In case you've ever wondered, I think I have just given a graphic example of why a written budget is necessary for all of us. When writing out our monthly expenses yesterday, I somehow went temporarily senile and left out ALL OUR MONTHLY UTILITY COSTS!
You, me, our Mamas, and our crazy Aunt Ethel ALL NEED A WRITTEN MONTHLY budget if we ever hope to be financially stable. Trying to figure out your expenses off the top of head, (or the seat of your pants), won't cut it! If you don't believe me, read this post, then reread my attempt yesterday to quantify our monthly spending.
Yesterday I had estimated our average monthly expenses to be $4,500 . Let's assume that the figures I pulled out of the air for the costs I identified are more-or-less accurate, and add in all the average utility costs which I somehow completely overlooked:
19. iPad internet connection (Verizon) - $30
20. Cellphones (AT&T) - $140
21. Satellite TV - $100
22. Internet access (AT&T) - $60
23. Water - $50
24. Garbage tax - $20
25. Natural Gas - $50
26. Electricity - $200
27. Terminex termite treatment - $50
Add all these guys up, and I get $700. So we need to add $700 to $4,500 to come up with a more accurate account of our monthly expenses.
TOTAL AVERAGE MONTHLY EXPENSE: $5,200.
This is much closer to our average monthly income of $5,300, and in fact gives us a "float", or margin of error, of only $100.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015
The Cash Flow Problem
If you read our last post describing our "net worth", you may have noticed that while our assets/liabilities ratio is pretty decent, I believe we have a problem with cash flow.
Here are the numbers, (AFTER TAX dollars):
1. Monthly income from Grump's job - appox. $4,400 .
Grump takes home $1,900 every two weeks, (he's paid bi-weekly), plus he usually gets a yearly bonus of $4,000. $3,800 + $300 ( $1,900 / 6 ) + $300 ( $4,000 / 12) = $4,400 .
2. Monthly rental income - $500 .
We get about $600/month rental income, but if you're a landlord, you need to factor in some vacancy. I assume two months of no rents, so $600 / 12 = $500 .
3. Income Tax Return and Misc., (selling stuff, gifts) - $400.
TOTAL AVERAGE MONTHLY INCOME: $5,300.
That sure seems like a lot, huh? Understand first of all that there are five of us living here, and this income stream is not consistent. (Some months are very lean!)
Now let's look at our monthly expenses:
1. House Mortgage - $530.
2. Condo Mortgage - $400 .
3. Condo Association fee - $210 .
4. Weekly Food/Shopping Expense - $800 .
5. Money to the folks back home in the Philippines - $200 .
6. Car payment - $400.
7. Dental nonsense, (stupid teeth) - $80.
8. Eating out, (I know, I know - Dave Ramsey would be VERY disappointed with us!) - $400 .
9. Clothing, (mostly kids) - $50.
10. Charity, (woefully inadequate amount, by the way!) - $100.
11. Doctor's visits and medicine - $100 .
12. Gas and Car repair/maintenance - $150.
13. Furniture and home decor - $200.
14. Miscellaneous entertainment - $200.
15. Not sure what to call this without irritating my wife and Lola. How about "the sister" fund? (DON'T ASK!!) - $150.
16. Diapers, wipes, baby food, breast feeding pads, tissue, paper towels, and some specialty food stuff not included in #4 above - $300.
17. Condo maintenance - $80.
18. House maintenance - $120.
I come up with an expense total of $4,470. Now I'm sure there's an expense or two I've forgotten and/or underestimated, so how about we round this up to $4,500.
Note that, just like income, expenses aren't necessarily fixed, and vary from month to month, with the big nasty expenses inevitably falling from the sky onto our heads in the very months we have less income. The universe just works like that!
TOTAL AVERAGE MONTHLY EXPENSE: $4,500.
(10/Feb/2015 update: the monthly expense figure is actually WRONG, because I somehow forgot to include all our average monthly utility costs. The true figure, as shown in part two of this tragedy, is more like $5,200.)
Darn, Dude! $4,500 is less than $5,300. So what's the problem?
Well, the problem is that, as I stated above, our monthly income is NOT consistent. In fact some months last year we received less than $4,400. (For two months after our tenant moved out.) We also got hit with a TON of expenses at the same time, so we had to put some expenses on our credit card which we are still paying off.
