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Viewing entries forView all blogs (popular) | Personal finance (popular) | Real estate (popular) | Investing (popular) | Visit Items 1 - 25 of 54
    Friday, October 31, 2008 Tracking November's Grocery Spending (5 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
October 31, 2008 at 3:57 pm ET I just finished renovating our monthly budget, and under Groceries I have $400 per month (covers both M and I). I am going to hazard a guess and say that this is a nice blend of wishful thinking and total denial. Since New Year's resolutions are right around the corner, I figured I might as well find out. So for the month of November I'm going to save all grocery/bodega/food co-op receipts and see what the final tally is. I figure that we should be able to eat in on $100 a week, so one of ... (more) Thursday, October 30, 2008 From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
October 30, 2008 at 7:42 pm ET New York Governor David Patterson was in Washington this week testifying before Congress regarding New York State's projected 3.5 year budget deficit of $47 billion dollars. Egads.New York State has long paid more in federal taxes than it gets back in aid from the Feds. While I agree in principle that the wealthier states should shoulder more of the financial burden than, say, Alabama, it is also ironic that it's the blue states who pick up the tab and are then held hostage by the red states' conservative politics. If pro-American is pro-rata, then Palin is on ... (more) Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Credit Card Crunch (6 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
October 28, 2008 at 11:27 pm ET The NY Times article, As Economy Slows, Lenders Begin to Curb Credit Cards brings the credit crisis from Wall Street to, you know, your street. If you want a pretty decent primer on how to protect yourself, check out the San Diego Union-Tribune piece here.Either I have sucker written in halogen across my forehead, or my credit must be pretty good because the past few weeks I've seen an uptick in credit card offers stuffing my mailbox. That isn't exactly the norm right now, and the Times article lays out some basic ways that we'll start to feel ... (more) Wednesday, October 22, 2008 From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
October 22, 2008 at 2:03 pm ET Despite the fact that the economy has the moody blues, the season of holiday parties and other frivolity requiring a high alcohol tolerance and fashionable studs is fast approaching. For the fashionistas on a strict budget, Lewis Cho is having a wharehouse sale with everything $50 or less. A wardrobe update with up to 80% off sounds pretty good right about now!Sale is Tuesday, Oct 28th, Wednesday, Oct 29th and Thursday, Oct 30th from 11am - 8pm at:Lewis Cho225 W. 36th Street, Suite 701, between 7th & 8th Aves.212-629-9329Support your favorite indie fashion designers! ... (more) Friday, October 17, 2008 From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
October 17, 2008 at 12:05 pm ET Warren Buffet's NY Times Op-Ed, Buy American. I Am. has a short two word per two sentence title. His advice, on his authority. I couldn't possibly say it better, so I encourage you to click and read.A preview:A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. ... (more) Friday, October 10, 2008 Finding Bottom (2 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
October 10, 2008 at 3:57 pm ET While the markets continue to walk the plank, I've been trying hard to think of ways not to completely lose my mind. I like to repeat the mantra, It's all about the number of shares, not the dollar amount, the number of shares... Does it work? Uh, not really.After the Dow cracked 8000 yesterday, I decided to buy in. Because after all, you buy low, right? Honestly, the best thing to do with your money right now is to buy stock. But that is much easier said than done. The problem with buying ... (more) Wednesday, October 1, 2008 From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
October 1, 2008 at 12:51 pm ET The past month has been dramatic, and certainly the past few days are no exception. With a whirlwind of controversy over the failed bailout plan, there seems to me to be some misplaced rage. Thomas Friedman's Op-Ed, Rescue the Rescue, hits the nail on the head. Count me in to tar and feather the brokers, who James Cramer lays blame to in a recent New York Magazine article:The unraveling started with brokers searching for new income streams after the post-dot-com collapse of equities. With the Federal Reserve taking interest rates down to 1 percent to jump-start the ... (more) Thursday, September 18, 2008 What Just Happened? (and do I care?) (1 click)
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September 18, 2008 at 1:32 pm ET Talk about high drama on Wall Street. I don't even know where to begin. Normally when large established companies start to tank, they are gobbled up by healthier companies. They don't just fail.The Economist's Nightmare on Wall Street has a pretty succinct recap.EVEN by the standards of the worst financial crisis for at least a generation, the events of Sunday September 14th and the day before were extraordinary. The weekend began with hopes that a deal could be struck, with or without government backing, to save Lehman Brothers, America’s fourth-largest investment bank. Early Monday morning Lehman filed ... (more) Sunday, September 14, 2008 When the $h*t Hits the Fan (8 clicks)
