Making it Right

Brad Pitt and I are building houses.

Man, that sounds so cool. Brad Pitt and I are hanging out together, swinging hammers, putting up some houses. I'm sure Angelina would be nearby as well, so really it would be Brad and Angelina and I, hanging together, doing the whole house thing. Of course, Brad's a busy guy, so he wouldn't be around all the time, so sometimes it would just be Angelina and I, hanging out together, playing house (Debt Daddy's mind wanders off into fantasy land, yanked quickly back to reality by the realization that his wife reads this blog).

Okay, okay, I embellish. We're not reallly hanging out together, Brangelina and I - but Brad Pitt is building houses, and I'm helping him out when I can. And so can you.

Y'all know about Hurricane Katrina and the way it wrecked people's lives all up and down the Gulf Coast. What you may not realize is that, due to the truly pathetic, incompetent and greedy nature of insurance companies and all levels of the government, there are still a huge amount of people in the Gulf Coast who have not been able to rebuild their homes. I'm not here to argue about the reasons for it - I honestly don't care about any weaselly excuse for raining down more shit on these people after all they went through. All I know is that the victims of Hurricane Katrina have been through enough, and they deserve a break.

Turns out Brad Pitt agrees with me. Here's a snippet from his site - http://www.makeitrightnola.org/

In December 2006, Brad Pitt convened a group of experts in New Orleans to brainstorm about building green affordable housing on a large scale to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. Having spent time with community leaders and displaced residents determined to return home, Pitt realized that an opportunity existed to build houses that were not only stronger and healthier, but that had less impact on the environment.
Previously, Pitt sponsored an architecture competition organized by Global Green with the goal of generating ideas about how to rebuild sustainably. Several of those designs are currently under construction in the Lower 9th Ward and the project inspired him to expand his efforts.
After discussing the hurdles associated with rebuilding in a devastated area, the group determined that a large-scale redevelopment project focused on green affordable housing and incorporating innovative design was indeed possible.
The group settled on the goal of constructing 150 homes (one of the larger rebuilding projects in the city), with an emphasis on developing an affordable system that could be replicated.
To demonstrate replicability, Pitt determined to locate the project in the Lower 9th Ward, one of the most devastated areas of New Orleans, proving that safe homes could and should be rebuilt. Pitt hopes that this project would be a catalyst for recovery and redevelopment throughout the Lower 9th Ward and across the city of New Orleans.
Having listened to one former resident's plea to help "make this right," Pitt was inspired to name the project "Make It Right" (MIR).

As of this writing, 52 of the 150 proposed homes have been funded. That's pretty good, but it needs to be better. This neighborhood can be rebuilt, and the beauty of it is that it will be rebuilt as a green neighborhood, so not only will people have their homes back, but their homes will help all of us with their smaller carbon footprint. Seems only fair that, if someone's home is going to help all of us, that all of us should help get that home built, hmmm?

Debt Daddy doesn't usually ask for much - read my blog, laugh at my strange humor, comment every now and then and I'm generally a happy camper. However, in this post, I am asking - very strongly - that you donate to this project. One year after Katrina, I set up a website to raise money for Habitat for Humanity and their rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast. The response was underwhelming, due in part (I believe) to the fact that people thought the crisis was over down there. The flood waters had receded, people had moved out of the stadium...business as usual, right?

Wrong.

The crisis isn't over. It wasn't over a year ago, and it isn't now. And that's sad. Just a sad string of broken promises:

The government promised they would help. They didn't.

The insurance companies promised they would help. They didn't.

Now Brad Pitt has promised to help, and he's asking for help from us.

I intend to help him keep that promise. I'm gonna donate whatever I can, because I truly want to see New Orleans come back - better and stronger than ever.

I hope you'll join us. Check out the site, tell a friend, donate. Let's Make It Right.

http://www.makeitrightnola.org/

PS: I know, I know - I'm asking a bunch of debt reduction folks to give away money, and I'm sure a fair amount of people are reading this and saying, "Oh, it sounds good, but I just can't afford it right now." Well, not to get into a pissing contest or anything, but Debt Daddy is currently $673,057 in debt, and I'm kicking in. It doesn't have to be a lot. It can be five bucks. But let's all give something, okay? Thanks.

Murphy, you old So and So

If you know Dave Ramsey, you know he talks about Murphy (of the highly acclaimed Murphy's Law - "whatever can go wrong, will go wrong") and how Murphy will take up residence in your spare bedroom at the first real signs of financial progress. Well, cocky old Debt Daddy was beginning to think he was immune to Murphy's advances - that things were moving ahead so well it would be very difficult for Murph and his stinkin' law to put the brakes on. Silly Debt Daddy.

First it was the tires on my wife's van which at first glance looked fine, but upon closer inspection revealed themselves to be nearly as balding as old Debt Daddy hisself. And when do you have that "closer inspection"? Why, during a snow storm, of course! During our first real bit of snow up here my wife, try as she might, was just not able to make it all the way home from work. We live high on a hill and she was only able to make it about 2/3rds of the way up before she had to call the game due to lack of traction. As I saw her walking up the remainder of the way, I grabbed my shovel, gloves, salt and over-inflated male ego and trudged down the hill toward where she had left our stranded vehicle, grumbling to myself about what I had to assume was a certain link between estrogen and an inability to drive in slippery conditions. I would move that van, dammit. Armed with testosterone, I could not fail.

Forty five minutes later, I had moved the van - all the way across the street and ten feet further down the hill from where my wife had gotten it in the first place. It was then that I examined the tires and realized that my wife had to be a pretty spectacular driver just to make it as far as she did. I walked back up the hill, tail between my legs (there was plenty of room for a tail there, as all traces of the aforementioned testosterone had vanished or were hiding in shame) and apologized to my wife, promising to get new tires for her ride.

The tires priced out pretty well, and looked like they might only be a small hiccup in our financial plan. But of course, once the tires were off, you could see that the brakes were shot. Once the brakes were off, you could see how one of the struts was leaking. What started out as a hiccup grew into financial projectile vomiting by the time I was done there, and I returned home feeling safer on the road, but just a little financially violated.

A few days later, I was recovered and ready to face my bills again, when my wife called me to tell me about our new indoor water feature. Now, I like indoor water features. I think they're a lot of fun - soothing, feng shui-ish fountains and water walls bring out Debt Daddy's inner metrosexual, calming his troubled brain. My wife quickly brought me out of my Carradine like state of zen when she informed me that, instead of a gentle trickling of H2O over acrylic stone, what we had was a washing machine drain pipe that was backing up and sending water quickly in the wrong direction - i.e. all over the floor. Plumbers were called, and Rooter Men were recommended. Rooter Men came and plumbers were recommended. Turns out the pipe, which was thought to be clogged, was instead eaten away by the slab foundation in which it was seated. A brand new drainpipe had to be installed and other sundry plumbing issues were addressed. By the time everything was done, I think I paid for my plumbers entire Christmas shopping. Ah, the price we pay for proper drainage.

So, my wife and I have agreed - she got me new tires, brakes and struts for Christmas, and I got her a new drainpipe and the use of her washing machine back (not as romantic as the whole comb, watch fob, Magi thing I know, but it works for us). And, in a continued spirit of giving, we're giving Murphy the shaft. He trashed my guestroom, so I'm kicking him to the curb (do the kids still say that? I'm so out of touch). Let him party like a rock star in someone elses house.

Leftovers

Okay, maybe it's the cold and the switch off of daylight savings time, maybe it's the "pre-birthday funk" I always get, maybe my brain is in some form of shock from my consumption of approximately 4.75 pies since Thanksgiving Day - whatever the case, Dear old Debt Daddy just can't wrap his brain around a well rounded, coherent blog entry at this time. My thoughts are like so many post holiday leftovers...mystery blocks of aluminum foil scattered about in the refrigerator of my mind. So, in lieu of a proper post, I offer you my Leftover Extravaganza.

Leftover #1 - Go Forth and Prosper

While Citigroup and Countrywide are floundering and their stock has been plummeting (pardon me while I step away from the keyboard to do a sadistic Happy Dance................okay, I'm back now), I got the following from Prosper.com the other day:

YOU COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU

Prosper is pleased to announce that you have helped us reach $100MM in loans! Your involvement as a lender in the Prosper community has enabled people to start businesses, eliminate debt, improve homes, and fund educations. Thank you for helping us create opportunity for fellow Americans through the Prosper marketplace.

It works. And it works without major financial institutions, bottom feeding lobbyists, fat cat CEO's with golden parachutes - who needs all that anymore? People lending money to people - it doesn't get much better than that. My birthday is December 4th. You wanna get Debt Daddy the gift that keeps on giving? Click the link on the left for Prosper.com and fund a loan. Or borrow some funds to pay off the credit card vampires. Either way, we help each other and we help ourselves...and that gift is just what I always wanted.

Leftover#2 - I'm not buying anything from China anymore.

