I love books! I love trees!

A website that allows you to plant a tree for every book you read!

Finally something I can get behind!!!

http://www.ecolibris.net/

This could get costly folks as I've read a BUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNCCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHH of books in my lifetime!

The conversation over on the SavingAdvice.com forums about folks trying to feed themselves on limited means and with limited shopping options has got me feeling all Lennonish this a.m. But, Albert will work! We're ALL needed to fight the gorilla on our joint humanity backs! No man is an island.



-------
The May utility figures are in:

$90.75 CableTV/Internet/Phone
$92.00 Gas
$63.00 Electricity
$49.40 Water/Ambulance
$14.00 Trash
_______
$309.15 May total

April totals were $318.70, so we're down $9.55 this month! YEAH!!

-------
Cleaning out the wallet to add to the $20 Challenge:

$013.25 balance
$020.17 cleanout
_______
$33.42 May MTD

2008 Challenge Total $141.08
Cumulative Challenge Total $669.69

Busy here this morning balancing checkbooks and seeing what bills need paying and filing, etc.

One day this week? When??? ...Anyway got a call from my stepmother that my Dad had another mini-stroke TIA last Thursday and had his arm go completely numb for about 15 minutes. He drove himself and went and had a brain scan this week and was going to drive himself about 4 hours away for a delivery. GAAA! My stepmother is disabled but she can drive! Why didn't she take him to the doctor? Why didn't she call an ambulance? Call us sooner? Call me in time to drive him for the brain-scan? At least she finally called! I do check in on them every week or two, but still she can afford a phone call!

I am beyond p.o.'d!

So, I dropped everything that day and ran down and drove him to and from the place he had to make deliveries. He's previously had 5 bypass surgery and a massive stroke before. What is wrong with this woman that she can't call???????

I chewed them both out - why not call us and let us know at the time something is happening. Yes, it might be scary, but I'd rather be informed in time to help than to be left in the dark until sometime in the future when it might be too late!

On my doxie - I took FrugalSon & went to see her yesterday at the vet's office, didn't get to talk to the vet, but there wasn't any visible improvement. Unless we do a very costly (to us in our financial situation) surgery then it is unlikely that she will recover the use of her hind legs and as she is apprx. 10-13 years old and already sleeps 23 1/2 hours a day we will likely have to put her down. If we did the surgery, there was no guarantee that she wouldn't have the same thing happen w/other vertebrae, etc. We just can't afford to do it.

Myself, Hubster and CashHappySon will go visit today, and if there is no signs of improvement we will let her go. So sad. We got her from the pound when she was about 6-8 years old, and she's had a good run here with us. We just can't see that if she doesn't improve she'd have much quality of life. Too sad to write about it any more today.


To keep you kiddies entertained while I do my bookkeeping...

Uncle Jay explains the Stimulus Package

http://www.unclejayexplains.com/media/UJwmv01-28-08.wmv

Funnier....

Uncle Jay explains the Congressional Recess

http://www.unclejayexplains.com/media/UJwmv09-03-07.wmv

$20 CHALLENGE

$007.29 balance
+000.09 keyboard change
_______
$007.38 March MTD

2008 Challenge Total $61.82
Cumulative Challenge Total $590.43

Photocredit: Decopaw.com by Daphne


"My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money." -Joe Weinstein

This story was found in my inbox this morning, author unknown. I thought this was cute in lieu of what Denise was just talking about over at her blog about Making Do!

"If you are 30 or older, you will think this is hilarious!!!! If not, send it to your parents! They'll think it's funny!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were when they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning .... Uphill BOTH ways .. Yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in heck I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that...

I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a dang Utopia! And I hate to say it but you kids today you don't know how good you've got it!

1. When I was a kid, we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the dang library and look it up ourselves... In the card catalog!! (Do you even know what a card catalog is? Didn't think so!)

2. There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter... With a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

3. There were no MP3's or Napsters! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the dang record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up!

4. We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!

5. And we didn't have fancy Caller ID Boxes either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

6. We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'asteroids' and the graphics were horrible! Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

7. When you went to the movie theater there no such thing as stadium seating! All the seats were the same height! If a tall guy or some old broad with a hat sat in front of you and you couldn't see, you were just screwed!

8. Sure, we had cable television, but back then that was only like 15 channels and there was no onscreen menu! You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on!

And there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons!

9. And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove or go build a fire ... Imagine that! If we wanted popcorn, we had to use that stupid JiffyPop thing or a pan with HOT oil and Real popcorn kernels and shake it all over the stove forever like an idiot.

10. When we were on the phone with our friends and our parents walked-in, we were stuck to the wall with a cord, a 7 foot cord that ran to the phone - not the phone base, the actual phone. We barely had enough length to sit on the floor and still be able to twirl the phone cord in our fingers. If you suddenly had to go to the bathroom - guess what we had to do..... Hang up and talk to them later.

