Blogshares Is Addicting!

I found a new and addicting website Blogshares.com. You can buy and sell shares of your blog or others blogs. It lists blogs by industries and rankings. Imagine my surprise when I went to the profile for Free Money Finance and saw that my blog was listed in his top 100. #81 to be exact ; ) That just blew me away. I mean he has over 300 incoming links and my relatively new baby blog still made it into his top 100.

You can check all of the sites that you link to and see who links back to you. There's also the ability to earn chips and karma points. What's I like most about this site is that you can see where your blog ranks in the grand scheme of things. It's also a great way to get your blog out there. So sign up and have fun!

Disclaimer: The above link is a referral link and will give me 5 chips if you sign up under me. Feel free to go straight to the site and sign up.

Find The One - Credit Card That Is

Did you know that there are more than 30,000 credit card programs among the five major brands (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and Diners Club)? There's an excellent article on Fool.com discussing how to pick the best card for you and your spending style.

The article is broken into 4 categories:
1. Have a balance you are trying to pay off.
2. You never carry a balance, always pay on time, and make complete stops at every stop sign.
3. You occasionally carry a balance, spread your spending across a number of cards, or pay cash.
4. You have little or no credit history, or have one that is riddled with blemishes, and can't seem to qualify for any credit card.

Under each category is a list of things to look for in that card, as well as a list of things to watch out for. Each type of card has its pros and cons so be sure to look for the card that works best for you.

Moochers

So my mooching cousin called me this week. Yeah you. You know who I'm talking about. No I'm not putting your name out there. I'm so ticked, I don't even wanna think about your name.

I get home from work and there's a message on my machine. After the usual sucking-up and I haven't talked to you bull, he goes "oh I don't need money or anything I just haven't talked to you in a while." Well no you haven't. That's because the only time you call is when you need money! And is there anyone out there who falls for the old I don't need money line. If they mention not needing money, they want money.

I ain't giving you a nickel. Nope, not one thin dime. Don't call. This bank is closed, no more withdrawals for moochers.

1 and 3

Are you kidding me? I stayed up to watch this. I'm glad I kept my money and decided not to pull a Pete Rose and bet on any sports this weekend. First the Yankees now this. I'm glad I'm off work today. I need a moment. Sad, just sad.

Long Time No See

I know, I know, I know... I promised updates more often and I haven't delivered. I have good reasons, I promise.

First I've had a really tough time lately. Stuff I really can't get into on the internet. It's personal and not really pleasant to talk about. I'm dealing with it the best I can.

Then, as if that's not bad enough....My computer died!!!!!!! It took me 3 weeks to get a new computer. I was going crazy. I can't access the site from work. They block out any kind of blogs or message board type sites. So now I'm the proud owner of a new Compaq laptop. My first new computer in 7 years. I'm not too good at typing on the laptop yet, so bear with me and any typos.

Updates more often, I promise....

Pittsburgh Steelers Tickets Vent

Ok so this is not exactly money related but bear with me. So, I didn't get any tickets this year. I got my check back with the note sorry blah blah blah, oh yeah preseason games are available. Well yeah I bet they are. I don't want to go to a preseason game. It's just a televised scrimmage where the starters play at most half the game but usually only 1 quarter.

This bites. I mean really. Tickets are really hard to get unless you know someone who's not going to the game or willing to go to a scalper. The only way to buy tickets is through the team. You can't go to ticketmaster or anything like that. Most of the tickets are for season ticket holders. Ok fair enough, can't argue with that. The rest are first-come first-served type of deal. By the time they got my order form all games were sold out.

Yeah I know I know...Super Bowl champs blah blah blah. These tickets are always hard to get. Tickets are always sold out. And you know what? Turn on any game throughout the season and look at all of the empty seats. People that don't show up or leave the game early. Better luck next year.

Grrrrrr!!!!!!!!! Ok vent over!

Updates

Wow, wow, wow. I can't believe it. It's been over 2 months since I updated my blog. I really haven't thought much about it. I didn't think anyone was even reading it. Well, I was wrong.

