|
|
|
December 23, 2010, at 6:00 am If you're new to BFS, please subscribe to my RSS feed. It shows me a vote of support and keeps me motivated to keep your attention. If you have any questions or comments for me, please contact me and I'll get back to you asap. Thanks for visiting! The following is a guest post from Benjamin at Garbage Filter, a site that sorts through the garbage out there so you don’t have to!
I love snooping! That’s why I go to open houses. Even if I can’t afford the house, I love to go in and see why they painted the walls that hideous fluorescent green, or why they chose those god awful lamps with matching pink pillows. It bides the time while my wife (the serious one when it comes to these things) looks at the prospective place as her next purchase.
Sometimes I think that open houses were created for the realtors themselves to show that they are actually working. Most open houses occur on the weekend – duh! That’s when most people are off of work, and able to go to these things, but who wants to work on a weekend! I believe that most of the time open houses are a huge waste of time. Here are my top secret tips to survive an open house.
1) Do it on a Sunday – Plan your open houses on a Sunday, as I find that there are way more listings planned for that day so that you can coast from house to house so your (insert husband or wife here) doesn’t complain that we are taking six hours out of their (insert male or female show here) watching time to look at a cardboard box.
2) Eat lunch before you go – You never know what they made those cookies out of – See rule # 5.
3) Bring slip-on shoes – It’s so awkward standing there and talking to an agent for 10 minutes while your wife is trying to put her high heel boots on. Leave the fashion trends at home!
4) DON’T take your agent – They are annoying. If you take them then you have to explain to them what you did or did not like about the house. Go alone. If you want to tell the agent, or have a second look, then bring them.
5) NEVER eat the food – I’m sure that Aunt Betties home baked cookies look great, but if you take a bite, then the agents have reeled you in. There’s a reason that the plate always looks so full!
6) They are never THAT cool – Houses are always staged by the real estate agent before you enter the home, it is usually better to take a look at the place on a private showing to see how the owner really looks after the place (minus the jazz music, fresh flowers and lighted candles.. as nobody is ever THAT cool).
7) NEVER take cards, pamphlets, papers or anything really – You totally know that they will send you a billion emails if you write your contact information down!
8) ALWAYS have a “back out plan” – Making up an excuse to leave is just awkward for everybody involved. Instead of saying that you can hear your mother calling, just say that your cat broke its leg falling off the counter and you have to go.
9) NEVER under any circumstances use the bathroom – Common sense wins this one
10) ALWAYS have fun – These things are quite boring, dull and predictable. You need to make it exciting in order to have any fun with it. Try funny hat/mask day.
There you have it, using these simple tips and tricks; you will be in and out of an open house in no time!
Crystal’s Comments and Questions:
My husband and I only went to one or two open houses while we were house hunting ourselves, but I will agree that you shouldn’t seem too interested or use the home’s bathroom, lol.
Do you have any open house tips for all of us?
December 22, 2010, at 6:00 am
You can also check out my staff writer post at Sweating the Big Stuff today, Preparing for Early Retirement. 
Here were my resolutions for 2010 and my results:
1. Eat out no more than 3 times a week. CHECK
2. Visit my remaining high school friends as I promised. CHECK
3. Lose 20 pounds by our annual vacation. UMMM…NOPE.
But I did lose 15 pounds by the end of 2010.
4. Learn a song well enough for karaoke. CHECK
Although I did not actually get to sing it because it wasn’t in their list of options. I learned “Something in Red” by Lorrie Morgan.
5. Max-out two Roth IRA’s instead of just one. STILL WORKING.
We have until April to open and fund another 2010 Roth IRA. We currently have $1500 set aside. We would have completed this already but we decided to pay off my husband’s car loan 3 years early last year instead.
Here are my 2011 Resolutions:
1. Lose 20 pounds by the end of the year – I am aiming to weigh 150 pounds by December 31st.
2. Volunteer for a charity at least twice a month – I seemed to have replaced charity time with blogging in 2010, oops.
3. Build up the emergency fund to at least $15,000 – right now it is at about $8200.
4. Max-out 2 Roth IRA’s for 2011.
5. Pay off at least $8,000 of our mortgage principal – that means it needs to be at $60,000 or less by the end of the year.
