Archive for the ‘success’ Category
Friday, May 8th, 2009 |
This is one of those days where I just start writing and write until stuff comes to mind. Having said that, I have no responsibility of what may be said and the order they’re presented.
I guess you can call it my “hmmmm” moment in RDL.
For starters, I’m currently wondering when will the tattooing thing going to take off like I want it to? I’ve been handing out business cards to at the oddest of places. Fast food drive thru attendants that have tattoos. Waitress’s that have tattoos. I’ve even posted my portfolio on a couple of message boards. I’ve since tattooed on one customer from a message board and none by manually handing out my cards. For some odd reason, I’m getting customers out of the blue through word of mouth though.
Another thing that’s been on my mind is my income and outcome. For some reason, I have money even though I feel like I’m broke as hell. I’ve been spending a lot lately and it doesn’t seem to be catching up with me. Hopefully it’s all in my head.
Seems like I’ve inherited my middle daughter’s softball team. The head coach officially asked me when did I want to practice in front of the other parents. Kind of caught me off guard as I rambled while trying to think of the audacity. We all finally agreed on Saturday morning (tomorrow).
I’m at a cross roads with the wife and her job situation. It’s nice having her home taking care of the home but at the same time, it’d be nice to have another source of income coming in. To top it off, (not saying it’ll happen) I was reading about this guy that had a stay at home wife and as soon as the kids left, she got bored and wanted a divorce. A divorce I could handle (not want to but could deal with it), but she get’s half of his everything all because she was a stay at home mom. Oh well, I guess you can’t live thinking of the possibilities, or can you?
Now I’m left with wondering how much spending money I should take on the October cruise we’re going on? I did my first betting goal on my first cruise (bet $100) on one blackjack hand. Now I want to accomplish my next goal of placing $500 on one blackjack hand. By the way, I lost the $100 bet. Not only will there be gambling, we’re going to South beach the day before the cruise for a day of partying. I’m thinking $1000 should be enough for the entire trip.
We seem to be looking at some more money come in soon. My wife is getting a small settlement (under $5k) from when she got in a car accident last year. It’ll basically be money we spent on her medical expenses being reimbursed plus some small additions of pain and suffering of her sphincter or whatever.
I’m also wondering when will this egg sized hematoma inside my scrotem from vasectomy complications go away? The doctor says it may be a couple of months and it feels like it’s shrinking a little bit but I’m skeptical of doing anything active because I know it’s there. It’d be nice to play some softball or flag football (might even give it a shot at quarterbacking tomorrow)
Another thought is… when will the market be up to near it’s all time peak again? We’d tend to make a lot of money if that was the case since we currently have about $40k in the market at the moment. This weeks gain was nice but somewhere near it’s all time high would be GREAT!
There you have it… those are my most current random thoughts I decided to write about. What are some of yours?
Posted in Informational, Personal debt, goals, purchases, success | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 |
We’re done! My wife and I set out on a mission to give 10% of our generous gift to various family and friends in need. Do you know how hard it is to give money away to people not only in need but deserving?
We figure, we could have blown the money on dumb stuff ourselves so we wouldn’t give it to friends and family members who had no business with a lump sum of money. So we had to quietly (since no one knew we even inherited the money) weed out qualifying targets.
We gave the money on 2 conditions:
- They don’t tell anyone we gave it to them
- They help someone else out in the future.
There were tons of people that needed the money but we were skeptical as to if they’d actually be responsible with it. Some we KNEW wouldn’t be, so we paid bills off for them. Others we gave straight cash to because they had no choice but to be responsible with it. You know the types that have plenty of mouths to feed or young ones depending on them and just need a small “push”. Some just bought a house and since they were first time home owners, didn’t expect bills to mount so quickly and the utilities to be so expensive.
I must say, the feeling it gives you to be able to help someone is AWESOME! We all talk about what we’d do for each other if we ran across some money. The wife and I, actually followed through with it. What’s amazing about it is we all fantasize about the million $ lotteries, all the while, we were able to make a difference in a lot of people lives with only $4,000.
The reaction from people was various. It’s amazing how many people quickly turn to God to thank you for their blessings. Some started tearing up. One confessed that we’d changed his life (beyond comprehension) since he was dealing with some personal issues and he’d let me know when it all got sorted out (still waiting).
Truthfully, after having the money for about 6 months, it started to feel like a curse. It started feeling like, “we had good intentions”, and would just pocket the rest. We were constantly trying to identify people to give the remaining $1000 to. It got to the point we were like Will Smith in seven pounds where we were trying to see if people had a bad side to them before we sacrifice the money to them.
I actually, ran across one person (who shall remain nameless) that kept ignoring me over the Internet when I asked him a questions about how much things were going to cost to get him out of a rut. Only after I’d already given the remaining $536 away would he respond with “what did I want again”. His loss.
