tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64871335371760714232024-03-05T15:33:12.102-05:00You are not your wallet"I'm breaking my attachment to physical power and possessions," Tyler whispered, "because only through destroying myself can I discover the greater power of my spirit."Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-7126358301752660242009-11-13T16:29:00.005-05:002009-11-13T16:53:16.876-05:00Devil Dog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSU2_r-k3_FatCLk6v8ZsUCMYUYwi8VnhsGi7S6_e0pPdkw5ZNv9SUzoxH9G7L17agvXxKeq7fePq1G9BvlS2PspiuQBngVlfXQlXSGW18hXZpGDDl8IE5eMoH5qdJNikBbTEnBVsotoA/s1600-h/argenguay+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSU2_r-k3_FatCLk6v8ZsUCMYUYwi8VnhsGi7S6_e0pPdkw5ZNv9SUzoxH9G7L17agvXxKeq7fePq1G9BvlS2PspiuQBngVlfXQlXSGW18hXZpGDDl8IE5eMoH5qdJNikBbTEnBVsotoA/s320/argenguay+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403704463494866338" border="0" /></a><br />Meet the most deceptively cute dog ever. He's in the box cuz we're mailing him back to wherever he came from!<br /><br />He is terror with at tail. We got him in Sept. 2008 when he was 3 years old. I'm not sure he had as many bad habits as he does now, and I take accountability for spoiling him a little....but he's shakin' things up in my life for the past year. BF and I took him to obedience school ($150) where he did great. Is it too cliche to say he is very smart? He was still having problems with meeting people and dogs cuz he grew up in a rural farm. He had never been on a leash and taken for a walk before. So we got him private one on one training ($80) where I was instructed more than the dog. And some of the tips worked....and some didn't.<br /><br />All i know is that he's been rejected from the groomers (too aggressive they said), rejected from a dog walker (too agressive, see a trend here?), and ran away from the doggy daycare. He ran half a mile through downtown DC streets to get back home. Then sat and waited by the condo buildings' front doors for someone to let him in. How did he think he was going to push the elevator button??? silly dog.<br /><br />So having a dog is not as expensive as I thought it would be. We got the dog for free from friends, so that wasn't an expense. The friends gave us his leash, collar, bowl, and a 50lb bag of food. So that was another perk.<br /><br />Bags of food = $40 for 4-6 months. Yes we get the special organic yuppie food for him.<br />Toys and treats = $10 a month.<br />Vet visit = $80 once a year check up, unless he gets sick or injured.<br />Advantix = $40 for the 4 summer months. Buy online, it's SO much cheaper.<br />Dog license = $15 a year.<br />Other cost = He chewed through a screen window. I imagine the cost will be $20? The frame is still good, i just need to replace the mesh stuff. I bought an $8 roll of mesh stuff before and I think I can fix it myself.<br /><br />So it's been an adventure, but i'm pretty happy he's around. I just gotta show him some tough love - cuz he'll try and bully me to give him a treat!Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-67085876428551970042009-11-13T15:48:00.003-05:002009-11-13T16:26:44.739-05:002009 updates - part 2?Other finance issues in 2009:<br /><br />1. I horribly horribly missed my savings goal for the year. For the past 3 years my goal has been to save $5,000 for an emergency fund. Every time I get a consequential amount into the account I spend it! Then I lie to myself and say that i will replenish the savings account, but when i'm flush with cash, I don't. <br /><br />The only thing that holds me back from spending savings $ and motivates me to save is when i think about my goal for next year. I want to save a few thousand dollars for investing. Maybe the appeal is that "investing" is something you do, whereas "saving" really means doing nothing and leaving the money there. <br /><br />2. I failed at another goal. I intended to keep no balances on my 2 credit cards....and i did for 4-5 months. Then I lost all discipline. I will have no balance by the end of the year. I just have to not go crazy over budget for xmas gifts. I intend on buying for my BF's parents and brothers only as my family doesn't celebrate xmas.<br /><br />3. I meant to refinance at the beginning of the year because of all the newspaper headlines touting record breaking interest rates. Got a few GFEs then lost interest. I don't really understand points or any of the other terms. I just know I'm not sure that I want to keep the condo more than 5 years from now.<br /><br />4. I got a car. That meant $44 for a license, $355 for registration, $250 in parking tickets, and $40 monthly for the Gecko. I do like driving it, tho. In response to my nicer newer car, BF wants to sell his, which sets off all sorts of committment-phobia for me!<br /><br />5. I moved out of my condo and became a renter AND landlord. My job is stable, but all the headlines about recession and yucky-ness was scaring me. So I was thinking of ways to spend less and try and save more. I wasn't sure live-in BF would want to move....and I imagined a very embarrassing conversation about my financial mismanagement causing him to be kicked out of a home. But luckily, he was sick of the neighborhood and wanted to move. We live in a very posh/affluent/desired neighborhood and every store/restaurant around us was really expensive and stuffy. So it was not a great fit for our tastes. <br /><br />First I looked for a tenant. Some guy is moving to DC to start a federal job? Sounds perfect. A bunch of emails later, he's on board. His rent covers the mortgage, HOA fee, AND then some. Sweet deal! Then not even 2 hours after handing over the key, landlord-ly duties kick in! Tenant immediately lost his keys and need duplicates. Sheesh, c'mon! I haven't heard from him since and have 3 months of rent checks in hand so it's all good.<br /><br />But, I had ONE week to find a place to live! Uh-oh, panic button time. I knew which up-and-coming neighborhood my BF wanted, but we have a dog and that complicates matters 100 times. (oh my god, i didn't write about the dog yet? hehe - that's the next post then.)<br /><br />So BF and I went to look at a basement apartment and were disgusted. Due to my flexible work schedule and his long work hours, I checked out 2 prospective apartments by myself. My main objective was to save money. We didn't want to live with roommates because it's awkward when you're a couple plus we have a Satan dog that would attack & devour roommates. Individual apartments were too costly. The 3rd place I checked out was PERFECT. I filled out an application on the spot. Plus, I like my mom and pop landlord duo. I don't have pleasant experiences with property management companies and staff.<br /><br />In the right <span style="font-weight: bold;">neighborhood</span>? Yes.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Private</span>? Yes, no roommates.<br />Adequate <span style="font-weight: bold;">space</span> for couple not looking to suffocate each other? Yes. 700 sq feet and 1 bedroom instead of studio.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price</span>? $1100<br />Allows <span style="font-weight: bold;">dogs</span>? Yes.<br /><br />So we're now in a renovated basement apartment with a full kitchen and W/D. There is even a yard for the dog now. It's much better in many ways to high-rise living. I rented out my condo partially furnished, so we did have to get $250 worth of Craigslist furniture (futon, bed, delivery). I thought getting the big furniture pieces (ie: king sized bed, sofa, tv, bookshelves) out of the condo would have been a hassle with UHaul expenses to boot.