Comments on: Stephanie’s Quick Start Financial Guide http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/ Talking about money, without being boring. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:30:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Jane http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-62411 Jane Tue, 26 Aug 2008 02:29:10 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-62411 Good information. Just be happy spiritually and live in the now. This way lots unnecessary spending habits will vanish. Good information. Just be happy spiritually and live in the now. This way lots unnecessary spending habits will vanish.

]]> By: Financial Discussion http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-61846 Financial Discussion Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:57:22 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-61846 My Rule # 1 is "Earn more than you spend" :). It has a better vibe than "Spend less than you earn". My Rule # 1 is “Earn more than you spend” :). It has a better vibe than “Spend less than you earn”.

]]> By: Stephanie http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-45544 Stephanie Mon, 25 Feb 2008 04:48:08 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-45544 @Minimum Wage: Where have you been? I haven't seen you commenting around in a while! Welcome back! In response to your question, YES! This is EXACTLY where I would tell you to start: tracking every penny you spend, optimizing your bank accounts, and taking down your debt and working on your medical expenses. Earning minimum wage can be very restrictive to getting yourself up and running financially, but you can easily tackle the tasks that don't cost any money at all. @Minimum Wage:

Where have you been? I haven’t seen you commenting around in a while! Welcome back!

In response to your question, YES! This is EXACTLY where I would tell you to start: tracking every penny you spend, optimizing your bank accounts, and taking down your debt and working on your medical expenses.

Earning minimum wage can be very restrictive to getting yourself up and running financially, but you can easily tackle the tasks that don’t cost any money at all.

]]> By: Minimum Wage http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-45504 Minimum Wage Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:24:16 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-45504 Is this realistic if you earn minimum wage and have student loan debt and high medical expenses? Is this realistic if you earn minimum wage and have student loan debt and high medical expenses?

]]> By: EmilyStarbuck http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-40164 EmilyStarbuck Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:19:14 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-40164 It all sounds so simple, doesn't it? :) I'm a recent college grad still trying to figure out how to spend less than I make. At an entry-level salary with major taxes and an automatic 401k contribution, it doesn't feel like there's much left to pay the bills. But I definitely need to put my savings account into a place where I'm really making interest - thanks for the ING tip! It all sounds so simple, doesn’t it? :) I’m a recent college grad still trying to figure out how to spend less than I make. At an entry-level salary with major taxes and an automatic 401k contribution, it doesn’t feel like there’s much left to pay the bills. But I definitely need to put my savings account into a place where I’m really making interest - thanks for the ING tip!

]]> By: The Dividend Guy Blog http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-40050 The Dividend Guy Blog Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:22:15 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-40050 <strong>Carnival of Personal Finance #137 - The Passion Edition...</strong> Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion — Hebbel That image at the start of this post is a Passion Flower. My passion is investing, primarily dividend investing. However, the thing about blogging and reading ... Carnival of Personal Finance #137 - The Passion Edition…

Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion — Hebbel
That image at the start of this post is a Passion Flower. My passion is investing, primarily dividend investing. However, the thing about blogging and reading …

]]> By: Weekly Roundup #14 (January 26, 2008) - My Investing Blog http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-38251 Weekly Roundup #14 (January 26, 2008) - My Investing Blog Sat, 26 Jan 2008 08:31:04 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-38251 [...] I really like PoorerThanYou’s design for the blog. This week they talked about Stephanies Quick Start financial guide. A good one stop shop for for money [...] [...] I really like PoorerThanYou’s design for the blog. This week they talked about Stephanies Quick Start financial guide. A good one stop shop for for money [...]

]]> By: Nancy http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-37742 Nancy Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:09:37 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-37742 Hi Stephanie, I am finally reading your blog. Lets knit soon! Hi Stephanie, I am finally reading your blog. Lets knit soon!

]]> By: Stephanie http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-37630 Stephanie Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:33:28 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-37630 @Cliff - Not to be argumentative, but I'm not so sure. The "spend less than you earn" rule can easily apply to business and investments. You probably shouldn't take a good week at the stock market as a reason to go out and blow a bunch of money - that's how a lot of people ended up in trouble when the Tech bubble burst. As for businesses, when a company is just starting out, yes, it may be necessary to inject extra funds to get things going. But if there's anything to be learned from the current subprime-mortgage-meltdown, it's that overextending your money with risky loans is a bad idea. And to bring it back to personal finance, the main point here is that you can't invest in businesses and stocks (or whatever) unless you spend less than you earn, and then take that difference and invest it. Well, ok, you can, by going into debt, but that's not always smart. Of course, I'm somewhat ignoring the concept of leverage here, but that would just make this a super-long comment in which I debate with myself! ;) @Cliff -

Not to be argumentative, but I’m not so sure. The “spend less than you earn” rule can easily apply to business and investments. You probably shouldn’t take a good week at the stock market as a reason to go out and blow a bunch of money - that’s how a lot of people ended up in trouble when the Tech bubble burst.

As for businesses, when a company is just starting out, yes, it may be necessary to inject extra funds to get things going. But if there’s anything to be learned from the current subprime-mortgage-meltdown, it’s that overextending your money with risky loans is a bad idea.

And to bring it back to personal finance, the main point here is that you can’t invest in businesses and stocks (or whatever) unless you spend less than you earn, and then take that difference and invest it. Well, ok, you can, by going into debt, but that’s not always smart.

Of course, I’m somewhat ignoring the concept of leverage here, but that would just make this a super-long comment in which I debate with myself! ;)

]]> By: Cliff http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-37464 Cliff Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:25:13 +0000 http://poorerthanyou.com/2008/01/21/stephanies-quick-start-financial-guide/#comment-37464 I think this rule holds true for some things, but not for companies or investments. Sometimes you really do need to spend money to earn money. I think this rule holds true for some things, but not for companies or investments. Sometimes you really do need to spend money to earn money.

]]>