But are you really saving money if you’re spending it? That seems to be a paradox. The money you just spent is not actually still in your pocket, contrary to what many advertisers would have you believe (you might remember common advertisements slogans such as “spend more, save more!”). But beyond just a general distaste from deceptive advertising, what can we learn from those pesky “coupons and discounts” that actually burn holes in our pockets?

A 25% discount off your overall purchase may seem like a great deal and in many cases it can be. However, many people will take this 25% discount and use it as an incentive to buy more than they normally would. You can actually hear people in grocery stores—almost a moment of revelation—saying “Well, we have this coupon, we might as well buy more.” (Lord knows the thought has crossed my mind a few times).

These type of mental thinking and purchasing decision is exactly what the marketers who issued the coupon wanted to hear, and they have not been let down – the same applies for the typical “Buy 2 and Save” marketing method (99% of the time you don’t need to buy two items to get the sales price). You end up not saving money and in most cases, over-spending because of the illusory idea of saving. If you’ve over bought on groceries that have spoiled before, you know how it is.

This an an age-old predicament that has received new life from the Internet and even newer developments like social media and location based services. If you accidentally signed up to the wrong service, you’ll be hard pressed to escape from the barrage of messages advertisers and marketers want you to hear. Check-in now to receive a free dessert!  Order an entree and get a free drink! Old marketing spin, new distribution channel.

So what are we left with, a culture of “buy more, and save more? ” The good news is that when the noise is so much, it gets easier to ignore (yes, even with the marketing messages from newer technology). You can easily add handy new tools to your web browser to filter the noise out more (AdBlock etc), remind yourself to always turn off push notifications on that latest deal application you’ve just installed, and make little habit changes such as clipping coupons on items you’ll actual use.  My wife and I usually just cross check it with our shopping list, if its not on it and we don’t need it in the immediate future, we don’t bother with the coupon or discount.

You can also take the handy dandy cynicism attitude and approach everything and everyone as if they’re going to try to cheat you out of your hard-earn dollars, but I’ve learned from personal experience that this approach is tiring and makes everyone hate you. I’m just saying.

picture credits: got milk from bluewaikki, coupon pic from group0wn.

This post "The Deception of Coupons and Discounts: Yeah, I Totally Needed Two Gallons of Milk" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

Fudge?

I just experienced this problem over the weekend and the annoying part was that neither TurboTax nor IRS has very clear instruction on this particular situation. I used the AGI method to verify my e-file identity. I have my exact 2010 1040 tax return on the table and I’m reading line 37 correctly, I even double checked if there was a fat finger mistake but still the e-file return was rejected, what gives?

Here’s what TurboTax immediately tells you to do: head into the software, or online version of TurboTax to fix the error, and if you click around and follow the instructions, TurboTax will usually recommend you to request your e-file PIN at the IRS website (takes less than 60 second). The problem is if you’re in my particular situation and follow TurboTax’s instruction to the letter, you will most likely receive this message:

We are unable to provide you with your tax information online.

Wonderful. So you call the automated hotline at 1-866-704-7388 and the robot tells you everything is peachy as you give them your personal information. But still your PIN doesn’t work — or your AGI, while correct, still gets the efile rejected.

Here’s what TurboTax and IRS didn’t give clear instruction on after receiving the error message above:

If you did not file a return in 2010 or you are a first time filer over age 16, enter “0″ (zero) in the Prior Year Adjusted Gross Income field when you electronically sign your tax return or other electronic tax forms.

What they really meant was: if you did not E-FILE in 2010, regardless if you use your PIN or AGI method to verify your identity during e-file, your return will probably get rejected.  The IRS doesn’t have your AGI or E-FILE PIN in their master file database.

So you’ll need to enter “0″ (zero) in the AGI field to sign your return, even though you’re most likely over the age of 16, and you most likely have filed a return before in 2010 (but not e-file).

This method generally works, even though most of the support forums in TurboTax tells you to request a new PIN. But the funny part is requesting a new PIN will result in the error message above: “unable to provide information online”.  I opted to try the “0″ method and it worked within a few hours for me, my return was accepted:

I’m fairly certain I e-filed in 2010 and I have a working PIN, but for whatever reason entering 0 (no decimal, just the number) works. YMMV though as I read through about twenty support threads and it works for some people, but doesn’t work for others.

TurboTax will tell you that you’ll get a notification in 24-48 hours, but base on my rejection and approval history, things usually get checked out within 8 hours or less:

At this point though, if you haven’t already finish, you really should just file an extension and pay what you owe (if any) – just in case. Last thing you’ll need is the hassle of dealing with penalties from the IRS.

Finally, the last tip of the day is to avoid doing taxes last minute (I personally had a good reason, honest!) – it’ll save you the frustration and potential computer drama. You know how it goes: printers, computers always fails when you need it most.

Related Resources:

• TurboTax Federal Free Edition – Free if you have a simple tax return. Online version.
• IRS Rejection / Error Code List - Error Reject Code 0679 was the one in question
• Resolving an E-File Rejection – Guided Steps on fixing the problem

This post "TurboTax E-File IRS Rejected, PIN or AGI Error? (When IRS PIN Website is Unable to Give Your Info Online)" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

But the widespread nature of the sales does not mean that all clothing items were reduced or that customers were bound to walk away with discounted purchases without exerting too much effort. In fact, it was the contrary. Although stores were quick to advertise their sales in posters and entranceway signage, an actual examination of these stores revealed that there were still plenty of items priced just as high as ever. The differences between a full and half-priced item seemed to be minimal and random. In some stores, all lingerie was heavily discounted while jackets remained at full price. In others, some jackets would be surprisingly cheap while others were shockingly expensive.  The funny thing is that there’s some real science behind the arrangement of stores, from packaging, visual of placements, to eye tracking technology, even if it all seems maddening random and chaotic at times.

Of course, sometimes you come across weird gaps in thinking at certain stores. At Gap, for example, the price for a pair of blue jeans ranged from $9.99 (on sale) to $170 (full price). The two pairs of jeans at the edges of this spectrum both looked nice, both fit well, and both were labeled with relatively reputable brands. But there was a full $160 difference between the two. Pretty ridiculous. I personally wouldn’t cough up $170 for a pair of jeans – especially if a similar $10 pair could be found only several racks down. If someone frequently buys their clothes at this pacing, they’ll probably need a title loan to cover that difference.

