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My weirdest job’s weirder than your weirdest job

11 March 2010, 11:40 pm

I love Fridays. I also love Friday blog posts because I generally try to make them less financial and more fun. Today, I’m gonna be writing about the weirdest job I have ever had. Afterwards, I hope you’ll share your weirdest job so we can see what PDITF reader has had THE WEIRDEST JOB OF ALL TIME!

Here’s mine…

I graduated college Spring 2007 with a shiny new degree in psychology. I was fascinated by medicine, hospitals, and the world of mental health so I started applying to a ton of hospitals. I interviewed for a summer position at an involuntary psychiatric hospital near my parents home in Washington state. For those that don’t know, “involuntary” means the patient does not want to be in treatment but either the police, the court, or their family felt otherwise. They are literally locked inside a building (24/hrs a day, 7 days a week) as they are considered a danger to themselves and others. I was 21 years old and had no idea what I was getting myself in to.

I was paid $13/hr to monitor the ward and ensure the safety of all the patients. It may sound condescending, and I don’t mean for it to be, but I was essentially a babysitter for mentally sick adults. I made their meals, watched movies with them, counseled them, made art projects with them, changed their clothes when they “messed” themselves, etc. I loved my job. I got to watch people, who were desperately in need of help, get better. I personally can’t think of anything more rewarding than watching a “sick” person become healthy.

Needless to say, I had quite a few “odd experiences” during my three months working at the hospital. During that time I…

… was threatened to be killed (numerous times)

… watched a patient walk in to the bathroom and start taking a shower while fully clothed

… was told I have a green aura that hovers above my head

… watched someone poop in their hand and then proceed to eat it

… received a phone call from a former patient that wanted to know if I would meet him at McDonalds for lunch. (I declined)

… and was hit on by a number of female patients…and one male patient

These are a just few memories that come to mind when I reflect upon my three months as a psychiatric technician. I have more stories, but don’t think they would be appropriate to share here (you might throw up in your mouth if you heard em). It was definitely the weirdest job I’ve ever had, but also the most fulfilling. I’ve learned that weird doesn’t always mean bad, in fact it can often be fun, exciting, and new.

So now that you know my weirdest job, care to share yours? Do you think it trumps mine? If you haven’t had a totally odd ball job, do you know someone that has? Let’s see just how crazy of a work history we can get going in the comment section below!

Filed under employment. Tagged , ,
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Are you an account whore?

10 March 2010, 11:24 pm

So the motivation for this post came from J’s post yesterday about about ING’s sub-accounts. I am a very happy customer of ING, especially after switching from evil Bank of America.  I shamelessly promote ING to anyone that asks where they should keep their money. You’d think ING was paying me to say all these wonderful things, they aren’t, but I wouldn’t mind it if they did (ya hear that ING…hook a ninja up!).

With ING, you can have multiple accounts, and label them different things. For example, I have an Emergency Fund, a Wedding Fund, and an “Extra Savings” fund. A lot of people think these sub-accounts are all part of their primary ING savings account. Those people are wrong. Each sub-account is actually a new account. So while some people may think they only have one account with ING, they actually have 2, 3, 4, or more.

While ING does make having multiple savings accounts easy, it also makes me want to create a bajillion more accounts. Just think I could have a “Big screen TV” fund, a “Vacation” fund. and a “Don’t tell Girl Ninja about this money” fund. With all of these new possibilties I’ve come to realize something: I think I might need to join A.A. No, not not Alcoholics Anonymous, but Accounts Anonymous. I’ll be the first to admit it…Yes, that’s right. I’m a bank account whore. It’s kind of scary when I think about it. My personal information isn’t so “personal” when I have accounts with a zillion different companies. Here’s my current account stats…

Savings Accounts: 3 accounts (all ING)

Checking Accounts: 2 accounts (ING/Chase)

Retirement Accounts: 2 accounts (Wells Fargo/Employer)

Credit Cards: 3 accounts (BoA, Chase, Employer)

To further fuel my addiction, I got an envelope from Chase today saying they will give me $100 if I open a money market savings account with them. I think I’m gonna have to open up the account. Deposit the minimum balance necessary to qualify for the promotion ($5,000). Keep money in the account for the 10 days it takes to receive the $100 bonus. After 10 days, withdraw all money from Chase . Put money back in to ING. Close my Chase money market account. Send Chase a letter saying “How ya like them apples?”

