Woohoo!Ockham wrote:I got the job.
Ockham's Razor
Re: Ockham's Razor
Re: Ockham's Razor
The church I go to usually has lunch after service for college students. Something I've done in the past is grab a styrofoam tray and load up enough leftover lunch stuff for dinner. They probably plan for everyone to do that because there's a bunch leftover. Today the lunch wasn't held at my church, so I planned on just grabbing something from an on-campus store.
Briefly I considered going to the local Subway's. Recall how the college does this thing where it sets aside $100 or so for a student to use at on-campus shops and restaurants. Subway's is one of those places at my college. It would have costed around $10, instead of the usual $5-8 I would otherwise spend. Then I realized this was a bad idea, for two reasons.
First, it's still a limited supply of money that I need to make last the rest of the semester. Kinda hard to do if I'm blowing away $10 in one night. Second, it's not a decision that'd be compatible with ER/ERE. It would be unnecessarily spending for the sake of spending. As someone trying to save money, it would be a bad decision indeed.
Briefly I considered going to the local Subway's. Recall how the college does this thing where it sets aside $100 or so for a student to use at on-campus shops and restaurants. Subway's is one of those places at my college. It would have costed around $10, instead of the usual $5-8 I would otherwise spend. Then I realized this was a bad idea, for two reasons.
First, it's still a limited supply of money that I need to make last the rest of the semester. Kinda hard to do if I'm blowing away $10 in one night. Second, it's not a decision that'd be compatible with ER/ERE. It would be unnecessarily spending for the sake of spending. As someone trying to save money, it would be a bad decision indeed.
Re: Ockham's Razor
Due to a lot of snow hitting the area, work got cancelled. I was supposed to start yesterday. The campus was closed due to snow both yesterday and today. So I don't know when my first day of work will be. This bothers me, because I was really looking forward to starting my job.
I tried a little experiment and am happy with the results. Normally I buy a 20 ounce bottle of Pepsi or whatever for about $1.57 plus tax. That usually lasts me about a day. I observed the place I buy the soda from has 1-liter bottles for thirty cents more. Bought one of those instead, and I just finished it after 2 days. So just throughout the week if I ever need something to handle my dry mouth I can grab a liter of soda and be set for a couple of days. I drink a lot of water, which is why the soda lasts so long.
I tried a little experiment and am happy with the results. Normally I buy a 20 ounce bottle of Pepsi or whatever for about $1.57 plus tax. That usually lasts me about a day. I observed the place I buy the soda from has 1-liter bottles for thirty cents more. Bought one of those instead, and I just finished it after 2 days. So just throughout the week if I ever need something to handle my dry mouth I can grab a liter of soda and be set for a couple of days. I drink a lot of water, which is why the soda lasts so long.
Re: Ockham's Razor
Can you get to a grocery store or drug store and get a 12 pack of soda? It would probably be $2.50 or so, especially if you can find generic brand.
$1.80 isn't a lot, but if you buy one everyday that is going to add up.
$1.80 isn't a lot, but if you buy one everyday that is going to add up.
Re: Ockham's Razor
That's a plausible idea. The dorm has a fridge in the basement. However I don't think we're allowed to have stuff in there for longer than 24 hours. I don't really have anywhere else to put them.pathguy wrote:Can you get to a grocery store or drug store and get a 12 pack of soda? It would probably be $2.50 or so, especially if you can find generic brand.
$1.80 isn't a lot, but if you buy one everyday that is going to add up.
---------------------------------------
In other news, my first day of work was today. It was mainly training. I guess my real work begins Monday.
-
jacob
- Site Admin
- Posts: 17139
- Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
- Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
- Contact:
Re: Ockham's Razor
If you're not particular to the brand taste of a given cola, you can make your own very easily.
http://www.homebrewing.org/Cola-Soda_p_488.html
+ some baker's yeast + a 10 or 20 pound sack of sugar from costco.
It takes about 2 days to make a batch. You make it directly in the 2L bottles.
Overall though, since soda is dirt cheap, you should run a cost analysis before DIY instead of just buying it. It will depend very much of the price you can source the sugar at.
http://www.homebrewing.org/Cola-Soda_p_488.html
+ some baker's yeast + a 10 or 20 pound sack of sugar from costco.
It takes about 2 days to make a batch. You make it directly in the 2L bottles.
Overall though, since soda is dirt cheap, you should run a cost analysis before DIY instead of just buying it. It will depend very much of the price you can source the sugar at.
Re: Ockham's Razor
Today was a marginally interesting experiment in financial wisdom. Worked for 5.5 hours, so I certainly gained some cash. Went to do my laundry, and realized I had run out of liquid detergent last week. However, before I moved into the dorms, a friend had bought me a box of powder detergent. The first time I tried using it I realized I don't know how to use this stuff! So in the past I would just buy a small bottle of liquid detergent that would last me the semester.
