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Why We Are So Bad at Buying Happiness

Why We Are So Bad at Buying Happiness

"Those who say that money can't buy happiness aren't doing it right."  Have you heard that joke before?  Well, it turns out that there is more than a kernel of truth in there. People are generally bad at buying happiness because: 1. We buy to keep up with the Joneses / ...

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Hair, Hair, Everywhere – the Recession Edition

Hair, Hair, Everywhere – the Recession Edition

I wrote a hair post in both 2007 and 2008, so I suppose it's only appropriate to continue the tradition in 2009! This post is dedicated to recession's impact on hair budgets. The recession is a major reason why I've been neglecting my hair a bit during these past several months: ...

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Experience, Not Stuff

Experience, Not Stuff

Experience, not stuff: I've decided to make this my mantra to live by. It'll be hard, because I like nice things (ex: shoes), but guess which of the following I remember the most? (a) A $100 leather jacket purchased in Buenos Aires, that I've worn ONCE in 3 years. (b) A $45 hour-long horse ride on ...

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What Sex And The City Taught Me About Love, Life, and Money

What Sex And The City Taught Me About Love, Life, and Money

Sex And The City: The Movie is coming out in May! I am so, so excited, and I'm betting that many Sex And The City feel the same way. Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda - you ladies have been missed! (By the way, I love the photo below - head-to-toe ...

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5 Year Travel Plan: Making Your Travel Dreams a Reality

5 Year Travel Plan: Making Your Travel Dreams a Reality

I've been struck by a bad case of the travel bug lately... I haven't been out of the country since 2007, which seems like a long time. CB and I are saving for Galapgos, but we also want to travel quite extensively in the intervening months before our Big Galapagos ...

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Graduate School: (When) Should I Go?

Graduate School: (When) Should I Go?

Graduate school is a significant undertaking both in terms of time and money. During the last few months, I've felt some pressure from concerned family members about going to graduate school. I know they only want the best for me, but I'm glad I followed my gut instinct and ...

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Should Parents Pay For College Education

Should Parents Pay For College Education

A college education has, for a large percentage of society, become the de rigueur entry-level degree. "Should parents pay for college education" is a question where the answer is always, "it depends." In today's economic climate, I imagine that many parents are having the difficult talk with their kids ...

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Free GMAT Study Resources

Free GMAT Study Resources

Taking and prepping for standardized tests isn't cheap, fortunately, there are many free study resources available online. I've taken advantage of most of these resources when I was preparing for my test last year. Hopefully you will find them helpful as well. Free Online Study Materials The GMAT Uncovered by ManhattanGMAT: A ...

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7 Steps In Overcoming Rejections In Job Search

7 Steps In Overcoming Rejections In Job Search

Rejections during job search are disappointing, to be sure. Nobody likes to be told that they were qualified candidates, but the management has decided to go in another direction. In this environment, however, rejections are common-place through out the job search and interview process. After the initial disappointment wears off ...

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How to Host a Dinner Party On a Budget

How to Host a Dinner Party On a Budget

Hosting a dinner party is always fun, but right now I need my get-togethers to be budget-friendly as well. Remember when I made crab cakes? That was for a group of 5 or 6 friends. The crab cakes were delicious and everyone loved them, but, crabs are expensive! Two pounds ...

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Pure Altruism - Does it Exist?

Pure Altruism - Does it Exist?

Every time the holidays come around, feel-good human-interest stories surface. This is a time to give to others, help those in need, and realize that the world is not as cutthroat or as competitive as we may believe. But is it true? Can people be purely altruistic? The authors of Superfreakonomics (the ...

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The Price of Addiction To Argentine Tango

The Price of Addiction To Argentine Tango

It's happened. I fell for the sultry dance, hard. (I even made its own category!) I leave class with a big smile on my face. I read Argentine tango forums and blogs. I fall asleep thinking of boleos and molinetes. I'm not sure how my wallet feels about the possible financial ...

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Old Cars: Unsung Heroes of Personal Finance

Old Cars: Unsung Heroes of Personal Finance

New Cars are shiny, gleaming, loaded with the latest technology and features. New cars get the big commercials on TV, where they swerve confidently in snow storms, zoom down idyllic country lanes, and maybe even dance a little to the sound of a state-of-the-art in-car sound system near a trendy ...

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Disney World Recap

Disney World Recap

I realized that I haven't really talked about my Disney World adventure (aside from the Dining Plan review) on this blog yet... and well, that oversight must be rectified! If you have any specific questions about Disney World, please ask away and I'll do my best to answer. We Got To ...

