My Money Blog

Do You Have More Questions About Buying A House?

Posted on April 30, 2008 // 29 Comments

I have organized all of my experiences as a first-time homebuyer to one central page. It's huge, sometimes I can't believe I wrote all that stuff. Hopefully it can be of some help so other folks. Although I have few things left, I seem to be close … [Read the rest]

How To Buy Paper Series I Savings Bonds

Posted on April 28, 2008 // 48 Comments

While on my lunch break, I went over and bought some Series I Savings bonds, due to their high interest rates described here. Technically I had two more days until the 30th to get an April 2008 issue date, but I didn't want to cut it too close in … [Read the rest]

Updates: Earn $100+ In Free Money Trying Out Financial Services

Posted on April 27, 2008 // 16 Comments

Here's an updated list of companies willing to pay you to try out their services. None of these listed require a credit check. See links for more info. RevolutionMoneyExchange $25 Bonus. Offer extended to May 15th, so get in by then if you haven't … [Read the rest]

IRS Economic Stimulus Check Promotions: 10% Bonus at Albertson’s, Kroger, K-Mart, Sears, and More

Posted on April 27, 2008 // 38 Comments

The economic stimulus checks are coming! Before depositing your tax rebate at the bank, it might be a good idea to see what retailers will offer you for it. While I don't necessarily like the idea of treating this extra money as different from any … [Read the rest]

No Rice For You!

Posted on April 25, 2008 // 37 Comments

While shopping at Costco yesterday, I was greeted with a peculiar sign: We bought one bag, which apparently did not require supervisor approval. My weak understanding of all the buzz: 1. Rice prices globally are rising. 2. This is greatly … [Read the rest]

How I Plan To Shop For My Next Mortgage Loan, Part 2

Posted on April 25, 2008 // 18 Comments

Continued from Part 1, where you should have figured out what type of loan you want to get, gathered copies of your important paperwork, and gathered a list of potential lenders. Now to narrow things down to one final lender. III. Narrowing … [Read the rest]

Sandy and Jott: Create Your Own Free Virtual Assistant

Posted on April 23, 2008 // 17 Comments

Nobody has ever accused me of being the most organized person. I don't carry a PDA, a dayplanner, or even a notebook/moleskin. It's pretty much just Outlook at work, and a lot of Post-Its at home. But recently I've discovered two applications … [Read the rest]

Looking Back: How I Plan To Shop For My Next Mortgage Loan, Part 1

Posted on April 22, 2008 // 15 Comments

Shopping for my recent mortgage loan was a pain. It shouldn't be this hard! I had hope for Zillow, but a recent quote request for my same loan only got two offers from lenders, both of which weren't very good. Ah well. Until it gets better, … [Read the rest]

The Financial Freedom Ratio: A Better Way To Measure Your Net Worth?

Posted on April 21, 2008 // 23 Comments

Most of you are reading this right now because you want that elusive "financial freedom". This usually revolves around net worth, and many of us (ahem) have a specific net worth goal they want to achieve. Various formulas and calculators abound. … [Read the rest]

April 2008 Investment Portfolio Snapshot

Posted on April 20, 2008 // 16 Comments

Since we just made our IRA contributions for 2007 recently and had made a few mutual fund exchanges, I figured this was a good time to post another portfolio snapshot. Since we have so many different accounts now, I changed the presentation layout a … [Read the rest]

What I Learned About Money In The 6th Grade…

Posted on April 18, 2008 // 35 Comments

Thanks for all the diverse and interesting insights on teaching kids about money, I learned quite a few things myself. As I was trying to think back and remember what I personally learned - or wish I learned - about money in 6th grade, a couple of … [Read the rest]

Help A 6th Grade Teacher With Financial Education?

Posted on April 17, 2008 // 49 Comments

I received this intriguing e-mail yesterday from reader Ryan: I am a 6th grade teacher who wants to do a month long lesson on financial education. I was wondering if you have any thoughts and/or ideas as to what you think should be stressed at … [Read the rest]