Rantings of a Creole Princess

Feed The Pig

So...this pig scares me.  SERIOUSLY.  This pig SCARES me.  This pig is right up there with the Burger King man.  Just...ew!

I get the initiative here but dude...that pig looks like a zombie pig whose death blow was a hatchet to the head.   Feed The Pig

Renting in this market?

In this market when interest rates are falling steadily and home prices are becoming more reasonable...if you rent...are you considering buying?  If you're considering buying...are you going to make the deadline for the first time home buyer's $8,000 tax credit?

Extended Warranty

We're the type of household that buys the warranty on all electronics and lately...I've been wondering if it's really worth it.

For my new HA-CHI-TA-CHI 3000 the warranty was $179.99.  Because I'm well known as being clumsy...we got the warranty. On my old camera we have it.  On my 3CCD video camera we have it.  On our phones, iPods, laptops, our televisions, appliances, you name it...we got the warranty.

As you can tell...turns out this is a sizeable amount of money to say the least.

On Robby's big tv we got the three year warranty.  It's now 6 years old and we haven't had a problem with it. 

And the warranty has expired.

Kinda makes you wonder...are warranties necessary?  Hell...I just read the warranty for my camera and it CLEARLY states it doesn't cover me dropping it and yet...that's the reason we got the warranty.  Cuz I'm clumsy.

Do YOU buy the additional warranty?  Why?  Why not?

$1,800

My dentist is in a fancy, smancy area with all sorts of new technology stuffy.  Seriously...it's really cool.  AND IT IS EXPENSIVE AS HELL!

The cost hadn't ever been a problem for us because we only need regular maintenance stuff that was 100% covered with our insurance.

The first time I needed to get something done that WASN'T covered by insurance my dentist gave me a fancy, smancy quote on nice paper in a lovely folder.

$1,800.

Um...yeah.

I called three more dentists in the area and got quotes from them faxed to my home for the same work using the information on the quote from my dentist.  The lowest price was $750.

I went back to MY dentist and showed him the quotes.  Let him know that I had $750 that I was either going to pay to HIM to do the work or pay to the other dentist that gave me the $750 quote to do the work.

He couldn't BELIEVE the other dentist could do the work for $750 (Insert ::EYEROLL:: here) and went on and on about how it couldn't be done for that amount.

Me:  Okay.  I'll see you guys for my next cleaning!  Toodles!

Dentist:  Well, since I consider you a personal friend and you and Robby have been coming to me for so long...I'll do it for that.

Me:  Okay.  Where's my bib?  (Open mouth...) Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

And we got to getting.

People are funny.

I got a new quote today from my dentist that is sooooooooooooooooooo funny that I laughed till two drops of pee came out.  HA-FUGGIN-HA!  So yeah...tomorrow I shall be getting other quotes for the same work.  I will go with the lowest cost and will give my dentist the first right of refusal for said price.

If he does it...cool.

If he doesn't...cool.

But I'm getting it done regardless.

Do YOU do this?  (By the way...you can do this with the Veterinarian too.  Pretty much anything where you're paying out of pocket for a service.  Yup.  Hell it's a recession for everyone.)

Interesting...

Jubilee Housing

Money

When do you start the conversation about money and debt with someone you are dating exclusively? 

Have you ever had this conversation and it colored the way you saw the person after or your ran into a deal breaker? 

Loose Change

What do you keep your loose change in at the house?

From My Inbox:

Monnie,

Would you mind asking the tribe for ways they have found to live cheaper?

From Nathan Jefferson:

If you have trouble with getting billing situations settled go to ftc.gov and they will straighten it out quick fast and in a hurry. Please share this with your readers.

Money Challenge!

Yall still down? 

Sorry...I've been lunching this morning.

Money Matters

What was the last thing you spent money on?

From Ted:

Friends Without Money: How the recession is wrecking friendships across the land.

What say you?

Money Matters

What was the last thing you spent money on?  Was it something you NEEDED?

Retired

What would be the minimum amount of money per month you think you could retire on currently to live as you do now?  Do you ever think of this?

Spare Change

What do you do with your spare change?

Bank Balance

How often do you check your bank balance?

$100

How would YOU spend an extra $100?

Money Matters!

What was the last thing you spent money on?

Put CASHPOINT out of business!

D.C. attorney general sues CashPoint

Cash 4 Gold

Would you ever do this? 

Do you know anyone who has? 

You put your stuff in an envelope and just send it all willy nilly? 

How you know if they are being honest? 

How you know if you're being cheated? 

Question...

Have you changed your 401k contributions this year?  Like...do you put in less?  Why?

