|
|
 New! (August 23) Follow pfblogs.org on Twitter for occasional notifications
with links to popular personal finance articles! (More about
pfblogs.org on Twitter.)
Viewing entries forView all blogs (popular) | Personal finance (popular) | Real estate (popular) | Investing (popular) | Visit Items 76 - 100 of 235
    Friday, September 5, 2008 From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
September 5, 2008 at 10:26 pm ET Another month has passed and another month's rent has been collected. Yea! I deposited the rent yesterday and put in to motion the $1300 transfer to my mortgage. Next month I hope I can increase that to $1400 because of my raise. My new mortgage balance is...$57,248. Only 2 more years to go (plus or minus a few months depending on how much of my own stuff I want to sell).The renters informed me that the garbage disposal died. I agreed to let them buy and install a new one at the labor rate of $15/hour. He said it would ... (more) Got My New Phone Today (4 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
September 5, 2008 at 12:19 am ET It's here!!! My new phone arrived today. I got my first cell phone 8 years ago and I never replaced it for one reason or another, mostly because it still worked. The other reasons included the high cost of accessories, having to change my phone plan and well, why bother? But when my music player broke I decided that it would be easier to just get a new phone with a music player instead of buying a separate one. Then last week the phone froze up and they told me that once it does that it means it is dying. ... (more) Wednesday, September 3, 2008 Options For Windshield Chip Repair (6 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
September 3, 2008 at 11:07 pm ET Isn't life great? Everyday brings the opportunity to learn new things. Yesterday, after a rock chipped my windshield, I suddenly needed to know all about windshield repair. My first thought was that I no longer have glass insurance. I took that coverage off when I went down to only liability. Ideally I should have been saving the money that I save in a car repair fund but I didn't do that. So, I checked out the cash prices for windshield repair and replacement. Safe-Lite is the one that came to mind first. I hate their commercials. Their little jingle makes ... (more) Tuesday, September 2, 2008 Aw, Not Another Bill (6 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
September 2, 2008 at 9:30 pm ET As I drove home this afternoon (I had to drive myself since my carpool took a vacation day) I was thinking about the numerous accessories that I could buy for the new phone that I just ordered. Phone accessories are so expensive. I am not sure which ones I will need yet so I didn't order any with the phone. I usually have $50 every month to spend either on something I need or if I'm lucky, something I want.September was looking good. I didn't have anything on my need list. Well, the truck probably needs a tune-up but it ... (more) Monday, September 1, 2008 August Budget Wrap-Up (4 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
September 1, 2008 at 6:07 pm ET Time to add up the August expenses and see how I did. I went over in my food category by about $35 but the only other expenses I had that were not regular monthly expenses were gas. I ate out once but it only cost $4. Total August expenses...$400. Total budget allotment...$569.What will I do with $169? $100 will go to the mortgage, of course. And, since I had the day off today, I decided to go shopping. That could have been very dangerous but, it's funny,I have sort of gotten out of the habit of shopping for 'things'. My ... (more) Sunday, August 31, 2008 What Kind Of Tree-Eating Dog Is This? (2 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 31, 2008 at 5:00 pm ET This is my new enemy. It's a new "puppy" that my neighbors got. They don't let it run free all the time, but occasionally I see it in my yard.Last weekend I was outside watering my new baby trees and the neighbor dog came over. As long as it doesn't bite me or dig holes I am ok with it. I hauled the watering can to my tree and went back for more. When I came back the bark had been stripped off of one side of the trunk! That's odd, I thought. How come I didn't see that before? ... (more) Saturday, August 30, 2008 My $2.50 Tomatoes (8 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 30, 2008 at 7:44 pm ET Well, this is it. My entire tomato harvest. I guess I could write a post on how NOT to grow tomatoes.I bought a baby tomato plant in the spring and planted it in a large pot. It grew rapidly but the weather also got hotter. I watered it every day and even put up some shade for it. It was a lot of work to water it everyday since I didn't have a nearby water source and my rainwater reserves were getting low. The real problem came when I went out of town for a week. There were many green ... (more) Friday, August 29, 2008 From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 29, 2008 at 10:14 pm ET A big storm rolled through last night. Thunder, lightening, rain and hail. Hail is REALLY LOUD in an RV. I turned off the computer hoping I could get back on when the storm was over but the internet connection didn't come back on. It was still off in the morning but was back on when I got home from work. I thought I had plenty of time to compose a post tonight but it has started up again, hail and all. This time I hope I can complete this post before it goes out. ... (more) Wednesday, August 27, 2008 My Fun Stocks Are Losing Their Appeal (5 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 27, 2008 at 10:04 pm ET When I got my first real job I started reading books on personal finance. I was interested in buying stocks and decided to