Posts by knowan

Oh, I've set up monitors for the visually impaired before, as well as Dragon Naturally Speaking.  That's why I put a link to the CNIB in this post.  I've also donated computer equipment to the Brain Injury Association, and have built and set up computers for them as well.

I just found it weird that almost no one in my office caught on, as well as a little bit sad that one person was hiding her monitor..

The English first came to Ireland at around 1171 (other than a few raids), but power passed back and forth between the English and the Irish for the next few centuries.  The Irish never really consolidated around a single king, so whenever they would push back the English they would start fighting amongst themselves, allowing the English to regroup and form alliances.  So it kind of see-sawed back and forth for hundreds of years.

I just learned that "beyond the Pale" refers to a time when the English were pushed back to just one town (Dublin) and the surrounding valley (the Pale).  They had no power and their law was unenforceable "beyond the Pale".

I already knew that Dublin was founded by the Vikings, who were a real power for about 300 years before the English, but kind of gradually got absorbed into the Irish culture (especially after accepting Christianity).

I did not know that the Celts and the Druids didn't arrive in Ireland until 430 BC.  I thought that they had always been there, kind of evolving spontaneously.  But no, they invaded as well.

As for budgeting, you have to start with your history.  Get a print-out of the last 6 months of your credit card and bank statements.  Open up excel and divide everything into major groups:  food, transportation, clothing, entertainment (and put eating out in the entertainment section) and other/cash for stuff where you can't quite figure out just where it went.

Put in another row for interest paid on debt and fees (such as ATM and banking fees).  This one is strictly informational.

Oh yeah, also put in your (net) income.  That's after-tax.

Next divide everything by 6 and you'll get your monthly expenses.

You'll be surprised by the results.

Next we need to add 2 new rows, label them debt repayment and retirement.

I think you know what to do from here.  Want to be debt-free in 5 years?  Figure out how much you'll need to divert from your other rows.  Be realistic.  Don't zero out the other/cash row, you'll need that later.

Finally throw away (or at least lock up) your credit cards and debt cards.

Use your columns to find out what your new budget is per week for each row.  Take that out in cash at the beginning of the week, less what you have set up for automatic payments from your bank account.  Use only that cash for the week.  It might be helpful here to separate the money into envelopes, one for each row.

You want to go out for dinner, but your entertainment budget for this week is only $5.15?  You'll have to "steal" money from one of the other envelopes, or else start saving up money over several weeks and "stuffing" that envelope.

And now for the other/cash row.  Little emergencies pop up every now and then.  I mean sure, your roofing shingles need to be replaced every 20 years, but who saves up $200/year every year over the course of 20 years to pay for their new roof?  Your hot water boiler will probably conk out in less than 10 years.  Are you saving up for that?  Your car will need new tires every 3 years, and an oil change at least every six months, and a brake job roughly every 2 years.  Have you planned for any of this?  And what about when your car is too expensive to repair and you need to get a new one?

That's where other/cash comes in.  It's an emergency fund that you can dip into.  Unlike the other rows this one goes into a bank account (separate from your regular account).  You can take money from this account to pay for big things, like a new computer (every 3 years), a new couch or stove, a new roof, etc. but it's not to be used for day-to-day expenses.  That's why you locked up/destroyed your credit/bank cards.  You can't make this easy to access or else that money will flow through your fingers instead of accumulating for an emergency.

If you get leftover money at they end of the week from any of your envelopes, well, you can figure out what to do with it.  Keep it in the envelope to roll-over to next week, move it to a different envelope for a special treat, or put in into your debt repayment or retirement.

As for debt repayment, pay off the highest interest first, and just pay the minimum on everything else.  When that loan's paid off then shift to the next highest interest.  Do not include your mortgage, that should always remain fixed (at least until you're up for renewal).

My number one money saving tip is to create an emergency fund. 

Sure you can save pennies by using coupons and a dollars a day by making your own coffee, but what happens when your car breaks down or your hot water tank leaks?  If you don't have any money set aside for emergencies then you're back on the credit card to pay for it all, racking up 28.8% interest.

I get a certain small amount of money deposited into a savings account every paycheque.  It's not very much at all (I recently raised it from $20 to $40 every 2 weeks).  I do not have a debit card for this account, so the only way for me to access these funds is to go into the bank and request a withdrawal at the teller, so there's no way for me to impulse buy with it.

This small amount adds up over time.  Every January I take out all funds over $1000 and make payments on my credit cards (that's when Christmas bills are due anyway).  Then I always have at least $1000 in emergency funds.  It's saved me when the transmission fell out of the car, when my son caught my stove on fire, at at many other times.

Sure you could put $20 or $40 extra on your credit card instead, but when an emergency happens and you need to spend it's absolutely devastating to see all your hard work, all the money you paid down for the last year to suddenly evaporate.  To be back to square one after a year of scrimping and saving and squeezing those pennys until they squealed, and then to have it all wiped out in the blink of an eye.  At least with an emergency fund you can give yourself a smug look of satisfaction and say "Hey, I planned for in case something like this happened.  I'll be alright".

*sigh* the deeper you dig, the more you want to stop.  Charles Ramsey, who is hailed as a hero for rescuing the girls, has himself been arrested 3 times for domestic abuse.  He has served jail time for it as well.

Here's an interview with his daughter.

Also, he was brought up on charges of beating his ex-wife, breaking her nose twice, dislocating both shoulders, knocking out her tooth, cracking her skull, putting her in a box and threatening to kill her and his daughters.  The charges were later dismissed.

The original A&F went bankrupt in 1988.  Mike Jeffries took over and transformed it to what it is today (he's the one that made the quote that started this post).

You ever see photos of Mike Jeffries?  He's 68 and has had A LOT of work done to try to keep up a youthful appearance.  He looks kind of frankensteinish now.

On a side note, he's flamingly gay (which probably explains the half-dressed male models?).  He also gets his household staff from the same company that supplies his male models, and they have a strict dress (or undressed) code.

I guess it's good to be the king (or CEO).

Be aware though, that when you check off olives they're calculating for 2 olives on a 6 inch and 4 on a footlong.  I don't know of any subway that gives you only that amount.  Other than the olives it's pretty accurate.

You all sound like you're surprised.  Like you've never heard of fashion marketing before?

This stuff is rampant.  Most clothing chains try to carve out a niche for themselves.

Hell, even car companies do it.  Scion markets itself to the young and hip.  GM discontinued the Oldsmobile faceplace because no one under 50 was buying them.  And every maker has a luxury brand (Lexus, Acura, etc) that's marketed only to the rich and upwardly mobile.

If you object to exclusionary marketing then stop buying stuff, cause seriously its everywhere.

Original Post by theviewfromhere:

thanks, iggs. i'll put a call out to my geeks (i don't really have any geeks )

No geeks?  What a boring and unfulfilled life you must lead.