Opah! Party time! We’re finally getting outta here!! ;)

MAN I can’t tell you how excited we are… 5+ years in a row living in the same place is liable to give any A.D.D./Military folk a stomach ache. It’s time for brighter and greener pastures – woo! And we actually found a home that satisfies BOTH of our major wants, which is great. All the places we’ve been finding only had like 50% of them, or all of mine but  none of the Mrs’, etc. So we got really lucky in the end. Well, if you can call it that – we only looked at like 150 places all over creation ;)

Here was our short list of things that were a *must* in our next home:

• 3 bedrooms (or 2 with an office)
• Walking distance to a downtown area
• Close to at least one family member, preferably a parent
• An older home with lots of “character”!
• Upgraded appliances/bathrooms/AC/kitchen.

So basically – an older house that looks new inside, smack dab near a city center :) For less than $1,700/mo – a tall glass of water for most cities on the East coast (where we wanted to stay, at least for now). Our plan is to live in this new place for just about a year until the wife finishes her dissertation, and then we’ll be moving wherever she gets her first job in her new career. So who knows what’s next on the list?

But for the next 12 months, we’ll be calling Virginia our new home. It was a close call between VA and North Carolina, but in the end the homes and price range (and family locations), favored VA more and the second we saw this place come on the market we grabbed it and locked everything in. We already signed the lease and everything – it’s going so fast!! But I love it…

I mentioned this before, but I haven’t felt this alive in a while – outside the birth of our baby boy, and possibly the day I got fired ;) The old me was GREAT about taking action on something I really wanted – usually within weeks – but it seems lately I let the 1,001 variables of whatever I want get in my way and slow me down… It’s been over TWO YEARS since we’ve wanted to move and we’re only now doing something about it! That’s terrible… I liked the old me much better in regards to that (but not on 99% of other things, haha…)

Here’s what the financials look like on our new place:

• $1,700/mo rent
• $1,700/deposit
• $500 pet deposit

$3,900 in cash right off the start, ugh… But at least we should get back more than half of that come the end of the year – my cat’s antics pending. The funniest part about applying for this place though (outside the 30+ pages we had to fill out, what a joke!) was when they had to call my employer to verify I work there and my pay. I stated clearly that I owned my own business – and thus, work for myself – but I guess they didn’t see that or care and ended up calling myself to check up on, well, myself :) It was awesome. At first I pretended to be “my boss” to be funny, but I think she got more confused than anything, haha… so I gave in and gave her the dirt. Good times, good times…

So now the race is on! We have to pack up faster and faster, and then get our current home ready to be placed on the market to be rented itself. We’re too underwater to sell, and we’re kinda interested in experiencing the whole “renting out your house” deal anyways lately. So my mind is already considering our place an investment property – and I love it!! That means we’ll be able to make smarter decisions in how much we update (or not) our house for future renters and what not. So that research gets pushed to the top of the list too!

Lots to do in a short period of time now, but by this time next month we’ll be all moved in and done :) We were able to push out our move in date to the new home until mid-June, which gives us about a month to get out of here and have it all cleaned up and rented out.

My feeling is we may lose a half-month’s worth of rent, or even a full one, but we’ll be doing our best to knock ‘er all out and cross that finish line ASAP. There’s really no way around it unless we waited to have it rented out first and THEN looked for a home last minute – which was too risky for us. The point of moving is to find an AWESOME place within an awesome location, and we weren’t willing to risk not getting that. Especially when we found the perfect new home for us!

So wish us luck! Times are a changin’, my friends. Gotta pursue those dreams while we can!

————–
PS: You know what this also means?? We still get to watch and cheer on our REDSKINS every weekend! Woohoo! I promise that wasn’t a factor though, we’re not THAT hardcore, haha…

{Photo by Hryck // I need to pick me up one of those shirts!}

(Guest Post by Emily as part of our Side Hustle Series)

I didn’t have much of a choice about becoming a guinea pig for medical research, but maybe that was the intention of my employer? The research institute I worked at created a ready supply of healthy volunteers for its ongoing clinical trials and studies by paying us trainees less than the living wage in one of the more expensive counties in the US. Where they constantly bombarded us with opportunities to make a little cash on the side.

How I Got Started

My industrious peers realized early on in our fellowship that it made a lot of financial sense to take some time out of our flexible workday to participate in these studies to supplement our base pay. I had some trepidation about participating in the trials, so at first I only signed up to receive emails about the opportunities after talking to several previous participants and a peer who was conducting a study.

I then started volunteering infrequently and arriving early or staying late at work, and eventually I was able to fit in enough hours over a few months to actually earn $1,000. Believe it or not, there are even people whose primary income comes from participating in clinical studies!

