Trying to keep Tabs on my finances

Ahoy there! Tis National Speak like a Pirate Day, mateys! Why speak like a Pirate on this very fine day? Because it's free, that's why! So don't be a land-lubber and speak away, lest ye be walking the plank. Yaaaaar!

So I read an

interesting article about a college professor who is currently living inside a dumpster. He did add a roof on it, but I have to really wonder: Of all the man-made objects he could have picked, why a dumpster bin?

On the upside, the rolling open air roof is pretty neat.

Hey SA! WANT TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO FELLOW REGULARS ON HERE? Wouldn't that be fun? Don't be shy now, it's FREE! How do you sign up? It's easy! Just comment below that you want to, and I'll send you a handy dandy email on how to set it up.

Only one requirement: You have to be a regular here with forum or blog contributions for, say, the past 3 months. Something like that. I just don't want anyone to just create an account out of nowhere and take advantage of this because space is limited and this service still costs me money.

Alright, now for the long version of this. I think, by now, everyone knows about MagicJack. If you already have an internet connection, it's a great money saver.

However, if you don't need a service to keep your legacy phone number (say, you operate only with a cellphone phone number like me), or you make a lot of international calls, then something like Skype is even better... because it's free.

Now, if you want to take a step beyond even that, like a highly reliable service that allows simultaneous connections from 10 to 1000 people at once... then you'll want something like Mumble or TeamSpeak.

Services like these are often marketed to small businesses with conferencing needs, or for video gamers who run and coordinate large groups (which is what I do with it). However, that does not mean they can't work for everybody else. In fact, they are ridiculously over-powered for regular use.

And what's cost for this level of power? How about $1.45 a month (for 10 concurrent users)? Sounds reasonable? WAIT, THERE'S MORE! Act now, and we'll slash that down to a low, low price of only $0.00 a month just to join! Why is that? Because that $1.45 a month is only for the person renting the service. Everybody else can join it for free!

See, this beats MagicJack because that signs up everybody has to pay for it (mostly to retain a legacy phone number), and it beats Skype because Skype is designed to work mostly for one-on-one conversations (though I've seen it work for up to four people). Also, it will tax your internet as it makes you the host every time, whereas paying for Mumble makes the company host it for you. That way, it's super reliable and the call quality is always great, no matter how many people are on (and believe me, I've been in chats with 800+ people logged in, and it works amazingly well).

Oh yeah, and this will pretty much work regardless of what country you are in. I've talked to people all over the US with, along with Canada, Brazil, Europe, and Australia.

Now, if you've managed to read all that, you may be thinking to yourself, "Ok, well, this sounds all well and good and whatever, but why should I be interested in this?" Well, I am already paying for the service, but I still have space available, so I figure I'd extend the invitation to fellow SAers, in case you guys are interested in talking with each other or even me. I've moved the invitation up to the top so people will see it.

This is more of a reminder for me more than anything because, I keep forgetting about this company and their links.

Wish Bone Tiny Homes is a small company near where I live that builds some of the best looking tiny houses in the area. In fact, I dare say living in one would be a dream come true for me.

The trouble with tiny houses like this is that they need a place to park, and there just aren't any around me that's also near where I work. So, that's a problem.

Still, I like them. I feel inspired looking at them. I sometimes even drool a little when staring too hard.

While I'm here, The Cider Box looks amazing too. Like a tiny house that's built for a man or something.

This one is nice too. It looks more like a vacation villa

* So a friend of mine texted me saying their bathroom was clogged up by a customer at the spa she works at. It is located upstairs, but somehow, the clogged water leaked down and ruined some pastries from a pastry shop located below them.

Anyways, her boss called a plumber who wanted to charge $150 to fix everything, but the boss tried to haggle him down to $100. Is this frugal, cheap, or perhaps a bit of both?

