Rant central...

Well, it's been way too long since my last post. Talk about a hectic time. We've got FPU on Tuesday nights, volleyball on Wednesday nights, Leadership class on Thursday nights and some Saturdays, church on Sunday, and a little 3 year old whose turning 4 in January. Not to mention keeping up with Matt who's fully into his podcast, and video game playing to be able to do the podcast. I think volleyball at church is starting in October and that will be on Sunday nights. For the first time in my life, I could justify purchasing and actually using a day planner. Craziness I tell ya'...just craziness.

But, I've needed to get something off my chest for a while, and I am going to today. Just picture Office Space as I vent my frustrations with what occupies my day.

I work for a fairly large company, they're within the top ten employers in Columbia. They do rather well and rightly so. They provide the best solution out there in their industry. So, meager little me, I say that because I'm one of just over 1,000 employees, works in the advertising and marketing department for this company. We are, in fact, the creative, marketing, advertising, public relations group. We develop the face and voice of our company.

My position was created a little over a year ago based on the need for a graphic designer that had experience in web design and development. An mutual associate mentioned something about this little hispanic girl who did exactly this sort of thing at home for 2 years while raising her newborn. Of course, there's always some reservation about hiring someone like me. What I brought to the table cleared all the doubt. I have designed for print and web for over 8 years, the majority of my last 3 years have entailed web design including HTML/XHTML/CSS layouts, and basic scripting in Javascript. I was hired after my second interview on a part-time basis, as the powers that be weren't convinced fully that I, or my position, was truly needed.

After six months, I was asked if I would consider coming on board fulltime. Apparently, there was a need. After much discussion and prayer with Matt, and based on our goals for the next five years, I accepted the offer.

So here we are now. There's been a lot of transition here at work. People have left, new people have come in, and it's been quite an adventure. The guy that hired me, ventured off into a newly created division within the company and left a vacancy at the head of our department. We were anxious about the position and wondered if anyone could come in and do a better job. Well, anyone that would accept the low pay for high stress. Sure enough, someone did. This little guy from the big city of St. Louis came in and, I have to say, is extremely intelligent and on top of his game. He's an excellent marketing, no-nonsene kinda' guy. And I like that.

So if I like this guy so much, what is my basis for ranting? Well, it could be a number of things I guess. But, I'm pretty easy going and laid back. Not a lot gets to me. Though I have been a bit frustrated lately. My new boss is a micromanager. I never truly understood what this meant, until recently. The definition wikipedia gives seems to be taken from a page in my journal..."Regardless of the motivation the effect can de-motivate employees, create resentment, and damage trust." I used to love working here. It fit my personality, my skillset and it was darn nice to have some adult interaction for a change.

Lately, I have questioned my purpose in the department. My title is "Graphic Designer," yet, less of my job requires such a thing and focuses on mainly HTML. Basicly, putting into HTML/CSS what someone else has designed. This is a recent phenomena. It came with the new boss. And, I have to clarify, I don't blame the guy for wanting to make a good impression on his boss, but is there really a need to supervise every last detail of the work we do? I still don't have an answer.

I talked with Matt about my concerns because I trust his opinion and feedback. He is a manager himself so I wanted to get his perspective on the whole deal. He simply pointed out that any manager that feels they have to oversee the activity of each and every detail or action of someone under their employ is doing a poor job of management. How, I asked? Because they create an environment of low morale, resentment and instill a distrust in an employee's capacity to fulfill their duties. I think he's reading my mail. That's exactly what I've been dealing with and just haven't been able to articulate it.

So, now that I know what's going on, what do I do about it? Honestly, I don't know. I've been considering meeting with my boss to discuss my concerns, which I believe is the best option. Or, I can simply let it go and allow the situation to digress. I definitely don't want to do that. However, I'm one of those people that hates confrontation. I'm uncomfortable in that regard. I heard the other day though, that only when the pain of same is more than the pain of change, will someone be prompted toward a proactive role. Hmm. I guess I don't have a choice.

Generation P

Generation P? What is that? Well, it's what Visa USA has annointed young consumers, ages 18 to 24 years of age, due to their proclivity to use plastic instead of cash or checks. If you haven't taken a look at the article on The Cincinnati Enquirer about this, you should. The article, Young shoppers prefer 'painless' plastic buying: Checks, cash continue to lose favor was published back in January, but was sent to me just last week by a co-worker who knew I'd be interested in reading it.

The young lady, 24 years old, that was featured in the article stated that she would "get so annoyed" when she entered a store that only accepted cash. She would just go somewhere else.

Howard Dvorkin, president of Consolidated Credit Counseling Services, says that consumers "spend substantially more than someone paying with cash or check." Why? "There's no pain involved when you pay with plastic."

