Len Penzo dot Com

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Heres what caught my attention over the past ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Why It Just Got More Expensive to Lose Your Wallet

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the past week… If this edition of Black Coffee seems a little light, well, it is. But I have a good reason! This week me and the Honeybee are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary and so, of course, it's time to celebrate! For example, this afternoon I'm going golfing with her dad. Then, my father-in-law Tony and I will probably have a beer or two on the 19th hole. You know, if we're not out too late, I think I might even take the Honeybee out to dinner at a fancy-pancy restaurant tonight. I know; I'm not sure how I put up with her after all these years either. Blogs I've Been Following This Week Simple Dollar - The Danger of the Rich Act. In this excellent piece, Trent notes that just because you're financially comfortable doesn't mean you should abandon the simple pleasures in life. He's right, you know. Live Richly - From Gunslinger to Monk. I don't know how Jen does it, but she has a knack for coming up with fascinating people to interview. For example, this week she talks with ex-drug addict and teen runaway Ken Goldberg. When he was 10, he tried to poison his father. And if you think that's bad, it gets even worse: Ken is also a lawyer. Invest It Wisely - How to Prepare for an Uncertain Future. Ironically, the only constant in life is change. In this post, Kevin shows us why it's important to adapt. Prairie Ecothrifter - What is Passive Income? Says Derek: "There is most likely a 90 year old man somewhere that does not lift a finger, yet his business is still generating income today." I don't know about that, but I can certainly vouch for a certain teenager with no income at all who lately has refused to lift a finger around my house.   That is, unless it's time to eat. And Here's Some Other Articles You Might Also Enjoy... Money Talks News - 5 Tips to Save on Summer Camp Out of Your Rut - Knowing Your Needs: Whole Life Insurance vs. Term Based Policies Money Beagle - No Stone Unturned: Expanding Our Search for Cheap Milk The College Investor - I Started Moving my Finances and Business to the Cloud Yakezie - One Angry Customer and One Brilliant Business Plan Consumerism Commentary - Are Online Banks Safe? Go Be Rich - I'm Trying to Give You My Money! The (Not S0) Way-Back Machine: Past Posts Of Mine You May Have Missed From October 2010: Why Marriage Makes It So Hard to Control Remodeling Costs. (Well, Kinda Sorta.) - I love the Honeybee dearly. I really really do. But dang it, that gal can be so expensive at times. Here's just one example of what I'm talking about... (Yes, folks, despite my ribbing, she's definitely worth it.) Credits and Debits Debit: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) rejected House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) proposal for $2 trillion in budget cuts, saying any cuts include action on closing tax loopholes. Said Senator Reid: "You can't do $2 trillion just in cuts," which begs the burning question: Why not? Credit: As I've said here dozens of times before: the government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. There is no need to raise taxes, or hold those cuts hostage to closing tax loopholes. Debit: If you ask me, the $2 trillion in cuts requested by Speaker Boehner is spread out over a ten year period.   In the grand scheme of things, I say it doesn't go far enough. Especially when you consider that it is essentially only $200 billion each year from annual budgets that run more than $3 trillion. Credit: ABC News reports that that fewer Americans are getting married and more marriages are lasting longer, according to the most recent US Census Bureau figures. Since 1990, 77 percent of folks who said "I do" managed to reach their 10-year anniversary. Credit: Maybe marriages are lasting longer simply because divorce ain't cheap. A friend of mine recently got a divorce and he had to split the house with his ex-wife; he got the outside. (I know, that's an oldie.) The Question of the Week By the Numbers More marriage data from the US Census Bureau, ABC News, and other sources: 33 Approximate percentage of adults who never marry. 28 In 2010, the median age for men who get married the first time. (It was 23 in 1950.) 26 In 2010, the median age for women who get married the first time. (It was 20 in 1950.) 83 Percentage of all married couples who have been married at least 5 years. 55 Percentage of all married couples who have been married at least 15 years. (Including me and the Honeybee.) 35 Percentage of all married couples who have been married at least 25 years. 6 Percentage of all married couples who have managed to last more than 50 years. (Including my mom and dad, who have been happily married for 51 years.) 8 Median number of years that first marriages ended in divorce. $24,066 On average, the amount US couples spend on their weddings. (That doesn't include the honeymoon or rings.) $3,150 Cost of the average diamond engagement ring in 2009. $20,000 The average cost of a divorce. Letters, I Get Letters Every week I feature the most interesting question or comment — assuming I get one, that is. And folks who are lucky enough to have the only question in the mailbag get their letter highlighted here whether it's interesting or not! Iris wrote in to ask this burning question: "You suggested you think most people cheat on their taxes. So tell me. Do you cheat on your taxes?" "Iris," huh? I find it interesting that you can't spell Iris without IRS. Coincidence? I think not. Other Useless News If you happen to enjoy what you're reading -- or not -- please don’t forget to: 1. Click on that “Like” button in the sidebar to your right and become a fan of Len Penzo dot Com on Facebook! 2. Make sure you follow me on Twitter! And last, but not least... 3. Don't forget to subscribe to my RSS feed too! Thank you. :-) Carnival News This week I had articles featured at the following carnivals: No carnivals this week; I lost my tickets. I'm Len Penzo and I approved this message. ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Monks, Marriage, and Lazy Kids