On top of all that, said toilet-clogging customer also didn't have money to pay for his services. A co-worker asked to keep his wallet or cellphone until he can get the money. He got very angry and started yelling at them, refusing or some such. The co-worker didn't push it and allowed him to leave, promising he would come back and pay. He never came back.

* I think it's pretty much established now that much of our manufactured goods comes from Asia, especially the likes of China and Hong Kong. However, even the sterotype of "cheap goods" is starting to fade away as, for example, the Chinese company FoxConn is contracted to make most of the iPhones that we use today. In short, places like China went from making cheap goods to both cheap and decent goods.

If you think about it, that means a lot of companies that we buy stuff from are actually more like western middlemen. So, what if you can buy direct?

Enter alibaba.com. First, let me preface by saying that, no, I haven't bought anything from this place yet, so I have no direct experience. However, it seems that a lot of (low-key) buzz has been generated from buying goods direct from that site, as you can pretty much get very similar or even the same items you would buy domestically for a fraction of the price. Ok yes, you can buy cheap knockoffs too if you are into that.

However, I have also heard crazy, crazy things listed there like

houses, used commercial jets, a submarine, and... 500 million tiny screws if you really want. The point is, alibaba is a huge, online, international bazaar where it seems like anything goes. Who knows, it may be fun place to sift through and see if you can't find a few great deals. Looking for a cheap toy for your little niece or nephew? Look no further.

Caveat Emptor though, because unlike buying from Amazon, Alibaba still harbor all kinds of shady scammers. Be sure to check your seller's background before buying anything, and in the beginning, perhaps start out with something cheap first.

* I like reading SA in the mornings. I don't know why exactly. I just do. Feels refreshing. Kind of like a shot of financial caffeine to get the day going and staying focused. Uh ok, I guess that's why.

* After testing the Sprint network for a weekend, I have decided to complete my shift over to Republic Wireless. Moved my phone number over, and cancelled my older provider.

Unlimited voice, text, and high-ish speed data for $40 a month. Unlimited talk and text for $10 a month for my parents. Plus, I just loooove the Moto X.

Mmmmm what else... Not much really. To me, no news is good news though. So long as things keep rolling forward, I am content, and they are.

My parents want me to look into cellphones for them, and while I am at it, I decided to look into lowering my own cellphone bill as well. Here's a quick profile of my parents and I:

My mom looooves to talk on the phone. I am not sure what her usage is like, but basically, she needs unlimited minutes. No need for data or text.

I, on the other hand, am a data junkie. I am terrible. As difficult as it may be, I would love to have unlimited data. Very little need for voice and text, though I do need them.

My dad is the easiest, since he only needs to be contacted when he is out playing tennis, and that's IF he's not in the middle of a game. So, very little need for voice, no need for data and text.

So, anybody know what's the best rates out there for the three of us?

In the meantime, I've looked around myself, and I believe

Republic Wireless is the best deal for us. Republic Wireless operates on the same Sprint network as Ting, Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, and obviously Sprint. However, they are able to cut back costs even more by offering built-in voice, text, and data by going through WiFi where available.

And how much are we talking about? For my parents, they are only $10 a month each! For that price, you get unlimited voice and text, whereas on Ting, you can only get 100 minutes, 100 texts, or 100 mbs.

As for me, I know that Sprint's 4G coverage is spotty where I am, so really, I could probably get by with only 3G. I am used to 4G LTE, and I currently chew through roughly 10gigs a month, so this would be a dramatic cutback for me. However, I am willing to cut back in exchange for a $25 a month phone bill!

Total, that's $45 a month for three people! You can't beat that with a stick! Well, yes you can, but I meant that figurately. Actually, I would probably want to try their 4G again, so at least the first month would be $60, but that rate is still amazing for the three of us.

There is a downside to this, and it is the paltry phone selection and their price tags. From what I understand, only so many phones are capable of this wifi feature right out of the box. That means the cheapest phone available right now is the Moto G for $150 a pop. I am willing to upgrade to the Moto X for $300.

