Congrats Brownie! He’s officially insured.
Only one exclusion on his acceptance, his skin infection problem.
Updated the Doggie costs.
Total cost to date: $3772.02
Archive for April, 2006
Is College a Worthless Investment?
24
Apr
I don’t think so, but apparently it is something to consider. Everyone knows Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft just in case you didn’t know, never finished college. Steve Jobs founder of Apple Computers never graduated from college. Larry Ellison of Oracle Corporation never finished college either! So what does this mean? Should we just skip an expense that can easily add up to at least $100k to work or pursue a trade? Maybe take some classes on the side? I don’t know.
When I was deciding between colleges, not going to college was never an option. I ended up choosing my state university over an Ivy university. It saved me a ton of money, in fact I made some. I wrote about my decision earlier.
I would like to argue that Bill, Steve, and Larry are naturally gifted, just like pro athletes that have some natural born skill. With the combination of skill, drive, and some timing, they made things happen. The path they took to success is much different than most of the general population, so I would say they are exceptions. What about the rest of us?
This MSNBC.com article, Five Reasons To Skip College, says:
Reasons to skip college. Is higher education a good idea?
1. You’ll be losing four working years
2. You won’t necessarily earn less money
3. In fact, you could make more money
4. You can learn outside a classroom
5. Plenty of other people did fine
I can’t disagree more. Since much of life is about risk minimization, the fact that you have a college degree does in fact minimize the risk that you will not have work, and does maximize your potential to make more. I especially hate reason #5.
But then again, if you have the drive and the ideas, why not skip college? I can’t really argue against that either, but it’s risky. What do you think? If you had a choice, would you go to school again? What about if your kids decided they didn’t want to go to college? Let’s say as the parent you believed they had what it takes to make it without the college degree. What if they were really good at sports, would you let them skip college?
Called the IRS. No Payment Received.
24
Apr
My IRS check hasn’t cleared. Odd. My state one did already. So I called them, and they couldn’t find my payment, but they did notate my account so that they know I sent payment. She said to wait until the end of this month, and then call back to check again.
Errr, why hasn’t it cleared? Because I forgot to put my SSN on my check! I can’t believe I didn’t do that. The state cashed my check already though…and they didn’t have my SSN. Come on IRS! Just because there are 250+ million people compared to my tiny state. You can match my address and name up, there are no excuses! Hah.
Anyway, in case you’re having the same problem:
IRS FAQ document
Keyword: Payment Voucher (1040-ES)1.1 IRS Procedures: General Procedural Questions
I’m concerned because my check payment to the IRS has not been cashed yet. What should I do?
You can call (800) 829-1040 and ask an IRS representative if the payment has been credited to your account. If it has not and the check has not cleared your financial institution, you may choose to place a stop-payment on the original check and send another payment.
How Much Does Gas Cost In Other Countries?
24
Apr
Check out this article…pretty interesting read if you’re the least bit curious…You can purchase gas for $0.12/gallon! Would be a far drive if you live in the US, but you could do it…I think…Can you?
Signed Up For Doggie Pet Insurance
22
Apr
I should’ve got this when I first got Brownie, pet insurance. It’s costing me $110.00/year for most injuries up to a maximum reimbursement of $9,000.00/year with a $50 deductible. Reimbursments vary by the type of injury. The main reason I’m getting this coverage is not so much because of the money, but the peace of mind that in case something horrible should happen to Brownie. I can make the decision to give him the best care regardless of the financial consequences. If I purchase a house next year, I may have some large expenses beyond what I’m expecting, I don’t want to ever get into a situation where I have to decide between Brownie and something else.
Friday! Update: Home Tax Break, Smoking, and Panhandling 04.21.2006
21
Apr
I like to reflect on my own posts every so often, and I realize how lucky I am to be in the position I am. Wow, that sounded snooty…I don’t mean it like that. Read on. At the same time, I realize that many bloggers post while trying to get out of debt, and then many bloggers are those that are doing really, really well. I try my best not to alienate anyone. We all, well most of us hopefully, have the same goal, that is to achieve financial freedom…how we get there is our own unique journey. Even this guy has the same idea…being able to stand on the street and smile is amazing and inspiring. Reading this post from Make Love, Not Debt inspired me too. Congratulations!
About my smoking, well, 48 days!!!! WOOHOO! $108.00 saved! I’ll admit, I did have a smoke this past weekend, but it wasn’t my pack…I know, one slip up, and it could lead me right back to where I was before.
I’m starting the process of purchasing a home, although I’m probably not going to become very serious until next year. I ran across a post that shed an interesting perspective on the tax advantages of home ownership. It’s something I was curious about for some time…take a look, it’s got good details. Which reminds, me congrats to SingleMa too and her home purchase!
Well, have an awesome weekend everyone!
Quit Complaining About Gas Prices!
21
Apr
I’m sick and tired of all the complaining about gas prices. Get over it! You choose to drive when there are public transportation options available. OMG!!!!
I’m just kidding. Seriously though, the pain of higher gas prices has opened many eyes here in America, mine included. The rest of the world might be laughing at us since they already pay so much more for gas. This graphic does a really good job of showing the gas cost breakdown…I thought you might be interested.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/04/21/GR2006042100040.html
Looking at that graphic, you can see how companies like Exxon can make tons of money…since they touch everthing from collecting raw crude, to refining, to distribution, to the gas pump. Imagine taking a 20-30% profit at each step of the way…scary.
Supply and demand. New refining regulations and ethanol requirements. Crude oil reserves running low. Iran conflict. Venezuelan president. It all just points to the direction of increasing oil prices. I mean it’s a limited resource…and given the laws of supply and demand, prices are just going to keep going up. We may have to just get used to it. There are reports that high gas prices are here to stay.
I guess the best plan is to really take a look at ourselves and how we can reduce gas usage. It’s Just Money wrote about ways he’s conserving gas. Even though I don’t drive much, everyone around me is affected by higher gas prices. Gas and housing has got me worried about the economy.
How a 0% Balance Transfer Affected My Credit Score
21
Apr
I’m going to post my credit score because I think it’s very beneficial since a lot of people have the question, “How will opening ________ 0% credit card affect my credit rating?” So I’ll share my results with you.
My credit score: 762
The problem is that I don’t know what my score was before opening the 0% credit card, so I don’t know what effect it really had. Regardless, the effect could not have been that drastic.
In March of 06, I opened my Chase credit card and did a balance transfer. I’ve done 4 of these in the past, and so I was sort of concerned my credit score was being impacted, but not really…mainly because I didn’t have any large expenses in the near future, like a house. Fast forward to today, I got my credit score, and was pleasantly surprised at the score. So apparently, whatever the effect opening credit cards may have, it doesn’t always have a drastic effect on your score. But since I don’t know the real process behind the credit score, effects may vary, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’d be interesting to hear if anyone else saw the same thing?
If you need more info on a 0% Balance Transfer, check out my previous post on it…
Finding a Real Estate Agent is Just Like Getting Married
20
Apr
I went to a class yesterday called, “Role of the Realtor,” and it was an eye opening experience. I never realized how much of an impact the agent can have, and you really are entering a “relationship” with this person. Really, it is almost like getting married isn’t it? Well, in the best situations it is…you do, on many occassions, seem to form a lifelong bond…since your first house is often not the last.
From what I learned, I realized that trust is the single most important aspect in finding a realtor. Interview at least 3 of them to get acquainted and see if they understand your needs.