These spending habits attribute greatly to the diminishing savings rate in America. According to the Ecomonist.com, "Not only is household saving close to a record low, but net national saving (at around 2% of GDP) is at its lowest rate since the Great Depression."

So, what does this mean for you and me? Well, I'm not sure exactly. I don't know how you spend your money. I do know that it's important to have discipline in the area of finances. I've had too many bad experiences with undisciplined money management, and quite frankly, I don't want to be broke like everybody else.

I don't care about keeping-up-with-the-Joneses, or having the newest and latest and trendiest. I just care about where I will be when I retire. Will I have the financial freedom to enjoy retirement, or will I be sporting the blue vest at old Wally World? I choose the first.

Honestly, I don't have a credit card. I have a debit card that is used only for gas. I write only one check every two weeks for my daughter's daycare. I use cash for everything else, groceries, clothing, eating out, entertainment, and so on. I've found that it is painful to part with cash, so I spend less. I'm more apt to look for a deal and get the most bang for my buck. And I like it that way.

More ramblings..

I woke up late this morning. I don't work on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for now, so I've decided to take advantage of it. After getting up, I made a quick breakfast for my daughter and myself. She sat down and watched some cartoons while she ate. I watched Cold Pizza and had my coffee and toast. I think I've only watched this show once or twice, but today, I was just in the mood.

Lucky me, they brought in Carlton Fisk for an interview. They started the interview discussing his home run in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. Every baseball fan is familiar with Fisk's coaxing of the ball as it flew into the foul pole, now known as the Fisk pole. They asked him about his emotions that day, before and right after the game-winning home run. It was great to hear him talk about it. Being a huge baseball fan myself, I remember old footage of that game and many others.

Continuing with the interview, Fisk was asked about the current steroid controversy. He mentioned that many ballplayers would have taken steroids had they been available in the 50s, 60s, and 70s . He thought about it once, but it was only a fleeting thought.

Asked about Barry Bonds, in particular, he quickly referred back to the great home run hitters of the past, Ruth, Maris and Mantle. When they were 39 years old, they averaged only 18 long balls each season. At age 39, Bonds hit 73. "You don't have to think hard about it," he said. He also talked about how many older ballplayers knew something was up back in the 90s and now with all the numbers these big guys are putting up. I find it sad.

What a great interview and great guy. Did I mention he was a great ballplayer too? I wish I could see more guys like him today. The Brock's, Bench's, Clemente's, and on and on...

I miss the days when guys would get hit by a pitch and simply take their base. I miss the days when guys cared about baseball more than their paychecks. I miss the days when guys simply played baseball.

---

Blue vs. Black, White vs. Black, Rich vs. Poor
Well, they indicted 2 lacrosse players from Duke today. I hope the trial comes quick and is resolved quickly too. I don't know if the guys actually raped the alleged victim, so we'll just have to see what the evidence says.

I think it's sad though something like this has divided Durham. And, of course, like everything else in America, it's come down to a black vs. white issue, rich vs. poor. Only in America.

They cry justice when the black person is a victim AND cry mercy when the black person is the criminal. It think Americans, white, black, hispanic, asian, or whatever, should see the facts of the case as fact and not as fact from a tainted point of view. Too many times we claim to observe injustices because we view the world from the lens of color. Can't we try for once to view the world from the the lens of reality?

Friday ramblings..

Today's entry is going to be somewhat of a rambling more than anything. I decided to just talk about what's been going on.

Well, Matt and I bought an Xbox 360 the other day. Let me tell ya, they ain't cheap! Actually, it wasn't even a planned thing, we were at Target looking for some small things like shampoo and such and happened by the gaming section. We both noticed the 3 white boxes containing the new console, 1 core package, and 2 platinum packages. We immediately looked at eachother and wondered what our budget will allow. Funny, we went home and did our budget. As it turned out, we had the cash to buy it. So, we went back and bought it, long with a second controller and Call of Duty 2 (CoD2). When all was said and done, we spent $450.00 on this little white box with a brick for a power supply. Haha. We took it home and after completing an update on the thing, it crapped out. Just like that. Matt contacted technical support, but didn't want to waste time on shipping the thing over to where they can fix it, and then wait another 2 weeks while they fix it, then ship it back. So, he took it back and got his refund.

The very next day, he drove over to Best Buy during his lunch break and bought one. They had like 40 consoles! He went home and set it up, and voila, it was game time! I think I've played more than he has though. I love to play video games. Always have, since Nintendo. Matt traded in our old Xbox and accessories for a DVD remote and Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (GRAW). We realized that it was cheaper to pay $20.00 for a DVD remote, than to buy a $150.00 DVD player. Our Xbox plays games, CDs, and DVDs. It's our little media center. Now, Matt wants to buy a Windows Media Center so he can network it with the 360 and our computer. I think that'll have to wait a bit. A good bit. He's such a geek.