<br /><br />In terms of rent...we are saving $687 dollars a month. I am getting an extra $400 a month from my tenant (after mortgage and HOA, but not property tax expenses). So could I say that the move benefits me <span style="font-weight: bold;">$1,087 dollars</span> a month?<br /><br />6. Got a 10% raise at work in January 09, then was told I'm not eligible for bureaucratic reasons for another raise until Dec. 2010. Are you f*cking kidding me?Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-83849908992198924882009-11-13T14:40:00.003-05:002009-11-13T15:46:21.971-05:002009 updates in one postWow - how 2009 flew by. I didn't write as much as I wanted to, but my motivation only comes in waves. Right now I am contemplating buying a flat screen tv and read a great Black Friday article. here is the<a href="http://www.pfadvice.com/2006/11/12/black-friday-tricks-to-outsmart-the-competition/"> link . </a>People get pretty crafty to get a good deal.<br /><br />Since I wrote so much about travel before...i'll update about that first. 2009 was a great year to jetset!<br /><br />January<br /><br />Rented out my DC condo for the inauguration circus. I found a nice/responsible business type renter on Craigslist. I was a little nervous about the getting the money and hoping the condition of condo when I got back would be ok. I've rented out rooms to Craigslist people in houses where I lived before, but I had the benefit of being there everyday. So this was a little different situation. Renter sent money, I gave keys to a friend of his who lived in DC. I returned to a condo in good condition. Couldn't have been happier.....except I could have gone without all the jeering at "greedy" people "exploiting" Obama-fanatics during inauguration time. <br /><br />The rent money covered the costs for a 2 week trip for BF and I to Argentina and Uruguay (including the $650 plane tickets, accomodations, transportation, food). He had never been out of USA/Mex/Canada before. I had never been to S. America. We had a blast watching some great tango moves, zip-lining and repelling down waterfalls, and motorcycling up the coast with Churro in hand. Stayed in hostels in the city and B&B's in the rural areas. <br /><br />Wanted to go to Iguazu Falls from Buenos Aires, so instead of taking a $300 2-3 hour flight, we took a $50 16 hour bus. I would bus over fly even if I had tons o' cash. It was an overnight bus, so that negated getting accommodations for the night. It was super comfortable to sleep in (chairs reclined flat) and the bus had a "flight" attendant who brought 2 course dinner and breakfast (after dinner whiskey too). Everything was amazing - food, wine, music, weather, stray dogs, funny miscommunications...everything.<br /><br />Summer<br /><br />We went to my BF's beach house on the Jersey shore throughout the summer. It was cheap and easy to drive to - but by the end of the summer, even BF grew sick of it. The "shore" provides some therapy to my Southern California native beach deprived self, but it's really not even comparable. It was still enjoyable to get out of the city.<br /><br />August<br /><br />I love August. I love that my birthday is in August. I love summer. I love travel. I love my bf. Mix it all into one and what do you get? A cross country road trip from California to DC to transport my birthday present!<br /><br />When I graduated college in CA 4 years ago, I left my car with my parents. So they had 4 people in a household and 5 cars. I guess they thought I was joking about living in DC and that I would move back home quick, cuz they never sold the car. So I asked if I could have it. My dad wanted to stop paying insurance for the car, so he said yes. <br /><br />Anyways, the main purpose of this trip was to drive my old/new car from CA to DC. My sister joined me as we set off in CA and stopped at In-n-Out and my best friend's wedding in Vegas! Next up, Albuquerque. My bf doesn't have as many vacation days as I, so he was flying in to Albuquerque to join me and my sister. We all took a hang gliding lesson - it was fun and HOT. Then I sent my sis back to CA by plane.<br /><br />Confused yet? There's only 2,000 miles to go! Anyways, long story longer...BF got an unexpected freelance job and the company whisked him away when we were in Oklahoma. So I got to drive alone through Arkansas, Tennessee, and Virginia. <br /><br />I wanted to drive cross country for so long, especially with the mystique of route 66 and seeing the South. I really wanted to examine how traveling internationally compared to traveling the interior of the US. I went river rafting in TN and met some very nice people who invited me to join them for dinner - so i got a taste of the Southern hospitality! Now I want to backpack the globe for a year.<br /><br />oh yea, maybe I should say something about finances for this trip. It was relatively inexpensive. I stayed in motel 8s or Red Roof Inns. You better believe hang gliding in NM and rafting in TN were cheaper than doing it in more expensive states like CA or NY.<br /><br />October<br /><br />My good friends were traveling to Europe b/c of work related stuff and invited BF and I to join. I searched around and sscored cheap round trip flights ($360) to Ireland. I've been to Europe 3 times before and know about their discount airlines (ryan air, easy jet, etc.) so I thought we'd land in Ireland and meet up with our friends. Turns out their work changed conference dates and they wouldn't be able to meet up. D'oh!<br /><br />BF and I had fun in Europe. Although the penny pincher money grinch in me was groaning at every price tag. I had warned BF that every little amenity costs money in Europe. Starting with his hostel/hotel search - he didn't realize in Europe they charge per person for hotel rooms. That's why the advertised prices and final checkout price were not matching.<br /><br />We got 10 Euro (tax and everything included) plane tickets to Amsterdam - trick is...it's an e-ticket, meaning you -have- to print out the ticket yourself. If a passenger got to the airport and had the check-in desk person print it out, they would have charged a fee of 35 Euros! Fortunately these airlines let you check in 15-20 days in advance of your flight. We popped into an internet cafe located in a train station and printed them out (plus some net time) for 2 Euros.<br /><br />The first 2 times I went to Europe was to study abroad so the price tags didn't shock me as much, i was used to being a broke student. The 3rd time I traveled I was a entry-level professional - so prices weren't as bad. But the costs this last trip really has discouraged me from traveling to Europe again. <br /><br />Since we were traveling at off-peak times, we got some perks. For instance, there was a hostel renting beds in a dorm for 17 Euro. The dorm had 10 beds and a connecting restroom, but we were the only ones in the room, so we just shut the doors and voila...it was private. <br /><br />so...i haven't made any decision about travel for Thanksgiving or Xmas. The holiday season is not my favorite time of year. After new year's festivities each year I swear to myself I won't go crazy with the social gatherings and traveling. <br /><br />oh shoot - i have to go see my parents for xmas! Better look for tickets now.