tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44367604211371033792024-03-14T05:51:28.977-07:00About Tree FiddyThe name of this blog comes from an episode of South Park when Chef's dad complains about the Loch Ness Monster always hounding him for money. When he asks the monster what he wants, his answer is always, "About tree fiddy." (That would be $3.50) Guess you have to see it.
So...yeah. There are plenty of blogs that give good advice and fantastic content. This is not one of them. I'm just here dragging you with me on my financial journey to wealth and security.Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.comBlogger214125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-18538360574713424422010-12-09T17:42:00.000-08:002010-12-09T18:18:28.872-08:00UpdatesGreetings and salutations.It's been a minute. I've been meaning to come back and catch up, but there are a lot of things going on right now and blogging seems about the last thing I want to deal with. But, just in case anyone is wondering, here's the deal.WorkThe merger happened, as well as a round of layoffs. I survived that one and hope to survive the next that supposed to happen early next Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-85850653768108719642010-08-08T11:38:00.000-07:002010-08-08T11:45:17.485-07:00One goal down, but does it matter?I actually reached my $10,000 Move Fund goal a couple weeks ago, however with news of the upcoming merger at work, I'm wondering if these goals are relevant anymore. It's not that I won't need to move at some point, or a car. It's just that it seems a bigger emergency fund might be in order.But rather than torment myself over something that may or may not happen, I'm just going to keep doing Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-53026181602319004312010-07-12T11:03:00.000-07:002010-07-12T11:25:32.105-07:00Well. Wasn't Expecting That.Woke up to find out my employer will be merging with another company over the next few months. There will be layoffs but no one knows when or where. I suppose the only thing to do is assume it could be me and act accordingly.1. Update my resume and begin searching.2. Follow up on all health appointments. Best to get that done sooner rather than later, no?3. Look at my budget to see if I can Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-7134503747767582552010-05-02T14:12:00.000-07:002010-05-02T18:10:09.642-07:00Random: So how are we supposed to afford all this?It's a rhetorical question, really, but when I go through apartment listings on Craigslist and match up what's available with what is in my budget, it's depressing. How are we supposed to save for retirement and an emergency fund while paying for rent and utilities, and geez...feed ourselves? Damn.Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-85094599224404810792010-04-28T10:34:00.000-07:002010-04-28T10:54:30.140-07:00Sooner rather than laterI've decided that it due to my mother's recent diagnosis, it would behoove me to get crackin' on that 2011-2012 Move Fund (which may happen sooner than that), so I've done the following:Decreased my Travel Fund from $4,000 to $2,000. Since I'm going to be home more, I won't need much for travel. Just enough for maybe one or two visits to see the BF for a weekend and my cousin's wedding in Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-44745302121291621412010-04-26T06:29:00.000-07:002010-04-26T06:46:43.451-07:00Sometimes just going with your gut is good enoughBack in 2004-2005, everyone was asking me why I wasn't trying to buy a house of my own. My response? "I can't afford a mortgage AND furniture. I can only do one or the other." I wasn't trying to be pithy or cute, that was my honest-to-goodness reason. I knew everyone else with income like mine was buying, but I just didn't feel comfortable with it, and that was good enough reason for me. No Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-2173581770113720612010-04-26T06:01:00.000-07:002010-04-26T06:14:21.358-07:00Resisting the smartphone urge...for nowMan, I wouldn't mind having one of those smartphones. They would (or would have) come in so handy when I was traveling to check flight schedules, etc. They would keep me entertained on the long commutes home. I could have gotten one of those new droid thingies for free (well, with the commitment to a 2-yr. contract) since my phone was eligible for an upgrade since 2007. I'd have access to Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-72422482554105265162010-04-23T10:17:00.000-07:002010-04-23T11:40:56.697-07:00Three down, three to goThe Travel Fund goal has been met, now it's time to tackle the largest, and