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September 14, 2008 at 9:50 pm ET You know it's bad when Greenspan says the economy is in a once-in-a-century crisis, because that time frame includes, um, the Great Depression for chrissakes!I re-subscribed to the WSJ recently, and I've been online perusing the comment sections of the lead articles. Ninety percent of what's said I can't even repeat, but I have to say I learn more from the commenters than I do from the articles. Cursing aside, the workers on the Street are freaking out and doing so with great articulation and conviction. And after a little while I started to wonder, should I ... (more) Tuesday, September 9, 2008 From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
September 9, 2008 at 3:53 pm ET They just announced the six finalists for the Man Booker Prize, that literary prize for novelists from the Commonwealth of Nations and the Republic of Ireland. Talk about the sun never setting. Anyways, if you're itching to put a hold on a book at your local library and need some book ideas, check out the list:Aravind Adiga The White Tiger Sebastian Barry The Secret Scripture Amitav Ghosh Sea of Poppies Linda Grant The Clothes on Their Backs Philip Hensher The Northern Clemency ... (more) Saturday, September 6, 2008 A Middle Finger to the American Savers (5 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
September 6, 2008 at 11:40 am ET First, I would like to congratulate myself on two posts in two days. After a year of blogging, I realized that even my virtual free association on economic matters needs to take some time off every now and then. I sense that the blogging vacation is officially over, so back to work I go.Business Week's article, Why American Savers Have Drawn the Short Straw tells us what we already know; sucks to be us. And by us I mean the savers, today's white unicorn. Presumably right about now it's the savers who should be rewarded. We ... (more) Friday, September 5, 2008 B of A $75 offer (11 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
September 5, 2008 at 7:16 pm ET I've been a lazy poster lately. Here, I'll make it up to you and hand over seventy five bucks...Bank of America, with its newly ubiquitous ATM storefronts, enticed me to open up an online checking account. The offer of $75 is good for new online banking customers. I just opened up their online checking account, with no account minimums or fees. I did deposit $25, you need to deposit the twenty five bucks within thirty days to get the $75 bonus (deposited within 90 days). I figure I'll close it after a few months ... (more) Wednesday, August 20, 2008 What to do, What to do... (2 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 20, 2008 at 10:23 am ET So I've clearly been on vacation for this whole summer. Maybe not a physical vacation, but certainly a mental vacation. And now that September looms and I'm coming back to earth, I realize that my finances are in disarray. Mental disarray, that is.While I was away, the price of gas went down. Considering we drove 3,000 miles in our trusty Chevy Prizm (ie Toyota Corolla), it was a welcome reprieve from the oil madness. And while our economy is floating about as well at the Titanic, there's positive and negative sides to the drama, never ... (more) Saturday, July 19, 2008 Concisely Painful Economic Forecast (4 clicks)
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July 19, 2008 at 11:23 am ET I'm sure it'll be blogged to death, but the NY Times' Uncomfortable Answers to Questions on the Economy is really, really good. And not in its positive outlook, but in its format. Simple questions, concise yet broad answers. What the average person really wants to know about what the hell is going on out there, but was afraid to ask.Is This a Recession? Who knew some private institution was the semantic god of the big "R" word, no wonder economists are arguing over are we or aren't we ad nauseum. So the Economic Bureau of Economic ... (more) Thursday, July 17, 2008 What I'm Not Cutting (4 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
July 17, 2008 at 10:35 am ET Inspired by a CNN/Money article Where Americans Will (and Won't) Cut Back, I decided to take a look at what's on my chopping block.Consumer confidence is in the gutter, inflation is on the rise and the economy is struggling. But even as consumers cut back on spending, there are some things they refuse to give up.Nine out of 10 Americans said they are cutting back expenses or discretionary spending at least somewhat because of the current economic conditions; according to a recent study from market research firm GfK Roper Consulting.And moi? Well, I guess since I'm in the upper ... (more) Monday, July 14, 2008 The Oh $h*t Fund (7 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
July 14, 2008 at 11:37 am ET Sometimes things happen that make me think thank god I have a savings account, that if I didn't have a cushion, no matter how small it may seem, the most insignificant fall could have ended up breaking a bone. Instead, I just got a good internet workout with my ING account.Saturday morning M and I left Brooklyn for a three week vacation (!!). I won't bore you with the details, but essentially a large purchase for M's work went on our credit card right before the card's monthly statement ended. This meant that the check reimbursement from ... (more) Tuesday, July 1, 2008 From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
