Hello All You Diva Darlings!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
For some reason this Thanksgiving seems to be happier in general feeling. Of course for those that are out of work, losing their homes, it’s is not such a wonderful feeling, but I’ve been talking to a number of people who, because of such circumstances are in that situation.
But the reason why they are Thankful is that they had Family to fall back on, there are many who don’t, and they must depend upon the limited largess of the Government and the Churches and Synagogues who are working hard to easy the burden of an overburden population.
But some of the people I have been talking to are saying that they are looking upon these sad events as a reason to regroup and take stock of what is really valuable, and what they really need.
I’ve even heard on the news that on “Black Friday” many people are avoiding using credit cards and instead are paying by cash that they have saved or using their debt cards.
Now I just want to re-iterate something, I have said that it pays to have two checking and two savings accounts, The first checking and savings account is to be used to pay bills and groceries, and the savings account is to save up for any sudden repairs.
The second checking account and savings account, is to be used for purchases that you have up money for, like a Christmas club account but it’s more flexible, I have a friend that has an extra savings account that she puts her funds in to pay for her property taxes. But the second savings account is also for something special, like a trip, or to make that big purchase.
The whole idea is to have your saved money make money, even if it’s only 1 or 2 percent it’s better than nothing. And a lot of people are forgoing the 401 k’s and are looking into IRA’s and short term CD’s like 6 months or 1 year at the most. That way they have control over what they want their money to go into. So many people who had 401 k’s have lost a great deal of value, as bad as the stock market.
One other thing if you have several checking and savings accounts always make sure that there is some activity, even if you are just putting 20 dollars or so into them, that way the bank will not close them, so always watch your account activity.
Juanita is gone this weekend to be with her daughter and new grandbaby, she is so happy to have a little one to spoil.
I spent Thanksgiving at my brother’s house in San Francisco, and stayed a couple of nights, I had no desire to be driving home late at night, but it worked out well. I took public transportation as if I was going to my ‘office’ and then managed to grab a taxi to take me to my brother’s, I tipped the driver handsomely as well, it was a bit of a drive.
Then Friday my brother took me to a Bart Station that was not involved with Critical Mass and I took Bart back home.
I’m so use to using the Public Transportation system that it doesn’t faze me, and with that dangerous “S” curve it would be just my luck to be involved in an accident. Even my brother agreed.
It was so good seeing my nephews and nieces and their children, my brother had also invited some of his business acquaintances and their wives quite a full house, and such a feast! But one has to be careful about gaining weight around the holidays.
When I arrived home on Friday I was happy to have several phone messages from friends wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving, Kevin even called long distance. I miss him, I haven’t seen him for a while, his work keeps him on the road a lot.
I am avoiding the shopping Malls as much as possible this weekend, all those sales and everything just makes for a serious headache which I do not wish to have. But there are some gallery events that I will be going to tonight and tomorrow with Betty and her husband, so my weekend will be busy.
And we are planning to go to some Christmas events as well, like Dunsmuir House, The Dickens’s Fair, the Ballet for the traditional Nutcracker, and one or two choral events.
My family agreed that it would be best to just get presents for the children, since the grownups don’t need anything, but my oldest niece has been saving the old family pictures onto disc and wants to show them at the family Christmas party, she says a number of the photo’s are not labeled, so by showing them on the big screen (T.V.) we can identify them and she can label them.
Makes sense to me. And I’ll be looking forward to seeing those pictures.
Now I must go and get dressed and run some errands, I have a busy evening tonight.
Until Anon, Kisses Darlings.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Being "Frugal and Hunting Bargains" are in Style~~~
Hello All You Darling Divas!!
I know Darlings; I’ve been away for just too long. And don’t I realize that!
But so much has been happening in my life. Where do I start?
First, I am now an adopted Grandmamma, Juanita’s daughter Constance gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl on October 30. The baby was a surprise to everyone, and a welcomed one.
And why am I an adopted Grandma? Constance and her husband have medical insurance but it doesn’t quite stretch to meet all the bills and although she was and is working full time, he had been out of work for a while but getting by with temporary and odd jobs and now finally has a full time job, so with 4 other children to feed and clothe it does get hard, yes 2 boys and 2 girls. As Manuel says quite a full house, so I’m helping to pay the medical bills for the baby.
When Constance came home with the baby I gave Juanita time off to help get Constance settled in with the new baby, and what I’m doing is having Juanita have more days off to be with Constance so she can rest and get into a routine with the baby.
One thing has Constance and Manuel worried is baby care because Constance can only take 4 months off from her work. She took the final month of her pregnancy off and will only have 3 months to be with the baby before she goes back to working as a secretary/ receptionist at her job and with the economy being the way it is she doesn’t want to lose it.
So Moi made a suggestion, my house is right on the way to where Constance’s job is, she can leave the baby with Juanita, we can have a complete set of baby things at my home, including disposable diapers, and Juanita can watch the baby during the day and then Constance can pick the baby up on the way home.
Juanita was worried that she might not be able to do things for me at the house, but I said that with the two of us and with “Molly Maids” from time to time, we should be able to give Constance peace of mind. It’s not like I’m a handful to take care of and I’m quiet capable of grocery shopping, taking things to the cleaners and such, although with having Juanita around it does make it easier in case a repair person is needed and I have to leave to take care of business.
And Constance’s older daughters and the boys can watch the baby while Constance is preparing dinner and they can help around the house as well. Which as I understand it, is not a problem since that is part of their responsibilities anyway.
So it’s a matter of adjusting our routines. And I have another little one to spoil as well.
Now about the economy-----Well Darlings, I don’t have to tell you that it is in “the toilet”. And such changes that are happening, even I have a hard time to keep up with it.
Fortunately my “Ladies Who Lunch” still get together and so far they have been riding out the ups and downs fairly well, with adjustments.
Can I tell you what to do in general about things? Sad to say No I can’t, because each individuals situation is unique, but there are some general things that you can do.
An important thing is to pay attention to the business reports especially about banking policies; recently it came out that two banking institutions were in the process of charging fees on good customers. How ridiculous is that!
One of my “Ladies” told me that the minute she heard about that she started looking into another institution that doesn’t do that.
Another told me that she left her credit union because they wanted her to keep more in her savings than before and if it went below a certain amount she would be charged a “maintenance fee”, what also aggravated her is that the closest branch closed and moved away from the business hub to a less accessible location for her, and the ATM is never properly maintained, I would say that is reasons to quit that institution and go with another.
So all you Diva Darlings, always keep a close eye on those extra fees that they are charging, and always read those little extra mailers that they send you that “tell” you of those changes, they are required by law to do that. And if they don’t, COMPLAIN AND COMPLAIN LOUDLY---if need be take it up a notch---speak with a supervisor---demand quality service---they are making money on your money anyway---the money that you put into their banks they use to make investments and purchases, so keep an eye if they are investing wisely.
One of my “Ladies” whom happens to know my dear friend “Mean Kitty” took a very hard hit, the bottom line is husband divorced her and left her in serious debt, she is of course trying to get some recourse, but it has been two years in the process, so she was forced to declare bankruptcy.
In a way she was lucky, she was awarded it, but she sold almost everything, there were no children involved, but she did find out that he had fathered a child by another woman who is going to be “new wifey” having seen an engagement ring with a rock big enough to choke a Shetland pony.
She met the woman in a friendly meeting, saw the baby, knew at once it was going to be an ‘ugly child’ and would need a lot of help, my “lady” told me that she hoped the child was ‘brilliant’ to help make it’s way in the world. Her words not mine.
Of course she didn’t say that to the Mother, no need to be cruel, but said that she hope the Mother and her Ex had an interesting life together. But also told her what her Ex-had done to her and warned the Mother to be on her guard with him and that she was compelled by law to seek some restitution from her Ex because it was not properly divided since this is a community law state.
She apologized to the new wife of her Ex and mother of his child, but said that it was the law, and she was only seeking that which is fair, and said she had no animosity towards the new wife and especially not to the idea of her Ex having a child.
She said that if the Ex would simply let their respective lawyers handle all the arrangements it would be nice to avoid court costs with the exception of the final judgment by the Judge and allow each of them to get on with their lives, and that either way her Ex would still come out of it in good shape. She even said that she would not seek any portion of her Ex’s retirement fund, if he allowed the lawyers to do “their thing”.
My lady told me that she at first thought that “new wifey” to be would become very upset, but instead was very reasonable, especially when she told “new wifey” about some of the hidden assets the Ex had that “new wifey” to be didn’t know about.
The final results were that she got what she wanted to make things better for herself, and she and “new wifey” are secret friends behind Ex’s back.
But because of the bankruptcy taking a hit on her credit score she cannot hold a credit card.
But she found out that check debt cards work like a credit card, so what she did is open a second checking account with the same bank and has been depositing extra cash into that debt card and maintaining running book keeping on it. She also has it linked to a savings account so that every month at the end of the month $25.00 is shifted into her savings.
She has found that with her no longer having to worry about those debts that she had, she has more freedom to exercise her choices on what she needs, or wants. And that is the difference.
One always has to discerned between the difference of a need and a want----
A NEED is something that you need to have if you want to have some function in life,--- for example if in your job it’s important to have a laptop, a DSL line or Wifi and a cell
Phone That is a NEED. Having an Iron and Ironing Board to press out your clothes is a Need. Being able to buy food is a need, having medical and dental insurance is a Need.
A WANT is something you desire, but is NOT necessary for you to function in life----
Example: a cell phone with all sorts of Apps so you can get onto Twitter and Face book, since that is not really necessary in your life it is only a Want. Expensive crystal wine glasses are a Want not a need. Buying a Gucci Handbag is a Want not a need. A plasma screen T.V. that is 72 inches is a Want not a need. Having a Mani-Pedi every two weeks is a Want not a need, when you can get by having it only once a month or not at all.
Another thing as all agreed upon by my “Ladies Who Lunch” being Frugal and hunting for Bargains is the new “In-Thing” even among those who can afford things.
One of my Ladies told me she got a CVS card with the CVS stores that use to be Longs in our Area; she gets coupons with purchases that she makes, especially if she purchases CVS products. She also buys her milk at CVS anyway because where she’s at it’s $2.49 a gallon compared to $2.99 at most grocery stores, and when she uses her CVS card it drops to $2.29 a gallon, and if she has an extra discount coupon that says “Real California Cows” she can get 50 cents to a $1.00 off a gallon of milk.