What the heck happened??????? When I was a kid, at least half the crap I had was "Made in China" and yet, it never killed me or put me into a coma. Now, after 40 some odd years of technological advances, they can't seem to make a toy that doesn't assault our kids. Well, this year I've decided to not reward bad behaviour. When China can figure out how to make a toy that's not quite so...hmmmm...what's the word.....HOMICIDAL, maybe I'll reconsider. For the time being however, I'm not even trusting their won tons.

Leftover #3 - Ho! Ho! Hey!!

This is ludicrous; I read a story last week that said certain department stores are asking their Santa's to say "Ha, Ha, Ha!" instead of the traditional "Ho, Ho, Ho!". The reason? They thought some of the mothers might misinterpret the meaning and take offense. I'm not kidding. The problem as I see it? Well, I (like a lot of Americans) am a little paranoid and more than a bit self conscious. You know what I'm gonna think if I walk through Macy's and Santa Claus looks at me and says "Ha, Ha, Ha"? That's right. Santa Claus is laughing...at me. "Did you hear that? I walk by and he says "HA, HA, HA" right in my face! That wasn't a warm, jolly "HO, HO, HO" - oh nooooo, that was a derisive, mocking "HA, HA, HA"! No, no, he's not gonna get away with that. Hey! Fat boy! What's so friggin' funny? (Fisticuffs ensue) Not so damn funny now, am I, ya friggin' Rent-A-Santa!! Debt Daddy winds up on the six o'clock news for assaulting Saint Nick. Nice.

Ladies, Santa Claus says "Ho, Ho, Ho" because that's what he's always said. Unless you show up to see Santa with your kid and the four guys that think they might be the father, he's not talking to you.

Leftover #4 - Sewing the Beads of Love

Speaking of kids and fathers, I came across this guy a while back and wanted to pass his name along to you. Jimmy Moore has been blogging for quite some time - one of his most read blogs is "Livin' La Vida Lo-Carb" (which is just the kind of kitchy title that makes Debt Daddy giggle). Anyway, he and his wife have been trying to have children for quite some time, but have had no luck, and are now turning to IVF (IVF = invitro fertilization, for anyone who doesn't know what the heck I'm babbling about). IVF can get pretty expensive, but have no fear! Believe it or not, Capital One now offers an "infertility loan" to finance the long (hopefully successful) road of making a baby with doctors present. So, whether or not their attempt to procreate is successful, they will still be paying back this loan with interest. Fortunately, Jimmy's wife has a sideline business that they're hoping will help to supplement some of the expenses and get this loan paid down. If you're still looking for Holiday gifts for people on your list, you might want to check out this link - http://livinlavidalocarb.blogspot.com/2007/11/join-in-on-jimmy-christines-beads-of.html - Jimmy's wife Christine makes some very pretty beaded jewelry, and purchasing some of her handiwork would not only make a lovely gift to whomever you're giving it to, but to the people you bought it from as well.

Well, that's about it. Thanks for sharing my leftovers with me - the fridge is looking pretty bare now. All that's left, hidden way back on the top shelf behind the eggs, is the very last Thanksgiving day pie.

One last pie.

It's a pumpkin pie.

And I'm not sharing it. :)

Debt Daddy - Pimp My Interest Rate

Hairshirts Work.

After calling to pester Bank of America two more times after my lovely conversation with Angela Angela (personal friend of Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam), I finally made it to someone who actually tried to help me (Insert audible gasp here).

Early on in our conversation, I was not expecting much. She was, after all, telling me what all the other "B of A" people I had spoken to were telling me - that my credit report and other various unnamed factors dictate what interest rates I'm allowed to have, and the one I had (17.99%) was the best I could get at this time. However, if I continued to make on time payments for the next 6 months, I might be able to get a better rate.

That's where I finally stopped being nice and got a little testy (balancing on that fine line where you go from asking someone to do something to telling someone to do something and hoping they don't call your bluff). I explained that I had been making on time payments for the last 12 years that I've had this card, so I had already done what they were asking me to do 24 times over! That alone deserved a better rate in my opinion.

Well, she appreciated that, but said she would have to talk to her supervisor and have him call me back. Yes, I flashed back to the mysterious Mr. Misterski too (who has not called me back as of yet - insert look of utter shock here). I said that was fine. I didn't even ask her for her name - I was tired and feeling a bit dejected over the whole process. What did it matter anyway? She'd probably lie about her name like Angela Angela (who lives in New York, New York?), and I truly didn't believe that anyone was going to call me back with anything good to say.

Ah, me of little faith. She called me back herself after only about fifteen minutes to tell me that they were going to reduce my rate to 13.99%. That may not sound like much to some of you, but about 50% of my credit card debt is with B of A right now, so four percentage points lower is just fine with me.

So, after calling this company three times, talking to a total of six people and spending a little under an hour of my time, I saved several thousands of dollars in interest payments. I'd say that was time well spent.

In the midst of these B of A dealings, I also called Citibank, who was charging me 18.99% interest. Suprisingly, I only had to talk to two people there before they bumped my rate down to 10.99%. Oh, and something to keep in mind - most of the rates on credit cards, variable APR mortgages and car loans are tied to the prime rate, which has come down at least 1/2 a point in recent weeks, so in some cases, your rate comes down even if you don't ask for it.

I plugged all these rate reductions (those I negotiated and those from the prime rate reduction) into my Dave Ramsey debt software and ran the debt snowball program again. All told, over the life of my debt, I will have saved $58,129.57 in interest.

And that sure makes a pretty looking diamond on my sword. :)

Bank of America - Instant Replay

Last night, I was watching a financial program where they were talking about calling your credit cards and asking for a reduced interest rate. I've tried this many times in the past, and have usually gotten nowhere. But they had four women try, and three out of four of them actually did get their interest rate lowered, so it got my hopes up. Maybe the bank rules had changed a bit. Maybe they were easing up in light of the "hard times" that banks are having right now (brief moment of silence and reflection as I shed a single tear for the plight of the banks...right).

Anyway, I decided to call them. The following was my first call, to Bank of America, which I wrote down immediately after hanging up while it was fresh in my memory. Productive? We'll see. Humorous? I thought so - you be the judge.


My name is Angela - how may I give you excellent service today?

I'd like to get a lower interest rate and I'd like to know what I need to do to make that happen.

Well Sir, I'm looking at your account and this is the best rate we have for your account at this time.

You don't have a lower rate available for my account?

No Sir, this is the best rate for your account at this time.

I assume that other people have lower rates; what do I need to do to get a rate like theirs?

This is the best rate we have for your account at this time.

Yes, for my account - I heard you the first three times you said that. But when you say, "for my account" it leads me to believe that other cardholders may have lower interest rates, so my question to you is, what do I have to do to get their rate?

Just keep paying your bill on time, Sir.

All I have to do is pay my bill on time and I'll get a lower rate?

I can't guarantee that, Sir.

You said this was the best rate for my account; on what criteria do you base that decision?



We don't have access to that information, Sir.

Please transfer me to the department that does have that information.

We're unable to share that information with you, Sir.

Your company won't tell me how they came to the decision regarding my interest rate?

No, Sir.

So there's nothing that anyone can do?

No, Sir.

What if I just paid off this card and cancelled the account; would that be cool with you?

That would be fine, Sir.

Really?

Yes, Sir.

Let me talk to your supervisor, please.

If I can get your name and number, I'll have my supervisor call you back within 24 hours.

Okay, but first I'll need your name - who am I speaking with?

Angela.

Angela, what is your last name?

Angela.

Your name is Angela Angela?

Yes.

What call center are you located in, Angela?

Hunt Valley.

Hunt Valley where?

Hunt Valley, Maryland.

Thank you for not saying Hunt Valley, Hunt Valley Angela, because that just would've been silly. What is your supervisors name?



His....um his name.....it's.....Misss.....his name....Misterski. Mr. Misterski.

And he'll call me back within 24 hours?

Yes, Sir.

(I gave her my name and number here)

Thank you.


Do you think "Mr. Misterski" is gonna call me back? Yeah, I'm not holding my breath either. That's okay - I plan on calling them back on Tuesday. And two days after that. And two days after that, and on and on and on until they get so sick of hearing from me that they do reduce my rate. It's a little maneuver I like to call, "The Human Hairshirt" (hairshirt, from Wiki - a garment made of coarse cloth or animal hair. In more modern religious circles, the word has come to simply mean an object that can be worn to induce some degree of discomfort or pain.) While I'm not trying to cause anyone pain, I've found that some minor discomfort can go a long way toward getting what you want. And, for all the discomfort they've caused all of us over the years, I consider this simply returning the favor. Reciprocity. I love it.

I'll keep you posted.

Debt Daddy's Better Half

So I know you've all been wondering - Is Debt Daddy taken? Could such a prime example of fiscal mismanagement and poor grooming still be on the market? Still looking for his special someone?

Well, sorry to disappoint, but yes Virginia - there is a Debt Mommy, and she's quite the special bit of something, she is. Stunningly beautiful and amazingly intelligent, this wonderful woman gets all my jokes, still loves me despite my myriad foibles, and manages to keep all the Debt Family trains running on time. And while fabulous wife, excellent mother and helluva homemaker were all quite worthy accomplishments, she has just done something that tops them all, putting the veritable cherry on the Debt Mommy Sundae -

She lost her job!

