gdp's Comments

Give Me Back My Five Bucks : Contemplating a scooter

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 02:50:52 +0000

It's more a want than a need, but it's a want that you can justify to some degree as opposed to a completely frivolous want. IMO, those are two different things. :) I also want a scooter for many of the same reasons. Right now with gas prices where they are I put $60 worth of gas in my car a week. I live in a climate where riding a scooter or a bike is possible probably 8-9 months out of the year. Even if I only rode it to work 3 days a week, I could probably stretch my tank of gas to 2 weeks or more. That would save me ~$130 a month in gas alone. Not to count that it would mean I'd be changing the oil once every 4 or 5 months as opposed to every 2-3 months, that I'd be rotating tires less, etc. Plus, I'd probably use the scooter for more of my short local errands like running to the grocery store and so forth, so potential savings are even higher. It would probably take me about a year to break even (assuming gas prices stayed about the same) and after that I'd actually come out ahead (albeit by only a little) to keep the scooter. Right now I can't justify the initial expense, but at some point I think it will make sense for me.

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : Red Light Camera Tickets: Don't Pay if You are in LA

Wed, 3 Aug 2011 01:55:51 +0000

Check first. In my state you won't get arrested for not paying them, but the city or county will send them to a collection agency if you don't pay.

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : Moving to Lower Cost of Living

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 04:09:11 +0000

Hm. Well I disagree with you about "looking for it". I get the impression that you've never lived outside of a religiously intolerant area, therefore wouldn't get what I'm talking about. I don't "Look" for this kind of thing, but when it smacks you in the face, especially coming from a much more open part of the country, it's hard to not see it. I am in NC probably about once a month ... currently. That is, in 2011. And every day I see religious intolerance. I don't "intentionally" look for it; it's just there. When I am smacked down because I don't believe what the majority believes, it's hard to be "confident and comfortable" in it. I don't need anyone to "validate" my beliefs. But I would like to not be treated as some kind of freak because I believe something other than the cultural norm in that state.

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : Moving to Lower Cost of Living

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 02:44:18 +0000

@Lindsey - do you remember the movie "Hellboy"? I remember driving through southern NC and seeing a movie theater that had "Heckboy" on it's marquis. God forbid they should put the word "hell" on a movie marquis. That's the kind of thing I'm talking about. It seems minor and subtle, until you're living it. Then it's often ... well, horrific.

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : Moving to Lower Cost of Living

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:57:11 +0000

Keep in mind that if you move to the South, you're moving into a very religious part of the country. A lot of people don't consider that, but it can be massive culture shock when moving from someplace like California. I've lived on the West Coast (both PNW and California) as well as in several states in the South and it takes getting used to. North Carolina especially is very evangelical Christian. Charlotte is the home of Billy Graham and the major universities in and around the Triangle area have some kind of religious affiliation which is taken seriously. The Southern Baptist Convention is the biggest religious affiliation in NC. Also the state Constitution of NC prohibits professed atheists from holding public office. I love the geography of NC, but I honestly would never live there because of how religion permeates every part of life there - even worse than the state where I live which is considered pretty conservative Deep South. The laws of the state will be heavily influenced by the religious population and it will affect what you can buy, drink, and even the movies you can see - either year round or on Sundays. None of this may matter to you, but it is something that is really important to me and that I consider carefully before moving to a new location. Just FYI. :)

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : Weddings Cost Money. Period.

Thu, 12 May 2011 22:15:23 +0000

Ok, let me preface this by saying that in my other life, I'm a wedding vendor. :) One of the things that is so frustrating in wedding planning - both from the vendor side AND the client side - is that most people do not throw large catered parties for their closest 200 friends all the time. So they have no idea what things really cost. This is not a fault or blame game at all. It's just a fact. Most people just don't entertain on that scale. So when they start seeing the numbers, sticker shock is very real and very scary. The thing is truly most vendors are NOT trying to scam you. Most of us have figured out how much money we need to make per event in order to make a profit. And profit is not a dirty word. It's a fact of life. If I don't make a profit, I don't pay my bills. Do I charge more for a wedding client than for a standard individual client? Yes. Why? Not because I'm trying to scam a couple, but because in my experience in 20+ years in the industry, wedding clients are more demanding. Their wedding is a huge, life event and they want everything to be perfect. They put additional demands on their vendors, and that's why it costs more. I invest probably double and sometimes triple the time in my wedding clients over my standard everyday commercial clients. Are there wedding clients who are less needing of that level of attention? Yes, sure there are. But they are few and far between. I've laughed more than once to see my clients post on a bridal message board (one they didn't know I read) that they are not needy clients and they just want basic services at a basic price - and they are some of the most time consuming and picky clients I have. Throwing a great big party and catering it and having a photographer and a band and all that stuff .. it's expensive. There are no two ways around that. There are certainly ways to save costs, though. Just remember that your vendors aren't there as a favor. They are in business to earn money. Hopefully the people you choose will love what they do - but they also need to pay their bills and put food on their tables. If they don't make enough money to do that, then they won't be in business long.

