We received the following letter from our County Assessor-Recorder the day before yesterday. At first I was afraid to open it, thinking it was bad news. Well, it did turn out to be bad news … but with every cloud comes a silver lining…

Dear Taxpayer:

As a result of the decline in value of the local residential real estate market, and, after a careful review of your property’s current assessment, we have determined that the factored base year value of your property exceeds the market value of your property as of January 1, 2008 and your value will be adjusted downward for the 2008/2009 tax year. This review has been done under the Proposition 8 “Decline In Value” program.

This value change will be reflected on your 2008-2009 tax bill which should be mailed in September.

The provisions of Proposition 13 also mandate that the value of your property shall be reviewed on an annual basis. This annual review could restore your factored base year value plus any applicable inflation factors that have occurred as of any subsequent lien date, but can never exceed your protected Proposition 13 base year value plus any applicable inflation factors. If the annual review should show that the market has experienced a further decline, you will receive another decrease in value for that tax year.

The Silver Lining

Despite the badness of this news, we can’t help but be a little cheered at the prospect of lowered property taxes this year. With decreased income but increased everything else, a break in property tax right now seems more important than our property value, because, after all, we won’t be trying to sell our property in this market.

The Rest of the Cloud

But back to the bad part of the bad news: Our adjusted 2008-2009 value is now 37% less than its base value. This is really worrying. We had been thinking about re-financing in the next year or so because our current loan is an ARM (fixed for the first 10 years – so until 2015), but that’s definitely on hold for now.

A few of our major concerns right now are:

• What if the market doesn’t come back up by 2015?
• What if we can’t afford to keep up with all the necessary maintenance due to the inflation and lowered income, resulting in further decline in value?
• What if we need to sell the house for some reason?

We can only hope that everything will work out after a year or two of lowered property taxes. Maybe we should start patronizing Starbucks.

Related posts:

• California Fires: Should We Have to Pay for the Choices of Others?
• Beware of Fake IRS (Internal Revenue Service) Phishing Email Scams
• Terms of Use
• Monopoly Game Expansion #2: Personal Checking Account
• Monopoly Game Expansion #4: Personal Credit Card Account

Originally posted 2008-07-19 07:00:35.

Welcome to the 188th Carnival of Personal Finance! Our theme for this week’s edition is Jane Austen, as I am a admirer of both her novels and the films based on her novels, which are graced throughout with witty commentary on society — and in particular, money and marriage.

If this is your first time here, please take a look around and consider subscribing to our feed to have new money saving tips delivered to your feed reader of choice or your email inbox. We are also currently holding our first ever giveaway for a free 6-month print subscription to the Wall Street Journal. Please be sure to stop by the contest page and see how you can enter to win.

Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor – which is one very strong argument in favour of matrimony.

Jane Austen, Letter to Fanny Knight, 13 March 1817 Photo: Anne Hathaway as Jane Austen, Becoming Jane (2007), Miramax

~ Editor’s Picks ~

• Coffee For One presents Paying the Bills
• FruGal presents Joining the gym? Read this first
• Sound Money Matters presents That Makes Me Stabby: Do We Have an Obligation to Spend?
• Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck presents Lessons from Flight 1549
• Free From Broke presents Just Enough Is Not Good Enough
• Pimp Your Finances presents 10 Financial Commandments for Your 20s
• Money Ning presents 50 Ways to Budget Travel and Save Money on Vacations

If the loss of what is most valued is so easily to be made up by something else, your resolution, your self-command, are, perhaps, a little less to be wondered at.

Marianne Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility Photo: Kate Winslet & Emma Thompson, Sense & Sensibility, Sony Pictures

~ New Year’s Resolutions ~

• The Passive Dad presents My Latte Factor In 2008. Automatic Millionaire Goals for 2009
• Destroy Debt presents Did You Give Up On Your New Year’s Resolution Already?
• My Money and My Life presents New year, new goals
• Think Your Way To Wealth presents Tips for Making Your Personal Finance Resolutions Stick- Turn Your Resolutions into Habits

Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matters would be unpardonable in me.

Jane Bennet, Pride and Prejudice Photo: Rosamund Pike as Jane, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Working Title

~ Frugality ~

• Passive Family Income presents Live Frugal – But in moderation
• Living The Frugal Life presents What Would You Do If You Lost Your Job Today?
• The Paycheck Chronicles presents Space Heaters or Turn Up the Thermostat?
• Getting Rich in Grad School presents 5 reasons why the best financial advice is always free
• The Smarter Wallet presents Buying A Computer? Check Our Computer Shopping Tips First

People always live for ever when there is an annuity to be paid them…. An annuity is a very serious business; it comes over and over every year, and there is no getting rid of it.

Fanny Dashwood (in regards to Mrs Dashwood), Sense and Sensibility Photo: Janet McTeer as Mrs. Dashwood, Sense & Sensibility (2008), BBC Warner

~ Budgeting ~

• Monogamoney presents What’s in my pantry
• Yielding Wealth presents Do You Need a Gatekeeper for Your Personal Finances?
• InsureBlog presents Wallet Biopsy
• About Financial Software Blog presents 8 Tips for Choosing Budgeting Software

And we mean to treat you all, but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours at the shop out there.

Lydia Bennet, Pride and Prejudice Photo: Brenda Blethyn, Jena Malone & Carey Mulligan, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Working Title

~ Consumerism & Spending ~

• Not Made of Money presents How Has the Current Economy Changed Your Wants and Needs?
• Budgets are Sexy presents My tipping rule: Everyone gets 20%! Nice and easy…
• Second Child, Last Born presents What Type of Saver/Spender Am I?
• Making My Own Payday presents The Not So Perfect Gift (Card)

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

Pride and Prejudice Photo: Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice (1996), BBC/A&E

~ Money Management ~

• FIRE Finance presents Advantages of Online Banking
• Dawn’s Evolution presents 6 lessons in personal finance from my mother
• Prime Time Money presents How to Care {Not Worry} About Your Finances
• The Strump – Financial Blog presents How Detailed Should Your Financial Plan Be
• The Sun’s Financial Diary presents Where Did Our Money Go?
• Your Money Relationship presents Do You Still Balance Your Checkbook? I Sure Don’t!

A single woman, with a very narrow income, must be a ridiculous, disagreeable, old maid! the proper sport of boys and girls; but a single woman, of good fortune, is always respectable, and may be as sensbile and pleasant as anybody else….for a very narrow income has a tendency to contract the mind, and sour the temper.

Emma, Emma Photo: Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, Emma (1996), Miramax

~ Debt ~

• Managing Money God’s Way presents Debt? What debt?
• Shrinkage is Good presents 5 Steps to Combat Holiday Debts and Ward Off Future Relapses
• Personal Finance Ology presents Understanding Good Debt Vs. Bad Debt
• American Consumer News presents Playing the Credit Card Balance Transfer Game
• Done To Zen presents Credit Cards Suck
• Secrets For Money presents How To Shop For A Legitimate Non Profit Credit Counseling Service

A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of. It certainly may secure all the myrtle and turkey part of it.

Mary Crawford, Mansfield Park Photo: Alessandro Nivola & Embeth Davidtz, Mansfield Park (1999), Miramax

~ Career ~

• Blueprint for Financial Prosperity presents Success Finds Hard Work, Talent & Passion
• Greener Pastures presents The Power of Positive Psychology
• Happiness Is Better presents 6 Reasons Why I Joined Toastmasters
• PennyJobs.com presents 6 Options for Students To Consider with Respect to the Economy

Business, you know, may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does.

John Knightley, Emma Photo: Jeremy Northem as George Knightley, Emma (1996), Miramax

~ Saving & Investing ~

• My Wealth Builder presents Get Higher Interest for Saving – Up to 6%
• Generation X Finance presents How to Roll Over Your 401(k) When You Leave or Lose Your Job
• Four Pillars presents Can You Invest Your House Down Payment In The Stock Market?
• Lazy Man and Money presents Greed or No Greed
• Cash Money Life presents Increased 401k Contribution Limits in 2009
• Dividends4Life presents Dividend Stocks Role In The Future Recovery
• Military Finance Network presents 2009 Thrift Savings Plan Contribution Limits
• The Personal Financier presents Is the Stock Market a Big Ponzi (Madoff) Scheme?
• Stock Trading To Go presents Beginner’s Guide to Currency ETFs

But there are not so many men of large fortune in the world as there are pretty women to deserve them.

Mansfield Park Photo: Bennet family, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Working Title

~ Economy ~

• The Digerati Life presents Studying Business Cycles: Economic Graphs of The Current Economic Cycle
• Amateur Asset Allocator presents Unemployment At Highest Level In 15 years: Or Is It Even Worse?
• The Happy Rock presents [Video]The Government’s Money Hole – Recession, Taxes, and Bailout Commentary
• Personal Finance Analyst presents Can You Really Opt Out of a Recession?
• BankAround presents List of Banks that Took TARP Money

Pray, my dear aunt, what is the difference in matrimonial affairs, between the mercenary and the prudent motive? Where does discretion end, and avarice begin?

Eizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice Photo: Jennifer Ehle as Lizzy, Pride and Prejudice (1996), BBC/A&E

~ Taxes ~

• The Financial Blogger presents How To Withdraw Money From Your Holding Without Paying Taxes – The Split Dollar Strategy
• Personal Finance Reviews presents 2009 Income Tax Brackets
• My Journey to Millions presents Did you Forget your RMD this Year? All may not be lost

After all that romancers may say, there is no doing without money.

Isabella Thorpe, Northanger Abbey Photo: Carey Mulligan as Isabella, Northanger Abbey (2007), WGBH Boston

~ Real Estate & Mortgages ~

• Mighty Bargain Hunter presents Running through payback time on a mortgage refinance
• Stumble Forward presents Mortgage Refinance Tips That Could Save You Thousands
• The Credit Toolbox presents Why Would You Choose A Variable Mortgage Rate?
• Funny About Money presents Can’t Sell the House? Try Swapping
• Debt Free Destiny presents How to Get Ready for Your First Home
• Growing Money presents Rental Property Update December 2008

Money can only give happiness where there is nothing else to give it.