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-82707274404657432862008-10-03T11:27:00.002-04:002008-10-03T11:35:12.404-04:00My SeesturMy sister has a different outlook on life than I do. Sometimes I'm surprised at her spendy-ness (what's the opposite of thrifty-ness?). She has always liked the finer artsy things in life, good thing she has a high paying job to support it. A quick recap of our facebook emails:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Me: hey - My friends are getting married in Vegas in December. I am booking flights and hotels. Would you guys be interested in going? Splitting a hotel room? </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Is mom or dad part of their loyalty program? Do you get promotional mail sent to your house?<br /><br />I am planning to go to Peru or Colombia at the end of the year or possibly over MLK holiday week in Jan. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Sister: i've always wanted to go to peru and bolivia! and i can't find the people or the right time! I would go in jan cause it's after our rush season.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">i'm still confused how you have money for these trips...<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Me: </span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">I don't buy clothes. I don't buy housewares. I don't buy books, I borrow from the library. I don't rent movies, I illegally download them. I bought only used furniture off craigslist when I moved in. I cook dinner at home Sunday through Thursday. Yesterday I took left over food from an office meeting home and ate it for dinner. I don't pay for yoga or gyms, I volunteer for free classes. I don't spend free time "shopping". </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Also, boyfriend pays for 1/2 the meals we eat out. Boyfriend pays me some rent and electricity bill. He has a car that's paid for and drives me around. We alternate paying for groceries. He has two jobs. I work extra jobs periodically on the weekend, mornings, or evenings. I sell stuff I no long use on Craigslist, like coats or old ipods. I send my clothes to consignment stores. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">When I (boyfriend too, so "we") travel, we do it cheap. We stay in hostels, I find great flight deals, etc.......</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">so it's not that surprising.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Sister: </span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">yes, but all of that can equal a $1500 flight to Peru? That's the minimum I've seen no matter what time of year you go. Plus you're not getting paid during your trip.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Me: </span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">I do get paid during my trip. I have 3 weeks of vacation time. I know 2 weeks paid vacation time is pretty normal. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Think about it this way:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">$50 used tempurpedic mattress from craigslist vs. $350 new mattress from ikea = $300 SAVED</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Eating out 1 less meal a week, let's say the average meal is $20 (yes, DC is expensive), and let's say you do this for 2 months = $160 SAVED</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">I work one weekend (14 hours total) as a food sampler at costco = $350 MADE</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Wearing a dress borrowed from a friend for my office's formal dinner = $50 SAVED</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Boyfriend and I decide not to go to 1 music concert = $100 SAVED</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">These 5 decisions/actions above save me almost $1,000 right there.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">Plus - I just found airfare to Lima, Peru for $834 dollars. It's for the week in January that has Marting Luther King Jr. holiday. I just saved $650 dollars from what you were expecting to pay. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">There are certainly ways to travel for cheap. Consult with a cheap-o like me!</span>Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-61813623475016432572008-08-19T10:14:00.002-04:002008-08-19T11:12:55.896-04:00Looking towards the rest of the yearThere are several costly adventures/expenditures I had planned for the rest of the year. But as usual I have to bring myself down from the clouds and reassess the financial situation.<br /><br />Trips for the year:<br />February - NYC<br />May - West Virginia<br />July - Montreal<br />August - Cape May<br />August - San Francisco<br />December - Las Vegas <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">(? trip in question)</span><br />December - Colombia/Costa Rica<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> (? trip in question)</span><br /><br />Other:<br />$900 property tax payment (sux!)<br />$2,500 yoga teacher training<br /><br />Electronic items:<br />new laptop (my laptop is still alive from <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">2002</span>!)<br />new cell phone (I am using phone from <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">2004</span>!)<br /><br /><br /><br />So you can tell that electronics are not my priority. I am going to hold off on the laptop and cell phone until next year. Next on my chopping block - travel in December. My very good friends are getting married in Vegas. It wouldn't be too expensive - the flights and the hotel would be the biggest expenses. Now, South America is another story. It will be a much longer and expensive trip. I don't know what to do - I will continue researching fares. Now I really want to do yoga teacher training but of course that has to be the most expensive. Blah - now i have to scrap up property tax money.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-70101111905805229742008-06-24T15:42:00.004-04:002008-06-25T09:31:28.935-04:00We return to the regularly scheduled broadcastI have been away from blogging - sorry! I have been working on a national fuel efficiency campaign for work. Hopefully some of the 240 million (!) drivers in American will be empowered to save money on gas (short term goal) and take simple steps to support clean air and a healthy environment for their children and grandchildren (long term goal). The campaign is comprehensive - There's a website, radio public service announcements, billboards, podcasts, and 2 million cards printed with money-saving tips.<br /><br />Drive $marter Challenge - keep in mind, these tips are suppose to be simple steps, not rocket science.<br /><br /><a href="http://drivesmarterchallenge.org/money-saving-tips/myths.aspx">Gas Myths Page</a><br /><a href="http://drivesmarterchallenge.org/money-saving-tips/fuel-efficient-resources.aspx">Gas Saving Online Resources</a><br /><br />Take the Challenge <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.drivesmarterchallenge.org">here</a><br /><br />It's so encouraging to see that people who have taken the Challenge have pledged to save $13 million in gas expenses and have saved 40 metric tons of CO2 from polluting the air.<br /><br />More updates to come...Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-72008422165070247172008-05-15T18:08:00.004-04:002008-05-15T18:13:49.553-04:00Doing OK according to...CNN net worth comparison calculator!<br /><br />My Net worth is approximately $162k.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMaKO0egU9BjLddYse5igQtPplsZps2cTOvumI2w4jWheAJ-n_PYBUpWk_3MfJMSdiYrzy9kphFYYbd0GmnJVKjYGANJxmUMjLkz7KMQL6Va-cqjPCgKkPh8VNpJ59LemKKol-UpIxSQ/s1600-h/networth.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMaKO0egU9BjLddYse5igQtPplsZps2cTOvumI2w4jWheAJ-n_PYBUpWk_3MfJMSdiYrzy9kphFYYbd0GmnJVKjYGANJxmUMjLkz7KMQL6Va-cqjPCgKkPh8VNpJ59LemKKol-UpIxSQ/s320/networth.