Easy Change

More than I had expected, my iPhone is becoming a bit of an entertainment device. When you think about it really this kind of makes sense because there are more applications for the iPhone everyday. But what shocks me is that as an entertainment device, the iPhone packs quite a bit of value for someone like me who is committing several hours a day on public transit. Even when I get to work I am able to use the iPhone for music and I find that to be perfectly acceptable since the additional drain on the battery is mild and it has not really resulted in any additional charging. I also continue to use my existing ipod for any longer term music listening. More than the music, the applications are a huge value! One example is a recent game I bought: Monopoly. This game cost three dollars on the iTunes store and then I have replayed it tens of times and I own it forever. If I can manage to find several games like this, the amount of value I derive from the iPhone is then quite high. And that...

So, one of the things that I've started doing is trying to pull my credit reports at regular 4 month intervals so that I get a free one frequently to make sure that things are progressing as I'd like them to and also as a safeguard against identity theft. Of course, the part that I don't like is that these reports don't include a fico score - the key number when it comes to determining if you are going to be extended credit and at what interest rate. This time, I got the report from Equifax - I went to the end of the process and for 8 dollars more I could get my credit score. And the Equifax gave me a credit score of 742. This of course is not even close to the perfect score of 850 when it comes to fico score nirvana, but 742 is still a respectable fico score. Things to improve are basically lowering my balances on my credit cards and loans, which I already have a plan for. And also I noticed that the amount that I paid off on one of my loans is actually still being rep...

I just got a mailer from my bank that I was being offered 1000 dollars of free life insurance. The option, of course, is available for me to get more if I would like, all the way up to 300,000 dollars with no medical exam. Unfortunately, the costs are prohibitive so I do not want to do that at this time. Plus I am covered by my work policy and an additional add-on policy that gives me another 10000 dollars in coverage. The standard stuff applies to both policies in terms of accidental death and dismemberment. Quite a morbid clause really, but I guess it is better than being out of luck if you lose a limb. So, after reading all of the paperwork, I feel comfortable that I can go ahead and send it in which is what I plan to do this weekend. I have to wonder though, did they get my name through the gold card that I recently got? Why all the sudden show of generosity from my bank?

So, not too long ago, I was at the sporting goods store and I went up to pay for my purchases. Nothing terribly exciting really, except that when I got up to the counter and swiped my card it was denied. I of course tried again to no avail when I realized that my debit card was expired. I was not terribly happy about that because I it put me off and I had to use a different card. However, life went on and after a nice dinner and a beer, it didn't seem to matter much. The next day, I called my bank to ask about getting a replacement card. They claimed they had already sent me one, which I never saw so they promptly offered to send another one, free of charge. Also, they would upgrade me to a "gold card". I thought, gold card? I don't want any credit junk here. They said it was still just an ATM card, but that it had additional services like AAA (Mastercard's version of roadside assistance). I thought that was great since it was free. However, I am now hard pressed...

So its been about two months; I've started exercising regularly and I have to say that I am pleased with how it is going. I feel much better about myself and I am noticing that I am not quite as out of shape as I used to be. Of course, there is a long way to go still, but I think that I am on the right track. Figuring out why I didnt like exercising was pretty much three reasons:  - I didn't have a good time to go. Before work was too early, and going to work out after work was stressful when all I wanted to do was chill out and eat something after work.  - The idea of paying for a gym membership also drove me nuts because I never used it. I really didn't need my gym membership . So, recently, I rescued a weight bench from someone's basement and I've started exercising. Slowly but surely it is working. I can do it when I am in the mood or if I am bored. It cost me nothing. And best of all, it is convenient and impossible to ignore since I walk by it on m...

Well, I used to put the ING referrals up by hand, but now I have put up a box on the right hand side of my layout so you can just enter your email and ask for a referral link. This is much more efficient instead of having to repost them when/if they expire. So, let me know if you want a link.   In other news, I've switched to a blogger beta™ account which I like much better since the tagging available and I like my non-standard layout now too. Maybe I will get around to creating a banner for myself soon too. That would be good.

So, my plan is working perfectly. Some of the highlights this month include: 1. Started a ROTH IRA 2. Opened a separate investment account at an online brokerage 3. Finishing up the last credit card payment this month. I will continue to work extra and save money in this way for retirement and I will be grateful for the compound interest when I am fifty and have a nice nest egg. In other news, this morning outside of South Station Bank of America was giving away free $3.00 Starbucks cards to promote $0 equity trades given certain conditions/qualifiers. I won't be trading there, but I'll take the free gift!

Its not that amazing really, but this morning when I went to get my morning coffee at Dunkin' Donuts™, the clerk sold it to me for .51 cents. I was amazed and I wanted to throw it out there to anyone else in the Boston/Dowtown Crossing Area. It was the Dunkin' Donuts next to the Capital Crossing Bank. The guy actually rang it in to the register, so he might have miskeyed, or they might have mispriced it for .51 instead of say 1.51. Either way, it was good stuff.

Here's a neat idea. If you are a bit low on cash for Christmas shopping, something that some family members might really enjoy is a mix cd of music. Here's the idea - if these friends and family are really into music, then it is likely that this will be something that they would enjoy. Up until now, most music had to be purchased in the store on a CD or downloaded using a napster-like subscription-based service or a pay-per-song method like the ITunes website. SpiralFrog is changing all of that. It appears that all of the Universal Music catalog will be available for free, advertising-supported, download via their site starting in December of this year. This would provide a great way to try-before-you-buy and perhaps even use the music to create gift CDs for friends and family in time for christmas. What a nice way to give something personal, but without spending money. And it is all done without stealing music through some shady website or peer-to-peer file trading system or ...