However, if you extend that to calculate for the total cost of ownership over the course of a typical two year period, that still equates to only $390 per phone for my parents. For me, the cost would be $925 for the 3G plan, and $1260 for the 4G plan. For two years, that's still pretty good.

So, that's the best deal I've found so far. Can you guys find anything better? Would love to hear it if you can.

After some email exchanges about it, it would appear that while I can cancel my 401(k) because they don't do employer match here, but they also require that I take my own free time off to jump through hoops of fire in various sizes in order to speak to someone about cancelling it....

So, after looking at my rather paltry contribution right now, and add that my surprisingly reasonable net expense ratio of 0.44%... well, I decided to leave it alone.

Plus, if or when I ever gross enough to hit the next tax bracket, I'm going to want to use this and even increase my 401(k) contributions anyway. This is actually the biggest reason why I'm just going to leave it alone here... because I may need it some day down the road.

I was watching this

video last night, and while it kind of delved more into the psychology behind money, it was still interesting and informative.

As a gamer myself, I was also amused at the constant Skyrim visual references in there (though that game really had nothing to do with economy).

Anyways, I just thought I'd share that.

I found this article rather amusing. Apparently, in CA, when you win something, like on the Price is Right, you have to pay the taxes on it right then and there before you can cart off your prizes.

Here's the kicker. Say, for example, you don't really need the extra sofa set and the pool table, but you win it anyways, well you would still have to pay the taxes for it. You're almost better off refusing some of the prizes....

I'm just waiting for some constant to say, "How much in taxes is that?" on the air.

Against my better judgment, I loaned a friend of mine $5000 last year. For me, it's no small change, and this friend of mine isn't exactly the best at finances, or else, he would not be asking me for a loan in the first place.

However, I know he's solid, and would pay it back eventually. Well, he finally did, as promised, one year later. Mostly.

Yesterday, I received a letter containing a check for $4000 and a thank you note. This is all he could repay at this time, and I told him not to sweat it. I am certain he will pay back the last $1000 in time.

Yes, I know this was a very risky move. In fact, I had pretty much wrote it off that I've lost the $5000. Except for this one time, I normally do not loan money out to anyone, especially friends. Because I know it can ruin friendships.

Either way, at least I got most of it back yesterday, which gives me a nice boost to my bottom line.

I was

reading this article, and although it was written a year ago, I wonder if this claim still holds. I'm sure it still does, though I wonder if things have improved at all.

I sometimes wonder what life would be like if I had made a different choice. For example, I just happened to be thinking about this woman I once dated. She wanted to be more serious, but I ended up breaking up with her.

There was a lot of things that I liked about her, but there was many more that gave me pause. Chief among them was how she spends money (and other people's money like mine at the time). It made me realize that we were not at all financially compatible.

Money isn't everything, but being financially healthy is important, and there's no way I could have accomplished that if I chose to stay with her. From time to time, I have to remind myself that there are worse things than loneliness....

Kind of a back-to-back blog posting today but this is kind of a big deal. Houses always are, since they are generally the biggest ticket item that most average households end up spending on.

...and one I am desperately trying to keep the costs down.

While I am really glad many got a kick out of my closet escapade, to me this is just daily life for me now. No joke, if you give me a 1200 square feet house, I'm going to take up only, say, 200 of it total. Bathroom included. Actually, I think it's even less than that.

I never actually sat down and measured it, but the point is I just don't need all that space. I know because this is exactly how I have been living for the past several years.

So, the thought of me getting another house some day just... well, it just doesn't make any sense to me. Why pay all that money, insurance, utility bills, and so forth for something that I am mostly never going to use?

That's why I was willing to look into vandwelling, although that doesn't look like it's going to work for me either....

So what do you think? What are my alternatives? I'm open to any suggestions you may have.