possibly the last, financial goal I can accomplish this year.My mother has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I'm still in a bit of shock. It was just last year that my father died of pancreatic cancer. Isn't there a limit or time spacing thing about dealing with death? No? Well there should be. Anyway, understandably Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-84295520640871173512010-03-13T06:55:00.001-08:002010-03-13T07:05:12.904-08:00February 2010 Credit ScoresBecause Experian is on that garbage, I could only pull my FICO scores for TransUnion and Equifax. In January 2009 my scores for them were 812 and 817 respectively. I ran my scores a month ago and got the following:I'm really puzzled as to why my score went down. The most I had on any credit card at the time would have been $150. I don't have any other debt. My bills are paid on time. I checkVelvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-7353220399271681142010-03-06T07:17:00.000-08:002010-03-06T08:37:28.827-08:00On Being a Road Warrior and My Stupid Ass BoyfriendHold up! Dude! Did you know I was a genius! Check it: Last night I had a late flight to see the BF. I didn't want to pay a bajillion dollars for some lettuce and a bottle of water at the airport so I did the following instead I bought a sandwich, chips, and a cookie from Panera (lurve Panera!) and tucked them along with an empty water bottle in my carry-on. Once I get passed security I Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-33056015037747041702010-03-05T09:54:00.000-08:002010-03-06T08:38:21.068-08:00As SingleMa Used to Say, "My Money Is Boring"Well. Kinda.My money and I have been a little busy, but I could never really come up with a way to chat about it so I'm just gonna spew words and see what happens. Actually, like I usually do. *shrug*I lent/gave my best friend $1,000. About a month ago my BFF called telling me about a situation she's in that I wouldn't wish on anyone. She makes light-years more money than me, however as is Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-44184096527924936362010-02-27T15:02:00.000-08:002010-02-27T15:06:48.267-08:00Damn ING Direct. Really?ING Direct lowered the interest rate on their savings AGAIN, this time to 1.15% APY. Dude. Seriously. Damn. I'm seriously considered moving my money to another bank where I could earn a higher interest rate, however I know this is really going on everywhere. But still, seems ING Direct is quick to decrease their rates before anyone else. This is giving me a lot to consider, especially the Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-31897355490120883782010-02-11T17:57:00.000-08:002010-02-11T18:01:36.876-08:00I actually OWE the government money$189 to be exact. I'm pretty sure it has to do with changing my deductions because I always got money back (about $300), however I changed that a while ago. I'm not sure what could have caused it to be that I actually owe money this year. Especially since I made more money in 2008 than in 2009. Oh well, it's not a lot, so no big deal. I just wasn't expecting it. Still though, I want to look Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-75108049138275316282010-01-22T10:52:00.002-08:002010-01-22T14:26:10.184-08:00Estimating 2010 Paid Time OffI have a fairly decent Paid Time Off (PTO) deal. My employer gives me four weeks off every year, including 8 holidays (6 calendar, 2 floating). If I don't use all my time then I'm allowed to transfer up to 15 days to the following year. Early on I recognized this benefit and made a point to carry over at least a week when I first started. Now I carry over the full 3 weeks and have been doing so Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-3648183377483580422010-01-22T10:52:00.001-08:002010-01-22T10:52:32.090-08:00Comments are up!Don't you all rush in at once!Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-48898105503137085032010-01-16T08:05:00.000-08:002010-01-16T08:18:45.366-08:00Comments DramaSince I'd been living under a rock for the past month of so, I didn't realize that Haloscan has moved to the ECHO platform, which means no commenting ability until I get the comments upgraded. I'm in the process of doing that now, so please pardon the dust.In the meantime, if you need to reach me, velvetjones3000 at gmail is where you can find me. :)Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-16364874568812154402010-01-16T07:18:00.000-08:002010-01-16T07:45:12.562-08:002010 GoalsShort version of my 2009 goals: Done.Taking a gander to the status bars on the right you'll see the new goals for 2010. Read on to get a little detail on them in order of importance.2010 