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200730138214097490" border="0" /></a>Apparently people my age have<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLzybe5xVl3AWLjgAA00dp173NNX4lES3KPJ2sl89b-Azjt6PnnQdWFHLxwdXKN2__Lt8kuXg9m5P2aAfCHNLjjSSk8edltAlQbYB8YBnQgFxBghPisr6z66l1AOHW1G5ns4qdeTIL0Y/s1600-h/25.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLzybe5xVl3AWLjgAA00dp173NNX4lES3KPJ2sl89b-Azjt6PnnQdWFHLxwdXKN2__Lt8kuXg9m5P2aAfCHNLjjSSk8edltAlQbYB8YBnQgFxBghPisr6z66l1AOHW1G5ns4qdeTIL0Y/s320/25.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200730554825925218" border="0" /></a>The statistics are not very surprising, but what surprises me is how far above these numbers I am. I guess the people I hang with could be high rollers, so I don't really see the $400 net worth people. But regardless, this just emphasizes to me the importance of being financially responsible and appreciating the resources and opportunities my parents gave me.<br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/jlin/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-5.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/jlin/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-6.jpg" alt="" />Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-36487336475486075242008-04-24T14:32:00.002-04:002008-04-24T14:41:06.778-04:00Ethics and money makingJ at <a href="http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/">Budgets are Sexy</a> wrote on Monday about his conscience and saving money at the gas pump. Making money and ethics was on my mind this week because I had won several tickets to the 5th Annual Congressional Blues Festival at Kennedy Center. I won them for free in a raffle and asked my musically inclined friends if they wanted to go, but alas one had class, etc. etc... I decided to sell them, but had hestiations.<br /><br />The festival is a lobbying event for a non-profit that aids Blues musicians. They get corporate sponsors to pay for the event, but also sold tickets to the event for $35. In addition, they had a random lottery that awarded (i don't know how many) tickets. In an email - they did mention that more than 6,000 people were in the lottery. Anyways - if you were in this position would you sell the tickets? for how much?<br /><br />I think selling tickets for more than face-value is illegal (i really have no clue about legal stuff). I don't know how that applies to a ticket I received for free, but has a value of $35. I sold the tickets for 10 bucks each and was thanked by the buyers for not inflating the price. But still - I almost have an inkling to donate the money I made from those tickets to the music makers foundation. Thoughts?Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-20112680151616883842008-04-21T16:26:00.003-04:002008-04-22T10:48:02.384-04:00New Net WorthCD: $10, 653<br />401k: $3,531<br />Savings: $1,000<br />Checking: $182<br />Condo: $374,000<br /><br />Total Assets: $389,366<br /><br />Total Liabilities: $227,175.34 mortgage<br /><br />Networth is: $162,191<br /><br /><br />According to ehow, a CNN Money calculator from 2004, and James at <a href="http://www,dinksfinance.com">DINKS</a> (dual income no kids) finances...I was calculating my net worth incorrectly. I added my condo's value according to the tax assessor.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-45473796470411587812008-04-21T14:00:00.004-04:002008-04-21T15:15:14.647-04:00Eating Out (aka: my financial downfall)After tracking my <span style="font-weight: bold;">dinner</span> spending habits for the past month, I found that I cooked dinner 14 out of 30 days. This is vastly superior to 2 years ago when I ate out almost exclusively. (It did suck after a while.)<br /><br />The good news: I have more or less achieved my goal of cooking dinner at home three times a week.<br /><br />I still want to cut down on eating out. Or at least at expensive restaurants in my neighborhood. I have been able to trade eating dinner out on Saturdays for eating brunch instead. I'm assuming it's cheaper. Another incentive for the switch is that I can get out of bed late and famished and be able to cross the street for a great brunch - instead of making breakfast, washing pans, and having bacon smoke infused into my hair! I tend to cook on the weekends because I have ample time to defrost, marinate, and prepare ingredients.<br /><br />How do I determine my next goal? I am analyzing the past month's cooking data...<br /><br />I cooked 46% of dinners.<br /><br />Dinners cooked sorted by day:<br />Sunday - 3 dinners<br />Monday - 3 dinners<br />Tuesday - 1 dinners<br />Wednesday 2 dinners<br />Thursday - 2 dinners<br />Friday - 0 dinners<br /><br />Meals that are tough to cook:<br /><br />1. Wednesday night dinner - I volunteer on Wednesday nights, so I can't cook, and I doubt bf will. Unless, I can persaude him to...Dinner most likely will be something easy to prepare (pasta). We usually get very excellent Indian takeout for $9.<br /><br />2. Sunday Brunch - I adore. I know making brunch is possible, but I wake up at noon - I don't think any of the breakfast-y things I make would cover breakfast and lunch. Hmm....maybe an every-other-week agreement should be made here.<br /><br />3. Friday night dinner - I'm always itching to get out of the office and do something to kick off the weekend right.<br /><br />Even with just those 2 meals a week plus 2 brunches a month - I'd be eating out 10 times a month! Which is better than 16, but still A LOT. I think this might be a good goal to work on, it will reduce my dining out to 33% instead of 53%.<br /><br />I'm sorry to say, I haven't recorded my lunch eating expenditures. I don't think I will start marking my calendar, but I will aim for brining lunch 3 times a week. I would estimate that right now I bring or get free lunch from work 1 day a week.<br /><br />For the next 30 days, I will go out to dinner 10 times or less. Going from 16 dinners out to 10 dinners shouldn't be hard (crosses fingers)- it's only 6 meals. And while I'm putting all my thoughts on this blog, I might as well throw in that I have a built-in "cheat" for this month. I am going home for a few days and know I won't pay for meals.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-19891116596080570352008-04-16T16:24:00.002-04:002008-04-16T16:36:58.527-04:00One Year Ago....I was looking at old posts on my blog and saw that one year ago I was blogging about my networth. So today, I will calculate a new networth. (Whooohooo, my boss said I could leave early from work today!)<br /><br />CD: $10, 653<br />401k: $3,531<br />Savings: $1,000<br />Checking: $182<br /><br />Total Assets: $15,366<br /><br />Total Liabilities: $227,175.34 mortagage<br /><br />Networth is: -$211, 809.34<br /><br />Not much difference, eh?Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-9811918774525019772008-04-11T10:13:00.003-04:002008-04-11T11:30:40.614-04:00Everyone Dies AloneI regularly read well-heeled girl's blog. She recently wrote about being a 20-something year old and facing challenges, expectations, and questions about what the future may hold. Many commenters chimed in with their experiences feeling alone, wanting to stay on the academic path by enrolling for advanced degrees, and being uncertain about the future. Read it <a href="http://wellheeled.wordpress.com/2008/04/10/the-roaring-twenties/#comments">here.</a><br /><br />(this was originally a blog comment, but it got long and mean, so it didn't quite fit in with the other comments.)<br /><br />Yes - I feel overwhelmed and lonely sometimes with lots of questions about the future...