6. Make AT LEAST $15,000 through blogging – my true target is $25,000.
Continuing Long-Term Goals
1. Start taking two vacations a year or more to make some extra fun memories.
So far, so good!
2. Make long-lasting close friends (other than hubby). That sounds silly, but close friends are hard to come by…finding a great friend fit seems way harder than meeting and marrying my husband!
So far, so good!
3. Retire by age 52.
So far, so good!
What are your goals/resolutions? How are they coming?
December 22, 2010, at 5:30 am
The following is a guest post by Alex on behalf of HomeServe.
As this year draws to a close and the new one looms on the horizon, many of us are planning our financial year ahead – and how we’ll pay for those little extras we all love.
From holidays abroad to birthday treats, most of us will have a few little luxuries in mind, no matter how badly the recession has affected us.
However, if you’re picturing the feeling of warm sun on your face or a relaxing weekend at a spa with your spouse, it may be worth thinking about whether it’ll be possible if you’re hit with a £350 bill to fix your boiler.
This is the average amount of money spent repairing a boiler during last year’s cold snap – and with an estimated 2.22 million households hit by a heating system howler, it’s fair to say that we’re not talking about a small minority here.
According to research published by HomeServe, the total cost of fixing the damage caused by the worst cold spell for 50 years topped £2 billion – with central heating breakdowns, water leaks, burst pipes and electrical problems among the most common issues.
Of course, there is one way that hard-up families can avoid having to fork out for expensive repairs to their boiler – having adequate home emergency insurance in place.
By investing in this type of cover, you’ll never have to worry about a breakdown spoiling your Christmas or ruining your plans for a bit of fun in the sun in the new year.
As soon as a boiler problem occurs, you can be sure that a fully-qualified tradesman will be on the way to fix the issue, whatever time of the day or night it is.
This means that in the event of a breakdown, there’s no need to thumb through the telephone directories, desperately seeking someone who can come out to do the job at the price they see fit.
If investing in cover such as boiler insurance sounds like simple common sense, you may be surprised to discover how few people had it in place during last year’s cold snap.
Some 21 per cent of those polled by HomeServe did not have any insurance to cover their breakdown – despite the fact that 427,000 of those affected admitted they could not afford their repair costs.
So before you start thinking about that luxury holiday or round the world cruise, it may be worth looking a little closer to home and investing in the cover which could make all the difference to your financial health this year.
December 21, 2010, at 6:00 am
I was taking a look at this article at Yahoo Finance about a University of Chicago law professor, Todd Henderson. He blogged that making $250,000 or more does not mean a person is rich and “we are just getting by despite seeming to be rich”. He then went on to name expenses like a nice house close to work, a nanny, and a lawn care service.
I completely agree. If I make $250,000 a year but spend $250,000 a year, I am not creating wealth. If I make $50,000 a year, live on $40,000 a year, and save the difference, I do create wealth. BUT, I definitely have more of an opportunity to create wealth making $250,000 a year than someone making $50,000 a year. How?
BY SPENDING LESS. It isn’t that hard to figure out. Spending less than you earn is the first step to surviving financially.
A nanny, a nice house close to his university, and a lawn care service are not necessities. Those are all called “luxuries”. I should know, Mr. BFS and I do have a biweekly housekeeper and a biweekly lawn service during the spring and summer…we know they are luxuries and budget as such. BUT THEY ARE LUXURIES NONE-THE-LESS.
Is Todd smoking something? If my husband and I can somehow save 35-40% of our income when we “only” make $80,000-$85,000 a year jointly (and are happy to boot), I think that a couple making $250,000 a year in Chicago has a fighting chance to build wealth too.
Sure, I do not have kids and childcare is expensive, but I bet there are cheaper options than a personal nanny. I also doubt that childcare is eating up the $165,000 difference between our salaries.
I usually try to be more sympathetic, but I just don’t feel like coddling anyone today. Whether someone is making $20,000 or $1,000,000, I just don’t think they should get coddled when they complain that their LUXURIES are costing too much. I splurge on luxuries, but you will never hear me whine that we can’t make ends meet because our housekeeper costs too much.
Todd, shut the heck up. You are being a whiny brat. That is all.
What do you think? Am I being too harsh?