Tonight I opted to try something different. I asked a friend how the stuff is used, and I tried it for the first time. I've not yet seen the results. But I don't doubt it works just fine. Is powder detergent cheaper than the liquid stuff? I would be surprised if it is. In terms of convenience, there really is no difference between them. Both are pretty easy for me.
Tonight I opted to try something different. I asked a friend how the stuff is used, and I tried it for the first time. I've not yet seen the results. But I don't doubt it works just fine. Is powder detergent cheaper than the liquid stuff? I would be surprised if it is. In terms of convenience, there really is no difference between them. Both are pretty easy for me.
Re: Ockham's Razor
It's been over a month since I've last posted. I figured it would be good to offer an update.
The job is still up and running, of course. Due to the 15 hour workweek (more than I originally anticipated but I'm running with it) and decent pay, I have a good monthly income. This is allowing me to have a little wiggle room with my finances.
An idea I have flirted with for a long time was living off-campus. Well ladies and gentlemen that is finally going to happen! I did some cost analysis and found it was very beneficial for me to live in a house as opposed to the dorms. Here's some of the math I did:
Living in the dorms costs roughly $4,000 per semester. That is about $1,000 a month. That covers all "bills" - room, food, gas, electricity, water, and Internet. It would also cover cable, if my roommate or I even wanted cable, which we don't.
For the house I will live in, the total rent is split between six guys. Overall my monthly rent will be $360. We have the house for 12 months, so the total I will pay in rent is about $4,320. That is about $320 more than what I pay to live in the dorms, but that is for an ENTIRE YEAR, i.e., three times as long as a semester.
I have frequently been asked "what about the other costs?" - that is, things like food, electricity, water, and so on. Those are the sorts of things I will know best when we begin getting those bills. But as I said, costs will be split between six people. This will allay the burden on me. Living in a house will only not be worth it if the amount I pay monthly in addition to rent is around $640. I find it exceedingly unlikely that things will amount to that kind of cost. This is also buffered by the fact I will most likely retain my web developer position in the next school year, which is when I'll be living in the the house. So this all strikes me as a sure deal.
I have not been able to do much freelancing, because work and school have been eating up most of my productive time.
There are still plenty of small unnecessary expenditures happening in my life and I'm not too proud of those. I still drink soda on a daily basis (or experience the physical discomfort of not doing so). When it comes to snacking, I've found cheaper alternatives to what I would usually have, and for the most part I go for those. I guess my resolve has been weakened by daily life with all the stresses that come with that.
As of right now, I'm not yet sure whether I want to go for the whole "retire in 10 years" thing. I know myself well enough to believe I could if I wanted to. Instead I might aim for something a bit longer, like say 20 years. I'm really not sure how things like investing works, which is part of why a timeline hasn't been established yet. Well that, and now that I'm home for spring break I finally have the free time to think about such things!
The job is still up and running, of course. Due to the 15 hour workweek (more than I originally anticipated but I'm running with it) and decent pay, I have a good monthly income. This is allowing me to have a little wiggle room with my finances.
An idea I have flirted with for a long time was living off-campus. Well ladies and gentlemen that is finally going to happen! I did some cost analysis and found it was very beneficial for me to live in a house as opposed to the dorms. Here's some of the math I did:
Living in the dorms costs roughly $4,000 per semester. That is about $1,000 a month. That covers all "bills" - room, food, gas, electricity, water, and Internet. It would also cover cable, if my roommate or I even wanted cable, which we don't.
For the house I will live in, the total rent is split between six guys. Overall my monthly rent will be $360. We have the house for 12 months, so the total I will pay in rent is about $4,320. That is about $320 more than what I pay to live in the dorms, but that is for an ENTIRE YEAR, i.e., three times as long as a semester.
I have frequently been asked "what about the other costs?" - that is, things like food, electricity, water, and so on. Those are the sorts of things I will know best when we begin getting those bills. But as I said, costs will be split between six people. This will allay the burden on me. Living in a house will only not be worth it if the amount I pay monthly in addition to rent is around $640. I find it exceedingly unlikely that things will amount to that kind of cost. This is also buffered by the fact I will most likely retain my web developer position in the next school year, which is when I'll be living in the the house. So this all strikes me as a sure deal.
I have not been able to do much freelancing, because work and school have been eating up most of my productive time.
There are still plenty of small unnecessary expenditures happening in my life and I'm not too proud of those. I still drink soda on a daily basis (or experience the physical discomfort of not doing so). When it comes to snacking, I've found cheaper alternatives to what I would usually have, and for the most part I go for those. I guess my resolve has been weakened by daily life with all the stresses that come with that.
As of right now, I'm not yet sure whether I want to go for the whole "retire in 10 years" thing. I know myself well enough to believe I could if I wanted to. Instead I might aim for something a bit longer, like say 20 years. I'm really not sure how things like investing works, which is part of why a timeline hasn't been established yet. Well that, and now that I'm home for spring break I finally have the free time to think about such things!
