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January 27, 2011, 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 Deidre Lin – an author, artist and advocate of Healthy Living and owner of TransFormX – a blog/website focusing on Living Healthy for body, mind and spirit. For a complete Dynamic Safety Plan go to www.transformx.com.
I love my job working with victims of natural disasters and have worked in the insurance industry for over a decade. After a natural disaster many of the common infrastructure systems that we take for granted are no longer viable or functioning. Usually governments take pro-active measures to ensure that the lives and property of the people in the area are safe but sometimes there can be an atmosphere of lawlessness or a greater possibility of being in an unsafe situation.
Being in this situation many times has prompted me to enact many safety measures that I use to this day whether I am working or not. Some may say that I have a touch of paranoia or are being overly cautious. Unfortunately we live in a society that is unpredictable and I have found that it is best to be prepared so that you can easily remove yourself from a situation quickly and easily if needed; or better yet, know what to look out for to avoid being placed in an unsafe situation.
Here are 5 suggestions towards implementing your own Dynamic Safety plan:
1. Keep your cell phone charged at all times. This seems obvious but with all the other things we have to do during our busy days sometimes we don’t charge our phones until the battery is almost dead. If a situation happened you may need that cell phone charged!
2. If you are going to an unfamiliar city have your GPS or map available. Call ahead to the person you are visiting (or hotel) and find out the best routes to take and the routes NOT to take. Many times the information you need most is where NOT to go!
3. Establish a code text message or call code – something that means: “I’m in trouble and need help NOW!” In the event of an emergency, text or place a quick call and leave the code on voice mail.
You may be thinking “yea but I have ‘OnStar’ “. It’s true that ‘OnStar’ can assist in many instances. But what if a situation happens and you are not in or by your vehicle to press the button? A code you could quickly text would come in handy.
This is a good one to teach your kids if they are of an age to carry cell phones. Obviously it would only be used in an emergency and the definition of emergency should be firmly established.
4. Tell someone where you are going. This seems like common sense but many people go about their day and are not aware of how situations could impact their lives. This is especially important for elderly people or kids. If you have an elderly person in your life, have them check in each day so that you are aware of their schedule. If they go to the store and were gone too long and got sick, or something of that nature, you would be able to know where to start looking if need be.
5. When arriving and parking somewhere, take notice of your surroundings and be vigilant. Walk confidently with your head up and even stride. If you carry a purse make sure it’s closed and carry it securely rather than dangling it.
Obviously, there are many more things you could do and plans you could enact, self-defense courses and the like. These are 5 simple things that are easy to implement without disrupting your entire routine and could keep you safe without you even knowing otherwise.
Above all, go with your gut feeling because 9 times out of 10 if something doesn’t seem right, it isn’t. These simple safety precautions are common sense but all of the things we pack into our days, we get busy and just plain forget until something arises. If you get used to being prepared chances are better that you will remain calm and focused in the unlikely event something does happen.
Crystal’s Comments: I took self-defense classes right before college and a few of these were mentioned (paying attention to your environment was a big one). I also remember the leader of thr group mentioning to use your keys as weapons unless they want the car – then throw them as far away from you as possible and run in the opposite direction. Can you think of any other tips to improve your general safety?
January 26, 2011, at 6:00 am
I work in an office job that sometimes requires me to see the actual deals that are worked out at some of the car dealerships that use our product. Yesterday I nearly gagged when I realized someone out there is paying $74,400 for a Ford Expedition.
Here is how you make a cruddy car deal:
Step 1 – Buy a 2009 Chevy Tahoe for a “reasonable” amount in 2008.
Step 2 – Make the minimum payments on that Tahoe.
Step 3 – Decide you rather have a 2011 Ford Expedition.
Step 4 – Ignore the fact that your Tahoe is upside down (isn’t worth as much as you owe) by $13,000.
Step 5 – Roll that $13,000 debt into your new Expedition deal at 5.5% interest for 5 years.
End Result – a $50,000 Expedition plus $13,000 of leftover debt spread over 5 years at 5.5% equals a $1240 monthly car payment!
That is almost $75,000 over 5 years!
Unless that Ford freaking flies, I have no idea why this buyer signed on the dotted lines!
I have seen bad deals and good deals and serviceable deals. I constantly roll my eyes when I see an service contract added on that cost a third of what a buyer paid. I have not seen a deal that looked like this before.
It wasn’t hidden. All the costs were fully disclosed. The buyer signed right next to the $63,000 total and again on the contract that listed the loan terms and the $74,400 total after payments. It was all legit.
And people wonder why they are barely making ends meet on $250,000 a year…
What do you think? Does a $75,000 SUV sound like a great idea to you?