In the meantime, if I can't vandwell, the next step up for me in terms of options is a tiny house. I don't know if any of you have heard of the Tiny House movement, but we're basically talking about roughly 200 to 400 square feet of living space. However, to give you an idea of what that looks like,

here's a picture gallery from a company that is near where I.... Something like that costs roughly $40k, not including the land to put it on.

It's beautiful, isn't it? I think it is. It's not without its own drawbacks, but I think it is worth considering.

I'm not gonna lie. There's this phone I really want. I want it bad, and what's worse is that I have the money to get it right now without breaking the piggy bank....

However, I don't need it. In fact, my current phone is pretty darn nice too.

So, it's hard fighting temptation sometimes, but in the end, I did not buy it. I will seek other options, or at the very least sleep on it. It's just hard sometimes because I was not always frugal to begin with, and once in a while, I also forget why I became frugal in the first place. The dark hole I crawled out from. The hardship I had to endure to get to where I am now.

While I'm here, I need to call my cellphone provider and see if I can't get the monthly cost lower. Last month, I only used 20 phone minutes and had 40 texts. Really, I should be on Virgin Mobile or Ting, and may do just that if they can't lower it.

Anyways, I hope everyone had a nice Happy Easter.

I kept losing blog entries and, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. But now I think I know. Maybe. Is it because this place has a timer? Like if I don't finish my entry within say an hour, it is gone? If so, anybody know how long I have before it expires?

I am writing at work so I don't always finish in a timely fashion, but if this is indeed what is making me lose my entries, then I will be much more observant about my time from now on.

Anyways, uh, what was I going to say again? It wasn't very interesting to be honest. Probably just as well that the original entry got lost this time.

Oh yeah, I meant to say that I am tired and I worked like 122+ hours the past two weeks, and yet, my taxes, insurance, retirement contribution, and so forth is eating a third of my entire gross. Yikes.

Also, summer heat seems to have arrived early for me. Early enough to make me sweat and itch and not sleep well... which is bad when paired with working so many hours. (It's also crazy that I know some who have worked even more than that.) So, I broke out my room AC, but this time, I even bought and added window insulation to both improve my AC's efficiency, as well as effective block out the sun light in my room. I work night shift and I read that the sun can be quite disruptive when trying to sleep during the day.

Finally, I am probably close to replacing my current car... which will be a pain, but I guess the day was going to arrive inevitably. This time, I am seriously staring at vehicles that can allow me to modify and turn into campers, at least for part-time living. Yes, it is a crazy idea... but I just really hate mortgages and rent that much.

The biggest challenge with vandwelling (as the community likes to call it) believe it or not is with the AC. ACs draw an extremely large amount of power; enough that portable electrical power just isn't going to cut it. Most just end up traveling further up north during the summer time, but I can't leave due to family and work. This is the one aspect of mobile life that I have yet to crack....

I can probably ramble on more about this, but I better stop here and post before I lose this entry as well.

This should be illegal. However, according to current rules at the time, it was not, and they could not stop him. I'm sure they have closed the loophole by now.

So I have another co-worker, and she and I get along well enough. However, being fairly attractive, she tends to garner quite a bit of attention from the boys if you know what I mean.

We hang out sometimes, especially when she forgets to bring lunch to work, because she knows that I would be willing to foot her lunch bill. I don't mind that part myself, since it's not a regular occurrence, and even without money talking, we do get along at work.

But we certainly share different worldviews in the world of finances. I suppose I can't entirely fault hers seeing as how she is used to other boys constantly shower her with material gifts, in a bid to impress her.

So we were just talking about her love for toy dogs, and she "jokingly" mentioned how we could split the cost for one 50-50, and it would be like we are sharing a "child" together. Mmmmmmkay.

Purebreds for these.... Teacup Toy Maltese are like no less than $300 at the very cheapest. Some of the best ones command a price as high as $4000 each.

Wow.

I mean, paying for lunch because she hasn't eaten all day is one thing, but something like this? No way.