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the past week… I'm off to shop for some new patio furniture with the Honeybee, so let's get right to it today, shall we? Blogs I've Been Following This Week Redeeming Riches - How to Learn the Art of Complaining. When it comes to the art of complaining, I used to think my kids had it down to a science, but it turns out they have a lot to learn. Take it from Gary, who says: "Know when to stop talking. Use silence to your advantage. State your case and then just be quiet." Yes! That's brilliant! You know, I was so genuinely impressed with this article that I immediately forwarded it to the Honeybee. Of course, she took immediate offense at my innocent gesture and then proceeded to harp on me for the next 30 minutes because she thought I was mocking her. I know. Yes, I Am Cheap -   Last of the Unmarried Mohicans. The biggest revelation from this post was that most newlyweds in New York "expect" cash gifts of at least $200 per attendee. Hmm. If I do the math correctly that's, let's see, 62, take the square root of 7, carry the one... Ah, yes. Four-hundred dollars per attending couple -- and the newlyweds actually expect that from each guest? Talk about a New York state of mind. That's not a wedding gift; it's extortion. (But I'm not complaining. Okay, yes I am. I'll stop talking now.) Early Retirement Extreme - Saying No to a New Car. Jackie has had the same (used) car for 20 years. See why buying a used car and keeping it for as long as you can is one of the smartest financial moves you could ever make. Get Rich Slowly - What Is My Financial Obligation to My Family? Should you loan money to your family members? I know this much: if you're a New York newlywed and your brother is looking for a couple of spare hundies to pay the rent, you really have no excuse. Just sayin'. And Here's Some Other Posts You Might Enjoy... Control Your Cash - It's Not What You Earn. It's What You Negotiate. Millionaire Nurse Blog - Divorce Over 50: Tips On Keeping Your Head The Military Wallet - Is Your Frugality Actually Costing You? The Digerati Life - 10 Lessons I've Learned as a Small Business Owner Hope to Prosper - Real Estate 101 - Market Dynamics Financial Samurai - How to Pay off $35,000 in Credit Card Debt In One Month Buy Like Buffett - What Is A Dividend? Canadian Finance Blog - What Would Cripple You Financially? Monevator - The Monevator HYP: It's Alive! Green Panda Tree House - What Are Your Retirement Needs? Engineer Your Finances - Debt Consolidation: The Pros and Cons The Way-Back Machine: Past Posts Of Mine You May Have Missed From June 2009: The Top 5 Worst Jobs for Teenagers - Before you decide to let your complaining teenage kids and their raging hormones out of the house this summer so they can get a job that let's them earn a little extra spending money, you may want to make sure they aren't applying for one of these openings. Credits and Debits Credit: Did you see this? Iron-fisted leader Vladimir Putin decided to try and give the Russian automotive industry a boost by taking a 2011 Lada Granta -- also known as "Europe's Cheapest Car" -- for a test drive in front of the press this week. Too bad it took five tries before it finally started, as you can see in this video. Hey, what do you want for $7800? Credit: There is no truth to the rumor that Putin had the entire Lada Granta engineering team taken out back and shot after the botched test drive demonstration. Credit: A reporter for one apologetic automotive website stated that for $7800, "No miracle is expected and future (Lada Granta) drivers should brace for concessions." Heh. Right. You mean like expecting to get from Point A to Point B without the aid of a tow truck? Debit: Zillow is now predicting that the housing market will not bottom out until sometime in 2012 after it was reported that the value of U.S. homes fell during the first quarter of 2011 at the fastest rate since late 2008. U.S. home prices were down another 8.2 percent from the previous year. Debit: Zillow also reports that 28.4 percent of home owners currently owe more on their mortgages than their house is worth. That's up from 27 percent in the last quarter of 2010. Debit: For what it's worth, a total of $56 billion in new debt was auctioned by the U.S. government last week. That's enough to exceed the federal debt ceiling when the three- and 10-year notes settle this coming Monday. The question is, will Congress cave and raise the debt ceiling yet again? Debit: Meanwhile, even though we're only seven months into the 2011 fiscal year, the government has already racked up a deficit of $869.90 billion.  April's $40 billion deficit was the 31st monthly deficit in a row. Credit: Finally, the New York Daily News reports that a recent poll shows that 25 percent of all adults living in New York -- and 36 percent of New Yorkers under age 30 -- plan to leave the state. Over 60 percent of those folks cite economic reasons like the cost of living, taxes, and a lack of jobs. The other 40 percent were deathly afraid of getting an invitation to attend a wedding there. The Question of the Week Other Useless News - A Big Mother's Day Last Week! I don't know about the rest of you mothers out there, but I had a terrific day last Sunday. That's because Len Penzo dot Com had over 23,000 page views on Mother's Day thanks to a ton of referral traffic from MSN and MSN's Smart Spending blog! In terms of total page views, it was enough to make last Sunday the single biggest day ever here, beating the previous mark of 22,000 page views set on September 3, 2010. By the way, if you happen to enjoy what you're reading -- or not -- please don’t forget to: 1. Click on that “Like” button in the sidebar to your right and become a fan of Len Penzo dot Com on Facebook! 2. Make sure you follow me on Twitter! And last, but not least... 