This is all to say that the frugal shopper really has little reason to buy items at full price these days, because there’s always a “sales” around the corner or a 50% off sign somewhere, and the problem is that a good number of times, these sales signs are a mix-bag in terms of savings. The fact is, as long as you plan ahead (and are willing to buy winter clothes during the spring), willing to buy online, don’t need to own the absolute latest styles, and have some flexibility with your purchase preferences (i.e., you don’t leave for the mall thinking “I must get a red suit jacket today”), then there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to focus on the actual savings and ignore the “sales” that are meant to play with your mind.

 Relevant Reading:

• Are Sale Signs Less Effective When More Products Have Them?

This post "Uh, Is That Really “On Sale?”" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

Personally I wouldn’t want my personal data to be shared like this, even if its in aggregated/anonymous format, but for those that don’t care or mind, this is easy enough “free” money (in the form of Amazon gift cards anyways).

Here’s the full gist of the program:

• You can sign up at the Google Screenwise program page
• You must be 13 or older (surprisingly low age threshold)
• Have a Google account (or will sign-up for one)
• Using the Chrome web browser
• You’ll eventually get instructions on how to install the extension and join the program through Google’s panel management partner, Knowledge Networks

The sign-up page at Google shows that the maximum payout is $25 (total of 12 months plus initial $5 they give you for signing up). However in the fine print Google notes that it may extend the research beyond 12 months if there is a need/fit.

Please note that I am assuming data being shared are on an aggregated or anonymous format, but you should check with the full program terms before you start using it on a day-to-day basis. I doubt the purpose of the program/panel will be recording your bank login information etc., but when you install additional extensions to your browser, you add new potential security risk.

If anything, I suppose people can always sign-up to the program and opt-out of the program after the initial gift card is given to you. *shrug*

This post "Get $25 “Free” from Google by Sharing Your Web Surfing Data" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

The deal is pretty straight forward:

• Visit VISA’s deal page to check if you qualify.
• As long as you’re a Visa Signature card holder, you’ll be presented with a Southwest promo code after verifying
• You’ll have to input your email address before they give you the promo code
• Search for flights on either Southwest or SWABIZ, or use the tool on the VISA page

The fare saver codes are available from Jan 20th to April 30th, 2011. Works at Southwest.com or SWABIZ.com. Codes are valid for travel between Jan 20th through June 1st, 2011.  The code works only ONCE and you’ll only be issued one code per Visa Signature card you own, so use them wisely.

Here are the blackout dates:

• April 21, 2011 through April 25, 2011
• May 20, 2011 through May 24, 2011.

Despite the blackout dates, this is still a very good deal, considering you can get an easy 15% off the lowest “Wanna Get Away” fare and its real saving especially if you do a cross country trip.  I generally take Southwest for their daily shuttles from SNA to SFO, but they’re perfectly fine for long-haul transcontinental trips too.  If I recall correctly, my pal Jim at Bargaineering is a raving Southwest fan.

This post "Southwest Promo Code: 15% Off! (via Visa Signature)" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

Since starting this blog eons ago, my general personal finance philosophy has been this:

If you can really afford it, spend it.

But there are those moments where I’ll just cringe and think to myself: “God, what an ass.”

My first encounter with status symbol was many years ago, back in elementary school. For a period of time, my sister and I had reduced price on lunch due to family income eligibility. (Thinking about it now, it might have been free lunch for a month or so, then it changed to reduced price and eventually the benefit went away as our family household income increased). I remember standing in line, giving the coupon/vouchers to the lunch lady, and I was none-the-wiser that my family was any different than my classmates.

Ah, to be a naive kid again.

I eventually got around to asking my mom about why we were getting free/reduced price lunch and found out that while my family was not exactly dirt poor, we were certainly not rolling in money either.

What really opened my eyes though was what happened a few days later. While after school, I noticed a fellow classmate that’s also using the reduced lunch voucher getting picked up by his parent — in their brand new Mercedes. Needless to say, I was really confused.

Soon, I learned that the family in question was not necessarily cheating the welfare system, but was using what little money they had just to buy/lease (or however they got) the Mercedes.

Growing up in Southern California, this type of status symbol display quickly became the norm in life. You’ll quickly hear how so and so just bought a brand new car. Or a luxury watch. Or a luxury bag. Or high-end kicks. All this before I even graduated from high school (and I graduated from a lower-middle class high school).

So although there was a time when I was really car crazy (SoCal culture after all) — these days I really despise the car as a status symbol. Now don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with buying a nice car. Who wouldn’t want a sweet bimmer that can do 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds? But when you can’t afford it and you straddle yourself with a tens of thousands of dollars in debt just to look good in other people’s eyes… you’re kind of a tool in my book.

Till this day, I still get the occasionally online inquiry from a random high school classmate: “Hey man, are you still driving that Honda Civic?”

What an ass.

What type of status symbols annoys you the most? Feel free to share in the comments below. And yes, I still drive my “old” 2001 Honda Civic :)

This post "Which Status Symbols Piss You Off the Most?" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

Well here’s a stupidly good deal that you really can’t pass up on (especially if you’re going to buy something at Amazon in the near future). LivingSocial.com is having a nation-wide deal on a $20 Amazon gift card, 50% off for $10. The deal started a couple of hours ago and went from 50,000 takers, to 200,000 to the now incredible 740,000 sign-ups (as of time of writing). Grab the deal fast as time is running out.

For those that aren’t familiar with Living Social (or sites like it such as Groupon), these are daily group-buy deal websites that presents you with usually location/local based deals. You can see from the screenshot above that they’re currently presenting me with Orange County, CA deals.

Groupon and LivingSocial have both been around for quite awhile now (about 2 years+), and both are legitimate companies offering local deals. If you’re wondering why and how Living Social is doing this sweet Amazon deal, in short, Amazon has invested about $175 million into Living Social in recent months. It’s unsurprising that they’d want more coverage and brand recognition for the company they’ve invested in, and its most likely Amazon is heavily subsidizing this particular deal.