How Much I Made

I had one rule regarding the kinds of studies I would participate in: I didn’t put anything in my body (no drugs).  If you want to do that sort of thing you can get paid big bucks but that was a level of invasiveness I wasn’t comfortable with.

I therefore mostly participated in psychology studies for about $40/hour, which was fine by me because they were pretty entertaining! I did several computer-based ones that were basically just looking at images or words and clicking responses.  I always liked to try to guess at the researcher’s hypothesis based on what they were asking me.

The best money I earned was doing fMRI studies, which involved lying in an MRI for 1.5-2 hours and responding to questions or images by moving my thumb over a pair of buttons (I actually found the MRI machines soothing and even soporific, not claustrophobic!). As a woman of childbearing age, I was also paid to take pregnancy tests before each session. I made $120 for 2-2.5 hours of my time for each fMRI I did.

There was one study that my coworker participated in but that I was excluded from: You lived on campus for a week (no problem for us as we were free to work during the day), received free food, and were paid $1,000 – all for the slight inconvenience of having your bowel movements monitored.

When I moved from my fellowship at that research institute to graduate school, I was excited to continue participating in clinical studies. I still see many opportunities advertised, but the enormous population of undergraduates on campus holds the going rate for non-invasive studies to about $10/hour. I am much more selective about the studies I participate in now; I am no longer motivated by the money I receive but rather the health information I garner.

Benefits and Drawbacks

My biggest benefit came two years ago when I participated in a study on genetic literacy. I had several SNPs examined and found out that I have a high genetic predisposition for a common disease for which I have little to no family history. Based on that information, I made several lifestyle changes that should reduce my chance of developing the disease.

That information, while perhaps not invaluable, was given to me at a time when I could not afford genetic testing based on my income and the price of the technology.

Benefits

1. You get paid well to do non-taxing activities.
2. You may find out useful medical information, as a direct or indirect result of participating.
3. It can be entertaining, interesting, fun, or educational.

Drawbacks

1. You generally can’t complete studies on your own time or at home, so you need to be at the institution for your appointment during or near normal work hours.
2. There is a fairly direct relationship between pay rate and invasive-ness/inconvenience of the study; therefore, if you are unwilling to be administered drugs or poked and prodded, your hourly rate may not make it worthwhile.
3. Being a guinea pig doesn’t exactly build your resume!
4. You won’t be eligible for every study so your pool may be quite small. Not all studies need healthy volunteers, and some specify age ranges, sex, or certain medical histories.

Where can you find studies and trials?

Participating in the studies will be most convenient if 1) you live or work near an institution that conducts clinical research (universities, hospitals) and 2) you have a nontraditional or flexible work schedule that will enable you to be at the institute for an hour or two during the workday.

Most anyone can sign up as a “healthy volunteer,” but if you have some kind of condition you may find studies on that condition that you can participate in as well – and the therapy may even work!

Most institutes looking for volunteers for their studies will run a website with a database of ongoing trials – just Google the name of the institution and “healthy volunteer” or “clinical trials.” It’s possible that different departments or groups will keep their own email lists of people interested in becoming healthy volunteers too, so you may need to submit your email address to start getting notifications of opportunities.

You may also see paper advertisements for studies posted around your institution of interest. Like with any other networking endeavor, every time you talk with someone who has been a participant, ask her how she found out about the study. And when you participate in a study, ask the researcher how you can get involved with more.

Here are two websites to get you started on your search for clinical trials:

• Clinical Trials
• Paid Clinical Trials

Best of luck making some money with these studies! I recommend that you define your personal boundaries from the outset so you won’t do something you’ll regret when offered a fat wad of cash.

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Guest post by Emily – a 27-year old married PhD student in engineering in North Carolina. Her blog, Evolving Personal Finance, is about thriving on a low income and maintaining financial sanity through life transitions.

PS: Here’s a similar post we ran years ago about getting paid for bodily fluids too ;)
PPS: Wanna share your OWN side hustle with us? Give me a shout!

(Photo of Sir Tomas by kitkatherine / Blinged out by J$)

Okay, here we go – round two of giving away my finance books! Hopefully you or someone you know can use them :) If not, pick the ones out you want and then donate/sell the rest!

