Jana Says

Motivational Tune Tuesday: Reach for the Sky

September 25, 2012 by Jana 2 Comments

As far as inspirational songs go, this one is probably one of my all time favorites. I love the message it sends–aim high, reach for your goals and live the life you want because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. And as much as I hate to say it, this is something that I’ve become all too familiar with lately (the tomorrow’s not guaranteed thing, not the reach for your goals thing).

For a very long time, I didn’t have a ton of goals. Well, that’s not exactly true. I had a lot of goals, I just didn’t want to say them out loud. Well, that also not exactly true. I would share my traditional goals but keep the dreams to myself. Because I was taught to believe that dreams are just that–dreams. Not something to strive for or even admit except in one of those wistful late night conversations that we all have after we’ve consumed too much wine or are completely sober and reflecting on what could have been. Dreams, I believed, were best kept in our head and in what we perceive as our “ideal” lives (another unattainable feat). As I write that, I realize how absolutely pathetic it sounds.

But then something happened. I’m not sure what exactly, or when the defining moment happened, but one day I woke up and realized that line of thinking was absolutely ridiculous. There is no good reason to have goals beyond getting to the next vacation time earned milestone at your job. There is no good reason not to pursue a dream, no matter how absurd it may seem to someone else. And there is no good reason to think that it’s okay to spend your life shuffling to a job that you hate just for a paycheck.

So I stopped doing that. And now that I have, I can’t imaging doing anything else.

I hope that makes sense.

Anyway, if you have about 4 minutes to spare, listen to this acoustic version Social Distortion’s “Reach for the Sky”. This version doesn’t really do the song justice but it’s the best video I could find. So tune that part out and just listen to the lyrics. They’re really good.

Business lessons from a roadside bullet vendor

September 20, 2012 by Jana 7 Comments

Caution: This post may contain bits of hyperbole.

When I was about 13 or so, my family was driving home from seeing a Broadway show. For reasons that I will never understand, my father has always preferred driving into Manhattan instead of taking a train (I have recently driven in Manhattan. Not on purpose. It’s a long story but suffice it so say that when your 5 year old is in the backseat, telling you to stop crying and that it’s okay because everyone makes mistakes, it’s probably a good idea never to repeat the activity that caused that statement). Financially speaking, it might be more cost effective to drive instead of taking the train (seriously, have you ever ridden the Long Island Railroad? It’s a damn fortune) but I would think that with 2 kids in the backseat who rarely get along, the train would have been better (although maybe not. My parents could yell at us in the car, far from the prying and judgmental eyes and ears of strangers). But I was not in charge and my opinion meant very little so my dad drove us.

Normally, my father has a fabulous sense of direction (a trait I did not inherit. I cannot get anywhere, even with directions. It’s atrocious). But on this particular occasion, he took a wrong turn and we wound up in a very…unsavory neighborhood. In fact, I’m pretty sure my mother instructed us to lock the doors and not to make eye contact with anyone (my mother might be a little excitable). Being the obedient (ha!) daughter that I am, I listened to my mother. Somewhat. I locked the door and tried to avoid eye contact but I had to look out the window. I had no choice. There was no where else to look except at my sister who I’m fairly certain didn’t want me looking at her because I’m sure we were fighting about something. And am I glad I looked out the window because there, in illuminated in the street lights of whatever not so great neighborhood, I saw him.

authentic-new-york-hot-dog-vendor-cart-1 — Like this. Except more bullets and less umbrella.

The man standing on the street corner, selling bullets. Off of a folding card table. And I’m pretty sure he had a sign that said something like “Bullets. $5/box”.

Amazing.