I have a total of 10 different accounts, soon to be 11. At least one person confessed to 9 different savings accounts on J’s post (I can’t imagine how many TOTAL accounts they have). How many accounts are you sleeping around with? Can anyone out there beat 20?

Filed under Money Management, lifestyle. Tagged , ,
21 Comments

The less glamorous side of marriage

9 March 2010, 11:41 pm

I’m gonna be completely honest. There are a few things about getting married that kind of stress me out.  I get so caught up in the fantasy of marriage, that I sometimes forget to take a good hard look at the reality of marriage. And the reality is, marriage isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. Here are a few of the things that will change once I get married, that I’m not super excited about…

Cell Phone…

Word on the street has it cell phones can cost a pretty penny. I’ve been fortunate enough to leach off my parents’ family plan, meaning I have never paid for my cell phone. Girl Ninja is also on a plan with her family. Apparently once I get married, Mom Ninja thinks it’s time to give me the boot. She thinks that because I’m old enough to get married, this MUST mean I’m also old enough to pay for my cell phone bill. She’s crazy right? You hear that Mom, you are sick in the head (I still love you though and can’t wait to see what snarky comment you will leave on today’s post). Being that I basically have a huge crush on my iPhone, I couldn’t imagine giving it up. After some intense research, I’ve concluded an iPhone family plan for GN and myself would run just shy of $200/month, an expense I’m not excited about taking on. (side note: family plans only allow 5 lines per plan and GN and my family are both too large to just join on with one of them)

Hair…

I thought it was only dogs that shed their hair, but I’ve learned that’s not exactly true. Girl Ninja has the most beautiful NATURAL blonde hair. I’m talking like real blonde, not dirty blonde. Here’s a picture of the top of Girl Ninja’s head…

While I do love her hair. It seems to also love me. I have black interior in my car and every time Girl Ninja sits in the passenger seat, her hair tends to “stick” around (haha, get it…STICK around!). I don’t know if I’m quite prepared to share a living space with her and her hair. Just about any guy I’ve asked (that lives with a girl) has told me their S.O.s hair ends up everywhere. The shower, the counter, the carpet, the kitchen, the milk carton. Their is no escaping it. Maybe one night, while GN is sleeping, I will replace her shampoo with some super glue. You know, to ensure her hair stays on her head…where it belongs. Ladies, can’t you control your shedding issues?

Growing up…

I guess when I get married I’m going to become something I’ve dreaded for a very long time… an adult! If you haven’t noticed, I tend to be slightly EXTREMELY immature. I still thinking farting is funny. I laugh at really dumb videos on youtube, like this one. And this is a shirt from my closet…

I’m doing my best to face the reality of marriage. I mean, I’m going to be responsible for another person’s well being. That’s a huge freakin’ deal. While growing up is definitely intimidating, I know that I’m at a place in my life where I can do just that. I have a good job (with benefits), a decent financial footing, a desire to provide for my family, and a love for GN that I have never experienced with anyone else. I guess I need to start getting my news from the newspaper and not MTV.

Okay, I think my list ends here. These are a few areas of marriage that I’m not quite yet prepared to face. I have five months left before the big day, hopefully I can figure something out before then.

For the married folks, What are some other “not so glamorous” aspects of marriage you have faced? If you aren’t married, what would be on your list?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weomAnZPLsY
Filed under wedding. Tagged ,
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How dare you spend your money on fun things!

9 March 2010, 1:26 am

Money can be used in four ways. It can be saved, invested, gifted, and spent. Generally I focus more on the investing and saving aspects of money, but today I want to chat with you about spending. I’m not so interested in how much your grocery bill is or how much you spend on gas each month. Instead of focusing on the boring everyday expenses, I think it would be way more fun to talk about the frivolous side of spending. It’s important to remember a portion of our income should go towards having fun. There is nothing wrong with enjoying your money. And that bring up today’s topic… How do you enjoy your money?

You do enjoy your money occasionally…right?! While I do believe money can’t buy happiness, you better believe it can sure as heck help. I thought I would share with you two areas I find joy in spending money…

Dining out.

