Back in the Saddle Again

July 20, 2009 Leave a comment

"Blood Sweat & Gears Bike Race" by JamieL.WilliamsPhotography @ FlickrIt has been two months since I was last on a bike.  My last ride ended in hitting a tree.  Since then I have been working myself back into the mindset of returning to the road.  The first few days after my accident were the worst, my body felt as though I was an old man with arthritis.  I could hardly pick myself up to do menial tasks around the apartment.  Slowly the aches & pains began to fade.

Weeks went by & I still couldn’t picture myself back in the saddle. It wasn’t the physical pain that was preventing me from riding.  Even though my back remains sore to this day, that wasn’t the problem.  A small piece of me had given up & I was armed with a great excuse, “My back hurts.”  Something inside was keeping me off of my bike, telling me not to get back on.  Each day I would walk past my bike as it hung from the ceiling.

I have no doubt that my bike would have remained in its place, gathering dust, until next Spring if it wasn’t for a little encouragement from a friend.  Before my accident, we rode hundreds of miles together before summer had even started.  One of the rides we took together I was unable to complete.  About 20 miles from our destination my legs & knees couldn’t take it anymore.  I gave up.  Since that day I have wanted to redeem myself by trying again & reaching our destination.

It didn’t take long for us to make plans for a weekend bike ride.  Having been off of my bike for so long I knew I needed to take at least one short ride before we left.  A couple of days before our trip I went on a 20 mile ride and by the time I was done I was wondering if I hadn’t made a mistake by planning such a huge journey so soon.  Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t weasel my way out of going on the ride, not without a huge amount of shame and humiliation anyways.

Saturday finally came & at 9 am we hopped on our bikes for a 67 mile ride to Madison.  Things went exceptionally well most of the time.  There were moments when I thought I would need to stop but I kept on pushing myself.  When I reached the point where I had given up on our last trip I felt great.  I wasn’t feeling like I was going to die, and though I was tired, I knew I could make it the rest of the way.

And I did.  We rode through the center of Madison, around the Capital Square, finally reaching our destination near the shore of Lake Monona.  The feeling of accomplishment was great and knowing that I had done something I wasn’t able to before made me feel good about where I am today.  Two months after the accident, my back is still sore & until today, my spirit had been broken.  This ride helped restore my confidence in my abilities.  I may not be the best on the road, but I am at least as determined as anyone out there, and that is what matters.

Filed under Attitude, Exercising, Life

Product Review: Toshiba Mini NB205-N311

July 18, 2009 1 Comment

Last weekend I visited a Best Buy looking for a case to hold my DVD & CD collection.  In the process of visiting the store I stopped to check out the laptop computers.  I wasn’t able to make any purchases as they were completely sold out of the the one I was interested in.

Although I have wanted a computer for more than a year I never felt a real need.  My girlfriend owns a laptop which I am free to use as often as I like, which ended up being more often than she used it herself.  Sharing a computer usually didn’t cause any issues though at times it would have been more convenient had each of us had our own.

When I walked into Best Buy a computer wasn’t something I had budgeted for.  I knew that by asking the sales associate to bring one for me to purchase that I was on the cusp of making an impulse purchase.  When he came from the warehouse & told me that they were sold out I had mixed emotions.

I was disappointed to not be getting the computer as I had really worked myself up with the thought of having a new gadget yet relieved that I now had some time to do some more research about the product before spending $400.

That night I spent a couple of hours researching the computer online, reading product descriptions & customer reviews.  Other than a few minor complaints, it seemed that everyone who owned a Toshiba NB205-N311 was satisfied with their purchase.  I decided to sleep on it before I committed myself to making such a major purchase.

The next morning I continued pondering whether or not to make the purchase.  After spending some more time reading reviews I finally decided to go ahead and buy the computer.

