Archive for March, 2008

Blindsided by the Mothership: Start Thinking About a Mortgage?

My mom came up for an Easter weekend visit, and we engaged in our favorite mother-and-gay-son tradition: shopping.

Somewhere between Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom, she blindsided me with a question I was not prepared to answer.

No, it wasn’t, “Are you seeing anyone?” (She’s still adjusting to the gee-eh-why, so this question is more awkward than it might sound.)

It was, “When do you think you want to get your own place? Have you started saving for a down payment?”

I almost wished it had been a question about my love-life instead.

I’m 23 years old! Mature for my age, but still. Am I crazy for thinking I’m too young to be ready to buy a house? Don’t I get points for being the only person my age I know with a Roth?

On the other hand, I can see where she’s coming from. My family has done well with investment real estate. And if you can get past the “mortgage meltdown” headlines, now isn’t a horrible time for first-time home buyers. There are some bargains to be had, even in the D.C. area, which I am told has been largely sheltered from the foreclosure fallout.

But I’m not nearly ready. I don’t know if I want to stick around the D.C. metro area for the long haul. I’ve always envisioned living somewhere with palm trees. D.C. is too gloomy in the winter– the boys wear too many layers of clothes.

What do you think? What’s the right age to start thinking about buying property?

Popularity: 16% [?]

The Most Fun Gay Dating Personality Test Ever

A recent post by Mike from Broken Cupid reminded me about the very awesome OK Cupid Dating Persona Test.

I first took the OK Cupid test back in sophomore year of college, so in terms of the internet, this test has been around forever. If you haven’t taken it before, I highly recommend it. The test only takes about 5 minutes and is completely free. You don’t even need to give away your email address. And it’s pretty funny.

I should mention that the test was not designed specifically for gay people, but it has a special place in my heart for being one of the first online dating tests to ask (rather than assume) sexual orientation. It also gets props for automatically changing the pronouns in your results, but unfortunately the accompanying clip art depicts only heterosexual couples.

A few minutes ago I took the test for the first time in years. My results:

The Slow Dancer

Deliberate Gentle Love Dreamer (DGLD)

The Slow Dancer

Steady, reliable, and cradling him tenderly. Take a deep breath, and let it out real easy…you are The Slow Dancer

Your focus is love, not sex, and for your age, you have average experience. But you’re a great, thoughtful guy, and your love life improves every year. There’s also a powerful elimination process working in your favor: most Playboy types get stuck raising unwanted kids before you even begin settling down. The men left over will be hot and yours. Your ideal man is someone intimate, intelligent, and very supportive.

While you’re not exactly the life of the party, you do thrive in small groups of smart people. Your circle of friends is extra tight and it’s HIGHLY likely they’re just like you. You appreciate symmetry in relationships.

Your exact male opposite:

The Hornivore

The Hornivore

Random Brutal Sex Master

Always avoid: The False Messiah (DBLM)

Consider: The Gentleman (DGLM), The Slow Dancer (DGLD)

Brutus the Uterus OK CupidAll these years, and I’m still the Slow Dancer. I know it doesn’t sound all that bad, but they might as well have named this personality type “Nice Guys Finish Last.” Also did you catch the reference to being stuck raising unwanted kids? Yeah, somehow I don’t think that’s going to be a big concern in my social circle.

I really wanted to score as Brutus the Uterus. Oh well, maybe next year.

Take the test for yourself, and let me know how you did in the comments section. I’m really hoping to meet a Genghis Khunt.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Queercents Booty

HR Block Tax Cut 1gig Flash Memory

Thanks to Queercents for sending me a 1gig USB flash drive and a free copy of H&R Block Tax Cut software!

Aw shucks, those are some nice bloggers.

Popularity: 18% [?]

I’m a Virgin… a Debt Virgin.

One of the hallmarks of personal finance blogs is the blogger’s journey towards debt reduction. The causes of debt vary, but usually it’s some combination of naivetĂ© and poor impulse control. Sometimes it’s responsible debt, as is the case with my friend Melissa and her hefty student loans. Or maybe a mortgage.

But mostly it’s stupid things like fancy cars and electronics.

The story usually goes like this: Boy meet credit card. Boy foolishly spends money. Boy has personal finance revelation. Boy starts personal finance blog.

