Mr. Meager $$$ Thoughts Blog

There was an interesting article in the

Daily Breeze about a blogger that comments on the housing market in one of the riches zip codes in America. The article basically points out that the local real estate agents are not happy that this person points out some shady selling tactics used by the agents. The Manhattan Beach Confidential is an anonymous blog but he makes some good points. Some of the listings that he discuss are range from the 'wow' to the 'WTF'? These homes are way out of my price range anyways.

If the MLB of today was like the MLB of the Black Sox days, Brian McNamee would have never had a chance to point any fingers.

Seems the agents are angry and want to start a witchhunt and find out who this person is. Remember the good old days when you had ill words against money, you existance on earth was treatened. This guy is playing with the agents' earning potential and they are not happy. 80 years ago, this guy would be dead, but now people just use the boycott and protest methods.

It's been a long time since I've been on the felt and played some poker. The night started with 28 players in the no rebuy tournament. Didn't do so well and played horribly with the scrub hands I was dealt. After 2 hours, I was out with 15 players remaining. I had some tough beats so I know the last 2 hands were tilt. I was down $35 for the entry fee already. The cash game started slow but as we changed the games up. I started to win some big pots. Took home $50 so a profitable night of $15.

So the company's PR department gave everyone with DD an option to retrieve their paystubs online. I've opted not to take advantage of this, because I would still print it out and save a hard copy of it. I am so old-school.

The idea of moving more of my documentation towards a paperless system has been on my mind for years with me constantly debating it. Most of the debate is because I keep all records and bills for at least 7 years and sometimes longer. I've sued collection agents over false claims before, and it was more convenient to have documents readily at hand rather to have to order them from financial institutions. Last year, when the IRS decided to return some medieval phone tax, I received 3 folds of what the average taxpayer received because I had my past phone bills and was able to itemized the overpayment and receive more than the standard rebate.

So many financial services are migrating towards a paperless system, but I still prefer to receive my cancelled checks back. To take advantage of a better WAMU rate, I signed up for a online savings account and closed my old savings account, so now instead of getting combined statements, I receive one for my checking account and have to retrieve my savings account online. Today I moved some funds from my ING account (I thought I would always be transferring funds to ING for better rates), but as I always do, I make a pdf file of the transfer request.

To move to a paperless system would mean I would have to find a backup harddrive and find an effecient way to scan hard paper documents I still receive. I still give this system some thought, but until I can make it more convenient, it is just a thought. A tree killer I will continue to be.

Anyone have any recommendations on going paperless?

On a side note, maybe the penthouse is not always the best because from looking at streaming video of the Monte Carlo Casino fire, it looks like the blaze started at the top.

All politics aside it looks like our tax rebates are not going to be as big as we hoped they would be.

Seems like the concession between both party have agreed to give Americans back $600 per wage earner plus an additional $300 per kid up (I don't know if there is a limit as there was in the original Bush proposal). So $600 for a single taxpayer and up to $1200 for those filing jointly.

Seems that the main concession was to give smaller rebates to more taxpayers especially including those who did not earn enough to pay taxes in 2007. Minimum earning is $3000 to get a rebate check. I wonder if anyone can spin the $200 decrease into a charitable contribution to the poor?

I wonder when we should be expecting a check in a brown envelope? I hope soon enough to lock a decent rate on a CD before rates bottom out.

I was shopping around for a financial institution to open a Roth IRA now that the savings are starting to build. I've decided I wanted to open the IRA at a bank rather than a brokerage firm because I still prefer to visit the banks once in a while because there is something about the inside of a branch that makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

I was getting fed up with banking at WAMU because their locations are not as convenient for me for branch visits as well as ATMs. I've been with WAMU since they came to California by buying out Home Savings of America (Savings of America outside of CA and Ahmanson's elsewhere. Before that, I've been with Home Savings of America since my employment since college.