She has also discovered the 99 cents Hallmark cards, and uses them for birthdays, and special occasions, yes she does have to pay 44 cents for postage but she says that she enjoys the personal touch with a card.
She has also used the $20 dollar coupon from Wal-Mart that says you can buy a Thanksgiving dinner for 8 for $20 this includes a 12 pound turkey; she has used it and says that turkey is going to be used for dinner, soup, casseroles, and sandwiches.
So the word is to all you Darling Divas the New In Thing is being FRUGAL AND HUNTING BARGAINS.
But frankly my Dear Divas, as being a Diva that should also be your Mantra.
Must go my Dears Irma has come by to take me out to Brunch and since Juanita is at Constance’s home spoiling the baby, my time is my own.
Until Anon, Kisses.
Friday, May 8, 2009
An Update
Hello Darlings,
To some of you who know me personally, yes, I have not posted for some time, it is because so much has been happening in my life.
My Dear Friend Irma is currently very depressed, her older sister Iris, whom I bought her house last year, passed away in her sleep a couple of weeks ago and Iris and her husband are dealing with what is left of her estate and legal things.
This is really not giving Irma much chance to mourn and so I've been her shoulder to cry on. We only knew that Iris was feeling more tired than usual, but till the very end would dress and join the other members of her senior community for meals and events, but of late she had been passing on the events and started giving Irma her personal jewelry with notes as to which child to receive it.
This of course upset Irma, but I told her that it's possible that Iris was feeling something very subtle in her health that is not detectable by the usual exams and to just reassure Iris.
Little did we know that Iris was feeling the end to her life approaching, the good thing is that she passed away in her sleep after having a wonderful visit by Irma and her husband and Iris's two grown children.
I think it's just the suddenness of it that has Irma so upset.
I hope that when my time comes I'll be able to pass away peacefully like Iris.
And my attention is also turned towards my older brother who lives in Santa Barbara, I am worried for his and his wife's health and safty. My brother still has his house in the hills but he bought a house on the ocean side just south of Santa Barbara and is renting his hillside home. He'd been selling a number of his things that was in the house, just decided that it was for the best after the last fire.
But the minute he heard about the fire he called his tennant and advised him to get everything that was important and everyone out of there after setting up the watering fire system, to not hesitate.
His renter has done so and is safe, and my brother has been calling the house to see if it has burned but as of one hour ago he is still getting the answering machine so the house is still intact. He has insureance on it, but said that if it burns he will not rebuild and instead sell the property once it's been cleared off.
He has had enough and preferrs the sea breeze instead of the worry of fires. He also owns a Pied a terre here in San Francisco where he has put a number of things that he still owns, his grand daughter is currently living there while looking for a home to buy.
So I know that my brother and his family are safe which is important but these fires are just so frightening.
Even here in my little city there was a terrible fire last month, granted it did burn down an abandoned building, but the smoke from it made it hard to breathe.
And our weather has been hot, then cold, then rain and now muggy and getting hot again, at least I have serveral large walk in closets where I can pick and choose what I'll wear and not have to put anything into storage, except my furs.
Oh now Darlings don't be jealous, if you do as I have done to earn the "Diva Bucks" you too will be able to have several large walk in closets as I do.
I've been walking my little diva Princess, the little thing is doing so well, and fortunately so has my ankle that I injured last year, we still enjoy our walks to and along the beach.
Lately I've taken to shopping at several wonderful consignment stores, I find wonderful jewerly and things. It's wonderful to spoil oneself without breaking the bank, not that I have to worry about breaking my bank, but it does pay to be thrifty as much as possible.
I've given Juanita a few days off since this is Mother's Day weekend and told her to not come back until Tuesday, after losing Iris I felt that it was important for Juanita to spend as much time as possible with her family. I even had a third phone line installed dedicated for her use to talk to her family as often as she can.
I have two for myself plus internet access.
And now Princess is demanding her walk, and the weather is just fine.
Until Annon Darlings, Kisses
To some of you who know me personally, yes, I have not posted for some time, it is because so much has been happening in my life.
My Dear Friend Irma is currently very depressed, her older sister Iris, whom I bought her house last year, passed away in her sleep a couple of weeks ago and Iris and her husband are dealing with what is left of her estate and legal things.
This is really not giving Irma much chance to mourn and so I've been her shoulder to cry on. We only knew that Iris was feeling more tired than usual, but till the very end would dress and join the other members of her senior community for meals and events, but of late she had been passing on the events and started giving Irma her personal jewelry with notes as to which child to receive it.
This of course upset Irma, but I told her that it's possible that Iris was feeling something very subtle in her health that is not detectable by the usual exams and to just reassure Iris.
Little did we know that Iris was feeling the end to her life approaching, the good thing is that she passed away in her sleep after having a wonderful visit by Irma and her husband and Iris's two grown children.
I think it's just the suddenness of it that has Irma so upset.
I hope that when my time comes I'll be able to pass away peacefully like Iris.
And my attention is also turned towards my older brother who lives in Santa Barbara, I am worried for his and his wife's health and safty. My brother still has his house in the hills but he bought a house on the ocean side just south of Santa Barbara and is renting his hillside home. He'd been selling a number of his things that was in the house, just decided that it was for the best after the last fire.
But the minute he heard about the fire he called his tennant and advised him to get everything that was important and everyone out of there after setting up the watering fire system, to not hesitate.
His renter has done so and is safe, and my brother has been calling the house to see if it has burned but as of one hour ago he is still getting the answering machine so the house is still intact. He has insureance on it, but said that if it burns he will not rebuild and instead sell the property once it's been cleared off.
He has had enough and preferrs the sea breeze instead of the worry of fires. He also owns a Pied a terre here in San Francisco where he has put a number of things that he still owns, his grand daughter is currently living there while looking for a home to buy.
So I know that my brother and his family are safe which is important but these fires are just so frightening.
Even here in my little city there was a terrible fire last month, granted it did burn down an abandoned building, but the smoke from it made it hard to breathe.
And our weather has been hot, then cold, then rain and now muggy and getting hot again, at least I have serveral large walk in closets where I can pick and choose what I'll wear and not have to put anything into storage, except my furs.
Oh now Darlings don't be jealous, if you do as I have done to earn the "Diva Bucks" you too will be able to have several large walk in closets as I do.
I've been walking my little diva Princess, the little thing is doing so well, and fortunately so has my ankle that I injured last year, we still enjoy our walks to and along the beach.
Lately I've taken to shopping at several wonderful consignment stores, I find wonderful jewerly and things. It's wonderful to spoil oneself without breaking the bank, not that I have to worry about breaking my bank, but it does pay to be thrifty as much as possible.
I've given Juanita a few days off since this is Mother's Day weekend and told her to not come back until Tuesday, after losing Iris I felt that it was important for Juanita to spend as much time as possible with her family. I even had a third phone line installed dedicated for her use to talk to her family as often as she can.
I have two for myself plus internet access.
And now Princess is demanding her walk, and the weather is just fine.
Until Annon Darlings, Kisses
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
A Quick Note~~~~~
Hello Darlings,
I know I have been very neglectful here, but as with life I've been very busy, even my dear friend "Mean Kitty" has been busy.
But I haven't been stagnating either.
Taxes are done, thank goodness, I'm still holding Sunday luncheons with my "Business ladies who lunch" but we've decided to make it twice a month for now, but we still meet on Thursdays in the City. I am happy to say that everyone is doing well, and holding their own.
Juanita is going to become a grandmother again, and she is sooooo happy, it was a surprise even for her daughter, they did the amenosis test and the baby is healthy, I have offered to pay for any bills that are not covered by their insurance plan, I want this baby to come into this world with a chance---I know me! Me who has never had children---but there is something that makes my heart "mushy".
Juanita and her family have been good to me and I know times are tough for them.
Her Daughter and Husband were worried about losing their house because of the high interest rates, but I did this, with my lawyer I negotiated with the bank and took over their mortgage, so I hold the deed, But I lowered the rate to 4.50% to improve their cash flow, but what I am also doing is that if I should die, their loan is forgiven and they receive their house free and clear. It's a bit more complicated but since I was in a better position to re-fi than they were, we were able to work it out.
And I've been busy in other ways, I've had several large bond come due, so I'm buying property, property that can make a good investment income for me, in resort areas for summer and winter. And now I'm looking at property down near Montery, I'm a bit concerned about Santa Cruz especially after that earthquake that almost destroyed down town, but there is some property there that is built on very solid ground, Yes Darlings, if you have the funds and with the interest rates so low, this is the time to buy.
Land will never lose it's value as long as you buy it at the right time.
Hetty Green the so-called "Witch of Wall Street" (by the way you should read her biography) always said "Buy cheap and sell dear" meaning buy low and sell high.
And that is what I'm doing right now darlings, there are stocks that no matter what are recession resistant, not proof but resistant and that is what you should look for, the product will never go out of style, and I am in a position to do that.
Remember that Darlings.
Now I must go Darlings, I'm treating dear Betty to Lunch today in the City and we are going to do a little shoping, although it is very windy, warm coats and scarves recommended.
Until Anon, Kisses Darlings
I know I have been very neglectful here, but as with life I've been very busy, even my dear friend "Mean Kitty" has been busy.
But I haven't been stagnating either.
Taxes are done, thank goodness, I'm still holding Sunday luncheons with my "Business ladies who lunch" but we've decided to make it twice a month for now, but we still meet on Thursdays in the City. I am happy to say that everyone is doing well, and holding their own.
Juanita is going to become a grandmother again, and she is sooooo happy, it was a surprise even for her daughter, they did the amenosis test and the baby is healthy, I have offered to pay for any bills that are not covered by their insurance plan, I want this baby to come into this world with a chance---I know me! Me who has never had children---but there is something that makes my heart "mushy".
Juanita and her family have been good to me and I know times are tough for them.
