I’ve started the new quarter with the Accounting series for business degrees in my area. My likelihood of staying is contingent upon if I can pay for everything and have the time/focus to keep up my grades. The instructor seems very nice, knowledgeable, and accessible which puts points towards me staying. Spending $150 on a used textbook less so. He did make an interesting statement about how one of his colleagues some years back had put together a budget so he could retire at 45. Apparently his friend is still retired in his 50’s using what he had learned in accounting, so I hope I can make something work out for me.
Archive for September, 2009
Accounting 201
Wednesday, September 30th, 2009Car repairs
Friday, September 25th, 2009I’ve been delaying taking the car in for maintenance as cash has been tight. I know I need to because it will save a lot of money in the long run. I did learn how to fix my brakes and change the tires over the summer, but I still don’t know how to change the oil or the various filters. I’d like to do the 60k service and rotate the tires as well as a few other things, but I don’t know what to prioritize. Lack of car knowledge strikes again!
Most of my fear is I don’t know how much things will cost, which is spurring me to inaction, as it were. I should bite the bullet and get an estimate at the very least, and then ask around to see what I need to prioritize. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, after all.
Bank of America backs off on fees
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009So it looks like Bank of America is responding to the national mood andbacking off on their fees. Having been walloped on more than one occasion, I would appreciate a change for the better. The fees seem excessive for what amounts to a very short-term loan, and I’m not a fan of the “punishment” strategy for those who spend more than they have. It would be nice if cards would automatically decline purchases when you don’t have enough to spend, and it seems that they are making concessions in that direction as well.
One thing about Bank of America’s overdraft strategy was to send the bigger items through first. This benefited the customer in that large payments like rent and car payments would be the first to clear. However, customers would then get hit with a bunch of fees for any smaller transactions that cleared as well. For example, with a $1000 balance and a $1000 rent check, $25 purchase, $10 purchase, and $3 miscellaneous purchase, the check would clear first, followed by the other three items in descending order resulting in $105 in fees. If the transactions were processed in the other order, the smaller ones would clear before the balance was negative with only $35 in fees.
This doesn’t affect debit cards so much as checks, and it sounds like they’ll allow a certain amount of overdrafts per account per year before warning the customer and restricting overdrafts for the rest of the year. I hope this doesn’t mean they’ll end up with bounced rent checks, but I don’t think Bank of America is known for their generosity and will likely look to make up the lost revenue elsewhere.
Cheap workout ideas part II
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009Staying healthy and slim can save you a lot in health care costs in the long run. Luckily, you don’t need to spring for a gym membership. Here are a few cheap ideas to get started on the fitness train.
Jump rope: You can usually get these for under $10. There is a learning curve, so take it slowly to start. After a few weeks of practice for perhaps 20 minutes a day, you should be able to get a fantastic workout. I find jumping rope to be a very efficient workout as there is full-body intensity. I might only recommend against it if you feel the shock is too much for your knees due to weight or other issues.
Swimming: If you can access a local pool or body of water, this may be a viable option for you. Swimmer’s tend to have very lithe, fit bodies as the exercise burns a lot of calories and develops a lot of upper-body strength.
Shadow Boxing: You can pull up some videos on the on the internet and find a few combos to work with intensity, as well as pointers on technique. You could even spring for pads and gloves for a one-time investment without having to pay for a gym membership. Bodyweight calisthenics with shadow boxing as your rest period makes for a fantastic and cheap workout.
I’ll probably start mapping out more specific workouts that you can try.
An easy side gig
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009I managed to earn $100 by going to a focus group on a new technological product. Due to the NDA I can’t say anymore, but it was easy cash. The group that does the market research also pays for feedback on movies and various other products from their wonderful office in downtown Seattle. I think they only call a few times a year, but it’s easy money for a couple of hours of feedback. They fed me and validated my parking as well, so I don’t know that I would’ve had better plans that evening regardless.
I hope to find more productive ways to spend my days in general. I do manage to work out, but I’d like to spend more time learning, blogging, and earning extra cash. My number one impediment seems to be my tendency to procrastinate, but I suppose that’s always the problem.
The return!
Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009I have returned!
I can’t believe it’s been as long as it has. I have managed to increase my savings account and IRA size, so the time I’ve been gone hasn’t been a waste from the financial side. Additionally, I took a macroeconomics course and got a deeper understanding of the financial world. Deeper being a dip of the toes in the shallow end of a very large pool, but at least I know the pool exists now.
I’ve put in a lot of time training for a fight, so between that, school, and time with the wife I’ve had little time to blog. I hope to better manage my time to succeed in balancing these items, but that’s how it is for everyone.
Until next time.