That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled!!

You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980!

Regards,
The over 30 Crowd"

I'm ducking now - ;D if you've just got to throw something make it hundred dollar bills, won't you?

The Best Way To Sweeten Your Resume?

One Must ENTER the contests at SavingAdvice.com* and win! That WIN listed in your accomplishments could easily tip the scales positive for the next boost up the earnings scale!

You, beautiful Queen, YOU!!

*Need not be present to win!!!

The Best Way To Have A Financially Happy Retirement is...

...to Make A Plan and then IMPLEMENT The Plan, Tweaking as You Go.

Or as my high school Civics teacher used to say...



Retirement, It's the Next Frontier!!

"The Use of Money is all the Advantage there is in having Money.

For 6 £. a Year, you may have the Use of 100 £. if you are a Man of known Prudence and Honesty.

He that spends a Groat a day idly, spends idly above 6 £. a year, which is the Price of using 100 £.

He that wastes idly a Groat’s worth of his Time per Day, one Day with another, wastes the Privilege of using 100 £. each Day.

He that idly loses 5 s. worth of time, loses 5 s. & might as prudently throw 5 s. in the River.

He that loses 5 s. not only loses that Sum, but all the Advantage that might be made by turning it in Dealing, which by the time that a young Man becomes old, amounts to a comfortable Bag of Mony.

Again, He that sells upon Credit, asks a Price for what he sells, equivalent to the Principal and Interest of his Money for the Time he is like to be kept out of it: therefore

He that buys upon Credit, pays Interest for what he buys.

And he that pays ready Money, might let that Money out to Use: so that

He that possesses any Thing he has bought, pays Interest for the Use of it.

Consider then, when you are tempted to buy any unnecessary Housholdstuff, or any superfluous thing, whether you will be willing to pay Interest, and Interest upon Interest for it as long as you live; and more if it grows worse by using.

Yet, in buying Goods, ’tis best to pay ready Money, because,

He that sells upon Credit, expects to lose 5 per Cent. by bad Debts; therefore he charges, on all he sells upon Credit, an Advance that shall make up that Deficiency.

Those who pay for what they buy upon Credit, pay their Share of this Advance.

He that pays ready Money, escapes or may escape that Charge.

A Penny sav’d is Twopence clear, A Pin a day is a Groat a Year. Save & have. Every little makes a mickle." ~~Poor Richard, a/k/a Benjamin Franklin, 1737

Started a new Sharebuilder Account today with plans to use it to keep my DRIPs & DCA (dollar cost averaging) buys inside. Will see later about transferring some of the ones I've had for awhile over to there...not sure how all that works, but know it is doable, not sure on the ease.

For a new dollar cost averaging holding I am going with $50 automated buys monthly of Goldman Sachs (GS)...


http://www2.goldmansachs.com/our_firm/investor_relations/a...

...to start this off in the new year with my first buy to take place 1/8/08.

I wanted to do the OIH & CGW etfs, but alas they are not listed under their available Tuesday purchases. Not sure exactly how all Sharebuilder works YET/BUT, think it may be possible to do a real-time trade into OIH & CGW. We shall see later. Just trying to up my diversification outside of my OFFICIAL retirement accounts.

This money has a dual goal set for it. It is my buy a houseboat and an RV for my retirement living/travel needs. I MAY go without a permanent station in retirement other than a docking & parking fee at a local lake.

I am invisioning a small auto (used paid for in cash) pulled up to the darling houseboat (used paid for in cash) which is docked alongside a smallish van/truck over camper RV type (used paid for in cash) with a tow hitch.

Any one of these three could take me away for a bit of travel/living economy style. I could hop in the small RV and head for the kids and grandchildren's homes and visit a week or two without being a major inconvenience and yet get my wanderlust satisfied at the same time.

We shall see.

That's the somewhat distant & vagueish goal at this time. Who knows, it may be only a slightly bigger RV and I rent a houseboat each summer on different lakes. OR a small condo with time each summer in a rental RV &/or rental houseboat.

Time & health will tell.



And I have saved enough in my CD Savings Fund that I'm popping it off today to buy another short-term CD.

And, there's enough in the Savings Bond Fund to buy another I-Bond. I am buying these and putting my children & grandchildren on as POD (payable on death). This way I can use these IF I need them (future income) in old age, but if not, the ones w/the kiddos on them can be their small inheritance from the old Gran.

What can I say, I like my eggs in different baskets. It's scriptural I believe. Simpler to have it all at one place, but not sure of the soundness!

SEE: "Ecclesiastes Chapter 11 - Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good."

I'm trying to be a good caster of my bread!

And this Sharebuilder automated account builder is one of those set it and forget it doowhickies. Yes, I'm willing for now to pay the $4 for trades. We shall see how it all pans out.

