The newest member of the family is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Her name has yet to be determined …
A day at The History Center
April 9, 2008 · Leave a Comment
This past weekend, Jenn and I made a trip to The History Center in downtown Orlando. We planned on going a while back to see the exhibit that featured toys of the past (and present). We didn’t know about the video games exhibit until we got there. Lots of fun.
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The path to personal finance super-stardom
March 10, 2008 · 1 Comment
Jenn and I have been putting together a financial plan over the past few months and, in doing so, have found a handful of great resources on the subject of personal finance. We even went so far as to read “Smart Couples Finish Rich” by David Bach to each other during the evenings and on weekends in order to establish some common ground in our approach to money. While there are still a few disagreements on the details, the big picture is solid and should let us retire from our working lives sometime in the distant future (along with achieving some other major goals that require greenbacks).
The Book
Smart Couples Finish Rich, by David Bach (2002)
This book is broken down into nine “steps” that David thinks all couples should follow in creating a financial plan to “finish rich”. From identifying the role of money in your life to setting up the various savings “baskets” (retirement, security, and dream), these steps ask you to commit yourself now to the type of life you want to have in the future. In some cases, you’re asked to participate in the activities that David – a financial planner by day – goes through with his clients. It’s these activities that are most useful in getting the ball rolling if it’s not already.
The book is a little old at this point, so I’d recommend his latest version, “Start Late, Finish Rich”, which was published in 2007. From other reviews on the web, each of the books in the “Finish Rich” series contain basically the same information, so I wouldn’t worry too much about the title unless your still in your 20s.
Personal Finance Sites
Notes:
- At Morningstar, check out the free “Investing Classrom” courses
- David Bach and Ben Stein are regular contributors to Yahoo! Finance
- 529 plans can be used for post-graduate education expenses, too.
Personal Finance Blogs
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“Around the World” 5K
March 7, 2008 · 3 Comments
Tomorrow morning, at 7am, Jenn and I will be going “around the world” at Epcot.
No, we won’t be stopping in Mexico for a margarita. Nor will we be doing sake bombs in Japan. Instead, we’ll be fighting FOR the kidney in the 9th Annual National Kidney Foundation 5K Run/Walk for Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness.
Assuming the picture above doesn’t mean it’s going to be raining in the morning, we should be done before 8am and home before 9am. That’s earlier than we get up on most Saturday mornings. To top it off, we’ve got a bowling charity event in the evening for the Disney VoluntEars program. I think it’s goal is to raise money for Give Kids the World, but unlike the morning 5K, beer is definitely on the menu.
FYI … My goal for the 5K – 27:00
UPDATE: Well, the rain ended early in the morning and the race went off as scheduled. Jenn and I both set personal bests for a 5K, although I didn’t quite get down to my goal. Here are our times …
Chad: 27:34
Jenn: 37:56
→ 3 CommentsCategories: Fun Stuff
Trivia: A page from my Mensa 2008 calendar
March 6, 2008 · 6 Comments
If anyone’s out there, I think the folks at Page-a-Day Online Calendars might have the answer to this one wrong. It’s the first time this year that I’ve needed confirmation, but let me know what you think. I’ll post their answer and mine tomorrow.
In your top drawer are two pairs of gloves in white and three pairs in black all the same because you like the style. How many gloves must you take out (without looking) to guarantee a matched pair?
If you’ve never had one of these calendars you should put one on your Christmas list. When you buy a desk calendar by the same company, you get a free online calendar, too.
→ 6 CommentsCategories: Trivia
Looking Back: Cabbage Key
March 5, 2008 · 1 Comment
A few years ago, Jenn and I decided to get away for a long weekend on Captiva Island on the Gulf Coast of Florida. While we were there, we took a short cruise ride over to Cabbage Key, the place that inspired Jimmy Buffet’s song, “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. While waiting for the boat to take us back to Captiva, Jenn found the above sign quite humorous (or was that me).
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Looking Back: Puerto Rico
March 4, 2008 · Leave a Comment
In 2005, Jenn and I had a trip to Key West planned but were forced to cancel due to another hurricane. After searching through various travel sites, we quickly planned a trip to Puerto Rico and ended up having a wonderful time. Puerto Rico is one of the more photogenic places I’ve ever been and there’s an infinite number of things to see and do around the island.
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Looking Back: Stingray City
March 3, 2008 · Leave a Comment
In 2004, Jenn and I took a 7-night Disney Cruise to the Western Caribbean. During our stop in Grand Cayman, we went where everyone goes … Stingray City. I thought the experience was enjoyable (although I would have preferred more stingrays). As you can see from the picture above, Jenn was less enthusiastic.
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Blog IV – A New Home
February 29, 2008 · Leave a Comment
After four years with the old, it’s time for a new “gatorace”. What once was a mismash of ideas, photos, news, links, and more, will now be singularly-focused on the life and times of Chad and Jenn. From the everyday moments to the once-in-a-lifetime memories, we’ll try to turn this into an online journal of our experiences.
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll build out the site to include a photo gallery (using Picasa Web Albums) and links to friends’ sites. It’ll all be very simple. Exactly what a personal site should be.
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