Found a helpful website

Hmmmmmmmmmmm. 'Frugal-living-freedom.com'. 'Sensible-computer-help.com'. Two sites that look almost exactly alike, except one is green and one is blue. Two sites that (if you look at the bottom) are owned by someone named Ellen-62.

Self-promotion spam?

To be fair, the information I looked at on the financial site seems useful, and a quick Google search reveals that it isn't copied-and-pasted from anywhere else (read: stolen). Therefore, this technically applies as a useful link.

However, Ellen, I would appreciate it if you don't make this a hit-and-run. Stick around and help out in discussions, offering specific advice about finances, computers, and whatever else you run websites about.

My apologies to all.. I wasn't sure if it was okay for me to promote the frugal site as mine - some forums are touchy about self promotion.

I actually didn't write it, but I do have an interest in it (it was written by my boyfriend) and I just think it's a great site.. (He is completely debt free, as I said, so he knows about frugality).

I did write the computer site to help the small business and home user, and I DO plan on sticking around - if you have ANY questions at all about computers, or about any of Clair's frugal tips, just shoot me an email and I'll do my best to get you answer.

Again, my apologies for being dicey.. I just wasn't sure how to share these websites without seeming like I was bragging.. didn't handle it very well. Won't happen again!

Ellen

Uh, even if you weren't promoting it as your own, a five-year-old could figure out that it's yours (or at least hosted under your name). In fact, if anything, that means you were lying to us. I druther you just came out and said 'I have this site, anyone want to see?'.

... your boyfriend is named 'Clair'?

Bragging is one thing. I brag all the time. It's self-promotion we have a problem with. Okay, that sounds sort of contradictory, but it's easy to understand: Promote yourself and you're fine (we all do that simply by posting intelligently and making friends). Promote your business (even free information sites like yours count, in a way), and that's against the rules. So I suppose, by that standard, it would be alright to say 'I'm an expert on X, a lot of my advice is here', since it focuses on you.

No, I'm probably just muddying the waters.

Well, I actually have a computer question that you might have an idea about: Ever since I got this refurbished tower about five months ago, it's had this strange problem. When I hibernate it, it goes all the way down... and then immediately starts back up again. It loads the hibernation file and comes back to desktop. If I hibernate it again immediately after, it goes all the way down and stays down. This makes shutting it down for the night take twice as long. I tried unplugging the Ethernet internet connection, USB mouse, and other things before hibernating, but to no avail. It also seems to behave normally at absolutely random times; I can't see a pattern. Any idea what the cause might be?

I can see why you'd be worried about self-promotion of that kind, but it's better to be up front and get shot down than the alternative, IMO.

Nice site though - lots of great advice, I'm glad you shared it. I'm going to go to a fete today where they sell a lot of dancing supplies, and I am nearly out of cash - I've found it difficult to make ends meet since my rent was increased. But I was considering borrowing some money so I could afford to buy any dance supplies I 'needed' in one go (these fetes only happen once a year). After browsing through that site, though, I realised I was going overboard - all I need for my dancing is to replace my legwear, I have all the other things I need, and I don't know of any big performances coming up where I need an expensive costume. And even so, last time I did a large performance, one of the other dancers lent me some of her clothes to wear, so I didn't need to buy anything anyway.

So reading that reminder about how people try to "buy happiness" reminded me that purchasing a great performance outfit does not mean I'll be doing a brilliant performance in the future. That just depends on my skill and the kindness of my better-off troupe members! So I'll buy the new pants I need and leave the rest for now.

So yeah, while we would have appreciated a straight post, thanks for the link, there's lots of good content on the site.

check out this tech doc in relation to your hibernation problem: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884903/en-us

as for lying, yes, I made a mistake, I took responsibility for that mistake, I can't do any more than apologize and learn from it. I'm sorry now that I shared the site here. I'll be more careful to read through each forum for the moderator's tone before I post again.

and yes my boyfriend's name is Clair, spelled just like that, without an e

Okay, okay, you're forgiven already. Yeesh.

That XP problem report describes my error exactly, but the "solution" is absolutely unacceptable (not only do I loathe XP service packs, but can't download 300+ MB on this connection).

Sassamifrass (and others):

I am so happy that information on my website was helpful for you. I have worked hard to get a comprehensive offering put together, and the more I write, the more I realize there are so many more things that need to be written. Your comments show that I am accomplishing one of my primary goals - to help people be more successful in managing their lives, especially in the area of personal finance.

Being good with money is a key to success since so many things depend on having that resource and using it wisely. If you (or others) have a special need or interest, I would be glad to make a good effort to address something in particular.

I would also like to ask a general question to all. What are the biggest or most difficult challenges in the area of personal finance? What are the "tough nuts" to crack? I can remember mine from many years ago, but I am certain some of these have shifted since the mid-70s.

Lastly, permit me to leave you all with one piece of advice that has worked very well for me. This is an area that I will be addressing soon in much more detail. My advice is to turn off the TV and radio, and stop reading the daily newspaper. There are so many other things in life to do.

