- the minus sign blues

You Need an Emergency Fund. Now.

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:51:00 +0000

All too often than not life has a sense of irony. Or at the very least kicking you when you are already down for the count, just to make sure you're getting the full experience. As the recent economic downturn has taught us, everything fiscal is linked on an intimate level to everything else. A poor housing market will drag down the retail industry, which drags down the manufacturing industry, which raises prices on consumer goods, which feeds back to the retail industry and so forth.

As such you should be prepared for the worst case scenario. In turbulent times a relatively insignificant problem with your finances can spiral out of control, leaving you in a situation wherein you have to take on more debt than is healthy. Take the current situation for example. The folks losing their homes right now fall into two categories. Those who planned for the worst, but clearly didn't have a realistic image of a worse case scenario and those who did not (or were unable).

Regardless of which category these people fall under, it's a pretty terrible time for them. But straying away from predatory lenders aside, they had the opportunity to prepare for the crisis back when times were good. All they had to do was squirrel away some of their income.

An emergency fund is apart from any other. A vacation fund is drained every year, likely. A retirement fund is only touched (hopefully) in preparation for your golden years. A college fund is emptied during several years after high school. You don't touch an emergency fund. It remains unmolested until the worst case scenario happens.

Whether that's a death of a spouse, the loss of a job or some other disaster is immaterial. It's there for you in your time of need and not your time of want. A lot of people skirt around the issue, claiming that it's easier to live off of credit cards or small loans until everything is back on track. Which is true, in part. A credit card can stave off the power going out or the car being repossessed.

What it can also do is enslave you for a number of years if used improperly. Suddenly that $150 spent on your Visa to keep your heat on for another two weeks balloons into $300 as it becomes increasingly interest laden. Now add groceries, rent, car payments, insurance, the phone bill and the power bill. If your financial situation does not improve you're on the fast track to bankruptcy. A single month of living purely on credit can take a really long time to pay off, depending on the interest rate involved.

An emergency fund is not only always there for you (unlike credit, which may dry up due to inactivity, poor management or poor economy), but it works for you. If dwelling within a savings account at your local bank or credit union it'll earn you interest instead of the other way around. So suddenly your $1,000 worst case scenario cash becomes $1,100 and so on.

A lot of people suggest somewhere between 3 - 6 months of income packed away for an adequate emergency fund. I think this number is just about right, especially considering the most common need is due to sudden job loss. A job, especially in a poor market can take a long time to find. And even then you might need to take a cut in pay to keep food on the table.

But I like to take it a couple of steps further than that. People are fickle and emergencies come in many varieties. The car needs a costly repair, you have an accident while uninsured, your dog needs surgery because he ate a particularly unhealthy diet of sneaker and Christmas tree ornament. So in any given year there are bound to be a couple of fully justified reasons to dip into the emergency money.

I like to suggest several savings accounts that you regularly contribute to until they've reached a predetermined ceiling and all together they should equal roughly 3 - 6 months of your current income, matched if your income raises.

Job: A savings account established in the event of your company going under, being laid off of you being fired. This should arguably be the biggest fund at your disposal due to the fact that loss of primary income shuts down the flow of money.

Also keep in mind certain factors such as your industry. If you're employed in a volatile niche such as real estate you're going to need a bigger fund because hard times will likely be longer. If you're employed in an industry that has a great demand for workers, such as nursing you can afford to redirect some of your money elsewhere.
Car / House: While these can of course be divided if needed, they go hand in hand. This account should be roped off for the harder times involving your home and car. While insurance typically handles most things, some states don't require insurance. And some insurance plans only cover a tiny fraction of possible scenarios.

Imagine your car's muffler rusts out due to inattention. Or you find yourself driving over a couple of cases worth of broken beer bottles leaving a party. Or maybe your roof develops a pretty steady leak and needs repair (and mold mitigation.)
Pet: The hardest thing a pet owner has to do is put down their companion because they can't afford to have a costly, live saving surgery performed. Think of how many hours of enjoyment and love your dog, cat, ferret or bird has given you over its life time. Now imagine how gut wrenching it'd have to be to put it down because your credit has dried up and you don't have the means to help it.
Health: Hopefully you have insurance, but even if you do there are many costs involved. Co-pays, tests, studies and medication will wind up costing you a lot if they come out of left field and are unaccounted for in your weekly budget.

Using the logic that you're young and thus won't need very much medical care doesn't carry much weight. Especially if you find yourself falling on a patch of ice and breaking your ankle or getting into a car accident.

While it's impossible to save up enough to cover every medical emergency, a couple of thousand dollars will more than cover the co-pay you may have to pay if you need an emergency room visit and a barrage of x-rays.

Not only will different accounts help you keep yourself organized, but it'll also prevent you from dipping into your emergency fund more than you need to. If you're not used to dipping into the pet fund (which you hopefully won't be) you'll be less likely to access it in less than critical times. Any the good thing is if a really terrible disaster is there and you need to use your best judgment, you can still liquidate any account for any need.

Your fund should also remain available at a moment's notice and should not be tied to anything volatile. It shouldn't be invested in the stock market or stuck in a 6 month CD. A regular savings account is more than adequate for most people.

Not only will it be there for you when you need it most to lend you some flexibility, it'll give you peace of mind when you don't. Which is crucial, especially in dark economic times.

Independently Employed: Straight talk

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:50:00 +0000

I'm starting a business venture with a friend of mine. I have a significant amount of marketing and writing experience and he probably is coding a web enabled version of HAL. It's a small web design operation by the name of Cail Design. We know were starting in a pretty terrible market, but we're confident we can get the project running on all cylinders in a respectable amount of time. Why? Because we've both been independently employed in the recent past.

We know what to consider when it comes to plans and contingencies. And we're also used to working in self starting environments. But all too often people see the tag of "self employed" and imagine a wholly different picture. One filled with a conspicuous lack of alarm clocks, noon breakfasts and leisurely trips to the bank to cash in inordinate sums of money. I elaborated on a number of myths and misconceptions a couple of months ago here. But then I elaborated on social misconceptions and practicalities. I didn't really touch upon the pros and cons of working independently outside the realm of promised corporate paychecks.

While there are a number of pros and cons to consider before you begin your solo adventure, there are a number of cold, hard facts that are neither negative or position that should be examined nonetheless.

Taxes: You cannot avoid taxes. If you try you're going to wind up burned. So throughout your first year of being self employed keep a lot of records. More so than you think you need. Track how many hours you work, how much you make, how much you drive for your business, everything.

Not only will this help you figure out how much profit you're pulling in but it'll also allow you to contribute some of your income to a bank account reserved just for Uncle Sam.

I lucked out. My first year of being self employed started in the middle of fall. By the time tax season rolled around I only needed to contribute under $1,000 in my tax return. While I hadn't been saving especially for it, I was able to afford the drain on my bank account.

If you're married it might be a good idea to file jointly. Especially if your missus or mister has a conventional occupation that they typically receive a tax return for. You'll be able to either reduce or eliminate the amount you need to shell out at the end of the year.

If your self employed nature involves a lot of billing, either inbound or outbound it might be a good idea to hire an CPA to assist you in your venture.
Hats: Being self employed in any industry means you're going to have to wear a couple of hats. This can be a good thing because you may find a wide array of things you weren't aware you were good at. It can also be a bad thing because you will inevitably wind up doing something you're not too keen on.

Regardless you have to be prepared for it. Simply neglecting things that lie outside of your realm of expertise isn't going to get you anywhere. You have to be your own boss, but also your own secretary, tech support and peon.
Motivation: Your motivation switches gears when you become self employed. Neither positive or negative, regardless of your industry you're going to notice a significant change in your outlook and behavior. Most people find themselves a lot more motivated because they notice a direct correlation between work put in and money earned.

But a select few individuals learn quite quickly that the unmotivated, slack off time checking personal email on company payroll is going to be sorely missed.

That being said there are a number of distinctly negative things about being your own boss. I touched upon this a bit in my previous article, but somethings bear repeating and elaboration.

Your credit score hurts: This one blind sided me completely when I first abanadoned my 9 - 5 job in favor of a more liberal atmosphere. If you are responsible for your own income banks are less likely to lend to you because they consider you a higher risk than someone who has been employed by a Fortune 100 company for 15 years.

So you may wind up paying slightly higher interest rates than you did before. A good way around this is to keep a healthy savings account and just practice sound personal finance. If married, one of you may want to keep a conventional job just so you can apply for loans jointly and keep those interest rates low.
You lose "bennies": Say goodbye to the company insurance plan, paid holidays, over time, sick days and pensions. Living the American Dream means you have to become the essence of America, capitalist. If you're self employed you're going to have to pay for your own health insurance, contribute to your own retirement fund and generally take good care of yourself on your own dime.

While this is liberating and allows for a great deal of personal choice, occasionally that 401k matching your old company offered is missed.
Slacking off is not an option: If you slack you're only hurting yourself and your employees. Period. Your revenue is directly tied to your productivity. In some jobs it's possible to stare at your monitor all day or check Twitter, get paid and no one will be the wiser.

While you're self employed you're able to choose whether or not you want a long lunch, but most often than not you wind up working through it and then some.
Industry collapse: If you're working full time for a bank and it suddenly goes out of business and kicks you out on your rear, the federal government is there for you. They'll help you get back on your feet with unemployment funds.

There is no bailout for Joe Smith, Realtor. If the real estate market tanks (like it is) Mr. Smith is caught in the cold with only himself to rely on and the hope that he'll be able to recover. Self employed people are very vulnerable to fluxuations in the economy, so a heavy duty emergency fund is not only important but required.
Not being able to self start equals fail: There's more to being your own boss than not having a manager shout at you. You literally have to be your own boss and some people find themselves unable to do this.

Most people need occasional guidance, motivation and support an authority figure provides. If you're on your own time clock you need to be able to motivate your self, start projects and direct others. Because no one is going to tell the boss what he needs to do, when to do it and how to do it.

But of course the benefits occasionally have to out weigh the negatives. Otherwise no one would run micro to small businesses at all. It'd simply be impractical. I've found that the benefits far out weigh every other consideration. And even though I've had to take the bad with the good I've found it to be more than worth it.

Freedom: This is the flipside of my negative point about self starting. If you are the type of person who can work on their own without any direction, you'll almost always succeed at what you set out to do. Granted, the business may come before you most often than not. But you can influence the business to cater to your own personality, making an all nighter at the office seem like a breeze.
Income: Sure, industry collapse can spell disaster. But industry expansion means profit. If you're working hard in an environment that is favorable to your industry, you're going to be the first to notice a bigger paycheck.

If you were employed under someone else you'd find yourself getting a raise, but nothing as substantial as they're making in a good market.

And since you're in direct control over your earning power you know that every hour you invest is an hour closer to a great vacation, a new home, or a bigger retirement fund.
Flexibility: Being independently employed gives you a tremendous amount of flexibility. The smaller the business the better. This means that if your partner is away on business you are able to arrange your schedule to accomodate child care, errands or house chores.

And if required it allows you to be a stay at home mom or dad. Even if you can only do it in a part time capacity you'll save a bundle on child care costs and spend more time with your family.

....and of course if you're not into that you can arrange your schedule so that you're always "very busy."

Being self employed is by no means easy. But it can have fantastic benefits if you're well informed on your industry of choice as well as the pros and cons of being your own boss. While I would not suggest it for everyone I meet, I do believe that everyone is capable of at least making a go at it. Any specialty can be adapted, just some more than others.

Itty Bitty Homes: Promoting a frugal life style

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:56:00 +0000

Alternative housing has been an interest of mine for several years now. I don't know why the subject appeals to me. Maybe it's just a breath of fresh air after constantly seeing row after row of more or less cookie cutter homes in my neighborhood. Or maybe the life style of those who typically dwell in them is so unique and rare.

I wrote an article on eco-frugal homes about a year ago here on the minus sign blues. I really enjoyed researching and writing it. But I neglected something that's a bit less eco-frugal, but not so much to warrant it being barred from a discussion. The Itty-Bitty home. They come in all shapes, sizes and building materials. From ISBU styled homes made of steel shipping containers to more conventional wood and nail creations, just built on a tiny scale.

If you live in an itty bitty home you're the polar opposite of most people. You've thrown off most of the shackles of materialism and embraced a low square footage life style. You don't wind up collecting useless junk simply because of the fact that you just can't. You don't have enough storage space to hold onto your woefully out of date 1976 collection of Encyclopedias or that "antique" kitchen table that's more or less collecting dust in the basement. It's a clean life style. I'm convinced that this is very cool, although I do admit it's fairly hard to imagine myself becoming that type of person.

It's take a fair bit of work to shoe horn myself into this type of life style. But I have to admit that I've changed a lot in the past couple of years. Our credit card debt has taught me that living close to the edge isn't very fun most of the time. But it's also taught me to be a bit more humble as far as my expectations go. That things, while pretty freaking awesome, are not what define a person. And someone's earning power occasionally correlates with the decline of one's morality and self control.

