Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with money and resolved

Santa would've brought gifts if given enough warning!

beautifulcheese — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:00:33 -0800

My family decided in November on not buying Christmas gifts this year as we are all adults and have what we need anyway. I get paid once a month and right now am living cheque to cheque. So I spent the money I had saved up on extra credit payments. Now they've changed their minds and all want gifts. I have 25 dollars to last me til the 30th. How do I get through this holiday without being as bitter as I am now? And not feel like a loser for no one having a gift? To top it off I'm struggling through a bad bout of SAD on top of a good two decades of on and off hard depression that is just beginning to ease w/ the miracle dose of pills we've found. I want to crawl into bed and tell them all off. I certainly have absolutely no energy to make some 10 odd gifts for xmas.

I thought of skipping the whole thing but I've been told repeatedly in the past that I am selfish to not share my company with family on the holidays. Plus family will be staying with me and I can't find a way around that.

I really loathe the holidays. Yet feel guilt that I don't enjoy my family either.

Am I being overly sensitive to the change in minds? Or what the lack of gifts on my part will mean? What can I say when someone hands me a gift from under the tree when I have nothing in return?

Was the Rockport Institute worth the money?

Rubbstone — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:26:00 -0800

Anyone ever used the Rockport Institute before? Was it helpful?

Good Prepaid Cellphone for Austin, Tx?

Sentus — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:10:58 -0800

Hey there, I hate dealing with credit cards, signing contracts. Need a good simple and reliable Prepaid cell phone. Hope you folks are having a great weekend...

I am thinking about finally getting a prepaid cellphone.
It's going to be mainly for business purposes. Going to use it in moderation.

A few questions:
1. Voice mail. I need it to have a reliable voice mail service. To be able to customize it with my voice.
2. What happens If I brake it, lose it, it gets stolen? Would I be able somehow to get the same number again?
3. Google Voice - Is any body uses that? Could it work for me?
4. Good/Bad experiences with providers in the area?
5. Other ideas?

Thank you in advance and have a great day,

How expensive are chickens to raise?

middleclasstool — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:22:55 -0800

What can I expect (mostly financially) from raising hens as pets? A Facebook friend has me really excited about the idea of raising a couple of hens in my backyard. I like the idea of fresh eggs and pest control, and I figure the kids will get a kick out of them.

On the plus side, they seem like pretty low-maintenance animals, and my city's laws are strict but doable (inexpensive permit required, must have your coop no less than 75 feet from neighbor dwellings, inspection required by the city, no roosters). My only concern now is cost -- how much on average does it cost to feed and care for an average hen? We're doing fairly well but are saving very aggressively and live pretty close to the bone, and of course I don't want to totally screw up our budget. Any other non-financial gotchas I should be aware of would also be appreciated.

Also, what varieties do you recommend? I'd like good eggs, but just as important is an even temperament, with bonus points for looking awesome. We're in central Arkansas, if that matters.

How can I use a spreadsheet to track my accounts?

reenum — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:16:25 -0800

I want to start using a spreadsheet to track and reconcile my various accounts. How do I start? I've been using MS Money for years. Due to switching to the Mac, MS Money being discontinued, and generally hating the fact that my financial data is trapped in a proprietary program, I feel like I should use a spreadsheet to track my finances.

I have a savings account, two checking accounts, two credit card accounts, and a Roth IRA.

There are a couple of things I'm curious about: How does one reconcile accounts in a spreadsheet and are there any templates that have that checkbook entry system that MS Money has?

I've looked at some of the older posts on this topic and none seemed to answer my questions satisfactorily.

Links to templates, blog posts, howtos, general anecdotes, and anything else relating to this question are requested and appreciated. Thanks!

Helping friends in financial difficulty

drzoon — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:00:22 -0800

What's the best way for me to help out some friends who are in financial difficulty right now? Two friends of mine, a married couple with a 15 month old son, are having some fairly severe financial difficulties. Both lost their jobs a few months ago and both are unable to find new jobs.

