Personal Finance Thread - Ask your questions here

[Decolonize The Left]

Hello Revlefters,
So over the past year I've been educating myself as to financial matters. The sad reality is that capitalism is a global system and we are forced to live within it as best we can - regardless as to whether we agree with it or not. I've learned about everything from spending habits, saving money, coupon clipping, credit cards, cash back, to investments, portfolio allocations, etc... I think it's really important to take care of ourselves and manage our money wisely since most of us don't have conventional careers.

I figure many of us will have financial questions or pertinent issues so let's talk about them here. Ask away and hopefully we can help each other manage money well enough to help support us in our fight.

Cheers.

[Os Cangaceiros]

I have a question: where can I hide my money so that the Man has a hard time finding it? Is Dubai still a good option? ;)

[Ocean Seal]

How can I join the bourgeoisie? (Just wondering).

[ellipsis]

Let's try to keep it serious, chit chat is for the funny stuff.

My problems with finance are a) i move all the time, so am frequently between employment and have to get rid of almost all of my accumulations (furniture, clothes, etc.)
b) as a result, having any kind of real savings seems like a pipe dream, let alone any kind of investments (other than finding the occasional silver coin in circulation)
c)i can be kinda nihilistic, why plan for an uncertain tommorrow?

[Decolonize The Left]

Let's try to keep it serious, chit chat is for the funny stuff.

My problems with finance are a) i move all the time, so am frequently between employment and have to get rid of almost all of my accumulations (furniture, clothes, etc.)
b) as a result, having any kind of real savings seems like a pipe dream, let alone any kind of investments (other than finding the occasional silver coin in circulation)
c)i can be kinda nihilistic, why plan for an uncertain tommorrow?

You're best bet is probably a national bank which you can access from wherever you move to within the US. I am a big advocate of local credit unions but in your situation it would make more sense to keep your money in a place where there's at least a branch office somewhat nearby. Plus you can do almost all your banking online these days (same goes for credit unions).

As to creating a savings, live below your means. It can be real hard sometimes but there's no real other way.

[cyu]

As to creating a savings, live below your means.

Form a union, increase your means ;)

http://web.archive.org/web/20110605071434/http://www.iww.org/en/organize/strategy/salt.shtml

"Salting" is the deliberate act of getting a job at a specific workplace with the intent to organize a union.

Most union campaigns start with a lone individual or small group of individuals with no union experience deciding to organize a union from scratch. Sometimes, a union campaign can be strengthened if you know of a friend with union organizing experience.

Although on rare occasions, such as the Lawrence Silk Strike of 1912 or the Lumber Workers Industrial Union in 1917, entire industries have been organized in a manner of days, usually it takes much longer. You do your co-workers no good if you attempt a "fly-by-night" campaign. These usually fail, and workers become distrustful, if not outright hostile to unions because the salt isn't in the fight for the long haul or the would-be organizer doesn't think of his / her co-workers. So if you do decide to try salting, make sure you are dedicated to the enterprise.

[ellipsis]

You're best bet is probably a national bank which you can access from wherever you move to within the US. I am a big advocate of local credit unions but in your situation it would make more sense to keep your money in a place where there's at least a branch office somewhat nearby. Plus you can do almost all your banking online these days (same goes for credit unions).

As to creating a savings, live below your means. It can be real hard sometimes but there's no real other way.

I used to use Bank of America, but they are god awful and very inconvenient.

As for living below my means, I already have enough trouble living at my means, below that seems like it would be starvation or extreme monotony. Plus I'd have to give up smoking weed...

[PC LOAD LETTER]

You're best bet is probably a national bank which you can access from wherever you move to within the US. I am a big advocate of local credit unions but in your situation it would make more sense to keep your money in a place where there's at least a branch office somewhat nearby. Plus you can do almost all your banking online these days (same goes for credit unions).

As to creating a savings, live below your means. It can be real hard sometimes but there's no real other way.
Check here
[/URL]
(http://www.cuservicecenter.com/)
[URL]http://www.cuservicecenter.com/ (http://www.cuservicecenter.com/)


And you'll find a list of credit unions that operate as national service centers. If you join a credit union in, I dunno, Topeka Kansas, but move to New Jersey, you can still access and manage your account through a service center (assuming both participate in the national network). Granted, it helps to pick a credit union where you can apply for things online, like if you want to open a credit card fill out an online form, in case you need to do it when you're out of the area. If they don't do that, I'm sure they'd be willing to mail you forms or something. I've made deposits, withdrawals, transfers, etc from hundreds of miles away at service centers with no problem.


I'm familiar with some of this stuff as well, so I'll subscribe to the thread and help when I can.

[PC LOAD LETTER]

Let's try to keep it serious, chit chat is for the funny stuff.

My problems with finance are a) i move all the time, so am frequently between employment and have to get rid of almost all of my accumulations (furniture, clothes, etc.)
b) as a result, having any kind of real savings seems like a pipe dream, let alone any kind of investments (other than finding the occasional silver coin in circulation)
c)i can be kinda nihilistic, why plan for an uncertain tommorrow?
Oh hey I forgot to post this before, but about furniture: check if where you're moving to has a Habitat for Humanity ReStore around. They have a lot of furniture, appliances, etc all used and all cheap as fuck. People donate stuff, then they sell it to finance the homes they build.


List of locations: http://www.habitat.org/restores

[ellipsis]

I dumpster almost everything as far as furniture and house wares. each time I move, although second hand stores are good too. Thanks fori advice both bird and PC load letter!