Give Me Back My Five Bucks : Updated shopping wish list

Thu, 12 May 2011 00:17:13 +0000

I do keep a "want" list - not just of clothing, but in general of shopping things. A good bit of my list is on amazon.com where I can refer to it and check prices. I also find that when I want something, if I add it to a list and revisit it in a few days, I often find I don't really want it any more - or at the very least I realize I don't NEED it. It does help me to keep from impulse buying. My recent post Changing My Perspective on Things

hereverycentcounts.com : The Big Deal About Small Talk

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 02:46:04 +0000

I so relate. I'm really quite shy, although people say they don't think I am. But it's all a front. I really am terribly uncomfortable in large social settings with acquaintances and co-workers (as opposed to friends, where I'm fine just being me). Like you I ask a lot of questions and then .. sort of lapse into a state of semi-self-mockery. I wish I were better at "working" a room. I think it's a skill that can be learned, but I just have a hard time knowing where to start!

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : My 21 Day Detox

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:11:19 +0000

Sounds like a good plan. I like that you've built in a "treat" or two (I personally don't like to use the word "cheat") because it will help to keep you on track the rest of the while. I have to admit I have a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to the word "detox" about diets. There is so much garbage out there about detoxing and ridding your body of poisons and so forth and so many people fall for the idea that they need to "purify" their systems by drinking lemon juice for 10 days or that they need to take a pill to remove junk from their colons or whatever ... ARGH! :) But your "detox" looks to be based on some really good, healthy habits and is more about add more nutrients to your body than about some freaky detox plan. I approve!! LOL

Give Me Back My Five Bucks : My Emergency Fund is finally at $5,000

Sat, 9 Apr 2011 20:47:00 +0000

Congrats! I am still working towards my $2000 goal - and after that I'll be aiming for $10k. @Dan. How can you justify NOT having an emergency fund, no matter what kind of debt you have? If something happens in your life, how do you plan to pay for it? My recent post Paying Student Loans vs Saving For Retirement

You Have More Than You Think : 7 Unconventional Ways to Save Money on Gas

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 15:46:07 +0000

Ya know ... if there's anything that makes me see red and makes my blood boil it's these types of posts that say "it's easy to be without a car and if you weren't such an excuse making loser, you could do it to". Let me tell you that I've been w/out a car in a major metro area with crappy public transport for 15 months and it's damned hard. Hard enough that I can't do it any more and am buying a car next week. Let met take your points: 1 - That's great. What about those of us who moved to a location based on past employment, lost that job, got a new one further away, and now can't move becuase we're tied into a home? My last job I could walk to work. Now? It's 12 miles down the busiest, major road in my town. 2 - Bike. See above about "busiest major road in my town" 3 - Rent. I've done that. It's expensive and time consuming. Zipcar doesn't serve my area. 4 - To some limited degree this is possible, but it's not feasible every day. 5 - Taxi? You have got to be kidding me??? Really? Save money on the costs of a car by .. PAYING $60 a day to get to and from work, not to mention errands? Plus please keep in mind that many suburban areas don't have cabs on every corner. You call for a cab and it *might* get there in an hour. 6 - Public transit. Yup. That's what I'm doing now. 2 hours in to work, 2 hours home from work. Plus a one mile walk at either end. Sure it's frugal. Because I have no time to do anything else except work and commute. But frugality eclipses quality of life, right? 7 - Sit tight. Right. Don't go to work. Don't buy groceries. Don't, in fact, do anything that requires you leaving your home. I'll tell you what. YOu give up your car for 15 months. Totally give it up. Then you come back and revisit this post you made and see how easy it is. Because until you go totally carless .. you really have no right to write a post like this.

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : Have I turned into THAT Friend?

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 18:42:51 +0000

I really really really don't like carrying cash at all. When I have cash, it's too easy to spend it and not be mindful of it. But I've started tucking a $20 bill in the back of my wallet for situations like this. There are a handful of places that don't take credit/debit and I don't like to get caught flat. About putting $0.59 on your card - I had to laugh. I've been a biz owner for a long time and always put my biz expenses on a credit card, even when it's a $0.10 copy at Kinko's. It's just easier to track that way.

The Everyday Minimalist : What happens after minimalism?

