Great question! You’ll be glad you asked just in case you are looking for triple net properties for sale (hehe). If you are not looking for triple net properties, you’ll have to wait until you can get excited about the other, more cool things my other friends do. In this case, if you are interested in getting rid of some of your real estate but don’t want to pay a shit ton in taxes, you can go read his website (BTW he’s got a calculator on it just in case you don’t know what you would pay in taxes on your investment property sale off the top of your head). The site is setup with a prominently-featured form so that you can send him your contact info and he’ll let you know what triple net properties he has for sale, BUT the little real estate tax solution guide he’s written for the site is actually quite good in and of itself.
It really behooves you to get to know some of these real estate exchange moves now. He has sections on the 1031, 721, and 1033 exchanges (which are just different ways of trading real estate that bring different tax advantages), but then he also has some surprisingly accessible, quality material on real estate ownership structures (as well as real estate investment structures, including the notorious REIT — don’t know what it is? Go read real quick. Go ahead, I'll wait.), and some good stuff on lease structures (including triple net, or “NNN” — once again, go read his explanation if you don’t know what that is!). So if you’re in the mood for a pretty good intro to tax-advantaged real estate exchanges or triple net property investments, go check it out.
If you’re not, well, I can't say I blame you.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Poles
So, today's deal at Groupon.com was for 54% off of 5 sessions of pole-dancing fitness classes. I mentioned this to my wife, suggestively raising my eyebrows. Without missing a beat, and with a completely straight face she asked me, "So, do you want to take them?"
...
...
Friday, November 12, 2010
Is that really all you do here?
As I mentioned in a post in September, Sabre has been branching out in three separate directions. This post is about the third.
This final direction our company is headed in has to do with incorporating, or forming, limited liability companies (LLC's). Initially, we intend to focus our marketing on just four states, but we can actually help you get your LLC or corporation started in any one of the the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands.
Many factors come into play when deciding where one will incorporate their LLC, not the least of which is the tax climate. For example, plenty will choose to form an LLC in Arizona due to its high ranking (2nd) in the Tax Foundation’s 2010 Unemployment Insurance Tax Index. For others, they choose to form right where they live. While there may be draws to a Delaware LLC for anonymity and simplicity of the legal history, creating a California LLC may be the best bet if your business is physically located in that state, because you'll be stuck paying the minimum California franchise tax of $800 either way.
Still other states have their own draws. Numerous studies have been done placing Texas in the top tier for the best all-around business climate year after year, prompting many to move and form an LLC in Texas. And while New York hasn't made it very high on those lists recently, forming an LLC in New York state may become more attractive to some as the Small Business Administration partners with Syracuse University to help out veterans.
Dear readers, if you or anybody you know, needs an LLC or Corporation formed, please let us know!
This final direction our company is headed in has to do with incorporating, or forming, limited liability companies (LLC's). Initially, we intend to focus our marketing on just four states, but we can actually help you get your LLC or corporation started in any one of the the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands.
Many factors come into play when deciding where one will incorporate their LLC, not the least of which is the tax climate. For example, plenty will choose to form an LLC in Arizona due to its high ranking (2nd) in the Tax Foundation’s 2010 Unemployment Insurance Tax Index. For others, they choose to form right where they live. While there may be draws to a Delaware LLC for anonymity and simplicity of the legal history, creating a California LLC may be the best bet if your business is physically located in that state, because you'll be stuck paying the minimum California franchise tax of $800 either way.
Still other states have their own draws. Numerous studies have been done placing Texas in the top tier for the best all-around business climate year after year, prompting many to move and form an LLC in Texas. And while New York hasn't made it very high on those lists recently, forming an LLC in New York state may become more attractive to some as the Small Business Administration partners with Syracuse University to help out veterans.
Dear readers, if you or anybody you know, needs an LLC or Corporation formed, please let us know!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
DC4: Making an Entrance
The hospital bags were only half packed. I mean, given that first-time mothers usually go through at least 12 hours of labor, we figured one of the perfect distractors for the early stage would be to finish packing for the hospital. It was Sunday, October 24th, and probably the coldest day we had had yet. Since Robyn's 6 hour stretch of "false labor" on October 10th, I had been asking her each morning how she felt, and if she had any contractions in the night. The answer was always the same - a few miscellaneous contractions, but nothing consistent; just a simple annoyance. The big bag of muscles that is her uterus was simply practicing for the big day.