jump right in with some companies that have direct purchase plans and dividend reinvestment programs. I thought of some companies I liked or at least recognised (not the best way to pick stock, I know). I ended up with Nabisco, GM, Xerox, Kodak, Marriott, Weyerhauser, Proctor and Gamble, Motorola and Wrigley's. Nabisco tripled in value the following month when they were bought by someone else. Unfortunately, I only had 1 share. Xerox cut their dividend to zero ... (more) Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Ramen Lurking In My Pantry (8 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 26, 2008 at 11:54 pm ET The people at work love to watch what I do. I don't know why I am so fascinating. Today I brought spaghetti for lunch. I have been eating frozen dinners for 2 weeks (I got them on sale for $1.50) so spaghetti (not from a can) was something different and of course they noticed. This led to a discussion on canned spaghetti, ramen noodles, and mac and cheese in a box. We decided that people who ate ramen and mac and cheese were more culinarily (is that a word?) gifted than people who ate canned pasta since there were more ... (more) Monday, August 25, 2008 What To Do With A Raise? (4 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 25, 2008 at 11:45 pm ET I got a 4.5% raise. Just a tad more than inflation. After taxes, insurance, 401k and giving are deducted, I am left with the generous amount of...$94 a month. Now what shall I do with it? My boss suggested subscribing to Netflicks. That's his answer for everything. What's the meaning of life?...Netflicks. I don't need any more entertainment right now. I could buy something I have always wanted. Hmm, my want list says birkenstocks, a sun hat, wallet, and shorts. Not very exciting really. Plus if I buy myself everything I want what will I ask people to buy me ... (more) Sunday, August 24, 2008 The Early Retirement Personality (24 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 24, 2008 at 3:12 pm ET When I start talking about my early retirement goals and what I am doing to reach them I often get the same reaction...You'll be bored, Won't you miss the challenge of working? Won't you miss the people you work with? Why would you want to make such huge standard of living sacrifices now? How can you live on so little? I could never live without-cable TV, a house, eating out, the latest electronic gadget, expensive vacations, expensive clothes, my toys, a new car/truck/boat...etc.I was beginning to think I was just weird until I found other like minded people on-line, people ... (more) Saturday, August 23, 2008 Money For Now Or Later? (5 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 23, 2008 at 2:57 pm ET I’ve been reminded of my mortality more than usual this month. Bernie Mac ,the comedian, died from pneumonia. He was only 50. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones died suddenly of an aneurysm at age 58 which brought back memories of my own sister who died from the same thing at the young age of 26. And yesterday I read that one of my favorite teachers from community college died in a plane crash. He was only 57 and had retired last year. Thinking about death makes me re-analyse my goals to make sure I'm not giving up too much now for ... (more) Friday, August 22, 2008 I Am Not A Social Shopper (6 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 22, 2008 at 10:26 pm ET I've been frugal too long. Or maybe I've lived alone too long. I have to admit that I have used shopping for entertainment on more than one occasion. But I don't shop well with others.My carpool buddy wanted to go shopping after work. She mentioned a couple of weeks ago that she had coupons for a certain bath store. I wasn't interested. A few weeks later she mentioned it again and I ignored it. Last week she said, "When are we going shopping?". Ok, she was really serious. I thought it wouldn't kill me to go along so I suggested ... (more) Out Late Shopping (3 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 22, 2008 at 12:41 am ET I am going to wait until tomorrow to write about my shopping trip. I got home after 8 and now it's 9:30. I go to bed at 10 and I am tired. Plus my mom called me to see why I hadn't posted yet so I'm talking and typing at the same time. I wonder if this is incoherent?Tomorrow is Friday! Yea! I don't have anything planned this weekend which is good. Maybe I'll get something done that I have been trying to do for many weekends like listing things on ebay maybe??? Well, I better not get my hopes ... (more) Wednesday, August 20, 2008 I Wanna Be A Snowbird (7 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 20, 2008 at 11:47 pm ET My sister and my Mom often ask me when I am moving to Washington State. Um, in a few years, maybe. Perhaps I'll be a snowbird. 6 months in Washington for summer, 6 months in Arizona for winter or something like that. They live in a tiny town with few employment opportunities. The biggest employers are the mill, a pellet stove factory and Super Walmart I think. Other jobs include nurse's aides (never again!), waitresses, and maids. I could pick fruit for a summer job. I'd try that once. The other big reason is that I hate dealing ... (more) Tuesday, August 19, 2008 My Jobs: The Good, Bad, And Ugly (3 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 19, 2008 at 10:56 pm ET Sallie's Niece asked me why I don't get my fun job now. Good question. Simple answer...I don't know what that job is! I think it will take some time to experiment for a while which is why I am trying to give myself some financial cushion.Let me think back on all the jobs I've had...Lawn mowing-dirty, hot, sweaty.Babysitting-I'm not an entertainer.Chicken tending-I like chickens, hope to have