I'm reading Jean Sherman Chatzky's Pay it Down!, about how to save $300 a month. I'm gradually becoming convinced I CAN save an extra $10/day. The questions are: am I motivated enough to do it? Can I get my family to pitch in? What are the best allocations for those extra ten dollars? Can we drop/adjust our healthcare premiums when it's not "open enrollment" time?
I checked My Rate Plan to compare telecom plans: family and pay-as-you-go. Pay as you go is about 20 cents -> 34 cents a plan. Only T-Mobile and AT&T have plans cheaper than what I'm getting with our 25% discount at Sprint, and I'd have to buy a phone.
I prepped some beet salad and cooked some lentils for eventual salad use.
I've mentioned Weiss Ratings elsewhere as a useful site for checking the best and worst of insurers and savings and loans. For thrifts ratings, check out Office of Thrift Supervision. I cannot rule out that the whoo-hoo(tm) rollercoaster ride that is WaMu did not prompt me to post this. Speaking of rollercoasters, I learned that they are faster than they were when I was in the prime rollercoaster riding years. I wish my tot were tall enough to ride with me in one. I also learned, through the same exhibit at the science center, that I can expect to zip from London to NY and then to SF by 2049, if I am not toast by then. I can imagine myself being irritated at not having a longer time for working on a virtual crossword or listening to books-on-implants. And where would the fun be in a family cross-Canada railway trip if we can finish it in the time it takes to finish a copy of People Magazine?
P.S. Do you think perhaps the new catchphrase for WaMu should be "Ka-Boom!"? Or is that trademarked? I am not gloating. I have not shorted WM, have no plans to short WM, nor have I counselled anyone to short WM. My child has money in WaMu, and I've had volunteer and work connections in the regional thrift. I will not continue to volunteer next school season in that capacity, but in a different way that helps the PTA.
Ten Dollars a Day and other ideas
July 14th, 2008 at 11:40 am
July 14th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
July 14th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
July 14th, 2008 at 01:23 pm
July 14th, 2008 at 02:49 pm
July 14th, 2008 at 04:22 pm
How about Boo Hoo! (tm)
July 15th, 2008 at 06:55 pm
Heck, I was staring intently on what they were going to do today, and wouldn't you know it, it rebounded back up to more than 20% at one point before settling into an overall gain of 7.8% (not including the current after-hour gain of 2.6%).
BELIEVE ME when I tell you that I was so tempted to speculate on sheer technicals yesterday. However, WaMu not only had no fundamental support in my opinion, but what little fundamentals that IS there reeks! So, I held steadfast and did not wade into this maelstrom.
In my opinion, an investment strategy based purely on greed and volatility is almost like not having a strategy at all. For example, there was no telling that it would have rebounded (unless you count after-hours trading, but by then, it's already too late for us little guys). There was no telling that the knife wouldn't continue to fall like others, but then, that swing was so large, I suppose it was reasonable to expect at least a little rebound.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:17 am