<br /><br />But these feelings aren't specific to Gen Y-ers, all young people in all eras have felt this way. I feel like articles that people write to define/compartmentalize/generalize young people are counter productive to actually -living life-. I do appreciate knowing that other people get down sometimes just like I do, but I don't like articles summing up generations because that feeds into "our" expectations.<br /><br />For example, Meg commented on Well Heeled girl's entry that she was taught her whole life should be directed towards college...but where did this expectation come from? I know parents and role models are a huge factor, but I also think these articles and books are detrimental because they help reinforce "societal norms" like going to college (or being stick thin, or being heterosexual, etc). I often wonder what my life would be like on a remote island without all the social conditioning and definitions of "success" that mainstream media [read: advertisers] drown me in.<br /><br />Anyways, getting into a great college and graduating is a short-term goal that is very helpful in life, but is just a means to the end. I had a blast in college - I met people, partied, learned stuff, and graduated with a double major in 3 years. But now I'm finished with that, I'm on to something new, I would hate to be stagnant and perpetually stuck with my 18-year old mindset. Looking to the future, I know that getting married, having kids, and living in my dream house aren't necessary for me to be happy. I'm weary of people who "always knew I wanted 2 girls and 1 boy".... because I wonder: you are going to shape your life around an idea you had when you were 8? I liked eating crayons when I was 8. C'mon!<br /><br />Instead of looking outwardly into the world to see what options and paths are offered to me for a "happy" and a "fulfilling" life, maybe in being introspective and honest with myself, I can find my own path to happiness. I doubt there's a cookie cutter template of happiness for all people. I liked how Well Heeled girl has planned action-oriented steps and that she knows sad feelings are normal and mandatory in life. For a control freak like me, it helps to remind myself that I can't control what happens at the office, in the world, or how other people act/think, but I can temper my own thoughts and change my perspective (think positive). Also, it helps me to know that I am the one who decides when I'm at peace with something and I can take as much or as little time as I want. <br /><br />For example, in the pf blogosphere - people routinely change their perspective to get out of debt. Instead of thinking that shopping or material things providing happiness and relief, people re-frame their thoughts to see that paying off credit card debt and watching their account balance numbers go up each month actually provides more happiness. <br /><br />So in the quarter-life crisis context, instead of seeing a lonely/confusing time, I really do see being young as a precious time that should be enjoyed to the fullest and the height of opportunities and possibilities. It's great!<br /><br /><br />Here's a tidbit - an excerpt from the "quarter life crisis" wikipedia entry -<br /><br />Characteristics of quarter-life crisis may include:<br /><br /> * feeling "not good enough" because one can't find a job that is at one's academic/intellectual level<br /> * frustration with relationships, the working world, and finding a suitable job or career<br /> * confusion of identity<br /> * insecurity regarding the near future<br /> * insecurity concerning long-term plans, life goals<br /> * insecurity regarding present accomplishments<br /> * re-evaluation of close interpersonal relationships<br /> * disappointment with one's job<br /> * nostalgia for university, college, high school or elementary school life<br /> * tendency to hold stronger opinions<br /> * boredom with social interactions<br /> * loss of closeness to high school and college friends<br /> * financially-rooted stress (overwhelming college loans, unanticipatedly high cost of living, etc.)<br /> * loneliness<br /> * desire to have children<br /> * a sense that everyone is, somehow, doing better than you<br /><br />I wanted to add a botched Tony Robbins quote:<br /><br />"Fear is a better motivator than desire, attractions, or potential rewards could ever be."Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-16894217837074843722008-04-09T12:15:00.002-04:002008-04-09T12:34:04.971-04:00Risky?I opened a money market account today w/ Indy Mac bank. Bankrate.com gave the bank a low rating for on their "Safe and Sound" index. From the website:<br /><br /><table style="width: 550px; height: 568px;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td colspan="2" class="body" height="15" valign="top"><br /></td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td colspan="2" class="body" valign="top">Bankrate.com's Safe & Sound Capitalization, Asset quality, Earnings and Liquidity (CAEL)<sup class="sidebar">®</sup> is a proprietary, analytical product that assesses the financial condition of banks, thrifts and credit unions.<br /> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="10"><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <table class="BoxBlue" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="98%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="solidlinetop" height="1"><img src="http://www.bankrate.com/images_mra/spacer.gif" height="1" width="1" /></td></tr> <tr><td class="arialBlueLg"><b>Safe & Sound CAEL rating</b> system</td></tr> <tr> <td class="solidlinebot" height="1"><img src="http://www.bankrate.com/images_mra/spacer.gif" height="1" width="1" /></td></tr> <tr> <td height="10" valign="top"><br /></td></tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#ffffff"> <table style="border: 0px solid rgb(224, 224, 224);" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" hspace="8" vspace="8" width="100%"> <tbody><tr align="center" bgcolor="#5b82ab" valign="bottom"> <td class="headertxt" align="left"> </td> <td class="headertxt" align="left"><b> Safe & Sound CAEL rating</b></td> <td class="headertxt" align="left"><b> Definition</b></td> <td class="headertxt" align="left" bgcolor="#5b82ab"><b> Star rating</b></td> </tr> <tr align="left" bgcolor="#d7dce0" valign="top"> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> </td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">1</td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">Superior</td> <td align="left" bg style="color:#d7dce0;"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:#5b82ab;">«««««</span></td> </tr> <tr align="left" valign="top"> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> </td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">2</td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">Sound</td> <td align="left"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:#5b82ab;">««««</span></td> </tr> <tr align="left" bgcolor="#d7dce0" valign="top"> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> </td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">3</td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">Performing</td> <td align="left"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:#5b82ab;">«««</span></td> </tr> <tr align="left" valign="top"> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> </td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">4</td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">Below peer group </td> <td align="left"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:#5b82ab;">««</span></td> </tr> <tr align="left" bgcolor="#d7dce0" valign="top"> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> </td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">5</td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">Lowest