Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with money

Help me settle for some invoicing/trip tracking software

jessamyn — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:19:52 -0800

I'm trying to start 2010 with a decent software strategy in place for tracking travel, projects, invoices, and expenses. 2009's technique was an Excel spreadsheet so there's lots of room for improvement. My picky/nerdy requirements inside. I give talks to library groups. I make between 10-15 work-related trips per year. I want to be able to keep track of expenses, travel details, talk details and invoicing/payment details. I also have a few regular local clients who I bill, usually hourly.

I don't really need something for budgeting or linking anything to my bank account. I don't have an iPhone nor will I be getting one for this purpose; my phone is a dumb phone and I'm okay with that. I use a Mac, but web solutions are okay too. I'm not too privacy conscious for this sort of thing, so security is good but not mission-critical. Free is not necessary, would prefer one-time fee to recurring fee. Partial to open source but not fanatical about it. Prefer nice-looking to powerful.

Things I've Tried

- mint.com and yodlee.com are more bank-oriented. I like them for what they are but don't solve this problem.
- Fresh Books + Xpenser is terrific, but seems to be mainly for invoicing and costs too much for me.
- Tripit and Dopplr are too trip-oriented

Things I'm Looking At

- iBiz looks nice
- GnuCash may be more than I need
- MoneyDance was suggested in other AskMe threads but seems too Quicken-like

Basic Things I'd Like It To Do

- track expenses on a per-project basis and make basic invoices
- have a place to store my travel details [flight numbers, contact information, mileage]
- be able to say whether I've been 1) paid 2) reimbursed
- do some category-level sorting, like "you spent $7500 on plane tickets this year"

I'm aware I probably won't get something that's perfect, I'd settle for "good enough and not totally annoying" so suggestions that his at least some of these points are fine. Thanks!

Help me figure out what to do about my student loans.

monkeyagent — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:51:19 -0800

Unemployed, no other debt, currently making interest-only payments on school loans - what can I do to make this feel less looming over my life? I've been working part-time/temp work on and off since graduating with a BA in English in spring '08. I currently live in the greater Boston area in an apartment with my girlfriend (who has a full time job) and more or less living off her salary during periods which I am unemployed I have called all my loan agencies and have reduced my monthly payments as much as possible. I've used most of my deferments/forbearances and income-based payment plans. I am currently paying around $900 dollars a month toward my loans as interest-only payments, which would be fine, except we still need to pay for rent, utilities, vehicle insurance, groceries, etc. Additionally, I feel like I'm just buying time and making my debt larger as my principal grows and increases the amount added by interest, which gets compounded into the principal, which grows... and so on. I've been thinking about going back to school for a graduate degree, but the main thing holding me back is the cost and my already unmanageable debt.

I recently received an e-mail from one of my loan providers (www.dl.ed.gov) suggesting I consolidate my loans - they are offering regular benefits of deferment/forbearance. Their interest rate is fixed and calculated as "the weighted average of the interest rates of the consolidated loans, rounded to the nearest eighth of one percent". I'm awfully tempted to try this (if for no other reason than to at least simplify my monthly payments), but I don't want to end up hurting myself badly down the road.

My current loans/interest rates (most are not fixed rates):
$12,100 - 8.43%
$5,800 - 8.43%
$9,600 - 8.43%
$1,300 - 3.03%
$10,300 - 5.75%
$800 (subsidized) - 2.48%
$500 - 2.48%
$7,800 - 4.21%
$3,800 - 4.21%
$3,400 - 6.8%
$2,700 - 6.8%
$6,100 - 6.8%
$21,000 - 3.95%

Total Est = $85,200

I'm feeling trapped by my situation and need a more manageable way to deal with this. Is there something I'm missing? Financial aid? Some sort of partial debt forgiveness? Consolidate after all? Keep paying what I'm able and hope for the best? Hive mind, I need your help!

