Day 214-And We're Back!

Day 214- And We're Back and Keeping Cool

Well, friends of competency. It turns out that my July Sabbatacal from the blog went a little longer than expected. But, I am back and I promise to really be back this time.

This being the first of August, it would be good I think to talk about keeping cool.

Its summer here in the Nation's Capital and if you ever wonder why government stops functioning in August, you have never been in DC in August.

It is so godlessly hot and sticky, you feel like your face may melt if you were to go outside. Its easy to break out in a drippy sweat, even while sitting still.

Of course, the obvious choice of keeping cool is cranking up the AC and doing absolutely nothing. But the unfortunate thing, of course, is all those air conditioners are doing their part to raise the overall temperature of the earth. And on top of that, if one too many air conditioners are on at the same time, you run the risk of a black out--much like the 20 hour black out our street had two days ago.

So, here are some cheap, easy and environmentally friendly ways to beat the heat.

1. Find places that are already cool- There are plenty of places that have the AC cranked up high. Restaurants and Theatres are obvious choices. But public libraries and museums are also a great choice, too. That way you can keep cool and support public education. Finding a shady tree in a public park is a great place to have a picnic, read and listen to your transistor radio.

2. Drink tap water- Sure, it feels really good to pull that pitcher of water from the fridge and fill a glass with ice and chug it down. But, once the cold water is inside of you, your body works hard to warm that water into body temperature. So, while your body core temperature is brought down, you body actually turns up the heat in order to bring it back to a comfortable level. Its better to just drink room temperature water. Or, drink one glass of ice water and follow that up with room temperature water.

3. Watch out on caffeine, sugar and alcohol- While an ice cold Coke, iced tea or beer may sound wonderful refreshing, you get the side effects of drinking something cold plus the physiological effects of caffeine, sugar and alcohol. The first two speed your heart up, causing your temperature to rise. And alcohol is a diuretic, causing you to loose important fluids through urine rather than cooling sweat. So much like ice water, if you drink a soda or beer, follow it up with some room temperature water.

4. Get some ice packs- When Christine worked at the LA Catholic Worker, they didn't have air conditioning at all and summer in LA can get pretty hot at night. So, they got some reusable picnic cooler ice packs from the local $.99 store. Every day, the cooler packs went in the freezer and every night they got wrapped into t-shirts and slept with. It really helps cool down those hot summer nights. On top of that, it fills the freezer. And full freezers work more efficiently and use less electricity than empty ones do.

5. Jersey Bed Sheets- Jersey bed sheets are made with soft cott0n and have a lower thread count than other bed sheets. The effect is a fabric that resembles t-shirt material. This allows for your sheets to breathe better and lets breezes cool you down. A set of Jersey sheets, an ice pack and a box fan near an open window are pretty much all you need to have a good night's sleep in the summer months.

Good luck keeping cool this summer. And we will see you on Monday.

Day 112- Earth Day; or, Do More- Useless

I hate the new chevy ads. The ones for the environmentally friendly cars.



There is another one where the environmentally concerned driver connects his socks and underwear to the car radial antennae and then starts driving. As his tighty whiteys are flapping in the wind, the words say, "If you really cared about the environment, you could dry your clothes on your way to work. Or, you can get a new Chevy Tahoe Hybrid."

I hate these ads because they confirm what I thought all along, GM and Chevy are jumping on the "Green Bandwagon". They have found a great way to convince people the only way to save the world is by spending more money.

According to the Kelly Blue Book, a new Chevy Tahoe Hybrid will run you $50,490. And The Chevy website confirms that. Wow! And just how green is your Chevy Tahoe Hybrid? Approx. 20 MPG both hwy and city. That is still 4 MPG less than Chevy's non-hybrid compact AVEO.

And that is not even with extra features or gas.

What could we do with that $50,500?

We could put solar panels on 3 houses and never have to pay for gas or electricity again.
You could buy shares in a Community Supported Farm and have fresh, locally grown vegetables for 91 years.
You could install about 2,500 square feet of double paned window glass and save on heating and cooling for 10 average sized American households .
You could afford 40,400 bus rides on the Washington, DC Metrobus. Or one round trip a day for 55 years. And take a car off the road, for nearly a lifetime--reducing CO2 and dependence of oil.
Or, you could buy about 5,000 Dimmable Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs. And save on electricity.

In other words, you could buy a lot of actually green options for the same price as a green-ish hybrid SUV.

What really gets me the most about these ads is how much it makes environmentalists seem weird.

"Dog baths and flapping underwear. This is your future America. But you can trust us, we are Chevrolet. We know what is best for you. We'll save you from those weirdos"

Day 69- Back on the Bandwagon

Day 69- Back on the Bandwagon

Last week was crazy! Friday was the Interfaith Peace Witness and because I was working on the planning committee, my whole world was upside down and inside out.

