Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Money

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Moby Dick's Influence on Personal Finance
2008-04-23 01:39:00
One of the things that I know about myself is that I tend to run at 110% percent and then get burnt out on something. It isn't enough to get my finances in shape, I have to do it right now. I can't enjoy blogging without writing 3-posts a day and 20+ comments. I can't eat a basket of shrimp at Sizzler's...It has to be a gluttony battle with my brother on baskets killed. Kind of an all or nothing sort of mentality.This is not unlike Moby Dick...I know you think that I am nuts, but it is a story of someone that loses the forest for the trees. He can't just hunt whales, but has to go after the Godzilla of a whale that crushed his boat and ate his leg...maybe with Tarter Sauce just to be extra mean.I often feel the same way. I know that I MUST do X, Y and/or Z, but against my better judgement I try to do all of them and end up not getting any of them.This was drilled home as a child. "Be anything you want, just be the best at it." Now, I am not some Freudian who blames their parent...
More About: Personal , Personal Finance , Finance , Influence

Getting Caught Up!
2008-04-21 21:49:00
OK now that I am back I need to get caught up! Both in terms of where I am financially and my goals. Back to Personal Finance 101.After a series of Unfortunate Events (Taxes, Computer, Bonus, Ninja Bills) I have real been too passive with my personal finances. So with this weekend being my Anniversary I am going to take a few days (Friday-Tuesday) and do the following:Compile and file all of my paid bills. They are in my "Out Box" but they need to get re organized. This weekend I alphabetized them and prepped for filing.Re-Download MS Money and rebuild...ugh, not looking forward to this part, but it has to be done.Reset calendar to adjust for moved bills. Some have been changing dates (CC Cards) didn't notice until I compiled...dirty apes!Final March and prep for EOM AprilReset goal now that bonus is probably poof.Also really need to get my short, medium and long term goals back in focus...feel like I have been treading a bit of water for a while.Sarting was tough...restarting is t...
More About: Caught

Where Have You Gone Joe DiMaggio?
2008-04-18 22:18:00
Hey all...Sorry had to take a bit of an extended break. Here is why: The blog really turned into another full-time job on top of my 1.5x current job as well as being a parent and needing time to decompress. Also I had some really nasty posts about this blog on other blogs and realy thought...what's the point!So frankly I didn't even look at my email on this account for over a week, but when I did I was very pleasantly surprised with well wishes and good thoughts from other blogs that I enjoy.So I do miss writing, but probably not at the two post a day clip right now given crazy work demands!So thank you all very much for the warm thoughts and I hope you will visits my new content coming soon!

Save 15% off of your Gasoline Prices
2008-04-04 20:05:00
I wish it was a coupon to print out, because traffic would go really crazy. However there is a pretty easy way (at least in theory!) to save 15% off of your overall gas spend. Given that here it is $3.45/Gallon now that is over 51 cents per gallon savings! That would help with my budget!Ready!...Drive slower (I hear the groans). Consumer Reports just did a pretty exhaustive survey to dig into the costs of driving faster. For example, if you drove a Toyota Camry on the highway set the cruise control at 65, then at 75, you would see that fuel economy changed. It would have been at 35 MPG then it dropped to 30 MPG, or 14.3% less! The older the car the worse it would be too.Funny thing is last big oil crisis the government lowered the speed limit to 55, not for safety, but to save fuel! It stayed due to the safety issue.Sure this isn't a deep thinking thing to save money "Burn More fuel=More Money" but for me it was realizing that it was nearly a 15% saving...that's real money, and ca...
More About: Personal Finance , Gasoline , Save , Prices

New Car Smell from Hell! (And Charter Sucks!)
2008-04-03 22:13:00
As I am still working on my 1st quarter numbers, my Internet went out and who knows how long it will be out...Charter Sucks ! So I am knocking out this post as I eat a sandwich at my desk and dream of holding these Ninja Bills at bay!Neat report on Yahoo today about new cars that lose their value the quickest. Nothing is a better feeling then driving home in that new car, neighbors saying, "Hey Bob...Nice Car!" no spilled Cheerios in the back...or dog hair (we don't even have a dog either). But all of this is balanced out by one little personal finance fact: Buying a new car is a horrible financial decision!You take 10%+ of the value of the car and flush it for just driving off the lot. And to make it worse, most people finance them...and not great rates. So you are spending current dollars in the future for something that's always losing value.Just buying a 2-3 year old car can save thousands of dollars and will probably still have most of its warrantee intact. As bad as this call...
More About: Hell , Smell