Isn't that Great!!

Uh-oh, Debt Daddy's gone and lost his mind (which we should've realized was already starting to happen when he claimed that the cancelling of HBO's acclaimed hit, "John From Cincinnati" was part of a vast right wing conspiracy). He's finally snapped - doesn't know up from down, good thing from bad thing, great from awful...the poor, pathetic creature.

Yes, I know - I sound crazy, but hear me out (and don't get me started on "John from Cincinnati"). My wife has worked for (names changed, identities protected, yada, yada - you know the drill) Spastic Colon, Inc. for many years and, despite her stellar performance, has never been fully appreciated for the superstar that she is. When Spastic Colon, Inc. announced that they would be moving Debt Mommy's job to outer Fubarstan, Debt Mommy hit the ground running and set a new standard for the term "proactive".

She searched for jobs online at all hours. She interviewed like a mad woman. Like a non-union NYC actor with no survival job and a loft rental to pay for, she did not stop "auditioning" until she got "cast in a new show". And, before you could say "beans and rice, rice and beans", my beautiful, dutiful bride had not only found a new job, but one at more money, with better benefits, and with a company that actually seems to realize and acknowledge what a talent she truly is.

Debt Mommy will be soon be working for Totally Awesome! Enterprises and, while I can't go into specific details, let's just say that the financial benefits, both from the old company and the new, are going to accelerate our debt payoff in a way which simply would not have been possible if things had remained as they were.

Early on in this blog, I had mentioned my search for the metaphorical "debt snowplow" to dig us out of the financial embankment in which we were buried. Who could have known that it would be my wife, Debt Mommy herself, bringing it to me, secured to the top of her minivan, wrapped in a huge red bow (and just in time for my birthday!).

So now, if you will, please join me in a round of applause for the gal who's my pal, the girl who rocks my world, the mom with aplomb, my wife for life - you know her, you love her - and doesn't she just look fabulous on that white horse with the cavalry riding behind her? - Give it up for the one, the only - - Debt Mommy!!

You rock, babe. :)

Robin Hood Was Right

First off, I want to thank all of you that have clicked through and joined Prosper, especially those of you who went so far as to fund a loan - felt pretty good getting that instant $25, didn't it? :)

Remember, once you're a member, if you get others to join through the referral program, you'll get another $25 for each one of them that joins and funds a loan, or joins for the purposes of borrowing. And, as if I need to remind you, every dollar that is loaned from one person to another is one more dollar that THE BANKS don't get any part of (I just felt a tingle in my nether regions). Remember that banker that gave you a really hard time and just wouldn't listen to reason? Well, using Prosper is the financial equivalent of replacing his toilet paper with 80 grit sandpaper. Yeah....Ouch. ;)

That to me is the true win/win scenario. It's always great if I can save some money, or make some money - but add to that the thought that I might be able to sucker punch a financial institution in the process - well hell, that just makes Debt Daddy giddy as a schoolgirl (avert your eyes from the visual that may have stirred up).

I guess that's why Robin Hood has always been one of my heroes. He saw a wrong and he righted it. He saw inequity and did something about it, usually with a broad smile on his face. Because he knew - taking ill-gotten gain from one whom neither deserves nor requires it, and returning said money to those from whom it was originally taken, is not theft - it is justice.

It's not about stealing, it's about turning the tide. Nature knows all about this - there's a part of North Carolina called the Outer Banks. It's a truly beautiful stretch of barrier islands, best known for Kitty Hawk, where the Wright Brothers had their maiden flight. More important than its historical significance however, is the inlet system of the islands themselves. Every year, the tide carries sand from the ocean side of the islands through the inlets and deposits it on the sound side. In time, the currents take that sand back from the sound side and replace it on the ocean side, so the islands are ever shifting, but always there.

Then progress came along and mucked everything up. A large bridge was built many years ago across one of the major inlets, stifling the ability of nature to do its job. Does that mean that the sand stops moving? No. Now, instead of moving the sand to the sound side, a good portion of it simply gets washed out to sea, causing beach erosion and, in worst case scenarios, causing beach homes to be condemned because there's simply not enough land left to safely support their homes.

This is what's happening with money as well. When interest rates on credit card debt are allowed to skyrocket, it erodes your funds. When wealthy CEO's hoard millions, often billions of dollars in offshore accounts, the money doesn't flow and the system doesn't function as it should. When the government denies worthwhile programs that would help the poor and middle class while at the same time rewarding the wealthy, they have blocked the cash flow yet again. And when all of these financial factors are combined, eventually there is not enough left to support you and your financial life is condemned - condemned to a seemingly endless race to get back what you lost, to claw your way out of debt - to do whatever it takes to somehow turn the tide and regain that which the sea has taken from you.

That's what Robin Hood was about - restoring the balance. The king was overtaxing those who could not afford to be taxed so heavily, and Robin Hood took it back, returning the cash to those that needed it most. Was he a thief? Depends on how you look at it - as far as the British were concerned, George Washington was a terrorist. The FBI had this to say about Martin Luther King, directly following his "I have a dream" speech; "We must mark him now . . . as the most dangerous Negro of the future in this Nation from the standpoint of Communism, the Negro and national security." It's all about perspective.

From my perspective, we need more Robin Hoods. And each of us, in our own way, can become Robin Hoods. PLEASE NOTE: DEBT DADDY IS NOT ASKING YOU TO STEAL FROM ANYONE AS DEFINED BY THE LAWS OF THE LAND. DEBT DADDY DOES NOT CONDONE, NOR IN ANY WAY ENCOURAGE FELONY BEHAVIOR! We clear? (That said, if you wanted to cover Rush Limbaugh's front lawn in pink paint, forcing him to pay a struggling landscaper to put down new sod, well then - that's your call. I'm pretty sure that's only a misdemeanor, but check with your local authority.)

What I am suggesting is that we play their game. After all, the banks and the government don't break into your house and steal your prized possessions, do they? No; instead they legally jack up your interest rates and your taxes so that you are forced to sell those prized possessions on Ebay to pay the bills. We need some perfectly legal Robin Hooding ideas, and here are a few:

First of all, take a full weekend and study your income tax code and guidelines. Are you absolutely making the most of your deductions? Time to think outside that cursed box - is there a hobby that you engage in that might, with a little tweaking, become a business? If so, the money you spend on that hobby is tax deductible. When you tithe to your church or other place of worship, do you do so by check? You should - that check is a receipt for your charitable contribution - again, tax deductible. Could your own home possibly be considered a place of worship? I know of Orthodox Jews in my area that are using that strategy. Take a fine tooth comb to the tax books, and see what you might be able to use for your situation.

Speaking of taxes, have you appealed your property taxes? I had thought about this, but was afraid it might backfire and my taxes might go up. Turns out, if you appeal, they can only lower your tax or it remains the same - they cannot raise it (this is in my area - again, check your local authority for rules and regs).

Have you looked at Prosper.com? Many of the borrowers on Prosper are there for the purposes of debt reduction. A loan from Prosper is a fixed rate term loan, quite often at better interest rates than you're getting from Visa and the like. A whole lot of people are benefiting from Prosper, so much so that it was named as one of TIME magazines top 50 websites. Again, if you're interested or curious, click the blue link on the left of this page.

These are just a few thoughts - I hope that you will post your own ideas in the comments section. I'm open to any idea, however "out there" it might seem. Because we've gotta turn this tide, folks. We've gotta get back some of what they've taken from us. And we've gotta do it Now.

Rock on, Robin Hoods.

Debt Daddy - Burnin' Down the Box

Well, we have done the unthinkable...that which must never be mentioned....the beast with seven consequences....

We borrowed from our 401k account.


Okay, that's done it - the remainder of Dave Ramsey's hair just fell out in frustration over my blatant disregard for his rules. I know, I know - in Dave's world, borrowing from my 401k is almost as bad as sleeping with my sister, forcing her to have my baby and naming it Adolf Mussolini.

And yet, I'm just not seeing it that way.

I've had several major bills come in recently - between the life insurance, property tax installment and the dreaded, completely overpriced school tax, I was looking at payments totalling close to $12,000 - that's not even including all the regular monthly bills on top of that. Could I have worked day and night to make that money? Yes. Would I have made my nut? Hmmm....you might, rabbit, you might. Was borrowing from the 401k to take care of those payments the best choice? Maybe, maybe not - I am, after all, robbing my own retirement fund, taking from tomorrow to pay for today (and yesterday, and the day before, etc.). But (and here's the question that decided it for me), how much will you enjoy your tomorrows if you work so hard that you die today?

Today is all we have. Tomorrow is not ever guaranteed and, while we're on the subject, neither are the funds in a 401k or pension or any other retirement account - the value goes up, goes down, and sometimes disappears completely. However, the interest that your credit card company charges is always guaranteed - Visa isn't going to suddenly drop your interest rate from 22% to 3.9% because of volatility on the DOW exchange. So, while we have made good returns on the majority of our investments, and we'll miss those returns on a portion of funds for the time being, the fact remains that I'll have enough left over from this loan to pay off a few thousand dollars worth of credit card debt that's currently charging 18%. Meanwhile, I'm paying back that 401k money at an interest rate of 8.75 %, and that interest is being paid - to me. If I don't pay the loan off sooner, I will have, by the final payment, paid myself $3,783.20 in interest. Frankly, I'd much rather that I get that interest rather than Bank of America or Chase or Citibank or....you get my point. So, sorry Dave, I've been thinking outside the box again and, in my bizarre little mind, this just makes sense.