Feel free to check out my staff writer post at My Retirement Blog today too,
5 Ways to Ruin Your Retirement. 
January 25, 2011, at 6:00 am
After our net worth updates last year, a few people have expressed interest in our stock portfolio. Despite the fact that I really dislike anything related to market stats since it gives me a headache, I thought I could at least disclose where my awesome hubby is squirreling away our money. Here are the current stocks we are investing in, their dividend yield, and what Mr. BFS said about them:
Bristol Myers Squibb Co (BMY) – 5.12% Yield – “Good drug company that pays a nice dividend.”
Conoco Phillips (COP) – 3.28% Yield – “With the price of oil fluctuating, other companies were spending a lot of money to find new things but COP decided to wait to see what would happen. In the meantime, they are slowing growing their dividend payout too.”
The Dow Chemical Co (DOW) – 1.72% Yield – He thought it was a great price at the time.
Enterprise Products Partners LP (EPD) – 5.54% Yield – “It’s a Houston energy company that pays a nice dividend.”
Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (FSUMF) – 0% Yield – FSUMF mines iron. Mr. BFS thought that sense iron is useful in the making of steel, and steel is needed right now, this was a good deal.
General Electric Co (GE) – 3.04% Yield – “Great price at the time with a decent dividend payout.”
Intel Corp (INTC) – 3.48% Yield – “Good yield and a solid company.”
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) – 3.45% Yield – “Bought it at a steal and great payouts.”
McDonald’s Corp (MCD) – 3.28% Yield – He also bought it at a steal and likes the payout.
Oneok Partners Limited Partnership (OKS) – 5.72% Yield – “Great dividends and was very undervalued at the time.”
PepsiCo Inc (PEP) – 2.89% Yield – “Great price at the time and they recently aquired Dr. Pepper bottlers to help with efficiency.”
Sysco Corporation (SYY) – 3.43% Yield - “This was an economic play.” Mr. BFS figured that everybody needs food.
AT&T Inc (T) – 5.96% Yield – He said they have a great yield and are a huge, solid company.
Thompson Creek Metals Co Inc (TC) – 0% Yield – We invested in Thompson Creek since it’s one of the largest miners of an ore nick-named “Molly”, which is used inthe refining of steel. Since China is going through an industrial revolution, Mr. BFS thought that this would do really well too.
So there you go. My 401(k) is in the Vanguard 2035 target date mutual fund, our Roth IRA is in the Fidelity 2040 target date mutual fund, and our Scottrade account is spread out between the ones above. We even have some mlp investments…
What are you investing in lately?
**This post is not to be used as a suggestion for investments. This is simply what we own. Make up your own mind, thanks!**
January 24, 2011, at 6:00 am
I accidentally published this with the comments closed off. I am so sorry.
Comments are never closed here at BFS!
To my regular readers, I will be hosting this carnival at least every Monday in January. So if blog carnivals aren’t your thing, please feel free to check out my archives or my guest post today at My Tenant From Hell, Even Room Renters Can Be From Hell.
Welcome the the third Totally Money Blog Carnival!!! Thanks for taking a look! I’ve riddled this one with funny signs, lol. I hope to make you smile enough to see you all next week again too!
Editor’s Picks
Budgeting and Careers
Credit
Debt, Economy, and Finance
Frugality
Money Management, Real Estate, and Review
Saving
Taxes
Other
Thanks so much!!!
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Please submit your posts to the January 31st edition of the Totally Money Blog Carnival using the carnival submission form.
Please remember that this carnival will only include recent, original posts about personal finance or money AND that a description MUST be included when you submit. The description field is used to weed out scammy posts, so please include one if you don’t want to be overlooked. Thank you!
Also, Totally Money is open to outside hosts, so feel free to throw your name in the ring if you match the qualifications. Please contact me with your hosting date preference if you are interested!
January 23, 2011, 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!!!
Then, after seeing all the interest for my blog stats and income updates, I created a new challenge to complete by January 1st, 2011. You helped me get an Alexa ranking of 43,055, 28,687 total visits, 239 RSS Subscribers, and 228 Twitter Followers!!! WOOT!
Since I do plan on blogging full time by 2012, this is the year for a HUGE push. I have come up with new goals to keep us on the right track!
Here are my Goals for July 4th, 2011:
Here is what we are shooting for by the Fourth of July – July 4th, 2011:
Alexa – Maintain a Ranking at or around 37,500
Visits – 60,000 total visits (I started BFS on February 20th, 2010)
Feedburner Subscribers – 500
Twitter Followers – 500
MozRank – 5.5
Today’s Update
Alexa – 40,182 (We are getting so close!)
Visits – 31,134 (28,866 to go…we can do it!)
Feedburner Subscribers – 262 (238 to go)
Twitter Followers – 266 (234 to go)
MozRank – 5.01 (0.49 to go)
As always, thank you so much for being my supporters! Obviously, I could not do any of this without you and I never forget that!!!
