FLY TO MEXICO FOR $9.99 FROM AUSTIN

An ultra low-cost air carrier Monday announced it will begin service out of Austin Bergstrom International Airport and hopes to attract passengers with its price -- starting at $9.99.
Department of Transportation granted Mexico's vivaAerobus the right to fly out of ABIA Monday afternoon. The carrier will fly nonstop to Cancun, Guadalajara, León, Monterrey, Puebla, and Queretaro.
The airline in no frills, and it will have a new terminal that will have no jet bridges, sophisticated baggage handling, gates or ticket counters.
Also Online
VivaAerobus
“The costs of flights between Mexico and the US have been too high for too long. We are going to be the first airline to offer genuinely low fares on international flights. We will attract thousands of new American tourists to the beautiful cities in Mexico, and we will position the city of Austin as a new tourist and business destination for the people of Mexico,” said Mike Szucs.
Flights start in March. Tickets go on sale in a couple of weeks, and the company plans to expand to three more cities by the end of the summer.
via txcn.com

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Official Friends & Family December 2007 Holiday Deals Created By Fatwallet Members

This website make it easy for everyone to browse for holiday savings. These discounts are updated daily till 2008 at this fatwallet forum: http://www.fatwallet.com/t/18/786284/

ONLINE:
Alloy Coupon Code: ALYGIFT (20% off entire order til Dec. 3, 2007)
American Eagle Outfitters Coupon Code: 64152219 (15% off from Nov. 27 - Dec. 11, 2007)
Ann Taylor Coupon Code: PRIVATE25 (25% off $100 plus free shipping from Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2007)
Armani Exchange Coupon Code: STYLE20 ($20 off $100 from Nov 29 - Dec 15, 2007)
Balsam Hill Christmas Tree Co - Coupon code FF07CP (10% OFF F&F - Dec. 2 - Dec. 16, 2007).
Banana Republic Coupon Code: BRHOLIDAY (20% off from Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2007)
Bare Escentuals Coupon Code: BEFAMILY (20% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
***Barnes & Noble Coupon Code: T4N3B6W (25% off Single Item on Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2007)Bath and Bodyworks Coupon Code: VELVET10 ($10 off $30 from Nov. 27 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Bed Bath Store Coupon Code: holiday07 ($15 off $75 from Nov. 28 - Dec. 10, 2007)
BeBe Sport Coupon Code: FAMILY25 (25% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Bloomingdales Coupon Code: PS1129 (20% off -or- 25% off over $300 from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
***Blue Nile Coupon Code: BNACC25 (10% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 31, 2007)
Casual Male Coupon Code: NOVCMR (30% off $100 from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
CCO - Closeout Catalog Outlet Coupon Code: CC10045 (extra 50% off your most expensive item - ends 12/06/07)
Children's Place Coupon Codes: H2MMVSEZNQQB7 or H2EMIY6YVAJB7 or H2MMUHM12BLB7 (15% off exp Dec. 9, 2007)
Cloud Veil Coupon Code: 7LJ400 (45% off Now - Dec 31) Also use 7LJ502 for free ground shipping (Exp. Dec 13)
Cole Haan Coupon Code: HOLIDAY (20% off Dec 1 - Dec. 3, 2007)
Coffee Bean Corral Coupon Code: HAPPY (15% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 25, 2007)
coolframes.com - Designer Eyewear Coupon Code: BLACK15 (15% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 25, 2007)
Cost Plus World Coupon Code: DECBONUS (10% off Dec 1 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Crazy8 Coupon Code: C8ONLINE (20% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Designer Linens Outlet Coupon Code: FRIENDS77 (50% off from Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2007)
Dick's Sporting Goods Coupon Code: APPAREL20 (Case sensitive) (20% off Apparel from Dec 1 - Jan 31, 2008)
Disney Store Coupon Code: HOLIDAY25 (25% off from Nov 27 – Dec 2, 2007)
Dr. Martens Coupon Code: DMFF3507 (35% off from Nov 30 – Dec 14, 2007)
Dwell Coupon Code: FF2007 (25% off from Nov 29 – Dec 3, 2007)
Eastbay Coupon Code: EMEB72GC (20% off Giftcards from Nov 17 – Dec 20, 2007)
Eastern Mountain Sport Coupon Code: SP4FF (20% off from Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2007 )***eBags.com Coupon Code: EMBESTSET (20% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 9, 2007)
enyce Coupon Code: SITEWIDE30 (30% off $150 from Dec 1 – Dec 7, 2007 )
GameStop Coupon Code: AFF25 (25% off Used Games from ? – ? )
GiftCertificates.com Coupon Code: HOLIDAY2 (10% off from Dec 1 – Dec 9, 2007 )
Glamajama Coupon Code: GOTGLAM (25% off from Nov 28 – Dec 31, 2007 )
Golf Smith Coupon Code: FFD07 (UP TO 30% off from Nov. 28 - Dec. 4, 2007)
Exclusions, here's the original post***G By Guess Coupon Code: FNF30B (30% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Guess Coupon Code: FNF30G (30% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Guess Factory Stores Coupon Code: FNF30F (30% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Hallmark Coupon Code: HMKLAT15 (15% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 31, 2007)
Harry and David Coupon Code: JINGLE (20% off from Nov 29 - Dec. 3, 2007)
Hasbro Toy Shop Coupon Code: FRIENDS20 (20% off from Dec 2 - Dec. 9, 2007)
Hickory Farms Coupon Code: SAVORY (15% off from Nov 28 - Dec. 31, 2007)
HP Desktop Coupon Code: DT6030 (30% off $999 from Nov 28 - Dec. 8, 2007)
J. Jill Coupon Code: FFNV25 (25% off on Nov 27 – Dec 2, 2007)
JC Penny Coupon Code: CHAMPION (20% off from Dec. 9, 2007)
JC Penny Coupon Code: SANTA (30% off regular priced items and 10% off sale items till Dec. 14, 2007)
Joann.com Coupon Code: NOVEJ7402 (40% off 1 Regularly-Priced Item from Dec. 1 - Dec 5, 2007)
KarCo Coupon Code: KC25OFF (25% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Kohl's Coupon Code: NEW5252 (10% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 8, 2007)
Lenovo Login Code: 992299 (Various Discounts)
Levis Store Coupon Code: LOJVWYJ9 (20% off $75 from Nov 30 – Dec 2, 2007)
Limited Too Just click link for savings (25% off from Nov 27 – Dec 9, 2007)
Linen & Things Coupon Code: 223823997733 (20% off from Nov 30 – Dec 31, 2007)
Liz Claiborne Coupon Code: FRIEND40 (40% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 3, 2007)
Macy's Coupon Code: MACYSFRIEND or MACYSFF or CFF117 (20% off from Nov 28 – Dec 03, 2007)
Maps.com Coupon Code: holiday20 (20% off from Nov. 28 - Dec. 31, 2007)
Marciano Coupon Code: FNF30M (30% off from Nov 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
MetroStyle Coupon Code: MSTYLE50 (50% off Single Item from Nov. 28 - Dec. 31, 2007)
New York & Company Coupon Code: 9897 ($30 off $75 from Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2007)
Nike Coupon Code: 2PCTH7A (20% off $125 from Nov 27 – Dec 24, 2007)
Origins.com Coupon Code: 1207FF (25% off Dec 2 - Dec 5, 2007)
Overstock Coupon Code: 73989 (10% off $45 from ? - ? )
PlumDenim.com Coupon Code: FNF2007 (30% off from Nov. 28 - Dec. 31, 2007)
***Ralph Lauren Coupon Code: HOL2007 (30% off 11/20 - 12/10)
Red Envelope Coupon Code: AMX25WISH ($50 off $200 from ? – ? )
Rei-Outlet.com Just cick link for savings (20% off from Nov. 28 - Dec 7, 2007)
restaurant.com Coupon Code: NEW (50% off from Dec 1 - Dec 3, 2007)
Ross-Simons Coupon Code: BEST (20% off + 5% from Nov. 30 - Dec 2, 2007)
***Sharper Image Just cick link for savings ($10 off $50 from Nov 27 – Jan 31, 2008)
Shutterfly Coupon Code: SON5-SONY ($10 off $40 from Nov 30 – Dec 10, 2007)
Snap Fish Coupon Code: FRIENDS07 (25% off on Nov 27 – Dec 25, 2007)
Snap Fish Coupon Code: AFFDECSPECL (30% off $30 on Nov 27 – Jan 3, 2008)
Snap Fish Coupon Code: MYBOOKDEC (40% off Photobook on Nov 27 – Jan 3, 2008)
Speedo Coupon Code: FRIENDS4 (25% off on Nov 27 – Dec 2, 2007)
Sports Authority Coupon Code: TSASAVE25 (25% off on 11/29-12/2)
Suds Gear Coupon Code: combo22 (22% off from ? – ? )
Sundance Coupon Code: GREAT (20% off from Nov 30 - Dec 4, 2007)
Timberland Coupon Code: 3421273 (40% off from Nov 29 – Dec 2, 2007)
Victoria's Secret Coupon Code: FA78113 or FA78449 ($15 off $100, $30 off $150, $75 off $250, & $150 off $500 from Nov. 28 - Dec. 20, 2007)
WinkFlash Coupon Code: G3F8E7W4 (40% off from Nov 28 – Dec 15, 2007 )
Yankee Candle Coupon Code: XSL16 ($10 off $25 from Nov 27 - Dec. 22, 2007)
Zales Coupon Code: NOVCAT502007 ($50 off $200 Valid to Dec 16th, 2007 )