He IS heavy, he's my brother

sfkiddo — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 16:39:24 -0800

I'm closing the family bank/charity. What do I say when the next sibling asks for a "loan"? I have many siblings; most of them lurch from crisis to crisis (declaring bankruptcy, living in their cars/on friends' couches, cashing in retirement accounts, etc.). My mother has paid for a lot of this behavior but is thankfully toughening up lately (because of some latent backbone but also financial pressures).

I am the youngest and have been suckered/guilt-tripped/stupid enough to "loan" money to various siblings that I generally do not get back. (I know, I know, don't loan money to friends/relatives.) During the Christmas phone calls, I learned that one of my sisters is facing eviction unless she gets a job next month. I know I am going to get the call, and would like constructive ways to respond instead of just screening my calls.

While my financial house is not entirely in order, I am getting more and more disgusted with the way my siblings operate. The sister in question is in her 50s, has declared bankruptcy at least once, hasn't worked since getting fired from her job in fall 2008, cashed out her 401k (for the third time), and has been basically waiting around until all the money is gone. Her husband is also not working/trying.

This will be an ongoing problem, especially after my mom is gone (she is in her 80s). I love my brothers and sisters. How do I manage to keep a relationship with them without subsidizing them for the rest of their lives?

Should I study abroad or just take a vacation?

tweedle — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:15:35 -0800

Should I study abroad or just take a vacation? I'm a sophomore in college and I have always wanted to study abroad. However, due to being nervous about leaving everything behind for a semester or a year, I've been looking at summer programs, and I figure I can try going abroad out for about a month this upcoming summer then next year I could settle down somewhere a little more.

I've found that right now, the summer program seems ideal. It's a program that visits 6 countries over 35 days in Europe. I get 6 credits that might actually be a hindrance to me (as in, they do absolutely nothing for me in regards to graduating) in subjects I only have a vague interest in. However, I'm sure I would enjoy myself in these classes and learn a lot.

The classes are taught by visiting bunches of museums, etc., and having a professor teach.

However, for me to go on this expenditure, I would need about 8000 or 9000 dollars. I am a college student with a part time job, and I figure by the time the trip rolls around I would probably need to take out a 4000-5000 dollar loan. I haven't really researched vacation packages, but they are certainly cheaper. I think I might be able to afford one of them without taking out a loan, or at least my loan would be significantly less.

Quite honestly, I just want to do this for the experience of seeing the world beyond the US and seeing other cultures. I don't really care about the formal education part... I also have the idea in my head that if I don't travel now, while in college when I have relatively few responsibilities, I might never get to go.

Studying abroad would look good on my resume, right? But is that worth the extra thousands of dollars?

Also, I am fully confident that, assuming nothing terrible happens like losing my job (which is unlikely), I would be able to pay off this loan probably before I graduate. Really the study abroad trip, with food and airfare and the cost of the program, is 7000 dollars but I would feel nervous about having zero dollars in my bank account. Would paying a loan off like that make my credit go up? My credit score is already good, but it can always be better, right?

The study abroad trip seems really cool but I just don't have all that money, and I really want to go now instead of waiting. It is just so much money. My money is just sitting around now, but still I don't want to part with it.

I know that going alone would be the cheapest route but I would rather go with a tour group.

So, is it worth it to study abroad when I don't care about the formal education aspect as much as I care about the experience of going, or should I just find a vacation group and go with them? Advice and anecdotes please!

Grant scam satisfaction

hulahulagirl — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:19:45 -0800

How should I attempt to get satisfaction (ideally, a refund) from a scammy "grant" company? My mom was searching for grant information and was contacted by a company called United Economic Agency. She was told that for $375, they would hook her up with a grant ("pretty much guaranteed"), so she let them withdraw the $375 from her account with the promise that if she didn't get a grant, all but $50 would be refunded.

I know, it smells like scam right off the bat. But she was hopeful and did talk to some people on the phone and they had a website, so she trusted them. She's obviously naïve about things like this.

Now it's several months later and I am checking the BBB's website and surprise, surprise they have a score of F. Apparently the physical address on file for the business doesn't even exist and BBB has tried to resolve some complaints, but has not had a lot of luck.

