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Viewing entries forView all blogs (popular) | Personal finance (popular) | Real estate (popular) | Investing (popular) | Visit Items 1 - 25 of 175
    Friday, May 16, 2008 Giving It All Away (6 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 16, 2008 at 4:10 pm ET Check out this NYT article about a family who are trying to do just that:Like many other young couples, Aimee and Jeff Harris spent the first years of their marriage eagerly accumulating stuff: cars, furniture, clothes, appliances and, after a son and a daughter came along, toys, toys, toys.Now they are trying to get rid of it all, down to their fancy wedding bands, although finding takers has been harder than they thought. Chasing a utopian vision of a self-sustaining life on the land as partisans of a movement some call voluntary simplicity, they are donating virtually all their possessions ... (more) Cholesterol Costs (1 click)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 16, 2008 at 10:54 am ET I went to the doctor recently for a routine physical. (I believe, by the way, in doing this for financial reasons as well as health ones: my insurance covers all but a co-pay, and I'd rather get checked out every couple of years than avoid it and discover that I have some health problem that is going to require more expensive treatment.) The good news is that I seem to be in pretty decent health, but when the results of my blood tests came back, the bad news is that my cholesterol is too high. When I was last checked ... (more) Thursday, May 15, 2008 Stupid Loss of $300 (4 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 15, 2008 at 10:00 am ET I won't go into too much detail on this, but suffice it to say that when you are planning a big expensive trip that veers outside what we think of as the developed world, if you have a choice between airlines for some of your local flights, go with the big international airline, not the smaller one based in the country you're visiting.The only wrinkle so far in planning my big summer trip is that one of these small local airlines went bankrupt and ceased operations! We had to rebook on a different airline (this time the big international one!) ... (more) Scary Stat of the Week (5 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 15, 2008 at 9:00 am ET I saw this the other day on MSNBC.com: 1 in 10 boomers borrow for everyday expenses.
... (more) Wednesday, May 14, 2008 From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 14, 2008 at 1:58 pm ET Here's an interesting question, inspired by this comment on the last post:I will say that being (very committed) with my boyfriend has definitely helped me act on my financial goals- I had the goals before, but he has helped me with the willpower to follow through on them. Being in a relationship where you both have the same ideals can make it much easier to act on them, especially if you make that commitment together.Does your significant other make it easier or harder to reach your financial goals?Even in a relationship where both people share the same financial values, sometimes ... (more) Young Gay Marriage, and Finances (3 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 14, 2008 at 9:00 am ET A few Sundays ago, there was an article in the New York Times magazine about young gay male couples who are getting married in Massachusetts. Of course I honed in on this quote:It was a blustery weekday morning in February when I tagged along with Marc and Vassili to pick up their marriage license at City Hall. Marc pulled the couple’s Honda Accord to a stop at a red light in the city’s South End neighborhood. Vassili sat in the passenger seat, sipping an ice coffee.“We really wanted a BMW,” Marc explained, but they settled on the Honda as an ... (more) Tuesday, May 13, 2008 On Keeping a Lot of Notebooks (6 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 13, 2008 at 9:00 am ET With apologies to Joan Didion...Many readers will know that I am a die-hard user of Palm OS PDAs. I've probably spent between $5,000-6,000 on assorted devices, software and accessories over the past 10 years or so, (some of which was later recouped by selling old Palms on ebay) and I feel like most if not all of that money was pretty much worthwhile. I love to carry around lots of information, and I am now so addicted to electronic reminders that I find it impossible to remember tasks and meetings without little beepers going off.But despite my adoration of electronic ... (more) Monday, May 12, 2008 Quick Link of the Day (3 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 12, 2008 at 3:33 pm ET Check out Moom's comparison of the federal budgets for Australia and the United States-- fascinating.