She says that she's kidding, but there is no doubt in my mind that if I ran out there and bought her one, she would happily accept.

Except, I don't think she understands MY financial worldview yet. I just don't make a very good sugar daddy....

I've seen a lot of co-workers throughout the years who supposedly claim to be financially savvy or even frugal, but in my eyes anyway, they are not really so.

That is until now.

And what makes this guy so remarkable is that he is in his early 20's. And yet, he is more frugal than I am.

So last night, I asked him how he became so frugal and why he remains so adamant to continue this way. His response was that he grew up poor. He parents were poor, and his grandparents were poorer still. Plus, I believe they've also worked as missionaries in poor countries as well, which may have helped shape his world view.

I knew I was looking at a true fruggie when I was telling him about my food budget (which I admit isn't that great, but is still reasonably frugal) and his response was, "You say you are frugal, but I don't think you are." Hahah! He called me out! Amazing, I love it!

So yeah, maybe we will talk about that some more later on, when we have the chance.

Hopefully, this entry will go through this time as I've been having trouble uploading it today.

Anyways, for those who didn't already know, I currently work at a jail. There are lots of interesting details about jail life, but the one I am interested in today is the inmate personal hygiene products. They seem perfectly functional, and I would imagine to be very affordable.

A quick google showed

the following prices. As you can see, the prices are insanely low. Toothpaste is as little as $0.17 per small tube, toothbrushes are a paltry $0.07 a piece, and soap is about $0.09 per ounce (or about $0.36 per typical bar).

For comparison sake, however, I decided to check out the bulk prices for similar items on Amazon. (These jail supplies have to be ordered in bulk as well, so this is a fair comparison.) The results really surprised me.

For example, I found toothpaste for $0.27 per equivalent tube. It's still quite good, but jail prices are better.

However, I also found toothbrushes for as little as $0.015 a piece! That's right, toothbrushes for as little as a penny and a half a piece! I thought something had to be wrong here, and according to some of the reviews, the brushes are considered disposable and will fall apart after a few uses at most. Not bad if that's all you wanted.

Soap turned out to be a little tricker, as the lowest price I could find right now is liquid body wash for what amounts to only $0.03 per ounce! I guess it's just as well since I prefer body wash anyway.

(Shipping and handling was not included in any of the calcuations.)

Well, regardless of which route I take, I have learned that it is indeed possible to get really good prices for personal hygiene products.

Once in a while, I still look at the possibility of living in a van full time. Yes. I know. I am crazy. This is not news. However, I recently stumbled upon this beautiful build:



And if I were to build it myself, it would not be terribly expensive either.

Of course, there are tons of challenges as well trying to live full time in a van. But everytime I am faced with the prospect of a mortgage or paying rent, it makes me wonder if I can pull this off....

In the meantime, here is a

hilarious out-take from Top Gear.

I admit I usually file my taxes much earlier than this, but it was going to be EZ so I didn't feel any particular rush either. I just waited for a day when I wasn't terribly busy and got it done... which was earlier today.

So, maybe this isn't the smartest move on my part either, but I file mine online with TurboTax, and it offered me a bonus if I transferred most of my refund to an Amazon gift card instead. Soo, that basically amounted to an extra $60. After some pondering, I decided to go for it.

I actually do most of my shopping online now (except for groceries). I am also an Amazon Prime member, and I do feel that it is worth the additional monthly cost....

I just hope it doesn't have a ridiculously short expiration date or something. Anybody know if there is one?

I still have some time, so I've decided to make another post.

* To start off with the bad news, my Vday was a bust, but at least I don't have to pay anything for anyone, nor deal with the holiday crowd. In fact, I had to work that day so I guess it turned out well.

* I finally figured out how my Reward Amex's autopay works. Basically, they take out the same amount from last month. It's almost funny (but not really) when the amount keeps fluctuating from month to month.