I debated which online retailer I should make my purchase through.  I narrowed my choices down to two; Amazon.com or BestBuy.com.  If I purchased the computer though Best Buy I would have access to brick & mortar stores in case something went wrong with the computer.  The problem with using their website to make a purchase is that they are required to charge sales tax on any purchase shipped to a state where they have a store.  That meant I would pay an additional $22 plus the cost of shipping.

Amazon doesn’t charge sales tax which would save me some money.  Even though I wouldn’t have access to a store in case of a problem my purchase would be covered under the Manufacturer’s Warranty which protects against defects in workmanship up to one year from the date of purchase.  Regardless of whether I were to purchase it from Best Buy or Amazon, if something were to malfunction it would be my responsibility to follow the steps outlined with the warranty.

I used my credit card in order to earn an additional 1% cash back on my purchase, further reducing my cost by an additional $3.99.  Its not much, but in total I managed to save myself about $25 off the purchase price.  There is no reason not to save yourself all the money you can, especially when it is as simple as using one card versus another.  Of course it is vital that the purchase be paid in full before you begin to accrue interest charges.

Product Review

Battery Life- One of the major selling points to this computer is the 9 hour battery life.  The first thing I did before I really began to explore the computer was to make sure I had a complete charge so that I could test whether or not this claim could actually be possible.  Nine hours is a very long time for a laptop battery to last without a charge.  I had my doubts.

Now that I have spent most of the afternoon working on the computer I am beginning to become a believer.  My battery indicator is showing a 45% charge.  I’ll be asleep before this battery wears out.  I could make the battery life last even longer if I were to adjust the screen brightness & some other system functions.  I am impressed & very satisfied with this feature. 

Size- This computer is small.  It is about half the size of the laptop I have been working on for more than a year.  It is lightweight and very portable.  Despite how small it is, it isn’t lacking in any area.  Everything feels and looks great.

Keyboard- I had my concerns about how I would be able to adjust to using a smaller keyboard.  I was worried that my hands might get sore or cramp up from tying on chiclet sized keys all day but after a few hours on the machine I have no signs of fatigue.  The keyboard feels a little smaller than a standard laptop keyboard but doesn’t feel overly small.  I have been able to adjust to the smaller size in essentially no time at all.

Touchpad- The touchpad on this computer is actually larger than the one on my girlfriend’s laptop.  It has a scroll feature along the right side, though it is not obvious as there are no markings on the touchpad to indicate this feature.  There are 2 large buttons long the edge of the computer which are easy to use.

Screen- The screen is a mere 10.1 inches but has great resolution for its size.  While I was looking at the other models in Best Buy I noticed an obvious difference in the quality of this screen compared to the Dell & HP models.  The others seemed grainy and pixellated while the Toshiba seemed more crisp and clean, more on par with a larger monitor.

All of the webpages that I typically visit look remarkable on the smaller screen.  The only noticeable difference between the Toshiba & a larger laptop is that you aren’t able to view as much of a webpage vertically.  Horizontally the page is the same, albeit slightly smaller.

Appearance- I like how this computer looks.  The one I own is white and grey.  The keyboard has seperated keys giving it an appealing look, very simple.  Something I really like about the look of this computer compared to the others is the hinge area where the monitor folds up.  On other brands this space is a void, making the computer look flimsy and cheap.  The Toshiba has a metallic cover in place with a glowing white power button in the middle.  This minor detail adds a lot of sex appeal to this computer.

Software/Hardware- The computer comes with Windows XP, which sort of surprised me.  I was expecting a new computer to have Vista for its operating system.  I am not technical enough to understand the reasoning behind this decision, though I would have to assume XP doesn’t require as many system resources to operate as Vista.

The NetBooks are very stripped down in their memory.  The Toshiba has 1 Gigabyte of RAM & a 160 Gigabyte hard drive.  Very small compared to the newer computers on the market but sufficient for my needs.

The Toshiba is equiped with 3 USB ports where you can connect a mouse if you don’t like the touchpad or an external hard drive if you cannot live with only 160 Gigabytes of memory.  One feature I like about this computer is it has the capability to charge USB devices such as an iPod while the computer is closed.

