My net worth increased by $755 in the month of February. At first I was disappointed. Then I realized that if I can maintain that kind of growth, by the end of the year, my net worth will break $100K.
And if I just continue to pay my mortgage on schedule, by the end of the year I'll owe less than $50K.
Wow. 100K in net worth, and a mortgage under 50K. Both psychologically important numbers for me. I do get discouraged looking at the slooow increases, but over time they do start to add up.
28 February 2006
25 February 2006
Retirement savings benchmarks
Hedonistic Adjustment has an interesting post which I discovered through Boston Gal's Open Wallet. He uses Charles Farrell's method for determining how you measure up for retirement savings.
My personal numbers, without taking M's share of the mortgage or his income into account, are:
Savings to income: 1.39
Debt to income: .68
Annual savings: 15%
Looks like I'm doing okay at age 29.
And here are household numbers, which include M's assets and our entire mortgage:
Savings to income: 1.4
Debt to income: .85
Annual savings: 17.5%
We need to boost our overall savings to income ratio since M is a wee bit older than I am. I'm hoping to significantly increase our annual savings this year, which will help.
My personal numbers, without taking M's share of the mortgage or his income into account, are:
Savings to income: 1.39
Debt to income: .68
Annual savings: 15%
Looks like I'm doing okay at age 29.
And here are household numbers, which include M's assets and our entire mortgage:
Savings to income: 1.4
Debt to income: .85
Annual savings: 17.5%
We need to boost our overall savings to income ratio since M is a wee bit older than I am. I'm hoping to significantly increase our annual savings this year, which will help.
24 February 2006
Job interview today!
Things have been a little tenuous at my primary workplace this year. Last week, I applied for three jobs. Of course, the job applications shifted something in the universe, so now it's looking like my current job is actually fairly secure. But I'm going to go through with the job interview I've got scheduled this afternoon. Even if I don't lose my job, it's about time I ditched the two part time gigs and got one full time job. And dammit, I'm ready to be paid a little more.
Still, I hate interviews. I just know I'm going to spill something on my shirt while I'm eating lunch, or my son's daycare is going to call and say he needs to go home early because he's sick, or my car is going to break down on the way to the interview, or I'm going to run my mouth too much and they're going to think I'm a ditz.
I'll be glad when this day is over.
Still, I hate interviews. I just know I'm going to spill something on my shirt while I'm eating lunch, or my son's daycare is going to call and say he needs to go home early because he's sick, or my car is going to break down on the way to the interview, or I'm going to run my mouth too much and they're going to think I'm a ditz.
I'll be glad when this day is over.
23 February 2006
Why I love gift cards
Gift cards are great because I'm willing to be totally, unrepentantly impractical with them. If someone gives me a gift card, I shop like most people shop all the time: irresponsibly. It's so much fun.
On Sunday I went to Best Buy and bought:
1 pair of headphones
1 clock radio
1 modulator for my TV/DVD/VCR configuration
1 DVD
and 3 CDs
Cost to me? Nothing! Thanks, Dad. I had cards from last Xmas and this Xmas, totalling $166.
I went in there planning to spend it all on a new TV, because my 20-year-old handed down TV only has one input jack. This means I have to switch the cables all the time. The kid wants to watch Thomas the Tank Engine
? Whoops, gotta plug in the VCR. Now he wants Free to Be You and Me? Hold on, honey, I gotta plug in the DVD player.But all the TVs that had more than one input jack were over $140. Forget it. I'm way too cheap to blow that much money on a TV when I don't even have cable. So I bought a $40 modulator with four input jacks, and spent the rest of the money on music and a few other necessities. The last time I splurged and bought 3 CDs in one day had to be before L was born. These days those little $50 shopping sprees happen in the diaper aisle of CVS, not at Tower Records or Best Buy.
Unfortunately, I neglected to buy a new cable. So we still have to move the cables around every time. Sigh.
22 February 2006
Single-short non-fat half-caff latte
That's what I ordered this morning at my local coffee shop. I've been really good about gratuitous food spending lately, and a friend asked me to meet her for coffee, so I decided I deserved it.
My order caused much hilarity in the line. The woman behind me said, "what's the point if it's non-fat and half-caff?" And when the barista called out my order to say it was ready, a man who was waiting for his drink said, "Yech!"
But I gotta tell you, it was the perfect drink for a foggy morning. And to top it all off, L actually sat quietly in his chair, putting little pieces of his scone in his toy dumptruck and dumping them out. It was messy, but kept him quiet so I got to visit with my friend.
That latte was worth $2.25 and more.
