linklings, back on the chain gang edition

Scribbled by Steve on July 10, 2009 - Comments

reading

I’ve alluded to it a few times, but after more than half a year staying away from corporate consulting I’ve decided to hop back on board. I’m going back to the world of stale coffee, cubicles and Outlook (and no Gmail) once again.  Oddly enough, it wasn’t so much the money as the “street cred.”  What do I mean?  I mean that banks won’t look at you twice when you want a mortgage if you’re a freelancer without a couple of years of steady income.  I’m not unhappy renting – not at all.  But I do want to have options to buy into the Florida market, which is seriously underpriced (and therefore good for buyers), and I don’t want to have to explain how my net worth, large amount of liquid assets and good credit score should be enough to let me buy a house.  I want to have a nice little biweekly check to prove I have a “stable” job with a good company – which is apparently what the banks want to see.   So I’m back in for at least three months for some more consulting.

Returning to the workaday world should be interesting, if nothing else. Having worked in New York for almost 12 years, and not having worked in the south in about 15 years, I’ll be interested to see what corporate life is like.  My guess?  Corporate life is corporate life – hard, strained and full of politics.  I’ll hope I’m wrong, but if I’m right I’ll be glad I’m a consultant and not an employee.

Your Home is Not an Investment – Don’t Treat It Like One: I couldn’t agree more. The idea that the place you live is an investment – let alone the most important one in most people’s portfolios – drives me crazy.  Your home is a place to live, not an investment.  If you profit, great, but don’t let that be a reason to buy it.

When To Give Up A Side Hustle: Frugal Dad doesn’t say so, but I suspect he might be talking a little bit about blogging in response to the reader question. I’ve thought of dumping this blog more than once, especially since the financial returns have slipped during 2009… but I still enjoy writing and reading comments, so I keep at it.  It’s tough sometimes, though.

Taxes Must Go Up Eventually: Taxes will go up. There is no other way the debt will be reduced in the long run. Get ready for it. All of the spending today WILL be paid for, and unlike the happy-go-lucky Laffer curve days, nobody believes it’s going to come from taxes on increased growth.

How we travel to cities for $1000 per person (all inclusive): I was skeptical about the title, too, but these are some good – and detailed – tips on taking an inexpensive (not cheap!) vacation.

Are Depression-Era Values Back in Style?: HIS NAME WAS ROBERT PAULSON! If I notice a post referring to Robert Paulson, I link to it. And yes, I still doubt dumpster-diving is “en vogue” yet, except if you call freecycling dumpster-diving. People (including me) are foolishly prideful about taking other people’s trash. Sometimes I’d like to, though, especially now that I live in a neighborhood full of millionaires.

A few more good links:

And congrats to Madison! Our Baby Girl is Here!

I also participated in Carnival of Personal Finance #212: Independence Day Around the World Edition | Darwin’s Finance

Photo by moriza

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  • Seems you aren't the only person who has this issue. See my answer to your problem here

    http://www.askthewealthsquad.com/building-a-bus...

    I think you will find there are more ways to get a mortgage :)
  • Steve,

    Thanks for the mention! Cubicle nation isn't so bad - think of all the new people that you'll meet. Good luck in your new consulting job.
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