My Money Blog

Is Costco Executive Membership Worth It?

Posted on November 25, 2006 // 277 Comments

We are currently Costco Gold members, the standard level. We joined because you know you're getting a fair price (if not necessarily the best) on great variety of products, the customer service is great, and you gotta love their food court. So after … [Read the rest]

True Cost of Holiday Shopping Calculator

Posted on November 23, 2006 // 22 Comments

Can you hear that sound? Sleigh bells a-jingling? Carol singers? No, it's credit cards a-swiping as part of what is now officially BUY BUY BUY season. Here's a psychological trick that I use to temper my "self-gifting" urges. It's based on the … [Read the rest]

Sunrocket VoIP – 2 Years for $199, No Code Required

Posted on November 21, 2006 // 13 Comments

Today (11/21) only, SunRocket is offering 2 years for $199. This "special" seems to come around every other month or so. I've been using SunRocket instead of a landline for over a year now now and I remain very satisfied for the price - check out my … [Read the rest]

For Those Not Sleeping Through Black Friday

Posted on November 20, 2006 // 3 Comments

The Consumerist has a great before-you-go checklist for everyone who's all hyped up for Black Friday shopping. Have fun and try not to get shot while in line. I'll be rooting for you while under the covers. My family is in town, so it looks like … [Read the rest]

Index Mutual Funds or Index ETFs: Which Is Better?

Posted on November 19, 2006 // 9 Comments

Ever since exchange-traded funds became popular, many index fund investors have taken notice. Should we try to take advantage of the often-lower expense ratios? Can we overcome the commissions from trading? For example, both of these track the … [Read the rest]

Marriage and Money: My Wife And I

Posted on November 18, 2006 // 17 Comments

Sprinkled throughout my ramblings are various mentions of my wife, mostly in passing. Because of these, I may have given a skewed perception of her as some stereotypical one-dimensional woman that doesn't like math or shops all day. That's my fault. … [Read the rest]

$100 and 5,000 Bonus Points Received From American Express

Posted on November 17, 2006 // 22 Comments

Update: The below promotion is now expired. The New Business Gold Rewards Card® from American Express OPEN now offers 3X points on airfare, 2X points on advertising, gas, and shipping and 1X point on everything else. The annual fee for this card is … [Read the rest]

Welcome US News and World Report Readers

Posted on November 17, 2006 // 4 Comments

Thanks for taking a peek at my detailed journal of our personal path to early retirement. You can see exactly how far along I am with the chart on the top right (We are in our late 20s). Here I reveal my current net worth, and write daily about … [Read the rest]

BzzAgent – Get Your Own Free Stuff To Review

Posted on November 17, 2006 // 14 Comments

One of the perks of this blog is that publishers send me free books to review (which I then give away). While that may be nice, I still wish I was a successful gadget-blogger. They get free electronics to review! Anyways, the whole point of this … [Read the rest]

Don’t Forget To Take Advantage Of All Your Benefits

Posted on November 17, 2006 // 4 Comments

Many of us are so busy running around that we forget to take advantage of all the benefits that we are paying for. Or maybe it's just me. On my health plan, I am covered for an eye exam and a certain allowance for contact lenses or glasses once … [Read the rest]

Some More Reminders

Posted on November 17, 2006 // Leave a Comment

My list of free budgeting software has more than doubled since I first posted it, and I've discovered a lot of quality software that I need to explore further. Who knew there were so many free alternatives for those looking to manage their … [Read the rest]

Thanksgiving Giveaway (Free Stuff!) Reminder

Posted on November 17, 2006 // Leave a Comment

This is just a friendly reminder that my free Thanksgiving Giveaway is going to end on Tuesday, so if you haven't entered now is a good time. The response has been great, with over 400 entries so far! Since I underestimated the number of entrants, … [Read the rest]