Frankly, I’m a bit bored of these blogs. They seem to re-circulate the same few ideas over and over.

How many of these themes have you seen repeatedly in the p.f. blogosphere? (I’ll admit I’m guilty of a few myself.)

  • “Start saving for retirement”
  • “Compound interest rocks!”
  • “Pro vs. Con: Why I Choose to Have Taxes Withheld from My Paycheck”
  • “Go Green to Save Money”
  • “Invest in Yourself – Exercise, Eat Healthy, Etc”
  • “How to Increase Your Earning Power”

… blah blah credit cards, blah blah interest rates.

Part of the reason for my ennui is that I have been reading some of these blogs for more than a year. It figures that eventually I’d hit a plateau in my personal finance education.

But the other part of the reason is that I can’t identify with these people. I can’t relate whatsoever because I rarely spend money foolishly. I don’t have a shameful, debt-ridden past to repent.

In fact, I’m a debt virgin. I’ve never been in debt. Ever. I’ve owed friends $20 to cover dinner, but I have never had real debt.

I paid for my car in cash with money from my summer job when I was a senior in high school. Back then I paid for a lot of things: gas, clothes, movie tickets, and car insurance. I didn’t have buckets of money, but I worked all through high school and I never had a problem saving money. It just was not that hard for me.

When I turned 18, I got my first credit card. Now I have three, and I’ve always been able to comfortably pay in full at the end of the month. I use a credit card for all of my day-to-day purchases because it awards me points and is more convenient than cash. But I don’t need to.

These days I rent (with two roommates) in a modest townhouse in a decent neighborhood. I usually bring my lunch to work and (besides salads from Chipotle) I barely eat out. My furniture is exclusively IKEA, my PowerBook laptop is two years old, and I shop at outlets.

But I’m comfortable. I was able to max out my Roth IRA in 2007, and I plan to do the same in 2008. Soon I’ll be eligible to start contributing to my new employer’s 401(k), too.

There’s nothing I really need to be happy that I don’t already have.

Admittedly, I was also very fortunate. While I did earn a few thousand dollars in merit scholarships, my parents covered the rest of tuition, and my school wasn’t cheap. We had a partly deserved reputation for being good ol’ boys and rich bitches. (I say bitch, by the dubs, in a non-misogynistic, “full of love and respect for powerful womyn” kind of way.)

I graduated without a single penny in debt. So did most of my advantaged friends. (But unlike many of them, I held a part time job all four years of college. Please don’t hate me.)

I can’t help but wonder if I’m missing out on some life-shaping experience. Would I be better person today if I had conquered wasteful spending habits in my past? Would I be smarter if I had to learn about credit cards the hard way? Might debt have made me into a super-frugal person instead of merely a frugal one?

But there’s another fear gnawing at the back of my mind. Just because I’ve avoided debt so far doesn’t mean I’m immune forever. My ‘00 Jetta can’t last too much longer, and I doubt I’ll be able to pay cash for its replacement. (I want a two year old Prius, if possible.) And don’t even talk to me about a mortgage. The mention of the word sends a shiver down my spine.

Actually… I think I’m scared of losing my debt v-card.

Tell me, worldly readers: Is it going to hurt the first time? Will it get better as I have more debt experiences?

Do you think I should give up my debt virginity? Or should I keep holding out?

Popularity: 21% [?]

I Was Totally Rejected by NotchUp

NotchUp logoWell gentle readers, I was going to write a review of the new website NotchUp for a kickass blog post, but they totally and harshly rejected me. Except, you know, in a really polite way:

Hi A.J.,

Thank you for your application to NotchUp, the premier recruiting website.

Our network of HR professionals has reviewed your application. While we found your credentials impressive, we unfortunately are unable to offer you membership in NotchUp at this time.

Please feel free to apply again in the future when you have more gained more experience and/or additional skills.

Best regards,
The NotchUp Team

For those of you who aren’t obsessively glued to career-development RSS feeds like me, here’s the rundown.

NotchUp is a site that seeks to replace headhunters and corporate recruiters. Rather than pay a headhunter’s fee, NotchUp allows companies to pay NotchUp members $200-$1000+ for an interview. The NotchUp member is under no obligation to take the job, only to treat the interview seriously. Applicants to NotchUp must either submit an electronic resume or a link to their LinkedIn account.