21 February 2006
Referral bonuses
I am a member of several programs that offer bonuses if I refer friends. But I find it very akward inviting people to join.
Tonight, when I was working at the reference desk in the library, a student actually asked me if I knew of survey sites that pay money. "I know for some of them you need a referral," she said. "And I don't want to sign up for anything that I have to pay to join."
What luck! I got her email address, and sent her a handful of referrals. I'm hoping she actually signs up. So that I didn't feel completely self-serving, I also sent her links to a few sites that offer focus groups and paid surveys, but will NOT pay me a referral bonus.
And while we're on the topic, if anybody needs a referral to the following sites, email tiredbuthappyblog at yahoo dot com.
Ing Direct
SurveySavvy
MyPoints
MySurvey
Tonight, when I was working at the reference desk in the library, a student actually asked me if I knew of survey sites that pay money. "I know for some of them you need a referral," she said. "And I don't want to sign up for anything that I have to pay to join."
What luck! I got her email address, and sent her a handful of referrals. I'm hoping she actually signs up. So that I didn't feel completely self-serving, I also sent her links to a few sites that offer focus groups and paid surveys, but will NOT pay me a referral bonus.
And while we're on the topic, if anybody needs a referral to the following sites, email tiredbuthappyblog at yahoo dot com.
Ing Direct
SurveySavvy
MyPoints
MySurvey
20 February 2006
My entertainment budget is on a diet
As I mentioned, I've been doing Weight Watchers for about a month now. It's going pretty well, although I'm getting bored with the food I'm eating. I need to be more creative.
But in addition to losing 16 pounds, I'm finding that I'm saving a lot of money. I'm not spending as much on eating in restaurants, because it's not very much fun to go to a restaurant when 97% of the things on the menu are off limits. Usually I have to struggle to only go out to eat once a week. Now, if I don't feel like cooking, I'll just stay home and have canned soup and a piece of toast. Much cheaper.
Less money is trickling out on snacks and hot drinks. I love to go to independent coffee shops, but now that I'm putting nonfat milk in my coffee, I only like expensive drinks where they heat the milk for you. I'm not about to spring for a $4 latte a couple times a week. So I'm more likely to make coffee at home and heat up my own milk in a pan on the stove. And in the grocery store checkout line, candy bars are no longer finding their way into my cart.
I used to treat myself to a bottle of low-fat chocolate milk and a bag of baked chips once a week at work. Okay, that's still a fairly healthy snack, but even that is not in my food program at the moment. Instead, I bring a couple of fig newtons from home, wrapped in tinfoil.
Now, if I can only figure out a way to track what I would have spent if I wasn't on a diet, I could put that money in savings every month. Instead, I'm just enjoying having less padding on my body and more padding in my checking account.
But in addition to losing 16 pounds, I'm finding that I'm saving a lot of money. I'm not spending as much on eating in restaurants, because it's not very much fun to go to a restaurant when 97% of the things on the menu are off limits. Usually I have to struggle to only go out to eat once a week. Now, if I don't feel like cooking, I'll just stay home and have canned soup and a piece of toast. Much cheaper.
Less money is trickling out on snacks and hot drinks. I love to go to independent coffee shops, but now that I'm putting nonfat milk in my coffee, I only like expensive drinks where they heat the milk for you. I'm not about to spring for a $4 latte a couple times a week. So I'm more likely to make coffee at home and heat up my own milk in a pan on the stove. And in the grocery store checkout line, candy bars are no longer finding their way into my cart.
I used to treat myself to a bottle of low-fat chocolate milk and a bag of baked chips once a week at work. Okay, that's still a fairly healthy snack, but even that is not in my food program at the moment. Instead, I bring a couple of fig newtons from home, wrapped in tinfoil.
Now, if I can only figure out a way to track what I would have spent if I wasn't on a diet, I could put that money in savings every month. Instead, I'm just enjoying having less padding on my body and more padding in my checking account.
17 February 2006
Prosper versus a 3-year CD
Because Prosper loans are all 3 years long, I wanted to compare 3-year CD rates to the rates you can get on Prosper by lending to the more appealing borrowers. It seems like you can count on getting 5.75% on Prosper with a borrower rated AA or A. According to Bankrate.com, 3-year CD rates are around 5%, and many of the higher interest ones have high minimum balances. So perhaps it is worth taking the higher risks of Prosper.
I've initiated a $500 transfer to Prosper and I'm planning to make ten $50 loans.
A post by SavvySaver has made me cautious of the reported debt-to-income ratios because they don't verify income at all, and their readings of how much debt people have seems pretty error-prone.