Marianne Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility Photo: Kate Winslet as Marianne, Sense & Sensibility (1995), Sony Pictures

~ Reviews ~

• My Dollar Plan presents Have You Checked out Lending Club?
• The Dough Roller presents How to Buy and Sell Loans on Lending Club’s New Trading Platform
• Christian Debt Help presents Sharebuilder promotion and review

And to marry for money I think the wickedest thing in existence.

Catherine Morland, Northanger Abbey Photo: Felicty Jones as Catherine, Northanger Abbey (2007), WGBH Boston

~ Other ~

• Money Beagle presents Wasting Money on Poorly Timed Traffic Lights
• LivingAlmostLarge presents A difference between rich and poor
• Centsability to Wealth presents Insurance- The Fortress the Protects Your Financial Army
• Steadfast Finances presents When the Expense of Plastic Surgery is Justifiable
• Free Money Finance presents Four More Uses for Gold Dollar Coins

He is rich, to be sure, and you may have more fine clothes and fine carriages than Jane. But will they make you happy?

Mr. Bennet to Lizzy, Pride and Prejudice Photo: Keira Knightley as Lizzy, Pride & Prejudice (2005), Working Title

* * *

This wraps up the Jane Austen Edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance. I hope you enjoyed the pictures and quotes as much as I did putting them together. Again, be sure to enter our giveaway for a free 6-month print subscription to the Wall Street Journal which ends this Saturday, January 24, 2009 at 11:59PM EST! Thanks for stopping by!

A Parting Shot

Photo: Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, Emma (1996), Miramax

Related posts:

• Friday Fun: Calvin and Hobbes Lemonade Stand Economics Lesson & WSJ Giveaway Reminder
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #15
• Hosting the 3rd Edition of the Finance Fiesta Blog Carnival
• Recent Blog Carnivals (February 2009)
• Finance Blog Carnivals of Late

I know I should have thought to post this earlier, but only just remembered to pay my own mortgage now instead of tomorrow. If you own a home and have not yet made your mortgage payment due on January 1, 2009, do it now before 2008 is over. This could cut the income taxes you will have to pay in April 2009 for you may be able to take a deduction for mortgage interest paid in 2008.

I am not a tax expert and there are some limitations, (i.e. if you deduct your Jan. 2009 mortgage interest from your 2008 taxes, you can’t do it again for 2009, if your 2008 income exceeds a certain amount), but here is a link to an article on MSN Real Estate which might tell you if you would benefit from doing this:

Early year-end mortgage payment could cut taxes

If you pay your mortgage online, do it now as our bank’s website is super slow today, perhaps due to the rush to customers trying to get their payment in before the year ends.

Happy New Year!

Related posts:

• It Never Hurts to Ask: Getting Late Fees Removed
• Dear Taxpayer: Good News! Your Property Tax Has Decreased … P.S. So Has Your Property Value
• Tax Form & Publication Guide for the Newly Self-Employed
• Daylight Saving Time: Turn Your Clocks Forward Today!
• No-Air Conditioning Summer Part 1 – How It Started: No-Heat Winters

Originally posted 2008-12-31 09:18:02.

Update 7:20PM January 30, 2009

The winner is Lisa Spinelli! Thank you all again for participating in my first giveaway!

Update 9:00PM, January 24, 2009

This contest is now closed. We will tally up the entries, select a winner and announce the result shortly. Thank you to everyone who participated.

I am excited to announce our first blog contest here at Pecuniarities (Our Fourpence Worth until October 2008). Next month marks our first blog anniversary and I am quite pleased with the success that we have experienced in the past year and the direction in which we are headed.

The Prize

I wrote a post a while back on how I received a free subscription to the Wall Street Journal by completing surveys. I have now earned enough points for another, so for this first contest (of many to come) we are giving away a 6-month print subscription to the Wall Street Journal, a $129 value, to one lucky winner. We just had our own 6-month subscription to the Wall Street Journal and have been very impressed with it.

To tell the truth, I wondered at first if it would be a little boring, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it offered more than just stodgy finance reports and stock graphs. I especially enjoy the Personal Journal section that covers a wide range of topics pertinent to everyone. I believe this paper could be a great benefit to our readers, especially in these times when keeping abreast of all news and information on the economy is so important.

The WSJ is delivered 6 days a week and is packed full of interesting news (both national and international) and useful information on business and personal finance, investing and more:

• Summaries of breaking stories, coupled with 24/7 online updates.
• Expert insight on the market and economy and how both can impact your everyday finances and personal investments.
• Expanded coverage of major global stories, political events, medical breakthroughs and emerging technologies.
• Arts, food & wine, real estate, travel bargains, and weekend getaways.

Ways To Enter

Do each of the following once for 1 chance to win. (For every 1 you do, you earn 1 entry. The Email Subscription earns 2 entries.)

Please leave a comment to let me know which entry method(s) you used.

Please make sure you read the Contest Terms below.

• Leave a comment on this post stating your 2009 financial resolutions or goals.
• Subscribe to our RSS feed and leave a comment below to let you know you did so, or
• for 2 entries instead of 1, Subscribe to our email feed and leave a comment here using the same email address with which you subscribed. (All current email subscribers gain an automatic entry.)
• Blog about this contest and link to it from your blog. Leave me a comment here to let me know.
• Follow me on twitter – @PenelopePince. Leave a comment here with your twitter username.
  
• Tweet about this contest and leave a comment to let me know you did so.
• Vote for this post in Tip’d, PF Buzz or another medium and leave a comment here.
• Bonus Entries: Leave comments on other posts on our blog. If you’re new to our blog, visit our archives for our earlier posts, which are some of the best we have produced. The comment(s) must show some thought and not just “I agree” or “Great idea.” Come back to this post and let me know which post(s) you commented on. Each approved comment will gain you an additional entry.
• If you like contests, be sure to check out  Single Guy Money’s $100 Target or Walmart Gift Card Giveaway.

Contest Terms

• We’re sorry, but this particular reward from my survey company is only available to new subscribers to the Wall Street Journal in the contiguous U.S., so we apologize to any readers from Hawaii or Alaska and those who have already subscribed to the WSJ in the past. If you have been a subscriber in the past, you are not eligible to receive this free subscription. We will hold other contests soon.
• The contest begins now and ends at 11:59PM EST on January 24, 2009. Comments to this post will be closed at this time.
• 1 winner will be randomly selected using a random integer generator at random.org.
• We will contact the winner via the email address used to comment here.
• The winner will have 4 days to respond with necessary contact information for the subscription. We will send a 2nd notification email after 2 days if we have not heard back.
• If the winner does not respond after 4 days, a new winner will be selected from amongst the entrants.
• If this prize happens to go out of stock from our reward provider at the end of the contest period (though it shouldn’t), we will offer a replacement prize.

Prize Terms

• Again, this particular offer from my rewards program is only available to new subscribers to the WSJ. If you are already a subscriber or have subscribed in the past, you are not eligible to receive this prize. We are sorry, but we will run other contests soon.
• It may take 6-8 weeks for the first issue to arrive.
• Your WSJ will be delivered 6 days a week by postal mail or early morning carrier depending on your location.
• While we will do our best to ensure proper initiation of your subscription, we are not liable for non-delivery due to:
  • Incorrect mailing and contact information provided by the winner
  • Ineligibility of the winner to qualify for the subscription
  • Loss or error on the part of the postal service or delivery personnel
  • Any other matter beyond our control
• Any issues with the delivery of the subscription will have to be addressed to the Wall Street Journal.

Don’t be scared off by these terms. We didn’t have any problems with our subscription. In fact, we began receiving our issues within a week or two of starting our subscription and have learned a lot from it.

Good luck to all and happy new year!

Related posts:

• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #14
• Friday Fun: Calvin and Hobbes Lemonade Stand Economics Lesson & WSJ Giveaway Reminder
• How I Got a Free Subscription to the Wall Street Journal
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #15
• Wall Street Journal Giveaway Winner and Carnivals of the Week

This week’s edition was particularly challenging for me to put together, because to tell the truth, of all the submissions received only 60% made the final cut. Decisions to include and exclude were based on many factors: readability, presentation, relevance, value of information and more. So, a job well done to those who made this week’s edition.

Today’s theme is the poem “Devote Your Life to Money!” by David Kessel. I hope you find it amusing as I did.

Devote Your Life to Money!

Editor’s Picks

• Blueprint for Financial Prosperity presents How To Include A Baby In Your Financial Plans.
• Brunette on a Budget presents Don’t fall for rebate bait.
• Broke Grad Student presents 10 Stupid Ways College Students Waste Money.
• Master Your Card presents Mega Guide: How to Get Out (and stay out) of Credit Card Debt

Oh, money, the life-giving juice of society!
It brings us its blessings of every variety,
It softens the blows that lifetime delivers,
It favors the brave and it crowns achievers.

Saving Methods

• No Debt Plan presents Sticking Our Toes into the CD Laddering Pool.
• The Smarter Wallet presents Ways To Save on Seasonal Purchases: Time To Shop For Halloween!
• Silicon Valley Blogger presents Upromise Survey: Saving For College, Getting Tougher?

It renders us free from oppression by jerks,
From mockings, and putdowns, and scoldings, and smirks.
It lets us buy tickets and travel away
From where we’re not welcome but are forced to just stay.

Debt and Credit

• Money Blue Book presents What Is My Credit Score and How Is My FICO Calculated?
• LAL presents After Debt?
• Ask Mr. Credit Card presents Will Creating A Repayment Plan With Your Credit Card Company Hurt Your Credit Score?

From creditors’ letters and big ugly urbs,
From all that don’t matter, from stuff that disturbs,
To wide sandy beaches and azure blue waters,
Away from the smoke of ten million motors.

Careers

• The Shark Investor presents The Alternatives Of 9 To 5.
• Your Finish Rich Plan presents What To Do If You Think You Can Lose Your Job.

With money it all starts to fall into place-
No longer respect is what you have to chase.
It follows you like an afternoon shadow
Thank money, it makes you a prince from a padow.

Consumerism

• Can I Get Rich on a Salary presents Man Bites Dog — Beats Airline in Dispute Over Canceled Flight!
• Personal Finance Analyst presents Expedia Coupons & Travel Deals.

With money, all people will treat you much better,
As you are no longer society’s debtor.
Sweet smiles on you they will now bestow,
Obsequious looks in their eyes then will glow.

Economics

• The Sun’s Financial Diary presents A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words.
• The Iconoclast Investor presents Fannie, Freddie and America’s Debt.
• Mr. Tough Money Love presents Spenders Get the Gold Mine, Savers Got the Shaft.

