Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Self Expression - A Costly Proposition?

Don't get me wrong, I am all for self expression, but what does Self Expression get you? Yes you want people to think of you as an "unique" individual. In the end it is more about an outwardly expression than internal. Yes it makes you feel good as well but more importantly you want acceptance from people in your immediate surrounding. My question to you is, is it worth it for you in the long run?

It starts at an early age, we want something similar to someone kid in our class but we don't want the same exact thing because we don't want to be called a copycat. Soon there are more wants as we grow older. We get ideas from magazines and get bombarded with television ads. We are told what is in fashion today and what is not. To be "cool" everyone is wearing this or doing this to their hair etc etc.

Eventually when we start making our own money we are told that for half of our paycheck we can get the latest and greatest BMW or Mercedes Benz (Sorry BMW, Mercedes Benz). Soon we fall in the debt traps and we swipe our credit cards and finance more and more. All in the name of being "unique". As parents we should encourage self expression without breaking the banks. Promote less known brands and although their individuality is important to you and your child there is a limit. Once you supply them with their demands the demands will only increase to bigger and more expensive items. I am by no means an expert at parenting but I do know I was a kid once and I wanted the latest and greatest and my parents couldn't afford it and I eventually came to the realization few years later that they just couldn't afford it.

In Conclusion, if you are a parent or going to be a parent continue to promote self expression but rein in the limits. Just because the latest Vans are "cool" or someone at school has those does not make it okay to pull out your credit card to meet your kids needs. What are you thoughts? What have you done to rein in your expenses when it comes to your kids?

Ask the Readers: Do You Use Groupon? | Wise Bread

Ask the Readers: Do You Use Groupon? | Wise Bread

Wisebread asks if I use Groupon? Heck Yes I do! I am on their site daily along with LivingSocial. But the best site I found so far is Dealery.com. This site doesn't deals with merchants rather it just combines deals available on multiple sites (including some I didn't know existed) on their own site. This makes it easier to view all the deals available in your area without having to go to different websites daily. Check it out and let me know what you think of the site?

Get Rich Slowly - Personal Finance That Makes Cents

Get Rich Slowly - Personal Finance That Makes Cents

This article gave me an idea. It might be a silly idea but just like Alcoholics Anonymous and various other support groups which help us get past our addictions why not create a support group for people seeking financial help. Yes there are plenty of online venues and even TV shows to deal with this issue but the amount of accountability is not there.

Accountability is important for any change to take place. First you need someone who will hold you accountable. It can be tough in a household made of spenders. Outside intervention can help but trust is key. People usually fall in debt traps when they fail to analyze the difference between Need and Want.

A group of people that are in a similar predicament could be more helpful. Teaching each other key ways to combat debt addiction. What are you thoughts? Does that sound like a good place to start?

Monday, February 14, 2011

Ideas on How To Make Money With Photography

Ideas on How To Make Money With Photography

These are excellent tips on monetizing photography. Although photography can be an expensive hobby. From buying expensive cameras and lenses it can be a pricey compromise. However, if your photography business does take off it can easily become a great way to add an additional income stream. I would love to divulge into the photography business, I am just scared of making such a commitment only to lose interest (which happens a lot). Do you do photography on the side? Can photography become an excellent side income stream?

Delegate or die: the self-employed trap. | Derek Sivers

Delegate or die: the self-employed trap. | Derek Sivers

Truly a great read for anyone who is self employed or a business owner.

I Love My Microsoft Kinect For Xbox 360

So my family got the Kinect this past weekend. We couldn't take the torture any more. After watching plenty of ads on TV as well as youtube videos of people playing Kinect at home. Here are my first impressions:

Definitely get a Microsoft Kinect if you have no medical condition especially a weak heart. The Kinect definitely gets your heart pumping especially with the full interaction it requires. We have the Kinect Adventures! game (came with the Kinect) and we also decided to buy Dance Central. We saw plenty of commercials with people dancing along with their game and had to try it out at least. I have a confession to make, I suck at dancing and Dance Central for me is a hard game to play even on Easy level. But, the benefit of dancing is that you burn off a lot of calories! The game has an achievement for burning 1000 calories while playing the game continuously. So if you are having trouble finding the motivation to venture out in the cold then you should consider getting the Microsoft Kinect. I played Dance Central for over one hour without realizing how fun it is. I would've never worked out for over an hour and enjoyed it as much as I did with the Kinect. Although it is a great workout to dance you can only play as long as your body will let you go. If your body can't go you might not play the game again for another day or two.

