tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post5725110332961482745..comments2009-03-19T13:07:39.624-05:00f.f.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15189780903818004615noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-10983177544089885632009-03-19T13:07:00.000-05:002009-03-19T13:07:00.000-05:00Thank you for the posting...Great Information. I'm trying to put $1000 away in my emergency fund, until I payoff my credit card bills and then I'll start a full emergency fund of 3 - 6 months expenses.<BR/><BR/>I needed some ideas for extra cash, because my raise was very small.Lechellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04219768583874336840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-58537923240770050322009-03-19T11:27:00.000-05:002009-03-19T11:27:00.000-05:00Great advice!!Broke Bettiehttp://twoliablog.com/broke-bettie/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-52777731383370711412009-03-19T03:50:00.000-05:002009-03-19T03:50:00.000-05:00Oh, and another thing. I think that registries are created less for friends and more for relatives who might not know the couple all that well. I routinely go off-registry for my friends; no one yet has expressed dismay or disappointment, and most have been pleased with the originality of the gift. Obviously, this works best when you really do know the recipient well and can judge what they might need/want/like.<BR/><BR/>Again, though. A gift is not an obligation, and flowing from that, buying a gift from a registry is obviously not mandatory.<BR/><BR/>Miss Manners also has firm words regarding wedding gifts that you might find useful.Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543875018604881180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-69586853980036462442009-03-19T03:45:00.000-05:002009-03-19T03:45:00.000-05:00To Anonymous re: wedding/shower/etc gifts,<BR/><BR/>I'm not Feminist Finance, but I'll jump into this one anyway. You are never obligated to give a gift. A gift is a gift. It's not an exchange, it's not a transaction, it's not an obligation. If you're broke, don't buy gifts for your friends. Tell them you love them but you're broke, and offer some sort of in-kind wedding/baby-related gift instead. Flowers if you have a garden, photography if you're good at that, assistance in setting up and taking things down for the reception, whatever. My mom said that when she had me, she didn't care a bit about all the baby clothes and toys she got; all she wanted was someone else to cook a meal for her and take the baby off her hands for a couple of hours. A friend of mine just had a baby; she and her partner have been given tons of baby stuff, much of it expensive and much of it useful. All the same, she told me that the best present was still the array of homemade frozen meals and baked goods that I brought her. Keep that in mind for your procreating friends. <BR/><BR/>But the most important take-away here is that real gifts are never obligatory. Full stop.Joyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543875018604881180noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-5730750995662568802009-03-18T12:10:00.000-05:002009-03-18T12:10:00.000-05:00FF - I love your blog! I am in the process of converting from a moderate lifestyle to a life of radical frugality and have a drastically reduced income. Since you write so much about saving for weddings, I wonder if you could help me out with this situation:<BR/>I have lots of friends getting married and having babies and am invited to several occasions where I'm expected to give a gift. I never go overboard and yet last summer I spent over $1,000 on wedding/shower/bachelorette gifts and bridesmaid duties. I cannot afford this anymore - to top it off, I'm queer and know that I will probably never have these parties thrown for me. Despite this, I am thankful to have so many friends and am truly happy for them...but I'm not willing to go broke for them.<BR/>How can I frugally celebrate my friends' happiness? Can you give some advice on giving weddings gifts without blowing the budget? For example, what is etiquette about going off the registry? What is the minimum cash gift you can give? Etc. Etc. Etc.<BR/>Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-40403175806738152009-03-18T10:47:00.000-05:002009-03-18T10:47:00.000-05:00I've been stuck in temp work for the last year (the job market in michigan is crappy, in case you haven't heard), making $15,000 a year. I can't even begin to find areas to cut back to save $500. I can't live like an acetic on beans and rice for 365 days. I have roommates, no renter's or health insurance, and just spent my tax return on a car in decent mechanical condition with better gas mileage than the beater I had before. Financial advice like this doesn't address the reality of living near the poverty line.Whithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16506093187674063207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-32424550874428066872009-03-18T08:37:00.000-05:002009-03-18T08:37:00.000-05:00yeah, i'm just at that $500 level now, while my husband-elect and i have our wedding savings, which we're using as the "back-up emergency fund" as needed up until the nuptials, then it'll be rebuilding time. for now though, as long as i've got $500 of my own in an account, everything else can go to debt or wedding savings. i honestly feel like i'll be a little confused when i have no more debt :)ldubnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-80071381528487808772009-03-17T23:36:00.000-05:002009-03-17T23:36:00.000-05:00I remember having $1000 in savings and no debt...sigh. So many years ago. And then I went to grad school... Well, at least I do have a large (relatively speaking given the current market conditions) retirement savings and mostly in a Roth IRA. But I do agree in having a separate emergency fund of 3 to 6 months of monthly income that isn't retirement and is in low risk liquid instruments.TheWeyrd1http://www.blogger.com/profile/15064826219629525527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-15081872124085577052009-03-17T15:33:00.000-05:002009-03-17T15:33:00.000-05:00FF, do you have any suggestions of where/how to start saving for retirement? With a few years left of grad school, plus probably a post-doc, I'm still looking at several years without a "real" job...ie without the associated benefits, retirement plan etc. I've actually managed to save up a few thousand, some of which I want for emergencies, some of which I intend to throw towards my undergrad loans soon, but I feel like some of it should also go towards something more productive for the future. Any thoughts of where to start? Thank you! (for all of your thoughtful and interesting posts)Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15719466889826047799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-73482521194056289672009-03-17T14:40:00.000-05:002009-03-17T14:40:00.000-05:00How I did it:<BR/><BR/>Opened a new CD at INGDirect every pay period with $50. Ten months later, I had $503.75. <BR/><BR/>Putting the money in a CD kept me from going, "OOH! SHINY! WANT!" and spending that saved-up money.Mary Suehttp://eatdrinkandbemarysue.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6600547462620775535.post-20727674961124473612009-03-17T14:24:00.000-05:002009-03-17T14:24:00.000-05:00I graduate from university in less than a month and I'll be starting my first job. It doesn't pay a ton, but I think I'll take your advice and try to save up $500 while also paying down my student debt.Cassandra Jowetthttp://cassandrajowett.squarespace.comnoreply@blogger.com