Thinking outside the box is not always easy. There are some pretty scary nasties on the outside of that box, which is why the box was built in the first place - to give us a comfort zone where we might feel safe and warm and cozy. The problem is, we don't have very much to do with the actual building of the box. Our parents, advertising and marketing companies, the government, teachers - they built our box - their values, mores and beliefs form the walls, floor and ceiling. I have a friend who, for the purposes of this entry and to protect her anonymity, I shall refer to as "Chamomile". Chamomile's parents lived through part of the Great Depression, and this of course has greatly colored her world view, especially in the case of financial matters. So much so that she will often say, "I am a child of the Depression". Now, unless the depression was still going on during the Kennedy Administration, that just ain't true. Doesn't matter; it's in her head - it's the mantra she heard, and the mantra she recites. She didn't build that box, but she's decorated it quite tastefully in the style of the times (which would be the late 1920's).

We've all got our boxes. Believe me, Debt Daddy's box would make your head spin in it's strange amalgam of outdated and often contradictory beliefs. Over the years, I've questioned many of those beliefs and values, leaving dents and sometimes complete holes punched in the walls of my box. The last real solid wall I had was the one entitled, "Thou shalt not borrow from thine 401k - to do so means financial ruin and a daily diet of cat food in your golden years". I stared at that wall for a long time and finally noticed the fine print at the bottom - "This wall manufactured by the banks and financial institutions that use your retirement contributions for decades and who are intent on scaring the bejesus out of you so that you NEVER consider taking away this free source of revenue."

A low growl emanates from deep in Debt Daddy's throat. "Damned banks". In a fit of rage, Debt Daddy charges at that filthy, misleading wall and hurls himself into it. The aged plaster and lathe shatters as he explodes through the wall of his now ramshackle box, landing in a heap on the outside. He finds himself on a vast white sand beach, illuminated by more stars than he thought it possible for the sky to hold. Breathless, he gasps for air and staggers to his feet. The air outside feels clean and fresh, not poisonous like "THEY" said it would be, and a pleasant change from the stale, odorous atmosphere of the box. The Box. An evil gleam flashes in Debt Daddy's eyes. "What this scene needs is a fire", he thinks to himself. Quick as a flash, before he can think twice, he yanks his Zippo from his pocket, rolls the starter across his jeans and tosses the now flaming object into the middle of the box. It ignites immediately, and he sits before the building blaze, chuckling to himself about the sage platitudes that covered its walls -

"A leased vehicle is the Best way to go!"

"What will people think??"

"Ya gotta buy up all the Lucent stock you can....and hold onto it!"

"What you need is a real job in a stable company - like Enron!"

Those and countless others turn to ember and ash, as the box collapses to the ground, it's flames dancing in the night wind. And, although he's sure it's not what the builders had in mind, as he sits before his burning box, now a massive bonfire on the beach, the ashes of preconception, misconception and deception gently floating into an endless night sky full of equally endless possibilities...

He feels Safe.

And Warm.

And Cozy.

Thank You, Dr. House

And so it would seem that the final correct diagnosis of my medical mystery would come, not from the cadre of medical professionals gathered to examine me and overcharge my insurance company, but instead from Hugh Laurie and the talented script writers of the tv show, "House".


We had never seen the show before, but seeing as there was nothing else on that evening that we felt like watching, I said half-joking, "Let's see if this guy knows what's wrong with me!". Imagine my surprise when, a mere fifteen minutes into the episode, he mentioned "costochondritis". I ran to the internet on the next commercial break and, sure enough, the description of the condition matched up perfectly with my mis-named malady, Quico.


The good news is that it's a muscular condition so, as the numerous tests and scans will attest, all the major organs are pretty much off the table as potential suspects. The bad news is...well, that it's a muscular condition. Pretty much the number one treatment for costochondritis is - REST. (Debt Daddy stifles a derisive giggling fit as the irony of "rest" becoming a four letter word in his vocabulary hits home.) After the whole "deck debacle" that brought about this condition in the first place (think about that - working on their deck put me in the hospital, and then they criticize my work and refuse to pay me the balance - this is the living cliche of "adding insult to injury") I'm going to have to work harder than ever to make up for lost wages...while resting? Hmmm....'tis a conundrum wrapped in a riddle lounging on a LayZBoy, isn't it?

More later.

And so it goes...

So, you remember the deck I was working on? The thing of beauty that had been driving me crazy for weeks? Well, I finished it a few days ago, and stopped by today to pick up the balance for the project. I had explained to them beforehand that, due to unforseen additional repairs, the cost would be about $1,000 more than we had originally discussed. They said they were okay with that and told me to come on by to get my grand.

Yeah well, they're not happy.

The wife can't seem to wrap her brain around the fact that, when new problems come up, the old estimate doesn't always apply. Seems simple enough -if you take your car to the shop to get new tires and, in the process of doing that, they find that your brake pads are shot and you need new ones - well then, that's gonna cost More, isn't it? She doesn't get that. So, instead of understanding the logic behind the new price, she's nitpicking about every little thing, including things that I've already explained to her twice before and including things that weren't exactly in the original job description. Any little thing to justify the fact that they really don't want to pay the extra money and that the estimate should be the exact cost of the job - no ifs, ands or buts.

Well, I stayed there for about an hour and tried to fix the things that they had issue with. But the longer I stayed there, the worse I started to feel. I had felt very proud of this deck. I had even taken pictures of it and was planning on posting them here. I take my work personally - it's a part of me - a reflection of who I am. But I've seen this before, and I realized that, no matter what I did, they weren't going to be happy. My beautiful deck was their overpriced piece of shit. And nothing I could do, short of rebuilding the railings and stairs for free, was going to change that opinion. I was nothing more than an opportunist to them - a fly by night scam artist that was trying to sell them a $5,000 piece of crap.

So I left. I did my best, and my best sucked. The more I think about it, the worse I feel. It's not even the money at this point - they can keep their damned money. It's the fact that I busted my ass on this job, but they couldn't see all the good work; all they could see were the minute flaws. No matter what was said, the look in this woman's eyes said, "You failed us and now you're trying to rob us as well".

I don't need that. It hurts. Do I take my job too personally? Yeah, I suppose I do. Maybe I should do what other contractors do - over estimate the job by 50%, overcharge for all my supplies, do the bare minimum to get paid and not give a flying doughnut about what anyone thinks. Problem is, I've been on the other side, and I've hated it when contractors have done that to me, so I try to do better - to be better than that. Fat lot of good that's done me.

Times like this, I just want to chuck the whole business - times like this I just want to crawl into a deep hole someplace. I feel like a complete and utter disappointment - to these clients, to my family (whom I am supposed to provide for), to myself - to everyone.

Unfortunately, crawling into a hole is not an option. Gotta keep going - gotta keep paying the bills, keep working through the continuous pain in my gut, keep breathing in and out, keep one step ahead of just about Everything.

And so it goes...

Debt Daddy's take on Prosper

I just got off the phone with my bank. Now, I know you can't see me, but take a guess - am I smiling?


The smart money would bet on "no". It used to be that you could call your local financial institution with a problem or issue and they would do what they could to help you. If they couldn't help you, they might offer some advice on alternative options. In any case, they appreciated you as a customer and placed some value on their relationship with you.


Yeah...and you used to get a free toaster when you opened an account too.


Those days are over. The banks have decided that they have absolutely no reason to help us, so they don't. There's just no profit in it. It seems like, at every turn, financial institutions are trying to make it harder and harder for the average person to get by. You can only get a loan if you don't need the money. The check you deposit takes a week to show up in your account, while the checks you write are withdrawn from your accont almost as soon as you're done writing them. Fees abound, interest rates bounce, and if you read the fine print, you'll find that most banks tell you right up front that they can and will change the rules whenever they feel like it.


Kinda feels like playing poker with The Sopranos, if you ask me. And I've gotta ask myself, "Why am I still sitting at this table? Surely there's gotta be a better game in town?"


Turns out, there is. If you're looking to borrow money, or if you're in a position to loan money and make a very decent return, read on.


Not too long ago, I came across Prosper.com. Prosper is a company that makes it possible for people like you and me to lend money to people like you and me. No Banks. No Credit Institutions. No Sub Prime Mortgage Companies. Just People. Lending to and borrowing from other people. Some of these folks come here because, for whatever reason, their credit scores and ratings are not quite up to snuff, and the banks won't talk to them. Others come here because, although they have excellent credit ratings, they'd rather not go to a conventional bank for their loan. Either way, Prosper has put together quite an operation. They are thorough, organized - and it seems like it's really working.


