Archives for September 2006

How Much Should You Spend On An Engagement Ring?

Posted on September 6, 2006 // 62 Comments

tiffany.jpgIt’s peak wedding season again. Since I got married earlier than all of my friends, I have become somewhat of a resource on weddings and such. It took me a while to formulate my opinion on this, but this is basically what I tell people now:

First, let’s get some things out of the way. Yes, diamonds are essentially very organized carbon atoms. Nobody can tell it apart from a lab-created one or even cubic zirconia. It’s a horrible financial investment. De Beers has a virtual monopoly on the diamond trade, and does it’s best to create a false scarcity of diamonds. Those “Diamonds are Forever” commercials are some of the best marketing I’ve ever seen.
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Filed Under: Frugal Living //

Carnival of Investing

Posted on September 6, 2006 // Leave a Comment

This week?s Carnival of Investing is up at Pragmatic Finance. Thanks to Jason for hosting.

Next week’s Carnival will be held at GrowYourFunds. Host Larry has decided to do a theme for this week: Alternative Investments for Individual Investors. In his words – “I’m thinking of things like REITs, hedge funds, commodities, etc. Benefits, drawbacks, suitability, timing of each product or asset class are things we might write about.”. So please send your best post on this topic, new or old, to the Carnival!

Filed Under: General //

September 2006 Financial Status / Net Worth Update

Posted on September 5, 2006 // 19 Comments
Net Worth Update September 2006

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Filed Under: Goals //

Unwired Buyer $20 Bonus Ending Wednesday 9/6

Posted on September 4, 2006 // 3 Comments

Just a quick note while I have some free WiFi on the road – the popular $20 Unwired Buyer bonus will be ending as of Wednesday, September 6th. That means if you want to sign up, do it by the end of Tuesday, September 5th! You just need to register by then, after which you will still have 30 days to complete a phone bid to qualify for the free $20. More details and helpful tips in my original Unwired Bonus info post.

I looks like I might not get back until Tuesday evening, so I’ll be catching up on e-mails then.

Filed Under: Deals & Offers //

Emigrant Direct Signup Bonus Update – July Payouts

Posted on September 1, 2006 // 1 Comment

Everyone who sent me their Form #2 in July for my Emigrant Direct Referral Bonus should have been paid this week. If not, please e-mail me. If you’re interested in moving to Emigrant Direct’s 5.15% APY with no minimums, why not get up to $20?

Filed Under: General //

How Much Money Do I Make On The Little Stuff?

Posted on September 1, 2006 // 26 Comments

Ok, I’ve covered the Big Stuff. I save well over 20% of my income, and it’s already invested in low-cost index funds. But what about the Little Stuff, like making money off bank bonuses? What kind of money are we talking about? Let’s break it down a little and give some annual estimates. I’m going to ignore chasing the best interest rates for now.

Buying things with rewards credit cards: $300-$600
$100+ Credit card signup bonuses: $400-600
Bank signup bonuses (Example): $200-400
Other bonuses and perks (Example): $100-$200
0% APR Balance Transfer offers (How To Do This): $500-$1,500
Bored Money like surveys and stuff: $100-$200
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Total: $1,500 to $3,500 a year!
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Filed Under: Deals & Offers, Frugal Living //
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