I've seen consumer help articles in AARP or Costco's magazine or somewhere where someone goes after places that rip you off, but I don't know how/if I should start that process. If the BBB can't get any satisfaction, what are the chances someone else can? Do we just chalk this up to a lesson learned?

My mom has put her entire 401(k) into our business (a restaurant) and this $375 she's out for this scam is just like shit icing on the shit cake. What steps do we need to take to at least make sure they don't get any more money from her since she's already given them her bank info, short of closing the account which would be a hassle but ultimately worth it, I guess?

How to buy money with credit card

lometogo — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:04:47 -0800

Here's the deal. I need to use my credit card to get an additional 850 miles QUICKLY to buy an airline ticket. That means, in my card's scenario, that I need to spend $850 (1 point/$spent). However, I don't want to buy anything. I have heard of some place where you can buy coins, I think it was silver dollars, for a very small premium, and you could use a credit card. This would be the perfect solution because I'm using my credit card to buy negotiable currency. Anyone familiar with this, or can offer another alternative for me to build miles without having to get 'goods'?

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?

How much money does the gossip magazine / gossip blog / tabloid industry make?

Elle Vator — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:23:45 -0800

So, celebrity gossip is everywhere and lots of $$$ is forked out for images of famous babies, etcetera... BUT how much money does the gossip industry MAKE? I can't find any online statistics about Gossip Industry Revenues. It's actually very odd and mysterious.

I'm looking for numbers on gossip magazines, gossip blogs and/or the tabloid industry, with the goal of comparing the Gossip numbers to the Porn Industry and the Television Industry respectively. I could use global numbers, US or North American numbers.

It would be useful to find a webpage as comprehensive as this: http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics.html

...but I would take a single, high impact sentence about the tabloids and gossip rags (such as this gem: "US Porn Revenues are greater than the combined revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC"), which was properly cited and verifiable.

Anyone got anything?

I own my home, no really.

buxtonbluecat — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 08:11:00 -0800

So I've paid off my mortgage, almost. What happens now? After paying down lots of extra principal every month, my mortgage has less than one payment remaining (7 years into a 15 year fixed rate.) I received a payoff letter that was apparently triggered by the low principal balance. It appears that I am to send a certified check to the mortgage company's payoff processing office; seems simple enough. But I'm wondering what happens then, behind the scenes and in front of them. How is the payoff communicated to... um... that's part of my question... who gets told? I guess maybe the county recorders office? Is someone going to mail me the actual deeds to the property? What about the escrow, will I be sent a cheque for the dregs automagically? What else will happen? Is this going to be a big anticlimax?

Location: Indiana. Mortgage is held by GMAC.

I know I should be happy, and I am, but because this is new and I don't know anyone who's been through the process, I'm finding it rather stressful.

(For those wondering: I'm aware of the pros and cons of paying down a mortgage ahead of time. It's all part of a larger strategy, a major part of which is reducing my income requirements as much as possible as quickly as possible.)

Help me not turn into a hopeless Scrooge!

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:03:45 -0800

I rule at saving money, and suck at the alternative. Please help this frugal girl learn to spend her hard-earned cash without experiencing fits of anxiety. (I know this question might seem a bit ridiculous, but please bear with me.)

Here goes. Over the past five+ years I've managed to save up a decent chunk of cash. Around $40,000, to be more specific, with another $20,000 in retirement savings. I'm 26, so this means that in comparison to my debt-ridden friends, I'm pretty loaded. I have this money through a combination of factors - my parents helped pay for my post-secondary schooling, I worked hard at a good job for the last few years, have no car/mortgage/children/debt, and am generally pretty frugal in my day-to-day life.

This should be a good thing, but instead it's causing me no end of anxiety. I'm currently living abroad and teaching English part-time (on sabbatical from aforementioned job). I could have afforded to simply take a year off to travel, but for an anxiety-prone person this seemed like a bit too much free time on my hands. So the goal was to have the chance to travel and see more of the world, with some daily structure. And, presumably, to spend some of my savings on much-deserved rewards.

