Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Sunk-Cost

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/09/08/the-sunk-cost-fallacy-good-money-after-bad/
Has a sunk-cost article that makes me think about our recent attempts to
sell excess stuff.

It's really hard to put prices on some things. I know what it cost new.
I know what we paid for it. And it's HARD for me to accept less than I
think we "should" get. So I lower it /a little bit/. And then I get
really pissed at all the low-ball offers I get. $15 for that baby swing?
Are you kidding me? $75 for my exercise equipment?

The thing that really made me think about this article is the point that
it's important to only base decisions on what something is worth now. It
doesn't matter what you paid for it. If it's not worth anything to you
right now, then it doesn't matter what you get for it. If it's taking up
space that you NEED, then it's more important to get rid of it than make
all the money you can.

Something to think about, anyway.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Update

I haven't forgotten about this blog!

We're still determined to control our finances rather than the other way
around. We're making progress. We've had some bad months and some good
ones, but overall we're doing very well.

- We have not charged anything on our credit cards.
- We have paid every bill on time.
- We have money left over at the end of the month to put in our
emergency fund or pay off debt.
- We paid for SIX FULL MONTHS of car insurance, which we've never been
able to do before. This saved us bunches.
- I've rented out my office a few hours a week to the tune of an extra
$50 a month (and still have the option of using the room at that time)
- I've completed my first round as a teacher and am now officially able
to sub and already have two more dates at the school set in my calendar.
- I've joined Stampin' Up and already have workshops and classes
scheduled. I'm on my way to earning back my initial investment.

That's a brief update.

It was my original intention to blog here everyday. To be honest I don't
feel like I'm qualified to write articles about basic
credit/debt/investment stuff. That seems to be what every successful
blog does and you know what? I think there are many qualified writers
out there. I don't need to add the stress of being one on my shoulders.

This is what I have going on in my life right now:
- Full-time mommy of a baby
- Food/house/etc.
- Faculty member at local school (part time as needed for 10 to 20-week
intervals or substitute work)
- Member of local chorus, rehearsals every Tuesday night
- Member of networking group
- Member of stamp club
- Stampin' Up! demonstrator
- Business owner
- Massage therapist

(I separate the last two because I'm also the person who does the
website, email marketing, networking, and so forth as well as the actual
massages.)