Still Not a Big Fan Yet of Local Deal-of-the-Day Sites

Although I’m a big time bargain hunter, I still haven’t really taken advantage of any Groupon or Living Social, etc. deal sites yet. Simply put, most of the deals don’t really interest and/or entice me. A quick skim on local nearby deals shows that I can premium skin care in Los Angeles, discount on a cleaning agency in Orange County, and uh, yoga sessions in San Fernando Valley. Today’s Groupon deal shows $20 for $40 worth of scrapbooking supplies and classes at a local scrapbooking store:

Having said that, these deal-of-the-day group buying sites can be of great value to users and local businesses that sometimes promote on them (even if results are sometimes mixed). You can find and support local businesses that you may have never heard about before, and for the local small businesses, perhaps earn a new loyal customer.

Have you tried sites like Groupon and Living Social yet? If so, share your experience in the comments below.

Don’t forget to take advantage of the Amazon deal if you’re buying something from Amazon in the near future (the gift card will be available the following day).

This post "$20 Amazon Gift Card for $10 from Living Social" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

On the way to the restaurant, I withdrew some cash from an East West Bank branch.  Upon seeing the ATM action, a person in the group asked if I banked with East West, and if I liked the bank.

“Oh actually, I have an account at Charles Schwab Bank, and they refund all ATM fees.  They’re pretty bad ass.”

“Ah, is Schwab a good bank then?”  the person asked.

“Good service so far. Haven’t got screwed yet so I like them.”

Its funny that my immediate thoughts and standard to the quality of a bank is how much, if any, has the bank taken advantage of me.

Charles Schwab, by all accounts, has very decent banking and financial products.  While I haven’t used my brokerage account heavily, I have used my checking account and debit card extensively while traveling , knowing full well that I’ll get a decent conversion rate if I withdraw cash while abroad, and the convenience of having any ATM fees refunded is also a nice perk.

Each time that I’ve called Schwab with a question, my call was answered promptly by a U.S. representative in a professional and courteous manner.  And yes, my questions and concerns are dealt with within the duration of the call.

Despite all these positive attributes, the quickest way I can convey to a person how much I like my bank is how little the bank has screwed me over.

What strange standards we have these days.

This post "I Like My Bank Because They Haven’t Screwed Me Over Yet" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

For a long time, myFICO offers FICO score for free via a trial service with their Score Watch product, but for whatever reason they discontinued this trial offer earlier this year. If you’re ever in need of the credit score and not just estimates from third parties, you will usually have to fork over anywhere from $12-$15 for these numbers. Thankfully, myFICO has now reintroduced their free trial offer (this time, a 10-day trial offer versus the previous 30-day offer).

Getting your free FICO score is rather easy:

1. Visit the myFICO free trial sign-up page and sign-up for an account.
2. Input your personal and payment information.
3. You will not be charged until the trial offer ends, as noted by this page.
4. myFICO will email you 3 days before your trial ends to remind you to cancel or keep your subscription.
5. To cancel your account, simply use this form, select “I would like to cancel my production subscription” and then choose the Score Watch product.

Important: If you do decide to keep the Score Watch service, know that the service has a minimum of 3 month subscription!

Personally, the previous cancel option from the previous 30 day trial service was much easier, as you simply clicked a link and the service is cancelled. But myFICO still made it relatively easy when compared to other companies that has “free trial” offers, and it’s much appreciated that they email you in advance to warn you that the trial service is ending.  By using the contact form, you won’t have to deal with any phone reps that may be trying to upsale you to other services or hardball you to keep your service (none of that AOL never-cancel service tactic, thank-you-very-much).

Though I’ve never fully written about the Score Watch service before (and I’ve been meaning to since 2006), its generally one of the better paid credit monitoring service available.  Beyond the fact that you’re getting a real free FICO score, the newly designed interface makes the monitoring service easier to navigate and provides the right educational information right where you need it.  For example, if you have a negative item in your credit report, myFICO points you to the right place to get it disputed.

The Score Watch summary page breaks down your Equifax credit score (click to enarlge pictured above), give you a quick run through of the four main FICO score ingredients: payment history, amount of debt, length of credit history, and amount of new credit.  My credit score as you can see above, is rather low, but myFICO has classified it as “good.”  This relatively low score is due to some recent balance transfer as I shuffle money around, something that should clear up quickly once the balances are paid off.  When compared with my old score of 790, it can be quite a difference!

If you’re interested in getting your FICO Score for free, give this free trial a whirl. Do remember that if you’re not interested in the service, request a day or two in advance to cancel the trial period just so you won’t be accidentally billed.  A FICO score is a handy reference if you’re in any financial situation that needs it: shopping for auto loan, mortgage, etc.; other than these situations, paying for a score due to curiosity probably isn’t worth it — but if you’re still dying to know, thankfully the free trial offer is back!

Related Resources & Links:

• Equifax’s Score Watch slightly cheaper than myFICO’s
• Score Watch cancel contact form example
• myFICO Credit Education Center

This post "Free FICO Score: Score Watch Trial is Back (Yay!)" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

Maybe I just don’t get it.

Maybe I just couldn’t understand why a pair of jeans made in Thailand may be better than another pair of jeans made in Thailand.  (To be fair, Diesel jeans are made only in Italy, Tunisia, or Morocco — with the most being produced in Italy).

The thing is, although I may think of it as a waste of money, it really is a sense of perspective and value.

There are MANY denim fans out there.  They value a well made pair of denim, that’s well-designed, fashionable, long lasting; and well, many other factors that I probably wouldn’t be able to list.

I took a shot of this pair of jeans earlier this spring while in Rome (during the whole volcano-making-Europeans-life-miserable moment), and I was slightly giddy with excitement as I envision the post I’ll write up, trashing the ridiculously priced jeans and the satisfaction I’ll get when my readers confirm my perspective, and we all pat ourselves on the back and think about how wise we are with our spending.

The thing is, how we spend our money is a very personal and subjective thing.  Though I’m a fairly frugal guy, I’ll often do incredibly unpractical things (such as impromptu travel with airfare that makes me spit blood).  And in these moments where the spending makes absolutely no sense to another person, it’ll make perfect sense to me.

Although I’ll probably never understand the concept of a pair of jeans that cost more than $20 (and I still hope someone can explain it to me), what I do understand is that I’m still a firm believer in spending whatever the hell you want — as long as you’re not bankrupting yourself or your future.

Related Post:

• $200+ Jeans

This post "Explain to Me the Concept of a $166 Pair of Jeans" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

“What do you mean you don’t need money?”

“Well, uh, you know,” I stammered, suddenly realized how stupid I sounded. “I make an okay amount of money on the side, I don’t think I really need a full time job right now.”

