I can’t begin to tell you how lucky I feel to have avoided buying a home at the peak of the real estate market. I was fortunate that my age and place in life had me purchase a home almost 6.5 years ago. Since that time, I’ve watched the value of my house go from $280K to $460K and back to $350K. Obviously it can
Archives for 2009
Thinking About Test Driving a Used Car
Have you ever stopped by a car dealership to test drive a car you know you aren’t going to buy? I’m really considering doing just that. This all stems from my long term lust of the BMW M3. Since the new version came out in 2001, I’ve found myself lying in bed more than once thinking about how amazing it would be to own one.
Electric Datsun Does the 1/4 Mile in 11.5 Seconds
Not Personal Finance related but still very interesting: Who says electric cars are boring. I wonder what it costs for batteries and an electric motor that will run that fast:
401K Employer Match Error
As someone who actually likes personal finance stuff, it’s a safe bet that I keep a pretty close eye on all my accounts. I watch my checking and savings accounts very closely but I also keep a sharp eye on my 401K, Roth and 529 accounts as well. By doing this, I ensure that I have a good grasp of where I’m at financially but
Lemonade Stand to Pay the Bills
Last night my 6 year old daughter decided she wanted to have a lemonade stand after dinner. My wife helped her make a pitcher of lemonade and they spent about 20 minutes making signs with markers. They talked about how much they should charge for each cup of lemonade and, while my daughter thought maybe they could charge $1.50 per glass, my wife ended up
Americans Outsourcing Their Own Jobs!!
More American Workers Outsourcing Own Jobs Overseas
Took a Staycation (ish)
It’s Monday and we just got back from a week long vacation at our lake house near Hood Canal. We considered this a staycation even though we didn’t really stay home at our regular home. Originally we had considered taking a trip somewhere with a budget of around $1500. Due to our inability to actually dedicate the time to plan a trip and the underlying
Cash in the Bank Equals Options
I’ve always been a decent “saver” when compared to most people. I’ve diligently saved in my 401K and have tried to save in other places as well. I always considered saving to be a responsible thing to do and it gave me peace of mind when I was worried about my employment, or other instabilities in our lives. As a 37 year old, this current
Woman Has All the Answers at Her City Council Meeting
This video cracked me up. It’s a woman who has taken a couple minutes out of, what I can only assume, is an action packed day of business meetings, to come tell the Santa Cruz city council how they can solve all their economic problems. Brilliant: See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.
We Finally Had a New Roof Put on the House
Money has been really flowing out the door lately at our house. While there have been lots of little expenditures like new cel phones (yes, I bought the Iphone 3 GS), we also had the expense of putting a new roof on the house. A few of our neighbors have already had new roofs put on their houses and have been paying anywhere from $15,000