Penny For My Thoughts

A Personal Finance log

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Entries from January 2009

Recession beaters pt. II-Brown Bagging It

January 28th, 2009 · 2 Comments

So, with the economy in its current state, I think a lot of people are looking towards taking their own lunch to work, or brownbagging it.  While I take my lunches in an insulated lunchbox, I am a large fan of bringing my own lunch. While I’ll bring Progresso Soups or Lean Cuisines (or, should [...]

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Tags: recession beaters · vegetarian

Shopping for auto a/c parts?

January 26th, 2009 · No Comments

I don’t know about where you live, but here in Massachusetts it has been record-setting cold the past few days. With all the focus on your car’s defrost and heating around here, it’s very easy to forget that summer is just a few short months away, and you might want to stop and think [...]

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Tags: car

TJX is having a Customer Appreciation Sale tomorrow

January 21st, 2009 · No Comments

TJX (parent company of Home Goods, TJ Maxx and Marshalls) is having a 15% off sale tomorrow, January 22, 2009.  It’s part of the whole issue with the security breach last year.  I think I may stop on by my local TJ Maxx after work to see if there’s anything good.
Ironically, I really freaked when [...]

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Tags: Shopping

Yay for Costco…

January 18th, 2009 · 2 Comments

Despite being a household of two people, we belong to both BJ’s and Costco (long story…they have stuff for my mother’s volunteering at both places).  I prefer BJ’s-I feel they have more name brands I want, you can use manufacturer coupons, and I can use my Visa card.  However, I was recently poking around because [...]

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Tags: Shopping · family

Generic trap and mileage

January 14th, 2009 · 1 Comment

As part of my new job, I do some grocery shopping, often for items I don’t buy for myself (want a great idea for a reality TV show?  Videotape a cheap vegetarian trying to buy lunchmeat).  Upon shopping for some of these items, I found that I was falling into what I’ve heard dubbed “the [...]

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Tags: Saving · Shopping

Business loans

January 14th, 2009 · No Comments

Given how poor the economy is, and how I keep on hearing about how white-collar jobs are being downsized, I was very surprised to see a new dry-cleaners open down the street from me. I dropped off some clothes last week to be cleaned and tailored, as the owner had some very nice new [...]

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Tags: Kitchen sink

I don’t get Kohl’s

January 5th, 2009 · 1 Comment

I’m sorry, I don’t.  I like it for socks and jewelry, but otherwise-bah.  I returned a necklace* I’d received for the holidays there, and had a credit of around $18.  I started off looking at clothes, but there was nothing that fit me that didn’t appear cheaply made, or that I liked.  I then paused [...]

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Tags: Shopping

Dividends are fun…

January 2nd, 2009 · No Comments

Dividends hit my rollover IRA and Roth IRA’s at Fidelity on Monday.  They were close to $150, which is no small amount.  Wellheeled may not have been far off from the truth when she stated that they were a girl’s best friend.
In less responsible news, I remembered to renew my iPod’s warranty…40 days too late.  [...]

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Tags: Shopping · retirement

January 1, 2009 Networth

January 1st, 2009 · No Comments

Due to my job changes, my Networth is not fabulous this month, but I’m going to report on it anyway:
Assets

ING-$ 9694.17
Roth IRA-$6563.51 (I had some money that was waiting for the rollover to finish)
Emigrant direct-$5311.22
SIP-$335.02
Rollover IRA-$2835.86

Total Assets $24,739.78
Debts

Student loan-$12,085.72
Car loan-2874.10

Total Debts $14, 959.82
Net worth-$9.779.96

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Tags: net worth