The most important things you need to play with the Kinect are an Xbox 360, plenty of space in front of your TV and comfortable shoes (if you have hardwood or tiles for flooring). You need comfortable shoes because you will be doing a lot of jumping and moving around.

The only things that concerned me with the Kinect is that the games selection are a little dull, more games do need to come out especially first person shooter games. Also I just thought about this but Kinect is most likely not suitable for anyone with a disability as it requires a full range of motions to be able to play the game successfully. So do you have a Kinect? What do you think of it? What are your favorite games for the Kinect?

McMansion to McCottage: Why Smaller Houses Are Smarter | Wise Bread

McMansion to McCottage: Why Smaller Houses Are Smarter | Wise Bread

Living within your means is a very good concept to have, but most of us fail to do so. We always think "bigger is better" and the same is true when it comes to homes. Although it does not only apply to homes it also applies to cars and much more.

With bigger homes, cars comes more things to maintain, more to clean and up keep which add to the overhead cost of the item. I.e. carpeting a 5 bedroom home costs significantly more than the 2 or 3 bedroom home. Plus the time spent vacuuming and up keeping these rooms alone is a waste especially if they are not being occupied on a full time basis.

Of course to fill these rooms with decorative art pieces also costs money and in the end it is all just fluff. What are you thoughts on this article?

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Is Technology Ruining Our Lives and Our Thinning Our Wallets?

Remember that first cellphone you got? I got my first cellphone 12 years back. It was a foot long and the antenna was another foot long when extended. Now looking at my current cellphone I am amazed how technology has changed in the past decade.

With so many new innovations in the tech field it has also led to a lot of frivolous spending. Back in 1999 I believe my cellphone was free and I didn't sign a long term contract. Now if you want a decent cellphone you need to shell out $100-200. Is it now just a hook for Network carriers to hook customers into long term  contracts.

Remember the days before cellphones? People used landlines and sent actual letters in the mail. Now one can send an email while sitting on the can or send a text message to get the point across.
What I am getting to here is that with technology our lives have become simpler but at what cost. My question to you is if it is worth it? Does the added cost help you in anyway & is it worth the cost?

Friday, February 11, 2011

Frugal woman stuns many by leaving millions behind | Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KOMO News | Local & Regional

Frugal woman stuns many by leaving millions behind | Seattle News, Weather, Sports, Breaking News | KOMO News | Local & Regional

Amazing story about frugality, but in the end she left the world without any money. However, in her passing she did donate her money to charity and I applaud her for that. I am not sure how this woman managed to live, or if she was happy in her life ( I sure hope she was) but for me I would try to enjoy my life to the fullest. I worry about money now because I am scared of what the future holds. Would I be able to give any inheritance away? Yes, I would love to donate my inheritance to a worthy cause. There are plenty of people that can use the help.

I think what bothers me about this story is that all her life she was being frugal, but for what? I wish I could pick her brains on that matter. Do you have a reason for being frugal?

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Why the Frugal Get Fit: How Fitness Can Help You Save Big | Enemy of Debt:... - StumbleUpon

Why the Frugal Get Fit: How Fitness Can Help You Save Big | Enemy of Debt:... - StumbleUpon

In this article there are plenty of correlations between obesity and lack of financial freedom. I agree with the author of this article and I just wanted to add that being fit or at least striving to be fit can help with ones financial situation. Take for example, you will eat out less because you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight. Although I live in California I do find that more people here do bike around town. It could be for financial reasons, it could be health reasons or even environmental reasons. These people will end up saving money they would've otherwise spent on buying gasoline.

Weight loss can definitely help shape ones financial situation and they are definitely correlated. Check out the article, feel free to comment below tell me what you think.


