Month: February 2012

A Simple Investment Portfolio

/ bacigirl / Leave a comment

When it comes to investing you want to be diversified, consistent, and be in it for the long run.  There are so many opinions of the best way to invest.  It really comes down to your interest level and level of knowledge in investing.  I think the key is simplicity.

For most people they do not have the time or knowledge to invest properly.  One of the best investment companies is Vanguard.  Vanguard provides very low cost Mutual Funds and ETFs.  They never got into the Mortgage mess and are consistently rated very highly by clients.   The key though is the low cost which allows you to keep more of your  own money.

Here is my Simple Portfolio of only 4 Mutual Funds–I would invest 25% in each.  However, what is generally recommended is to invest your age in bonds.  So if you are 40 years old you would invest 40% in bonds and then 20% in the remaining 3 funds.

1) Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund: this fund invests in Large Cap companies that pay a Dividend.

2) Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund:  this fund invests in Small Cap stocks that tend to have more risk but better growth.

3) Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund: this fund gives you International Stock exposure.

4) Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund: this fund gives you exposure to the stability of bonds.  It is a mix of all types of bonds and pays a monthly dividend.

Disclaimer: Material presented on Bacigirl.com is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is the opinion of the author and should NOT be relied on or taken as investing advice. The information and content should not be construed as a recommendation to invest or trade in any type of security. Neither the information, nor any opinion expressed, constitutes a solicitation of the purchase or sale of any security or investment of any kind. Before acting on anything you read on this site, you must do your own research and you must come to your own conclusion which you will ultimately be responsible for, including any loss you may incur.

Zite iPad App Part 2

/ bacigirl / 2 Comments

I wanted to give an update on Zite the iPad App I mentioned a few days ago.  Zite has a feature that allows you to customize the news you receive.  For example, if you live in New York City and want Zite to find articles on New York City it will do this.  If you want articles on Antiques, London, Watches, Skiing or Chinese Food etc it will do this.  Therefore you can really customize the News so that you get only the things that interest you.

Pet Insurance (Yes or No)

/ bacigirl / Leave a comment

Many people do not think of getting insurance for their pet thinking it is not necessary or a luxury.  I personally feel that Pet Insurance is well worth it.  I have only dealt with 1 company VPI Insurance so I cannot compare it to others.  They have several different plans available for pets depending on the pets age group (Puppy, Adult, Senior).  Puppy care covers vaccinations, boosters, spay/neutering.  Adult care includes dental care ear and skin infections etc.  And Senior care covers things like cardiac care.

While I do not know how good other insurance companies maybe.  VPI is truly excellent.  Customer service is very helpful and friendly.  The process of being reimbursed is very simple–you simply fax them the receipt from the Vet and about 2 weeks later you get a check in the mail.

We have needed the insurance for 2 lipomas (benign), spaying, dental care, as well as all our pets vaccinations/boosters.  Recently our Vet heard a heart murmur and we had to take our dog to a Veterinary Cardiologist.  Thankfully everything turned out to be ok. But having the insurance was really lucky–the bill for the Cardiologist was over $850!!

So I would highly recommend getting Pet Insurance.

A Great App for iPad “Zite”

/ bacigirl / 2 Comments

I have discovered an amazing App that I now use everyday on my iPad.  It is called Zite.  It is a free download from the App Store which is great.  What it does is allow you to customize your own personal magazine.  For example, there are sections such as Arts, Music, Politics, Mac, Personal Finance etc.  You simply chose the Sections that interest you and Zite will then pull content from the Web to match the section.  What I love about the App is that it lets me find articles that I probably would never come across.

The Mayonnaise Jar Story

/ bacigirl / 2 Comments

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are
important to you…” he told them.

“So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Please share this with other “Golf Balls”

How to Taste Whisky

/ bacigirl / Leave a comment

There is no specific way to taste whisky. There is no right, and no wrong, no etiquette to be observed and no rules to worry about. Whisky is there to be enjoyed, and if you enjoy yours out of a coffee mug and loaded with pineapple slices then go for it.

There are however a few pointers that can make your whisky drinking more enjoyable and they’re listed below. If they work for you, then dive in, and if they don’t then just ignore them. It really is as simple as that.

To water or not to water?

Adding water to whisky can be a good idea because it actually alters the molecular structure of the whisky and literally opens it up, allowing more flavors and nuances to be detected. This is why professional whisky tasters routinely water their whisky. But the amount is key. Literally a teardrop of water is enough to liberate new flavors, and from there you can keep adding fractions to taste if you feel more is needed for your palate.

Whatever you do, don’t drown it. That ruins the whisky, and is the way most people first  start drinking it.

Used (very) sparingly though, it can be a great addition and you’ll find some whiskies will actively benefit while others will become worse. To sum up: experiment, enjoy, and do precisely whatever feels right for you

Ice 

Whisky on the rocks is called just that for a reason. It’s whisky, poured over rocks of ice. So while there are no rules with ice, adding your whisky to your ice rather than the other way around will reap far better benefits.

Nose

Most of our tasting is done by smell, so use your nose with your whisky. Get your nose as close to your whisky as possible without getting it wet, and inhale, slowly and deeply.

Drinking

One of the greatest pieces of advice I heard came from a veteran distillery manager who recommended holding a sip in your mouth for one second per year of maturation. So 12 seconds for a 12 year old, 18 for an 18 and so on.

This allows the whisky’s flavors to flood out, but you need to gently roll the whisky around your mouth for this to work – this lets it contact all of your different tastebuds and catch every region of the tongue (different parts taste different flavors). At the same time the whisky will mingle with your own saliva, which acts like a drop or two of water to further liberate the tastes within the whisky.

The better the whisky, the smoother, deeper and more varied these flavors are and the longer they last.

The aftertaste

Good whiskies keep on rolling up the taste sensations long after they’ve left your mouth. Catch these after effects by breathing out gently after swallowing your dram and quietly allowing these final flavors to reach your palate. There’s a lot to savor.

And finally

Remember these are just suggestions , they are not rules. As we said earlier, whisky has no rules. Whisky’s there to be enjoyed, so go forth and enjoy!

How to Choose Your Airline Seat Using SeatGuru

/ bacigirl / Leave a comment

Do you want to know if you have a good seat before flying.  Remember not all seats are the same.  Some allow for more leg room or incline.  Some are close to bathrooms.  And who wants to get the dreaded middle seat.  So what can you do?  I have found a website that I use before EVERY FLIGHT.  It is called Seat Guru.  It is a free service.  Here is what a sample looks like

So lets say that you are flying on United Airlines.  One the Home Page on the Left Side there is a listing of Airlines.  So you would choose U-V-W.  Click on United. Then you will see

Now just enter your flight number and airline.  It will let you know what type of plane you are on.  It is important to realize that just because United flies for example from New York to Los Angeles each day they may not use the same plane type for each flight.   For those of us hoping for an upgrade you may want to select a flight with more Premium Economy or First Class seats.

Seat guru will show you the seat that you are in on a seat map.  it will also tell you if you have a Good Seat or a Bad One.