I have to admit, I was impressed with the vetting process that Prosper makes applicants go through. In that regard, they are very much like a bank - credit checks are run, debt to income ratios are reported, their credit ratings and any other pertinent information are published so that potential lenders know exactly who they're lending to and what the potential risk might be. But unlike a bank, Prosper doesn't automatically say no if you don't fit into the perfect box of what a "good borrower" should be.


Is there risk? Sure. I'm currently funding a portion of a loan to a woman with an F credit rating. Is there a chance she might default on the loan? Absolutely. Is there a chance that the stock market might hiccup and my 401k account would suddenly devalue itself by 20%? Absolutely. Every investment has risk. The good news is that I've only loaned her $50 of the $4,000 loan she was approved for. Other Prosper members loaned that same amount or better til the loan was fully funded. The loan is being repaid over three years at an interest rate of 22%. Now, this woman has a chance to turn her financial life around. She wasn't about to get that chance with a typical bank. No way in Hell.


That's the appeal for me, I guess. You get to help people that really need help, and you get to stick it to the banks at the same time. They don't get the interest - you do. The banks get nothing but a cold shoulder and a door slammed in their face for a change - and that thought makes me giddy every time I think about it.


If you have even the slightest interest or curiousity, click my link on the left hand side of this page. And how's this for instant reward - if you click through my link, join Prosper and fund a loan, you and I both get $25.00. So, for lending someone $50, you automatically get a 50% return on investment.


Helping others.

Screwing the banks.

Instant return.


Money well spent.

Game Called on Account of Pain

When life gives you lemons...sometimes it's only a prelude to the rotten tomatoes that life has just hurled at your head - DUCK!


So, it's another Saturday, and I'm working again. I'm replacing a Big deck around a Big swimming pool - and not a rectangular pool, mind you - a 12 sided pool, and the boards from each side have to miter up perfectly with the boards from the next side, so the deck makes just the prettiest "frame" around the pool. It will be a thing of beauty when it's completed, but at the moment, it's a huge pain in the butt. I underestimated how long the job would take and now I'm hurrying to get it done - and it's just not a job you can hurry - -

Wow, I just read this back and realized what you might be thinking - "and in my rush to get the boards cut I didn't realize that I had inadvertantly put my right leg on the table saw. As I turned on the lethal machine, the roar of it's angry engine and the ringing of blade shredding muscle and bone combined with my own horriffic screams in a twisted three part harmony strangely remniscent of Sweeney Todd as I watched my dreams of being a RiverDancer wash away in a stream of blood and sawdust. The horror.....the horror".

Yeah...that didn't happen. Although it's a helluva lot more exciting than what did happen - maybe I should turn to fiction - give those big time writers a run for their money (did you hear that? Stephen King was literally quaking in his boots - listen again......there! You must have heard it that time!)

So anyway, what did happen was, in the midst of my work, I was struck by a strange, quite uncomfortable abdominal pain on my right side. It seemed the more I worked, the worse it got. Luckily, it began to rain and I had a good excuse to go home early, which I did. By the time I got home and into bed, the pain had spread across my entire abdominal region, most of my chest and up into my shoulders and back. I found the least uncomfortable position in which to lie down, and slept on and off for the next 20 hours.

I woke up on Sunday feeling almost 100% better, and was about to commence my celebratory "I'm Feeling Better Happy Dance" (don't look at me that way - you know you do it too) , when the pain returned, this time on the left side, and started to climb upward once more. Since the preceding night had been...well...Excrutiating, I decided to see if I could avoid another full blown episode and drove myself over to the Emergency Room. Above the entrance to the ER is a sign that says RapidCare, and it made my smile a bit - "Thats what I'm looking for, all right - RapidCare! Treat me and Street me! Git 'er Done!!" I'm surprised I could fit through the door, being that full of naivety and blind hope.

Long story short, RapidCare ain't so Rapid. They kept me overnight in the Cardiac Care Unit. Now, I knew perfectly well that the problem wasn't with my heart, and I think they knew it too, but anytime there's chest pain involved they keep you in cardiac care until they're absolutely sure that you won't have a heart attack as you leave the hospital. It's actually quite a symbiotic relationship - by caring about your heart, they're covering their ass. When they did actually release me on Monday, they still didn't have a clue what was wrong with me, I was still in pain, but my heart had been checked out eight ways to Sunday, so we certainly knew that it wasn't that.

So that was Monday. Still in pain, albeit less, on Tuesday - I work for as long as I can, then go to see my regular doc. He's not sure what it could be either, but let's get a CT scan of the colon, just for giggles. The scanning facility can see me Thursday which works out great, as Wednesday the pain has returned as bad as it was that first Saturday and I don't even want to move. Thursday comes, I get my CT scan done, then rush off to work. I get to the job and realize that I'm actually feeling much better. About half way through the workday I can hear the theme song for the aforementioned "I'm Feeling Better Happy Dance" playing in the disco of my mind and, when no one is looking, I shake my butt in time with the tune. "It must have been a virus", I think to myself. "Ooooh, and a nasty one, too - but I stood strong, and I beat it! Yeah, that's right, ya danged virus! Who bad? We Bad! I am Strong! I am Invincible! I am Debt Daddeeeeeeee!!!!!"

Ow. Sudden pain in my head. Must've been singing to myself too loudly. Oh, well - it'll pass.

Well, it didn't pass. The pain in my head got progressively worse as this vile disease (which I have now decided to name "Quico" - loosely translated as a devil with no name) decided it would be fun to sprinkle shards of glass all around my eye sockets. I finished work for the day and attended two back to school nights, all the while trying to ignore the jackhammer that Quico was plunging into my brain. Finally went to sleep, hoping that tomorrow would be a better day.

That brings us to today. I woke up this morning to the sounds of Quico triggering a controlled demolition in my cerebral cortex. As I write this, I have exquisite pain in my head and eyes; dull, throbbing pain in my left shoulder and beneath the lower right portion of ribcage, and a bit of fair to middlin' burning pain in my upper back.

Frankly, I'm bored with it. Or more to the point, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. It's like that line from the movie "City Slickers" - "if you're gonna kill me, than kill me - otherwise, shut up!"

It's been nearly a week, Quico. Time to put up or shut up. I'm worth half a mil in a pine box, so if that's where we're going with this, let's just hurry up and get there. Otherwise, Back Off.

I've got work to do.

Debt Daddy - A Rant in Three Octaves

I wanna talk about a few things today - actually, I wanna talk about a lot of things today, but my thought patterns are completely haywire due to a pretty hard work week that has left most of my body feeling incredibly sore and tired. It's hard to think in rational, linear terms when you're sore and tired, so please bear with me if this post is a bit...frenetic (and by frenetic, I mean like the typing equivalent of Tourette's syndrome).

Speaking of Tourette's syndrome, what's up with John McCain lately? First he sings, "Bomb, bomb, bomb - bomb, bomb Iran" (to the tune of the beach boys song, "Barbara Ann") and later says he didn't mean to say that. Then, after the whole General Petraeus hooplah, he says that "MoveOn.org and it's members should leave the country" and the next day says that he didn't mean to say that. Dude, I'm not trying to be political or anything, but say what you mean and mean what you say - The First Time. And, for what it's worth, I had a lot more respect for you when you spoke your own mind and not Bush's. Weenie.

Anyway...so I got a call from the Natural Resources Defense Council the other night. If you're not familiar, they're a group that tries to save natural resources from developers, oil companies, etc. The lady on the phone is telling me all about how Shell Oil is trying to drill somewhere that they shouldn't (big news flash) and how the NRDC is getting ready to take them to court and how it sure would help them out if I made a contribution. Well, I think I threw her off her script because I said, "Do you really think that's gonna help?" She said, "I'm sorry?" I said (and I'm quoting to the best of my recollection), "Do you really think that taking them to court is going to help anything? You file a suit against them, they drag it out so you use up all your money, then the Bush Administration makes the whole case go away and gives the oil company another tax credit for their trouble. Taking them to court won't help. The only thing that will help is to stop using oil. I drive a Prius. I use CF ligthbulbs wherever I can. I heat and air condition my house only when absolutely necessary. I do whatever I can to use as little oil and gas as possible. I do this first and foremost to save money, but I also do it to save lives. The money that we pay for oil goes largely to Saudi Arabia, who in turn funds terrorism. I don't want to be a part of that - I feel no need to help the oil companies, or to help Saudi Arabia, and I certainly don't want to do anything that would possibly help the proliferation of terrorism. So, while I can't contribute to your cause today, please know that I'm doing what I can to stop the oil companies in my own way."

She didn't know what to say, and simply ended by thanking me for my time. While I do respect what this group and others like it try to accomplish, I stand behind what I said to her. In a country like the US, where everyone is so incredibly concerned about terrorists, why are we still such oil junkies? Can anyone explain to me why there aren't solar panels on every federal, state and local government facility in the US? Why our cafe standards are so abysmal? Why we seem so hellbent on financing the very people that are trying to kill us? It makes me sick, and I'm tired of it. And if any friend of mine comes back from Iraq missing and arm or a leg just so some whack-a-mole could fill up his Hummer, I'm gonna be pissed.

