Good advice from Ken Rockwell

[Murph]

Even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while. This is actually the Dave Ramsey approach, and its pretty darn good.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/how-...d-anything.htm

[Wes]

Yup yup yup. Not much to disagree with here. Good find, Murph.

[srwatters]

Oxymoron alert!

Once again Ken has nothing original to say. I firmly believe he should stick to photography. His images are far better than his reviews or writing (IMHO).

[DeLeon]

While he may not be the first person to say this, it is very good advice. My wife and I are recently debt free except for our mortgage using similar methods. (Dave Ramsey)

[Torrey]

I just bought the negotiating book he recommended.

[Tom]

I don't understand what that article had to do with all Canons but the 5D sucking.

[JohnT]

His earnings numbers for photographers don't agree with what I found from this one source:
http://www.abouttheimage.com/2006/06...y_results.html

[barP]

yep, that's good stuff except for the part about not going into photography as a profession. yes, it's tough, and for most probably too tough. for the few who are tougher than the profession, on the other hand, it's a rewarding career.

as to buying expensive stuff cheap, here's a story from this weekend.

after 3 years of deliberating i finally decided to buy a flat screen television. my 12 year old 32" jvc tube that i paid $1000 for in '96 is still running perfectly, but i have at last succombed to the desire to view my photos in 46" glory. i don't watch a ton of tv, so the allegedly better picture quality for that isn't what really won me over. what did spur me on, however, is the knowledge - from research - that lcd prices are averaging half what they were a year ago.

so, i decided to buy a samsung 46", again after some research. the reviews on cnet are the best i've found for tech gadgets and they rank it pretty highly. but, this is about how to buy cheap, not about why i bought the tv did.

anyhow, i go to best buy last week to look and it's $1799 on sale. normally $2199. i decide to wait until sunday because i wasn't paying attention and didn't realize the price wouldn't stay that low. that was about average on the internet anyhow.

come sunday i march into best buy expecting to march out with tv and go watch football. wrong. not only is the price now $2199 - which they graciously agreed to reduce to $1979 to match the best buy website - but it actually doesn't matter because they have none in stock. not even a display. after some calls i find that there isn't a single one even in texas, and furthermore that i can't even order one. samsung apparently is even out of them!

so, i hate circuit city, but it was close. so i go in and they have it at the same price as best buy and also agree to the $1979, but also don't have it in stock. duuuuuude, now i'm pissed. however, the salesman calls around and finds one one in stock in frisco and one on the open box table in mesquite. i live in university park.

which store do you think i went to?

correct, the one in mesquite. a quick call confirmed that it had been returned because it was too big for the buyer's shelf. on inspection i found that the bag with the cord and remote hadn't even been opened....the dang thing hadn't even been turned on. so, we scoped it out and had them demo it and it was all perfect, but had no box.

they had it marked at $1529.

i offered $1400 and left with a new tv.

after tax, hdmi cable and new 46" lcd (and a surreptitious $20 bill for the sales guy) i spent exactly $1595.

that's a savings of at least $500. cost to me...a trip to mesquite and a little extra time spent.

moral: be diligent, disciplined, and determined to save money and you will.

peace,

wp.

[Allen]

Eating out is my biggest money waster.

I can't tell you how many times I've had to return a "2.8 million dollar house".

[ngoduyviet]

Not trying to discredit the guy or badmouth him, but read here and here for more information (or the real truth) about Ken and his so call reviews.

[sarcasm] And oh, did you know that Nikon made a left-handed camera Just for Ken? [/end_sarcasm]

[Wes]

Good grief! When did this become a "bash Ken Rockwell" thread? Read the article. If what it says is good advice, what on earth does it matter who wrote it?!? If the article had been written by Abel I doubt that there would be 1 negative post in this thread.

Way to go, Will. $500 Savings is pretty sweet!

[iCe]

If it's the Dave Ramsey approach then I can save some time and not read it. I have already read everything that Dave Ramsey has written

[barP]

wow!! it's a slow day so i just wasted a bunch of time reading all this ken rockwell stuff. it's laughable, but mostly AT the people who are spending so much time and energy bashing the guy. they read something like this, from his website, and go nuts:

"Today every camera can take care of the basics of exposure automatically as well or better than I can, and this automation lets us concentrate on what's important to an image since we're not bothered with having to change fixed lenses and setting shutter speeds and apertures like we did in the old days. Just be there and concentrate on what's changing around you and avoid worrying about heading out to dinner."

one thing that's clear from reading all this crap is that there are a LOT of uptight, self appointed knowledge police on photography forums. this ken rockwell, if you take even half a minute to read his stuff - with an open mind - is a "professional enthusiast." he's energetic and having a good time, and seems to want other people along for the ride. good for him! if some noob reads something he says, takes it as gospel, and then goes out and takes a horrible picture or buys the "wrong" equipment, WHO CARES???

wp.

[Murph]

Its almost word for word the Dave Ramsey approach. Dave Ramsey is brilliant.

Originally Posted by iCe

If it's the Dave Ramsey approach then I can save some time and not read it. I have already read everything that Dave Ramsey has written

[movingex]

Funny thing for me is that I've never heard of Dave Ramsey and I don't know much about Ken Rockwell but I have always done most of the things he mentions in his article.

I am just cheap and for most of us cheapies most of this stuff just comes naturally.

All the way down to eating from the dollar menu and drinking water, buying used cars, not eating out much, taking things back that I don't need, researching the hell out of anything I buy and most importantly not buying anything that I can't pay cash for except the house and car.

Although I will admit that there have been many times when being cheap has cost me a lot more in the long run than spending the money up front would have.