So who knows. Another year and a half in debt might teach me that yes, small and humble (but comfortable) might be the way to go as far as a home goes. I certainly never wanted a McMansion, but I think my requirements for a home have changed substantially.

Itty-Bitty style homes are occasionally portable simply because of the fact that it's quite easy to slap some wheels and a towing hitch on something so light and tiny. But they come in a variety of shapes and sizes from a wide array of builders. They're gaining popularity. Not just among retired snowbirds and nomads, but people looking for permanent residences on their own lots of land. Some of these folk even call the suburbs home year around and just prefer to keep their interests vested in other endeavors.

For example, if you live in an itty-bitty style home you don't have to worry about heating a lot of empty space and disused guest bedrooms in the depths of winter. Or cooling 4,000+ square feet in the middle of summer. You just have to worry about a relatively small space. And since they're typically constructed from specialized builders who have a lot of experience in this small subniche you're going to get the best insulated new construction possible.

Since these homes are typically built with efficiency in mind they usually come equipped with wood pellet stoves, which have also been gaining popularity in the recent months as fuel prices reached record highs (although they've since for the most part dropped with the rest of the market). By no means do they all require wood pellets, though. Propane is another commonly used fuel throughout this niche. While not nearly as popular (or arguably cheaper) propane is a widely availible, relatively clean burnig gas that you can purchase anywhere from Costco to most local gas stations.

And depending on the style of construction you use, small wood burning fireplaces are also quite possible. While I'm not a fan of wood stoves (chopping wood and regularly stoking a fire throughout the night is not my idea of fun), they're by far one of the cheapest methods to heat your home. So long as you own your lot of land, an axe and know how to spot a dead free standing tree you have a ready supply of free fuel.

While burning hardwood may not be terribly environmentally friendly, it's my opinion that it's better than purchasing heating oil (which requires an industrial refining process) or more electricity (which in all likelihood is produced by a coal fire plant). So it's the one of the lesser of necessary evils.

Of course regardless of the fuel used to heat an Itty-Bitty home you're going to use a lot less than any conventional style variety fresh off of the market. If you're a hardcore green oriented person, these are also a perfect match to an alternative energy life style. Depending on your locale and means they're perfectly adapted for solar (passive or direct), wind or hydro. Since they're so small and built efficiently a lot less power is required to keep it lighted. Their footprint takes up so little room you can easily mount solar panels elsewhere on your lot in a sunny, but out of the way location.

As far as space goes many of them are surprisingly roomy given their tiny dimensions. If you purchase plans from a respected firm that specializes in the field of small home construction you'll find that most things in the home serve more than one purpose and are built with their size in mind. By no means is it common to have full dishwasher, sink, restaurant sized fridge, six burner stoves and microwaves large enough to cook a Thanksgiving day turkey but most are built with the average person in mind and as such have ample room for the required appliances needed in every day living. It's common to find full sized refrigerators tucked into surprisingly efficiently locations, or stoves placed in just the right location.

Most also take advantage of vertical space, which is sorely under used in many conventional style homes. Cathedral ceilings may be nice, but are ultimately unnecessary. The average person is no taller than 6 feet, so anything beyond 8 feet is completely wasted space.

Loft bedrooms and second floor living spaces are incredibly popular, as well as folding or collapsing staircases. These all make well use of rising heat, keeping it close to the ground to maximize efficiency. It also keeps clutter away from the main level and promotes a sense of privacy to certain areas of the home, something that newcomers to the style believe is lacking upon initial investigation. Few people like guests sitting on a futon that also happens to be the their master bed.

The vast majority of special built small scale homes certainly come with running water, water heaters and electricity. Although occasionally they may be a bit unconventional compared to what most people are used to on a regular basis. Since space is of the utmost concern small toilets may be used, sinks with built in wall recesses and stand up showers typically replace bath-shower combos. But this also opens up a potential money sink. When your special built wall recessed sink is broken, who are you going to call? Will the average plumber be able to fix such an unorthodox contraption? Or how hard is it going to be to find an especially small toilet if the one the house was built with suddenly stops working properly? Will this special toilet cost more than the average run of the mill one you can find down the street at Lowes or Home Depot?

Although the cost for smaller homes are by far significantly lower than average home prices. Simply because of the fact that less labor is required to construct a smaller space, which also means there are less building materials used. The average home runs about $25,000 to $40,000. Which may sound like a lot, but that's the typical down payment for a more conventional home, which usually run $200,000 to $300,000. With the money saved initially (in loan costs, not counting reduced energy and heating bills) you can afford to purchase an especially nice lot of land to place it on. Or invest the money that you'd otherwise be spending on a $1,500 to $2,500 a month mortgage into a retirement fund.

While I don't believe I don't have it in my to make my first real home something from TumbleWeed or one or their competitors, it's certainly an interesting idea. Perhaps when I'm in a better financial position it'd make for a nice vacation home or something to consider when I'm ready to "upgrade" after building some equity in my first home.

Sources, credit and further reading:

Becoming an entrepreneur: How to avoid disaster

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:58:00 +0000

I read an inordinate amount of things from online. While I do frequent one or two social networking sites (Facebook and LinkedIn mostly), the vast majority of my reading is made up of blogs somewhat tied to personal finance. I frequent a number of high volume blogs, but I find the more interesting and quirky stuff comes from stay at home mom's and debt laden college students looking to share their stories and maybe get a couple of AdWords click throughs to line their pockets. These people typically have well below 100 readers.

The most common theme I seem to find is a strong desire to make money through unconventional means, like blogging or starting a small business. While I believe these people have their hearts and minds in the right place, you inevitably see a wide array of failed plans, plots and schemes.

This is a shame. These one person microbusinesses run from desktop computers and raw ideas are not necessarily bad. All too often people just make a couple of cardinal mistakes and let their potential fall to the wayside. While these microbusinesses may not exactly earn these folk a $100,000 a year income, they could make a poor situation a little more bearable and foster a sense of intellectual curiosity that could potentially lead to self improvement. I've convinced myself through research and positive feedback that my newest endeavours won't fail due to negligence.

Here are a couple of points I've seen made in the past and some I've made myself.

Time: A lot of small time entrepreneurs have lots of ideas. Ideas can be thought of in a wide array of situations. On the bus, while in the shower or while doing a particularly mind numbing work related task. This is great, but if you feel you need to allow an idea to grow the primary ingredient is time.

You need time to flesh out ideas without distraction. You need time to set up the framework of your microbusiness venture. And you need to sit down with pen and paper and work out a timeline.

This is how microbusinesses fail the fastest and hardest. If you don't have enough time to maintain an endeavour such as a microbusiness, you wind up wasting the hours you initially invested in it to begin with. Not only that, but you find yourself disheartened against future experiments.

So when you start a small money making project, make sure you start as tiny as possible so you don't become overwhelmed.
Capital (money): This is the life blood of any business. And you'll need a lot of it if you intend on starting your own hole in the wall restaurant or retail space. But the good thing about being a small time entrepreneur is that you don't really need it. A lot of people don't realize this and wind up investing a fair bit of hard earned money into a venture that will ultimately fail.

Try your best to invest as little money as possible in the beginning. Utilize tools already at your disposal, you'll find a surprising number of them. If you need business cards for your brand new apartment decorating business, don't have them professionally made. But instead use some card stock and your old laser jet printer that's been sitting in the closet for three years.

If the venture ultimately fails and you invested little to no money, you'll wind up in a better position to try another idea out in the near future both mentally and fiscally.
Motivation: This is a finite resource. You start with a lot of it but eventually your supply becomes depleted.

It's easy to become disheartened when you don't see immediate success. Or your immediate success turns out to be a bust. If you're going to do anything, remain as motivated as humanly possible. If you plug away at something eventually it'll play off, no matter what is it.

If you have a partner, meet with them frequently to discuss possibilities. If you don't, discuss the situation with a friend you know will support you. Set small and realistic goals you know you'll be able to meet with a little work and celebrate them.
Research: All too often not enough of it is done. Do a lot of it and do it weekly. It's nice to have the time to build your newest eco-friendly creation, the intelligence not to spend $5,000 advertising it right away and the motivation to make a thousand of them, but if you don't do your homework you'll inevitably find yourself abandoning your venture. Whether your items or services are over priced, don't fill an immediate need or may not be as clever as you think you'll find all three of your most precious resources depleted.
Promotion: You need to be seen. Humans are hardwired for networking and if you're working under the radar you're not going to find any success in any microbusiness. All the time, money, motivation and research in the world isn't going to do you a lick of good if you toil in the dark.

Promote yourself and your project. It can be just to family and friends if you want, or you can take out a newspaper ad. But the important thing is to be seen.
Failure: Sometimes it is inevitable. But that's okay. Failure is part of life and just because your microbusiness didn't take off now doesn't mean it can't take off six months from now. And it certainly doesn't mean you should forgo future experiments with earning an extra little income on your own.

Sometimes the situation is beyond your control. But it's always a learning experience for next time.

If you have additional points to make, post them in the comments and I'll place a permanent link to your blog in my side bar.

Monster.com: Aptly named

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:32:00 +0000

Maybe it's because of my recent past and trouble with the credit industry. Or maybe it's because I tend to cheer for the underdog in any given situation, or maybe it's because I really hate nonpassive advertising. But I've grown to hate monster.com with a zeal and passion that likely rivals that of a madman.

The concept behind it is simple. Provide an online market place where people can find the perfect job for themselves and apply at home at their leisure (perhaps in their underwear). There are a number of competitors, but Monster.com has done a superb job at cornering this niche in the realm of online cash cows.

This system is sponsored by a number of passive advertising methods, such as banner ads. This in itself is fine. But they also don't do a terribly good job at screening those who apply for access to your personal information. Pretty much any entity legitimate or not can access your resume, contact information and marketing preferences instantly provided they fork over a roll of cash to Monster.

This is an enormous problem. Granted, a large array of legitimate recruiters trawl Monster every single day looking for their next marketing director, registered nurse or marine biologist. But it seems an increasing number of shady pyramid scheme oriented folk are right alongside them, peeping at your telephone number, email and home address.

My situation several months ago was simple. I was looking for a part time job to replace an increasingly unpleasant retail position. I was religiously reading the classifieds, scanning craigslist and sifting through monster's established want ads.

I receive a call completely out of the blue from the assistant to a "Mr. Wolf." This Mr. Wolf saw my resume online, explained this lovely young receptionist. He was very interested in my credentials and would absolutely love to see me the very next day for a job interview to discuss the day I'd be able to start work.

I was excited for a split second before the skeptic in me took hold. That's not how things work in the real world. The offer sounded too good to be true. I inquired as to where he saw my resume, as his company name did not match any I had recently applied to myself. She quickly and discreetly mentioned a rigorous screening process, but that they saw me on Monster.com.

This in itself was odd, considering I had made a new profile live mere hours prior. But I made an appointment politely regardless. I immediately jumped in front of my computer, loaded their company website, logged onto scam.com and searched.

Their website was suspiciously vague about their industry and their hiring process. I dug and dug. I discovered that the company as a whole was owned by a Fortune 500 corporation, but it was as close to a pyramid scheme as you could be without being explicitly illegal. The job that I had been "cherry picked" for was an insurance salesman (I had no experience in the insurance industry, nor sales). Which is in itself fine, but research revealed that not only would I have to live wholly on commissions, but those responsible for bringing me in will always, no matter what receive a significant cut out of every sale I make, regardless of their involvement.

Dozens of former folks duped by this scam told tales of "one on one interviews" consisting of little more than a receptionist pitching a rah-rah-rah speech to 20 or more applicants in tiny conference rooms. Several former employees told of hidden licensing fees in the thousands of dollars, months until "residuals," high pressure office environments and pretty much endless cold calling.

Needless to say I blew off the "interview," deciding to not waste gasoline. Thinking that was that I simply continued about my business until recently. I discovered a coworker had the exact same experience. No experience in sales, no experience in insurance, a call from the blue immediately after posting to monster, an immediate interview. It turned out to be the same Mr. Wolf, but his experience happened several years prior to mine.

Talking to the missus about the issue revealed the exact same thing had happened to her.

In itself, this was fine. We were all smart enough to smell a scam and dodge it. But what if we were really desperate? What if we let wishful thinking cloud our judgment, because we were so desperate to escape a poor situation? We'd be stuck in a paper moon situation either cold calling with no hope of immediate pay or hiring people so we could leech off of their hard work, like Mr. Wolf.

How many people had been suckered into this scam, either too desperate or inexperienced to spot a quasi-illegal money sink? Mr. Wolf has quite the apt last name. He is a predator and he preys upon those who need the most protection. And Monster.com facilitated his disgusting mobius operandi. It'd be one thing if he really was cherry picking those with "experience" in sales or insurance. But he isn't. He's casting the widest net possible and luring every new comer to Monster into the gaping maw of his organization. And he was doing it, quite clearly for a number of years.

I complained to Monster, citing my research and the testimonials of my coworker and wife. Not only did I not receive a timely response, but I didn't receive one at all. Not even a prepackaged automated "Sorry. We're looking into it." I complained again. Still no response. I'm still waiting, Monster.com. It's been four months and six emails.