They're currently struggling to pay any bills or even rent. They've applied for crisis loans and are trying to claim unemployment benefits but seem to be having problems doing so. From the sounds of it, they're not quite at the stage of not being able to feed their son, but they will be there in another week or so.

Some further background: about a year ago, when the husband was in work but they were still in some difficulties, I lent them some money to help them with wedding expenses (around £600). I lent the money with the full expectation of not seeing it again and I realise that will most likely be the case.

I'm going out to see them in the next few days and was wondering what (if anything) I could do to help them out. I'm not too keen on giving them more money, as it may just be swallowed up by creditors and they may see very little of it (although it may buy them a few weeks/months respite). I'd prefer something that I knew went to them and their little baby.

A couple of things I've thought of are:
- Take them food shopping
- Give them some sort of vouchers that could only be used in supermarkets
- Take them out for a meal or 2
- Letting them come live with me so they can save money on rent. They live in another city (around 70 miles away from me), while I live in London
- Do nothing and let them figure it out on their own

Some of these options would make me feel worse (if situations were reversed) and I'm not trying to make them feel bad, or for them to feel as though I'm treating them as charity cases.

I have a stable job and a steady income, and 6months+ savings, so I wouldn't be putting myself in any danger giving them something. I do live in a small 1 bedroom flat though, which will be very cramped with 3.5 people living in it. I'm prepared to put up with it for a few months though.

My friends are both originally from outside the UK (Belgium + Australia) and have no family here in the UK. They will most likely leave the country by the end of the year if things haven't improved for them and return to one of their families. Job opportunities in their home countries are far fewer than here, so they are reluctant to leave.

Have any of you been in similar situations and thought: "I wish someone would do x"? Please let me know. Or anything else you think I could (or should) do to help them out.

What to do with $1000USD

~Sushma~ — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:43:23 -0800

A charity gave me $1,000 USD they raised for me after a drunk driver wiped me and my motorcycle out. I am 56 yrs. old, sick from cancer and will be losing my job in December. I have little savings and will have to work at whatever my body lets me do, and probably lose my health insurance. I plan on selling my home and its contents and downsizing to a studio apartment. I have no credit card debt but hold two mortgages, both will be a wash at the sale. What is the best bang for my buck for this $1000 in this economy? A CD? Online savings account? Any suggestions?

European on a "grand tour": how did they store their money?

mstillwell — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 05:51:47 -0800

How did rich European gentlemen on a "grand tour" of Europe in the 18th Century manage their finances? I can't imagine they carried enough money (or gold) to support months or years of travel--was there a system of banks they could use? Or credit notes? Also, how did they arrange to get their packages shipped home?

USD to EUR/Spanish Debit Cards

PaulingL — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:51:53 -0800

LivingAbroadFilter: What can I, in particular, do to avoid conversion fees from USD to EUR? I am currently living in Spain. I will be returning to the states as of summer 2010. All my money is in American banks.

Is there something I can do to avoid fees? If not, what would be the best solution so as to keep them to a minimum?

Extra Questions

I have an online ING Direct account, with one of my banks attached to it. 1. Could I withdraw money from the ING location that is near where I am now?

2. Could I open a Spanish account, and use the online ING account to transfer funds between the two? I would like to get a Spanish Debit card.

Thanks!

Depositing plain cash with ATMs?

Askiba — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:34:10 -0800

How safe is it to deposit plain old cash into a bank's ATM? This seems like a really strange question, but follow along with me for a bit.

Ever since I've gotten my bank account (at Chase) my mother has dissuaded me from making deposits, especially just cash, into ATMs. She insists that I can't trust them for such a procedure because the machine's contents are removed by people who don't work for the bank (on that note: is that even true?), and that I'm going to get robbed at some point.

Being teenage and all, I think my mom's theory on this is baseless. The one time I suggested that might not be true and that I'd just like to save everyone some time and just slip it in a deposit envelope, she gave me a disapproving look and said "Fine, do what you want, it's not my problem if you get robbed."