She shook her head in utter annoyance.

It’s been about an hour since we started the discussion about how I can at times be a flake, never committing 100% to school or work.

“You need to commit to one or the other,” the infinitely more matured friend told me. “You should just get a full-time job right now and better your working habits.”

Somewhere along the conversation, I clamor out the now forever brilliant line.

“I don’t need to get a job. I don’t need the money!”

In retrospect, this was probably another moment where I showcased my occasional twisted value system to my friend.

This conversation happened about two years ago, when I was floating around contract jobs along with part and full-time school. I was far from being a kid fresh out of high school, yet I still held some moronic beliefs at the time. The act of recounting this story has now induced about fifty involuntary facepalm.

In many ways, my friend was the complete opposite of me. She was extremely goal oriented, focus, and unwavering in regards to her academics and career. If you were to ask me about solid work ethic, I would promptly point you to my friend as a prime example.

My problem — if you can even call it that — was that I’ve never had a real issue with money. Now, don’t get me wrong, long time readers will remember that I’ve accumulated over $10,000 in credit card debt from buying crap. But I was able to wipe that debt out within a year with a mindset and spending habit change.

I was able to do this while in college, without a full-time job, and yes, without specifically asking for assistance from parents.

I’ve never fully elaborated in details on how I was able to pay down the debt through the years of running this blog, instead, I’ve focused mainly on spending habits and savings mindset — because I’ve always believed that my situation was not exactly replicable.

Back in 2002, I had an online business while I was a freshmen in college, selling miscellaneous car parts. The parts with the highest margin would cost under $20 for a hobbyist to buy, and it was a no-frills just-for-fun part.

I took a risk and pluck down about a thousand dollar to order the initial parts, built a website/storefront, and through word-of-mouth, banner ads here and there along with specific advertising on certain car forums, I was able to make a decent income from a decisively non-full time job.

I’ll wake up in the morning, see the orders and money in my PayPal account, and spend an hour each morning fulfilling orders, printing out shipping labels, packaging parts, and shipping them out. If you’ve ever wonder why I wrote a post about printing postage online from home, now you know why.

During my sophomore year, I got a job at Bank of America, working in back-end operations, processing checks etc. The shift was usually from 5 to 9 PM. I probably didn’t need the additional income at the time, but I thought it would be a good experience to get a job that required me to conform to a set schedule. I most likely would have kept working at the processing center through my time in college, had Bank of American not closed it down and laid all of us off.

This time period was when the crazy spending started. I had dual income. I was barely 21 years old, the money was rolling in and my priorities was all over the place.

Money was never a real problem for me. The problem wasn’t that I didn’t have any money, the problem was simply that I was spending more money than I was earning. Which luckily for me, was relatively easy to fix.

It was through this period, and other subsequent events that I developed a strange attitude of “not needing a job” and “not needing money.”

There’s no doubt that I was a spoiled brat. Through some amount of work, slight risk taking, and fortuitous timing, I’ve always been able to make money whenever the need arise.

Ever since I became conscious of my spending, I was able to pile my savings up whenever I have income. And when the income dries up for whatever reason? I just stopped spending. I was a college student. My tuition was paid for via grants and out of my own pockets. I didn’t have a mortgage, student loan, car payment, or any major financial responsibility. Money? Who needs money, I thought to myself.

“You’re giving me an ‘I-want-to-slap-you-silly’ look,” I told my friend after I uttered the infamous line.

“That’s because you’re a moron,” she said promptly. “You may not need the money, but what about your family?”

“Uh…”

“What about your mom? She’s been working for the past 30 years. She bought a house for your sister and you to grow up in. She’s still paying the mortgage off.”

“Um…”

“What about your sister? She bought a house during the peak of the housing bubble and is now struggling as the recession hits full on.”

“Er…”

“And what about your dad? He’s also been working for the past decades. I know you’ve never touch the money he sent you because you’ve set it aside, but maybe perchance he may need some help too?”

The New York Times recently published a piece about a Colgate University graduate named Scott, highlighting him somewhat as a sample of recent college graduates “struggling” to find a job. Readers promptly ripped Scott apart in the comments because he decided to pass up a $40,000 a year job as he believes the job may lead to a dead-end career path. With his degree from a high-end university, Scott expects a higher starting salary and a career path to match.

Scott, and at a time, myself, believed that we didn’t need just any job. That we didn’t need the money. Scott is amongst the fortunate minority that was able to finish school without debt, thanks to tuition and board paid by his grandparents. He has no overhead, no debt, and thus he believes it affords him flexibility in looking for work. While his perspective is understandable, especially considering his family is far from struggling financially, Scott’s attitude is telling.

Never before have there been a generation so vastly full of themselves. As a millennial, I’ve met a wide ranging group of people within my generation. Many of us are indeed spectacularly intelligent, full of drive, energy, and the know-how to change the world. But for every world-changer, there are hundreds of thousands of us that are just normal.

We’ve expected a lot, because some of us were told to expect a lot. We’ve dreamed big, because some of us were told the sky is the limit. If you’re holding out on a job, because you “don’t need the money” — because you don’t need that particular job, consider the fact there are thousands out there dying to get what was offered to you.

To be sure, there are many of us that have the option to choose, whether because of hard work or thanks to some fortunate luck-of-the draw, its the way the world works. Life certainly isn’t fair, and some of us are simply in a better situation. Its okay to go for your dreams and take advantage of any opportunities presented to you.

But if there’s any inkling that you may be sacrificing the livelihood of your family, of your parents, of your grandparents, of anyone that you may care about — you should step back and consider the situation fully. In one of the greatest recession of modern time, a little bit of humility and self reflection can go a long, long way.

This post "“I Don’t Need To Get a Job. I Don’t Need the Money!”" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

If you have a Chase Freedom credit card (whether it’s a VISA or MasterCard), you’ve probably got a similar mailing in your mail box.  As you can tell above, I have too many Chase Freedom cards (although some of them are duplicate ones, I have a strange habit of keeping credit cards that are long-since expired).

Before you start thinking I went crazy with the credit card sign-ups, Chase basically converted all my credit cards to their “Freedom” lineup through out the years, as they consolidated their credit card program under their flagship card product and revamp their reward programs to the “Ultimate Reward” structure.