Re: Ockham's Razor
My wife uses Biotene for dry mouth http://www.biotene.com
If you have it anywhere near as bad as she does this is going to be an ongoing issue for you.
If you have it anywhere near as bad as she does this is going to be an ongoing issue for you.
Re: Ockham's Razor
Here is a cheaper way to make soap: http://livingonthecheap.com/make-your-o ... detergent/
My wife uses it and says it's acceptable. It's certainly a whole lot cheaper than buying "name brands".
My wife uses it and says it's acceptable. It's certainly a whole lot cheaper than buying "name brands".
Re: Ockham's Razor
Can someone suggest to me a good free online resource for learning how investing works? It could be a wiki, website, etc. Just something that could give me a thorough understanding of how it works... at least, as thorough as you can get from a free resource.
Re: Ockham's Razor
What about investing do you want to know? The basic mechanics of a market and how to buy/sell stocks? Or, different investment theories?Ockham wrote:Can someone suggest to me a good free online resource for learning how investing works? It could be a wiki, website, etc. Just something that could give me a thorough understanding of how it works... at least, as thorough as you can get from a free resource.
-
workathome
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: Sat Jun 29, 2013 3:06 pm
Re: Ockham's Razor
The classic good advice, but I don't know how well/often it is actually followed, is to read Graham's "The Intelligent Investor"
Re: Ockham's Razor
Basic mechanics of a marketChad wrote:What about investing do you want to know? The basic mechanics of a market and how to buy/sell stocks? Or, different investment theories?
How one buys & sells stocks
What are the main strategies used?
The ERE wiki has demonstrated itself a tad hard for me to understand. I've not really found any resources that serve as a good starting point for learning this stuff. At least, none that I can recall.
-
jennypenny
- Posts: 6910
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm
Re: Ockham's Razor
@Ockham--Read as much as you can about investing. Here's a fairly good list to get started http://www.fivecentnickel.com/2007/12/1 ... out-money/ .
The bogleheads investment wiki has some good, basic info. Just remember that the strategy it promotes is only one of many. http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Boglehea ... art-up_kit
The bogleheads investment wiki has some good, basic info. Just remember that the strategy it promotes is only one of many. http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Boglehea ... art-up_kit
Re: Ockham's Razor
Here are some links:
This video is a super basic primer on the stock market:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3QpgXBtDeo
Here is a very basic primer on some stock buying strategies:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag ... index6.htm
Investopedia can answer a lot of your questions too. For instance, how to start buying and selling stocks:
http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/05/042205.asp
There are also quite a few places that allow you practice investing with fake money, so essentially you get to try it out with no risk.
Also, blogs like jenny's recommendation of Fivecentnickel would be good reads, as they are rather basic. Some others would be:
- Get Rich Slowly
- The Finance Buff
These blogs are more along the lines of the normal save 10-15% in your 401k and eventually retire, but they will still explain a lot of things like mutual funds, review online brokerages, etc.
A lot of the online brokers have "educational areas" where you can read articles or watch videos on investing. These have decent info, but understand why they provide this information for free. Their goal is to get you to trade with them and to trade a lot. Just keep that in mind when you watch or read these resources. One example of this is ETrade:
https://us.etrade.com/ctnt/investor-education-center
This video is a super basic primer on the stock market:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3QpgXBtDeo
Here is a very basic primer on some stock buying strategies:
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag ... index6.htm
Investopedia can answer a lot of your questions too. For instance, how to start buying and selling stocks:
http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/05/042205.asp
There are also quite a few places that allow you practice investing with fake money, so essentially you get to try it out with no risk.
Also, blogs like jenny's recommendation of Fivecentnickel would be good reads, as they are rather basic. Some others would be:
- Get Rich Slowly
- The Finance Buff
These blogs are more along the lines of the normal save 10-15% in your 401k and eventually retire, but they will still explain a lot of things like mutual funds, review online brokerages, etc.
A lot of the online brokers have "educational areas" where you can read articles or watch videos on investing. These have decent info, but understand why they provide this information for free. Their goal is to get you to trade with them and to trade a lot. Just keep that in mind when you watch or read these resources. One example of this is ETrade:
https://us.etrade.com/ctnt/investor-education-center
Re: Ockham's Razor
Well, it's been a couple of months. ERE has kind of fallen on the wayside. But life has taken an unusual turn for me, and I think it's time to get back aboard the ride. I got home from college yesterday, finals done. I won't be able to go back next school year. Financial aid was entirely too little for me to afford it. I've exhausted all my financial aid. Not even living in that house would have been affordable for me. Now I'm back home with my parents and now my brother. I've found out that we're living on really tight funds. Now would be a good time for me to apply the principles of ERE, perhaps re-read the book. I've applied at a temp agency and I want to do more freelancing. Being at home, I won't have much expenses outside of food, so I'll be able to save a lot.