Shop Smart

Have you seen this magazine?I browsed through a copy at the store this afternoon but couldn’t get over its $5.99 pricetag. (!) Just now, I went online to see what I could read about it, and this is what I found: Created by Consumer Reports, Shop Smart is targeted towards women, as a money-conscious mag. It’s filled with research on products and services. Though you can’t find the actual magazine online, CR does have a shopping blog, which showcases much of the same info.

Biblical finance 6: You’re either productive or destructive.

Proverbs 18:9 Whoever is slack in his work
is a brother to him who destroys.

chugging along

Aside from the first-date blues and a busy workweek, life’s been pretty good lately. Probably any one of these things could be individual posts, but, for the sake of time, I’m lumping them together: First off, I’m happy with my budgeting software (thanks to everyone who offered input!). I was pleased to find that most programs offer free trials, so I experimented with a couple before landing on the right one for me. Right now at least, I’m using Budget. I like allocating my money pre-spending. It makes me feel free to spend, rather than scared to spend.

I saw No Reservations this morning, for only $5. My local theater offers the discounted rate before noon, even on Saturdays! Good thing, because aside from the inspiring food and envy-producing real estate of the main character, the movie was altogether predictable and cheesy.

The Boston plans continue. We’ve managed to book three nights in hotels and our airfare for a total of $91 each. My brother’s scoped out restaurants and sites to visit: we’re making the rounds downtown, at Harvard and at some other places. I love that he has the time to plan it, and I love that it’s only five weeks away.

Work’s busy, but good. I’ve officially hired two assistants, and they’re starting next week. (Yet another new experience for this novice manager.) I’m leading a team of a few dozen freelancers, and that’s already come with its fair share of heartache. Freelancer K, for example, has a lot of experience and has connections in the company. She was the first one I set up to use. K’s writing is fine, but her personality is hard to handle. For one small $20 assignment, she called/e-mailed me five times. She has since left me voicemails with “Hi. This is K. Give me a call.” This week, she got through to me and demanded to know why I’m not using her. The woman is pushy, assertive and obnoxious. My boss told me to stop using her; he says I need to toughen up, and he’s right, I know. But K tells me about her financial problems and how her son just had surgery. Then she has her friend call another manager to put in a good word. Drama, drama, drama.

Overall, I’m happy. Work’s good, the weather’s good, my savings are good. Just chugging along.

The Cost of Dating

I know, I know: this is supposed to be a personal finance blog. I should be writing about money and spending and 401Ks.

Well, this post is a little different. Indulge me this one time, will you? I promise to return to topic soon; in fact, I even promise to tie this in with money, in a way. Tonight, I just need an anonymous outlet, so here goes:

I went on a blind date Tuesday. I say blind, but actually, we’d both seen the other’s photo. We’d e-mailed a few quick times–short, little notes of “How does 6 sound?” and so on. We’d decided to meet for coffee after work. He drove over an hour to meet me; I drove two blocks from my building. I got there first; he’d hit traffic. When we’d both arrived, we shook hands, introduced ourselves officially and walked to the counter.

Girls, how would you handle this situation? Do you assume the guy will pay? Do you get out money? One doesn’t wish to seem a gold-digger, but making the guy feel like you’re too independent to let him pay is weird too.

I pulled out my wallet. He didn’t stop me–not that he should have–and I ordered a tea. Taking our drinks, we sat down and settled in to chat. Two hours went by pretty quickly. About an hour in, I said, “Well, this was fun,” and picked up my purse, thinking he might want to go. He didn’t budge. I’m in no hurry, he said.

We talked about our families, our backgrounds, our jobs. He asked lots of questions: he wanted to know what kind of food I liked and what my favorite restaurant was. (All, I assumed, for future dating purposes.) He said the commute was worth it to meet me, and he’d had a great time. Then we said goodbye, and we left. I had a good time; I liked him.

Today he sent me a note: Thanks for the great talk yesterday. I think you’re a wonderful person. Enjoy your summer!

Or something like that. The last sentence, at least, is an exact quote.

What am I to make of this? Not to sound like one of those old, bitter types, but this minor rejection hurts a little. Maybe everyone experiences something like this, but I’m left questioning all my actions. Should I have let him pay? Should I have talked less/more? Maybe he didn’t think I was pretty enough–but then, he had seen my photo–was he disappointed with the real-life me? What else can I assume when he says I’m a “wonderful person” but then wishes to not meet again?

We just had one date–not even a date, really. We don’t know each other that well. This is not the end of the world, I know. But it’s a taste I dislike. Putting yourself out there, dating, being vulnerable enough to talk about your life with someone you just meet, and then knowing the person may never speak to you again.

I just wanted to tell someone.

Biblical finance 5: Give to the poor.

In addition to its advice on giving in general, Proverbs is packed full of verses that speak specifically to helping the poor.

14:31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker,
but he who is generous to the needy honors him.

19:17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will repay him for his deed.

21:13 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor
will himself call out and not be answered.

28:27 Whoever gives to the poor will not want,
but he who hides his eyes will get many a curse.

Last Christmas, a friend of mine was a Salvation Army bell-ringer–online.  She sent out e-mails to people, saying she was collecting money in an online red can, so to speak, and the money when to SA. I thought that was a pretty cool idea. Do any of y’all have other favorite charities that help the poor? I’d really like to set up a regular monthly donation to an organization like that.

why I love rewards cards or, I’m going to Boston!

My brother and I were talking last week about going somewhere for Labor Day: New York City, San Francisco, Providence or maybe Boston. We kept talking about it, throwing out ideas of what we could do in each place–what we wanted to see or visit or, mainly, eat. Finally we just decided: we’re going to Boston. I have always wanted to go to New England, but the closest I’ve gotten was Pennsylvania or New York City.