March tends to be a GREAT month for us, as due to various factors we get flush with cash for brief time. This causes another problem: for the last two years Old Grump has gotten excited with all the money and put large extra principle payments on our mortgages, which means when the lean months roll around, we don't have the cash saved to cover our costs.
So really it all boils down to our inability to come up with a budget to control our fluctuating expenses based on our fluctuating income. Sloppiness and laziness, really, and we should be ashamed of ourselves!
Our goal this year is, once we finally knock off the silly Amex card debt, to STAY OUT OF DEBT FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR!! Can we do it? Do we really have the discipline?
I hope so, but to date our behavior has been the opposite. Wish us luck!
Here are the numbers, (AFTER TAX dollars):
1. Monthly income from Grump's job - appox. $4,400 .
Grump takes home $1,900 every two weeks, (he's paid bi-weekly), plus he usually gets a yearly bonus of $4,000. $3,800 + $300 ( $1,900 / 6 ) + $300 ( $4,000 / 12) = $4,400 .
2. Monthly rental income - $500 .
We get about $600/month rental income, but if you're a landlord, you need to factor in some vacancy. I assume two months of no rents, so $600 / 12 = $500 .
3. Income Tax Return and Misc., (selling stuff, gifts) - $400.
TOTAL AVERAGE MONTHLY INCOME: $5,300.
That sure seems like a lot, huh? Understand first of all that there are five of us living here, and this income stream is not consistent. (Some months are very lean!)
Now let's look at our monthly expenses:
1. House Mortgage - $530.
2. Condo Mortgage - $400 .
3. Condo Association fee - $210 .
4. Weekly Food/Shopping Expense - $800 .
5. Money to the folks back home in the Philippines - $200 .
6. Car payment - $400.
7. Dental nonsense, (stupid teeth) - $80.
8. Eating out, (I know, I know - Dave Ramsey would be VERY disappointed with us!) - $400 .
9. Clothing, (mostly kids) - $50.
10. Charity, (woefully inadequate amount, by the way!) - $100.
11. Doctor's visits and medicine - $100 .
12. Gas and Car repair/maintenance - $150.
13. Furniture and home decor - $200.
14. Miscellaneous entertainment - $200.
15. Not sure what to call this without irritating my wife and Lola. How about "the sister" fund? (DON'T ASK!!) - $150.
16. Diapers, wipes, baby food, breast feeding pads, tissue, paper towels, and some specialty food stuff not included in #4 above - $300.
17. Condo maintenance - $80.
18. House maintenance - $120.
I come up with an expense total of $4,470. Now I'm sure there's an expense or two I've forgotten and/or underestimated, so how about we round this up to $4,500.
Note that, just like income, expenses aren't necessarily fixed, and vary from month to month, with the big nasty expenses inevitably falling from the sky onto our heads in the very months we have less income. The universe just works like that!
TOTAL AVERAGE MONTHLY EXPENSE: $4,500.
(10/Feb/2015 update: the monthly expense figure is actually WRONG, because I somehow forgot to include all our average monthly utility costs. The true figure, as shown in part two of this tragedy, is more like $5,200.)
Darn, Dude! $4,500 is less than $5,300. So what's the problem?
Well, the problem is that, as I stated above, our monthly income is NOT consistent. In fact some months last year we received less than $4,400. (For two months after our tenant moved out.) We also got hit with a TON of expenses at the same time, so we had to put some expenses on our credit card which we are still paying off.
March tends to be a GREAT month for us, as due to various factors we get flush with cash for brief time. This causes another problem: for the last two years Old Grump has gotten excited with all the money and put large extra principle payments on our mortgages, which means when the lean months roll around, we don't have the cash saved to cover our costs.
So really it all boils down to our inability to come up with a budget to control our fluctuating expenses based on our fluctuating income. Sloppiness and laziness, really, and we should be ashamed of ourselves!
Our goal this year is, once we finally knock off the silly Amex card debt, to STAY OUT OF DEBT FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR!! Can we do it? Do we really have the discipline?
I hope so, but to date our behavior has been the opposite. Wish us luck!