A couple of friends have emailed me asking me why I haven't kept my site up to date. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. As I said, I didn't think anyone was really reading it. They told me that they liked some of my articles and to please continue writing. Nothing like good old flattery to get the juices going again!

I'll try to get in here at least once every two weeks for an update. Sometimes more often, sometimes less often. I have had a hectic time as of late, so the updates may be sporadic. But I will make a more concentrated effort to post something, anything. So keep reading, and I hope you're enjoying the articles I've written.

Feel free to leave comments or email me with feedback. Also, if there are any subjects that you would like to see me cover, let me know.

See ya soon!

Drivers Switch to Public Transit to Avoid Costly Gas

What are you doing to combat high gas prices? According to an article in todays USA Today, Public transit systems across the USA are seeing an increase in ridership.

You can read the entire article here: Drivers Switch to Public Transit to Avoid Costly Gas

Popular Cars - Most Expensive To Insure

America's most popular vehicle, the Ford F-series pickup, is also the most expensive to insure according to a report released by the insurance website Insure.com. The least expensive - the Chrysler Town & Country minivan.

Insurance is the third largest cost of owning a new car, after depreciation and fuel, according to Insure.com. Insurance premium costs, now averaging almost $900 per year, have risen 27 percent since 2000, according to the report.

See the top 20 cars here: Popular Cars: Most expensive to insure

Of Course It Works

Would you be willing to buy used electronics for a substantial discount? That's what people who buy refurbished products do everyday. A refurbished product is one that may have been damaged during shipping. A production defect or even a scratch can send an item back to the company. All items sent back are tested and repaired by the manufacturer. After they pass the quality assurance team, they returned to the market place with a discount and the "refurbished" label.

So should you buy a refurbished item? Well, here are some points to consider before you do.

Price - Make sure the price of the refurbished item is discounted enough to take the risk. A similar new item may cost the same. In this case it would make more sense to go with the new item.

Brand - Stay with brand name items. These manufacturers are more likely to stand behind their product.

Warranty - A refurbished item should still come with a manufacturers warranty.

Refurbishing Policy - Read the fine print to find out exactly how the item is refurbished. Make sure it is subject to final inspection. And make sure all manuals, software, cables, etc. are included.

Return Policy - Adhere to the return policy in terms of length and the conditions that it comes along with. You want to be able to thoroughly test the item before you find out that you only had 7 days to return the item.

Refurbished items can save you lots of money, but be sure to do your homework and buy from a reputable vendor.

Till next time...

Best ways to spend your tax refund

Personally, I'm using my refund to buy some new clothes for work. And I'm getting no where near the estimated $2400 average refund.

Here's an article from CNN Money on the best ways to spend your tax refund.

Companies Target Your Tax Refund

Click here to read all about the sneaky ways companies try to get their hands on your money.

Companies Target Your Tax Refund

Audit Anyone?

According to a recent article from CNN Money, there are certain red flags on your return that makes you more likely to be audited.

But with the tax agency auditing 1.2 million individuals last year and the IRS ramping up its enforcement spending in recent years, experts say it might be worth taking a look at your return to make sure you aren't making yourself a target for the tax man.

Read here for the entire article from CNN Money.

Tuition Is How Much?

MOST EXPENSIVE COLLEGES Here's a list of the most expensive tuition bills for 2005-06, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The figures do not include room, board or other costs of attendance. College 2005-06 tuition

1. Landmark $37,738
2. George Washington U. $36,400
3. U of Richmond $34,850
4. Sarah Lawrence $34,042
5. Kenyon $33,930
6. Vassar $33,800
7. Trinity $33,630
8. Bennington $33,570
9. Simon's Rock College of Bard $33,364
10. Hamilton (NY) $33,350

So the next time Junior mentions wanting to get into Harvard, keep these schools in mind and Harvard will seem downright cheap.

$241,000 Strip Club Bill Settled

New York strip club "Scores" has settled a $241,000 bill racked up by a former telecom exec.