And women forgetting your age and your weight,
Your looks and your height and your bald, shining pate,
Will wink and remark how handsome you are
For, in their minds, you are now a star.

Investing

• Sam presents Choosing a Stockbroker.
• Small Business Blog presents Real Estate Investing Startpoints: Negotiation, Legality, and Referrals.
• Green Technology Investor presents Hot Rock – Steady Progress Towards a New Source of Renewable Energy.

Oh, how pathetic society is!
A “Miss” is now where there used to be “Ms.”
For quickly they learned that you’ve got all this dough,
And then they appear from above and below.

Other

• Budgets are Sexy presents Is it bad that i haven’t donated any money in like 5 months?
• The Part-Time Life presents Financial Fitness Group.
• Geezeo presents Money Matters Key to Wedded Bliss? 5 Tips for Happily Ever After.

As long as you’re here on our green Earth,
And want to be living in freedom and mirth,
Devote your existence to dollar and pound
For cash makes the world go smoothly around.

This concludes the 16th Edition of the Finance Fiesta. Next week’s edition will be hosted by Mighty Bargain Hunter. Visit the Finance Fiesta website for submission guidelines.

Technorati tags: finance fiesta, blog carnival

Related posts:

• Hosting the 3rd Edition of the Finance Fiesta Blog Carnival
• Hosting the 16th Finance Fiesta Blog Carnival
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #8
• August 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals

This first writing project deals with the circumstances, people and events in our past which have led to our present financial habits. I proposed this topic as the first of our group writing project as I had been planning to write something about our background and why we live the way we do.

We are one of those people who have a somewhat complicated history. In our first 25 years, we had lived in 3 different countries and called approximately 20 different places “home.” After several hours of attempting to put it all in prose, we have finally given up and decided to put our family financial history and relevant events in timeline format (and with authentic pictures), for your sake and ours.

A note before we begin: The time periods used to head each section are names of actual time periods from history; however, they are not all in correct historical order, but rather arranged to fit eras of our lives.

Pre-History

• 1978 July – Oakland, CA
  Mother, an art student from Taiwan, marries a young engineer and flight instructor from Japan whom she feels sorry for because he is poor and alone.

Ancient History

• 1979 March – San Francisco, CA
  Penelope arrives.
• 1980 November – San Francisco, CA
  Madoline arrives.
• 1978-1980
  Father cannot find decent work and receives gifts of money and private airplane (in hopes of stimulating flight instruction business) from our maternal grandmother.
• 1981-1987 – Tokyo, Japan
  Father moves family to Japan for better work opportunities. Father becomes a workaholic and makes a lot of money, buys himself computers and other gadgets but won’t give Mother money for food or clothes. Mother relies on grandparents for help and begins giving English lessons to neighborhood children after learning Japanese.
• 1987-1988 – Taiwan
  Father tells mother to leave and take us with her. Mother files for divorce and we are sent to live with various relatives in Taiwan while Mother works to build up a successful multi-level marketing business in Japan and Taiwan.

The Middle Ages

• 1988 July – Kauai, Hawaii
  Mother marries a spendthrift, workaphobe, and tax evader among other things disguised as a romantic gentleman in a ninja suit.
• 1988-1994 – Several locations on Oahu, Hawaii
  Mother continues to work at multi-level marketing business, Forever Living Products, bringing in as much as $10,000 per month for several years. Stepfather also helps by dressing up in business suits; however, the level and efficacy of his participation is questionable. 

  For the first we few years, we enjoy an idyllic childhood living in nice houses, one with a swimming pool, with a menagerie of pet cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, mice, fish and birds. As we get older, our mother begins to share her worries about our stepfather’s shopaholicism. He goes through one expensive phase after another – chess (during which he buys several costly chess sets and strategy books), golf, motorcycles, guitar, etc. She is also constantly worrying about his tax debt and his refusal to do anything to remedy the situation.

• 1991 – 2000 – Family Business
  Staring around age 12 and 10, Madoline and I become partially responsible for helping to manage the family business, as Mother and Stepfather become the area General Managers and run the warehouse for product inventory. Our duties include helping customers (called distributors) with product purchases, explaining the various purposes of the products, taking orders, retrieving and carrying products to customers’ cars, monthly inventories, compiling and mailing monthly sales summaries to the main office. We continue to help out in this business till around part-way through college, at times running the business solely in Stepfather’s place in later years.
• 1994 December – Hawaii Kai, Hawaii
  Mother is diagnosed with stage 4 cancer with 6 months to live. She begins preparing a will, appoints Stepfather legal guardian, names a trustee to set up our trust funds for the life insurance policy left for our future and education – $100,000 each for our education, $500,000 for the purchase of a permanent residence. Knowing Stepfather’s spendthrift nature, she allots $100,000 for his personal use. One month prior to Mother’s passing, the trustee of Mother’s estate is changed to Stepfather.

Imperialism

The following take place in several more locations on Oahu, Hawaii each successively less expensive than the previous.

• 1995 October
  Mother passes away, Stepfather collects the life insurance and begins spending money immediately. He purchases a new car – on credit so as to retain the cash for investing – and ignores calls from lawyer to set up trust funds.
• 1995 November
  Stepfather meets a man called “Grandpa” who has the investment opportunity of a lifetime; give him $250,000 and he will receive $6 Million in 2 months. Stepfather gives “Grandpa” $250,000 – without our consent, of course.
• 1995 November – Early 1996
  In anticipation of millionairehood, Stepfather spends money as if already a millionaire – takes a party of 10 to the Superbowl (including airfare, hotel and $1,000 tickets), takes entire family of which he is the oldest of nine to Phantom of the Opera, hosts a presidential campaign in Hawaii, etc.

The Great Depression

• 1996 Spring
  “Grandpa” proves by all appearances to be a fraud, though Stepfather continues to hope and chant “Our ship will come in.” All $800,000 is gone, new car is repossessed despite Stepfather’s efforts to hide it a ten-minute walk from house. IRS comes calling for back taxes dating to the 1970’s. All that is left is a modest residual income which would be sufficient for us all to live on if he didn’t spend next month’s check before it arrived.
• 1996 Summer
  Stepfather pushes for me to go to college one year early. When I do not want to do so, he resorts to asking for charity from a classmate’s affluent father. (We are unaware of this until after graduation.)
• 1996 -1997
  Stepfather begins to use the word “frugal” in family discussions, a concept he manages to abide to in theory; in practice, he continues to purchase computers, surfboards, and miscellaneous useless things which are somehow supposed to make him rich.

The Age of Enlightenment

• 1997 May
  I graduate high school and win the Sterling Scholarship for Foreign Language and receive a check for $4,000. Because Stepfather needs money, I endorse the check to him.
• 1997-2002 – Higher Education
  Madoline drops out of high school 2 years early, and does one year of independent study by correspondence in order to save Stepfather $16,000 in tuition, and enrolls in college one year early. We graduate college (with honors ) with the aid of scholarships and the residual income left by our mother. Even though the income is enough to support our very modestly priced education, getting the money from Stepfather to pay our class fees and insurance is like pulling teeth.
• 2001-2002 – My First Job
  I enter the work force after graduating, my first job being a contract 9-month receptionist/secretary for our college’s admissions office. I earn $9.00 an hour and work 30 hours a week. It’s a great first job where I discover I have an affinity for administrative work and enjoy counting how much I make every minute as I work (15 cents per minutes ).

The Great Schism

• 2002 June
  At the time of Madoline’s graduation, we sever ties with Stepfather due to a number of irreconcilable differences. When Madoline graduates and my contract ends, we get full-time jobs together. By sharing a house and all our expenses, we are able to put away about $1,000 a month. After a year at this job, we decide to leave Hawaii and try our luck in California.
• 2002 July – 2003 January
  We hire an attorney to help us deal with Stepfather and manage to transfer Mother’s residual income to us. By this time, the business has dwindled and the income is reduced to about 10% of what it was when our mother was alive and developing the business.
• 2003 February – Tokyo, Japan
  Biological Father now decides he wants daughters again after almost 20 years because he finds himself $80,000 in credit card debt from eating out and buying expensive presents for his girlfriends, and suddenly realizes family is important. Unfortunately for him (and for us), we have long ago stopped considering him as our family. Also, he asks us to help pay his debts which does not sit well with us.

The Age of Discovery

• 2003 May – Our First Apartment
  We decide to try living in the Bay Area, where we had been born. Because we will use up almost all our savings on the move, we look for the most inexpensive place we could find. We find a tiny place on Craigslist – and by tiny I mean 240 sq. ft. – an apartment behind a couple’s garage that will let us arrange the rental over email and let us bring all our pets for $650 a month. (Right: Approx. 1/3 of our First Apartment)
  We pack up our things (3,000 lbs. worth of furniture including our piano which we have had since childhood and couldn’t part with, books and mementos of childhood and our mother) and pets – our 4-year old dog, 16-year old cat, and 22 mice. The apartment is so small that we barely had room left after moving all of our things in.
• 2003 May – Our First Car
  After a couple of scary and extremely uncomfortable experiences walking in our new neighborhood to run errands, we decide we need to buy a car asap. Knowing almost nothing about car shopping and credit, we get tricked into a 24% APR.
• 2003 June – Our First Real Frugal Experience
  Having used up all our savings on the move and down payment on the car, and our monthly check having been delayed, we have $100 in the bank. One night we dig through all of our things, pockets and purses for spare change to buy groceries. Even after our check arrives, we go about setting up our apartment as inexpensively as possible because the amount of the income is unpredictable and unreliable. We begin to find creative alternatives for thing we need.
• 2003 Summer & Fall – Our Second Apartment
  As we are still trying to figure out what we want to do, we temporarily apply for and get jobs as sandwich makers at Togo’s Eatery. After a month, the owners of Togo’s offer us managerial positions at a new upscale pizza shop they are opening in Fremont. The apartment turns out to be in violation of several California building codes, and gets extremely hot, with temperatures above 100 degrees on the hottest days. As we are about to start our new jobs in Fremont, we upgrade to a 400 sq. ft. studio apartment. 