* My state has decided this year that everybody is only allowed to put down 0 for withholdings. It's pretty outrageous, but I'm not going to worry about it. No point getting upset about this so long as I get my money back, and when I could, I usually take only 1 anyways.

* My mom likes to cook, and because she's in town, I've been saving lots of money just hanging out at her place after work. The savings really do show at the end of the month.

* I am going to need to replace my car soon. My current Corolla is like 17 years old and has over 200k+ miles on it. Unlike other guys I know, I dread this part, because you know, expenses. Luckily, I should be able to buy the next car with cash but that doesn't mean I will enjoy losing said cash either. Oh well, I suppose that is a blessing I should be thankful for.

* My mom is also trying to talk me into buying a new house soonish. I have been dragging my feet on this for years because of my disdain for having a mortgage. However, it is inevitable I think, so hopefully I will be well-prepared by the time this rolls around. The upside is I should be able to cut my work commute considerably, depending on the location.

Recently changed to a new job a few months ago, working at the county jail. So far so good. I like my bosses and coworkers just fine, and while the pay isn't great, the benefits are pretty good. Dealing with some of the inmates can be a challenge, but overall, I've done worse and for less.

Still trying to be frugal at heart, and I think I've been reasonably good so far. I still have a lot of space to cover, so I am hoping to have a good year this year.

I am planning to switch over to all index stock and bond funds this year. Lowest expenses possible, and just let it cruise. I'm basically done with stock picking. Even if I still have the interest, it's been difficult keeping up with the work schedule to do the required homework for it.

Work's retirement program is... "interesting" to put it politely. They don't match contributions, but instead, they will mandatorily take out 5% of your pay and contribute it for you. Though some tout this as a benefit somehow, for me, it is not. Far from me being critical though, it just goes to show how few people here save for retirement that they would resort to such a tactic.

As for me, since they are not matching and already making me contribute, and considering the lowish tax bracket that I am in, I've decided to max contribute my own Roth instead, as well as increase my emergency fund. However, I have also set up a little bit of HSA for annual healthcare expenses.

As for dealing with the inmates, it's very interesting to say the least. Here, you have all kinds of people who have probably made mistakes, though some are trying very hard to find redemption. And then there are the few you have watch out for, and make sure they never get the chance to blind side you.

Ran across this and thought you guys might get a kick out of it.

I may come back and edit some more stuff, but yes, I just wanted to say that for now lol.

And while I am here, I thought this was a pretty neat video about

living a simple life.

In a passing conversation with the one male co-worker I know that actually balances his books, he said that his winter heating bills tend to range in the $200s, peaking sometimes at $300 a month.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, even for one guy, as that tends to be the norm around here. I should also be happy about my personal accomplishments of keeping my own heating bills no more than $100 a month, if only to make sure the pipes don't freeze and break.

Still, with every approaching winter (and summer for that matter), I invest a little each time, to continue the war to keep the bills as low as possible.

Starting back at the drawing board, I recalled what worked last winter (and what didn't). Most notably, I was rather pleased with my Walmart sleeping bag. And when things got really cold, I did turn to my electric blanket as well, but it was my sleeping bag that did most of the heavy lifting.

However, there were downsides to it as well. Most notably, they only work when I am going to bed. Sure, I would tote it from room to room, but it would keep slipping off of me. I figure there must be a better way. SURELY, someone must have invented the Snuggie of sleeping bags, complete with arms and leg extensions. I couldn't be the only fool crazy enough to have thought of this. A quick trip through Google search revealed that, indeed, someone has already thought of it. Enter the Selk'bag.



So yeah, my Selk'bag just got delivered to my front door step today, and yes, I am typing this entry while wearing my lovely new Selk'bag. Yes, it's as ridiculous as it sounds. No, I don't have any personal pictures for you. Sorry. Haha.