Am I surprised? No, not really. I'm not even that angry that it happened to me. It wasted a total of fifteen minutes on the phone and some research. What really irritates me is that this guy has likely duped people in my neighborhood. Good people who just don't have all the common sense in the world, or maybe fell victim to him on a day he happened to be on a roll. This is especially important in this kind of market.

Who's to say that stable jobs haven't been left over this guy and his lure? In especially desperate times people become more and more frightened. Maybe you're looking for a more secure position, looking to bail from an ailing industry. Or maybe you've been laid off and you need to pay the rent RIGHT NOW. When people are scared judgment tends to take a backseat. But it's critically important to keep a skeptical mind, especially when your career is on the line.

I'm not saying to blow off everything on the internet. Far from it, it's one of your most powerful tools in looking for a new job. But take it with an extra grain of salt than you would something from a newspaper. And for god's sake, research anything that looks fishy.

Further reading on Monster.com, job scams and general things to look out for:

Good progress so far

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:41:00 +0000

It's been a little while since I've updated the debt counter in the right hand column of MSB. Last week we received the majority of our statements and I've compiled a list of what's been paid in full, what's been reduced substantially and what's been knocked out of the park.

I've also reexamined some of our more crucial finances for my own benefit. While I don't believe this is a catch all and it isn't exactly a super detailed look at the world of our personal finances I believe it sums up the recent past, present and near future fairly decently.

The Cards:
- American Express: Amex is no more. The two accounts that have given us the most hardship and heart ache are now a thing of the past. Over the spring and summer we funneled well over $3,000 at our two previously delinquent American Express accounts. They are now paid in full and we have canceled our memberships.
  
  Good riddance.
  
  Our experience with Amex was a weird one. We were first contacted in regards to our Green card account. These ruthlessly trained outsourced folk in India with strange accents and very white names. They were extremely pushy, manipulative and very obviously trained to deal with deadbeats. We refused to deal with them, opting to ignore their calls and make out payments directly to Amex online.
  
  Amex blue was a wholly different story. Maybe because it's a better card, or our balance was substantially higher. We were contacted by a very polite gentleman 45 minutes away. He explained our options, what he could do and allowed me to feel like a respectable human being. Needless to say we made extra efforts to pay off this debt as soon as we could. Two completely different sides of the same coin. But I'm glad they're out of the picture.
- Macy's: The Macy's card was a relic from our last spend happy Christmas. I used it to purchase a beautiful sapphire bracelet (that was subsequently lost) for the missus. This was paid off immediately after American Express was put to bed. It was our lowest balance account and allowed us to feel like we were really on a roll.
- Lane Bryant: Our next lowest balance credit card. This will be the next one to go as soon as we can scrape together enough money to blow it out of the water. The balance is only a puny $238. We could in theory kill it anytime we want, but with winter coming we prefer to err on the side of caution and allow our bank account to remain fat, at least until the first snow.
- Bank One: Our next lowest balance credit card. Standing at around $1,000 it probably won't last very long once we focus our attention on it. While the interest is fairly small in comparison to say, our Bank of America account we'll be happy to see it gone.
The Banks:
- The Old: While our old bank offered the staple services that typically keep every day users happy (online banking, relatively plentiful branches and ATMs, etc) their customer service department handled an issue quite poorly and as such disenfranchised us as happy clients.
  
  Long story short it took an absurdly long time for a check to clear. Due to a web interface that was hardly clear, a single small check was bounced.
  
  The bank was kind enough to swallow half of the bill because of their murky web interface. But this occurred on an especially tight week. We have little to no margins. Their inability to reimburse us the full amount caused a chain reaction of bounced payments to rack up, leaving us with a lovely +$300 fee.
  
  Unsympathetic customer service representatives who refused to budge an inch on anything drove us off.
  
  The account is still active, but we've since moved to another bank. Once we're satisfied all is quiet our relationship will be terminated.
- The New: We found lovely little credit union to handle all of our business. Their web interface is more secure, clearer and while their branches are relatively scarce they're not too out of the way for us.
The Funds:
- His: I've experienced a raise in pay of about $4,000 to $5,000 from this time last year. I'm working a bit more, but it's for our best interest. We ultimately want to purchase our own home, so it's doubly important for me to remain focused on the prize. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) this additional income will be immediately funneled toward our outstanding debts.
- Hers: The missus has made substantial career advancement and will make another in the new year. It's forced her out of the house the majority of the week and her job requires frequent air travel. But it's a thousand fold better than her previous occupation. Both in terms of enjoyment and monetary compensation. This increase in income should more than double the speed at which we pay off our debts.
The Cars:
- His: We had to put some energy into it lately for it to pass an inspection. But thankfully the problem was due to a factory recall and it was fixed free of cost. We're at around 30,000 miles. Which means I've put about 23,000 on it in the two years I've had it.
  
  It's running fairly well. It gets decent gas mileage and gets me where I need to go. Payments are modest, but still have a long way to go.
- Hers: We had to pump $400 into it not too long ago, due to a shot alternator. While this car is substantially older than mine, it's also much closer to being paid off. We're looking at paying it off within a year from today. This will free up $3,000 the following year, pending additional repairs.
The Future Bumps in the Road:
- Taxes: There are only two things you cannot avoid in life; death and taxes. The only bump in the road that I can foresee is tax season.
  
  Due to my occupation I am required to pay my own taxes. This is great throughout the year as I receive my full paycheck with no Uncle Sam horning in on my action. This is bad in tax season, as I typically have to part with what I believe is a substantial amount of money.
  
  Last year was fine. I was only an independent contractor for a small portion of the year. What I had to pay was almost immediately off set by the economic stimulus package. This year will be a bit more difficult. I've worked a lot and made a lot.
  
  So Uncle Sam is going to be asking for a lot. This could reset our finances a substantial amount come tax time. We'll have to work at rebuilding our checking account so we can absorb the punch.

So, in short things are puttering along. We're moving at a respectable speed. Looking back on the progress we've made I'm proud of the amount we've grown and the sacrifices we were capable of making. Already we're far more responsible, fiscally conservative adults than we were just a year and a half ago. While it'd be nice to win the lottery, I'm no longer depressed about money.

It's just something that takes time, patience and a keen eye.

Home Composting: Preparing for an eco-frugal spring

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:46:00 +0000

This year we maintained a relatively small garden. We were quite busy throughout the later spring and summer, but we managed to muddle through with it. The results weren't as nice as I was expecting, but we pulled a fairly decent crop of cucumbers, strawberries, butter crunch lettuce, hot peppers, green onions and various types of tomatoes. Our mini water melons and radishes were a complete bust, however.

In the end I'd say it wasn't cost effective. The produce was completely organic and home grown, but we would have spent less if we had simply gone to the grocery store. So in the end I had trouble justifying the experience. I'm not a big fan of mucking about out doors getting my hands dirty.

The biggest deal breaker was the cost of soil. We went through a surprising amount considering our total harvest this year. I'd say this expense surpassed even seedlings. We used a variety of store bought soil, limestone, manure (bagged, not home produced) and local soil mixed thoroughly. This gave us pretty good results. But costs dictate that next year we'll have to be a bit more frugal when it comes to our gardening expenses, if only to justify the experience in my mind.

As such we've saved all of the soil from this year and started a small compost bin. If our math works out correctly we'll have more than enough to work with in the spring. It turned out to be surprisingly easy.

Select an area and method: There are two ways you can compost. You can either utilize the container model or an open pit design. We don't exactly need the amount an open pit compost pile would provide and we don't really have the space. So we utilized an old, disused plastic trash can. We perforated the bottom and sides to provide some (but not too much) drainage.

We could have bought a special composting bin, but that would have instantly broken our budget for next year. They get upwards of $100 for a couple of dozen gallons. At that point I might as well buy new soil.

Since even the best kept compost bin will likely start to smell significantly at some point we put it where we put smelly things, next to the trash cans.
Get the right mix: Composting is by definition decomposition and is a process by which living organisms break down organic matter. As such some chemistry is required.
- Carbon: This should make up most of the material in your compost bin. Some pretty handy sources are leaves, fallen branches (broken up), disused mulch, cardboard and newspaper. All of these are very easy to come by in your average suburban yard, especially in the fall.
- Nitrogen: You should have a fair bit of nitrogen producing material in your compost bin, but not too much. Some great sources are manure (bagged and sold at your local supply store, not home made), dead plants (such as your tomato plants after the frost) and yard trimmings (grass, shrub leaves).
Layer: Layer your compost material with moist soil but don't pack it down too tightly. This will prevent oxygen flow, which is crucial to the process.
Water: Air flow, heat and the composting process will consume water. If the pile becomes too dry the process will slow. On the flip side if the bin is not covered and becomes too wet (and lacks adequate drainage) you'll find yourself with a lovely smelling soup.

So make sure the bin remains moist, but not too moist. Treat it like you would a house plant.
Turning: Turning a compost pile helps distribute water and oxygen, ingredients that are crucial to the process. So use a shovel to turn the mixture up every week or so. It doesn't have to be perfect, but you'll help the decomposition process.
Mixing: When things begin to fall apart and intermingle significantly with layered soil your compost is ready. For best results mix it with used potting soil from previous seasons. You'll be conserving energy, money and resources.
Stay away: There are a couple of things you should shy away from when composting. These materials can ruin all of your hard work or at the very least delay your final results.
- Home "grown" manure: Unless you know what you're doing stay away from manure produced in your own home. This includes human and pet feces. In all likelihood this material will contain harmful pathogens. It'll also increase the smell factor by ten.
- Some kitchen scraps: Egg shells and potato skins are great for compost piles. Chicken bones, wing tips, fat from your t-bone and fish heads are not so great. Not only will this increase the smell of your compost bin, but you may also find yourself a favorite hot spot for local wild life looking for an easy meal.
- Some paper: While it may be tempting to throw that latest political mailer into a trash can full of rotting leaves and produce, steel yourself. Glossy paper and heavily dyed card stock will only poison your efforts. Newspaper is okay in small amounts, though.
- Tainted plants: Did your crop of cucumbers die from a mysterious illness or blight? Don't put them into your compost bin or you'll be in for a terrible surprise come time to utilize your compost. Like wise shy away from plants that have been treated with pesticides. You want bugs and bacteria now, introducing pesticides into the mix will only prolong the process.

Is this the final word? Absolutely not. There are a wide array of composting methods available to you. I found that this works best in a suburban environment where space and time are more or less at a premium. You can certainly scale this up to six or seven garbage disused garbage cans or dig yourself a shallow pit in your back yard if you were so inclined. You can even build an elaborate cinder block bin if you had the materials and desire for A LOT of soil.

But so long as you turn it once in awhile and don't accidentally drag it down to the curb on garbage day you'll have a superior source of soil come next planting season.

Cheap fast food. The best, the worst.

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:37:00 +0000

I fully admit that over the summer I may have indulged a little more than I should have regarding eating out, specifically fast food. I know there are health and quality concerns that need to be considered, but I consider it one of my precious few luxuries. Even while indulging, I tried my very best to stick to a reasonable budget. When I was with the missus this was difficult, as when we eat out we tend to make it a full meal. But after a number of hard mornings at the office I became quite adept at satisfying my hunger with minimal damage to my budget.

There are certain places to eat for certain things and while sometimes you have a craving you just can't shake, most often than not you can have a filling lunch for two dollars or so, if you pick your poison wisely.

Some places are better to eat at than others when it comes to a limited budget, as I'll explain below.

Subway: This popular chain has released a new ad campaign, selling $5 foot long subs. This seems fairly reasonable at first glance and it is in the end of things. But in comparison to a lot of other fast food franchises, it isn't terribly great. You're restricted to a set number of sandwiches, and Subway isn't known for piling on the ingredients. After tax you are probably ringing up a fair bit above the advertised $5, especially if you buy a bag of chips and a fountain drink.

Healthier than most other fast food chains, but by far not the cheapest.
Dunkin Donuts: Dunkin's has entered the realm of fast food not terribly long ago with their flat bread sandwiches and personal pizzas. But in comparison to other chains they're neither cheap or filling per dollar spent. Delicious? Perhaps. Worth it? Not really.

Money is best spent here with a Munchkin, Small Coffee Combo. Stay far, far away from the budget breaking Coolattas.
McDonalds: The double cheese burger reigns king at McDonalds when you're looking for the cheapest, best thing on the menu. Typically selling for $1 it's a pretty good deal. Before you unwrap it and sink your teeth into it's greasy, condiment flavored interior. Any given bite of this baby will either taste like beef-like-substance bread or ketchup.

The four piece nugget is quite delicious, but for a $1 you'll need two or three just to satisfy mild hunger.
Burger King: In my opinion Burger King is superior to McDonalds in all ways. This includes their value menu. The best item for your dollar? Undisputedly the Whopper Jr, of course. This tiny version of the whopper actually contains more than condiments, with the full lettuce, pickle, onion and tomato you'd expect on a cheese burger.