I was astounded, and highly amused. In fact, I’m think that maybe I screamed and pointed a little (which was inevitably followed by a reprimand from my mother and sheer embarrassment from my father). I couldn’t help it. It was, and remains, one of the greatest sites I have ever seen. I mean, every part of that is just pure marketing/sales genius. He followed so many pieces of advice that if he weren’t making money, I’d be surprised. After all, he:

Offered a desirable product at a great price. Or that’s what I assume he did. I’m not a big fan of guns, and I’ve never had the reason to price bullets (except while playing The Oregon Trail), but $5 for a box of bullets seems like a great deal. And based on his location, it’s a fair assumption that bullets are a quick moving product so for $5 a box, his profits were probably through the roof. While I’m not sure what he was paying his supplier, it probably was low enough that he could sell the bullets at a discounted rate and still make a living.
Had low overhead. I can’t imagine that his business was sanctioned by New York City, which means that there were no permit fees, business license fees or any other fees related to establishing a legit business. But he was able to keep his profit margin up by using a folding card table (which I assume he got for a few dollar or for free by removing it from the trash) and I would assume that the rent on a street corner for this type of business is reasonable (or free). No utility payment, no employees. Just him and his bullets.
Picked a great location. No. He picked a fabulous location. Right at an intersection that has a stoplight, in a bustling neighborhood. No shortage of potential customers. Also, his entire set up was completely mobile so if business slowed down in one place, it was almost no problem to pack up and move somewhere else, with a new customer base. He also had the flexibility to move to areas with less competition and, I’m assuming that his most loyal customers would follow him anywhere. Hard to beat that.
Clearly did market research. He knew what he was doing when he selected that particular product to sell in that particular neighborhood. He knew what the people wanted, what they needed, and how much they were willing to pay. He knew what hours to work and when to best reach his customers.This gentleman was clearly in tune with his clientele and he knew how to deliver. That, to me, is a smart businessman.

Yes, this was a completely nontraditional business (and probably illegal as hell). But that doesn’t make it any less brilliant.

Who says you need any formal training to run a business?

Readers, what do you think of this gentleman’s tactics? Can we learn something from him (besides that fact that selling bullets off a card table is a great business idea)?

Would you live like this?

September 19, 2012 by Jana 8 Comments

It’s a good thing my husband and I started dating before he lived in his fraternity house in college. Otherwise, our relationship probably wouldn’t have lasted past the first time I saw the place. Because, had he brought me to his fraternity house, here’s what I would have been treated to:

kappa-delta-rho-b9b06daf180634a2 — Not my husband’s fraternity house

Upon first glance, the house wasn’t too bad.From the outside, anyway. It was a two story house, with a fairly decent sized backyard and garage. The lawn was usually mowed (typically when a pledge needed something to do), trash was picked up (provided there had been no parties or midnight barbecues), and the 1800 cars parked in the driveway were done so in an orderly fashion. But then the doors opened. And a whole new situation began.

When you walked through the side door (because the front door was usually locked. Not sure why), you had the choice to go upstairs or continue around the hallway to the downstairs (I should clarify here that the house was split into 2 apartments so that 8 people could live there; 4 in each apartment). Depending on which path you choose, you were greeted by two different situations. Both disgusting, both unappealing. For argument’s sake, you chose the downstairs because you had been told by a little birdie that upstairs contained not only the “love room” (I’ll let you figure out for yourself what that means) but a TV that ran stolen porn 18 or so out of 24 hours a day (the remaining hours were consumed by video games).

But you find out that downstairs, while less like a brothel, is more like a shameful excuse for a house. Hovel is probably a more appropriate description. My shack at sleepaway camp was better constructed than this house. First of all, the addition that was built onto the house was breaking away from the foundation. Too many people on the floor would have made it collapse. So that was a fun party game. Second, if you wanted to know if it was night or day, you didn’t need a window. All you had to do was look at the bathroom floor because there was a crack so big that you could clearly view the outside world. Which was very helpful when you woke up and wanted to know exactly for how long you slept. Then there was the window that was painted open. Yup. You read that right. The window was painted open. Great handiwork, gentlemen.

Awesome stuff, right? Totally the house you picture yourself having a nice evening in. However, that’s not even the best part.