But I'm itching for a new distraction, and I figure it's pretty safe if I stay away from borrowers with poor ratings. I'll report on my progress as I go along.
I've initiated a $500 transfer to Prosper and I'm planning to make ten $50 loans.
A post by SavvySaver has made me cautious of the reported debt-to-income ratios because they don't verify income at all, and their readings of how much debt people have seems pretty error-prone.
But I'm itching for a new distraction, and I figure it's pretty safe if I stay away from borrowers with poor ratings. I'll report on my progress as I go along.
Citi cards: Changing from Upromise to Dividend Platinum Select
I've had it with the Upromise Mastercard from Citi.
My Upromise card gives 1% back on all purchases, 2% back on gas purchases only from Exxon and Mobile, and 10% back on grocery purchases only for grocery items within the Upromise network. I selected this card originally because I was a recent convert from miles credit cards, and because I was anxious about saving enough to pay for my son's college education.
Now, I'm at peace with the fact that I cannot save enough to pay for four years of college, and also save enough to pay for retirement. So I'm going where the better cashback rewards are.
Today I called Citi and changed by account to a Dividend Platinum Select card. 5% cash back on ALL supermarket, drugstore, and gas purchases, and 1% on all purchases.
I was going to wait until I had $300 in my Upromise account to switch cards, but I changed my mind. That could take another year.
16 February 2006
Focus groups
I braved the snowy roads on Monday to attend my second focus group at Focus Pointe. They have offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, LA, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. If you live near one of their locations, use the link at the bottom of their site to sign up for the email list that announces focus groups.
My first one, last summer, paid $200 for two hours. Because I didn't get chosen for the actual study, I was paid and let go after about 45 minutes. This week's study took about 90 minutes and paid $100.
I probably answer two or three of their short email surveys per month, but it's a matter of luck to actually get picked for a focus group. If your responses to the email survey fit the profile, they call your house. If you're not home, forget it. By the time you call back they've almost always filled their quotas.
The best part is that on the day of the study, they hand you a check before you leave. No waiting for several weeks, and no getting paid with gift cards.
I was happy with my morning's work. Another $100 for the move-to-California fund is always appreciated. It goes straight into my brokerage account.
[Edit: You can also sometimes find focus group opportunities and other paid research studies in the newspaper or on Craigslist.org. If you use Craigslist, go to the jobs section and click on [ETC]. For example, here's the Philly site.]
My first one, last summer, paid $200 for two hours. Because I didn't get chosen for the actual study, I was paid and let go after about 45 minutes. This week's study took about 90 minutes and paid $100.
I probably answer two or three of their short email surveys per month, but it's a matter of luck to actually get picked for a focus group. If your responses to the email survey fit the profile, they call your house. If you're not home, forget it. By the time you call back they've almost always filled their quotas.
The best part is that on the day of the study, they hand you a check before you leave. No waiting for several weeks, and no getting paid with gift cards.
I was happy with my morning's work. Another $100 for the move-to-California fund is always appreciated. It goes straight into my brokerage account.
[Edit: You can also sometimes find focus group opportunities and other paid research studies in the newspaper or on Craigslist.org. If you use Craigslist, go to the jobs section and click on [ETC]. For example, here's the Philly site.]
15 February 2006
Taking the Prosper plunge
My interest has been piqued by Prosper. I decided to sign up as a group leader first to learn the system, and to watch and see how the company grows. Perhaps I'll try my hand at lending later on.
Lending through Prosper does seem very high-risk to me, so I would have to be comfortable writing off whatever money I put in. Jeffrey Strain has a post about Prosper where he says the minimum initial amount you can transfer in is $1000, but I couldn't find any reference to a minimum on their site. Perhaps I didn't go far enough through the lender sign-up process.
I think, with $1000 to lend, I'd give myself some guidelines so I didn't get seduced by an interesting story, or a hard-luck story, and lend to somebody who was outside my guidelines. I'd probably decide, for example, that 80% of my money would be loaned to people with an A or AA credit rating, with less than 20% debt-to-income ratios. 10% could be loaned to people with a B or C rating, still with good debt-to-income ratios, and 10% could be loaned to people with B or C ratings with debt-to-income ratios up to 35%. If all my borrowers were behaving and I was making money, after a while I might decide to allocate 10% to higher risk borrowers.
I'm very tempted to jump in and become a lender TODAY, but I think instead I'll see if my librarians group attracts any borrowers, and look at other groups to see which ones are developing good track records.
14 February 2006
Festival of Frugality #10
Go check out this week's Festival of Frugality at Boston Gal's Open Wallet.