And if you missed yesterday’s awesome shelf clearing, be sure to go back and check it out once you’re done entering this giveaway here today…

Here’s what’s in Box #2:

1. Your Money: The Missing Manual by J.D. Roth — What Amazon says: “Keeping your financial house in order is more important than ever. But how do you deal with expenses, debt, taxes, and retirement without getting overwhelmed? This book points the way. It’s filled with the kind of practical guidance and sound insights that makes J.D. Roth’s GetRichSlowly.org a critically acclaimed source of personal-finance advice.”
2. Get Financially Naked by Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar –  What Amazon says: “This inspiring, action-oriented guide helps young women in committed relationships understand and manage their money matters. Complete with charts, graphs, case studies, and tip-based advice, this succinct, straightforward guide speaks to worried women in the same way that made On My Own Two Feet a mega-success.”
3. Millionaire Teacher by Andrew Hallam– What Amazon says: “Most people wouldn’t expect a schoolteacher to amass a million-dollar investment account. But Andrew Hallam did so, long before the typical retirement age. And now, with Millionaire Teacher, he wants to show you how to follow in his footsteps.”
4. Generation Earn by Kimberly Palmer — Amazon says this book is broken into three parts: “Part one centers on the self, covering professional goals, personal spending, debt management, and investing. Part two focuses on creating a home, including renting, mortgages, marriage, and saving for baby. Part three addresses the world at large, including green spending, sustainable donating, and supporting nonprofits. Add it all up and you have a plan for every major decision you’ll have to make to create a successful life.”
5. On a Dollar a Day by Christopher Greenslate and Kerri Leonard — What Amazon says: “What happens when two high school teachers get fed up with their soaring grocery bills and decide to try to feed themselves on one dollar each, per day? Authors Kerri Leonard and Christopher Greenslate describe how they did it–and also include sections about eating on a little more than $4 a day, as well as on the actual costs of eating a healthy diet.”
6. Pocket Your Dollars by Carrie Rocha — What Amazon says: “Rocha uses the lessons she learned overcoming personal debt to teach readers how to triumph over the lies we tell ourselves, such as “I deserve a treat,” “Fake it till you make it,” and “I can’t afford it.” Each chapter uses real-life examples to explain faulty thinking about money, followed by step-by-step instructions for how to overcome these pitfalls.”
7. The Finish Rich Dictionary by David Bach – What Amazon says: “Best-selling author David Bach defines and demystifies the language of finance, giving readers the power to understand their finances, manage their money more effectively, and plan for their future. This compact volume provides clear definitions (with frequent sample sentences and occasional usage notes) for terms such as “adjustable rate mortgage,” “consumer price index,” “Fannie Mae,” “keiretsu,” “Latte factor,” “monetarism,” “narrow money,” “no-load,” “Patriot bond,” “rack rent,” … and “zaibatsu.”"
8. SHOO, Jimmy Choo! by Catey Hill — What Amazon says: “Catey Hill is the online money expert for the Daily News Web site—and author of this humorous, practical “girlfriends guide” to personal finance for 20- and 30-something females. (The ones with the designer shoes…and maxed-out credit cards.) With a hip, “I’ve been there” voice along with worksheets and exercises, she helps women evaluate why they spend, get out of debt, and create a savings and retirement plan that even allows for the occasional splurge.”
9. Rich Dad’s Conspiracy of The Rich by Robert Kiyosaki – What Amazon says: “…CONSPIRACY OF THE RICH is an interactive, “Wiki-style” project in which Kiyosaki has invited feedback, commentary, and questions from readers across the globe… Millions and millions of readers have flocked to the website (www.conspiracyoftherich.com) to read what Robert has to say about the recession, and the readers have posted thousands of comments…”
10. Money Girl’s Smart  Moves to Grow Rich by Laura Adams — What Amazon says: “Millions of people already benefit from the expert advice Laura D. Adams dispenses in her weekly top-rated Money Girl podcast and know firsthand that little changes can lead to big rewards. In this award-winning, practical, and fun guide to personal finance, Laura doesn’t tell you what you can and can not buy with your own hard-earned money; instead, she gives you guidance, tips, and tricks you need to make the most of it…”
11. The Cure for Money Madness by Spencer Sherman — “When financial advisor Spencer Sherman found himself crossing a police line to retrieve his work files from a burning office building, he realized he had money madness. He noticed it in his clients, too: those irrational feelings about money that make otherwise rational adults behave foolishly—buying high, selling low, overspending, lying to their spouses, equating their self-worth with their net worth. Money madness stresses us out, poisons our relationships, and keeps us from making as much money as we can. So Spencer invented the cure. Now, in The Cure for Money Madness, he gives us the tools that have helped thousands of people find greater peace of mind—and make more money.”

Want them?

Similar to yesterday’s giveaway, just answer this question below in the comments and you’ll be automatically entered to win:

How long have you been reading Budgets Are Sexy? (Extra credit: Where did you first hear of this blog, if you can remember?)

GOOD LUCK! I’ll pick the winner this Sunday, May 19th, and will use Random.org to make it fair to everyone…U.S. and Canada residents only, please – it would be a bitch mailing overseas :(

Don’t forget to enter Box Giveaway #1!