Her Daughter and Husband were worried about losing their house because of the high interest rates, but I did this, with my lawyer I negotiated with the bank and took over their mortgage, so I hold the deed, But I lowered the rate to 4.50% to improve their cash flow, but what I am also doing is that if I should die, their loan is forgiven and they receive their house free and clear. It's a bit more complicated but since I was in a better position to re-fi than they were, we were able to work it out.
And I've been busy in other ways, I've had several large bond come due, so I'm buying property, property that can make a good investment income for me, in resort areas for summer and winter. And now I'm looking at property down near Montery, I'm a bit concerned about Santa Cruz especially after that earthquake that almost destroyed down town, but there is some property there that is built on very solid ground, Yes Darlings, if you have the funds and with the interest rates so low, this is the time to buy.
Land will never lose it's value as long as you buy it at the right time.
Hetty Green the so-called "Witch of Wall Street" (by the way you should read her biography) always said "Buy cheap and sell dear" meaning buy low and sell high.
And that is what I'm doing right now darlings, there are stocks that no matter what are recession resistant, not proof but resistant and that is what you should look for, the product will never go out of style, and I am in a position to do that.
Remember that Darlings.
Now I must go Darlings, I'm treating dear Betty to Lunch today in the City and we are going to do a little shoping, although it is very windy, warm coats and scarves recommended.
Until Anon, Kisses Darlings
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Economy and hardships~~a brief note~~~
Hello Darlings,
I know --- it has been a long time since I’ve last posted but, well darlings, with all the sudden changes in the stock market, the economy worsening, President Obama’s stimulus package, the foolishness being done at our State Capital (God Bless you, Maldonado), I just could not fathom what was going to happen.
My “Business Ladies Who Lunch” and I have been having meetings every Sunday just pouring over what is happening, two of the dear ladies have been downsized and are now seeking new employment.
My father once said that “We are not in a depression unless it has gone for 36 months, if it has gone that long and there is No sign of improvement, then we are in a depression.” But I fear that my Father’s assessment time frame may have been a bit too long, with employment in California at 10% and possibly going higher, the threats of furloughing workers and thereby shrinking their pay check will not stimulate the economy. And this has happened very rapidly, almost at the time the housing market had burst.
My ladies and I agree that the worst culprits are the CEO of major corporations, and banking institutions for unsecured loans, outsourcing jobs to other countries, taking huge payoffs, bonuses and separation packages and well as ridiculous spending has placed the economy in dire straits.
Then to discover that some of the higher positioned California State Staffers have used tax payer money to travel to things like a Justin Timberlake concert is completely reckless and reprehensible, I and my Ladies have written and sent a group letter demanding that the Governor force those who have done that illegitimate spending to completely repay the monies that they’ve illegally spent. To put it simply we are furious!
The best way to start improving this situation is to bring back the jobs that have been outsourced overseas, to encourage manufacturing in the United States, to inform the Unions that they cannot demand higher wages but can encourage safety procedures and legal conduits if there are improper situations, to demand higher wages would imperil the businesses, that banks work with homeowners to renegotiate all loans are a much lower and properly affordable interest rates. And banks should be the ones to encourage people to buy
Of course it would be best for people to spend less and more wisely, and to cease being a throw away society. Being “green” is fine, recycling is fine, being thrifty is fine, but not at the cost of businesses, and jobs. Also make our goods absolutely highly desirable by foreign countries so that we are selling much of our goods overseas, but keeping them very affordable here.
The March issue of U.S. news and world report has several articles that are worth reading and Mort Zuckerman’s editorial is well worth reading---his comment that “it’s a chicken and egg problem: the banks aren’t lending because of the weakening economy, and the economy is weakening because the banks aren’t lending” is really part of the crux of the problem.
And the only one who can break this cycle is really the banks, they need to lend to start the healing process but they need to do it at low interest rates to make the loans affordable and worthwhile. People are really seeing what they can and cannot do but they have to remember that they can’t spend like they use to, but only the banks can start the healing process and the CEO’s need to see that, forget what the stock holders want, get the healing started.
I for one have always thought that the way the stock markets were climbing was another bubble that would burst, so instead of buying the stocks when the rates were climbing to exorbitant rates I instead took the money and put it into high earning bank accounts, now the earnings have dropped but I have not lost my cash, it’s still there, maybe earning much less but there and I’m still have enough to cover all my expenses.
So I’ll be spending less, so what darlings, so what. I can still live.
Now my two ladies who lunch, one has moved back with her parents and has put her condo on the market, now she bought it a long time ago, so even what she gets now will still be more than what she paid for it. And she saw that her aging parents did need her, so she is looking for a job that is part time to cover her medical and dental costs and insurances, she did pay off her credit cards and is avoiding using them, she has also done other cost cutting measures so she is doing well.
My other lady who lunches has also done serious cost cutting measures, manage to sell off some property and used that to pay off the balance on that property and her credit card debt, she currently has COBRA on her medical, her working daughter has moved in with her and gave up her apartment, it was good really as her mother’s house is much closer to her work, and her mother’s house loan is fixed and affordable. My lady is also looking at various jobs and other options, and is being very creative. She has 5 interviews lined up and granted it will by at only ½ to 2/3 what she was making originally, but that is not an issue for her and any of the jobs are really a good fit.
It really being able to pay the bills and buying groceries and with the two of them living together it is really more viable by pooling their incomes together. As a matter of fact many families are doing that now and it is paying off for them as well as being supportive. In many ways we are returning to the solid roots of our grandparents of the early 1900's to 1930's, where every penny counted.
Really a attitude that should be regenerated into our young people all over again. All those old addiges "Waste not, want not", "a penny saved is a penny earned" and many more which our young people have totally disregarded which they are finding out to their own sorrow. "WAKE UP PEOPLE---THIS IS REALITY HITTING YOU ON THE HEAD".
So we shall see If our young people learn from this or will they go back to their "bad habits".
For now I’m going to the White Elephant sale today with my family and Juanita, who knows what items I will find, but it pays to be choosy Darlings and remember, it’s a tax write off.
Until anon, kisses Darlings.
I know --- it has been a long time since I’ve last posted but, well darlings, with all the sudden changes in the stock market, the economy worsening, President Obama’s stimulus package, the foolishness being done at our State Capital (God Bless you, Maldonado), I just could not fathom what was going to happen.
My “Business Ladies Who Lunch” and I have been having meetings every Sunday just pouring over what is happening, two of the dear ladies have been downsized and are now seeking new employment.
My father once said that “We are not in a depression unless it has gone for 36 months, if it has gone that long and there is No sign of improvement, then we are in a depression.” But I fear that my Father’s assessment time frame may have been a bit too long, with employment in California at 10% and possibly going higher, the threats of furloughing workers and thereby shrinking their pay check will not stimulate the economy. And this has happened very rapidly, almost at the time the housing market had burst.
My ladies and I agree that the worst culprits are the CEO of major corporations, and banking institutions for unsecured loans, outsourcing jobs to other countries, taking huge payoffs, bonuses and separation packages and well as ridiculous spending has placed the economy in dire straits.
Then to discover that some of the higher positioned California State Staffers have used tax payer money to travel to things like a Justin Timberlake concert is completely reckless and reprehensible, I and my Ladies have written and sent a group letter demanding that the Governor force those who have done that illegitimate spending to completely repay the monies that they’ve illegally spent. To put it simply we are furious!
The best way to start improving this situation is to bring back the jobs that have been outsourced overseas, to encourage manufacturing in the United States, to inform the Unions that they cannot demand higher wages but can encourage safety procedures and legal conduits if there are improper situations, to demand higher wages would imperil the businesses, that banks work with homeowners to renegotiate all loans are a much lower and properly affordable interest rates. And banks should be the ones to encourage people to buy
Of course it would be best for people to spend less and more wisely, and to cease being a throw away society. Being “green” is fine, recycling is fine, being thrifty is fine, but not at the cost of businesses, and jobs. Also make our goods absolutely highly desirable by foreign countries so that we are selling much of our goods overseas, but keeping them very affordable here.
The March issue of U.S. news and world report has several articles that are worth reading and Mort Zuckerman’s editorial is well worth reading---his comment that “it’s a chicken and egg problem: the banks aren’t lending because of the weakening economy, and the economy is weakening because the banks aren’t lending” is really part of the crux of the problem.
And the only one who can break this cycle is really the banks, they need to lend to start the healing process but they need to do it at low interest rates to make the loans affordable and worthwhile. People are really seeing what they can and cannot do but they have to remember that they can’t spend like they use to, but only the banks can start the healing process and the CEO’s need to see that, forget what the stock holders want, get the healing started.
I for one have always thought that the way the stock markets were climbing was another bubble that would burst, so instead of buying the stocks when the rates were climbing to exorbitant rates I instead took the money and put it into high earning bank accounts, now the earnings have dropped but I have not lost my cash, it’s still there, maybe earning much less but there and I’m still have enough to cover all my expenses.
So I’ll be spending less, so what darlings, so what. I can still live.
Now my two ladies who lunch, one has moved back with her parents and has put her condo on the market, now she bought it a long time ago, so even what she gets now will still be more than what she paid for it. And she saw that her aging parents did need her, so she is looking for a job that is part time to cover her medical and dental costs and insurances, she did pay off her credit cards and is avoiding using them, she has also done other cost cutting measures so she is doing well.
My other lady who lunches has also done serious cost cutting measures, manage to sell off some property and used that to pay off the balance on that property and her credit card debt, she currently has COBRA on her medical, her working daughter has moved in with her and gave up her apartment, it was good really as her mother’s house is much closer to her work, and her mother’s house loan is fixed and affordable. My lady is also looking at various jobs and other options, and is being very creative. She has 5 interviews lined up and granted it will by at only ½ to 2/3 what she was making originally, but that is not an issue for her and any of the jobs are really a good fit.
It really being able to pay the bills and buying groceries and with the two of them living together it is really more viable by pooling their incomes together. As a matter of fact many families are doing that now and it is paying off for them as well as being supportive. In many ways we are returning to the solid roots of our grandparents of the early 1900's to 1930's, where every penny counted.
Really a attitude that should be regenerated into our young people all over again. All those old addiges "Waste not, want not", "a penny saved is a penny earned" and many more which our young people have totally disregarded which they are finding out to their own sorrow. "WAKE UP PEOPLE---THIS IS REALITY HITTING YOU ON THE HEAD".