Quick and Out
2008-04-02 17:08:00
Working on a big first quarter overview...may take a bit as the numbers are coming out to rosey and I am a bit nervous something is amiss. With the computer crash Io amd rebuilding, but it looks goodMore to come!
More About: Quick

The US Treasury Brings Back the $500 Bill
2008-04-01 15:59:00
Treasury Secretary Paulson announced sweeping changes to US currency today including that the US Treasury was prepared to bring back the $500 Bill , and perhaps even the $1000 as a measure to get consumers buying again."Let's be frank," the Secretary said, "the dollar doesn't buy what it used to, and therefore either does the $100. When we last printed the $500 and the $1000, the $100 was worth $867 in today's dollars, and that gap continues to grow. Already we have a currency gap with the rest of the world. The 500 Euro bill has been available since the Euro inception and the 100 British pound note is worth more then $200 US. "We can ill afford American's being treated a second class citizens abroad. We are also prepared to relaunch the $1000 bill at a later date if needed."President Bush was quoted to say, "Secretary Paulson knows currency, he studied it, he understands it, heck he even has some!," the President said with a laugh. "All kidding aside, we will not let our greenba...
More About: Personal Finance , Back , Treasury

Surviving Your Review
2008-03-31 14:03:00
I received my first annual review for my job at the end of last week. It was probably the most stressful lead up to one that I have had. It is a completely new position for the company, new boss for me AND fairly nebulous goals outside of the ones that I set for the sales portion of my job.It actually went quite well, and even the slightly critical feedback was couched as a growth scenario.It started out with me being told that my boss is a "very hard grader" so don't be surprised by several people. After hearing that multiple times I started thinking...wow, this must be a massacre coming. I had visions all of poor grades, except for safety, which I still don't understand why it is on our review from for Directors and VPs.Our Grading system is this: 1-5 Point scale with 5 being top. 3 means you are doing everything asked of you, 4 means you routinely go above-beyond, 5 is near perfection. On the other side a 2 means you need improvement and a 1 means you are a moron :)My review w...
More About: Personal Finance , Review

The Personal Finance Week That Was Is Again
2008-03-31 03:58:00
Time to look at those more deserving...The best of the week.This was an incredibly busy week that led to long hours and a multitude of Issues and Opportunities. Retailers are pretty nervous (i know we are) that store traffic is slow, an early Easter may save 1st quarter for some, but it is to be seen the impact of the stimulus checks and seeing if the cash registers ring or we all put the money under our collective beds.March is going out like a Lion!The following Bloggers are always very inspirational to me, in all different ways.Best of the Week :Fiscal Musings: A great piece about selling his first rental property he owned and the lessons learned. My Financial Youth!Simplicity in Kansas: An amazing journey for me watching how and what someone can accomplish with their income if they decide to live life well within means. I don't even want to print the number of achieved savings, but a click-thru will blow you away! My financial Brain!Paradigm Shifted: If Kansas is my brain, the...
More About: Personal , Personal Finance , Finance

Better, Stronger, Faster...
2008-03-29 15:03:00
OK I have to give up...For the last two weeks I have done everything I could (within financial reason) to fix my data that was lost with the computer crash. I saved most everything except...my Microsoft Money File...I have a back up of mid-January, and I had been doing the autoback up, but to the desk top...doh!So I have to rebuild nearly three months worth of data...Luckily have have been doing double entry with the checks so all written checks are backed up...with paper (which never crashes BTW).So this weekend I have make like Dr. Rudy and take something broken and mangled beyond recognition and rebuild it: Better Stronger , Faster.Goofy segway, but The Six Million Dollar Man was a favorite show growing up. Had all of the toys including Maskatron! What's the real Colonel (Austin NOT Sanders) have to do with Personal Finance?...We'll: It is at least a great way to examine inflation. I don't think the Government can buy a toilet seat for under $6M now :)The other lesson is that n...