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 17:15:54 +0000

I like your no-checklist list. :) It's the same way I feel about minimalism. One of the things I said on my blog is that I want to explore how to incorporate the concepts of minimalism into my life, but mindfully. Not in a "following the herd" kind of way, but to figure out what it means to me. I've discovered, like you, that giving up all my belongings isn't going to happen. But I have discovered that I can live with less and enjoy it more. My recent post Sunday Summary 6

Give Me Back My Five Bucks : Hello world, my name is Metal Mouth

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 13:39:09 +0000

It will all be worth it. I had braces in high school and again for a short bout in my 30s. It was totally totally worth it. My recent post Sunday Summary 6

http://www.mypersonalfinancejourney.com/ : Are Extended Auto Warranties a Scam?

Sun, 3 Apr 2011 17:02:58 +0000

I am a big believer in extended warranties if you're buying a new or lightly used car. I had one on my Saturn which I bought new. At close to 100,000 miles (which was the limit of the warranty) I took it in and had them do a top to tail check. I got several thousand $$ worth of work done for the cost of the $50 deductible and the $29 oil change. I drove the car for a further 6 years after that. My recent post Sunday Summary 6

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : Giving Myself an Adult Allowance

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:26:47 +0000

Oh definitely. A big household item would come from the bills account or whatever savings I have set aside. A big personal item, I save for separately. It's one of the reasons I love my credit union - I can open savings certificates with a $10 transfer and then contribute to them as much or as little as I like. So for example, I've had a savings cert for a new bed (headboard, footboard, and mattress) for a couple of months now. Some paydays I put $10 into it. Some paydays I put a lot more. After a year, I have the opportunity to either cash it out or roll it into another certificate for 3, 6, or 12 months.

Give Me Back My Five Bucks : Q1 Review: 2011 Goals

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:14:12 +0000

Excellent progress. I have found that even though I've been blogging such a short time (a little over a month) it's been so helpful and encouraging to be able to put those green and orange check marks on a public post. It makes me feel good about what I've accomplished and pushes me to complete those that I'm working on. And I love seeing others with the same progress !:) My recent post Why I Love Costco

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : Giving Myself an Adult Allowance

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 01:15:54 +0000

I have two thoughts. :) One is that people tend to think of "budget" in the same light as "diet" - as something restrictive and limiting. The truth is that everyone has a diet in the holistic sense of "what you eat" and everyone has a budget in the holistic sense of "what you spend". I think it helps a lot to stop thinking of a budget as something punishing and restrictive and think of it more as managing your money. That said, I budget myself an allowance or slush fund or whatever you call it. I posted about this somewhere else as well. I have 2 checking accounts - one is "bills" and one is "personal". Every payday my paycheck is split between these two accounts; $300 to the personal account and the rest to bills. All the bills, savings transfers, etc. get paid out of the bills account. The personal account is what I use to pay for my groceries, gas for my car (when I have one), things like shampoo and makeup, lunches or dinners out, haircuts, books or music, and other personal items. If there's any money left at the end of the pay period, I transfer what's left to savings and start fresh with a new deposit. So far it's worked well for me and it keeps me from spending what's in the bills account. For some reason even tho the accounts are in the same bank and I could transfer money back and forth, I don't. It's just mental/psychological for me.

Give Me Back My Five Bucks : Starting the property search

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 23:55:20 +0000

I'm gonna echo @thesoup and @jen. I currently live in a 2 bedroom townhouse of about 1200 sq feet (no garage, but attic and a small outside storage space). Here are my thoughts on the matter: 1 - the condo market is usually the first to crash and the last to recover in a housing dip 2 - the longer you can stay in a place, the more value you get out of buying it. if you have a little extra space to maybe get you through the first years of the first child, you'll get more in the long run 3 - truly the biggest reason however: I personally chose a townhome over a condo because I'm ok with having people on either side, but I HATE living someplace with people above and below me. If I was going to actually buy a place and live in it long term, I needed to feel like I was in my own home and not another apartment (and because I wanted a tiny bit of garden to grow things in). Obviously it's a personal decision and either way, congrats on the decision and good luck on your house hunting! :)

The Everyday Minimalist : Simplifying Your Life: House and Home

Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:42:55 +0000

TV is my one big splurge - both programs and movies online. I use my TV/Tivo/Netflix combination a lot and it's something I really enjoy and can't see getting rid of. As far as laundry, i much prefer one small load once a week. A little over a week ago I pared down my closet to participate in Project 333 and I LOVE it. I can see everything I have (that is clean and that fits) in one glance in my closet. I have a much easier time putting together an outfit in the morning. And I do one small load of laundry a week (mostly undies and a couple of towels) instead of the massive weekend laundry fest I used to do. I'm all about smaller closets and fewer clothes. :)