There 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.
Trips for the year:
February - NYC
May - West Virginia
July - Montreal
August - Cape May
August - San Francisco
December - Las Vegas (? trip in question)
December - Colombia/Costa Rica (? trip in question)
Other:
$900 property tax payment (sux!)
$2,500 yoga teacher training
Electronic items:
new laptop (my laptop is still alive from 2002!)
new cell phone (I am using phone from 2004!)
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.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
We return to the regularly scheduled broadcast
I 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.
Drive $marter Challenge - keep in mind, these tips are suppose to be simple steps, not rocket science.
Gas Myths Page
Gas Saving Online Resources
Take the Challenge here
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.
More updates to come...
Drive $marter Challenge - keep in mind, these tips are suppose to be simple steps, not rocket science.
Gas Myths Page
Gas Saving Online Resources
Take the Challenge here
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.
More updates to come...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Doing OK according to...
CNN net worth comparison calculator!
My Net worth is approximately $162k.
Apparently people my age have
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.
My Net worth is approximately $162k.
Apparently people my age have
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.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Ethics and money making
J at Budgets are Sexy 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.
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?
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?
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?
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?
Monday, April 21, 2008
New Net Worth
CD: $10, 653
401k: $3,531
Savings: $1,000
Checking: $182
Condo: $374,000
Total Assets: $389,366
Total Liabilities: $227,175.34 mortgage
Networth is: $162,191
According to ehow, a CNN Money calculator from 2004, and James at DINKS (dual income no kids) finances...I was calculating my net worth incorrectly. I added my condo's value according to the tax assessor.
401k: $3,531
Savings: $1,000
Checking: $182
Condo: $374,000
Total Assets: $389,366
Total Liabilities: $227,175.34 mortgage
Networth is: $162,191
According to ehow, a CNN Money calculator from 2004, and James at DINKS (dual income no kids) finances...I was calculating my net worth incorrectly. I added my condo's value according to the tax assessor.
Eating Out (aka: my financial downfall)
After tracking my dinner 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.)
The good news: I have more or less achieved my goal of cooking dinner at home three times a week.
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.
How do I determine my next goal? I am analyzing the past month's cooking data...
I cooked 46% of dinners.
Dinners cooked sorted by day:
Sunday - 3 dinners
Monday - 3 dinners
Tuesday - 1 dinners
Wednesday 2 dinners
Thursday - 2 dinners
Friday - 0 dinners
Meals that are tough to cook:
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.
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.
3. Friday night dinner - I'm always itching to get out of the office and do something to kick off the weekend right.
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%.
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.
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.
The good news: I have more or less achieved my goal of cooking dinner at home three times a week.
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.
How do I determine my next goal? I am analyzing the past month's cooking data...
I cooked 46% of dinners.
Dinners cooked sorted by day:
Sunday - 3 dinners
Monday - 3 dinners
Tuesday - 1 dinners
Wednesday 2 dinners
Thursday - 2 dinners
Friday - 0 dinners
Meals that are tough to cook:
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.
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.
3. Friday night dinner - I'm always itching to get out of the office and do something to kick off the weekend right.
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%.
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
One 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!)
CD: $10, 653
401k: $3,531
Savings: $1,000
Checking: $182
Total Assets: $15,366
Total Liabilities: $227,175.34 mortagage
Networth is: -$211, 809.34
Not much difference, eh?
CD: $10, 653
401k: $3,531
Savings: $1,000
Checking: $182
Total Assets: $15,366
Total Liabilities: $227,175.34 mortagage
Networth is: -$211, 809.34
Not much difference, eh?
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