Last year, I started shopping around for a new bank and noticed that Citibank was expanding their presents in my neighborhood. They were offering a great rate on a savings account so I moved some money over there with an online checking accounting and e-savings account. It was nice to put some money into Citibank and have more convenient ATM's because 7-Eleven ATM's are Citibanks. I just funded a 6-month CD at Citibank just because it was a good rate, but after that 6 months, I will need to make a decision.

A couple of years ago, I was given a membership to a local credit union when I purchased and financed a used car. I was given $5 to open a shared account at the CU as well as a free annual membership to the Surf Riders' Association. Then I was offered $50 to open a checking account at the CU, which I did. I didn't use the services of the credit union much. I just had a portion of my direct deposit there so I can make transfers to my car payment.

So as I shopped around for a bank to open a Roth IRA, I noticed that WAMU charges an annual trustee fee for their IRAs. I noticed that Citibank didn't, and out of curiousity I checked Bank of America online and they didn't charge a trustee fee either. From when I was a new accounts rep, trustee fees for IRA were a norm and there wasn't a way around it. I guess competitive need for customer changes things.

I'm just not going to look into ING anymore because I know they are playing games with Fed to see who can drop their rates faster.

I browsed around my CU's website and noticed that they don't charge a trustee fee either for a Roth IRA, but that shouldn't be a real surprise because CU's hardly charge for anything. I decided to see what my CD options were and the rates are a whole percentage points better. Besides that the CU tends to be more crowded than Citibank and WAMU on Saturdays, but I am seriously wondering why I am not considering banking at the CU. I know some say that they are not FDIC insured but they have a different insurance protection.

I know within the next year, I plan to have the car loan paid off, so I will have to decide to either keep the Citibank or the CU relationship.

What say you fellow savers? Your preference of credit unions or banks?

I look around my place I just hate that I have so much stuff I can get rid or give away. What bugs me is the excess of something I don't really need much of. I have a 6 quart crock pot, which is really big and it annoys me to leave it out on the limited counter space so I have to put it away when not in use. Why the gift had been just a 2-3 qt slower cooker. BTW, does anyone know if I throw dried penne, ground beef, and spaghetti sauce in the crockpot for a few hours, if a nice pasta dish will come out or will it be crap? Then there is the family size George Foreman Grill that was also a gift. Why couldn't it had been the standard size one because when I use it, I only use half of it. Maybe I can do some bartering on CL for smaller ones. I would like an ice-cream maker since neither Ben & Jerry's or Dreyers will make my recommended Muddy Road (Chocolate ice-cream with marshmellows and browning chunks).

I will have to get the old Pentium PC up and running so I can give it away.

Then I will have to tackle the shredding to get the paperwork down to the last 7 years.

So yesterday I found myself rummaging through the company recycling bin looking for caps from coke products for mycokereward points. The company just recently switch vendors for the vending machines who use bottles rather than cans. I just find the caps, write the codes down and return the bottle. I have to be careful because I don't want someone thinking I am stealing from the company recycling bin that is cashed in for employee functions. I could send out a mass email asking people for their coke caps, but I know once I do that, that one person in the office that has to be better at something than everyone else will have to start collecting and that person is just a lot better at begging than me.

A few weeks ago I started to peek into trash cans in my neighborhood looking for bottles or box tab from a case of coke products. I should wear my yardwork clothes when I do this so I look like any of the others that rummage for recyclables on trash day. I am sure there is something illegal about this because they are taking away from the city recycling program. I know some jurisdictions make dumpster diving illegal because it can lead to identity them. I offen notice businesses with stacks of cases of soda that they stock up for their customers. I know they don't do anything with those tabs, but I have yet to check their bins in the back. I have learned a lot from my father, but he never did teach me the efficient and safe methods of trash digging from his homeless days. I may have to start saving up for fines and/or bail.

I don't know why I am so obsessed with collecting these mycokereward points. I hardly drink soda at all. I don't see anything too interesting to redeem them for but they are always changing the redemption products. I think part of it was how I was amazed of stories people told me of all the fun stuff they got with their Marboro collection program. Also because none of my friends or family do it so I get all their stuff, but being in health conscience CA, it's all about ice-tea and bottled water. Anyone want to send me their codes?

