gdp's Comments

Watson Inc : 4000 Millionaires Don’t Pay Taxes - Uncommon Money News (Round Up)

Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:55:27 +0000

really? I have to read this!

Watson Inc : Why You NEED Blow Money

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 15:43:06 +0000

Everyone has to find the right lifestyle that can keep them happy. It's like dieting. You don't want to do the yo yo diets. You need to create a sustainable plan so you can manage your weight. Personal finance is similar. You don't want to live such a spartan lifestyle that you feel unfulfilled. Blow money is the pressure valve. We get a bit of cash every week to spend however we want to. I can save that cash up to buy bigger purchases or just spend it on lunch. It help us keep to our frugal lifestyle in the long run.

Watson Inc : When Lattes Are NOT Your Problem

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:20:23 +0000

People has to start tacking the big problems first. If you buy too much house and car, cutting out the latte isn't going to help much. If you already have low housing and transportation expense, then maybe it's time to look at the latte. It's all about coming up with a budget that is sustainable in the long run. Increasing income is necessary too.

Watson Inc : Why Do We Worry About Money?

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:09:25 +0000

I don't spend a lot of time worrying about money anymore. We make enough money to pay our bills and we have saving to last us through the rough patches. The confidence comes from keeping our expense down and working hard in the past to save up. I guess it is like sports or anything else. Practice gives you confidence to face the game without worrying too much. Just do it.

Watson Inc : Getting Haters Out of Your Wallet

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 15:18:57 +0000

The real problem with luxury cars are the maintenance cost. We drove a used BMW Z3 for over 10 years and we loved it, but I hated going to have work done on the vehicle. The purchase cost is quite a bit higher than a regular car now as well. We probably won't purchase another luxury vehicle in the future. I agree about taking others' advice. You should listen and then make up your own mind. People mean well, but they don't know your whole situation and may not have the same value as you do.

Watson Inc : Do Americans Know What Poverty Is?

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:53:05 +0000

I agree with the other comments. Poor people in other countries have so much more difficulties than poor people in the US. You are probably right that most poor people here would be seen as middle class or rich on 3rd world countries. I thought poor meant making less money than the poverty line. Thanks for correcting that misconception.

Your Finances Simplified : A Letter To My Unborn Child

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 21:15:40 +0000

Congratulation! We waited until we were in our mid 30s to have a baby. I think it's good to be more mature so you can deal with the adversity. A baby is a lot of work and I think many young parents (I mean early 20s) aren't really ready. Having a baby will change your world. Congrat! My recent post Peer to Peer Lending Investment Midyear Update

Watson Inc : What Makes You So Special?

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 15:53:13 +0000

I see your point too. I was thinking it's easier these days to move up by changing job and career. 60 years ago opportunities are more limited IMO. You're thinking that being best at what you do will improve your career. I think that's more true today too. In the old days, someone might be stuck in a mediocre job for life even if he/she is the best at what they do. What do you think?

Watson Inc : What Makes You So Special?

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:51:27 +0000

I just think that the street sweeper can get a job driving the garbage truck or something like that. It's probably easier to change career these days.

Watson Inc : What Makes You So Special?

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:23:05 +0000

I think specialization is a good thing, but there are some negatives too. I have a specialty at my old job (DRAM) and it was good for many years. I'm one of the experts, but when the specialty changed location, I had to learn a different area and it was difficult. But I agree that being an expert at one thing is much better than being a jack of all trades. I disagree with the street sweeper speech. Time has changed. You don't need to be the best street sweeper, get a better job instead.

Watson Inc : Are You A Financial Liar?

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 13:15:52 +0000

It's difficult to tell if you are lying to yourself or not. That's why it's important to get an impartial opinion if you can. My goal is to quit my job and I think our family can handle it. It will be tight, but I'm sure we can deal with it for at least a few years. If worse come to worse, I can always go back to find a job, but I don't think I'll have to do that. We'll just have to see how it goes. The truth is that I would like to be in a stronger financial position, but then it will just keep getting put off.

Watson Inc : Breaking Bad Financial Habits

Fri, 6 Jul 2012 18:34:46 +0000

It's pretty scary how low the median net worth is. Most of us make enough to live on and put aside a bit for saving. However, we let the lifestyle and other unimportant expenses creep up and live paycheck to paycheck. I guess many people figure they'll work until they keel over. I guess that's good if they like what they do, but I don't think that's true for most people.

Watson Inc : The Price of Eliminating Failure

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:52:12 +0000

Failures are just a part of life. If you open your mind up and try new things, then you'll have some failures. That's fine and we can learn from the experience. If we just stick with what we know, then we won't fail much, but we won't grow either. It has taken me a long time to embrace failures. :)

Watson Inc : Stolen Life

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:36:31 +0000

It seems a lot harder for young people to start out now. I got out of school with no debt, but my younger brother had about 80k and he's been paying it down since. He's down to 37k and those are at 3% so it's not as urgent anymore. You can read a bit here on his guest post. http://retireby40.org/2012/06/student-loans/

Watson Inc : The Art of Doing Less

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:29:24 +0000

I love your three examples. I would love to work 6 weeks out of the year and spend the rest of the time on life. I am not attracted to fame or fortune. I just want to live a comfortable life and enjoy it as much as we can. I don't mind having less money. I'd rather look back when I'm old and be able to say I had a fun happy life.

Watson Inc : Trickle-Down Consumption: Do The Rich Cause The Non-Rich To Overspend?

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 21:16:55 +0000

I don't know who is causing Americans to overspend, but I think you're right it is us. I don't overspend much and the Jones only influence me minimally. We rarely watch those TV shows.

http://www.mypersonalfinancejourney.com/ : Home-Based Business Opportunities

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 19:59:25 +0000

nice rundown! It's hard to make money with these home base businesses, I guess that's why people have day job. :) My recent post Farmers Market Splurges

Well-Heeled, With a Mission : Living Well on Less Than $40K a Year: Lessons for Everyone

Fri, 1 Apr 2011 17:44:14 +0000

Our housing cost is high... :( It is about 20% of our monthly income, but if one of us quit working it'll be tough to get by.

Narrow Bridge : Blog Swap: My Financial Pet Peeve

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:19:54 +0000

I don't spend much on drinks either, but a nice glass of wine on special occasion really enhance the experience. I think that's worth $10-15. My recent post Biggest Financial Pet Peeve- Greedy Banks

Fabulously Broke in the City : Can you learn how to be a genius?

Wed, 9 Mar 2011 23:09:25 +0000

Hmm... That's really an interesting way to look at intelligence (being malleable.) I don't know if I agree completely with this view. There are two components - potential and hard work. I don't know which one make more of a difference, I can't believe hard work trumps potential. Obviously, it would be best if you work hard at your best potential, whether piano or basketball or being a genius. No point working hard at basketball if I'm 5'4 right?