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Another reason to save
A theme of these posts is the importance of savings and not just for retirement. You should save to fund a series of transitions throughout a lifetime, to have the freedom to do the kind of work you want.
Well, in catching up on my reading I came across a recent article by Barry Ritholtz. He's the chief executive of FusionIQ, a quantitative research firm, and a well-known blogger. He has a column in the Washington Post, "7 life lessons from the very wealthy."
I really liked **Lesson No. 4:: Watch your "lifestyle leverage," especially early in your career. **
Those partnership-track careers? The dirty little secret: Those firms love to get their young employees leveraged up. They will even help you get that way, co-signing mortgages for big houses or even directly lending you the cash on favorable terms.
They encourage up-and-comers to spend extravagantly; they extend lines of credit to their rising stars. You need a big house with a jumbo mortgage; you cannot pull up to a business meeting in anything less than the best luxury car. It is part of their corporate culture.
Isn't that nice of them?
Not really. The big banks, investment shops, law firms and accountants have learned how profitable it is to have "golden handcuffs" on their best employees. These highly-leveraged, debt-laden wage slaves will work harder, put in longer hours and stay with the firm longer than those debt-free workers.
He's right. Watch that leverage. Spend less, save more, and live better.
<p>Over the weekend I went to a crafty store/restaurant with two of my mom’s sisters. This place was a barn turned into a craft store, and every woman across the Midwest was there on Sunday. The ratio of women to men was about 1,345:1. And that 1 was definitely and infant boy. Either way, all those crafts are cute but I did realize I could probably make many of them. I asked myself why I don’t, and realized the answer was simple; there are other people that will do it for me instead. Score. But as I ventured to the clothing and accessory side of this place, I did run into some cute and some not so cute handbags. I was surprised to see an actual brand of bags there. It is a brand I never heard of, but it is a brand after all- and it has very fun bags. </p>
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<p>SHIH Handbags use texture and material to get their distinctive bags to be seen. The bag that I saw was the SHIH Handbags Medium Tote in turquoise. This tote is quite fun in my opinion- more of something to throw on with jeans and a little white tee on my way to the park or store. Soft gold metal mesh is what really gives this quilted satin tote its style (if you opt for the black bag, there is silver tone hardware). The single shoulder strap also shows off the metal mesh pattern which I find so fun. After you open the zip top, you will find satin lining and zip pocket. This fun bag measures 13″ wide x 5″ deep x 9 1/2″ high and the shoulder strap has a drop of 12″. Buy the turquoise for $179.95 via Zappos or the black also for $179.95 via Zappos.</p>
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<p>If you want your bag to be nothing but bling, there is a bigger gold tote that may suit your liking. The SHIH Oversize Tote will have you shining like its still summer. I can’t really put my finger on why I like these bags, but I just do. Something about the over-the-top glam and shine draws me in. Made of gold quilted satin and gold tone soft metal mesh, this bag is large enough for your pet dog and then some (16″ wide x 6″ deep x 14 1/2″ high). That’s a big bag. The inside is lined in satin and there is a zip pocket and key fob. This big glitz n’ glam gold bag is available throughZappos for $199.95. </p>
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<p>And to finish these SHIH bags off, there is a perfect size wristlet. Many of you may think these bags are a bit too much; if you are one of those people,<a href="http://www.bestmulberry.com/mulberry-shoulder-bags">Mulberry Shoulder Bags</a>, the wristlet may be just right for you. When you are looking to add lots of flavor for a night on the town, a glamorous piece of hand candy will not hurt. Made of gold quilted satin and gold tone soft mesh with a convertible strap, this little handbag is my pick for a night out with the ladies. The final dimensions are 9″ wide x 1/2″ deep x 5″ high. If the totes were a bit too much to handle for you, try the wristlet for $63.95 via Zappos.</p>
