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General Discussion => Essentially Flyertalk => Topic started by: steve dave on January 19, 2013, 12:41:19 PM
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I think I've made the case for putting every cent you spend on a credit card whenever possible about a million times but there are other things that people are really dumb about. I have people in my office their 30s that don't contribute to their 401k. I'm not even talking about maxing it out or even just to get the 6% match. Just don't do it. And these aren't trust fund people who don't need to worry about retirement. Also health savings accounts. I max that thing out every year. Our company also gives you $1k every year in it if you participate in our free high deductible plan and we can invest it in a handful of different funds. The same people won't even take the time to sign up for it. Anyway, these are some obvious examples and all smart people know these. But, I'm sure there are things I don't take advantage of that I could that may not be so obvious. Please post these in this thread so that I'm aware and motivated to do these things. TIA.
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Your company has ridiculous benefits
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Your company has ridiculous benefits
Euros!
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Buy refurbished electronics. Basically every electronics purchase I've ever made has been a refurb at a huge discount and everything has worked just fine.
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Contact free cell phone plans.
Much cheaper, more flexible, and equal service in most cases.
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Buy refurbished electronics. Basically every electronics purchase I've ever made has been a refurb at a huge discount and everything has worked just fine.
this is a really good one. i mean i would never do it but its a good idea.
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I don't contribute to our flexible spending account because it's non refundable and i don't really spend much on medical.
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Online pirating
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public domain knowledge
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Open source
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Public library
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exterior lighting
I will be investing in some if this crap keeps up. :dubious:
GET OFF MY LAWN! :curse:
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dogs will clean up spills.
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I'm obsessive about collecting stupid "codes" for worthless crap. I can't throw away an empty lean cuisine box because after I eat 15 more of them I get a free lunch bag.
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Buy refurbished electronics. Basically every electronics purchase I've ever made has been a refurb at a huge discount and everything has worked just fine.
this is a really good one. i mean i would never do it but its a good idea.
I've had pretty good luck on this. Find a company that seems to stand behind their refurbs. Got a refurb 32 inch flatscreen hdtv about 7 years ago when they were alot more expensive and it still goes strong
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Along the "refurb" line, I'll buy opened/returned electronics. With these you can almost always get the seller to give you their extended warranty for free if you ask. I got my PS3 and the 32" TV in my office for 1/2 price with the extended warranty for free this way.
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Those are good Steve Dave, I'm currently on team 401k/flex spending health plan/credit cards.
Public library
Good one. Also, city parks.
Big one for me and Mrs. CF3 is garage sales and thrift stores. We buy underwear and socks new for our kids, but all the rest of their clothes come from garage sales and thrift stores. I'll buy a bag of like 15 items of kids clothes at a garage sale and just offer the seller $6 for the bag. Most of the time the clothes have been worn only like one time.
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Those are good Steve Dave, I'm currently on team 401k/flex spending health plan/credit cards.
Public library
Good one. Also, city parks.
Big one for me and Mrs. CF3 is garage sales and thrift stores. We buy underwear and socks new for our kids, but all the rest of their clothes come from garage sales and thrift stores. I'll buy a bag of like 15 items of kids clothes at a garage sale and just offer the seller $6 for the bag. Most of the time the clothes have been worn only like one time.
Anyone that buys clothes for their child under 2 is either:
1) a shut-in orphan
2) terrible with money
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Those are good Steve Dave, I'm currently on team 401k/flex spending health plan/credit cards.
Public library
Good one. Also, city parks.
Big one for me and Mrs. CF3 is garage sales and thrift stores. We buy underwear and socks new for our kids, but all the rest of their clothes come from garage sales and thrift stores. I'll buy a bag of like 15 items of kids clothes at a garage sale and just offer the seller $6 for the bag. Most of the time the clothes have been worn only like one time.
Anyone that buys clothes for their child under 2 is either:
1) a shut-in orphan
2) terrible with money
Exceptions: KSU Cats gear.
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Clothes for ANY kid under 2nd Grade or so, can be EASILY procured for next to nothing at LOADS of places.
Many people will get gifted the entire wardrobe for the little fuckers for the entire time, from older cousins, etc.
Then, after you pilfer your friends "garage sales" who aren't giving them away for free, you are still working on pennies on the dollar.
Finally, hit any freaking Kohls on the planet at the end of a season and buy the crap out of the next couple age groups up.
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farmers markets
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People who take cabs when efficient public transit is available
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People who take cabs when efficient public transit is available
oh boy, my aunt just went to SF and i told her before she went exactly how to get to fisherman's wharf, etc on the trolley (not the cablecars). she gets scared as soon as she gets off bart and takes a cab.