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Our "Net Worth"
I've recently discovered that tracking your family's net worth is kinda a cool thing. (Check out http://rockstarfinance.com/blogger-net-worths/ if you don't believe me!) So .... not wishing to be left behind, here is a slightly foggy stratospheric bird's eye view of our "net worth".
We calculate our net worth to be $450,000.00, based on the following:
1. Assets (the GOOD stuff): $600,000.00 (Yippee!)
This would be a combination of our various IRA and 401K accounts, (mostly invested in stock mutual funds), money in tax free municipal bonds, (the bonds themselves, NOT bond funds!), and a little bit left over in regular, taxable mutual fund accounts.
Note that this figure is just an estimate, and the actual value of our accounts is a bit higher at the moment, because the stock market is up. As you know, stocks go up and down in value, sometimes dramatically, so this figure could be off by 20% in either direction when you read this.
2. Liabilities (the BAD stuff): $150,000.00 (Boo! Hiss!!)
2.a. Our House - we owe $80,000.00 on our house, which is our primary residence.
2.b. Our Condo - we owe $50,000.00 on a condo back in Columbia, S.C., which we currently rent out.
2.c. Our 2nd Car - we owe $15,000.00 on a car we purchased last year.
2.d. Our RIDICULOUS, NEVER-ENDING American Express Credit Card balance - $5,000.00. Through absolutely no fault of American Express, we seem unable to stop the bleeding due to our inability to stop spending more money than we earn. (Yes, we have a CASH FLOW PROBLEM!)
So there you have it - $600,000.00 minus $150,000.00 equals $450,000.00, which is our net worth.
Now before you think, "Wow! $450,000.00 is a whole lotta loot!", bear in mind that, as noted above, almost every month we actually are SPENDING more money than we are EARNING. The only way we have been able to keep this silliness afloat has been to cash in non-IRA savings year after year, for the past three years. We have burned through $60,000.00 that way! This year will be an interesting one, because we have resolved not to cash in any savings to subsidize our spending. Wish us luck!
And finally, we have been lucky regarding the balance of our assets, because despite our cashing in funds to pay for our excesses, our net worth has mostly remained constant these three years, thanks to the upwards movement of the stock market. Relying on a continually rising stock market is a foolish plan, so we had better brace ourselves for more bearish times ahead, and plan accordingly.
We calculate our net worth to be $450,000.00, based on the following:
1. Assets (the GOOD stuff): $600,000.00 (Yippee!)
This would be a combination of our various IRA and 401K accounts, (mostly invested in stock mutual funds), money in tax free municipal bonds, (the bonds themselves, NOT bond funds!), and a little bit left over in regular, taxable mutual fund accounts.
Note that this figure is just an estimate, and the actual value of our accounts is a bit higher at the moment, because the stock market is up. As you know, stocks go up and down in value, sometimes dramatically, so this figure could be off by 20% in either direction when you read this.
2. Liabilities (the BAD stuff): $150,000.00 (Boo! Hiss!!)
2.a. Our House - we owe $80,000.00 on our house, which is our primary residence.
2.b. Our Condo - we owe $50,000.00 on a condo back in Columbia, S.C., which we currently rent out.
2.c. Our 2nd Car - we owe $15,000.00 on a car we purchased last year.
2.d. Our RIDICULOUS, NEVER-ENDING American Express Credit Card balance - $5,000.00. Through absolutely no fault of American Express, we seem unable to stop the bleeding due to our inability to stop spending more money than we earn. (Yes, we have a CASH FLOW PROBLEM!)
So there you have it - $600,000.00 minus $150,000.00 equals $450,000.00, which is our net worth.
Now before you think, "Wow! $450,000.00 is a whole lotta loot!", bear in mind that, as noted above, almost every month we actually are SPENDING more money than we are EARNING. The only way we have been able to keep this silliness afloat has been to cash in non-IRA savings year after year, for the past three years. We have burned through $60,000.00 that way! This year will be an interesting one, because we have resolved not to cash in any savings to subsidize our spending. Wish us luck!
