Stephen Popick

Just after Christmas, Carl Hendley of The Motley Fool wrote about his cable bill and how much lost investment income that money represented. As an economist, I was intrigued by the notion, and couldn't help but run the numbers. (We economists are strange like that.)

Hendley's calculations assume that the average person cares only about nominal, time-insensitive returns. That is, that a dollar today is worth a dollar tomorrow. But we economists know (from all of our fancy-pants research) that, generally speaking, that's not how people make decisions. Instead, when most folks make personal finance decisions, they take into account the time value of money.

The Time Value of Money

"The time value of money" is a complex term for a simple concept: Any given amount of money is worth more today than the same amount in the future. Assuming a 5% interest rate, for example, $100 today is worth $105 a year from now. (Or, working backward with the same assumed interest rate, $100 in a year is worth $95.24 today. And what, they're not the same? Nope!)

Two years ago when I bought my People 150cc scooter, I was teased ceaselessly by my car-loving friends. It wasn't so long ago that gas was under two dollars a gallon, and the need for more efficient wheeled transportation wasn't as “in your face” as it is now. Today, when my friends talk about my scooter (or my wife's) it's to ask where I got it, for how much, and how much we save by having them.

J.D. recently mentioned he was thinking of forsaking his dream of a Mini Cooper for a scooter instead, but he had some questions. How much money would he save? Could we quantify with some certainty the impact of a scooter on one's budget? Here's my attempt based on my experience.

Safety First

First, I'd like to talk about a few misconceptions. Scooters are not necessarily slow-moving vehicles. Your speed depends on your engine size. I'd think of them more generally as small motorcycles. You're exposed to the elements (more so than a car), and you're giving up the “safety” of a steel box, but you are getting a more maneuverable vehicle. Another option are the slower (and cheaper) mopeds, that are under 50cc.

The Motley Fool is a website devoted to helping average people make better investment and financial decisions. Recently, GRS forum administrator (and resident economist) Stephen Popick got a chance to visit The Motley Fool headquarters.

When I was in high school, I participated in my state's stock market game. It was designed to introduce our economics class to the world of investing. That's where I first heard of The Motley Fool, an upstart website for financial investors that went against the grain of having advisors manage your money. Their newsletter analyzed the advantages of managing your investments yourself, and advocated indexed mutual funds over managed funds.

So, when I received an invitation recently to visit the Fool Headquarters in Alexandria, VA for a focus group, I jumped at the chance. The purpose of the focus group was two-fold.

Think you need to spend a fortune to tie the knot? It's just not so. Kris and I got hitched for a couple grand in 1993. In this post, Stephen explains how he kept costs down for his wedding last summer.

Weddings are expensive affairs. Couples often spend tens of thousands of dollars for an event that lasts only a day or two. I know, I know — the memories last a lifetime. But that's the catch-phrase of the industry that's sprung up around this occasion. In economics, this is called conspicuous consumption.

Ramit at I Will Teach You to Be Rich recently wrote an article about the cost of weddings. On average, a wedding costs $28,000. That's more than half what the typical American household earns in an entire year! Continue reading...

Recently, my fiancée and I have engaged in a bit of home renovation. Several years ago, Julie bought half of a duplex in a suburb of Washington, D.C. It is rather small for a house today, with two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a finished basement. The bedrooms were small because the duplex was constructed in the early 1960s. Her place was large enough for a spoiled rotten dog and the occasional stop-over from the best-fiancé-ever but wasn't going to be large enough for the two (WOOF!) three of us, let alone a family.

Costs

Because of the size of our house, Julie and I wanted to build out as large of a home addition as we could. Our goal was to build an addition out-the-back flush with the property line and party wall for the basement and both floors. The addition space would house on the first floor our new kitchen, a new master bedroom on the second floor, and a den/bedroom in the basement. We also had several renovation wants for the existing structure. Would we be able to afford our wishes? Continue reading...

Last month Stephen Popick shared his home-grown budget spreadsheet with GRS readers. He listened to your suggestions and went back to the drawing board. Here is an updated version.

Growing up, I was taught the importance of having a budget.  It wasn't until I finished college that I understood it.  I started reading and listening to financial experts such as John Bogle, Clarke Howard, and a lot of folks in between.  Their recurring themes were simply to save as much as you could, live below your means, and choose wisely how you spend your money.

Before I started with my Budget Sheet, which has evolved over the years (and which has been greatly enhanced for GRS), I always thought I budgeted well.  Making an actual budget showed that, in fact, I did not.  It's amazing how far $50 can be stretched when you're aware of it.