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Financial Planning My Way
Friday, June 27, 2008  This is the initial workings for my lifelong goal of financial stability. I see personal finances as a four legged stool: retirement, real estate, investments, and cash. I strive for simplicity. These are goals for starting balances, the future yields would definitely be higher. 1. Retirement
Labels: bonds, investments, real estate, retirement, social security posted by JD Webber
email this! | article source | 0 comments | post a comment The Electric Car Tuesday, June 24, 2008 Where is the mass market electric automobile? What is taking so long to bring these things to market?  Tesla Motors has a car, but it's high end. They don't go very far. Fast yes, distance no: max range is 220 miles. The Tesla Roadstar has lovely bells and whistles, but I don't think there are any on the road yet. I've read that they are working on a mass market vehicle. We'll see. I won't go over the disaster that General Motors (GM) made of their EV-1. Years ago, I can recall that that car was initially supposed to fill the California market. The next thing you know - poof! - it's gone! The theory of peak oil has been around for a number of years. Whether it is true or not, there should be alternatives to transportation, and not just dependent on Petroleum Oil. Brazil had no trouble getting clever about this strategy. They use sugar cane, Ethanol, to fuel their automobiles. Why haven't we? Why isn't there a full variety in our transportation infrastructure options? Supposedly, the mass market problem with the electric automobile is the battery. Senator McCain, in an effort to get the market moving, has proposed a $300 million reward for a better battery for a new electric car. I guess he's unaware of the $10 million X-prize for a mass market zero emission car.  Hey, I am all for it. Right now there's a company from Norway called Think and they plan on bringing their car to our market. I hope they do, I like the concept. I would wait for the second or third generation of this item. The car they plan on selling will only have a range from 125-155 miles. Good, but I'm sure they will get better. The thought of only plugging in my car at night excites me. I think as a backup, I would like having a small tank of gas (flex-fuel) that can take me roughly 100 miles or so. Any and all options are welcome at this juncture. Yet, until I see these cars in a showroom all this stuff is just PR hype and talk. Labels: automotive x prize, battery, Brazil, electric car, Ethanol, John McCain, oil, Tesla Motors, Think posted by GoldenAh
email this! | article source | 0 comments | post a comment Cutting Spending and Saving Money Sunday, June 15, 2008   I am a spendthrift. Money burns a hole in my pocket. Currently, it is an incredibly deep hole. The philosophy to follow when one is in trouble is to stop digging. I will stop, and find a way to climb out of this hole. I have to organize. I used to be so proud of being a hustler. I don't know what's been going on my head for the past few years. I've truly lost track of myself. Short term goals: 1. Track spending: write down what I spend. 2. Limit my spending. 3. Save weekly what I did not spend. 4. Create additional income. I don't follow a budget. I do track current balances, and know where the money is going when fixed bills are due. I will get more anal, and detail every single cent I spend every day. It's like being on a diet. I may not like it for the short haul, but over a period of time it works (at least for me). I've been looking for ways to save money. I wont know where to cut until after I've studied my spending journal. My gut (har-har-har) tells me I spend too much on food and entertainment. Yet, there is only so much I can cut back in those areas. I have an investment account I emptied out. Last week, I started squirreling money back into it. Initially, it's not much. It's the equivalent of money I spent daily on coffee per week. Later on, I will double that amount. Last, but not least. I have to look at where to increase my income. I've got too much month, and not enough money.  Labels: budgeting, increase income, money, savings, spendthrift posted by GoldenAh
email this! | article source | 0 comments | post a comment Earn Airline Miles! Earn a Free Flight Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Earn miles to get to your next destination for free! There are many ways to earn points to obtain a free flight. The following is only the tip of the iceburg, the rest is up to you to research: Credit Card Association: As long as your spending is under control. If you have little or no debt, or have one card with a very low balance consider switching. The debt won't translate into points, but future spending will. If you have excellent self-control with spending: use a credit card affiliated with a major airline to rack up those flight points! Online Programs: There are plenty of programs that allow swapping between point programs. Some encourage survey taking to gain points, others require you to purchase at a specific vendor. If you have a lot of patience, and can wait, the points toward a free flight will slowly build. Airlines often change their point programs after each bankruptcy, so plan your trips and point accumulation accordingly. Labels: affiliate programs, airlines, credit cards, free flight, free miles posted by JD Webber
email this! | article source | 0 comments | post a comment Software: Password Management Tuesday, June 10, 2008 I'm reluctant to try new software. I have little patience for learning how the stuff works. I don't read the manual: I don't want to. Software should work intuitively. The majority of commands required are the same. I don't like gimmicky products that forces one to look in new places on the menu for: File, Edit, Options, Help, etc. I have a gazillion online accounts. I can't remember all the accounts I have. The best I could do was keep track by spreadsheet, but it's too much to update. It is too much to handle. I broke down, and downloaded RoboForm. It's very easy to use, no manual reading required. Labels: password management, RoboForm, software posted by GoldenAh
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