PRINTABLE INSTORE COUPON
Ann Taylor (25% off $100 plus free shipping from Nov. 30 – Dec. 2, 2007)
Barnes & Noble (10% off on Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2007)
BeBe Sport (25% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Borders or Waldenbooks (20% off from Nov 27 – Dec 6, 2007)
Borders (40% off the List Price of Any One DVD Box Set from Dec 3 & Dec 4, 2007)
Champs (30% up to $100 or 30% + 10% over $100 from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Cost Plus World (10% off Dec 1 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Crazy8/Gymboree (20% off from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Eastern Mountain Sport (20% off from Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2007 )
FootAction (30% up to $100 or 30% + 10% over $100 from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Foot Locker (30% up to $100 or 30% + 10% over $100 from Nov. 29 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Gordmans (20% off Single Item from Nov 27 – Dec 9, 2007)
G By Guess (15% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Guess Factory Stores (30% off from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
H&M (25% off from Dec. 7 - Dec. 9, 2007)
Home Depot ($15 off $100, $30 off $200, $50 off $300 from Nov 26 – Dec 2, 2007)
J. Jill (25% off from Nov 27 – Dec 2, 2007)
JC Penny (20% off on Dec. 9, 2007)
Kirklands (25% off Single Item from Nov 27 – Dec 31, 2007)
The Limited ($30 off $100 from Nov 26 – Dec 2, 2007)
Limited Too (25% off from Nov 27 – Dec 9, 2007)
Linen & Things (20% off from Nov. 27 - Dec. 31, 2007)
Loehmanns (15% off Reduced Item & 20% off Clearance Item from Nov 27 – Dec 31, 2007)
Lord & Taylor (15% off from Nov. 9 - Dec. 24, 2007)
Macy's (pdf)(20% off from Nov 28 – Dec 03, 2007)
New York & Company ($30 off $75 from Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2007)Niketown, Nike Women, Nike Outlet - Front / Back 30% off 11/29 - 12/2 YMMV
OLD NAVY (20% off from Nov 30 – Dec 6, 2007)
OSH (10% off Dec 1 & Dec 2, 2007)
oshKosh ($10 off $50 from Nov 26 – Dec 11, 2007)
Ralph Lauren (30% off 11/10 - 12/10)
Reebok Outlet (40% off Nov 29 - Dec 23, 2007)
Saks Fifth Ave OFF 5th (30% off One Item Nov 29 - Dec 5, 2007)
Sharper Image ($10 off $100 from Nov 27 – Jan 31, 2008)
Sports Authority (25% off on 11/29-12/2)
Staples (12% off from Dec. 2 - Dec. 8, 2007)
Stein Mart (15% off 1 or 2 Items from Nov. 30 - Dec. 2, 2007)
Timberland & Factory Stores (30% off Factory Store & 40% off Timberland Retail from Nov 29 – Dec 2, 2007)
Victoria's Secret (Free Panty!! + $15 off bra[no limit] from Nov. 30 - Dec. 6, 2007)
Yankee Candle ($10 off $25 from Nov 27 - Dec. 22, 2007)

OTHER/Various Discounts
Google Holiday Discounts ($5, $10, $20, etc.)
Mastercard Card HoldersPayPal Holiday 20% off (20% Off)
Visa Card Holders

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Free Frequent Flier Miles: Another Google Checkout Promotion

For the rest of the year Google Checkout is running some great promotions. Right now, in addition to all of the great $10 dollar off promos you can earn 2 frequent flier miles per $1 spent:

Earn up to 10,000 frequent flyer miles when you shop with Google Checkout this holiday season.

* Once you register, you’ll start earning 2 frequent flyer miles for each $1 you spend with Google Checkout through December 31, 2007.
* You can earn up to 10,000 frequent flyer miles through this promotion.
* We’ll credit your mileage account and send you a summary of miles earned by January 31, 2008..

So if you’re going to shop at one of the listed stores anyways, use Google Checkout instead of the other options and get some free airline miles on top of your usual credit card cashback rewards. Be sure to register first at the site before making your purchase. Via mymoneyblog.com

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Free 1GB SD Memory Card From Buy.com

Buy.com is offering a 1gb Secure Digital memory card for free + free shipping if you are a new Google Checkout customer. Ive already made numerous posts about Buy.com and Google Checkout, check them out here and here.