I've never heard such a thing happening to anyone, and I likely would have, because who wants their money getting swiped? But the idea got into my head and I've always used a clerk behind a desk to make a deposit in person. Personally, I'm getting extremely tired of it and I think it's wasting my time, not to mention the hapless clerk I have to ask to deposit the cash (especially when I just want to throw in $10 and no checks). I'll probably always use a desk clerk for large deposits involving several kinds of money, though.

So, should I really believe my mother's reasoning?

Please take my financial pulse...

kitcat — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:06:15 -0800

What do 'normal' finances look like for university-educated, aspiring upper-middle class married couples who don't have kids yet and don't truly feel like adults? Lately, I find that I'm thinking way too much about money - how much I have, how much more I want, what I should spend extra money on, how much I should save... To top it off, I have this lusty money greediness that I just want to go away. It's actually causing me some real anxiety. I think part of my confusion over all this comes from being brought up in a very low-income family. There were no savings, no RRSPs, no family vacations. I have no good example to follow and I can't tell how I'm doing.

I guess what I'm asking for here is a peer evaluation and a point of comparison: am I financially normal? Am I doing ok? Am I missing out on some financial formula for happiness that you know about? Is what I'm feeling here some kind of class anxiety?

Background: I'm 29, female, married, no kids yet. I have a university education and make $36K a year in Canada. After all necessities, bills, debt payments, modest RRSP contribution and modest savings, I have $80/week disposable income that I plan to waste for a while, given that the trade-off for it is quitting smoking.

For now, my husband and I contribute equally to all living expenses but save, pay off our debts and spend our disposable income separately. We are booth happy about this - at least for now. Whoever manages to pay off their debt first will then begin to help the other person and slowly we will merge our finances completely.

I know this is kind of a weird, all over the place question. I'm trying to allay some anxiety by asking this, but I can't quite tell what the anxiety is all about. Anyhow, I appreciate your responses.

Can I get my money back?

3dd — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:27:51 -0800

The AC of my Mercedes Benz 2002 stopped working so we took it to a well known Used Car Dealership for a check up. They charge me $150.00 just for the check up and gave me an estimate of about $3,000 to fix it (basically they said all the system had to be replace it). I didn’t want to spend that kind of money so we took it one of those ‘basic repair shop’ chains and they fixed it by changing a $25.00 sensor. I want my $150.00 back, I live in Florida and don't know if I am entitled to a refund? If I am, what is the best way to ask for it? I’m pissed at them but I want to behave civilized and effective.

How to get cash-back on credit cards, and other sweet deals?

idyllhands — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:00:03 -0800

My first credit card..looking for cash-back (and other sweet deals) I have never had a credit card before, and have basically no credit. I recently got a well-paying job, and am seeking recommendations for cards that offer cash back perks. I don't want to pay more than a few bucks in yearly fees, and plan on paying back everything I purchase immediately. I am just a penny-pincer, looking to make the most of my money =)
It seems most banks these days aren't offering any savings interest (a few tenths of a percent), so I figure this is one way to make some money (by saving on purchases). As a sub-question, I would appreciate any other ways to make my money work for me; I can put a few grand away for a year, but a few tenths of a percent interest doesn't really appeal to me...
I recently found out about Bing cashback, so am looking for other sweet deals like that as well.

Is Community College a Reasonable Choice for my Teenage Daughter?

dzaz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:09:46 -0800

Community college: am I asking all the right questions for my soon-to-be-senior daughter? My soon-to-be high school senior daughter and I have been doing the whole college thing. Some background:

she's a solid "C" student (but "A" in English) in one of the top-ranking schools in the state but is not an academic powerhouse (so she's not going to get any scholarships);
she LOVES animals and is at her most joyous at work as a veterinarian assistant;
she recently bought her own retired standardbred racehorse which has turned her around emotionally and given her a whole new level of love and excitement;
she's a very talented writer;

and very importantly about her...
she has had episodes of cutting (PTSD related) in the past (under control now but she is socially shy, sardonic and a little fragile);

financially, I'm a single mom with 3 kids, we live in moderate-income housing and her dad has said he has $0 for college.