New Home Sales Froze Over In February
2008-03-28 13:26:00
It is getting tougher and tougher to say that the worst has come in the housing market as every time we do...another part of the floor gives out. But there are signs of a very light thaw starting.In February , new home sales were down 29.8% year over year. While this is better then expected, home sales still hit a 13-year low as no one wants to buy while things continue to slide. Home inventory is now at a 9.8 month supply and while the median price tick up a little month over month it is still down 2.7% vs last year.Here in our little mecca in the woods the home values have been hit hard..of course that is directly proportional to the crazy rise in values here for the last 6-years as well. Frankly in you bought 5+ years ago here, you are in good shape even with the slide. But if you just moved back a year ago like I did you are down.On the upside, open lots in our neighborhood (its about 2-years old) are now all sold out and a bunch of houses are being built. It feel a bit like Fiel...
More About: Personal Finance , Sales , New Home Sales

The Marathon Wall
2008-03-27 08:37:00
I have said in this blog over and over again, "Personal Finance is Marathon not a Sprint." But like a marathon often even the best runner hits a wall.The wall is where you just tire out. For others it is a loss of concentration. And even others describe it as a system breakdown.Well...I have hit the wall. I am pretty sure it came from a series of Ninja Bills, that, as they do, jumped out of nowhere for their attack. The first was my computer going down, the second was prepping for my presentation, a bonus issue, a late review and finally the last one was just time...or the lack thereof.It isn't like I have gone off the rails and started charging things, but I am just tired of thinking about my debt all of the time...it really is at times disheartening. It is a long road.I know what I have to do...I have to get the train back on the rails and then get it moving. Get back on the horse. This weekend, when I have 10-mins...and not at 1am in the morning! I am gonna get caught up and bac...
More About: Wall

Personal Finance QuickTake: To Hell with Homeowner's
2008-03-26 21:30:00
Treasury Secretary Paulson said today the housing prices should be allowed to continue to fall in order to allow markets to stabilize and allow buyers to come back into the market.In other words...That $1.2 Trillion worth of Home Owner equity at stake in the crisis should evaporate. That $1.2T is from a seperate report looking at the write-offs that may happen in regards to loans. It doesn't take into account the lower values of homes that people will hold onto. Regardless $1.2 Trillion equals $4800 for every man women and child in the US, or $24,0000 for my family alone.The problem with that statement is that it does forget families, which is whose skin this is peeled from. Imagine...they believe the sending my family $2100 is going to be a big stimulus to the economy...what do you think asking me to pay back that $24,000 is gonna do to the economy?Unless a stabilization plan is put into place, people en masse are going to walk away from their homes. It is already happening. Then ...
More About: Personal , Personal Finance , Finance , Take , Quick

My Bonus Saga Continues...
2008-03-26 13:00:00
So my bonus saga continues. Actually this happened a few days a go and I have been too upset to even write about it.During my business trip my Boss called my to say that he was going to hand out bonus checks that day and people were going to be upset as since they were all tied to the overall company OI (Operating Income). Tough year, no money. Mine was tied to this as well buy with a slight twist.I also manage the ad sales portion of our business. You know when you get a magazine or catalog a page says "Advertisement" or "Advertorial?" Yep that stuff. We had a great year with that part of the business and over achieved plan by more then 10%. This would meant that I should have still earned 25% of my bonus + 10% more of that money for aver achieving.Anyway, he is telling me that I need to not be too happy acting around the others as it would put salt in their wounds...I know this as I have managed people for years, but great, thanks for the heads-up.About an hour later he calls to t...
More About: Personal Finance , Bonus , Saga

Personal Finance QuickTake: Insolvant Government Programs
2008-03-25 21:22:00
In a new report and interview Treasury Secretary Paulson again rang the bell the both Medicare and Social Security are quickly coming to riding off the rails.Basically Medicare will begin to spend more money then it takes in this year! Reserves will be 100% depleted, completely spent by 2019. Just 11 short years from now.Social Security will begin to spend more then it takes in by 2017 and by completely out of funds by 2041, as 78 million baby boomers are knee deep into retirement. Given that for many Social Security is there only retirement funds it could get very bleak.But the Government won't just turn off the spigot on those dates. Your Social Security checks will still come and a couple of things will happen:We will all pay more...a lot more - Expect much higher taxes, and new ones as well. Must feed the Monster.The retirement age will have to increase - the program was designed to be right at the end of your life cycle, not for 30+ years of withdrawals. Expect it to go to 70,...
More About: Personal , Personal Finance , Finance , Programs