... (more) How Do I Track My Spending? (10 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 12, 2008 at 9:00 am ET A commenter on my April recap wonders how I track my expenses, so I thought I'd answer that in a separate post, since I may not have talked about it in too much detail recently.First of all, I use Quicken on my Mac at home. I have all my bank accounts and investment accounts set up, as well as an account covering my cash on hand, and even minor things like laundry quarters and miscellaneous foreign currency. In Quicken, I have various expense categories set up, and a budget covering all expense and income categories.Using Quicken, I can download all ... (more) Saturday, May 10, 2008 Community Appreciation Post (6 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 10, 2008 at 10:09 pm ET I just wanted to pause for a moment to thank everyone who regularly reads and comments on this site, as well as the many other fine personal finance bloggers out there whose sites I enjoy when I can. I'm not actually all that good at time management, and I can also be kind of a poor communicator with friends, so I'm terrible about responding to emails, getting into dialogue in the comments on posts, and commenting on other people's blogs. But it doesn't mean I don't care! I love all your thoughtful, helpful and funny comments and emails-- keep ... (more) Friday, May 9, 2008 April 2008 Recap (3 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 9, 2008 at 9:00 am ET Okay, my net worth at the end of April was $372,870, up from $357,891 at the end of March for a 4.2% increase. The main factor driving last month's change was my 401k bouncing back after a few really dismal months. I also managed to save some cash, and I was paid back for a fairly large expense that I'd covered for a friend-- I knew I'd get that money back but I hadn't counted the accounts receivable as an asset, so last month's net worth was sort of artificially low.As for April expenses, here's some categories of note:Dining: $641, ... (more) Thursday, May 8, 2008 Prize on the Eyes (2 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 8, 2008 at 4:08 pm ET My friend Mortimer has been doing a lot better lately-- he's gotten past his apartment crises, hasn't had any major health crises, and has been steadily employed. He's managed to pay off his credit card bill, and is now feeling more comfortable spending money on a few things he's wanted for a while.One of these things, which I think actually qualifies as a need, not just a want, is a new pair of eyeglasses. Mortimer hadn't been to an eye doctor in several years, but he finally went, and then asked me to come and help him pick out new ... (more) I Have More Money Than I've Ever Had in My Life! (16 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 8, 2008 at 9:30 am ET How often can you say that? My goal is to be able to say it every month, and the last few months, I haven't been able to do so. But although I haven't yet pulled together a full monthly wrap-up, my net worth at the end of April was around $373,000, which is higher than it's ever been. It's a nice feeling!
... (more) Wednesday, May 7, 2008 From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 7, 2008 at 2:18 pm ET I obviously don't. For the 2nd time, I've gone out to lunch on a nice warm day intending to spend a full hour out and about, enjoying the sun, doing errands, etc. But then it turns out that I've forgotten to bring my wallet with me!I have a small wallet where I keep my cash and most-used cards. (See "what's in my wallet" details in this post.) It tends to be in my jacket pocket, and when I went out to lunch today, I didn't bother to bring my jacket! I did have my bag with me at least, in ... (more) Wine & Money (4 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 7, 2008 at 9:08 am ET An article in today's Dining section of the Times talks about whether enjoyment of wine is affected by outside factors such as the circumstances in which you drink it, or knowing how much it cost.The researchers scanned the brains of 21 volunteer wine novices as they administered tiny tastes of wine, measuring sensations in the medial orbitofrontal cortex, the part of the brain where flavor responses apparently register. The subjects were told only the price of the wines. Without their knowledge, they tasted one wine twice, and were given two different prices for that wine. Invariably they preferred the one ... (more) Tuesday, May 6, 2008 From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 6, 2008 at 3:13 pm ET I couldn't help noticed this bit of an editorial in today's Times:There are, of course, owners and trainers who love thoroughbreds for themselves and for their ability to perform on the racetrack, which is a reasonable test of sound breeding. But the real race increasingly seems to be to capitalize on a horse’s success — to move a horse through its career as quickly as possible. The sums involved are immense, so much so that the horses seem more like financial vehicles than animals with an existence of their own. The life of the money comes to seem just as ... (more) Good, Clean, Money-Saving Fun (3 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 6, 2008 at 9:00 am ET I had dinner the other night at Joya, a Thai restaurant in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. I've written before about its sister restaurant in Park Slope, called Song. Both places seem to have found a recipe for success in offering a hip atmosphere and really low prices-- they always seem to be jam-packed with a diverse crowd, people of every age, race, and orientation all chowing down on generously sized $7-8 entrees.After enjoying some veggie dumplings, chicken masaman curry and a shrimp/portobello mushroom special, with a couple of drinks, all coming to about $50 for two people, I decided to stop ... (more) Monday, May 5, 2008 CEO Salaries (5 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 5, 2008 at 9:26 am ET There's been a lot in the news lately about CEO pay packages and how they relate to company performance. The numbers are always mind-blowing, almost inconceivably large. How have we gotten to a point where these salaries are so stratospheric? Anyone who rises to that level in a company must have something going for them in terms of brains, personality, management skills-- at least I'd hope so-- but are they really THAT much more valuable than other workers? Sometimes, obviously, they aren't: the CEOs of companies that have crashed and burned can't possibly be doing their jobs right, yet even ... (more) Friday, May 2, 2008 Ooh, I Feel So Stimulated! (28 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 2, 2008 at 10:31 am ET I just took a look at my savings account and was momentarily puzzled by the appearance of a $19.70 deposit labeled "US TREASURY 220 TAX REFUND PPD." I got my tax refunds long ago, and was wondering if this was the correction of some sort of error. But then I got this warm tingly feeling as I realized that this is my economic stimulus payment!I've heard people in the office talking about when and how they might get their payments. These are mostly younger assistants who don't make much money and are really excited to be getting $600. I ... (more) Thursday, May 1, 2008 I Loro Portafoglios Apertos (2 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 1, 2008 at 10:50 am ET I'm probably butchering that, but it's roughly Italian for "Their Open Wallets."Apparently the Italian tax ministry posted on its website the name, address, reported income and tax paid of every Italian citizen, neatly organized by city. It's already been taken down, which is unfortunate-- I don't think any Italians responded to my call for salary revelations!