Besides that the value menu is pretty lacking. You have the standard chicken sandwich, fries and onion rings, but they're neither substantial or worth the money in a tight lunch budget.
Wendy's: Wendy's brings a lot to the table for the cheap grease seeker. It is typically my cheap meal ticket of choice in most situations. Wendy's bread and butter value menu product is the Junior Bacon Cheese Burger. While relatively small, two easily make a filling meal for just over $2.

Several new items to the value menu include a double cheese burger that is fairly decent in comparison to McDonalds and a Crispy Chicken sandwich that is best not discussed.

A small chili without cheese is likely the best value, ringing in at around $1.20.
Taco Bell: My holy grail for fast, greasy food on the go. The only reason why I'm not constantly shoveling this down my gullet is the lack of establishments in my area. The food is delicious, dirt cheap (likely because the contents are items that are essentially the cheapest on the planet) and quickly prepared.

The undisputed king of Taco Bell's value menu is the simple taco. Soft flour or crunchy corn you're not spending a cent more than $0.89 for this simple cheap meal. The Taco Bell menu is highly modular, so coupling a single taco with say, the $1.00 double beef burrito is quite easy.

That being said it's quite easy to be side tracked into purchasing one of the more expensive items, such as a Crunchwrap (up to $3) or a Gordita (up to $2.50).

Are there regional favorites like Jack in the Box, Sonic, Chipotle Grill, Checkers and their ilk? Absolutely. But I really can't offer an opinion on many others, despite their regional existence and lack of nearby locations.

Of course I'm in no way suggesting you eat at any of these establishments frequently. I typically limit myself to one excursion a week. Usually to Taco Bell. Used in conjunction with adequate exercise and a bit of self control the value menu at any of these establishments can be a welcome treat to the financially challenged individual.

Cut Costs This Winter: 5 Easy Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:00:00 +0000

This time last year the biggest thing on my mind was energy costs. Whether it be electricity, heating fuel, or gasoline for my tiny car the costs pretty much erode my fun money down to pretty much nothing. This issue is only made more critical in the winter, when my relatively poorly insulated, ancient home requires vast quantities of kerosene (because my fuel lines love to FREEZE) and electricity (because my heater loves to work, work, work).

This year, surprise surprise, I find myself in a better financial situation with a worse economy. Energy costs are considerably higher, making that extra change in my pocket more or less meaningless. So, needless to say the biggest concern I have this year is the same as it was last fall.

But there are some various things I've come up with to combat the encroaching frost that don't require much, if any investment in order to get a significant return.

Digital thermostat: A lot of homes, older ones especially, have old style dial thermostats. This is where you set a temperature (say, 70 degrees) and forget about it. Sure, you can adjust the dial at your whim. But it requires constant supervision if you wish to best optimize your heating plan.

For example, the house doesn't need to be toasty warm while you're at work. In order to accomplish these savings you'd have to turn down the thermostat every day before you walk out the door.

A couple of years ago we bought a digital thermostat. It cost us $20 and was dead simple to install. We simply unscrewed the old dial and screwed a couple of wires into the new box. Now our heater works in concert with our activities. Week nights after 10:00 PM the temperature drops to a more sustainable temperature. But the heater kicks right back on at 8:00 AM, when it's time to get up. This eliminates human error and insures we never have the heater running unless necessary.
Turning down the heat: It's a painful thing to do, and I swear it's probably changed me in some fundamental Batman villain way. But it works. Your house does not need to be kept at a roasty-toasty 75 degrees in the dead of winter. 68 will likely suffice just fine. Last year our thermostat didn't breach 65.

This year? I might even dip down to a lovely ambient temperature of 60 during the day and 55 during the night.
Focus the heat: This is especially true if you live in an older house with forced hot air ventilation, like my own. Or if you find yourself with more square footage than really required in the dead of winter.

You can find magnetic heater vent covers at your local hardware store. Simply place them over your heater vents and close off a couple of doors. We allow our summer living room (an addition) to fall well below freezing during the colder months. It has no pluming to worry about, is relatively poorly insulated and it goes unused anyway.

If you don't have forced hot air, look into disabling your radiators or closing your central air conditioning vents.
Strategically use space heaters: I'm not saying go out and spend $500 on space heaters and scatter them around your home. But strategically placed, 2 or 3 space heaters can mean the difference between $600 in energy costs for December or $300.

If you find yourself working from home a lot, place one if your office. If you have a relatively closed off living room, deploy one there. So long as you remember to turn them off when you're not around or conscious and use them as a supplement instead of a replacement you should notice a smaller energy bill overall.
Seal cracks, eliminate drafts: You'd be surprised at how many cracks and drafty windows the average home has. Beneath door jams, inside windowsills, unmoved air conditioners from bygone eras.

Try purchasing some weather sealant caulk from your local hardware store to seal infrequently used windows and back doors. You can even go so far as purchasing plastic sheeting (clear, so you can let sunlight in) to block off some especially drafty older windows. Close storm doors and windows. Utilize draft dodgers (neat little tubes of insulated filling) to prevent drafts under more frequently used doors.

So long as you use a little bit of forethought, research and common sense the approaching winter shouldn't be as bad as you think it's going to be, even with rising energy costs.

Avoid Getting Ripped Off: Buying High Ticket Items

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:48:00 +0000

I married my long time love interest on August 2nd. We've been through a lot together and in a lot of ways we're already like an old couple. While we just got married we had been living together for years and before that we were in a relationship pretty much since early 2000. The word marriage wasn't so much important to us as the benefits of being married. We're both very nonreligious people, but the legal system is designed to protect those who share a union. Since she is now a federal employee and receives significantly better health coverage than yesteryears and I'm technically an independent contractor it was the only logical decision. So we had a tiny super cheap wedding.

The one thing that we decided to spend an appreciable amount of money on were our wedding rings. Being a salesman in a former life and having dealt first hand with a number of overly pushy commission based retailers, we weren't exactly looking forward to shopping. Picking them out, yes. We loved that part. But we loathed dealing with the phony in your face sales sharks who simply saw dollar signs.

We went into the situation with a mindset that we were not going to be ripped off. Believe it or not, we actually drew up a list beforehand to help us in our shopping excursion. These tips should work for any high ticket item, be it a computer, car or wedding ring.

Don't deal with sales people (at first): Yes, they're there to help you. But they also have their own bills to pay and their own agenda. Any advice they give you might be tainted with their own best interests in mind instead of yours. So research the field you're looking to buy into. Utilize the internet to narrow your selection and needs down to a general price range that you find acceptable.
Command respect: Don't let them do all of the talking. When you are finally ready to engage a sales person, do just that. Engage them in conversation. Ask intelligent questions as to the nature of the product you're thinking about buying. Make them explain themselves if they're not entirely clear. If you appear docile and meek you might just find yourself in the hands of something who thinks you're an easy paycheck.
Dress right: And by this I do not mean "dress for success." If you look like you're capable of dropping a lot of dough, you're likely going to give the sales clerk that image as a first impression.

So leave your expensive inherited gold watch, Coach purse, fancy leather jacket and other assorted bling at home. If you have one, put your wedding ring in your pocket. These are all things sales people immediately key in on.

Dress decent, but over all pretty casual. Like you were going to a movie with a couple of friends.
Bring a partner: Whether you bring your significant other or a friend, two heads are better than one. You'll have someone not directly invested in the purchase to bounce logical ideas off of. You'll also have someone to remain an outsider in case you start to be drawn into a sale that you may regret later.
Don't talk to your partner (too much): Whether you're shopping with your boyfriend, wife or best friend don't talk to them too much while the sales associate is hovering around you. Make sure you're both crystal clear on this subject. The last thing you want is your wife saying "You should get it, you know you want it." in front of an already pushy commission shark. You'll find yourself pressured from two sides, instead of just one.

Instead politely excuse yourselves to discuss the issue at a nice distance.
Be wary of expiring offers: Be careful associates informing you that "this bracelet is the last one we have.." or that "this sale is for this afternoon only." It's a common tactic to introduce time limits on things. It encourages impulse buys. Which is not what you want to do with a high ticket item. Take advantage of them, but don't do so simply because of the fact.
Don't be scared to walk away: Arguably the most powerful tool in your arsenal. Competition breeds low prices. We all know that a monopoly (the economic situation, not the board game) is a bad thing. Regardless of the item, you can probably find it elsewhere cheaper. The only thing that differs is the effort put into the search.

So if a sales person is pressuring you to make a decision before you've had time to logically think out the pros and the cons of the price, politely thank them and go catch a cup of coffee. The sales associate will know you're capable of walking out on an offer and you'll have time to logically think out the situation on your own terms. If you decide to go back both parties will be aware of just how far the other is capable of going.

This is not a catch all, but instead a general outline with a couple of things that can keep you protected. So long as you remain smart and don't allow yourself to be manipulated you'll be able to get your high ticket item at a fair price well within your budget.

My return to MSB, personal finance, general penny pinching

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:43:00 +0000

I've returned to the minus sign blues after a fairly long (3 month) break. While I can't exactly come up with a fancy pants iron clad excuse for my long absence from the personal finance blog-o-sphere, I have to say that I'm returning fairly motivated to share my research and musings with those who may share my unfortunately predicament once again.

In short, I left partly because of time constraints and partly because I had less of a need to write. I started and maintained this blog for so long simply because of the fact that writing helps me organize my thoughts and logically arrange my emotions. It's a type of therapy for me. The warm summer air (and lack of heating bills) made my debt situation a bit more bearable. So I was able to enjoy life a little more and keep those unsightly invoices tamed.

That $500 a month reserved for kerosene went a long way to improving our quality of life and our checking account.

My little summer off was pretty productive. Both American Express cards bit the dust and their sky high interest rates are no longer of my concern. Several other low balance accounts were also terminated with extreme prejudice. Although I wish I could have earned more to put several others to rest, I'm happy with the progress we've made thus far.

But the leaves are beginning to stick to my windowpanes and more and more blankets are finding themselves piled on top of my bed. A recent examination of our finances reveals that once again because of the impending winter we must button up and live a bit less comfortably and a bit more frugally.

This means a serious return to personal finance research, penny pinching and staving off winter-mopeyness. It also fortunately means a return to blogging.

Expect to see some neat things here in the coming weeks and months. I have many things to read and write about.

Beat the heat without breaking the bank

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:53:00 +0000

Record high temperatures have slammed into the north eastern United States with a fury. My weatherman is flirting with 100 degree afternoons now and it's not even technically summer quite yet. Right now sweat is pouring down my forehead and I'm armed with a personal fan and an enormous glass of ice cold cranberry juice.

And yet I dread laying down on sticky sheets trying to catch a couple of hours of sleep in this stifling, oppressive humidity. Less than a month ago I was shutting up all of the windows at night and turning on the heater just to keep the temperature of the house at a pretty chilly 60 degrees.

Needless to say because of the equally oppressive New England winters and the cost of running such behemoths many homes don't exactly home standard with central air. While it's true my household has a small air conditioner it's best suited for a single small room at best. And even then it causes our electricity bill to spike dangerously high. Something we clearly cannot quite afford yet.

So, whenever we possibly can we have been attempting to flee our home for cooler pastures. But it's been very difficult to stick to our winter budget in our quest to stay cool. We've gone through a little brainstorming session and we think we've come up with a couple of ways to keep our dollars safely nestled in our bank account and our heads from over heating.

In this post I'll detail frugal beach survival.

Food. Bring your own: We recently paid a visit to Lake Sunapee on a quest to see how badly we could burn our nearly translucent hides. (I'll give you a hint: Very badly.) The day was crystal clear and in the 90s. The beach was lovely and relatively sparsely populated. And considering the lake was covered with ice in April, the water was fairly warm. (55 F)

But it cost us $8 to park the car and $10 in gas to get up there. We expected these misfortunes, grinned and bore them. To cut costs we made our own sandwiches from scratch, filled water bottles with tap water and loaded up our cooler with ice packs. We knew it would be tempting to go for a slice of pizza or a hot dog from a beach side vendor, but it'd absolutely crush our budget just to fill our bellies.

So we steeled ourselves and committed to our sandwiches and tap water. With the money we saved in food costs we'll be able to pay a second visit much sooner than we otherwise would have been able to.
Commuting. Take some friends, share the burden: Gasoline prices are sky rocketing. So why not plan an outing to the beach with a couple of friends instead of just the mister or missus? If you have a fair drive to the local swimming hole, river, lake, pond or ocean and you know you'll be paying an arm and a leg for parking go ahead and stuff as many people in your car as possible.

Most beach goers go in twos. Double it and split up the costs accordingly. And hey, if you don't want to hang out with the people you shared a car with just go your separate ways.
Consider going somewhere more local: As a rule of thumb the ocean is almost always a busier and more costly spot to pay a visit. So why not stick closer to home and pay a visit to a local pond, lake or river so long as local regulations and conditions are permitting? You won't have to worry about crowds, the high cost of parking or getting all that sticky salt out of your hair at the end of the night.
Go for the long haul: My logic has always been if you're going to enjoy yourself really enjoy yourself. If you're paying an arm and a leg for gasoline, parking and food just to get a little bit of much needed sun, sand and relaxation make the absolute best of it.

