billy Bob Thornton (1996, Best Adapted Screenplay, Sling Blade) head an all-star cast that incudes Liv Tyler (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), Steve Buscemi (Con Air) and Will Patton (Gone in 60 Seconds). When NASA’s director (Thornton) realizes the Earth has 18 days before it’s destroyed by a metor the size of Texas, he has only one option; land a ragtag team of roughneck oil drillers on the asteroid and drop a nuke into its core. With spectacular special effects, laugh out loud humor, a riveting story and a rockin’ soundtrack featuring Aerosmith and Bon Jovi, this adrenaline-pumping thrill ride now boasts the staggeringly intense picture and incomparable theater quality sound of Blu-ray high definitition. Bonus Features include: Aerosmith’s music video I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing, theatrical trailer, teaser trailer.

Editorial Comment from The Budget Geek: I am torn on this release. On one hand, this will be the first time that the film is available in anamorphic widescreen in the US. Add to that the fact that it is in high definition and this release should be worth the money. Right?

Unfortunately, the only bonus features offered here are the Aerosmith music video I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing and two trailers. Given the wealth of extras on the Criterion Collection Armageddon DVD set, this lack of extras on the Blu-ray release is very disappointing.

Fortunately, I own the Criterion DVD set, so I will likely purchase this for the film upgrade and keep the older set. However, I will not pay the $20 asking price on release date. Instead, I will wait for it to either fall in price to the $10-12 range, or pick up a used copy on Amazon.

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

The Flickcast

Each week, Chris Ullrich and Matt Raub talk movies, TV, comics, games and all things geek.

Generation Y Needs To Grow Up And Get A Clue About Finances

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 16:11:50 -0400

In a recent article from USA Today entitled Generation Y’s Steep Financial Hurdles: Huge Debt, No Savings, Christine Dugas writes:

Even before the recession, those in Generation Y — the latest products of a get-it-now, pay-for-it-later mind-set that has permeated the nation’s economy — faced a range of financial pitfalls as they embraced expensive high-tech gadgets and added credit card debt onto student loans.

Later in the article, she writes:

Kristen Ammerman, 21, a senior at Michigan State University, faces such challenges and sees her Gen Y classmates struggling with financial issues — while seemingly oblivious to the potential consequences.

“I work at a part-time job, have incredible debt and get food stamps,” she says. “I’m still short on rent every month. … My friends all want the newest and best things. They spend money on them any chance they get.”

So let me get this straight, Kristen: You and your friends feel that it is OK to go on welfare in the form of food stamps and be behind on your rent, yet you spend money (that you don’t have) on the newest and best things? When will you and your friends wake up and learn a simple concept like live on less than you make? If you don’t have the money to pay for something in full, in cash, at the time of purchase, then you can not afford it!

The article goes on to cite some statistics about Generation Y:

Only 58% (of Generation Y) pay monthly bills on time, a National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) 2010 survey said.

On average, Gen Y’ers each have more than three credit cards, and 20% carry a balance of more than $10,000, according to Fidelity Investments.

60% of workers 20 to 29 years old cashed out their 401(k) retirement plans — typically a big financial no-no because such a move squanders retirement assets and forces the recipient to pay a tax penalty — when they changed or lost jobs, an October study by Hewitt Associates said.

Wake up Generation Y! You guys are spending like there is no tomorrow. This sense of entitlement is going to tie you down for years to come. It is time for you to start learning about personal finance and, more importantly, personal responsibility. Don’t sit back and wait for the government to take care of you, because those days are quickly coming to an end.

Dave Ramsey has often said that he and Jenny Craig will always be in business. This article is just another reason why I believe him.

The Budget Geek’s Week In Geek - April 18, 2010

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 11:55:00 -0400

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Office - Thursday, April 22, 9:00pm NBC
“Secretary’s Day” Season 6, Episode 20
Episode Synopsis: Andy goes to extremes to make sure Erin has a very special Secretary’s Day. But it all could backfire thanks to Michael, who informs Erin about Andy’s past relationship with Angela. Meanwhile, Oscar creates a viral video that highlights similarities between Kevin’s voice and Cookie Monster’s voice.