And because my world was a big ball of crazed stress, my finances went super crazy. Instead of packing healthy and delicious lunches, I would eat a burrito the size of my head from Chipotle or something cheap and easy from the deli. Or, just not anything at all.

I have dropped keeping track of what I ate, especially at The Daily Plate. And while it felt good, it also means I don't really remember what I ate or how much I spent on it.

So, the first thing I did this weekend when I was done with the Peace witness was to balance my checkbook from the past week. It was pretty shocking how much I spent on stress food.

But, I am right back on the bandwagon again. And instead of eating out, I have been making all my food again. And with the March Bulk order coming in tonight, I am excited to have food in the house again. And a new batch of farm fresh CSA veggies are on their way in just a few weeks.

So my expenses are in order and food is healthy and fresh.

Competence Moments of the Week: Getting all my finances back into order by balancing my checkbook, updating my automatic debt reduction, and filing my taxes. It looks like I am getting $1,000 back from my Fed alone! (That dosn't even include Indiana, DC taxes or my Stimulus package). And pulling off a bad-ass MoFo of a peace march.

Day 59- Financial Autopilot

Day 50- Financial Autopilot

Does the end of the month fill you with dread? Do you find that bills and rent and everything gives you an overwhelming sense of helplessness? Understandably. But help is on the way! Put your finances on autopilot.

Many financial institutions will allow you to set up automatic spending plans, why not take advantage of it?

The secret to financial strength is to always pay yourself first. I have my ING Account automatically do the savings for me. I have two accounts that are authorized to take a portion of my paycheck out on the days they arrive. That way, it gets there first thing without me having to think about doing it.

Secondly, there are bills to pay. Some bills will always cost the same every month, no matter what--like Cable, Rent, Car Payments, Student Loans, Etc. So why not get your bank to cut them a check every month before the due date? That will make sure your bills are paid accurately and on time every month. Plus, some companies--like student loans--will even lower your interest rate if you pay on time.

Finally, some utilities (which fluctuate every month) will send the "bill" to your checking account instead of you and automatically withdraw that amount.

Automatic finances is great, but it doesn't mean you get to forget about the whole process. Remember to always balance your checkbook. If things look fishy (though probably won't), make sure you have access to those accounts and how they work so that you can appeal any "strange" withdrawals. I also take half of what remains after my automatic bill pay and put that in my highly liquid savings account. This acts as a buffer for when my budget does not quite work out like expected (like when Okkerville River comes into town and my doctor's appointment becomes three).

Competency Moment of Day: Stocked up on cans of delicious fruit for work snacks instead of budgeting for hot dog and coke breaks--thus saving time, money and on empty calories.

Day 50- 2.33%

Yup, I am 2.33% away from my goal of being debt free!

Way to go Alex!

Day 46- Financial Inheritance

Day 46- Financial Inheritance

Usually, when we talk about financial inheritance, its a good thing. Maybe a distant uncle has bequeathed you millions. Or your beloved grandmother left you her favorite broach. But what I am talking about today has much more to do with emotional inheritances surrounding your interactions with money.

The other day, Friend Travis noted that filing his taxes made him realize that living on his own took him out of the middle class lifestyle he grew up in and squarely in the working class bracket.

We all grew up with different expectations surrounding money. Most of them have come from our parents or grandparents. And thus, out on our own, we now find the lessons taught at an early age now come around and bite us causing us to make many of the same mistakes they did.

My parents both grew up in households where money was tight. My mom was the eldest of a whole mess of kids. And my dad practically grew up in a single parent household. But they never wanted me and my brother to have to worry about the same things they worried about. So, even when money was tight there were many things we could "afford" even when should have.

There was always money for books. Even though we practically *lived* at the public library and got most of our reading done there, there always seemed to be money for books.

There was always money for special occasion meals. We did not always eat out. But we did frequently, especially when time was tight. And on special occasions, we would go some where fancy.

There was always money for cable TV. I seriously cannot remember a time when we didn't have cable TV in the house. And when we moved into our new apartment in Richmond, my folks even offered to pay for our cable for us.

There was always money for trips. Whenever I wanted to go somewhere, there always seemed to be money for it. Even though I knew it was expensive. Sometimes, I had to work for scholarships. But I never paid for it completely that way.

So, now, that money is tight and I am trying to borrow less and less money from my folks and other outside sources, there are four sticking points. Yup: books, meals, TV/Movies, trips.

