My Life
I’m sure you have no desire to read about the minutiae of my everyday life, but surely interesting things happen on occasion. And if they don’t well, perhaps I have intriguing stories to tell that simply don’t fall into the other categories on my site. Inside, you might find stories on personal finance and being a Midwestern transplant in CNY.
Our Holiday Journey from NY to MO and Back
We had the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day off this year, so we made a trek back to my home state to visit family and friends. It was a long journey; we drove over 3500 mi. when all was said and done. Some of it was roundabout, as the Midwest was being hit … Continue reading … Continue reading
New York State: I Love Unhappiness
The research is in: New York really is the unhappiest state in the nation. Two researchers, including a Professor of Economics from my alma mater, Hamilton College, combined two sets of data—one objective and one subjective—and found a correlation that allowed them to rank the 50 states and DC by happiness. So, not only do we NYers have a low standard of living by one data set, but we know we do according to the other. Ouch. From the NYT. … Continue reading
My Opinion of 1st Financial Bank, USA: Steer Clear
In honor of paying off my oldest/highest-interest credit card balance (woohoo, halfway through my CC debt!), I thought I’d share some thoughts on the card issuer—1st Financial Bank, USA. Particularly, why I think it is an exceptionally shady lender that preys on financially-uneducated students. Sure, most credit card lenders are shady, but few target students to the extent of 1FB. … Continue reading
My Craziest Investment: Lending Club
finished my BA a couple of years ago better off than some, in terms of student loan debt, but worse off than those lucky people whose parents paid their way. Between those loans and dumb credit card debt I accrued while in school, I pay a fair amount toward debt every month, but I also make sure to save and invest. I take advantage of my company’s matching in a SIMPLE IRA, have my own ROTH IRA, and occasionally throw some spare money at a non-retirement investment account or two. The most interesting? My Lending Club Account. … Continue reading
New York State Keeps Coming Up With Fees
Becoming a legal resident of NY State last year was painful. Especially the fees to transfer my drivers license and car registration over from MO. Even MO made money off of me, since they were able to charge me personal property tax on my car as a partial-year resident, plus the fee to buy my driving record—NY wouldn’t issue my license w/o it as proof of how long I’d had one (required for any state that doesn’t put date of issue on the license directly, like MO). … Continue reading