Instead I'm agonizing over price tags - whether to buy a dress I don't desperately need but like well enough, go out for dinner or eat at home, stay at a hostel when I travel or at a hotel, etc. It's a constant battle between being a total cheapo and the desire to spend in a worthwhile way, an inner debate on whether something will ultimately be worth the money, or a source of regret. The times I do buy anything remotely expensive (or even average-priced, vs. on sale), it tends to be a bit random and sometimes forced. $60,000 isn't crazy money, but it's more than a need day-to-day, and although I'm proud to have amassed this much, the result is that money has kind of lost its meaning for me. Prices feel arbitrary, and thus confusing.

None of my friends are in the same boat - most are living lives of necessary rather than voluntary frugality, given our meagre paychecks, which makes me even more cash-conscious. My savings are basically a secret, and I don't have a good reference point for what constitutes healthy spending.

I also have no specific goal in mind for this money. I'd like to do an MA some day, but not yet. I'd like to put a down-payment on a house, but later. I don't want a car or anything else with a sizable price tag. I'd be happy to invest my savings (and $20,000 is already invested), but the rates are so awful right now that it doesn't feel like I'm doing much of anything.

Any advice for how to be a healthy saver AND spender, or similar experiences? I'd really like my money to feel like a blessing, and not a burden. I know I could try making a budget, setting monthly allowances, etc, but in the past I've had a hard time sticking to rigid plans in part because my natural inclination is to spend less, which makes a budget feel like needless work. (I could also try to find wealthier friends, I suppose, but I'm a far cry from a trust fund baby, so I don't know if that would do much to engender healthy habits.)

No throwaway email, but I will send follow-up comments/responses to question to mathowie or jessamyn for posting. Thanks in advance.

Why can't college be cheaper?

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:04:26 -0800

My 1 year old daughter has been given money... what now? I know you're not my investor or anything, and thanks in advance for any help.

Every holiday my daughter receives money from her grandparents. She's up to $600 in cash as well as savings bonds. I'm trying to do the right thing and put her money up safely for her, I'm just clueless about the best way.

I have her money in a savings account that gains .60% APY as of now.

People in my family (namely - my mom) are telling me that I should put her money into savings bonds, it's the smarter thing to do, i need to be responsible, i need to save for college, yada yada yada...

Other people are saying I should look into college savings plans.

I've looked into it myself, but I'll confess that I get a little confused trying to compare everything... What's best for my daughter?

So I got these letters asking to buy mineral rights from me. What mineral rights? Scam or real?

mygothlaundry — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:55:52 -0800

So I got these letters offering to buy my mineral rights - for land in a state I've never been to, that I had no idea I owned and in fact can't imagine that I do own. Scam or preposterously possible? I got two letters today: one for me and one for my elderly aunt, using a c/o me address, which in itself sets off a few alarm bells, since she doesn't actually live with me anymore and we've only used my address for her in a couple of places: the hospital, the drugstore, etc. The letters are from a company called Enerlex, Inc, in Broken Arrow, OK. Googling has turned up their website and pages of businesslike results without anything that looks overtly underhanded. The letters are almost identical but not quite. Both of them had a document called a mineral deed enclosed and a postage paid return envelope. Both of them also had bank drafts attached.

Here's the text of my letter.

Enerlex, Inc., is currently purchasing mineral interests in Latimer County, Oklahoma. We would like to extend and offer to purchase the mineral interest that we believe you own in the above captioned county for $1,050. Two bank drafts totaling that amount are attached below.

If this offer is acceptable, please find enclosed a Mineral Deed, which needs to be signed, notarized and returned in the self-addressed stamped envelope. After you have returned the properly executed and notarized Mineral Deed to our office, please place the endorsed drafts in your bank for collection. Once the Mineral Deed has been received by our office, we will begin our title examination. Please note that the draft for $150.00 is yours regardless to cover the expenses and notary fees.