So we shall see If our young people learn from this or will they go back to their "bad habits".
For now I’m going to the White Elephant sale today with my family and Juanita, who knows what items I will find, but it pays to be choosy Darlings and remember, it’s a tax write off.
Until anon, kisses Darlings.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
President Obama
Hello Darlings,
This is going to be a short post, I have guests. We've been here since 7 a.m. this morning.
So now we have President Obama, and it seems that he is "hitting the ground running".
He's made many statements and promises in his speech, and he's drawing on history to make his point. We shall see.
I can tell you Darlings that there is a sense of hope wafting in my living room right now as my friends talk about what he has said.
All I can do is wish the man well, and hope that his "dream" for America comes true.
Until Anon Darlings, Kisses
This is going to be a short post, I have guests. We've been here since 7 a.m. this morning.
So now we have President Obama, and it seems that he is "hitting the ground running".
He's made many statements and promises in his speech, and he's drawing on history to make his point. We shall see.
I can tell you Darlings that there is a sense of hope wafting in my living room right now as my friends talk about what he has said.
All I can do is wish the man well, and hope that his "dream" for America comes true.
Until Anon Darlings, Kisses
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Part One of our "Business Ladies who Lunch" Pot Luck Review
Hello Again Darlings,
Well I did promise you on how my “Business Ladies Who Lunch” Potluck went, we had a marvelous time and so much information to share that what we all did is use our digital recorders to record what was said that way we wouldn’t have to rely on memory.
But my Darlings there was so much information that I’m going to have to break it down into much smaller sections.
So this “chapter” is going to be on reading material, and at home entertainment~~~
One of our Ladies Sherry showed us several magazines that she purchased---because there were so many articles in them it was better to purchase them, she said next time she’ll photo copy the any articles if her Library carries those particular magazines, but this time she wasn’t sure.
The magazines were Kiplinger’s Personal Finance for January 2009 issue; it had many articles on building up your portfolio, finding best deals in bonds and warning of scams.
She also came across a November 2008 copy of the same magazine with articles on getting out of debt and saving on your energy bills and made copies for us.
Laura showed us the January 2009 issue of House Beautiful and it contained an article titled “A Clean Slate---It Starts With Your Closet” it had rules about weeding your wardrobe, and she gave us copies of the article.
On thing that we all agreed on was that it was important to save as much money as possible, and buying the magazines at costs ranging from 3.99 to 6.99 was defeatist, but Sherry said that by going to places such as Borders or Barnes and Nobel, she would look at the magazines, make a note of which ones had articles that were of interest and then go to the Library and photocopy the articles there.
If it was impossible to get the magazine at the Library only then would she consider buying it.
Speaking of buying magazines, Laura our Fashionista says that she limits her fashion magazine purchases to only the March and September issues of her favorites, and she watches for offers of when the subscriptions are 2/3’s lower than the shelf prices. For instance she has subscribed to Vanity Fair at a price that is only $1.25 per issue; she likes that magazine because of both the articles and the fashions they show.
She takes one evening a week after leaving work to go to the Library and scan Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and any other fashion magazine that is available, she likes to decompress that way. Any magazine that she does buy she removes only those articles that she wants and then drops them off at the magazine exchange box at the Library.
It was mentioned by all the Ladies that it appears that many Libraries and their Branches have a magazine exchange box, and for everyone to see if their nearest Library had one, we decided to also bring our magazines that we were done with to our next Pot Luck Meeting and if anyone wanted to take one home they could, but if everyone wanted the same article then the owner of the magazine would photo copy it and we would reimburse them for the cost of the photocopy.
It was also mentioned that if the particular issues are no longer on sale at either the bookstores like Borders or Barnes and Nobel, check your Public Library to see if they have those magazines or can request them for you from another Library System.
It was also discovered that checking the Magazine Exchange Bin was a good way to find back issues of magazines that we might be interested in. As my dear friend “Mean Kitty” would say “Free is always good.”
Now on to Entertainment~~~~~
We all agreed that going out for an evening of fun can become expensive and even having home entertainment can be expensive if you have children that want the latest video game, especially the Wii system.
Terri is a working mother, her husband also works but his job often takes him out of town, so she has two children ages 8 and 10 who demand being entertained. Because of the economy crunch, she had them watching the early evening news, and she would watch it with them, when it brought up the economy and people being out of work or losing their homes, she would then bring the subject up to her children.
She said that she really didn’t want to do the “Scared Straight” routine, but she had to make her children very aware that there were priorities in life and that buying the latest video game or the latest DVD was not high on the list. Through carefully telling them what the situation was she got them into the game of finding inexpensive ways to be entertained.
Card and board games came up, but they found that it only worked if there were at least 4 children involved so Terri came up with a exchange of play nights for children on Fridays and Saturday evenings if there was no big homework assignment, and games in which two people could play, such as checkers, puzzles, pick up sticks, tic-tac-toe, they found a children’s toy consignment store, and there they discovered board games that were much cheaper than new. They even discovered the game of Jacks and Marbles, she said that the children were working together better, less hyper-active and they tired more at night when ready to go to bed.
She also introduced a reading time as well, at least 15 minutes to read a portion of a book that was borrowed from the Library. And that was after dinner, and then to any game.
But homework always came first with the idea of games afterwards. She noticed an improvement on their homework as well, so she believes that the games engage their brain functions much better.
Sometimes a movie is always good, but our Ladies didn’t want to have to buy or rent the latest films, Net flicks was discussed, the fact that it could be mailed to and from the Net flicks center for a monthly fee of $8.99 was considered an excellent bargain, the ladies did have some disappointments, like a film not playing well and it was not their DVD, but it was considered the chances one has to take.
If one is into films then it was considered that Net Flicks is a good deal, going to the movies was another thing discussed and it was agreed that for some films seeing it on the big screen is visually more exciting, but going in the evenings can put a hole in the pocket, if it’s a film that one Must See then going to a matinee is always good, but do not buy any of the popcorn or soft drinks to save money.
The Public Library was brought up as a free option to borrow films and music CD’s and was considered the best rock bottom solution for music and Films.
One of the Ladies says that she and her boy friend plan one movie night out a month and this would include eating out as well, it’s their treat to themselves and they include it in their budget, but she says that they stay with appetizers, and only ONE alcoholic drink, they buy one big tub of popcorn, but they sneak in her oversize purse their bottled water.
I told them about my “Game Night” parties, which would include Mahjong and other games, and puzzles and doing it pot luck style, and it could be done with any size group.
Other things that were discussed was finding free things to do around the Bay Area, most museums have free sections one can go to, but if it’s a special exhibit in which there is a fee, one should be prepared for that.
Public Parks and Art Wine festivals with free entertainment was considered, free beaches was also thought of for the summer months, mention was made of some of the local events such as the Sand castle contest, and the Jam festival.
It was looked into the cost of parking and gas use and if it was possible to take public transportation to most events to save money, it was agreed that a number of events was easy to get to using public transportation and some not so easy, again planning and budgeting was considered the best way to make decisions.
Sometime during the Summer if a store is offering a special admission price to one of the local amusement parks that could be factored into one’s budge.
Terri told her children that if they collect cans and bottles for recycling the money from that could be used to go to a major amusement park one time during the Summer, but they had to decide which one it would be, and they created a Amusement Park Jar, which is a big glass jar and all the money that was raised by cashing in the cans etc was put into that jar, the children started including found money, that is money found on the sidewalks, etc. Terri says they do not turn their noses up at pennies anymore, and if they have any toys that are in good condition but they are no longer interested in they take it to the Toy consignment store for either credit or cash.
She also makes sure that the children wear gloves when they go on their hunts, she said it’s amazing the number of cans and plastic bottles that people carelessly toss out, she discovered teenagers are the worst offenders.
And Teenagers almost led us off into another tangent but we did get back on track.
Well Darlings this has gone to 4 pages, so I’ll have to end for now and continue at another time, my Dear Friends Betty and Bill are coming by in Bills’ Packard and we are going “Cruising”, and checking out some things, they are into Art Deco things, so I’m going with them just for fun. Besides you never know what might turn up or discover.
Until Anon Darlings, Kisses
Well I did promise you on how my “Business Ladies Who Lunch” Potluck went, we had a marvelous time and so much information to share that what we all did is use our digital recorders to record what was said that way we wouldn’t have to rely on memory.
But my Darlings there was so much information that I’m going to have to break it down into much smaller sections.
So this “chapter” is going to be on reading material, and at home entertainment~~~
One of our Ladies Sherry showed us several magazines that she purchased---because there were so many articles in them it was better to purchase them, she said next time she’ll photo copy the any articles if her Library carries those particular magazines, but this time she wasn’t sure.
The magazines were Kiplinger’s Personal Finance for January 2009 issue; it had many articles on building up your portfolio, finding best deals in bonds and warning of scams.
She also came across a November 2008 copy of the same magazine with articles on getting out of debt and saving on your energy bills and made copies for us.
Laura showed us the January 2009 issue of House Beautiful and it contained an article titled “A Clean Slate---It Starts With Your Closet” it had rules about weeding your wardrobe, and she gave us copies of the article.
On thing that we all agreed on was that it was important to save as much money as possible, and buying the magazines at costs ranging from 3.99 to 6.99 was defeatist, but Sherry said that by going to places such as Borders or Barnes and Nobel, she would look at the magazines, make a note of which ones had articles that were of interest and then go to the Library and photocopy the articles there.
If it was impossible to get the magazine at the Library only then would she consider buying it.
Speaking of buying magazines, Laura our Fashionista says that she limits her fashion magazine purchases to only the March and September issues of her favorites, and she watches for offers of when the subscriptions are 2/3’s lower than the shelf prices. For instance she has subscribed to Vanity Fair at a price that is only $1.25 per issue; she likes that magazine because of both the articles and the fashions they show.
She takes one evening a week after leaving work to go to the Library and scan Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and any other fashion magazine that is available, she likes to decompress that way. Any magazine that she does buy she removes only those articles that she wants and then drops them off at the magazine exchange box at the Library.
It was mentioned by all the Ladies that it appears that many Libraries and their Branches have a magazine exchange box, and for everyone to see if their nearest Library had one, we decided to also bring our magazines that we were done with to our next Pot Luck Meeting and if anyone wanted to take one home they could, but if everyone wanted the same article then the owner of the magazine would photo copy it and we would reimburse them for the cost of the photocopy.
