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.

To sign-up for the Discover® More® Card and take advantage of the limited time $75 cash back offer, visit the official website of The Discover® More® Card. More information is below (click through the article link from RSS if you don’t see it):

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.

If you want to become licensed in real estate, you could enroll in a program that lasts just a few months to prepare for the exam, or you could make a smart career move and get a degree. You may also want to apprentice as a contractor for awhile as a way to start from the ground up. There are several options when it comes to schooling, but you absolutely cannot learn too much. And don’t forget about the initial investment to buy and fix up the homes you’ll be selling. Not to mention, you’ll also need to pay employees and consider the cost of insurance (for both health and property).

As for the money you’ll make…well, that number is virtually limitless. It all depends on how hard you work, how careful you are with spending, and how lucrative the market is.

You will be your own boss

One nice thing about flipping houses is that you have the freedom to manage your time. You will be your own boss. You can work as much or as little as you want (with flexible hours), rush projects or take your time, and schedule in vacations at your leisure. But there are two sides to every coin.

It is also your responsibility to ensure that work is getting done in a timely manner so you don’t have to continue throwing away money on costly monthly mortgage payments (most professional flippers aim to renovate and sell a home before they make a single payment – yes, that means under one month for turnaround).

You may also want to wait until you’re established (or take on partners) before taking time off so you know there is someone you can trust at the helm of your enterprise. And be aware that problems will arise, so plan your schedule accordingly. There’s nothing worse than getting a frantic phone call when you’re thousands of miles away, but that’s all part of being self-employed.

Stress?

Only you can decide if the possible financial gains are worth the stresses of the job. You may make a huge success of your undertaking or fail miserably, and unfortunately, some factors are out of your hands (like the state of the housing market). On the other hand, with proper education, deep and continuing knowledge of the many facets involved in property renovation, solid financial backing, and a sound business plan in place to get the ball rolling (and keep things moving), you stand to earn a good living and enjoy an exciting and fulfilling career in real estate if you choose the life of a flip houses.

—-
Kathleen Macky owns a real estate website where you can browse Wesley Chapel homes for sale.

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”.

My wife can attest that I whined for 2 years about getting a flat screen TV. I wrote about my decision between getting a TV as a graduation present or paying down debt, and in the end I paid down debt. But what I didn’t tell you was that I did go out on Black Friday to a place called the Mosby Center in Virginia and got a 46″ Sony Bravia for half-price (under $800) as an early present. We were just scoping out the place after hearing about it from friends, and I “couldn’t pass up the deal”. I don’t regret the purchase because I worked hard for those 2+ years in grad school, and while some people reward themselves with an expensive vacation or even a new car, I got a TV.

While that wasn’t a good example of why NOT to browse deal sites, necessarily, it was an example of an impulse purchase. I knew that the Sony Bravia was a good LCD TV, but I knew nothing about this model, and I also knew the risk of buying at Mosby. See, they get most of their stuff as overstock or returned items from Costco (among other places), so you don’t know if the TV you’re buying was someone else’s dud or the floor model that was on 24 hours a day. So far, almost a year later and the TV has shown no problems (knock on wood).

But it’s browsing these deal sites that leads to impulse purchasing. Buying a navigation device for your car when your old one is fine (or you don’t travel much). Buying a Bluray player when you don’t watch DVDs. Buying an espresso maker when you only normally drink it once a year. It’s the same as walking down the aisle when you’re hungry and throwing a bag of pork rinds in your cart (oh, is that just me?). Or, in my case, walking through a car lot. Dear God help me when I’m near a car salesman!

So how do you handle deal shopping? Do you ignore them as best as you can, do you track only what you know you want/need and ignore the rest, or do you fall into the trap and impulse buy like most of us?

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

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*).

Some of these items come from my wife who is a pediatric dietitian and sees tons of families who simply don’t know where to get started with their children:

• Feeding your infant/child: breastfeeding (and alternatives), switching to solids, feeding complications
• Caring for your child: bathing, illnesses (when to call physician), basic needs (sleep, attention, discipline)
• Safety: child-proofing your home, CPR, car safety, etc.
• Finances: this is where it gets complicated because you’ll have students of all ages and income levels (including no income), but there are basic principals every person should know, especially those with dependents as the kids can’t fend for themselves. I would want to be careful not to teach people to manipulate the system (welfare and food stamps), but to educate enough to know what’s available and how to access it. Even middle-income parents can benefit knowing what programs are available to help them.
  • Budgeting for your child (what to consider and average costs)
  • Banking (interest, types of accounts)
  • Handling credit and debt
  • Government and local programs to help new parents

This is just my own short list of need-to-knows for any parent, without getting too much into interfering with religious or cultural issues. Keep it simple to the things that are common knowledge across most doctors, nurses, dietitians, certified financial planners, safety groups (fire, police, etc.) and, this is the tricky part, child psychologists. I say this last part because no, your kid probably isn’t ADD, ADHD or bi-polar, and trying to blame a mental or physical disorder on their behavior is avoiding the bigger issues of being a good parent. But that’s an argument for another time and place.