rated </td> <td align="left"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;color:#5b82ab;">«</span></td> </tr> <tr align="left" bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top"> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> </td> <td class="sidebar" align="left"><a href="javascript:winx=window.open('/brm/safesound/popdef.asp','newWnd', 'toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=400,height=210, left=200, top=200');winx.focus();">No Report</a></td> <td class="sidebar" align="left"><a href="javascript:winx=window.open('/brm/safesound/popdef.asp','newWnd', 'toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=400,height=210, left=200, top=200');winx.focus();">Complete data not available</a></td> <td class="sidebar" align="left"><a href="javascript:winx=window.open('/brm/safesound/popdef.asp','newWnd', 'toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=400,height=210, left=200, top=200');winx.focus();">No Report "U"</a></td> </tr> <tr align="left" bgcolor="#d7dce0" valign="top"> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> </td> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> Closed</td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">Institution is closed</td> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> Closed</td> </tr> <tr align="left" bgcolor="#ffffff" valign="top"> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> </td> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> G</td> <td class="sidebar" align="left">Designates high growth</td> <td class="sidebar" align="left"> --</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td></tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> </tr> <tr> <td class="sidebar"><b>Disclaimer:</b> This information is believed to be reliable, but the information is not guaranteed. In addition, events since the information was collected may have altered an institution's financial condition.</td> </tr> <tr> <td height="24"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><span class="subhead">To learn more</span><br /> We believe that many banking consumers consider a bank's financial stability to be pertinent to their banking decisions. Bankrate.com's Safe & Sound CAEL rating feature is an independent resource to assist consumers in those banking decisions.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Hmm - Indy Mac Bank of Pasadena only got 1 star. Should I be worried? Big financial institutions like Countrywide didn't even have a rating, so I'm not sure how accurate/updated this rating system is. I had pared down my choices for my $1,000 to either a 3 star rated bank with an interest rate of 3.59 or Indy Mac with a 3.97 rate.<br /><br />I figure both are FDIC insured and went with Indy Mac. My only other thought on the matter is - WOW, interest rates suck now!Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-72275137180245729002008-03-31T15:48:00.003-04:002008-03-31T16:46:49.399-04:00Who the what where???My online checking account recorded $4,547.64 spent in March. Here's the breakdown:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Housing - $2,627</span><br />$1378 - Monthly mortgage payment<br />$848 - Bi-annual property tax payment<br />$401 - Monthly condo fee<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Bills - $401.62</span><br />$46.38 - Monthly cable internet bill<br />$46.73 - Monthly cell phone bill<br />$158.51 - 2 months worth of electricity bill<br />$150 - Extra credit card payment<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Food</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">- $533</span><br />$320 - 7 Dinners/Brunches including one zip car rental ($45 average)<br />$123 - 16 Lunches ($7 average)<br />$90 - Groceries<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Nightlife - $254<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">$189 - Theater, Concert, Convention<br />$64 - Bars (6 outings - I don't drink much, can you tell?)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">"Other"</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">- $489 </span><br />This category sucks, I have barely any information on where this money went.<br />$140 - Green recreation<br />$60 - Bank fees<br />$60 - Shopping (clothing, toys, bed/bath/beyond)<br />$220 - ATM withdrawls (????)<br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /></span>That totals: $4304. So there is $243 NOT ACCOUNTED FOR??? Ooh wait. I spent $220 on airplane tickets and bought yoga pants for $23, then returned them.<br /><br />The most unnecessary expense is taking cabs. I am horrible about this. I always take cabs - probably once a week to work and once a week to yoga. I'm trying to cut back. I suspect cabs are where a good chunk of money went to from the ATM withdrawals section because cabs only take cash. D'oh - I want to say when the weather turns better, I won't spend as much on cabs, but really I don't even need to take cabs now!<br /><br />I have a new budget planned out on mint.com for April. I am excited it's a new month so I can test my budgeting abilities.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-79452413166944829152008-03-25T15:09:00.004-04:002008-04-17T10:43:30.007-04:00$2.61 Bar Tab and Dinner for...?I was surprised to see my Friday happy hour bill to be $2.61! Food and drinks were 1/2 off at <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=cityguide/profile&id=796997">The Sign of the Whale</a> bar/pub downtown. I had an Old Domion beer (my new favorite, replacing Blue Moon) and 8 chicken wings. They were giving away free shots, but nothing I would ever drink. Otherwise good times on the cheap!<br /><br />I made dinner last night and while i'm sure it was cheaper than eating out at a restaurant - i'm not sure it was cheaper than very tasty indian/pakistani takeout next door. The lamb kebab and fish kebab dishes are $9.00.<br /><br />$5 beef (shank instead of flank strips, but at $3.99 a lb instead of 5.99 a lb, i can cut it up, no problem)<br />$.79 tortillas<br />$2.99 cheese (big block, because i don't pay for someone else to shred my cheese!)<br />$.32 Jalapeno<br />$1.50 sour cream<br />$2.00 plantains<br />Onion<br />potato<br />seasonings<br />Total: 12.60 (divided by 2 people = 6.30)<br /><br />So I guess it was cheaper - plus going to the grocery store once forces me to buy other dinner foods that will keep me from eating out.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-65400819247052391152008-03-25T10:38:00.003-04:002008-03-25T10:45:55.922-04:00Money motivates more than disease?I was reading articles on the personal finance section of CNN money.com and I found a story that described how money motivates people more than their own health. Is money really that powerful?<br /><br /><p>"Jeff Erb of St. Louis used to weigh 288 pounds. His cholesterol was climbing. He took high-blood-pressure medication and suffered heart palpitations. In January 2007, Erb's company, the online brokerage house Scottrade, launched a Biggest Loser-style contest for its employees. </p><p>"I didn't think I would be able to do it," says Erb, who is 26. "I have been big since I was five years old." But motivated by a chance to win extra vacation days and money, he started watching his portions and hit the gym three days a week for 45-minute cardio sessions. A year later, Erb has lost a whopping 114 pounds. His team came in second and he won $250. But more important, that list of medical problems has disappeared."