Conclusion- I like this computer.  I like it more than I actually expected I would like it.  If the technology existed for companies to make the processors a little more powerful I would recommend them to everyone.  There are some people who require a more powerful machine for advanced applications, but for those of us who are looking to surf the Internet and communicate with friends & family while on the go, this is a great computer.

The price is right on these machines as well.  At $400 the Toshiba is a great buy, especially for what you get.  It opens the door to allowing people access to a basic computer at a reasonable price.  There is no reason to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a computer.

The Toshiba Mini NB205-N311 is a great choice for the frugal consumer and I recommend it to almost everyone.

Filed under Product Reviews

Financial Myths: Tax Brackets

July 17, 2009 1 Comment

"365:92 .. Rumour" by fwumpbungle @ Flickr

Something I’ve heard repeated time and again is that the more money you earn, the higher tax bracket you will be in.  For those of us who were less educated in financial matters took this to mean that our entire salary would be taxed at a higher rate.  Some people shunned overtime in order to keep their wages below the threshold while I chose my freedom over working to earn extra money, not to keep my income low.  Instead, my method to accomplish this was to direct much of my paycheck into my 401(k) in order to lower my taxable income.

Saving money for the future was not a financial mistake though I could have used that money to pay debt.  Those who who weren’t working overtime most likely could have used the extra money but for us it seemed useless to work extra hours when it would all end up in the hands of the government anyways.

It wasn’t until I began to do a little research that I discovered that we were all wrong in our thinking.  It was true that there were tax brackets to contend with, and that we were at the threshold of crossing over into the higher level.  What wasn’t true was the myth that we had all come to believe as absolute truth; that if we went into the higher tax bracket our entire salary would be taxed at this rate.

What actually happens is the wages earned up to that threshold are taxed at the rate of that bracket & anything over that bracket was subject to higher taxation, but not our entire earnings.  Were we restricting our own financial health as a result of some myth?  Yes.  But how did this rumor get started & why hadn’t anyone questioned its validity?  The answers to these questions may never be known but one thing is certain; a person must take the time to research the answers for themselves.  We need to become literate in basic finances.  If we aren’t educated we are susceptible to the impact that myths & rumors have on our financial health and well-being.

Filed under Financial Myths

Credit Card Risks & Rewards

July 16, 2009 1 Comment

"The Numbers Look The Same on Your Credit Card" by doyoubleedlikeme @ FlickrIn February I finally paid the last of my credit card debt.  After years of working to earn paychecks that didn’t belong to me, having a zero balance brought a sense of peace knowing that I had finally reached a turning point.  

Like many people who struggle to get out of consumer debt, I vehemently proclaimed that I would never use a credit card again.  I saw credit card companies as being predators, preying on the weak people of society in order to line their pockets with our money.

I have been credit card debt-free for nearly 5 months & despite the bad taste still left in my mouth from being in debt, I wonder if credit card companies are as evil as I had convinced myself they were.  It isn’t their fault that I was spending money I couldn’t afford.  Its not as if they were standing behind me pointing a pistol into my back making me use their credit card.

Of course they do have their tricks and tactics to entice us to sign up for their products and use them.  I was receiving countless offers for credit cards from a variety of companies.  It was so easy to fill out an application when I was broke and looking for a way to get my hands on some money.  Once I reached the point of financial meltdown I became vigilant in my quest to eliminate the influence credit cards had in my life.  I no longer wanted to be enticed by their constant flow of card offers.  I visited a website called Opt-Out Pre-Screen where you can remove your name from countless mailing lists, including those of credit card companies.

Credit card companies also offer incentives for using their cards, in the case of my credit card I am able to earn cash back for all of my purchases made with the card.  At 1% cash back I have to spend $10,000 before they will cut me a $100 check.