3. Don't forget to subscribe to my RSS feed too! Thank you. :-) By the Numbers The automotive industry, by the numbers: 806 million Number of cars on the road worldwide. 250 million Number of cars operating in the United States. 94 Percentage of trips from an American home that involve a car. 23 Seconds between car thefts in the United States. 14 Percentage of U.S. auto sales coming from Southern California. 1949 Year the VW Beetle was introduced in the United States. 2 The number of Beetles sold in the US in 1949. Letters, I Get Letters Every week I feature the most interesting question or comment — assuming I get one, that is. And folks who are lucky enough to have the only question in the mailbag get their letter highlighted here whether it's interesting or not! If I am to believe everything I get in my email inbox, The FBI has apparently been keeping tabs on me: "Sir, we have logged your IP address on more than 40 illegal websites. Please answer the attached questions." Before you take me in, let me just say this: any pirated mp3's I may have accidentally downloaded from any nefarious websites were only being used for a school research project. Carnival News This week I had articles featured at the following carnivals: The Carnival of Personal Finance @ Yes, I Am Cheap I'm Len Penzo and I approved this message. ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Why I Avoid Weddings in New York (and Lada Grantas)

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the past week… When I was a teenager I got to be a pretty good golfer. I was shooting in the high 70s and low 80s on the large courses by the time I was 17. For what it's worth, I was good enough to make the high school golf team three years running. I know. It wasn't a more glamorous, girl-magnet sport like football or basketball, but as a member of the varsity golf team I at least got to play all the free golf I wanted to at our home golf course -- all year long. Over the long march of time, my golf skills have atrophied quite a bit, simply because I've had other interests. If I'm lucky I now get out only three or four times a year, and if I break 90 I'm ecstatic. It's been a few years since I've done that. Today is one of those rare occasions where I'm getting out to play a round. Even though I haven't played since last October, I fully expect to break 90. (Just between you and me, that's because I'm only playing nine holes.) Blogs I've Been Following This Week Pop Economics - When the Mob Makes You Lose Your Sanity. No, this isn't about the Gambino crime family. It's a treatise on the danger of succumbing to the herd mentality. Which only validates my decision to live as a sad, pathetic, loner. (Yes!) Afford Anything - Money Doesn't Care Where It Comes From. Says Paula: "Imagine you’re buying a car for $14,800 in cash. The seller is clear he absolutely won’t negotiate any lower. A text-message from your best friend, tells you she found the exact same car for sale 20 minutes across town for $14,700.” Paula then asks, "what would you do?" Psst. It's a trick question folks: considering a 20-minute trip across town now requires about $106 worth of gasoline, I'd stay right where I was. PT Money - Tax Preparation Checklist. It's not too late to file your taxes without penalty; the deadline is Monday, April 18th. Millionaire Nurse Blog - Extreme Couponing: Writ Large! So this woman hands a $1 coupon to a grocery clerk at the checkout counter who accidentally drops it beneath the scale. The clerk looked distressed so the woman says, "Don't worry, it's in coupon heaven now." "Actually, that's not true" the checker replied sadly,"That only applies to the redeemed ones." And Here's Some Other Posts You Might Enjoy... Financial Samurai - Only the Poor or Super Rich Say Money Can't Buy Happiness Hope to Prosper - Real Estate 101: Renting vs. Owning The Military Wallet - What Happens If You Contribute Too Much to an IRA The Way-Back Machine: Past Posts Of Mine You May Have Missed From August 2009: Is Your Employer Stealing from You? - Have you ever wondered why some employers often look the other way even thought they know that you’re walking out the door with a six-month supply of paper clips and correction tape? You may not know it, but maybe it's because those employers make up for it by "stealing" money back from you. Credits and Debits Credit: The Consumer Price Index shows inflation increased only 0.5 percent in March to a very manageable 2.7 percent. Hooray! Debit: Then again, anybody who regularly buys groceries and gasoline (that's now over $4 per gallon in five states), probably finds that to be, well, pure unadulterated poppycock. Debit: If you measure inflation using the reporting methodologies in place prior to 1980, inflation is now running at an annual rate of closer to 10 percent. Debit: In other news, the Financial Times reports that the IMF says the US now lacks a credible strategy for reducing its debt problem. Ya think? Debit: Fiscal conservatives were apoplectic when the federal deficit for all of 2007 was $161 billion, and the CBO warned that if nothing was done the 2012 deficit would be $300 billion. Debit: How out of control is the federal spending now? The deficit just for the month of February 2011 was a record $223 billion. One month. Debit: Meanwhile, this week Congress celebrated the approval of the just-approved 2010 budget (that should have been passed last October) because it ultimately reduced annual federal spending by only $352 million -- from a budget that calls for $3.55 trillion in spending. Unbelievable. Debit: To put that in perspective, that is essentially the equivalent of a household that originally planned to spend $50,000 this year, cutting back annual expenditures by $4.96. Credit: Ron Paul (R-Texas), warned this week -- as he has for years -- that the collapse of the dollar (and our society as well) is inevitable unless the nation returns to a much smaller federal government limited to duties specifically allocated to it by the Constitution. Credit: According to Paul, it's "Better to look reality squarely in the face and tell people the difficult truth that government is simply not capable of managing people’s lives from cradle to grave as was foolishly promised." More than a few people have argued that Paul should have said "managing people's lives" -- period. Other Useless News Many of you have probably noticed that the comments on my blog have been disappearing at times, or simply not working when you try to enter one for a particular post. Well, my Wordpress database that stores those comments has been on the fritz for the past couple of weeks and I am doing my best to figure out the bug that is causing my comment data to corrupt. After three hours of debugging yesterday, I think I finally got things fixed. (It's times like these when I wish I had a dedicated IT department to devote to these kinds of issues!) By the way, if you happen to enjoy what you're reading -- or not -- please don’t forget to: 1. Click on that “Like” button in the sidebar to your right and become a fan of Len Penzo dot Com on Facebook! 2. Make sure you follow me on Twitter! And last, but not least... 3. Don't forget to subscribe to my RSS feed too! Thank you. :-) By the Numbers Although I rarely play anymore, I love golfing. Here are a few interesting facts about golf: $76 billion Revenues generated by the golf industry in 2007; golfing is bigger than the motion picture and recording industries combined. $4,910,476 Total prize money earned by the top player (Matt Kuchar) on the PGA tour in 2010. 26 Events Matt Kuchar played in 2010. $94,728,667 Career prize money earned to-date by Tiger Woods. 8 Minutes required for a dragonfly to cover the distance of all 18 holes at Augusta National golf course. 12,500:1 Odds that a player of average skill will make a hole-in-one on a par 3 hole. 18 Age when I had my first and only hole-in-one. (Sunset Dunes, Colton, CA; 13th hole, 137 yards, 7-iron.) Letters, I Get Letters Crystal from Budgeting in the Fun Stuff presumably took some time off from eagle-watching to ask: "Want to buy an $815 jelly bean with the supposed face of soon-to-be royalty?" No. Instead I'm going to bid for this shrunken apple that looks like Steven Tyler. Or maybe it looks more like this guy... . I'll feature the most interesting question or comment I get each week here on Black Coffee — assuming I get one, that is. If you're lucky enough to be the only question in the mailbag I'll highlight your letter, whether it's interesting or not. ;-) Carnival News This Sunday I was honored to host: Yakezie Carnival: The Chuck Norris Edition. If you haven't already done so, please check it out! This week I had articles featured at the following carnivals: The Carnival of Personal Finance @ Money Management International I'm Len Penzo and I approved this message. ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Inflation, the Collapse of the Dollar and an $815 Jelly Bean

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the past week… As soon as I finish here, I'll be working on my mother-in-law's taxes. As you probably know, the tax deadline is April 15th and so I can't put it off any longer. Blogs I've Been Following This Week Canadian Finance Blog - 99 Cent Pricing Strategy. Alan noticed that the old 99-cent pricing strategy seems to be going the way of the dinosaur. For proof, he cites McDonald's Dollar Value Menu (not 99 Cent Menu) and Subway's $5 Footlong sandwich (as opposed to the $4.99 footlong). Maybe he's on to something. Then again, maybe not. I mean, have you tried singing the $5 Footlong Song with "$4.99" substituted in the lyrics? It's nowhere near as catchy. Frugal Dad - 15 Things Our Grandparents Lived Without (and We Probably Could Too). One of the items on Jason's list that I heartily agree with is tanning bed salons. Tell me again why anybody would pay for ultraviolet radiation when you can walk outside and can get it for free? Anyone? The only excuse I'll accept is if you live north of the Arctic Circle where the sun often spends very long periods of the day below the horizon. (Is it just me, or did I just kick off this edition of Black Coffee with two really lame jokes? That's what I thought. My mojo is off today, folks. I must be worried about a tax audit.) The Oblivious Investor - When to Claim Social Security Benefits (One Working Spouse). I'm not certain if Mike is married or not, but here is a little friendly advice for you, my friend. If you happen to have a wife that is a stay-at-home mom, never -- and I mean never never ever -- refer to your household as having only one working spouse. Trust me on this. Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance - Learn Economics from Southpark. I know. And if you like this, come back next week when Barb features her next article: "Do It Yourself Tax Tips from Wesley Snipes." And Here's Some Other Posts You Might Enjoy... Kiplinger - How Long to Keep Your Tax Records JoeTaxpayer - The Future of Nuclear Power First Gen American - Babci Wears Men's Underwear Scordo - Homemade Whole Wheat Ravioli with Sweet Potato Filling Funny About Money - A "Gift" From Sears Sweating the Big Stuff - How to Make Money Buying Contact Lenses Moolanomy - Finding an Accountant for Your Small Business Ironclad Finances - Uniform Gift to Minors Act/Uniform Transfer to Minors Act Money Mamba - Behind the Scenes: How Walmart Makes Money in Real Estate Monevator - Reasons to Rent a House Instead of Buying Green Panda Tree House - Baby on the Way: Life Insurance & Making a Will The Way-Back Machine: Past Posts Of Mine You May Have Missed From November 2009: Drive-By Movie Review: The Business - I was asked by a long-time reader this week to resurrect these abominable movie reviews. The thing is, readership increased dramatically only after I stopped publishing them. Coincidence? I don't think so. Credits and Debits Debit: Federal prosecutors went to court this week to take by forfeiture five tons of privately-minted silver coins worth millions of dollars. The coins belong to Bernard von NotHaus, who was convicted last month