December 20, 2010, at 6:00 am
Feel free to also check out my guest post today at Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance, Why I Use Banks.
The following is a guest post by Lisa Cintron on behalf of OnlineAnnuityRates.com.
Retirement is the time to relax from years of working and to comfortably meet living expenses. The best way to accomplish this is to make wise investments (like looking into IRA contribution limits) and estimate how much will be needed each year. In recent years, many retirees have watched their investments shrink in a weak market. Money market accounts and certificates of deposit have lost significant value and might threaten the chance of retirees outliving their money. Optimism for some people is boosted with a good mix of investments made during the years of planning for retirement.
One product offered by the financial services industry is an Immediate Payment Annuity. This type of annuity is purchased through an insurance company with one lump sum payment. During retirement, a person receives a guaranteed monthly check for a specific period of time as long as they live. The monthly annuity payment amount is dependent upon life expectancy and the anticipated rate of return. Still, an immediate annuity offers a certain level of income security that is not threatened by market conditions.
A person should consider several relative factors before purchasing an annuity which include:
Financial control and security
How inflation may impact annuity payment
Associated fees
Money for heirs
1. Financial Control and Security
The annuity contract becomes effective once money is paid to the insurance company. A person should carefully estimate monthly expenses during retirement to ensure that the monthly payment from the annuity is adequate. Some insurance companies might provide the option to cash out early if a person’s financial situation changes, but with a surrender fee.
2. Inflation May Impact Annuity Payment
Another consideration is the level of inflation. The amount of money one estimates today might not hold the same value 10 or 20 years from now. A person’s expenses may increase due to groceries, utilities, and insurance (check out these tips for purchasing long term care insurance). Therefore, inflation rates should be factored into the monthly payments.
Some insurance companies offer variable immediate annuities, which ties the monthly payments to stock performances and offers additional residual income when stocks are performing well. Of course, this is risky during a stock market downturn and not much different than having money directly invested into the stock market.
Another option that might help to cover the cost of inflation is a mix of the two. Part of the immediate annuity is fixed to guarantee a set amount each month. The other part is invested in the variable portion. This mixed option also guarantees that the monthly payment does not fall below a certain amount, regardless to how the stock market performs. For example, if the initial monthly payment is $1,000 and at least 80 percent is guaranteed, a retiree will receive $800 even if the investments decline.
3. Associated Fees
The purchase of an immediate annuity includes several different types of fees. The insurance company charges a mortality and expense fee. An investment management fee is applied to managing the costs of investments where applicable. In addition, an account maintenance fee is charged annually.
The cost of these fees can add up over a period of time, although the fees associated with a fixed annuity are less expensive than the variable annuity. A person can save money by comparing the costs between difference companies before buying the annuity.
4. Money for Heirs
The monthly payments for an immediate annuity end when a person dies. There is an option where payments may continue, but at a cost. The monthly payments are reduced. A married person can select a joint or last survivor annuity where payments continue as long as one or the other spouse lives. Or, payments from an annuity bought for a specific period of years will continue until expiration.
Although taking these factors into consideration is a good start, financial professionals always recommend consulting with an annuity specialist. This allows the investor greater peace of mind and confidence.
December 19, 2010, at 6:00 am
During the Yakezie Alexa Ranking Challenge, you helped BFS soar from an Alexa ranking of more than 8 million in March 2010 to 49,852 on October 31, 2010. Thank you!!!
After posting my first ever Blog Statistics and Income Update, it was obvious that we needed some new goals, lol. It’s also obvious that everyone else is as nosey as me and enjoys a peek into another person’s stats, hahaha.
Goals for New Year’s Day
Here is what we are shooting for by New Year’s Day – January 1st, 2011:
Alexa – Maintain a Ranking at or around 50,000
Visits – 35,000
Feedburner Subscribers – 300
Twitter Followers – 200
Update
Here is where we are at today:
Alexa – 46,839 (On Target and then some, YAY!)
Visits – 27,612 (7,388 To Go)
Feedburner Subscribers – 224 (76 To Go)
Twitter Followers - 205 (WE MADE IT!)
Thank you so much! I’ll be posting these updates every week and hopefully we’ll blow the targets out of the water just like we did with every other goal we have set since March!
