This blog is about a man, a lazy man, and his quest to not only retire early, but to retire rich enough to live a comfortable lifestyle. I believe that a penny saved is a penny earned — and that’s a penny that can be invested. While I’m at it, I strive to bring in more pennies. Who is this man? Here’s a profile: Age: 30 Location: San Mateo County, CA E-mail: lazymanandmoney@gmail.com
tax questions: Promoters have been known to make the following outlandish claims: the 16th Amendment concerning congressional power to lay and collect income taxes was never ratified; wages are not income; filing a return and paying taxes are merely voluntary; and being required to file Form 1040 violates the 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination 4th Amendment right to privacy
Don’t believe these or other similar claims. These arguments are false and have been thrown out of court. While taxpayers have the right to contest their tax liabilities in court, no one has the right to disobey the law.
4/10 a basic rule of wealth and assets: invest in things that appreciate over time (like real estate, stocks, an education). Home Equity Loans- Don’t invest in things that lose value over time (like clothing, cars, and other consumables). Borrowing against an asset that can appreciate, to buy something consumable, is hurting you over the long term. It’s frittering away your long term financial power (equity) for something transitory.
4/11 Identity PROTECTION: All this is stored in the hard drive of the COPY MACHINE! Doctors' offices often copy your driver's license, along with your insurance card. Many doctors' offices routinely ask for Social Security numbers as part of their patient forms. We see this on many of the doctors'forms we are asked to fill out. We NEVER enter our Social Security number and have never encountered a problem by omitting it.
4/12 here’s the definition of personal finance from Wikipedia:
Personal finance is the application of the principles of finance to the monetary decisions of an individual or family unit. It addresses the ways in which individuals or families obtain, budget, save and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future life events.
Not sure what to do?: Start putting the money away immediately. This is the most important thing. If you’re going with a regular investment plan (and you should be), start socking that money away immediately. If it’s tax-deferred, simply ask your investment advisor where a good default place to put the money is, as you can move from fund to fund within the account without penalty. If it’s not tax-deferred, open a high-interest savings account (like the offerings from ING Direct or HSBC Direct) and start putting your investment money in there until you’re ready to make a move. That way, you start working on the financial discipline aspect of it and also earn a decent percentage (4-5%) as you wait.
books recommended by the The Simple Dollar webblog: "The Four Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferriss "The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith "The Random Walk Guide to Investing" by Burton G. Malkiel "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" by James Agee "The Now Habit" by Neil Fiore "The Truth About Money" by Ric Edelman "Beloved" by Toni Morrison "The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money" by John Maynard Keynes "The Brief History of the Dead" by Kevin Brockmeier "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath
let me know if you have read any of these; i plan to check into these titles. some say you should read 4 good books a week, and lots of periodicals and magazines about finances.
4/26 here's part of the "Simple Dollar" guy's testimony about how he started his blog last year:
I closed my eyes and imagined the future I wanted for him, and then watched it dissolve into the future that he would have if I didn’t change things immediately. And I cried, almost uncontrollably. My wife, not entirely knowing what was wrong, came in and put her arm around me, and eventually my sobbing woke up my son, who also began crying. She held us both.
That very night, I stayed up the entire night searching the Internet for information about personal finance, and I spent several hours in the darkness, holding my son and rocking back and forth in the chair with him. The next day, I went to the library and checked out an armload of books. I started trying everything I could get my hands on to see what would work, and every time I was tempted to spend money, I thought about my son.
It was not easy. It still isn’t. But all I have to do is remember the pain of that day - and then think about the promises I made to my son during that long night - and I realize what decisions are really the right ones.
A goal refers to the specific desired outcome of a situation that you currently have control over, while a dream, on the other hand, is a specific desired outcome of a situation that you may not have full control over.