Because we still need to discuss the cleanliness issue. I can understand that 8 guys living in one house, a fraternity house no less, equals one giant, disgusting mess. But these guys took it to a new level. Moldy food was in abundance, dog shit was all over the basement for awhile (one guy had his dog living in the house and was too lazy to walk him, so off to the basement is was. Which was supernice because that’s where the laundry facilities could be found. When they worked. And didn’t flood the basement), and there was such a funk in that house that I’m pretty sure it’s still stuck in my nose. And don’t you dare walk around that house without shoes on because there’s no telling what you might step on and tetanus shots hurt. My husband had so many illnesses in the first year he lived in that house (because one year wasn’t enough, he lived there for 3 more years), that I’m convinced that’s the reason he doesn’t get sick now. That house made his immune system badass. Or no other illnesses are a challenge. Either one.

Fortunately, to compensate for the porn, filthiness, and shoddy construction, presents were often hidden around the house. If you found them, you were so lucky and the envy of all. Because who wouldn’t envy presents like the jar of peanut butter in the freezer that had the imprint of a boob in it. Or the metal pot being cooked in the microwave. Or the crowd of people smoking weed in the loft of the garage. Or the 6 day old beer that I’m pretty sure one guy drank for $1. Or the homeless, drug addicted friend of one of the brothers camping out on the couch. Or the guy…well, I can’t even discuss that one without throwing up.

It was eventful to say the least and the living expenses were affordable (particularly the rent, which was made even more affordable by the fact that the chapter subsidized part of the housing costs), but really, at what cost? Illness, unwelcome guests at all hours of the night, and the ability to see the outdoors without a window?

Fabulous.

And all of this is the reason I hate the advice “live like a college student”. Because who the fuck wants to live like this?

Motivational Tune Tuesday: Learning to Live

September 18, 2012 by Jana 4 Comments

Since the early days of Daily Money Shot, I’ve brought Money Tune Tuesday to the masses (and by masses, I mean the small audience of supremely cool people who read my site). I did it as a way of making money more entertaining and also to amuse myself because I love music and this was a fun way of sneaking it onto the site. Lately, though, it’s been a struggle to even want to write a Money Tune Tuesday post. Quite frankly, I’m getting bored, which means that I can’t provide anything remotely entertaining to you. And while I still love songs about money or that I can relate to money, I feel it’s time to move on.

With that, I bid a fond adieu to Money Tune Tuesday.

I will pause for a moment so that you may weep silently (or loudly. Or cheer. Whatever you need to do).

But where there is an ending, there is also a beginning. You see, lately I’ve been drawn to songs that I find inspirational. I’m in a huge transition period in my life, moving from full-time office worker to a person who’s chasing her dream. And while that is hard enough to reconcile most days, I most definitely have my share of detractors (including some people who just completely hate me, my site, everything I do, and pretty much the simple fact that I exist). When you’re prone to depression and anxiety, you have to look outward as well as inward when those negative influences start to creep in. That’s where music steps in.

Songs often speak to me in ways that paintings or photographs speak to others. I love that certain songs seems to know exactly what I’m feeling or thinking or just need to hear. They make me feel better, allow me to cry if I need it, provide just the right angry thoughts, or give me some nice beats to dance to (I dance everywhere, all the time. It’s kind of ridiculous). And I figure that since I talk about some lifestyle topics here on DMS, to move away from Money Tune Tuesday and towards Motivational Tune Tuesday would be apropos.

So that’s what I’m doing.

For my first song, I’m choosing one by one of my most favorite artists, Beth Hart. She’s not hugely popular but she is incredible. If you get a chance, listen to some of her music on Spotify or watch some of her videos on YouTube (particularly her live version of “Mama”. Chills. You will get chills). You will be blown away, I promise (unless you hate that kind of music, in which case, just listen to some of her songs for the lyrics. Powerful stuff). But in case you don’t want to do that, have a sample with this song, “Learning to Live”. It’s so good, I’m adding it to my list of personal anthem songs.