If you prefer, you may hold the drafts, thereby forgoing a collection fee at your bank. In that case, we will send a check for $150.00 immediately and a check for $900.00 upon completion of the title examination.

We would appreciate a reply within fifteen days of your receipt of this letter. After 15 days Enerlex reserves the right to rescind this offer. If you have any questions, please contact me at (800 number) or by my e-mail address listed below.

My aunt's letter is exactly the same except a) the amount is substantially more, although not, like, millions and b) my letter was signed in blue and hers was signed in black. Both of the mineral deeds are exactly the same.

I would just toss these, assuming they are some strange and convoluted Oklahoma version of a Nigerian 419 except for the fact that my mother died a year and a half ago. The estate was pretty simple and there was no mention of land or mineral rights or anything like that but I did inherit part of her IRA and some of her portfolio and, after removing the bulk of my inheritance to buy a house, I've left the rest of it alone and remained sadly ignorant of all things concerning money and finance (that is a whole other AskMe question for another time.) Is it possible, therefore, that these mineral rights do in fact exist and are part of my inherited IRA or invested (with Schwab, FWIW) money? I thought that was all less tangible stuff like stocks and bonds and, you know, that kind of thing. Is it possible that I inherited them without knowing about it? And where would my aunt have gotten these things? And, how did they find me and, more to the point, how did they find her? Any information would be great.

I bit off more than I can chew. Anyone want a bite?

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:12:50 -0800

Help me get rid of my car. Back story:
A year ago I traded in my sedan on a monster SUV. Sounds silly, I know, but at the time it made sense. New job, nice paycheck, we live in a snowy place, we play outside, dogs, etc. It's exceptionally nice, but between payment and insurance we're out $510 a month. ($360/150 respectively.)

Fast Forward to Today:
The job was horrible, I hated it, was awful, I quit. We moved back home. She now has a job and I do too, but our combined incomes are only about $50,000 gross. Yea, gross. I am starting to do some side work, but realistically it's only going to add $200-$500 a month for the forseeable future, if that.

We have decent credit, me about 680-700 and hers a steady 777. Today we will close on our first home together. We'll have about a 20 mile commute to work daily. We can afford all our bills, that's not the issue. The issue is that we're trimming all the fat from our budget because we want to do more and we want to save more.

We owe about $14,500 on the truck, the last trade-in offer we got was $12,000. We potentially have some cash for down payment on something else, but probably not $2,500, at least not yet. Blue book is right at $15,000, but it's not surprising we can't get it.

So even if we keep the same approximate payment but greatly increase our gas mileage (now...about 12-15 in town and 18-21 highway), we'd have more money. Or if we could vastly drop our payment, we'd have more money. We've shopped insurance until our brains fell out...and it IS going down because of the house, but it's still too much. No accidents or moving violations, this state's insurance is just nuts.

So...what do we do? Do we trade it in on something 8-12k and go that route? Do we try to do something new and go for ultra-low interest? Do we stop paying it and let them take it away, and then buy a beater with cash? (Mostly joking there, I know that's not a good idea.) Do we try to sell it privately and start even? (I'm not ok with strangers driving my truck.) We can potentially refinance the truck, but idk how much that would help us. It's an 05, currently paying 8% (which is stupid high for a car but about average-to-good for used 'round these parts.)

And then what kind of car should we be looking at? Front wheel is mandatory (snow) or awd/4x4. Mileage is important, and obviously that $12,000 looms big as well. We live in a mountain-y place too, so something like a swift or a metro just won't cut it either.

Anonymous gmail account at smashingsuccess@gmail.com if you don't want to respond here, although I don't know why you would. I should point out that we do have a beater right now as well, but my lady steadfastly refuses to learn to drive a stick and it's old enough I don't trust it to do 40 miles a day a whole lot longer.