And finally, we have been lucky regarding the balance of our assets, because despite our cashing in funds to pay for our excesses, our net worth has mostly remained constant these three years, thanks to the upwards movement of the stock market. Relying on a continually rising stock market is a foolish plan, so we had better brace ourselves for more bearish times ahead, and plan accordingly.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Online "Income" Statement - January/2015
First of all, it takes a HUGE stretch of imagination to call this silliness "income", even using parentheses around the word income. We haven't even received a penny, (or, in the case of LinkBucks, a half-penny), from any of these folks yet, because we haven't hit the minimum payment amount.
Notwithstanding that cold slap of reality, here is what we currently have in our accounts that we've earned via our webpages:
Adsense - $4.46
AdFly - 5.5 Cents (Yep, that's correct. Not even a dollar yet!)
LinkBucks - Half a .... Cent! (This is BEYOND PITIFUL! NOT EVEN A FRIGGIN' PENNY YET!)
Woo hoo! Step right up folks and make BIG MONEY on the internet. All you need is a blog or two.
Notwithstanding that cold slap of reality, here is what we currently have in our accounts that we've earned via our webpages:
Adsense - $4.46
AdFly - 5.5 Cents (Yep, that's correct. Not even a dollar yet!)
LinkBucks - Half a .... Cent! (This is BEYOND PITIFUL! NOT EVEN A FRIGGIN' PENNY YET!)
Woo hoo! Step right up folks and make BIG MONEY on the internet. All you need is a blog or two.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Links of the Week, 01/Feb/2015 - Let's Be Rich!
So you wanna be rich someday? (Who doesn't?) Amongst all the hype and jive of the internet, are there some webpages with VALID advice?
Despite the overabundance of complete garbage out there, YES, good websites do exist that can help guide us on our path to wealth.
We could start with the end in mind, and jump straight to the Eventual Millionaire, ( http://eventualmillionaire.com/ ). Jamie Tardy has built a following by interviewing folks who are already rich, and trying to discern what they did to cause their success.
If we need inspiration, we can go to Dan Miller's site, 48 Days, ( http://www.48days.com/ ), where you will find your passion and how to best act on it.
If we're stuck in debt, and we need help getting out, probably no one can better help us than the ever popular Dave Ramsey, ( http://www.daveramsey.com/home/ ), who has helped millions turn the corner on bad spending habits and start accumulating wealth.
Want to follow a test case? How about checking in with J. Money at Budgets are Sexy, ( http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/ ), for some progress reports and reality checks.
Once you have some money, you'll need to learn how to hold onto it. Do this by checking in with Kathryn Cicoletti, the MakinSense Babe, ( http://makinsensebabe.com/ ), and you too will be able to avoid the parasites of the "financial profession".
Now that you can judge who is reasonable, and who is speaking nonsense, head on over to Jim Puplava's Financial Sense, ( http://www.financialsense.com/ ), IMHO the best financial advice website, and judge for yourself the sanity of the advice given by "financial experts".
Finally, if you're ever really, really hard up, and need a way to just scratch out an extra $50, here are 50 Ways to Make a Fast $50 , ( http://finance.yahoo.com/news/50-ways-fast-50-111010600.html ), some of which are more practical than others.
Good luck!
P.S. - Please don't lose sight of what really matters in life, else you'll be like those sorry folks in this saying: "Some people are so poor, all they have is money."
Despite the overabundance of complete garbage out there, YES, good websites do exist that can help guide us on our path to wealth.
We could start with the end in mind, and jump straight to the Eventual Millionaire, ( http://eventualmillionaire.com/ ). Jamie Tardy has built a following by interviewing folks who are already rich, and trying to discern what they did to cause their success.
If we need inspiration, we can go to Dan Miller's site, 48 Days, ( http://www.48days.com/ ), where you will find your passion and how to best act on it.
If we're stuck in debt, and we need help getting out, probably no one can better help us than the ever popular Dave Ramsey, ( http://www.daveramsey.com/home/ ), who has helped millions turn the corner on bad spending habits and start accumulating wealth.
Want to follow a test case? How about checking in with J. Money at Budgets are Sexy, ( http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/ ), for some progress reports and reality checks.
Once you have some money, you'll need to learn how to hold onto it. Do this by checking in with Kathryn Cicoletti, the MakinSense Babe, ( http://makinsensebabe.com/ ), and you too will be able to avoid the parasites of the "financial profession".
