ExjacklyExjacklyExjackly's goal is to help people think about money productively and how it relates to their life. The goal is to help people enjoy life responsibly without living life for money. Articles
The Populist Party
2008-05-07 23:31:00 One of the things that keep coming up in my posts is that I feel the Federal government is too big and intrusive. From a simple financial viewpoint it is either too big or we are not taxed enough. The government needs to be able to supply the services it does using just the resources ... More About: Party
Make More Then You Spend
2008-05-01 06:55:00 There are two ways to get ahead financially. Most people who are reading this article will readily recognize both of them: Spend less than you make and Make more than you spend That is it. Every single way that you can get ahead financially will fit into one of those two categories. Nothing mind-blowing by itself. ... More About: Income , Frugal
Economics of Politics
2008-04-19 06:42:00 When I started writing this blog, I had every intention of writing about my current financial situation and how I was bettering it. I still get to write some of those posts, but not as many as I would if I was laser focused on just my own financial well-being. Instead, I have seen this take a wider view and, dare I say it, even some political overtones. While it has not been intentional, it is a logical progression. There has always been an interest in economics and how wider forces can impact me. So I started looking at those forces in an effort to find ways to suggest to you, my readers, ways to take advantage. In my efforts to make sense of these larger forces, there has been a need to explain the lessons learned about them. This has resulted in some more interesting posts like: How To Live on Minimum Wage, Wal-Mart is Bad for US(A), and Leasing a New Car Makes No Sense. Others have proven to be less popular, but helped me understand more: What is Financial Independen... More About: Politics , Economics
Social Security Reduction Suggestions
2008-04-11 07:31:00 Please bear with me on this post. I know it is a long one. I thought about splitting it apart, but it makes a lot more sense to me as a whole, since partial implementation of these ideas are much less effective than all of them. Have ideas to add or want ... More About: Security , Social , Economics , Social Security , Planning
10 Keys to Financial Independence
2008-03-26 17:17:00 Being financially independent is just a dream for many people, yet it does not need to be. Need proof? Look at the several examples of janitors and other low-wage earners managing to save up enough to give away seven-figure (yes $1,000,000+) gifts or leave similar sized estates. If they can manage the ... More About: Wealth , Financial , Independence , Keys , Financial Independence
Recommended Books
2008-03-17 21:50:00 There comes a time for all of us that we have to admit that we do not know everything, and that other people have answers that we do not have. I think that time came for me about the time I was born. However, it has not stopped me. I have spent time learning ... More About: Books
The Stages of Wealth
2008-03-11 20:16:00 I was Stumbling today and came across an interesting post on Millionaire Money Habits. It is the post titled 'The Money Spectrum'. This article and its accompanying graphic are useful as they are. However, I think it may be even more useful if it is brought over to a more personal level. Working from ... More About: Wealth , Other , Debt
Mortgage Bailout
2008-02-26 16:24:00 The sub-prime meltdown has led to a lot of financial problems. These cover the gamut from individuals, investors, financial institutions, builders, contractors, even governments. The expected fix has been proposed - that of letting the government bail people out who have gotten into trouble. This gives me serious heartburn. I am among a significant - probably ... More About: Other , Mortgage , Debt , Bailout
The Real Cost of Federal Debt
2008-02-14 07:23:00 We hear about the federal debt and deficit on a regular basis. Yet, what do those Billions and Trillions of dollars mean to us? What can we do about it? What does it do to us? Does it really matter? I am here to tell you that it does matter. Those dollars have a big impact on us in many different ways. In their own way, they are a invisible force pushing the economy in directions it would not ordinarily go. This is largely for two reasons: the government is huge and its driving force is not economic or material efficiency. For starters, the US government is so large, that our annual taxes are not enough to pay for it all. This leads to continual borrowing. The borrowing increases the future budgets because of the increased amount of interest the government has to pay. This is bad because not only does it lead to larger budgets for the future, but it gives our government less flexibility to respond to a true disaster. Additionally, the government borrowing makes it m... More About: Cost , Debt , Real
So Long
2008-02-10 08:59:00 I apologize for it being so long since I posted. One big change has been the start of my new job. The other is that I am writing from a new computer - as the 2 computers I had at home both decided to up and die on me of hardware failures. Now that the new computer ... More About: Long
EBay and Your Bottom Line
2008-01-12 00:34:00 eBay is one of the best tools around for de-cluttering your life and padding your bank account. All you need to be successful using it are things to sell. Look around your home. You can probably see a dozen things right now that you no longer (never did) need, but somebody else will pay money to ... More About: Ebay , Line , Bottom
2008 Financial Goals
2008-01-03 19:21:00 These are not resolutions for the new year, or even grand plans for my entire life. Instead, this is simply a public statement of what my current financial goals are for the short term (calendar year 2008 ). This is an effort by my to do several things. First, a goal is not a goal unless it ... More About: Financial , Planning , Goals
Happy New Year
2008-01-01 17:37:00 In this world, we always have the opportunity to pause and reflect on ourselves, our lives, our goals and our values. With the hubbub of daily life, we seldom do so unless there is an outside force that encourages it: New Year 's Day, a major life change, or a major change for a friend or ... More About: Happy , Happy New Year
I Finally Have a New Job
2007-12-26 01:27:00 Just in time for Christmas, I've been given a verbal offer for the job that I have been trying to get for six months now. I am excited. Having been unemployed since July, it has been a challenge to keep from being depressed. Growing up and for most of my adult life, I ... More About: Finally
Leverage Changes The Math