on counterfeiting charges. Credit: According to the Associated Press, U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins said, "Attempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country are simply a unique form of domestic terrorism." Tompkins did not say whether or not her statement signaled that her office would soon be prosecuting Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke as well. Debit: Speaking of worthless currency, Congressional Budget Office computer simulations modeling the government's current spending path crashed after the algorithm reached 2037. Debit: House Budget Chairman Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) warned that the government deficit spending is so excessive, the CBO is saying it "can't conceive of any way" that the economy can continue past 2037 given its current trajectory. I suspect it's much sooner than that. Debit: In other news, I see New York City is following San Francisco's lead by considering a ban on Happy Meals. Councilman Leroy Comrie planned to introduce a bill that would penalize establishments that use toys to sell "unhealthy" meals with fines of up to $2500. Credit: By the way, the New York Post reports that the very portly councilman admitted to weighing as much as 335 pounds. Hmmm. You New York City residents better hope Councilman Comrie doesn't have any self-control issues with alcohol or sex. Just sayin. Other Useless News I'm very proud to say that Len Penzo dot Com is now an official partner of the MSN Smart Spending blog! I would especially like to thank Smart Spending editor and lead blogger Karen Datko for her continuing support and guidance. Thank you, Karen. :-) (I bet Karen can will tell me if that technically counts as two "thank yous.") By the way, if you happen to enjoy what you're reading -- or not -- please don’t forget to: 1. Click on that “Like” button in the sidebar to your right and become a fan of Len Penzo dot Com on Facebook! 2. Make sure you follow me on Twitter! And last, but not least... 3. Don't forget to subscribe to my RSS feed too! Thank you. :-) By the Numbers The US debt including unfunded obligations is currently over $100 trillion. So, just how big is a trillion? 12 Zeros in one trillion. (1,000,000,000,000) 31,688 Years required to count to one trillion (assuming you could call out one number every second). 8 Seconds required to say "Nine hundred and ninety nine billion, nine hundred and ninety nine million, nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine." 48 Readers who timed themselves to see if it really takes 8 seconds to say "Nine hundred and ninety nine billion, nine hundred and ninety nine million, nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine." 10,000 Square miles of $100,000 homes required to reach $1 trillion in value (assuming 10 homes per block, and 100 blocks per square mile). 1,954 Square miles in the state of Delaware. 6 States less than 10,000 square miles in area. (Vermont, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island.) 11 Weeks of additional vacation that $1 trillion would provide for every American worker. 2 Times Chuck Norris has reportedly counted to infinity. Letters, I Get Letters Beheshteh wrote in with a very nice letter that included this little tidbit: "When I was 14 I had a £500 phone bill on the land line! (Yes, I'm a typical girl!)" Uh-huh. (I'm just glad you said that, Beheshteh, and not me.) ;-) . Meanwhile, Candy had this question for me:"Will you ever do any more movie reviews with the Honeybee?" Thank you for asking, but I doubt it. I already alienate enough readers with my personal finance articles. I'll feature the most interesting question or comment I get each week here on Black Coffee — assuming I get one, that is. If you're lucky enough to be the only question in the mailbag I'll highlight your letter, whether it's interesting or not. ;-) Carnival News This Sunday I'll be hosting the Yakezie carnival, so be sure to stop by for some exceptionally good reads! This week I had articles featured at the following carnivals: The Carnival of Personal Finance @ Funny About Money I'm Len Penzo and I approved this message. ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: The Real Reason Why $5 Footlong Subs Aren’t $4.99

Its time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Heres what caught my attention over the past ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: The Birds & Bees, Judge Judy & Tinfoil Hats

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Heres what caught my attention over the past ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: The Pitfalls of Cohabiting, Dollar Store Cameras & Taco Bell

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Heres what caught my attention over the past ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: My Spidey Sense Tells Me There’s Somethin Shady Goin On

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of whats been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Heres what caught my attention over the past ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Don’t Bother, It’s Just Me Talking to Myself Again

