Devil's Advocate

Credit card reward cap got me!

(devils_advocate) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:29:14 PST

I have a $300 cap on credit card rewards on my main credit card. I usually do a good job of switching to another credit card when I hit the cap, but I got caught. I was still charging to the same credit card even though I hit the annual cap sometime in July. I'm ticked off.. that...

Declining customer service

(devils_advocate) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:36:01 PST

I recently criticized Bank of America's customer service for being very rude and sarcastic. But they're not the only company that has poor customer service. Usually the problem isn't so much that the CSRs are rude, just that they're clueless.

I tried to register at Walmart's online...

Reverse budgeting... not so easy.

(devils_advocate) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:33:20 PST

So I've stripped my budget about as much as I can get (unless I go into true emergency mode -- we'll deal with that if God forbid that were to happen).

Anyway, now the tricky part is taking that and figuring out how much I need to gross in order to meet that budget.

One problem...

Do I detect a bit of sarcasm?

(devils_advocate) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 06:27:37 PST

Funny MSN Money article... Why save? 6 ways to waste money now!

Ch-ching! (In a bad way)

(devils_advocate) — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 06:47:35 PST

Mailed in the second half of my property taxes today. OUCH.

I wonder if it doesn't register with most people how much they're paying in property taxes because they pay by escrow. I just don't see how people can be alright with paying this much money.

Students in the area should...

BoA's customer service really is that bad

(devils_advocate) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 11:02:08 PST

I'd seen all the comments on the forums about how bad Bank of America's customer service is but I thought, nah, people are overreacting.

Anyway, I opened a checking account with them because they're nearby and I'd get a bonus for opening the account. Well there were problems from...

Duh, why didn't I think of that...

(devils_advocate) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:34:03 PST

Video games in the movie theater

How to prepare for a layoff

(devils_advocate) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:02:38 PST

I'm getting some good suggestions in the forums for how to prepare for a layoff.

I think the key ones are:
1. Get your finances in order. Build up the emergency fund and start cutting fat from the budget.
2. Get your career prospects in order. Polish up the resume, start talking...

Ants-in-the-pants investing

(devils_advocate) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:35:52 PST

It's hard to sit still with all that's been going on in the financial markets. Volatility is up, and it seems that the stock market's going to do something big, I just don't know what.

But if I sit back and breathe into a paper bag for a little while, I know my investments are well-diversified....

Cost of phone, TV, internet

(devils_advocate) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:16:43 PST

So anyway I'm a Comcast customer. A few months back I signed up for their "Triple Play" package which includes TV, phone and internet. They quote $99 as the price, but what they don't tell you is the tall stack of fees and taxes you have to pay on top of that. It's an extra $10...

Red beans and rice didn't miss me

(devils_advocate) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:47:23 PST

Actually they did. MSN Money has an interesting article about switching to a diet of rice, corn and beans -- not just for health but also to save money.

I'm not sure I could convince my family to switch to a vegetarian diet. Or a pescetarian diet.

The meaning of life... We're a video game

(devils_advocate) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 06:42:48 PST

This is fascinating stuff. But you have to question your life's meaning when you might not just be in someone's simulation, you could be in the simulation of a simulation.

Our Lives, Controlled From Some Guy�s Couch

10 Ways to Socially Manage Your Money

(devils_advocate) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:23:06 PST

Interesting blog entry from Web Worker Daily:
10 Ways to Socially Manage Your Money

I think I want to check out Expensr in particular.

10 days of no eating out!

(devils_advocate) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:34:00 PST

I've officially gone 10 days without eating out at all -- not even for lunch. Not even a bag of chips out of the vending machine.

I've easily saved at least $50, probably $100.

Missed the end of Big Brother

(devils_advocate) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 07:43:32 PST

The mindless reality TV show Big Brother is one of my guilty pleasures. I always look forward to summer because Big Brother is on.

Unfortunately my DVR cut off the last 10 minutes because some other show on CBS ran long (I'm guessing a preseason football game, but I'm not sure.)...

Gas prices keep dropping! Woohoo!

(devils_advocate) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 07:01:21 PST

Gas prices have been on their way down, thankfully. I noticed a gas station I often pass was at $2.92/gallon. That's down quite a bit from a month ago.

Keep going!

EDIT: It's pretty scary when $2.92 a gallon seems cheap! But I'll take it.

Interesting cartograms

(devils_advocate) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:54:01 PST

This site shows world maps where the countries are sized based on different factors. Very interesting.

Target credit card

(devils_advocate) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 15:20:30 PST

About half the time I go to Target (which is about once a week since I do my grocery shopping there), I'm asked if I want to sign up for the Target credit card.

The promotion is 10% off the day you sign up. Then you get a 10% off coupon for every $1,000 you put on the card. Well,...

Does anyone ever win these survey contests?

(devils_advocate) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 10:56:44 PST

Just got another survey on my Super Target grocery receipt. Supposedly someone will win 4 Schwinn bikes and a $500 gift certificate. Does anyone really win these things?

At least I feel like I can express my opinion to the management. My biggest beef... Offer more coupons!!!

Overspending with credit cards

(devils_advocate) — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 06:48:24 PST

I wonder if there any studies out there on how much more people spend by using credit cards instead of cash or checks. I know I have spent a lot more over my lifetime because of credit cards. I mean, let's face it, you think a lot harder about spending money when you're handing...