But take my word for it when I say that, wow, it does work as advertised. It warmed up quickly, the moment I slipped in and zipped up. There is a slit in each arm for you to expose your hand so you can... type your blog entries for example. It's also got a jacket hood so you can keep your head warm while you look into the mirror muttering, "Join the Dark Side, Luke!"

However, there are also some downsides that I think all prospective buyers should also be aware of. Somehow, the bottom reinforced pads doesn't like to line up with your feet... or perhaps more accurately, your legs don't articulate very well in this thing. Unlike the picture above may suggest, I had a slight bit of trouble walking upstairs without feeling like I might trip in this thing.

Also worth mentioning is that there is no "rear hatch" so to speak so that when you need to sit on the toilet, you have to unzip yourself out of the entire upper body to do so.

Also, I still don't know how to tighten the hood, and I have no idea what the velcros on the front of each arm is suppose to be for.

So, bottom line is, while I don't regret spending $100 to try this selk'bag out, I do recommend giving conventional winter clothing and sleeping bags a try first. See if that works for you before you try this route with your hard earned money.

There is a fancier version called the "Patagon", that includes removable feet, which would help immensely right now as my feet feels itchy from the heat and enclosure, and the only way to relieve that is to get out of this thing completely. The Patagon is also rated for colder climates, but it costs $250. Standard versions like mine, but rated for colder climate is about $160.

So, hope you enjoyed the review. To turn the tables around, how do you guys keep warm for the winter, besides turning the heat up? What do you wear that works for you?

In a previous post, I casually mentioned a friend of mine losing about $4k due to identity fraud. And because his rent was coming up literally within a day, he asked me to wire him some money. I've never done it before, so I learned what a headache that was.

Apparently, my bank simply won't let it happen unless I go into a branch to sign some paperwork. However, they close at 5pm, and I work until 6pm. Sooo, yeah, that did not happen.

As a crazy alternative, I set up a Paypal account, thinking I can just "wire" him the money that way. Unfortunately for me, banking institutions still take roughly 3 business days to link the accounts together, and I didn't have that kind of time.

The solution was this obscure little thing called a MoneyPak (like a prepay gift card), which you can load with cash, and then enter it online to have it post instantly. (MoneyPak cards are sold in drug stores and Walmarts by the way.)

Or rather, it should have worked if not for the keyword: CASH. You see, I don't normally carry cash, and I almost never use my debit card. That basically means I had forgotten what my pin number was, and it took me a while to figure it out. Even then, there was a daily limit to withdraw, which I guess I could have called my bank to have it increased, but by then, it was getting really late, and I still had work later.

Since then, I've reset my pin number, and apparently, my bank has actually approved of my wire transfer ability anyways. Alas, all this is still too late to save my friend from bouncing a rent check, but I guess he will survive. So, lessons learned from all around.

But yeah, I much prefer paying with my rewards CC anyway. Last week, it paid me $66 for using it, and not only that, but I also get fraud protection, which is what I am guessing as to how he lost his money; by using his debit card for everything like a credit card.

I realized something interesting with one of my previous posts. Basically, not everyone, including those in the frugality community, likes tiny houses.

Nothing wrong with that. I, however, actually prefer it... uh being no stranger to small spaces and everything. In fact, I'm really tempted to just go even smaller and consider in an RV....

Yes, I know I am the strange one here.

However, I want to at least make a case that, just because something is small, it doesn't mean it has to be an uninviting torture chamber. Take this, for example:

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

The entire "house" is probably no more than roughly 200 sq. ft. But what it lacks in size, it certainly makes up for it in style.

Of course, to get around many city ordinances for something this small, this would have to be built on a trailer and be classified as an RV. Luckily, RV insurance is also much cheaper than homeowner's insurance. Alas, the obstacles don't stop there. I would still have to find a decent, affordable place to park it (arguably the most difficult part in owning a tiny house), and possibly having only RV toilets and showers inside such a place.

Still, things like this fascinate me to no end.