Financial Friday: Wasted Time & Wasted Money Or Is It?

Wasted Time & Wasted Money Or Is It?

by Alice Shaffer

I was looking for a topic for this week's Financial Friday and was talking to a fellow professional nanny about the upcoming INA Conference.  We were discussing the costs involved in the INA conference. Yes they can be viewed as expensive to someone who doesn't have a large paycheck. I was sharing with this nanny, that everyone has to determine what their Opportunity Costs are.  For me I place a lot of opportunity cost and value in going to nanny conferences. These are the places where nannies and agencies are in a face to face environment, not online or on the phone.  Yes online and on the phone play important parts in everyone's life -both personal and professional. To me though, there is just something that is worth the pennies saved and the budget cuts and savings I make throughout the year to attend the conferences.  I guess one could compare it to shopping online vs shopping in a store, especially if you are touchy feely with the products you want to buy.  You may compare it to the newest E-book readers and reading a paperback book.   To me the value of these things become validated when I am in a professional environment with my colleagues and friends learning more about my career and industry-whether it costs me nothing but gas money or almost $1000.  

After my conversation ended with my friend, I was catching up on some blog reading and ran across a post this week on The Simple Dollar : What Exactly Is “Wasted Time” (or “Wasted Money”)? 

It is an excellent post on how the author was told that he was wasting his time playing board games with friends on the weekends.   Throughout the rest of the post was how to determine what YOUR values in time and money are.  It also helps you determine what is not a waste of your time and money. 

For me some things that are not a waste of time & money: 

• spending time with friends  

• playing board/card games with a group of friends monthly  

• going to Nanny Conferences, Nanny Support Group Meetings, Nanny Night Outs,

• visiting my family out of town as much as I can 

• spending money on the upcoming arrival of my niece/nephew

• membership fees to Nanny Support Groups & Associations

• my health insurance

• my weekly chiropractor visits

• my IRA, my savings accounts, my Smartypig goal accounts

• my personal trainer I see twice a week

  What are some of things that are/are not a waste of time & money for you?

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Financial Friday: 100 Ads/Circulars!

100 Ads/Circulars!
by Alice Shaffer


I found myself researching and reading various personal finance blogs (there are 100s) and I ran across a blog called Ask Coupon Sherpa.  This blog has lots of various things on it, but what drew me to it was the blog post title "100 Must Have Grocery Store Circulars".

Staring me in the eyes was a complete list of 100 Grocery Stores with links to their ads and what days they are published!  I thought I hit the Grocery Store ad jackpot!  This wasn't all I discovered as I scrolled down the list I saw other links and dates for non grocery retail stores!  Don't forget to check out the other blog posts as well, there were some other interesting ones.

You can friend Coupon Sherpa on Facebook.  I like adding financial blogs and others on facebook as alot of times they have special offers for Facebook fans/friends only.

What are some of your favorite coupon/finance blogs and facebook pages?  

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Financial Friday: Getting $125 for $100 Investment

As I was reading my financial blogs this week, I noticed several of them were discussing Chase Bank has a new offer of $125 for opening a new checking account.  You need to open the checking account with $100 , set up a direct deposit and keep it open for 6 months, of they will deduct the $125 when you close the account.   This got me thinking to the upcoming INA Conference.  Hotel rooms are $119 a night plus tax.  Here is a chance for me to get a room for basically free for saving $100 in a new checking account.  Perfect I said, I have that in my savings account over at ING.   So as soon as I get my coupon code from one of the blogs, Hustler Money Blog and Maximizing Money I will be opening my new Chase checking account  and be $125 closer to my financial goal for the INA conference.

So don't delay in asking for your code, as they don't last sometimes.  It is worth the time to open the account for $125.  

Ways to use this Checking Account and $125

• INA Conference 2010 savings account.  Make a direct deposit every other week for $30 or whatever amount to be transferred to Chase. Withdrawl the money before leaving for San Francisco in May.  Make sure to leave money in there so you don't lose your $125
• Start your summer vacation fund $125 heavier.  Set up a direct deposit for each paycheck you get so that some money goes in there for your summer vacation.
• Make this be your Holiday Spending funds.  Decide how much you want to save and set up a direct deposit of portion of that so you have it for Black Friday Shopping Deals.
• If you can't make it to INA 2010, then start a 2011 INA Conference fund. The conference fees, hotel fees are roughly the same. Airfare is the iffy one.  But saving now has you prepared for a year from now for where ever it will be.
• Save for the 4th Annual National Nanny Retreat™ hosted by Perfect Match Nannies September 24th-26th, 2010
• Save for the Nannies Across America Nannypalooza 2010, if one isn't in your city.
• Use this as your IRA contribution account to earn a little extra interest etc. 

How are you going to use your $125 from Chase?  Let us know!

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Conference Scholarship Opportunity for the INA Conference!

Nannies! A great opportunity has opened up today! If you are hoping to make it to the INA Conference, the Regarding Nannies Blog is offering a scholarship for the winner of their essay contest. For the complete details go to Regarding Nannies. Deadline is Weds., Mar. 24th.  

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Financial Friday: All the details for the 25th Annual INA Conference!

INA Conference Details

I am very excited that all the planning has come together and the details are out on the 25th annual INA Conference.  There is so much packed into this conference!  I hope you have been saving with Smartypig, ING or some other way for the conference. 

I am cashing in my SmartyPig savings goal today for the Conference registration so I can get my gift card of $300.

If you are a first time conference attendee you can take off 10% your early bird registration fee (valid till April 1).
Haven't attended a conference in more than 5 years take 10% off your early bird registration fee (valid till April 1)
If you are traveling with 2 or more friends you can take off 10% of your registration fee (valid till April 1).

This makes the registration fee for either option for a nanny who has an INA membership $265.50 from the orginal $325.  That is a great deal!

Looking for some more ways to save money so that you can attend the conference?
Check out the Plan Ahead Details page

• airfare discounts
• car rental discounts (remember you do have to pay for parking)
• share a room to get a lower hotel cost (up to 4 per room)
• shuttle discounts from the airports of San Francisco and Oakland

 Looking for some extra workshops along with the conference? On Thursday May 20 you can attend one of these

(please note these have an additional charge)

• American Red Cross Water Safety Certification
• INA Nanny Credential Exam Review and Exam 
• Newborn Care Specialist 201: A Day in the Life of a NCS  
• Ready, Set, Go! A Workshop for New Agencies

Don't forget that on Friday night May 21 there are two evening activity plans:

• Alcatraz Island: An Inescapable Experience (cost is $33)
• Cable Car Tour of San Francisco (free available to 30 people only)

You are ready to book your flight now aren't you?  If you are interested in coming, don't hestiate asking your employeers to contribute to you attending the conference. They might have hotel points, airline miles or pay for your registration fee.  You don't know till you ask.

On Sunday  before you head back out of town or on your way to sight see why not drop into the INA Board Meeting to see how things work. All members are welcomed to sit in quietly to the board meetings. You may just find yourself running for the INA Board in 2011.

Grab a nanny friend and plan on coming to the 25th Annual Nanny Conference. I want to meet you as well as the rest of the Regarding Nannies Development Team-Glenda and Kellie!

Special Spoiler:  

Come back to Regarding Nannies on Monday March 8, 2010 to see how you can possibly get an early bird registration fee for FREE! 

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