desperate for change

If you get married, how do you want your finances to be arranged?

• one shared account
• two separate accounts
• one shared account, and two personal accounts (3 accounts)

I recently conducted an informal survey among recently married couples and people at various stages of relationships. The majority prefer and are using the one shared account system. This has been the traditional way of organizing finances and is simplest. The “downside” is that you have to trust that your partner is adult enough not to empty the account and put it on red at the roulette table.

In my recent search for popular advice on this subject, the experts seem to be recommending the 3 accounts system, implemented in a transparent fashion. That is, even if the two personal accounts are to be used by each person as they see fit, the amount of money going into these accounts would be known by both parties. I think that this advice mostly grew out of the divorce rate that we have been observing for the last few decades.

Perhaps I am being exceptionally naive in my list of options. What should happen in the two accounts, 50/50 expenses situation if the wife gets pregnant? What about changes in the job situation? The one account setup is superior in handling these exceptional, yet typical, situations.

If you are keen, please fill out my survey. Thanks!

Perhaps the better question is whether your having a blog should be advertised to your current and/or future employers? On the one hand, this is precisely the kind of thing that might help you stand out when you are applying for positions. But on the other hand, you just feel like your personal life should be segregated from your work life. In the online realm, this is obviously blurred to the point whereby it is nearly one and the same; so much so, that people in certain fields (such as teachers and politicians) have to either live without an online trail or professionally manage their online image.

In line with the “doing whatever it takes theme,” we have to stand out in whatever we do in life to get noticed. So here’s to my current boss and future bosses: Google away, you’ve pretty much hit on the real Alfred Pang here.

I was on Derek Siver’s website the other day and came across his free e-book on how to market yourself as a musician. I filled out the form – and guess what? I got an email from Derek asking for more information about myself and how he can help me out, presumably to further my music career. I emailed back and told him how I am beginning to get started with GTD; he replied back to tell me about the follow up book Ready for Anything – and reminded me to get going on my outstanding projects.

So what just happened here? I have just made contact with the founder of CD Baby. Holy smokes, Internets! And it was him that was proactive about making contact with me. Almost wished that I got some business or marketing questions ready to ask him.

By the way, his e-book is excellent, even if you are not in the music industry. The lessons in there apply to anyone wanting to get ahead in any industry. Highly recommended.

Step 1: Read GTD the book.

I haven’t gotten around to doing all the things that I should have been doing. I feel like I am on the brink of dropping the ball on something important. Sure, I have my to-do list on my computer but day-to-day, the inertia of having to turn on my computer to look at it is leaving me pretty ineffective.

I think back to when I was in high school: I was getting things done left and right and never felt like I had any “open loops.” I suppose that as a part of becoming an adult, we start to carry more and more projects and responsibilities. The system that worked for me as a student is no longer effective.

If this is the first time you’ve heard about “Getting Things Done,” a quick google should lead you to many praises and props about GTD. I just got the book and I am getting a high just from the thought of getting organized and productive. Maybe I’ll get a little more regular with my blogging again!