Girl Ninja and I don’t live together. This means we don’t have all of the conveniences of cohabitation, like sitting down and eating together. Sometimes she will come over and I will cook for her (or she’ll cook for me), but we have really found great value in going on dinner dates. At least once a week I like to  take her out for dinner. The date isn’t just about the food we shove in our face (GN always tells me I have to take smaller bites :) ), but it’s about the quality time we get together. It’s about getting away from friends and roommates, and just enjoying each other. I like to think of these meals not so much as an “expense”, but rather an investment in our relationship.

Photography.

Yup, I got bit by the photography bug…frick! I got a DSLR this Xmas break, and it was love at first sight lust at first picture. The quality is a bajillion times better than my point and shoot camera. I’m totally stoked on this new hobby, but I got to tell ya… it’s freakin’ expensive. Each lens ranges from $300 to $1,200 dollars. I have my eyes on a few different lenses/accessories I would like to add to my photography arsenal, but I’m doing my best to be a good ninja and temper my impulsive nature. I have three camera related things in my Amazon wishlist currently, but I told myself I couldn’t buy anything for at least six months. I want to make sure photography is going to be a long lasting hobby, and not some short term obsession. (I’m kind of infamous for getting in to something, putting a lot of time/effort/money in to it, and then getting bored of it after a few months). Here are a few pictures I have snapped…

scared pug

While frivolous expenses, like the examples mentioned above, can lead some to financial ruins (especially when said expenses are charged to a credit card), I do believe they can also be used as a tool to provide joy. Do you wrestle with the idea of “blowing” money on a hobby? What are some expenses you incur on a semi-frequent basis that you could cut out of your budget, but don’t? Are you a big time rock climber? Do you like to travel? Maybe a cooking hobby? Or if you are on the wild side, perhaps you like to put on a chewbacca mask, buy a bunch of taco shells, empty them from their taco shell box, tape said box to your nipples, get in your underwear, and take pictures of yourself to post on the internet like this guy….

(Don’t worry this guy is probably really nice)

Drop me a line and let me know what some of your hobbies are. Heck I might even want to try a few of them out!

p.s I know there are a ton of free hobbies (i.e. going to the park, local museums, etc). I’m not as interested in them, as I am the areas where you set aside money for the soul purpose of HAVING FUN!

Filed under Uncategorized, lifestyle. Tagged ,
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This aint no competition

8 March 2010, 12:29 am

debt pwned

Achieving financial freedom should not, I repeat SHOULD NOT, be a competition. Unfortunately, I often find myself making it one. Sure, financial stability/freedom/security is important, but shame on me if I lose sight of my journey and become distracted by jealousy, envy, or excuses.

Have you ever thought something like “If only I had a larger income I’d be financially happy” or “Bob is putting 5% in to his 401K, so I should too”? There is nothing wrong with earning a larger income or contributing to retirement, but if you are only doing it for bragging rights or to “keep up with the Joneses” then you are…how shall I put this nicely… an IDIOT!

You shouldn’t be comparing your financial situation to mine, or anyone elses for that matter. Yes, I post all of my financial stats (income, expenses, net worth) on this blog, but let me be clear. I do not do this so you can compare yourself to me. I do it for one reason and one reason only: To share my journey. That’s it. Nothing more, nothing less. Usually I talk finance, sometimes I talk wedding, and occasionally I just talk life.

PDITF is not a pulpit from which I preach great wisdom. I’m probably stupider (err more stupid?) than you anyway. Please don’t let my blog (or any other PF blog) become a crutch for you. Maybe my monthly expenses are lower or income higher than yours, but don’t you dare begin saying “If only I had Ninja’s income, life would be so much easier.” You have to make due with what you got and play the cards you were dealt.

It took me about two years to go from the red to the black. FB at FabulouslyBroke fought her way out of $50k of debt in one year. Maybe you won’t be able to get out of debt for another 5 or even 10 years. Guess what? That’s okay! It’s not a race. There is no prize if you pay off your debt before me (at least I don’t think there is).

Don’t be confused, I’m not saying you shouldn’t attack your debt and get rid of it quickly. I want you to get out of debt, but I want you to do it at your own pace. Much like I want you to save for retirement, but only when you think you are ready and at whatever rate you want.

