Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
We received my wife’s 401k plans statement yesterday and we felt like financial geniuses. Splashed on the first page of the statement was our mutual fund performances, up 28.14% in the quarter and 18.43% year to date. My instant reaction was of joy, but it quickly faded as questions were bubbling in my head. Did the performance numbers always showed up in huge font on the first page? Am I supposed to be happy even though our 401k balances are still down from year ago levels?
As I snapped back into reality, I remembered that all companies offering 401k plans are just sales organizations. When times are good, they emphasis how great your investments are. When times are bad, they hide their tracks by telling you how others are doing just as bad. [ continue reading… ]
I won’t drink coffee unless it’s from Starbucks. They just make a better product.
Branding is very important in the retail business, because you can charge more per product and still outsell your competition. When I was a salesperson and making long drives in an unknown city, I would always stop by a Starbucks whenever I’m tired. It’s not that I thought the coffee was a notch above the rest either. It was just that the experience was consistent and predictable. I knew the setting, I knew what I wanted, how much it would cost and the product that I was getting.
If I went to local coffee shops, the predictability stops. Do they sell ice coffees? Are credit cards accepted? Is it going to be too sweet? Sure, I can be adventurous, but I wasn’t in the right mood after a full day of meetings and driving. Is it worth the hassle when my main goal is to have good sales meetings? Not really. [ continue reading… ]
We may be experts at eliminating all the little money leaks but unless we spend time to learn how to save on big ticket items, we are handicapped from the beginning. This article is about how to buy a used car.
Lately, we were thinking of buying a used car but how do you actually buy one without regretting down the road? After tons of research and several less than stellar experiences, let me share with you how to buy a used car.
In general, there are two main concerns of every used car buyer and the following steps are aimed at them specifically. They are: (a) price of the vehicle and (b) reliability after purchases. [ continue reading… ]
As someone who writes and talks about frugal living all day, I must admit that I’m a sucker when it comes to spending. I not only overreact whenever I need to make a purchase, I probably ask way too many questions about the price of any item too. Why pay $50 when I can get it for $40? Why does it cost $40? How about $30? Can I get it for free?
Almost always, I feel that I’m getting a better deal by asking and scrutinizing the buying decision. But is it really the truth? Is paying less always gaining more?
We were all taught to find the lowest price possible. In fact, one of the first things I learned in business was to get three quotes for the same service whenever you need something done. The idea was to compare the quotations and figure out whether the higher cost would be necessary, but more often than not, the price becomes the deciding factor. Price almost always wins, but I think it’s totally wrong because only looking at price shows ignorance. Here’s a story that illustrates what I mean. [ continue reading… ]
Ally Bank have been controversial from the beginning. The indirect link to General Motors didn’t help. The commercials were debatable (although I personally thought they were hilarious) and the FDIC pressuring them to lower interest rates just added oil to the fire.
On top of all that, the advertisements were everywhere. Online ads, commercials printed ads, you name it, they did it. All these “in your face” advertising worked – it made me open an account. [ continue reading… ]
I ran into the mailman yesterday as he was delivering mail to about 50 different mailboxes (for those that aren’t in an apartment, think of the post office where the P.O. boxes are all stacked together). When I reached for my mail, he hollered “oh no sir, you need to wait for me to lock them up before reaching in. I’m sorry for the delay but it will take a few minutes.”
I ended up leaving so I didn’t get what I originally wanted but what if I offered him $5 to look the other way? Do you think he would’ve taken the money? What about $20? What would you have done? [ continue reading… ]
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