This is just a friendly reminder to anyone that may also have had their Chase credit card converted to a Chase Freedom card.  For the summer of 2010, you’ll get 5% cash back on travel related purchases, which in fact is a pretty sweet deal.

Notes on the 5% cash back:

• Purchase categories are gas, airlines, auto rentals, and hotels
• Up to $1,500 only. So basically maximum of $75 in cash back
• Valid between July 1st and September 30th, 2010
• Sign up at chasebonus.com
• Or call 1-866-913-4992
• Pictures of the opt-in process can be found below

The fine prints are in the brochure, but things you basically need to be aware of are the fact that you have to opt-in for this cash-back offer. Offer applies only to net purchase made with your credit card during the promotion period, online and catalog purchases are not eligible to receive the bonus reward UNLESS the merchants have correctly identified and billed the transaction (less of an issues these days if you purchase airline tickets or the hotel booking directly from the airline/hotel).

This offer may be available to certain Chase Freedom card members only, as per the fine print in the mailing. But seeing as how all four of my credit card received the similar offer, I’m assuming that they’ve cast a pretty wide net in this summer promotion.

If you’re not familiar with the Chase Freedom card, the gist is that it’s a 1%/5% cash back credit card with rotating bonus cash back category. I’m personally not a real fan of rotating cash back categories (something Discover card introduced back in the days), but it’s definitely a program that’s much easier for card companies to maintain in terms of profitability. In this particular situation, the cash back category is timely and useful. I’ll most likely easily reach the cash back limit for this promotion as I have a few trips lined up in the summer. If you have a Chase Freedom card and you’re planning for some summer trips too, opting in for this offer is a no brainer.

This post "Chase Freedom 5% Cash Back for Summer" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

As you’re about to book your flight, you stare at the computer screen, wondering what’s the best choice.

You quickly searched Southwest, but the time table and seats available just didn’t match up to the meeting’s schedule.

You could fly American, as you actually managed to store up some mileage through the years.  Despite the fact that you prefer other airlines, you’ve stuck with American, because loyalty’s gotta mean something, right?

With a quick check, those mileage are currently meaningless as there are no reward seats available to claim.

The problem is that you’re now running on a much tighter budget.  Ever since the recession, business hasn’t been going so well, and you can barely afford this trip out to the mid-west.  But you have to get to Indianapolis, as sealing this deal ensures your business’ survival, and the 6 life-long employees that your business employs.

So despite your better judgement, you booked the American Airline flight.

Accompanying your power point presentation slide on your laptop is your rather large luggage full of equipment and samples. You usually prefer to travel light, but in this situation you have little choice.  Not a very compelling way to wow the clients when you’re only relying on PowerPoint.

You’ve managed to somehow fit everything in two luggage. A check-in and a carry-on.  You thought about American Airline’s first checked bag fee of $25 and decided that there’s no other choice but to eat the fee.  At the very least you don’t have to pay for the second checked bag fee of $35.

But wait, all those samples can be quite heavy… is the luggage overweight?  If the luggage is between 51-70 lbs, you’ll have to pay an additional $50 for the checked-bag, if it’s over 100 lbs, it’ll be $100.  On international route, the fees can be even higher.  Thank goodness the clients are in the states.

After distributing the samples between your clothes and carry-on, you were able to keep the checked bag underweight.

Hmm. Better make sure I now have room for my carry-on, you thought to yourself.  Being a frequent flyer, you know that certain seats will be able to board the flight before the other seating groups, thereby ensuring a better chance for you to have room for your carry-on luggage on a full flight.

As you select your seat, you’re slightly thankful that you don’t have to pay the extra $10-$25 other airlines may charge for ‘premium’ economy seats.

But then you saw the early boarding fee option.  You can pay an additional $10 if you want to board early.  Hmm, this could be the solution I need, you thought again to yourself.  So you paid for the extra $10 on the outbound flight to Indianapolis.

While at the gate, you quickly realized that your early boarding fee was slightly pointless, as your particular flight had many American Airline’s elite status members, and they have priority boarding before you.  Following them are those that may need extra time and special needs, and your flight was surprisingly filled with many parents and children, so you soon board after them too.

Luckily, you were able to secure a bin for your carry-on luggage, albeit it was eight rows behind your seat.

The flight to Indianapolis was uneventful, but you were glad that the flight was only delayed for about an hour. Any later and you’ll miss your connecting flight in Dallas, or you’ll check into your hotel too late, which would have made flying out the day before the meeting pointless.

Your hotel room is like any other mid-level hotels scattered through the country.  The fridge/mini bar is stuffed with candy, snacks, and drinks that are marked up 300%.  At this particular hotel chain, a bottle of water will cost a cool $4.00.

Slightly thanking the divine that there’s no additional charge on a flight for your carry-on laptop bag, you prop the bag open and decided to do some last minute, pre-meeting work.

“High speed internet access is conveniently available for a price of $9.95 per day” — says the friendly placard on the table.

You scratch your head and often wonder why low-cost motels can offer free WiFi, while many middle-to-high-end hotels still charges for wired internet access.

The notice placard was brushed aside as you make room on the desk. Not an issue. You were prepared.  Situations like this is why you’ve purchased a smartphone.

Ah. Your smartphone.

The trusty latest device that lets you text, surf, record videos, take photos, battle aliens, and much more. It also supposedly makes phone calls.

The phone sets you back $200 even though it was subsidized by a 2-year contract locked with the cell phone carrier. Your monthly plan sets you back another $60, and the data plan for your smartphone cost an additional $30 a month.

Though you were initially happy with your phone when you first got it, you quickly felt duped that you had to pay an additional $25 a month to tether your phone to your laptop in order to use your phone’s data service on your laptop.

My clients in Europe can use the same exact phone to tether their device with no extra cost and no additional needs to download some “special” software, you exclaimed to the cell phone company representative.

“But with our mobile broadband smartphone connect package,” explained the rep, “you will have additional support and peace of mind when you need access to data.”

You sat there in the hotel room, wondering why you’re paying for the same data service, from the same provider, three times. One for your home. One for your cell phone. And one for your laptop.

Brushing all these negative thoughts out of your head, you get to work on your laptop.

But the wireless data network from your cell phone company is down.

“We apologize for the inconvenience as we’re currently experiencing heavy usage in your current region,” says the telephone support representative. “Service is expected to resume to normal within 1-2 business days.”

So you pay for the hotel’s $9.95 internet service.

