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Musings on personal finance and more...

94 index cards: My results from the Priceless Surprises promotion

  A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Priceless Surprises promotion, a way to earn hotel points and other prizes. This promotion was sponsored by MasterCard, which presumably had a vested interest in getting you to use one of … Read More … Read More

When to max out your Roth IRA contributions

  My intuition isn’t always correct, and I enjoy being confronted with facts that don’t back up my assertions. And this post is one of those situations. Sort of. So let’s talk about funding your Roth IRA, and assume you … Read More … Read More

Can you use your retirement account as your emergency fund?

  My high school algebra teacher always had some sagacious advice for our class. “Open the door before you walk through it.” That sort of thing. This always elicited a laugh from us, which I suppose was the point. Though … Read More … Read More

Is there a loophole in the new Starbucks Rewards program?

  Starbucks is changing its rewards program to reward those who spend more, rather than those who just go often. But the catch (and the deal-breaker for me) is that you have to pay using their reloadable Starbucks Card. Under … Read More … Read More

Starbucks just changed its reward program: is it finally worth joining?

  Just because a loyalty program is offered doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea to get involved. For example, I don’t recommend joining car rental loyalty programs. And one program I’ve looked at for a while but never liked … Read More …

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How to haggle successfully

  I’ve already told you how to haggle unsuccessfully. In short: Covet something unique Want it more than the salesperson Not be able to walk away Have nothing with which to bargain Having learned from my mistakes though, I was … Read More … Read More

How to haggle unsuccessfully

  I hate haggling. It’s way too stressful. I hate having to disappoint people, and I worry about insulting them. Also, I always wonder if I’m getting ripped off. To be honest, I have no idea how much things really … Read More … Read More

My ideas for my new country for the year

  All this talk about me helping you decide where your next “new country” trip is going to be rather sidesteps the slightly uncomfortable fact that I myself don’t actually know where my own “new country” trip is going to … Read More … Read More

How to determine where to travel next

  I have a travel goal. Every year, I travel to a new country. Seeing one new country in a year is possible without quitting your job or being independently wealthy. In fact, it’s a challenge that starts out rather … Read More … Read More

Financial cage match: Paying off student loans versus investing for retirement

  Recently, I made the bold claim that those who have debt aren’t ready to start saving for retirement. I added some relaxing caveats, but I really wanted to put them in an order. Debt first, investing later. I don’t … Read More …

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