:facepalm:
part of the fun of going to a real city is riding public transit!
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Those are good Steve Dave, I'm currently on team 401k/flex spending health plan/credit cards.
Public library
Good one. Also, city parks.
Big one for me and Mrs. CF3 is garage sales and thrift stores. We buy underwear and socks new for our kids, but all the rest of their clothes come from garage sales and thrift stores. I'll buy a bag of like 15 items of kids clothes at a garage sale and just offer the seller $6 for the bag. Most of the time the clothes have been worn only like one time.
Anyone that buys clothes for their child under 2 is either:
1) a shut-in orphan
2) terrible with money
Bought my 3 month old a couple pairs of shoes, both $40 each (uggs and Jordan's) and shell only wear them a few times. Why? Because I can.
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the hsa one seems stupid unless you are really sickly. i dunno, i just can't imagine spending more than a couple of bucks on health at my age. maybe i don't understand well what happens to the money if you don't use it though. i should probably check.
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the hsa one seems stupid unless you are really sickly. i dunno, i just can't imagine spending more than a couple of bucks on health at my age. maybe i don't understand well what happens to the money if you don't use it though. i should probably check.
You keep it forever and can take it out as cash after age 65 if you don't use it.
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You keep it forever and can take it out as cash after age 65 if you don't use it.
with interest? i didn't look at the thing closely, but i would have noticed if there were investment options. i'll definitely look at it again.
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You keep it forever and can take it out as cash after age 65 if you don't use it.
with interest? i didn't look at the thing closely, but i would have noticed if there were investment options. i'll definitely look at it again.
Hell no. HSAs are for sickies and people who constantly are sick. We laugh at people who load up their HSAs. Take that money and make some money with it instead of worrying about when you have to go to the doctor 10 times a year because you have shitty genes.
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checked, the thing available to me currently is an fsa, not an hsa. i think i could change to an insurer with an hsa next year, will have to look at it then.
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PS, HSAs get small interest but its so small that anyone who knows money can crush it.
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PS, HSAs get small interest but its so small that anyone who knows money can crush it.
you're a strange person, limestone.
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PS, HSAs get small interest but its so small that anyone who knows money can crush it.
you're a strange person, limestone.
You are hurt that I called you a weirdo. I get it and this was your response. :patshead:
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You are hurt that I called you a weirdo.
i labeled you as strange because you seem determined to get a response out of me tonight.
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PS, HSAs get small interest but its so small that anyone who knows money can crush it.
You can invest your money in an HSA, dumb dumb. Also, HSA's are for complete opposite of what you said. They are good for people with little to no medical expenses.
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You are hurt that I called you a weirdo.
i labeled you as strange because you seem determined to get a response out of me tonight.
I didn't mean to make you upset. relax, you have to be up in a few hours to be weird.
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checked, the thing available to me currently is an fsa, not an hsa. i think i could change to an insurer with an hsa next year, will have to look at it then.
Yeah, FSAs are only good for guaranteed sunk medical bills because the money doesn't roll over every year and I think any interest they would get is just a fixed rate. An HSA is essentially a 401k with the ability to pay medical bills from it tax free until you retire and then you can draw on it however you want.
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Oatmeal. Oatmeal.
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You keep it forever and can take it out as cash after age 65 if you don't use it.
with interest? i didn't look at the thing closely, but i would have noticed if there were investment options. i'll definitely look at it again.
Hell no. HSAs are for sickies and people who constantly are sick. We laugh at people who load up their HSAs. Take that money and make some money with it instead of worrying about when you have to go to the doctor 10 times a year because you have shitty genes.
This is about your employer giving you a bunch of money in it for free. Putting money into a hsa isn't "taking advantage" of anything.
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the hsa one seems stupid unless you are really sickly. i dunno, i just can't imagine spending more than a couple of bucks on health at my age. maybe i don't understand well what happens to the money if you don't use it though. i should probably check.
Money put into an HSA rolls over. So you don't have to use it in one year. But if you start putting money there now, when you're old enough that you need healthcare, you'll have money saved up for it.
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HSAs vary depending on your employer. Each has their own list of allowable expenses. And each contribute to your account (or not) in their own way.
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Oatmeal. Oatmeal.
lately i eat yogurt for breakfast, but have been considering moving back to oatmeal. this has convinced me. thanks, aj!
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I'll expand on the point made for baby clothes: End of season sales. Last spring, I got a coat and jacket from Dillards that retail for around $550 combined for $70.
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I'll expand on the point made for baby clothes: End of season sales. Last spring, I got a coat and jacket from Dillards that retail for around $550 combined for $70.