This week's Festival features my entree into the Carnival scene. It's about time I got with the program.
Oh, wait. My entree? I swear that was an accidental pun.
This week's Festival features my entree into the Carnival scene. It's about time I got with the program.
Oh, wait. My entree? I swear that was an accidental pun.
13 February 2006
Personal Finance Bloggers Net Worth Index (BNWI)
Wow, we've achieved the status of an economic indicator.
Moneysmartz, the new online guide to PF resources on the web, has created something called the Personal Finance Bloggers Net Worth Index (BNWI). Here's the report for January.
Looks like we beat the Dow, the S&P, and the NASDAQ. Way to go, everybody.
This site joins Neo's Nest Egg in documenting PF bloggers' net worth.
Moneysmartz, the new online guide to PF resources on the web, has created something called the Personal Finance Bloggers Net Worth Index (BNWI). Here's the report for January.
Looks like we beat the Dow, the S&P, and the NASDAQ. Way to go, everybody.
This site joins Neo's Nest Egg in documenting PF bloggers' net worth.
Frugal food for a crowd
In my community, everybody seems to throw parties that are pot luck. It gets pretty pricey (and time consuming), making enough casserole for 15 people. I've started bringing a big pot of beans to all these gatherings. If I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll bring a pot of brown rice on the side. Total cost of feeding a small army? About five bucks.
TBH's beans
2 pounds dried black beans
2 cups chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chile powder
salt to taste
fresh cilantro
Dump beans into a strainer and rinse. Sift out small rocks and clumps of dirt.
Soak beans overnight. Or, if you're a last minute kind of person, here's a soaking trick from the back of the Goya Frijoles Negros package. Cover beans with 3 cups of hot water per cup of beans. Boil 2 minutes, then set aside for one hour.
Drain and rinse beans. Now cover in water, using a 4 to 1 (water to beans) ratio. Add onion, garlic, oregano, pepper, cumin, and chile. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer. When beans start to get a little bit tender, uncover the pot to cook off some of the water. Cook for about another hour, until beans are tender but not mushy. Add vinegar and salt at the end. Garnish with chopped cilantro or scallions.
I usually allow 3 hours for this, but the active prep time is only about 10 or 15 minutes. Serves at least 15 people, or you can freeze the beans in plastic quart-sized yogurt containers to be thawed for quick after-work meals.
I don't seem to get the water ratio right, usually, but I don't mind soupy beans. Just serve them with a slotted spoon, or eat them in a bowl over rice. If you get the ratios right, let me know.
TBH's beans
2 pounds dried black beans
2 cups chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chile powder
salt to taste
fresh cilantro
Dump beans into a strainer and rinse. Sift out small rocks and clumps of dirt.
Soak beans overnight. Or, if you're a last minute kind of person, here's a soaking trick from the back of the Goya Frijoles Negros package. Cover beans with 3 cups of hot water per cup of beans. Boil 2 minutes, then set aside for one hour.
Drain and rinse beans. Now cover in water, using a 4 to 1 (water to beans) ratio. Add onion, garlic, oregano, pepper, cumin, and chile. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer. When beans start to get a little bit tender, uncover the pot to cook off some of the water. Cook for about another hour, until beans are tender but not mushy. Add vinegar and salt at the end. Garnish with chopped cilantro or scallions.
I usually allow 3 hours for this, but the active prep time is only about 10 or 15 minutes. Serves at least 15 people, or you can freeze the beans in plastic quart-sized yogurt containers to be thawed for quick after-work meals.
I don't seem to get the water ratio right, usually, but I don't mind soupy beans. Just serve them with a slotted spoon, or eat them in a bowl over rice. If you get the ratios right, let me know.
12 February 2006
EvReward: Consolidated searching of rewards programs
Check out EvReward, the site that allows you to find out which kickback site gives the highest reward for shopping from a given company online. Coverage of cashback programs seems fairly comprehensive.
The danger of this site is that I foresee myself joining any number of kickback programs in order to get the highest reward each time I shop. Like having too many mileage accounts, this could prevent me from building up a big enough account with any one site to allow me to redeem my rewards. Instead, I'm hoping that using this site regularly for a while will give me an idea which programs tend to offer the largest kickback. Then I can focus my shopping on one or two sites and hopefully build up enough rewards to redeem.
EvReward (pronounced, I assume, "every-ward") is still in beta, but seems to work pretty well. Like the other big site of the week, Zillow, it doesn't require you to give any info about yourself, and it uses cookies to remember your recent searches when you return to the site.