As we woke up and got ready for church, I tripped on a pair of boots Robyn had neglected to put away. I snapped at her as I walked away, and as I turned around with a little smile to let her know I wasn't truly angry, I found she was crying! Now, it must be said that these are absolutely the first tears I have seen my wife cry since before we were married over a year ago. I found it very strange that her surge of emotion didn't quite match my level of meanness. I apologized and comforted her, and it turns out this was the first sign that 10/24/10 was not going to be a normal day!
We arrived at church at 11:23 (later than normal) and snuck into the back. After a short time, Robyn rose to use the restroom, and didn't come back for over 20 minutes. Just before we had walked in the building, she did say she was having contractions; I hoped she was feeling okay. When she sat down, she told me she had been walking around in the lobby, listening to the sermon on the speakers out there. I later discovered she had timed a couple of her contractions to find they were erratic. We had planned on having friends over for lunch, but Robyn wasn't feeling up to it by now. We whispered back and forth, and a decision was made to leave as soon as the sermon was over (rather than staying to chat for the usual hour with friends). 12:25 came, and we bolted.
At home, it was business as usual, but now we had a family sized lasagna to eat by ourselves! Robyn was still contracting, but her discomfort was escalating. We prepared lunch for ourselves and I tried distracting my bride from her slowly increasing pain. I think this is where I began to think this might be the real thing, but I still assumed we wouldn't be leaving for the hospital for another 6 hours. I suggested Robyn finish that hospital bag (I had done the first half, but the latter was mostly her day-to-day stuff; and who wants to live out of a suitcase for weeks?) I think she made a move to start it, but feeling a little antsy, she didn't get far. After a couple more suggestions at things she could do, and reminding her to relax her body through the contractions and let her uterus do its thing, she ended up finding a comfy seat on the couch while I got on my laptop. We probably sat in silence for a half hour or more.*
By now it's about 2pm. Robyn had started sweating and shedding layers - she didn't think she was doing anything strenuous, but her uterus would beg to differ! I decided to get up and finish packing the hospital bag for her. I reviewed the lists with my wife, and put them on my iPhone so I could take it from room to room. Shortly after I got started, she told me it was hurting worse now and she could hardly take it. I suggested she try being on her hands and knees - taking that pressure off her hips should help, and different positions in general is usually a good idea. She then gets on her knees on the floor with her head resting on her arms on the ottoman. Meanwhile, I pick up the pace to get these bags finished!
It's relatively quiet in the apartment while we're doing our separate things. Since her pain level has risen, I assume she'll need my help with pressure points shortly, so I figured I had better get everything in the car and ready to go. The bags are just about done. Then, she screams through a contraction... whoa! I did not see that coming. I raced back to where she was and asked how I could help. She didn't know, so I squeezed her hips until my upper body strength gave out - I knew this wasn't going to work for long. When the contraction was over, Robyn immediately said "I want to go to the hospital, and I want drugs!"** I responded "Okay, that's fine - put your pants back on, and we'll go!" While I had hoped she wouldn't request an epidural or meds (because pain medication inevitably drugs up your baby, among many other potential issues), I would be okay if she felt it was necessary. I also thought her pain would lessen or I may be able to talk her out of it before we got there. Another contraction came quite quickly, and since I knew my upper body strength wouldn't last, I stood over Robyn and squeezed her hips with my knees. This actually worked quite well, and left my hands free to also put pressure on her tailbone simultaneously.
As her contraction ended, I raced to get the final things for the hospital bags, until the next time she would yell for my help. By now it was about 2:30, and Robyn tells me she thinks she's going to explode (she had just read about the possibility of diarrhea during birth). I reassured her that it's fine, and we'd clean it up. As the contraction reaches its peak, she pushes out of compulsion, and her water breaks. She felt like a gallon of water had sprayed 18 feet, but it was honestly about 1/2 cup of fluid. No big deal; I got her a towel, and we did the cycle once or twice more.
