December 23, 2008
The month and the quarter is just about over, and it’s only just occurred to me that I haven’t divvied up the last check of the year.
Just goes to show how busy it’s been; deciding where to allocate incoming funds is one of my favorite financial exercises.
It was a little harder this time because it’s been so long since my last go at it, but let’s take a look. I’ve finally got a handle on properly supplying my expense account, so the proper amount for that is taken out first. That’s about 47% of the check.
To even things up, I’m putting 13% in the insurance account which is transforming from the auto insurance account to an everything insurance account. I’m going to look into buying my own life insurance, so I’ll need some money for premiums. Might also need renter’s insurance. *grimace* Yes, I haven’t gotten that yet.
20% goes to savings, and that leaves me with 20% to go. I was going to refill the travel fund, and plump up the neglected moving fund, but auto maintenance is running on empty. Should I divide evenly between the three, or pick two and make it more substantial for the lucky two?
Hm, I know I have registration coming up again, soon, so it should probably be 9/9/2%: AM/Moving/Travel.
Way more complicated than it needs to be, I know. 😛 I just don’t like any account to be empty!
November 14, 2008
http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2008/11/free-financial-advice.html
October 29, 2008
Because we like self-torture around here, it’s much better than inflicted torture, the price points for a couple of my portfolio choices:
Target Retirement 2045
08/29/2008 $13.52
09/12/2008 $13.14
09/26/2008 $12.78
10/10/2008 $9.70
10/27/2008 $8.96
International Value Fund
08/29/2008 $35.08
09/12/2008 $33.13
09/26/2008 $32.66
10/10/2008 $23.78
10/27/2008 $20.64
And my asset mix is slowly adjusting to a higher percentage of bonds than stocks. We’re at a 25/75 allocation now. It’s a natural progression as my stocks drop half their value, and my tiny little Roth IRA valiantly stands up to the market’s battering.
October 22, 2008
A reader emailed me asking about the job market in the LA area. Now, LA is awfully big, and my personal experience is pretty limited, but I know I’ve got fellow bloggers and perhaps some readers in the LA area as well.
I’m including some excerpts of our correspondence below, lightly edited to preserve the reader’s anonymity:
I’ve been looking for a job in the LA market for an embarrassingly long amount of time at this point (close to a year) and am at my wit’s end as to what to do. I’ve submitted numerous copies of resumes, cover letters, networked, randomly dropped in . . . and nothing. What is your personal assessment of the market?
Part of the problem is that I’m currently in Arizona and have been doing long-distance looking and applying (using a friend’s CA address).
I had a few follow-up questions:
1. What kind of job are you looking for?
2. What experience do you have in your field?
3. Are you looking to go for the traditional full time position, or a part-time, or a freelance/contractor situation?
4. Why are you looking at the LA job market in particular?
1. I graduated from college in 2006 (with a degree in psychology, and a minor in music performance – talk about marketable!) and have experience in the social services (but ultimately knew I needed to make more money) and the financial services (which, being in this industry, I count myself lucky to still have a job at this point). Unfortunately, I’m feeling highly underutilized in my current position and after further thought, have determined several industries/capacities that I could see myself working in. Obviously the financial world would be the easiest transition, but in a smaller organization would be ideal to be able to take on more responsibilities. Additionally, there is the field of higher education (which flies in the face of my need for more pay, however! the pay is still better than the social services and the environment is unparalleled in what I’ve heard regarding an appreciation of intelligence and the ability to maintain constant stimulus). Additionally, there’s also human resources (which would be a natural extension of my education in psychology), market research (again, natural extension), or working in either capacity (HR or research analysis) within an entertainment organization. As I said, a truly wide swath!
2. I spent approximately a year within the social services, and have been with my current employer now for 1 year and 4 months.
3. Right now, there are some additional health concerns (again, possibly another manifestation of the paranoia) that ultimately leads me to want a traditional full time position. I’d be open to several part time positions if need be, but it’s not ideal.
4. I’m looking in the LA job market for the need for change and sense of adventure, which sounds truly cliche I know, but here me out! I’ve lived in the state of Arizona for 10 years now, and while it’s treated me nicely (a full ride to a state university and graduating Cum Laude aren’t anything to necessarily talk down on I think), I just don’t get the feeling that there’s anything more here. I’m growing stagnant. And having visited LA on numerous, numerous occasions – several of them being recently – I’ve slowly fallen in like with the area. I hesitate to say love, but my comfort level as increased 100-fold and every time I get back on I-10 at this point, I feel like I’m driving the wrong way. Also, I’ve always had a passion and interest in the entertainment industry and, given the interests, would love to possibly have the opportunity to work in a leading entertainment organization in some capacity, cliche as that may sound as well. If not that, then still, who can argue with the number of world-class universities in the area regardless?
It’s been about four years since I last stalked the job market in this area, so I’m pretty out of touch with the feel of the market. It seems to me, though, that the jobs being offered are not in plenty, and with many people running scared from the softening economy, it’s going to get even tighter than it’s already been.
I wonder if you’ve tried finding a job with a company that has branches in the LA area with an eye to transferring at a later date? If you haven’t had any bites thus far, perhaps you should try closer to home as another way in.
Alternatively, could more training or education be in order to move to a different level of employment?
Readers, can any of you offer any suggestions or advice?
October 3, 2008
Surprise! Heehee. Happy Friday!
August 9, 2008
Another delay, that is. At this rate, we’ll never have enough time to properly hike the Multnomah Falls area. Boo.
We had to change gates as well which is great because I’m further away from that enticing Mango store.
Oooh I see our plane….
I’m curious how people blog from their Blackberries with links and such. I can’t put together a proper, interesting post with links or pictures with my phone. Lucky that I can blog at all, of course, just wondering what skills I require to do it for real.
Friday night, an announcement: My departing flight was delayed last night for potentially two hours. This would make me miss my connecting flight so I could go home and try again in the morning or take this flight and rebook the connecting.
Decision: I didn’t want to repeat the airport dropoff dance in the morning so I waited out the delay and booked the first flight out the next morning. Lucky for me, BF was around so he could put me up for the night, and I would be halfway to my destination by morning instead of travelling all day Saturday. If he hadn’t been available, I would have been able to book a distressed passenger rate hotel room for the night for about $45. Not in the budget!
This morning, checking in for my flight, the first one of the morning, the check in kiosk asked if I’d volunteer to be bumped if necessary. I was curious so I hit “yes” and it automatically wait-listed me! Wait! Wait! I didn’t mean that! I was just *curious!!* ahhhh. I got to the gate late because the security line was insanely long and the gate agents were super happy to see me because I was officially a volunteer. Reluctant, I asked what they had in the way of flights. If I got there by noon, I was willing. If not? Nu-uh! It was hard enough to get one day off, I can’t be wasting all my time in the airport!
Then it turned out the by-noon flight I was promised didn’t have a seat and I could no longer get on my original flight because the smaller planes have 20 fewer seats than the first plane and ten people were still sadly standing in the corral with no seats. Better to choose my fate as best i can rather than hope to be squeezed in. I wonder if this system is really cost efficient for them? They had to give something between ten to twenty free flights, and here I am, flying on BF’s free travel voucher to begin with!
The next flight out is 11:05, so here I sit, waiting for my seat assignment with my free travel voucher tucked in my bag. *sigh* At least the free voucher means I can possibly come back another time and see her again.
Oooh! I think they gave me a first class seat. *spiffy*