Cutting back...

If you had to start SERIOUSLY cutting back...what would you cut first?

Two Wise Acres = Two Disgruntled Investors?

"Obama’s “Making Homes Affordable” Program and Evil Real Estate Investors"

The entire tone of this article irked the hell outta me. I know I should just leave it alone but I can't stand people who try and act like they are informing the public but in actuality are just pushing their platform down your throat.  This fool Rob is claiming that real estate investors are evil when it seems they are only evil to them because their attempt at flipping a house was a FAILURE!

Bonus

Did YOU get a bonus?  Or did your company  have to cut back on bonuses cuz they WEREN'T getting any bailout money?

AIG Bonuses

What do YOU think about the situation?  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29714402/

Jim Cramer got WHUPPED!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/12/jim-cramer-on-daily-show-_n_174503.html

Question...

Do you consider yourself middle class?

From Shelly: Wow!

http://consumerist.com/tag/american-express/

What say you?

Mortgage Crisis

What would YOU think would be something that could help the mortgage crisis?

Crude Oil

Question:  Crude oil is getting cheaper so why isn't gas?????????

Thank you in advance for shedding light on this for me.

Monica Mingo

Geico Money

Is money important to you in dating?  Like...if you met a dude who was doing bad financially but seemed to be a good dude...could you date him?

Question...

What is the last thing you spent money on?

Extra Cash

CaliSlim said something about figuring out how to make some extra cash.  I guess that would help a lot of folks out huh?  So...what ways ARE there to bring in extra cash into the home?  Have you tried any?  Were you successful?

How much is your house worth?

Since we've been in crisis...what's the range between what you paid for your home and what it's currently worth?  Have you lost or gained more than 100k?  How does it make you feel?

Question...

Have you ever had to make up the decision to give up something based on finances that you never thought you'd ever be able to give up?  And then been surprised at how easy it was to give it up?

BE AWARE!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28435684/

Cash

How much cash you got on you RIGHT.NOW!

Money

Have you ever given someone a loan then told them to forget about paying you back?

Money / Credit Question...

You got a buncha debt.

You have okay income and no savings.

Pick one:

1.  Pay off debt first then build emergency fund.

2.  Build emergency fund first then pay off debt.

3.  Pay off debt slower and build emergency fund slower at the same time.

Holiday Spending

Are you going to cut back this year on gift giving? 

Metro, Belgium, AIG & 43 Million Dollars

Dude...so now it seems our transit system is in trouble too.  Particularly DC's Metro, WMATA.  Sheesh.

Metro sold cars to banks and then leased them so they could get some money to do improvement projects and whatnot along with loans which includes loans from other countries as well.  Well...seems they were able to do this because AIG guaranteed the loans.  *sigh*

And now AIG has collapsed and folks are thinking on their money.  A lot of em are chilling out cuz nobody is behind on payments but  Belgium's bank is like, naw playa, I want mine now.

The problem here?  If Metro has to pay Belgiumnow, all the  other folks are gonna want their money back now too.  BIG.HUGE.AZZ.PROBLEM.

*sigh*

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/08/AR2008110801991.html

This is NOT gonna be fun folks. 

What say you?  Should Belgium get their money back NOW?  Or should they have to wait since a payment has never been missed?

Question...

What's the last thing you bought?

Fallout

(I'm so annoyed right now I can't even enjoy my dang deck.  Really makes me wish I DIDN'T care.)

N E WAY...

Let's talk about money.  Or...money problems. Suze Orman on Oprah yesterday got me to thinking about just how quickly stuff can shift for even the most regular of us.

When you have money problems that you just really couldn't predict...what do you do?   What's your fallout plan? What would you NEVER do regarding money? 

THE LARGEST POINT GAIN IN A SINGLE DAY!

CAN YOU SAY DOW BABY?????  Pretty dang amazing to say the least!  Man...I'm walking around this joint WHISTLING!  HELL!  I MIGHT START DANCING!

CreoleInDC LOVING LIFE!

My Fellow Americans

In the quiet of my home I hear children outside playing.  My neighborhood is such a beautiful melting pot and the sight at our park always makes me smile.  Children of all skin colors are playing, running between houses, sharing water balloons and snacks and having a wonderful time.

The economy is jacked up.

The war is ongoing.

This election ain't pretty.

And so on and so on.

We can't let this cause us to panic.  We can't give up.  You have the right to vote and to cast your vote for whomever you want to vote for.  Do it.  Go vote and let your voice be heard.  Vote for the right reasons.  Because your candidate's values and ideals are more closely aligned with yours.