  As limited space continues to be an issue, we go to Lowe’s and bring home a carload of lumber and build ourselves a freestanding 8′ x 6′ loft over our beds with for our computer, cushions and other diminutive furniture. This loft is disassembled for a future move, and later recycled into cabinets, this computer desk (with hand-carved feet shaped like horse hooves), a shipping supply cabinet and beds for our dog.

• 2003 September – Our First U-Haul
  To save money, we rent a 10′ U-Haul for our short distance move from Hayward to Fremont. It’s my first time driving a truck, which is quite scary, but when it’s all done, we can’t help but feel just a little bit proud that we’ve done it all ourselves (except for the piano).
• 2004 March – Our First Credit Cards
  Ever since the car loan fiasco, we have been trying to learn about credit. A regular customer of our pizza shop who works for Bank of America advises us to apply for a credit card. We apply for and get our first credit cards and begin building credit histories. Biological Father wants us to add him as an additional user. We say “no.”
• 2004 Tax Time – Our First Time Filing Self-Employment Tax
  Our first tax season is a disaster. I have no idea about where to start and what forms I need to fill out for the income from our mother’s business. I spend days reading the IRS website and countless forms and instructions. I finally figure it all out and mail out our return on April 15th.
• 2004 June – Our First Loan Paid Off
  We have been saving up to pay off our car loan early (23 months ahead of schedule).

The Dark Ages

• April 2004 – Los Angeles
  Our 16-year old cat is diagnosed with kidney disease in November 2003. He becomes seriously ill in February 2004 and needs constant and costly care. As our pizza shop job does not pay very well due to business problems, we decide to move to Los Angeles for more employment opportunities.
• April 2004 – Our Second U-Haul (Actually Budget Rent-a-Truck)
  Again, to save money, we rent a 15′ Budget Rent-a-Truck for the move from Fremont to Van Nuys. This time the experience has gotten old, and the time constraints to return the truck in 3 days is more than a little stressful. We load the truck and hire a Bay Area piano mover to put the piano in the truck on Day 1, make the 8-hour drive and check into the apartment on Day 2, unload the truck and hire a Los Angeles piano mover to unload the piano on Day 3, and return the truck before 9:00AM on Day 4. We swear then and there as we rub our sore backs that this is the last time we ever U-Haul it.
• 2004 Summer – 2005 Summer – The Lost Year
  Having lost our dog to an accident and our cat to kidney disease in early 2004, we suddenly find ourselves a little aimless. Where we used to be content to stay at home and read or watch DVDs, we now find ourselves restless. For a few months, we wander one shopping mall after another as soon as we get off work (a depressing sales job working for a bald man who shouts a lot), buy more clothes than we need, and are reluctant to go home to an empty apartment. 

  Then we decide to quit our jobs and enroll in some arts classes at the local community college, and re-settle into our frugal habits. We become so frugal that we literally don’t do anything or go anywhere except to the library and to the grocery store. We stop going out except to walk the malls for exercise and window shopping.

The Industrial Revolution

• 2005 July – Franga Designs
  One day, while shopping for a Star Trek Enterprise model for my cousin, I discover eBay. Thus begins Franga Designs, our dog and horse clothing and costuming business named after Mother, which later becomes an online store.
• 2005 October – House Hunting
  Madoline’s designs are an instant hit and we begin to receive many requests for custom designs. Our one-bedroom apartment (638 sq. ft.) is completely covered in fabric, patterns, sewing and photographic supplies that we barely have room to walk. We decide it is time to expand our work and living space, and after all the moving around, that it’s time to buy a house and settle somewhere permanently.
• 2005 November – Homeowners
  We find a charming 3-bedroom house with a nice yard in California City. We make an offer and escrow closes November 22, 2005. To celebrate being homeowners, we go to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (matinee), which to this day remains one of my favorites.

The Modern Era

We are still in the process of settling in our home; with our frugal and DIY mentality, it takes longer to get things done. So far we have replaced all the carpet in our house with our own homemade flooring made from plywood that we sawed into floorboards, built a wall-length and -height shelf for our books and fabrics, and fixed up second hand furniture.

We try to save money wherever we can and build up our savings. Having been privy to our stepfather and our biological father’s mistakes and our mother’s constant stress over finances, we are paranoid about spending and debt.

If you are interested in finding out more about us, please visit the More About Us page.

* * *

About the PF Bloggers Group Writing Project

The Personal Finance Bloggers Network currently consists of 8 active personal finance and frugal living blogs. The Group Writing Project is a monthly project wherein each blog will write a post on a pre-determined topic and publish it on the same day of each month. Be sure to visit the PF Bloggers Group Writing Project page for the others!

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• Warm Weather Food Safety Tips

Welcome to the 3rd edition of the Finance Fiesta. I’ve always enjoyed proverbs, and since Spanish is one of my favorite languages, our theme for this week’s fiesta is Spanish Money Proverbs. The following proverbs all come from A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs for anyone who wants to know. Hope you enjoy them.

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Expansion Difficulty/Complexity: Medium-Hard

This is a credit card add-on for the game of Monopoly wherein players have both cash and credit and may opt to “charge” certain expenses in lieu of paying cash in order to keep the cash flow for investing in property and buildings. For being such a careful money saver in real life, I was surprised at how quickly my “credit card debt” snowballed.

I started out by charging all my expenses because the 10% interest seemed so insignificant, and before I knew it, I was overlimit and paying 20% interest and my debt became more and more unmanageable. I came in second in the end with a credit card debt of $3,600. Madoline won with over $5,000 in cash, and Mabel lost with over $10,000 in credit card debt. :O

Objective

To teach children (and some adults) about buying and owing on the credit system.

Overview

This version of the game uses a credit system wherein players may opt to put purchases and expenses on their credit account instead of paying cash – either because they do not have enough cash available or because they wish to keep their cash to invest in property.

How to Play

• Print out and distribute a copy of the Bank of Monopoly Personal Credit Card Statement (includes rules) to each player. The statement contains 20 tables (representing 20 months/circuits of the game board). If you need more than 20 tables, simply print extra copies of this document.
  Tip: Print 2-Sided to save paper
• Any time during the game, a player may opt to charge expenses such as rent, taxes and miscellaneous fees on his/her “credit card.” in order to save cash for investing in properties and building.
• Property and building purchases may not be charged on a credit card.

How to Use the Personal Credit Card Statement

• A player is allowed 12 credit transactions per month (circuit of the board).
• Each person has a credit limit of $2,000.

1. On the first round of the game, enter $0 under Balance Forward.
2. When making a charge, enter a brief description of the transaction under “Description of Transaction”
3. Enter the amount under “Amount Charged”
4. Total the current balance in the right-hand column under “Balance.”
5. When you pass or land on “Go,” total your balance next to “Total Charges”
6. Pay off your desired debt in cash to bank and enter the figure next to “Amount Paid @ “Go.”
   • You are required to make a minimum payment of 10% of the total charges.
   • If you are not able to make the 10% payment, your interest rate increases to 20% until you are able to make your minimum payment again.
   • You may pay your balance in full and accrue no finance charges, or pay at least the minimum or as much as you are able to or wish to.
7. Subtract the amount paid from the Total Charges and enter the amount next to “Balance Subtotal.”
   If the balance is greater than $0, multiply Balance Subtotal by 10% (n x .1) if you’ve made at least the minimum payment, or 20% (n x .2) if you were not able to make the minimum payment, and enter the figure next to “x 10% Finance Charges.”
8. Multiply Balance Subtotal by 10% (n x .1) and enter the figure next to “x 10% Finance Charges.”
9. Add the 10% Finance Charge to your Balance Subtotal and enter the figure next to “Balance Forward.”
10. This is your remaining debt.
11. Move to the next empty table and enter the “Balance Forward” amount at the top right-hand column
12. next to “Balance Forward.”
13. When entering your first charge of new circuit around the board, add the charge to the forwarded amount and repeat.

Click on the image below to view a sample statement

Transactions Between Players

On a transaction wherein a player is to receive money and the payer decides to charge the expense, the receiver withdraws the payment directly out of the bank.

Bank of Monopoly Credit Card Terms

Credit Limit: $2,000
Regular Interest Rate: 10%
Minimum Payment: 10% of balance
Minimum Finance Charge: $10
Insufficient Payment/Overlimit Interest Rate: 20%
Overlimit Fee: $50 per transaction

Note: In the interest of illustrating the snowball effect of debt, we have decided not to cap the game and charges at $2,000, but rather impose a per transaction overlimit fee of $50 and a higher interest rate.

Visit http://pecuniarities.com/Monopoly for more Money Management and Investment Monopoly Expansions!

The Monopoly game is copyrighted by Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of Hasbro. All expansions are original creations by Our Fourpence Worth and shared for personal use only. Commercial use of these rules, forms and images is prohibited.

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Originally posted 2008-06-30 06:00:22.

Productivity

• Check out one of my earlier posts Save Hundreds with Open Source Software for a list of open source applications with short descriptions of their functions and links to the websites for free downloads. These are not free trials but completely free programs that stay free and upgrade for free.
• Google Calendar is a handy online calendar that can send alerts to you by email or pop-up reminders. The program allows you to share your calendar with friends and family who also use Google Calendar so you can coordinate schedules with each other.

Computer Protection

• ZoneAlarm Free Firewall can filter all traffic in and out of your computer. The most secure setting will warn you of even legitimate access to the internet and of every attempt by a program installed on your computer to access the internet to check for updates, etc.
• ZoneAlarm Spy Blocker Toolbar protects you from spyware while surfing the net.
• McAfee SiteAdvisor warns you of bad sites and has profiles for each tested site with details on downloads, spam email count, and user reviews. It also shows the safety rating for web search results with a small icon next to each link: green for safe, red for unsafe, yellow for caution, and gray for untested (you can submit a test request for gray sites).
  

Communication

• Skype allows you to make free computer to computer video and voice calls, and calls to phones for a small charge. We use the free computer to computer calls to talk to our overseas relatives
• If you use Hotmail, you can also use Windows Live Messenger for voice and video chat sessions with your contacts. You can also send mobile text messages to contacts in your address book.
• Gmail is my favorite free web based email program because, not only does it give you ever increasing storage (6.76 GBs as of this writing and counting), but it lets you forward your email to a desktop email client such as Outlook or Thunderbird. If you access your mail online, it has a nice filtering tool to help you sort your mail and also has a built in chat program, Google Talk, that allows you to chat with your online contacts without having to download anything.