Since this is all going a bit fast, I knew we really should be getting to the hospital. Contrary to popular theory/opinion/hollywood-assumed-expertise, it has nothing to do with the fact that contractions had started, her water had broken, or that she was in pain. These are not reasons to go to a hospital, as if giving birth was a medical emergency; it most certainly is not. This is a natural process, and God made Robyn's body to do this very thing. It's the product of sin in the world that makes it a painful bloody mess, but it's natural, nonetheless. Ah, but that is a topic for another post. The reason we should be getting to the hospital is because she is progressing fairly quickly, and since we planned to give birth in a hospital, it's probably about time to go accept the help we've paid for. Going too early would likely have subjected us to a cascade of unnecessary interventions that we would have to fight to avoid. Now feels just about right.
I reminded Robyn she needed to get her pants back on so we can go. It was almost 3pm now. She told me she really needed to go to the bathroom first and then we'd go. I would much rather she pooped in the car than waited any longer, but I rolled my eyes slightly and helped her to the toilet. Her contractions were easier now, and coming further apart.*** After 3 or 4 contractions while sitting on the toilet, I went to check on her, and she was so confused why she wasn't able to go. She looked in the toilet and saw mostly blood. We both just kinda didn't get it. I decided I should check to see if I could see any of the baby's head (not that either of expected that to be the case). As Robyn put one foot up on the bathtub, I wasn't sure I saw what I saw, so I told her I needed her to lie down on the bathroom rug. After getting her some pillows for her back, I checked again, and OH MAN - I most certainly saw about the size of a quarter of my son's skull. Without alarming Robyn, I told her what I saw, and that I was going to be calling Adrianna, our Bradley birth instructor.
Now, why wouldn't I call our midwife? That's a very good question. It was Sunday afternoon, and our midwife was 6 hours south on vacation! Not only that, but her office (where there was another midwife on call) is closed, and would have probably taken at least 10 minutes to get hold of her. I needed an answer fast, and I knew I could count on Adrianna to answer her phone. So I called Adrianna, and told her the situation, asking "can we make it to the hospital?" She laughed slightly as she answered, "absolutely not, call 911, and keep me posted!" This conversation was had while I walked in the other room due to my wife screaming through another pushing contraction. I walked back in the bathroom to see the revealed portion of my son's head go from the size of a quarter to about the size of a silver dollar. I quickly called 911, and walked out of the room again while Robyn screamed once more. I gave the operator my address, and told her the situation, while I put her on speaker phone.
Back in the bathroom, little David was crowning. I rushed to put my hands down to his head and in another minute, Robyn was having another contraction. The 911 operator was blabbing something, but neither of us were paying much attention - I think we both felt very prepared by our Bradley classes, and I didn't feel I needed to be talked through this. As I saw little David's head emerge, he was faced down (which is normal), so I immediately checked to make sure he could breathe and wasn't choking on any fluid. There was no cord around his neck, and everything looked good. I locked eyes with Robyn and said "one more push and he's out; you're almost done!" She looked back with confusion, as if she didn't know how to push. It seems every push up to this point had been involuntary. In another 10 seconds or so, the urge to push came, and his shoulders were released. He came out like a bullet, which I fully expected. I had my hands ready to catch him, and he landed perfectly in them on his back. The way his little body and Robyn's body are formed, he corkscrewed out just the way we were taught he would! I quickly examined him to make sure he was breathing, and his airways weren't clogged, and that the cord wasn't wrapping any part of his body and was long enough to put him on his mommy. I put him up on Robyn's belly and heard the 911 operator say something about a blanket. Robyn glanced up at the towel on the rack, so I grabbed it and covered them up.
It was 3:17pm on October 24th, 2010. A family of two had become a family of three.
*After the fact, I identified this as the second emotional signpost of labor: Seriousness. I'll recognize it next time!