Anyway, I've been playing CoD2 and am just having a blast. I love these shooter games, and, I just happen to be good at them. This one is set back in WW2 and you have to play different allied soldiers and work your way to US forces. The graphics are amazing, and the game play is pretty good. I think the new 360 controllers are sleek and the translation of game elements into the controller are great. Although, it's a bit tough switching from CoD2 to GRAW to Halo 2. Buttons and triggers do different things, and man, it takes a bit to get the hang of it when I switch over to a different game.

Last night, we played GRAW online with some of Matt's buddies. I think this was the greatest feature of Xbox Live and most especially, with the Halo 2 environment. Sure, you run into the little immature punks who love to talk to smack, but man, it's a lot of fun to get together with the same people all over the world. I get to play Halo 2 with my brother and sister, who are 2,000 miles away, or with some of Matt's buddies who live 2 miles away. Building communities, albeit gaming communities, but that's something that just watching television or listening to the radio can't do.

Let the ramblings continue. Ultimate Fighter 3 premiered last night. We love the show. We love UFC. Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock are coaches this time around, and I think this'll make for some good drama. That coupled with good fighting, good looking guys, and you have a great show. In my opinion of course. What do you expect? I am a girl after all. Yeah, I know, a girl who loves video games and UFC. It's true. I also love sports, baseball, football, hockey, soccer, and the list goes on and on. Oddly enough, I hate shopping. But, we can talk about that another day.

What the heck?

Okay, so anyone that keeps up with current events online or tv or, whatever, is familiar with the new illegal immigrant legislation recently passed by the House, which would make illegal immigrants felons. There have been protests all over the country, California, New York, Oklahoma, and God knows where the next one will take place? I know I've kept this blog comfortably within the realm of personal finances, but sometimes, I feel compelled to write about something else. Heck, it's my blog anyway and, well, I just need to vent a little. Or a lot.

I'd like to begin with the fact that I am a hispanic female. I am first-generation American. My parents emigrated from central Mexico in the early 1970s to southern California, where I and my three siblings were born and raised. Much has to be said about the opportunities this great country America has to offer to foreigners. It's the land of the free. Home of the brave. Where a man, or woman, has control of their destiny and possibly fortunes. I love this country!

My parents worked in the fields when they first crossed the border. They busted themselves ragged daily to give their children the best this world can offer. But, they never settled. They worked their way up the ladder slowly, from the fields, to the factories and finally into the comfy, air-conditioned offices they sit in today. My parents earned their way in this country, and still do. They have taught their children the value of hard work and respect. Respect for themselves, their work, and family.

I have to say, that the people crowding the streets of this great country protesting the proposed law making it a felony to be an illegal immigrant is, in my opinion, a disgrace to every American citizen. The cries of "If you hurt immigrants you are hurting America," or "We are your economy," or "Everyone deserves a better life" completely contradict anything they do. To come to this country, you have to obey it's laws. Like them or not, they are the backbone of this country.

Immigrants have been flooding into this great nation for hundreds of years, legally. Why do we have to make exception to that rule? And how does a law pertaining to illegal immigrants, clear violators of law, diminish their pursuits to a better life? They don't. By attempting to live above the law, they diminish the pursuits of the immigrants who come here legally.

Don't get me wrong, I want these people to have a better a life, to give their children what my parents gave me. All I ask is that they do it legally. There a thousands of immigrants who want to be here, and go through the proper channels to make it happen. They don't take shortcuts and they don't make excuses. Should this land of opportunity deny them the right to have a better life because others took a shortcut and are already here? No!

I am proud of my parents. I am proud of my heritage. But, if you want to come to my country so bad that you are willing to break the law, please, show some respect and put that Mexican flag, Puerto Rican flag, Venezuelan flag, El Salvador flag, Venezuelan flag, or whatever piece of cloth down, and pick up the stars and stripes. Because that is the country you are in where you are given every promise and every opportunity to pursue life, liberty and happiness!

Article from MyTMMO newsletter

Got the Gazelle Gazette from MyTMMO (My Total Money Makeover) today and I saw an article that I thought might be of interest to some of you.

New Score, Same Game
By now, you've probably heard of the new Vantage credit score that should be available later this year and will compete directly with the FICO score.

The product of the Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit bureaus, VantageScore is formatted like the grading system you had in school. An A is a good score and an F is bad (which means paying more in interest).

