Search: openness

Vacation vs. Social Networks

This article was written by Smithee in Consumer. 6 comments.

Summertime is traditionally when most people take their annual vacations, and since the social media explosion, more aspects of a given person’s vacation will end up as photos on Flickr, or “wish you were here” messages on Facebook.

I’m a big fan of openness (with the obvious exception of my use of a pseudonym on this site), and so I’m a little sad, though not surprised, to see at least one victim of a burglary who suspects his tweeting about being on vacation is the cause of his trouble.

The Trouble

“We had mentioned that we were going out of town for an extended period and even Twittered about the trip as we drove for three days,” he told an Arizona television station. While he was gone, video editing equipment was stolen from his home.

The Subtleties

My first reaction was to assume that the man in the story has some people following him on Twitter who aren’t exactly friendly. But then I remembered that anybody can do a search on Twitter for a phrase like “vacation” and find results like these:

Master Chase on vacation

Then, if you can cross-reference a likely victim with their address found online, and you have criminal tendencies, then you know which house to burglarize.

Additionally, many Twitter apps (and possibly for other services) have the option of finding your current location and looking nearby for specific criteria.

The Solution(s)

Take an inventory of which of your information can be found online easily. Some starting points:

Is your username the same as your real name?
Are you and your address listed in the phone book?
Does your wireless router know where it’s located? Does it broadcast that location?
Is your profile public? Do you want to keep it that way?
Are you on LinkedIn? How much of that profile is public?
and so on…

You may decide that a simple solution would be to keep the vacation secret until you get home, but remember, even if you decide to avoid the magic word “vacation” in your own online updates, your friends may inadvertently be helping potential burglars:

other vacation

Going on a trip? Keep tweets discreet, Kathleen Pender, San Francisco Chronicle, July 6, 2009

{ 6 comments }

Why Do I Share My Finances Every Month?

This article was written by Flexo in Uncategorized. 12 comments.

I’ve been asked this question several times over the past few years, by strangers and friends, most who don’t approve of my openness for one reason or another. Each month, I write with excruciating detail about my expenses and income, assets and liabilities, and my net worth. For example, here is my latest net worth report and my latest income and expense report.

So do I think strangers are actually interested enough to peek into my wallet? Do I think my friends want to know the intimate secrets hidden inside my piggy bank? Am I some kind of jerk, or what? Well, some people think so, judging from the nasty emails and comments I get once in a while. I won’t share any of those. I will however share first the “anti-reasons” for posting my financial data online for “everyone” to see. Read the full article →

{ 12 comments }

Spending Philosophies: Five Tips for a Better Relationship

This article was written by Flexo in People, Saving, Tips. 2 comments.

Money Magazine is profiling Michael and Brittany Abbate. Here is their situation.

The couple used to have a total annual income of $135,000 to support them as well as their daughter, but thanks to a move from Chicago to Phoenix and a pregnancy, they now make less than half that amount. Due to the pay cut, they’ve used $11,000 of their $15,000 emergency savings just for regular expenses.

Without giving too many of the details within the article, he’s a spender and she’s a saver. The article gives five tips for communicating with your partner when money issues arise.

I’m not an expert when it comes to relationships; in fact, every relationship I’ve had until now has ultimately failed, usually because of issues having nothing to do with money. I don’t think that the only way to have a successful relationship is to have the same spending philosophy as your partner. Although sharing the attitude does help to get both individuals are quickly on the same page when it comes to spending and saving, openness, communication, and willingness to compromise are much more important in my opinion.

* Think big picture. Decide on important goals and make decisions that are in line with those goals.

* Give each other financial space. Combine most of the income into joint accounts, but keep a small portion separate. The individuals should have the freedom to use an agreed-upon amount however they see fit without consulting the other. This is great for suprise gifts.

* Swap roles. Usually only one within the relationship will be the one maintaining the books. Let the pilot hand over the controls to the co-pilot for a while to increase understanding of the financial situation.

* Schedule money dates. The article’s author says it’s better to plan ahead and choose a time to speak about money-related issues than to bring them up at an inconvenient time. You can use the meeting time to review progress, to plan ahead, and to address any issues.

* Get help if you need it. Sometimes disagreements about money aren’t really about money, they’re about control. Consider seeking a financial planner, a marriage counselor, or a combination, if compromise continues to fail.

{ 2 comments }