**As soon as she said this, I should have known she was starting the "transition" phase of labor. This is the third emotional signpost of labor: Self-Doubt, as well as generally the most painful part. I'll catch it next time! (no pun intended)
***In all of our education, we can't remember anybody mentioning that the urge to push can feel exactly like the urge to poop. This is such an important piece of information. To be honest, we may have heard it and forgotten. We will never forget, though, and never fail to tell our friends!
†If there are discrepancies between this account and Robyn's account of the same story, that is no reason to believe it didn't happen. There is overwhelming evidence in favor of the story being true.
As we woke up and got ready for church, I tripped on a pair of boots Robyn had neglected to put away. I snapped at her as I walked away, and as I turned around with a little smile to let her know I wasn't truly angry, I found she was crying! Now, it must be said that these are absolutely the first tears I have seen my wife cry since before we were married over a year ago. I found it very strange that her surge of emotion didn't quite match my level of meanness. I apologized and comforted her, and it turns out this was the first sign that 10/24/10 was not going to be a normal day!
We arrived at church at 11:23 (later than normal) and snuck into the back. After a short time, Robyn rose to use the restroom, and didn't come back for over 20 minutes. Just before we had walked in the building, she did say she was having contractions; I hoped she was feeling okay. When she sat down, she told me she had been walking around in the lobby, listening to the sermon on the speakers out there. I later discovered she had timed a couple of her contractions to find they were erratic. We had planned on having friends over for lunch, but Robyn wasn't feeling up to it by now. We whispered back and forth, and a decision was made to leave as soon as the sermon was over (rather than staying to chat for the usual hour with friends). 12:25 came, and we bolted.
At home, it was business as usual, but now we had a family sized lasagna to eat by ourselves! Robyn was still contracting, but her discomfort was escalating. We prepared lunch for ourselves and I tried distracting my bride from her slowly increasing pain. I think this is where I began to think this might be the real thing, but I still assumed we wouldn't be leaving for the hospital for another 6 hours. I suggested Robyn finish that hospital bag (I had done the first half, but the latter was mostly her day-to-day stuff; and who wants to live out of a suitcase for weeks?) I think she made a move to start it, but feeling a little antsy, she didn't get far. After a couple more suggestions at things she could do, and reminding her to relax her body through the contractions and let her uterus do its thing, she ended up finding a comfy seat on the couch while I got on my laptop. We probably sat in silence for a half hour or more.*
By now it's about 2pm. Robyn had started sweating and shedding layers - she didn't think she was doing anything strenuous, but her uterus would beg to differ! I decided to get up and finish packing the hospital bag for her. I reviewed the lists with my wife, and put them on my iPhone so I could take it from room to room. Shortly after I got started, she told me it was hurting worse now and she could hardly take it. I suggested she try being on her hands and knees - taking that pressure off her hips should help, and different positions in general is usually a good idea. She then gets on her knees on the floor with her head resting on her arms on the ottoman. Meanwhile, I pick up the pace to get these bags finished!
It's relatively quiet in the apartment while we're doing our separate things. Since her pain level has risen, I assume she'll need my help with pressure points shortly, so I figured I had better get everything in the car and ready to go. The bags are just about done. Then, she screams through a contraction... whoa! I did not see that coming. I raced back to where she was and asked how I could help. She didn't know, so I squeezed her hips until my upper body strength gave out - I knew this wasn't going to work for long. When the contraction was over, Robyn immediately said "I want to go to the hospital, and I want drugs!"** I responded "Okay, that's fine - put your pants back on, and we'll go!" While I had hoped she wouldn't request an epidural or meds (because pain medication inevitably drugs up your baby, among many other potential issues), I would be okay if she felt it was necessary. I also thought her pain would lessen or I may be able to talk her out of it before we got there. Another contraction came quite quickly, and since I knew my upper body strength wouldn't last, I stood over Robyn and squeezed her hips with my knees. This actually worked quite well, and left my hands free to also put pressure on her tailbone simultaneously.
As her contraction ended, I raced to get the final things for the hospital bags, until the next time she would yell for my help. By now it was about 2:30, and Robyn tells me she thinks she's going to explode (she had just read about the possibility of diarrhea during birth). I reassured her that it's fine, and we'd clean it up. As the contraction reaches its peak, she pushes out of compulsion, and her water breaks. She felt like a gallon of water had sprayed 18 feet, but it was honestly about 1/2 cup of fluid. No big deal; I got her a towel, and we did the cycle once or twice more.