But make no mistake, this is not some breakthrough way to gauge your success in life or money. "It's a new recipe, but the same old ingredients," said Jean Ann Fox, director of consumer protection with the Consumer Federation of America in Washington.

The FICO is made up of a number of factors. It considers your credit history (35% of the score), your level of debt (30%), the length of your credit history (15%), new credit (10%) and credit types (10%).

The credit bureaus have not yet released the composition of the VantageScore system, but say it's composed of your credit performance in the last 24 months. Regardless of its makeup, both scores simply mean, "I love debt so much, I want to get into it and stay there forever." These scores do not mean you are winning with money.

What if you have no debt? Then your score will not be very high and thus indicate you are not doing well. But guess what? If you have no debt, that's the real way to know you're succeeding! The money you bring home is for you to spend, invest and give; not to send to credit card and mortgage companies.

Another myth spread by society is that you need credit (and a credit score) to get a mortgage, which is ludicrous. If you live in your apartment and pay your rent on time or early, you're fine.

When you get a mortgage, go to a lender who offers manual underwriting. Manual underwriting is the process used by a lender to look beyond the FICO score to your unique financial situation. Churchill Mortgage is a great place to get quality manual underwriting for your mortgage and is one of Dave's Endorsed Local Providers.

You don't need to maintain a credit score to succeed in life, but keeping it accurate can help to keep your insurance premiums low and can also help you when getting a new job. You can check your credit for free once a year through the Annual Credit Report. Make sure to do this to prevent identity theft and also to report inaccuracies.

By paying off bills and living debt-free, your credit score will become obsolete. That's a bad thing ... for the creditors!

Source: Kiplinger's Personal Finance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My TMMO Gazelle Gazette Tuesday, March 28, 2006
My TMMO (main site)

What is financial independence?

Okay, so I have been following several blogs and podcasts about personal finances for the last year. While this makes me no expert on specific areas of personal finance, I have learned a lot.

Recently, there's been a discussion on a forum that highlights the methods of achieving financial independence via real estate investing. The idea is simple, take care of your business first and then use as much leverage as possible to increase your income potential. The main point I get out of this is that your day-to-day job won't make you as much money as real estate. Real estate can generate a greater income with less work and time thereby making you financially independent. Although I hope to do some investing in this area, I disagree with the basic premise of leverage and how it contradicts independence.

Let's start with this idea of financial independence. According to dictionary.com, independence is defined as:

1. The state or quality of being independent.
2. Sufficient income for comfortable self-support; a competence.

If you read further, you'll see the essence of independence: "freedom from control or influence of another or others."

Now, let's take a look at the definition of leverage: "The use of credit or borrowed funds to improve one's speculative capacity and increase the rate of return from an investment, as in buying securities on margin." In real estate, leveraging would require brokers or lenders. You can take $20,000 and buy two properties, at $10,000 each, that are worth $100,000 each. As a result, you would be taking out two-$100,000 mortgages with only $20,000. The income generated from those properties can either make money, or lose money. I hope the first.

There are risks involved, of course, as with any other type of investment. The property can depreciate, rent is paid late or not at all, and so on. This has great income potential, and the idea is to make so much money as to make your day job obsolete. When you no longer require this job, you have become financially independent. Or, have you?

See, this is where I disagree with most people. I don't believe this is truly financial independence. According to our definitions above, leverage requires brokers/lenders. How can one be independent with this need? Sure, you can make more money, but are you independent? No. You have two mortgages, so you owe money to a borker or a lender.

So, then, what do I think financial independence is? It's simple, no longer requiring any services from outside sources to generate income. How can that be? Everyone requires some type of service don't they? Sure. Most people use 401ks and IRAs to generate income at retirement. The main thing to look at is what does it cost you? 401ks and IRAs cost you only what you contribute, and you don't owe anymore than that. If you have paid for real estate, you don't owe a broker or a lender a dime. If you sell it, you can keep every penny of that (if you've lived in for at least two years). What an idea?

Are you a Dave Ramsey geek?

An ode to Jeff Foxworthy and lighter side of personal finances, Dave Ramsey style. You might be a Dave Ramsey geek if:

You get a Visa card in the mail and run away screaming "Cheeetaahhhhhhhh!"
You find your kids hiding in cupboards, under the bed, or in closets thinking that their next.
You avoid the dog food aisle so you don't see the Alpo bag.
People think "Dave says.." is a new version of Simon Says.
People think you're on a new fad diet, beans and rice, rice and beans.
You get a headache when people talk about the bonus points and rewards they get from their credit cards.
You sign up for satellite radio so you don't miss a day of the Dave Ramsey Show.
You bust out in tears of joy when you hear Mel Gibson yell "freedom!"

Are you a Dave Ramsey geek? Let me hear it!