February 2, 2007
Kicking and screaming? Yes, that was me. But Blogger wouldn’t let me sign on AT ALL without upgrading to their new Blogger and so now I’m upgraded. So you know what that means: some of you have turned into Anonymous. *sigh* Uhm, I know that the first response to “Saving too much?” was mOOm because I read it before it changed, but I’m not sure who responded to “Dear Yodlee.”
I don’t know how/who has resolved this problem, but in the meantime, would y’all mind signing off as well? It’s much appreciated!
January 30, 2007
Please don’t ask me the price tag of this weekend for I am ‘shamed to admit that I allowed BoyDucky to spoil me within an inch of my life. In my defense, I had NO CLUE all that he’d had on tap. In his defense, surprising me is a pretty big deal. He’s the only one who has ever managed this feat. Anyway, that does not in the least detract from the great funs we had!
My gift to him: Volumes 1-4 of Robert Kirkman’s Invincible.
And the first volume of Bill Willingham’s Fables, Vol 1.
I’m a comic book geek through and through, and I was SO thrilled to find a comic that BoyDucky enjoyed and actually wanted to follow. I don’t know how he’ll like Fables, but I know he likes Invincible.
So yes, the aforelaid comic gifting rules as determined by a comic friend and I will apply here as well. [Gifts will always be comics, or comic-related. And the gifter will always read the gift before wrapping it for the giftee. For quality control purposes. Really.] But I started his first comic book collection!!
And he got me ….. *drumroll please* my first ever wine-tasting!
We …er … “invested” as they say, in wine-selling lingo (they would!), in a bottle for our anniversary next year, and another for perhaps a dinner party when and if he can get his family and mine to come up. I have a feeling that we’ll be drinking that bottle ourselves as well!
I did learn that the smaller wineries like Cakebread only distribute a small amount of wine to the common buyer who might come by for a tasting, otherwise 80% of their wines go straight to restaurant distribution and the rest goes to people who are part of the wine club for that particular winery. Those who join the wine club can get a few as 4 bottles a year up to … ten, I think? They also receive a discount on the wine bottles, as much as 20% off each bottle’s price. I think it’s definitely an interesting idea if you’re really a fan of the wines that a particular winery produces but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “investing” in a great wine.
Both Wanda and mOOm have touched on an article and a subject near and dear to my heart: Could you and I possibly be saving too much for retirement?
You’ll have to let me know what your situation is, but I would NOT make this generalization about anyone, even PF bloggers, and most especially not for myself. Why? Because of SingleMa’s appropriately timed question today about Bailing Out Family Members in Financial Trouble.
Call me a pessimist but when I’m considering the future I’ll probably have more dependents rather than fewer, I don’t consider Social Security a viable source of retirement income and I imagine that healthcare will only remain a high expense. On top of that, there’s always the X factor of family members in need. For that category, I’d really only consider my parents eligible for support because unless there’s a true emergency, I am determined not to become the Bank of Ducky. I can guarantee that my parents, while not terribly spendthrifty, haven’t got anything put away specifically for retirement.
So personally, I can’t see where I could possibly be making a responsible decision by saving LESS than what I’m saving now. I think that’s the core of the issue for me: I anticipate heavier financial burdens
to come in the future and it would not make any sense for me to back off. The examples given in this NY Times article of those who are more than well-prepared for retirement implies that there are numerous people who are entirely prepared for retirement. Look around you, does that seem to be the case in your life? I can think of a few exceptions, Moom’s mom, TBH’s parents and “in-laws”, probably BoyDucky’s parents, and a couple of very wealthy friends who were born into money. That’s the sum of it for my friends and acquaintances, blogging community and all.
It’s really best to evaluate the statements that all these “experts” are spouting and decide for yourself what really truly applies to your own wallet and how you might want to act on the newly issued advice of the month. After all, you’re the one who has to live on that retirement money!
And for the record, I don’t think I’m squandering my youth if I miss out on a few unfinanced adventures, I’m saving my middle aged years from stress!