1. Switch 3 lights that you use for 4 hours a day with compact fluorescent bulbs. 2. Replace a porch light that’s always on with a compact fluorescent bulb. 3. Turn your heater thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in the summer. 4. Install a programmable thermostat to adjust your home’s heating and cooling automatically. 5. Make sure your walls and ceilings are well-insulated. 6. Air-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer. 7. Set your water heater thermostat no higher than 120 F. 8. Replace bathroom and kitchen sink facets with low-flow models. 9. Install low-flow showerheads. 10. Go from 500 sheets of 0% recycled computer to 200 sheets of 100% recycled paper. 11. Drive less aggressively — don’t accelerate and brake rapidly. 12. Drive the speed limit. 13. Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly. 14. Drive 10 miles less per week. 15. Carpool, take public transit, or telecommute one day per week instead of driving to work. 16. Replace your old refrigerator with a new Energy Star one. 17. Replace an old TV with a new Energy Star one. 18. Replace your old dishwasher with a new Energy Star one. 19. Replace an old computer, monitor, and printer with new Energy Star ones. 20. Replace your old washing machine with a new Energy Star one. 21. Recycle all steel (”tin”) cans, aluminum cans, and glass containers. 22. Take one less short domestic round-trip flight this year. 23. Take one less cross-country round-trip this year. 24. Use a washable mug for your morning coffee instead of a Styrofoam cup (assuming you can get a freebie coffee mug). 25. Get a reusable water bottle instead of disposables (again, assuming you can get a freebie water bottle). 26. Buy products in the largest size you can use to avoid excess packaging. 27. Use washable plates and utensils for takeout dinners and parties instead of paper and plastic goods. 28. Buy vintage clothes instead of new stuff at the mall. 29. Unplug electronics when you’re not using them. 30. Turn out the light when you leave the room. 31. Shut down your computer and peripherals each night. 32. Run the clothes washer with only full loads. 33. Wash your clothes in cold water. 34. Run the dishwasher with only full loads and let dishes air-dry. 35. Take showers instead of baths. 36. Take shorter showers. 37. Insulate your water heater. 38. Clean or replace dirty air-conditioner filters every three months. 39. Replace old windows with double-pane windows. 40. Use a push lawn mower instead of gas or electric. 41. Change your car’s air filter and check it monthly. 42. Turn off the car instead of idling.
19 Comments:
this one is pretty fun
By
jess, at 12:19 PM
being a mom
By
Raina, at 9:27 AM
living BELOW your means
By
BethC, at 9:54 AM
SAVE
INVEST
prioritize
By
BethC, at 9:55 AM
money cartoons
http://www.briscoe.org/cartoon/money_materialism/index.cfm
By
BethC, at 11:17 AM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
By
Beth, at 9:53 AM
financial peace university
DaveRamsey.com
"baby steps"
By
BethC, at 8:44 AM
are we having fun yet
run the race with endurance
By
BethC, at 1:59 PM
This blog is about a man, a lazy man, and his quest to not only retire early, but to retire rich enough to live a comfortable lifestyle. I believe that a penny saved is a penny earned — and that’s a penny that can be invested. While I’m at it, I strive to bring in more pennies.
Who is this man? Here’s a profile:
Age: 30
Location: San Mateo County, CA
E-mail: lazymanandmoney@gmail.com
By
BethC, at 9:52 AM
About the Clever Dude
cleverdude.com
make and spend money made mistakes and learned from them
not a professional
Personal Finance Blog and website
By
BethC, at 9:58 AM
tax questions:
Promoters have been known to make the following outlandish claims: the
16th Amendment
concerning congressional power to lay and collect income taxes was never ratified;
wages are not income;
filing a return and paying taxes are merely voluntary;
and being required to file Form 1040 violates the
5th Amendment
right against self-incrimination
4th Amendment
right to privacy
Don’t believe these or other similar claims. These arguments are false and have been thrown out of court. While taxpayers have the right to contest their tax liabilities in court, no one has the right to disobey the law.
By
BethC, at 7:04 AM
4/10
a basic rule of wealth and assets: invest in things that appreciate over time (like real estate, stocks, an education).
Home Equity Loans-
Don’t invest in things that lose value over time (like clothing, cars, and other consumables). Borrowing against an asset that can appreciate, to buy something consumable, is hurting you over the long term. It’s frittering away your long term financial power (equity) for something transitory.
By
BethC, at 6:15 AM
4/11 Identity PROTECTION:
All this is stored in the hard drive of the COPY MACHINE!
Doctors' offices often copy your driver's license, along with your
insurance card. Many doctors' offices routinely ask for Social Security numbers as part of their patient forms. We see this on many of the doctors'forms we are asked to fill out. We NEVER enter our Social Security number and have never encountered a problem by omitting it.
By
BethC, at 6:43 AM
4/12
here’s the definition of personal finance from Wikipedia:
Personal finance is the application of the principles of finance to the monetary decisions of an individual or family unit. It addresses the ways in which individuals or families obtain, budget, save and spend monetary resources over time, taking into account various financial risks and future life events.
