Pot, meet kettle.

In a grocery store parking lot, I noticed two elderly women walking closely on their way to do some shopping.  One seemed upset and was letting her companion know why:

Oh, people!  Some folks only care about themselves.  They don’t even notice other people around them!

This struck me as a little funny.  Perhaps it was because they were blocking traffic by walking along an aisle rather than crossing it.  Some poor, patient driver was crawling behind them at a safe distance waiting for them to get out of the way. 

The driver and I made eye contact.  We both smiled.  I wonder if he had been able to overhear the conversation as well?

Sheltered

It’s pouring outside.  Sheets of rain are pulsing past horizontally, propelled by an intense wind. 

The atrium I am sitting in, enclosed by a 30-foot-tall wall of windows, is sheltering me from the discomforts of the current outdoors – like wet and cold – while enabling me to enjoy its benefits – like natural light and a beautiful view. 

It’s making me wonder -- in what other ways are we similarly sheltered?  How many of the things we enjoy are a result of this kind of shelter?

-elsa

Times of yore

Thomas Jefferson clearly put lots of thought and resources into Monticello.  The house is beautiful and our tour was great.

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that my favorite part of the whole experience was a little exchange that took place as the tour guide led our group over to Jefferson’s spherical sun dial.

The tour guide asked, “How did people tell time before they had clocks?”

And some little kid had a tentative answer:

“Roman numerals?”

Two cents about saving two cents

At a lecture I attended years and years ago, Lester Thurow predicted the housing bubble would burst.  Though everything around us seemed to be made out of gold, and the economic boom had so much positive momentum that it felt like it would go on forever, he laid out what was coming.

At the time, the average savings of an American household was ZERO DOLLARS.  He didn’t say exactly when or exactly how it would happen, but he did make it clear that this complete lack of leverage was going to bite the US in the butt.

And boy did that bite hurt!

DISCLAIMER: I’m not an economist and I haven’t crunched any numbers to support anything I’m saying.  Despite this, I’m convinced that adequate savings could have spared many individuals from the wrenching heartaches they had to endure as a result of the housing bubble fallout.

How do people accumulate adequate savings?

I have no idea how to answer this question for people whose incomes are barely (or not) enough to cover even the most basic living expenses.  Shacking up with relatives, training for a better job, or proactive family-planning are some possibilities, but they don’t even begin to address the plentitude of issues that propagate these circumstances.

But for most other folks, a few simple tips could provide the reigns needed to steer clear of pocketbook pitfalls that could lead to financial trouble.

Savings Tip #1:  Redefine the term “I can afford it”.  To too many folks, “I can afford it” simply means the balance in their checking account or, even worse, their credit limit can cover the immediate expense in question.  For example, someone who defines “I can afford it” in this (incorrect) way might spend $450 on a purse when there is $500 in their bank account without considering their upcoming car insurance payment.

Shift to the following definition instead:

“I have set aside the funds required to make this expense in such a way that will not impact my other financial commitments, including my monthly savings goals.”

In other words, “I can afford it” means that one will not have to go into debt as a direct or indirect result of the proposed expense.

Stay tuned for Savings Tip #2.

Big Mouth

It’s official: I am what you might call “a big mouth”.

Because of this, I was among 21 tellers to compete in MassMouth’s Big Mouth Off.  There were more people in attendance than the 340 seats in the auditorium could accommodate!

Although I did not win the week long stay in a medieval Tuscan  townhouse  (or any other prize, for that matter), I had an absolute blast! 

It was a great night.

And MassMouth is going to do it again!  MassMouth will be holding story workshops leading up to next season’s first slam.  Keep a close eye on http://www.massmouth.com and http://blog.massmouth.com if you don’t want to miss out on the action!

Are we wicked step-sisters?

There’s a story I’ve been hearing more and more lately.  It sounds something like this:

You too can create a website that will earn you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars!  Don’t worry if you don’t have a product or a service to sell!  Just take this generic thing, re-brand it, offer it in exchange for e-mail addresses and …

Every time I come across it, I imagine someone sitting on top of an elaborate pyramid whose scheme can only work if there are people out there who want to earn a living without creating any sort of value.

The weird thing is, there appear to be plenty of people who fall into this category.

Where does this come from?  Taking a peek at a particular, ancient story theme, we can see that it’s not an entirely new phenomena.