Ideas about living a life of frugality are abundant and out there in cyberspace. I was browsing through CL to find someone willing to trade some unwanted xmas gift cards. I came upon the frugal living forum and found most of the ideas to be extreme but also very entertaining in uniqueness.

There were some suggestions about hanging clothes out to dry rather using a dryer. There was a discussion on how to collect rain water, but more importantly how to keep rain water clean. There seem to be a a lot of bragging about how short of shower one person can take to save on water. This is where things got a little extreme. One poster said he take his towels and soap to public restrooms in fast food restaurants and wash down with a wet cloth.

One wife talked how she would use the air from deflating an exercise ball to blow dry her hair. Someone asked what happens when the ball is flat? She remarked that she has her husband blow up the exercise ball up manually. I don't know if that meant with a pump or his mouth.

There was a topic on tearing up old tshirts as reuseable tampons. Ewwww...then it moved onto reuseable toilet wipes--I stopped reading.

So in the office pool for the college bowl games. This is the 6th year and I won the first year, but haven't had a good showing since. So this year I have a chance for 1st again. If Ohio State can with the 4.5 pts they are getting, then all I need is for the total score to be 56 or lower for me to win 1st. A higher score would still put me in the money for 2nd. Given the fact that Ohio State is 0-8 against SEC schools in bowl games, I would say things are slim, but just don't lose by more than 4 pts, then I will be happy. I guess if things don't go my way, then I'll start studying for college basketball season.

So I finally was able to reach the minimum reward level to cash out some miles in one of my credit cards. Made the call and got the check. I was unhappy that Capital One reduce that reward but I knew about that last year. Now I put that card away and don't use it anymore and use the free MyPoints cc exclusely. I really hate having to close this account because I have had it for over 8 years, but the $19 annual fee doesn't outway the reward anymore. I know I am going to take a hit on my credit score, when I lose the long standing credit relationship as well as increase in credit usage when lose the credit line for the account. When I make a major purchase and get my monthly credit charges over $1000, I notice that my credit score drops about 20 points. In anticipation of the January annual fee charge, I called CapOne to have the account close and they said they will send me a letter to waive the charge if I keep it open. I decided to keep it open and deal with it until next year.

Another anticipated increase in annual fee is my overdraft line of credit which I never use. Before it was only $10 a year, but I received a notice that it was going to be increased up to $36. Wow, another annual fee for an unused credit. It is nice to have the overdraft there in case of extreme emergencies, it hasn't happened. If I close this account and eventually close the CapOne cc, then I will lose 70% of my total credit lines. Hate to see what my credit score is going to be after that.

Maybe time to start looking at other available credit options. Great more applications, more accounts, more paperwork, and more account management which I am a super micromanager in such regards.

I got my Christmas bonus today and I realized that that bonus will be more than the total I am going to pay for gifts this year. Can it be true? I am going to make out with a positive cash flow during xmas?

After I got my close friends to join my no gifts for adults xmas, we stopped with the gift exchange in that circle. Last year, my siblings and I decided to do the same and only buy gifts for the nephew and have a nice dinner for the rest of us.

I wish I can give my siblings some money to help them out because they always seem to struggle around this time of year, but if I do, they will just end of giving me something. It would be hypocritical to give something in this world where people give because they were given.

The only big pool I have to shop for is the office group. Though everyone knows that it is not required, but the environment is that everyone in the department buys everyone a gift. It's better to buy the gifts instead of answer the questions why I don't care for xmas.

Scrooge me this, scrooge me that, xmas is too damn materialistic.

This is it. This is the point where Rich America has too much money to waste. They wouldn't sell unless somone was going to buy it, but he is buying this

Gold Pill.

All medical concerns aside, there are people out there that want to consume their wealth and the reproduce it so they can say look at me.