Entertainment

• Hulu has an ever growing collection of new and old television programs and movies which you can watch for free online with a very reasonable amount of advertisements. The commercial breaks are shorter than you would have to sit through (15 or 30 secs) when watching a show on TV. For some newer shows, only the last 5 or 6 episodes are available, but there are also full seasons and full series of episodes for some shows.
• Network channels all have websites that let you watch the last 5 or 6 episodes of their current shows online. Here is a list of links to the home pages:
  • NBC
  • ABC
  • FOX
  • ABC Family
  • Sci Fi
• SHOUTcast is a free internet radio site that has a large selection of genres and stations and good sound quality.
• Joost is a player that allows you to watch thousands of TV shows and movies on your computer.

Reference

• Wikipedia. If you’ve performed a web search on the net, you’ve probably already stumbled across Wikipedia, which is a free, open encyclopedia that anyone can edit. It may or may not be 100% accurate, but it is convenient and has a great collection of articles and images on just about any topic, person or place including cities, actors and operas. Wikipedia is available in English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Polish, Russian, Portuguese, Dutch and Italian. (Time Saving Tip: To search for something straight from your Google toolbar or search, just type the keyword and the word “wiki”, i.e. “horse wiki” and the link to the entry will most likely show up first in your search result.)
• High Beam Encyclopedia is a collation of articles from Britannica, Oxford University Press, Columbia Encyclopedia as well as other published newspaper and magazine articles.
• Google Translate provides fair (though not the greatest) translations for 23 languages. It can translate typed/pasted in sections or entire webpages. This allows you to make use of websites you otherwise might not understand or save you time where you already know the language but take longer to read. It also has a dictionary for looking up words from those 23 languages.
• Reference.com has links to a host of reference tools including atlases, almanacs, a dictionary, thesaurus, literature and more. (Time Saving Tip: To look up a definition of a word, for example, “antithesis”, type “definition antithesis” in your search window. To look up synonyms (thesaurus) of the word “simile”, type “synonym simile”, and the search results will link you to the page of the entry.)
• The Gutenberg Project is a digital library of works that have fallen into public domain through expired copyright. The library includes fiction and non-fiction literature, audiobooks, sheet music and more.
• Google Calculator is a handy tool that lets you type in a formula or question in your search window and it will calculate and show you the answer. For example: type “1+5″ in your search bar and it will give you “1 + 5 = 6″. It can multiply, divide, add, subtract as well as calculate units of measurement such as miles, kilometers, megabytes, grams, degrees, pi, currency exchange rates and much more. Check out this great Google Calculator Demo at the Learn Google Search blog.

Free Downloads

• Download.com has a large collection of safe, free and trusted software downloads with editor and user reviews.
• Softpedia also has a large collection of downloads.
• Mozilla, home of the Firefox browser has a large number of great open source software including web browsers, html editors, email and calendar programs. Be sure to also check out the list of Mozilla-Based Applications which include other interesting and useful programs.
• Firefox Browser Add-ons: If there is a function you wish your Firefox browser could perform, chances are someone has already had the same thought and created an add-on for it.
• Google Pack includes the following (you can select which items you want):
  • Google Earth: a map program that lets you look at satellite, terrain and street level images. Includes driving directions and businesses
  • Norton Security Scan for viruses
  • Google Desktop to help organize your files, pictures and web history
  • Mozilla Firefox Browser with Google Toolbar
  • Adobe Reader
  • Skype
  • Star Office word processing, spread sheet, presentation and other office programs
  • Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer (helps block pop-ups)
  • Spyware Doctor (starter edition)
  • Picasa for editing and organizing your photos
  • Google Photos Screensaver to create slideshows with your photos
  • Google Talk for chatting online or by voice and sharing files
  • Real Player for playing media and transferring music to iPods or other players

Shopping

• Amazon.com is our favorite shopping site for almost everything we can’t get at our local grocery and drug stores. The Free Super Saver Shipping for orders over $25 allows you to spend your money on things rather than shipping charges. We also have the Chase Amazon Visa Card that gives us 3 points for every dollar spent at Amazon.com and 1 point everywhere else, and a $25 gift certificate when we reach 2,500 points.
• We occasionally shop at Overstock.com when the price is considerably less than can be had from Amazon. In our experience, their service is just as good, if not better, than Amazon’s due to the online customer service chat and faster shipping time, because Amazon’s free shipping takes an additional 4-5 business days before leaving their warehouse. They offer flat $2.95 shipping on all orders, and cheaper media shipping for 1 or 2 media item (books, music and DVDs).

Related Posts

• Save Hundreds with Open Source Software
• The Frugal Literate’s Guide to Affordable Reading
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• Ludwig & Wolfgang

Originally posted 2008-05-26 12:33:47.

But this morning, I went to the Charter site for an entirely different purpose: checking out the options on one of the most un-frugal things there are – cable TV. I know I shouldn’t be doing that because nobody really needs cable, but I recently got hooked on a few shows that I’ve discovered on Hulu (House M.D., The Office and Battlestar Galactica) and am itching to see the re-runs of all the past seasons I’ve missed. Of course, I was just looking, with no intention to buy because when it comes down to it, it really is a terrible waste of money. But anyways, when I clicked on Add/Upgrade Services, I saw that there were 3 High Speed Internet promotional plans available to my area – $19.99, $24.99, and $44.99 a month. I decided to get on customer service chat for some clarification on the plans available to my area, and 20 minutes later I had saved $180.

The plan was this: I could get on the 10 Meg High Speed plan (upgrade) at $24.99 a month for a promotional period of 6 months. There are no contracts so if I happen to have to move (which is a possibility but hopefully not – knock on wood), and there are no fees for upgrading or downgrading so I can just re-downgrade to the 5 Meg service at the end of the promotional period. While it’s not a permanent fix, it’s at least a 6-month fix, and one that’ll save us $30 a month which comes out to a total $180.

All I have to do is remember to contact them again in November and have them downgrade us to our original plan. Or maybe if we’re really lucky they’ll have another promotion for us then! So, if you think you might be paying too much for a service – any service – phone, cable, internet, insurance – do a little research and/or call your service provider (Further reading: Insurance Matters: The Cost of Complacency.) Companies are always running promotions to bring in new customers or keep old ones, so chances are probably good that you’ll be able to save somewhere. Even if it’s just a few dollars for a few months, it’ll add up.

If you are going to contact your service provider, here are a few tips for getting the best results:

Tips for Receiving Better Customer Service

Obviously, these are tips for when you have engaged a live customer service representative after bypassing the robots. In the interest of readability, I may sometimes use the impersonal pronoun “they” instead of typing out “he/she”. I know it is grammatically incorrect, but “he/she”, “him/her”, “his/her” can get old.

• Firstly, try to avoid dealing with customer service when you are: hungry, thirsty, tired or sleepy as these states can cause you to be less focused and coherent, and possibly cranky.
• Also, allow yourself plenty of time. If you try to squeeze a call into a short amount of time (i.e. while standing in line at the post office, the last 10 minutes of your lunch break, etc.) it is likely that you will not get the best out of your call. You will be in a hurry to get off the phone (or computer) and might lose out on an otherwise better option, or be impatient and lose your temper and making your customer service agent less willing to help you. Give yourself at least 20-30 minutes and try to make the call in a quiet place where you are least likely to be interrupted or bothered.
• Use Live Chat customer service whenever available for the following reasons:
  • It is easier to keep details straight when you can see them in front of you.
  • It is also easier if you are dealing with customer service that might be outsourced to another country, or even a customer service rep located in the U.S. but who has an accent or regional dialect that might be difficult to understand.
  • At the end of the chat, do a select all (ctrl+a), copy (ctrl+c) and paste (ctrl+v) the text from your entire chat session onto a word document file for later reference.
  • Make sure you note the customer service rep’s name or ID number, the date and time of your chat session. This might make it a little easier if you need additional customer service later one and you and refer to the session.
• Greet your customer service representative. A simple “hello” (and maybe even a “how are you”) will start the conversation or chat off on a friendly note.
• Remember that you are speaking to a real person who will respond to the way you speak to him/her. If you are nice, chances are they will be nice in return. If you’re not nice, chances are they will be too. Having worked in customer service, I know this for a fact.
• If using internet chat, try to use proper spelling, capitalization, grammar and punctuation. It may take a few seconds longer, but it will make your messages easier to read, which is important for both courtesy, accuracy and professionalism. Yes, even if you’re the customer, professionalism on your part will help them to take you seriously and encourage them to serve you better.
• Do a little prior research about the company’s current plans and promotions. If anyone you know has received a promotional deal from the same company, mention it to them and ask if you can also receive the same promotion or something similar.
• If you are looking for a plan that costs the lowest, be sure to mention it to them. They might sometimes only offer you a plan or package that sells you more service than you need. If you only want one specific service, be sure to mention it to them.
• When offered a promotion, make sure you get all the facts. Don’t just ask them if there is anything else you need to know, but rather ask them to clarify each point for you:
  • Are there any additional fees for switching plans permanently or temporarily (if you’ll be switching back at the end of a promotional period)?
  • Are there any contracts or obligations and for how long?
  • Is there an early cancellation fee? (In case you are dissatisfied with the new service, if you have to move etc.)
  • Are there any service limits different from your current plan?
• At the end of the conversation thank them for their help, say goodbye and even wish them a nice day. This ensures that both of you leave the conversation on a positive note which could affect the next time you deal with this company. Even if you never deal with the same rep again, if every customer was polite to every customer service rep, then customer service in general might be a lot more pleasant.
• Remember to make a note on your calender if you are receiving an offer that requires cancellation or downgrade at the end of a promotional period. If you use Google Calendar, Mozilla Sunbird or Microsoft Outlook, get on your calendar as soon as you get off the phone or chat and set yourself a reminder to alert you a few days before the end of the promotional period. Canceling on time (instead of canceling and re-switching after you have been permanently enrolled or charged for the new plan) will save you a lot of headache, time and money.

Now go and save yourself some money.

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Originally posted 2008-05-06 16:00:29.

The topic for this month’s PF Bloggers Group Writing Project, “Poorest Time of Your Life” which was decided about 5 months ago, comes at a somewhat inopportune time. When our group picked out these topics, whoever it was that suggested this topic must have thought that we must all be in a position where the poorest time of our lives were in the past and could serve as an inspirational story of financial achievement.