Get there early in the morning, stake out a good spot and set up shop. Bring a book and a stocked cooler. Stay for awhile. Maybe even until the beach shuts down. Squeeze every penny of value from your trip.

If you feel tired of the surf, just take a nap.
Bring the right things: Ideally every beach trip should be prepared in advanced, preferably the night prior. To maximize your comfort level a couple of things are pretty much standard. Many substitutions can be made of the fly, however.
- Beach Blanket: Can be replaced with an old, clean bed sheet.
- Beach Towel: Easily replaced by irregular bath sheets.
- Shade: If the beach is open with little to no shade, consider buying a small sun shelter. If you don't have that kind of cash you can always nap under a light cotton over shirt and a baseball cap.
- Cooler: A must if you're planning on spending any appreciable amount of time on the sand. If you've recently lost yours to a tragic party accident a covered 5 gallon bucket with ice packs and a some manner of cover will suffice just fine.
- Sunscreen: Required. Skin cancer goes poorly in a country lacking universal health care with a weak currency. Pick yours up at your friendly local mega-mart or discount big box store (Sam's Club, BJs). Never buy your sunblock at a beach side store or a gas station. Your wallet will thank you.

So long as you keep your budget in the front of your mind and do a little thought before hand you can escape the brutal summer heat and have a little fun in the process, whether it's at your local pond or an expansive beach.

Do you have some tips for summer beach survival for the frugal fellow? Post them in the comments along with a link to your blog and I'll link back to it in my next post!

Misconceptions about working from home.

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:28:00 +0000

I produce most of my income from the comfort of my home office. While it has been one of the best jobs I've ever had the good fortune of stumbling into, I'm often confronted by a number of people who have quite the inaccurate picture of what the home bound tele-commuter has to put up with on a daily basis.

There are a lot of people out there who seem to think that working from home is the best creation of man since pen and paper. I do agree, but I also concede to the fact that it is clearly not an ideal situation for most people. Of course each particular stay at home position varies from one another, but every single one carries several unifying traits and misconceptions that most people who have never done it have trouble understanding.

I'm going to try to break them down to the best of my ability. Tele-commuting can be both a blessing and a curse to the frugal folk of the world. It's important to weigh your options carefully before embarking on a rash career change.

You are NOT free from responsibility: While you don't exactly have to worry about an over bearing, zealous boss literally breathing down the back of your neck deadlines do exist in every industry, and they are no different when you have the good fortune of having access to your favorite recliner throughout your work day.

In many cases the home worker has to have a great deal more personal responsibility than the office bound employee. You have to manage your time exceptionally well and you have to know when enough screwing around is enough. There's no one around to give you a stern look from across the office. And there are a lot of distractions at home. It's easy to get lost during your lunch break.
You don't save as much as you think: I used to chew through thirty dollars a week in gasoline driving my little Chevy Malibu up and down the interstate on a total commute of seven to eight hours a week. I'd often go out to eat every week, and even when I didn't I likely had to purchase specialty food so I could eat on the run.

That changed when I started working from home. I started gassing up once every other week and all of my meals were made from scratch. Since I had access to my pantry and my kitchen I could make whatever I'd like. No longer did I have to chew through an epic quantity of hot pockets and soda.

But those savings were offset immediately. It costs a significant amount of money to work from home. Instead of running up the utility bill of a faceless office condo I found myself home 24 hours a day, racking up a good deal of my own utilities. The most expensive definitely being heating oil.
You people skills suffer: I've never pretended to be a people person. I'm a very quiet, private individual. I enjoy being alone most of the time and left to my own devices. But I even felt the crunch. Sure, conference calls and emails are a dime a dozen. But even the most anti social person on the planet will still get a little lonely.
People think you're always on the clock: Unless you keep strict office hours and routinely remind your less fortunate comrades of your set schedule, people are always going to think you're capable of doing "one more quick thing" for them before the end of the work day.

In a traditional environment once you've left the building, you're gone. People are used to the fact that if you're not there, you're not available. This goes away when you're on speed dial and your face is your email signature. I've often found myself working into the early morning on long projects.
People think you're always OFF the clock: Everyone you work with always thinks you're on the clock. But everyone you don't work with thinks your "scam" is the best thing ever. While it's true that working from home comes with a certain freedom to manage your time as you please you'll find yourself besieged with honey-do tasks and stern looks when the dishes are left unwashed throughout the workday.

Unless your partner and friends understand that you work just as many hours as they do (if not more) they're going to assume your life is nothing but beer flavored lunch breaks and Married With Children reruns.
Loss of connectivity gives you the chills: Last week I was busy working away when, boop, my internet connection died. With it went my broadband phone line and my digital cable. The cable I can handle.

If this would have happened in an office environment I likely would have shrugged, kicked up my feet and started to chat away with my coworkers. But when you're isolated from the whole your connectivity is your life blood. Sure, there's probably something you can do in the mean time. But what if it takes your ISP 24 to 48 hours to come out to your neck of the woods to resolve the issue?

Say hello to two full sick days used because of a burp in a fiber optic line a hundred miles down the road.
You need certain equipment: Chances are if you're on someone's payroll as a tele-commuter they're going to meet you part way with office supplies. But if you're self employed as a freelancer or if you own your own home business you're going to need to fork out some cash for certain necessities like high speed internet and a reliable computer. And even mundane junk like paper clips and thumbtacks.
Communication is sometimes... difficult: It's likely that if you're reading this it's easy to communicate with you through written word. But with a lot of people, especially older people not exactly proficient at typing, communication begins to break down. Often enough email is the life blood of the home worker. And when it takes someone two hours to draft a paragraph reply or can't be reached via telephone immediately things begin to grind to a stand still.

Is a stay at home job ideal in some situations? Absolutely. Can it lead to an incredible sense of self satisfaction and relaxed outlook? Definitely. Will it help the frugal fellow looking to line his pocket book and keep the costs of commuting at bay? Not always.

So long as the situation is carefully constructed anyone can work from the comfort of their own home successfully, if they have the right type of personality and know about the trials ahead of them.

How to successfully raid a farmer's market

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:14:00 +0000

Spring is here and now we find ourselves flirting with the gorgeous girl that summer is, however fleeting she may be. Eerily pale New Englanders are beginning to stumble into the daylight, only to discover their chalky white skin will offer absolutely no protection against the growing day light. Floridians are slathering on the SPF 9,000 and Californians are now switching from red to white wines and from blue tinted sun glasses to the more stylish green.

I can say from first hand experience that last winter was hard and brutal. I thought I'd lose my mind on the fourth or fifth midnight furnace watch when the mercury started to dip below -15 F and our kerosene tank started to freeze. But if one thing kept be going through the long, hard winter it was the promise of one thing and one thing only.

Food.

In the frozen wasteland that is New Hampshire during the deep freeze of winter everything is either canned, frozen or imported from third world countries below the equator. Which is fine. I like being able to eat, even if it has to either taste like salty mush or come from Brazil with a price tag that'd put hard liquor to shame. But summer offers something different.

Summer offers a taste of local foods. Corn that hasn't traveled more than two zip codes and peaches that you might be able to see growing from the roof of your house. The recent Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kick off for summer.

So when it's time to honor our veterans farmer's markets and fruit stands begin to set up shop. But this year is different. This year we're finding prices a bit higher than the previous. And with it some yankee traders may attempt to take advantage of fresh food starved, over zealous folk looking to sink their teeth into an affordable habanero pepper.

Some "local" farmers markets may very well be hocking the exact same imported wares that your mega mart was pushing on you during the winter months. Some may provide you with honest locally grown fruits and vegetables, but will put even the most conservative grocer to shame with crazy mark up and substandard quality.

Which is not to say that you should steer clear of the enigmatic farmer's market or roadside fruit stand. You should absolutely support locally owned businesses and reap the benefits of the fleeting summer months, so long as you follow a couple of guidelines.

Make sure you know what's in season: There's a reason why apples are dirt cheap in fall. That's when they're harvested in most areas, the market is flooded. The same goes for spring. Spring apples are imported from all over the world, so you may very well be paying more on shipping costs (and spent cargo plane fuel) than the actual fruit itself.

So do yourself a favor and look for items that are in peak season and stick to them. Do you desperately want an ear of corn in North Dakota, but it's only June 2nd? Chances are your product was flown it from Florida a month prior. Will it be edible? Sure. Will it be cheap? Not a chance.
Examine your surroundings: Sometimes you can judge a book by its cover. Are you shopping from a single lonely stand on the highway? Or are you shopping from a group of merchants set up in an empty lot, packed with customers? If business seems steady, the place seems clean and there are multiple vendors to choose from you've almost always found a winning market.
Stay away from heavily processed foods: I'm hardly a freegan. But there seems to be something wrong with buying a meat pie from the back of some guy's truck. Plus, buying processed foods takes the point away from the whole concept of shopping at a local market. Who's to say the potatoes and carrots in it weren't canned? Isn't it kind of self defeating?

That being said there's nothing wrong with buying some maple syrup candy for the kids or a couple of simple bread loaves, so long as they are not outrageously priced. Just remember, the more heavily an item is processed the higher price tag it's going to have.
Remember your normal budget: How much would you think a pound of peaches goes for at your local mega mart? Is it comparable to the price at your local fruit stand? If yes, it may very well be the same product that's been imported from who knows where.
Talk to those selling you your dinner: It'll do wonders. The Farmer's Market is supposed to be a friendly, casual atmosphere usually held out doors. More often than not the people manning the stands are the same people who grew the plum tomatoes you're looking to stuff.

Ask questions. What would they take home today? Where did this head of lettuce come from? How has the harvest been so far? You might make a couple of friends. And as a great man once said, "Friend's don't let friend's buy junk."
Come prepared: You're not exactly dealing with a Wal-Mart super center and the stand you're shopping from may not even have an electrical outlet to proces your fancy and likely unnecessary American Express card. So bring a fair amount of cash in small denominations.

And don't forget something to haul away all of your loot. Reusable canvas bags, backpacks and coolers with ice packs are all excellent items to bring to a farmer's market. Always bring more than you think you're going to need, you may very well find a great deal.
Steel yourself against things you might not really want: Just because you bring more storage space than you need does not mean you have to leave with sixteen pounds of ruby red grapefruit and four dozen years of corn. If the food is fresh and you find yourself wanting to overbuy, take a break. Buy a small quantity, have a snack and see if it's really worth it. You might find that you were a bit greedy. Or not greedy enough.

Just remember to make it an experience worth remembering. Make the trip an enjoyable experience with friends and family. Try not to quibble too much over price. You only live once, and winter is right around the corner. So get your fill while you can.

One down, ten to go.

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:20:00 +0000

I'm quite happy to report that our American Express green card is now not only canceled, but completely paid off. Yesterday's online payment of $711 knocked it out of the park for good. This line of credit originally had one of our highest balances. This will free up an additional $700 a month to be used toward our next target, our American Express blue card.

Which will end all of our interactions with the soulless corporation known enigmatically as Amex for good. I intend to never take out another line of credit with them again. The way they manage their clients and their predatory card pushing practices has left an astonishingly bitter taste in my mouth. Granted, any person who is forwarded to collections is going to have a couple of nasty words to say, but in comparison to the rest of my lenders they are the bottom of the barrel. Even when I was able to pay my balance in full every month.

The game plan is to squirrel away another grand or so into our savings to build up a bigger emergency fund before bringing the hurt down on our remaining debts.

You're next, Blue Card. Get ready for the wood chipper.

A festival of fail: The IRS

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:08:00 +0000

I have a morning routine. It involves a nice cup of coffee, a home made muffin (this week is Strawberry) and some TV time before the long, painful commute to work. Sure, the walk from my living room to my home office may seem short to some people. But several times I've stubbed my toe on the coffee table. Have you ever stubbed your toe? Time slows down and it hurts.

Before I get to work I typically check my RSS reader like an old man would read the morning paper. I subscribe to a number of personal finance blogs and it just so happened the headline of "Don't forget to sign your tax return!" jumped out at me yesterday morning. Why? Because indeed I do not recall signing my tax return. My accountant flavored missus did all the nitty gritty paperwork for me and I mailed them. But I never even saw the thing outside of an envelope, let alone sign it.

After some frantic research I discovered that it was okay, that the IRS would simply send me a request for a signature in a couple of weeks. It's just take longer to get my return. Which is totally acceptable under normal circumstances. However, due to my rocking job I am required to file as an independent contractor. So I have to pay Uncle Sam a cut of my income from the year.

And if my check is not postmarked with the proper SIGNED paperwork prior to the 15th of April, I'll have to pay interest until it's processed. Which totally sucks and totally my fault.

However after some quick thinking and a trip down the street to the post office, I was able to file an extension for the return that I mailed two weeks prior. On the very last day. Even though the extension will be received well after my tax paperwork, it'll cover my ass until they mail me back my inappropriately filled out form to sign.