All in all, I’m happy to even have the had opportunity to bless people. Giving should be something that we all practice. I’m even leaning towards a new idea that instead of going Xmas shopping for the kids this year, we take that money to do a sort of Secret Santa type deal during the holidays. That’s only in thought at the moment, because right now, we’re in the brunt of the recession just like everyone else.
Maybe I’ll compromise my thoughts and get them all one gift a piece and plant a bigger seed in their heads with the gift of giving.
So what would I do differently if the opportunity presented itself again? Not a damn thing. The experience was awesome and right up there with the births of my children or swimming with the dolphins in Nassau.
Posted in Inspirational, Uncategorized, success | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 |
A number of the people profiled in “Millionaires tell how they did it” made their millions as entrepreneurs. But working for the Man doesn’t mean you have to be a wage slave or resort to buying lottery tickets to strike it rich. The trick is to maximize your income on the job (and know when to move on), make the most of your employee benefits and tax breaks and use that extra money to start investing.
1. Keep your eyes peeled for better ways to do your job. Streamline a procedure, shave costs, create a new profit center, become an expert on a specific topic, volunteer for a company committee — anything that will make you stand out as a prime candidate for a promotion or a pay boost.
2. Don’t be afraid to negotiate. In a study of master’s degree graduates from her university, Carnegie Mellon economics professor Linda Babcock found that those who negotiated their first salary boosted their pay by 7.4% compared with those who didn’t bargain.
3. Get your ducks in a row and your numbers on paper. If possible, quantify how much your efforts add to the company’s bottom line. If that’s not feasible, spotlight your value with comparable salaries for workers in your position from a Web site, such as Salary.com, or from a professional association.
4. Plot your strategy when it’s time to move on. Create a professional-looking page on MySpace that tells prospective employers why you’re an exceptional candidate, recommends John Challenger of the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. And don’t neglect more conventional networking: Join a professional association or show up at school reunions toting business cards.
Milk your benefits
5. Contribute as much as you can to your 401(k) and other tax-deferred retirement plans. You’ll not only build a bigger nest egg, but you’ll also cut your tax bill. In the 25% federal tax bracket, every $1,000 you contribute to a 401(k) trims your taxes by $250. And you’ll save on state income taxes, too.
6. Flex your tax-saving muscle. Contribute pretax dollars to a flexible spending account to pay for dependent care or out-of-pocket medical expenses. If you set aside $1,500 per year and you’re in the 25% bracket, avoiding federal income and Social Security taxes means Uncle Sam will subsidize almost $500 of your expenses.
7. Review your tax withholding. If you’re expecting a refund this spring, you’re having too much tax withheld from your paycheck — and making an interest-free loan to Uncle Sam. That’s no way to become a millionaire. Put more money in your pocket by using Kiplinger’s withholding calculator and then filling out a new Form W-4.
8. Stash savings in a Roth IRA if you’re eligible. Withdrawals in retirement, including decades of compounded earnings, will be tax-free. This year, income-eligibility limits for a Roth increase to $114,000 for individuals and $166,000 for married couples.
Invest like crazy
9. Don’t delay. The quicker you get a jump on putting money aside, the easier it will be to stuff a seven-figure cushion. If you start at age 25, for example, investing $286 per month will get you $1 million by age 65, assuming you earn 8% annually.
10. Invest automatically, either through your employer’s retirement plan or by setting up a regular deposit to a mutual fund or broker. You’ll never miss the money, and you’ll avoid two big mistakes: buying too much when stock prices are high and not buying at all when prices fall.
11. Watch for fund fees. The more you pay, the tougher it is to earn an above-average return. The typical hedge fund, for example, takes 20% of any gains, a huge hurdle to overcome. A better bet: no-load mutual funds with expense ratios of 1% or less. If you trade individual stocks, watch those commissions.
12. Keep it simple. Be wary of get-rich-quick schemes or sales pitches for complex investments, such as oil-and-gas partnerships, that trade on the millionaire cachet to lure investors into buying high-fee products they don’t understand. Most millionaire households accumulate their wealth over the long term by sticking to a regular investing plan in a balanced portfolio.
Posted in Informational, Inspirational, education, success | No Comments »
Thursday, September 18th, 2008 |
Sorry for the long delay but I’ve been really busy with the new job and all and in the process got some good news…
The wife’s company is now sold and we inherited our share of the proceeds I blogged about earlier. It feels great to have a nice chunk of change in savings. We are sticking to our plan of taking 10% of it and helping others in need. So far it’s been family & friends.
It’s great to see people get a blessing because we received one. I’m not religious but lately I’ve been thinking that maybe there is a plan created by someone or something.
