pumpkin stocks

and skrimping on the bandwidth for your news site.

TFA wants me to use the interwebs for banking? Handing out pieces of paper with my name, drivers license number, account numbers is so much more secure!

retaliatory spending is ok then?

nosferatublue: pumpkin stocks

Only if you sell after halloween.

Dumbest thing i do with my money:
Smoke a cigar worth an hourly wage + some.

Buy a house

So where's the line between saving money and hoarding it?

If spending my money on hoards is wrong...

MikeFallopian: If spending my money on hoards is wrong...

There were certain benefits when Ex #2 used to have bouts of retaliatory spending. So yeah, this.

whoviantrekkie: TFA wants me to use the interwebs for banking? Handing out pieces of paper with my name, drivers license number, account numbers is so much more secure!

I was at the supermarket a few months ago & a 40-ish looking woman in front of me was writing a check. I asked her nicely if she had a debit card because I was really curious why anyone not over the age of 80 would still be writing checks. She said she had one but was afraid to use it because it's a security risk.

Me: "How often do you write checks at the store, then?"
Her: "Oh, about twice a week."
Me: "So you drop over a hundred pieces of paper with your name, address, phone number, driver's license, & banking information every year? And you think that's less risky than swiping a card? Wow, you're brave."

Then the cashier decided to spook her even more: "Yeah, and people can even wash the ink off of checks now & just re-write whatever they want and it's still got your signature."

All the poor woman could do was laugh nervously as she handed over her check.

spacechicken170am: Buy a house

Right now? If you've got the cash laying around and you're currently renting I don't think I'd agree. Interest rates are low and there's a lot of "inventory" on the market... so you can usually find a deal. Plus there's that whole inflation thing... your dollar won't be worth nearly as much when the other shoe drops over all this fed money printing.

/Your statement was very true for 2007, early 2008
//Hindsight and all..

nosferatublue: pumpkin stocks

I'm not a finance guy, but wouldn't have investing in pumpkin futures been a good move, before Nestle announced the rain caused a shortage of this years crop?

socialpoison: spacechicken170am: Buy a house

Right now? If you've got the cash laying around and you're currently renting I don't think I'd agree. Interest rates are low and there's a lot of "inventory" on the market... so you can usually find a deal. Plus there's that whole inflation thing... your dollar won't be worth nearly as much when the other shoe drops over all this fed money printing.

/Your statement was very true for 2007, early 2008
//Hindsight and all..

and they are offering an $8,000 bribe, depending on where you live thats a downpayment on an FHA

brigid_fitch: whoviantrekkie: TFA wants me to use the interwebs for banking? Handing out pieces of paper with my name, drivers license number, account numbers is so much more secure!

I was at the supermarket a few months ago & a 40-ish looking woman in front of me was writing a check. I asked her nicely if she had a debit card because I was really curious why anyone not over the age of 80 would still be writing checks. She said she had one but was afraid to use it because it's a security risk.

Me: "How often do you write checks at the store, then?"
Her: "Oh, about twice a week."
Me: "So you drop over a hundred pieces of paper with your name, address, phone number, driver's license, & banking information every year? And you think that's less risky than swiping a card? Wow, you're brave."

Then the cashier decided to spook her even more: "Yeah, and people can even wash the ink off of checks now & just re-write whatever they want and it's still got your signature."

All the poor woman could do was laugh nervously as she handed over her check.i>

While the above is true if you do write checks at least use a gel ink (or use brand Black Waterproof ink from Noodler's Ink see boingBoing Link (new window) ).

These inks are resistent to most ink-washing chemicals (like acetone).

Retaliatory Spending aka How The Religious Right^TM Got Everyone To Go See Harry Potter.

Laura Tarbox

me_onthenet: brigid_fitch: whoviantrekkie: TFA wants me to use the interwebs for banking? Handing out pieces of paper with my name, drivers license number, account numbers is so much more secure!

I was at the supermarket a few months ago & a 40-ish looking woman in front of me was writing a check. I asked her nicely if she had a debit card because I was really curious why anyone not over the age of 80 would still be writing checks. She said she had one but was afraid to use it because it's a security risk.