It was also mentioned that if the particular issues are no longer on sale at either the bookstores like Borders or Barnes and Nobel, check your Public Library to see if they have those magazines or can request them for you from another Library System.
It was also discovered that checking the Magazine Exchange Bin was a good way to find back issues of magazines that we might be interested in. As my dear friend “Mean Kitty” would say “Free is always good.”
Now on to Entertainment~~~~~
We all agreed that going out for an evening of fun can become expensive and even having home entertainment can be expensive if you have children that want the latest video game, especially the Wii system.
Terri is a working mother, her husband also works but his job often takes him out of town, so she has two children ages 8 and 10 who demand being entertained. Because of the economy crunch, she had them watching the early evening news, and she would watch it with them, when it brought up the economy and people being out of work or losing their homes, she would then bring the subject up to her children.
She said that she really didn’t want to do the “Scared Straight” routine, but she had to make her children very aware that there were priorities in life and that buying the latest video game or the latest DVD was not high on the list. Through carefully telling them what the situation was she got them into the game of finding inexpensive ways to be entertained.
Card and board games came up, but they found that it only worked if there were at least 4 children involved so Terri came up with a exchange of play nights for children on Fridays and Saturday evenings if there was no big homework assignment, and games in which two people could play, such as checkers, puzzles, pick up sticks, tic-tac-toe, they found a children’s toy consignment store, and there they discovered board games that were much cheaper than new. They even discovered the game of Jacks and Marbles, she said that the children were working together better, less hyper-active and they tired more at night when ready to go to bed.
She also introduced a reading time as well, at least 15 minutes to read a portion of a book that was borrowed from the Library. And that was after dinner, and then to any game.
But homework always came first with the idea of games afterwards. She noticed an improvement on their homework as well, so she believes that the games engage their brain functions much better.
Sometimes a movie is always good, but our Ladies didn’t want to have to buy or rent the latest films, Net flicks was discussed, the fact that it could be mailed to and from the Net flicks center for a monthly fee of $8.99 was considered an excellent bargain, the ladies did have some disappointments, like a film not playing well and it was not their DVD, but it was considered the chances one has to take.
If one is into films then it was considered that Net Flicks is a good deal, going to the movies was another thing discussed and it was agreed that for some films seeing it on the big screen is visually more exciting, but going in the evenings can put a hole in the pocket, if it’s a film that one Must See then going to a matinee is always good, but do not buy any of the popcorn or soft drinks to save money.
The Public Library was brought up as a free option to borrow films and music CD’s and was considered the best rock bottom solution for music and Films.
One of the Ladies says that she and her boy friend plan one movie night out a month and this would include eating out as well, it’s their treat to themselves and they include it in their budget, but she says that they stay with appetizers, and only ONE alcoholic drink, they buy one big tub of popcorn, but they sneak in her oversize purse their bottled water.
I told them about my “Game Night” parties, which would include Mahjong and other games, and puzzles and doing it pot luck style, and it could be done with any size group.
Other things that were discussed was finding free things to do around the Bay Area, most museums have free sections one can go to, but if it’s a special exhibit in which there is a fee, one should be prepared for that.
Public Parks and Art Wine festivals with free entertainment was considered, free beaches was also thought of for the summer months, mention was made of some of the local events such as the Sand castle contest, and the Jam festival.
It was looked into the cost of parking and gas use and if it was possible to take public transportation to most events to save money, it was agreed that a number of events was easy to get to using public transportation and some not so easy, again planning and budgeting was considered the best way to make decisions.
Sometime during the Summer if a store is offering a special admission price to one of the local amusement parks that could be factored into one’s budge.
Terri told her children that if they collect cans and bottles for recycling the money from that could be used to go to a major amusement park one time during the Summer, but they had to decide which one it would be, and they created a Amusement Park Jar, which is a big glass jar and all the money that was raised by cashing in the cans etc was put into that jar, the children started including found money, that is money found on the sidewalks, etc. Terri says they do not turn their noses up at pennies anymore, and if they have any toys that are in good condition but they are no longer interested in they take it to the Toy consignment store for either credit or cash.
She also makes sure that the children wear gloves when they go on their hunts, she said it’s amazing the number of cans and plastic bottles that people carelessly toss out, she discovered teenagers are the worst offenders.
And Teenagers almost led us off into another tangent but we did get back on track.
Well Darlings this has gone to 4 pages, so I’ll have to end for now and continue at another time, my Dear Friends Betty and Bill are coming by in Bills’ Packard and we are going “Cruising”, and checking out some things, they are into Art Deco things, so I’m going with them just for fun. Besides you never know what might turn up or discover.
Until Anon Darlings, Kisses
Saturday, January 10, 2009
A Life Time Routine~~~~
Hello My Darling Divas,
It was so strange and yet not strange to wake up yesterday morning and finding cold, wet fog surrounding the house, feeling so cut off from the world.
The aroma of coffee was enough to perk me up, but it was so cold that even Princess has to wear a sweater; I have a special doggie heating pad so that her joints are not in pain.
The sun finally shone wetly through the fog, and as it lifted I was surprised to see a small flock of ducks had taken shelter under some of the bushes, on the mulch covering. I guess it was warm enough for them, poor things. I keep a small metal bin of duck feed in the garage and I put some out for them in a pan, Juanita has ‘clucked’ at me saying they make a mess on the wooden deck and that her son-in-law will have to come and wash it off, but even I have heard her muttering in Spanish “poor things”, I smile thinking about her soft side and yes her son-in-law will have to come and wash/scrub the area.
This last Sunday Juanita took a break from visiting her family and came by the house to take down all the indoor decorations while Manuel took down and stored the outside lights and put them away for another year, I don’t keep a live tree anymore, the artificial ones seem to work very well, then he and Juanita went to join the rest of her family for a special mass for Epiphany, I told her to have fun with her family she is to have a vacation through Jan 11. She didn’t have to but it is traditional in her family to be sure that all the Christmas decorations are removed by January 6 the Feast of the Epiphany, otherwise one would have bad luck for the year. I think it’s really to show that one is not lazy, but it was very sweet of her to help me.
For the last few days I’ve been starting to put together my paperwork for my Tax Preparer, now it’s just waiting for the paper work from the government agencies, my banks and my broker and put it all together in a packet.
Now as a reminder I want all of you to go to my blog posting for January 4 and 5, 2008, in these two blogs you will have information to help you put your paper work in order, especially if one of your resolutions is to be better organized.
I have another Magazine to recommend to all of you. It is again our old standby Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, the February 2009 issue. Again they focus on how to rebuild your retirement portfolio, plus stocks that pay 5% or more.
I was happy to see that one of the stocks that I have an investment in, Briggs & Stratton (their symbol is BGG) was mentioned, granted it’s dividend share isn’t big, but what I did over a number of years is simply let the dividends buy more shares, (of course there is taxes to consider) so that I do get a nice little income now (not much but nice enough to put into a rainy day fund).
Remember Darlings, I always believe in something that is going to remain for the long haul and has less chance of going under.
A number of you who’ve contacted me, via my comments section (and please forgive me if I’ve deleted your comments but they were long and saying pretty much the same thing) were asking ‘You seem like such a social butterfly, how you keep up with all of this?’ or words to that effect.
Well Darlings it’s this---the key word is discipline, I have a schedule that I do adhere to, but I do vary it depending upon my health, weather conditions, commitments, appointments, etc.
Let us consider the week as going from Monday to Sunday, although calendars show the week as starting on Sunday and ending on Saturday, but think of it as I suggested.
Monday is for me is the start of my business week and I use it to find out how the stock market and other financial institutions are starting out, so that is a “work day for me”, while I watch what the market is doing I’m also reading all the news in regards to events both nation-wide and overseas, because I believe in the domino effect, what happens in one place will affect things and the economy in another. Having an idea of history is important.
This is also the time when I will flag stocks or bonds that show some promise of being a good investment, I don’t invest every week, most of the time I just monitor the progress of stocks holdings.
Tuesdays is when I make or return phone calls, I’m always careful in calling my friends in finance I know that they have busy work schedules, if they are unable to speak with me, I’ll make an appointment for when I can call them. This would also include my broker, now I know many of you invest on line and that is fine, I’ve done this for so many years that I prefer the personal touch.
Tuesdays is also a good day to call credit card companies, business companies, etc. if you have a dispute over your billing or to make doctor or dental appointments, beauty shop appointments etc. I try to have the calls completed in the morning; the only time I’ll make an exception is when I’m having my car maintance done.
I continue to read the news or watch CNN especially with on going situations.
Wednesdays is when I make financial decisions if I might buy either more shares in a stock, continue to watch it, invest in a stock that looks promising, or flag those that look like they may be in trouble. I also use Wednesdays to balance my banking accounts and for bill paying as well as certain days that I have flagged when I know certain amounts are going to be deducted to pay bills, this way I can keep tabs on my income and outgo.
I do not necessarily buy stocks on that day and not every week, it could be months before I make a purchase.
This is also the day my house keeper clips coupons and we do grocery shopping when I get home.
Thursdays I meet with my “Business Ladies Who Lunch” I find that this is a good time for me to hear what is happening in their business world and if they have heard of anything that is shifting, these are savvy ladies and if anything feels “off” with them they are usually right.
Fridays are when I look in to see how the markets have faired and how the flagged stocks are performing. I make notes and check on my notes from Monday and Wednesday.
I try to make Fridays my final decision days as well, if I’m going to buy or sell, but most of the choices I make is for the “long haul” that is what I prefer in my stocks. An excellent source is Value Line Investment Survey, some people prefer the print edition and some the on line source. I like the print because sometimes things will jump quickly out at me, but, and I know it seems redundant, I also subscribe to the on line version only because sometimes my print copy doesn’t come in a timely manner in the mail. I also do not keep a print copy beyond 6 months (it does add up since its weekly) but what I do is tear out those stocks that I’ve flagged for future reference and put them in a folder for safe keeping.
Saturdays, the only thing I do is check the news and see how things have closed I use the rest of the day to pick up and drop off any Dry Cleaning, run errands, and anything else.