For instance, I feel like I worry less over things I can’t control because I feel that if something’s right for me, it will happen.
I’ve had 2 great interview within the past 3 months. I haven’t even called them back to check on the status. If I get it, I get it… If I don’t, I don’t! It’s that simple.
I’ve also had everything to be lined up so that when my severance ran out with Sprint, I’d have a friend that was going to put my wife & I on his plan. That didn’t turn out so well either so I’m going to chalk that up in the “it’s not supposed to happen category” at no fault of my friend.
Anyhow, for some reason this layoff has taught me a lot of things just as I’ve predicted.
It sucks having to wake up in the morning to get dressed to go to work, but at the same time it’s great knowing that I don’t have to worry about job security. Plus I work less than one mile away from where I live.
It sucks taking a $13K pay cut, but at the same time, I’ve actually made more this year with my severance, unemployment & my new job. I’ll also be getting a significant raise in’09 or ‘10 as i’m being groomed to replace someone that’s retiring after next school year. Did I mention the experience factor is GREAT. It’s like I’m over an entire section of the IT department because I’m the most familiar with the SCCM/SMS technology we’re implementing.
So in all… My layoff was actually a blessing in disguise. It’s been great throughout the entire process as it was something that was supposed to happen as it must’ve been in my cards. Actually, it was an exciting time which I can’t explain for some odd reason why it was exciting.
I guess it was a challenge of the change I am going through at this time. It was exciting to know that you’re forced to do something and you have other people relying on your for support. Since the layoffs, we haven’t missed a beat considering this is one of the worst economic times since the great depression. Some people are actually calling it worst.
I will tell you that if I would’ve been financially irresponsible, then this wouldn’t have been such a grand time in my life.
Posted in Inspirational, Personal debt, education, success | 1 Comment »
Friday, August 8th, 2008 |
Had an interview the other day and it got me to thinking. All interview are usually the same. There’s, “how well you play with others”, “How much of a geek are you” and “how do you mesh with our company” type interviews.
Just so happens that I had all 3 rolled into one.
I’m in IT so the interviewer would be foolish to not test my technical knowledge while considering hiring me for a technical position.
Enough of me… To the point:
Tip: Give specific examples. If you don’t have any, make up one they’re just testing to see how you handle yourself under pressure.
HR type ?
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Question 1: Tell me about a time you had to settle a disagreement or compromise with your coworkers.
Meaning: Here the interviewer is looking at how well you’ll play with others and to see if you’re stern, don’t budge, or if you’re a peace maker.
Answer: Talk about how someone wanted to rush a deadline & that you were able to persuade the individual in a diplomatic manor that the project can’t be rushed because it’s a dire situation. Explain that you told the individual that there’s processes that have to be followed and that you’re determined to comply with the processes and that you’ve looked for alternatives to possibly make the project go faster.
—————–
Customer Service ?
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Question 2:Tell me about a time you’ve had to deal with an angry customer and how’d you handle the situation?
Meaning:They want to know how you react to irate individuals and how well you handle stressful situations.
Answer: Too easy: Tell about the (fake or real) customer that called and was cursing because the expected a product to be working as expected. Explain how you understood that the customer wasn’t upset with you personally so you let him get what all he had to say out. Then tell the interviewer that you assured the customer that you’d take care of their problem and that you’re sorry that they weren’t happy with the product. Then explain that you realized the customer calmed down after you started using the customer’s first name in order to calm the customer down even more. To summarize, (make up) some sob story about how the customer actually, emailed you boss with a letter of recommendation or whatever and that you’re actually in good with the customer.
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Multitasking type ?
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Question #3:Give an example of a time you’ve had multiple projects due and how you managed them to get them done.
Meaning: (I hate this question) It’s too obvious. None-the-less, it’s aimed at seeing how you manage your time and multitask and how you perform under pressure.
Answer: Make up some detailed story about how you had 2-3 projects due at the same time and that you worked overtime while putting more attention to the highest priority project first.
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That’s all I got. If you have questions, ask them. I’ve been on dozens of interviews and have been to interview trainings, etc I don’t mind sharing.
Each one teach one.
Posted in Informational, education, success | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008 |
Have you ever thought about what you’d do with a lump sum of money if it was given to you? We all talk about what we’d do, how we’d invest it or pay off whatever.
Well my wife came home today and asked me what I’d do with $30 - $40,000 dollars if we had it in the bank. I immediately shout out the most responsible answer I could think of, “pay off your student loan and save the rest. I don’t know, why?” (currently at $31,200).
As soon as I asked the question she handed me a 3 page letter. I noticed it was from the owner of her company. I also immediately noticed it was personalized to her so I eagerly started reading. It started out with the normal fluff… “great job, etc”. But then I damn near shit myself once I got to the second paragraph.