I suck at this. when I'm excited to wear shorts I cannot become motivated to buy coats/gloves/etc. I do only buy shirts during the BB semi-annual sale though.
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I'll expand on the point made for baby clothes: End of season sales. Last spring, I got a coat and jacket from Dillards that retail for around $550 combined for $70.
I suck at this. when I'm excited to wear shorts I cannot become motivated to buy coats/gloves/etc. I do only buy shirts during the BB semi-annual sale though.
My GF used to work at a Old Navy. She got 50% off all Gap/Old Navy and most importantly, Banana Republic. Those were great days for ol' ChiCat, let me tell you
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Yeah, buying out of season is weird becase you don't get to wear your awesome new stuff for six months. Last fall, I saw a huge rack of shorts at Dillards. They were marked down to $10-$12 a piece. I had three pairs in my hand and the manager comes up and says, "You like those? I'll sell them to uou for $5 each." So, I grabbed a couple more and had all these new shorts that fit me great and were like $40-$50 retail, but of course it was going to be a while before they did me any good.
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If you have kids you should have a FSA or a HSA. If single then probably not.
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If you have kids you should have a FSA or a HSA. If single then probably not.
Yeah thats wrong....
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If you have kids you should have a FSA or a HSA. If single then probably not.
Yeah thats wrong....
which part? i have kids so i only focus on the first part. kids go to the doctor frequently enough that even if you're just setting $50 aside each month to cover the copays you're better off for it.
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if you're paying full price for directv you're doing it wrong. also if you have receivers that are over a year old you're doing it wrong.
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if you're paying full price for directv you're doing it wrong. also if you have receivers that are over a year old you're doing it wrong.
I've been thinking about switching to directv. Tips?
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if you're paying full price for directv you're doing it wrong. also if you have receivers that are over a year old you're doing it wrong.
This is true for any cable/internet service. A 3 minute phone call stating your thinking about switching will get you $40-$50 off each month. I haven't paid anything close to regular price for cable/internet in 5 years.
(hint: this worked for anything subscription based. I went 16 months with gopo for free before rivals finally stopped giving me free extensions and offered me $4 per month. I declined and just let it expire.)
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ESPP (employee stock purchase plan) at a 15% discount. At one point, we were allowed to sell it 30 days after buying it and people were still not signing up. Now we have to hold it a year and people are all :ohno:. Bunch of idiots. Buy the crap our of it. If you think your company is going under, not buying discounted stock is like number 10 on the list of smart things you should be doing. Finding a different employer is #1.
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If you have kids you should have a FSA or a HSA. If single then probably not.
Yeah thats wrong....
which part? i have kids so i only focus on the first part. kids go to the doctor frequently enough that even if you're just setting $50 aside each month to cover the copays you're better off for it.
It is good for a single person, or just in general people with little to no medical costs because you can invest the money in various mutual funds, bonds, etc. Using me as an example, I already max out my 401k, I max out my Roth IRA, and I max out my HSA. I also have another brokerage account for non-retirement investing. The only other place that $3,250 headed toward the HSA could live would be my checking account (no point for it to be there, with non-existent interest) or the brokerage account. Putting in there I could potentially earn more from stocks that I could from the selection of mutual funds/bonds the HSA provides but I would also miss out on the tax advantages.
It helps that I have virtually 0 expenses, medical or otherwise so I may be a bad example, but for me it works out.
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When I was in college I would max out my student loans on the type that wouldn't start charging interest while you were in school. I would take that money and go put them in 9 to 12 month CDs at 3%-4% interest. When I graduated I cashed them all in, paid off the loans, and made $600. I tried to tell anyone that would listen to me, but no one else did.
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When I was in college I would max out my student loans on the type that wouldn't start charging interest while you were in school. I would take that money and go put them in 9 to 12 month CDs at 3%-4% interest. When I graduated I cashed them all in, paid off the loans, and made $600. I tried to tell anyone that would listen to me, but no one else did.
That sounds really dumb.
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When I was in college I would max out my student loans on the type that wouldn't start charging interest while you were in school. I would take that money and go put them in 9 to 12 month CDs at 3%-4% interest. When I graduated I cashed them all in, paid off the loans, and made $600. I tried to tell anyone that would listen to me, but no one else did.
That sounds really dumb.
Why does that sound dumb? The government gave me free money. I took it and used it to make guaranteed money. I made $600 on literally no risk.
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HSA = good.
Max it. Everyone.