You’re not going to please everyone. You’ll have many people against parts of the curriculum, against the government “enforcing” a curriculum, or just the fact that we made it harder to get tax deductions. I’m sorry, but I know one too many people in my life (one is enough) who simply pops out kids to stay on welfare and get as much tax lenience as possible.

I’m not proposing making it impossible to get tax leniency when you’re having a child; rather, I’d like to know that the people at most need of this information (parents) have access AND incentive to get it.

Auditing the Process

How can we ensure parents are truly earning their deductions/credits? We certify educators and require proof of identity at class registration AND attendance. The educators submit the attendance roles through an electronic system straight to the IRS.

There’s always room for fraud with any system, and again, it’s not my call on the best way to implement these ideas; it’s for the legislators (and lobbyists I guess). Ultimately my goal is to educate parents (of your first, second or tenth child), and provide an incentive to learn basic topics. You can go to class, sit in the back and tune out the teacher, but you can’t catch ‘em all, right?

Your Thoughts?

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.

There are a lot of opportunity costs when you take public transportation instead of using your own vehicle. For me, the biggest cost is comfort. Let’s be honest, public transportation is frugal, but just not that pleasant. Buses and trains do not look a bit like the ones on television do they? I used to live in Chicago and every time I see a train station or subway on ER or any other Chi-town based show I think, they must have shot that in the nicest train in city, or it does not exist in reality at all. Most trains and buses are not very clean and not always filled with people with whom you want to share a ride. Taking public transportation also takes a lot of extra time. You will have to get to the station, possibly in your car where you will have to pay for parking, then get on one or several trains and buses to get to your actual destination. It can easily turn what would have been a 20 minute commute into an hour long one.

Of course, the time cost is debatable depending on where you live. When I was in graduate school in a small city in Indiana public transportation was free for students which was a dream during those frugal times. But, it was only buses and took 45 minutes to get to campus. To drive it would have only taken 20 minutes but I had to pay a premium for parking. However, since I often had to be on campus in the evenings when the buses were not running, I had to purchase a parking pass anyway, so the bus was not really much savings (gas back then was still pretty cheap). On the other hand, if you live in a big city like Chicago or New York City the drive could take you an hour, even if it is only a short distance. Those drives too could tend to be very unpleasant; lots of sitting in traffic and listening to car horns and colorful language choices from other frustrated drivers.

Red Line, Purple Line, Conga Line!!!

One of the other things that was problematic for me is that I could never figure out the bus or train maps and schedules. I tried hard in school to manage my personal finances and care about the environment, which heavily leans toward public transport. Once, after waiting and waiting on a bus that never arrived (and I was not entirely certain was the right bus anyway),  I decided just to walk all the way home. I do not recommend this. Needless to say it was my last solo attempt at the Indiana buses. If you are lucky, like I was, to know someone willing to help you understand the labyrinth that is the city bus or train schedule, beg them for help.

When it comes to the actual money you would spend on using your car over public transport, the public transport is likely going to be cheaper. Passes for the public transportation are somewhere between $20 and $50 a week, depending on where you live. If you have to park your car at the station you can add on another $50 a week at $10 per day. That means that your personal finance would be impacted at about $100 a week, in the city if you drive your car to the station. It drops to less than $50 if you can catch a bus close to home.

If you drive your car you have a lot of costs to consider. Even if the car is paid off you are still paying insurance at a rate of $100 a month, if you have a relatively cheap policy. That adds $25 a week. You can also figure a tank of gas a week at an average cost of $2.50/gallon for a 10 gallon tank. That adds another $25 per week. Add to that the cost to park in the city. In a place like Chicago your parking space would easily cost you $20/day. Added up, driving your vehicle to work will cost you at least $150 per week.

It is pretty obvious that the frugal choice is to use public transportation if you are looking at numbers only. But, remember to also consider those opportunity costs. Is your time and comfort worth the extra $50 or $100 per week? Are you spending extra money on child care because of the extra time that public transportation adds to your commute? Are you using your car for other things like stopping at the store or going out with friends after work? If you do not own your car the choice is obvious, take the bus or train and save a bundle. But, if you already have a car is it really that cost effective to take public transportation? Maybe, maybe not. It comes down to your personal preference. Only you know how comfortable you will feel using public transit and what you have to sacrifice for the extra time and effort it takes to do so.

This is a guest post by Timothy who is a personal finance writer and part of the team at Credit Card Finder. For more information, simply visit our website or subscribe to our RSS Feed.

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.

3. Fring

This is one of several available applications that let you make free local calls over a Wifi network. You can even make cheap international calls, which can help cut down on your monthly phone bills. Best of all, this app is currently free for download.

4. CheapGas

This app lets you search for the cheapest gas in the area and map your route to the closest gas station. Powered bygasbuddy.com, users can add and update their own locations.

5. KidsEatFree

You may be able to cut down on gas in a recession, but your family has to eat. This app finds restaurants near you where kids eat for free, usually with the purchase of an adult entrée.