By the way, as I mentioned, I do drive a Prius. I bought it new, which I know is a definite Dave Ramsey no-no, but let me say this about that - Consumer Reports recently reported that the Prius is one of a handful of cars that can conceivably be driven for 200,000 miles before needing to purchase a new car. I average 8,000 miles a year, which means it's possible that I can drive this car for 25 years. So, rather than buy 5 to 8 "Hoopdiemobiles" over the course of that time, I'll stick with my good old hybrid, which is currently averaging 46 MPG (that's in the suburbs - 50 MPG highway, 60 MPG city). Put that in your hookah and smoke it, Saudi Arabia.

Oh, a short side note on all of that - I'm teaching my kids about conserving energy and other resources. I'm explaining that, when you don't let the water run, or turn off the lights when you leave a room, or only drive places when you have to, that it helps the entire planet. We've developed an easy slogan (borrowed with creative license from the tv series "Heroes") - I start the thought, and they finish it -

I say, "Save electricity?"

They say, "Save the World."

"Save water?"

"Save the World."

"Save Gas?"

"Save the World!"

Cool, huh?

Okay, I'm done for now. Thanks for letting my wander through my topic-less blather. Once I've put this current job to bed and my aches and pains subside, I'll be back on track.

Debt Daddy's Pursuit of Happyness

Today was a very good day.

By the end of business today, I had deposited into the bank $3,935.47.

I felt so good, I treated myself to Starbucks. Yes...I know - I'm a spendthrift to the end (I even got the Venti - go big or go home! That's what I say!) and Dave Ramsey would berate me for my extravagance, but I did the math, and that cup of coffee is about .054% of the amount of money I banked today - and I can live with that.

I also got a good lesson in perspective over the last couple of evenings. I saw my sister in law last night and was kvetching about my tax bill (kvetching - verb - the act of complaining, whining, moaning and groaning, or any combination thereof). When I told her it was over $8,000, she said, "Wow, that's low." I was speechless - surely she must have misheard me or have some terrible misconception of this whole high/low concept as it relates to our planet. She then went on to tell me that her school taxes in her very upscale neighborhood were $44,000. That's just the school tax. Total property taxes come to a whopping total of $60,000.

Yeah, I know. My eyes popped out of my head, too.

That was last night. Tonight we watched our latest library rental DVD, "The Pursuit of Happyness". I'm flagging this movie as recommended viewing for everyone trying to get out of debt. I won't give the story away, but suffice it to say that it makes you realize how bad things can get, how good you've got it, and what can be accomplished when you put your mind, body and soul into something.

So, upon further examination, maybe it's me that's got this whole high/low thing mixed up. Even at my very lowest point in this whole financial mishagash (mishagash - yiddish noun - meaning craziness, loosely translated), I've always had a roof over my head, I've always found a way to feed my family, and my taxes were never as high as some people's salary.

All in all, things are pretty good. Are they where I want them to be? Of course not. But things get better. Day by day, bit by bit, they get better.

Yep...today was a very good day.

Debt Daddy on the Edge

Don'tcha just love the mail?

The school tax bill came - all $8,265.00 of it.

Can you say "Ouch"? C'mon, say it with me now - Ouch! Come on; louder! With feeling! (like if part of you just got caught in your zipper - you fella's out there know what I'm talking about)

OUCH!!!!!!

I actually got this bill last week, but it took me this long to be able to talk about it without falling into The Pit Of Despair. I used to suffer from some pretty severe depression, but have found over the past few years that laughter honestly is good medicine (not the best medicine, as many have been led to believe - that would, of course be tequila, but I can't afford that at the moment). So, I've gotten to the point now where I can laugh about this a bit - it's a kind of maniacal laugh - more of a hilarious cackle really, and I think it scares my wife a little, but it's a start.

So, I've gotta scramble..again. I did the numbers when I got the bill and determined that, if I made $200 every single day for the next 26 days (bill is due at the end of September), combined that with my wife's salary and applied that entire amount to the current bills and the tax bill, I would only be $2,000 short. I just ran the numbers again and, to break even, I need to make $500 every day for the next 18 days. (Insert maniacal laughter here)

So, re-think. Re-scramble. Lather, Rinse, Re-peat. And try to dismiss Gene Wilder's voice in my head mumbling, "Now Way Out, No Way Out, No Way Out".

That's probably the most frustrating part of this entire process - I know that there is a way out - I know with the utmost certainty that there is a way by which I can get all this paid off and put this debt behind me - I just haven't figured out what that is yet.

Still, I know that it's there. The Answer. At the moment, it's much like a huge, scattered jigsaw puzzle in my mind, with only the beginnings of an edge completed, but I know that it can be completed and the picture will be clear. There is a solution for every problem, an answer for every question - there is always a way out. I truly believe this. It just requires careful thought and deliberate action, both of which are hard to muster when you have a huge dungheap of debt hanging by a thread directly above you.

A good dose of divine inspiration is also quite helpful to the process, and that's where y'all come in, if you would be so kind. What's the craziest thing you ever did to make money? The most bizarre job you've ever had? The biggest risk you've ever taken that turned out to be profitable? The oddest way to stretch a dollar? Whatever you've got, I'd love to hear it. Sometimes, all it takes is seeing things from a different angle to push me through a mental block and man - I could sure use a push right now.

Please leave some comments on this. I haven't been around blogland long, but it seems to me that good blogs are like good sex - it's always much better when there's more than one person participating. With your help, we could turn this into an absolute blog orgy.

C'mon...join me...it'll be blogeriffic! (Insert maniacal laughter here)

"They Want What They Want When They Want It"

The other night, I was talking with a friend of mine (one of those people that you used to be pretty good friends with, but now you're kinda friends in name only. Like I'm sure some of you never cancelled your Shaun Cassidy fan club memberships, so you're still a part of that group - and I thought I had problems). For the purposes of this conversation and to protect her identity, I will hereinafter refer to her as "Snagglepuss".
Debt Daddy
Snagglepuss and I had actually dated a few decades back - in those days, politics rarely came up - sex was much more interesting. But now politics does come up (since we're no longer having sex) and it seems my friend has turned into quite the Rush Limbaugh lover. Apparently, Rush had been talking on his show about the fact that the government is bailing out people who fell victim to the whole sub-prime mortgage debacle, and this has made Rush Limbaugh angry. And whatever makes Rush angry seems to make Snagglepuss just as angry. She was shocked and appalled at the unfairness of it all - "I've worked for everything I have! When I wanted to buy a house, I did my homework! I didn't fall for those ridiculous programs! If the government is gonna bail out stupid people, why don't they reward me for being smart?! The problem with those people is that they want what they want when they want it!"

I don't think she had any clue that she was, at that very moment, talking with one of "those people". Not that the government or anyone else is bailing me out anytime soon; but apparently, I was one of those stupid people. I tried to explain to Snagglepuss that, as a 41 year old single woman with no children, a house, a paid for car, a good job and a trust fund, she might not be able to understand the plight of a Dad who just wants better for his family, or of a person that may have had to carry two mortgages for six months or so because a house didn't sell and so may have been thrilled to have found a mortgage program to help him out, despite the negatives.

It really didn't matter what I said; her mind was made up. "Nope; they want what they want when they want it - that's all there is to it."

On my way home, I kept coming back to that statement. About halfway to my house, indignance gave way to self examination and I came to the conclusion that, at least as far as I was concerned, she was right. I do want what I want when I want it. It's funny to me that when Rush and Snagglepuss apply that trait to a person and their finances, it's a bad thing. Take that same trait and slap it into a corporate executive - we call him a go-getter who hits the ground running. It's all about perspective, I guess.

So, is wanting what you want when you want it a bad thing? Nope. As far as I'm concerned, that's how and why shit gets done. It's a protest chant, for crying out loud -

"What do we want?

(insert whatever it is you and the other yelling protesters want here)

When do we want it?

Now!"

Desire. Determination. Drive. That's what wanting what you want when you want it is. Wanting what you want when you want it is what makes this country great - hell, it's what made this country in the first place (you remember that from history class, right? Thomas Jefferson and the colonists - "What do we want? Independence! When do we want it? Now!! " What; they didn't teach that in your school? Dude, you got robbed).

So, wanting what you want when you want it isn't a bad thing - I think it's more about what you want. If you spend a fortune on beanie babies, or a Lamborghini or PEZ and at the end of the day you can't pay the rent, then yes - unwise financial decision. PEZ bad, rent good.

Now, I will admit, I have bought more than my fair share of PEZ. My bad, no getting around that. But I believe that I and the other debt bloggers are in the midst of a paradigm shift; one where mass consumption and rabid consumerism brought on by a lifetime of exposure to aggresive marketing gives way to an honest, intelligent analysis of need. One where what we want is truly what we want, not what we have been led to believe that we want and indeed, must have. We're thinking outside the box, dropping out of the consumer grid - We're living like no one else so later we can live like no one else.

What do I want?

No Debt.

When do I want it?

Now.

God Bless America.

The Beginning of the Beginning of the End

Hello, good Debt Daddy readers!