I will also continue posting monthly and yearly blog statistics and income updates from here on out, so stay tuned at the beginning of every month!
Feel free to ask any questions below. Thank you all for helping me reach my own personal goal of blogging full time by 2012!
Additonal Info
In case you didn’t know, Alexa traffic rankings are determined by the numbers of hits a site gets by people with the Alexa toolbar. If you want to be part of this ranking community, you can download the Alexa toolbar here.
If you don’t already, you can follow me via RSS or Twitter by following those links.
To learn more about the Yakezie, check out my Yakezie page! Feel free to email me if you are a Yakezie member or challenger and don’t see yourself on the list!
If you are interested in seeing how I went from an 8 million plus Alexa rank to about 50,000 in less than 8 months, you can see My Blogging Schedule, which breaks down everything I do related to blogging.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THE BEST READERS EVER!!!
December 18, 2010, at 6:00 am
My Favorite Posts this Week
(Yes, I do realize that most are Christmas related…it was actually by accident, lol, but I’m sticking with my choices)
- Everyday Tips and Thoughts with No More Cookies For Santa? If Santa still eats your cookies and delivers your gifts, do not click on this link. Got it?
- First Gen American with Extreme Frugalism – How Cheap Are You? You can tell alot about me when I say, most of the “C” answers icked me out, lol.
- Money Reasons with Using Technology to Optimize Christmas Shopping I did and am doing 90% of our Christmas shopping online, so technology is really my friend!
- Squirrelers with Unforgettable, Funny Holiday Gifts that were Given as Real Presents The Deer Repellent Whistle for an urbanite was super funny, lol.
- Len Penzo dot Com with Gee, Thanks: 4 Presumptuous Gifts That Can Strain a Budget Note to self, the Bahamas has ghettos…
- Thousandaire with Sometimes I Fail You have to see the ginger bread house…really.
- Studenomics with Christmas Gift Ideas You Can Be Proud Of I want a spa day with friends! It’s boring by myself, but it would be a fun outing with others!
- Live Real, Now with A Moment of Clarity Have you ever had one of those moments that it all just clicked and said ”Stop being a dumba…”?
- Get Rich Slowly with A Non-Consumer Christmas: Simple Gifts for Kids and Grown-Ups I really liked the babysitting coupon book idea she mentioned – great for anyone with little ones!
- Money Crush with The FUN of Giving She is a very generous woman and I am thankful for the $1000 that she’s donating to Nothing But Nets and the $5000 that Consumerism Commentary is donating to Doctors Without Borders! Thanks to everyone who donated and emailed in their receipts!
Guest Posts at BFS
Thanks so much for the day off! I truly appreciate it!
If you would like to guest post on BFS, please send me an email with your idea or post and I’d love to have you over for the day! If you are a business, please email me for more details. Thanks!
Other Info and Giveaways
Blog Carnivals
Carnival hosts, please email me if BFS is included in your carnival so I don’t miss it in my roundup, thanks! I know how much time these things take, so as always, I am truly grateful!
Top 5 Referring Sites to BFS This Week
The top 25 of each month will be listed on the first Saturday of every month.
- Yakezie
- Free Money Finance
- Everyday Tips and Thoughts
- Grumpy Rumblings of the Untenured
- Punch Debt in the Face / Sweating the Big Stuff Tied for 5th!
Feel free to email me if you have any suggestions. I’d love to add a few more blogs to my regular reading list or at least give a shout-out for great posts or contests.
As always, thanks to all the bloggers that teach me something new every day. Thanks to all my commenters for making this blog the community I want it to be. Thanks to all my “lurkers” too.  I hope everybody is enjoying this as much as me!
To check out new content (and rants), please also check out my other blogs,
Crystal Clear Thoughts and Dog’s Life For Me!
If you would like to join an exercise-oriented group with weekly goals, consider joining the Crystal Light Challenge!
|
|
DISCLAIMER I am not a professional or a financial advisor. BFS posts are informational opinions only. Please make your own financial decisions based on personal research or see a financial advisor.
Also, there are paid links on this site. There is no obligation on your part to purchase any products advertised on this website.
|
http://www.budgetinginthefunstuff.com/open-house-survival-guide/ http://www.budgetinginthefunstuff.com/open-house-survival-guide/trackback/