————-
PS: Some of these books are also uncorrected advances…

I’m getting better and better about getting rid of stuff! This whole moving thing has really sparked some fire under me, and I’m throwing away stuff left and right – even stuff I like! :) (Well, not *throwing away*, but selling stuff and donating things to nab those tax write-offs/etc…)

One pile I cannot easily give up, however, is my bookshelves full of finance and business books. Half of them even by my own finance friends!  But alas I can’t take everything with me, so one of you lucky s.o.b.s will get a chance to bring them home with you today – straight outta my pimp library :) Which I’ll now have to deconstruct come to think of it, d’oh.

So today we’ll give away half the pile, and then tomorrow the other half. With maybe a third in the future if anyone’s interested in my marketing/business/social media books?

Here’s everything in Box #1:

1. The Simple Dollar by Trent Hamm — What Amazon says: “Trent Hamm found himself drowning in consumer debt, working in a job he couldn’t stand… and figured out how to escape that debt and build the fulfilling career he’d always dreamt about, all at the same time.  He shared his experiences at TheSimpleDollar.com—and built it into one of America’s top personal finance websites. Now, The Simple Dollar is a book packed with practical tips, tools, and lessons you can use to transform your life, too.”
2. Start Over, Finish Rich by David Bach — What Amazon says: “Believe it or not, recessions make millionaires!  Will you be one? In Start Over, Finish Rich, America’s best-loved financial expert, David Bach, explains that 2010 will be the best opportunity for building wealth we have seen in decades. And, as the economy recovers, you must be set up to recover with it. Bach’s easy, take-action plan will show you how.”
3. 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget by The Writers of Wise Bread –  What Amazon says: “Too many frugal living books focus on the negative, throwing around words such as “sacrifice” and “responsibility” like there was a fire sale at the Boring Store. But the writers at Wise Bread believe the key to financial wellness isn’t a ramen-eating, vacation-skipping, fun-depriving life. Far from it. The best way to ensure that readers will stick to a budget is to help them create a lifestyle that is as much fun as it is practical.”
4. Psych Yourself Rich by Farnoosh Torabi — What Amazon says: “…TV’s newest personal finance star shows how to develop the mindset, discipline, and spirit you need to build a strong financial foundation so you can grow wealth on your own terms, without fear, anxiety, misery, boredom, or even advanced math! Farnoosh Torabi (as seen on NBC’s Today Show, Yahoo! Finance, and SoapNet’s Bank of Mom & Dad) combines the latest behavioral psychology with real attitude, without lectures!”
5. Your Money Ratio$ by Charles Farrell — What Amazon says: “For the first time, a leading financial adviser has developed a remarkable set of guidelines to give individuals the same kind of objective insight into their personal finances that successful businesses have. Your Money Ratios will help readers effectively manage debt, invest prudently, and develop a realistic and effective savings plan to ensure both financial success and security. Readers need only plug their income and age into Farrell’s ratios in order to get an instant picture of their savings status and overall financial health, as well as a road map for the important choices they must make in the future.”
6. America, Welcome To The Poorhouse by Jane White — What Amazon says: “Too many American families are racing toward financial catastrophe–saddled with exploding credit card and college debt, out-of-control housing costs, and underfunded 401(k) accounts. [This book] reveals the political and economic forces that got us into this predicament, strategies to get Congress to enact needed reform, and practical tips you won’t find anywhere else on how to make the most of your money until reform happens. White offers indispensable practical advice for regaining control of your own financial future–specific strategies for reducing your debt, safeguarding your retirement, and helping your children get the education they’ll need to compete in today’s world.”
7. How I turned $1,000 into a Million in Real Estate – in my spare time by William Nickerson — The 1959 copy :) What Amazon says: “Probably the most famous book ever written on making money in real estate. William Nickerson and his book has probably created more millionaires than any other book in investing history. It simply is a masterpiece of common sense advice.”
8. The Frugalista Files by Natalie McNeal — What Amazon says: “It is possible to get ahead without giving up on the fabulous life. This is personal finance in peep-toe pumps—the empowering true story of one woman’s personal and professional transformation and your ultimate guide to living the Frugalista lifestyle, too.”
9. Spent: Memoirs of a Shopping Addict by Avis Cardella — What Amazon Says: “Spent is Avis Cardella’s timely, deeply personal, and shockingly dramatic exploration of our cultural need to spend, and of what happens when someone is consumed by the desire to consume.”
10. Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing by Robert T. Kiyosaki and Sharon L. Lechter — What Amazon says: “Become the ultimate investor. End those fears that keep you up at night regarding the financial choices you make. By reading Rich Dad’s basic rules of investing, you can reduce your investment risk and convert your earned income into passive and portfolio income.”
11. Hot (broke) Messes by Nancy Trejos — What Amazon says: “In Hot Broke Messes, Trejos takes readers along with her on her journey. She meets with a financial planner and a therapist to deal with all the issues young people face today – from credit card debt and student loans, to impulse buying and emotional spending, to the cost of having a social life, to buying a house with someone during a potentially impermanent relationship and more. Trejos learns what causes these problems in herself, how she can fix them, and how she can pass that advice on to other young people going through the same experiences.”