Read the article here: $241,000 Strip Club Tab Finally Settled

All I can say is that's a whole lotta lap dances!!

PlayStation 3 Delayed

The bad news - Sony Corporation has announced the delay of its PlayStation 3 console. The release date has been pushed back to November because of delays in finalizing its next-generation optical disc technology.

The good news - the November release date will give you something to look forward to for Christmas.

Read the full article here: Sony Delays Release of PlayStation 3

Great News For The Class Of 2006

With a strong recruitment push, higher salaries and in some cases, multiple job offers, all signs are pointing up for the class of 2006.

Recruiters are reportedly fighting for space at campus career fairs, according to college career offices. Several schools have also reported that they have had to turn down recruiters because of space limitations. And employers are expected to hire 14.5 percent more graduates this year, according the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

The hot fields this year are engineering, accounting and finance, and computer science. But liberal arts majors take heed. You are in demand because of your communications skills, your ability to think critically, lead or adjust to the demands of the job.

The top ten jobs and their starting salaries are:

1. Chemical Engineering $55,900
2. Electrical Engineering $52,899
3. Mechanical Engineering $50,672
4. Computer Science $50,046
5. Accounting $45,723
6. Economics/Finance $45,191
7. Civil Engineering $44,999
8. Business Administration $39,850
9. Marketing $36,260
10. Liberal Arts Majors $30,828

Paying Bills By Text Message

Here's an interesting article I found on CNN Money about Paypal. The article starts off with:

PayPal is getting back to its mobile roots.
Back in 1999, when the company first launched as a tiny startup, it had designed software to beam money between handhelds and cell phones. It rapidly abandoned that plan when it found that buyers and sellers on eBay (Research) preferred to use a Web-based version of its payment service to settle auctions.

They also have some competition in this area from another company called TextPayMe.

The process for sending a payment with TextPayMe is simple: Users text an amount and the recipient's cell-phone number to TextPayMe, which then sends a text message to the recipient. To collect the money, the recipient later visits TextPayMe's website to register bank-account details. It's not unlike how PayPal's e-mail payments work today.

I can't wait to see these companies marketing strategies. I think I'll give them a look-see before jumping in. What about you? Do you like the idea of paying bills by text message? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Till next time...

Should You Charge Your Tax Bill?

In a nutshell, the answer is no. In 2005 1.5 million taxpayers put their bill on credit. More than double the previous year according to an article in USA Today.

Enhanced rewards from credit card issuers are making the idea even more enticing. Some card issuers are offering double rewards on tax bills paid with their cards. And to use a credit card to pay taxes, you'll have to cough up a fee usually 2.49 percent of federal or state taxes paid to third-party companies that process the transaction. The two companies authorized to accept credit card payments for the IRS are Official Payments and Link2Gov.

It's never a good idea to use a credit card to pay when you can find some other way. Especially considering you'll have to pony up an extra 2.49% just for the convenience.

An Ideal Budget

What does your budget look like? Do you spend first and save later? Nothing left to save you say. Well I found a great budgeting tool. The simplest way to budget is known as the 60% budget. Written by Richard Jenkins at MSN Money it goes like this:

Monthly committed expenses should be at or below 60% of your gross income.

Examples of committed expenses are:
Essential Housing Expenses - Rent, mortgage, utilities, insurances and taxes.
Food and Clothing Expenses
Insurance Premiums - Health, homeowner, and car.
All Bills - non essential utilities such as cable, cc debt, transportation, student loans, etc.
All Taxes
Charity

The other 40% should be broken into 10% chunks like this:
Retirement Savings - 401k or IRA contributions.
Long Term Savings - Liquid cash on hand usually for emergency fund.
Short Term Savings - To be used for irregular expenses such as: new car, new appliances, birthday or holiday gifts, vacation fund, etc.
Fun Money - Dinners out, movies, plays, etc.

Right now, this budget may seem impossible for some people. The idea is to use this as a guideline to make the best use of your money. Follow this budget, and you'll start to have a lot of money left over at the end of the month.