We've looked at the impressive state colleges and universities here in Massachusetts, but the only school that has a pre-vet program will probably not accept her as a freshman.

She's expressed an interest in being an English major (which I think is great).

So here's the idea: she would go to a Massachusetts community college for 2 years and then under a program called"Commonwealth Transfer" she would transfer to UMass Amherst or UMass Boston for her degree.

The pros to this plan are many: no college application stress (and as a teen with PTSD, prepping for SATs almost put her over the edge); huge financial savings; she would probably be an academic star; but most importantly she would get to keep her job and her horse. It's almost like 2 more years of high school.

The con is that for now, she'll remain at home and not get to live the dormitory experience, but my instinct is that she would not react well to that, anyway.

I have 2 friends who have also done this plan and both ended up at prestigious universities for their Master's degrees. They both said it was incredibly smart to do.

Any thoughts?

No Money, More Problems

eskers — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:56:30 -0800

How can I talk myself out of spending my unhappiness away? Apparently the fear of debt does not phase me at all, because I spend shloads of money whenever I feel down about something (usually about work). Sometimes it's clothes, mostly it's very expensive art books and restaurants. It's a pretty vicious cycle, and when an opportunity came up to move someplace I know would make me happy, I couldn't take it because I didn't have enough money saved, though I knew about this a year ago.
How can I envision something that would make any other thing less desirable (thereby overcome the desire for fancy art books, expensive restaurants, and nice clothes)?

Investment habits for a college student?

Ricket — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:13:43 -0800

What are the best investment habits for a college student with decent income to get into, in order to maximize yield in 3 years? I am going into my sophomore year of college.

I recently opened an Orange Savings account with ING Direct and set up an automatic transfer of $30/week into it. It was what I felt safe with at the time. However, while I am glad that it's putting the money somewhere that I don't regularly see it or contemplate withdrawing it, I'd like to know if there are other better options. If my math is correct, the savings account, in the course of three years, will gain around $100 from interest, and I feel like there are better ways to invest my money out there that I just don't know about.

I don't know much about the stock market, but I do have a Scottrade account. I used it to invest quite a bit of money a couple years ago into a penny stock which dropped significantly; but I still have faith in it, and I have no need to withdraw, so I am leaving it to see what happens (rather than taking a significant loss by pulling out). However, this didn't completely scare me away; I just want to be sure, next time, that I do something MUCH less risky and something more universally accepted as a good investment practice, not 'gambling', and that I know when to stop or when to pull out before I lose too much again.

I've heard terms such as mutual fund, index fund, S&P 500, money market... I don't know what any of these are, and I've also heard that some things require minimum deposits. The largest minimum deposit I would be able to make would probably be around $2000, and I'd really like to know that my money will be safe if I do that.

Also, bonds and CDs... Are there any that last only 3 years? I'm not particularly sure what they are either.

So, as you can see, I probably need to take a course on investment, maybe in the spring semester, but for now I feel like I have too much money just sitting in my savings account doing nothing, not even collect a significant amount of interest. My last interest payment was $0.06. What tips can you give me?

And as I've said, I'm hoping for something that I can take out in 3 years, around the time that I graduate, though I'll also take long-term investment tips. And something automatic (on a regular schedule) would be nice! I like the idea of my accounts transferring and saving my money for me, because I know I would neglect to keep it up. Anything in my checking and savings account is fair game for spending, and being a computer science student, I am always drooling over the latest technology.

Thank you!

How much should I be spending on my clothes?

Phire — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:09:58 -0800

How much should I be paying for a shirt/blouse/shoes/pants? Help me recalibrate my expectations of shopping for clothes. I'm a 20-year-old girl. Up till now, my wardrobe has more or less consisted of t-shirts/tank-tops, jeans, hoodies, and sneakers. In the past year or so I've decided to start dressing a little bit more formally/girly, partially because I run in circles where I need to be business casual on a fairly regular basis.

