Archive for May, 2009

“The Week in Review: Money Issues” is my weekly blog research on financial topics that define us as Americans, and shape the way we should do business.

Hello ladies and gentlemen (pretty classy intro, right?)!

Ready to get out of that hard, awful-for-the-back, crappy chair that was 75% off at the Office Depot (clearance section, baby! Yea, you know how your boss rolls!)? Ready to go do some cool stuff with the family and friends? Got some baseball games that you want to catch? Reality shows (God, I hope not … for both yours and humanity’s sake)? Ok, I’ll stop with all the personal questions already (I get like that sometimes, sorry).Well, if you’re reading this before the old buzzer strike 5:00, why not give some of the following articles a chance to get you through your long day (and then out of that old, broken and very uncomfortable chair)?

Here they are … in all their glory: Continued

The year was 1995 (or maybe 1994. Those years were a blur to me) when I met my good friend Jon Gosselin at Denny’s, next to the Berkshire Mall!

He lived two blocks away, with his dad and brother Mark (who, by the way, has never made in into the show. I guess he didn’t fit into Kate’s mold of the “perfect” American Family, since he liked to get high with my brother Nick all the time) on Wyomissing Blvd in Wyomissing, PA, while I was up on Penn Ave. He always used to tell me that he wanted a big family just like mine (I’m number six out of twelve) and I would answer back, “Not if they’re mostly girls!” The reason for that remark: I have eight sisters (big headaches when I was a kid, I know)! Continued

Life as a Phillies fan is looking better than it has in ages!

Take last season for example: the end results didn’t exactly jive with everything you knew about the game, now did it? And that’s exactly the point in watching … that’s why baseball is in the true fan’s blood. No, the best team doesn’t always have to win, and do you know why? Well, because the world would not be worth living in if that was the case. And maybe, just maybe, the supposedly “losingest team in baseball” can bring home the big trophy for their thick-and-thin fans every once in a while (which they did on that most glorious of October nights). Despite all their losses and tough seasons, they’ve actually played for something bigger than themselves and eventually won it all!

Now, this is what pisses me off about phony fans: They’re brought up to believe that their team has to win each and every time. They’ll argue about who’s a better team, who’s a better player, why some player belongs in the Hall of Fame, or whatever other stats they can incorrectly throw out there. And do you know what? Sometimes, in sports, the unexplainable happens. Sometimes the underdog deserves to win, which is always followed by those same fair-weather fans coming out to the park afterwards with their just-bought jerseys and “Let’s Go Phillies, Let’s Go!” rants (man, I’d love to throw some red paint on those jerks, PETA-style). Continued

“Pay my bills on time”, you ask? “Avoid late fees?!” What’s all this crazy talk about? Does this sound nice to you? Well then, let’s get started!

Go ahead and grab your bills for a second! If at all possible, start thinking about automatic bill payments while you’re gathering them. That’s right, today most utilities companies and other “makers” of bills (yea, I know— sounds like ol’ GWB a little) will let you set up your bills to be either charged on a credit card or directly deducted from your checking account. Who knew? Also, many banks now offer free bill-paying programs. Is that right (note: it is)? So what’s your excuse going to be now for forgetting to pay on time, which always leads to unnecessary late fees? “I’m already late, so who cares?” you answer (wow, a curve-ball)? Well, why not call the company and “politely” request a late fee waiver (most of the times, they’ll give it to you). Continued

Free.

It’s the word I so love to hear, see, smell, taste and feel! I’m cheap, I get it … it’s not my fault though, as it might be in my blood (I hear all the jokes you guys throw at us Pennsylvania Dutch people. Yes, sometimes I do go “Dutch” [as you spendthrifts like to call it] when I go out to eat, and yes, I truly believe that a penny saved is a penny earned. Got a problem with that? LOL). This word, free, has a bunch of different meanings but the versions I like the most are these two: 1) Costing nothing; gratuitous: a free meal, and 2) Without charge.

Whenever I hear this word, I go “Woo Hoo” inside my brain! When I run across a deal that uses this awesome word, and I actually get to have something for nothing (which would be appealing to a lot of people) or am offered something with no strings attached (which most people are cautiously looking out for) I’ll get a huge smile on my face, float in the air a little bit, and my heartbeat starts picking up drastically. This is what a good, free deal does for me! Continued