How can I get myself to stop rationalizing bad behavior?

dumbledore69 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:05:50 -0800

There are a lot of goals that I am working towards, that are easily within my reach if I just stick to some simple routine tasks. However, I always wind up sabotaging myself by making excuses for or rationalizing getting off track, and ignoring the reminders and cues I have created for myself to stay on track. How can I knock it off so I can reach my goals? I have been doing a lot of work lately on some of my goals, mainly weight loss and getting my finances in order (paying off my credit cards and stop overdrawing my frigging bank account).

I know exactly what I have to do, I know exactly how to do it, and I have done both of these things with fantastic success before. My problem is that whenever I become sidetracked with something else that I consider urgent, or stressed out and cranky, I am really good at either ignoring my big picture goals, making rationalizations for not working towards those goals, or even lying to myself or others about my behavior towards reaching those goals.

I think this is one of my biggest issues, and I just do NOT know how to knock it off.

For example, let's use weight loss.

I have lost large chunks of weight before and kept it off for a good amount of time. I know exactly what to do so that I can do it in a way that is pleasant for me.

To lose weight, basically all I need to do is the following:
- Eat breakfast at home instead of on the run.
- Bring lunch & snacks to work instead of eating out or running to the caf.
- Take 10-15 minutes each evening or morning to plan out my meals for the day (and total the calories or WW points).
- Take 30 min - 1 hour most days of the week to do any workout I choose, whether it's a Wii workout or a video or the elliptical at the gym or a walk outside (and I enjoy all of these things!).
- Remember to face the music no matter how the week went and weigh myself & track my weight every week.

There are other things I try to do, sure, like looking at the balance of the types of foods I eat and taking vitamins and getting enough rest, and so on. But these are the basics.

However, I typically start slipping after a month or two. Usually it's little things at first, but then as other things start stressing me out, I turn to food (or excessive spending, on the financial end) to soothe me and cheer myself up.

And I will recognize this and set up ways to keep myself accountable, like setting up bets with friends (I'll pay them $5 a week if I don't exercise 3x) or websites to nag me daily to remember my goals, etc. I have tried SO MANY awesome tools, and had so much great support from my friends (who despite the fact that they would profit from my failure, always encouraged me).

But it doesn't work, because I will just ignore the email reminders or lie about my workout sessions. It's awful, and I really, truly hate myself for being like that. I even lie to myself sometimes about what I've eaten or readjusting my priorities.

But it always comes back down to the fact that I really do not like where I'm at ... I'm 100+ lbs overweight (though I am a bit down from my high weight), still in credit card debt (though I have paid off quite a large chunk of it so far), and I have like no faith in myself to really keep trying because nothing can keep me honest.

And I know the response is often that I must not want it badly enough or I would just do it and stop lying to myself. But it's NOT that I don't want to lose weight & pay off my credit cards badly...I do. I want it more than anything. Failure to do these things is preventing me from starting a family or to feel secure in my life. Not a day goes by when I don't hate those things about myself.

But it's like a different person takes over when I fall off the wagon and just want to be left alone to eat or spend. It's not me, that person has no goals except to get a little fix from food or spending. It's so stupid, but I seriously do not know what to do.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to deal with this?

Nerd seeks Leigh Steinberg

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:25:01 -0800

I'm a veteran software engineer / technical lead working for an internet company. I think I've got an opportunity to really cash in at my job, and need guidance on how best to do this. For the past two years I have been working on a product that is about to make my company some serious revenue.

Right now, I feel pretty irreplaceable. Because of some organizational turmoil and chronic understaffing, I have enormous development, management, and operational responsibilities. I have no backup for any of these roles. I have a good reputation in the company, as far as I know, and have done well-received presentations for our executives. I also have offers from other companies as a security blanket.

There will be a short window of opportunity for me to cash in, between the time when the deal to sell the product is signed and the time when I can train up whatever new staff comes along. Our product is a B2B thing with significant professional service opportunities. It's not turnkey. During this window, the sale will live and die on my efforts.

I would like to capitalize on that in a career-defining way. Exactly how I'll do that, I'm not sure. I have some ideas, but I need help with them.