2007-12-22 17:04:00 Of the many financial concepts, leverage is less understood than most but can be as helpful to an investor as coumpound interest. It is somewhat understandable, as most people's involvement with leverage is mostly limited to their home. We are not given a lot of reasons to spend time thinking about leverage and ... More About: Math , Leverage
Business Advice From a Billionaire
2007-12-18 18:22:00 Julie Rains, over at Wise Bread has a recent post up called Business Advice From a Billionaire . In it, she talks about her personal experience interacting with a billionaire as a high school student. She follows it up with information she took from a Harvard Business School Entrepreneurs interview with that same billionaire. The 12 points ... More About: Sine
Blogroll Addition: On Moneymaking
2007-12-17 17:24:00 Most of the personal finance blogs that I read are fairly similar. Some focus on ways to be frugal and reduce expenses, in order to allow us to save more. Others focus on ways to invest and the myriad of choices available to us. The third group focuses on debt of all types and encourages ... More About: Blogroll , Planning , Income
Unemployment Prevention Starter Kit
2007-12-13 22:38:00 It used to be that a young adult out of college, possibly even just out of high school, could count on having one employer for his entire career. Pensions were common, and it was easy to map out your life to the American dream. That isn't the case anymore. Few non-union companies offer pensions, ... More About: Employment , Prevention , Unemployment , Starter
Fishy Home
2007-12-06 21:08:00 As part of my efforts to become financially independent, I am looking to diversify my investments. Part of the goal is to be able to generate regular, recurring income. The other part is to ensure that my portfolio covers a wide range of assets so I am not at risk if a single asset class ... More About: Home
Going to the Eye Doctor
2007-12-04 07:27:00 It has been many years - something around a decade - since the last time I've been to the eye doctor. I'm going in tomorrow, and expect that he will want to put me in glasses or contacts. It isn't because I am having trouble seeing. Instead,it is more that I feel ... More About: Doctor , Goin
5 Ways to Save on Holiday Gifts, Without Being A Cheapskate
2007-12-01 06:37:00 Retailers, friends and family make a very good team when it comes to trying to destroy our budgets around the holidays. The message that we get from TV, magazines, co-workers and neighbors backs them up too. Over and over again, we are browbeat with the ideas that no cost is too high for ... More About: Holiday , Gifts , Save
Frugal Holiday Decorating
2007-11-29 21:08:00 At my house, the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers have been consumed, the dishes washed, and the decorations have been turned over to Christmas. It is a festive time when we host friends and family more often than the rest of the year and a challenging time to stay in budget - financial and caloric. The ... More About: Holiday , Frugal
Black Friday Sales
2007-11-23 18:39:00 Ahhh. Black Friday . Such a powerful kickoff to the holiday buying season. And one of the hardest times to be a frugal shopper. It isn't because of the holiday deals directly. If there is something that you have been wanting and saving for, that fits in your budget, and it happens to be on sale now ... More About: Sales , Black Friday , Consumption
Minor League Sports is My Best Entertainment Expense
2007-11-08 01:17:00 I have to admit that I am set in my ways when it comes to certain things. One of them is sports. I not only love to play sports but for a few select sports, being a spectator is also a lot of fun. Growing up and traveling have enabled me to enjoy watching top level ... More About: Sports , Entertainment , League , Consumption , Minor
Credit Card Delivery Comparison
2007-11-07 05:40:00 As I talked about recently, my wallet disappeared and reappeared recently. When it disappeared, I did the immediate right thing and canceled all my cards and asked for replacements. The more interesting part was how the process compared from place to place. All of the companies have an automated answering service that is supposed to ensure that ... More About: Card , Credit , Credit Card , Comparison , Deli
Carnivals this Week
2007-11-05 21:49:00 It is carnival time once again. This week, I have posts included in two carnivals. The Scale of the Federal Deficit is included in the Carnival of Personal Finance #125 hosted at My Two Dollars Leasing a New Car Makes No Sense is included in the Carnival of Debt Reduction #112 at Cash Money Life Carnival of ... More About: Carnivals , Week
Lifetime Income or Leave to Heirs?
2007-11-05 01:30:00 I regularly spend time thinking about what my goals are for my life and if those goals are compatible, etc. Today, a stray thought popped through my head that won't let go. It is hammering on me and I cannot decide which way makes more sense. It has to do with my legacy and any inheritance that I will eventually leave to my heirs. Since part of my goals involves building up a significant amount of assets, what to do with them after I am gone is a question to be answered.  There really seem to be just two options for it: give them away or give them to my heirs. Both options have their appeal. On on hand, it would be an opportunity to make an impact for what I believe strongly in by giving lasting gifts to organizations that are support what I care about. On the other, is the notion of making life easy (too easy?) for my family. Warren Buffet and Bill Gates have already addressed this question for themselves - choosing to give most of their fortunes (admittedly, much bigge... More About: Leave , Income , Lifetime
Leasing a New Car Makes No Sense
2007-11-04 01:24:00 In my local newspaper, there was an article by Dave Ramsey recently talking about leasing a car. In the article, it had some generalities and ultimately came down against leases completely, suggesting instead that the reader buy a two year old car because the most depreciation happens the first two years of ownership. Now, I cannot ... More About: Sense , Debt , Leasing
It Was Found
2007-11-02 14:53:00 As a follow-up to yesterday's talk about losing my wallet, there is good news. The wallet disappeared Tuesday evening during a two hour span of time. I searched for it and asked other people in the group if they had seen it. Ultimately, I conceded defeat and reported it missing. Thursday evening, after going through ...
Keeping My Identity
More articles from this author:2007-11-02 01:42:00 Having lost my wallet (presumed stolen) the other day, I have been having fun canceling cards and obtaining new identification. Having few accounts to take care of, this was not a difficult task. 6 phone calls to notify the institutions I work with and the credit bureaus. In the modern world, think about how difficult life ... More About: Identity 1, 2, 3 |
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