Yes Virginia, I am BUYING assets. Assets that pay me in future income. Remember my Granny L's saying, "Trinket or Treasure?" The difference I heard someone speak of between poor people and people who have money are that the poor people buy STUFF and folks w/money buy ASSETS.

No, I currently (me myself personally, not counting Hubsters income) don't have enough income after normal living expenses to just buy a CD or even a savings bond sometimes.

I just budget a bit each month for these things into various little funds kept earning interest under an umbrella slush fund at EmigrantDirect and when they accumulate up to a certain size then I pop off and buy them. Anyone can.

At this point in time I already have way too much STUFF. Need more income producing ASSETS.

Of financial quickie note - yesterday was a No Spend day. I've gotten away from blogging about them, but they do count and add up!

Do Not Mess with the Library Ladies!

Here's a link to an interesting development:


http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2007/12/26/late-library-b...

Adding to the $20 Challenge

$03.73 balance
+04.54 change on desk
______
$08.27 Dec MTD

High Rent Cheese Trap - Rent vs. Mortgage?

One side weighs in...

http://positivesharing.com/2006/08/low-rent-living/

Think our American society can be cured of it's issues with an Oreo?

Leave it to Ben and Jerry.

Watch this...

http://www.truemajorityaction.org/oreos/


Ohhhhh.R.E.Ohhhhhhh!!!

"It is not economical to go to bed early to save the candles if the result is twins." ~financial proverb

According To Ben, You Follow THE RULES

There! I said it!!

I love to read Ben Stein. He appears to be a very wise man who is also pretty money savvy!

Here's an article of his for all of those you like Broken Arrow and I who are STILL wondering what we want to be when we grow up...

According to Ben, all we have to do is follow the rules and...

Avoid Ruining Our Life!

Who knew!!

Money's Tight and You Need to Eat??


...then here's a little inspiration!!

Hungry Much?

http://hungryforamonth.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_hungryforam...

Hungry Much?

This blogger reminds me much of our own dear LRJohnson!!

All I can say is WOW!!

How To Get A Clear Financial Picture
by James Geary



In his book

The Seven Stages of Money Maturity: Understanding the Spirit and Value of Money in Your Life, George Kinder relates an anecdote about Mullah Nazrudin, an ancient Persian sage and storyteller. Nazrudin walks into a bank to cash a check and the teller asks him to produce some identification. So he pulls out a...


Read more...
http://www.cfp.net/enewsletter/Feb2007.html#1

from: It's Your Turn, CFP Board eNewsletter, February 2007

*I'm still having trouble over at the forums getting to read. ACKKKK!!

A Traffic Ticket Can Screw You Up!


Jayne Mansfield in Miss Traffic Stopper

"Is anything that you own worth living paycheck to paycheck for?

Is the extra square footage and the swimming pool and the new car worth it knowing that something as little as a traffic ticket can screw you up for the month?" ~~ViolentAcres.com, blog entry "You Can Learn A Lot From A Rich Girl"

Dress Up and Parade Around



I like this quote in relation to automatic savings and 401-K pay deferrals. The commitment frees us up!

"The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating ­ in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around like rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life." ~~Anne Morris, a New York Starbucks customer, seen on a Starbucks coffee cup

(Oh no, I said the S word!!)

Budget To Match Reality - Zero Out



I've posted a new link over at the right that I want all of you to be aware of:

Getting Finances Done has some great ideas on zero based budgeting. Worth your time to read if you are struggling getting your budget to match reality!


http://www.gettingfinancesdone.com/blog/


Thanks to HalMd over at the forums for directing us to it!

If you think zero based budgeting is for you then try Jesse's (from this site)


youneedabudget.com

Is 0% APR On Purchases Better Than Cashback?



Neat article:
http://www.mymoneyblog.com/archives/2006/10/is-0-apr-on-purc...

Forget Cashback??

The January Effect: Volatility & VooDoo



Okay, I was clicking around...click, click, click when I ran in to this website which has a great article on The January Effect. Thought you guys might be interested since this in / out timing of the market was just recently being discussed on the forum. Neat historical chart.


http://www.moneychimp.com/

Once there click under Volatility and Voodoo to find the article.

Understanding Your Financial Life



I've just updated my links to show you guys a neat place with some great calculators and good explanations on controlling your finances.

http://www.bygpub.com/finance/finance0.htm

This guy is a neat writer and I long ago ordered his Teenagers Guide To The World for my kids. Worth it to make it a Christmas gift to every teen you count among those important to your life and a few who are making nuisances of themselves as well!

I just ran across this website this evening - I knew about the teenagers book but not this stuff on finances. It is worth it to check out the teens chapter on money as well - even if you're an adult - you might get some insight on points you've been missing.

Enjoy!