January 26, 2007
This is going to be me ALL weekend. Except when I’m eating. And taking walks with BoyDucky, because I have to get back in shape. But the rest of the weekend? That’s ME:
Oh, but I’ll be hanging out with BoyDucky, so it’ll be more like:
(the Steve Winwood version)
I wandered into a conversation that a train friend was having with another rider about retirement accounts and ways to make up time for late starters in the retirement game. IRAs, real estate deals, and pensions were being bandied about as though they would be funded just by talking about them. But I felt distinctly uncomfortable about the fact that a budget and the necessity of learning how to control your money instead of letting it control you were never discussed. Granted, the advisor didn’t necessarily know his advisee well enough to discuss her budget, so maybe that’s why he didn’t touch on that subject [yes, I note the irony of a PF blogger saying that budgets are too personal to discuss with strangers ….] but I feel that creating wealth and income is only half of the strategy. No retirement planning can ever be complete without addressing the other half of the money equation: how, how much, and when is the money spent?
How: Who’s the spender, and why? Are the purchases necessities with the occasional splurge? Are they “wants” with the occasional bill thrown in? You need to know why you’re spending, before you can modify the behavior that makes the spending ok. Maybe it’s just as simple as “I want.” If that’s all it is, how do you replace “I want” with “I want this, but I don’t need it right now”?
How much: Are you spending beyond your means right now? Are you spending at your means now? Are you spending below your means? This determines how much you need to retire AND how much you can have by then.
When: When do you want to retire? Do you know how much you can save before then? Have you considered your life events between now and then?
It may sound pretty complicated, but it can also become a very simple conversation to have with yourself. I have it every so often to remind myself that I have bigger things to worry about than how the new girls are so stylish it makes my teeth hurt.
It especially helps to repeat the mantra “You don’t NEED another purse. You just WANT one!!!!” when I get emails from one of them, touting her friend the handbag designer in New York and her faaaaaabulous purses. And how her purses are pricey because they’re made in the US, but she has defective, or imperfect purses that she’ll sell at a discount [I’m not sure how much “for cheap” is]. *sigh* I never thought of myself as an accessories girl, but there’s something so deliciously satisfying about the perfectly sized purse that holds my wallet, keys, book, planner and a water bottle and every so often the 17 year-old dog who refuses to walk anywhere he can be carried. It just panders to my need to have everything at my side at ALL times.
January 23, 2007
I wish I could link to the full articles but I haven’t ever tried to access the WSJ online, it’s usually my train read. I’ll try to link to them later but meanwhile, these items caught my eye today:
Drugs in Testing Show Promise for Lupus
The last time a new drug was approved to treat lupus, a serious autoimmune disorder that afflicts an estimated 1.5 million Americans, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president. But after a 50-year stretch without a major advance, there are finally some promising treatments on the horizon.
Several drug makers are in advanced-stage trials for lupus drugs. Human Genome Sciences Inc. will begin enrolling patients in the next two weeks in the largest ever late-stage lupus trial, following positive results in earlier testing; Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. is conducting lupus trials on Orencia, its rheumatoid arthritis drug; and Genentech Inc. and ….
I happen to have a particular interest in this right now, but regardless of personal interest, the fact that it’s been FIFTY years since the last major drug was developed is fairly incredible. I hope these late stage trials go well!
Rapid Flu Tests Found to Reduce Antibiotic Use in Adult Patients
The use of tests that can quickly determine whether people have influenza moderately cut down on antibiotic use in hospitalized adults, according to researchers at Rochester General Hospital in New York.
Many hospitals and doctors are trying to reduce the widespread use of antibiotics to curtail the development of bacteria that is resistant to the drugs.
While many doctors still prescribe antibiotics to patients diagnosed with the flu to guard against developing a secondary bacterial infection such as bronchitis or pneumonia …
Reduced usage of unnecessary antibiotics is always a good thing!
Bush’s Focus on Health Care Draws Criticism, New Hope
President Bush’s new focus on shrinking the ranks of the uninsured is appealing to Democrats and others who have long hoped for a renewed debate over how to extend health insurance – but Mr. Bush’s specific plans still face criticism.
“While the administration’s current proposal is deeply flawed, the attention that the president is devoting to the issue could signal real progress in addressing the health-care crisis,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy (D., Mass), who has worked many years on health …
I’m still a little confused about how these proposals are supposed to reform the system, I’m looking forward to seeing more, clearer, information than what I’ve read so far!
Has anyone NOT seen this video? It’s SO CUTE!