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December to Remember events
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I sign up for lots of free crap for my birthday
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When I was in college I would max out my student loans on the type that wouldn't start charging interest while you were in school. I would take that money and go put them in 9 to 12 month CDs at 3%-4% interest. When I graduated I cashed them all in, paid off the loans, and made $600. I tried to tell anyone that would listen to me, but no one else did.
That sounds really dumb.
You should probably not go in the investing thread.
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When I was in college I would max out my student loans on the type that wouldn't start charging interest while you were in school. I would take that money and go put them in 9 to 12 month CDs at 3%-4% interest. When I graduated I cashed them all in, paid off the loans, and made $600. I tried to tell anyone that would listen to me, but no one else did.
Of course now you couldn't get anywhere close to 4%.
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If you have kids you should have a FSA or a HSA. If single then probably not.
Yeah thats wrong....
which part? i have kids so i only focus on the first part. kids go to the doctor frequently enough that even if you're just setting $50 aside each month to cover the copays you're better off for it.
It is good for a single person, or just in general people with little to no medical costs because you can invest the money in various mutual funds, bonds, etc. Using me as an example, I already max out my 401k, I max out my Roth IRA, and I max out my HSA. I also have another brokerage account for non-retirement investing. The only other place that $3,250 headed toward the HSA could live would be my checking account (no point for it to be there, with non-existent interest) or the brokerage account. Putting in there I could potentially earn more from stocks that I could from the selection of mutual funds/bonds the HSA provides but I would also miss out on the tax advantages.
It helps that I have virtually 0 expenses, medical or otherwise so I may be a bad example, but for me it works out.
Hemmy is the smartest person here by like, a lot.
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the credit card thread seems way too daunting for me at this point. need an abridged version with highlights
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lube
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the credit card thread seems way too daunting for me at this point. need an abridged version with highlights
Get a Sapphire Preferred. Don't read the rest of the thread. Once you have it and have a specific question, go back and ask it in the thread.
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the credit card thread seems way too daunting for me at this point. need an abridged version with highlights
www.millionmilesecrets.com (http://www.millionmilesecrets.com)
that blog is essentially an abridged version with highlights
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I sign up for lots of free crap for my birthday
I do this and lie about my birthday to put it about a month out (giving them time to process crap). I end up with emails telling me I get a free entree or whatever at random times during the year.
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FSAs rollover incoming, makes fsas way better for us poor saps who dont get HSAs
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/01/242394351/irs-change-allows-rollover-for-flexible-spending-accounts (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/01/242394351/irs-change-allows-rollover-for-flexible-spending-accounts)
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FSAs rollover incoming, makes fsas way better for us poor saps who dont get HSAs
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/01/242394351/irs-change-allows-rollover-for-flexible-spending-accounts (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/01/242394351/irs-change-allows-rollover-for-flexible-spending-accounts)
eff. YES.
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FSAs rollover incoming, makes fsas way better for us poor saps who dont get HSAs
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/01/242394351/irs-change-allows-rollover-for-flexible-spending-accounts (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/01/242394351/irs-change-allows-rollover-for-flexible-spending-accounts)
(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FbRvd7.gif&hash=91ad46f6def31d2c79604a85f480072bfc7cce6c)
TOPICAL!
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(https://goemaw.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.wikia.com%2Fvampirediaries%2Fimages%2F5%2F5d%2FBbt_celebration-gif_medium.gif&hash=eda6d1321a02ad02854c49da1e7e17e5eae3a6b2)
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not sure if Lukes, National Parks.
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FSAs rollover incoming, makes fsas way better for us poor saps who dont get HSAs
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/01/242394351/irs-change-allows-rollover-for-flexible-spending-accounts (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/11/01/242394351/irs-change-allows-rollover-for-flexible-spending-accounts)
eff. YES.
It's not mandatory for employers to allow it though :(
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If you have kids you should have a FSA or a HSA. If single then probably not.
Yeah thats wrong....
which part? i have kids so i only focus on the first part. kids go to the doctor frequently enough that even if you're just setting $50 aside each month to cover the copays you're better off for it.
I don't have kids and I have an HSA, I don't put a ton of money in it, but I figure my high deduct plan is loads cheaper than a co-pay plan, so I split half that savings into an HSA and pak with the other half, I don't see the downside to it. I don't get sick a lot so I don't have to put much in it each year and its already accumulated more than I would foresee me using.
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PS, HSAs get small interest but its so small that anyone who knows money can crush it.
The funds that my company's HSA are invested in gained 7% overall this past year. Company matches everything we put in up to the federal limit. There's no reason to not invest in it since it's not "use it or lose it" like an FSA.
Also, I heard they're shutting down the cash out rule. Any truth to that?
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How long until my canadian friend can take advantage of that unemployment deal? Thanks Obama!