Since this is all going a bit fast, I knew we really should be getting to the hospital. Contrary to popular theory/opinion/hollywood-assumed-expertise, it has nothing to do with the fact that contractions had started, her water had broken, or that she was in pain. These are not reasons to go to a hospital, as if giving birth was a medical emergency; it most certainly is not. This is a natural process, and God made Robyn's body to do this very thing. It's the product of sin in the world that makes it a painful bloody mess, but it's natural, nonetheless. Ah, but that is a topic for another post. The reason we should be getting to the hospital is because she is progressing fairly quickly, and since we planned to give birth in a hospital, it's probably about time to go accept the help we've paid for. Going too early would likely have subjected us to a cascade of unnecessary interventions that we would have to fight to avoid. Now feels just about right.
I reminded Robyn she needed to get her pants back on so we can go. It was almost 3pm now. She told me she really needed to go to the bathroom first and then we'd go. I would much rather she pooped in the car than waited any longer, but I rolled my eyes slightly and helped her to the toilet. Her contractions were easier now, and coming further apart.*** After 3 or 4 contractions while sitting on the toilet, I went to check on her, and she was so confused why she wasn't able to go. She looked in the toilet and saw mostly blood. We both just kinda didn't get it. I decided I should check to see if I could see any of the baby's head (not that either of expected that to be the case). As Robyn put one foot up on the bathtub, I wasn't sure I saw what I saw, so I told her I needed her to lie down on the bathroom rug. After getting her some pillows for her back, I checked again, and OH MAN - I most certainly saw about the size of a quarter of my son's skull. Without alarming Robyn, I told her what I saw, and that I was going to be calling Adrianna, our Bradley birth instructor.
Now, why wouldn't I call our midwife? That's a very good question. It was Sunday afternoon, and our midwife was 6 hours south on vacation! Not only that, but her office (where there was another midwife on call) is closed, and would have probably taken at least 10 minutes to get hold of her. I needed an answer fast, and I knew I could count on Adrianna to answer her phone. So I called Adrianna, and told her the situation, asking "can we make it to the hospital?" She laughed slightly as she answered, "absolutely not, call 911, and keep me posted!" This conversation was had while I walked in the other room due to my wife screaming through another pushing contraction. I walked back in the bathroom to see the revealed portion of my son's head go from the size of a quarter to about the size of a silver dollar. I quickly called 911, and walked out of the room again while Robyn screamed once more. I gave the operator my address, and told her the situation, while I put her on speaker phone.
Back in the bathroom, little David was crowning. I rushed to put my hands down to his head and in another minute, Robyn was having another contraction. The 911 operator was blabbing something, but neither of us were paying much attention - I think we both felt very prepared by our Bradley classes, and I didn't feel I needed to be talked through this. As I saw little David's head emerge, he was faced down (which is normal), so I immediately checked to make sure he could breathe and wasn't choking on any fluid. There was no cord around his neck, and everything looked good. I locked eyes with Robyn and said "one more push and he's out; you're almost done!" She looked back with confusion, as if she didn't know how to push. It seems every push up to this point had been involuntary. In another 10 seconds or so, the urge to push came, and his shoulders were released. He came out like a bullet, which I fully expected. I had my hands ready to catch him, and he landed perfectly in them on his back. The way his little body and Robyn's body are formed, he corkscrewed out just the way we were taught he would! I quickly examined him to make sure he was breathing, and his airways weren't clogged, and that the cord wasn't wrapping any part of his body and was long enough to put him on his mommy. I put him up on Robyn's belly and heard the 911 operator say something about a blanket. Robyn glanced up at the towel on the rack, so I grabbed it and covered them up.
It was 3:17pm on October 24th, 2010. A family of two had become a family of three.
*After the fact, I identified this as the second emotional signpost of labor: Seriousness. I'll recognize it next time!