July 1, 2008 at 3:24 pm ET Wow, it's been a while since I've really posted. Thanks for all the kind words, things worked out in the end. M's great uncle got sick and things took a rapid and surprising turn for the worse. He passed away, but it was for the better if such things could even be possible. I guess modern medicine makes it possible, with the opportunity to live longer there's always a question of quality of life. On a selfish level I may wish the old guy was still here so I could kick his ass in cards, ... (more) Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Credit Card Myths (7 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
June 17, 2008 at 3:41 pm ET I've been dealing with some family stuff for a bit and I'm out of town, so this post will be short 'n sweet. In the meantime, in my brief foray back into financial news I stumbled upon this, 9 Big Credit Card Myths-- among them, minimum credit card purchase. Good luck raising holy hell trying to get that bodega to comply. ... (more) Saturday, May 31, 2008 Mapquesting Cheap Gas (18 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 31, 2008 at 7:19 pm ET Well, you might as well add Mapquest Gas Prices to your to-do list the next time you budget your commute or your summer road trip plans. Type in a zip code, etc. and a map will pop up with local gas stations and their gas prices. While it doesn't alleviate the sticker shock, it's not such a bad idea to penny pinch at the pump whenever you can.Speaking of which, I applied for a BP Visa card and got one. Actually two, since M and I share the car. It's 10% cash back for the first ... (more) Friday, May 30, 2008 Summer in the City (1 click)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 30, 2008 at 10:45 am ET Summer in the city is hot, humid, and humming. It's the time of street fairs, block parties, and FREE live entertainment. I love this time of the year. Time to mark up my calender!Central Park Summerstage:Mavis Staples (and Stephanie McKay) kick off the season Friday, June 13th at 7PM. I saw her at BAM and saw firsthand that this woman can still take you there.Other highlights- indie band of the moment, Vampire Weekend (June 14th), Taj Mahal (July 27th), Junot Diaz (July 27th), Richard Price- Lush Life is high on my reading list- (July 31st), and ... (more) Wednesday, May 28, 2008 The Multi-Class Squeeze Economy (5 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 28, 2008 at 10:16 am ET Last week M bought some groceries and came back flabbergasted at the prices. And last night we ordered some take out from a taqueria, and on the walk over we passed an empty Blue Ribbon and Stone Park and the cheap Mexican joint was packed. You know it's bad when the fancier places are unusually empty, and the cheap eats places are hopping. Welcome to the universal economic squeeze.CNN Money has an interesting take on it in Making a good living, but still feeling strapped.Hoyt of Economy.com argues that every income strata is feeling it. The wealthy ... (more) Tuesday, May 27, 2008 From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 27, 2008 at 10:14 am ET Two posts in one day. This is what happens when I wake up at a decent hour.So PiggyBankBlues is proud to take another stab at the Carnival of Money Stories. For those not in the know, a Carnival is basically roundup up financial bloggers doing what they do best; blogging about money. It's a good way to catch up on new bloggers and some great posts. Enjoy!BudgetingNot the Jet Set lists lessons learned from 2008 Emergencies and Expenditures: YTD.My Dollar Plan has some helpful budgeting tips in Create Your Own Dollar Plan: Step 4.InvestingSaving to Invest ... (more) Radio New York and KEXP (3 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 27, 2008 at 9:01 am ET I'm a little slow on the uptick, because it made news last February, but this morning I discovered Radio New York's and KEXP's Radio Liberation. Hipsters, and those who listen to the same music anyways, rejoice. 91.5 FM weekday mornings.I just woke up, fiddled with the dial, realized I didn't have the radio plugged in right (that would help), so I pulled out one plug and some funky song came on. Then I listened to Clap Your Hands followed by Talking Heads and was beside myself with aural joy. And I hadn't even gotten out of ... (more) Friday, May 23, 2008 Library Fodder- 1001 Books (1 click)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 23, 2008 at 11:00 am ET I'm sort of at an impasse on my reading list. The list hasn't disappeared, but sometimes my interest has waned. Like my Netflix queue, my public library wait list sometimes gets a little stale. So the great NY Times review Volumes to go Before You Die came just in the nick of time.It's not the book, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, so much as The List.The book is British. Of course. The British love literary lists and the fights they provoke, so much so that they divide candidates for the Man Booker Prize into ... (more) Thursday, May 22, 2008 Happy 125th Birthday Brooklyn Bridge! (2 clicks)
From PiggyBankBlues - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 22, 2008 at 4:12 pm ET Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Brooklyn Briii-idge, happy birthday to you!You're the apple of my eye, here's to 125 more years.Check out this weekend's free events celebrating the Brooklyn Bridge's bday here. If you've got roof access, there's fireworks all weekend.The Brooklyn Bridge by the numbers:Length of river span: 1595.5 feetTotal length of bridge: 5989 feetWidth of bridge floor: 85 feetSuspension cables: four, each 15.75 inches in diameter and 3578.5 feet long, containing 5434 wires each, for a total length of 3515 miles of wire per cableFoundation depth below high water, Brooklyn: 44 feet ... (more) Items 1 - 25 of 54
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