Zillow, schmillow. EvReward is my favorite new site this week. Thanks, Jonathan, for telling me about it.
The danger of this site is that I foresee myself joining any number of kickback programs in order to get the highest reward each time I shop. Like having too many mileage accounts, this could prevent me from building up a big enough account with any one site to allow me to redeem my rewards. Instead, I'm hoping that using this site regularly for a while will give me an idea which programs tend to offer the largest kickback. Then I can focus my shopping on one or two sites and hopefully build up enough rewards to redeem.
EvReward (pronounced, I assume, "every-ward") is still in beta, but seems to work pretty well. Like the other big site of the week, Zillow, it doesn't require you to give any info about yourself, and it uses cookies to remember your recent searches when you return to the site.
Zillow, schmillow. EvReward is my favorite new site this week. Thanks, Jonathan, for telling me about it.
11 February 2006
What would you do with a million dollars?
Okay, I realize that the PF blogger crowd is all about the slow accumulation of wealth through saving, careful investing, and the principal of compounding interest. The idea of the million dollar windfall implies winning the lottery, a surprise inheritance, or gambling big on individual stocks. We all know how unlikely that is.
But this is a regular topic of conversation at my workplace, and I was thinking about it again the other day. What would I do with a million dollars? It's actually an interesting question. Would I save it all, and continue to work as I always have? Would I take some time off to pursue a dream? Would I travel more? Would I replace my 12-year-old car with something a little more snazzy? Would I fix up my house a little? Would I follow my rule of giving 10 percent of all windfalls away to individuals and organizations who will do good things with it?
What would you do?
Here are some of my ideas. I'd squander some of it, save some of it, and give some of it away. It's a snowy weekend in the Northeast. If you're stuck inside like I am, take a stab at this question and leave a comment with a link back to your post.
If a check for $1,000,000 arrived in my mailbox tomorrow, this is what I'd do with it.
But this is a regular topic of conversation at my workplace, and I was thinking about it again the other day. What would I do with a million dollars? It's actually an interesting question. Would I save it all, and continue to work as I always have? Would I take some time off to pursue a dream? Would I travel more? Would I replace my 12-year-old car with something a little more snazzy? Would I fix up my house a little? Would I follow my rule of giving 10 percent of all windfalls away to individuals and organizations who will do good things with it?
What would you do?
Here are some of my ideas. I'd squander some of it, save some of it, and give some of it away. It's a snowy weekend in the Northeast. If you're stuck inside like I am, take a stab at this question and leave a comment with a link back to your post.
If a check for $1,000,000 arrived in my mailbox tomorrow, this is what I'd do with it.
| What I'd spend | |
| House renovations and new furniture | $10,000 |
| Travel money to visit family and friends in Europe, Hawaii, and a few shorter trips to see people on the U.S. mainland | $10,000 |
| Nicer used car than my current beater | $10,000 |
| Second masters degree for myself | $60,000 |
| Income replacement while I'm in school (2 years) | $100,000 |
| Income replacement for M for while he writes a book (2 years) | $100,000 |
| Total spending | $290,000 |
| What I'd give away | |
| Gift to a friend who is trying to put herself thru college (this would allow her to finish completely) | $10,000 |
| Open 529 accounts for a friend's children (single mama, lifelong friend of mine) | $10,000 |
| Seed money to start a small foundation, money to be doled out over time and added to when I feel able | $30,000 |
| Total gifts | $50,000 |
| What I'd save | |
| Pay off house | $51,000 |
| L's 529 account | $55,000 |
| Short-term investments, to fund a house downpayment in the Bay Area in 3-5 years | $200,000 |
| Long-term savings (i.e. retirement) | $354,000 |
| Total savings | $660,000 |
| Total | $1,000,000 |
10 February 2006
Small child with sharp instruments
Somebody recently gave L a set of Home Depot kids-sized tools--real tools! Good God, they gave my two-year-old a real hammer, a saw, and a crowbar. He came home and started trying to remove the cabinet doors with his new mini screwdriver.
Now I know why my brother-in-law freaked out when I gave my nephew a swiss army knife for his 8th birthday.
Now I know why my brother-in-law freaked out when I gave my nephew a swiss army knife for his 8th birthday.
New 403b account ready to go!
I just logged into my Fidelity account and a screen popped up to ask me if I wanted my workplace retirement account to display along with my Roth, my Rollover IRA, and my brokerage account.
YES!