</p><br />There are some disclaimers though - this contest probably provided the employee with better team support and structured program to loose weight which had to help. It's interesting how people are taking better care of themselves now, not because they want to stay alive or be sexy, but to save money on healthcare costs.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-53073793504864825082008-03-21T11:32:00.002-04:002008-03-21T11:40:54.659-04:00Travel DealsI love to travel. I am also embarrassed to admit I love to bargain hunt. (I love to root around in a Value-Village for great finds.)<br /><br />(love for traveling) + (love to bargain hunt) X internet resources = me spending a lot of time online to get great deals.<br /><br />Anyways, I just got tickets to go to California for $218 rt including taxes and fees. Both flights are non-stop which is usually a huge upcharge on coast to coast flights. I've seen Kansas city and houston airports TOO many times. I earned some frequent flyer points and got my preferred flight times. Of course the main reasons I got cheap tickets was because I booked in advance. One and a half months to be exact.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-518655730086658812008-03-12T10:59:00.003-04:002008-03-12T11:22:15.315-04:00Is a tax refund a windfall?<span class="bodytextmed3highlighted"><span style="color:#009900;">From Investorwords.com<br /><br />Definition</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Money received which was not expected and not a direct result of something the recipient did.</span><br /><br />So - The answer is no. But...I still messed up some pretty nice lump cash sums in the last year.<br /><br />$1,000 (From my Grandparents for furniture)<br />$800 (for a "plasma"/"flat screen"/"HD" TV or whatever shiny new tech toy is out there from my mother. Funny thing is - I don't even WANT a TV.)<br />$300 (Chinese New Years red envelope money from G-parents)<br />$1,000 (2006 tax refund)<br /><br />Of the $3,100 in unexpected cash - I saved exactly ....zip-zero! And I feel like the biggest ass ever.<br /><br />So one of my 2008 goals is to save $5,000 for a savings account. This is more than 10% of my salary.<br /><br />Good thing my tax preparer e-filed today and said to expect $2,417.<br /><br />The remaining amount to my savings account goal would be $2,583.<br /><br />Divide that by the 9 months left in the year - and I should be saving about $300 a month.<br /><br />$150 a paycheck. That sounds more do-able. $150 is about comparable to 3 nice dinners for bf and I.<br /><br />I am going to stick to it. Seriously....Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-16588314506092001692008-03-12T10:30:00.003-04:002008-03-12T11:25:09.213-04:00Family HelpMy dad's paying my property taxes for the first half of the year. He offered, I didn't want to ask him. I wasn't going to ask him, I was saving up for that expense. Anyways, I accepted his help.<br /><br />What's odd is that the property tax rate went down. I've never seen a tax decrease before. This is shocking! It moved from .88% to .85%.<br /><br />What's more odd.....<br /><br />Day 1: My dad asks how much my property tax is.<br />Day 2: My sister writes an email (in a mentoring, not bragging tone) about her big bonus and raise.<br />Day 3: I get a random voicemail from my sister offering to pay my property taxes.<br /><br />Fishy? I know my dad asked my older sister to help pay my property taxes. I'm sure I don't want my sister to feel like she should have to offer to help. But I'm not sure I like how my dad is viewing our "family" finances. I guess he's all about pooling money together to help each other...good thing i'm on the low end of this financial totem pole, but what does he expect later down the line from his kids???Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-60229557161672854572008-03-11T16:23:00.006-04:002008-03-13T00:02:09.490-04:00A Few Travel Run Downs2006<br />Thailand - two weeks<br />$725 for round-trip flight (LAX to Bangkok w/ stop in Taipei)<br />$150 rt flight (Bangkok to Phucket)<br />$1,000 spending cash (paid for boat travel, ATV excursion, hostels, clubs, etc.).<br /><br />Because I backpacked and stayed in hostels for half the trip I saved a lot of cash. I traveled with a Thai friend of mine and stayed with her family for 3 nights while in Bangkok, so that helped tremendously. I didn't buy any souvenirs except for a $7.93 purse. Honestly, the tourist trinkets were cheap and gaudy. I understand a lot of people go to Thailand for knock-off Von Dutch clothing or Pumas, but I'm not the type to wear that ever. I did however spend between $100-$150 on thai massages! I can rationalize the massages since I'm into alternative/holistic wellness, but I regret buying so many books at airports and in Thailand. The boredom on 16 hour trans-pacific flights coupled with my idea of paradise includes reading on the beach until noon, results in spending $50 on magazines and books. Since I couldn't carry around heavy books while backpacking all over, I donated them to bookstores who were devastated by the tsunami.<br /><br />2007<br />Switzerland - 2 days<br />$49 bucks for 2 nights in dorm.<br />$50 for entertainment stuff (cigarettes, clubbing, food)<br />$12 train from airport to Montreux<br /><br />I stayed with my sister who was a part of a study abroad program. I was planning on just informally joining her, but the school found out and charged me $49 USD. Not a huge amount, but this charge wasn't intended. Ohhh....wait! I just remembered I ate 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners in the school's cafeteria. Lake Geneva is gorgeous. Also Montreux Jazz festival had free concerts outdoors that we attended.<br /><br />Italy - 1 day<br />$30 train to Locarno, Switzerland<br />$40 bus to Milan<br />$150 taxi*<br />$100 hotel*<br />$80 dinner*<br />*prices are for 2 people<br /><br />This day was pretty much a debacle. Besides seeing the beautiful alps and visiting a gorgeous rambling monastery on Lake Maggiore, I messed up this day. Our (sister and I) goal was to get to Milan to catch a flight, but we decided to stop in Locarno, where they had this famous bridge where you could bungee jump. The jump was apparently in a newer James Bond movie. I didn't call ahead and we couldn't make a reservation. <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Worse than that</span>, we missed out bus to Milan. Then we pretty much got conned into a taxi (language problem) who drove us a good distance (maybe 25 miles) to get us caught up to the bus. At least, the bus still had an hour to drive, but I got into a argument with the driver. Since we had a plane to catch, we had to catch that bus or else stand to lose plane tickets.<br /><br />We got a hotel near the airport and ate dinner. Since neither of us were going to be in Italy, this was our chance to eat Italian. Capers, swordfish, pasta, and carpaccio - it was delicious. My sister and I are complete. total. utter. foodies and our expectations are pretty high - so it was perfect to end this day with a yummy dinner.<br /><br />Morocco<br />$120 hostel* (for 4 nights)<br />$200 food*<br />$60 Hamman*<br />$120 excursion to ben-ait-haddou & telouet*<br />*prices for 2 people<br /><br />We met another American (recent college grad) at the airport upon landing and split a cab with him to his hotel. We clicked and bonded (he was traveling alone) - so my sister and I took up his offer of staying with him at the Marrakech Four Seasons. We used the pool the next moring and bought him breakfast. All 3 of us hung out for several days. We found a traditional Morroccan bed and breakfast and stayed there for $30 bucks a night. We saved by taking the rooms on the roof which are usually very hot (Morocco in July, think about it) and noisy (right behind the kitchen). But the 12 ft. by 12 ft room had air-conditioning, two twin beds, and a private bathroom, what more can you ask for? The excursion to the Atlas mountains was awesome and for a 12 hour trip, $60 was super cheap.