Budget Freak

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, but I’ve been super busy. I was in Austin, Texas the last 2 days for company meetings. Now I’m back home, and my other work is piling up. In addition to that, tonight is my first Dodger game of the season. Plus, I’m about two weeks behind on all my homework, so I have about four assignments to finish by Thursday, another 2-3 hours of homework to do by Monday, and I need to make up a test I missed while in Austin. To make matters worse (or better?), I’m going to Las Vegas for the weekend. I’m taking Friday off and driving out there. We were able to get a free room from a friend, and I’ve been itching to go for a few months now.

In addition to all of that, I’m considering switching jobs. I’m currently in the consulting business, and one of my clients wants to hire me on full time. They just posted the job opening. I would be one of the top candidates, as I’ve been doing the job for the past 7 month. I also had input on the job description and requirements. The main reason I’d switch would be purely the compensation package. They offer 7% 401(k) matching (versus the 3% I get now), employee stock purchase plan, pension plan, and, most importantly, they’ll pay 90% of tuition and school expenses if I decide to pursue an MBA. If I end up going to a UCLA or Pepperdine, we’re talking 90% of $60,000-$80,000. Not to mention there would probably be an increase in salary,a greater potential for bonuses, and an almost unlimited growth potential. Wow, when I write it all out, it seems like a no brainer. The downside would be working for a GIGANTIC company and all that comes with it (politics, strict rules and regulations, slow moving, etc). Plus I really like where I’m working now, and theres a good chance the company could really take off. If nothing else, I’ll apply and interview for the job. It’s never bad to have options. If/when they offer me a job I can consider all my options again. That said, I somehow need to update my resume in order by apply by the deadline on Monday.

So, I told you all of that, to tell you that things might be a little slow on the blog over the next week. I’ll try my best, but I have a lot on my plate right now. So, in the mean time, check out some of the fantastic links over on the right. Now would also be a good time to subscribe to Budget Freak, so you always have the latest posts.

You may notice a new list of links over on the right sidebar. I’ve joined the Under 30 Honor Roll. From the website,

The Under 30 Honor Roll is a group of under-30 personal finance bloggers who have formed a network to support one another’s efforts in their financial endeavors. We want to make a positive impact on the financial lives of others in our situation, and hope that by sharing our experiences we can come out ahead!

Couldn’t have said it better myself. If you are in the twenty somethings or just enjoy reading some great financial blogs, please check them out. The list over there picks a random 10 blogs from the honor roll, so, when you have a few minutes, try it out!

Totally unrelated to personal finance, but still awesome. As part of my job, I’m onsite at LAX a couple days a week. Yesterday, the Airbus A380 made it’s US debut in New York and Los Angeles. The A380 is the largest passenger plane in the world and can seat up to 853 people. It’s 8 stories tall and it’s wingspan is as wide as a football field. I was lucky enough to be on the runway when the plane landed here in LA, and this thing is huge. Here’s some pictures…

A while back I complained about gas prices going up again. Well, I’ve finally found the reason: Racoons! Seems a raccoon and opossum chewed through power cables and shut off power to a couple refineries here in LA, and gas prices jumped up 7 cents! Yikes!

Photo: mtsn