The Saved Quarter Challenge Update
I joined The Saved Quarter Challenge this year and am aiming to save at least $21,000 by the end of 2011! That would be a tiny bit more than 25% of our GROSS pay from our two full time jobs.
Here’s how I’ve done this week for the Saved Quarter Challenge ($21,000 Goal):
I have better updates after the 13th of every month since that is when our billing periods end, but here is where we funnelled away money this past week:
- 401(k): $80 (I automatically contribute 6%)
Total to date: $1820 guaranteed, $19,180 to go.
I also made a couple of hundred dollars blogging this week, but I won’t consider it saved until it’s still there by the end of our billing periods on the 13th.
Additonal Info
I will continue posting monthly and yearly blog statistics and income updates from here on out, so stay tuned at the beginning of every month!
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!!!
January 22, 2011, at 6:00 am
My Favorite Posts this Week
Guest Posts at BFS
Thank you so much for the day off! I truly appreciate it!
If you would like to guest post on BFS, please contact me with your idea or post and I’d love to have you over for the day! If you are a business, please contact me here for more details. Thanks!
Giveaways and Other Info
Blog Carnivals
I have also started my own carnival – Totally Money Blog Carnival
Please check the last edition out and submit here every week!
If you are hosting a carnival that will include BFS, please email me so I can include it in my roundup. Thanks!
Top 5 Referring Sites to BFS in the Last Week:
I list the top 25 on the first Saturday of every month
- Yakezie
- Free Money Finance
- Cents to Share
- Punch Debt in the Face
- Grumpy Rumblings of the Untenured
Feel free to contact 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!
January 21, 2011, at 6:00 am
Since Curl Up With a Good Book went over so well, I thought I’d start updating you all regularly on my most current conquests, lol. I didn’t get to read as much (well, listen to as much…I’m an audio book fanatic) over the last month due to the holidays, but I was able to hammer out a few. Here is my most recent reading list:
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games Trilogy Book 3)
Rated R (violence)
This book does what it needed to do. It wraps up the Hunger Games trilogy in a big bang. I personally cried a couple of times and the violence was like something out of “Starship Troopers”, but the series is wrapped up. The Hunger Games, a battle to the death between kids, is finally ended but a lot of good people die along the way.
- I give this one book a 6 or 7 out of 10 simply because I really don’t like a lot of gore for gore’s sake. BUT, the series as a whole is easily an 8 or 9 out of 10 for being so thought-provoking. The first book, The Hunger Games, will probably be on top of my favorites list for quite a while.
24 Hours by Greg Iles
Rated R (sex and violence)
This one would be classified as a suspense novel for sure. It opens with a mother who was taken hostage being reunited with her son who was also taken hostage. The rest of the novel covers one kidnapping by the same people one year later. What they didn’t count on was the next family they targeted being smarter than the previous ones. My favorite characters were the wife, Karen, and the daughter, Abby – I like smart, fiery redheads, lol. (For anyone who may not know, I’m a redhead too.)
- I’d rate this a 7 or 8 out of 10 for the pure entertainment factor alone.
The first four books in Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone Mysteries series (aka “Alphabet Mysteries”)
Rated PG-13 or R (violence and sexual talk but no love scenes)
“A” is for Alibi
Nikki Fife, a wife accused and convicted of murdering her husband 8 years before, is released from prison and hires Kinsey to find the real killer. As the case went on, I personally applauded whoever killed the crappy husband but was ticked off at them for also killing an awesome accountant named Libby Glass. Kinsey finally does close the case (in factm she always closes the case it seems).
- I give this one a 5 out of 10 due to some predictability but some good action scenes.
“B” is for Burglar
In this one Kinsey is hired to find a missing woman. The characters are much better than in the last book. I really enjoyed the old but spirited neighbor, Julia. There is a really crazy lady in the book and a few nail biting moments, but the case is closed. I’m not 100% sure, but Kinsey helps her landlord in either this book or “C’ is for corpse. That whole side plot is fantastic.
- I give this one a 7 out of 10 for writing Julia’s part, lol, and for the whole side plot of helping her landlord.
“C” is for Corpse
This is by far the best one of the series I have read s0 far. Kinsey is hired by a young man named Bobby to find out who tried to kill him 9 months before. The case takes her all over and the story unfolds. The last scene is amazingly suspenseful in my opinion. I personally teared up at one part and realy got into this one.
- I give this one an 8 out of 10 for moving writing and a scary end scene.
“D” is for Deadbeat
Kinsey spends this entire case trying to get rid of a $25,000 cashier’s check and then hunting down a murderer. I personally didn’t actually like any of the characters much so it was hard to get too attached or to even care who the murderer was in the end.
- Overall, I’d give it a 5 out of 10 for interesting writing but bad characters, lol.
What have you been able to read lately? Anything I can add to my list for next time?
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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.
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