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The REAL Cost of Owning Wireless Mice and Keyboards

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When the Honeybee and I bought our last computer, there was quite a debate over whether or not we should pay the extra money for the added convenience of a wireless keyboard and/or mouse.   The fear, of course, was in the uncertainty of whether or not we would end up spending a small fortune over the life of the computer buying replacement batteries. We ultimately decided to Heck with it (wherever that is) and went the wireless route, not only for the convenience, but also because of the neatness that comes with having two less wires attached to our iMac. Of course, being the financial nut that I am, I decided to track how often I changed the batteries so I knew how much I was paying on top of the premium I originally paid for the wireless devices. For the record, our keyboard and mouse get heavy use; I would conservatively estimate that our computer is in use, on average, ten hours per day. So with that information in mind, here is a summary of all the battery changes for our wireless keyboard and mouse since we got our new computer approximately 18 months ago: So how much money has that set us back? If you buy in bulk like we do, you can get quality AA alkaline batteries for 40 cents each in reasonable quantities for the average household.   That means we have spent only $18.40 plus tax for our wireless keyboard and mouse batteries in a year and a half.   Excluding the original premium, of course, that comes out to only a dollar per month - well worth the convenience over their traditional wired counterparts, if you ask me!   :-) In fact, that cost is so low it certainly doesn't come close to justifying the initial charger and battery costs we would have to pay to switch over to rechargeable batteries. In my next post I'll not only explore why that is so, but I'll also address why rechargeable batteries actually make less financial sense than many people think.    :-) Hey! If you liked this article, please be sure to subscribe to my RSS feed! ...

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The 10 Most Overpaid Jobs

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Oh, am I going to make some enemies today. ;-) Last week I did a very well-received article on the 10 most underpaid jobs. Today I tackle the other, more controversial, side of the coin - the 10 most overpaid jobs. First I want to apologize ...

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Drive-By Movie Review: Duplicity

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This is a review of the 2009 movie Duplicity starring Clive Owen, Julia Roberts and Paul Giamatti... Plot Synopsis: A pair of corporate spies who share a steamy past hook up to pull off the ultimate con job on their respective bosses. The Honeybee: ...