In a way, I think it’s probably a good thing that NotchUp rejected my application. After all, I’m not even a full year out of college yet. I’m not (yet) the kind of employee companies would go to headhunters to find.

But give me time.

Popularity: 18% [?]

The HRC Corporate Equality Index: a Career Resource for Gay Professionals

HRC logo Web2.0 reflection gradientYesterday, Newly Corporate blogger Jennifer posted about the HRC CEI because of a comment I left earlier in the week in which I said that the HRC’s list is more important to me than Forbes’ 2008 list of most admired companies.

What is the HRC CEI?

The CEI, or Corporate Equality Index, is a yearly report issued by the Human Rights Campaign, a group dedicated to advancing equality for LGBT people. The report rates over 500 U.S. corporations based on how well they handle GLBT issues, such as domestic partner benefits and sexual orientation/identity non-discrimination policies.

Why should you care?

If you’re searching for a new job in the corporate world, the CEI can be a great resource. If you’re having trouble deciding between two or more employers, their CEI scores might be a deciding factor. Or if you’ve just begun your search, you should check out the HRC’s list of best places to work for help narrowing down your options to GLBT-friendly employers. The list is conveniently broken down by industry.

I’m not suggesting that as a gay person the CEI score should be the deciding factor between taking this job or that job. It’s merely something to take into consideration.

For example, I’m single and pretty young. I’m not getting gay-married anytime soon, so I don’t really care on a personal level about health insurance for domestic partners. But all other things being equal, I’d rather go with the employer that does offer domestic partner benefits.

If you’re already employed, I suggest checking to see if your company is on the list. If your company scored a perfect 100%, then congratulations! You’re very lucky. (I was impressed to see my former part-time employer Abercrombie & Fitch had a 100% rating, but then again, their business really depends on the gays.)

But if your current employer doesn’t score 100%, you need to let them know (nicely) that they need to do better next time. First, I’d write a polite letter to human resources letting them know about the CEI (though it’s likely they’ll know already) and how your company could better serve its GLBT employees. If you feel comfortable, you could even have a discussion about the CEI with your coworkers and boss.

One employee’s actions aren’t likely to change the policies of a multimillion dollar corporation, but every voice counts. Equality doesn’t just sprout up like a dandelion in a sunny field. You have to demand it, then you have to work for it.

Don’t give your money to losers

You can use information from the CEI to support GLBT-friendly companies with your hard-earned gay dollars. The nice folks at the HRC have assembled a handy buyer’s guide for GLBT equality based on corporate CEI scores. The guide is really easy to use. It’s broken down by different types of goods and services, and companies are color coded by their CEI score.

For instance, I just learned that Exxon Mobil earned an equality score of 0. Wow. Only two other companies out of more than 500 on the list scored 0. I’m definitely not filling up at Exxon Mobil stations any more.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Learning to Value My Time

I’m three weeks into my new job, and I don’t want to jinx things, but so far it’s going really well. All in all, this position is a much better fit. And that’s all I’m going to say about that for now. :)

One thing about the new job I don’t love is the commute. Mine is not bad by NoVA standards, about 30 minutes to travel 7 miles.

A lot of the commute is stop and go, which drives me crazy in my stick-shift Jetta. (I think Jetta might be German for either “twink” or “sorority girl”… but I digress.)

E-ZPassThe other option is to take a toll road that more or less parallels the stop-and-go route. But from day one, I decided I wouldn’t take the toll road. After all, it’s 50 cents per use, or a dollar a day. Five dollars per week. Approximately two-hundred fifty dollars per year!

Being the oh-so-modest frugal mastermind that I am, I bragged to a coworker how I was saving so much money on a yearly basis by avoiding the toll road.

“Are you crazy?” she asked. “I take the toll road every day. It saves me 15 minutes at least.”

Hmm… Fifty cents to save fifteen minutes?

I couldn’t tell if that was a fair trade, so converted that $2 per hour. TWO DOLLARS PER HOUR?!

I realized that one would have to be batshit crazy to value one’s time at less than $2/hour. Essentially, by not taking the toll road I was saying, “I’d rather sit in traffic than spend $2 for an extra hour of free time. My free time is not worth $2 per hour.”

But of course, I do value my after-work time much more than that. From here on out, it looks like it’s the toll road for me.

