I just stumbled across an offer that I thought was worth sharing. Wachovia is offering $50.00 for opening a new checking account. That's it - no strings attached. Go HERE to see the details of the offer. If you're too lazy, here's the gist:
Let me just start by saying that this Christmas will go down as the Christmas nightmare to end all nightmares. I don't even know where to start. Everyone at my in-laws (including me) did our best imitation of the picture for most of the time we were in Arkansas. Couple that with some serious flight delays, standing in long lines, a baby that would not sleep, and losing my fantasy football season despite starting 10-0 and you can see where this is headed. UNBELIEVABLE.
As expected, the Fed recently cut interest rates again and we're starting to see the cut's impact on savings rates. My HSBC Direct account recently cut my interest rate by a quarter point and most online banks are following suit. I wrote about online savings accounts a month or two ago and recommended 3 banks - HSBC, ING Direct, and Emigrant Direct. All have recently cut their rates.So...what should you do about this? You can always look for CDs which typically offer higher yields than savings account but tie your money up for a period of time and charge a penalty if you have to touch the money before the period is up. You can also consider moving your money from one account to another - chasing the highest interest rate. That, however, has a cost to it as you're not making any money while the funds are in transit from one online bank to another. To see how much that's going to cost you and determine whether it's worth your while to move the funds, head over to My Money Blog (the name of the site - not MY money blog) and use their "Ultimate Rate Chaser Calculator" - a great tool to demonstrate how much money you'll lose moving money around and how long it'll take to make the money back.
One recent trend that deserves monitoring is the trend towards making educational material available for free. Many top name universities have started putting their courses online - for free! Colleges are seeking to build their brands and connect with potential applicants across the globe. Those of us who aren't potential applicants can benefit from their largesse!
We are on the move for the holidays so things will probably be pretty slow around here. I'll be back after Christmas! In the meantime, browse the archives. I hope you'll find something helpful there!
BEER CANS 
CrossLoop is a tool that allows you to give remote control of your desktop to someone via the Internet. When my mom calls me for support, we can both log on to CrossLoop and I can control her computer from my computer. I can see her screen, access the programs on her computer, etc. which makes technical troubleshooting SO much easier. Definitely download this and get your tech support go-to person to do the same!
Most of the problems that I find on other people's computers are caused by spyware and that's why you need to download AdAware. AdAware is used to scan your computer of malicious files, spyware, etc. and clean them off. If you don't know what spyware is, it's junk that you don't want on your computer that you pick up as your surf around the internet. At best, it slows your computer down. At worst, it can completely freeze your computer, log your key strokes, all kinds of stuff that's bad. Get this one for sure and use it at least once per week.
Spyware Blaster is another spyware related program that you need to get. This program addresses/stops spyware BEFORE it gets on your machine. Running AdAware is great to clean off anything that you may already have but you need SpyWare Blaster running to keep the stuff off in the first place.
The last piece of software that you should get is called CCleaner (it used to be called Crap Cleaner - seriously). This is a program that scans your computer and gets rid of alot of dead files that you don't need anymore. It also cleans up your cookies (pieces of software that websites put on your machine so that they can 'recognize' you when you come back), gets rid of temporary internet files (some sites save some of their content on your local machine so the site will load faster), etc. This is a good tool for cleaning up disk space and keeping things in good working order.
I believe that, unfortunately, almost every politician on the national stage is willing to lie to get elected. Sometimes it's well intentioned lies and other times it's flat out smear tactics - but a lie is a lie. Fortunately for us, there are people out there that dedicate more time than you or I have to tracking down who's doing the lying and what the truth is.
I came across another pretty cool site today that's aimed at helping people decide on a candidate to support in the Presidential race. Glassbooth.org asks you to rank which issues are most important to you and then asks you how strong your opinions are on certain issues (strongly agree, agree, disagree, etc.). Based on your responses, the site tells you which 3 candidates align most closely with your views and gives you a breakdown of which, if any, issues you and the top candidate disagree on.
Jott.com solves another problem that I have regularly - forgetting to send a note to someone before I leave the office. Register at Jott.com, enter your contact list, and then you can dial Jott's 1-800 number anytime and record a message that will then be emailed to the contact you specify. The site will either transcribe your message to text or will send the recipient a link and they can actually listen to your voice when they click on the link. You can also use this site to send yourself notes or things you think of on the move - just make yourself one of your contacts!
Most of us probably have conference call capabilities at work but I don't know anybody that has a personal conference call service. With Rondee.com, now you do. Rondee allows you to have conference calls with as many people as you like and all they have to do is call into the Rondee service. It's based in San Diego, CA - so the call could be long distance depending on where you live. For those with cell phones or unlimited long distance calling, that's not an issue. The site offers all the features of a good conference call service - web based scheduling, call recording, attendance tracking, etc. - and it's all free with no need to download software!!