them again one day.Helping my sister with her paper route-The early morning weekend thing was a challenge but riding my bike down empty streets was fun. Oh, and the fireworks we earned from ... (more) Monday, August 18, 2008 From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 18, 2008 at 10:05 pm ET The idea of paying off the mortgage is so I can find a fun job that doesn't seem so much like work. Something I am passionate about and something that makes me want to jump out of bed in the morning. That had better be one fantastic job because my number one favorite activity is sleeping in!If my mortgage repayment plan goes off without a hitch (not likely, but I can hope) I will be mortgage free and totally broke September of 2010. I could quit right away and find that dream job or...I could keep my secure job with ... (more) Sunday, August 17, 2008 How The Mortgage Payoff Plan Is Looking Today (22 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 17, 2008 at 6:05 pm ET For those of you who would like an update on my mortgage plan and current situation, here it is. I have 4 acres outside of town with an old mobile home used for storage and an RV currently that I live in. I have a house in town. I paid $131,000 for it in 2004. I bought it because I had a good paying job at the time and housing prices were still low. I was worried that if I waited prices would go up and I wouldn't be able to qualify for a mortgage. I knew I wasn't keeping ... (more) Saturday, August 16, 2008 My Early Retirement Budget (20 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 16, 2008 at 8:29 pm ET Every once in a while I like to write out my goal to retire early to help keep me motivated. Of course I have my budget on a spreadsheet with 6 different scenarios and I have my retirement plan on another spreadsheet with 6 different scenarios. My budget is $700 right now but here is my pared down budget after I retire:Budget:$44 Car insurance and registration$50 Gas (I won't be commuting anymore)$39 Cell phone$36 Life insurance (not sure why I have this)$80 Food (this will be a challenge)$40 Electricity$3 Trash (trip to dump every 3 months)$30 RV registration and insurance$68 ... (more) Friday, August 15, 2008 Raiding the 401k (3 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 15, 2008 at 10:09 pm ET My mortgage and my 401k are just about the same amount. I briefly thought about cashing in my 401k to pay off my mortgage. Unfortunately, I read that I would lose a third of the value. After taxes and fees I wouldn't even have enough to pay it off. Plus I wouldn't have any money for retirement. So much for that idea. Then I thought, what if I stopped contributing to my 401k for the next 2 years. How much would I be able to put towards my mortgage? I only contribute 3% so after taxes I would have about ... (more) Thursday, August 14, 2008 Chores I Ignore And Hope Someone Else Does (9 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 14, 2008 at 10:40 pm ET It finally rained last night. The clouds kept building up and then raining in town but not on me. Last night it rained on me and this morning I surveyed the damage.There are 3 spots where the main road is in danger of becoming impassible. This first spot is still ok for trucks but not cars. The neighbors filled it in with rocks after the last storm but this storm washed most of the rocks away. I wish I had one of those bobcat tractors. It would be fun to fill in the holes.This ... (more) Wednesday, August 13, 2008 Another Free 20 Bucks From My Credit Card (4 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 13, 2008 at 11:34 pm ET At the beginning of this month I took advantage of the local grocery stores economic stimulus promotion. I bought $600 worth of grocery gift cards and got another $60 added on for free. I was prepared to pay in cash but when I got there they said I could pay by credit card. Whoo hoo! I whipped out the Discover and charged it. I pay it off every month and I like earning cash back. Usually the cash back award is only 1% but certain categories can earn 5%. Well, groceries must have been in the 5% category this month ... (more) Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Chipping Away At The Freezer Food (4 clicks)
From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 12, 2008 at 10:24 pm ET I think I over-estimated my plan for once a month shopping. No, I KNOW I did. At the beginning of this month I spent $114. I needed gas and I wanted the 10 cent discount for spending $100 so I stocked up on food I could freeze in an attempt to only shop once this month. The sale that happened to be going on at the time was a buy 10 get $5 off sort of thing and I ended up buying 30 items for the maximum discount. My freezer is jam packed with food right now and I barely ... (more) Monday, August 11, 2008 From Frugal Freedom - view blog entries - visit this blog
August 11, 2008 at 11:14 pm ET If you are scared of creatures look the other way!Today while I was going for a walk I saw this guy...a Gila Monster! He was just a young one, only a foot long. I had been taking pictures of my Ironwood tree but I left my camera in my RV when I went for a walk. I went all the way back to the RV, got my camera and tracked this guy down. I first saw him on the edge of the road. Now he was hiding between a creosote bush and a cactus. Gila Monsters are very cool...poisonous but ... (more) Items 76 - 100 of 235
|
Want a Free Blog?
Services like wordpress.com and
Blogger let you create free blogs
quickly. Once you start your personal finance blog, let us know, and if it qualifies we
will add you to the aggregator!
|
| money | investing | saving | frugal | personal finance | personal finances | finance | finances | financial blog | financial blogs |