So: I would like to hire someone who can give me a reality check, who can help me hone my pitch and define my requirements, and who has a background in business, negotiation, and contract law. I want this person to help me look like I know exactly what I'm doing. I don't think I want to hire someone to do the actual negotiating; I want more of an advisor. Can anyone suggest where to find such a person? I am in Seattle so if you have a recommendation in this area, that'd be especially cool.

Online career change exercises wanted

reenum — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:22:57 -0800

Are there any websites or online resources for people considering a career change? I've been thinking of changing careers for a while, and after some recent events at the office, it's time to get up and start figuring some things out.

I'm going to get "What Color Is Your Parachute" and a few other recommended texts from other threads, but I'm wondering if there are any websites or other online resources (preferably free), that have exercises and other things I can use to try and evaluate what it is I truly want to do.

I have a lot of free time at work. For obvious reasons, I don't want to show up here with career change books.

Thanks!

Need help figuring how much to put aside...

InterestedInKnowing — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:57:14 -0800

I need to know a rough estimate of how much I should take out in taxes. Theres no withholding with my checks because the temp agency is whack like that. But I need to know how much to take out for tax season? I live in NY, but don't live in the city. So far I earned with this agency... 7466.55. The end of the year it will be $9000 earned. Can anyone help?

I Don't Like Money

Kippersoft — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:45:46 -0800

I honestly have no interest in money, but I'm constantly reminded to invest my money. I've tried learning about it with little success, presumably because of my uncommon beliefs regarding money. So how do I invest this stuff so that I can maximize my joy in life and minimize my reliance on money? I'm 21 and live in Canada. I'm going into my 4th year of university and yet I probably know less about money than a 15 year old. I was never taught anything about in school and I've never had any interest in it. We're working with an entirely blank slate here (to put it into perspective, I was asked by my bank cashier if I got money on my tax return last year and I didn't understand what she meant... I'm totally stupid when it comes to money :P).

I recently picked up a Personal Finance for Dummies book and a Complete Idiots Guide to Personal Finance. I also read The Wealthy Barber a few years back. All of these were totally over my head. Furthermore, I assume this is all outdated because of the recession or whatever. ;)

I think my problem is that I don't really care about money -- it just doesn't mean that much to me. I don't buy much, I don't have any debt, I don't have any real expenses, and most of it just sits around.

So, all that said, what do I do with this stuff? Which of the Bonds/RRSPs/RRIFs/GICs/ROFLs/BBQs accounts do I put my money in? Here are my basic interests:
- Lets make it an even $10,000 I want to invest
- I want to save for my retirement and use this compound interest thing
- I don't want to lose money. I'm happy with whatever I've got, but I want to minimize my reliance on money. I don't want to be working while I'm 65 just so my family doesn't freeze in the winter. The more time I can enjoy life, the better.
- I want the "set it and forget it" approach. I don't have enough interest to make this a hobby for me.
- I don't want to pay anyone and I want to understand and run things myself (I just need to know where to start)
- Locking 100% of my money away for retirement means I can't enjoy life while I'm young which is a waste. I want some money available for my often spontaneous ideas. ("Maybe I'll by a car tomorrow or go on a vacation next Thursday...")

I know a sound like a naive, 90-year-old grandpa still living out the Depression with his money buried in a coffee can in the back yard (I'm only one step above that... I don't even own a bank card yet), but I just have no idea where to start and not enough ambition to learn about financial stuff which changes from month to month.

I know these might be a unique situation (which is exactly my problem), but where would you begin? What would you do to make the ideal, simple way to invest $10,000? What are the only one or two concepts (RRSPs, etc.) I need to learn and use?

All ideas and suggestions are very appreciated! :D

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?

Money Matters

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:40:02 -0800

Am I being unreasonable to think that my SO should pay for more things in our relationship just because he makes 10 times more than me? My SO and I (I'm a woman) have been together for about 6 months now and we are starting to have money issues. He makes about 10 times more than me. I never thought this would be a problem since I've dated both wealthy and poor men and never had a problem.