By
BethC, at 6:13 AM
4/13
Not sure what to do?:
Start putting the money away immediately. This is the most important thing. If you’re going with a regular investment plan (and you should be), start socking that money away immediately. If it’s tax-deferred, simply ask your investment advisor where a good default place to put the money is, as you can move from fund to fund within the account without penalty. If it’s not tax-deferred, open a high-interest savings account (like the offerings from ING Direct or HSBC Direct) and start putting your investment money in there until you’re ready to make a move. That way, you start working on the financial discipline aspect of it and also earn a decent percentage (4-5%) as you wait.
By
BethC, at 7:01 AM
books recommended by the The Simple Dollar webblog:
"The Four Hour Workweek" by Timothy Ferriss
"The Wealth of Nations" by Adam Smith
"The Random Walk Guide to Investing" by Burton G. Malkiel
"Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" by James Agee
"The Now Habit" by Neil Fiore
"The Truth About Money" by Ric Edelman
"Beloved" by Toni Morrison
"The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money" by John Maynard Keynes
"The Brief History of the Dead" by Kevin Brockmeier
"Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath
let me know if you have read any of these; i plan to check into these titles.
some say you should read 4 good books a week, and lots of periodicals and magazines about finances.
By
BethC, at 6:37 AM
4/26
here's part of the "Simple Dollar" guy's testimony about how he started his blog last year:
I closed my eyes and imagined the future I wanted for him, and then watched it dissolve into the future that he would have if I didn’t change things immediately. And I cried, almost uncontrollably. My wife, not entirely knowing what was wrong, came in and put her arm around me, and eventually my sobbing woke up my son, who also began crying. She held us both.
That very night, I stayed up the entire night searching the Internet for information about personal finance, and I spent several hours in the darkness, holding my son and rocking back and forth in the chair with him. The next day, I went to the library and checked out an armload of books. I started trying everything I could get my hands on to see what would work, and every time I was tempted to spend money, I thought about my son.
It was not easy. It still isn’t. But all I have to do is remember the pain of that day - and then think about the promises I made to my son during that long night - and I realize what decisions are really the right ones.
By
BethC, at 6:55 AM
A goal refers to the specific desired outcome of a situation that you currently have control over, while a dream, on the other hand, is a specific desired outcome of a situation that you may not have full control over.
By
BethC, at 6:55 AM
5/16/07 helpful money-saving tips:
1. Switch 3 lights that you use for 4 hours a day with compact fluorescent bulbs.
2. Replace a porch light that’s always on with a compact fluorescent bulb.
3. Turn your heater thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in the summer.
4. Install a programmable thermostat to adjust your home’s heating and cooling automatically.
5. Make sure your walls and ceilings are well-insulated.
6. Air-dry your clothes in the spring and summer instead of using the dryer.
7. Set your water heater thermostat no higher than 120 F.
8. Replace bathroom and kitchen sink facets with low-flow models.
9. Install low-flow showerheads.
10. Go from 500 sheets of 0% recycled computer to 200 sheets of 100% recycled paper.
11. Drive less aggressively — don’t accelerate and brake rapidly.
12. Drive the speed limit.
13. Keep the tires on your car adequately inflated. Check them monthly.
14. Drive 10 miles less per week.
15. Carpool, take public transit, or telecommute one day per week instead of driving to work.
16. Replace your old refrigerator with a new Energy Star one.
17. Replace an old TV with a new Energy Star one.
18. Replace your old dishwasher with a new Energy Star one.
19. Replace an old computer, monitor, and printer with new Energy Star ones.
20. Replace your old washing machine with a new Energy Star one.
21. Recycle all steel (”tin”) cans, aluminum cans, and glass containers.
22. Take one less short domestic round-trip flight this year.
23. Take one less cross-country round-trip this year.
24. Use a washable mug for your morning coffee instead of a Styrofoam cup (assuming you can get a freebie coffee mug).
25. Get a reusable water bottle instead of disposables (again, assuming you can get a freebie water bottle).
26. Buy products in the largest size you can use to avoid excess packaging.
27. Use washable plates and utensils for takeout dinners and parties instead of paper and plastic goods.
28. Buy vintage clothes instead of new stuff at the mall.
29. Unplug electronics when you’re not using them.
30. Turn out the light when you leave the room.
31. Shut down your computer and peripherals each night.
32. Run the clothes washer with only full loads.
33. Wash your clothes in cold water.
34. Run the dishwasher with only full loads and let dishes air-dry.
35. Take showers instead of baths.
36. Take shorter showers.
37. Insulate your water heater.
38. Clean or replace dirty air-conditioner filters every three months.
39. Replace old windows with double-pane windows.
40. Use a push lawn mower instead of gas or electric.
41. Change your car’s air filter and check it monthly.
42. Turn off the car instead of idling.
By
BethC, at 7:46 AM
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