The television in particular is filled with commercial advertising mainly to make us feel less happy with what we have and what we are doing. That ill-at-ease feeling is supposed to motivate us to spend cash as a remedy. And, it does so quite well.

I haven't watched TV or listened to the radio for more than 10 years. I have never subscribed to a daily newspaper. None of this off-normal activity has hurt me one bit. The world works just fine without all of it. I don't know what to be scared of, I don't know what I should be buying to satisfy my cravings, and I have opinions that are my own. Nevertheless, my life is much better for it. Leaving the media and talking heads to others has allowed me to create a peaceful, simple and rewarding life with my friends, family and neighbors.

Try no media for 30 days and then revisit it. When you revisit, I'll bet you'll appreciate like never before how much of a personal intrusion it is meant to be in your life. Don't kill the TV or radio, just use the on-off knob and see what a big difference it makes.

Good fortune to you all,

Clair

I don't quite cotton to this 'down with the media!' philosophy some people take to.

When you say 'no TV', do you mean 'no TV shows'? Because that would be like saying 'no radio' and meaning 'no music'. Once I'm on a decent internet connection, I intend to download everything I've always wanted to watch (such as House seasons 3+). You don't have anything against Monk, do you?

And this 'I don't know what to be scared of [because I don't read the news]' attitude is just plain one-sided, and I get tired of hearing it. There's plenty of news that's useful and/or interesting without being full of scaremongering. Media != talking heads. And yes, there's a lot of miserable and scary stories out there, but I'm of the philosophy that if you plug your ears and pretend nobody suffers (especially in your local area), you turn into a shallow, falsely-optimistic person just asking to be painfully disenchanted. I've been there.

It's also easy to watch international news (in my case, anything involving China) and assume it'll all affect you directly (they're going to start a freaking war with us any day now, I just know it). The problem is that it sometimes can. Think of all the people who ignored the news about the Iraq War starting, thinking it would just 'go away' like all those little conflicts in the 90s. Now, suddenly, gas is almost $4 (at the time of this writing, anyway). I'll bet those people are now wishing they'd paid attention.

Balance in all things, yes, including the media you absorb, but it's not evil. Radio stations with frequent commercial breaks and lots of rap music are annoying; doesn't make them evil or a scourge on music (I've heard that some people like rap music - can't believe it, really). And even commercials can help; just the other day, I heard a commercial on the radio for a deal on something I've actually been shopping around for.

I need to end this post (and stop assaulting you all with my parentheses). Just remember, folks: The media is a tool for you. If you can discern and remove the propaganda (there's much less than you think), you can glean a lot of useful, entertaining, and/or thought-provoking information from it. If you have things to pay attention to that accomplish the same purpose, go ahead, and more power to you. Doesn't mean this tool is evil.

P.S. Ellen and Clair, you're posting from the same IP address. I assume there's a logical explanation for that. If there isn't, I'll have to go /b/tard and say 'SAME PERSON'.

I'd say my tough nut is that I've been reading a lot of great financial tips lately, but I'm kinda stuck in my situation at the moment, and it's going to take a few years before I can really use some of them. I need to pay off most of my debts first before I can really start having some flexibility with my money to save more. Things have been really tight the last few weeks especially since I'm putting everything I have into my credit card to get it back to 0.

Adam, you are doing the right thing to get the credit card burden off your back. It will eat you up if you don't, and it only shifts wealth from you to them, a little at a time. The key to success here is to establish some bounds for what the credit card is used for, and have a running total at hand to "keep the ball in front of you" as you go through the month. It is nice to know what that monthly bill is going to look like before you get it.

Anyway, if you are going to invest after your head is clearly above water and the credit card bill is behind you, I would suggest you have an idea of what your monthly budget is, so you'll know what kind of money you'll have available each month for investing. If you haven't done much investing, I would focus first on being a consistent saver. There isn't much return to be seen in that, but Ben's "penny saved is a penny earned" idea is still valid.

Saving money for a while will also give you time to study up on the best investments, and by then you'll probably have a nice chunk of change that is worth investing.

Good luck to you.

Separate Subjects: Regarding the media, I never said the word "evil" and the thought never crossed my mind. No one is suggesting that we ignore anything or do without entertainment. It is just a suggestion to try a 30 day shift in perspective by eliminating blatant sources of advertising that often steer us in the wrong direction.

Also, Ellen and I share an IP service and router out here in the wireless wilderness of the Wyoming prairie, but we really are different people on different computers in different offices working on different websites.

Frugal fete?

I did well at the Fete, only brought what I was willing to spend, and purchased the item I most needed for my classes (legwear) and one item for classes and of high enough quality that it could be used for performances too (a veil). I could have bought a really cheap one for rehersals but then I would have eventually needed to buy a more expensive one for performances anyway, so that was my compromise, and it will save me money later on, I think.

My tough nut us that because I frequently feel short on time due to full time work and my hobbies that I sometimes want to spend money instead of investing time (I'll buy a great outfit so I'll look great in my performance, rather than just spending an hour a day rehearsing/drilling moves and then borrowing what I need until I can afford better).