Frugal Woman Dies At 100, Leaves Millions

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15315697/

Some Books for Potential Investors To Read





Reminiscences of a Stock Operator (revised 1993)
by Edwin Lefevre - an oldie but goodie


How to Make Money in Stocks (revised 2002)
by William J. O'Neil


The Intelligent Investor (revised 2003)
by Benjamin Graham


One Up on Wall Street (1989)
by Peter Lynch


The Essays of Warren Buffett (2001)
by Lawrence A. Cunningham

I've Got Jewelry - How About You?



Yes, this is how this little tax jewel often feels like.

This was an email forward I received. I did not write it and I'm not sure of the author. I posted it over in the forums but thought some blog readers might like to see it.


TAX POEM
This is too true to be very funny:

"Tax his land,
Tax his wage,
Tax his bed in which he lays.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes is the rule.

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirts,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he tries to think

Tax his booze,
Tax his beers,
If he cries,
Tax his tears.

Tax his bills,
Tax his gas,
Tax his notes,
Tax his cash.

Tax him good and let him know
That after taxes, he has no dough.

If he hollers,
Tax him more,
Tax him until he's good and sore.

Tax his coffin, Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in which he lays.

Put these words upon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me to my doom!"

And when he's gone,
We won't relax,
We'll still be after the inheritance TAX !!

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax),
IRS Penalties (tax on topof tax),
Liquor Tax,
Luxury Tax,
Marriage License Tax,
Medicare Tax,
Property Tax,
Real Estate Tax,
Service charge taxes,
Social Security Tax,
Road Usage Tax (Truckers),
Sales Taxes,
Recreational Vehicle Tax,
School Tax,
State Income Tax,
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA),
Telephone Federal Excise Tax,
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax,
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax,
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax, Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax,
Telephone State and Local Tax,
Telephone Usage Charge Tax,
Utility Tax,
Vehicle License Registration Tax,
Vehicle Sales Tax,
Watercraft Registration Tax,
Well Permit Tax,
Workers Compensation Tax.

COMMENTS: Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago and there
was prosperity, absolutely no national debt, the largest middle
class in the world and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened ??????"

Quoths & Brilliance, Pt. 4





"A pig bought on credit is forever grunting." ~Spanish Proverb


"Bachelors should be heavily taxed: it is not fair that some men are happier than others." ~Oscar Wilde


"Distance - the only thing that the rich are willing for the poor to call theirs and keep." ~Ambrose Bierce


(Take all three of these sayings and add it to the picture above - and I'm over here rolling!! I don't know his marital status but he might remain a bachelor for a long time and I think the rich would love it if he kept his distance w/that oinker. Love the irony of thinking about motorbikes being called Hogs here as well! A Harley on credit - mighty 'spensive!! Funny!)

Quoths and Brilliance, Pt. 3



"What I've learned about thrift and frugality I learned the hard way -- by making my mistakes and digging myself out. The present-day benefit of past experience is that I'm not so eager to opt for immediate gratification at the pain of future debt. I'm less convinced that happiness can come from stuff, however glitzy, or that a credit card can serve as a get-out-of-me-free pass. I've learned that wanting is transitory, that having is often burdensome, and that discardiing can be the path to freedom. " ~Bookie, SavingAdvice.com thread Frugal By Nature.


"It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating." ~Oscar Wilde, The Model Millionaire, A Note of Admiration

Freedom from Slavery


Quoths & Brilliance, Pt. 2

“Debt is the slavery of the free.” ~~Publilius Syrus


“To be controlled in our economic pursuits, means to be controlled in everything.” ~~Fredrich August von Hayek


“Bankers own the earth; take it away from them but leave them with the power to create credit; and, with a flick of a pen, they will create enough money to buy it back again... If you want to be slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let the bankers control money and control credit.” — Sir Josiah Stamp, Director, Bank of England, 1940.

Thought I'd start myself a little quotation area that I'll be updating as I run across more that mean something to me.

And, dearest readers, I hope you'll get something out of them as well!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. —Deuteronomy 8:18


"Unlike art and sex, money always arouses interest." ~Mason Cooley


"When love and adventure are finished, it's nice to have getting and spending to fall back on." ~Mason Cooley


""Money talks" because money is a metaphor, a transfer, and a bridge. Like words and language, money is a storehouse of communally achieved work, skill, and experience. Money, however, is also a specialist technology like writing; and as writing intensifies the visual aspect of speech and order, and as the clock visually separates time from space, so money separates work from the other social functions. Even today money is a language for translating the work of the farmer into the work of the barber, doctor, engineer, or plumber. As a vast social metaphor, bridge, or translator, money—like writing—speeds up exchange and tightens the bonds of interdependence in any community. It gives great spatial expansion and control to political organizations, just as writing does, or the calendar." ~Marshall McLuhan