Statistics suggest that a person who pays with a credit card is apt to spend 30% more on their purchases than if they were to use cash, making the use of a credit card in order to earn rewards a poor financial decision.  I don’t doubt the reality of this statistic for discretionary spending, things such as food or clothing, but what about if you are using the card for fixed expenses where it wouldn’t matter if you used a credit card or cash?  What about for purchases that you intend to make regardless of how you pay?  For this type of spending it may make sense to use a credit card in order to earn cash back.  It is like giving yourself a discount on whatever you are purchasing.

By using a credit card you are putting yourself at the mercy of a company which is operating in order to make a profit.  This means that you need to be a smart consumer and protect yourself.  Pay attention to your statements & any Change of Terms that may come along with it.  Be sure to read them and understand what they mean.  Your credit limit may unexpectedly be lowered or your monthly payments increased.  Your interest rate may spike without any warning or reason.

Most importantly, any sort of rewards you receive for using a credit card are pointless if you are carrying a balance.  It doesn’t make sense for you to earn $5 in rewards if you end up paying $50 in interest charges.  Pay your balance down to zero each month to avoid interest charges.

Credit card companies are there to make a profit just as any other business on the street.  It is up to you to be a smart consumer, protect yourself, spend only what you can afford and pay your bill in full each month.  If you are able to do these things then using a credit card can be a great way for you to reward yourself with their incentives.  If you can’t follow these few guidelines then you are only rewarding the credit card companies.

Filed under Credit Cards

The Choices We Make

July 15, 2009 Leave a comment

"The old phone box" by [ jon ] @ Flickr

Not too long ago I wrote an article titled “Ease of Credit, Pain of Cash” where I discussed my transforming relationship with credit cards.  After reaching a state of financial meltdown I began to understand that my method of “managing” money was not working.  Saving myself from total disaster required serious change.

I struggled to reign in my spending almost as if I were addicted to being a consumer.  I was spending like tomorrow would never come.  My paycheck would arrive but I already had it spent.  I did not question the way I was living as I considered it to be normal.  People bought what they wanted & I was no exception.

Eventually things began to catch up with me.  The rent check that was a few days late turned into my becoming a regular patron of the cash advance store so I would have a place to live.  I was behind on my car payments so often that I was receiving phone calls at work.  I had credit cards that were in default & others which I struggled to pay as a result of all of the late fees.

Ironically, all of these problems came at a time when I was making more money than I ever had before in my life.  I was trying to create an image of success.  I had a nice car & nice clothes.  I bought a wide variety of Stuff to decorate my apartment, including a $600 piece of artwork which I then had framed for an additional $300.

I had caviar taste on a tuna budget & the money was running out.

One day while I was walking across the parking lot on my way to work I received a phone call from the company that manages my auto loan.  They informed me that if I didn’t take care of my past due account that they would repossess my car.  After some fast talking & promises I didn’t know whether I’d be able to keep we reached an agreement.  I would bring my account up to date & keep it current.  If I was unable to fulfill these obligations I would lose my car.  This was my wake up call, literally.

I did manage to get my account current & I began making my payments on time.  Things would not be easy for me while I struggled to change my consumer habits.  I cut most of my spending opting instead to pay my creditors and other obligations (as if this had seemed optional before).  Soon things were beginning to look up.  I wasn’t frequenting the cash advance stores as often, though there were still hard times occasionally.  I began to work towards paying down my credit card debt, even paying off accounts that had gone into collections.

Through all of this I’ve come away with a lesson I wish I had been able to learn without the firsthand experience; spend less than you earn.  It seems so simple yet many people struggle to put this knowledge into action.  No matter your income level, this advice applies to everyone.  The more money you make the more you will spend, but even if you are making $100,000 a year you will be just as broke as the person living on minimum wage if you can’t follow this money lesson.

