It is obvious from http://www.abovethelaw.com/ that there are many of you. Stealth layoffs seem particularly disturbing. What happens when you are in your late twenties/early thirties, you get used to working all the time and getting a fat paycheck for it, and then you are all of a sudden home wearing sweats and too poor to order out?
Have you totally denied yourself luxuries? Or are you using your savings to treat yourself now and then?
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The virtues of junk e-mail accounts
I know, I know, getting spam is no fun at all when you are waiting for something important or want all your e-mail in organized folders like me.
But there is so much free stuff out there to be had! I recently created a junk mail e-mail account and use that account for any deal-type registration online. I check it only when I am in the mood to pick through the crap for the gems... which do exist in the form of coupons and other goodies like membership loyalty rewards.
I have also fallen in love with Groupon (http://www.groupon.com/), which does not seem to spam. I may upgrade it to my regular account. It gives you a great coupon/deal every day for your city. Catch is that enough people have to take the deal. I haven't been a member long, but so far it looks like there are always enough takers.
But there is so much free stuff out there to be had! I recently created a junk mail e-mail account and use that account for any deal-type registration online. I check it only when I am in the mood to pick through the crap for the gems... which do exist in the form of coupons and other goodies like membership loyalty rewards.
I have also fallen in love with Groupon (http://www.groupon.com/), which does not seem to spam. I may upgrade it to my regular account. It gives you a great coupon/deal every day for your city. Catch is that enough people have to take the deal. I haven't been a member long, but so far it looks like there are always enough takers.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Money Vices - pfweeeet! taxi!!!
"Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps a-ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still.”
It's a pretty pathetic way to fritter away $$, I know. And sometimes the cab rides suck. Like the time the cabbie didn't talk to me at all the entire ride, pulled up to my building, and as I opened the door asks me dramatically, "What do you think caused the current economic crisis?"
Seriously?! You are going to ignore me the entire drive and then ask me the most broad psuedo-intellectual question I have ever heard? Seriously?
OK, cab rides are definitely on the chopping block for my new budget.
But because the point is to save and not to deprive oneself of life's luxurious lets throw in a few exceptions shall we?
I can take a cab if:
1) I have had less than 4.5 hours sleep
2) the temperature is above 98 or below 25
3) it is pouring rain or snowing hard (no sprinkles or flurries count here)
4) I have a suitcase
AND - for every time I take a cab to work outside of thies exceptions, I have to walk to work once within the next week.
Paying for cabs to work when I have been up super late working or have, oops, slept late - nasty, nasty habit. To be totally honest with myself, I probably spend $250 a month on cabs. Ouch! That is almost a student loan payment.~ Lou Erickson
It's a pretty pathetic way to fritter away $$, I know. And sometimes the cab rides suck. Like the time the cabbie didn't talk to me at all the entire ride, pulled up to my building, and as I opened the door asks me dramatically, "What do you think caused the current economic crisis?"
Seriously?! You are going to ignore me the entire drive and then ask me the most broad psuedo-intellectual question I have ever heard? Seriously?
OK, cab rides are definitely on the chopping block for my new budget.
But because the point is to save and not to deprive oneself of life's luxurious lets throw in a few exceptions shall we?
I can take a cab if:
1) I have had less than 4.5 hours sleep
2) the temperature is above 98 or below 25
3) it is pouring rain or snowing hard (no sprinkles or flurries count here)
4) I have a suitcase
AND - for every time I take a cab to work outside of thies exceptions, I have to walk to work once within the next week.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Free Money
In my endless quest to find deals online, I have come across two sites that literally give you free money. Yes, they are legit and I have used both for two years and about 6 months respectively.
Ebates - Wish I had found this sooner. You sign up, which takes like 2 minutes, and basically whenever you shop online you go to the ebates website, click on the link to the store, and shop. Each store has a certain percentage they give back to your ebates account from your purchase. Ebates sends you a check 4 times a year as long as you have accumulated more than $5.01. And even if you haven't, the money you have earned just gets pushed over to the next period. I have made over $350 this way over the past couple years! It is totally legit and has been on major news shows. Its one of those things that you will start doing and think about all the money you missed out on by not doing it sooner!
http://www.ebates.com/
UPromise - OK, so I don't even have kids yet but opened an account here. It works very similarly to Ebates except the money can be transferred into a Vanguard 529 plan for higher education savings. My little unborn sophisticate already has $600 for college. The cool thing about this program is that you can link in friends and family to save for you. How psyched will your parents and grandparents be to save for a future mini-them. Totally psyched. I had to repeatedly convince my parents I was NOT pregnant when I asked them though :)
http://www.upromise.com/
Tips for these sites:
1) Only buy things you were planning on buying! Don't get tempted and justify unecessary purchases because you get cash back. Its not free money if you are buying things you wouldn't normally have purchased.
2) Have a goal for the money you receive from the sites. Upromise has a built in goal, but for Ebates it could be a number of things. I use it as gift money for Christmas or birthdays. You can also use it to pay down debt. Its best to plan what you will use it for in advance instead of just blowing it on whatever when you get the check.
Ebates - Wish I had found this sooner. You sign up, which takes like 2 minutes, and basically whenever you shop online you go to the ebates website, click on the link to the store, and shop. Each store has a certain percentage they give back to your ebates account from your purchase. Ebates sends you a check 4 times a year as long as you have accumulated more than $5.01. And even if you haven't, the money you have earned just gets pushed over to the next period. I have made over $350 this way over the past couple years! It is totally legit and has been on major news shows. Its one of those things that you will start doing and think about all the money you missed out on by not doing it sooner!
http://www.ebates.com/
UPromise - OK, so I don't even have kids yet but opened an account here. It works very similarly to Ebates except the money can be transferred into a Vanguard 529 plan for higher education savings. My little unborn sophisticate already has $600 for college. The cool thing about this program is that you can link in friends and family to save for you. How psyched will your parents and grandparents be to save for a future mini-them. Totally psyched. I had to repeatedly convince my parents I was NOT pregnant when I asked them though :)
http://www.upromise.com/
Tips for these sites:
1) Only buy things you were planning on buying! Don't get tempted and justify unecessary purchases because you get cash back. Its not free money if you are buying things you wouldn't normally have purchased.
2) Have a goal for the money you receive from the sites. Upromise has a built in goal, but for Ebates it could be a number of things. I use it as gift money for Christmas or birthdays. You can also use it to pay down debt. Its best to plan what you will use it for in advance instead of just blowing it on whatever when you get the check.
Welcome!
This blog was inspired by a number of things:
1) My quarterlife crisis
2) Friends getting laid off from high paying jobs... and the fear that I too may suffer that fate
3) The desire to have nice things, attend fun events, and generally live well
What do these things have in common? Money.
The goal of the blog is to compile ideas on how to live well but save money. Even if you can afford the finer things, why would you pay more than you have to? There are all kinds of ways to get "Expensive" things for less.
1) My quarterlife crisis
2) Friends getting laid off from high paying jobs... and the fear that I too may suffer that fate
3) The desire to have nice things, attend fun events, and generally live well
What do these things have in common? Money.
The goal of the blog is to compile ideas on how to live well but save money. Even if you can afford the finer things, why would you pay more than you have to? There are all kinds of ways to get "Expensive" things for less.
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