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Free Money Update December 2007

Thinking back on a wonderful year of free money, I have realized just how much i have actually made here. This figure is way more than i ever expected! Although i have to be honest, i am only taking into accoun the time that i take to sign up for offers or fill out rebates, not the amount of time i spend searching for them. Looking ahead to next year, i plan on cataloging exactly how much time i spend in relation to the amount i earn, including the amount of time i spend researching.

$10 dollar gift card from Amazon / .1 hours survey from sundance

$ 700 dollars worth 20,000 starpoints from td ameritrade / 1 hours account sign up


December Total - $710 /1.1 hours

Grand Total YTD - $3669 / 10.9 hours

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Free Music Album Download For American Express Cardholders: Alicia Keys, Santana, Kenny Chesney, Celine Dion, Barry Manilow or Aretha Franklin

I just signed up for this All they ask is for the customer service # on the back of AMEX card, email and zip code. I just signed up but apparently you get to choose an album from 1 of 6 arists — Alicia Keys, Santana, Kenny Chesney, Celine Dion, Barry Manilow or Aretha Franklin — when you subscribe to the Entertainment Access e-mail. This e-mail newsletter features great entertainment offers, from Broadway shows and concert tours to spectacular family and sporting events.
It takes about 24-48 hours to receive the redemption code. They will send you a code through email that allows you to download the album in zip format with the mp3 files inside. They appear to be 128kbs. Here is the website and the numbers to use:

Free Album From AMEX

Corporate Card
# 800-528-2122

Gold Card
# 800-327-2177

Membership Rewards
# 800-297-3276

Optima™ Card
# 800-635-5955

Personal Card
# 800-528-4800

Platinum Card®
# 800-525-3355

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Free Money November 2007 Update

So this month ended up being pretty profitable. I ended up procuring $540 dollars in free money through the month of November.

$30 dollars from google checkout /.2 hours filling out new accounts

$60 dollars from fye.com / .3 hours filling out rebate forms and sending them.

$30 dollars from amex blue / .1 hour shopping at featured merchant.

$200 dollars from citibank checking / 1 hour signing up for account and setting up bill pay.

$5 dollar starbucks gc from IT survey / .1 hours filling out survey

$30 dollar from Starbucks GC from Las Vegas Sign up / .1 hours filling out info on website.

$80 Dollar gift certificates from Dale and Thompson Popcorn / .2 hours filling out info.

$75 dollars gift certificates from american gem society / .1 hours filling out info on website

$20 dollars from first usa identity protection / .2 hours calling and cancelling program.

10 dollar starbucks card for traveling medical survey / .1 hours filling out info.

November Total - $540 /2.4 hours

Grand Total YTD - $2959 / 9.8 hours

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Do Your Friends Make You Poor?

An insightful post From investing lessons that i came across that i thought i would share
In my view the answer is both yes and no.

Yes – if you are insecure in yourself and seek others approval or companionship to fit in. Well – that is an extreme situation but it does happen. I have fallen in that trap where I have spent more money than I planned because of social pressure or obligation.

If you are spending to buy friends – then there is a problem. Friendship is mutual relationship and is usually a zero sum game – financially speaking. If you end up paying for most expenses at social gathering and are pressured to spend more than you feel obliged to – you need to reexamine your social context. Friends’ help you succeed in life – not drag you down in debt.

No – because eventually you are responsible for your financial well being. You choose your friends, your lifestyle and your financial well being. No one is making you poor but your perspective on life and your choices. If you are still caught in the blame game – stop. You are in charge of your life and there is more than enough good advise available to get you going on the right financial path.

Friends are an integral part of social existence so enjoy their company but don’t let them dictate your financial future or be used as an excuse for financial excess.

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A Hula Hoop for $300 Dollars?

Patrick Deluz spends his days crafting battery-powered Hula-Hoops that pulse with light and color.

His interest was first piqued when his girlfriend brought two hoops home and he tried to spin. He failed miserably and gave up until he met a performance artist who explained that it’s all in the hoop, not the hips: The children’s models are too light for adults.

Inspired, Deluz, 58, made his own hoops out of black irrigation tubing wrapped in leather from thrift-store skirts. He added LED lights for flash, and his company, Psychedelic Sensually Interactive Hoops, based in Encinitas, Calif., was born. Since then, Deluz’s customers have been spinning them everywhere, from nightclubs to the opening party of Cirque du Soleil’s Ka in Las Vegas.

Each hoop costs $250 to $320, and Deluz says he has sold 1,000 over the past three years. He is looking for a Chinese manufacturer to help boost his volume, but until he finds one that matches his quality, he must spend six hours handcrafting each hoop.
http://psihoops.com/

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Investors Can Benefit From the Weak Dollar

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen grabbed headlines recently when she reportedly demanded to be paid in euros instead of dollars. Her spokesman later denied it.

Long before that, the greenback had been out of fashion with billionaire Warren Buffett, who repeated last month that he remains down on the dollar.

Big deal, you might say. You're not planning a trip overseas anytime soon. And you're willing to forgo imported brie in favor of Vermont cheddar until the dollar strengthens.


But small investors can take advantage of the weak dollar, just like the big players. And some new investments make currency plays easier.

A word of caution: Don't let the weak dollar dictate your overall investment strategy. And make currency plays with only a small piece of your portfolio. That way you won't get badly burned if the dollar suddenly regains its muscle.

That said, you can consider these moves:

Bank on foreign currencies. Florida-based EverBank offers money market accounts and certificates of deposit in 20 foreign currencies, including the euro, Swiss franc, Indian rupee, Icelandic krona and Australian and Hong Kong dollars.

EverBank converts U.S. dollars to your foreign currency of choice. You gain if that currency rises against the dollar.

You need at least $2,500 to open a money market account and $10,000 to buy a CD for a term of three, six, nine or 12 months.

The money market account doesn't pay interest on balances under $10,000. CD rates depend on the currency and term. Recently, none of the Japanese yen CDs paid interest, while the three-month South African rand CD paid a 7.71 percent annual rate.

But don't be distracted by interest rates. ''You are buying it for the diversification and the chance that the dollar continues to weaken against that currency, and you would gain from that currency appreciation,'' said Chuck Butler, president of EverBank's world markets.

Deposits are FDIC insured against a bank failure, but they're not protected against losses from currency swings.

ETFs for currencies. Rockville, Md.-based Rydex Investments in the past two years has launched CurrencyShares, a series of exchange-traded funds that track the price of eight currencies. ETFs are similar to index mutual funds but trade like stocks.

Each ETF buys foreign currency that is held in a bank account in London. You see your shares go up or down based on the value of the foreign currency compared with the dollar.

You also reap a bit of interest that the currency earns sitting in the bank. The annual ETF fee is 0.40 percent of invested assets.

Bonds from abroad. Long-term investors might consider bonds issued by foreign governments.

EverBank's Butler recommends bonds issued by countries whose economies are at the peak of their growth cycle. Yields are usually high. Once a country's economy slows, interest rates on new bonds will be lower, and that will make your bond worth more, he said.

Obtain foreign exposure at home. The traditional currency play for small investors is to buy stock in a U.S. company that does business overseas. A weak dollar boosts the company's exports because its products are cheaper to foreign consumers.