Dollar stores are well known to smart shoppers. These are places where everything they sell costs $1.00 and, if you know a few secrets, you can get some good deals. The flip side is true too - if you don't know some secrets, you can buy some pretty useless junk. Here's what SmartMoney says are the best buys at the dollar store:1. Cleaning Supplies - sponges, detergent, window cleaner, etc. According to the Good Housekeeping Institute, the stuff for sale at the dollar store is made up of the exact same ingredients as the expensive grocery store stuff - it's just been diluted a little bit. They have to find a way to make it cost a dollar! So - unless you need super cleaning power, the dollar store variety should work just fine.
2. Gift Wrap - sells for up to 80% off of what you'd pay at Target or Wal-Mart. My luck has been hit or miss with dollar store gift wrap - sometimes it's pretty flimsy (and see through - which bugs me). I'm also not a good wrapper so that could be part of the problem.
3. Snacks - peanuts, chocolate bars, twinkies, potato chips, etc. If you're stocking up on junk food for a party, you can rack up big savings. Don't make a special trip if you're only buying a couple of things - the savings aren't that huge since the grocery store varieties aren't super expensive.
4. Shampoo - Paula Begoun, author of "Don't Go Shopping for Hair Care Products Without Me" 
5. Kitchen Accessories - save up to 90% buying things like measuring cups, spatulas, cutting boards, etc. at the dollar store. Honestly - is that Williams Sonoma measuring cup any more effective than a cheap $1.00 version? I'll answer for you. No.
Now - that said, there are things to avoid buying at the dollar store. Here's what Shop Smart magazine said should be avoided:
1. Vitamins - In their independent lab tests, some of the multi-vitamins were missing ingredients that were shown on the label. Others did not break down properly and would not have been absorbed by the body. Stick to the drugstore for these.
2. Electrical Products - These things are cheap because they don't go through the inspection process that more expensive products do. Look for the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) safety sticker on electrical products (you likely won't find these at the dollar store!).
3. Toys for Kids Under 3 - Super cheap toys are often mislabeled, have really small parts, and might even contain lead paint. Buy toys with large parts (so large they don't fit through a toilet paper tube) and buy them from somewhere other than the dollar store.
4. Soundalike Brands - Those Dinacell batteries that look like Duracell batteries - don't buy them. Fake goods are often cheap (really cheap) imitations of the real thing and are designed to lure people into buying crappy merchandise. Don't be that guy.
5. Soft Vinyl Lunch Boxes - If you're getting a lunch box for a dollar, something's wrong with it. Often times they have high lead content. You don't want your food stuck inside one of these!
So...now you know what should and should not be bought at the dollar store. Does it bother anybody else that there are stores with dollar in the title that aren't actual dollar stores? What's the deal with places like Family Dollar and Dollar General? Don't put the word 'Dollar' in your title if you're not a dollar store. That's my new decree. Oh well. Enough from me - enjoy your savings.
Sorry kids. There's no Santa Claus this year. Santa's in lock down for 10-20 for inappropriate contact with minors.
You WILL HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS. Is that understood?
Just terrible. "Vinny! Have you seen my bag of cotton balls?"
Since last week's wildly popular NBA Guessing Game was such a mega-hit, I decided to give it another go. So...other than never having been in your kitchen...does anybody know what these 7 celebrities have in common?
With three nieces and a nephew heading off to college in the next two years, I thought it appropriate to post Campus Squeeze's 20 Ugliest College Campuses. If you want to read the reasons why these campuses are on the list, you can read the original article HERE. To satisfy my own curiousity, I'm also going to list where each of these 20 ugly schools ranks in U.S. News' college rankings (in parenthesis). Maybe we'll uncover a relationship between campus beauty and educational quality. Fun!Now - go choose an aesthetically pleasing campus and get educated!
Probably the most obviously named site in the list, AnnoyingCoworker.com allows you to send emails anonymously. The site publishes some of the funnier/ruder emails on the site (anonymously) - so don't be so mean that your email ends up there. Just remember, you probably had bad breath at some point in your life too.
AnonAdvice.com also allows you to send anonymous emails. Pretty generic/plain input screen but it gets the job done. If you're so nice that you don't want someone to get the email from annoyingcoworker.com (you don't want them to know they annoy you), go here instead.
SendaTip.com is a little different than the other two sites. This site serves the same purpose but does not let you enter the text yourself. It has a menu of annoying habits that it lets you choose from and then it does the rest. Sometimes this works better if you don't know exactly what to say to someone that needs to bathe more often. Let the site handle that part. It does not, however, have ever potential annoyance - so if the thing that bugs you isn't on the list, you're going to have to do the work yourself at one of the first two sites.