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The 10 Most Underpaid Jobs

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Most everybody thinks they're underpaid for what they do. But in reality, there are a handful of select jobs where this claim is especially true. Here's my take on the 10 most underpaid jobs. Unless otherwise noted, annual income figures are based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. After reading this list, if you think I've overlooked a particular job (like yours), please leave a comment and let me have it with both barrels. Just keep the profanity and ad hominems to a minimum. 10. Janitor Average Annual Income: $23,500 Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $45,000 Appreciation Meter: Office outcasts rarely invited to workplace birthday celebrations and promotion parties. Why They're Underpaid: In office buildings and schools all over the world, janitors quietly go about their job of picking up everybody's mess. Their work is usually done behind the scenes, so it's easy to overlook the fact that they often have to deal with some really messy clean-ups like throw-up and excrement. When they leave work the place is spotless. They do this knowing the next day they'll just have to it clean up all over again. Talk about a Sisyphean challenge. 9. Youth Sports Referee/Umpire Average Annual Income: $28,330 Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $50,000 Public Appreciation Meter: Slightly above the small pox virus, but one notch below dog poop. Okay, okay -- two notches. Why They're Underpaid: Without these extremely tolerant men and women, there would be no organized sports leagues for our kids. Despite that fact, the next time you want to pick-up a few fresh insult lines that would make a sailor blush, stop by your local park and take in a youth sports competition. When you consider all the abuse that these referees and umpires take on a daily basis, it is a wonder that anybody actually aspires to be in such a position in the first place. 8. Little League President / Board Member Average Annual Income: $0 Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $35,000 Public Appreciation Meter: More likely to be approached by folks carrying pitchforks & torches than "thank you" letters. Why They're Underpaid: I was a Little League President for two years, so I know what I am talking about here. For a volunteer, the hours are extremely long - upwards of 40 per week. Everybody is always upset at you, calling at all hours of the night to complain about trivial things. And when you're not acting as the League's pin cushion you're playing psychologist, soothing the bruised egos of parents who all think their kid is the second coming of Derek Jeter. Good times. 7.   Nurse Average Annual Income: $65,130 Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $150,000 Public Appreciation Meter: Not too bad, actually. Why They're Underpaid: This job often requires a cast-iron stomach and entails very long hours with sometimes-grumpy and uncooperative patients. I say anybody who has to assist with surgeries, change bedpans, insert catheters, give injections and sponge baths, and provide other general care and comfort to the sick and injured on a daily basis is almost by definition, underpaid. 6. Exterminator Average Annual Income: $31,210 Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $125,000 Public Appreciation Meter: Exterminated. Why They're Underpaid: Exterminators often have to work in dark and tight places. They're often required to work with hazardous chemicals too. The worst part though is they're constantly at risk of being bit or stung, or contracting rabies, hepatitis, or other diseases from vermin that most of us would just as soon never even have to look at: poisonous snakes, rats, black widow spiders, rabid raccoons, skunks, bats, gators, bees, mice, cockroaches, and rats. "Uh, Len, you said 'rats' twice." I know - that's because I really hate rats. 5. Septic Tank Servicer Average Annual Income: $35,550 Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $135,000 Public Appreciation Meter: "You mean somebody actually has to clean those things out?" Why They're Underpaid: Their job description stinks - and I mean literally: Clean and repair septic tanks, sewer lines, or related structures. Clean and disinfect domestic basements and other areas flooded by sewer stoppages. Withdraw cables from pipes and examine them for evidence of mud, roots, grease, and other deposits indicating broken or clogged sewer lines. By the way, I'll give you two guesses what "other deposits" could be, and the first one doesn't count. 4. Embalmer Average Annual Income: $39,320 Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $150,000 Public Appreciation Meter: Better than some professions, but not as good as most. Why They're Underpaid: When I was growing up I lived next door to a mortician. I still remember the empty industrial-sized containers of embalming powder he kept in his garage to store everyday stuff. My family became close with his and we did a lot of things together. Uncle Chuck was such a funny and easy going guy, which always amazed me considering his very somber duties at the mortuary, stories of which he shared freely with us kids as we became teenagers. One of his duties was embalming; it is a difficult and surprisingly physically demanding job. To this day I still remain amazed at how Uncle Chuck could be so easy going and carefree at home considering all the sadness and heartache he encountered on a daily basis at work. 3. Lineman Average Annual Income: $54,300 Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $200,000 Public Appreciation Meter: Only when the local power goes out. Why They're Underpaid: Not too surprisingly, this job regularly ranks among those with the ten highest fatality rates. This job is much worse than that of a professional tight-rope walker, as it combines nerve-wracking heights with extremely high electrical currents. If that doesn't convince you, maybe this will. And if you have a few extra minutes, maybe even this. 2. Trauma Scene Clean-up Worker Average Annual Income: $35,000 (according to answerbag.com) Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $250,000 Public Appreciation Meter: Dead on arrival. Why They're Underpaid: Did you ever wonder who goes in and cleans up the blood, guts and random body parts after major car accidents, homicides and other similar tragedies? I don't think most people do -- they just figure a site magically cleans itself up after the authorities leave the scene. I once spoke to a guy who used to do this for a living and he said the job is absolutely horrific and often requires superhuman intestinal fortitude and emotional control. Here's a chilling job description that warns potential job applicants what to expect and here are some common tools of their trade. 1. Military Soldier/Sailor Average Annual Income: $16,794 (First-year, enlisted) Annual Income If It Were Up to Me: $1,000,000 Public Appreciation Meter: Getting better, but still not enough. Why They're Underpaid: The job of a soldier is, without a doubt, the most underpaid job in the world. In addition to being charged with putting their lives on the line on a daily basis in order to protect us and our way of life, the soldier's job description also entails many of the difficult jobs previously mentioned. On top of that, they often have to do their jobs with minimal sleep, rations, and almost impossible living conditions. The freshest US recruits have to do all that for a base salary of just over $16,000 per year -- and after their military taxes are deducted it's even less. We should all keep that in mind the next time we think we're underpaid for what we do. So there you have it: the 10 most underpaid jobs. If you're interested, you might also want to check out my list of the 10 most overpaid jobs -- I'm sure that'll ruffle a few feathers out there. ...

