About Me

Denise T.

Denise is a freelance journalist and crafter who dreams of starting her own business-- a hometown Tiki bar. She is a former New Orleans Bourbon Street bartender.

The challenge: I can't use my primary income to fund the tiki bar. I can only use money I earn in other ways. Part of the challenge will be to develop new, creative revenue sources. It's like a pumped-up,long-term $20 challenge.

***2008 Tiki Fund goal: $1,500***
$990.56 in fund, $509.44 to go

***Monthly Tiki Fund Total***

June: $2.21
$2.21 interest on tiki saving act.
: (

May 2008: $98.70
$9.00 Web sales
$87.61 Google Adsense
$2.09 Tiki savings interest

For a full breakdown of Tiki fund money, visit my $20 challenge page.

***Personal Savings Goals for 2008***
$5,000 into my IRA
$2,000 into hubby's Roth IRA
$2,000 into 529 plan
$6,000 into savings account
$3,600 into brokerage account
$650 into new car fund
Total: $19,250

***Progress Report***
$4,199 in my IRA, $801 to go
$1459 to Roth, $541 to go
$1100 to 529 plan, $900 to go
$5200 to savings, $800 to go
$1995 to brokerage, $1605 to go
$357.25 in car fund, $292.75 to go
Total: $14,310

***
Debt to pay off:
Student Loan: $14,841.42
(Down from $40,000 in 2001)

***
No Drive Days (where me AND the hubby don't drive! Since May 15):2

New car fund balance: $285
For a Hybrid Honda Fit!!

***
All of these goals will be a little harder to reach this year because I am now a self-employed journalist and the hubby and I had our first baby in April. Last year, I was a staff reporter at a major metro newspaper so saving was easy.

We have always lived on one salary only. But we aren't quite sure how a new baby is going to affect our finances.

***The Big Picture***
Me 33, Hubby 35
-No credit card debt
-No car loan
-House paid off because we moved to a cheaper city

My Pages

$20 Tiki challenge

Can going Green make you rich?

March 25th, 2008 at 01:44 pm

A worthy question. I read a lot of personal finance books, so I was intrigued when I ran across this article by David Bach (of Rich Couples Finish Rich fame). He has written a new book about how going green can make you rich and this article is a rundown of the ways you can save or make money by being more environmentally aware.

It's interesting that such a high-profile writer is taking on this topic. Of course, some of the suggestions are things us eco-geeks have been doing for years, like freecycling and donating used goods, but it may be worth a read anyway.

http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/millionaire/72749;_y...

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

6 Responses to “Can going Green make you rich?”

Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 02:04 pm

Wish he had mentioned composting kitchen and paper waste, even natural fabrics. That makes your soil rich.
thriftorama Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 02:13 pm

Funny, I just decided to "invest" in a composter. I'm looking forward to using it. And who knows, maybe it'll save me $5 a year on mulch!

Like my rain barrels (which we love, by the way) it was an eco-emotional decision, not a financial one...
homebody Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 06:03 pm

Eco geeks?? Some of us frugal geeks were raised that way in the 60s and 70s! I still remember the lady next door in the 60s, using her laundry water to water her garden.
thriftorama Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 06:35 pm

I know, huh? I feel like we've lost something as a society over the years. For instance, hanging our laundry out to dry. It's a money saver, it's good the environment, and people used to do it all the time. But now it's associated with being poor or low rent. Most homeowners associations will fine you for having a laundry line in your back yard!
My own neighbor raised a fuss about mine last summer, saying it was bringing down the neighborhood. Of course, no one could see it from the street...
baselle Says:
March 25th, 2008 at 09:36 pm

We're all punks compared to what was happening during WWII.
http://alternet.org/environment/55925/
thriftorama Says:
March 26th, 2008 at 08:50 am

That was a great article.

Thrift-o-rama and the quest for a Tiki Bar

One girl's quest to shore up her personal finances and save for her own business

Can going Green make you rich?

6 Responses to “Can going Green make you rich?”

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