4 ways being an asshole affects your finances

September 17, 2012 by Jana 15 Comments

No matter where you live, no matter what you do for a living, no matter how much money you may or may not have, there is one person we have all met. You don’t always know that he is coming and often, he’s in disguise. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he shows up, ready to reveal himself. And the reveal usually takes place in unexpected situations. Because that’s a typical characteristic of…

The asshole.

We’ve all, at one point or another, met a giant asshole. He might be at work, he might be in your family, he might be the customer in line behind you at the grocery store. But we’ve all met him. He’s rude, arrogant, obnoxious, condescending, and, worst of all, kind of dumb. Sadly, he doesn’t know these things and falsely assumes that there’s something wrong with everyone else because there’s no possible way it can be him.

The asshole also thinks that he is the most important person in the room/building/store/world, which makes his sense of entitlement that much stronger. This belief leads him to act in atrocious ways towards everyone he deems beneath him (which, in his mind, is everyone) and how someone like this can look at his own reflection in a mirror and go to bed with a clear conscience just boggles my mind.

But I guess it is not for me to understand the inner psychological workings of an asshole. It is just for me to deal with.

However, contrary to the asshole’s primary belief system, acting in that manner is not the best way to get things done (sorry, any assholes reading this. It’s true). Since this is a personal finance site, let’s focus for a minute on the many ways in which being an asshole can actually hurt a person financially:

Promotions at work.

Many assholes are very productive at work. The desire to outdo everyone and prove that he is the greatest worker around is very strong. And that kind of work ethic is great! Who doesn’t want to work with someone who is superproductive and great at finishing his work on time (or early!)? When I was in an office, I certainly did. Unfortunately, the asshole makes the working environment so unpleasant that when it comes time for promotions, his reputation may precede him, leaving him left out in the cold when a higher paying position becomes available. Because while everyone is willing to tolerate a mid-level asshole worker, no one wants him in charge.

Dealing with customer service.

Things get screwed up. It happens. A bill is wrong, a product is defective, a meal is too cold or contains a vile ingredient that we distinctly asked NOT to be in the food. In all of these instances, you are going to need someone else’s assistance. In all of these instances, it behooves you to be nice. By being nice when a mistake has been made, I have received money off bills, free food, new products…all good things, right? But I have witnessed people being assholes in all of these instances and it has never, ever worked in their favor. Sure, they might bully the people into giving them something but it’s never as much as if they had been nice in the first place.

Getting help from friends and family.

Who among us hasn’t, at one time or another, needed the help of friends or family on a project? Whether it’s moving, painting a room, babysitting, or just general assistance, we’ve all called on friends or family for a little help. We do so because asking for that kind of help is cheaper than hiring a professional. In fact, many finance experts advocate bartering services with friends and family for just that reason. But no one wants to help an asshole (unless, of course, the asshole is also a bully. In which case, the asshole will probably just bully you into helping him, making you think he’s an even bigger asshole). So he is left to either pay someone or do it himself. That can get expensive.

Creating friendships.

No one wants to be friends with an asshole. They are horrible to be around, mainly because you have to listen to their narcissistic rantings, holier than thou attitude and general disdain for everyone and everything they feels is beneath them. An asshole is negative, annoying, and full of general unpleasantness. In short, if an asshole is at a party, it’s because the host takes pity on him. Actually, now that I think about it, most assholes don’t have any friends because no one wants them around. So, they develop expensive, ridiculous habits that eat away at money that probably should be saved for a rainy day. Or the day they actually get a friend. Because the only thing worse than an asshole is a broke asshole.

Most of us have our asshole moments. I know I do. It’s hard to be perfect all the time. But for those who are assholes all the time, it has more than just a negative effect on your personal life. It affects your financial life, too.

Just something to think about.