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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Better news for my budget / the next step in Afghanistan

Taking a new job that pays 30% less than my last job did, I am always on the hunt for ways to make a smaller paycheck go farther.

Nowadays, it actually becomes cheaper to use public transportation in the Los Angeles area (it wasn't always like this, but with gas prices just over $2 per gallon and my compact SUV getting 18 miles/gallon and a 25 mile one-way drive, a $5 day pass is actually a money saver when I add in less spent for maintenance and insurance).

My new employer is offering to pay for monthly passes in full if I continue to use the public transport.  It is the first time in over 17 years of working full-time that an employer made this much effort to encourage employees to use public transport.  I found out from HR today that about 100 out of 300 of the company's employees use the passes.

For the incredibly low price of $0.00 per month, I'm actually going to spend a little less on the car now than I did when I had to drive 5 miles one way to work.  I'm even getting full-day parking passes for 2 days a month at the employee parking lot and a $20 gift card to a nearby discount department store.

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It is tempting to jump the gun regarding tomorrow's scheduled announcement from the President on the increase in troops going to Afghanistan.  

Articles posted today hint at a military/civilian strategy.  I'm pulling for "more civilian, less military' plan, but even I know well enough to leave my rose-colored glasses in the case.

More on that tomorrow.

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