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Job Fairs: How to Prepare So You Stand Out

Job Fairs: How to Prepare So You Stand Out

Job fairs can be a great opportunity for applicants to interact with many different companies. But if you don't prepare adequately, job fairs can be a disaster. Last week, I attended a job fair - prior to the event I debated whether I should go. I had heard the horror ...

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How To Practice Safe and Responsible Credit Card Use

How To Practice Safe and Responsible Credit Card Use

Wait, you mean you never had a credit card education class in school? Okay, me neither. The quality of education these days! But there's no reason that high schools or colleges shouldn't offer a class like this. After all, credit card education isn't an awkward topic like the other type of ...

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2009 Goals Update: The Weird Thing Is

by WellHeeled on November 28, 2009

…that even though I was laid off a few months ago, I have accomplished most of the monetary goals I’ve set out in December of 2008 (and my follow-up goal made in January 2009).

1. Max out Roth IRA: $5,000 – Done.
2. Contribute to 401(k): $5,000 – Done. I actually contributed $6,000 for 2008, not including employer match.
3. Retake the GMAT (and get a better score) – Done.
4. Apply to 6-7 graduate schools – Postponed. I want to get more experience before I go back to school.
5. Run a 5K race – Ha. Ha. Ha. I don’t think this will be done. Or even attempted. At all. A complete FAIL.
6. Go on a trip with CB – Will be done by December! To only The Most Magical Place On Earth!
7. Increase my Freedom Fund by $5,000, from the 2008 year-end balance of $27,000 to $32,000 – Done. I actually began my unemployment with $35,000 in cash. I’ve had to take money out of savings to supplement my unemployment (mostly for travel to interviews and for the Disney World trip), so I think my cash balance right now is around $33,000.

In other news, I have submitted my resume for a job that I am really excited about. The position sounds right up my alley in both the general field and the area of specialization. I know the competition will be intense, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t be human if I said I absolutely have NO hopes up. So please, say a prayer, think good thoughts, or cross your fingers for me. I appreciate it.

So even though I think about how much I could have saved had things been different, I have to be proud of what I have accomplished… perspective, right? ;)

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{ 1 trackback }

Unexpected Car Expenses | Well-Heeled, with a mission
December 7, 2009 at 6:28 pm

{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }

SS4BC November 28, 2009 at 3:17 pm

Wow, that's really impressive. I think if I had been laid off I would have thrown all my hard work just right out the window. That's really great Well-Heeled! =D

I'm so ready for 2010, personally. I think it will be a FANTASTIC year!

Reply

Revanche November 28, 2009 at 6:27 pm

Please tell me when I can uncross my fingers, it's really hard to type with 8 fingers. :) And despite experiencing the "hey, I'm not doing so badly despite unemployment …" I still think that yes, it's a little weird. But good weird!

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WellHeeled November 29, 2009 at 7:01 am

I'll take good weird right now. :)

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Collette November 28, 2009 at 11:39 pm

Am crossing all my crossables, and sending you good karmaic energy towards that job! Good Luck, woman!

Reply

WellHeeled November 29, 2009 at 7:02 am

Thank you. I'll take all the crossables I can get. ;)

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Money Dieter November 29, 2009 at 1:39 am

Fingers crossed for you on the job. Great job for accomplishing your goals.

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Paragon2Pieces November 29, 2009 at 1:44 am

Congratulations! How awesome that you did such a great job meeting your goals :) This is an inspiration :)

Reply

Paula: CreditLaw.com November 29, 2009 at 9:22 pm

Seeing how you overcame your short term job setback but still achieved so many of your goals is incredibly motivating! Thanks for energizing me.

Reply

Steph November 29, 2009 at 10:55 pm

I'm impressed! I think I should make some goals like you have….most of my goals are just "more", with no specific numbers.

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Airam November 30, 2009 at 10:33 pm

Wow, that's impressive. I'd be happy if I could accomplish just HALF of your goals while employed. Good job!

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Kim December 1, 2009 at 3:37 am

Congratulations! I like that you made concrete goals and accomplished them! That must be very satisfying! I think I will take that approach to 2010 :-)

Fingers crossed on the job!

Reply

@27andfrugal December 3, 2009 at 2:17 pm

Could you do a 5k run/walk and just walk it? There are even many 5k's that are purely for charity and they don't even keep track of your time. That type of non-competitive atmosphere might help you get over the hurdle to sign up.

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