So no fees or fines, I'll just be receiving my refund adjustment a little later than I should be. Which is an acceptable punishment, I think.

Funny thing, though. I check the balance on our checking account daily. Yesterday morning I had one or two things waiting to clear. This morning Uncle Sam took out his money. But it didn't have the normal clearing period of 1 or 2 days. It was immediate and brutal. Good thing I didn't count on the slowness of the USPS and slack off on depositing the require funds. I now have $60 to my name. Whew. Close call.

So the lesson for today is: Don't trust the USPS to take it's time, read your RSS reader on tax day and ALWAYS REMEMBER TO SIGN YOUR RETURN.

Sales: Likely garbage

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:32:00 +0000

Often a slave to the retail industry since I first stumbled into the adult world, I've come to the frank and sudden realization that sales and rebates are almost always bad things. While hardly ever bad for the retailer, the consumer is all too often lulled into a false sense of self satisfaction before being clubbed in the back of the head with hidden fees, costs and other money grubbing garbage. While it's to be expected that retailers should try to improve their bottom line at all costs in order to remain in business, all too often is the consumer's ignorance preyed upon.

Let's examine a fictional chain of businesses. We'll call this national franchise Bob's Appliances. Bob, the owner of this franchise doesn't actually produce anything. He doesn't need to. The service his corporation provides is customer service, product knowledge and the convenience of having sixty blenders under a single roof for you, the consumer to gawk at and wonder which will produce the best milkshake.

So Bob purchases all of his wares directly from the manufacturer in large quantities. The manufacturer, knowing that Bob will sell through his stock quickly and place another order will provide him their merchandise at a fixed cost. Bob will then mark up the sales price so that when he sells a blender he'll be able to pay for things like shipping costs, rent and his vacation to Greece.

Which is understandable. Bob needs to do this in order to stay in business and pay his employees. But let's say Bob gets some competition. Larry opens up a rival appliance warehouse down the street and starts offering his blenders at a cheaper rate than Bob. He does this because he's a prudent business man.

He does, after all want to make a living. He needs to put his kids through college and pay for his wife's new rose bushes. Bob, worried about his own savings account starts dropping the prices of his blenders to compete with Larry's.

This all sounds great for the lucky sod who wants a cheap blender. But it's not terribly good for Bob and Larry. Soon they're selling blenders for pennies above the prices they originally paid for them. The manufacturer, worried that Bob and Larry are going to drive one another to the poor house and leave them with no middle man to peddle their blenders is left with only one recourse. They set certain guidelines their merchandise can be sold with. They politely inform Bob and Larry that unless certain conditions are met, they're going to stop selling to them.

This is where the manufacturer's "suggested retail" comes in. Suggested retail is, simply put the lowest any given item can be sold under normal circumstances and most major manufacturers practice this sort of behavior. Cusinart, All Clad, T-Fal, Krups, Euro-Pro, Kitchen Aid, Yankee Candle, et cetera.

This provides a boundary for Bob in the future. He knows that his competition can only go so far with its prices, which were kindly set by the manufacturer to assure that even at the minimum sales price some profit was to be had.

This balances things out a bit. But it opens up a whole other world of pain. Just how far should Bob set his prices above the "suggested retail" given to him? Twenty percent or five? Well, nine times out of ten it'll depend on what exactly Larry the devious competitor is up to. Which is probably a sale.

Sales do not break all the rules. They simply create the illusion of such. There are still price guidelines in place you just don't see how little retailers pay for the items they are reselling for you.

Imagine seeing a blender that's usually sold at Bob's for $100. But this week it's only $30. How can Bob possibly profit from this? Simple. He bought it for $5 and jacked up the price to make it seem like he's taking a loss by "practically giving" the blender to you. The suggested retail? Oddly enough, it's $20.

The biggest question I get asked is "When will this item be on sale?" The retailer I work for is thankfully somewhat sane, so my answer is always "Never. We have 'every day' low prices." Which sounds corny and makes people think they're being ripped off, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Sales create an atmosphere of misinformation about the actual value of a product. You shock the person with a borderline crazy high price and slap a sticker on it saying you're going to be a real swell person this president's day weekend and sell it for a quarter of that.

Not only is this manipulative, but in my opinion outright despicable. Especially when retailers go into overdrive and make it their business to have sales. They'll simply hold a sale every month and jack up their prices astronomically high the rest of the time. A prime example of this is Macy's and Kohl's. Not only does this make it impossible to shop when a sale isn't around, it also makes it impossible to shop when there is, simply due to the fact that it herds customers like cattle through the front door all at the same time.

The only exception to this it honest clearance sales after big, time sensitive events. Retailers are still making a profit on every sale, but they're genuinely motivated to move the product so they can make room for higher ticket items. This is why buying Christmas decorations on December 27th is smarter than December 1st. Or purchasing a humidifier in the middle of April is probably wiser than January 5th.

I'm not saying that one should forsake materialism because of asinine markup habits, but I am saying to be reasonable about it. Because in the end of things the amount you "saved" might not really be an appreciable amount at all when you think about it.

Selling your home: Top 10 things to do to get ready

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:35:00 +0000

Let's say you really are in a dire financial situation. The best self help books out there (and even many of the worst) suggest one simple thing before elaborate budgets, job schemes and everything else. They tell you to spend less. Which is quite often a lot easier said than done. But it's possible. The scale is of course up to you, but one of the biggest things you can do to slow the bleeding of your pocket book is knocking a mortgage out of the park.

When you buy a home you typically apply for a home loan from a lender. This lender will pay the seller of the home their asking price and establish a line of credit with you, the buyer. You will then receive monthly payments from them just like you would from Visa or American Express. The amount you pay will of course vary depending on the price of the home, length of the home loan and interest you are charged.

Which is perfectly acceptable. But in a tightening economy sometimes it is necessary to trim the fat. Sure, you can trade in your elaborate BMW for a used Chevy Malibu. But sometimes when the going gets tough it may be prudent to sell your home and either find a cheaper one, or simply tough it out in an apartment for a little while.

The real estate market is in shambles right now. Many big lenders have simply imploded under the stress of so many foreclosures. Many more have stopped issuing new lines of credit altogether. And of the few that are still offering home loans, they're being a heck of a lot pickier about who they reject and who is approved.

Needless to say it's a double edged blade. During the time you may need to sell your home the most it's the hardest. But there are a couple of tricks you can do to get your home on the market and sold as quickly as possible, saving you mortgage payments, time and energy.

Price it right: The market cannot be manipulated. It is a simple case of supply and demand. When there is more supply than demand, prices drop. When there is more demand than supply, prices sky rocket. So even though your neighbor sold his home, which is identical to yours in every way two summers ago for $250,000 that does not mean yours will go for the same price.

So contact a realtor and ask about a cost market analysis on your home. Most realtors don't get paid until your home is sold, so the report should be free. Just don't lead them on.
Stay realistic: A real estate agent may give you a price that you don't like. Tough. While they may be off slightly it's probably a whole lot more realistic than your estimate. They are professionals. This is how they make their own mortgage payments.

An agent who panders to you and says they can sell your home for a lot more is typically someone to stay away from. Your home is going to be listed on the same market no matter who sells your property. It's in an honest realtor's best interest to give you an accurate price. The more realistic it is, the faster it sells. The faster it sells, the sooner they get paid. If it's too low, that'll reflect their commission negatively, too.
Stay away from the buyers: Let your realtor do their job. When a showing is scheduled on your home, get the heck out of dodge. Go for a cup of coffee. Take the dog for a walk. If you stick around and chat up the buyers you may let an insignificant fact slip that may hurt your bottom line if they decide to write up an offer. Or you may come off as desperate.
Don't be difficult: A lot of people see houses on the fly. Sometimes they may only want to give you a couple of hours notice before they want to see your property. Very rarely will they give more than 48 hours notice. So don't shoot down the middle of the week buyer who wants to check out your home at 7 PM because you're tired and it's 5:00. He may wind up buying your property.

Showings don't take more than fifteen minutes usually. You can manage.
Listen to feedback. No. Really. Listen: When someone sees your home through your real estate agent they're usually asked to provide some sort of feedback on how your home showed. Gather it and study it.

If a lot of potential buyers didn't like the dark color you painted your bedroom, repaint it. If they thought your lot was too spartan, plant some flowers. And don't be scared to emphasize the good too. If some buyers liked your hardwood floors, polish them. If they thought the breakfast nook was especially cute, put some fresh flowers on the table.

Remember, it doesn't matter what you think. Buyers are fickle and picky, you have to coddle to their general wishes sometimes in order to wash your hands of a home.
Use public open houses wisely: Open houses cost a lot of time and energy, so it's important to schedule them well. Not only does it destroy your day because you have to bust your hump cleaning and polishing before jumping ship, but advertising is expensive.

So a real estate agent isn't going to want to have one every weekend. Not only will they have to sacrifice a day off, but they're going to shell out a couple hundred bucks to get the word out. All on the chance that someone might show up.

So plan them for weekends that are looking relatively warm and sunny. Stay away from weekends with sporting events, holidays or attractions. If everyone is watching the superbowl or attending the county fair, no one is going to be paying your home a visit.
Use broker open houses wisely: A broker's open house is just that. It's where your realtor invites all of his cronies to your pad to check it out for their buyers. It's a powerful tool, but keep somethings in mind.

Broker open houses usually only happen to the best priced and maintained homes on the market. Why? Because it's a chance for potentially every real estate professional in the area to critique your home. If they don't like it, they're not going to suggest it to their buyers.

They're also usually in the middle of the week. No one wants to sacrifice their weekend just to stand around a some stranger's house on the off chance they might know someone who might be interested. So make sure you're able to clean house in the middle of your work week.

They're also usually somewhat catered. Everyone loves a free lunch. Food acts as bait. So offer to help your real estate agent with food costs and ideas.

Make it count, because you'll probably only get one broker's open house. Once everyone has seen it, they won't want to see it again.
Make an awesome first impression: Stupid little details impress people. Even the details that aren't going to stick around after you pack up and move. So consider fresh flowers on the dining room table, keeping the house immaculately clean inside and out and making sure there's as little clutter as possible.

If you need to pack some things or put some stuff in storage, so be it. You're going to have to move it eventually anyway.
Keep pets out of the way: Sometimes a showing will happen in the middle of the day while you're at work. That's usually fine, if you don't have any pets. But what if you have a dog or a bunch of cats running around? What if one of them gets outside because of an ignorant agent?

Whenever a showing is about to occur or you're going to leave the house for the day, secure your animals. Confine the cats to the guest bedroom with some food, water and a litter box. Crate your dog, et cetera. And make sure everyone knows about them. It's helpful for a buyer to know that you have a lab crated in the basement, but he's really friendly. Or you have a pug locked upstairs that loves to bark, but wouldn't hurt a fly.
Consider every offer, no matter how pointless it seems: Let's say someone likes your home. So they write an offer and send it along. They may ask for a substantially lower selling price, or that you pay for their cost of moving.

There's probably a reason why they're doing that. Maybe your home is a little over priced. Try to negotiate. You'll be surprised how many people reject contracts on their home because of a couple of thousand dollars, but wind up staying on the market for months and end up paying way more than that in mortgage payments and price reductions.

Selling a home now is harder than ever. But if you stay focused and cut the sentimental value out of the equation you'll successfully wash your hands of your sky high mortgage and a lot of your financial woes.

Buying your home: Top 10 things to do to get ready

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:18:00 +0000

The biggest purchase any given person on the street is likely ever to make will be their home. Most people will never even imagine shelling out for an investment property or purchase any appreciable amount of stock. Which is fine. Some people just don't want to be bothered with big, sometimes unwieldy investments. They just want to work a nine to five job and put away a good chunk of their income toward retirement and enjoying themselves. And so long as they manage their finances properly, their financial lives will typically long outlive the foolish investor.

So, your very own home. It's the American dream. I know that at this point in my life it's the one thing I want the most. There's a good reason why a lot of people shell out a lot of cash on their homes, they spend a lot of time there. Your home is your castle, your sanctuary after a hard days work. If you own it, you can do with it whatever you'd like. Paint it whatever colors you'd prefer, furnish it with whatever furniture you find the most comfortable and decorate it however you want.

In the real estate industry I see a lot of clueless first time buyers. This serves to simply irritate everyone nine times out of ten. The buyers get frustrated because people are talking over their heads, the real estate agents get frustrated because they have buyers trying to behave in ways that are unrealistic and the lenders get annoyed because they're not getting their money when they're supposed to because everyone is all confused and frazzled.

When you're doing something for the very first time it's okay to be a little ignorant. But whenever you're getting ready to purchase a home it's always prudent to know as much about the subject as you can possibly know. You try to be savvy when you're buying a car, right? Well, even the most expensive car is about thirteen times less costly than the dumpiest single family home. And when the going gets tough, an expensive car is far easier to get rid of than an over priced home.

To make it short and sweet, a bad buy on your first home can ruin you for years if a couple of things go wrong. I've drawn up a short list of points you should keep an eye out for, but it's always a good idea to ask a local realtor in a no pressure situation, or check out the appropriate book at your local library.