And you sit there.  Waiting.

Because the “high-speed” internet is no faster than your non-working smartphone.

This post "Welcome to the Age of Nickel and Dimed" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

Uranium Ore – $29.95

Always handy to have around, just in case you’re all out of juice in your Delorean-based time machine.  Of course, in actuality this radioactive sample of uranium ore is meant to be used in science labs, for testing Geiger counters and uh, other sciency-thingies (it’s been awhile since I’ve been in a lab-based course).

Amazon review of note:

3 out of 5 star.  Great product, poor packaging.

I purchased this product 4.47 billion years ago and when I opened it today, it was half empty.

UFO-01 Detector – $149.95

When the tinfoil hats just aren’t enough to deter and preempt UFO invasions, you’ll need, the 01 detector!  Made of overpriced hardware found at Radio Shack, this cutting-edge detector will not only emit a flashing LED but will also beep when electromagnetic and magnetic disturbances are detected.  With a low price of $149.95, what more can you ask for?  (Tinfoil hats and probing prevention plugs not included).

Amazon review of note:

1 out of 5 stars. Been abducted twice!!

After my first abduction I sought out to arm myself with something that would prevent this from happening to me again. Alas, the UFO Detector.

Since then my microwave, TV, radio, and cellphone have been causing the device to alarm several times, sending me in a state of panic where I’d hide under my bed for days. Next time it went off it was no false alarm. And I was, again, on board an alien vessle with probes hanging from every opening of my body.

I’d guess that for this “Detector” to work you’d need to be in an environment free from all electrical interferences. Above all, I DO NOT recommend this product.

Energy Drink Blood Energy Potion $5.23

Get real blood nutrients without that real blood taste!  The fruit punch flavor packs 4 hours of energy along with iron, protein, and electrolytes.  Because drinking regular fruit punch is so 1992.  Also available in packs of 3.  Supposedly taste like crap. But you know, it’s cool.  Or something.

Amazon review of note:

3 out of 5 stars. Kinda smells funny.

The product doesn’t taste great but I was buying it as more of a novelty. It smells like cherry yogurt and while I like cherry yogurt, I don’t like my drinks to smell like it :)

Bottom line, this is a fun product to share with friends during a vampire movie marathon. If you need energy, get a Red Bull…

Wheelmate Steering Wheel Desk Tray $24.23

Instant ergonomic desk, store easily under or behind car seat, measures about 9 x 15 inches, this is the ultimate “before I die in a horrible car crash, I’d like to have breakfast” tool.  Check out corresponding “customer images” for relevant usage aftermath scenarios.

Amazon review of note:

4 out of 5 stars.  These worked great in the cockpit for our transcontinental flights!

My copilot and I both used these during our “daily grind” transcontinental flights from San Diego to Minneapolis. We had to modify them a bit to fit snug against the instrument panels (when we bought them we didn’t realize the planes we fly don’t have steering wheels!), but in the end it did the job. With our laptops firmly in place we were able to focus our attention on what really mattered, participating in raids with our WoW clan. During our last flight we were so immersed in trying to take down Eranikus that we overshot Minneapolis by a full hour and a half before some annoying flight attendant interrupted us, babbling something about “FAA and F16 fighters.”

We’ll definitely use this product again at our next gig, whatever and whenever that happens to be…

Highly recommended!

One-Pound Fat Replica – $33.30

Because real fat isn’t gross enough, you can purchase and enjoy a similar gross experience with this 1 lb. replica of fat.  Made of pliable, long-lasting vinyl plastic. Show it to a patient after liposuction!  Grasp it in your hand as you scream at a McDonalds employee: “look what you’ve made me become!”  The possibilities are endless.

Amazon review of note:

2 out of 5 stars. Not as impressed as I’d thought I’d be.

I purchased a one-pound fat replica AND a one-pound muscle replica. I truly thought that the differences in the sizing would be more pronounced. I gotta tell you, I really don’t see that much of a difference. Theoretically, if you formed the fat into the same shape as the muscle, I’m even less impressed. Maybe these items would be good for someone in the medical field, but I just purchased them for a weight loss motivational factor – gotta tell ya – not a real motivator. I wouldn’t purchase again.

Wolf Urine, 32 oz – $31.95

Use the 100 percent urine lures to create the illusion predators are present in the area you wish. Great for photographers, gardeners, hunters and wildlife enthusiasts. Unfortunately if you live in California, you wouldn’t be able to purchase this awesome bucket of uh, wolf urine. Due to changes in shipping regulations or some sort.  Damn government, always preventing us from buying our wolf urines.

Amazon review of note:

4 out of 5 stars. One for the cellar.

One is immediately drawn to this vintage by the colour, which is an elegant, pale straw hue with an appealing peachy fruit on the nose. It has an incredibly effervescent bead — the whole glass teams with bubbles — culminating in a frothy layer at the head.

The palate has panache, with a firm, mineral acidity that cuts through a rather elegantly styled, poised meaty presence. As with most Chateau Deerbuster products, this has the signature leafy-fresh character, which softens into a slight rancid feel towards the end.

Even though it has a rather short and crisply defined finish, I still believe this has the composition and acidity to age well in the cellar of any self-respecting urine connoisseur.

Fred and Friends Air Fork One – $10.00

Now you can have the accompanied imagery as you tried to shove food down your child’s throat.  This particular utensil probably can’t be classed as “weird crap” though… as $10 is probably a cheap price to pay for peace and quiet at the dinner table or for those particularly fussy eaters that needs more of a nudge.

Amazon review of note:

My most beautiful friend Amy C. gave this to me today after seeing my link to this from FB indicating that “I WANT THIS.” Isn’t that great? I assumed that you had to insert your own fork, but there’s a full-sized fork inside already. The silicone rubber plane is soft and the wings and tail are pliable. It’s so cute and I’m about to eat lunch with it right now!

Inflatable Toast – $2.99

Toast is great, but its hard to keep in your pocket. So what do you do when you crave the warm comfort of toast but dont want to deal with the crumbs? You pull out your Inflatable Toast, blow it up and admire its realistic toasty goodness! Each soft vinyl slice of toast is 6 inches tall and has a standard inflation valve.

Amazon review of note:

5 out of 5 stars. Best inflatable toast on the market today.