I am managing to put aside 1/6 of my pay check a fortnight into a savings account, I've been doing that for about three months now and I'm proud that I haven't touched it - having it in a separate account makes all the difference. After putting that aside and paying rent, food etc I come back to pretty much baseline though, it takes ages to save up spending money, and sometimes that really frustrates me.

Nutty

My problem at the moment is that I really want to buy an ultraportable laptop so I can work on my writing no matter where I am, without carrying around a novel's worth of notebooks etc, and also be able to search through and archive work easily. I spend a lot of time on public transport and would liek to use that time more effectively (currently I listen to educational podcasts and read, but I want to produce work, too!).

It's very difficult not to touch my savings to buy the laptop, as it is a tool that will help me a lot. I keep telling myself to continue using notebooks for another 6 months until I can afford to buy it from my spending money rather than my savings. I know I'm terribly lucky to be able to save up for a laptop in only six months (well, hopefully that is how long it will take).

Anyway, I get caught up in my tools, even when I can give up my luxuries (not that a laptop isn't a luxury of course :P But it would be a very useful tool). Also I have a real soft spot for technology, when it comes to purchases. I work in IT and I love gadgets. It doesn't help that I was recently robbed and so most of my technology is now gone, that's probably another reason why I'm hankering for the laptop ;-)

Short thought on media

I haven't watched commercial television for years. I wouldn't cut down on my viewing (I barely have time to watch anything anyway so it's only about 4 hours a week if that) but I watch Youtube and DVDs and stuff from friends etc. I read a lot of books, and listen to a lot of music, but not commercial radio (again). I also read filtered RSS feeds to keep things to the point.

Media is very important in my life and a source of inspiration and mental stimulation, but I agree avoiding ads as much as possible is a good idea![/b]

Weeeeeeeell, I know that you never said 'evil' exactly, Clair, but a lot of people take the reasonable suggestion of 'balance in all things' and go the extra mile, declaring CNN et al to be Satan-fellating liars. In other words, they miss the 'balance' part entirely.

I've read other people suggest what you're saying, although they called it a 'media diet'. I've been on an involuntary one for years now (no TV), and it makes me wish I could just sit down and watch the evening news once in a while, find out what's going on. I can't even seem to find a good news podcast (the NPR hourly one is good, though).

As for the IP thing: Alright, that's what I figured. You could still be the same person, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Besides, you sort of sound different.

Sassamifrass:

You exhibit good thinking in several areas.

You are right, the veil is a good investment if it can serve dual purposes for your passion of dancing. Many would say that the "investment" thoughts are just ways of convincing ourselves to buy something. The choice is yours, but the focus on investment instead of repeated spending is right on target in my eyes.

That you know about your inclination to spend money instead of investing time is a good sign. Awareness is the first step to solving any problem. We all have weaknesses in areas, and it just takes discipline and mental toughness to stick to the plan that you know will work. You know that investing time is better than spending money. The money will never buy you the skill and experience that practice will. You just need to do more self-talk to keep on the right path of making time to invest in practice.

I have an old saying that I hope you will appreciate: You have to make up your mind whether you are going to be pretty or effective. In other words, is it image or performance you are interested in? You can buy the image that won't last, or focus on improved performance that will show well no matter what you are wearing.

Your separate savings account is another item that is right on target. Keep doing it and don't touch it until you have a good investment for it. Again, this takes discipline and mental toughness, but then anything worth having is worth working for.

Lastly, you are also on the right track by considering the laptop as a useful tool. If that tool is something that will help you create wealth, then it jumps up a notch or two in terms of value. A tool for making money, in accordance with a thoughtfully developed business plan, is much more of an investment than an expense. I assume you have a computer at home. If so, you might look into dictation software that will allow you to outline thoughts on paper while in transit, and dictate them when you are home. This might be a good least cost alternative to getting a laptop for typing in transit. I have found that dictation from notes is incredibly fast versus typing.

Thinking about the longer term focus of Adam's interest in investment, and your sights set on a laptop for being productive in transit, it made me think about sharing my philosophy of investing. It is really quite simple, I believe that an investment in you is always the best investment. This is especially true if it puts you in a position for promotion at work, starting your own enterprise, building and retaining wealth, or enhancing qualifications to obtain a new position with another firm.

A quick story will illustrate. When I moved to California after college, I took with me a meager sum of money that had been building at a slow pace ever since I was a child. I added to that savings what I could while struggling to pay rent and make a nest for myself. After a year on the job, I had an opportunity to purchase a place of my own. It would take all my accumulated savings for a down payment, down to the last penny. I invested it in a place of my own based on my answer to the following question: What have I been saving this money for anyway? The answer was simple: An investment opportunity like a place of my own.

That home was an investment in me. The same philosophy applies today. An investment in me, my enterprise, my health, my future is always worth considering above any other investment opportunity. Even if you don't know what you are saving for, putting money away will give you options for investment that you won't have if financial resources are not available. The key is to make savings a habit, and then make certain it is invested wisely when a solid opportunity is discovered or created.

It sounds like you both have a plan. Stick to them and you'll be happy you did.

Good fortune to all,

Clair