I got an email the other day from a reader that asked a good question. Basically, the email asked what the best cell phone plan for kids would be. This reader had a family plan at T-Mobile. It was four lines for $100, so $25 per line. The problem is their kid was using too…
I cover a lot of material on Wealth Bytes. The reason is because I get a lot of questions about money. I’m certainly OK with that, but I figured I would try to push all of the categories in one place so you can easily find a topic you want to look for. It’s easier…
I have a confession my friends. It’s not something I’m really happy about, but the truth hurts sometimes. I have a problem and I’m working hard to fix it. I’m a hoarder, everyone. Yes, that’s right, I hoard, but not things, just money! I’m a money hoarder and I’m working to change it. While it…
There’s a dirty feeling I get every time a check comes and I see that stupid tip line. I’ve never like tipping, not because it’s rewarding those who do their job well, but because it’s how employers use customer’s tips to pay their staff. There are many people who think tipping is good, but also…
I’m sure most of you have heard the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” The basis of this quote or phrase is when you are given an opportunity, do something with it. When life gives you a lemon, don’t just say “thanks” and move on. Do something with the lemon, like make lemonade. To tell you the truth, I kind of live by this quote. I know I got my drive from my parents, who work their butts off and do well doing it. They never let their foot off the gas. When life gives them an opportunity, they tend to take it. I’m the same way. Not only that, but I try and find my own lemons on occasion. I don’t always like to wait for life to give me a lemon, I want to find it and create the opportunity. Though this quote is inspirational, I don’t feel it tells the entire story. I wanted to expand on it and make it my own, because I can!
I have had a Capital One 360 checking account for some time now, so I figured it would be time to provide a review of the service. Many of you might know of this service, but Capital One bought ING Direct and relabeled the banking service to Capital One 360. They offer both a checking and savings account, which are online only. They are essentially an electronic checking and savings account. I have really enjoyed the service and Capital One made it extremely easy to setup. Here is my Capital One 360 review.
I talk a lot about cell phones and their respective services. Why? First, I love technology, absolutely love it. It is my weakness and the main reason why I started my e-commerce business back in the day. Second, I realize cell phones are very popular. Almost everyone has one and they are now a mainstay in our lives. Third, I feel everyone deserves the opportunity to get good service at a good price. I typically review and talk about discount services instead of the big boys, but that all depends on how I feel! I review these services to give anyone the opportunity to find a feasible solution to the big name carriers. Why do you need to spend $150 a month just for two smartphones? I don’t think so. Here, I will show you how to unlock your phone on the big carriers.
In my free time over a week ago, I went to a friend’s wedding. While it took me away from the act of moving into our new home, it was a nice opportunity to relax and wind down for a bit. I don’t get many opportunities to do that much anymore. My wife was in…
First, let me give mad props to my fellow personal finance blogger, Holly of Club Thrifty, for rocking a Wall Street Journal essay and a Fox Business TV interview. She was dealing with the topic of money and marriage. This is a very controversial topic in the world of personal finance and I understand why. I wrote about it briefly some time ago when I was talking about paying off a spouses debt when they incurred it before marriage. That one got me some angry comments and emails, but I powered through. I don’t mind causing a little controversy. I read both the arguments on the WSJ piece and I am going to provide my argument for separate finances for married couples.
You have probably heard of the saying “money talks!” If you haven’t then it is a simple premise. If you have money, then you have power and influence. The more money you have, then the more power and influence you have. We see this premise in action everywhere really. It really shows up in business and politics. I figured I would share a story with you that would bring home this phrase. You probably don’t need a story to understand that money really does talk, but you are getting one anyway. This is about a co-worker that was deep into politics, so much that she was planning a career switch.
Over the past decade, more and more people have found themselves deep in financial debt. While there may be some obvious reasons why some people have gotten into debt, there are also many other overlooked factors that could have led to their accumulation of debt. I have spent a good amount of my adult life in debt. I know how it feels. There is nothing fun about it, but that doesn’t mean it has to define you. Remember that you are the one in control of your money, so don’t let it take control of you. We all make mistakes and debt should be one that you only make once. I don’t plan on making the debt mistake again, so I hope you do the same.
As a reformed spender, I love the opportunity to save money. Unfortunately for all of us savers, the economy is not really geared to rewarding us for holding onto our money. Even with low interest rates, I still love to save money and want to tell you about the American Express personal savings account. One of my goals is to give my readers options on where they store their cash. I am a big proponent of spreading your liquid assets in different places, so adding another savings account is no big thing for me. I am also a big fan of American Express, because they are the holder of one of my favorite cash back credit cards. Since my large banks are giving their savings customers a paltry 0.10%, anything better than that is good for everyone!