<br /><br />Greece - backpacking alone<br />$150 plane ticket from Milan to Santorini (easyjet)<br />$250 hotel rooms (5 nights, didn't have anyone to share w/)<br />$50 bars/clubs<br />$100 food<br />$100 ferry tickets to Paros, Samos, Lesbos, Izmir<br /><br />Food was less of an expense because I was traveling alone. Food stands and eating grocery store stuff is more condusive to the singleton. I did meet some girls at a bar and we hung out for the night. Later I met 3 Italians (with a rented car) who make a yearly one month trip to Santorini. They drove me to different beaches and showed me the local homey restaurants. Greek yogurt and honey is THE best.<br /><br />Turkey - backpacking alone<br />$40 overnight bus from Izmir to Istanbul (not comfortable, but amusing to watch Fast and Furious 2 on the TVs. Very cultural, eh?)<br />$50 hotel room (1 night - I needed sleep, tv, and a shower)<br />$52 hostel (4 nights)<br />$50 food<br />$15 boat cruise up Bosphorous<br />$200 hookah<br /><br />I ate mostly at food stands along the bosphorous and outside the Blue Mosque. My hostel was right behind the Blue Mosque in the older section called Sultanahmet (sp?) I met other young travelers at the hostel which had internet and great advice. Topaki Palace and the big cistern have nominal entrance fees and by traveling myself I could avoid the huge packs of tourists and go at my pace. The most foolish thing I did was buy a hookah, I resisted all the hawking of tourist shit for 4 days, then on the last day I actually bought something. One good decision I made was to not go to a club. I really wanted to check out the scene before I got to Turkey, but after hearing horror stories from other ppl in the hostel and meeting a few Turkish people who regularily went....I decided to pass. (thoughts on this? anyone been to one of those fancy clubs on the water?)<br /><br />I will post more travel stuff soon.<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"></span></span>Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-53043721757876877962008-03-07T12:31:00.002-05:002008-03-07T13:36:20.488-05:00Tax TimeI am extremely relieved I found an ex-IRS tax auditor who now as a side job during tax season prepares tax returns. We have a meeting set-up this weekend and I am really interested in asking her a bunch of questions. I know she's not going to be there in the capacity of a financial planner, but she was really receptive of the dumb questions I was asking on the phone. I prepared my first tax return ever last year by hand. I am not sure if I did any of it right, mainly because I was mailed an interest tax form and tuition tax form that I never used when inputting numbers into a free filing form that Liberty Tax Service offered.<br /><br />(Short rant: why the hell does the IRS not offer a free form themselves? Why in the heck does the government funnel taxpayers to H&R Block, Liberty Tax Services websites to be force-fed ads and to be proposition for paid services? Welcome to the United Corporations of America.)<br /><br />Anyways - I remember getting $800 back for my federal return and $200 back for my district return.<br /><br />I can't imagine I will be getting back much money this year considering I only worked 8 months last year. I don't remember what I put down on my W-4 either.<br /><br />Hmm...well, at least I know on Sunday most of this will be over.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-59422205195133314692008-03-06T15:46:00.002-05:002008-03-06T16:49:20.537-05:00Boyfriend thoughts?When it comes to my boyfriend and financial issues I generally feel very lucky.<br /><br />Paying for Dates<br />I truly believe we do a good job switching between who pays for dinner, movies, etc. There's no system, we don't remember who's turn it is to pay for things and it hasn't become an issue (for me at least, but I haven't heard anything from him).<br /><br />Dating did increase my expenditures quite a bit though. I think singles activities (clubbing, bar hopping, etc.) are cheaper and often I would get things paid for. Anyways, I think it took us a long time to communicate to each other that saving cash was a priority and that we should spend less. Now I will put words into his mouth, but I think we're both shy people and bringing up the topic of 'lack of money' was difficult. Maybe we're not shy, maybe ----- oh, who am i kidding? I'm just projecting my egotism onto both of us.<br /><br />Moving In<br />I asked my bf to move in when his lease was ending at his place. We sorta had a false start at moving in together a year earlier. Anyways, it worked out this time and we've been "cohabiting" for 8 months now. I would say something generic like - "While the experience has had it's bumps here and there, it has made our relationship stronger". But in all reality, there really wasn't any drama.<br /><br />What do you charge your bf for rent? I pay a mortgage and knew it wasn't fair to split it down the middle. Anyways, I pretty much arbitrarily came up with a number (it's 36% of my mortgage and condo fee) while he was on the phone w/ me and it's worked out ever since.<br /><br />Future<br />People in general are bad at gauging what will make them happy in the future, so I try and live in the 'now'. I won't even say anything about -------- or -------- because that's really not what we are about as a couple. I definitely am feeling good that after a few months where both of us were unemployed, we both have full-time jobs w/ benefits now.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-11872011476239019522008-03-06T15:17:00.003-05:002008-03-06T15:32:57.425-05:00Credit ScoresSometime I wonder how much I should disclose on a public blog. I always come to the conclusion that I want to be as specific as I can about my financial situation but shouldn't give too much of my identity away. So in that vein....let me post about my credit score.<br /><br />Feb. 2007 = 620<br />Feb. 2008 = 692<br /><br />I think that's a positive sign. I know the scores go up to 800. So I feel like a 72 point jump in one year is great. Regular on-time payments to my mortgage probably really helped. I didn't have a balance on my credit card for the 8 months out of the year. I'm not sure if getting rid of a car loan that wasn't mine helped or not. But regardless for the time being, I am happy with this for now. These good vibes will motivate me in the future when it's the end of the month a.k.a. bill-paying-time.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-82350652744943264012007-05-31T16:29:00.000-04:002007-05-31T16:30:19.658-04:00It's a MIRACLEAfter a long hard journey.<br /><br />i have my W-2Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6487133537176071423.post-38200114391963183342007-05-22T11:46:00.000-04:002007-05-22T11:49:22.529-04:00One little tidbitI have to admit I am a government conspiracy theorist. I'm like Dale Gribble in King of the hill, tin foil hat and all. My paranoia has only gotten worse after living in DC.<br /><br />Back to finance related stuff...<br /><br />I am trying an experiment where i don't touch paper money or coins anymore. We'll see how long this lasts. From now on it's just checks and cards.Jaylinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04825906678827504777noreply@blogger.com0