MotrinMoms: Can You Feel My Pain?

November 17th, 2008 Ginger

[ This post has nothing to do with personal finance, so feel free to skip over it as I'm riding the latest social media wave.  If you choose to proceed, there's profanity ahead, cover your eyes  K-Thx-Bai ]

If you’ve been paying attention to the social media waves over the weekend then you know that Motrin caused a tsunami and messed up big time with a poorly executed ad.  So much so the site is down as of Sunday 10pm EST so I can’t even show it to you here.

The intention of the ad was to convey to moms who carry their babies in slings that Motrin feels their pain.  Cool right?  After all, if I carried a baby around in a sling I’d be in pain too because I already have back problems.  I know a few sling moms and this is true.  However, the ad went on to state that carrying a baby in a sling was more so a fashion statement along with saying that some moms secretly want to be committed because their children are writing on walls and just overall running a muck.  Hey, I’d be bat shit crazy myself.

Moms are outraged.

Guest Post at Clever Dude

November 17th, 2008 LivingAlmostLarge

I forgot to mention I had a guest post this week at the Clever Dude.  The title of the post “Thinking Poor” is about my DH’s experiences being raised by cheap parents and how “thinking poor” can be a mindset rather than a way of life.  Check it out!

Time or Tithe?

November 16th, 2008 LivingAlmostLarge

I am writing this week about issues twenty-something people face financially, because I’m hosting tomorrow the Twenty-Something Carnival of Finances.  It’s Sunday and I’m sure many people go to Church. I don’t, but I can understand how it’s important to go and participate.

Anyway, when people are starting out, they might be burdened with student loan debt, credit card debt, a car loan, and fees typical of furnishing a place to live.  Twenty-somethings might not have much excess money every month after paying all of their fixed bills.  So how can they tithe while paying off debt, saving for an emergency fund, and saving for retirement?

I think perhaps giving of their time. I’ve often asked JW of NeedToBeDebtFree, why not tithe instead of giving 10% of his income? He’s never responded or explained why it wouldn’t work. And perhaps my readers will enlighten me as to why donating times to the church would not be an acceptable substitute to giving 10%.

My roommate is a devout Muslim, and he is currently principal of Sunday school.  We discussed this and he’s said that he tells young people starting out to be teachers for Sunday school and help at the mosque instead of “tithing/zagat” because it gets them more involved with the community.  Also because these young people are typical single and unencumbered they have the time to devote to creating lesson plans, filing papers in the office etc.  Plus is an opportunity to meet other young single Muslims.

Moving for a job?

November 15th, 2008 LivingAlmostLarge

Pecuniary Reading: The Costs of Keeping Children, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

November 15th, 2008 Penelope Pince

Madoline and I love to read, and we often come across amusing passages on matters pecuniary that we think our readers might enjoy. The following is from Chapter One of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, in which Mr. Darling, upon the arrival of his children, calculates the potential expense and speculates on whether or not he can afford to keep them. We thought it was quite cute and hope you enjoy it.

Weekly Carnivals and Roundup

November 14th, 2008 LivingAlmostLarge

This week I participated in multiple carnivals. Also next Monday I’ll be hosting the carnival of Twenty-Something Finances.  Please submit a post here, and come back on Monday to check it out.  Also please leave a comment for a chance to win the book Investing for Dummies.  But onto the roundup.

• Festival of Frugality Veteran’s Day
• 178th Carnival of Personal Finance
• 84th Carnival of Money Stories
• 165th Carnival of Debt Reduction
• 38th Carnival of Money Hacks
• 4th Book Review Carnival
• Investing Carnival Remembrance Edition
• 10th Bankruptcy Carnival
• 18th Rich Life Carnival

Here are some posts I found interesting this week

Friday Fiscal Roundup: Living On The Edge Edition

November 14th, 2008 Ginger

It never ceases to amaze me how many people are comfortable living on the edge, but my hope is these articles will be able to give them some insight and perhaps incite some changes to their money habits.  A wise woman told me it’s better to deal with the devil you know than the one you don’t, but I still wonder what stops many from taking that first step.  Anyhoo, hopefully if you’re reading, you’ll gain some insight from the following articles.

From The PF Bloggers:

Living Almost Large

• Is it frugal to live alone?

MasterYourCard

Spending $12 never made me feel so rich

November 14th, 2008 Ashley

I mentioned last Friday that I was taking mt pants in to get hemmed.  I don’t know why but I was very weirded out by the whole thing.  I have never had anything professionally altered before.  Even my wedding dress was altered by my mother in law.

I found a place online that seemed ok, for as much as you can tell online. I walk in and there is a tiny lady hunched over a sewing machine and just buried in fabric.  The whole store is just one big pile of fabric, clothes, and string.  I walk up to her and tell her I need my pants hemmed.  She barely speaks English but I figure out she wants me to put them on so she can measure them.  When I immerge from the rickety cardboard dressing room she points to a plywood platform in front of a mirror.  I stand on it and she pins up the bottom of my pants with lighting speed.

When I left I couldn’t help but feel incredibly wealthy.  Not only can I afford a brand new pair of pants, but I can also afford to have them customized.  Getting these pants hemmed only cost $12, but the fact that I can spend money on something like that made me feel so grateful.  I don’t know if this makes sense.  I’ve certainly spent more than $12 before.  It’s not the dollar amount, it’s the luxury, I guess.

12 Side Hustles To Stay Afloat

November 14th, 2008 Kristy

I’m on this whole holiday kick and one of the things I’ve been thinking about lately is how I can inject a little more cash flow into my budget. I’ve got things locked down pretty tight just because I’m cautious like that. Besides having a solid emergency fund, there are some things you can do - side hustles, if you will - to help put cash in your budget and tide you over when times are tough.

1.) Part-Time Job

This one is fairly obvious and the first one most people will go to. But, it can sometimes be difficult to fit it into your already full schedule. I mention it because it’s an option, but don’t feel like this is the only one you have.

2.) Donate Blood/Plasma/Sperm

Who knew your bodily fluids could be so valuable??? Most donation centers will compensate you for your time, and you can donate rather often. Ladies, you can obviously only donate blood and plasma (they pay more for plasma), but fellas you get the sperm banks thrown in as an added bonus. The compensation on sperm donations can be lucrative, but there’s one drawback. They’re picky as all get-out when it comes to sperm. Check with your local banks and find out the rules and restrictions, but donating any of the three can be a great way to pad you budget!

Is it frugal to live alone?

November 14th, 2008 LivingAlmostLarge

This week was about questions that 20-something people often ask themselves and others.  But a really important question I know my friends have asked me is, is it worth it to live alone?  Of course it’s more frugal to share an apartment because you share the utilities, share the rent, share the space, etc.  But you buy peace and quiet in living alone.  So can it be frugal to live alone?

How do you make the argument that it’s worth living alone and without roommates?  When is worth the money and when is it not?  Is it ever frugal to live alone, or is it always a waste of money?

Most of my friends enjoy living with roommate for a few years after college.  They enjoy the companionship, the camaraderie, and the built in people to hang out with.  Also sometimes it’s necessary because you aren’t making a lot of money and have student loans and debts.  So maybe you scrimp and save by paying only 50% of utilities and rent.

But then after a few years most of my friends got the urge to live alone.  They begin to earn more money and suddenly they hate having to deal with the idiosyncracies of others.  So they ask the question is it worth living alone?