Companies also may receive an earnings bump when profits from overseas operations are translated into U.S. dollars.

Or choose an international fund investing in foreign companies. Make a currency play by choosing a fund that doesn't hedge against currency swings, said Paul Brahim, managing director of BPU Investment Management in Pennsylvania.

You will benefit when profit and dividends are converted from a strong currency to the weak dollar. Check the fund's prospectus to see if it hedges currency risks.

Contrarian play. A sign that the market has peaked is when you start getting stock tips from taxi drivers, the saying goes. Can it be that currencies are poised to reverse course when supermodels talk about the weak dollar?

Chuck Carlson thinks so. ''You won't talk to anyone that thinks the dollar will strengthen,'' said the chief executive of Horizon Investment Services in Indiana. ''It's such a consensus opinion, to me it can't be true.''

If you're in the contrarian camp, no worry. EverBank and Rydex also offer investments if you want to bet on the dollar's comeback.
Via MorningCall

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42 Great Facts About Money Everyone Should Know

Do you think you know a lot about money? Maybe you do. Maybe you don't. But let's see if any of the following facts are in any way surprising to you:

1.More of our fantasies are about money... than sex.
2.If we could have any luxury in the world (and money didn't matter) more of us would choose to spend money on a butler and a maid than anything else.
3.90% of Americans who own pets buy them Christmas gifts.
4.Money is the leading cause of disagreements in marriages.
5.65% of Americans would live on a deserted island all by themselves for an entire year for $1,000,000.


6.For $10,000,000 most of us would do almost ANYTHING! Including abandoning our family and friends and our church. A very high percentage of us would, for that same amount of money, change our race or sex. And, 1 in every 14, would even murder someone for ten million bucks.

What's really strange about this is, the statistics remain the same whether it's ten million dollars all the way down to three million. For three million bucks, most of us would do the same horrible things we would do for ten million. But, guess what? Few of us would do these things for a "measly" two million.
7.92% of us would rather be rich than find the love of our lives.
8.Here's a weighty one: Money (or the lack thereof) is the biggest stress inducer in the lives of Americans. We worry more about money than our marriages, our health, or even who's going to win the Superbowl Game or come out on top in the latest Survivor TV show.
9.If you get your money out of a Hitachi ATM machine in Japan, it will be laundered. The way they do it is, they briefly press the bills between rollers at high enough temperatures to kill most bacteria.
10.Women have very fixed ideas on how much they are willing to spend on a bra. 38.3% of women won't spend $30 for a bra. 28.4% won't spend $50. 10% would pay as much as $75. And, only 3.5% would shell out $100. But, you know what? Almost 20% of women say they would pay almost anything for a bra. This is because they consider (and I guess so do a few men) that the contents of what those bras are encasing is of extremely high-value.
11.Nearly half of the people who sell their houses with furniture included will take all the light bulbs out of all the lamps when they vacate the premises.
12.Most people won't bend over to pick up money lying on the sidewalk unless it's at least a dollar.
13.Most Americans think pennies are a pain in the ass and the U.S. Mint should stop making them.
14.There is about 405 billion dollars in circulation. Only 32 million of that amount is counterfeit. That means, the percentage of counterfeit money in America is .0079%. And, $20 bills are more often counterfeited than $100 bills.
15.Do people care if their bills are crisp? Indeed, they do. Fresh, crisp, clean bills are considered much more valuable than those which are old, wrinkled and dirty.

I once sent a 'dollar bill thank you' letter to a guy who sent a sincere letter back to me bitching the free $1 bill I sent him was wrinkled instead of crisp as I had described in the letter.
16.Let's flip a coin and try to guess whether it will come up heads or tails. Three times as many people guess 'heads' than 'tails'.
17.Here's one I personally think really sucks: One out of every four Americans believe their best chance of getting rich is by playing the lottery.
18.How about this one for a shocking fact: 5% of lottery ticket buyers buy 51% of all tickets sold. (Trust me, none of these people belong to the "Einsteins of America Society".)
19.A staggering 74% of us are influenced by how much we can win in a lottery as opposed to the odds of us winning.
20.That's a good thing for the Government because the odds of winning a lottery jackpot are about 10 million to 1.
21.A person who drives 10 miles to buy a lottery ticket is 3 times more likely to be killed in a car accident while driving to buy the ticket... than... he is to win the jackpot.
22.Sunday newspaper coupon inserts are the second-most read section of the paper, after the front page.
23.Few people know it but, you can buy single-disease insurance.
24.Only 6% of people in America regularly buy clothes tailor made just for them.
25.Here's one that's really important: 63% of us decide NOT to buy a product advertised on the Internet... because... we think the shipping and handling charges add too much to the order.
26.Eight times as many Americans would rather use an ATM than deal with a real live teller.
27.This one's going to blow your mind: 83% of Americans still pay with checks instead of credit cards!
28.Almost 30% of us say we would need 3 million smackaroos to feel rich. This ties in with the fact most of us would do anything for as little as $3 million... but... not nearly as many of us would do those identical things for a measly $2 million. (Hey, here's your chance to take advantage of that situation. If you only want to pay $2 million to have something done, ask me if I'll do it. The chances are, believe it or not, I WILL DO IT.)
29.Here's another fact which is really, really important: 80% of Americans say giving personal information (especially their credit card information) over the Internet scares the living shit out of them.
30.Two-thirds of Americans say they wouldn't let their spouse spend the night and have sex with another person for a million dollars. Many of these people are liars. There's a big difference being asked if they would do it for a million dollars... as opposed to... handing them a paper sack containing the million fungolas and simply saying, "Here, you can have this if you'll let me sleep with your sweetie tonight."
31.The average wedding in America costs a staggering $20,000.00.
32.More than one-third of American women consider money more important than good sex to the success of a marriage.
33.According to Employee Benefits Research Institute 96% of all people who have jobs right now won't be eligible for their full Social Security benefits when they reach age 65.
34.When it comes to houses, more than anything else, people want a state-of-the-art kitchen.
35.When people shop for a car, what they want more than anything else is reliability for the best possible price.
36.One of the best ways to raise money for a charity is to have a free dinner for a lot of people and have an empty envelope tucked under their plate... for the express purpose... of making whatever size donation they want.
37.People tip more on sunny days than they do on dreary days.
38.More than 80,000,000 people call the I.R.S. Information Hotline phone number every year. One-third of those calls go unanswered. And, according to the Treasury Department itself, 47% of the answers the 'get-through' callers receive are incorrect.
39.Almost two out of three people have modified their financial behavior because of their fears.
40.Almost three times as many people who live in the South worry about losing their jobs as compared to people who live in the Midwest.
41.Which would you rather do: Shop till you drop... or... have great sex?

For men, this is a no-brainer.

However, more women would actually rather have an unlimited shopping spree than spend a weekend with a fabulous lover. In fact, the #1 favorite fantasy of women is to have a blank check to shop at their favorite store.