Don't screw around. Get a real estate agent and stick with them. Real estate agents don't make a dime unless you find something to buy. And even then it's a commission check from the guy selling the property. It is in their best interest that they find a fair price for you.

Driving around looking for "For Sale" signs isn't going to do you any good. You won't have anyone to represent your interests. So you're far more likely to get ripped off by the guy selling the home. Real estate agents are trained professionals. They know what needs to be done in order to make a fair sale. They know to ask about home inspections, conditions that may be concealed, tax rates, whether or not the price is accurate, et cetera.

In short, it'll save you time and money. Would you enter a civil lawsuit without a lawyer?
Real estate books are crap. You see those glossy little books sitting outside grocery stores, chuck full of homes. Yeah, they're garbage. Why? They're published once or twice a month. A month is a huge time frame in an industry as fast moving as real estate. Homes get price changes, sell, expire, get withdrawn, go under contract, get renovated and changed all the time. I used to manage several real estate book accounts. By the time the book was in print, half of all the properties showcased were typically either sold or appreciably changed in some way.

They only serve to make sellers happy. That's it. Nothing else. Don't waste your time.
If you have to look all by your lonesome, use the internet. Use realtor.com's search engine if you're looking within the United States. Don't bother with the search engines maintained by the real estate books, they're not going to be any more up to date than the paperback books.
Consider your savings account. You're going to need to make a down payment in some form in order to qualify for any type of loan that isn't going to rake you over the coals. It's a simple fact. It's usually a good idea to save up twenty percent of the amount you are looking to spend. This won't be going to the guy selling the home, his real estate agent, or yours. It will be going to the bank that you're getting a home loan from.
Consider what you can afford for a monthly payment. If a house has a price tag of $250,000 you're not going to pay that and that alone. The vast majority of people get home loans. That means you're going to have to pay interest until the home is paid off in full. It's almost exactly like a car loan.
Consider what you can afford for taxes. Owning private property means paying taxes. Taxes are paid yearly to the town or city you live in. They pay for things such as waste water treatment plants, police and schools. Very few people realize this fully before signing a binding contract. Taxes are typically paid yearly. So living on the outskirts of a ritzy town may sound appealing in theory, but you're going to be shelling out more than your fair share of hard earned cash. Before considering a purchase, call the town hall in question and ask them for their tax rate.

Tax rates are usually per $1,000 dollars. So, if the tax rate in Lazytown is $25.05 and your home is $100,000 you'd simply divide 1,000 into 100,000 and get 100. Then you'd multiply that by the tax rate, $25.05 and you'd get $2,505, which means you'd have to pay $2,505 annually to Uncle Sam.
Don't get emotional. Keep it loose and easy. If you find a home you absolutely must have, you're far more likely to be manipulated and wind up paying more than you really should have to. If the seller isn't willing to compromise enough to make you happy, walk away from the sale.

Nothing is final unless your name is on paper.
Wait it out. The market fluctuates. Right now as you may have heard the real estate market is tanking in the United States, due to some rather unsavory activity on the part of shady banks. This means the market is what they call a "buyers market." Buyers have the advantage because there are far more homes that need to be sold than there are people willing to pay for them.

This means competition. And if you're looking to buy a home, it's your best possible scenario.

In a buyers market homes are more likely to either be fairly priced, or below market value. People are also far more willing to compromise should you bring an offer to the table that suits your best interests more, versus their own. But even in a market that's declining, there's always a couple of extra bucks to be saved. As a rule of thumb, late fall is when prices typically start to fall even further.

People want their homes sold before the holidays. But people don't want to buy, because they're busy with the holidays. So it's a win-win situation. You'll get your lowest prices of the year around late winter and early spring. Why? Because the properties on the market are probably still left over from the fall and winter. They've been on the market for months, and their sellers have probably authorized a number of price changes.

Your real estate agent can find out just how much the price of any given home has fallen since it's been on the market.
Consider a bank owned property. There have been a lot of foreclosures all over the United States. These are homes that people couldn't afford when their shady banks got over zealous about their monthly payments.

Banks are in the business of selling loans, not homes. So while you can't exactly see a bank and talk to a bank like you would a normal, average Joe looking to sell his home you're far more likely to get a better deal. Why? Banks want to wash their hands of the property. They want it gone and out of their mess of problems as soon as possible. This doesn't mean you need to attend foreclosure auctions, but keep an eye out for newspaper ads that contain the following language: bank owned, reo owned, real estate owned, foreclosure, foreclosed, lender owned
Be wary of "concessions." Occasionally someone selling their home will offer "concessions" to potential buyers. This sometimes mean they'll pay condo association fees for your first couple of months, they'll pay your first years taxes, they'll pay for your moving costs, et cetera. They're doing this because they want to sell the property, but don't want to really lower the price a substantial amount.

Like a "sale" at your favorite retail outlet this can be good. But it might mean the home is over priced to begin with.

So long as you do your research, get a respectable real estate agent on your side and take your time to make a decision you'll wind up with the best possible home you can manage with as little possible hurt to your bank account.

Hobbies for the frugal

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:28:00 +0000

Everyone has at least one hobby. Something they really enjoy doing that doesn't really have a practical and every day purpose. I've met people who like collecting retro video games, people who make beautiful music and people who love putting together elaborate model trains and villages.

The problem is, when money gets a bit tight the hobbies are usually the very first things to go, even before free time and food. Which is a shame. Hobbies define who we are. It adds a little bit of character and color into our lives. Which is exactly what most people need when they find themselves strapped for cash.

But hobbies don't necessarily have to be costly. Sure, a lot of the good ones are. But there are many things that you can do to occupy you body and mind other than mindless toiling under the gun of making an extra dollar.

Here are a couple of small suggestions. But this mind is by all means not a tell all list. There's an infinite number of things you can do to occupy yourself. You just need to be a little creative.

Read
So long as you're not married to any given series of books or costly periodical reading remains one of the cheapest pay for hobbies imaginable. You can find any given book type under the sun at your local library. And if they don't have it, they can order it for you.

If you must permanently possess a piece of literature you can try any number of used book stores, thrift stores or book sales. Many of these places also carry older magazines. While the pop culture periodicals are probably pretty worthless you can always find those that cannot be made obsolete with time, such as National Geographic.
Paint
Acrylic paint, brushes and unfinished wooden doohickeys are surprisingly cheap at general craft stores. Despite my manly prowess, I've found myself on occasion painting pretty pink jewelry boxes with bumble bees and hearts. You can find a surprising amount of unfinished items, too. Everything from boxes to coat racks to chairs and wooden toys.
Gardening / Yard improvement
When I hear the word "yard work" I cringe. But I have to admit that after I quit my complaining I actually really enjo y getting outside and scotching my pasty white skin beneath the blazing New England sun. After spending a whole winter couped up in a tiny house with debris gathering on the yard it's good to clear some leaves and brush sometimes.
Hiking
If you don't live in the very center of a heavily urbanized area, chances are there's some mighty fine hiking within a half an hour of your home. So long as you have a good pair of boots, a rucksack and a water bottle you're more than capable of getting outside and enjoying some fresh air.

If you need a little help in finding some local trails, try TrailFinder which is maintained by the American Hiking Society. The resource even provides locations for additional outdoor activities, such as dog hiking, biking, fishing and camping. If you're willing to shell out a hundred bucks or so on a GPS, you can always try Geocaching, too. After the original investment in the GPS device there's no direct cost involved.
Bird watching
Whether you're lazy and prefer to do it on your back porch with a glass of ice tea and a bird feeder or a bit more proactive with a pair of binoculars and hiking boots bird watching won't cost you a time if you're frugal about it.

And if you're looking for something a bit more elaborate than stale bread in the backyard, unfinished bird feeders are pretty cheap. As are mixed seeds and hummingbird nectar.
Some sports
Hockey is a bad hobby for the frugal fiend because of all the equipment involved to do it safely. Not to mention the cost of using a skating rink. But basketball, soccer, baseball, softball and touch football all just pretty much require a ball and maybe a bat.
Stargazing
In my driveway on a clear night it's hard to make out much in the sky. A couple of the better known constellations, maybe Mars of Venus. There's a fair bit of light pollution, so stargazing is pretty difficult.

But if I drive 15 minutes down the road to a cemetery in my local state park all of that fades away and suddenly I can see more stars than I ever could have imagined. I did this with the last lunar eclipse. Stargazing itself is always free. It's even better if you can find a pair of binoculars from another era and blow off the dust.

Regardless of what you'd like to do it's always important to keep a hobby while in financial straights. It'll serve as a release valve for all the stress that's sure to come with living on a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle.

The Sewing Kit: Your best friend

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:27:00 +0000

Let's face it. When our clothes get a little worn out and torn the vast majority of us create a new oil rag, chew toy for the dog or contribute to our daily landfill allowance. Clothes in this era are mass produced by industrial machines and foreign labor. They are relatively cheap and not exactly designed to last forever. But when you're on a fixed income and paying off your heating bill looks a little better than buying a new pair of work slacks, it's time to bust out the best friend and frugal fiend can favor, their sewing kit.

I learned to sew probably like most everyone else. In high school home economics, with a grumpy woman who looked older than the White House. And while I did forget a substantial amount of what the woman taught me, such as how to make a simple budget, I somehow retained the ability to possibly sew. Granted, I'm not going to be busting out designer jeans anytime soon. But you'll sure as heck bet that I'm going to keep that polo shirt that's missing a button or a jacket that has a torn pocket.

You can by sewing kits from any number of department stores. A lot of them are pretty good, too. They tend to be small and compact with a good and secure place for every bit of thread and needle. Which is a must, considering you can't exactly use it if you're missing half the pieces. But any good sewing kit can be made at home. And if you have all the material to pull one together, why bother to buy one?

Any half decent sewing kit will contain:

A sturdy and secure case, box or tin (To keep everything together.)
2 pairs of scissors (Cheap-o paper scissors and fabric shears.)
5 - 10 sewing needles (You don't need special fancy needles. Medium sized are all you're going to need for general repair.)
10 - 15 straight pins
1 seam ripper (For fixing mistakes, removing labels, patches, et cetera.)
Several spools of sewing thread (While it'd be ideal to have every color under the sun you only need to stick to some basic colors. White, black, gray, red and blue. Most small repairs will be in relatively hard to spot locations anyway.)
A pin jacket, cushion or book (So you don't stick yourself accidentally.)
An assortment of buttons (For replacing lost ones. Most clothes with buttons keep a spare sewn into a hem, use the seam ripper to tear them out.)

If you want to go nuts you can include lots of fancy tools like a hand held sewing machine, measuring tape, marking pencils and special types of fabric shears. But those are the basics that you're probably going to need on any given day.

Arming yourself: A federal job

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:14:00 +0000

When you boil personal finance down to the bare bones there are two very obvious ways to increase your over all wealth. The first and most obvious is to spend less than what you earn. This can easily be achieved by simply installing some self restraint in your shopping habits and developing some sort of budget, even if it is rough. A lot of people focus on this aspect as it will bring the most amount of success in the shortest amount of time. Which is great. But what if you've already done that and your bank account is still hemorrhaging like nobody's business?

If the first option fails you can always fall back to the second bare bones option. It is simply to increase the amount you earn annually. Whether it be a second (or third) job, a raise or a brand new primary occupation.

Admittedly this is the most difficult part, especially with the economy in the shape it's in. Everything from retail to real estate is feeling the pinch of the almighty dollar's decreasing value. Sure, people are definitely hiring. But they're being a lot pickier about the over saturated market. A lot of other people are looking for jobs too, whether they have a sub prime mortgage or they're irresponsible college kids coming entering the work force with American Express on their backs.

But you can get a cup of water, even in the driest well. You just have to wade through the mud to get to it. You just have to remain persistant and ruthless in the pursuit of a new occupation should you decide to get one.

Let's examine the missus, shall we? She's in her mid twenties and has a dual major in education and accounting. Currently she is employed at a full time job that pays her a little over $12 an hour. We've been looking to get her a better paying position in a field she'd appreciate for nearly half a year now. We've gone through three reams of resume paper, countless stamps, 25 Sunday papers and she's wasted most of her vacation days to attend interviews for everything from entry level positions with small businesses to senior analysts with the state government.

She even put her time in with two staffing agencies. Professional job hunters who red penned her resume to make it the best it could possibly be. Either she was outright rejected or lured along with the hope of a new position with second or third interviews. But nothing really materialized in a price bracket that would be worth moving to.

Needless to say it was an exhausting, depressing experience for the both of us. But one evening while she was toiling away at her second job slicing pizzas one of her former college professors stopped in for a piece of pie. They got to chatting. The missus asked for a letter of recommendation. The professor said she'd be glad to provide one, but had she heard of working for the federal government?

At this point we had been applying for state jobs as well as to the private sector. We figured it just another resource. So I burned some time and did a little bit of searching. I found everything from $8 an hour grunt jobs working at cafeterias to $100,000 annual jobs controlling entire departments. We found a couple of jobs that fit her experience and education and applied.