The $200,000 Baby
2008-03-25 13:17:00
After the $22,000 Cat I guess it was inevitable...a $200,000 baby. Except this is not some baby that you design at an old Eastern European lab sneaking in past the US State Department, this is ANY kid born in 2007.Apparently the average cost of raising a child has risen over the $200,000 level for the first time. This money stops at 18, no college, wedding and endowments beyond. Yep, just $200 grand hit to your personal finances to get this little guy through High School.As a parent of three it is amazing the costs, some hidden and some blatant in raising a kid. Beyond the obvious food and clothes, think about housing. Most of us wouldn't get a 3+ bedroom house with no kids. Unless you trade over for an expensive loft that is a significant amount.Don't forget about activities either. Summer Camp? It can be thousands of dollars and they might still come home early. Add in sports, Ballet (which I still say is French for Expensive), other hobbies, holidays, etc. and you can see how t...
More About: Baby

When Not to Give Personal Finance Advice
2008-03-24 13:23:00
Well...Mom is mad at me! Frankly a Holiday wouldn't be a holiday without it. It is really a case of me not keeping my mouth shut. I know better, but I apparently have the mouth control of a 15-year old at times.Mom is going through a pretty nasty work period that finally came to an end with her employer terminating her when she found out she had severe Carpal-Tunnel issues with both arms. Instead of even telling her that there was an option for long-term disability, they terminated her...after 14.5 years. She was also having a difficult time with a lady who is the de facto second in command...but #1 in raw evilness. This health issue was just an excuse to off her. Mom knows it, they know it...heck her dogs know it. Well it looks like there is a good chance they are going to settle for a decent amount. Not live off of it forever sort of money, but a good couple of years money.Money was already tough. Mom likes to spend and believes if they have credit, they have money...Now you know...
More About: Personal , Advice , Personal Finance , Finance , Give

Best of the Week that Was!
2008-03-23 13:08:00
Happy Easter!Traveling put a real hamper on my posting this week, but it was still a pretty interesting week. This was a really interesting finance week with the Fed cutting a full point over the week, Bear Stearns going under and Economists trying to get a feel fro where the bottom is gonna be. Add to that stimulus checks getting ready to be sent out, an Early Easter and we have the makings of a wild March!On to the Best of the Week :My Open Wallet - Madame X is always a great read, but this week she gave us a peak inside her 401K. Great read as she, like most of us is very down at the moment. SOme great advice from her readers.Mrs Micah - A fun article about a recent bout with Stuffitis...Been battling it myself as my zeal is wanning too!BankerGirl - A neat post on changing jobs and what you find out when you do! Review time at our place so it is interesting.Fiscal Musings - For all of you March Madness Fans, Fiscal did a great post tying finacila ideas to sports!Paid it Down - Sha...

Personal Finance QuickTake: Financial Market Mess
2008-03-22 13:42:00
Leading Economists are saying the we are not only in a recession now, but probably a severe one. Most had earlier believed that this would worst case be like 2001. A drop an economic time that felt like a recession, the a nice bounce back once the economy shock off the doldrums.Now with Bear Stearns and continued market turmoil they are convinced that this is not going to be swept under the rug quite so quickly this time.From the report:No less an authority than former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan wrote this week that "the current financial crisis in the U.S. is likely to be judged as the most wrenching" since the end of World War II.Other noted economists are also sounding alarms. Harvard professor Martin Feldstein, the former head of the National Bureau of Economic Research, said recently he believes the country is now in a recession and it could be a severe one.What got people's attention was how quickly Bear Stearns, the nation's fifth largest investment bank, could...
More About: Personal , Personal Finance , Finance , Market , Financial

Finally Back! - Be Prepared!
2008-03-21 22:47:00
Yeah! I am home! And I learned a bit of something about being prepared!It was supposed to be a quick 3-day trip. You know, Carry -On Luggage only. In and out! Didn't work out that way days kept being added while I was out and I ended up being on the road all week. It is really tough keeping up on a blog while traveling so I started to try and write ahead, but then the trip kept getting extended...vicious circle!While I was out on a trip to our subsidiary, I was sent to corperate in order to make a presentation to our CEO on a new program I started...one on one (plus my Boss in attendance) for a 1.5 hour meeting. It is pretty rare to get 30 minutes of his time much less over an hour so it was great that he thought enough of the program to block out the time.Here are the couple great lessons from the trip:Winner's Want the Ball - If you have a chance to present or show off an accomplishment, take advantage of it. I had the call where my Boss could have pitched it and I could have co...
More About: Back , Finally