Me: "How often do you write checks at the store, then?"
Her: "Oh, about twice a week."
Me: "So you drop over a hundred pieces of paper with your name, address, phone number, driver's license, & banking information every year? And you think that's less risky than swiping a card? Wow, you're brave."

Then the cashier decided to spook her even more: "Yeah, and people can even wash the ink off of checks now & just re-write whatever they want and it's still got your signature."

All the poor woman could do was laugh nervously as she handed over her check.i>

While the above is true if you do write checks at least use a gel ink (or use brand Black Waterproof ink from Noodler's Ink see boingBoing Link (new window) ).

These inks are resistent to most ink-washing chemicals (like acetone).

This - they make pens specifically to prevent check washing. Just don't leave them in your pocket and wash them because it really does NEVER come out

dogcow69: and they are offering an $8,000 bribe, depending on where you live thats a downpayment on an FHA

You get the 8K several weeks after you close. There are states that allow you to use that as a down payment?

There are down payment grants for 5K though. Free money

Yeah, hoarding money is a terrible idea.

Newegg's daily email notifications on shelfshocker deals probably costs me more per month than food

Eddie Adams from Torrance

I think people pay for the entertainment value.

On the whole "Retaliatory Spending" thing am I the only one who looked at that story and thought, "a divorce may be more expensive over the long term it sure sounds like it would be worth it" ?

tweekster: There are down payment grants for 5K though. Free money

Link?

The stupidest thing I do with my money is not attach enough importance to it.

I'm 25, single, and on my third job since graduation, the previous two being casualties of the recession. I'm working on an open-ended contract now, meaning my actual signed contract expired in October but there's still work, so they keep paying me to come in. But there is absolutely nothing that could stop them from letting me go at any time for any reason.

I budget out 30% of my weekly pay into a savings account that'll go toward taxes and actual savings. The rest pays bills, pays off student loans, and lets me get around a bit.

Beyond that, I can't seem to bring myself to care. The Boomers have farked over the promise of retiring at all, as well as any delusion of financial security to the point where devoting any thought or worry to either seems like a complete waste.

So I basically just sit on my money. I could probably invest it or something, but getting no return seems like a much better deal than putting it out there so I can lose more than half of it like what happened with my 401k from my first job.

/wearing a shirt today that I got in high school

There's a difference between hoarding and saving. Saving is when you put aside money for your definite and likely future needs. Saving has a purpose to it.

Hoarding comes after, when you've already saved enough to meet all of your future needs, and then some. Hoarding comes when you save money for no conceivable purpose.

When I worked for a financial advisor, there were a few clients like that. All single or windowed (don't know why).

One kindly old gent couldn't have been younger than 80, had over $2 million invested with us, and would schedule his appointments late in the afternoon so he could take the lobby newspaper home with him. He didn't steal it - he would always ask and we always said yes. But when you've got all the money in the world already and you're bumming used newspapers, there's a mental disconnect in there somewhere.

Another old lady had well over a million dollars, but she always reminded us she was being good with her money and being frugal and isn't this a lovely cardigan she got at the second hand store?

It was never lovely. She was a nice old lady, but she dressed like a hobo. I never saw her in a piece of clothing that looked less than 20 years old. She couldn't bring herself to spend money on anything. She was so frail she looked like she hardly ate. But proud she was for being so frugal. She didn't even have anyone to leave it to - her only child had died years ago.

Most of us could stand to save more, but in should be done with a purpose in mind. I've seen money-hoarders and it can be mind-boggling. Surely there must be *something* they want, but no, there isn't. Except to save!

jst3p: tweekster: There are down payment grants for 5K though. Free money

Link?

These two should get you started.

Rural housing
http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/

Urban housing:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm#avail

brigid_fitch: whoviantrekkie: TFA wants me to use the interwebs for banking? Handing out pieces of paper with my name, drivers license number, account numbers is so much more secure!

I was at the supermarket a few months ago & a 40-ish looking woman in front of me was writing a check. I asked her nicely if she had a debit card because I was really curious why anyone not over the age of 80 would still be writing checks. She said she had one but was afraid to use it because it's a security risk.

Me: "How often do you write checks at the store, then?"
Her: "Oh, about twice a week."
Me: "So you drop over a hundred pieces of paper with your name, address, phone number, driver's license, & banking information every year? And you think that's less risky than swiping a card? Wow, you're brave."