But with the recent and current economic developments (or should I say, deterioration?) and the rate of inflation, I really can’t say if the poorest times of our lives really are past. At first thought, I just assumed that the poorest time of my life was past, but upon further contemplation, I am beginning to question if NOW might not be the poorest time of my life.

When I sat down to write this essay, I had planned on writing about two brief periods in Madoline’s and my past when were quite poor. They were transition periods in our lives, however, which really didn’t last very long and probably didn’t really count as being poor.

Poor Period 1

The first was right after Madoline graduated from college which coincided with the ending of my first job, which was a 9-month contract position. We had had a falling out with our stepfather who, as trustee of our mother’s estate, was in possession of the income she had left us. For more about this, please refer to our Family Financial History.

While our rent was still being paid by our mother’s money, we had little left from my earnings and were living in a town where employment opportunities were scarce. For about a month, we made a little money here and there teaching piano lessons and singing at weddings of acquaintances, after which we managed to secure 2 out of 5 full-time positions that opened up at a new company in town.

Poor Period 2

The second poor period was after we quit that job and moved to California. We had saved up $10,000 after working 11 months and had also managed (with the help of an attorney) to persuade our stepfather to turn our mother’s income over to us as she had intended. While the monthly income wasn’t a lot, it was enough to pay the rent and some bills on a small place, and we felt the need to leave Hawaii and start afresh.

We spent $800 on 2 one-way airfares; $225 on airfare for our dog, cat and 22 mice ($75 per ticket – the mice counted as “one”); found a place to live for $650/mo. in Hayward, CA; and figured we had enough to cover the movers and sustain us for at least a couple of months while we looked for jobs.

But we underestimated the costs of the move which was based on the weight of items moved. Because we didn’t have a parents’ house where we could leave things, we had to take everything that had meaning to us, such as a an antique desk of our mother’s, our piano and mementos of childhood. We had no idea how much everything weighed and assumed it wouldn’t be more than 1,000 lbs., so we had estimated about $1,200, but when the movers’ invoice arrived in California stating a total of almost $3,500, I knew we were in trouble.

After the initial costs of moving in, buying necessities for our new place, putting a down payment on our car (read about that catastrophe here) we had just about $3,500 left for the movers. Our monthly inheritance income check had been delayed due to mail forwarding, and for a few weeks, we literally had no money in the bank. I have a memory of one night when we rummaged through all our pockets and purses for change. We gathered about $10 with which we then went to the grocery store to buy food.

We began job hunting as soon as we got a car, and took the first jobs offered to us at Togo’s Eatery (a sandwich shop similar to Subway). When we got our first paycheck, around $100, we took it to the bank and deposited it. The clerk told us the balance would be available immediately, so we went grocery shopping and put it on the debit card. We found out later that the clerk had misinformed us and that we had gotten an overdraft because it turned out the balance wasn’t immediately available after all.

But this only lasted a few weeks. Our mother’s income check eventually arrived and continued to arrive each month. After our scare of being poor, we saved like crazy. We continued working at Togo’s for the time being and got hired on to manage a new pizza restaurant that our boss opened a couple of months later.

So things were hairy for a while, but that brief brush with near poverty was an invaluable lesson and catalyst for our desire to live frugally.

Is Now the Poorest Time of Our Lives?

I am beginning to wonder if the present might not be the poorest time of our lives. While we still have money in the bank, I can’t but wonder how long it will last if this recession and rate of inflation keeps up. Our monthly grocery bill is almost double what it used to be (we only have one supermarket within 40 miles, which may mean higher rate of inflation). The cost of propane has increased at least 150% since we moved in 3 years ago. The list goes on. But our total income continues to decrease – both from our business, which was very promising and the reason we bought the house, and our inherited income.

While we are OK for now as far as having money for groceries, the mortgage and bills, I can’t help but worry that we’ll run out in a few months. It is truly scary because this is much more permanent than our previous “poor periods” which were nothing in comparison. We didn’t have mortgages back then. We were living in areas where we could find employment. We are again living in an area where employment opportunities are scarce to none, even when the economy is good. But this time we can’t move because we have a mortgage which we can’t refinance now or sell the house in this current market as our property’s market value has decreased by 40%.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid and worrying for nothing – I usually am. But what if I’m not?

* * *

About the PF Bloggers Group Writing Project

The Personal Finance Bloggers Network currently consists of 7 active personal finance and frugal living blogs. The Group Writing Project is a monthly project wherein each blog will write a post on a pre-determined topic and publish it on the same day of each month. Be sure to visit thePF Bloggers Group Writing Projectpage for the others!

Extended Group Writing Project Invitation

If you are a blogger, we would like to invite you to write your own post on this topic and submit it for listing with our entries on our Group Writing Project pages. Please visit the following page for details on how to participate in our Extended Group Writing Project

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• Does Thinking About Money Make You a Bad Person?
• Motivating Children to Practice Music (Part 2)

Originally posted 2008-11-19 07:00:01.

This is a fairly easy Monopoly game expansion to teach youngsters the principles of filing and paying income tax. It includes an income tax form on which players keep track of income and deductions, figure and pay their income tax at the end of each circuit of the board. Players may opt to hire themselves out as tax preparers and those who do not wish to file their own returns may hire and pay tax preparers to do so, the cost of which is tax deductible, of course.

Please note that this is not a representation of real-life tax preparation. It is a simplified simulation meant to educate children on the basic principles of income and taxes and should not be taken as a source for tax preparation information.

How to Play the Monopoly Income Tax Expansion

1. Download and print out a set of Personal Income Tax Form and Instructions (pdf format) for each player.
2. The game is played as usual, but players record all income, payments of taxes and applicable expenses.
3. When a player passes “Go,” he pauses to calculate and pay his income tax for the circuit just completed.
4. The only difference in this game is the Income Tax square. When a player lands on Income Tax, he will receive an Income Tax Refund of $200 instead of paying it.

Paid Tax Preparers

Players may hire themselves out as paid preparers and other players may hire tax preparers to calculate and prepare their tax returns on their behalf.

• Tax preparers can set their own rates for preparation.
• Players who hire paid preparers may deduct the preparer costs from their taxable income (on Line 3).

Monopoly Personal Income Tax Form Instructions

Click on the image below to view a sample form

• Lines 1a and 1b (1-15). Record income and deductible transactions as they occur.
  • Income counts as all money received (rent, bribes, free parking, dividends, investments, etc.) with the exception of income tax refunds.
  • Deductions are other taxes paid, such as Poor Tax, School Tax, Luxury Tax, street and housing repairs, etc.
• Line 2. Figure your taxable income.
  • 2a. Add up all income.
  • Line 2b. Add up all deductions.
  • Line 2c. Subtract 2b from 2a to figure your taxable income.
• Line 3. Enter the amount paid to the tax preparer, if any. Pay this amount to your tax preparer, if applicable.
• Line 4. Subtract the amount of Line 3 from Line 2c.
• Line 5. Figure the tax, which is 10% of taxable income; multiply .1 by the amount on Line 4.
• Line 6. Previous unpaid tax. Enter the amount of tax on Line 10 from your previous tax period, if any, that was not paid last period.
• Line 7. Total tax due. Add the amounts on Line 6 and Line 7. This is the amount you owe.
• Line 8. Total tax paid. The amount you wish to or can afford to pay at this time. Pay this amount to the bank.
• Line 9. Remaining unpaid tax. Subtract the amount on Line 8 from Line 7.
• Line 10. Balance to forward to next tax period. The amount on Line 9 plus 10% penalty (the amount on Line 9 multiplied by .1)

Visit OurFourpenceWorth.com/Monopoly for more Money Management and Investment Monopoly Expansions!

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• Monopoly Game Expansion #2: Personal Checking Account
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• June 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals

Originally posted 2008-09-09 10:00:09.

The stocks in the game reflect stocks in the real stock market today, with only about a 15 minute delay. (You can upgrade to real-time quotes for a fee.) So, when the real market is closed (on weekends for example,) the stocks don’t update until they re-open and trading in real life begins again.

You start the game with $100,000 (in virtual money, of course) that you can use to trade with. You research the stocks and buy and sell as you see fit. For a beginning or aspiring investor, this is a perfect and fun way to learn about the stock market. I’ve only been playing for about a week, but have already learned some things. And despite it all being virtual, you still can’t help but moan and groan when your stocks go down and cheer when your portfolio grows.

A few features of the site are:

• Research tools for comparing stocks
• Records of stocks’ histories from 1 day, 5 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, year to date, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years.
• Daily personal ranking amongst all players
• Loyalty points for logging in, trading and referring friends (points can be redeemed for prizes and gifts)

So join in the fun and learn how to invest in the stock market and get a shot at winning $50,000 (real money, I think) while you’re at it!

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• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #14
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #15

Originally posted 2008-07-03 18:17:17.

If you have never seen Fiddler on the Roof or want to see it again, you can watch the full movie free on Hulu at: http://www.hulu.com/watch/26704/fiddler-on-the-roof

Funny Money Quote from Fiddler On the Roof

Tevye: Again with the rich! What’s wrong with being rich?
Perchik: It’s no reason to marry. Money is the world’s curse.
Tevye: May the Lord smite me with it. And may I never recover!

If I Were a Rich Man

One of my favorite songs in this movie is If I Were a Rich Man, wherin Tevye fantasizes of the (sometimes imprudent) ways in which he would live his life and spend his money were he a wealthy man. Play the video below to watch it performed as can be done by none other than the great Topol. (You can watch the whole movie here, too, if you’d like.)

Fiddler on the Roof: If I Were a Rich Man – Lyrics

“Dear God, you made many, many poor people.
I realize, of course, that it’s no shame to be poor.
But it’s no great honor either!
So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune?”

If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I’d biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn’t have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man.

I’d build a big tall house with rooms by the dozen,
Right in the middle of the town.
A fine tin roof with real wooden floors below.
There would be one long staircase just going up,
And one even longer coming down,
And one more leading nowhere, just for show.

I’d fill my yard with chicks and turkeys and geese and ducks
For the town to see and hear.
And each loud “cheep” and “swaqwk” and “honk” and “quack”
Would land like a trumpet on the ear,
As if to say “Here lives a wealthy man.”

If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I’d biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn’t have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man.