The favorite fantasy of men (at least in my opinion) is what we would like to DO to the sales girl... rather than... what we would like to buy from her.
42.You can make a lot of money, suggesting domain names. Yes, it's true.
http://www.thegaryhalbertletter.com/Newsletters/ac_money.htm

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Most Dubious Business Idea Ever: Rent a Midget

Hire Dwarf Entertainment's midgets, dwarfs, little persons, and full sized dancers and strippers to perform their adult entertainment acts at your next special event, whether it is a birthday party, bachelor or bachelorette party or club promotion. Dwarf Entertainment is willing to travel 150 miles by car to entertain your guests. If your event is any further, airplane travel must be arranged. LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS ARE ACCEPTED!


With decades of party palnning and providing midgets, dwarfs and full-size male and female strippers for entertainment, Dwarf Entertainment can provide your special event - whether it be a bachelor or bachelorette party, club opening, birthday party or office gag - a variety of routines, costumes and characters tailored to your specific needs. If you think your event may need that spark to get the party going, then Dwarf Entertainment is your company for BIG entertainment. Our midget and full size dancers and strippers get the party jumping
http://www.dwarfentertainment.com/

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Could An MBA be a Waste of Time? This Stock Trader Would Say Yes

MOST people who knew Gabriel Hammond at Johns Hopkins in the late 1990s could have predicted he would rise quickly on Wall Street. As a freshman, he traded stocks from his dorm room, making a $1,000 bet on Caterpillar. Soon after, he abandoned his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer and, upon graduation, joined Goldman Sachs as a stock analyst.

Three years into his new job, Mr. Hammond noticed something. Very few of his young co-workers were taking a hiatus from Wall Street to go to business school, long considered an essential rung on the way to the top of the corporate ladder.

So he, too, decided to forgo an M.B.A.. Instead, he raised $5 million and started his own hedge fund, Alerian Capital Management, in 2004. The fund now manages $300 million out of offices in New York and Dallas, and Mr. Hammond, 28, enjoys seven-figure payouts.

Like other young people on the fast track, Mr. Hammond has run the numbers and figures that


As more Americans have become abundantly wealthy, young people are recalculating old assumptions about success. The flood of money into private equity and hedge funds over the last decade has made billionaires out of people like Kenneth Griffin, 38, chief executive of the Citadel Investment Group, and Eddie Lampert, 45, the hedge fund king who bought Sears and Kmart. These men are icons for the fast buck set — particularly the mathematically gifted cohort of rising stars known as “quants.” Many college graduates who are bright enough to be top computer scientists or medical researchers are becoming traders instead, and they measure their status in dollars instead of titles.

Many of the brightest don’t covet a corner office at Goldman Sachs or Morgan Stanley. Instead, they’re happy to work at a little-known hedge fund run out of a two-room office in Greenwich, Conn., as long as they get a fat payday. The competition from alternative investment firms — private equity and hedge funds in particular — is driving up salaries of entry-level analysts at much larger banks. And top performers at the banks make so much money today that they don’t want to take two years off for business school, even if it’s a prestigious institution like the Wharton School or Harvard.

The new ranks of traders and high-octane number crunchers on Wall Street are also a breed apart from celebrated long-term investors like Warren E. Buffett and investment banking gurus like Felix G. Rohatyn. What sets the new crowd apart is the need for speed and a thirst for instant riches.

“With the growth of hedge funds, you’re getting a lot of really smart people who are getting paid a lot very young,” says Arjuna Rajasingham, 29, an analyst and a trader at a hedge fund in London. “I know it’s a bit of a short-term view, but it’s hard to walk away from something that’s going really well.”

The shift has not gone unnoticed by administrators at some business schools. Richard Schmalensee, who was dean of the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management until June, chalked it up to the changing nature of money-making. In many banks and investment boutiques, traders with math and science backgrounds now contribute more to the bottom line than the white-shoed investment bankers who long presided over Wall Street. And traders tend to be less likely to go to business school.

“I don’t think you will see M.B.A.’s less represented in executive suites, but you may see M.B.A.’s less represented in the lists of the world’s richest people,” Professor Schmalensee says.


BUSINESS school has not fallen out of favor among the student population at large. The number of students who earned M.B.A.’s in 2005 was about 142,600, nearly twice the level in 1991. But as M.B.A.’s become more common, the degree seems to carry less prestige with people who land top-paying jobs in finance soon after college.

And recent upheavals in the financial markets don’t seem to be changing the thinking of these younger high-fliers and their employers.

Hedge fund managers are unlikely to punish their younger workers for any dip in returns this year, says Adam Zoia, managing partner at Glocap, a headhunter in New York. Management fees charged by funds — typically 2 percent — come in regardless of return levels and can more than cover large salaries for young employees at many funds.

“Most managers say, ‘If I don’t pony up a decent bonus, then I’m going to lose people,’ ” Mr. Zoia says. “It’d be short-sighted of them not to retain their good people.”

At funds that manage $1 billion to $3 billion, people with just a few years of finance experience will make $337,000 this year, Mr. Zoia says, and those with five to nine years of experience will average $830,000, up 6 percent from last year. These estimates include analysts and researchers but not portfolio traders, who can make much more because they sometimes share in profits.

Dozens of young people (mostly male) who want to be, or already are, successful traders said in interviews that they relished the challenge of their jobs, in addition to the lofty paychecks.

But they also spoke as if a money-clock were ticking: many said they wanted to make as much money as fast as they could so that they could live in style later in life while doing less lucrative things like running a charity, working for the government, spending time with their families, or inventing new technologies. Some, of course, plan to stay in finance their entire careers, and they, too, are very focused on earning fat bonuses fast.

“The sales pitch of these private equity funds or these hedge funds is, ‘Come here, and you’ll make a million bucks in two years,’ ” says Gregg R. Lemkau, 38, managing director and chief operating officer of investment banking at Goldman Sachs, who passed up business school to stay at Goldman in the early 1990s when that choice was more rare.

And because today there are more self-made millionaires — and billionaires — than ever before, 20-something traders seem bolder in their monetary ambitions. Business school often does not fit into these plans.

“If you want to make the most money in the shortest period of time, you can’t be away from work for two years,” says Vitaly Dukhon, 30, who recently left the Fortress Investment Group in New York to join another hedge fund.

While in college at Harvard, Mr. Dukhon thought he would go to business school in his mid-20s, but in his first job on the Treasury desk at Deutsche Bank, he realized that the smartest people just a few years his senior were staying put. “I saw that people that had been working for 20 years did have M.B.A.’s, but people five to six years older than me were not going,” he says. “Going to business school is a way for people to try to open the door, to try to get into a company or hedge fund. But if you’re already there, it doesn’t make sense to go.”

Mr. Hammond of Alerian noticed the same trend while he was an analyst at Goldman Sachs. His co-workers who went to business school either wanted to change careers, or they were not doing well in their current jobs, he says.

Part of the shift comes as investment banks like Goldman Sachs and Credit Suisse have changed their tune on business school. Instead of pushing all their young employees into M.B.A. programs, banks are telling the best ones to stay put.