 The youngest, out of sheer necessity, leaves the security of home to wander through unfamiliar territory.  Along the way, she meets bedraggled beings (human or otherwise) who are in dire need and she kindly shares or gives away what little she has.  She is rewarded for her generosity, in a way she could not have anticipated. 

After returning home, she is forced by her jealous step-sister to share the “secret” behind her success.  The step-sister immediately sets off to follow the youngest’s instructions step by step.  However, since she is acting out of selfishness instead of kindness, her interactions with those she meets are less than admirable and the reward she reaps as a result is often quite horrible.

We’ve all heard a story like this.  In fact, it’s such a traditional folktale theme that generation after generation of our ancestors have.  I believe there is a reason this story continues to survive, a reason we continue to feel compelled to tell it.

Dear annoying, internet-marketing, scammer,

Thank you for helping to keep the oral tradition alive.

The way to a girl’s heart, part II

A handsome young man approached me as I waited for Christian outside the Falafel King.  He asked me for the time and then lingered quietly for a moment after I answered.  Finally, his words found him.

“Can I ask you something?  What’s your nationality?”

Ah, yes.  This is how most people start a conversation with me.  In this middle of this particular conversation, my phone rang.  It was Christian.

I excused myself to answer and, after I was assured Christian was just mere minutes from arriving, hung up and returned my attention to the guy standing next to me.  Aware that he would soon be a third wheel, he began to say farewell.  But first,

“You really caught my attention.”

Ah.  That’s kind of flattering, isn’t it?  And then,

“I know you’re much older than me…

                               but I was hoping maybe we could mingle.”

Ha.  I couldn’t help but think of that time in Peru.  Maybe it’s a good thing men don’t usually hit on me.   I’m not sure my self esteem could take such a regular beating.

MassMouth: a special night

MassMouth had its first story slam on October 26, 2009.  Since then, it’s hosted a number of others – often to standing room only crowds – that I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of attending. 

Tonight, as Norah Dooley, Andrea Lovett, and Doria Hughes made their rounds to ensure that everyone who wanted a chance to tell signed up, I noticed a glimmer in Christian’s eye.  Lo and behold, he put his name in the hat!

I competed at the Valentine’s Day slam and won a slot in the upcoming Mega Mouth.  (Check out the grand prize to see why this is exciting.)  Despite this, I’d have to say that tonight’s slam was even more special to me because Christian got up to tell.

Hooray for Christian!  Hooray for MassMouth!  Hooray for all you lucky listeners and tellers out there! 

P.S. Mark your calendars – March 21st 4-7pm at Ryles is your last shot at winning a slot to compete in the April 20th Mega Mouth slam.

Pi day

Today is Pi day!  March 14th = 3.14 = the perfect excuse for those of us with a little crush on π to celebrate our affection.

    

Thank goodness for homophones and our good friends, K & A.  (Without them, this special day wouldn’t be nearly as tasty.)

 

Sharing: A puzzle, a finance tip, and a card

It feels like I haven’t “shared” anything lately.  And, since the September challenge has been successfully completed and put to bed, I can share whatever I want any day of the week!

• KenKen
  I enjoy these arithmetic/logic puzzles even more than Sudoku.  According to Wikipedia, KenKen was invented in 2004 as an “instruction-free method of training the brain” by Tetsuya Miyamoto, a Japanese math teacher.

I recently discovered http://www.kenken.com as a source of KenKen puzzles.  A variety of puzzle sizes are available, the interface is easy to use, and it’s free.  So what’s not to love?



• Mvelopes 
  I’ve been practicing what’s referred to as “envelope based” saving/spending for well over 10 years.  I’m a big proponent – I truly believe that if more people approached their finances this way, there would be fewer people struggling with back-breaking debt.

I plan on writing more about this in the future.  In the meantime, here is a link for a risk-free trial of Mvelopes, an award-winning online envelope budgeting system.  I have been using it for over a year now and was so impressed that I purchased a lifetime subscription.  (Disclosure: With the link I’ve provided, you’ll get a 20% discount if you continue past the trial and I will get a few bucks for the referral.)




• Retro Dance Card 
  This Retro Dance invitation designed by “cambliss” can be found on Zazzle.  You can modify the card before purchase -- add a note, a poem, or a greeting -- to make it your own.
  
  

 

If any of these things end up striking your fancy, please let me know?  Thanks!