I see my wife, my Golde, looking like a rich man’s wife
With a proper double-chin.
Supervising meals to her heart’s delight.
I see her putting on airs and strutting like a peacock.
Oy, what a happy mood she’s in.
Screaming at the servants, day and night.

The most important men in town would come to fawn on me!
They would ask me to advise them,
Like a Solomon the Wise.
“If you please, Reb Tevye…”
“Pardon me, Reb Tevye…”
Posing problems that would cross a rabbi’s eyes!
And it won’t make one bit of difference if i answer right or wrong.
When you’re rich, they think you really know!

If I were rich, I’d have the time that I lack
To sit in the synagogue and pray.
And maybe have a seat by the Eastern wall.
And I’d discuss the holy books with the learned men, several hours every day.
That would be the sweetest thing of all.

If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I’d biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn’t have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man.

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Originally posted 2008-08-10 10:00:53.

I have no trouble with the yarn I purchased for myself; these I keep in resealable plastic bags organized by fiber type. The real trouble is the accumulation of “interesting” yarns which my grandmother—a highly skilled knit and crochet artist—gifted regularly to me as a solution to her own yarn buildup. These yarns come in a larger variety of fibers than I usually buy and range in appearance from extremely beautiful to frightfully gaudy. There is rarely enough of one type of these miscellaneous yarns to make a whole project.

I have now resolved once and for all to reclaim the hours I spend reorganizing yarns for more profitable use. Having just become aware that many people are troubled by yarn accumulation and resort to giving away or donating materials which had cost them money, I would like to share my solution for disposing of yarn without waste.

Convert yarn into useful items

Yes, this is done by knitting or crocheting. You may say that not having time to knit and crochet was the cause of your problems. I do not insist, however, that you make the project you planned when you purchased the yarn. Instead of painstakingly following patterns and counting stitches, easily dispose of your yarn of by forming them into square or rectangular shapes. Knitted or crocheted squares and rectangles can be sewn into charming pillows. These pillows may be plain or trimmed with lace crocheted from more of your extra yarn. Crocheted squares make very charming blankets, large or small, for yourself, children, or pets.

It is logical to use one type of yarn for one project, but I did make one blanket from an incredible hodgepodge of my grandmother’s old yarn including silk, wool, natural & synthetic fibers of all colors and sizes. I expected the resulting blanket to be quite ugly, but was proven wrong. Each crocheted square has a resemblance to something such as strawberries, owl feathers, Japanese kimono fabric, etc. The whole is unified by a white border and is only slightly lumpy due to the combinations of so many types of fibers and has been machine washed and dried without warping or shrinking. This blanket which rid me of a great box of yarn is my favorite throw for reading in the winter.

These easy projects can be done while watching television and made shorter by the use of large crochet hooks or knitting needles. I myself knit and crochet in the evenings while watching a DVD and pedaling an exercise bike. Avoid wasting the money already spent on your yarn and save extra money by making something you would otherwise buy. Some easy rectangular projects are: blankets, pillows, scarves, arm and leg warmers, bags and purses, square pockets or patches for clothing, bed skirt or ruffle, curtain valance.

 

Uses for odd bits of yarn

After you have made useful things out of your yarn, roll the leftovers into neat balls and store them on a basket for miscellaneous use. Some possible uses of yarn remnants are:

• Tie yarn around rolled up paper containing handwritten or typed messages. This is a economical substitute for greeting cards, note cards, and gift tags. Insert a sprig of herb or small flower under the yarn for a special touch. 8.5” x 11” papers look fine, but smaller pieces such as 3” x 4” are prettiest.
• Use yarn instead of ribbon to tie around a present. Two strands in related or contrasting colors look very nice.
• Tie around papers such as computer printouts, research papers, poetry and manuscripts to keep them together.
• Use to secure sets of stationary and envelopes for attractive storage on your desk.
• Bind notes, music, recipes, & scrapbooks by threading yarn through punched holes in paper. I use this method to secure sheet music in manila folders. Paper bound this way can be easily added to, reorganized, or taken out for use. Attractive covers can be printed on card stock.
• Crochet trims such as ruffles, lace, or furry cuffs onto plain sweaters and gloves.
• In crafts such as with plastic canvas which can be purchased for about $0.3o a sheet, creating attractive small storage solutions (see monogrammed suitcases pictured).
• Yarn can often substitute for twine and string.
• Stitched with blunt needle to secure braided hair on your head.
• Hang Christmas ornaments or Easter eggs from ceilings, windows, or other places.
• Use as embellishments: threaded through fabric or baskets, in bows, tie closures for clothing and boxes, curtain tiebacks, decorative stitching.
• Holding some desperate broken thing together.
• Replacement shoe laces?

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Originally posted 2008-02-29 15:55:08.

Expansion Difficulty/Complexity: Medium-Easy

This Certificate of Deposit was the second expansion we created for the game (invented by Madoline) of Monopoly. After the Lottopoly (coming soon), I find this to be the most fun. The interest rates are rather high compared to real-life CD’s, but they help to illustrate the point that investing pays off, and it is so much fun watching the money add up.

Objective

To learn the system and benefits of saving and investing via Certificates of Deposit (CD’s).

How to Play

• Download and print the Bank of Monopoly Certificate of Deposit Form (includes rules).
• Banker
  Designate a player to be in charge of CD’s. This person will receive and deposit into the bank the money to be invested, fill out the CD form, keep track of players’ passing of “Go,” calculate interests and penalties, and pay out the earnings from the bank.
• Opening a CD
  Deposit the amount to be invested in the bank and fill in the player’s name, opening balance and term of deposit. The term is the number of “months” or circuits around the board. Deposits may only be made on the turn when a player passes or stops on “Go.” Once a deposit is made and the term is set, it may not be changed.
• Marking off the months
  When a player passes “Go,” the banker marks off a circuit under 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Months. This indicates the passage of time. If a player purchases a CD for 1 month, his account is considered mature after one full circuit of the board. 2 months require 2 full circuits, and 3 months require 3 full circuits.
  Note: Going to jail does not constitute a circuit as one does not pass “Go.”
• Payouts
  When a player passes “Go” for the last time, his/her earnings are calculated and the balance paid out.

Click on the image below to see a sample

Terms

• Interest Rates
  1 Month = 10%
  2 Months = 30%
  3 Months = 60%
• Penalty for early withdrawal
  $50 per month. If a player makes a deposit for 3 months but must withdraw it after only 1 month due to need for cash (to pay rent, taxes, etc.), he is charged a total of $100 dollars early withdrawal penalty and earns no interest.

Additional Notes

• There is no limitation as to the number of CD’s a player may have open at any time.
• CD’s may only be opened on the turn in which a player passes or lands on “Go.”
• A player may opt to immediately re-invest the closing balance of a CD by opening a new one.
• Early withdrawal requires complete withdrawal. If the player wishes to invest a smaller amount, he must wait until he passes “Go” and open a new CD.
• Tip: Use a different color pencil or pen for each player when players open multiple deposits.

Visit OurFourpenceWorth.com/Monopoly for more Money Management and Investment Monopoly Expansions!

The Monopoly game is copyrighted by Parker Brothers, a subsidiary of Hasbro. All expansions are original creations by Our Fourpence Worth and shared for personal use only.
Commercial use of these rules, forms and images is prohibited.

Related posts:

• July 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• August 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Monopoly Game Expansion #2: Personal Checking Account
• Monopoly Game Expansion #1: Personal Savings Account
• Monopoly Game Expansion #5: Income Tax Edition

Originally posted 2008-06-25 06:00:16.

Some objects do not need any modification to take on the new role of cabinet. For example, I have for many years used a faux antique birdcage to store attractive books. I also have an attractive wire puppy crate that is no longer in use which could store and display childhood stuffed animals. Other things can be become cabinets with simple additions and changes. Wooden boxes can have lids attached with hinges or wire. An unused aquarium can be polished or painted with glass paint and given an improvised lid. I have often contemplated the potential of spiral bindings from old notebooks to serve as hinges and have yet to try it.

Because looking expensive is not our first priority, my sister and I have a hobby of making cabinets from pine boards, scraps of plywood, and found items. These handcrafted cabinets can be used alone, stacked, mounted to a wall or placed on shelves and furniture. They add whimsy to our rooms and are ideal places to stash things which would otherwise accumulate on horizontal surfaces. Please allow me to introduce a few of our favorite cabinets.

 

• The blue and white cabinet which we call “Little Paisley” is decorated with 2 pretty note cards received in the mail, framed with lace and varnished. The handle is twisted wire. It holds rolls of paper for drawing.
• The yellow cabinet has a glass door made with a picture frame from a thrift shop and decorated with a scrap of velvet and fringe. It currently resides near the piano and contains songbooks.
• The white cabinet with star appliqués holds bags of polyester fill and sewing supplies. It also has a twisted wire handle.
• The “Kennel” cabinet with wire doors contains infrequently read books and 3 miniature dogs which my real dog used to steal off my shelf. I meant to buy wire for the doors but decided to use some more of the big coil of wire we already had. Instead of hinges, I hammered dowels into drilled holes. I don’t mind the slight crookedness.
• The littlest cabinet with the pink interior has a birthday card glued and varnished to the door. This one keeps my bedroom closet pretty by holding odd items such as lotion and rubbing alcohol. My bedroom closet is actually my personal library (my sister and I keep our clothes in the master bedroom) so this cabinet also serves as a bookend.

We are very fond of our cabinets for their flaws and individuality. They are versatile and easily change location or purpose as needed. Those who like projects of this sort should assign drawers or containers (or cabinets) for the purpose of tidily accumulating materials. Potentially useful items are:

• Greeting cards people have sent you. These are often rather expensive and should be given a permanent use.
• Any paper with tasteful patterns or artwork for decoupage. Old calenders can be recycled here.
• Attractive things that are inherently useless, fallen or broken off other items: silk or plastic flowers, miniature and doll house items, buttons, charms, rope, ribbon, pebbles, puzzle pieces, playing cards, party favors, old hair accessories, non-genuine jewelry, etc. Just about anything you fancy that can be affixed by glue will do.
• Things that can serve as door knobs or handles: large beads, teacup or mug handles, ceramic figurines, chess pieces, golf balls, small thread spools, interesting caps from perfume or cosmetic bottles, anything that is easy to grab and pull. Handles can be entirely decorative or absent if you wish.
• Potentially interesting doors are: old picture frames, wire shelving from small refrigerators and ovens, actual doors apparently fallen off other furniture or houses, art on canvas or in frames, book covers abducted from large old books (make sure the book is truly badly conceived, badly written, and in bad condition before harming it!), anything relatively flat and attachable. If you find a great door, make a cabinet to fit it.