“We are the perfect training ground for people who want to have careers in finance,” says Caitlin McLaughlin, director of campus recruiting for Citi, the former Citigroup. Just 15 years ago, Ms. McLaughlin estimates, 85 to 90 percent of Citi’s analyst classes ended up attending business school. Now, she thinks that figure is closer to 50 percent.

Samir Ahmad, 25, has worked at Citi since college. This summer, he was promoted to associate, an M.B.A.-level position, in the fixed-income, currencies and commodities division. Despite advice from his older brother that he should attend business school, Mr. Ahmad says he cannot see what he would gain to justify the time. “If I were to spend two years at business school, I’d get an M.B.A. degree, but I think learning a different product or a different group here at Citi would be more valuable,” he says.

To be sure, business school can still be a valuable investment, especially for those who want to change careers. Most schools teach a well-rounded curriculum that exposes students to the full picture of the way the business world works. They are great places to make friends and connections that can help throughout a career. And the top business schools serve as a useful filtering system, placing a seal of approval on graduates that can help them find jobs.

“Most banking — and that includes private equity — is about deals and about relationships,” says Timothy Butler, director of M.B.A. career development programs at Harvard Business School. “That will always be M.B.A. territory.”

YET even some students at top schools like Harvard say the decision to go is tougher now than it likely was two decades ago. “We all struggled with it,” says Katie Shaw, 28, who is in her second year of business school there. “It’s not only, ‘Where do I go to business school?’ It’s also, ‘Do I go?’ ”

Ms. Shaw worked in private equity before business school and plans to return to a position in finance. In private equity, she says, an M.B.A. is valued because buying and selling companies involves relationships and company analysis skills. Still, most private equity firms used to require their young hires to leave to go to business school, and some are now letting talented ones keep working instead.

Headhunters for hedge funds and private equity firms say hedge funds, in particular, do not value an M.B.A. “I have some clients that will legitimately say, ‘An M.B.A. means absolutely nothing to us,’ ” says Tim Zack, principal of In-Site Search, a headhunting firm in Westport, Conn., that is a division of Chaves and Associates.

Mr. Hammond of the Alerian hedge fund recently hired someone from Carnegie Mellon’s business school because of that person’s engineering talent, not the skills he learned in business school. While Mr. Hammond says he understands why his new employee went to business school to move into finance, he would look less favorably on someone in an M.B.A. program who had left finance to go to business school.

If he were looking at someone who went to Harvard Business School after the two-year analyst program at Goldman, “I’d be suspicious,” he says. “I’d be saying, ‘What was it you were doing wrong that you couldn’t get a promotion at Goldman or did not pursue an opportunity with a private equity or hedge fund?’ ”

When young people on Wall Street consider the benefits of business school, Mr. Hammond says, the upside no longer outweighs lost salaries and bonuses they would have earned. He calculates the cost of going to a two-year business school to be at least half a million dollars for the average bank employee — $250,000 or more each year in lost salary, plus $50,000 a year in tuition and living expenses. For hedge fund employees, Mr. Hammond says, the number would be considerably higher.

The result, headhunters say, is that many of the best people in finance are no longer entering the M.B.A. pipeline. “If someone is doing well at a hedge fund, they absolutely do not encourage their employees to go off to business school,” says Mr. Zoia of Glocap.

Some young people are pursuing alternatives that can be completed without leaving their jobs. Some take the chartered financial analyst tests or study part-time at night at schools like N.Y.U. that offer master’s degrees in subjects like financial engineering.

“There’s a real shift in assumptions as to what is going to make you a better applicant or a prospect for a job,” says Art Hogan, chief market analyst for Jefferies & Company, noting that he had seen an increased interest in young people pursuing a designation as a chartered financial analyst at night rather than leaving their jobs for an M.B.A.

At the banks, there has been a push in recent years to keep top performers around after their time as analysts, the most junior position, ends. “Strong performers we want to keep at the firm for as long as possible,” says Julie Kalish, 28, head of United States recruiting for Credit Suisse. “The amount of analysts that we try to keep for the associate promotion process has grown over recent years.”

Admissions officers at top business schools say finance firms always try to hold onto their best employees when the economy is good. They say interest from applicants working in finance is not declining and their graduates still land a large number of top finance jobs. What administrators at business schools do not know — largely because their admissions and career placement offices are separate — is whether their students with a finance background are staying in that industry.

Recruiters at banks say a large number of the students that they are hiring from business schools are from an international background or are changing careers. These students are valuable, they say, but they come in with a different background from someone who has been in finance since age 22.

Jeffrey Talpins, chief investment officer at Element Capital Management, a small fixed-income hedge fund in New York, says he likes to hire people fresh out of school so he can teach them himself. Mr. Talpins attended Yale as an undergraduate but did not go to business school. If a young employee asked his advice on business school, he says, he would tell them not to go if they wanted to stay in finance. “I’d say, ‘You already have a great platform for a job in finance,’ ” he says. “If you’re a superstar, and you’re very good, you’ll grow very rapidly in this field.”

Eventually, these young people may want to raise money and start their own fund, suggests Thomas Caleel, director of admissions at Wharton, and that’s where an M.B.A. and the connections that come with it could help. “If you are trying to raise money for a hedge fund, you will need that network,” he says.

Mr. Talpins of Element said he had no trouble raising money for his hedge fund without an M.B.A. After all, he had a track record from Citi and Goldman Sachs to show to potential investors. In his corner of the world, where math equations are likely to be scrawled on white boards around the office and young people hold the purse strings to millions of dollars in investor money, it seems there is no point in going to business school just to punch a ticket.

In 2005, Trader Monthly named Mr. Talpins one of the top 30 traders under 30. “Youth is not wasted on this crop, any of whom could be a billionaire by 40,” the magazine said. “Or, then again, they could be belly up and bust.”

Mr. Hammond of Alerian, who was featured on the magazine’s list last year, said he has seen people go to hedge funds and get fired in six months “because they couldn’t hack it.”

But he says the risk is worth it.

“If you look at the really successful hedge fund managers — the Eddie Lamperts,” he says, “they’re all in their 40s now. They were probably making only low single-digit millions in their 20s.

“That’s why you do this,” he continues. “That’s why it’s so attractive, because the payoff of being the winner, the next Eddie Lampert, is so high.”
Via NewYorkTimes

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Stock Investment Algorithm From Chris Perruna

Ive been researching and finally have encountered a system that i plan to employ when i begin to invest in the market again.



Position Sizing and Expectancy
Author: Chris
So where does system development start?

Investors will be prepared to trade in situations when the odds are in their favor by properly understanding position sizing techniques and calculated system expectancies. A system that has been tested will have an approximate expectancy that will tell the trader how much will be gained or lost during each trade over a period of time. Using this knowledge, the investor will determine how much risk to undertake by calculating a position sizing algorithm which tells you how much to place on a specific trade. The word ‘algorithm’ sounds scary but I have developed very simple position sizing and expectancy spreadsheets that can be found through the links below. They can be downloaded, studied and tweaked without any advanced spreadsheet or mathematical experience.