The most painful experience out of it was the waiting. She waited a whole month for an interview. Then another whole month to hear if she got the job or not as they checked her record for any smudges. Then another full week to call and ask if it'd be possible for her to start in three weeks time.

The US federal government, as you would imagine is a bureaucratic mess. But she was finally accepted. She will be receiving a $15,000 more at this new job versus her old one. She will also receive superior health, vision and dental benefits. And since it's a public sector job she's essentially tenured after a year's time. There is also a clear and easy pay grade system, so she can calculate exactly how much she'll be making in two years time.

While I'm not exactly sure how well other federal institutions treat their employees, if you're looking for a new job anyway, it's definitely worth a shot. Especially if you have an education or a good amount of private sector experience under your belt.

Sure. It'll probably be a longer process to score one of these jobs versus something straight out of the employment section of the newspaper. But with the potential to get something with such great benefits? It's definitely worth it.

Low impact, woodland home and community

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 03:04:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I produced perhaps my most popular piece of writing on - the minus sign blues to date. In it I provided a little bit of a cross section on eco-frugal homes and how one can feasibly live within reasonable comfort without laying waste to 3+ acres and constructing some elaborate McMansion with central heating and sky high energy demands.

Since the date I published it I've received nearly 3,500 hits specifically to that article from various sources that range from Google searches to indie architecture blogs. In fact I've gathered a number of readers specifically from this article. Several of whom have rather politely asked me to post a bit more frequently about the subject that drove them to my little niche in the eco-frugal blogosphere.

Oh yes. Even I use trendy terms sometimes, however much as I like to appear to go against the grain.

So a couple of days ago when I found these little gems on a low impact, woodland home in Wales, I was instantly interested. While this very economical style of home wasn't elaborated on very much in my original post, it is more or less an earth shelter style of home with a touch of strawbale construction thrown in for good measure. Even if it's gone off a bit into the deep end and become a bit greener than it's more conventional counterparts the spirit is more or less the same.

While most of my economically and environmentally friendly homes are just that, they all pale in comparison to this home's simplicity and staggering ability to keep it local, cheap and beautiful. A lot of others still maintain a fair bit of third party contractor work and good old fashioned cement, brick and bolts. Not this one.

It was constructed over a four month period by a man and several friends, none of whom had any training in architecture, construction or masonry. And better yet, they were able to do it with mostly all local materials. The material they did have to purchase only came with a price tag of a mere £3000. If my calculations are correct, that comes out to a little over six thousand U.S. dollars.

Which by the way, is less than half of the suggested cash down payment on most single family homes over here in the states.

While this is probably a little bit more rugged than I'd be comfortable living in at the moment with its compost toilet, ground cooled fridge and total dependence on solar power, it's a neat concept and it just goes to show you how really frugal you can be when it comes to your place of residence and still be supremely comfortable.

But what really piqued my interested was what I found while exploring their website. They are involved in a rather brilliant project in South West Wales that goes by the enigmatic title of "Lammas." Which is not a single eco-frugal home, but instead a whole community dedicated to this unique, low impact life style. Think of it like a condo development for the greenest frugal folk you can imagine. Situated on about 70 acres the association will include several homes, a community center and a campsite for those interested in being looky-loos for the not so rich and not famous.

Even a small mini-series has been produced that details the ins and outs of starting, maintaining and finishing such a novel project. It's really worth a second look if you're interested in this sort of thing. Even if you're not, maybe you will become so.

The dreaded homelunch

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:21:00 +0000

There was a time when I used to work in an office environment for nine hours a day, five days a week, fifty one weeks a year. It was a pretty grueling experience to say in the least. My days were made up of high pressure deadlines, keyboarding and a fair amount of incompetent technophobes yelling at me because they couldn't exactly wrap their heads around the whole purpose of having secure passwords and anti-virus software.

Needless to say the best part of my day was almost always the lunch hour. Sixty sweet minutes of peace and quiet to do with what I please and enjoy a nice meal. And with the missus in the next office over we could take a leisurely break together. And maybe vent at one another as to why, exactly our boss felt the need to be such an arrogant waste of skin.

Because it was a busy office environment in an area populated by office buildings, real estate brokerages and banks there was a dangerous temptation. It was called "the strip" and it was glorious. A mere sixth of a mile down the busy seven lane artery that could have passed for a major highway were more places to eat than stars in the sky. Everything from the usual fast food garbage to upscale twenty dollar sandwiches. If you felt like anything at all on any particular day of the week, you could find it, order it and consume it in less than an hour.

And man, oh man. Would that seven lane motorway clog like a low flow toilet at 11:55 every weekday, without fail.

I'm pretty ashamed to admit that we'd waste a good $60 every week on lunch. That's more than half of our current food budget for two full weeks, breakfast lunch and dinner included. We did this for more than half of a year. Our rough estimates put this at around $1,500 of pure excess. Sure, the food was marvelous and the stress relief was great. But not only were we wasting an extraordinary amount of money, our waistlines were also exponentially increasing. I gained 30 pounds at that job, due to eating out and sitting on my ass all day, typing.

Now that I work from home for the vast majority of my work week I have full access to every household appliance in my home in addition to my fridge and pantry. Lunch is no longer a problem. There's no temptation to go out, as I live in the boonies.

But I did start to get serious about being frugal before I left the office grind. While there was still a little bit of excess involved, it was far more manageable. Here are some of the tips and tricks I experimented with.

Don't change your life style all of a sudden
If you're used to eating out, you're going to get withdrawals it you all of a sudden stop and switch to the loathed Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich at your desk. Going out for Thai with your work buddies is far more appealing.

So continue to do it, but work on scaling yourself down. Form a rough budget and evaluate your performance on a week to week basis. But don't get depressed if you go over budget once in awhile.

Start bringing your lunch on your less stressful days and enjoy a nice time out on the more head grinding days. Eventually over time whittle it down so you only go out one or two days a week.
Remove temptation
It's depressing to see a group of your coworkers go out to your favorite lunch canteen. It's downright torture to see (and smell) them get delivery. Curb your potential torture by taking your lunch break earlier than most of your peers, if possible. Leaving the building altogether works well if you don't mind being a little antisocial. I used to bring a good book to my car and read in the spring and summer months.
Snack
Okay. Not all of us can be antisocial nerds and read under a tree when the clock strikes 12. Let's say you need to go out on a daily basis, if only to chat with your friends and coworkers and get a little bit of socializing in.

Have a snack about an hour before lunch time and order something relatively small when you do go out. Since you won't be famished, you'll be less likely to order something off the menu that could feed a cow.
Don't drink soda
Soft drinks like Pepsi and Mountain Dew are mostly carbonated water. Which is essentially tap water with a bit of gas dissolved into it. I once knew a woman who managed a restaurant for a number of years. She informed me that soft drinks have an enormous third party markup. It costs the average restaurant about $0.03 to provide you with a frosty cold Pepsi. Which is why most establishments tend to offer free refills. Likely because they're charging you about $2.00 for something that costs them three cents. The same is more or less true for coffee.

So if you find yourself as a fast food joint or elsewhere, simply drink water. You'll be cutting down on empty calories and saving yourself a bit of money.
Utilize the microwave
Microwaves are more common than toilets nowadays. There was a time when I lived off of Hot Pockets. Granted, they were still incredibly unhealthy and still cost me $2.50 a box, but that sure as heck beat going to McDonalds and buying a $6.50 double quarter pounder.

You don't even have to buy microwavable convenience meals. Microwaves in the work place allow you to bring pretty much anything you can fancy for lunch, be it left overs from the night before or something you whipped up that morning.
Utilize icepacks
Say you're on the run more often than not and a microwave is not always an option. There's nothing chaining you down to just sandwiches. So long as you have a lunch bag and an icepack there are a number of things you can eat cold and on the run.

Some ideas include:
- Pasta Salad
- Chicken Salad (Maybe with left over chicken from the night before?)
- Gazpacho
- Waldorf
- Veggie Wraps
- Fruit Salad
- Left over pizza (I prefer it cold, honestly.)
- Left over fried chicken (Fried chicken is excellent cold, that's way it makes excellent picnic fodder.)
- Potato Salad
- Tortilla chips and salsa (or Spinach dip)
So long as you can dice it and shove it inside of a tortilla or a tupperware container, you can bring it and eat it cold.
Set aside dinner portions
Regardless of what I'm having for dinner on any given night I try to put an extra portion into a piece of tupperware before I sit down to eat. This could be anything from mashed potatoes of taco filling. This stops us from eating it and it gives me something to work with for the next day's lunch.

There's no rule saying you have the have an exact duplicate of your previous night's dinner. Roast chicken can be diced up and put into a salad. Taco filling can be mixed with rice and corn. Roast beef can be sliced thinly and placed into a wrap. Mashed potatoes can be mixed with cheese and sour cream, et cetera.
Don't underestimate the power of carbs
I love carbohydrates. They're tasty and extremely filling. Whenever I work outside of my home for a long period of time, I always bring some seasonal fruit and a slice of breakfast bread with me. The breakfast bread will keep me filled for a long time while I bust my hump. The same is true for any complex carb, be it pasta, potatoes or a big hunk of pumpernickel.

So long as you make an honest effort to try to curb your unhealthy and wasteful lunch habits you'll succeed, if only a little bit at first. But it's not incredibly difficult.

Top 5 best herbs for the frugal family

noreply@blogger.com (Ed) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 13:48:00 +0000

Fresh herbs are by far the most expensive piece of produce pound for pound that you'll ever likely buy on a semi-regular basis. With good reason, too. They're capable of turning just about any bland and mediocre meal into one that you're going to remember for quite sometime. Which is a very important, especially when you're on a tight food budget.

A lot of people buy their herbs dried, or worse yet, in the produce aisle at their local mega mart. This is a shame. Sure, dried herbs are great. But a lot of their essential oils have evaporated in the drying process, and even more lost during their journey to the store and a potentially long stay on the grocer's shelf. And fresh herbs are expensive. They should be. A lot of time and energy went into keeping them alive all this time just so you could pluck them up on a Sunday afternoon for your pasta sauce.

So the solution is simple. Grow your own. Seeds are cheap and herbs require very little maintenance once started. The only thing you need to worry about is getting the biggest bang for your buck. These can of course be grown outside should you have that privilege, but most herbs are quite content to sit in a sunny windowsill inside.

So I've compiled a short list as to the top 10 you should be concerned about if you find yourself with a new green thumb and on a tighter budget.

Basil
Description: Basil is a dark leafy green plant. The plant itself is flowering, producing tiny, sweet smelling white flowers. It's seeds are tiny and dark green to black in coloring.
Dishes: Pasta sauce, pesto, zucchini, salad and pizza
Tips: Needs a very sunny area to grow properly. Like most herbs, the cultivated product can be a little bigger than bite size. Clip only as needed from the plant and mince the leaves very finely. Add toward the end of the cooking process as basil itself is pretty delicate and may lose its flavor if too much heat is applied. Basil is crammed full of antioxidants!
Chives
Description: Chives are actually part of the onion family. They appear when fully mature as hardy and tall grass with a light to medium green color. They are a flowering plant and produce small purple flowers.
Dishes: Roasted, mashed and baked potatoes, salad, dip, salsa and pasta sauce
Tips: Needs a very sunny area to grow properly. When using, snip one stalk off as close to the base as you can and mince it. If you need more, repeat the process with a second stalk. You'll get a surprising amount for very little of the plant, so don't be over zealous when it comes to using.
Bay
Description: Bay is grown from woody stalks. The actual leaves themselves are large and pale green, with a lighter underside.
Dishes: Soups, stews, stock, and sauces
Tips: The bay plant doesn't need so much sun as it needs air. Make sure it's in a well ventilated area. When cooking, bruise the leaf and add it in the beginning of the cooking process whole. Fish it out before serving, as biting into a mouthful of foliage may not be the best experience. Bay itself is aromatic and slightly bitter.
Rosemary
Description: A small, woody plant that produces small evergreen like needles when fully mature. The plant itself produces tiny periwinkle colored flowers.
Dishes: Cornish hens, steak, fresh water fish, brisket, lamb, soups, stews and stocks.
Tips: The essential oils in rosemary can irritate the skin. So be ginger when you clip what you need from the plant. The plant itself needs a moderate amount of sun. Before cooking, bruise the clipping and add at the start. Like basil it should be fished out before serving.
Sage
Description: Pale to medium green, long and wide leaves. Flowers with large, bell shaped purple flowers. The plant itself is woody.
Dishes: Pork, chicken, goose, turkey, stuffing
Tips: This plant's name literally means "to heal" and has been known to treat a large variety of ailments such as digestion and depression. The plant itself tolerates dry air very well, but needs plenty of sunlight to thrive. Like rosemary and bay, sage leaves should be bruised, added during the start of cooking and fished out prior to serving.

Of course there are plenty of other herbs and varieties out there that you can try yourself. But whether it's thyme, tarragon or flat leaf parsley they'll go a long way to stretching your food budget just a little bit more.