Ten ways to reduce your budget by $1,000?

This is in response to an article I recently read.

Although the writer did have some good ideas about saving money, I found that I could not completely agree with all the recommendations.

On Haggling:  the writer states we need to “learn and save”.  He also suggests we can haggle on things such as bank fees, rent and food.  I’d love to know what bank will let you try to talk down their bank fees.  If a landlord has a mortgage to pay for his triple decker, do you think he’s going to let his tenants have a break on the rent?  And the next time I’m at Wal-Mart, I’ll try to negotiate with them over the price of beans. 

On Driving:  AAA estimates it costs $8,000 a year to operate the average car.  The writer suggests we drive 15% less to save $1,200.  I say that’s great; but how do I make my 20-mile, 45 minute daily commute 15% shorter?

On Insurance:  Any dummy knows you can save on premiums by raising your deductible.  Just make sure you don’t live in a high risk area where you’ll be putting in a lot of homeowner claims due to hail damage or flooding.  You also better make sure you’re a perfect driver and will never hit anyone and make sure you never hit a deer or have your vehicle damaged by hail or ice.  If you do experience any of these, you’ll be paying a $1,000 deductible and who knows what other kinds of expense you may incur.

As for life insurance, the writer suggests a term life insurance policy.  Yes, it is true you can get a lot more insurance for less money with one of these policies.  However, the article fails to mention that unless you actually die during the life of the policy, it’s pointless.  Then if you try to get another policy, you’ll be paying even higher premiums because you’ll be older.  The cheapest solution is to start a whole life insurance policy when you are young.  I’ve had a policy since I was six years old and I only pay $9.00 a month.  That’s for $100,000.

Partying it up at the Boston Tea Party in Boston…

and I find out today that my MOTHER-IN-LAW was the one holding the Barney Frank/Bernie Madoff sign!  Argh!  She made the news! :O  How embarrassing!

You know your company is in trouble when

the White House is telling you to step down. 

And that’s just what happened to GM CEO Wagoner today.  Amazing!  GM may FINALLY be moving in the right direction…

What a week it’s been!

With the countless layoffs, cowardly suicides and crazy weather that affected the country this past week, it’s good to know that we can all toss our cares aside tomorrow, park our asses on the couch and pig out on nachos and two-alarm-fire buffalo wings while witnessing two of the NFL’s alleged best football teams go head-to-head.  Please.  Tell me when this nightmare is over.

The best thing about the Super Bowl will be Springsteen’s show at halftime.  JMO, of course.  Then again, I do consider myself a big fan of The Boss.  Although I won’t be watching the game (I could care less who wins), if I time it just right, I may turn the tube on just in time to see Bruce.

Speaking of Bruce, I can understand how some fans became upset by his deal with Walmart exclusively selling his greatest hits CD.  Here is Springsteen, strong advocate for the common everyday laborer and there is Walmart, alleged perpetrator of worker’s rights.  The Boss has apologized for his decision.  Say what you want about Walmart–at least they haven’t been in the news due to layoffs.

BTW, if you are considering picking up Walmart’s exclusive Springsteen CD, save your $10.00 and put it towards buying his NEW CD.  The GH has ten songs on it, all from prior Bruce CD’s; if you are the average Bruce fan, you probably own the albums already which contain all of those songs.  Just create your own GH mix CD for free.

Here’s your job, now where’s my trip?

I just finished reading an interesting article about Michael Checkoway, a somewhat innovative PR person.

Like so many others, Michael is looking for a job.  And he’s willing to pay for it.  To publicize his efforts, he has created a web site appropriately titled www.michaelcheckoway.com.

If you just so happen to have a job available offering a base salary of at least $55,000, you allegedly can win a prize ranging from all expenses paid trips to Vegas or NY; for $75,000 you can go to Mexico.  Or just opt for the $4,000 cash; $100,000 will get you TWO prizes.  The catch, of course, is that Checkoway has to still be employed after 90 days.  He seems like the type of guy who would up and leave the job on the 89th day just so he wouldn’t have to dole out the winnings.

Personally, if I were looking for a job (and I’m grateful that I’m not looking for a job), I would just be happy to take the job and the salary without dishing out any prizes.  I also wouldn’t be posting my efforts on a web site and I’d be looking for work myself, not expecting someone to contact me.  I guess this guy thinks that if he lures enough people, maybe some high-paying fancy job will just land in his lap. 

It will be interesting to see how this one pans out….

Aren’t many in the same boat?

I recently read an article about a woman regarding the foreclosure on her home. 

I do give the woman credit for taking the initiative in trying to prevent the foreclosure.  She created a web site (http://www.house.phantazm.com/) and decided she would ask readers for donations to help her save her home.  Not toally unique, as many before her have already done that.  But an interesting concept nonetheless.  Schreech sold T-shirts to try to save his home so I guess this woman just blatantly ASKING for the money outright isn’t so bad, right?

When I first began reading her story I felt a little sorry for her.  However, that stopped once I read more about how she got to where she is.  I know we all make mistakes.  We are only human.  And sometimes feeling desperate about situations can lead to desperate measures.  This woman’s biggest mistake was getting involved with the “scam” company that would allegedly help her with her mortgage payments.  Her story about this sounded so screwy, I didn’t completely understand it.  If she had never got messed up with them, there may be a light at the end of this woman’s tunnel.  She certainly wouldn’t need to ask strangers to help her raise $115,000.

After reading about her unemployment situation, I wondered what this woman is doing wrong.  Seven-hundred jobs?  Six years of being unemployed?  Applying to jobs listed on Craigslist isn’t the answer.  Maybe it hasn’t occurred to her yet that the demand for graphic artists isn’t so much in demand.  I have done graphic art work myself and I’m not a even a graphic artist.  I have worked with some of the software she has used.  I have created web sites for myself and others using some of this software.  But I would never work as a graphic artist.  Do you see why?  Just about anyone can do this stuff these days.  The thought occurred to me that maybe this woman needs to go back and reevaluate her skills a little.  In looking at the list of jobs she has applied for, I cannot exactly see where she obtained the job listing info in the first place.  I doubt all of those job listings came out of the local paper.  I even wonder how many of them are legit.

I really hope everything works out for this woman.  However, I’m not going to be a part of trying to make it work.  I don’t visit Dunkin Donuts so I won’t be giving up any coffee and/or doughnuts so I can send her the money instead.  Instead of her trying to gain attention to her situation, she should look at things differently and try to help herself.  I know she may be in a situation where her health limits the kind of places/jobs/tasks she may be able to do.  However, I am a firm believer that if someone REALLY wants to work, no matter what their ailment may be, they WILL work.  Even if that means shoving hamburgers into a paper sack at MickyD’s.

There are MANY others out there in the same boat as she is.  Why should her foreclosure situation be any different?  Because she brought it to the public’s attention?  Good luck with raising that $115,000, toots.

It’s official!

A gallon of milk is now cheaper than a gallon of gas…if only we could all buy cows