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-   -   So what is the one thing you've done to improve your finances the most... (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/528973-so-what-one-thing-youve-done-improve-your-finances-most.html)

Jim Richards 03-02-2010 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy (Post 5213273)
Working 70 hours per week.:(

It's especially effective when you're getting paid for 40.

onewhippedpuppy 03-02-2010 08:24 AM

Quote:

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<!-- END TEMPLATE: bbcode_quote --><FONT color="Green">It's especially effective when you're getting paid for 40. </FONT>
Thanks to my exceptionally low salary I actually get paid OT. Though in the grand scheme of things I'm still getting screwed.

lukeh 03-02-2010 08:38 AM

12 months ago I maxed out 401k and went 90% stocks.

House paid off this June.

10 years ago I bought a Honda with 80,000 miles for $3,500 and drove it 10 years until it hit 200,000 miles. Just sold it for $600. I new car depreciates more in a year than what my car cost over 10 years.

speedracing944 03-02-2010 08:55 AM

Installed a water heater timer at a cost of $150 for parts and saves about $30 a month.
Less heating of the garage to wrench on the car.
As little driving as possible.

Speedy:)

smokintr6 03-02-2010 08:56 AM

I put my 914-6 resto mod project on hold, and parked my 911 :(

It sucks, but it is effective...unfortunately when the cash sits around I become tempted to buy more spoons. This has recently wiped out extra savings from the p car. I have totally stopped burrowing money though. Aside from student loans, I am 100% debt free.

vash 03-02-2010 09:10 AM

getting married.

before, i was a loose cannon with my money. hunting trips, 12 track days a year, new bows and other toys, eating out, and dating loose women.

my life is boring now, but i have a nest egg...bittersweet!

now, i pack my lunch, and go to the library. irony alert! my wife got laid off, one friggen year after i got hitched. she is going back to school, and I still have WAAAAAYYYYY more money than before. once she rejoins the work force..i'll be on easy street. but still no loose women.

hahah.

smokintr6 03-02-2010 09:35 AM

^^^ Jeez Vash, You make growing up sound like so much fun. Remainder to stay single... check. ;)

Bill Douglas 03-02-2010 09:46 AM

It's different for me. For the first time I've got a good income that I don't have to be sensible with. Houses paid off etc. So I've been playing with guns a bit :) And last Saturday bought a new trout rod. I fished all day on Monday without a single strike (lightweight spinning rod), wow was I a tired boy and slept well that night. I've opt'ed for suicide by bacon and eat bacon and eggs at cafes followed by lattes to keep up the spending. No race cars, maybe a race gun in the near future.

masraum 03-02-2010 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas (Post 5213668)
It's different for me. For the first time I've got a good income

Me too, so I'm using it to pay everything off and build up some savings (fancy having that). I'll never be in this position again if I have anything to do with it.

scottmandue 03-02-2010 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vash (Post 5213603)
getting married.

before, i was a loose cannon with my money. hunting trips, 12 track days a year, new bows and other toys, eating out, and dating loose women.


hahah.

Me too... got married... was living high on the hog... diner out three four times a week... don't miss it at all.

Just refied mortgage, paid off credit cards, going to keep cards paid off every month.

Por_sha911 03-02-2010 12:32 PM

This is how I got off the debt merry-go-round:
1) Did a ledger to see where I was spending. Everything. Even a gallon of milk or a coke. It took some time but you'd be amazed how much you spend that doesn't get picked up on the budget radar. :eek: It helped me to reign in my spending habits.
2) Paid off all debt starting with the highest interest first. Did the mortgage last because it was tax-deductible. *A word to those that recently paid off the mortgage: be prepared for a bigger tax bill! For me, it meant going to standard deductions instead of itemized. :mad: Each time I paid off a debt, I added that monthly amount of money each month to the next bill to be paid off.
3) Once everything was debt free, started a simple savings/money market account. I put 2 - 3 paychecks each month into it and then when it grows to a pre-determined amount I move the money into a CD and start building again. When I had a nice cushion, I bought my `87 with 34k miles in 10/03 and paid cash. No small trick for a middle class guy without a 6 figure income or rich parents.

I'm now looking for a stable long term investment. My pain threshold for financial risk is rather low so I'm not the stocks kind of guy. Am I a millionaire? No but I sleep like a baby knowing that the volatility of the market or my job situation will not affect my standard of living or risk me losing everything. To me, peace with some nice stuff is better than tons of stuff with liens. I admire those of you that have the go big or go home financial plans but I knew I wasn't going to be happy doing it that way.

tabs 03-02-2010 12:39 PM

Switched from Coke to Pepsi

scottbombedout 03-02-2010 12:52 PM

Put spending on the 911 on hold.

legion 03-02-2010 12:54 PM

I stopped being poor.

Porsche-O-Phile 03-02-2010 01:00 PM

Got the hell out of Kalifornia.

motion 03-02-2010 01:03 PM

Go big or die frustrated. Your choice. If you have to watch every nickel and can't get what you want, whether it be where you live, material items or vacations, then you must be frustrated. Very few people are happy spending all their time in a boring, stable situation whiling away their days, waiting to keel over. So don't tell me you're perfectly happy not getting what you want. I'm gonna call BS.

Jim Richards 03-02-2010 01:07 PM

How much do you want?

Rot 911 03-02-2010 01:13 PM

And no doubt Motion knows how to go big! :D http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/33022-pity-poor-me.html

motion 03-02-2010 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Richards (Post 5214021)
How much do you want?

As much as it takes... personally, I'm not happy in a boring, unstimulating situation. If I wake up tomorrow and decide I want to pursue a hobby in antigravitational mobility devices, I want to be able to pursue that, regardless of cost. Yeah, some are going to call that hedonistic, but I might keel over with a bad ticker tomorrow, so I'd like to be able to pursue my interests without hinder. Of course, one must take care of their obligations first.

motion 03-02-2010 01:21 PM

Awwww jeez, Kurt.


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