Filed under Debt, Life, Money, Prioritizing

Creating a Budget

July 14, 2009 1 Comment

"LOW BUDGET" by auntsmack4u @ FlickrApartment hunting is never fun.  A month ago we spent a day searching through newspapers looking for apartments.  We made several phone calls expressing our interest in a variety of places; single bedroom apartments, houses with a room for rent, even ads looking for roommates.  All of our calls generated only a couple of call backs & we were able to schedule one viewing.  As we left town there was a bit of disappointment & frustration.  The apartment we looked at was even smaller than the one we live in now & it cost more.  How were we going to find a place where we would be happy yet be able to afford?

We decided to try finding an apartment again yesterday, this time looking at the surrounding communities as well.  We began making calls and leaving messages.  Those who answered the phone were unable to offer us a viewing for a few days or had already rented the apartments out.  There were two single bedroom apartments listed in the newspaper which I was interested in simply because they were the best deal, only slightly more expensive than what we are paying now.  I called & left a message.

A few minutes later the phone rang.  It was the person with the cheap apartment.  I asked if we could meet in a half an hour.  No problem.  The apartment was in the next town so we hit the road with high hopes of finding something similar to the apartment we have now.  When we arrived I became skeptical.  The door to the apartment opened into a decent sized kitchen & dining area.  I was willing to live with the orange counter tops, but when I turned the corner into the next room I found myself looking at the end of the tour, a small bedroom.

There was no living room & despite being larger than the bathroom we have now, we were turned off by how dirty things were.  We thanked the man for his time, explaining we were looking for something slightly bigger which would be able to hold our furniture.  Before leaving town we drove around looking for yards with rental signs.  We found two, which I called both, receiving no answer from either but again leaving a message.

When we returned to the other town we did some more driving around.  We found an apartment complex and I called the number posted on the sign.  Immediately I received an answer & we could come see an apartment whenever we wanted, right now was fine.  We parked our car and met the manager at the door.  After exchanging some pleasantries we got down to business.  She showed us a couple of two bedroom apartments & they were exactly what we were looking for.  They had an open floor plan, a nice kitchen, full bathroom & plenty of closet space.

The only problem was the price.  The apartment we live in now is a steal.  While it is small, it fits our needs almost exactly.  Even in the town we live in now this apartment is a great find so moving to a college town where the cost of living is higher is disappointing.  I feel as though I’ll never be able to find a deal like this again.  Most of the places in the paper were costing a couple of hundred dollars more than we pay now, either with some or no utilities included.  The apartment we wanted was even more than that, double what we pay currently.

My girlfriend & I took some time to discuss whether or not we would be able to afford the apartment & after a bit of discussion we decided to take the apartment.  We figured that the cheaper apartments would not meet our needs & the ones which were slightly less expensive would probably cost us nearly as much once we included the cost of utilities which were included in the cost of the rent at this apartment.

We came to the conclusion that we could afford it but we would need to create a budget in order to ensure that we had money to cover all of our expenses.  Right now I operate on a pretty loose budget.  All of my monthly bills are fixed so I can run a budget in my head easily.  With a change to my expenses as significant as our new rent I will have to re-evaluate those expenses and figure out exactly how much money I need each month.

A lot of people refuse to use a budget.  They feel as though it is restricting, like they can’t spend their money how they please.  As you begin to utilize a budget this may in fact be the case.  A budget tells you were your money needs to go instead of you trying to figure out how you will pay the next bill when it arrives.  Planning out your expenses will require a shift in thinking but as you work through the months you will begin to see that you have money left over at the end of the week.

Once you have enough money in your account as a cushion against unexpected events a budget will no longer feel like a burdeon.  Now you control your money instead of being controlled by it.  Instead of feeling guilty about going out with friends or having a lingering fear of how you will pay your cell phone bill, you will know that you have more than enough money to pay all of your bills & still be able to enjoy yourself.

A budget doesn’t need to be sophisticated.  All you need to know is what your expenses are compared to your income.  Gather all of your bills (rent/mortgage, utilities, car payment, cell phone bill) and compute the monthly cost of these items.  Now figure out your net income by looking at your previous month of paycheck stubs.  If you have an income which is unstable you may have to spend some more time figuring out an average monthly income.