Want this box of books?

Answer this simple question in the comments below, and you shall have yourself an entry:

Which book do you want, and why? (And for extra credit, how sexy is J. Money?)

I’ll pick the lucky winner this Sunday, May 19th, and will use the trusty Random.org to make it fair to everyone…U.S. and Canada residents only.

GOOD LUCK! I hope you keep them nice and warm at home :)

————-
PS: Some of these books are uncorrected advances. You may find them pretty cool, or you may find them pretty annoying – all depending on your feelings towards grammar ;)

I did something over the weekend I was pretty proud of myself for: I refrained from buying two things that I really REALLY wanted to take home with me.

One was an oil painting with a pretty kick-ass frame (alone was worth the $20 price tag), and the other a hand-painted side table from Peru that had all kinds of awesome designs on it. That one was a bit pricier at $40, but when I flipped it over I noticed a small shop sticker labeling it as $240 – probably meaning it came from some sort of antique store originally.

Both items might be categorized as “expensive” considering I was shopping at The Salvation Army, haha, (I was there to drop off stuff!) but nonetheless they were still great deals in my eyes. How Macklemore can pop tags with only $20 in his pockets is beyond me ;)

Anyways, here were all the reasons that stopped me in my tracks:

1. I’M MOVING!!! I need to get *rid* of stuff, not take on more!
2. I shouldn’t be spending money in a time like this either
3. I don’t really *NEED* any of that stuff – I just like it.
4. I’m trying to be more minimalist!! (why do I always have *trying* next to that word? ;))
5. I’m MOVING!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I walked away item-less and in a pretty “thinky” mood. Which is where today’s idea comes in…

I started wondering how many times I’ve said “no” to a purchase I really wanted, and even more so, how much MONEY I’ve saved in doing so? I know it’s not *really* like saving money all the way, but in times like this when I’m 99% sure I’d be buying if it weren’t for a few select variables at the time (specifically #’s 1, 2, and 5 up there) I do indeed consider it saved. I walked away with $60 still in my pockets instead of 2 new items which ny normal day would have brought.

Now there’s not that many times I can remember where I left behind something I REALLY wanted to pick up like that but didn’t (the beauty of having a budget on lock!), but I reckon it would be in the high hundreds, or low thousands, if I’d been tracking it over the years. I don’t go shopping as much as I used to (another reason I tend to buy stuff on the spot when something sparkles my fancy) but it sure would be cool to have had it all on a spreadsheet to see what a difference it’s made! Or at least to my de-cluttering goals :)

So, starting today this weekend, I will now be tracking all the times I cut myself out from buying something the “normal me” would have. In hopes it motivates me to keep on going at it, as well as giving me more of an appreciation for the things I DO continue to still buy! Not only would I become more selective of what I then pick up going forward (in theory, anyways), but it would also be like using the money already saved from past no’s too. And that’s kinda cool. Sorta like my old poker days I mentioned where I continuously have a “pot” of money to be used for it and I use any winnings to supplement it. In this case it’s just all the money I saved from not buying the previous items.

I’m probably making this wayyyyyy more complicated that it actually is, but nonetheless I feel like I’ve stumbled across some sort of small epiphany here, and I’m running with it as fast as I can ;) Who knows where it will lead to down the road!? My “no shopping” challenge has continued to benefit my habits and that was over 5 years ago! Maybe this new mentality will stick too?

Here’s the start of my new list:

• Flower oil painting: $20.00
• Hand-painted table from Peru: $40.00
• TOTAL SAVED: $60.00

I’ll continue to keep you updated and see where this goes! Feel free to join me in my new mission too :) We can all save and be spreadsheet nerds together.

Growing up my grandpa always used to say “the best way to learn, is to read.” And while I didn’t really listen to him way back then (unless you count photo books? ;)), I’ll admit he was on to something there. Only I’ve come to think of it as, “the best way to learn, is to read SOMETHING THAT INTERESTS YOU!”

That probably sounds like common sense to most of you, but back as a kid I never caught on to it. And it’s really a shame as I could have turned all those time being dragged to the library or book store, or anywhere else where papers were stuck together with words on them, into more of an exciting adventure than full of dread. The only time it got better was in middle school when I realized there were tons of books with *pictures* in them! So I’d then head straight back to the art and photography section while my family members probably mocked me ;) They’re all book worms…

Anyways, I’m all better now and I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE reading, but only when it’s a topic that excites me. Like, these days money and coins. So I’m subscribed to every other personal finance magazine out there, as well as all the coin stuff I can get my hands on too. Which you’d think they’d kinda cross over being that both genres are based on money, but the funny part is they don’t. Personal Finance is all about using your brain and applying it to your daily lives, whereas coins are more of hobby stuff on the side with incredible history lessons. More of an “escape” if you will, like when you’re learning about pirate ships and sunken treasure! Blimey!