That's the ONLY reason to vote folks.

I remember reading in my history books about the crash of 1929.  It was bad folks.  The depression that followed.  Man...a mess.  But eventually...it worked itself out.  Stocks regained their value and the companies that were once strong regained their strength.   Folks who held steady even while struggling gradually regained financial stability.  It took a while...but we got there.

In 1987 we had our second  crash.  Folks were panicking worried that another depression was on the horizon.  There wasn't and within two years...the market righted itself.

And we were all just fine.

I'm speaking simply here folks because all the big word use explanations are scary.  They are depressing.  They will make you sit at home and wallow in this ish.  You'll start eating cheap food and have no motivation to get up and keep moving.  The simple fact of the matter is...

We, as Americans, can't PANIC.

We've been here before and we've survived.  We've gotten stronger.  After every crash...folks learn big lessons they needed to learn.  The lesson this time...for EVERYONE is to stop buying shit you can't afford.  The American dream shouldn't be financed by air.  You need paper for product.

YOU NEED PAPER FOR PRODUCT.  And...we need to take our individual heads OUT the sand and look at our own ish line item by line item.

In the coming months I have a feeling that folks with sense are going to start waking up and realizing that it's NOT going to be business as usual.  Whomever our next President is I'm sure they are already losing sleep over how to get us out of this mess.  You want to do your part to help the economy?  To help your candidate?  To help our NATION?

We, as Americans, can't PANIC.

Be rational and realistic with your own household and, like dominoes, we'll knock this out one household by one household.

My fellow Americans...it is your patriotic DUTY to rock steady and make your reality match your expectations.  The system NEEDED to be reset.  Things were really getting out of hand.  Folks are teaching their children that money grows on trees.  Guess what?

It STILL doesn't.

*BLINK* *BLINK* *BLINK*

Last night at the wine store the line was kinda longer than I'm used to.  They sell sandwiches there as well as all kinds of exotic beer.  You know...the kinda sandwiches wives don't let their husbands eat often.  Big azz juicy Philly steak and cheese sandwiches straight DRIPPING with cheese on a thick hunk of bread.  Men in line in suits with their ties off waiting on their sandwiches.

So dude behind the counter wasn't someone I recognized and as this is my neighborhood wine spot...I asked where the owner was.  Dude behind the counter was like...he went to a poker game.  We all like...cool.

Waiting in line while the chick in the back whip up folk's sandwiches.

The television is on CNN and folks watching them talk about the stock market.  And then dude behind the counter says he predicts it's gonna drop to 7,000. 

Folks got uncomfortable.

Squirming and ish.

The only dude who would talk to him about it didn't look like he knew anything about it either but they going back and forth.  Aiight...cool.  The other 4 dudes in line weren't paying them any mind.  One dude actually smirked and quickly turned his face.  He like...say bruh...just gimme my damn sandwich so I can eat it before I get home and eat my damn brussell  sprouts and chicken breast with my healthy, colorful greens.  Oh...and I'll take two Cakebreads too.  Mmmkay?

So my turn came and dude asked me if I was worried bout the market.  I was like...sure...I watch the news.  Hand him my card.  He keeps talking while ringing up my purchases.

I'm listening but not really.

We finish my transaction and I grab my wines.

Him...here...give me a call.  I can help you.

He hands me his business card.

Me:  Um...erra...yeah...

Dude is a New York Life Financial Services Professional.

Working as a clerk in a wine, beer and sammiches store.

And that's all Imma say.

Moving on...

No shopping...none.

I haven't been shopping in a while.  I'm talking real shopping.  The kinda shopping I do and Robby needs to come out to the truck to help take the bags out.  Shoes, bags, clothes, that kinda shopping.

Why?

My nerves bad.  This economy really has me scared of what's coming.  I don't even open broker's statements.  I just file them in the envelopes.  Open them for what?  To dissolve in a pool of WHERE IN THE HELL IS ALL OF OUR MONEY?????

No thank you.

Me no open.  Me likey denial.

BUT...I'm still not shopping.  I've been out LOOKING but my conscious hasn't allowed me to buy anything.  There have been times even when I've made it all the way to the counter and nope...changed my mind.  Can't do it.  Seems dumb to spend money on something right now when I don't really NEED it.

So nope...no shopping for me.

What about you?  You shopping?

I'm scared.

DAMN I WISH I WAS IN FRANCE TODAY!

1 U.S. dollar = 0.741344799 Euros

Money...

If you had to get all the cash out the bank that you'd need for a week.  (Not for living expenses like mortgage, lectric, etc. but more like food, entertainment, gas...)  How much would it  be?