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Ask the Readers: Should Personal Finance be Taught in Schools? | Wise Bread

Ask the Readers: Should Personal Finance be Taught in Schools? | Wise Bread

Wisebread.com asks whether Personal Finance should be taught in schools? My opinion is yes. Of course math, science and other classes are just as important but teaching kids about personal finance can go a long way. Like the chinese proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Buying a piggy bank for your kids is a good start but we fail to teach them why they are saving money. Usually we tell them it is for the toy they want or some video game. But, if the kids were taught to create a habit of saving money rather than spending I believe that habit will follow them for rest of their lives.


When kids get out of high school or college they want the world delivered to their footsteps but as we all know it does not work that way. You have to earn everything in life. I know when I was graduating high school and college I didn't make sound financial decisions for myself and I found myself in debt which I am still paying off. Understanding interest rates, APRs, credit scores might have helped me when I was younger when I made those decisions.


Teach kids about personal finance can only make them smarter when it comes to dealing with money. Last I checked being frugal was actually a good thing regardless of what the world thinks.



Monday, February 7, 2011

Best Ways To Save Money On Groceries

Check out my new Hub on Saving money @ the Grocery Store. Best Ways To Save Money On Groceries

Not excited about the Motorola Xoom anymore

I just found out that the Motorola Xoom is going to cost $800. Is it worth it?  I'm sure the price will go down at a fast rate as soon as Apple starts spreading news about the iPad 2. But right now I am disappointed with the Motorola Xoom pricing. Come to think of it I would never buy a Tablet computer. Actually never is a strong word, I am not going to buy a tablet in the near future. These things are too expensive for me and worst part of it is that you have to pay monthly subscription fee to get a mediocre internet connection. Why in the world people do that? I don't know. Would you buy one the Motorola Xoom or are you waiting on Apple iPad 2?

Friday, February 4, 2011

Hawaiian Restaurant Adds Surcharge For Customers Who Don't Speak English - The Consumerist

Hawaiian Restaurant Adds Surcharge For Customers Who Don't Speak English - The Consumerist

I am not sure if this is borderline racism / stereotyping. There are plenty of Americans who do not tip well like senior citizens. See I how easy it was to generalize that senior citizens don't tip all that well. It might be true in some cases but to stereotype and apply it to all is sure racism in this case. At least I think so, what do you think?

How to Become an SEO Freelancer in 48 Hours

Great article, check it out if you want to learn about SEO. How to Become an SEO Freelancer in 48 Hours

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Steps To Take Before Hiring a Contractor

If you are going to hire a contractor, you should definitely check out this list before you make that call. Steps To Take Before Hiring a Contractor

5 Way to boost your Savings Starting Today

Quick and easy ways to start saving money today. Check out the list and let me know what you think. 5 Way to boost your Savings Starting Today

Calphalon Contemporary 21-Piece Knife Block Set: Best Knives For Under $250

These are truly the best set of knives that don't cost a fortune. I have had these for over 2 years now and they are still work as if they were bought yesterday. Calphalon Contemporary 21-Piece Knife Block Set: Best Knives For Under $250

Read Books For Free From Your Email

Definitely a great way to read a little or how much you want without getting overwhelmed with the number of pages you still have to go. Best way I spend my lunch hour at my desk is through DailyLit.com Read Books For Free From Your Email

How To Teach Kids About Budgeting

Teaching kids to budget early is never a bad idea. When they grow older and start earning for themselves they will thank you for the lessons you've taught them about money at such a young age. How To Teach Kids About Budgeting

Zojirushi Rice Cooker is the Best Rice Cooker

Truly an amazing Rice cooker indeed. I love the sticky rice! Zojirushi Rice Cooker is the Best Rice Cooker

ReadyForZero is a Simple Webapp That'll Help Get You Out of Debt

I just signed up for this website. Seems simple enough and very Mint.com like. Looking forward to the bad news or good news (depends how you see things in live) they are going to give me regarding my CC debt. ReadyForZero is a Simple Webapp That'll Help Get You Out of Debt

Video: The Secret to Retiring With $1 Million | Retirement | Currency from Amex

Great video on why saving at an early age is more important. Start young folks and you can retire with a nice chunk of change.

Video: The Secret to Retiring With $1 Million | Retirement | Currency from Amex