For instance, I don't know when I should pay for dinners and trips. At first, I gave him silly, inexpensive gifts and paid for simple dinners – such as eating at home or ordering a pizza and he paid for more expensive restaurants. I am embarrassed to say that I can't afford to pay for both of us to eat at nice restaurants. I can afford to go to a nice restaurant maybe once a week and then only if I pay for just my portion. He suggested that I pay one out of every 3 times or so at nicer places. Thinking about this in a cold, rational sense, I suppose I would come out "ahead," but I don't naturally think about it in this way.
I have to keep a budget, while he doesn't. Going to dinner, I need to plan ahead to know how much I can spend. If we go out, I never know ahead of time whether he is going to want me to pay or not. I feel pathetic asking ahead of time if he wants me to pay. It's taking the spontaneity out of our relationship because we can't just decide at 5pm that we're going out to dinner, I need to know ahead of time. I feel anxious each time we eat out, not knowing if he will want me to pay or not.

He gets upset with me when I tell him I can't afford dinner, but then go and buy big ticket items (which I spent months saving for). He says that if I am going to buy expensive items, then he shouldn't pay for dinner because that's in essence him buying the big ticket item for me. Does this logic make sense to the hive mind?

We're going on a vacation in January, which I suggested because he's been busy with work and it's something to look forward to. I suggested it on a whim even though I have another vacation with my closest friend scheduled for April. I'm starting to get in over my head. I'm ashamed to tell him that I can't afford to go. I feel like a child. I also find myself resenting that he hasn't offered to pay for me at all. He thinks that because I'm going on a trip with my friend (also female, so no sexual jealousy), that he should not help pay for my portion of the trip.

I know he loves me, but I feel like he doesn't think I'm worth spending time with. He could easily afford to pay for the trip and has said he'll just go alone if I can't afford it.

I feel selfish for having these feelings. I'm liberal and think relationships should be equitable. I would never expect him to buy me extravagent gifts or my bills. I am proud that I have money saved and don't have to rely on anyone to help me.

Has anyone else been in a situation where one person is wealthy and wants his/her poor SO to split things equally? How did you work money issues out? I don't want him to think that I'm using him (which I am not), but I still find myself with hurt feelings when he doesn't want to share with me. Am I being unreasonable?

Here's all my passwords dude

sarelicar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:52:12 -0800

Rudder or Mint? Is there a big difference between these two services? I'm an obsessive bank account checker and pay everything online. I like the idea of having one-stop-bill paying and budget fun.

Is my spending info sold to third parties/credit card companies/etc?

Is allowing a website to access my financials an obvious no?

Your personal experiences welcomed.

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,

the blues......

Anonymous — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 05:25:06 -0800

Help! I need creative ideas on how a professional Jazz musician can pay the bills in Brooklyn, NYC. Recent Jazz guitarist (with masters) transplant, trying to survive in the Big Apple. Do not have many 'biz' connections here as yet. Pretty open to any kind of work as running dangerously low in funds. I have used all the "usual" resources. Such as: advertising as a guitar teacher on CL, posting guitar lesson posters allover the city (even 1st lesson free!).....applying for every teaching job with no success. Even Starbucks does not seem to be hiring. Is there something I'm doing wrong? Any suggestions would be hugely appreciated.

Which companies provide additional benefits/incentives for stockholders?

borkencode — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:28:22 -0800

Which companies provide additional, non dividend, benefits or incentives for stockholders? I saw someone mention in passing here on AskMe about a phone company sending phone cards as part of its annual report, a practice that had since been discontinued. What companies still do this sort of thing? Either through giving away or discounting their services, or offering some other benefit (secret stockholder's lounge?).

What metrics are sales professionals guided by?

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:27:00 -0800

What metrics are sales professionals guided by? Working with my sales manager to help redefine how inside and outside salespeople should be compensated and reviewed.

Everything from leadership to new accounts to call metrics to closed business... how does your business (or your competitors) judge the success of your sales force?

[Also, if you have any articles of interest or website recommendations, it would be just as valuable.]