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Drive-By Movie Review: Taken

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Today's Drive-By Movie Review is on the 2009 movie Taken, starring Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace... Plot Summary: A former spy relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade. Me: I miss the days ...

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Drive-By Movie Review: Defiance

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Today's Drive-By Movie Review is on the 2008 movie Defiance, starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber... Plot Summary: Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belorussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters ...

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Drive-By Movie Review: Killshot

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This is a review of the 2009 movie Killshot, starring Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane, and Rosario Dawson. Plot Synopsys: Carmen Colson (played by Diane Lane) and her semi-estranged husband Wayne are placed in the Federal Witness Protection program after ...

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Drive-By Movie Review: Knowing

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This is a review of the 2009 movie Knowing, starring Nicholas Cage. Plot Synopsis: Astrophysicist and grieving widower, Professor John Koestler, studies a sheet of paper from a time capsule that has been dug up at his son's elementary school; on it ...

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Evaluating the Cost of Extreme Frugality

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Earlier this month one of my favorite personal finance bloggers, Bret Frohlich, wrote a terrific piece where he declared war on frugality and explained why frugality doesn't always pay. In fact, Bret's post got me thinking about those who choose to take on a life of extreme frugality. Keep in mind that I'm not referring to people who dutifully cut coupons and grow their own vegetables. Instead, I am talking about people who bring home roadkill for dinner, read by candlelight, and/or eschew heating regardless of how cold it is outside. Why would anybody ever choose such a punitive lifestyle? As I see it, there are three predominant reasons: 1.   After living far beyond their means for too long, they discover themselves to be deeply mired in debt, like this college student who chose to live out of a pick-up truck. 2.   They are committed environmentalists that are determined to try and "save the Earth", like this lady. 3.   They are fanatical, committed anti-capitalist knuckleheads that are determined to try and "save the Earth" - like the Freegans. By the way, on their website, the proudly-unemployed Freegans unabashedly proclaim to us uninformed working-class sheep that not only does   "working suck," but it is "dehumanizing" as well. Interestingly enough, in the very next sentence the Freegans go on to espouse, without the slightest hint of irony, the joys of dumpster diving.   Go figure. Just Remember... Those who practice extreme frugality do not have a monopoly on making life harder than it has to be. And while it is important to invest in your financial future by doing everything you can to stick to a strict budget and stay out of debt, please don't go so far overboard that you forget to invest in your quality of life as well.   :-) Life really is too short to live like a refugee if you don't have to. Hey! If you liked this article, please be sure to subscribe to my RSS feed! ...

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18 Facts You Didn’t Know About The Federal Reserve System

