Archive for October, 2011

New York Stock Exchange visit

Two Types of Investors: Active & Passive

posted in Investing

There are two types of investors in this world – active & passive. An active investor believes he can achieve better returns than the market indexes, which track the overall market. In contrast, passive investors embrace market indexes, and thus want their returns to mimic the market; if the market returns are good, a passive investor’s returns will be as well.  I am the latter type of investor. I believe that investing in indexes will have a greater long term return than investing with active management. If you think you can actively manage your portfolio, you are brave. Beating the ...

Energy Efficient Upgrades

Best Energy Efficient House Upgrades

This infographic from 1bog.org that shows the most common home upgrades.( Click the picture to enlarge)  All of the upgrades except for two, are really worth it- high efficiency shower heads, and a programmable thermostat.    I was surprised that High-efficiency shower heads were one of the best ways to save money. Whenever I move into a new apartment showerheads are the first thing I change, and I did not even think about the water saving benefits. I only changed the shower heads because it always felt gross to me to use someone else’s.  Having an upgraded shower head makes ...

Budget Storm Trooper Costume

Halloween Costumes on a Budget

posted in Save Money

 If you celebrate Halloween by wearing a costume, you are awesome! Although I do not dress up anymore, I love looking at other people’s costumes.  Purchased costumes are cool.  But I am more impressed by the people who make their own costumes, especially on a budget.  I believe that you do not have to spend a lot to get a really impressive costume. There should be no reason why someone cannot afford a costume for Halloween.  On the top of my head, I can think of two 5 minute costumes – a ghost or a Greek Toga wearer. All you ...

piggy bank

What kind of Saver are you?

posted in Save Money

Money is not everything, but it can help get you where you want to be. With that said, everybody’s road to happiness is different. Some people prefer to grow their own vegetables and save every cent. While others like to save money, so that they can buy nice things. There is nothing wrong with either type of person. I am sort of a mix between the two; I consider myself to have the mind of a frugal person, but possess the soul of a splurger. If I had all the money in the world, I would buy a lot. But ...

Grocery Store

Why you should live close to a Grocery Store..

Alright so you are looking for a new place to live. Great. I am sure price is your number one concern, but what is next on that list? Well, it should be location. I already wrote an article about why you should live close to work. But let me elaborate further.  Not only should you live close to work, but you should also live as close as possible to a major grocery store. Why? Everyone needs to buy food at least a few times a month, unless of course you are a farmer and grow everything. But if you are ...

Screen1

Like Budgets? Got an Android Phone?

posted in Save Money

 I recently developed a free budget app for Android Phones. The app is called Super Budget and is based on the Daily Money open source app.   The features include: Keeping track of all your income and expenses. Recording your assets and liabilities. Planning multiple budgets. Import/Export/Share your budgets. Fully customizable accounts / categories Fully customizable journals / reports Beautiful Layout and Icons This app has a lot of functions and keeps track of your finances extremely easily. You can run spending reports on the fly and check your cumulative balance sheet. Why is this important? Well unless you have a ...

Monopoly

Board Games are Fun & Cheap Entertainment

posted in Save Money

Do you find it difficult to entertain guests? Or not sure what you guys should do on a Friday night? Why not play a board game? Crazy suggestion right? In this decade, people usually entertain their guests with their fancy HD TV. While the TV is a great platform for entertainment, it does not generate as much human interaction as a board game will. So unless your definition of entertaining is providing a TV, which your guests can stare at for a few hours, then you should consider getting a board game. Let me explain. When you and your friends ...

wiredtree

Welcome to the New Server

posted in Misc

If you guys can read this, then I completed the website transfer to my new server. I am happy to call WiredTree FatMoneyPig’s new home. Bye-bye frequent connection timeouts, and welcome Google-fast load times. The primary reason for my switch was because I want my readers to be able to access my page 24/7 without any interruptions. I know you all have busy schedules and time is money; slow webpages are unacceptable. As a result, I upgraded my server to make sure that my content is readily available to you. I appreciate that you guys read my blog and will ...

Calling Bank

Best Time to Call the Bank..

So it is 3 AM and you think now is a good time to take care of Finances. You log in to your bank’s online website and notice a charge. Holy shit, they charged you twice for an incoming wire transfer. You are mad and ready to argue with someone on the phone. This matter is so pressing you cannot wait until the morning, so you decide to call your bank. Good thing they are 24/7, right?  Wrong. Most banks have a 24/7 phone line, but you will get directed to a call center in India.  Trying to call and ...

time value of money

The Time Value of Money

posted in Investing

Investing is all about compounding over time; if you put in x amount today what will get you get tomorrow. This concept is extremely important to investors. In fact, first thing you learn in Finance 101 is the time value of money.  The formula is as follows: Future Value = Present Invested Amount * (1+Interest Rate )^Time The most important valuable factor in this equation is time. So if you start saving sooner rather than later, you will have more time to let your money compound. Here is an example. Guy A starts saving when he is 20. While the ...