If your expenses don’t exceed your income but you never seem to have any money, you will need to dig deeper to explore the reason for your lack of funds.  Maybe you spend a lot of money going out to eat.  Are you shopping for clothes on a regular basis?  With a budget you will designate a specific amount of money which is to be spent on these items in a given month.  As you get your finances under control you can begin to allocate more money to these funds though I suggest keeping it to a minimum for a while as you begin to straighten your finances out & build your savings. 

A budget allows you to analyze the way your money flows out of your possession.  Without much consideration we find ourselves purchasing a latte each morning before work or a soda at lunch.  We see these as trivial amounts of money but as we track our spending we are able to realize that over time these things add up.  What could we do with the $25 a week we spend on beverages?  If you had $1,300 (the cost of those beverages over a year) how would you spend it?

A budget doesn’t tell you how to spend your money, it simply helps you direct your cash more responsibly.  As you track your expenses you will begin to see patterns, ways you can cut costs so that you can apply that money towards something you really care about.  You will be able to meet your obligations without having that feeling in the pit of your stomach each time you open your mailbox or are at a store looking at a widget for your collection.  As you spend more time working with your budget & following it, the more freedom you will feel with your money.  Your savings will grow (because you budgeted to pay yourself first), and when the bill comes you won’t even have to wait until payday to pay it.

Filed under Budgeting

Apartment Hunting

July 13, 2009 Leave a comment

"Individual Economic Recession1" by TenthMusePhotography @ FlickrToday we begin our search for a new apartment.  Our last visit was brief and we were only able to view one apartment despite having made over 20 phone calls.  This time we will spend a couple of days looking for a place to live.  I hope we are able to  find something that meets our needs in a relatively short period of time.  After being home only a few days in the past two months I am ready to be home & relax.

We will stay in our new town until we are able to secure an apartment.  This means that when we return home our time will be spent packing & preparing for a move across the state.  I look forward to being able to “start fresh” in a new place though the whole moving process doesn’t excite me much.  

In order to reduce the amount of stuff I will be moving I intend to rid myself of any unnecessary Stuff that I have in my possession.  Now will be a great time to sort through the things I no longer need/want.  Instead of dragging it along with me to our new place I can determine what I will sell, donate & throw away.  It will be a liberating process, a part of moving that I will actually look forward to.

With the apartment searching and all that comes along with it, posts will be sporadic again.  Once I am able to settle down I will be able to post some articles of value and substance.  I hope you will stick it out with me for the time being.  Thanks for visiting my site!

Filed under Life

It Was Love at First Sight

July 11, 2009 1 Comment

toshiba-nb205-n310-white-open_angle-700

I used to be proud of my media collection.  As I continue to seek a simpler (clutter-free) lifestyle, I no longer enjoy blatantly displaying my collection of DVDs & CDs for the world to see.  I thought a small case to hold the discs which could be tucked away in a drawer out of sight would be a nice solution.  I found exactly what I was looking for at Best Buy & purchased two of them; one for CDs which I would store in my car where I listen to most of my music & the other for what remains of my DVD collection.

Before leaving the store I couldn’t help but to wander over to the computer department.  My computer had finally made its last stand a while ago and I have been using my girlfriend’s laptop for all of my computing needs ever since.  At first I wasn’t bothered by having to share a computer but as school approaches & I continue to write, a computer of my own would be nice.

Even though it would be nice, I have been putting off such a major purchase for financial reasons.  As inconvenient as sharing technology can be at times, it wasn’t enough to convince me to spend many hundreds of dollars on a new computer.

That is when I saw it, a NetBook.

I was drawn to the NetBook for a variety of reasons, the first being price.  At less than $400, these are much closer to a price I am actually willing to pay for a computer.  It is true that they don’t have all of the capabilities of an actual laptop, but they are able to handle everything I need them to do; surf the Internet & blog.  When school starts I can use it for homework & typing papers.