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the past week… This just in: higher octane gasoline has now passed $4 a gallon at many stations here in Southern California.   It's times like these that I'm really glad I drive a car that averages 35 miles per gallon. Blogs I've Been Following This Week Wisebread - Disguise Your Stuff to Prevent Car Break-ins. Kentin writes that he was the recent victim of a pickup truck break-in, so he decided to outfox the criminals.   Says Kentin: "I decided to embrace the 'fishbowl effect' by creating a secret hiding place in plain sight." What a brilliant idea!     Too bad he didn't stop there, because he then went on to show the thieves exactly how he has disguised his valuables; Kentin was even kind enough to include a few pictures.   I just hope he has a Plan B. Car Negotiation Coach - How to Buy a Car.   I thought more than a few of you might be interested in checking out this clever application that Geoff has put together that produces personalized car buying strategy guides.   I entered answers to five simple questions including whether I wanted to buy a new or used car, my approximate credit score, and how I intended to pay.   Unfortunately when I tried it out, after crunching the data, the application only admonished me for being a big fat cheapskate and then wished me good luck. Control Your Cash - The Best Hotel Values In America, Part II.   Greg and Betty have stayed in a lot of hotels while on their 2011 World Tour promoting what I think is the absolute best personal finance book ever written, Control Your Cash: Making Money Make Sense.   So this post comparing five national chains is based on hard-won experience.   My question is this: why is it that, more often than not, it's the budget hotels that offer free Internet service, while the fancy ones always charge an arm and a leg for it?   Shouldn't it be the other way around? Brip Blap - Does Voice Recognition Software Work? After reading Steve's article I decided to try out my neighbor's software and give it a test run just for this little paragraph.   You know what, I love it!   All the neighbor kids are here too watching and they are as fascinated by it as I am!   At least, as you can see, it doesn't seem to make any mistakes; it's properly recording everything I say into the microphone.   See that kids?   Pretty cool, huh?   Let's see if it can spell pneumonia.   Hey, look at that!   Antidisestablishmentarianism.   Wow!   In fact, I can see how this voice recognition software honey please stop picking your nose.   Now what are you going to do with that?   Oh jeez.   Please don't put it there, sweetheart.   Honeybee!   Can I get a Kleenex over here!   Okay, let's go.   Everybody out of the house!   I've got work to do.   Will greatly increase my productivity here. And Here's Some Other Posts You Might Enjoy... Free Money Finance - Secrets of a Former Credit Card Thief Darwin's Money - Yield Curve Explained Millionaire Nurse Blog - Buffett Speaks.   Are You Listening? Lazy Man and Money - 6 Comcast Secrets -- Some of them Dirty Ironclad Finances - $4 a Gallon Savings Club. Wealth Pilgrim - Water or Fire Damage To Your Home? What Insurance Companies Don’t Want You To Do. Adaptu - Fanny, Freddy and the Future of the Mortgage Market Green Panda Treehouse - The Best Solutions to Credit Card Debt PT Money - How to Budget Your Money on a Variable Income Canadian Finance Blog - Home Computing on a Budget Wellness on Less - What Does It Take to Get a Decent Mortgage Today? The Way-Back Machine: Past Posts Of Mine You May Have Missed From February 2009: Why Shopping for Low Gasoline Prices Is A Losing Proposition - I know people who will drive five miles out of their way just to save a nickel per gallon.   Here's a simple analysis I did that proves exactly why that usually ain't a very smart idea.   (Yes, grammar police, I used "ain't" in a sentence.) I've Got More Tax Preparation Software to Give Away! Congratulations to Sandy and Cassandra for winning complementary copies of H&R Block's online tax preparation software, H&R Block At Home! If you entered last week but didn't win, the good news is I have three more promotional codes to give away this weekend! The codes are valued at $55 which should also cover any sales tax. Keep in mind that this covers your federal tax filing; any state filings would cost an additional $34.95. If you'd like a copy, simply drop me an email by the end of the day on Monday, March 7th, 2011 at Len@LenPenzo.com and let me know you're interested in trying it out. I'll then randomly draw three more names from all the entries on Tuesday. Credits and Debits Debit: The most recent Gallup poll shows the seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate rose 0.5 percent to 10.3 percent in February.   According to Gallup that is essentially the same rate that existed at the end of last February, when it sat at 10.4 percent. Debit: Meanwhile, Gallup reports that the more-telling underemployment rate -- which combines part-time workers wanting full-time work with those who are unemployed -- jumped 0.5 percent in February to an incredible 19.9 percent.     Last February it was 0.2 percent lower. Credit: Then again, according to the government, everything is practically sunshine and lollipops.   Their figures show the unemployment and underemployment rates both dropped, to 8.9 percent and 15.9 percent, respectively.     Debit: I don't know about where you live, but everywhere I look I see the private sector continuing to contract -- not expand.   Investor's Business Daily agrees, reporting that, "Job openings remain 30% below their level when the downturn hit in December 2007." Debit: I've said it before and I'll say it again: the reason the government's numbers are now dropping is because the Labor Department is simply recategorizing people who have given up looking for work as not officially in the labor force -- which causes the true unemployment rate to artificially drop.   Gallup doesn't play those games. Debit: I am certain the status quo isn't going to change until large and small employers begin to see more business- and consumer-friendly policies coming out of Washington.   Until then, any large-scale economic recovery will be a pipe dream. Credit: One of the first tasks needs to be reining in the Environmental Protection Agency.   One of their more recent -- and wackiest -- moves was to declare carbon dioxide a pollutant.   Never mind that carbon dioxide is the stuff we exhale everyday, and that all plants depend on to live. Debit: Finally, did you see this?   The Connecticut State Board of Labor ruled that the town of Orange must not only reinstate "Dress Down Fridays" for the city's union employees, but it must also provide them with free coffee and milk too.   