Position Sizing Spreadsheet
Expectancy Spreadsheet
Interactive Portfolio Spreadsheet
Most traders look for three major factors when developing a system:

How much to trade on each position
The right odds or positive expectancy
Number of trades or how much opportunity the system presents
How do we Calculate Position Size?
We can determine how much to place on each trade by assuming a $100,000 account with 1% risk on each position. Using a basic trading approach, I will place my stops approximately 8% below the ideal entry area or pivot point. Please use more advanced methods for locating the ideal stop rather than a general 8% (I am doing this for example purposes only). Look for the ideal risk-to-reward setup based on recent support and resistance levels and set your stop and potential target accordingly.

$100,000 Account
1% Risk = $1,000
8% Stop Loss
Position Size will be $12,500

We calculate the position size by dividing the 1% risk by the 8% stop loss or $1000 / 8% = $12,500.

If the stock we are watching has an ideal entry of $50, we now know that we can buy 250 shares or $12,500 worth of stock. Our stop loss is $46 or 8% of $50 and our maximum loss is $1,000 of the original $100,000 portfolio.

What exactly is expectancy?
Expectancy tells you what you can expect to make (win or lose) for every dollar risked. Casinos make money because the expectancy of every one of their games is in their favor. Play long enough and you are expected to lose and they are expected to win because the “odds” are in their favor. Most games at a casino are completed in a short period of time so they can increase their odds of winning.


The same holds true for trading. If your expectancy is positive; you can make money with a certain number of trades within specified periods of time.

Expectancy is your profit percentage per win multiplied by your win rate minus your loss percentage per loss multiplied by your loss rate. I will use an example of Expectancy from Dr. Van K. Tharp’s Book: Trade your way to Financial Freedom:

Expectancy = (Probability of Win * Average Win) - (Probability of Loss * Average Loss) Expectancy = (PW*AW) less (PL*AL)

PW is the probability of winning and PL is the probability of losing.
AW is the average gain (win) and AL is the average loss

So let’s do an example using another basic approach (assume $12,500 per position, a $100,000 portfolio using 1% equity risk):

If my trades are successful 40% of the time and I realize an average profit of 20% but I lose an average of 5%, my expectancy is $625 per trade.

(0.4 * $2,500) - (0.6 * $625) = $1,000-$375 = $625

I lose 60% of the time yet I show a profit of $625 per trade. If I have a system that produces 65 trades per year, I would realize an annual gain of $40,625 (hypothetical scenario). A 40% gain on the original $100,000 (minus all commissions, fees, taxes and compounding).

Let’s look at the calculation one more time using only percentages:
PW: 40%
AW: 20%
PL: 60%
AL: 5%
(40% * 20%) - (60% * 5%) = 5.00%

What this tells me is that I have a positive expectancy of 5% or $625 per trade from the original $12,500. It doesn’t mean that I will make $625 on every single trade but my system will average a profit of $625 per trade over the course of a year with a combination of winners and losers. I can always make more trades or fewer trades in a year so my total profit will be adjusted accordingly.

Final Note:
I didn’t cover how to develop a trading system in this post but that was not the point. I will assume that you are already trading or possibly developing a system that can be applied to the techniques above. The techniques above are used by professional traders everyday; the same people that treat their trading as a business. To last in this game, you must think and act as a professional or they will eventually suck you dry like the rest of the amateurs on Wall Street.
Via Chris Perruna.com

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Good Website For Investment Advice

Just wanted to share with you another website I am currently perusing. Chris Perruna runs a finance site where he gives great advice on investment strategies for the stock market. He explains his strategies thoroughly and is a good site to follow for both the novice and experienced investor.
type the rest of it here.

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Ways to drain your Flexible Spending Account balance

First and foremost, FSAs are offer tax savings on expenses you were going to incur anyway. The quick summary is that you decide an amount to contribute (deducted tax free, evenly from each paychecks) prior to the start of the plan's year. Then you submit receipts for any qualified medical expenses for reimbursement, up to the annual amount you elected. The catch is that any money not claimed during the year is lost! FSAs are best for expenses you are fairly sure you will incur. Several often overlooked but qualified expenses include mileage costs for doctor's visits and OTC medications.

What really amazes me is that more people do NOT take advantage of FSAs! Just among a small group of people I know at work I was the ONLY one participating. At first I thought they didn't understand that benefit, but it turned out they were just too lazy and were worried about the "use it or lose it factor." Three of them were people with kids so you KNOW they are going to be at the doctor a few times this year.

I still have about 55 dollars left in my flexible spending account from work and i am probably going to stock up on medicine. Ive read that hot pads and cold packs are even covered.

Over-the-counter drugs. Thank you, IRS, for deciding back in 2003 that allergy medicine, pain relievers, antacids, and a host of other medical goods available without a prescription are eligible for FSA spending. If your FSA year is coming to a close, check the dates on everything in your medicine cabinet and make a trip to the drug store to replace the expired ones. Also, anti-fungal creams make great Christmas gifts for the entire family, so stock up! Unfortunately. there’s one item that’s “missing” from the list of covered medications: vitamins. That said…

Vitamins … if your doctor says so. We’ve been told for years that a multi-vitamin as part of a balanced diet is good for us, and so millions of us take those vitamins without so much as a suggestion from a physician to do so. Instead, talk about vitamins with your doctor and convince him to give you a letter of medical necessity that will make those vitamins eligible for FSA coverage.

Baby factories. If you’re trying to crank out the kids and you find that you might need a little help from modern medicine, these expenses can be covered by your FSA. All the bases from extraction to injection are eligible: embryo and sperm storage, in-vitro fertilization, and even sperm washing! (I don’t think I want to know what that last one is.) Of course, if you’ve got all the children you want, or you’re happy keeping the kid count at zero, there’s also…

Condoms. While being a good Catholic boy keeps these out of my medicine cabinet, condoms and various other birth control implements are just screaming for your FSA dollars. Heck, I know a few people who could hit their employer’s FSA maximum every year with just this category! You can even get more permanent methods of birth control performed with FSA money.

Contact lenses and eyeglasses. Tired of running into walls and the wrong bathroom at work? It might be time for a new pair of prescription glasses or some contact lenses. They’re fully eligible, and they can even be used to start fires if you’re ever stranded on a desert island. Me, I’d like to be stranded on a dessert island, so I might need the next item when I make it back to civilization…

Weight loss programs. If your doctor tells you it’s time to lose that extra 600 pounds, you may be eligible to put FSA money toward the various costs associated with doing so.

Counseling. Depressed? Insane? Underperforming in the bedroom? Many types of licensed counselors are FSA-eligible and waiting to talk to you about your childhood or your obsession with sniffing women’s shoes.

Dancing lessons. Some doctors think dancing will help you recover from injuries faster, and they’ll sometimes even prescribe it! If they do, you’re in luck because you can use your FSA to pay for the lessons. Just please, don’t break a leg on purpose so you can learn to tango.

Flu shots. The best tax-free dollars you’ll ever spend on your health.