Well, I'm back from vacation, and I'm finally getting caught up with my blogging. I just read my last entry, and I scared myself a little bit. My, my...wasn't I just full of piss and vinegar (for all you kids out there, that means...um....like hyped up - you still say that, don't you?)

Thanks go out to debtsnowballkiller for commending my serious motivation, and she's right - I was motivated as hell. You wanna find out exactly where your finances are? Plan a vacation. Not only do you have to fund the darned thing, but you have to structure all your bill payments to go off seemlessly without you. When I wrote my last post, I had just finished setting all of that up, and I was ready to pull my hair out (and I don't have a lot to begin with, so that's saying something). The actual doing of the thing is easy - schedule your payments online - you pick the date - and they come out of your checking account automatically. Simple, right? However, when you have no money and you're structuring your payments in such a way that Peter pays Paul who pays Mary who pays the other Mary who pays Judas - well, it becomes a riddle wrapped in a conundrum covered in a ponzy scheme - not so simple anymore. (More on that in a later post) In any case, it got done and we got gone.

I came back ready, willing and able to work my butt off and kick some serious credit card ass. Two men enter, one man leaves! Slay the Debt Creature! The theme song from Rocky as performed by System of a Down going through my mind! (Note: System of a Down has never, to my knowledge, done a cover of the Rocky theme song - as I said, this was in my mind - although it would be cool in an extremely warped kind of way, don'tcha think?) I was pumped! Juiced! A bunch of other words that convey excitement!

And there was no work.

I called everyone, and there was simply no work to be done for the entire first week back from vacation. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm an independent home improvement contractor. The best part of my job is that I'm not someone's employee. I don't have a boss to answer to. I don't have to play the corporate games. And, since I work alone, sex in the workplace is rarely an issue. The worst part of my job, ironically, is that I'm not someone's employee. No paid vacation days. No sick days. No overtime. And sex in the workplace is rarely an issue. In the corporate world, when there's no work, you can still look busy and get paid. When you're an independent and there's no work, you think about selling your body parts on Ebay.

The jobs are slowly creeping back now. People are back from their own vacations, they've recouped their losses from going on those vacations and have money to spend again. In another week, we should be able to buy groceries.

There's really not much of a point to this post except to say that Armageddon was temporarily called on account of near bankruptcy, but will be on again shortly.

Two men enter, one man leaves.

Diamond encrusted sword.

The whole nine yards.

Don't miss it.

Cats in the Cradle

So it's a Saturday afternoon, and I'm working. I'm up on a ladder, cutting in a wall that I've just painted, working as fast as I possibly can since this job is not being billed by the hour, which means I've quoted this job and the faster I work, the more I make.
Debt Daddy
Below me, an oldies station is playing on the radio (not my radio, not my choice - I don't listen to those stations, because when you know the lyrics to every song that they play on the oldies station, it just proves to everyone within earshot of your singing along that indeed, you yourself are an "oldie". And, in this case, I couldn't even escape to the relative refuge or "Cool Oldie" - y'know, singing along with Jethro Tull, or early Sabbath or Hendrix - no, no, no - this was Eddie Rabbit, England Dan and John Ford Coley type of oldies - and yes, I was still singing along).

So Harry Chapin comes on. Now, I'm a big Harry fan, and while I'd so love to hear "Mr. Tanner" or "WOLD" or "30,000 Pounds of Bananas", I know that these great Chapin tunes were waaaay too long for radio stations to actually play, so it's either gonna be "Taxi" or "Cats in the Cradle". It was the latter.

I'm sure you know the song - Dad works all the time, has no time for his son - son vows to be just like his Dad and succeeds, eventually having no time for his Dad. Karmic, ain't it? Point is, I'm hearing this song on a Saturday afternoon while I'm working and not spending time with my kids who are out having fun with Mommie and Grandma and isn't this just a sad state of affairs when Grandma spends more quality time with my kids than I do but I have to work to take care of my little bundle of debt that was just oh so cute and manageable when I first got him but who has now grown into a fire breathing, money gobbling machine that is eating me out of house and home so I've gotta keep working and working and working, but this song is on and now I'm feeling like a crappy Dad and I'm having a little moment and flashing back to my own Dad who did much the same thing with me and I'm probably on the verge of a really great epiphany when the cash chomping beast blows a little fire up my ass and says, "PAINT FASTER, YA DUMB SCHMUCK - I'M HUNGRY!!!!"

That was my breaking point. I've had it. Pressure turns coal into diamonds? Well, the self-imposed pressure that I'm feeling right now is enough to form a diamond encrusted sword with which I will slay this wretched, soul sucking beast of debt. The Dragon will Die; I'm going to kill it, I'm going to eat it's heart and I'm going to mount it's head on my freakin' wall.

The beast will die completely and finally on December 31st, 2008. There - I've set the goal. Does it sounds ridiculous? Absurd? The Impossible Dream? Yeahhhhh....so what. JFK asked the scientist who would later be responsible for the space program what it would take to put a man on the moon. The scientist said, "The Will to Do It." This debt is taking away my financial future, my financial present, my social life, my time with my kids, their financial future - think about all that on a daily basis and see if you don't find the damned will to do just about anything.

I'll be out of contact for the most part until around August 27th. We're taking a vacation (which I am loathe to take due to our debt, but we've had some help with the vacation fund, so it's not as big of a hit as it could have been). I've told my wife that she should really enjoy this trip, because I am commencing Armageddon on the debt the second we get back. Two men enter, one man leaves - and you know that I'm Mad Max in this freakin' scenario.

August 27th the countdown begins. Stay tuned for the beginning of the end.

Location, Location, Location

Okay, so first off - sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I haven't been on, for the most part, because I'VE BEEN WORKING, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! HAVE YOU SEEN MY NIGHTMARE NETWORTH?? THEY'LL TAKE EVERYTHING I HAVE IF I STOP WORKING!! FORECLOSE ON MY HOUSE! AUCTION OFF MY SHOES!! IF I STOP WORKING, THE TERRORISTS WIN!!!!!!Seriously, y'all have to tell me how you find the time to do all this blogging stuff on top of working. Do you sleep?

Anyway, the other reason I hadn't been posting was because it didn't seem like a whole lot of people were seeing my blog (I know - it's new, it takes time, yada yada - Sorry, but I'm an instant gratification type of guy) and, as a result, I felt like I was talking to myself. Heck, not even talking - I was typing to myself, which seemed patently ridiculous (I mean, should I text myself next? Find myself on E-Harmony?) So, I went away, to work...and to mope.

However, upon my return I find that over 60 of you have come to my palace of public financial humiliation and bloodletting, and to you I say, Welcome! Some have made the journey from as far away as Canada (the only foreign country I've ever been to, although it really doesn't count because it's kind of attached - Private Benjamin) and to you I say, How's that universal healthcare thing working for ya? Is it nice where you are? Would I enjoy living in the land of unusual bacon and Mounties?

Yes, dear reader, we have finally arrived at The Point Of This Post. I live in New York. New York City proclaims that it is The Greatest City In The World, which is fine, I guess. NYC has a slightly inflated ego? - we'll let that slide; kinda like we do with Paris Hilton. Neither NYC nor Ms. Hilton are half as great as they think they are, neither of them has done anything really spectacular in quite some time, if ever, and most of their current noteriety is more for negative things than positive. Still, we can let them have their little fantasies that they are the greatest.

However, when New York's inflated ego reflects on my budget in the form of ridiculously high property and school taxes - well, it's time for a reality check. I pay way too much for way too little and I'm tired of it. I'm thinking that it's time to pack my bags and find a cheaper place to exist. So I'm asking all of you out there; Would I like living in your town more? Would it be cheaper? Nicer? Friendlier? Better schools? Does your town have the best moccachino this side of the Mississippi?

This post is interactive, folks. And I'm serious. In fact, let's make it a contest - leave me a comment telling me why your town is The Place To Be. If, based upon your post, your town is selected as the winner, my family, my dog and I will move to your town and you can meet Debt Daddy in person! (I will shower for the event - that's how you know it's a realllly big deal). The winning poster will also receive a Free T-shirt! (not a new t-shirt, mind you - after all, I'm on a budget - it will probably be one of my old t-shirts that's a little too fugly to wear to work, but hey! It's a free t-shirt!!)

Wow, I can so feel the excitement flowing from you right now! Well, go ahead - don't let me keep you any longer - post your comments now! :)

A Snowball's Chance in Hell - Part 2

"Write down every dollar."

Damn, that puts some stark reality on the picture, doesn't it? I've been tracking each dollar spent lately, and am shocked by the incredible mass exodus of money from my checking account. I knew we had more of a layout this month (property taxes, special "dog needs" and some quarterly bills), but I just can't believe that by the end of July, we will have paid out $12,624.00 to the cards, the mortgages, grocery stores, gas stations, utilities and the car loan. So much of that is Credit Card Interest - they should teach that side of compound interest in schools - how it works so well for the CC companies.

Still, there is some good news. Seeing the cold, hard numbers has forced me to work more, charge more, sell more and really just think outside the box (perhaps I should sell the box on E-bay).