Thank god for my E-ZPass.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Unconventional First Date Ideas for Gay Guys

I’d like to preface this post with this declaration: I’m no expert on dating, romance or hot gay sex. In college it took me two years to realize that “Wanna watch a DVD?” is code for “Wanna hook up on the futon?” I guess I thought that futons had some intrinsic aphrodisiac quality.

That being said, the interwebz don’t have much dating advice specifically for gayz. I figure something is better than nothing, so here goes:

1. Walk together through the cool neighborhood you’ve always wanted to check out.

You can visit small specialty stores and art galleries, then get dinner at a hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurant. For dessert, get an ice cream cone for dessert and continue walking around the neighborhood. Make sure to see local landmarks. Maybe walk around a residential neighborhood and point out what you like about the different houses.

Pros: You get exercise. The date lasts only as long as you wish.
Cons: Dependent on good weather and living near a city.

2. Got to a wine tasting red wine glass

Many towns hold their own wine tasting festivals throughout the year. Wine festivals also often include live music and food vendors.

If there’s no festival, you can tour a local winery– most tours include a tasting at the end.

Alternatively: Beer festival / brewery tour

Pros: Can make you seem cultured. A light buzz can break the ice.
Cons: Not everyone likes wine. Too much wine can be troublesome.

3. See a play

Plays are more romantic than movies. You get to talk during the intermission and there are no annoying previews.

Avoid musicals unless your date has expressed a strong interest. Trust me, not everyone loves them as much as you do.

Pros: Doesn’t require much planning.
Cons: The play could suck. There’s not much time to talk to your date.

4. Go to the zoo panda

I went on a date at the National Zoo, and it was amazing fun. There was lots of time to talk, and the animals were cool, too.

If you bring a camera, later on you can cuddle up and compare photos.

Aquariums work, too. Sharks are just less likely to induce cuddly feelings.

Pros: Cheap. Unconventional.
Cons: Weather dependent. Animals can smell bad.

5. Go to the gym together

This might sound a little weird, but stay with me.

You get to show off your muscles, and you’re pretty much expected to check out his body. This also makes it really easy to flirt without too much risk: “Man, I wish I had defined arms like yours.”

After your workout, relax in the sauna… then hit the showers together to check out the goods. What?! Joking! Sorta.

Pros: Kinda sexy.
Cons: Requires gym membership and self confidence.

6. Dinner & Karaoke

Even if neither of you wants to sing, it’s a painfully hilarious spectacle. Flirt by daring him to perform, or perform something yourself. Or just be snarky and make fun of everyone else together.

Pros: Sometimes it’s funny to laugh at other people
Cons: Sometimes your date wrongly believes he’s a good singer

7. Drag brunch

Drag brunches are watered-down versions of nighttime drag shows and are often catered towards straight people. So if you’re not into drag shows, think of drag brunch as “drag-lite.” Plus, cheap drinks before noon!

This is a great test to see if your date is a good sport, especially if he prides himself on being “masc.” Bring dollar bills and tell the entertainers it’s your date’s birthday.

Pros: Funny. Cheap drinks.
Cons: Might make your date too uncomfortable.

8. Cooking classes

Every gay wants to know how to be a better chef, right? Turn it into a competition, see who makes the better soufflé.

If you’re a quick study, you can use what you’ve learned to prepare the meal for date number two.

But it doesn’t have to be a cooking class. Any kind of one-off class works, really. Try a pottery class and then later re-enact that scene from Ghost.

Pros: Food is sensuous, and cooking is a practical skill.
Cons: Gourmet-level classes can be pricey. Limited by scheduling conflicts.

9. Segway tours/rentals segway

In some cities, you can rent Segways LINK, those weird scooter things. I had the chance to test one at a lecture in college.

You could either take a guided tour or go exploring on your own. Try challenging your date to a friendly race.

I think the concept is so ridiculous you probably can’t help but smile the whole time, and he’ll have to give you credit for ingenuity.

Pros: Unconventional, quirky.
Cons: Only in certain cities. Expensive. Kinda dorky.

Popularity: 22% [?]

On Bad Haircuts

Hairdressers must measure inches the same way as men on internet hookup sites.

That’s the only way to explain how “half an inch all over” could leave me nearly bald.

Popularity: 17% [?]