Sundays is when I catch up on my reading both news and magazine articles I also use Sundays I try to go to Church at least twice a month and sometimes more, I find that getting up early even on Sundays keeps me on my toes and to not get lazy, then on the early part of the afternoon is use that for planning my week and looking over my “Day runner” for appointments and create my “tickle file” after that on the later Sunday afternoon’s I go to the Library and quickly read a weeks worth of Christian Science Monitors newspapers, drop off any magazines I’m done with in the exchange bin, look for at least one good book to read to off set my business reading and select several music CD’s for the week.
Now it is not all business for me, I try to end my day after the close of the New York Stock Exchange which is 3 hours a head of us since I’m on the west coast, but I do check in on the performance of a few of my overseas stocks.
Once the market has closed then I use the rest of the day for any appointments, or do some shopping, I make every effort to go to the gym 3 to 4 times a week, not necessarily the same day, and before I go to the gym I give my little Darling Diva Princess her little walk. It’s just several blocks to the beach and then along the beach trail and back, it’s a good time for me to think and muse on things, of course when crossing the streets one has to be careful and Princess cannot be hurried in leaving her “messages” and her “Mommy” does have to clean up after her.
Because it gets dark so early we go about an hour before Sunset, during the Summer of course we go later,
Weekends are for fun, sometimes I have things planned and sometimes I have nothing planned, when I have quiet evenings I use it to catch up on correspondence, writing for my Blog, calling friends or family, catch up on my reading.
When I come across an article that has promising information I first flag it and then when I’m done with the magazine I remove the article and put it into recycling, or if I have not removed anything out of the magazine I take it to the Library and put it into their magazine exchange bin.
And I have to admit it is a lot of reading, I subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, our local paper, the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Business Times (includes the Bay Area) and most of the magazines that I have mentioned. My library is my home office and I have a fast DSL line although I’m thinking of upgrading.
I do go into the city Mondays through Thursdays, and on occasion on Fridays, I rent a very small office space from my late husbands old firm where I keep much of my file information and I have a computer on line with a T2 line that is part of the office building, I am able to access the use of that for my use, now I had to get a business license, but I am in business for myself, I do not take clients, but because I am in business for myself I can take tax deductions. It’s complicated but it works well for me.
Years ago when I was learning about investing from my father and mother (yes she was a very sharp lady) and going to college to learn business, I started this routine and kept it up when I got married, I was fortunate in that I had a staff to help with the upkeep of the house, and although I’ve down sized my home (which was a good thing for me) Juanita although an employee for me, is also my helpmate, she keeps a keen eye on the house and makes sure things are run well, she also comes to me if there is a situation, I really view her as a partner, that is why is was so important for me to increase her income and improve her medical and dental insurance. I also established a retirement fund for her when she feels she is unable to work for me anymore.
I’ve also guided her daughter and son-in-law in solid investments to help them gain a better income. One of Juanita’s grand daughters is going to college and also has a keen sense of investment banking, she is a very sharp young lady and has started making modest investments with money she got from working part time and of all things, collecting cans and bottles, the income she’s getting from her investments is paying for most of her college, which has taken a burden off of her parents.
Juanita’s other grandchildren and children are doing well following her daughters’ Constance’s lead.
Now I know a number of you are wondering how can I possibly be able to do all this reading, it’s simple, I can scan an article in a magazine to see if it’s worth reading in depth, with newspapers, I skip the fluff articles, although Juanita loves the gardening and cooking section, and go directly to the financial section and then I scan local, national and international news as it would relate to affecting the economy, I save the comics, theatre and movie reviews for when I take a brief break. After all, the mind does have to play. In the evenings if I’m not going out, and television is a bore I will read for a bit from a novel and then meditate to relax my mind before going to bed
By meeting my “Business Ladies Who Lunch” on Thursdays, it also gives me a break from routine and keeps my mind relaxed and active as well.
I also offer suggestions to my friends if they are in a “puzzlement’ over something; not too long ago my dear friend “Mean Kitty” and I were having coffee and she told me that she was thinking of closing her savings account at a particular bank, I asked her why and she said that because she could not maintain $300 in her account for a full 30 or 31 days that $5 dollars is taken out as a fee. I suggested to her to ask her bank officer why that was happening, but do it in the bank, I told her that I have several standard savings accounts with attached checking and what I do is have once a month a certain amount automatically transferred from my checking to my savings and there is no fee and you can have the savings account go as low as you want, I told her to find out if that is possible and find out what is the minimum she can transfer without having to have fee charged.
That worked for her. She now has $10.00 a month transferred she doesn’t feel it, and it will build up in her account and as her finances increase she can have more money transferred if she wishes.
I try to post my blog when I can, and I write my blog when I can between everything else. Some postings may take a little longer, and of course I do take vacations when I feel that things will hold just fine. And since my investments have been for the long haul with solid companies I’ve very seldom have had to do any sell off.
Now that so called banker Madloff who got arrested, well years ago he approached my (now deceased)husband and me at a function and we did get together for lunch with him when we were in his area, and although he spoke of glowing reports on things, there was something about how he was describing things that made me want to hold back.
When my husband and I had a chance to get away from Madloff’s influence, we looked over what he had presented to us, and we both agreed that there was something a little “off” we couldn’t put our finger on it, but it didn’t have that solid feeling like Apple Corporation did when we first invested in Apple. We wisely decided to not invest with him; my husband felt it was some sort of pyramid scheme, which could collapse. Although it did appear to be solid, there was something just “off” with it. Now people have lost their retirement funds and Madloff is in jail. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is some sort of trap.
But that is my routine, I do have a beauty routine, an exercise routine, but I won’t bore you with those.
Now a quick investment suggestion, go to Value Line on line they have a 6 tips for investing or selecting stocks, an educational section, Do read that Darlings, also I'm going to look further into Logtectic, they supply add on's to computers, they've just been listed on Value Line For January 9, 2009 and they seem to be a good investment, I'm always cautious on computer stocks, so I don't have many (here today, gone tomorrow) but they seem to be a good solid company, so it's something I may take a few shares out on, and see how they do for the year, don't go overboard, always be cautious and always diversify your portfolio.
Just remember my Dear Divas and Diva’s in Training, you are in business, you are your own CEO’s of your life and your life is your business, Remember That.
Until Anon Darlings, Kisses.
It was so strange and yet not strange to wake up yesterday morning and finding cold, wet fog surrounding the house, feeling so cut off from the world.
The aroma of coffee was enough to perk me up, but it was so cold that even Princess has to wear a sweater; I have a special doggie heating pad so that her joints are not in pain.
The sun finally shone wetly through the fog, and as it lifted I was surprised to see a small flock of ducks had taken shelter under some of the bushes, on the mulch covering. I guess it was warm enough for them, poor things. I keep a small metal bin of duck feed in the garage and I put some out for them in a pan, Juanita has ‘clucked’ at me saying they make a mess on the wooden deck and that her son-in-law will have to come and wash it off, but even I have heard her muttering in Spanish “poor things”, I smile thinking about her soft side and yes her son-in-law will have to come and wash/scrub the area.
This last Sunday Juanita took a break from visiting her family and came by the house to take down all the indoor decorations while Manuel took down and stored the outside lights and put them away for another year, I don’t keep a live tree anymore, the artificial ones seem to work very well, then he and Juanita went to join the rest of her family for a special mass for Epiphany, I told her to have fun with her family she is to have a vacation through Jan 11. She didn’t have to but it is traditional in her family to be sure that all the Christmas decorations are removed by January 6 the Feast of the Epiphany, otherwise one would have bad luck for the year. I think it’s really to show that one is not lazy, but it was very sweet of her to help me.
For the last few days I’ve been starting to put together my paperwork for my Tax Preparer, now it’s just waiting for the paper work from the government agencies, my banks and my broker and put it all together in a packet.
Now as a reminder I want all of you to go to my blog posting for January 4 and 5, 2008, in these two blogs you will have information to help you put your paper work in order, especially if one of your resolutions is to be better organized.
I have another Magazine to recommend to all of you. It is again our old standby Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, the February 2009 issue. Again they focus on how to rebuild your retirement portfolio, plus stocks that pay 5% or more.
I was happy to see that one of the stocks that I have an investment in, Briggs & Stratton (their symbol is BGG) was mentioned, granted it’s dividend share isn’t big, but what I did over a number of years is simply let the dividends buy more shares, (of course there is taxes to consider) so that I do get a nice little income now (not much but nice enough to put into a rainy day fund).
Remember Darlings, I always believe in something that is going to remain for the long haul and has less chance of going under.
A number of you who’ve contacted me, via my comments section (and please forgive me if I’ve deleted your comments but they were long and saying pretty much the same thing) were asking ‘You seem like such a social butterfly, how you keep up with all of this?’ or words to that effect.
Well Darlings it’s this---the key word is discipline, I have a schedule that I do adhere to, but I do vary it depending upon my health, weather conditions, commitments, appointments, etc.
Let us consider the week as going from Monday to Sunday, although calendars show the week as starting on Sunday and ending on Saturday, but think of it as I suggested.
Monday is for me is the start of my business week and I use it to find out how the stock market and other financial institutions are starting out, so that is a “work day for me”, while I watch what the market is doing I’m also reading all the news in regards to events both nation-wide and overseas, because I believe in the domino effect, what happens in one place will affect things and the economy in another. Having an idea of history is important.
This is also the time when I will flag stocks or bonds that show some promise of being a good investment, I don’t invest every week, most of the time I just monitor the progress of stocks holdings.
Tuesdays is when I make or return phone calls, I’m always careful in calling my friends in finance I know that they have busy work schedules, if they are unable to speak with me, I’ll make an appointment for when I can call them. This would also include my broker, now I know many of you invest on line and that is fine, I’ve done this for so many years that I prefer the personal touch.
Tuesdays is also a good day to call credit card companies, business companies, etc. if you have a dispute over your billing or to make doctor or dental appointments, beauty shop appointments etc. I try to have the calls completed in the morning; the only time I’ll make an exception is when I’m having my car maintance done.
I continue to read the news or watch CNN especially with on going situations.