From the 1st to the 15th, I was working intensely, booking jobs and banking bucks. On average, I banked more money in those first two weeks than I usually do in a month. Then...things...slowed...down and I have had very little work this week. Did that send me into Panic mode? Yes, of course. And you just know that Panic doesn't go anywhere without his good buddy Depression - they like to get silly together and sing show tunes in my ear. Their favorite little diddy is "Daddy's Worth More Dead than Alive", and when things get really bad, I sing along (it's a pretty dark musical, in case you didn't get that).

Well, I only got as far as the chorus this time, scrounged up a little more resolve, and went about the business of finding more income. Listed some more books for sale on Amazon.com, marked down some items on Craigslist for quick sale, and started re-thinking some of the elements of my business and how I might do things better and make more $. It felt good and gave me some hope. I should hang a plaque on my wall that says, "Self Examination is Always Better than Self Destruction."

I also went over to Networth IQ to get me one of those handy dandy net worth graphs. While again, the stark reality of seeing my negative net worth is jarring, I'm taking heart in the fact that the graph is showing upward movement, and will continue in that direction if I have any say in the matter.

Back to work - more later.

A Snowball's Chance in Hell - Part 1

No one wants to buy my stuff.

I'm not sure why. I mean, it's great stuff - that's what they told me when I bought it anyway, which is why I have a house full of it. But I'm trying to turn over a new leaf - I'm trying to proclaim my status as a "Survivor of Stuffitis" and find good homes for all my stuff (heck, even marginal homes - what you do with that salad shooter after you buy it is no business of mine).

And yet, despite numerous garage sales at various locations, listings on craigslist, amazon.com and e-bay, a great deal of this crap simply refuses to get out of Dodge.

The upshot of this (if you can call it that) is that I now have an extreme aversion to the idea of More Stuff. I may have taken this to the extreme in some cases - for instance, I regularly return nearly all my birthday, christmas and father's day gifts to get the cash to pay off my debt. In those rare cases when the store will only give me store credit, I get that in gift cards which I then save to give to other people at christmas. So when you give me a gift, you can be pretty sure that it truly will be "the gift that keeps on giving".

I'll return or sell anything that isn't nailed down or breathing, and yet my tiny little debt snowball just can't seem to get itself rolling.

Anyone else experiencing snowball stall?

Many Happy Returns

Good News! If you’re like me, there’s money hidden in your garage.

As I’ve mentioned, I do home improvement and, as a rule, I buy more supplies than I think I’ll need since, if you Don’t buy them, you’ll definitely need them (this is especially true for laminate flooring - they discontinue patterns in a heartbeat, so buy at least 20% more than you think you’ll need if you’re going to take on this project). So usually, after a job is done, I’ll go to Home Depot or Lowes with my extra material and my receipts and get some money back.

Quite often however, I’m in such a hurry going from one job to the next that I literally dump everything into my garage and stock my car for the next job. Also, there are times where I’ve bought extra “just to have on hand”, which also sits in my garage until needed. Finally, there are items that I’ve purchased for use in my own home that I just never got around to doing or no longer need to do.

Well, yesterday I went through my entire garage and basement looking for any and all items that still had their bar code (or UPC code) sticker, and made myself a pile. I ended up filling two bags, which I brought back to Home Depot and Lowes. Years had passed since I had originally purchased some of this stuff, so I had no idea where the receipts were, but that’s not a problem - Home Depot and Lowes will accept almost any return at any time and give you a store credit if you don’t have the original receipt. I ended up with a store credit of $89.00.

Now, I know a store credit isn’t as good as cash for some, but you can either use that credit on your own home (if you might be thinking of selling to reduce your debt) or wait for a friend to have a home improvement project and ask if you can buy his supplies on your card in return for his cash (minus tax as an incentive, if necessary). Either way, a good cleaning out of your garage can often lead to some found money.


(PS: One more thing about laminate flooring - when your project is finished, keep one or two extra pieces of flooring and hide them somewhere dry. This type of flooring is pretty tough, but accidents do happen and sometimes you’ll have to replace a piece. If your pattern is discontinued, you will be glad to have matching pieces on hand to do the replacement.)

DebtDaddy’s take on the Four Hour Work Week

So, in my never ending search to increase income, I often engage the best and brightest financial minds in my direct circle of friends, run new ideas past them, and wait for them to tell me what’s wrong with my brilliant theories. The titular head of this finite brain trust is a man I will refer to (to protect his identity) from here on out (and ‘cause it makes me giggle a little bit) as “Fluffy”.

That’s something I never got – if you’re gonna change the names to protect the innocent, why not make them fun names? Can you imagine Dragnet’s Joe Friday busting a mugger named Zippy Cheesesphincter? He wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face. Joe Friday laughing – now that’s good tv.

So anyway, Fluffy and I are talking about this new book he’s been reading, “The Four Hour Work Week” by Tim Ferriss. He won’t tell me much about it, but Fluffy has that look in his eye that he only gets when he thinks he’s found a fool proof way to get paid for sitting at an outdoor café drinking soy lattes. Fluffy has years of experience in this position, and he’s dying to “go pro”. So, he’s got me curious enough to go home and Google “Four Hour Work Week”. I don’t find the entire book of course, but I find enough information to give me the basic idea, which seems to be “outsource all the administrative functions of your business to India, where the employees work harder and for less money”.

Hm.

Okay, I have a couple of problems with that. First off, I’m in home improvement which, from my understanding, is not a job that has a whole lot of international outsourcing opportunities built in to it. Even on the best paying jobs, flying a guy in from Bangalore to do my spackling seems a little silly.

My second problem is with outsourcing in general. Let’s take a bank, for example. Hells Cargo Bank, which used to employ thousands of American workers in their call centers, out sources their call centers to India. J. Crappy McMeatHead, the CEO of Hells Cargo, is overjoyed because he just saved the company a huge amount of money, for which they generously reward him with most of the money that the company just saved. J. Crappy McMeatHead’s daughter, Augusta, gets a pony for her birthday.

Meanwhile, Ms. Dusty Britches, former call center employee is now in the fight of her life to snag the last greeter position at Bob’s Big Boy, which she loses to Ms. Summer Luvvin (who had the unfair advantages of being the head cheerleader at the local girls reformatory school and who’s mother dated a dermatologist just long enough for Summer to get free radical collagen treatments, which got Biff, the Bob’s Big Boy day shift manager, a little bit tingly). So, temporarily without work, Dusty must rely on her Hells Cargo credit card to support her lifestyle. Before you know it, Dusty has maxed out her card and is now paying 25% interest on those Ramen noodles she bought last week. That 25% interest goes to buy J. Crappy McMeatHead’s second daughter, Ottumwa, a pony of her own.

So, the way I see it, if you’re a CEO, a worker in India, or a pony breeder, then yeah – this outsourcing thing is way cool.

It just doesn’t sit well with me. Four hour work week? At this point, I’ll pass.

I’ll let you know how Fluffy does.

Debt Daddy initiates contact with the Blog People

Hey. I’m Debt Daddy. I actually think I qualify as King of Debt, but there’s someone else with that name already and I’m not about stepping on toes. Yet…I’ve seen his debt numbers, and I’ve gotta say he’s like the Duke of Debt next to me and my big old hairy beast of burden. Wait, I’m looking again….make that Squire of debt.

Believe me, if you saw my debt figures, you would proclaim me undisputed King in a heartbeat (I’m not going to share my numbers at this juncture - after all, we’ve only just met), but that’s really not the point, is it? I’m not here to be the biggest or the baddest (or the Stupidest, I guess, for having so much darned debt) - what I am here for is to figure a way out of it and I’m guessing that you are too if you’re reading this (then again, maybe you’re here because you find Dads in debt incredibly sexy, and who am I to disagree with you? A guy with kids, crushing debt…what’s not to love? Hell, just make me morbidly obese and driving a ‘78 Nova and I’d be nearly perfect.)

So, if you’re in debt too, what’s working for you? To get out I mean - heck, I know a million ways to get INTO debt! I don’t need help with that! Geez. Wait. Sorry…before I ask you what’s working, let me just clue you in on the things that I refuse to do to get out of debt:

Debt Consolidation

Debt Counseling

Selling my primary residence (unless you have a lovely free house that you’re not currently using, perhaps on the beach?)

Selling my car

Aside from that, I’m pretty open. I’ve stopped using the credit cards (I have many, and they’ve all been misbehaving terribly lately, so I’ve locked them in a small, dark place until they can learn some freaking respect) and I’m trying to maximize income while minimizing unnecessary expenses. I’ve become my father when it comes to turning out lights around the house, we don’t eat out, we get videos from the library instead of Netflix, I’ve tried to minimize the frequency and length of my showers (I know - you’re hot for me all over again, aren’t you - I just keep getting sexier and sexier, don’t I?) - in short, I’m funnelling every available cent to the credit cards and yet, it seems to be making only the smallest of dents in my debt reduction.

So, I’m trying to think outside the box. Finding Dave Ramsey was a Godsend, but I need more. Debt snowball - cool. Debt Snow Plow is what I hope to find.

Anyone know where i can find a plow? Let me know.