First I must say, with her having the greatest boss one could ever ask for, I feel her boss’ gesture itself should be looked at and admired. So in turn, we’re taking 10% of that money and giving it away to something/ someone. So far, we’ve discussed: Struggling college Juniors and/or seniors needing books to giving some to a specific family member in need. Nothings yet official.
Secondly, now I’m REALLY stuck with the question of what am I to do with “me precious”. My heart says to buy a second rental property for long term income. No better time to do it than now. The way I see it, her student loan is with a 6% interest rate so any investment I’d make would have to get me more than 6%. What better investment than something that will pay me monthly with no overhead? So I’m thinking some will go towards buying and fixing a rental property.
Since the deal is to finalize in weeks, that’s when she’ll get her “gift” from her company. But still I’m sitting here wondering, what would you really do with a small (in the thousands) lump sum of money? We all fantasize about it but what would we really do with it? It’s a problem I’m loving to have at the moment. Life’s good right now.
Posted in Informational, Inspirational, success | No Comments »
Sunday, June 29th, 2008 |
Real-estate agents have been pushing the virtues of homeownership since homes were invented. Or since real-estate agents were invented, anyway. Paying a mortgage, they insist, is a can’t-miss investment (the tax breaks, the appreciation, the thrill of fixing your own roof!). Renting is for simpletons who don’t like keeping their own money.
But does owning a home really trump renting? With the economy stumbling, house prices falling, and credit tightening, many housing experts are questioning the conventional wisdom. “Over the last decade, it may have been true,” says W. Van Harlow, an economist at the Fidelity Research Institute. “Clearly, there are periods where [the housing market] will dominate. But give this market correction another 18 months, and it may not be true anymore.”
Not so hot. The housing boom produced endless stories of homeowners getting twice what they paid for their homes. But “prices don’t always go up,” says Jay Butler, director of realty studies at Arizona State University. Even a boomtown like Phoenix has seen median rates of appreciation climb only 4.6 percent a year since 1981. According to a Fidelity study published this year, the return on a dollar invested in real estate in 1963 barely beat that of a low-risk treasury bill.
When the housing market slumps—as it has every 10 or 15 years for the past several decades—homeownership becomes little more than renting, from a bank. Without appreciation, buying a $400,000 house—instead of renting the same property for, say, $2,000 a month—can turn into an expensive, potentially money-losing proposition. Assuming home prices come out of their death spiral (prices fell 4.5 percent in the third quarter compared with last year), they would still have to appreciate at 4 percent every year for a decade—even if rents climbed well above the rate of inflation—before a family would save more owning than renting. An $80,000 down payment could be invested instead in a mutual fund earning 8 percent, and housing comes with myriad other expenses, from maintenance to insurance to taxes, none of which build equity. Tax breaks do ease the pain. But with the average family staying in a house only six years, homeownership during a slump (especially in foreclosure pits like Las Vegas and Tampa, where prices have dropped more than 9 percent since last year) can look less and less like the American dream.
Renting, meanwhile, has its virtues. It’s cheaper in the short term, it offers maximum flexibility, and it pushes the headaches of maintenance and taxes onto landlords. It can also be a sound long-term investment. According to Fidelity, if renters save even $300 a month—the difference, say, between their rent and a monthly mortgage payment—that money, invested in stocks growing at only 4 percent, could add up to $114,000 in 20 years. (And that’s on top of earnings on a down payment that never had to be made.) “Over long horizons, if you reinvest the savings,” Harlow says, “you’re probably not going to find that much difference between renting and buying.” Saving hasn’t proved to be the national forte, of course. But with the bloom off the homeownership rose, it may have to be soon.
Posted in Generate income, Informational, Personal debt, education, purchases, success | No Comments »
Saturday, May 17th, 2008 |
WOOO HOOOO!
The $9K + student loan I took out to invest in myself is FINALLY paid off in full. I sent them the last $458 of it today.
Looking back on it, it wasn’t a bad investment and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t. I would’ve instead chose a local community college in hope of getting my GPA up high enough to merit some sort of scholarship upon obtaining my associate degree.
Dave Ramsey, makes a LOT of sense when he stresses that there are no longer prestigous colleges so a college education anywhere is somewhat equal no mater where you go.
Boy how I wish I would’ve received that lecture, 13 years ago, but truth is, I would’n't have listened to the lecture as I had my mind set on attending Lane College in order to get away and be with my friends.
The experiences themselves were great and I wouldn’t trade that for anything though so i guess it was a win-win situation in the end.
I’ve been really busy remodeling my mothers beauty salon so I apologize about not being able to put some kind of an update up.
Tired but relieved.,
Roger
Posted in education, goals, success | No Comments »