Laser eye surgery. I really wish this meant that you could get attachments to make lasers shoot out of your eyes, but being able to see better is nice, too. This can be pretty pricey and many insurance companies won’t foot the bill for it. Using your pre-tax FSA dollars is like a 10-30% discount for expensive elective procedures like this one.

Transferring medical records. Sometimes you’ll have to pay a small fee to have your old doctor send medical records to your new one. It’s probably just a few bucks, but why not use your FSA dollars instead of the ones in your wallet?

Orthodontia. If you’ve got four kids with crooked teeth and a big chunk of your weekly paycheck is going to paying for their braces or other orthodontia, use FSA dollars that might be forfeited at the end of the year on any such items you may have on an installment payment plan. Or just use FSA cash to pay for them in full at the time of purchase.

Alcohol treatment. Give the gift that keeps on giving: send your drunken spouse to a rehab clinic, and pay for it with his or her FSA dollars.

Swimming pool/spa. Remember how vitamins are eligible if your doctor gives you a note? So are swimming pools and spas! If you can convince your doctor (or your doctor convinces you) that a swimming pool or spa would be of benefit to your health, your FSA dollars can be used to pay for its installation and maintenance. I don’t think there’s a person alive who wouldn’t experience some health benefits from a swimming pool… well, maybe people with hydrophobia. Unfortunately, any “The government helped me pay for this pool” signs will have to come out of your own after-tax pocket.
Via punnymoney

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Black Friday Buying Guide All the Ads in a Spreadsheet

I came across this comprehensive spreadsheet to help with Black Friday shopping, I have found it very useful and I hope you will as well. Essentially, it is a spreadsheet that lists all the major Black Friday store ads in a format that can be sorted by store, product, price, etc. Use the drop down arrows at the top of the columns to sort and/or filter the data. The spreadsheet can be downloaded from Here. This is a gem of a find if you ask me.

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Washington Mutual Lowers Online Savings to 4.75% APY

This was inevitable, i just hoped it wouldnt happen till next year. But WaMu appears to have lowered the interest rate on their online savings account from 5.0% to 4.75% APY
type the rest of it here. They are once again comparable to the other online savings accounts once again. However, I still enjoy having a local bank as the core of my bank account setup and being able to do things like deposit my paper checks directly into my savings account. Look at my breakdown of online high yield savings.

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How I Make Free Money With Bonafide Surveys From Real Companies

Just as a heads up, the way i get into so many surveys with gift card offerings is that i received email alerts everytime a free money survey is offered. All of the surveys i get ahold of are from legit companies who shell out real money. Ive made over $500 dollars worth of cash and gift cards in 2007 for very minimal effort. So this is something thats definately worth your time.

To do this yourself you simply have to sign up for a fatwallet.com account. Then go into my account, then click on topic alerts. From there all you have to do is select which forum you wish to receive alerts for (select all of them) then for search field type in the words "gift card" and the letters "GC". Then you will be sent an email anytime someone makes a post about a survey for money.

The thing is, you should fill the survey out as soon as you get the notification because alot of these surveys have a first come first serve basis and a lot of them fill up relatively fast. This is the reason i dont make posts as i receive word on these surveys. Let me know if you need assistance filling this out.

Visit http://www.fatwallet.com/ and get started today.

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Black Friday Advertisement Listings Revealed! And my 100th Post!

This marks a crucial landmark in my fiancial blogging career. This being my 100th posting, i am happy that it is covering some deals on the biggest american shopping day of the year.

These websites have links to all of the deals being featured on black friday at all of the mentioned stores.

The Sony laptop is without a doubt better that the AMD based Toshiba.

The Sony laptop has...

1. Better screen
2. Better, slightly faster CPU which runs MUCH cooler.
3. Better battery life, again due to the cooler CPU and more efficent Santa Rosa chipset.
4. Faster 3D graphics with the new X3100 IGP (8 pixel pipelines vs 4 on the AMD based unit plus AMD based laptops with IGPs suffer from higher latency on the shared memory due to the IGP having an extra step of going throught the hypertransport bus to reach the shared RAM. But if you dont run 3D games it wont matter.
5. Sony laptop is slimmer.

Here are the links to see for yourself. Feel free to post any great deals that you see!

http://www.blackfday.com/

type the rest of it here.

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One Business Boosts Sales by $50,000 Dollars a Month Via Instant Messaging

(Business 2.0 Magazine) -- A year or two ago, it looked like instant messaging and other forms of online chat had reached their full potential as a business tool. Millions of people were using IM to interact with corporate colleagues. Live chat had also become a fixture on websites, giving customers a way to inquire about products and receive answers in real time.

But as it has since the Web's earliest days, IM continues to evolve. Now some savvy website operators are finding that, when used tactfully, it can be a powerful way to boost sales - not just as a passive customer-service tool but as a way to engage customers, in the manner of a showroom salesperson. Erik Asarian, a real estate broker in Park City, Utah, installed a live chat box a year ago and credits it with adding $12 million in sales. "It's become an amazing new profit center," he says.

For all the advantages that come with selling on the Web, one disadvantage has constrained online merchants: They haven't been able to approach customers as they're shopping and pitch them on the spot. But live chat programs are beginning to change that, augmenting the IM functions with new surveillance capabilities that allow retailers to track, in real time, what pages you're visiting and what links you've clicked. "It's like having special glasses that let you see who's serious and who's not," Asarian says.

With that kind of knowledge, Asarian can decide, in effect, when to walk up to his visitor and strike up a conversation. But it's a delicate process that requires new tactics, says Ari Galper, a former sales manager for analytics firm WebSideStory. Galper has developed a sales method, ChatWise, which he sells bundled with a chat program called LivePerson. His customers range from small sites like Asarian's to companies such as Fuji Xerox in Australia. IM, Galper argues, is the wrong medium for hard sales tactics. It's too easy for that potential customer to close down the chat box. "You can't be pushy," he says.


To be a successful "closer," a merchant first has to learn how to use live chat to create trust. Instead of pinging visitors with a standard greeting like "How may I help you?" - which many potential customers correctly interpret as nothing more than a sales come-on - Galper suggests a subtler alternative: "Hi, my name is Ari, sorry to interrupt... just wanted to make sure everything is making sense so far..." (Another basic IM sales rule: Never use periods; opt instead for the more conversational ellipsis.)

Next, he advises, rather than offering a sales pitch the moment the visitor expresses interest in a product, dig deeper into what he's looking for. One possible line: "Can you tell me a little more about your situation..." The answers to such questions will also help you determine if the person is actually likely to make a purchase.

This might all sound obvious, but plenty of people still blow it. Ricky Breslin, who sells DVDs featuring hair-styling techniques at Braidsbybreslin.com, says he used to send messages to visitors too soon after they arrived, only to watch them flee within seconds. "It's so easy to scare people away," says Breslin, who runs the business from an office in Summerville, S.C. Lately he's adopted a lower-key approach. The result: a 10 percent increase in sales, which average $50,000 a month. Now that's money worth chatting about.
Via CnnMoney.com

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