I have used many different types of inflatable toast an I can say without question that this is the best inflatable toast out there. The toast inflates quickly and with ease..this is important when I am pressed for time and need inflatable toast at a moments notice. If you are like me and can’t be without a high quality inflatable toast, THIS is the one for you!

JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank – $19,999.95

You’ve probably seen this before, but the Badonkadonk is still chugging away on Amazon.com, for a low price of 20K.  It features the capability of carrying cargo or crew of up to five (more like 5 people of little people stature); 6hp tecumseh gasoline engine to propel you at the top speed of 40 mph (which may take about 5 hours to reach top speed); and you get a 400 watt premium sound with PA system with “plush interior” — because let’s face it, if you can’t travel with comfort in a homemade tank, why bother?

Amazon review of note:

1 out of 5 stars. Easily blown to kingdom come.

I am an acquisitions officer for an artillery unit in the Russian Army. Since mafia hooligans stole all of our equipment to sell to Kyrgyzstani rebels, we have been looking for a low-cost alternative to the T-80 Main Battle Tank. After successful trials at a facility in Moscow, this so-called “Badonkadonk” was approved for use in the Chechen theatre. Initial reports were favorable, but then somebody noticed that the tank lacked a cannon, treads, and armor, and possessed the engine of an electric bicycle. It did, however, have an excellent audio system, but this failed to compensate for its disappointing 100% mortality rate. Recommended only for use against Lithuanians.

This post "9 Weird Crap You Can Buy on Amazon.com" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

While it’s little solace to being denied credit (let’s face it, rejection blows), Federal law dictates that you should be given clear reason as to why you’ve been denied, and free access to your credit report so you better understand your credit history.

One problem in the previous solution is that by providing consumer with only their credit report, many people couldn’t make heads or tails on where they stand in terms of credit worthiness.  Unless you’ve read up on your credit report know-hows, it can be at times difficult to distinguish what’s positive or negative — if any — in your list of credit history.

Hot on the heels of numerous financial regulation reform and amendments, Senator Mark Udall of Colorado introduced the Fair Access to Credit Scores Act as an amendment to the hotly debated Wall Street Accountability legislation.  This amendment, which was approved by a voice vote by the Senate on Monday, will allow consumers to receive a free credit score whenever the score has negatively impacted the lending/approving decision process.

Here’s what you can expect if the amendment becomes part of law:

• If you’re denied credit or approved for a more disadvantaged rate, then you’ll have free access to your credit score.
• The credit score you’ll have access to is the specific score that impacted you in the decision making process, not some random score from an unknown company or credit reporting bureau, nor would it be a range of score.  Since most lenders are still using FICO scores, the leading credit scoring model, that means it would most likely be the credit score you’ll receive and not some “FAKO” score.
• No maximum amount or limit to the amount of scores you can get for free.  If you’re denied credit by lenders fifteen times, you’ll get fifteen scores. Though one prudent move may be to closely examine why your credit isn’t up to par before you apply for further loans.
• If credit score was one of the many factors in denying a potential employment, you will also receive a free credit score.  You should note however that credit report is but one of many hiring factors for many employers.

This post "S. 3247: Fair Access to Credit Scores Act: Denied Credit? You May Get Free Credit Score in Future" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

While in Italy last month, I extensively used this credit card along with my Schwab debit card as my traveling pals and I roam around tourist traps in a decisively awesome country:

As you can see above, had the Schwab credit card emulated other Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit card’s usual 3% foreign transaction fee,  my traveling cost would have went up by an additional $21 or so dollars.  Not a whole lot of money in the grand scheme of things, but that’s still three-and-a-quarter-less margherita pizza I’d be able to eat.

And that, my friends, is what personal finance should truly be about: how many slices of pizza you may be missing out on.

This post "No Foreign Transaction Fee = Why I Still Love My Schwab Invest First Credit Card" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

Surprise! Learning is Easier When You’re Having Fun

Many of the best lessons in life are learned as a child, while having fun. It’s why we could always memorize lyrics to our favorite songs with ease but struggled mightily with the periodic table in science class.

Do you want to teach your young kids about budgeting and making sound fiscal decisions? Minimize the spreadsheets and play shopkeeper.

It’s important to teach kids about the value of money, not just what you can do with it, but that you must also make choices about how to wisely use what you’ve got. When I play store with my daughters, I see that it helps them prioritize and begin thinking about the consequences of foolish spending. That’s right — I dish out my best financial decision-making assignments surrounded by picture books, fancy shoes, clothes, and feather boas.

Despite the volume of stuff in their toy chest, I strive to instill in my 6-year old and her nearly-3-year old sister an understanding that you cannot have it all. There is, after all, a finite amount of money most of us have at any given moment (no, Capital One, that was not an invitation to begin soliciting my children about the joys of revolving debt; credit cards and borrowing discussions are intentionally being saved for when they’re a tad older — thank you very much).

So, I set up an elaborate pretend toy store — books, necklaces, tutus, plush snuggle friends, I sell it all! Then, I give my daughters some cash and role-play through different situations. During one trip through my toy Mecca, they need to buy birthday gifts for family members. Another visit is spent shopping for something fun for themselves. Either way, they have to ask how much each item costs and decide if they have enough or if they have to come back after saving up a little longer. Sometimes, instead of yet another stuffed animal, they’ll opt to hold onto some of their dollars to use at Dad’s fictional ice-cream shop – because that’s important too, from time to time!

Real Impact From Fun Lessons

These lessons have yielded interesting real-life results. When my oldest gal needed a pillow and blanket for school, she had a choice to make. The first pillow she picked, she adored. It cost $16. There was another, just-as-cool pillow on sale for $8. She had a firm $15-$20 budget, which she knew going into the store. If she selected the cheaper pillow, there was a very comfy matching blanket she could afford, also on sale for $8. If she went with the pricier one, her old blanket would be accompanying her to school. The choice was hers, and hers alone. She ended up walking into her 1st day of kindergarten with a crisp new pillow and blanket set.

Playing store is one of my girls’ all-time favorite games. I truly believe it’s one of the reasons they rarely ever whine for things when we shop together. After all, they know what it’s like to be short some coin, thanks to shopping in our own living room.

Do you have your own tips and activities you engage with your children to teach them about money management? Feel free to share.

photo credit: tudy

This post "Teach Your Children About Money Management by Playing Shopkeeper" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

Since April 15 is pretty much one day away, your best bet and fastest option would be to use TurboTax’s Freedom Edition. With TurboTax’s Freedom Edition, you can receive free federal eFile along with state free file (if your state participates in the Free File Alliance).