Previously, my t-shirts/tanks ran in the vicinity of $10 each and my jeans between $15-25 and that worked great for me. Now every top that catches my eye is upwards of $30 (sometimes all the way up to $70, what the hell people), jeans/pants run around $40-80 if I'm lucky, and any formal shoes are all upwards of $40, usually more like $60-70. Needless to say, shoping has been largely fruitless.

I could handle (with some difficulty) spending $50 on a dress. But $50 on a pair of pants? Not so much. Do I just have unrealistic expectations as to how much things should cost? Is this the fair going rate for female clothing? Who buys these $80 shrugs? If my local outlets/boutiques are indeed batshitinsane, what IS the going market rate, and where can I get cheaper things that still look nice/formal?

All prices in Canadian (which I'm told isn't real money), and keep in mind I'm still on a student budget.

Can't make heads or tails of it

natalinha — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:19:29 -0800

I got this coin (tails, heads) in a restaurant in Paris and only later realized it was not a 2-euro coin. Does anyone know where it is from? Just curious. I searched for images of coins but only found out about other coins (usually with a 1 whatever-currency denomination) that were being used as a 2 euro coin. Also no luck trying to find it by the description (lion, 2, arabic?, 1426).

Going back to school: how do I make it happen financially?

itsacover — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:01:48 -0800

I'm trying to go back to school. I have bad credit, some unpaid debt, and cannot afford any classes without help... Help! After 5 years, I'm going back to school to finish my undergrad. My current career is turning into a bust and I'm terribly unhappy with it, so finishing my degree seems like a good way to open new and enjoyable opportunities. I have roughly a year left on the degree. In an ideal world, I would quit my job and go to school full-time since I cannot do both at the same time (my field of work requires a completely flexible schedule). I also cannot afford to take classes without any help, even a class at a time. My income covers my bills and that's about it. I have credit card debt along with a few other things (around $3000 worth) that I am slowly chipping away.

Basically, I need someone to explain to me a) whether it's a good idea to try and get loans that would not only cover my school expenses, but also living expenses (I would get a part-time job also), b) how I might make that happen as I have never dealt with any sort of loans before (plus the bad credit!), and c) why this seems so difficult and overwhelming.

I am, of course, going to talk to the financial aid department at my school, but I would love personal experiences as well as advice from those smarter with finances.

Where can I make money online?

ptsampras14 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:03:01 -0800

Where, oh where, can I make money online? I have a great computer expertise! Help! Where can I make money online? I have excellent computer expertise (not programing) but am quick to learn anything with a computer.
I am also a good writer, and am good at helping others with computers. I am not opposed to doing mundane tasks such as moderating web boards, or customer service..
I have tried online surveys with Pinecone Research but I have made $18 in two months and I am looking for something more,

Payment schedule for dodgy debtor

southof40 — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:52:50 -0800

How to determine how much I'm owed by someone who's not going to pay regularly ? (in Excel preferably). I lent $x as a favour to a person I knew on the basis they would make six monthly payments of $y - the idea was they were paying me an interest payment of 7%.

It's pretty clear now that rather nice picture of life is not going to be how it is.

In the best case what's going to happen is that they're going to make more than six payments and they're not going to be monthly (the worst case is I get an expensive lesson in life).

I want a model I can use to show how much is outstanding at the end of each month and then add the interest onto the principal.

There's an awful lot of 'if you borrow this much how much will the bank charge' stuff out there but I need something which will cope with irregular payments and recalculating the principle based upon the interest received.

Something in Excel would be great but just a desciption of how it should be done would do.

other people's money

well_balanced — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 06:58:17 -0800

Quotefilter: A wise junkie once told me something that sounded suspiciously like a quotation. He said, "They'll spend any amount of your money to protect theirs." Does this ring a bell for anyone? I've had no luck thus far googling for variations.

How do we end up in a world without money.

gwpcasey — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:16:43 -0800

Book filter: Is there a book out there, fiction or non-fiction, that outlines how society could move towards goods and services being transferred without any need for money to be exchanged? In some of the science fiction that I've read (right now I can only think of the Culture novels by Iain M. Banks), the idea of money and the need to use it to get goods or services is looked upon with some disdain; or at least as a marker of a more primitive society/culture.