Given my post yesterday regarding gift cards, I thought it'd be timely to tell you that in the last 24 hours, I've found an even BETTER gift card site. Leveragecard.com offers features that none of the others offer. It's not the place to go if you're looking to sell your gift card. It IS the place to go if you want to:
I had that very poster hanging on the back of my bedroom door all the way through high school. Yes, four guys that look like ugly girls - but that's beside the point. What is not beside the point is that this thing is selling on Ebay right now for $74.00. I knew I should've hung on to all my Stryper gear. Dang it!
CardAvenue.com requires that gift card owners include the toll-free number for their card and that sellers check the balance before offering it to others. CardAvenue charges a 6.25 % fee from the seller and a 50-cent closing fee only if a sale or trade is completed. If the card doesn't attract a new owner, the seller isn't out any money.
Swapagift.com charges a $4 flat fee to list a gift card for sale or swap. If you just want to get rid of a card, they will also pay you 70% of face value and then resell it themselves.
PlasticJungle.com charges a 10% commission fee to sellers for every gift card sale. They also buy gift cards and pay anywhere from 55% to 65% of face value, depending on which retailer the card comes from.
While Scott's guess of people who have never been in his kitchen is, technically, accurate, the significance of the guys in the picture are that they are the last remaining players from the old Charlotte Hornets. All others have retired. When these guys end their careers, there will literally be no trace of this franchise remaining - the building they played in has been torn down, the uniforms/colors have been changed, and there's a new team in Charlotte. 19 years ago they were brand new and the city was crazy for them and now all that remains is 7 guys. Sad.
If this doesn't freak you out, you're in the minority. I don't like even Googling my own name much less going to a site like one of the two below where it proves that there is far more information floating around out there about me than I want there to be. Check for yourself - if one of these two sites doesn't find you (and then subsequently display a ton of information about you - like your relatives, past roomates (?!), etc.) consider yourself lucky!
You may have noticed that I have a new widget in my right hand navigation bar. I'm talking about the little reddish box that says "From the Blogosphere". It's replaced the pictures of Bailey. I did that for a couple of reasons. One - this little box is supposed to serve up targeted content that might be of interest to readers of this blog. Two - it, theoretically, publishes some of my postings in a little box displayed on somebody elses website, thereby sending more people to my blog (so far - 1 additional visitor!). Third - I realized that I'm probably starting to get readers that have no idea who Bailey is so I figured posts/content about interesting topics might be more interesting than pictures of a baby in a bee suit.So - if you were wondering what that thingy is - that's the answer. If you have your own blog, you can try it out too. Go HERE.
I recently went through my company's annual benefits enrollment process and, much to my chagrin, was blasted with another sizable increase in my healthcare costs. Every year the costs of health insurance, my out of pocket deductables, my prescription deductables, etc. keep going up and it's starting to really get under my skin. This past year, in addition to having a baby, we've had a couple of hard to diagnose conditions in my family and the care we've gotten on some of the issues has been, to be frank, marginal at best. I'm starting to wonder if we're getting what we pay for here?
If you collect Delta SkyMiles, there's a promotion running right now at 1800Flowers.com that gives you the opportunity to earn 188 miles per dollar spent - a fantastic rate.
I was recently reading some basketball recruiting information when I came upon something that I thought was pretty absurd. This site ranks the top prospects in the greater Kentucky area. That's pretty cool - except that it goes down to the class of 2013. The site is ranking 4'7" sixth graders?! Dear Lord. We can now explain what is wrong with amateur athletics (and, more specifically, amateur athletes!).
Clutter and disorganization are problems that many of us face. My wife is a great organizer and we still struggle with our clutter from time to time. She showed me a clip recently of an Oprah show that she recorded about compulsive hoarders (think clutter to the extreme). These people had 75 TONS of clutter/garbage in a 3,000 square foot home. It was unreal (and unhealthy - tons of black mold/mildew - disgusting). I doubt that many of the readers of this blog are hoarders - but many of us are probably not as organized as we'd like to be or as we could/should be. What you may not realize, however, is that disorganization is probably costing you money. Here's how:
If you really need help getting organized, the place to start is at NAPO.net. The National Association of Professional Organizers has a directory of organization experts that can come to you and work with you on, literally, getting your house in order. These people can help you create filing systems, figure out what to keep/get rid of, figure out financial strategies so that you can be organized in that area of your life, etc. They exist solely because organization is a problem for a lot of people - so don't be afraid to get some help!
Maybe you're not ready to hire a professional - or maybe your lack of organization has put you in a financial position which makes hiring a professional impossible. If that's the case, head over to Amazon.com and take a look at the books that are available on eliminating clutter and getting organized. This link will take you right to the listing: Books on clutter & organization
If you grew up as a "child of the 80's", it's pretty much a guarantee that the Superfriends were on your weekly "must watch" list. I was a huge fan. I especially liked Zan & Jayna and their space monkey Gleek.