Then the cashier decided to spook her even more: "Yeah, and people can even wash the ink off of checks now & just re-write whatever they want and it's still got your signature."

All the poor woman could do was laugh nervously as she handed over her check.

I never have the 'nads for this...i usually just joke about it to the cashier whilst said person is still in earshot but walking away.....

tweekster: jst3p: tweekster: There are down payment grants for 5K though. Free money

Link?

These two should get you started.

Rural housing
http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/

Urban housing:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm#avail

TYVM

socialpoison: Right now? If you've got the cash laying around and you're currently renting I don't think I'd agree. Interest rates are low and there's a lot of "inventory" on the market... so you can usually find a deal. Plus there's that whole inflation thing... your dollar won't be worth nearly as much when the other shoe drops over all this fed money printing.

/Your statement was very true for 2007, early 2008
//Hindsight and all..

Foreclosures and what not won't peak until early 2011, maybe even later in 2011. While buying right now if you have the dough isn't a horrible idea, there are better deals to come.

Kareeshus: When I worked for a financial advisor, there were a few clients like that. All single or windowed (don't know why).

This is really common with folks who lived through the GD or through times close to it (or were just very poor as children). They save because they've been conditioned to do so. They simply don't have any concept of *not* saving.

Of course, some of those people are unbearably boring/tedious folks to deal with, but eh, they could buy and sell peons like me, so who am I to say.

jst3p: tweekster: jst3p: tweekster: There are down payment grants for 5K though. Free money

Link?

These two should get you started.

Rural housing
http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/

Urban housing:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm#avail

TYVM

That hopefully will help some people, if it doesn't, well continue to look around about it. I had to look up those links because I just went through my mortgage broker to get the grant application filed.

tweekster: You get the 8K several weeks after you close. There are states that allow you to use that as a down payment?

bridge loan

dogcow69: tweekster: You get the 8K several weeks after you close. There are states that allow you to use that as a down payment?

bridge loan

Ahh that makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up.

brigid_fitch: whoviantrekkie: TFA wants me to use the interwebs for banking? Handing out pieces of paper with my name, drivers license number, account numbers is so much more secure!

I was at the supermarket a few months ago & a 40-ish looking woman in front of me was writing a check. I asked her nicely if she had a debit card because I was really curious why anyone not over the age of 80 would still be writing checks. She said she had one but was afraid to use it because it's a security risk.

Me: "How often do you write checks at the store, then?"
Her: "Oh, about twice a week."
Me: "So you drop over a hundred pieces of paper with your name, address, phone number, driver's license, & banking information every year? And you think that's less risky than swiping a card? Wow, you're brave."

Then the cashier decided to spook her even more: "Yeah, and people can even wash the ink off of checks now & just re-write whatever they want and it's still got your signature."

All the poor woman could do was laugh nervously as she handed over her check.

Cool story bro.

I assume you want the person in front of you to use a debit card because it speeds things up. Boy does it. Like when the machine doesn't read the card and the cashier makes them swipe it again and it still doesn't work. Then the cashier tells them to try putting this bag over it to swipe it and that still doesn't work. Then we call the manager over to get more swell ideas. Or, we get the person that doesn't know how to punch in their pin number and has to try it again. I esp love the people that buy a Mtn Dew at the convience store and pays with a debit card. That really speeds up a convience store.

Fark cards, they haven't sped up anything. Carry cold hard cash people.

YonderScott: Fark cards, they haven't sped up anything. Carry cold hard cash people.

Whay do you hate American banks?

Sin_City_Superhero: Whay Why do you hate American banks?

FTFM

YonderScott:
I assume you want the person in front of you to use a debit card because it speeds things up. Boy does it. Like when the machine doesn't read the card and the cashier makes them swipe it again and it still doesn't work. Then the cashier tells them to try putting this bag over it to swipe it and that still doesn't work. Then we call the manager over to get more swell ideas. Or, we get the person that doesn't know how to punch in their pin number and has to try it again. I esp love the people that buy a Mtn Dew at the convience store and pays with a debit card. That really speeds up a convience store.

Fark cards, they haven't sped up anything. Carry cold hard cash people.