**As soon as she said this, I should have known she was starting the "transition" phase of labor. This is the third emotional signpost of labor: Self-Doubt, as well as generally the most painful part. I'll catch it next time! (no pun intended)
***In all of our education, we can't remember anybody mentioning that the urge to push can feel exactly like the urge to poop. This is such an important piece of information. To be honest, we may have heard it and forgotten. We will never forget, though, and never fail to tell our friends!
†If there are discrepancies between this account and Robyn's account of the same story, that is no reason to believe it didn't happen. There is overwhelming evidence in favor of the story being true.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Saving money by cleaning your dishwasher
I found this nice little tip the other day to help pinch your pennies. Check it out.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Mighty Fine Chili
I'm not much of a cook, but there is one thing I'm proud of. After months of trial and error, trying to perfect this recipe, here it is!
DC3's Mighty Fine Chili
Ingredients:
- 2 cans (28 oz) diced tomatoes
- 2 cans (28 oz) diced tomatoes w/garlic & olive oil*
- 2 cans (15 oz) whole kernel corn (1 drained)
- 2 cans (30 oz) kidney beans (both drained)
- 1 bottle (24 oz) medium Pace picante salsa
- 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 Tablespoon oregano
- 1 Tablespoon basil
- 1.5-3 teaspoons chili powder
- 1-1.5 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
- 1 pound chicken breast
*this is the "secret ingredient". I have tried to replicate it myself, and have been unable to. It is made by Western Family, and can be found in Utah at Macey's, Ream's, or Fresh Market stores. In California I have found a similar product at Fresh & Easy.
Preparation instructions:
- Brown the beef (or turkey)
- Bring the chicken breast to a rolling boil for 8 minutes, let cool, then shred
- Combine all ingredients in a slow-cooker
- Put slow-cooker on LOW for 4-8 hours
Enjoy!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
You can't believe in something you don't
That's a quote by Ricky Gervais, amid his joking in this short clip:
Any commentary I have is summed up well by this profound post at Abraham Piper's blog.
Any commentary I have is summed up well by this profound post at Abraham Piper's blog.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Rock-Bottom
Are you tired of paying $1/song for digital music? About a year ago, I discovered SoundIke.com through a friend. Sure, they don't have the selection of iTunes or Amazon for MP3's, but they do have millions, and songs are only 15 cents each. Even better, if you buy a whole album, you get a 20% discount! You do have to prepay to charge up your account, but even then, they'll give you $10 extra if you fill your account up with $30.
It's worth looking into...
It's worth looking into...
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Dropbox
You know what's awesome? Free software that solves problems. Often, these are problems you didn't even know you had. But then, you implement the solution, and you couldn't imagine living without it. Dropbox is one such software solution in my life.
Dropbox gives you 2GB of free online storage. But that's merely the basis of their clever system. Dropbox is a silent program you run in the background of your computer (Mac or PC), that syncs the files within the dropbox folder to the server. If you have the program running on multiple computers, the dropbox folder will be updated automatically whenever a file within it is changed on any one of the computers. Therefore, it acts like a free server for my company which runs out of 3 different states.
The problems this has solves are many. It is a difficult concept to have a server when your company's main computers are in 3 different states: solved. Additionally, how do you back up all the computers? Well, when all the files match on all systems, you have continuous backups on one another's computers and the dropbox server. An additional feature is the ability to put large files in the "public" folder on dropbox, and send a simple link in an email, allowing the recipient to access the file via the link, rather than emailing them the whole file. This software is keeping our emails from being backed up with huge files that we used to send to one another as well.
If you want to share an entire folder of files that may be changed continuously with another person or company, just have them get Dropbox as well. Then you can share the folder with that user for as long as you want. It's a great system. While the 2GB is free, referrals get you an additional 250MB, and you can always pay to upgrade to 50GB for only $100/year.
Dropbox gives you 2GB of free online storage. But that's merely the basis of their clever system. Dropbox is a silent program you run in the background of your computer (Mac or PC), that syncs the files within the dropbox folder to the server. If you have the program running on multiple computers, the dropbox folder will be updated automatically whenever a file within it is changed on any one of the computers. Therefore, it acts like a free server for my company which runs out of 3 different states.
