Archive for March, 2011

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Would You Want a Big Dog Robot?

March 26th, 2011

Okay, I’m going to turn away from my typical posts today to talk about the following videos.

I’ve never seen such cool robotics before!  A vehicle (I almost call it an animal, lol) like this could be used in so many interesting circumstances!  Especially for the the defense sector, but I can imagine plenty of commercial uses too!

They also have something called Squishbot, that will be able to change shapes for tasks!

Both robots are being developed my a company called Boston Dynamics.  When I see such an incredible functional robot, I instantly think “How much will it Cost”, and what is the ticker symbol of Boston Dynamics.

I can see this robot being used as a mule when moving through the woods or other tough terrain where a wheeled vehicle would fail!

If the company is public, it might be a great one to watch!

While the “Big Dog” robot is pretty darn cool, we are still very far away from having something like the robots in the movies

The above is from the movie IRobot, not to be confused with the company irobot (ticket IRT)

While I think the IRobot movie was cool, I don’t think I want a robot that has emotions!  Still the robot in the movie looked very cool!

Back to Boston Dynamic!  If they are a publicly tranded company, would you purchase some shares based on your observations here?

Update: I had to throw this video from the ELO song “Yours Truly” in the post too…

-MR

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Are We All COGs in the Machine Of Life?

March 25th, 2011

Are we GOGS in the machine of life, destine to play the small and trite role that we are instructed to play by others who are willing to treat us as such?  Spinning in a continuous circle, never really going anywhere… until we wear out and need to be replaced by a newer, shinier model?

I know what many of you might be thinking, what can we do about it, it’s what society needs and demands…

Perhaps, but have your tried anything else?  Have you ever taken a leap of faith and try to run outside of the box (or off the bar, in my COG example)?  Life is short, so why not draw outside of the lines?  Perhaps try a side job, or a 2nd night shift job?  If you hate your current job, what is there to lose?

I once knew a woman who I worked with that use to tell me this message over and over.  She even had a bumper sticker on her car that said “Life isn’t a dress rehearsal”.

During her day job, she was an administrative assistant, but at night she really came to life.  She would tell everybody in the office about her dancing classes, and all the other outside activities that she participated in.  She kept both busy and active.  She was like a COG that ran perfectly during the day, but every night would pop off of her bar and enjoy life.  Experiencing anything that she so desired.

Back when I was much younger I thought she was like a modern hippie, but now I see the truth in her words and I admire her for living the way she wanted to live instead of the way society expected her to live.

Her story was a sad one, where her ex-husband created a very successful business and left her for a younger more attractive employee.  Her kids decided that they preferred dad over mom (perhaps because he was so rich), and so she was at first lonely.  But instead of feeling sorry for herself, she blossomed into a very active and sociable lady.

So how does one escape being a total COG?

On way is to find ways to make extra money!  I know plenty of bloggers that are trying to make money selling ebooks.  Another way would be try and make money on twitter.

Personally I like trying to make money with blogging, but here are an additional 15 Advantages of Blogging that make blogging worthwhile.

So experiment, don’t be a COG all the time, live and think outside of the box a little!  After all, who really wants to run in circles all the time… never really going anywhere?

-MR

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SAHM versus Daycare

March 24th, 2011

I recently posted an article called “Why We Didn’t Buy The Most House We Could Afford ” in which I stated that the real reason we went this route was so that we wouldn’t be house rich and cash poor.  As an example, I stated that one of the primary reasons that we went this route was so that my wife could be a SAHM (Stay at Home Mom).  This is something that she wanted to do, and luckily, we were in a position to do it.

Interestingly, most of the comments were steered toward the example (my wife being a SAHM) instead of the real reason “being house rich and cash poor” part.  So with this article, I decided to step out of my warm fuzzy financial realm and think a bit further about the Daycare option versus the SAHM option.

Let me say that I’ve just deleted 500 words on the 2 options, and now I’m starting over again.  Why?  Because of the variability within each of the 2 options!  There are both bad SAHMs and bad Daycare facilities and great SAHM and decent Daycare facilities.  For each case, it really does depend on the SAHM and the Daycare options, parameters and individual variables…

So instead I decided to talk about what my wife did…

First, my wife breast-fed both of our kids.  This was advantageous from both a cost and health perspective.  For a great writeup on the benefits both from a health and cost perspective, check out this article –> (How Much Money Can You Save By Breastfeeding? ).  If you read that article, breastfeeding/breast milk is a superior option.

Before my kids started school, I was always surprised when coming home to see what the day’s project was, sometimes it be playdoh creations, paintings, or whatever the latest bug that were caught for analysis.

My kids have been involved with swimming lessons, soccer, gymnastics,, t-ball, baseball, basketball, storytime at the library, lego club, science club, girl scouts, etc… ever since they were practically old enough to walk.

Both of my kids could read and do basic math before the started school, and both currently (although my daughter didn’t at first) enjoy school very much.