Another thing I really like about it is the size.  While a laptop isn’t very big, a NetBook is practically half the size making it much easier to haul around.  It only weighs a couple of pounds and could fit easily into a backpack.  If I am commuting to school via bicycle (which I hope to be a possibility), the less I have to carry the better.

What really surprised me the most was the battery life which can last up to 9 hours!  The laptop we are using now is lucky to last an hour.  With such a short battery life, it isn’t very portable.  With the NetBook I could take it to all of my classes & not have to worry about the battery dying halfway through the day.

I left the store without making any purchases but by the next day I found myself still thinking about how nice it would be to have one and how affordable they are.  I decided I would return to Best Buy to buy the NetBook.  I browsed the selection, comparing models & prices.  I finally made up my mind, choosing a Toshiba Mini NB205-N311.  

After asking the sales clerk a few questions to help clear up some lingering questions, I asked him to please get one for me.  A couple of minutes later he returned with the news that they were all sold out.  We checked some other stores in the area but they were all sold out also.  I would be leaving the store without a NetBook.

Even though I wasn’t able to get a NetBook, now I have some more time to consider the purchase and do some more research.  It will also give me some more time to save up some money.  I haven’t budgeted for a new computer & while I have extra money in savings, it will make it (mentally) easier to make the purchase if I set aside some money specifically for this purchase.  

Filed under Budgeting, Spending

Paying for Television is History

July 10, 2009 2 Comments

"Kicking Television" by dhammza @ FlickrBefore leaving for our trip we decided to cancel our cable television.  It wouldn’t make sense for us to pay for a utility that we would not be using while on the road.  In addition to travelling for a month, our summer plans include relocation as well as a variety of other outdoor activities.  There won’t be much opportunity to sit in front of a television set.  By the end of summer we will be settled into a new home, preparing for another year of college.  In all likelihood we will look into the possibility of hooking up our cable again.  Is it really something we need?  Are there alternatives to cable?

With the relocation I hope to be able to tune into local television stations with an antenna instead of having to pay for service from a cable provider.  Our relocation will place us close to Minneapolis so we should be able to pick up many stations.  Even with the possibility of having a couple of local stations I wondered what other options are available as a substitute to paying for cable?

So far I haven’t found any great alternatives, though I have found a couple of possibilities.  The first thing I’ve found is a website called Hulu.  It is free to sign up for an account and you can watch episodes of many of your favorite shows with only minor advertising interuptions.  They offer a significant selection of both television episodes as well as movies.  The quality of the videos is great and I haven’t experienced much trouble with downloading time.  The only problem with this site is that they only offer older episodes.

Similar to Hulu is a website called Joost.  Here you are able to watch a variety of full-length television episodes as well as movies.  Most of the movies I browsed through were older titles and B films.  There are some great television shows available at this site though I was disappointed by having to sort through the short clips in order to find full-length episodes.

Another possibility I wondered about was YouTube.  A quick search of one of my favorite shows (Whale Wars) offers at least a little hope of watching some full-length episodes, though it looks as if it could be somewhat inconvenient to do so.  Despite the inconvenience of trying to watch TV shows, YouTube is great for watching music videos.  I am able to find even the most obscure songs.  It isn’t exactly a solution to our cable television situation, but still worth noting.

While it doesn’t solve the cable issue, another possibility is to utilize your local library for movie titles.  Many libraries carry a great variety of DVDs which you can check out for free.  While they may not have the most current releases they do have recent titles & you may be able to request specific movies.

Even if you are unable to tune into a local station for free, with the variety of websites available to watch practically any television series you want it doesn’t make sense to pay for a cable service.  The only exception is if you absolutely cannot live without watching the most current episodes.  Instead of paying for cable save yourself some money and use the Internet to watch your favorite television shows and take advantage of your library for your movie needs.