After we’d chosen the location, we began discussing pricing. There’d be the flight, easily a few hundred each. Then the hotel accommodations (unless we opted for a hostel–not as exciting in America as in Europe, I think; or a B&B–not exactly a sibling kind of trip). On top of those expenses, we’d have to pay for food and transportation within the city and not to mention shopping.

Then Brother and Dad got talking. They share a credit card–just the two of them, for a variety of reasons–that has been earning points for quite a while. Every now and then they’ve checked it, when Dad wanted to buy a new camera, for example, but have never used any of the points. Just for kicks, Brother checked flight options.

Chicago to Boston, round-trip for both of us: no cost. Yeah for rewards points! On top of which, we’ll get a free hotel night, at a great place in a ritzy neighborhood.

As if it couldn’t get better, my gracious father offered his points from another card. He has no plans to use them, and he’s happy to let us: another almost-free hotel night, at a place conveniently right by the airport.

If you’re keeping track, this means we will pay $40/each for the first hotel night, regular price for the second and nothing for the flight and third hotel. Let’s say the second night costs $200 ($100/each), which I don’t expect it to. That means I’d be paying $140 for a great weekend, plus food/shopping/subways. That’s the kind of vacation I like!

Biblical finance 4: Listen to wise counsel.

Proverbs 13:18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction,
but whoever heeds reproof is honored.

I think it’s safe to say that most everyone in the pf blogging community listens to wise counsel–beyond the simple reading of other blogs and skimming financial magazines/books, I’ve heard bloggers talk about advice from parents, teachers, bosses and friends.

For me, this particular principle seems fairly easy to follow. A lot of what I know about money–well, OK, probably just about everything I know about money–has come through someone else, be it my dad or my friends or the Internet.  And while I’m on the subject, let me say how much I’ve enjoyed this financial bloging world. It’s already been a valuable resource for knowing what budget software to use, how to invest my money and how to advise a friend. So thanks.

etsy my heart out

On this Saturday, I woke up early, hoping to avoid the mad lines and crowds at the mall by being there when it opened. Stuff around the house distracted me, so I didn’t end up going until around 11:30 AM, but that was still earlier than a usual Saturday morning, so it was OK. I found a couple shirts ($7 each, JCPenney), a cute dress ($20, Target) and a baby-blue tank top ($3, clearance at Target). But I’d just had it in my head that I wanted a cute bag of some sort, to carry my lunches and various paperwork to work every day. Right now, I schlep a paper Maggiano’s bag or my Barnes & Noble sling, along with my purse for the day.

I didn’t find anything while I was out, so I searched a little on eBay. Found a lot of brand name purses, but nothing I loved.

Then I went to etsy. Independent crafters and designers set up little shops on etsy and sell their products. You’ll find one-of-a-kind purses, artwork, jewelry, etc. And I found this, for about $45. It’s well within my budget, big enough to hold all my stuff and it’s in black and white, the colors I wear most often. Score!

when your friend is taken advantage of

I have a friend who is a private school teacher; last year, her salary was $20K. To supplement her income, she’s spending the summer nannying/tutoring, for a family whose daughter may transfer to Friend’s institution. The little girl is five. She’s cute as a button, fairly obedient and tons of fun. My friend really enjoys hanging out with the kid. Sometimes they go to a pool, sometimes they visit the library, sometimes they stay home and do school work. It sounds like a great set up, and that’s exactly what I told Friend when she told me about starting this, back in June.

Here’s the thing: that’s not all Friend does.

In addition to babysitting and tutoring, my friend does this family’s laundry and cleans their house. She’s told to mop the floors and do the dishes while Kid sleeps. The family asks her to cook sometimes, and they often don’t reimburse her for outside activities (preapproved activities).

And the worst part? for full-time hours, Friend is being paid $600/month.

I’ve been telling her this isn’t right and encouraging her to talk to the parents, which she has. They tell her they have no money, they need to take on another job, they don’t know how they’ll pay their bills. Forgive me for judging, but they’ve been on THREE vacations already this summer. Maybe the money could’ve been spent more wisely.

I talked with Friend tonight, and she’s at a new low. The mom, after belittling my friend and mocking her appearance and race (!), told Friend that her sub-par nannying skills are OK in this laid-back family. “Other people would expect a lot more,” she told my friend.

I feel so helpless in this situation. Since I have met this family before and have a way to contact them, I’m half tempted to give them a piece of my mind. Friend doesn’t think that’s a good idea. If anyone’s going to say anything, it should be her, she says. But she won’t do it–not in a real, up-front way. She apologizes for not cleaning enough or taking too many day trips (all which were OKed by the parents and, did I mention that the cleaning wasn’t mentioned in the agreement?) and excuses their obnoxious behavior. What can I do? Nothing. Nothing but tell my friend this is ridiculous and she needs to stand up for herself.

It’s a horrible feeling.

i am:

The blogger who inspired me to start This Writer’s Wallet, English Major, tagged me in the eight-random-things meme going around lately. Here are some random facts about moi:

1. Before their seasons ended, I watched LOST and Gilmore Girls religiously.
2. Today at work, I was interviewed by an FBI agent; apparently, a friend of mine from college is applying for some kind of security clearance.
3. If I could go anywhere, it’d be Prague.
4. Last June, I took the LSAT and came really close to attending law school.
5. I love, love, love rainy days.
6. The first time I was ever paid for an article, I made $30. I wanted to frame the check.
7. Today is my ex-boyfriend’s birthday. It’s weird how you remember those things.
8. I’m still getting used to the fact that I don’t answer phones or makes copies for my job. It could be a while before it fully sinks in.

Since I’d like to know more about them, I tag: Stealth Wealth, NIU Princess, Kim, Her Every Cent Counts and SF Girl.