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1. The Federal Reserve System is the United States' version of a central bank. Central banks, also known as reserve banks, are the entities responsible for the monetary policy of a country. The United States has not always had a central banking system. In fact, three separate central banks have operated in the United States at one time or another since 1791. 2. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton was a proponent of a strong central government with a central bank. Hamilton dueled  with James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, who both argued that the new Constitution did not explicitly allow the federal government to form a bank.   However, despite their best efforts neither Madison or Jefferson were able to prevent Hamilton from founding the First Bank of the United States in 1791.  Hamilton wasn't as successful in his famous duel with Aaron Burr on July 11, 1804; he died from the resulting gunshot wound a day later. 3. As president, Madison finally got his way when let the original 20-year charter for the First Bank of the United States expire in 1811. Surprisingly, Madison had a change of heart four years later, and asked Congress for a new central bank. In 1816, The Second Bank of the United States was granted a 20-year charter to provide the government two services: 1) establish a national currency, and 2) meet interest and principal payments on the National Debt run up during the War of 1812. 4. In 1832 Andrew Jackson campaigned on a platform opposed to charter renewal for the Second Bank of the United States. With the National Debt on target for being paid off by 1835, Jackson saw little reason for a central bank. After Jackson was reelected, the Bank's president, Nicholas Biddle, unsuccessfully tried to pressure Jackson to renew the bank's charter by contracting the money supply, but it was to no avail. In 1835 Jackson officially retired the National Debt. He retired the central bank one year later. 5. The period from 1837 to 1862 is known as the Free Banking Era because the US had no formal central bank. Instead, state authorities directed the printing and registering of bank notes and issued them to banks in amounts equal to deposited designated securities. In 1863, a system of national banks was instituted by the National Banking Act. Despite its passage, a series of bank panics in 1873, 1893, and 1907 could not be avoided. 6. The third and current central banking system of the United States, better known as the Federal Reserve System, was born in 1913 when, after many painful months of hearings, debates, and amendments, the Federal Reserve Act was passed by Congress.   On a Sunday.  Two days before Christmas.   When most of Congress was on vacation.   For the record, Democrats supported the bill while Republicans were against it. 7. Interestingly enough, nowhere in the title or anywhere else in the Federal Reserve Act were the words “central bank.” According to the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics: The primary reason for this omission was the term’s unpopularity with the populist wing of the Democratic Party. Republicans had accepted the label, but, after 1912, no longer controlled either Congress or the White House. That term, many congressmen objected, implied monopolistic control by Wall Street bankers, who would keep interest rates high and conspire with speculators to cause panics. 8. The main motivation for the third central banking system came from the Panic of 1907, which renewed demands for banking and currency reform. A majority of the American public believed that the Federal Reserve System would bring about financial stability, so that a panic like the one in 1907 could never happen again. 9. Don't tell that to Ron Paul: Paul believes that the Fed's ability to print money without any controls is actually the main cause of inflation and the economic bubbles that  occasionally plague the country.   Paul advocates reduced government spending, lower taxes, and letting the free market manage monetary policy as the proper alternative to the Fed. 10. Ironically, the presence of the Fed could not keep the United States from entering the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many prominent economists including the late Milton Friedman believe that the Fed was directly responsible for causing the Great Depression because they willingly allowed the money supply to slowly decline after the 1929 stock market crash, thereby preventing recovery and economic expansion. 11. The current Federal Reserve System is a quasi-private institution. That is, it is an independent government institution that has private aspects. The System is not a private organization and does not operate for the purpose of making a profit. It is owned by the 12 regional Federal Reserve banks, which are each in turn owned by a combination of regional and commercial banks. 12. In addition to maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets, the Federal Reserve Banks have several other functions including clearing checks, providing economic education, establishing economic policy, approving bank mergers and acquisitions, and researching and issuing reports on the regional economy which they publish eight times a year in a report known as "the Beige Book." 13. The Beige Book, so-named because the cover of the Fed's internal hard copies are, well, beige, is based upon reports from regional Bank and Branch directors and interviews with key business contacts, economists, market experts, and other sources. The report's more formal name is the Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions. 14. Back in 1970, when it began as an internal report for people at the Fed, the report actually had a red cover and was known as (you guessed it) the "red book." But the color and the name changed with the report's first public release in 1983. 15. The Federal Reserve also puts out "Green" and "Blue" books with appropriately colored covers that forecast, respectively, economic activity for the immediate future, and forecasts and analysis of monetary policy alternatives. Unlike the Biege Book, however, the Blue and Green books are not made available to the public. 16. The Federal Reserve is also responsible for issuing and destroying the nation's coin and paper currency. The U.S. Treasury, through its Bureau of the Mint and Bureau of Engraving and Printing, actually produces the nation's cash supply and, in effect, sells it to the Federal Reserve Banks at manufacturing cost, currently about 4 cents per bill for paper currency. The Federal Reserve Banks then distribute it to other financial institutions in various ways. Critics believe that the Fed's charter to issue money violates Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution. 17. The bills in your wallet are officially known as Federal Reserve Notes; they are a form of fiat currency and are not backed by tangible assets such as gold or silver. Alphabetic notations on the front side of each bill identify which of the 12 Fed-bank headquarters issued the note: Boston (A); New York (B); Philadephia (C); Cleveland (D); Richmond (E); Atlanta (F); Chicago (G); St. Louis (H); Minneapolis (I); Kansas City (J); Dallas (K); and San Francisco (L). 18. Conspiracy theorists believe John F. Kennedy was assassinated because of Presidential Executive Order 11110.    The theorists argue that was because  the executive order was a direct attempt to usurp the Federal Reserve's power.   Of course, there are others who find that particular conspiracy theory and supporting argument to be pure poppycock.   ;-) If you liked this article, please be sure to subscribe to my RSS feed! ...

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