Cutting out these things have become so difficult for me, it has become a spiritual practice for me. I have completely given up eating out for Lent (except for last night- Valentine's Day). I give myself no more than 10 minutes in a bookstore and I never come in with a list. We just had to cancel our Ded Prez day trip to Boston because we realized we couldn't afford it. And the only reason I can justify having cable is due to a combination of Presidential Elections and the fact that I am splitting it with 7 other people!

Breaking my Financial Inheritances is hard. But it is worth it. The fact that I have nearly paid back all the money I owe my family is due to in large part that I am sticking to my spending plan and paying back bills with my snowflakes. I am also finding good compromises on how to stay away from my weaknesses.

I have been reading from my private and public libraries instead of going to Borders. I pack myself a delicious and hearty meal every day for work. I have been cutting back my TV time so that I can be more serious about getting rid of cable next year. And I go on "vacation" in my own city by going to free events and outings.

What sort of financial inheritances have you received (both good and bad) and how do you work with them?

Competence Moment of the Day: Even though I fell of the TheDailyPlate.com wagon, I got right back on and started noting my meals and exercise again.

Day 44- Poll Working

Day 44-Poll Working

Yesterday was what many have dubbed "the Potomac Primary". Maryland, Virginia and The District of Columbia all voted their primaries.

When I registered to vote in the District, I noticed a call for poll workers. Apparently, there is a national shortage of poll workers by nearly half-a-million! and the median age of workers is 72! I spent my day working the polls.

I must say, the lack of workers was evident. Our team of five had to cover a total of (ideally) eight positions. And our line that started before the polls opened at 7am did not let up until polls closed at 8pm-it was a constant stream of people.

First time voters, lapsed voters, experienced voters, young, old, black, white, latino/a, asian, recent citizens, peace activists and vets. They all came. We ran out of ballots- twice!!! It was wonderful helping people participate in democracy.

We worked hard to get people out of there as quickly as possible, but rushes were tight.

While I was working, I thought of a lot of policies that could be adopted in order to make voting more smooth.

These include but are not limited to Opening closed primaries and Same day voter registration.

But what would really make voting easier for every one would be having an influx of passionate, helpful, young poll workers.

That is where you can step in.

Please volunteer to work the polls in the next elections. If the Primary season is any indication at all, the general election is going to be huge!!! We had twice the expected ammount of voters yesterday and Primaries are never as large of voter turn out as Generals are.

It is a great way to meet your neighbors and help democracy in our nation work. If you have ever been nervous about voting irregularities or illegal actions at your polls, then what better way than being the worker who counts the votes and welcomes the voter?

Plus, you get compensated for your time (snowflake alert).

Snowflakes, Snowballs, and Snowmen Pt. 3

Day 35- Snowflakes, Snowballs and Snowmen Pt. 3

Snowmen are made out of giant snowballs. You roll your snowballs together to different sizes and shapes and then you put them on top of each other to form the head, torso, and base. Deciding how you are going to take care of your debt snowballs is a lot like making a snowball, because you have do decide if your snowball will form the head, torso or base.

Lets look at it this way. I currently hold four debts. My smallest one, I will pay first-thus wiping it out.

Next month when I gather up my snowflakes and snowballs, I will put that same money I spent to wipe out that smallest debt to one of the larger remaining three.

But which debt should I put it toward? That is where I start thinking about my snowman's many parts.

Conventional wisdom says I should put it toward my largest of loans. It is accumulating the most interest and putting more money toward is is most logical. That is the head.

On the other hand, I could put it toward my debt I hold from my family. My folks were so understanding to give me the money. They are not charging me any interest and it is the smallest of the loans. Paying it off immediately would feel so good. Plus I love my folks and want to be out from under their debt. That is paying debt off with my heart-the torso.

Or, I could pay off my Earlham debt. Due to some poor planning and a whimsical May Term trip, I still owe them a good chunk of change. Paying that off immediately would feel really good! That is paying off debt with my gut-The base.

I cannot tell you which part of the snowman you should pay. But there are some snowball calculators which can tell you how much you will pay according to which snowball method you use. If I pay according to the torso or base, I only pay $80 more dollars than if I pay off the head. Is it worth it to me to spend that extra $80 for some peace of mind?

I am not sure yet. But, it is something to ponder about.

Snowflakes, Snowballs, Snowmen Part 1

Day 33-Snowflakes, Snowballs and Snowmen Pt. 1

Snowflakes. Individually, not much on their own, but together, they can make a big impact. Similiarly, we can think about our spare change, odd jobs and windfalls as snowflakes which, when put together, can take a big bite out of debt.

Overall, I owe about $20,000 in debt. Most of that is owed to the government. Some of that, is owed to Earlham to pay for my month in Spain and Morrocco. A small part of that is to my parents, when I had a hard time making ends meet in December. And the tip of the iceberg is to Christine, to make sure the rent check cleared.