This means my second job (at the College) has already set up my new 403b account, a process I started about 3 weeks ago when I passed my 2 year anniversary there. I was hoping my last paycheck (on Friday, Feb 3) would have a percentage taken out for my new retirement account, but it didn't. I'll have to wait til next Friday's check.
Since this is just a part-time job and I may be moving on within the next year, I'm expecting that this account will never get very big. So I kept it simple, putting 100% of my contributions in the Fidelity Freedom Fund, with a targeted retirement date of 2040.
My contributions:
5% to a standard 403b account
5% to a GSRA account (which offers more rollover options later)
Employer contributions: 5%
YES!
This means my second job (at the College) has already set up my new 403b account, a process I started about 3 weeks ago when I passed my 2 year anniversary there. I was hoping my last paycheck (on Friday, Feb 3) would have a percentage taken out for my new retirement account, but it didn't. I'll have to wait til next Friday's check.
Since this is just a part-time job and I may be moving on within the next year, I'm expecting that this account will never get very big. So I kept it simple, putting 100% of my contributions in the Fidelity Freedom Fund, with a targeted retirement date of 2040.
My contributions:
5% to a standard 403b account
5% to a GSRA account (which offers more rollover options later)
Employer contributions: 5%
09 February 2006
Underwhelmed by Zillow
Everybody's blogging about Zillow, the new home-valuation website. Although I'm stoked that I can look at the value of my home without being treated like a potential buyer, the data for my neighborhood is pretty poor. The don't have enough data to create a so-called Zestimate, so I can't even edit the data on my home. They claim to be within 10% of selling price 65% of the time in my metro area, but I don't think that can be true.
According to Zillow, my home is worth less than 17K. Great. Okay, so it's no mansion, but I'm pretty sure it's worth at least 100K. I bought it in 2004, and even the county property tax website, limited as it is, knows that much.
Zillow does have a major error in its record on my house: it says the square footage is only 896. The county tax website says the same thing, and even the MLS listing when the house was for sale said that. Perhaps that's why we were able to snap it up. The low number might have scared other potential buyers. The house is more like 1500 sq feet, not counting the basement which is semi-finished. I wonder if there's a way to correct that in county records before I go to sell the house. I might wait, though, so my property taxes don't go up.
I checked out a few family members' houses that I know the approximate value of. It seemed like it was accurate about have the time.
I'm looking forward to checking back soon to see if they have more data for my neighborhood. In the meantime, it's good for HomeValueBot to have some competition, and I'm hoping Zillow will improve quickly.
According to Zillow, my home is worth less than 17K. Great. Okay, so it's no mansion, but I'm pretty sure it's worth at least 100K. I bought it in 2004, and even the county property tax website, limited as it is, knows that much.
Zillow does have a major error in its record on my house: it says the square footage is only 896. The county tax website says the same thing, and even the MLS listing when the house was for sale said that. Perhaps that's why we were able to snap it up. The low number might have scared other potential buyers. The house is more like 1500 sq feet, not counting the basement which is semi-finished. I wonder if there's a way to correct that in county records before I go to sell the house. I might wait, though, so my property taxes don't go up.
I checked out a few family members' houses that I know the approximate value of. It seemed like it was accurate about have the time.
I'm looking forward to checking back soon to see if they have more data for my neighborhood. In the meantime, it's good for HomeValueBot to have some competition, and I'm hoping Zillow will improve quickly.
08 February 2006
My wallet is fat. Literally.
Okay, this is going to be embarrassing. I have waaaay too much crammed in there. But I'm inspired by other bloggers' recent posts, so here I go.
The wallet is a black leather one I bought in Florence, Italy in the Fall of 1997. I can't read the maker's name, but I bought it in a shop where my mother had bought a wallet (same brand) 16 years before, near the Ponte Vecchio. I was using a smaller one (red corduroy, bought at craft fair for $5) for a while, but got tired it and went back to my old larger one.
Here are the contents:
* Driver's license and accident report form
* Video rental card
* Public library card
* Swipe card/ID for work
* Voter registration card
* AAA
* American Library Association membership card
* Continental Airlines frequent flyer card
Credit cards:
* Kohl's card
* United mileage plus Visa (rarely use, keep mostly because I've had it so long)
* Citi Upromise card (primary credit card)
* Wachovia debit card
(I don't carry the MBNA card)
Insurance cards:
Dental, prescription, vision, medical, auto, photocopy of L's insurance card
Gift cards:
* 3 CVS gift cards (worth $5 or $10 each), from rewards programs and surveys
* Cingular reward Visa, with only a couple bucks on it. From a rebate.