While I want to be an example of how a little financial insight can drastically change one’s life, I NEVER want this blog to become something you use as a metric to measure your financial success. I’m not really interested in how fast (or slow) you can turn your financial life around. All I care is that you turn it around. I’m pretty frustrated right now because I have so much I want to say, but for some reason can not communicate my thoughts. Instead of rambling on, let’s get some dialouge going.

Did this post make any sense to you? Have you found yourself focusing on “the competition” only to lose sight of “the journey”? At what point does comparing your situation to your peers go from healthy to crazy? Have you ever felt like someone else was competing with you (i.e. rubbing their xmas bonus in your face, etc)? And most importantly, Did you have a good weekend?

Filed under forward thinking. Tagged , ,
19 Comments

I’m a friend whore

5 March 2010, 12:01 am

That’s right, I just made 10,834 new friends today. All with the first name George, last name Washington. Sure these “friends” may be inanimate objects (one dollar bills to be exact), but that doesn’t make them unimportant. In fact, they will be a GREAT asset for my future.

You know that $12,000 raise I have been talking about lately? Well I finally got it. I know what you are thinking, $10,834 is not $12,000. You are right, kind of…

On 12/31/09 my salary was $50,547. On January 1st, my salary was”adjusted for inflation” to $51,617. And today my salary is $62,451, making for a grand total gain of $11,904 in the last two months. If you don’t understand the government pay system you can see my breakdown of it here.

It’s hard for me to fathom a $24,255 salary increase in the two years I’ve been working. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t turn me on a little… okay A LOT!!!!

I don’t really plan to do anything different with my larger paycheck. I will likely just contribute more to my savings and continue  paying down my student loan ahead of schedule. Even though my salary has increased, my standard of living hasn’t. And that brings me to today’s message: When one’s salary goes up, his/her cost of living does not have to follow suit.

Sure you could use the $4,000 bonus you got to buy 4,000 double cheeseburgers off the dollar menu at McDonals, but is that really necessary? Heck to the no it aint. Real wealth building occurs as salary goes up, but expenses don’t. Suck on that materialism.

Seeing that there was no real room for dialogue in today’s short message, I’m just gonna ask some questions that I hope you will answer…

1) What’s the largest raise/bonus you ever received and what did you do with it?

2) Would you stay in a position you LOVED even if there was slim to no chance of upward movement?

3) Do you have any suggestions for ways to make PDITF better?

4) What are you doing this weekend?

5) Can you “afford” her?…

Happy weekend all!!!

Filed under Happy Happy, employment. Tagged , , ,
13 Comments

Procrastinators unite….tomorrow

3 March 2010, 11:00 pm

One of my favorite things about authoring this blog is getting to read the various emails people send me from time to time. Yesterday, I received a simple, one question email…

I am fairly new to being financially savy and PF blogs. I just wanted to get your opinion. At what age/income should you open a IRA?

My response….

Never. Haven’t you watched the news in the last two years!? Quit your job, sell your assets, and move to Antarctica. America is doomed. Oh wait, what? The market is actually up 47.2% since this time last year? Fudge! I knew I should have invested in a Roth IRA instead of The Foxhole…

In all serious, the time to invest was yesterday. Don’t procrastinate, it’s time to get the retirement ball rolling. That is, assuming: you have income, you don’t have crazy amounts of high interest debt, you’re okay taking on some risk, and you don’t want to work until you are 120.

I really can’t tell you when you should begin investing, you have to make that decision for yourself, but I can share with you some pretty popular investment strategies for people under 40.

Step 1: Adjust your lifestyle so your expenses fall below your income. You have to be spending less than you make each month!

Step 2: Pay down any and all high interest debt (credit card, bank loans, etc) before you begin investing.

Step 3: If your employer matches a percentage of 401k investing, make sure you get that match. It’s free money and you have to be CRAZY to pass up free money. (If you don’t get a match proceed to step 4.)

Step 4: Look in to opening a Roth IRA. You can contribute up to $5,000 in it this year and it is a great investment vehicle for the younger crowd.

Step 5: If you were able to max out your Roth, then you should look in to going back and upping your contributions in your 401k from, say 5% to 10% (or whatever the heck you want).

