Directv and YouTube

You can now watch YouTube on directv.

Value added?


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PageOnce free

Apple is currently offering PageOnce Pro for free right now. Pick it up. It's the best Personal finance software in my opinion.


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Christmas Money

Christmas is over.  You received some gift cards, socks, and maybe some cash (check).  Should you go out and buy that gift that no one got you even though it was the first one on your Christmas list? 

Stop. Drop. Roll.  Just kidding, but seriously you should consider if you really need that Xbox or if you would be better paying down that debt.  Yeah, its not flashy but your future self will be glad you did.  You can always save up and pay for that Xbox later on will all those interest payments you have saved.


Picture source: http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/snowflakes/

Refi and bi-weekly payments

Refinanced the mortgage from 5.875% to 5.0% and kept the years (I call it momentum) that we were at, 27.  An interesting concept came flooding back in my mind from finance courses, bi-weekly payments.  Essentially, you end up making an extra payment on your mortgage if you make payment every other week (or weekly) because of how weeks vary by month.

Example: make 1/2 payment every other week ends up being 26 payments, or 13 full payments and thus 1 extra payment a year.

Why I am not sold?  Well this is just forcing you to make an extra payment on your mortgage which any one can do at anytime, this is just a structured way of doing so.  Why not take that extra payment and invest it in the stock market and earn (theoretically/hopefully) higher returns than what you would save with the mortgage interest rate?

Photo Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/2178246751/

Net Worth October 2010

Obviously from my lack of net worth posts I have been distracted.  Distracted mostly due to being extremely busy, but also distracted somewhat from money management matters.  I am now in a little better financial position (raises, bonuses, etc.) so I have been re-newing my efforts in focusing on proper allocation of these new funds (mostly related adding to retirement accounts).

I am documenting two separate calculations.  Calc 1 is probably most comparable to others.

• Calc 1 - asset backed (includes cash): This month I was at $46.04K.  This is a 3.33% change from the previous month.  
• Calc 2 - cash based (does not include assets and loans for assets): This month I was at $19.78K.  This is a 4.49% change from the previous month. 

Click the image for a larger view of the last six months.

AT&T Office Space Scam

Yeah, the guy made a million dollars.

Well in the case of what I can see, it's probably much more that AT&T is taking.

I noticed the other day that although I had a plan of 200 text messages I have been getting charged starting at around 198. About .30 overage. Take that time the number of subscribers that don't have unlimited plans and this could be a substantial amount.

Further details are pending as I haven't had time to investigate.

Take a look at your bill and see it's happening to you.


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Net Worth July 2010

As discussed in my previous net worth post I am documenting two separate calculations.  Calc 1 is probably most comparable to others.

• Calc 1 - asset backed (includes cash): This month I was at $42.63K.  This is a 5.2% change from the previous month.  
• Calc 2 - cash based (does not include assets and loans for assets): This month I was at $18.24K.  This is a 8.88% change from the previous month. 

Click the image for a larger view of the last six months.

Net Worth May 2010

As discussed in my previous net worth post I am documenting two separate calculations.  Calc 1 is probably most comparable to others.

• Calc 1 - asset backed (includes cash): This month I was at $40.61K.  This is a 0.65% change from the previous month.  
• Calc 2 - cash based (does not include assets and loans for assets): This month I was at $17.45K.  This is a -2.01% change from the previous month. 

Click the image for a larger view of the last six months.

Quote for thought

"I began to realize the stuff I spent money on indicated the stories I was living. By that I mean the stuff I spent money on was, in many ways, the sum of my ambitions."
-- from book "a million miles in a thousand years" by Donald Miller.

Are you spending your money in the right place?


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Delta sucks

Now 1 hour delayed from taking off. We are sitting in plane and now there is some problem they are checking.

A lot of wasted time and money. No communication.

Pilots late, weather, bitchy front office an now an issue with the plane while we sit here. What else?


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Net Worth April 2010

As discussed in my previous net worth post I am documenting two separate calculations.  Calc 1 is probably most comparable to others.

• Calc 1 - asset backed (includes cash): This month I was at $40.38K.  This is a 6.27% change from the previous month.  
• Calc 2 - cash based (does not include assets and loans for assets): This month I was at $17.81K.  This is a 10.98% change from the previous month. 

Click the image for a larger view of the last six months.

HDMI cable scam

Do a search for HDMI on Amazon.com and you can find them for $0.01 plus shipping.  Yeah, they do work just as well as a $200 cable that is sold by Monster.  SCAM! I hope the hair on the back of your neck is officially standing up if you have paid more than $10 on a cable (give or take depending on the length).

An excellent graphic and explanation was provided on the Mint.com blog.  I encourage you to check it out!

Net Worth March 2010

As discussed in my previous net worth post I am documenting two separate calculations.  Calc 1 is probably most comparable to others.

• Calc 1 - asset backed (includes cash): This month I was at $37.97K.  This is a 8.68% change from the previous month.  
• Calc 2 - cash based (does not include assets and loans for assets): This month I was at $16.05K.  This is a 17.29% change from the previous month. 

Click the image for a larger view of the last six months.

Swoopo

Check out swoopo.com. It's very interesting. Reminds me of the lottery. A bunch of people pay to get nothing so one person can get something.

No matter the faulty economics of it I find myself addicted to watching these auctions. I wish I invented this cash cow.

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Net Worth February 2010

As discussed in my previous net worth post I am documenting two separate calculations.  Calc 1 is probably most comparable to others.

• Calc 1 - asset backed (includes cash): This month I was at $34.93K.  This is a -0.93% change from the previous month.  
• Calc 2 - cash based (does not include assets and loans for assets): This month I was at $13.68K.  This is a -6.67% change from the previous month. 

Click the image for a larger view of the last six months.