The problems this has solves are many. It is a difficult concept to have a server when your company's main computers are in 3 different states: solved. Additionally, how do you back up all the computers? Well, when all the files match on all systems, you have continuous backups on one another's computers and the dropbox server. An additional feature is the ability to put large files in the "public" folder on dropbox, and send a simple link in an email, allowing the recipient to access the file via the link, rather than emailing them the whole file. This software is keeping our emails from being backed up with huge files that we used to send to one another as well.
If you want to share an entire folder of files that may be changed continuously with another person or company, just have them get Dropbox as well. Then you can share the folder with that user for as long as you want. It's a great system. While the 2GB is free, referrals get you an additional 250MB, and you can always pay to upgrade to 50GB for only $100/year.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Making money on savings accounts
Remember when Savings accounts were paying upwards of 5%, vying for your money any way they could? Those were the days. Nowadays, if you're getting 1%, everybody is wondering how you could find such a good rate!
And how do they find those good rates, anyhow? Maybe some of those friends are lucky to bank with good banks. And maybe some of them have the right tools. BillShrink.com is just such a tool. This website is a wonderful little tool to have in your pocket that will do just what it says - shrink your bills.
A simple little website without too much flare, it comes through as promised. See for yourself. It doesn't need a lot of personal information - it just needs to know about your habits. It then searches through thousands of data points to come up with the perfect way to meet your needs the best. The needs it aims to meet are as follows:
Check it out, and begin saving monies!
And how do they find those good rates, anyhow? Maybe some of those friends are lucky to bank with good banks. And maybe some of them have the right tools. BillShrink.com is just such a tool. This website is a wonderful little tool to have in your pocket that will do just what it says - shrink your bills.
A simple little website without too much flare, it comes through as promised. See for yourself. It doesn't need a lot of personal information - it just needs to know about your habits. It then searches through thousands of data points to come up with the perfect way to meet your needs the best. The needs it aims to meet are as follows:
- Highest rate interest savings account
- Cheapest gas between work and home
- Credit card with the highest paying rewards
- Best cell phone plan with your carrier
- Best cable/satellite provider
Check it out, and begin saving monies!
Friday, October 15, 2010
The Phantom of the Electric Bill
There may be a Phantom stealing your electricity, and he may or may sound as great as Michael Crawford, depending on what you have blasting through your television and stereo.
Just because your appliances and electronic devices are turned off, doesn't mean they aren't using electricity. It is estimated that as much as 15% of your electric bill is represented by this "phantom power" used by them, even in the 'off' position. But who wants to have to remember to flip off the surge protector every time you turn off the TV or go about unplugging things all the time like the electricity nazi?
That's where nifty devices like the ones listed in this post come in. You can plug one appliance (like a television) into the blue plug, and when the TV turns off, anything plugged into the red plugs shut off entirely. Depending on what kinda of entertainment system you have, a smart strip like this one could save you $75/year in electricity, paying for itself twice over.
The other one simply has a remote switch, letting you shut off electricity to the surge protector remotely from any room in the house. Ah, the luxuries of laziness...
That's where nifty devices like the ones listed in this post come in. You can plug one appliance (like a television) into the blue plug, and when the TV turns off, anything plugged into the red plugs shut off entirely. Depending on what kinda of entertainment system you have, a smart strip like this one could save you $75/year in electricity, paying for itself twice over.
The other one simply has a remote switch, letting you shut off electricity to the surge protector remotely from any room in the house. Ah, the luxuries of laziness...
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
They need a NetFlix for books
Do you have any used books lying around? Ones you've already enjoyed, but you're never going to read again? I did, and I finally found a great way to share them with others!
It seems that a few guys were sitting around one night talking about all the paperback books that they purchased over the years while traveling on business. Each of them had a large stack of books that they had read, so they decided to set up a website at PaperBackSwap.com that allows all of us to swap books with each other.
Let me tell you how it works -- because it is so easy! I listed a bunch of books on the site (listing 10 books gets you 2 free credits) and I got 2 free book credits to get started. So you can order 2 books right away - free of charge -- and have them mailed directly to you! No strings attached. No gimmicks. No spam mail. Nothing.