In a sample size of probably a few thousand, from the time I worked at a grocery store as a checker a few years ago, I can say that on average, cards take significantly less time than checks, even with these issues.

brigid_fitch: whoviantrekkie: TFA wants me to use the interwebs for banking? Handing out pieces of paper with my name, drivers license number, account numbers is so much more secure!

I was at the supermarket a few months ago & a 40-ish looking woman in front of me was writing a check. I asked her nicely if she had a debit card because I was really curious why anyone not over the age of 80 would still be writing checks. She said she had one but was afraid to use it because it's a security risk.

Me: "How often do you write checks at the store, then?"
Her: "Oh, about twice a week."
Me: "So you drop over a hundred pieces of paper with your name, address, phone number, driver's license, & banking information every year? And you think that's less risky than swiping a card? Wow, you're brave."

Then the cashier decided to spook her even more: "Yeah, and people can even wash the ink off of checks now & just re-write whatever they want and it's still got your signature."

All the poor woman could do was laugh nervously as she handed over her check.

Some people write checks specifically to take advantage of the time it takes to clear. A debit card typically will debit your account either immediately or that day. So if you're getting paid tomorrow but don't have any money in your account today you can write a check today safely because by the time the check gets debited from your account you'll be able to cover it.

7. Cyber Insecurity

What do banks typically do to secure online customer accounts? They put up multiple firewalls, which are the equivalent of brick enclosures around your house, and they have techno-security teams attempting to find the weak spots and shore them up. They also patrol the firewalls 24/7, looking for climbers.

Yes, so criminals don't attack the bank's server, they attack your computer because they know you don't have a farking clue about security.

I'm trying to stop hoarding cash, so I'm really getting a kick out of...no, i'm not, I might need that someday. No discretionary spending this month. Or next. Gotta save.

What's wrong with hoarding money?

/skims article

Ohh, they mean idiots that put money in mattresses. If that's the caliber of entries on the list, I think I can safely avoid reading the rest of them.

YonderScott: Fark cards, they haven't sped up anything. Carry cold hard cash people.

In my own anecdotal experience, cash takes slightly longer because then there's the fumble with counting out change. Even if you've got a cashier who can count, I'd say coins get dropped a lot more than cards refuse to swipe properly.

And to the people wondering why you meet rich people who won't spend a dime: I bet that's how they got rich in the first place. The average person earns a million from 18 to 65, or so I've heard: if you scrimp and penny-pinch at every turn, then invest what you save, you could easily have a cool mil floating around by retirement. Of course, you'd also have a lifetime's worth of tightfisted habits to break, not to mention a social circle that will reinforce these habits (if you have a circle at all), but hey. You win some, you lose some.

Helen_Arigby: In my own anecdotal experience, cash takes slightly longer because then there's the fumble with counting out change. Even if you've got a cashier who can count, I'd say coins get dropped a lot more than cards refuse to swipe properly.

Those autochange machines are pretty nice. They count the bills and the register sends a command to the change machine by the signature platform and your change comes out.

tweekster: Those autochange machines are pretty nice. They count the bills and the register sends a command to the change machine by the signature platform and your change comes out.

Those are nice, but the other benefit to using a card (or, at least a good card like an Amex) is because of the other benefits, and because the transactions are individualized so I can track them in Quicken and go "yeah, i'm spending too much on 'x', i need to watch that spending".

/inb4 credit card shiatstorm

I should probably cut bacon down to at least 70% of my income.

tweekster: dogcow69: and they are offering an $8,000 bribe, depending on where you live thats a downpayment on an FHA

You get the 8K several weeks after you close. There are states that allow you to use that as a down payment?

There are down payment grants for 5K though. Free money

Plus, that 8k goverment handout drove the price of that house up 10k, all of which will evaporate when the handout stops and prices continue to fall. Don't let that stop you, though.

AmazingRuss: Plus, that 8k goverment handout drove the price of that house up 10k, all of which will evaporate when the handout stops and prices continue to fall. Don't let that stop you, though.

Don't worry I wont because that 8K didn't effect the prices where I live.

brigid_fitch: I asked her nicely if she had a debit card because I was really curious why anyone not over the age of 80 would still be writing checks. She said she had one but was afraid to use it because it's a security risk.

I cut up my debit card when merchants started taking it without my entering a PIN. That's a whole lot more risk than someone "washing off" the ink from a check, which I've never heard of.