Wednesdays is when I make financial decisions if I might buy either more shares in a stock, continue to watch it, invest in a stock that looks promising, or flag those that look like they may be in trouble. I also use Wednesdays to balance my banking accounts and for bill paying as well as certain days that I have flagged when I know certain amounts are going to be deducted to pay bills, this way I can keep tabs on my income and outgo.
I do not necessarily buy stocks on that day and not every week, it could be months before I make a purchase.
This is also the day my house keeper clips coupons and we do grocery shopping when I get home.
Thursdays I meet with my “Business Ladies Who Lunch” I find that this is a good time for me to hear what is happening in their business world and if they have heard of anything that is shifting, these are savvy ladies and if anything feels “off” with them they are usually right.
Fridays are when I look in to see how the markets have faired and how the flagged stocks are performing. I make notes and check on my notes from Monday and Wednesday.
I try to make Fridays my final decision days as well, if I’m going to buy or sell, but most of the choices I make is for the “long haul” that is what I prefer in my stocks. An excellent source is Value Line Investment Survey, some people prefer the print edition and some the on line source. I like the print because sometimes things will jump quickly out at me, but, and I know it seems redundant, I also subscribe to the on line version only because sometimes my print copy doesn’t come in a timely manner in the mail. I also do not keep a print copy beyond 6 months (it does add up since its weekly) but what I do is tear out those stocks that I’ve flagged for future reference and put them in a folder for safe keeping.
Saturdays, the only thing I do is check the news and see how things have closed I use the rest of the day to pick up and drop off any Dry Cleaning, run errands, and anything else.
Sundays is when I catch up on my reading both news and magazine articles I also use Sundays I try to go to Church at least twice a month and sometimes more, I find that getting up early even on Sundays keeps me on my toes and to not get lazy, then on the early part of the afternoon is use that for planning my week and looking over my “Day runner” for appointments and create my “tickle file” after that on the later Sunday afternoon’s I go to the Library and quickly read a weeks worth of Christian Science Monitors newspapers, drop off any magazines I’m done with in the exchange bin, look for at least one good book to read to off set my business reading and select several music CD’s for the week.
Now it is not all business for me, I try to end my day after the close of the New York Stock Exchange which is 3 hours a head of us since I’m on the west coast, but I do check in on the performance of a few of my overseas stocks.
Once the market has closed then I use the rest of the day for any appointments, or do some shopping, I make every effort to go to the gym 3 to 4 times a week, not necessarily the same day, and before I go to the gym I give my little Darling Diva Princess her little walk. It’s just several blocks to the beach and then along the beach trail and back, it’s a good time for me to think and muse on things, of course when crossing the streets one has to be careful and Princess cannot be hurried in leaving her “messages” and her “Mommy” does have to clean up after her.
Because it gets dark so early we go about an hour before Sunset, during the Summer of course we go later,
Weekends are for fun, sometimes I have things planned and sometimes I have nothing planned, when I have quiet evenings I use it to catch up on correspondence, writing for my Blog, calling friends or family, catch up on my reading.
When I come across an article that has promising information I first flag it and then when I’m done with the magazine I remove the article and put it into recycling, or if I have not removed anything out of the magazine I take it to the Library and put it into their magazine exchange bin.
And I have to admit it is a lot of reading, I subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, our local paper, the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Business Times (includes the Bay Area) and most of the magazines that I have mentioned. My library is my home office and I have a fast DSL line although I’m thinking of upgrading.
I do go into the city Mondays through Thursdays, and on occasion on Fridays, I rent a very small office space from my late husbands old firm where I keep much of my file information and I have a computer on line with a T2 line that is part of the office building, I am able to access the use of that for my use, now I had to get a business license, but I am in business for myself, I do not take clients, but because I am in business for myself I can take tax deductions. It’s complicated but it works well for me.
Years ago when I was learning about investing from my father and mother (yes she was a very sharp lady) and going to college to learn business, I started this routine and kept it up when I got married, I was fortunate in that I had a staff to help with the upkeep of the house, and although I’ve down sized my home (which was a good thing for me) Juanita although an employee for me, is also my helpmate, she keeps a keen eye on the house and makes sure things are run well, she also comes to me if there is a situation, I really view her as a partner, that is why is was so important for me to increase her income and improve her medical and dental insurance. I also established a retirement fund for her when she feels she is unable to work for me anymore.
I’ve also guided her daughter and son-in-law in solid investments to help them gain a better income. One of Juanita’s grand daughters is going to college and also has a keen sense of investment banking, she is a very sharp young lady and has started making modest investments with money she got from working part time and of all things, collecting cans and bottles, the income she’s getting from her investments is paying for most of her college, which has taken a burden off of her parents.
Juanita’s other grandchildren and children are doing well following her daughters’ Constance’s lead.
Now I know a number of you are wondering how can I possibly be able to do all this reading, it’s simple, I can scan an article in a magazine to see if it’s worth reading in depth, with newspapers, I skip the fluff articles, although Juanita loves the gardening and cooking section, and go directly to the financial section and then I scan local, national and international news as it would relate to affecting the economy, I save the comics, theatre and movie reviews for when I take a brief break. After all, the mind does have to play. In the evenings if I’m not going out, and television is a bore I will read for a bit from a novel and then meditate to relax my mind before going to bed
By meeting my “Business Ladies Who Lunch” on Thursdays, it also gives me a break from routine and keeps my mind relaxed and active as well.
I also offer suggestions to my friends if they are in a “puzzlement’ over something; not too long ago my dear friend “Mean Kitty” and I were having coffee and she told me that she was thinking of closing her savings account at a particular bank, I asked her why and she said that because she could not maintain $300 in her account for a full 30 or 31 days that $5 dollars is taken out as a fee. I suggested to her to ask her bank officer why that was happening, but do it in the bank, I told her that I have several standard savings accounts with attached checking and what I do is have once a month a certain amount automatically transferred from my checking to my savings and there is no fee and you can have the savings account go as low as you want, I told her to find out if that is possible and find out what is the minimum she can transfer without having to have fee charged.
That worked for her. She now has $10.00 a month transferred she doesn’t feel it, and it will build up in her account and as her finances increase she can have more money transferred if she wishes.
I try to post my blog when I can, and I write my blog when I can between everything else. Some postings may take a little longer, and of course I do take vacations when I feel that things will hold just fine. And since my investments have been for the long haul with solid companies I’ve very seldom have had to do any sell off.
Now that so called banker Madloff who got arrested, well years ago he approached my (now deceased)husband and me at a function and we did get together for lunch with him when we were in his area, and although he spoke of glowing reports on things, there was something about how he was describing things that made me want to hold back.
When my husband and I had a chance to get away from Madloff’s influence, we looked over what he had presented to us, and we both agreed that there was something a little “off” we couldn’t put our finger on it, but it didn’t have that solid feeling like Apple Corporation did when we first invested in Apple. We wisely decided to not invest with him; my husband felt it was some sort of pyramid scheme, which could collapse. Although it did appear to be solid, there was something just “off” with it. Now people have lost their retirement funds and Madloff is in jail. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is some sort of trap.
But that is my routine, I do have a beauty routine, an exercise routine, but I won’t bore you with those.
Now a quick investment suggestion, go to Value Line on line they have a 6 tips for investing or selecting stocks, an educational section, Do read that Darlings, also I'm going to look further into Logtectic, they supply add on's to computers, they've just been listed on Value Line For January 9, 2009 and they seem to be a good investment, I'm always cautious on computer stocks, so I don't have many (here today, gone tomorrow) but they seem to be a good solid company, so it's something I may take a few shares out on, and see how they do for the year, don't go overboard, always be cautious and always diversify your portfolio.
Just remember my Dear Divas and Diva’s in Training, you are in business, you are your own CEO’s of your life and your life is your business, Remember That.
Until Anon Darlings, Kisses.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Years Darlings!!! 2009
Happy New Years to all my Darling Divas and Divas in Training,
Isn’t it good to get rid of 2008?
Well really Darlings, one should really take the experiences of 2008 and use them as a learning lesson. It is really Reality knocking on one’s door.
Take all those financial fiascos’s and see what you could do to prevent it from happening to you. All those Home Loans that were nothing but disasters, the housing market bubble popping, all those companies whose worth was nothing more than paper.
This is where learning finance and investing can really be the best thing that a Diva can have in her financial arsenal.
Now I was fortunate, my Father always said that you can’t go wrong in investing in durable goods, even if they are slow growth, my U.S. Steel Stocks always a steady but unremarkable performer has held solid for me. Of course that is just one example, but remember when one invests in something, there is always a “domino effect”, what affects one will always affect another.
So here is a quick recommendation, look at the 2008 back issues of these magazines, Money, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and the Kiplinger Report, Fortune, Forbes, Barron’s and others, and see what they recommended and compare it to what recommendations performed well, that will give you an idea of where to invest.
Right now there are things that can be picked up for a low cost. Hetty Green, the “Witch of Wall Street” always said “Buy cheap, sell dear” meaning buy low, sell high. I’d say the same thing too, but I also say that it’s important to look at the steady income stocks as well, see how their performance was during the crisis.
Now Darlings I’m still putting together my “report” on my “Business Ladies Who Lunch” Pot Luck and there is a lot to assimilate. But I will have it up in the next few days.
Now for my personal update:
As you all know, if you have been following my blog, my plans were to go to my brothers house in San Francisco for the Christmas holidays and I did, it was so good to see everyone, my nieces and nephews and their children, my other brother Roger and his wife. We also received phone calls from other far flung members of the family.
It was a wonderful time, very much like last year only more people. Roger and Diana are going to be staying in a hotel for a week or two (now that is expensive but they’ve been planning it) and are looking at Pied a Terre’s to buy, they are looking at 1000 Van Ness, it’s right on the Geary line and it has parking. He told me that just a few years ago the small condos were going for a million dollars each now he can pick and choose for a song.
There are others but the fact that it’s close to a major bus line is the attractiveness to them, they just want something that’s “basic”.
We all went to Midnight Mass and of course it was only standing room, now in a time of crisis people are coming together even more so.
And Lois, Diana and I had such a delicious time at that wonderful Spa that Lois calls her own.