I am going to move forward and start my career as an

ugly model

While putting in a late night at work yesterday, I noticed the there was literally nothing going on the Monday Night Football game. In listening on the way home, I listened on the radio that the Steelers got a late game FG to take a 3-0 lead. My worse fears were about to be realized as I held a slim lid in the office fantasy football league for highest score for the week. I knew that the Dolphins were going to try a bunch of laterals in hopes to get lucky. Sure enough when that happens, there is bound to be fumble somewhere and recovered by the defensive team. That fumble gave the 2nd high team the points it needed to pass me up and cost me the $5 weekly award for highest score.

Though it is hard to blame it on that one play, that was the result. If the Dolphins only put up some points, than I would have been fine, but how can you count on a team to score who has to resort to bringing back Ricky Williams who has spent the last 2 years higher than gas prices.

So yesterday, my coworker and I took a short break to head to Taco Bell for our free taco as promised in their World Series promotion. Taco Bell promoted that they would give every in America a free taco in their was a stole base in the World Series, as there was in game 2 by Jacoby Ellsbury. Yesterday was the free taco day from 2pm-5pm. Too late for lunch and too early for dinner but makes sense they didn't want to go broke. We drove to the Taco Bell near the office at 4pm because we knew it wouldn't be crowded because they were doing some remodeling so it looks like a building in construction. Well, this week the dining room was being worked on so we had to go through the drive-thru. Fine, no problem. We also ordered some additional food items. When we get to the window, we were told 1 free taco per car. That sucks. I argued that if their dining room was opened, we could have walked in and each could have received a free taco. No budging on their part, so we just took our food and left.

Back at work, I decided to write a strongly worded complaint email to Taco Bell. I haven't done that since Delta Airlines robbed me of $10 because I couldn't book my Denver flight on their website because my name was too close to an abbreviation for a title. I had to book my flights on Expedia and pay the processing fee. They said sorry and that was it. I wonder what I will hear from Taco Bell.

I have noticed that merchants are not carrying $10 bills in their cash drawers. Everytime I get change back, I get 2-3 $5 bills. Is there US Treasury just not printing enough of the Hamiltons. Or maybe people are hoarding them because of the new look. Minor issue, but I am starting to pay attention more to the change I get back. I can't remember the last time I was in possession of a $10 bill.

I didn't realize that Google Docs has a spreadsheet. Being how I love to get creative with spreadsheets, I am going to have find out what google's spreadsheet can do and all of its capabilities. I was playing around with it and it seems to have all the normal formulas that Excel has. I wonder if I can incorporate my budget into this spreadsheet and have access to it anywhere. It would sure make it easier to track spending instead of saving receipts.

The air is murky and full of ash. The skies are no longer blue as they usually are during high winds. The cars continue to get covered and I expect them to be worse tomorrow. County health boards have advised all residence to stay in doors and to avoid spending unnecessary time outside. I might have to start wearing a mask as some sort of filter. I'm going to have to refill my inhaler prescription.

The air in the office is starting to get affected. I can smell the smoke and char. It might get worse at 5pm when people start to leave and the doors are constantly opening and closing.

I'm going to start going through the cupboards to see what foods I can donate to fire diaster relief. I'm going to have to re-evaluate my budget position this month to see how much I can afford to give.

Americans have way too much money to waste. A few months ago, I heard about the

Sprinkles craze. I can't ever imagine I would ever pay $3 for a cupcake. Sure, they are made with some super expensive imported vanilla, but how much for regular vanilla. I felt guilty when I paid $2 for a Beard Papa cream puff, but that was a pretty big cream puff.

So now there is the Pinkberry craze. I don't even know if it is frozen yogurt or not, because of the culture content, but $4.50 for a medium is pretty hefty.

I blame Starbucks for starting this trend overcharging of pleasure consumerables.