Personal Finance QuickTake: Even Gold Gets Less...Golden
2008-03-20 13:30:00
Sure your 401k is down, stocks are on a roller coaster, savings rates are getting whacked, but at least you will always have gold right?That yellow metal has been on a roll as the dollar tanks. Not a big shock as it has always been a hedge against currency movement. However, Gold has been in a bit of too much of a tear. Gold recently busted the $1000 per ounce record level, not seen adjusted highs since the early 1980's. But gold fell nearly $100 an ounce back to the $950 level. The real question is there even support there as many investors feel gold could correct back to the $850 sort of level.As this increase has been 100% investor driven, and gold is priced in dollars world round, it is easy to see why some are taking the money and running. After a housing bubble an Internet bubble and an Ice cream bubble (OK I made that up) investors want to lock in profits...on something.From the Report:With lower mortgage resets, the upcoming elections - which tend to boost the dollar - and ...
More About: Personal , Personal Finance , Finance , Golden

$22,000 Cat!
2008-03-19 13:21:00
Meet Timmy, the $22,000 Cat! OK, his name isn't Timmy, at least I don't know if it is Timmy. But if I bought a $22,000 Cat that's what I would call him...Actually, that is a pretty boring name for a Cat that costs more then my last car. Heck I couldn't even ride Timmy to work. I think he is too small. Actually by pound he is REALLY expensive. You would think for $22,000 that he would grow big long teeth like the cats in 10,000BC and you could ride him.Wait got it...I shall name him Lord Kitty von Timmy...that's better....OK...what the heck am I talking about. Apparently a special cat breeder has come up with a special hybrid Cat that is so special that you can get it (if you are lucky) for the bargain price of $22,000. Yes I have typed that about 45 times now in this post as I still can't believe it.This is exactly why some people Hate America. People around the world work for a dollar a day, and we have designer cats.Then I started thinking...what are my $22,000 cats? My "mus...

Personal Finance QuickTake: Uncle Ben's Nice
2008-03-18 21:21:00
Uncle Ben's Nice to the market with a 3/4 point reduction in the Federal Rate, down to 2.25%.This is the sixth cut in the Fed Rate and now at 2.25% reaches a low from 2004. From the report:However, there has been opposition inside the Fed to the aggressive moves. The latest rate cut came on an 8-2 vote with two members of the Federal Open Market Committee dissenting. Both Richard Fisher, president of the Dallas regional Fed bank, and Charles Plosser, president of the Philadelphia regional Fed bank, voted against the rate cut, arguing they would have preferred less aggressive action.In explaining its actions, the Fed said that it was having to navigate a difficult policy environment that included sluggish economic activity and rising inflation pressures. The Fed statement said that "the outlook for economic activity has weakened further" but that "inflation has been elevated" with some signs that expectations of future inflation pressures are rising, a dangerous sign for the Fed.But...
More About: Personal , Personal Finance , Finance , Uncle

Personal Finance QuickTake: Big Cut Tuesday
2008-03-18 14:10:00
Big cut Tuesday ? The pressure is mounting. How aggressive? Caught between a rock and a hard place. They have already cut rates this week on Sunday but are expected to cut cut rates Tuesday, perhaps even up to a point. From the report: With the quick collapse of the investment bank Bear Stearns, fears are mounting about whether other financial companies may fall. Many believe the country has already sunk into recession and all the problems ? if not contained ? will deepen and prolong the pain."The Fed is on high alert ? something you don't see but once every quarter century; maybe, in this case, since the Great Depression. This is a very unusual period," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. That's because the Fed is having to fight multiple battles at the same time: a housing collapse, a severe credit crunch and Wall Street turmoil that threatens the stability of the entire U.S. financial system. All those problems feed on each other, creating a vicious cycle t...
More About: Personal , Personal Finance , Finance

Personal Finance QuickTake: RIP Bear Sterns
2008-03-17 20:23:00
According to a report from AP, Four Days after saying the company was OK, Bear Stearns will sell out to JPMorgan-Chase for the bargain price of $2 per share, or $236 Million.This is a stunning reversal for Bear Stearns, that will at least save them from bankruptcy, as the Mortgage Liquidity crisis gets its first well-known victim.The Fed jumped in already and not only approved the buyout, but also guaranteed $30 Billion of Bear's assets, essentially making the buyout risk free for JPMorgan. JPMorgan Chase & Co. said it will guarantee all business ? such as trading and investment banking ? until Bear Stearns' shareholders approve the deal, which is expected to be completed during the second quarter. The acquisition includes Bear Stearns' midtown Manhattan headquarters. JPMorgan's acquisition of Bear Stearns represents roughly 1 percent of what the investment bank was worth just 16 days ago. It marked a 93.3 percent discount to Bear Stearns' market capitalization as of Friday...
More About: Personal , Personal Finance , Finance , Take , Federal Reserve

