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On How to Stop Going into Credit Card Debt for the Sake of "Points"
I do genuinely understand that there are people who fall into this, but I wish articles like this didn't present this scenario as something you will INEVITABLY fall into if you get a credit cards with points. I just started using a B of A cash rewards card this year (1% back on everything, 2% on groceries, 3% on gas). I pay the bill every month and don't pay interest. I keep meticulous records in Quicken of what I spend. Much of what goes on the card is actually recurring bills that are already in my budget so in essence I'm just writing all those checks at once instead of several at a time. And you know what? I don't spend more than I did before, and yet I'm getting free money back from it. Yes, it takes more accounting overhead and a bit of willpower to do it right. I don't judge people who don't have the time or inclination to do this as being bad or wrong somehow, but don't judge me as being some kind of doomed sucker.
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On How Star Trek Does Money
Yglasias will get more blowback for rating Voyager over the Original Series than he got for saying that Bangladeshis are totally fine with working in deathtrap sweatshops and we should be too.
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On Pro: There's a Place to Hang Clothes. Con: Everything Else
I would probably sleep in a walk-in closet if I could use the room off which said closet extended as, like, my living room or something. I'm kind of claustrophilic and also like having my sleeping space distinct from everything else. Like, if I had a studio apt. with a big closet I'd probably set my bed up in the closet. But having to walk through someone else's BEDROOM to get to my BEDROOM is nuts. Even if it were a full-sized room, having to go through someone else's space to get to my space seems intolerable to me.
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On The TIME Cover is Upsetting, But the Video, Oh God the Video
@jfruh But when will we reach this stage?
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On The TIME Cover is Upsetting, But the Video, Oh God the Video
Haha, it looks like we've reache this stage!
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On Where's Our Chip Cards America?
When I lived in Germany for a few months I had it all planned that I'd spend most of my money from my Visa debit card. My first grocery shopping expedition ended in the humiliating moment of not being able to pay because none of my cards had a chip in them (after I had already humiliated myself by not understanding that I had to bag my groceries myself with bags you bought for 5 cents). This was in 2002! For what it's worth, the BofA credit card I have now has a chip and pin in it.
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On Wanna Be Kickstartin' Something
@aetataureate thank you very much! I plan to deliver!
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On Wanna Be Kickstartin' Something
@Mike Dang Aw, thanks Mike! Also I will send you a book. (Which I hope will make you happy!)
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On Wanna Be Kickstartin' Something
I admit to being biased, having run a Kickstarter myself. But I do agree that you should never use words like "invest" when talking about one. That's the exact opposite of what a Kickstarter contribution is. I think the best way to pitch it is "This is a creative endevour that probably won't happen without this money -- are you willing to pay market rates, or maybe somewhat more, for access to the final product?" As long as that core proposition is true, I don't see any moral quandry to their existence, even for something like a movie with actual bankable movie stars who are rich. I also think it's gross to lean really heavily on your social network. You need to go into it understanding that some people will support you and some won't and sometimes that has to do with their financial situation and sometimes it will have to do with what you're actually selling, which they may not be interested in even if they like you fine. And yes, you are selling something. Nobody has to buy it, not even your mom. (My mom bought my book though.) I do think you owe some financial transparency to your backers, though. I plan to do a detailed writeup, with charts and graphs and stuff, once I actually finish my book and ship it to backers. I would actually be fascinated to hear Zach Braff or the Veronica Mars people discuss how their money will be spent, if only because it would shed some light on the byzantine world of film finding. I honestly have no doubt that these movies couldn't get made without the contributions, though I'm also sure that this money is not the only money that will go into the movie, and some people are going to be profiting from the final production.
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On I Made $570K Last Year, But I Don't Feel Rich (In Fact, I Feel Worried)
Out of curiosity, does that $300/week cost for the private chef include the groceries/ingredients, or just the chefly labor? Because $300 week for groceries and prep for 5 prepared meals for two adults and three kids is ... not exactly frugal, but not exactly Caligula-level extravagant either.