Update!!! July 17, 2009- I found a new site which I am just testing out but so far have LOVED!  It is called LetMeWatchThis.com.  It has many television series & new movies.  It is easy to navigate.  The only thing which brings any concern is that the site doesn’t host its own videos.  It links you to third-party websites, for example I am currently watching Six Feet Under on MegaVideo.com which I linked to from LetMeWatchThis.com.

Filed under Money, Savings, Spending

Some Thoughts on Lottery Tickets & Gambling

July 9, 2009 2 Comments

"Texas Hold'Em" by losvizzero @ Flickr

I’ve gambled.  There is a casino about an hour from where I live which I’ve been to a few times in my life.  Most of the time I stick to the penny slot machines though on one occasion I tried my hand at the Black Jack table.  After a couple of hands I had had enough.  I couldn’t seem to win, so I moved on to something else.  I don’t like watching my money disappear.  I’ve gambled in Las Vegas, again without luck.  I’ve gambled in Aruba & have the same story to tell about gambling there.

I’ve played scratch-off lottery tickets with minimal results, winning small sums of money very infrequently.  With all of my experience in gambling, I’ve never had the “luck” of winning.  It is because of my inability to win that I have little desire to take my hard earned money to a casino or gas station in the hopes of hitting it big. 

I don’t entirely shun the thought of gambling if it is for entertainment purposes only.  I have never spent a great deal of money in a casino or on lottery tickets.  If I spend more than $20 in a night at a casino it is a strange moment.  I tend to keep a pretty tight fist on my cash at these places.  I also limit myself to how often I enter a casino, only going with friends for a night out.  Gambling can be fun, even if you are losing.

Today while I was waiting in line at a gas station there was a couple buying scratch off tickets.  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until I noticed the line wasn’t progressing.  My curiosity piqued, I began watching the transaction at the counter.  The cashier was counting a stack of tickets and another bunch was lying on the counter.  When she finally rang up the total the couple had nearly $250 in scratch off tickets.  I don’t mean to stereotype but by all appearances these were not rich people.  I wondered how in the world they could afford to be spending that kind of money on gambling.

I puzzled over this for a while.  If I had $250 to spend it wouldn’t be on lottery tickets.  I would apply that money towards something meaningful such as saving it for a rainy day, paying down my car loan or using it to accomplish some of my goals.  Even though I am not against gambling I couldn’t fathom myself applying so much money towards it.  Twenty dollars in 6 months in the slots can be chalked up to fun, but that much money indicates a real problem.

My streak of bad luck at the casinos has shown itself as a blessing in disguise.  Had I won early on maybe I too would cling to the hope of hitting the big one someday.  Maybe I might have been the person spending a weeks pay on lottery tickets.  Instead, when I gamble I do so without the intent of winning but of having fun & socializing with friends.

As is the case with any aspect of personal finance, a balance must be found.  One where you are able to meet your responsibilities & prepare for a prosperous future while living a full and happy life today.  No doubt there are people out there who would say that gambling is the worst financial decision you can make.  I think the worst financial decision is not practicing restraint in any aspect of your finances.  I didn’t hit my financial rock bottom because I was gambling.  My financial disaster was much more subtle than that but it still came down to being able to control my spending.

If you ever find yourself spending more money than you know you should on anything, ask yourself some hard questions & dig down to the source of the problem.  Ask yourself if what you are doing today is preparing you for a strong financial future down the road.  It is easy to think only about today, what you are eating for dinner tonight or your weekend plans.  Think beyond that to 5 or even 10 years down the road.  Where do you see yourself?  How are you going to get there?  Is what you are doing today conducive to reaching that goal?

We look at gambling in a narrow scope thinking only of cards, chips, slot machines or a roulette table but gambling is much more than that.  Each time we spend frivolously we are gambling with our financial futures.  Enjoy your life, but don’t risk a secure tomorrow.

Filed under Behavior, Goals, Life, Money, Prioritizing, Spending

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