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Originally posted 2008-02-28 15:39:39.

Looking for Blog Carnival Hosts

We are looking for personal finance, frugal and green living bloggers to host editions such as this starting October 22, 2009. Hosting a carnival is a good way to gain traffic to your blog, so if you are a blogger and are interested in hosting, please visit the hosting guidelines page to learn more and apply.

Now on with the carnival!

I thought I’d celebrate Fall TV Premiere month with a stroll down memory lane of one of my favorite shows from my college days, Friends. Thanks to TheWb.com, I am now able catch up on the last few seasons which I have yet to see because we stopped getting cable in 2001.

Below are a few clips from this great show. Enjoy!

Editor’s Picks

• Fiscal Fizzle presents 7 Ways to Find Your Financial Heart.
• Budgets Are Sexy presents Finance is really not that complicated.
• Get Rich Slowly presents Sweating the Big Stuff.
• Man Vs. Debt presents Negotiation Tips For Beginners.

Frugality

• Suburban Dollar presents Be Frugal, Not Cheap.
• Pay Less For Food presents Nine Simple Ways to Avoid Supermarket Impulse Purchases.
• Modern Tightwad presents Updated: Top Fifteen Garage Sale Rules.
• The Financial blogger presents 4 Tricks to Save Money on Groceries: How to Cut Your Grocery Bills by 20% while being lazy.

Jobs, Income & Economy

• Bible Money Matters presents Dealing With A Job Loss: What To Do When You’re Laid Off.
• Gather Little By Little presents What I Don’t Like About Mary Kay and other Multi Level Marketing (MLM) Companies.
• Christian Finances presents 25 top careers without a degree .
• Darwin’s Finance presents Best Places to Work: Surprising Survey Results and Analysis.
• The Happy Rock presents Necessity vs Luxury: Research Shows That The Economy Shapes Our Perspective.
• Don’t Quit Your Day Job… presents The Minimum Wage Mistake.

Debt, Credit & Loans

• PT Money presents 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards: Using them Effectively.
• The Digerati Life presents Secured Credit Cards To Boost Your Credit.
• Banker, Saver presents Compare Auto Loan Financing Options Before Buying A Car.
• The Smarter Wallet presents Avoid Bankruptcy! Information To Help You Stay Afloat.
• Money Help For Christians presents Good Debt vs. Bad Debt.
• Financial Highway presents Basics of Credit Score and Credit Report and How often to Check.

Saving & Investing

• Bargaineering presents Roth IRA Account Explained.
• Free From Broke presents 9 Reasons You Need An Online High Yield Savings Account.
• My Dollar Plan presents Writing Bylaws for Your Investment Club.
• Go To Retirement presents Asset Allocation Strategies and Online Calculators.
• Good Financial Cents presents Understanding Your Beneficiary Options for IRA’s and 401k’s.
• Investing Toolkit presents Facing Investment Risks: Watch Your Money!

Well, this wraps it up for today’s carnival. Be sure and submit to next week’s edition which will be hosted at Fiscal Fizzle.

Thanks for stopping by!

Related posts:

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• Pecuniary Links ~ August 2009 #1

I have some news today. Since the demise of the PF Bloggers group to which I use to belong, I had been thinking about starting a new group, which I did a couple of weeks ago. It’s called Pecuniary Associates, and consists of 6 blogs:

1. Pecuniarities
2. Living Well On Less
3. Financial Nut
4. Counting My Pennies
5. Greener Pastures
6. The Passive Dad

(I have decided to cap recruitment for now in order for us to start getting to know one another and see how we work together, and therefore am no longer looking for additional members at this time.)

A few things we will be doing which you will see here at Pecuniarities:

• Recommending posts from each others’ blogs that we think will be interesting or useful to our readers
• Participating in group and community writing projects in which we will each share our viewpoints and experiences on certain topics
• Community writing projects in which we will invite all personal finance bloggers to participate

So keep an eye out for our first group writing project!

Now on to this week’s roundup.

From Pecuniary Associates

• Counting My Pennies tells a tale of frustration in Friends and money don’t mix.
• Financial Nut reports his experience with fraudulent activity on his credit card this week. This is a good reminder that we can never be too careful and must remain vigilant in regularly checking our statements.
• Living Well On Less offers a suggestion I’d be more than eager to follow if I was ever faced with renting and moving again (but never will because I am determined to never move again unless I want to.) Moving on a budget? Consider staying where you are
• The Passive Dad offers 10 ways to deal with financial stress, something we can all use.
• Greener Pastures advises to just use a little less.

Elsewhere in the PF Blogosphere

• The Paycheck Chronicles offers some tips for Laundry on the Cheap.
• Free From Broke asks: Is Saving 8 to 12 Months Expenses Even Possible Or Practical? I say, definitely.
• Wise Bread advocates Borrowing, renting, substituting, and doing without

Blog Carnivals

We’d like to thank the following hosts for including us in their recent blog carnivals:

• Money Ning hosted Money Hacks Carnival #55 – Thank You Edition which included my post:
  Who’s to Blame for Your Spending? You or You?

• Green Panda Treehouse hosted Carnival of Personal Finance #196: Music Edition which included my post:
  Financial Lent: A Frugal Fast to See What You Can Live Without

Another Reminder

Personal finance, frugal and green living bloggers:

If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to submit your best post and apply to host an edition of the Carnival of Pecuniary Delights and enter the giveaways for some really cute Piggy Bank Magnets which we just received in the mail and look even better in real life than onscreen!

That wraps it up for today, which incidentally is my birthday, so off to party I go! (Before your imagination runs away with you, by “party” I mean watching Sense and Sensibility (and/or another Jane Austen film) on DVD and consuming copious amounts of fish n’ chips.)

Related posts:

• Pecuniary Links ~ August 2009 #1
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #19
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #3
• Interesting Reads from Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers
• Interesting Reads From Fellow Personal Finance Bloggers #18

OK, I know the word “meme” is supposed to be a noun, but I couldn’t help myself. If you know my blog’s name, you know that I love to play with words. I coined – pun intended – the word “pecuniarities” one night and just had to change my blog’s name. Besides, if “friend” can be used as a verb these days (“friend me on facebook!”), then it can’t be too long before “meme” becomes a verb.

But anyways, my new blogging associate, Trevor the Financial Nut, has tagged me for “7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me” and I figure it can’t hurt for fellow bloggers and readers to know 7 more things about me that aren’t already on our About pages.

First here’s how it works:

“7 Things You Didn’t Know About Me” Meme Rules

1. Link to your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.
2. Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged.

7 Things You Didn’t Know About Penelope Pince

1) I once wanted to be a jockey.
When I was young, I was “horse crazy.” I read every horse book I could get my hands on, both fiction and non-fiction, and the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley was my favorite. When it became evident that I wouldn’t be suited for a career as a jockey (I’m big boned), I decided I’d be a racehorse trainer. Now I own a dog and horse costuming business.

2) I used to be a surfaholic.
Checking the surf report before bed, getting up at 4:00AM, donning bathing suit and surf shorts despite the cold, jumping into freezing water (OK, freezing by my definition is probably “temperate” to anyone who didn’t grow up in Hawaii) and catching waves at sunrise = Heaven on Earth.

3) I love Caesar salad.
Especially with lots of creamy garlicky dressing, crunchy croutons, grilled chicken, avocado, freshly grated parmesan and ground black pepper. Whenever we used to eat out, I always odered Caesar salad if it was on the menu, regardless of the restaurant’s specialty. My very favorite Caesar Salad was at a place called Pizza Bob’s in Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu.

4) I have perfect pitch.
This means that if you were to play a note on an [in-tune] instrument, I could tell you what note it was without looking at the instrument or having previously been given a point of reference. Some say this is a curse that ruins your ability to appreciate music, but I don’t know any other way of hearing or playing music and can’t imagine what it would be like without it.

5) I like to whistle.
I whistle along to movie soundtracks (sometimes while watching a movie), concertos,  sonatas, instrumental segments of songs and pretty much any music that I can’t sing to. This drives Madoline batty, becuase it also includes while she’s playing the piano or singing, but I often don’t know I’m doing it. And I don’t always whistle the main melody; being a mezzo-soprano (vocal), I sometimes whistle harmony.

6) I was named after a song.
Not Penelope Pince (pen name), but my real-world name. I’m not telling what song or what name, but I will tell you the song was by Bread. I must say my mother had pretty good taste – in music and in names. I didn’t like it when I was young because it used to be a boy’s name and people always got it wrong, but now I’ve learned that it’s not so bad to have a unique name.

7) I am an obsessive compulsive-Type A-perfectionist.
It takes me about 2-4 hours to write and polish up a blog post  (large posts like my Frugal Valentine’s Gifts/Dates, Free Online Video Websites and Consumer Safety posts took days). I can’t rest until I am sure that I haven’t left out anything relevant, that there are no typos, grammatical errors, extra spaces, etc., and I still always manage to find something to fix after the post is published. This is not a trait I would recommend to anyone who desires a carefree existence with lots of sleep.

My 7 Tags

If I’m tagging you, it’s because I’ve gotten to know you a little through blogging or social networking (i.e. we’ve commented on each other’s blogs a few times lately, we’ve emailed, chatted on forums or twitter, etc.) and I would like to get to know you a little better. If I didn’t tag you, please don’t be offended as the limit is 7, and I’ll catch you some other time around!

1. Mrs. Micah
2. Living Well On Less
3. The Paycheck Chronicles
4. Single Guy Money
5. Bible Money Matters
6. Free From Broke
7. Budgets Are Sexy

That’s it. This was the first meme I’ve done and it was quite fun. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Related posts:

• Friday Fun: Calvin and Hobbes Lemonade Stand Economics Lesson & WSJ Giveaway Reminder
• March 2008 Finance and Frugality Blog Carnivals
• Carnival of Pecuniary Delights No. 12: Catch a Wave Edition
• Car Trouble: Watch Out for Those Pesky Wabbits
• Thank you!