2010 NFL Draft - Round 1, Thursday April 22, 7:30pm ESPN; Rounds 2-3, Friday April 23, 6:00pm ESPN; Rounds 4-7, Saturday April 24, 10:00am ESPN

Premise: Round 1 in New York City. Top picks are expected to include DTs Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy; DBs Eric Berry, Earl Thomas and Joe Haden; QB Sam Bradford; OTs Russell Okung and Bryan Bulaga; RB C.J. Spiller; and WR Dez Bryant. Rounds 2-3 are Friday, with the draft concluding on Saturday.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 23, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“Death Trap”
Episode Synopsis: A young boy with a vendetta against the Jedi recruits bounty hunters to help him carry out his revenge plot.

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Buzz Out Loud (MP3) By CNET.com

Buzz Out Loud features Tom Merritt, Molly Wood and producer Jason Howell, along with CNET’s top tech experts reviewing the day’s tech news. Each episode, the crew analyzes, interprets, and argues about what all this technology means and what it’s doing to us. Fans can take part by calling, e-mailing, or commenting on the blog.

The Budget Geek’s Week In Geek - April 11, 2010

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:00:00 -0400

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

The Big Bang Theory - Monday, April 12, 9:31pm CBS
“The Wheaton Recurrence” Season 3, Episode 19
Episode Synopsis: Wil Wheaton returns and once again battles with Sheldon, this time in a bowling match; and Penny and Leonard have a fight that threatens their relationship.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 16, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“The Zillo Beast Strikes Back”
Episode Synopsis: The Zillo Beast escapes from a Republic facility, forcing the Jedi to consider destroying it to save millions of lives.

The Budget Geek’s Blu-ray Release of the Week:

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

“1, 2, Freddy’s coming for you.” And here he is, phantom fiend Freddy Krueger in all his razor-fingered infamy. Wes Craven (Scream movies) directs this trendsetting first in the slash-hit series. The premise is simple: Freddy (Robert Englund) homicidally haunts the sleep of Elm Street teens. The results are terrifying and mind-blowingly innovative. There’s another film debut too: Johnny Depp. He plays the ready steady of the hottie mcsmarty (Heather Langenkamp) who figures a clever way to flambé the fiend. But ever-say-die Freddy will be 3, 4 back for more…even returning to the screen in a killer 2010 remake of this diabolical original. Sweet dreams!

Special Features: Ready Freddy Focus Points: See alternate takes and learn filmmaking secrets behind the nightmare by jumping to video highlights while watching the movie
Two commentary tracks: (1) Director Wes Craven, co-stars Heather Langenkamp and John Saxon, and cinematographer Jacques Haitkin, (2) Wes Craven, co-stars Robert Englund, Heather Langenkamp and Ronee Blakley, producer Robert Shaye, and co-producer Sara Risher
Alternate endings
Three featurettes: The House That Freddy Built: The Legacy of New Line Horror, Never Sleep Again: The Making of A Nightmare on Elm Street, Night Terrors: The Origins of Wes Craven’s Nightmares

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Horroretc Podcast

The Horroretc Podcast is an open discussion about all things horror. The show covers film topics by theme and genre with attention paid to the filmmakers, directors and the state of the horror industry. We also enjoy discussing the darkened corners of pop culture in schlock corner. Please join in with your thoughts and comments to allow the show to become a community. Visit us at www.horroretc.com or send us a comment at horroretc@gmail.com. This Podcast was created using www.talkshoe.com

"You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want."

Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:44:27 -0400

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

- Zig Ziglar

You Can't Earn A 12% Rate Of Return In Mutual Funds... Can You?

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:15:00 -0400

When Dave Ramsey teaches about investing, he always bases his mutual fund returns on the average rate of return of the entire stock market since inception. Over its entire history, the stock market as a whole has averaged an annual rate of return of around 11.9%. Some years have done a lot better and others have done a lot worse, but on average the return has been 11.9%. Dave rounds that to 12% for discussion purposes.

Many of Dave’s critics counter with the argument that you cannot get a 12% rate of return in mutual funds. However, in my Roth IRA alone I have 4 mutual funds that have averaged over 12% since their inception. If you visit Morningstar, you will see that there are plenty of mutual funds that have had a long-term rate of return greater than 12%.

The key is to pick mutual funds that have a long-term track record. The mutual fund should have been open for at least 10 years and averaged at least 12% over that time. Also, as an investor, you must have a long-term mentality when investing in mutual funds. If you cannot leave your money alone in the mutual fund for at least 5 years, then you should not invest.

Below are the four mutual funds in my Roth IRA that meet the criteria above. They are all part of the American Funds family. The Fund Lifetime Rates of Return are all as of March 31, 2010.

