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October 24, 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! I fully admit that I get through life by focusing on a single thing at a time and all other stuff falls to the wayside. Some days I am all about self employment, but other days (like the weekends), I may not even touch a computer other than to look up movie times. For the past week, I have become nearly addicted to spending money on Halloween.
Halloween Costs So Far
I know I already made a post about my projected Halloween costs this year, but I went a little more overboard. The weather got cooler, I finally convinced Mr. BFS to help me find our costumes online, and I got into the spirit! I’m not even sure I am done yet.
And yes, there are two costumes listed below…the first set (Robin Hood and Maid Marian) fell through after I ordered them the first time and my reorder may not make it here by Saturday for our party, so the second set of costumes (King and Queen Chess Pieces) is a backup set that I was able to get 2 day shipping from with my Amazon Prime membership – no shipping insurance needed. Worst case scenario, we will have costumes for next year.
Here’s what I’ve bought so far:
- Robin Hood costume for Mr. BFS – $65
- Maid Marian costume for me (for Halloween and Renaissance Festivals) - $40
- King Chess Piece costume for Mr. BFS – $40
- Queen Chess Piece costume for me – $40
- Spooky/Funny Bathroom Door Cover – $10
- Spooky/Funny Refrigerator Cover – $10
- Spooky Front Door Cover – $10
- Two Tombstones for front yard – $15
- Table Covers – $3
- Decorations from last year - $0
Things I Want for Next Year
So I have already spent nearly $250. Plus, I still am fending myself off from buying the following items until after Halloween so I can get them on sale for next year:
- Cemetery Fence to start a fake graveyard (the two tomstones above are just to start with, lol) – estimated $20
- Halloween tree decorations – estimated $10
- Halloween door mat – estimated $10
- Rat cutouts for the stairs – estimated $10
- Halloween toilet cover and floor mat – estimated $15
- Fake spiders and webbing for the light fixture – estimated $10
- More Halloween plastic cups – estimated $10
- Halloween napkins – estimated $5
In short, I want to grow our Halloween decorations 2-3 fold by the beginning of November. The funniest thing is that I don’t even decorate this much for Christmas. I just really seem to be Halloween-crazy this year. I’ll be sure to post pictures next week of our potluck and which costumes we ended up wearing.
Do you ever get single-minded even when it comes to spending? Does the hunt for certain items ever take over your mind? I’m even dreaming about our costumes and how we’ll look. I don’t feel nuts, but I also don’t know what to think when I am consciously having to keep myself off of Amazon.com so I don’t buy anything else.
October 23, 2011, at 12:03 pm
Newsletter Update
Remember, if you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to my weekly newsletter with exclusive, subscriber-only giveaways by using the subscription form in the right sidebar! ———>
My current goal is to reach 150 subscribers by October 31st, so please spread the word as you see fit! I appreciate it. 
Just for kicks, here are the current newsletter stats from last week’s subscriptions:
- Number of Subscribers: 105 (Thank you!!!)
- Open rate (how many subscribers ended up opening the third newsletter): 38 of 97 (39.2%), which is 23.1% higher than industry standard, woot!
- Clicks (how many people have clicked a link inside the last newsletter): 11 (11.3%)
- Countries Reached: United States, Canada, Netherlands and United Kingdom
Thank you so much to my subscribers!!! I appreciate the vote of confidence and Jesse and I will make sure they don’t get boring!
Additonal Info
I will continue posting monthly and yearly blog statistics and income updates, so stay tuned at the beginning of every month!
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THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THE BEST READERS EVER!!!
October 23, 2011, at 5:00 am
The following is a guest post.
In the past few years, the price of gas has spiraled out of control. Along with that, it seems like the quality and reliability of cars just keeps getting worse, resulting in many costly repairs when something finally goes wrong. With all of the sources of financial stress out there, you hardly need another one to add to the pile. Most people have to drive, but that doesn’t mean that they have to drive everywhere they go. You can save a lot of money on gas, auto insurance rates and wear and tear on your car just by adjusting the way you do things.
1. Take Public Transportation
Not everywhere has mass public transit. Even in some of the places that do have it, coverage is spotty, stops are few and far in between and buses are occasional at best. But places like big cities usually have excellent public transit, some of it running 24 hours a day. Instead of hopping in the car to go pick up some things at the store, take the bus or train. If you have a lot of stuff to get, carry a backpack with you or get one of those nifty grocery carts that many older people seem to have. This also applies to getting to work. If you live in a big city like Chicago, St. Louis or Denver, chances are good that your job is on a bus or train route.
2. Walk
Your legs are on your body for a reason other than pulling yourself off the couch with. Foot power was the original mode of human transportation, and it’s free. The next time you want to visit the fast food joint or video store a mile away, leave the car at home and hoof it. It’s common knowledge that driving such short distances is torture on your car. You’ll not only save wear and tear on your car and your wallet, but walking is great exercise and it’s an interesting world out there. Who knows what you’ll see that you would have missed if you’d had your eyes glued to the road?
