Earn $75 Cash Back Bonus with Discover® More Card
Discover has been good to me, and it’s my 2nd favorite card (second only to the PenFed Visa). Recently, they decided to offer a new $75 cash back bonus offer after spending just $500 in purchases during the first three months of card ownership. With the rotating reward categories, combined with my PenFed card, I get hundreds in rewards each month (because I pay off my balance each month!!!).
The Discover® More® Card comes with an intro APR of 0% on balance transfers for a full 12 months and purchases for a full six months. The Discover® More® Card is also one of the better cash back credit cards available today, offering 0.25% cash back on your first $3,000 in annual purchases and 1% cash back thereafter. Plus, cardholders can earn 5% cash back on rotating categories each and every year. With no annual fee, the Discover® More® Card is designed for those with good credit.
The Pros and Cons of Flipping Real Estate
By Kathleen Macky
You’ve been watching some of those reality TV shows about flipping houses and you’re pretty sure you could do just as well as (if not better than) some of the goofs on the tube. What you may not know is that most of those guys have worked long and hard to secure real estate licenses (not required, but useful when buying and selling multiple homes), become contractors (if you aren’t one, you’d better hire a professional for your crew), and learn the ins and outs of the business (from property assessment to money management to securing loans and following local building codes).
So before you jump head-first into flipping, consider some of the pluses and minuses associated with the business.
Let’s start with money
Cash is always the first thought when it comes to starting a career. How much will it cost and how much do you stand to make? The answer to both of these questions is the same: it varies.
Beware when trying to find deals
I’m tired of buying and spending, and I’ve found a sure-fire way to tempt yourself into spending. A coworker of mine loves to scan online deal sites for anything from electronics to pellet guns for his kids. But rather than scanning for stuff he needs, he just window shops till he lands on something that looks good to buy.
It’s very similar to walking through the grocery store without a specific shopping list (especially when you haven’t eaten dinner). We do this quite often and I find my cart full of wafer cookies and generic cocoa krispies. (Luckily we usually just use the hand basket, not the whole cart, so we can limit it to only what I can carry).
A few times he’s sent me links to a deal and I’ve been very tempted to buy. But then I step back and tell myself “I never knew I needed this until he told me about it. Therefore, I don’t really need it”.
Chase Freedom® Visa $100 Cash Back Bonus
I just got switched over from an old Chase card to their Freedom Visa card, but if you don’t already have a Chase Freedom® Visa, you can take advantage of a $100 promotional offer! All new cardholders can earn a $100 statement credit after being approved for the Chase Freedom® Visa and making $799 in purchases over the first three months of card ownerships. Shortly thereafter, the $100 bonus will be credited to your Chase Freedom® Visa account and it can be put toward the balance of your credit card. Excellent credit is required to take advantage of this offer.
Any purchase you make will receive 1% cash back and each month you’ll have the opportunity to earn 5% cash back on rotating categories. For the months of July, August and September, 5% cash back can be earned on the following purchases:
- Gas
- Airlines
- Hotels
- Car Rentals
Parenting classes before you can take tax deductions and credits?
I’m not a parent. I don’t claim to know how someone should be a parent. However, I do know when I see something I don’t like, and many times I’ve wondered “Why don’t people need a license to be a parent?”. This question has a complicated answer that involves more questions like “What happens if they fail the license test?” and “Who determines the criteria?”. But perhaps licensing is stretching it too far. Perhaps we have a better way to encourage new moms and dads to be more educated.
Restricting Tax Benefits for Parents
For you parents out there, you know there are tax benefits for having kids (aka “dependents”). Generally, they come in the form of deductions, and sometimes credits, that can save $thousands at year-end.
Well, what if you had to go to classes before you could claim those tax deductions and credits?
Here’s my idea of a very basic curriculum for classes. I don’t have a method or structure for how to dole out money, but that’s why we pay our legislators $millions every year to come up with this, right? (*snicker*).
Car v.s. Public Transportation: Which Is More Cost Effective?
by Timothy
When it comes to personal finance, we are all looking for ways to save more money. Our household budgets are filled with both big and small expenses that we imagine can be cut out to save us loads of cash or at the very least, spent better elsewhere. One of the things you have surely considered is using public transportation rather than your own vehicle.
Are the Bus and Train Cheaper?
It would be easy to assume that public transportation is cheaper, because a bus token is far less expensive than gas, but those are not the only costs to consider. Take a step back to your high school economics class and try to remember the lesson about opportunity costs. These, as you might recall if you were awake for that class, are the things you give up when you choose one option over another option. Although they are not measured in dollars and cents, they still have to be considered whenever you make a financial decision.
10 Great iPhone Apps for the Fiscally Frugal
If you care about being financially frugal, then it was probably pretty difficult to justify to yourself the purchase of an iPhone in the first place. But with the number of great apps out there that can help you save money and budget your expenses, the iPhone may actually be able to pay for itself. Here is a list of ten great applications for the financially frugal:
1. My Budget
Most financial advisors will tell you that the first step in taking control of your finances is to set a budget and follow it. This application helps you track your budget with both ongoing and one-time expenses on a daily, monthly, and yearly timetable.
2. CompareMe
You know it’s important to compare prices, but it can be frustrating to spend hours in the grocery store checking for unit prices to find the best deal on your everyday purchases. This app does the math for you and compares items by size and value to help you make the best choice.
Get 2 free months of Costco Membership AND $25!
If you’re not already a Costco member, you don’t know what you’re missing. I think we’re close to having a fan club at the office! And now, if you want to combine two offers, you can get 2 free months of Costco membership AND a $25 statement credit on a Costco AmEx card!
Visit this Costco page and sign up for a new membership online with any American Express card, and get 2 months free. But, if you don’t have an AmEx card yet, go get a TrueEarnings® Card from Costco and American Express, and THEN sign up for the Costco membership. Just be forewarned that if you get the card but don’t have a Costco membership, there is an annual fee. Therefore, be sure to follow up with AmEx to tell them your Costco member number!
* New membership: two months free offer is valid only for new members for the first year of membership. Costco membership must be purchased on-line and paid in full with any American Express Card. To receive 2 months free, membership must be purchased by June 30, 2010.
Clever Dude and his bride started with $113,000 in consumer debt and in just 3 short years, it's gone!