Every month, I have built into my spending plan debt payment. This is how much from my income I am willing to spend on debt payments. I make it a point to always pay more than the minimum if I can.

Any new income I get in the month goes directly into my snowflake pile.

Little things I do to snowflake won't make a big difference at all. For instance, the $50 I will get for dog sitting next week would probably not cover the interest on my student loans. And my coin jar would be nothing at all to Earlham. However. Either of those could pay back Christine no problem and leave a nice bit to pay back my parents.

That is the power of the snowflake. Snowflakes can be added together and make a snowball which can be thrown at your debt.

Techniques for snowflaking:

1. Spare Change- I have a sock that I call my sock of snowflakes. Everyday, I empty my pockets of spare and loose change and then I put it in the sock. I then keep it out of sight so that I don't dig into in order to by snacks a the convenience store. Sometimes I put dollars in there, too. The PNC down the street has a Coinstar-like machine that will then add it up and give me cash. For Free!

2. Odd Jobs- Next week, I am picking up two new odd jobs. I am house sitting for a friend of ours and I am also working the polls for the Primary election. Neither pay particularly well. But they are snowflakes for the taking. You can find some more at craigslist.com

3. Tax Rebate- Sure, Congress and President Bush want me to spend it on something shiny. But, if I can take that chucnk of change and pay off a chunk of debt, why shouldn't I?

4. Online Surveys- the good people at paidtwice.com have a list of surveys for fun and profit. They don't pay awesome, and most of the time I haven't qualified for them. But they only take about 10 minutes for a couple of bucks.

Tomorrow we will talk about Snowballs and how to turn your snowflakes into debt relief.
But what about you? What do you do to earn/save some extra money?

Comptence Moment of the Day- I have lost 5 inches off my waist.

Oh Bluerg!

Day 32- The Importance of Savings; or, Oh Bluerg!

Today, I learned the importance of keeping some savings close at hand. A combination of a higher than average rent check and a smaller than average paycheck and my successful attempt to wean myself from my credit card caused me to drain my liquid savings account and dip into my ING account for the first time.

Its moments like this when I bang my head on the desk. Boy, is this frustrating. Starting the month off flat broke is not my ideal situation. However, this will be a great experience in living a frugal lifestyle.

On the upside, this will help me fulfill my other goals of not eating out for the next two weeks and no impulse buying.

On the other hand, I had made plans with some friends to go shopping for yarn for our new knitting circle we are starting.

Oh Bluerg!

Competence highlight of the Day- Ummmm... We'll See.

Financial Order

Day 29-Getting Your Finances in Order

Getting your finances in order can be a huge job, especially right out of school. Living on your own for the first time means big new responsibilities. Even folks living on their own for a while can struggle. But if you take things one step at a time and keep your self together, it can start running on its own.

So, now that it is almost the end of January, here are some tips:

1. Get your 2008 Credit Report- According to law, you are allowed one free credit report a year, so you might as well take it. Getting your credit report can be extremely helpful. www.annualcreditreport.com will get you in touch with the three major credit report companies. I got mine. Not only did they not have my new address, but I also found out I owed *a lot* more to the Department of Education for my student loans than I had thought. That made me rethink my budgeting plan.

2.Track every Penny- I dusted off my old quicken account but I also looked into Mint.com and wesabe.com. I personally liked the ease of quicken. But Mint and wesabe both had really neat functions. Knowing exactly where my money goes allows me to reassess my priorities. (Did I really need that forth burrito from Chipotle?)

3. Make a budget- There are two schools of how to make a budget. One involves planning ahead and deciding how much you are willing to spend in the next day, week, month, year on different things. The other involves tracking your spending and reacting to your needs. I personally like the latter. While I wish I were more proactive, I am also not psychic. I cannot correctly assess how much I will spend next week on things and I like to freedom to be able to spend if I can. I do set goals however. To keep track of my budget goals, I took the advice of J.D. at Get Rich Slowly with a Spending plan.

4. Snowballs and Snowflakes- One image that would always make me laugh when I was little was when, in the cartoons, a single snowflake would fall of a tree and roll down a hill getting larger and larger. First, it would be pea sized, the golf ball, then baseball, basketball. It would get bigger and bigger, and faster and faster. Until it was huge! And it would crush the villain. Debt can be a lot like that. Debt relief can be a lot like that too. Put any extra income you may receive directly to debt relief. Those snowflakes might not seem like a lot. But, snowflakes can become big things. Check out I've Paid For This Twice Already... for a great primer on snowflaking your debt away.

With successfully accomplishing goals 1, 2, and 3, I have found goal 4 much easier to accomplish.


Competence Moment Highlight- Treating myself to a burrito after two weeks of not eating out.