... (more) Today in the News (6 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
May 1, 2008 at 9:15 am ET Oooh, it's a good day for finance related news today:People are cutting back their spending, even in Europe.Meanwhile, politicians are using taxpayer money to guzzle gas.Despite inflation, there are still stores where every item of clothing costs less than $10.Fewer immigrants are sending money back home.And there's an editorial on why a temporary gas tax cut is a bad idea.But enough about the world, what about ME!?!?!My last 5 financial transactions were:$3.35 on breakfast (cash)$4.42 on lunch yesterday (cash)$3.35 on breakfast yesterday (cash)$23.18 on Chinese takeout for dinner the last two nights (credit card)$31.19 to ConEd (e-payment from checking account)Okay, ... (more) Wednesday, April 30, 2008 Link Round-Up (2 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
April 30, 2008 at 9:20 am ET Here's some things I've been meaning to pass along:Queercents has a series of post on how to reduce the costs of pet ownership.There's a new blog in town called Hunting Happiness, with a great post about financial literacy.Speaking of financial literacy, the AARP has released the results of a survey showing that the majority of Americans are "befuddled by financial jargon."TravelHacker presents 100 Ways to Get Free Stuff When Traveling.Reader Archana sent me this frugal recipe:I have a wicked dessert for you - involves minimal baking and vanillaice cream and everything else out of a can!!! Can't get any morefrugal.One ... (more) Tuesday, April 29, 2008 Headache. (8 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
April 29, 2008 at 12:56 pm ET I hate getting headaches. I get bad ones sometimes and they drive me crazy! Nothing seems to work other than going to bed with an icepack, and even that doesn't always help. For some reason, several people, including my doctor, have suggested I try using Excedrin. This morning I was a bit desperate so I went to the local pharmacy to find some.For $4.27, I could buy a 24-pill jar of Excedrin Migraine. For $4.29, I could buy a 24-pill jar of Extra Strength Excedrin. They actually have the exact same ingredients: 250 mg of Acetaminophen, 250 mg of aspirin, ... (more) Monday, April 28, 2008 More Mortgage Escrow Confusion (12 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
April 28, 2008 at 12:50 pm ET I got a letter on Friday from my mortgage bank, the long-awaited follow-up to my request to have my escrow payments changed since my real estate taxes are now lower. The letter basically said "Dear Borrower: Thank you very much for your recent inquiry blah blah blah. We have made an adjustment to your loan account reflecting your new property tax amount, which is [insert OLD tax amount!]."Gee, thanks for looking into that! Oh well-- at some point I think they will be doing another one of those routine escrow account reviews anyway, and hopefully, since they've already paid at ... (more) Thursday, April 24, 2008 More Money Music (2 clicks)
From My Open Wallet - view blog entries - visit this blog
April 24, 2008 at 9:15 am ET Here's another list of money music from my iPod. Like my first list of money songs, these are not all explicitly about money but they all have lyrics that have something to do with money, consumerism, greed, aspirations, and dreams of the good life, or at least sound like they do when taken out of context!U don't have 2 be rich 2 be my girl --Prince, "Kiss"Of all the things that money can buy Freedom's never cheap--Style Council, "How She Threw it All Away"But I've got to have the car I need it for the weekend. I've got to have ... (more) Items 1 - 25 of 175
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