My Money Blog

ThankYou Points: Double Your Redemption Rate With The Fixed Flight Option

Posted on April 17, 2008 // 30 Comments

If you have a Citibank credit card and are collecting ThankYou points, you are probably familiar with the various gift cards available at approximately a 1 point to 1 cent ratio, or 10,000 points = $100 gift card. You may even be familiar with the … [Read the rest]

Series I Savings Bonds: Inflation Numbers Released, Time To Buy?

Posted on April 16, 2008 // 29 Comments

Well, the CPI-U that I recently questioned went up 0.9% in March alone. I guess you can't hide everything. ;) So, is it time to buy some Series I bonds? First, refer back to this earlier post for a primer as well as some background information. … [Read the rest]

Considerations in Do-It-Yourself Hardwood Flooring

Posted on April 16, 2008 // 33 Comments

I am now the proud owner of over $7,000 in hardwood flooring. It cost as much as my car! We charged it to our Citi Cash Returns card in order to grab the extra cashback at the time, which saved us another $350 on top of the $400 we got back last … [Read the rest]

Does The Government Underestimate Inflation Through The Consumer Price Index (CPI)?

Posted on April 15, 2008 // 30 Comments

Many people, including myself, are worried about inflation. Is it just because of the current housing and stock market conditions, or are our bills really a lot higher than before? The inflation numbers that we usually hear about are based on the … [Read the rest]

SmartyPig Review: With Less Fees, Are Piggy Banks Back?

Posted on April 14, 2008 // 24 Comments

When I first heard of SmartyPig, it sounded like a pretty cool idea. Give us back the piggy banks we had as kids, but make it virtual and public so that others can help directly with our goal. But a bunch of fees made it expensive and my … [Read the rest]

Links: Wisdom, Hope, Knowledge Edition

Posted on April 14, 2008 // 6 Comments

More posts from other bloggers that also hopefully made me wiser and smarter: Millionaire Mommy Next Door reminds us that there is more than one right answer on how to get rich. Lots of wisdom here. While I'm reading all these financial books, … [Read the rest]

Sweat Equity: Removing Old Carpet Yourself

Posted on April 12, 2008 // 24 Comments

We bought a house with some flaws, and one of them was this shag carpet complete with old pet stains. Before we can install our desired hardwood flooring, we had to remove the dirt magnet. After asking around, the price for professional carpet … [Read the rest]

TrueEarnings Card from Costco and American Express – Rewards Card Review

Posted on April 11, 2008 // 42 Comments

Here's another solid all-around rewards credit card that is much better than all those generic 1% back cards out there. The TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express offers the following: 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on … [Read the rest]

Why Buy and Hold Investing Is Simple, But Not Easy

Posted on April 10, 2008 // 25 Comments

The strategy of Buy & Hold Investing has a lot of followers (including me), and one of it's touted benefits is that it is a simple way to invest. In the case of passive investors, it primarily involves picking and maintaining an asset … [Read the rest]

Why Sports Betting and Stock Picking Are Similar

Posted on April 9, 2008 // 30 Comments

So how did everyone do in their March Madness pool? In the book Wise Investing Made Simple by Larry Swedroe, there is a great explanation of why stock-picking is very difficult which incorporates sports betting. I'll try to briefly paraphrase the … [Read the rest]

Zillow Mortgage Marketplace: New Place To Shop For Home Loans?

Posted on April 8, 2008 // 16 Comments

If you're shopping for a new mortgage, there is now another option out there. The Zillow Mortgage Marketplace attempts to make connecting borrowers and lenders as effortless as typing a search on Google. Will it work? Application: Less Nosy, But … [Read the rest]

Find Out How To Lower Your Property Taxes

Posted on April 7, 2008 // 17 Comments

While I tend to be straight-laced when it comes to taxes, I also think it is our right - heck, even our duty - to pay as little taxes as legally required. I take every deduction that I can substantiate. While learning about property taxes, I read … [Read the rest]