Princess and Smokey got along very well, Princess even bossed Smokey who is a much bigger dog but he took it all in stride, it was so precious to see the two of them sleeping together, my little Diva Darling all curled up next to Smokey’s ample body. And Smokey is doing so well, Lois said the poor dear adjusted very well to being with them.
The elderly man who was Smokey’s pervious owner has seen him several times now but they got word that he’s beginning to have kidney problems and has been to dialysis, so they were going to go up before New Years to have him see Smokey again, they do not hold out much hope that he will see spring.
Tom, with Smokey’s owners’ wishes, has made all the funeral arrangements, and has made sure that his estate will cover the medical costs. The land that the man owned will go to the estate and be used to pay for all the medical expenses, but Tom has pre-paid all the funeral costs. He said it’s the least he can do, Smokey has been such a treasure and so devoted especially to Lois.
Lois showed me the preliminary drawings for their “cabin” that is going to be built on their property, she was able to get copies of the plans for the cabin that was at Incline Village and from there, she and her architect have been able to come up with a design that will incorporate the Ponderosa plus their needs.
She told me that she was able to locate a company that re-builds old fashion cooking stoves, so she is looking at one that is a combination of gas burners and oven with wood burning features so that if their gas/propane gets low she can still cook on the wood burning part and she also wanted it to have a hot water reservoir even though they will be installing a hot water system that will be hot water on demand, much like mine only larger for when the family visits.
And she was able to find refrigerators and freezers that look like pantries to install in the kitchen, and a place that makes the old fashioned stone sinks.
They figure it will take two to three years to build it properly; they don’t want to rush it, and their have to look at everything first to make sure about codes.
But Lois is so excited about this “adventure”.
We had fun at the Christmas sales, although exhausting, again I found some wonderful bargains, and I especially hit the perfume counters. Juanita asked me if I could purchase a perfume or cologne set of J’Adore for her daughter Constance, which I did find.
But all the Prêt porter clothing was just so unremarkable, except for some selections by Ralph Lauren, that was very interesting and I can see that they will remain in style for some time. But Lois and I had to laugh at the silliness of most of the shoe styles, the heels were so high who could or would walk in them. I have beautiful shoes and stylish too but I make sure that they are comfortable.
But again all too soon it ended and I and my Diva Darling came home. Which was good really, I had time to catch up on my mail, had the maid service come in for a good “fluff and dust” Then once again I and Kevin whisked ourselves off to the Hornet last night for the New Year’s Party, so lovely and so romantic.
But this morning I surprisingly got up early, showered and dressed and made coffee, Kevin is getting dressed now as I type, we are going out for breakfast, do a little “cheap” shopping--- It’s at Target and Rasputins, then a light lunch and we will go and pick up my Diva Darling at Betty’s house, but I will be staying at Betty’s and Bill’s house for dinner and they will bring Princess and I home, Kevin unfortunately must catch an evening flight to (and here I am jealous) Hawaii. Because Obama may make his White house home away from the White House in Hawaii, there appears to be some investments that may develop out there and Kevin wants to investigate it.
Then on Monday, back into the real life, I’ll be meeting Wallace for Lunch next Monday in the City, we’ll be talking about the financial course that I must plan on for durability. Then putting together my records for my tax preparer, Tax time my Dear Diva’s waits for no one, and it pays to get the jump on things quickly, why should the Government make anymore interest on your money.
Oh and here is a suggestion, but you really should talk it over with your professional Tax preparer or CPA and I’m not talking about H and R Block either. One item that was suggested by one of my Business ladies is to look at how much is being taken out of your income for income tax, put in a form with your job so that most of that comes to you, but DO NOT SPEND IT, put that money that would go to your Federal and State income tax into your own savings account or something that will give you a good return and you get the interest not the Federal or State governments, then just pay them what would have been taken out for your income tax, why should they make interest on your money.
But if you are not prepared to do that, then file early and get your refund early so it can make interest for you.
Now I must go Darlings, Kevin is waiting and looking so handsome in a Daniel Craig sort of way, well he does have at least a “4 pack”.
Until Anon, Kisses Darlings.
Isn’t it good to get rid of 2008?
Well really Darlings, one should really take the experiences of 2008 and use them as a learning lesson. It is really Reality knocking on one’s door.
Take all those financial fiascos’s and see what you could do to prevent it from happening to you. All those Home Loans that were nothing but disasters, the housing market bubble popping, all those companies whose worth was nothing more than paper.
This is where learning finance and investing can really be the best thing that a Diva can have in her financial arsenal.
Now I was fortunate, my Father always said that you can’t go wrong in investing in durable goods, even if they are slow growth, my U.S. Steel Stocks always a steady but unremarkable performer has held solid for me. Of course that is just one example, but remember when one invests in something, there is always a “domino effect”, what affects one will always affect another.
So here is a quick recommendation, look at the 2008 back issues of these magazines, Money, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and the Kiplinger Report, Fortune, Forbes, Barron’s and others, and see what they recommended and compare it to what recommendations performed well, that will give you an idea of where to invest.
Right now there are things that can be picked up for a low cost. Hetty Green, the “Witch of Wall Street” always said “Buy cheap, sell dear” meaning buy low, sell high. I’d say the same thing too, but I also say that it’s important to look at the steady income stocks as well, see how their performance was during the crisis.
Now Darlings I’m still putting together my “report” on my “Business Ladies Who Lunch” Pot Luck and there is a lot to assimilate. But I will have it up in the next few days.
Now for my personal update:
As you all know, if you have been following my blog, my plans were to go to my brothers house in San Francisco for the Christmas holidays and I did, it was so good to see everyone, my nieces and nephews and their children, my other brother Roger and his wife. We also received phone calls from other far flung members of the family.
It was a wonderful time, very much like last year only more people. Roger and Diana are going to be staying in a hotel for a week or two (now that is expensive but they’ve been planning it) and are looking at Pied a Terre’s to buy, they are looking at 1000 Van Ness, it’s right on the Geary line and it has parking. He told me that just a few years ago the small condos were going for a million dollars each now he can pick and choose for a song.
There are others but the fact that it’s close to a major bus line is the attractiveness to them, they just want something that’s “basic”.
We all went to Midnight Mass and of course it was only standing room, now in a time of crisis people are coming together even more so.
And Lois, Diana and I had such a delicious time at that wonderful Spa that Lois calls her own.
Princess and Smokey got along very well, Princess even bossed Smokey who is a much bigger dog but he took it all in stride, it was so precious to see the two of them sleeping together, my little Diva Darling all curled up next to Smokey’s ample body. And Smokey is doing so well, Lois said the poor dear adjusted very well to being with them.
The elderly man who was Smokey’s pervious owner has seen him several times now but they got word that he’s beginning to have kidney problems and has been to dialysis, so they were going to go up before New Years to have him see Smokey again, they do not hold out much hope that he will see spring.
Tom, with Smokey’s owners’ wishes, has made all the funeral arrangements, and has made sure that his estate will cover the medical costs. The land that the man owned will go to the estate and be used to pay for all the medical expenses, but Tom has pre-paid all the funeral costs. He said it’s the least he can do, Smokey has been such a treasure and so devoted especially to Lois.
Lois showed me the preliminary drawings for their “cabin” that is going to be built on their property, she was able to get copies of the plans for the cabin that was at Incline Village and from there, she and her architect have been able to come up with a design that will incorporate the Ponderosa plus their needs.
She told me that she was able to locate a company that re-builds old fashion cooking stoves, so she is looking at one that is a combination of gas burners and oven with wood burning features so that if their gas/propane gets low she can still cook on the wood burning part and she also wanted it to have a hot water reservoir even though they will be installing a hot water system that will be hot water on demand, much like mine only larger for when the family visits.
And she was able to find refrigerators and freezers that look like pantries to install in the kitchen, and a place that makes the old fashioned stone sinks.
They figure it will take two to three years to build it properly; they don’t want to rush it, and their have to look at everything first to make sure about codes.
But Lois is so excited about this “adventure”.
We had fun at the Christmas sales, although exhausting, again I found some wonderful bargains, and I especially hit the perfume counters. Juanita asked me if I could purchase a perfume or cologne set of J’Adore for her daughter Constance, which I did find.
But all the Prêt porter clothing was just so unremarkable, except for some selections by Ralph Lauren, that was very interesting and I can see that they will remain in style for some time. But Lois and I had to laugh at the silliness of most of the shoe styles, the heels were so high who could or would walk in them. I have beautiful shoes and stylish too but I make sure that they are comfortable.
But again all too soon it ended and I and my Diva Darling came home. Which was good really, I had time to catch up on my mail, had the maid service come in for a good “fluff and dust” Then once again I and Kevin whisked ourselves off to the Hornet last night for the New Year’s Party, so lovely and so romantic.
But this morning I surprisingly got up early, showered and dressed and made coffee, Kevin is getting dressed now as I type, we are going out for breakfast, do a little “cheap” shopping--- It’s at Target and Rasputins, then a light lunch and we will go and pick up my Diva Darling at Betty’s house, but I will be staying at Betty’s and Bill’s house for dinner and they will bring Princess and I home, Kevin unfortunately must catch an evening flight to (and here I am jealous) Hawaii. Because Obama may make his White house home away from the White House in Hawaii, there appears to be some investments that may develop out there and Kevin wants to investigate it.
Then on Monday, back into the real life, I’ll be meeting Wallace for Lunch next Monday in the City, we’ll be talking about the financial course that I must plan on for durability. Then putting together my records for my tax preparer, Tax time my Dear Diva’s waits for no one, and it pays to get the jump on things quickly, why should the Government make anymore interest on your money.
Oh and here is a suggestion, but you really should talk it over with your professional Tax preparer or CPA and I’m not talking about H and R Block either. One item that was suggested by one of my Business ladies is to look at how much is being taken out of your income for income tax, put in a form with your job so that most of that comes to you, but DO NOT SPEND IT, put that money that would go to your Federal and State income tax into your own savings account or something that will give you a good return and you get the interest not the Federal or State governments, then just pay them what would have been taken out for your income tax, why should they make interest on your money.
But if you are not prepared to do that, then file early and get your refund early so it can make interest for you.
Now I must go Darlings, Kevin is waiting and looking so handsome in a Daniel Craig sort of way, well he does have at least a “4 pack”.
Until Anon, Kisses Darlings.
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