So I wanted to help my mother with her charity work. She does a lot of work helping under privilege kids in Vietnam by finding school supplies and sponsors to help send kids to school. School was about to start and she showed me a picture of a kid that needed a sponsor, so I said, I'll do it. All it took was $100 to send that child to school for year, so I gave my mom a Benjamin. I can see this as something I can do every year and find more children to sponsor. I'm sorry I can't be like Angelina Jolie and adopt the child and send him to some $20K a year private school with gourmet lunches, but I think my kid will be find.

So I finally achieved 20K miles on my Capital One card and was ready to cash out instead of getting a short flight somewhere. The first 2 times, I did this, I was able to get $200 for 20K, now I only got $100. I forgot that they change the conditions for cashing out last year. I've been waiting to get to this treshold to cash out and now I feel like they stole $100 from me. I can't wait to close this account. I don't think the hit will be too high on my credit score. What's their slogan? "What's in your wallet?" $100 less than I thought would be.

When I called AT&T to cancel my land line, they offered me $6 credit each month for a year if I would keep my service. I countered with "I'm willing to pay $1 a month for phone service." CSR declined my counter-offer and my service was cancelled. So if you want $6 off each month for a year, call AT&T and treaten to cancel your phone service.

I'm glad I cancelled since they are discontinuing the Time of Day service. I'm gonna miss that lady. Who to call now when I need someone to tell me the time every 10 seconds?

My friends think I am weird and cheap because I am planning to block all text messages from my cell account. Just because everyone is doing it, I should be on board too. I don't get enough text messages in a month to justify the unlimited plan but I do get enough at 15 cents per message to see a difference in my bill. Yeah, I am cheap about this but I don't understand why someone can't just call me for free and ask me "what's the plan tonight?"

A week ago, I lied to everyone and told them that I blocked text messages with my cell phone company and the number of messages have dropped drastically, and I don't acknowledge the ones I get.

I really think the text messaging craze is as backwards as women lying about their ages. Why are people spending more money to by fancy phones with mini-keyboards and paying extra in monthly fees to talk less and type more.

After crunching the numbers and getting a neat 1 year intro rate, I decided to switch to cable internet and cancel my DSL service. I called the ISP that I had been with for 10 years, and told them I wanted to pay so much a month for my service, but they weren't willing to listen so I closed the account. They offered me a discounted rate but it didn't mean any savings over cable after considering I had to pay the the land line to have the DSL service. Now it's time to call AT&T and cancel my phone line. I've read that they offer naked DSL service that doesn't require the phone line but there was no savings for having such service. Total savings per month is about $20. Now what am I going to do with these phones?

I am going to miss the telemarketers calling all the time. It was such fun to badger them to the point where they have to hang up with me. Obvious I have too much free time on my hands.

I guess my fears about the repairs I needed for my car came to reality, but at least I was prepared for it. The Quote was more than I wanted to pay but after getting a second opinion, I that it was best to work with the dealership. I wanted to get some minor issues taken cared and they were willing to do it and not change the initial quote. Car is working wonderfully now.

Besides the normal R&R, this last vacation was financially rewarding also. Since the trip was planned a year in advance, there was plenty of time to save up money. Airfare and lodging was booked 3 months in advance so it was all paid for before leaving. It also helped that the US$ has has so much buying power in SE Asia. Nothing beats $1 meals, 50 cent drinks, and $5 resort massages. Though not much as spent on return gifts, it was still fun to haggle over prices, which made a difference of a nickel here and a nickel there.

It was nice to return back and go through the mail to see a very small credit card bill. The extra money for next month which will help when I have to get all the belts changed on the car.

For the 2nd trip in a roll, I came back a few pounds lighter than I left. All the walking and sweating in humid weather helped that cause. I am sure the food poisoning also played a part.

I don't know why but every year, it always takes me a couple of months to recovery from xmas. I don't spend much on Christmas but all the socializing really takes its toll.

Every year it seems like I have unexpected expenses. This year, the new set of tires for the car and now the medical bills for my father. After help paying the lawyer to help with my sisters' conservatorship of his body and estate, any cushion I have is gone.

There is always something.