6. Coupon Sherpa

This app saves you time and money by combing the Internet and organizing the best coupons for you based on you preferences. Plus, this app allows you to save all your coupons and present them electronically, saving you the hassle of carrying around a bulky coupon file.

7. QuickBooks Online

If your finances are bit more complicated than the typical person’s because of business operations or investments, it may be handy to have your full account information available on your iPhone. Using the same trusted and familiar QuickBooks software, you can store important financial information right on your phone.

8. Owed

It’s nice to let things slide with friend here and there, but all of the little expenses can add up. This app keeps tracked of what you are owed, be it from minor IOUs or more intensive business invoices.

9. RedLaser

Shopping around for the best price can save you money, but it can also cause a lot of frustration. This app actually scans barcodes right in the store and lets you know if you can get the same item cheaper elsewhere based on a Google Shopping and Amazon search.

10. Meter Readings

As utility rates rise, it can be incredibly important to track your energy usage and cut back. This app allows you to enter two meter readings and your utility rates, and it details your average use and patterns of consumption. Seeing it on your iPhone screen is a powerful motivator to turn off the lights!

When not pinching pennies, Louise Baker writes about online schools for Zen College Life. Her more recent article rates the best online schools across the USA.

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.

Mandated Disclaimers: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program. This site is not affiliated or endorsed by Costco and does not provide memberships.

You may notice your wallet begin to sweat a bit as the summer heats up. That comfortable air conditioning runs up the electricity bill, and gas prices, typically higher in the summer, make that family vacation more expensive than expected. With a little planning though, the frugal consumer can actually take advantage of the summer months and save money while enjoying the season.

Unless you live in the Arctic, your air conditioning is likely running non-stop throughout the summer. The cold air might feel great, but your electrical bill will be burning. No one is suggesting that you swelter all summer long, but consider taking advantage of cool and breezy nights. Turn your air conditioning off after the sun sets and open some windows. The cool summer breeze can be quite enjoyable after dinner!

While we’re talking about air conditioning, it’s important to make sure your HVAC system is functioning as well as it should. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, you should change your home’s air filter at least once every three months. A dirty filter wastes energy, putting a dent in your wallet. That dirty filter can even be hazardous to your health; the buildup of dirt and dust can aggravate allergies.

Although it may seem a little rustic, the summer heat can allow you to quickly dry your laundry outdoors. Putting up that old clothesline can save you a chunk of money while that energy-loving dryer sits idle.

Everyone loves a barbeque! Why not enjoy the beautiful summer weather and make it a weekly staple? Weekend barbecues are not only fun and inexpensive family activities; they’re a great way to save on energy cost. In addition to sucking up a good bit of electricity, using a stove also traps a lot of heat in your home – heat which makes your air conditioning work harder. So get outside and enjoy summer evenings while saving money!

According to the EPA, gas prices typically begin to rise after Memorial Day. Don’t let higher gas prices hinder your summer road trip. Instead, take steps to improve your gas mileage which will offset the higher cost of fuel.

• Make sure you tire pressure is correct. Poor tire pressure reduces gas mileage.
• Use cruise control on the highway. Constant acceleration and deceleration uses more gas.
• Avoid rough roads; driving on gravel can reduce your gas mileage significantly.
• Don’t speed. Although you might get there faster, the increased wind resistance at higher speeds robs you of fuel efficiency.

Don’t let bills ruin the season. You can save money while having a great summer by following these tips.

You can find more energy saving tips at the U.S. Department of Energy’s website: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/

I almost let it slip by, but this month is the 4th year of CleverDude.com. My first article, titled “Is running really a bonding activity for couples?” was posted on June 6, 2006, shortly before we ran our first (and maybe last) marathon.

What have I accomplished in the last 4 years?

The site:

• 1,200 unique articles written (and none of those dinky “net worth” posts either. These are REAL articles!)
• 3,100 daily subscribers (even though Feedburner’s numbers have been up and down lately)
• Over 1.5 million page views
• Just shy of 1 million unique visitors
• Placement on MSN Money, The Consumerist, Lifehacker, and many other large news sites and blogs
• A small group of good blogging buddies, many of whom I’ve met in person

Personally:

• We’ve been debt-free (except for mortgage) for over 1 year now!
• We have MUCH more in savings than when we started
• We (I) take much more time and attention to spending decisions than I ever used to. Although I will say I still lust for some things like new cars and some gadgets, I can reason AWAY from the decision rather than FOR it like I used to do.

The Future of Clever Dude

If you’re a long-time CD reader, you would have noticed much less writing from me for the last year. Some are personal reasons while others are the simple lack of unique content or points of view. Basically, I hit a big brick wall in writing and it’s been hard to come out of. But I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. I just need to get my mojo back.

During that time, though, I’m going to ensure that I don’t put out junk just to have something written. I entertain guest posts, but I have turned a number down that I felt weren’t up to par. BUT, if you’d like to guest post here, feel free to contact me.

Thank You!

So, a big, hearty thank you from me to you for making this site a success, and let’s work together on keeping it going with fresh, new content and perspectives for another 4 years!