Now that you can judge who is reasonable, and who is speaking nonsense, head on over to Jim Puplava's Financial Sense, ( http://www.financialsense.com/ ), IMHO the best financial advice website, and judge for yourself the sanity of the advice given by "financial experts".
Finally, if you're ever really, really hard up, and need a way to just scratch out an extra $50, here are 50 Ways to Make a Fast $50 , ( http://finance.yahoo.com/news/50-ways-fast-50-111010600.html ), some of which are more practical than others.
Good luck!
P.S. - Please don't lose sight of what really matters in life, else you'll be like those sorry folks in this saying: "Some people are so poor, all they have is money."
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Random Quotes
Some random quotes I copied from somewhere, sometime, someplace. Enjoy!
In times of change, learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. – Eric Hoffer
Everybody's got a plan until they get hit. – Mike Tyson
Nothing spoils a good story like the arrival of an eyewitness. – Mark Twain
Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible. – George Orwell
To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first. And, whatever you hit, call it the target. – Ashleigh Brilliant
If fate means you to lose, give him a good fight anyhow. – William McFee
Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. – Malachy McCourt
A country can get more real joy out of just hollering for their freedom than they can if they actually get it. – Will Rogers
Today’s payslip has more deductions than a Sherlock Holmes novel. – Raymond Cvikota, U.S. writer
I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There’s a knob called “brightness,” but it doesn’t work. – Gallagher, U.S. comedian
People who have what they want are very fond of telling people who haven’t what they want that they don’t want it. – Ogden Nash, U.S. poet
A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. – Ayn Rand, Russian-American writer
Some people say they haven't yet found themselves. But the self is not something one finds; it is something one creates. – Thomas Szasz, Hungarian psychiatrist
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along." – E. Roosevelt, U.S. first lady
Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. – Bertrand Russell, Welsh philosopher
Blessed are the young, for they will inherit the national debt. – Herbert Hoover, U.S. president
Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. – Sholom Aleichem, Russian author
Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices – just recognize them. – Edward R. Murrow, U.S. journalist
What we actually learn from any given set of circumstances determines whether we become increasingly powerless or more powerful. – Blaine Lee, U.S. consultant
Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind. – Samuel Johnson, British writer
People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. – Peter Drucker, U.S. consultant
We may need to solve problems not by removing the cause but by designing the way forward even if the cause remains in place. – Edward de Bono, Maltese author
Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing. – Harriet Braiker, U.S. psychologist
If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings." – Dave Barry, U.S. author
Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. – John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist
Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other. – Edmund Burke, Irish statesman
If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect. – Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman
‘I have done my best.’ That is about all the philosophy of living one needs. – Lin Yutang, Chinese writer
We are told that this is an odious and unpopular tax. I never knew a tax that was not odious and unpopular with the people who paid it. – John Sherman, U.S. politician
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. – Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman author
Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back. – Harvey Mackay, U.S. author
Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold. – Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer
A gossip is one who talks to you about others; a bore is one who talks to you about himself; and a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself. – Lisa Kirk, U.S. actress
Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly. – Francis Bacon, British statesman
The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. – Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman
The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one. – Oscar Wilde, Irish writer
My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it. – Abraham Lincoln, U.S. president
A single man has not nearly the value he would have in a state of union. He is an incomplete animal. He resembles the odd half of a pair of scissors. – Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman
If you would like to know the value of money, try to borrow some. – Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers. – Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist
Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice. – Dave Barry, U.S. humorist
Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently. – Henry Ford, U.S. entrepreneur
I used to sell furniture for a living. The trouble was, it was my own. – Les Dawson, English comedian
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. – Albert Schweitzer, German philosopher
If at first you don’t succeed, take the tax loss. – Kirk Kirkpatrick, U.S. executive
The great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often even more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are. – Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian philosopher
The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind. – William Blake, British poet
In times of change, learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. – Eric Hoffer
Everybody's got a plan until they get hit. – Mike Tyson
Nothing spoils a good story like the arrival of an eyewitness. – Mark Twain