3. Bicycle
Besides the cost of the bike, this mode of transportation is mostly free, and a bit faster than walking. The only downfall is that you have a sorely limited carrying capacity, unless you can find an interesting way to rig a cart up to it. Bicycles are easy to maintain, needing only a few simple tools, and anyone can do it regardless of their mechanical ability. Just remember to fill the tires with air once in a while and keep the chain greased, and it should last longer than most cars.
4. Make Plans
Going to and from the store is one of the most common ways that people waste money. You go one day to get a few things, then get home and realize you forgot a few more things…Sigh, back to the store. You can avoid the hassle and the useless waste of time and money by planning what you’re going to buy. Go around the kitchen, see what you need and what you think you’ll be out of soon and write it down on a list. This way, there’s no good reason why you should have to go to the store more than once a week. Better yet, get yourself a grocery cart and combine this tip with tip number 1.
October 23, 2011, at 5:00 am
The following is a guest post.
Old, scratched and unwanted CDs can pile up quickly and have a myriad of household uses. Instead of deciding to sell cds, let your inner crafter come out when collecting your trashed CDs together.
Coasters
Collect scratched and unwanted music CDs and turn them into a music themed set of coasters using repurposed materials and a few purchased ingredients. Start by selecting CDs within a theme, for example rock, country, or jazz or create a general musically themed set for the eclectic music lover in your life. Build a small frame slightly larger than the width of your CD and be sure to include a bottom to keep your resin from leaking out. Line the frame with plastic kitchen wrap or plastic grocery bags. Fill half way with clear resin and let it set until hardened. Set the CD on the hardened resin securing with a little dab of hot glue. Fill the balance of your coaster frame with more clear resin. Unmold when set and buff the edges. Frames can be created using metal cracker or cookie tins, empty and clean food cans, or scrap Plexiglas.
Windsocks
Create personalized windsocks using old CDs for frames. Collect four unwanted CDs and stack neatly together; using tape such as electrical or painter’s tape and stack and tape together. With a drill press or hand held drill, create four small holes equidistant from each other, approximately ½ inch in from the edge. Purchase nylon or repurpose a torn windbreaker for added up-cycling and cut a rectangle ½ inch larger than the circumference of your CD and approximately 24″ in length. Sew your nylon rectangle into a tube that will allow a CD to fit comfortably inside. Using nylon thread or embroidery floss secure the CDs in the following order; one at the very top, the second at 6″ below the top, the third another 6″ down from the second and the fourth yet another 6″ lower, leaving approximately 6″ open at the bottom. Thread a double thickness of whole embroidery floss through the top CD, leaving 10″ of length; knot the four lengths of floss together at the top, making a hanging loop while tying them together. Embellishments in nylon or other lightweight trinkets can be added before sewing your rectangle into the tube shape.
Picture Bases
Collect unwanted CDs and turn them into wonderful and whimsical desktop picture bases. Size and crop a favored photo and print on high quality photo paper, insuring the main image fits within the confines of the CD diameter. Seal the printed photo with fixative purchased from your local photography or craft store. Secure to the media side of the CD with spray adhesive. Be cautious here to avoid creases for a smooth professional finish. Let the adhesive dry thoroughly. Using a razor knife or sharp scissors, trim the image as close to the edge of the CD as possible. Spray again with sealer in the finish of your choice; satin or semi-gloss works best for photos to reduce glare. Sit on the desktop or mantel using a small plate holder, or hang with plate hooks; both available at local craft supply stores. Choose a CD title that matches the photo. George Thorogood’s “Bad to the Bone” is a great and funny choice for a rambunctious toddler in a menacing pose.
Let your mind wander when thinking about old CDs. Reuse, repurpose and recycle instead of filling the trash bin with unwanted items.
October 22, 2011, at 6:00 am
Weekly Updates
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My husband and I made a new deal for October – if I successfully bring in $10,000 or more after Paypal fees from the 1st to the 31st, we’ll go to Perry’s Steakhouse, a high class, yummy place that we’ve been to once before. I hit the mark yesterday at 8am!!! Woot!!!
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Despite being super happy about hitting that goal, this was my toughest self employment week ever thanks to two jerky advertising situations.
My Favorite Posts this Week
Guest Posts at BFS
Thank you!
I Staff Write at…
Giveaways
Blog Carnivals
If you are hosting a carnival that includes Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, please email me so I can include it in my roundup. Thanks!
Top 5 Referring Sites to BFS from Last Week:
- Get Rich Slowly
- Yakezie
- Free Money Finance
- Everyday Tips and Thoughts
- Mainstream Mom
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!
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PLEASE, fill out the survey (2 minutes tops) so we know where to go with this for you!
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Let me know what you think!
October 21, 2011, at 6:00 am
I haven’t been reading as much as normal, but I just finished listening to the audio book of “The Girl with the Gragon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson that I downloaded from the library. I’d say it is for mature adults only thanks to some of the more vivid content, but I can say it is worth reading. I will warn you though, in my opinion it was extremely slow to warm up but then it was go-go-go.