That is the general order I come across in most books/PF blogs, but how you manage your money is really your call. If you want to live it up while you are young, contributing to retirement may not be the best idea. If you don’t want to be on welfare when you are in your 60’s then you may want to buckle down and begin growing your nest egg.

I personally began contributing to my 401K and Roth IRA as soon as I graduated college and got my first job, making $38k/yr. The earlier you start, the richer you will be.

I think her question is interesting and I’m curious, when all of you peeps started contributing to retirement. How old were you? What was your income? If you haven’t started yet, why not (debt, fear, stupidity)? Is there anything you would change in my “guidelines to follow” for retirement.

Filed under Investing, Reader Mail, retirement. Tagged ,
24 Comments

Financial unredo (yeah I made “unredo” up)

3 March 2010, 1:23 am

If you’ve been scoping PF blogs for a while, you’ve probably seen some posts realted to financial do overs. Ya know, a time in your life that you made a terrible financial decision and desperately wish you could rewrite the past. I thought today we could take a fun little twist on that topic and ask what would you financially unredo.

Yes I know, unredo is not a word. But I’m a Ninja, and one of the perks of being a ninja is this: Ninjas can do whatever the heck they want… including make up words, drink soda and eat pop rocks at the same time, and sleep with their eyes open. Let me define unredo for you.

Unredo -transitive verb-  to not want to do over again (although common sense says you should)

Are you catching on yet? What is one particular financial decision you’ve made, that you know you should want to redo, but deep down inside you are kind of glad you made the “mistake”.

Here’s my financial unredo…

I’m really glad I only worked a few hours a week while I was in college. This was a terrible financial decision, because part-time  campus jobs, don’t pay squat. Needless to say, I graduated with $28,000 in student loans. Financial wisdom (whatever that means) would say, go to a cheaper school or at least work full time to cover the bills. But if I could do it over again, I probably wouldn’t change a thing. Afterall, $28,000 isn’t that much to pay for four years of pure crazy awesome fun right!?

To see a second example of a financial unredo, you can check out my post about my favorite dumb but fun expense.

Now that you hopefully understand what I’m asking, I would be tickled with warm fuzzies (that sounded pretty gay) if you all share a financial unredo from your life. Did you buy a new car, realize it was kind of stupid, but like it too much to wish you could change the past? Whatever your unredo is, I want to hear it!

Filed under lifestyle, random. Tagged 
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Who pays $4,000 for a honeymoon!?

2 March 2010, 12:28 am

As Girl Ninja and I approach our wedding day, we have began the honeymoon planning phase. I have alluded to the honeymoon cost ($4K) in a few posts and have received my fair share of criticism. Especially after this article got picked up by the Consumerist. After reading some of the “not-so-nice” comments I can’t help but think this is what some people are saying….

Pam: Ninja must be off his rocker. Who does he think he is, spending $4,000 on a honeymoon?

Deb: I know. It’s like he thinks he’s one of those millionaires or something. Seems pretty stupid to me.

Pam: Yeah. I totally agree. I can’t believe he thinks he’s qualified to have a personal finance blog when he clearly lives a life of luxury.

Deb: I know right. He’s totally hypocritical. Plus, he probably smells weird.

Am I planning on spending $4,000 on a honeymoon? Yes. Do I care if some think that is too much money for a vacation? No. Sorry, but I don’t. Girl Ninja and I are looking to head somewhere in the Caribbean, possibly Aruba or Puerto Rico. I have made a spreadsheet with some of our favorite places, and the cost of each trip….

As you can see, the estimates run from $3,500-$4,200 for a seven day vacation. Now that you know how much we are looking at spending and where we are planning on going, it’s time to roll my sleeves up and put the boxing gloves on.

Here’s why I’m okay “blowing” 20% of my savings on a “silly” vacation…

1) Girl Ninja and I both have a relatively limited exposure to the world. Mexico, Canada, and the Marshal Islands are the only places I’ve been. GN’s experiences are pretty similar. We figure our honeymoon is the perfect excuse to gain some insight in to a different culture. Sure we could probably spend $2,500 on a week long vacation in Hawaii, but we aren’t just taking a honeymoon to sit on a beach all day and do nothing. We want to interact with the locals, go on some tours, and take advantage of all that a foreign country has to offer.