The more you read, the more you come across interesting little factoids you’ll want to share with the world too. Or better yet, at cocktail parties or bars to make yourself look smarter and more interesting. (Does anyone even *have* cocktail parties anymore, btw?) Which is the point of me sharing my new found info with you today – to make myself look better :) Or to give you a mental break from all that hardcore finance you’ve been reading lately, you choose.

(On a side note – if you can figure out a way to pull of the “cute factor” a la the kid from Jerry Maguire, please let me know. It’s hard to beat “the human head weighs 8 pounds!” when you’re trying to impress your wife.)

So in my recent adventures with reading, here’s a bunch of interesting facts I’ve found all surrounding our good ol’ currency system:

• There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar (if you include the $1 coin)
• There are 9,823,546,661,905 ways to make change for a $100.00 bill!
• It costs approximately 6.4 cents per note to produce U.S. currency.
• Our bills are fabric composed of 25% linen and 75% percent cotton.
• About 4,000 double folds (forward and backward) are required before a note will tear.
• The average life span of a $1.00 bill is 21 months.
• The average life span of a $50.00 bill is 4.5 years.
• The Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces 26 million notes a day, with a face value of approximately $907 million.
• The largest bill ever printed by them was the $100,000 gold certificate.
• The U.S. Secret Service was created during the Civil War to fight counterfeiting.

You can find more gems like these at federalreserveducation.org and Frank Morgan’s Math Chat, even though I *ahem* read most of this stuff in my coin magazine, thank you very much. I’d like to think reading paper makes you smarter than reading online, even though that’s totally ridiculous of course. Especially since my entire BLOG is on the web! Haha…

Maybe it’s time to come out with an actual book?! I do have an agent willing to work with me, if you can believe that (remember when bloggers used to be frowned upon??), but it seems I’m lacking some motivation and a brilliant idea to jump start everything… Maybe you have one I can steal? ;)

Anyways, that wraps up this lesson for the day. If my grandpa were still around I hope he’d be proud that I’m finally listening to him. Even if it took 30-something years to sink in! Haha… Now get out there and start spreading your new facts! Perhaps it’ll get you a hot date, or at the very least a free cocktail. I recommend the Show Me The Monkey.

Top o’ the morning to ya! Here are all the wonderful things I’ve enjoyed around the web this week, starting out with a bio page from a blogger most of you probably read. I don’t know how I missed it before, but I STRONGLY encourage y’all to check it out. Best “about” page I’ve seen in a while and pretty motivational –> Paula from Afford Anything.

Here are the rest of the awesome articles/sites/videos:

• Gizoogle.net @ If you get bored of Google ;)
• DINKS May Net Worth: $937K @ DINKS Finance
• My Weekend with Warren Buffett, Part 1 @ 1500 Days
• Can You Have Too Much Money? @ The Money Principle
• Social Media Rock Star Makes $28,000 Per Year [VIDEO] @ The Onion
• The Cost of Heating a Trailer and What You Should do to Help Prevent It @ Single Moms Income
• How Many Funds Should You Invest In To Avoid Getting Sucker Punched? @ Makin’ Sense Babe

And, of course, our latest giveaways:

• 7 Days, 7 Board Games @ Take Our Stuff
• The End of Spider-Man Comic Package @ Take Our Comics

(Guest Post by Skint in The City)

I got to wondering this a couple of weeks back, when I tried to change $200 into sterling pounds. There I was, a trusting soul, taking it to my local bank to exchange. I know, I could have got a slightly better deal by checking out comparison sites for currency conversion, but I wanted it done fast and didn’t think the difference would be so great as to be worth the while.

So, I got to the teller at my local bank, brandished my $200 and announced that I’d like to change it to Sterling. Now, maybe it was her last day on the job. Maybe she’d just had a nasty fight with her boss, or perhaps she was simply a savvy soul out to save her customers a few pennies. Whatever it was, this lady was all about the honesty. She winked – actually winked – at me, checked around to see no-one was listening, then leant forward towards the glass and said:

“You’d be better changing that at the post office. Our rate’s rubbish.”

“Really?” I was pretty taken aback and immediately curious. “Why are you telling me this?”

She shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

Was that it? Was she simply into telling the truth, even if it meant turning customers away?