* 2 Best Buy gift cards, one from Xmas 2004, one from Xmas 2005, probably worth close to $200 together
Miscellany:
* note M wrote to me when we were courting
* sticker with an excavator on it (to distract L some time when I'm desperate)
* Old NYC Metro card
* two-zone train ticket for Septa
* 6 37-cent postage stamps, and a couple of address labels
* band-aide
* fat wad of receipts that need to be entered into my expense report
* A few "box tops for education" from cheerios boxes
Frequent buyer cards:
* 2 from local independent coffee shops
* 1 from Au Bon Pain (rarely use)
* 1 from Qdoba (burrito joint)
* 1 from local garden store
* Shoprite
* CVS
* Acme
Photos:
* M at age 5 (love the bowl haircut)
* L at 7 months and at 18 months
* my neice in her ice skating get-up
* same neice with her family (including my sister)
* tiny photo of my mother and me taken in a London tube station 10 years ago. I sure looked different with a shaved head.
* laminated picture of the Virgin Mary that I got the same day I bought the wallet in Italy. I'm not religious, but I like Christian kitsch.
And last but not least, CASH:
$84.10 (oops--I try to keep less than $40)
The wallet is a black leather one I bought in Florence, Italy in the Fall of 1997. I can't read the maker's name, but I bought it in a shop where my mother had bought a wallet (same brand) 16 years before, near the Ponte Vecchio. I was using a smaller one (red corduroy, bought at craft fair for $5) for a while, but got tired it and went back to my old larger one.
Here are the contents:
* Driver's license and accident report form
* Video rental card
* Public library card
* Swipe card/ID for work
* Voter registration card
* AAA
* American Library Association membership card
* Continental Airlines frequent flyer card
Credit cards:
* Kohl's card
* United mileage plus Visa (rarely use, keep mostly because I've had it so long)
* Citi Upromise card (primary credit card)
* Wachovia debit card
(I don't carry the MBNA card)
Insurance cards:
Dental, prescription, vision, medical, auto, photocopy of L's insurance card
Gift cards:
* 3 CVS gift cards (worth $5 or $10 each), from rewards programs and surveys
* Cingular reward Visa, with only a couple bucks on it. From a rebate.
* 2 Best Buy gift cards, one from Xmas 2004, one from Xmas 2005, probably worth close to $200 together
Miscellany:
* note M wrote to me when we were courting
* sticker with an excavator on it (to distract L some time when I'm desperate)
* Old NYC Metro card
* two-zone train ticket for Septa
* 6 37-cent postage stamps, and a couple of address labels
* band-aide
* fat wad of receipts that need to be entered into my expense report
* A few "box tops for education" from cheerios boxes
Frequent buyer cards:
* 2 from local independent coffee shops
* 1 from Au Bon Pain (rarely use)
* 1 from Qdoba (burrito joint)
* 1 from local garden store
* Shoprite
* CVS
* Acme
Photos:
* M at age 5 (love the bowl haircut)
* L at 7 months and at 18 months
* my neice in her ice skating get-up
* same neice with her family (including my sister)
* tiny photo of my mother and me taken in a London tube station 10 years ago. I sure looked different with a shaved head.
* laminated picture of the Virgin Mary that I got the same day I bought the wallet in Italy. I'm not religious, but I like Christian kitsch.
And last but not least, CASH:
$84.10 (oops--I try to keep less than $40)
Predatory credit card companies
This afternoon as I was on my way in to work at The College, I noticed a table set up right outside the building. Some sleazeball employee of Chase had parked a van and set up a table and was shouting "get your free gift when you fill out an application". The table was swarming with students (mostly young, probably working class). The "free gift" was a black backpack that said CHASE. I heard the guy saying to a student, "I don't know, this offer may not be available next week. If you want the free gift, you should really apply today."
I wonder how many of these students grasped that just by filling out the application, their credit score will be effected. And how many of those students will use that card like it's free money. All because they were tempted by a stupid backpack.
I think people have to take responsibility for their own actions, so I'm not saying the students are innocent victims. But I want to know why the college allowed Chase to do that on campus. And I want to know why there aren't mandatory classes in high school about managing your finances.
I wonder how many of these students grasped that just by filling out the application, their credit score will be effected. And how many of those students will use that card like it's free money. All because they were tempted by a stupid backpack.
I think people have to take responsibility for their own actions, so I'm not saying the students are innocent victims. But I want to know why the college allowed Chase to do that on campus. And I want to know why there aren't mandatory classes in high school about managing your finances.