Career Key: Frustration vs Reality
2008-03-17 13:11:00
Ever have that, "If they don't see my value I should leave!" feeling? One of the toughest times in a career or job is when expectation level doesn't remotely meet reality. These, to paraphrase, "are the the times that try men's careers!"I am there now.It is coming up on bonus payout time, I know what my payout could have been. We revamped many of the programs under my direction this year leading to over $1M in increases. I also laid the groundwork for new programs now launching that will generate $6-10MM per year...for a long time.Based on all criteria I had a pretty good year...too bad it is for naught.At a staff meeting this week we were told the bitter truth. That since the company had a poor year, (due to operational issues, not sales) bonuses would be small, or non-existent. And it would be based on the discretion of Executive management on the amount. Frankly, based on that I really don't know if I will get a bonus! But if I do it will probably 10% of what it could have be...
More About: Reality , Career , Frustration

Our Fourth RSS Contest Winner!
2008-03-16 20:26:00
Our Fourth RSS Contest Winner was picked last night. I once again used Random.org to give me a number to determine the second winner of The FruitfulTime TaskManager Software. The software selected Laura L Victor!I haven't heard back yet Laura so I could give you a a link to their Blog or site, But Congratulations!Thanks To everyone Who Entered and FruitfulTime TaskManager Software for being our sponsor!

Best of the Week; End of an Era
2008-03-16 13:01:00
Our Final winner in our RSS Contest had been notified and I hope to name and get a quote from them for my mid-day update. I would like to personally thank everyone that signed up for my RSS feed during the contest. We doubled our readership from 27 to over 54! It has been really fun to be a part of this contest, none of which would have been available without the fine folks at FruitfulTime and their great TaskManager Software! Thank you all very much.Crazy week here, but without further suspense - The Best of the Week on the Web:Fiscal Musings - A great piece on some hidden tax savings that could save you big money as these are easy to forget. This blog is just a must read if you like to her from someone starting out in life with their priorities set and headed in a great direction!The Digerati Life - Featured a great article on helping to protect yourself from identity theft! Great practical advice!BankerGirl - A neat piece on blogging for the love of it or for profit...or both!Get...

One More Chance to Win our RSS Contest!
2008-03-15 21:40:00
A Couple of hours left!! We will be picking our last winner for our FruitfulTime TaskManager RSS Contest !Just sign up, or stay signed up, for our Email RSS feed (make sure to verify the email!) and at 10PM PST tonight I will use a Random List generator to pick one of those subscribers as a winner!Stories delivered directly to you AND a chance to win free software?! 2 minutes of your time for a chance to win Free Software?Here is the Software description:FruitfulTime TaskManager is a to do list software that helps you to organise yourself. It allows you to input your tasks, split them in subtasks, keep track of notes, contacts, files and WebPages related to a particular task. FruitfulTime TaskManager also allows you to set due dates and assign reminders to accordingly. This will make sure that you will never miss a deadline again. FruitfulTime TaskManager is the best to do list software that can help you get things done and beat procrastination as recommended in this free procrastina...
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Movies are a Budget Weakness
2008-03-15 14:59:00
Summer Movie Season is a hard budget time for me. But I am a movie junkie. Have been since I was a little kid. Every other kid wanted their birthday party at Chucky Cheese or any Pizza place. Not me, I always wanted to go to the movies.I was lucky to grow up near one of the best movie palaces outside of New York and Los Angeles; Indian Hills in Omaha. Unfortunately, it is gone now but it was one of the few Cinerama theaters outside of a big city. It is where I saw Star Wars for the first time, had my real first date, and the last time I was in Omaha, I took my Mom out to a dinner and a movie as I was now a big time music school attendee and future Rock Star :)The reason for the nostalgia trip is the Summer movie Season is coming up and I will have to stretch my entertainment budget by cutting other things as much as possible to see all of the ones we want to go to!Here are a couple No-Brainer way to Save Money if you are a Movie Fan:Matinees - Simple I know but the difference in pr...
More About: Movies , Budget