It isn’t the first time I’ve come across such honesty when trying to give someone my business. A while back the woman at the dry cleaners told me to go home and put my jacket in the washing machine rather than get it dry cleaned again. After I picked my jaw up off the floor I went home, tried it and discovered she was spot on.

Was she right to be so honest though? It benefited me, but what would her boss say? I’d imagine if you owned the dry cleaning firm you’d be more than a little mad at her sending customers home to do their own washing.

Is that kind of honesty a good business tactic? A couple of years back, on a Scottish island, I tried to check into a hotel with Mr Skint. There was a jazz festival on and hardly a room to be had. Finally, we came across a guest house that still had vacancies, but as the owner led us to see the rooms he was more candid than one might expect from someone wanting our custom.

“The only rooms we’ve got left are what we call our crappy little rooms,” he announced with a smile. He was right. Half-charmed by his honesty, we took one anyway and spent a gloomy weekend on a lumpy bed hiking to the bathroom downstairs in the middle of the night. We can’t say we weren’t warned.

So, does brutal honesty always benefit the customer? In the case of the bank lady and the dry cleaning assistant, I’m glad they were so straight with me. On both occasions they saved me money. Especially the dry cleaner – thanks to her I learned to gaily throw dry clean only clothes in the wash on a regular basis. As soon as I see a dry clean label now my fingers start twitching for the detergent. It’s saved me a fortune over the years!

And I suppose the hotel guy did let us know what we were in for. In fact, we were a little blindsided by his honesty and sort of ended up taking the room for that reason, so maybe it worked in his favour?

Have you ever been just that bit too honest in your business dealings? Or do you believe that when it comes to dealing with customers it’s better to be a little bit Pinnochio? Ever come across sales people who were just too candid for comfort? Go on, let it all out!

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Guest Post by skintinthecity.com – showing you how to live the high life on a shoestring budget.

{Photo by mpclemens}

There are two instances in my life where saving REALLY started making sense. The first when I wanted a Nintendo Game Boy more than my own parents! (Haha….) and the second when I hit my first $50,000 in my 401(k ) :) Both drastically different stories and decades of my life, but both with the same underlying takeaway: Saving feels better when it starts adding up!

Now obviously this is a no brainer, but it took me quite a while to figure it out – as dumb as that may or may not make me. It wasn’t until an interview I did with Kathy Kristof of the L.A. Times 4 years ago when it finally sunk in.

She was doing an article on bloggers and their frugal living tips, and as always I managed to throw in something about my love for 401(ks) which I was obsessing about back then. For years my dad had told me to pay attention to it and soak up as much FREE money from my employers I could get since a lot of them had some awesome matchings going on, but it took me some time to get going :) And when I did, I got hardcore about it! To the tune of socking away 90% of my paychecks and living off pennies until my 401(k) was maxed out. Man those were the days…

Here’s a clip from the article:

J. Money of Budgets Are Sexy (www.budgetsaresexy.com; yes, that’s his nom de plume; he doesn’t want his boss to know his sideline) is only 29. But he has $115,000 in his retirement plan. Why? He decided to make the most of the free money he got in 401(k) matching contributions from his employer by saving the maximum amount possible each year. Better yet, seeing the balance rise so rapidly has inspired him.

“It’s hard to get motivated when you’re just watching your $50 or $100 contributions adding up,” he said. “But when I hit $50,000, I thought, this is so cool – and it’s easy. Now I’m used to living on less, so it’s not that hard to save.”

It was saying that 2nd to last line there out loud which really gave me the epiphany. The “this is so cool” part. It was! I was FINALLY SAVING MONEY!! And it was all because I had gotten over the “tipping point” of when all that hustling and frugality started becoming more worth it. It’s a lot more motivating to see $50,000 in an account because of your diligence than, say, $50.00 – even though that’s where we all have to start out at. It was at that point though when it really sunk in and I knew I had to keep on going strong and never look back. (And here we are 4 years later!)

This is similar to my childhood days of trying to save up for the original Nintendo Game Boy circa 1989. Every kid in the world wanted that thing, but it was just too hard saving a dollar here and there to finally reach the grand finale of $90 to get it. I’d save – at best – $5 or $10, or maybe even $15 and then I’d give up and start all over again. The pain of it taking forever and not being able to spend money killed all kinds of motivation for me. Especially since my allowance back then was only $1.00 a week! Haha… (Do you know how long 90 weeks is to a kid??? When there’s candy and baseball cards and everything else trying to tempt you? ;))

To make a long story short, I failed over and over and over again trying to save up for that thing, until one day I hit my record of $40.00. Again, that “tipping point” where it got a LOT easier to keep saving week after week – and faster too, it seemed! – ‘cuz I had crossed over that hump where the stash just got larger and larger every time I peered in! For the first time ever I felt like Scrooge McDuck, minus the ability to dive into my cash hoard.