07 February 2006
Watch my emergency fund grow
I blogged about this the other day, but I am still SO EXCITED that for the first time since L was born over 2 years ago, I, too, will be regularly adding to my emergency fund. We've just been putting windfalls in there, but aside from my 10% contribution to my 403b and M's 15% contribution to his 403b, we haven't been saving money on a regular basis.
But with the recent reduction in our childcare expenses, we are going to be saving $180/month!
Wahoooo!
I picked up the direct deposit form today and I'll turn it in tomorrow, sending 90% of my take-home pay to my checking and 10% to my ING Direct account (for only one of my part-time jobs).
It will take us a few months to get up to six months' living expenses (we keep hovering at about 5 months' worth) but as soon as I do that I'm going to start saving money for some furniture. I am so tired of our dusty, thrift-store couch, our bed with no frame, our ancient futon that we make our arthritic parents sleep on when they visit, etc.
But with the recent reduction in our childcare expenses, we are going to be saving $180/month!
Wahoooo!
I picked up the direct deposit form today and I'll turn it in tomorrow, sending 90% of my take-home pay to my checking and 10% to my ING Direct account (for only one of my part-time jobs).
It will take us a few months to get up to six months' living expenses (we keep hovering at about 5 months' worth) but as soon as I do that I'm going to start saving money for some furniture. I am so tired of our dusty, thrift-store couch, our bed with no frame, our ancient futon that we make our arthritic parents sleep on when they visit, etc.
03 February 2006
Saving $$ on childcare expenses
Now that's M is working 21 hours a week, we've figured out a way to reduce L's childcare attendence from 3 days a week to 2 days a week. Our childcare expenses have gone down from $667/month to $489/month.
Hot dog! That's almost $200/month in savings!
I'm always saying our budget is too tight to do anything more than put our 10% in our retirement accounts (15% in M's case because he's older and playing catch-up).
I'm going to quick quick divert that childcare savings to our emergency fund every month, before that extra money gets absorbed into some other part of our budget. That will help us get through the 2 months a year when one of my part-time jobs doesn't give me any hours, during semester breaks. I will probably do this by changing my direct deposit at that part-time job to put 10% of my pay (about $90 biweekly) into the savings account.
And $489/month in tuition still comes to $5868/year, which is important because I'm having the maximum amount deducted from my paychecks pre-tax to fund a Dependent Care Spending Account. This comes to $5000/year, and it's use-it-or-lose-it. So even with the reduced expenses, I'll still be able to get reimbursed for the whole amount.
What's wrong with a tax subsidy system that doesn't even allow me to put the full amount of my annual tuition bill in a spending account, and my son only goes to school 2 days a week? There are bigger subsidies for parking than for childcare. I suppose this makes things more equitable for people who don't have dependent care expenses, but still, I wish they'd increase the limits.
Hot dog! That's almost $200/month in savings!
I'm always saying our budget is too tight to do anything more than put our 10% in our retirement accounts (15% in M's case because he's older and playing catch-up).
I'm going to quick quick divert that childcare savings to our emergency fund every month, before that extra money gets absorbed into some other part of our budget. That will help us get through the 2 months a year when one of my part-time jobs doesn't give me any hours, during semester breaks. I will probably do this by changing my direct deposit at that part-time job to put 10% of my pay (about $90 biweekly) into the savings account.
And $489/month in tuition still comes to $5868/year, which is important because I'm having the maximum amount deducted from my paychecks pre-tax to fund a Dependent Care Spending Account. This comes to $5000/year, and it's use-it-or-lose-it. So even with the reduced expenses, I'll still be able to get reimbursed for the whole amount.
What's wrong with a tax subsidy system that doesn't even allow me to put the full amount of my annual tuition bill in a spending account, and my son only goes to school 2 days a week? There are bigger subsidies for parking than for childcare. I suppose this makes things more equitable for people who don't have dependent care expenses, but still, I wish they'd increase the limits.
Found money
The other night as we were pulling up in front of our house, I saw something blowing around in the gutter.
Was it...money? Yes!
M hopped out and gathered it up. It was a ten and three ones.
Score!
We did ask our next-door neighbor if some cash had fallen out of her bag, because it was right in front of where her car was parked. I suspect she lives on Social Security, so I didn't feel right about just pocketing it. She said no, she wasn't missing any cash, so we are $13 the richer.
Was it...money? Yes!
M hopped out and gathered it up. It was a ten and three ones.
Score!
We did ask our next-door neighbor if some cash had fallen out of her bag, because it was right in front of where her car was parked. I suspect she lives on Social Security, so I didn't feel right about just pocketing it. She said no, she wasn't missing any cash, so we are $13 the richer.
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