Health Care Deductible Fund—$2,000Do I even have to tell you how out-of-pocket health care costs have gotten? My employer went from a copy to a deductible model so that means I have to spend $2,500 before the Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-27597459170021628032009-11-18T20:30:00.000-08:002009-11-18T21:01:49.465-08:00Thinking about 2010 and beyondSome random thoughts:A small voice inside is telling me that I'm going to need to make more money in the future. The salary of an administrative assistant is not going to work for me long term, no matter how much I save. Sadly, the voice of self-doubt and fear of failure is more persuasive.I've drafted a list of 2010 goals. It's a very long list, but more comprehensive and thoughtful than Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-35406689633069214192009-11-15T20:02:00.001-08:002009-11-15T20:17:32.816-08:00:::tap, tap::: "Is this thing on?"Yeah, yeah. I've been gone for a bit, and trust me, I feel bad for neglecting my little blog. I haven't written much because there isn't much going on. As Fabulous Ma would say, "My money is boring." Although that's not entirely true.I've been trying to get on the whole healthier eating and exercise trail. For the past two months I've been walking (low impact and free!) about 4 to 5 miles a Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-63681861622239763512009-10-02T10:41:00.000-07:002009-10-03T00:54:32.918-07:00File under: "Jesus Effing Christ"From Fortune.com, A Jobs CrisisEven more sobering: a report this week from Rutgers University professors James Hughes and Joseph Seneca who noted that, even if the economy suddenly started adding 2,150,000 jobs a year (instead of losing more than 3 million), it would take until 2017 to get the [unemployment] rate all the way back down.Ugh.Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-32848729425252856572009-10-01T09:10:00.000-07:002009-10-01T09:13:51.827-07:00September 2009 Net WorthHonestly, there's nothing really notable here. Still tickled to be part of the $100,000 club, no credit card debt this month, all medical bills have been paid (using money from my Health Care Fund), the market as been turning around a bit, so made gains there, however thanks to my overspending during the Summer, my savings haven't grown as much as they could have.Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-4802571267624553792009-09-08T15:08:00.000-07:002009-09-08T15:17:24.881-07:00A ConfessionI've been spending more money than I should, and without really thinking about it. Because of this, I'm almost $600 behind on reaching my $14,000 Used Car Fund. I don't quite feel like a shit stain for this, but I am disappointed with myself, especially because the stuff I spent it on was eating out and entertainment. Being home for 6 weeks recovering from surgery was all the excuse I needed Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-20576088921803825042009-08-05T15:45:00.000-07:002009-08-05T15:57:50.863-07:00Reason Number Five Million Why You Need an Emergency FundYesterday, while driving down the highway to work, my boyfriends car was struck by lightning. He heard an explosion, was surrounded by white light, then realized his car lost all power and was coasting on momentum.On a highway during a thunderstorm, during rush hour.First things first: He's absolutely fine. Not a scratch on him. His car? Well, that's a bit of a different story. The strike Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-58476643544252647452009-07-31T15:28:00.000-07:002009-07-31T15:35:10.284-07:00Surgery SuccessHey there everyone!Just a quick note to let you know I'm home from the hospital and doing GREAT. My surgery was on July 29 at noon, and I was discharged this morning. The surgery and recovery so far has been remarkable. In addition to fantastic medical staff, luck, and genes, I made sure to have a good attitude and move around a lot. After surgery, it's important to get on your feet and walk Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4436760421137103379.post-80316576631228821652009-07-18T09:35:00.000-07:002009-07-18T09:58:45.979-07:00The Common Factor of All Divorces? Marriage.I kid! Kinda... Anyway, I have three weddings coming up between now and the end of 2010. November 2009 (the day after Thanksgiving, btw) that I just got the invitation for from a former co-worker that would be out of town.April 2010 for a cousin that I hadn't spoken to in years, but is nice and came by the house a few times when my dad was sick. This would be in town, no invitations Velvet Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14918734111188762591noreply@blogger.com0