Digital Camera Reviews Website

I was asked today, to take a look at digital camera reviews. The website offers a number of great services. If you are in the market for a new (or even a used one from Ebay), it might be advantageous to give, digital camera reviews a look over. The site gives you the opportunity, to read reviews of various digital cameras. Not to mention, listing the most popular cameras on the market. They even have a forum, where you can discuss with other readers tips for buying a digital or even for taking pictures.
I found the site very interesting, and while a digital camera is not in my current budget, it remains a dream of mine. So go ahead and head over to digital camera reviews and have a look see for yourself.

September Budget

I thought, I would do something a little different for the month of September. Budgeting is a big part of what Dave Ramsey teaches. As is finding a second job. Well I haven't had much luck in finding another job. Although I came close to receiving my first check from revenue via the Google Adsense on this blog. However, I fell $33 short of reaching the $100 mark. While it would be cool to get an extra $100/mth or even $1000 as some PF bloggers claim to be bringing in. I would be happy with an extra $100/quarter. Something that I believe will be abtainable by the end of Sept. However, still have to live on my income from my main job, which is generally less then the bills that I generate. As such, I thought this month I would share my budget and maybe together we can figure out a way to pare it down. As I have to get the budget to fit within my icome and not rely on any other source (such as my roommate), which could dry up at any time.

Income (Take Home):
work - $940 (estimate - some weeks may be more)
2nd Job - $000
Renting spare bedroom - $240
Total Income - $1180
-------------------
Giving - $000
Savings - $100 (emergency Fund/Insurance Premimums)
2nd Mortgage - $75
Repairs/Mn - $000
Food - $100
Utilities:
Water - $50
Electr - $80
Gas - $90
Cable/Intern - $95
Trash - $46.50 (quarterly)
Phone - $75

Car Loan - $390
Fuel & Oil - $50
Clothing - $000
Life Ins. - $27 (quarterly)(from savings)
Emergency Room Dr. - $20 (from Dec 25, 2005)
Emergency Room Visit - $20 (from Dec 25, 2005)
Credit Card - $50
Other Debt - $50

Total Expenses (as of now): $1318.50

Difference of $-138.5 (to be applied to debts) or $341.5 over my primary income

obviously getting rid of all my debts will help immensly, but until then.

Manual Lawn Mower

I finally got my manual lawn mower. Found one at a flea market for $40. Big savings over the $100+ they run new ($80 on sale). It seems to run pretty smooth, biggest problem I have, is that, the grass is to tall to mow with a manual. Since, I haven't had a mower all year, the grass hasn't been mowed much. Twice I paid a neighbor $10 to mow it and once i borrowed a friends mower. I may have to do the same again, so that I can get the grass back down to a manageable level so that I can mow with my manual.
Why use a manual?
There are several reasons, first is the high cost of gas prices. Since a manual doesn't use any type of fuel, I am doing my part to decrease our nations dependency on oil. Not to mention the emissions, a gas mower puts into the air.
Second, is the maintenance factor, since there isn't anything to break down, there is less I have to do maintain the mower. The only thing I have to do, is keep the mower clean and occasionally lubricate the blades. Not much to it.
Finally a third reason, is that I work nights, as such everyone else's 1 am is my 1 pm, so I can be outside at 1 am on my day off, like tonight, and mow my yard without disturbing the neighbors.
So as you can see their are great benefits to the environment as well as my pocketbook. If everyone in America would do the same thing, we could really cut our dependence on oil immensely, by that simple act alone. It won't happen, but for me, I am doing my part.

Coupon Stash

Mary Hunt, with deptproofliving.com, offered an interesting "tip of the Day," today.

Many banks are opening convenience branch offices in major grocery stores. If this is true for the supermarket you frequent, open a savings account. Now when you buy groceries write your check for the total before coupons are subtracted. Ask for your coupon savings back in cash (the equivalent of writing a check for more than the purchase amount) and make a deposit to my savings account on my way out with that cash. Also, make it a point of writing your check for more than the purchase by $5 to $10 if you can manage. Stash that cash into the bank as you leave, as well. It's a painless and convenient way to save.

What an interesting idea, if you still use your checkbook, rather then cash, like Dave ramsey teaches. However, it would be more time consuming, as you now have to run over to the bank and make your deposit.

An Honer

What an honer thank you guys. Both Mighty Bargin Hunter and No Credit Needed made reference to the article some practical ways to become debt free forever , that I posted this past week.

Starting To Get Really Annoyed

One month, 2 monitors crash. That's the 3rd one this year. A month ago, I moved the monitor (that I got from freecycle after the 1st monitor died) from my budget computer in the dinning room, to the bedroom where my internet computer after the monitor crashes. I finally get a replacement (from freecycle), for the other computer, so I can finally do my budgeting and bank statements/register. Today, I come home from a long night at work, and what do you think happened when I turned my computer on? That's right, a big blank black screen. I rebooted the computer, before deciding after much effort, that yet another monitor had died, while serving my blogging needs. I am so frustrated at this point, that I am beginning to think that there is something wrong with this computer, that is constantly short on "virtal memory," rather then the three dead monitors.
What am I saying? I thinking my computer is MURDERING, my monitors. I am trying to get debt free, yet murphy is trying to keep me from living on my frugal budget.

Oprah Talks Money

Yesterday, I happened to turn on Oprah. Yeah, I actually woke up early enough to view it. The show was supprisingly interesting, and discussed a topic, I am passionate about; M-O-N-E-Y.
In one segment, Oprah talked to the granddaughter of the 2nd richest man in the world.

Nicole Buffett is the granddaughter of billionaire investor Warren Buffett, the second-richest man in the world. Warren is particularly known for a lifestyle that is far less flamboyant than his wealth could allow. Although he paid for her education, Nicole says she isn't counting on receiving any more money from her grandfather. "He would never want any of his children or grandchildren to be [born too wealthy]," Nicole says. "He thinks it would kind of rob of us our experience."

Nicole who works as an artist and also earns money organizing the house of a wealthy family in San Francisco told Oprah,

"It's a very weird thing to be working for a very wealthy family considering I do come from one of the wealthiest families in America," Nicole says. "And I feel that the family I work for feels a bit of humor around the fact that I am from one of the wealthiest families, a wealthier family than I believe they are."

"I'm at peace with [not having inherited wealth]," she said, "but I do feel that it would be nice to be involved with creating things for others with that money and to be involved in it. I feel completely excluded from it."

On the other hand, a man who admits that he has a trust fund from his family has created controversy with his two documenteries discussing the taboo topic of the ultra rich.

Through his documentary films, Jamie Johnson brings viewers inside the culture of megarich families and exposes how they think, act and spend. As an heir to the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune, Jamie has access to this exclusive world that 99 percent of America would never see.

His first film, Born Rich, exposed how 10 children from wealthy families spent their time and their money. For his new film, The One Percent, Jamie turns the camera on his own family, breaking what he calls an "unspoken rule" of families with old money—he confronted them about their class, wealth and inheritance.

According to Jamie's; The One Percent, since 1979...

The top one percent of Americans own roughly 40 percent of the country's wealth.

The top one percent possesses more wealth than the bottom 90 percent combined.

An average member of the top one percent earns roughly $862,000 a year while a majority of Americans earn only $34,736. That's what the average CEO earns in less than one day of work!

In other segments Oprah, discussed lower classes and their struggles, including the remodeling of former public housing, Gabrini Green, into condo's, forcing the low income residents out of the neighborhood.