Plot
The overall plot of the book is that a disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, takes a job from a very wealthy old tycoon, Henrik Vanger, to find out what happened to Vanger’s niece 36 years ago. She somehow disappeared from an isolated island never to be seen again. Vanger wants to know which one of his awful family members murdered her so long ago. Blomkvist teams up with Lizbeth Salander, and excellent researcher with special skills you learn about as you read, and she has a subplot of her own threaded through the novel.
I won’t ruin the book for anyone, but I can say that the other main character, Lizbeth, is a kick butt heroine with a ton of mental problems. She’s not nuts, but she’s not very “normal” either. Awful things happen to a lot of people in this book – in the past and during the plot itself – but I always really rooted on Lizbeth and even grew to like Mikhail too. I will say that there is one pay back scene in the book that almost made me applaud. If you have read or will read this, let me know if you liked that part as much as I did!
Money Advice to be Gleaned
The most glaring problem I saw in regards to money was that Lizbeth’s official mental status kept her from running her own accounts. If I was ever put in the position of having my assets ran by someone else entirely, I would do what she did and make sure to have at least a little cash socked away just for me. I’d also get my employer to directly deposit 10% of my paychecks and get the rest in cash or deposit it into an account that isn’t a matter of public record.
And I wouldn’t have turned down so many jobs – especially if I could convince my awesome boss to pay me mostly in cash. But of course, I do not have the same past or social problems as Lizbeth. It is clear that she does not think like a middle class spoiled kid. She thinks like someone who has always had it extremely tough and has to solely rely on herself. She is a very original main character in my opinion.
So, if you can make it through a slow start, I would suggest checking out “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” from your own library right now. I’d also suggest never being declared mentally incompetent or hiding your resources if you are. Lastly, it is yet another book that shows that everyone needs someone in their life that they can lean on if necessary.
Have you read this yet? If so, did you clap at the same part that made me extremely satisfied? I think I may have anger management issues…
October 20, 2011, at 6:00 am
FPT Guy is a writer, the owner and managing editor of Financial Planning Tips – attempting to liven up the topic of personal financial planning – while helping to guide folks to financial security and freedom.
The collapse of the housing bubble wasn’t an end to questionable lending tactics. In fact some of the problems are still rampant and very much a problem for the majority of home owners. Do yourself a favor by learning about the problems that affect current home owners before jumping onto the bandwagon.
1. Reverse Mortgages Can Be Risky Propositions
Reverse mortgages are available to people aged 62 or older. It is a special kind of mortgage that taps into a home owner’s equity to allow him to live mortgage-free. Unfortunately, as of late 2011, lenders aren’t legally able to take into consideration the home owner’s ability to pay property taxes and home insurance. What does this mean for you or someone you know who has a reverse mortgage? Well, the inability to pay these fees can lead to the loss of the house anyway from a tax sale or property damage due to fire or weather.
2. Bank of America Mortgages – Watch Out
Forbes describes Countrywide as Bank of America’s “worst acquisition ever made” with good reason. Not only did Bank of America acquire too many mortgages (i.e lending too many stated income mortgages), now they’re apparently providing poor customer service and confusing letters to home owners. BoA is in the middle of multiple lawsuits due to questionable practices. For example, some people received foreclosure notices even though they made proper payment arrangements. It’s kind of difficult to erase debt on your mortgage when your bank sends you into foreclosure for no reason.
3. Some Mortgages Branches Can Operate Independently
Sometimes mortgage branches, and I’m talking about the individual offices that make up a large company, operate more independently of one another. This might seem like no big deal, but it can invalidate any good things you’ve heard in the grape vine about a mortgage company. Those compliments may have been for another branch of the same company. Your own branch might have shoddy customer service and no empathy for common mortgage problems.
4. Robo-Signing is Rampant
The term robo-signing refers to a person signing an affidavit or other document without having read it, or signing another person’s signature to it. It is a new term for an old practice. Both of these acts are a federal crime, but robo-signing in the mortgage business remains a problem. Home owners are receiving letters with the same name signed in dozens of different ways. In addition, the information in those documents have been verified like they should have been.
Even worse, people who are known to have robo-signed hundreds of documents aren’t being punished. The problem is so wide-spread that it’s hard to point to select individuals. Some mortgage companies have made promises to end robo-signing, but if they’re willing to commit a federal crime thousands of times, they might be willing to lie to save face too. There’s nothing to do about this except confirm the identify of whomever signs important mortgage documents you receive.
In conclusion, many things can go wrong after making a mortgage official. No one is immune from the mistakes, corruption or unfortunate but everyday practices of a mortgage company. It doesn’t take accountancy courses to know that you care more about your money than anyone else. It’s always a good idea to educate yourself in order to reduce your risk by studying the mortgage business’s ins-and-outs on your own.
Crystal’s Comments: I actually think that one of the reasons Chase offered us a no-cost refinance was to get fresh paperwork. I am sure that a lot got lost between the Washington Mutual to Chase transition…
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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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