Whoever is winning at the moment will always seem to be invincible. – George Orwell
To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first. And, whatever you hit, call it the target. – Ashleigh Brilliant
If fate means you to lose, give him a good fight anyhow. – William McFee
Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die. – Malachy McCourt
A country can get more real joy out of just hollering for their freedom than they can if they actually get it. – Will Rogers
Today’s payslip has more deductions than a Sherlock Holmes novel. – Raymond Cvikota, U.S. writer
I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence. There’s a knob called “brightness,” but it doesn’t work. – Gallagher, U.S. comedian
People who have what they want are very fond of telling people who haven’t what they want that they don’t want it. – Ogden Nash, U.S. poet
A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. – Ayn Rand, Russian-American writer
Some people say they haven't yet found themselves. But the self is not something one finds; it is something one creates. – Thomas Szasz, Hungarian psychiatrist
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along." – E. Roosevelt, U.S. first lady
Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. – Bertrand Russell, Welsh philosopher
Blessed are the young, for they will inherit the national debt. – Herbert Hoover, U.S. president
Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. – Sholom Aleichem, Russian author
Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices – just recognize them. – Edward R. Murrow, U.S. journalist
What we actually learn from any given set of circumstances determines whether we become increasingly powerless or more powerful. – Blaine Lee, U.S. consultant
Curiosity is one of the permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind. – Samuel Johnson, British writer
People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. – Peter Drucker, U.S. consultant
We may need to solve problems not by removing the cause but by designing the way forward even if the cause remains in place. – Edward de Bono, Maltese author
Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing. – Harriet Braiker, U.S. psychologist
If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings." – Dave Barry, U.S. author
Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. – John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist
Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other. – Edmund Burke, Irish statesman
If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect. – Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman
‘I have done my best.’ That is about all the philosophy of living one needs. – Lin Yutang, Chinese writer
We are told that this is an odious and unpopular tax. I never knew a tax that was not odious and unpopular with the people who paid it. – John Sherman, U.S. politician
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. – Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman author
Time is free, but it's priceless. You can't own it, but you can use it. You can't keep it, but you can spend it. Once you've lost it, you can never get it back. – Harvey Mackay, U.S. author
Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold. – Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer
A gossip is one who talks to you about others; a bore is one who talks to you about himself; and a brilliant conversationalist is one who talks to you about yourself. – Lisa Kirk, U.S. actress
Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly. – Francis Bacon, British statesman
The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. – Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman
The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one. – Oscar Wilde, Irish writer
My father taught me to work; he did not teach me to love it. – Abraham Lincoln, U.S. president
A single man has not nearly the value he would have in a state of union. He is an incomplete animal. He resembles the odd half of a pair of scissors. – Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman
If you would like to know the value of money, try to borrow some. – Benjamin Franklin, U.S. statesman
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers. – Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist
Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice. – Dave Barry, U.S. humorist
Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently. – Henry Ford, U.S. entrepreneur
I used to sell furniture for a living. The trouble was, it was my own. – Les Dawson, English comedian
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. – Albert Schweitzer, German philosopher
If at first you don’t succeed, take the tax loss. – Kirk Kirkpatrick, U.S. executive
The great majority of mankind are satisfied with appearances, as though they were realities, and are often even more influenced by the things that seem than by those that are. – Niccolo Machiavelli, Italian philosopher
The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind. – William Blake, British poet
Monday, January 26, 2015
Domain Name Re-Registration Expense
We got a notice from BlueHost today that the domain name registration for buyingnirvana.com was expiring soon. Oh brother ..... another expense!
That's another $26.00 spent!
Since the last payment we have received from our online activity was 17 cents last July, it hardly makes sense to call what we are doing a "business". Rather, at this point we just have a potentially expense hobby!
| product description | term | qty | price |
| buyingnirvana.com | |||
| Domain Name Registration : from 2015-03-23 to 2016-03-23 | year | 1 | 14.99 |
| Domain Privacy Protection : from 2015-03-23 to 2016-03-23 | year | 1 | 10.99 |
| subtotal : | 25.98 | ||
| total : | 25.98 | ||
That's another $26.00 spent!
Since the last payment we have received from our online activity was 17 cents last July, it hardly makes sense to call what we are doing a "business". Rather, at this point we just have a potentially expense hobby!
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