2) I have the money to do it. I don’t think anyone who reads my blog regularly, would say I have a problem saving money. In fact I’ve increased my net worth by over $30,000 in the last year. I save diligently, so that I can afford to do fun things when the opportunity arises. Yes, my savings account will take an 18% hit, but at my current savings rate, I will be able to recoup the loss in a couple of months. I bet if I said I had a $10,000 emergency fund and a $10,000 vacation/fun fund, instead of $20K in savings, people wouldn’t give me any grief. Sometimes people, including myself, forget it’s okay to spend money. I think I’m due for a little treat.

3) This honeymoon is going to be a big deal for our relationship. Our honeymoon will be a time of many firsts. I’ve shared reasons why GN and I do not live together, but I should also note, we have never even stayed the night in the same room. Thus, we have never vacationed together, not even a weekend get-away. The honeymoon would be the first time Girl Ninja and I sleep in the same bed together, the first time we wake up next to each other, the first time I have to remember to put the toilet seat down after going potty. It will be our first taste of the married life, and we want it to be AMAZING. If you haven’t caught on by now, let me spell it out for you…

Even though we have been together for 3.5 years, we made a choice early in our relationship to NOT participate in any “adult” activities until we got hitched. (wow that felt awkward to type)

I know some of my critics have my best interest at heart, and don’t want to watch me throw away a good chunk of change on a one week trip, but I hope you see that this is much more than “a vacation”. It’s going to be a time of many firsts and I’m totally fine splurging for a nicer vacation to ensure the week is awesome.

Okay, now that I feel totally awkward for sharing point 3, let’s open the floor for discussion.

1) Where do you think I should go on my honeymoon?

2) Where did you go (or want to go) on your honeymoon?

3) Do you think I’m spending too much on “a vacation”?

4) What’s the coolest thing about the honeymoon experience?

Filed under wedding. Tagged , ,
61 Comments

Net Worth: March 2010

28 February 2010, 11:26 pm

I’ve got a crush on the last 30 days, because my NW soared. I want to fly like an eagle, I want to run through the halls of my high school, I want to shake my money maker (those are all song lyrics in case you didn’t catch on). My net worth is on the up and up, and daddy likes what he sees. I have a strong tutoring and blogging month to thank for the increase. Let’s take a look at the grizzaph…

Checking Accounts: $1,983, +$106. Made some transfers from checking to the good old INGdirect savings account. I love ING. They don’t pay me to say that, but I wouldn’t mind if they wanted to…you hear that ING… Give me your monies!!!!

Savings Account: $22,765, +$1,700. I’m WHOREding (haha get it!) cash for the time being, until I get a better grasp on what lies ahead. I’ll be using about $4K of this shortly to pay for my upcoming honeymoon. Check back tomorrow to see why I’m willing to give up 4 grand for a vacay.

Roth IRA: $13,539 +$171. I have fully contributed to my Roth since my senior year of college. Right now my account balance is about $700 less than my total contributions. Hopefully soon, I will have actually made money from investing!!!!

TSP (401K): $12,313, +$554. The standard 5% contribution heads this direction each month. I also get that 5% fully matched. Can’t pass up free money now could I?

Student Loan: -$15,612, +$391. Yeah I know, some of you hate me for hanging on to my student loan debt, when I could pay it off. I’ve paid it down $13K in the last two years, that’s got to count for something though…right?

That put’s me at a net worth of….drumroll please….. $33,525!!! I’m up $3,291 from last month, which makes my heart smile. My next paycheck should have my increased salary in it, so I’m hoping for bigger and better things in the coming months!!!

**If you have wondered why the blue bar (debt) in the graph sometimes increases, it’s because my credit card balance gets taken in to account each month. Even though I pay the balance in full it still appears as a “liability” in Quicken. I just deduct this from my checking account balance to give myself an accurate net worth reading. This is why my actual NW increase, may not always necessarily match with the totals of each category, but I promise the overall total is REAL. I chose not to include possessions (including my car) in my NW calculations, which would probably increase my worth by about $8K.**

Filed under net worth. Tagged , , ,
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