And now you know why we still need unions. Credit: Seriously though, that's your tax dollars at work, Connecticut! I wonder if the union is going to mount a protest because the ruling failed to include free donuts. Just sayin. By the Numbers Speaking of taxpayer-provided java, here's a little coffee by the numbers, Hawaiian style: $25 According to Hawaii Business, "the approximate online price for a pound of 100% Kona coffee, which ranks among the world’s most sought-after specialty coffees." 93 Starbucks locations in Hawaii. $27.8 million Hawaii coffee-farm sales in the latest production year. 0 States other than Hawaii that produce coffee. 4 Where coffee ranks among Hawaii's four most valuable crops.   Seed crops, sugar cane and macadamia nuts are more valuable. 1 Number of times I did a double take after I saw that pineapple was not among Hawaii's top four most valuable crops. Other Useless News It's the first weekend of the month, which means it's time once again to thank the Top 25 referring websites to Len Penzo dot Com from the previous month! 1. MSN: Smart Spending 2. The Simple Dollar 3. Kiplinger 4. Wisebread 5. Time Magazine: It's Your Money 6. Moolanomy 7. Swagbucks 8. Green Panda Tree House 9. Get Rich Slowly 10. The Millionaire Nurse Blog 11. Family Balance Sheet 12. Mighty Bargain Hunter 13. Budgeting In the Fun Stuff 14. Money Help for Christians 15. Wealth Pilgrim 16. Financial Samurai 17. Funny About Money 18. Control Your Cash 19. Lazy Man and Money 20. Lifehacker 21. Sweating the Big Stuff 22. Brip Blap 23. Everyday Tips and Thoughts 24. Monevator 25. JoeTaxpayer Thank you to everyone who refers their readers to this little ol' blog!   It's much appreciated. :-) Here's another friendly reminder for ya: if you happen to enjoy what you're reading - or not - please make sure you follow me on Twitter. And, if you'll be so kind, don't forget to subscribe to my RSS feed too! :-) Letters, I Get Letters Mr. Wonderful (don't look at me -- that's what he calls himself) wrote in with this burning question: "You got change for a hundy?" If you're so wonderful, how come you're not married?   At least I assume you're not married -- otherwise you'd never be in a position to even ask that question. I'll feature the most interesting question or comment I get each week here on Black Coffee — assuming I get one, that is. If you're lucky enough to be the only question in the mailbag I'll highlight your letter, whether it's interesting or not. ;-) Carnival News This week I had articles featured at the following carnivals: Carnival of Personal Finance @ Saving to Invest I'm Len Penzo and I approved this message. ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Hey, Buddy. Can Ya Spare A Hundy for A Tank of Gas?

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe… Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what’s been going on in the world of money and personal finance. Here’s what caught my attention over the past week… I want you all to know that I fled to Illinois yesterday to avoid having to vote on whether or not the Honeybee's new jeans make her look fat.   I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I figure between myself, and the truant Democrats from Wisconsin and Indiana -- who have their own set of problems to deal with -- we now have enough votes to form our own quorum and pass any laws we deem necessary and appropriate.   Like banning women from asking if they look fat in their new dress/jeans/blouse etc. Okay, on to more important matters at hand... Blogs I've Been Following This Week Get Rich Slowly - Setting Your Home-buying Priorities -- Price, Quality, Location: Pick Any Two.   There are all kinds of variations of the "Pick Any Two" maxim that says you can have any two you desire from a given set , but never all three.   For example, there is the widely known saw "Better, Faster, Cheaper."   Meanwhile, at my house, when it comes to sharing a little evening television time with the Honeybee, she's always quick to remind me of this one: "Chick Flick, Oprah Winfrey Network, Sleep on the Couch." Wealth Informatics - How to Spot and Avoid a Vacation Rental Scam.   As a past victim of what could loosely be considered a vacation rental scam, I found this post to be extremely helpful. Early Retirement Extreme - The Early Retirement Path.   It used to be people were considered rebels when they retired at 60.   Then it was 55.   Then 50.   Now there is a whole new generation of people out there looking to retire at 45.   Forty five! In fact, Tim from Canadian Dream: Free at 45, plans on doing exactly that.   You know, if this early retirement thing gets any bigger than it already is, who is going to be around to do all the work? The Amateur Financier - Encouraging Entrepreneur Children.   I was going to share this excellent article with my 13 year-old son, Matthew, but he just informed me he's officially retired. And Here's Some Other Posts You Might Enjoy... Kiplinger - Disappearing Tax Breaks Time: It's Your Money - What to Do with All the Foreclosed Country Clubs? Financially Poor - Change Now and Change Often Budgets Are Sexy - Budgets are Sexy Turns 3! The Simple Dollar - Eight Minutes to Financial Success Series - Minimize Electronic Temptations Money Crush - Emergency Fund Strategies Not Made of Money - Is Your Emergency Fund In Good Shape? Eventual Millionaire - How to Use Your Vision to Achieve Business Success Watson Inc.   - Labeling Debt to Make It More Palatable Beating Broke - What Motivates Your Finances? Saving Money Today - Understanding Financial Terms The Way-Back Machine: Past Posts Of Mine You May Have Missed From February 2010: Taste Test Experiment: Bottled Waters vs. Filtered Tap - Come on, folks.   What happened the good ol' days when we all drank water from the tap or a garden hose?   Was that water really noticeably worse tasting than the relatively expensive stuff we now buy in bottles?   Well, in yet another taste experiment of mine, I asked a dozen of my family members to try and see if they could really tell the difference. Who Wants to Win Some Free Tax Preparation Software?! H&R Block was kind enough to give me some promotional codes for their H&R Block At Home Premier Edition online tax preparation software!   