Are there any books out there that deal with the actual process, the nuts and bolts, of moving from a money-based society to one that operates (successfully) without it?

To be clear, I don't mean moving to a bartering system or similar, but to a functional economy in which goods and services are delivered freely, without any need for anyone to pay for them.

As always, thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

I'm moving moving, out out, to Cali Cali

Never Better — Fri, 29 May 2009 13:01:51 -0800

Moving from Milwaukee, WI to take a job in Carlsbad, CA - what should I know, and where should I live? I just found out I will be changing positions at my job, which entails a move across the country to work in Carlsbad, California. I need to start planning, but I do not have a ton of time to research everything I normally would in making such a move.

As far as I know the city of Carlsbad is expensive to live in- are there cheaper areas close by where I could get by making about $2,000 a month on average? I realize this is not much, but I am intentionally keeping it a conservative estimate. I will likely bring in more than that, but I want to plan economically.

I am looking to live in a younger neighborhood (I'm 24) - I like art and music, lots of good cheap food (I can taste the burritos already) and just a fun scene to be around. I do not mind commuting, though I would rather keep it at a minimum. I have a car, but would love to use public transportation as well.

Crime is a rather important aspect as well. Though I've grown up in bad neighborhoods by Midwest standards, I would rather not live anywhere where I need to have barred windows or constantly have to watch out at night. I certainly don't need an idyllic situation, but something reasonable.

I would like to keep rent, including utilities capped at about $1,000 / month. I really have no idea if that number is fantasy land by that area's standards, so if it is, let me know. I am not 100% opposed to moving in with others really, though as an introvert I would prefer my own space.

If anyone has experience with a similar move, please fill in your experiences. I've been all over California before doing road trips and what not, but is there anything special I should know/expect going into a full move out west?

Help me Hivemind: spending money and eating veggie in Japan.

Kirn — Wed, 27 May 2009 10:55:40 -0800

How much spending money do I need for 10 days in Japan? And: help me eat vegetarian while I'm there. I'll be visiting Japan for 10 days from the 8th of June. That's 3 days in Tokyo, 4 days in Kyoto (with a day trip to Nara and possibly another one to Osaka, and a few hours spent in Nagoya), 2 days in Hiroshima (with a day trip to Miyajima island) and finally 1 day in Narita.

I'm trying to get an idea of how much spending money I should take. Flights, hotels and JR pass are all booked already, but I'll pay to get around Tokyo for the first 3 days (subway or trains) and from Narita Airport->Tokyo, as the JR pass is only for the last 7 days. I won't be looking to eat anywhere that expensive, though doing so by accident is quite possible. I'll be looking to take some souvenirs home, but I'm not after anything specific (and unlikely to go for expensive electronics etc.) and travelling carry-on only so space is limited. I'm travelling with friends so we'll probably want to go out drinking some nights, but not clubbing. No specific tourist destinations in mind but we'll be going to see temples, maybe a couple of museums etc.

So: how much spending money should I take?

And... I'd like to make an appeal for advice on eating vegetarian in Japan. I get that this will be difficult and that there's fish stock/flakes in everything - I'm ok with the fish stock/flakes but would like to avoid meat/fish flesh/seafood.

So my second question is: are there any common vegetarian dishes (with or without fish flakes but ideally without) that I can look for in restaurants? Something I can learn the name of and be sure (or at least relatively sure) that I'm getting something flesh-free? (What about convenience stores etc.?)

And finally: if I learn phrases for 'do you have anything without meat, fish or seafood?' and 'can you make it without meat/fish/seafood?', what kind of response am I likely to get in typical eateries? Refusal/bewilderment/misunderstanding/annoyance? (I won't be able to carry on a conversation as I only know a few basic words and phrases, though I will occasionally be accompanied by a fluent Japanese speaker.)

Thanks very much in advance everyone, and sorry for the many sprawling questions - I'm trying to get the most out of my weekly questions before I go! For what it's worth, I'm a 24-year old male from the UK, travelling with 2-3 guys and 1 girl of similar ages.