I’m just touching the tip of the iceberg on why being a SAHM for my wife was a better option for us.

I have to admit, I was on the fence about having my wife be a SAHM.  She made good money as an Accountant, and after looking at a few online calculators, we would be quite a bit more wealthy (although we are still above average for our income class).

So, in the end, I have to go with a Charlie Brown answer and say that it really does depend on the parent when deciding to go either the SAHM or Daycare route for anyone else other than my wife.  But I can definitely say that for our kids, the SAHM route was the best for us…

I admit it really doesn’t matter whether a child is raised during the workdays by a SAHM or a Daycare facility, at least if the parent isn’t totally passionate about the task of being a SAHM to begin with.  After all, I’m not a SAHM child and look how wonderful I turned out (Ack).

Cat

I'm Okay

 

Care to share?  Please add to the conversation, I’d really like to hear your thoughts and experiences!

-MR

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Financial Planning Isn’t Really A One Size Fits All Model

March 23rd, 2011

There isn’t a “One Size Fits All” model for financial planning.

 

Credit Cards

I love credit cards, no wait, I love reward credit cards!  But this is my one exception where I deviate from the norm with respect to my friends and their spending habits.

I have a few friends that have gone bankrupt (in 1 case a few times) and so I will never say “I love credit cards” to them.  I don’t want them to think that it’s okay to spend so easily.  We have to know our limitations and weaknesses.

However, for me, credit cards are a wonderful discount on my purchases.  Sometimes, I use the reward points to splurge and buy a nice gift that I would have had to spend money on.

Mortgage Pre-Payment

I took a path that I know isn’t considered the best for most, but it was the best for me.  You see, I pre-paid and them totally paid off my mortgage early.  I know that from a mathematical perspective it makes more sense to put that extra money in investments.  But I couldn’t stand the debt hanging over my head, and I doubt I would have consistently put the extra money into investments, thus defeating the plan.

I very proud of my accomplishment with my house, and if I had to do it all over, I’m pretty sure I would have done it exactly the same.  I especially like that fact that the money that I don’t have to pay anymore is like getting a 2nd job in many ways, especially with respect to cash flow!

While mathematically it makes sense to put the extra money into investments, missing in the formula is the human element.  The equation is mathematical but the human element takes away some of the straight math properties and adds emotion and impulse buying elements.  Shoot, I consider myself good with money, and even I sometimes have problems controlling my spending, especially when it some to my kids!

Investments

I tend to invest in stocks, but most of my money is in the mutual funds that are included within my 401(k) plan at work. 

In my stock dividend “Lunch Experiment“, I run a high beta investment portfolio.  This isn’t advisable and I’m only running such a portfolio because the money was money that I would have spent.  I don’t advise anyone to follow such a risky portfolio, but it’s still fun to play with!

Conclusion

So what I’m really trying to convey is that there isn’t a single generic “one size fits all” type of model to follow when it comes to financial planning or advice.  Perhaps start with one of the three financial advisors and then customize it after you find one that mostly fits your goals.  Personally, I’ve always liked David Bach with just a slight hint of Robert Kiyosaki.

-MR

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Posted in Planning

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Are We Too Proud To Become Rich?

March 22nd, 2011

Why Aren’t We Wealthier?

I think part of the reason is because we are too proud to do work that we consider beneath us or we are trained to believe that we aren’t able t0!  This is especially true of kids from the working and middle classes.

Coming from a middle class background, even going to McDonald’s was a luxury that I didn’t experience often.  This is in contrast to my kids who actually stick their noses up at McDonald’s.  They prefer sit down restaurants like Red Lobster or Olive Garden.  While these restaurant are really cookie-cutter chains and just a small step above McDonald’s, it was big luxury to me growing up.  In fact, I didn’t go to either restaurant chain until I was in college on a date.

But even with the advantages that my kids have today with respect to their upbringing, are they doomed to live paycheck to paycheck, never developing any great wealth?

Why I ask this is because they are constantly bombarded with messages from the media (TV, movies and songs) that make fun of jobs like McDonald’s or similar types of jobs.  But doesn’t it make more sense to make your mistakes at a McDonalds than at a Fortune 500 company?

The media makes it seem like you’re a loser if you have a job working at McDonald’s!  TV movies and shows glamorize the lottery winners, or the ones that get inheritances, or worse yet those that get rich by theft.

In real life it’s different!  Sam at FinancialSamurai.com started out working at McDonald’s.  He learned at an early age what a tough job is was.  He also learned how to get along with people (both other employees and customers) and how a team makes it all work.  Perhaps in some small way, this is one of the reasons that he is so successful today?

Warren Buffett is another example!  He wasn’t to proud to work hard selling gum and by having a paper route before he was 18.  There was no shame!  I think it’s good to know what it’s like to work for a living!  There is value in start out small, while soaking in the entire business system and processes.  If you can see behind that basic work task, it can be a great learning experience!  No matter what they say on TV…

What do you think, does TV hurts people’s work ethic?

-MR

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