Do you qualify for State Free Tax Filing?

• If you make $31,000 or less in adjusted gross income for 2009 or
• Qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit
• Active Duty in Military during 2009 with adjusted gross income of less than $57,000
• States that qualifies: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, and West Virgina.
• If your state is not listed but you meet one of the 3 criteria above, you can still get a large discount on your state tax filing for $14.95 (vs. regular price of $30.95).

If you don’t meet the requirements above, unfortunately you won’t be able to get free state tax online filing.  Having said that, you can still easily file your federal tax return for free online through Turbo Tax’s Online Free Edition — especially if you have a simple tax return. As mentioned, the state tax filing would set you back $30.95.

This post "State Tax Free Filing" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

There’s 3 days until the April 15 tax deadline, if you haven’t filed your taxes yet because you’re a procrastinator like me, then you must check if you qualify for this tax credit.

Earned Income Tax Credit Qualification for 2009 Tax Year

Your earned income or adjusted gross income (AGI: all your taxable income source minus deductions) must be less than:

• $43,279 ($48,279 married filing jointly) with three or more qualifying children
• $40,295 ($45,295 married filing jointly) with two qualifying children
• $35,463 ($40,463 married filing jointly) with one qualifying child
• $13,440 ($18,440 married filing jointly) with no qualifying children

Minimum tax credit you’ll receive in for Tax Year 2009:

• $5,657 with three or more qualifying children
• $5,028 with two qualifying children
• $3,043 with one qualifying child
• $457 with no qualifying children

Investment income must be $3,100 or less for the 2009 tax year.

A qualifying child is:

• Be younger than the taxpayer claiming that child unless the child is disabled and
• Not have filed a joint return except to claim a refund

The recent stimulus bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) provides a temporarily increase to the earned income tax credit, and expands credit for workers with three or more qualifying children, which applies to the 2009 and 2010 tax year.

If what’s written above doesn’t make sense to you for whatever reason, consider using the Earned Income Tax Credit Assistant, created by the IRS:

• English version EITC Assistant
• Español version EITC Assistant

If You Qualify, Your State/Local Government May Have EITC Too!

Twenty two states along with the District of Columbia offers earned tax income credit for those who qualify for the federal tax credit, the state/local government tax credit may or may not be refundable.

States with Refundable Earned Income Tax Credit:

• District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan
• Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island (partial), Vermont

States with Nonrefundable Earned Income Tax Credit:

• Delaware, Maine, Virginia

Get Your Earned Income Tax Credit Throughout the Year

If you qualify for the EITC, you may want to consider receiving the credit as a payment throughout the year for 2010 instead of waiting until you file your 2010 tax return (which may be April 13, 2011 if you’re a procrastinator like me!). To get the EITC throughout the year, complete IRS Form W-5 and give the lower portion of the form to your employer (keep the top portion for your records).   If you need more information on getting your EITC through monthly payments, check out the Advance EITC page from the IRS.

FreeFile or Free Tax Prep Assistance from Volunteers

If you qualify for the earned income tax credit, you definitely qualify for free file from various tax preparation organization or software, such as TurboTax’s Free Federal eFile. TurboTax’s free eFile edition will automatically include the earned income tax credit along with any other tax credit/deductions that you qualify for.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program offers free tax help for low to moderate income people (generally below $49,000) who can’t prepare their own tax returns.   As it’s almost April 15, you may have limiting options since many places have limiting ability in time schedule. Check with the IRS for the list of VITA sites.  Only 19 states are listed so if you don’t see your state listed, you can call the VITA site locator number at 1-800-906-9887.

This post "Earned Income Tax Credit: Do I Qualify?" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.

One.. two… three… four… and five.

Odd. That’s five digits.

I blinked and counted again.

No mistake.  For the month of March 2009, I made a little bit over $10,000.

“Wow. Now if only I make that much every month,” I thought to myself. “I’ll be able to sit back, relax, scratch my butt, and be a baller.”

You may recall that I don’t really budget.  Any money I make via websites, consulting, projects, etc. gets funneled to my checking accounts, and once every 2-3 months (or whenever I’m not lazy), I tally the ballpark amount up and spit them into an Excel sheet for future reference.  On some months (when I was still in school full-time), my earnings are around  minimum wage level, and on other months I make a healthy five figure income. It all somehow manages to even out to a stable enough income where I can pay the bills and help the family out.

What really surprised me about March 2009 wasn’t the fact that I made a lot of money (relatively speaking for me), but it was the fact that I felt completely miserable during that very particular month.

So why did I felt miserable? Without going into an elaborate tale about how I failed as a human bean (mmm… I love beans), the misery was mostly due to various personal reasons, and not particularly because I was being a workaholic.

Upon reflecting that glorious month, I’ve realized a few things:

• I am almost certain that even more money wouldn’t have made that month any better. You could be spitting money at me, rubbing it all over my sexy body and I’d still feel pretty damn gross (okay that reads pretty gross too).
• What makes you happy or content in life isn’t money. It never really will be. Money, of course, does afford us plenty of opportunities and options in life. This is a fact that I can’t deny. However, what will truly make most people I know happy isn’t cold-hard cash, but rather the quality time they spend with friends and family.

Consider this: when its payday and we receive our paycheck, some of us may carry a smile that day. Is it truly because we’re now X dollar richer?  Or are you thinking about the things you can do with the money?

To be sure, many people aren’t always thinking about the happy things and experiences they can share with family and friends when payday arrives. They breathe a sigh of relief because there’s now enough money to pay the utility bill or to put food on the table for the week. There’s no escaping the fact that money will have a direct tie to the quality of life people can experience and enjoy.

Despite this, I can almost guarantee to you that for those of us that may be having it rough, for the many working poor and people that may be struggling, many of our fondest memories won’t be the day when we receive a  paycheck from X company, but rather its the day when Uncle Bob accidentally sets the grill on fire at the family picnic; the day when the rental car broke down while you’re on vacation but everyone managed to have a blast regardless; the day when your child took their first step; or simply that day when all the right people are around, and as you sit back to relax and chat with loved ones, not a single thought about money is on your mind.

This post "How I Made the Most Money I’ve Ever Made in My Life But Still Felt Miserable" is from StopBuyingCrap.com.