After hitting that first $40.00, I eventually got to $50.00, then $70.00, and finally landed at $80.00. When I did a complete 180 and realized I no longer wanted to spend all my money on that Game Boy anymore, haha… A) Because it took me forever and a day to save up! And B) because it was a LOT harder to spend my own money I found out than my parents’ ;) It’s funny how that happens, isn’t it?

Now eventually I got my hands on that coveted little system ($30.00 used at a yard sale, WITH games!), but the point is I had to cross that tipping point first if I ever wanted to save a large enough chunk at any point in my life. And to *hold on to it* too for that matter! I didn’t magically wake up one day and start saving just because I wanted to – every time I tried that I failed over and over again. I had to somehow get to a decent amount number in my account FIRST to then lock me into the game and keep me from gong backwards again. And that number only increased as my years of age did ;)

I’m not sure if this helps any of you or not right now, but it popped into my head this morning so I thought I’d share it on the off chance it does… Sometimes I find going back to the basics refreshing! Who doesn’t like the power of momentum??

Anyone else have some stories on saving that really helps you pile it up? Maybe you do it naked, or while hiding in an igloo or something? ;)

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(Awesome b&w photo by Naíra Dias)

What up, what up!

Onto net worth update #62! How crazy is that?? One day you’re shooting for $100,000, and the next – 5 years later – $400,000. At least it’s all trending UP! Haha… this blog may may not have lasted as long had it not ;)

But seriously, if you haven’t been tracking your money at all, today’s the day to start. Even if it’s something as simple as:

“Here’s what I have in my bank accounts right now:  $______, and here’s my total debts: $______.”

And then come back again next month and do the same – it’ll take you like 2.5 minutes, it’s easy. (That’s what she said??)

As for my own trackings these days, looks like we inched up another few thousand dollars but have also continued to bleed a little cash in the process. Which unfortunately I’m afraid will continue to do so over the next two months with yesterday’s news on the horizon. But at least it’s all FUN changes in the air! Much better to be going towards an adventure than to something boring :)

Here’s how last month broke down:

MONSTER CASH (-$521.72): When I first started looking at this two weeks ago I thought we’d be F’d for the month, but a few awesome deals came through and saved the day – even though it doesn’t look like it from the numbers :) Life works awesomely sometimes!

529 College Savings (+$55.44): A nice boost to Baby’s pot there, with no additional infusion from his parents this month.

IRA: SEP (+$859.83): The market was on our side here too, this month!

IRA: ROTH(s) (+$566.31): As well as with this section…

IRA: TRADITIONAL(s) (+$1,400.12): And also this one. You can tell that the more money you have in these accounts, the more of an increase occurs too. Though unfortunately the opposite is true too ;) (When the market crashes, so does more of your money!)

Here’s an update from our almost 2 year old IRA Test now. I got an email about when I was going to write a follow up on it since it’s been forever – which I will at some point – but so far neither inspiration, nor analysis, has hit me yet. One day!

• IRA #1 (NOT Managed): $69,865.87 **Leader for over a year
  
• IRA #2 (Managed, USAA funds): $65,905.02
• IRA #3 (Managed, ALL funds): $66,550.33
  

AUTOS WORTH (kbb) (+$259.00): I’ve given up trying to figure out why it goes up so much every few months. I guess my cadillac is just *so* hot right now that it defies all reason ;) With it’s cracked paint and all even, woot!

• Pimp Daddy Caddy: $2,160.00
• Gas Ticklin’ Toyota: $7,814.00

HOME VALUE (Realtor) ($0.00): Nothing much to report on here – still at $285,000 down from the $360,000 we once paid or it many many years ago, ugh…

MORTGAGES (-$635.80): A nice chunk knocked away, but a far cry from our $2,000 we were doing month in and month out. As you can imagine though, all extra payments are on hold until our move is over and we’re back to “normalcy” again. We’ll be needing that extra money like a champ.

Here’s how our two mortgages currently break down:

• 1st Mortgage: $279,466.04 – 30 year conventional @ 5.5%
• 2nd Mortgage: $29,683.35 – Maxed out HELOC @ a variable 2.8%

And that’s that for April. Nothing too crazy on either side of the equation, but sometimes you need that to calm down those other months that get ya :)

How did you guys fare this last month? Anything cool to report? I’m off to do some more packing around these here parts… Not the most exciting thing to do in the world, but at least I get to flex my minimalism muscles more! We’ll see if I can put my money where my mouth is ;)

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PS: Don’t forget to start tracking your money if you aren’t already!! You’ll hit month #62 in no time too – and hopefully have more than me when you get there! (Here’s the budget template I use if it helps – with a Net Worth section built in. Feel free to tweak to your own liking…)