A disclaimer is in order here… By no means am I advising you to invest in these funds. If you are interested in them, then you should review their prospectus carefully and decide for yourself if they are right for you. My point here is not to recommend a specific fund or fund family. My point is to dispel the myth that a 12% rate of return is not possible, because that is simply not true.

Fundamental Investors (growth-and-income fund)
Class A shares
Fund Number     10
Ticker/Quotron Symbol    ANCFX
Newspaper Abbreviation    FdInvA
CUSIP Number    360802 10 2
Fund Inception August 1, 1978
Fund Lifetime Rate of Return: 12.52%

The Growth Fund of America® (growth fund)
Class A shares
Fund Number     05
Ticker/Quotron Symbol    AGTHX
Newspaper Abbreviation    GwthA
CUSIP Number    399874 10 6
Fund Inception December 1, 1973
Fund Lifetime Rate of Return: 13.79%

The Investment Company of America® (growth-and-income fund)
Class A shares
Fund Number     04
Ticker/Quotron Symbol    AIVSX
Newspaper Abbreviation    ICAA
CUSIP Number    461308 10 8
Fund Inception January 1, 1934
Fund Lifetime Rate of Return: 12.18%

New Perspective Fund® (growth fund)
Class A shares
Fund Number     07
Ticker/Quotron Symbol    ANWPX
Newspaper Abbreviation    N PerA
CUSIP Number    648018 10 9
Fund Inception March 13, 1973
Fund Lifetime Rate of Return: 12.65%

The Budget Geek’s Week In Geek - April 4, 2010

Sun, 04 Apr 2010 12:05:17 -0400

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 9, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“The Zillo Beast”
Episode Synopsis: The Jedi must find a way to contain the deadly Zillo Beast, which was roused by a weapon created by the Republic.

Additional Star Wars: The Clone Wars Links:

Check out the spectacular trailer for the Clone Wars Season 2 Finale. Wow!

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

I Love Movies by Doug Benson

Comedian Doug Benson (“Last Comic Standing,” “Best Week Ever,” “Super High Me”) invites his friends to sit down and discuss his first love: movies!

The Budget Geek - #1 Search Result In Topeka

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:00:16 -0400

Never Pay More Than $10 For An HDMI Cable

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 21:20:36 -0400

Budget Planner – Mint.com

The Budget Geek’s Week In Geek - March 28, 2010

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Budget Geek’s TV Shows of the Week (descriptions courtesy TV Guide):

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Friday, April 2, 9:00pm CARTOON NETWORK
“Bounty Hunters”
Episode Synopsis: Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka hesitantly join forces with bounty hunters to guard a spice farmer from pirates led by Hondo Onaka.

Additional Star Wars: The Clone Wars Links:

According to a USA Today article, Boba Fett will make his debut in Star Wars: The Clone Wars in a 2-part episode, starting April 23.

TheForce.Net has posted Lucasfilm’s official announcement about Fett’s appearance at their site.

The Budget Geek’s What’s New in Stores and Online This Week:

Five Classic Stephen King Novels Released As Unabridged Audio Books

April 1st sees the release of five classic Stephen King novels in unabridged audio book format.

The Long Walk

On the first day of May, 100 teenage boys meet for a race known as “The Long Walk”. If you break the rules, you get three warnings. If you exceed your limit, what happens is absolutely terrifying.

Firestarter

Charlie McGee inherited pyrokinetic powers from her parents, who had been given a low-grade hallucinogen called “Lot Six” while at college. Now the government is trying to capture young Charlie and harness her powerful firestarting skills as a weapon.

Cujo

A family dog turns into a family killer in King’s canine classic.

Roadwork

When a highway project puts Barton Dawes out of work and threatens to destroy his home, he has more than enough time on his hands to plot his revenge. Driving his wife and friends away with his obstinate refusal to give in, he pushes the powers that be to the limit, take a stand against what he sees as a criminal act in progress.

The Running Man

The year is 2025. The Running Man< is America’s favorite television game show. Ben Richards is the programs latest contestant- and the Hunters’ latest target in a rigged game of death…

The Budget Geek’s Podcast Pick of the Week:

Galactica Quorum - “It’s a Frakkin’ Podcast”

The Galactica Quorum discusses all aspects of the Sci-Fi channel series Battlestar Galactica in a casual roundtable format. Light-hearted and at times irreverent, the Quorum dishes out analysis and speculation about each episode and the current season.