The codes are valued at $55 which should also cover any sales tax.     Keep in mind that this covers your federal tax filing; any state filings would cost an additional $34.95.   If you'd like a copy, simply drop me an email by the end of the day on Monday, February 28th, 2011 at Len@LenPenzo.com and let me know you're interested in trying it out.   I'll then randomly draw two names from all the entries on Tuesday. Credits and Debits Debit: ABC News reported this week that average gasoline prices in the US once again reached their highest point ever posted during the month of February, since weekly prices were first tracked in 1990. Credit: Fortunately, crude oil prices seemed to stabilize this week after Saudi Arabia ramped up their production to make up for losses from the current unrest in Libya. Debit: Meanwhile, despite finishing up on Friday, the US stock market suffered its worst week since November on fears that rising oil prices will harm the US economy's ability to recover.   For the week, the Dow Jones lost 2.1 percent, the S&P 500 was down 1.7 percent, and the Nasdaq fell 1.9 percent. Credit: Despite all the strife and turmoil going on, both here at home and in the Middle East, it's nice to know that some people realize what's really important in the grand scheme of life.     Take the   Florida woman who was arrested after she allegedly came home and threatened her roommate with a pair of scissors, struck her with a board, bit her on the breast, and then -- just to drive home her point -- whacked her with a sign.   All because the victim's kids ate the alleged attacker's Thin Mints. Credit: Sheesh. I love Thin Mints as much as anyone, but not enough to ever give somebody a real ass kickin' just for eating them all.   I guess the moral of the story is this: if you're gonna eat somebody's Girl Scout cookies, just to be safe, make sure you steal those crappy Dulce de Leches.   Blech. Credit: Hey, can you just imagine what terrible fate that poor roommate would have endured if she had really done something bad, like pilfering a pint of Haagen Dazs? Other Useless News First off, I want to give thanks again to Dr. Dean Burke from the Millionaire Nurse Blog for filling in for me here last week!     Great job, Doc! The Harlem Globetrotters were in Southern California this past week, so I took the family to watch them "play" the hapless Washington Generals last Thursday.   Needless to say, the Generals got pummeled -- even though the 'Trotters at times were outnumbered on the floor because they had players sent to the penalty box by the refs for being "too funny" at their expense.   (Yes, a real penalty box just like in hockey.)   They also introduced their new "4-point shot" -- four small circular zones on the floor, 35 feet from the basket.   It was amazing to watch both teams sink those long bombs with surprisingly good accuracy; I'll bet they made 40 percent of those shots.   I wonder if the NBA will pick up on it.   Anyway, this is the second time we've seen them and, once again, they put on an absolutely terrific family-oriented show for kids of all ages.   If you get a chance to see the Globetrotters when they come to your town, do yourself a favor and be sure to take the family.   I promise you'll have a great time. Here's another friendly reminder for ya: if you happen to enjoy what you're reading - or not - please make sure you follow me on Twitter. And, if you'll be so kind, don't forget to subscribe to my RSS feed too! :-) Letters, I Get Letters Mira writes in with this observation: "I think you are a very interesting person!   I want to get to know you better...   I do not think that your age or appearance is important." I see you found my photo. Letters from people like you, Mira, are precisely why I've decided to stop trying so hard and just let myself go as I get older. . Crystal, from Budgeting In the Fun Stuff had this to say: "I'm ticked off!   I love Two and a Half Men and it looks like the addict Charlie Sheen is messing it all up!   Grrr..." Never fear, Crystal.   I heard Charlie is already working on his next project.   It's called "Two and a Half Personalities." I'll feature the most interesting question or comment I get each week here on Black Coffee — assuming I get one, that is. If you're lucky enough to be the only question in the mailbag I'll highlight your letter, whether it's interesting or not. ;-) By the Numbers Since Crystal brought it up, here is Charlie Sheen, by the numbers: $2 million Amount Charlie is reportedly earning for every episode of Two and a Half Men.   His overall net worth is estimated at $85 million. 63 Approximate number of television and big-screen movies he has appeared in. 2 Television series he has starred in.   (Two and a Half Men and Spin City.) 1 Times he appeared on Friends.   (An episode from 1996 entitled "The One with the Chicken Pox") $55,000 Monthly child support he is reportedly paying for his two kids with Brooke Mueller. This is on top of child support he is paying for his two kids with Denise Richards. $50,000 According to court testimony, amount he testified paying "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss for, um, services rendered. 5,000 Women he reportedly claims to have slept with.   (That's roughly a different woman every other day over the last 30 years for the 45 year-old Sheen.   Even so, it's 15,000 fewer women than Wilt Chamberlain claims he bedded shortly before he died at 63.) 1 Times he managed to accidentally shoot actress Kelly Preston in the arm. 36 According to a Scripps News poll, percentage of people who, like Charlie Sheen, believe that "the US either participated in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon or took no action to stop them because they wanted the United States to go to war in the Middle East." Carnival News This week I had articles featured at the following carnivals: Carnival of Personal Finance @ Money Smart Life I'm Len Penzo and I approved this message. ...

Continue reading Black Coffee: Thin Mints, Early Retirement, Charlie Sheen (Pick Any 2)