When another member selects one of my books that I have listed, I mail it to them. Yes, I pay for the postage. But then I get another book credit and I can select a book that I want. So another club member returns the favor and mails me one of his or her books free of charge. For every book I mail out, I get another book in return - a true sharing system!
And when someone requests one of your books, all you have to do is print two pieces of regular paper from your printer which includes the mailing address and the recommended postage. Apply the postage, and drop it in the mail. And for a typical paperback, you don't even need to go to the post office.
Right now the club is free. Apparently the founders intend to ask everyone to help contribute to pay for the upkeep of the web site in the future, but for now it costs nothing. They say the annual dues will probably be between $10 and $20 based on the number of people in the club. But right now you don't even have to pay any dues for at least one year if you become a Member.
All I'm saying is think about it...
It seems that a few guys were sitting around one night talking about all the paperback books that they purchased over the years while traveling on business. Each of them had a large stack of books that they had read, so they decided to set up a website at PaperBackSwap.com that allows all of us to swap books with each other.
Let me tell you how it works -- because it is so easy! I listed a bunch of books on the site (listing 10 books gets you 2 free credits) and I got 2 free book credits to get started. So you can order 2 books right away - free of charge -- and have them mailed directly to you! No strings attached. No gimmicks. No spam mail. Nothing.
When another member selects one of my books that I have listed, I mail it to them. Yes, I pay for the postage. But then I get another book credit and I can select a book that I want. So another club member returns the favor and mails me one of his or her books free of charge. For every book I mail out, I get another book in return - a true sharing system!
And when someone requests one of your books, all you have to do is print two pieces of regular paper from your printer which includes the mailing address and the recommended postage. Apply the postage, and drop it in the mail. And for a typical paperback, you don't even need to go to the post office.
Right now the club is free. Apparently the founders intend to ask everyone to help contribute to pay for the upkeep of the web site in the future, but for now it costs nothing. They say the annual dues will probably be between $10 and $20 based on the number of people in the club. But right now you don't even have to pay any dues for at least one year if you become a Member.
All I'm saying is think about it...
Friday, October 8, 2010
on tungsten wedding bands
When the time came for me to search for the wedding band I wanted to wear for the rest of my life, all I knew was that I didn't want a standard white or yellow gold. Platinum tends to be quite expensive, and my lovely bride and I were trying to save as much as possible toward our awesomely fun wedding. I figured I wanted a color more drab or dark in color and came to realize that tungsten wedding bands were the new hip thing.
After just a bit of research, and talking with my good friend Doug, I learned a bit more about this interesting metal. Tungsten, (a.k.a. wolfram) is the strongest material in the world! Many ring makers use Tungsten Carbide, which is often only 40% pure wolfram. This metal is known for shattering. The store Doug used for his ring, and directed me to for custom tungsten wedding bands uses 90% wolfram in their rings, which significantly adds to their quality.
Due to the intense nature of this dark metal, the rings cannot be resized. I agonized over the correct size to order, seeing that I wanted it snug, but didn't want it slipping off and losing it. In the end, I got a 10.25 - the ring looked great! It did end up feeling tight after a couple weeks, however, and since I used this shop's "sizing rings" in advance, I could get it resized. When I emailed the owner, he was very friendly, and let me send the ring back for re-sizing.
About a month after our wedding, the 10.5 ring still felt a little tight! I sure felt sheepish. I decided not to email the owner again - this felt like my fault. I did discover, though, that the same shop sold titanium rings as well. While I preferred a tungsten wedding band, titanium was significantly less expensive, and would do just fine. I placed another order and got a second good-looking ring.
This Summer, the owner of the little ring shop sent out a coupon for 25% off of all orders, which enticed me yet again. I was wearing the custom titanium ring for months, but had always wanted the heavier, darker tungsten. I bought one of these beautiful black tungsten wedding bands. While it did take a couple months to get to me, I am extremely happy with it. In the course of emails back and forth, I mentioned to the shop owner about my still-to-small original ring, and he asked me to send it to him to see what he could do. He made me a whole new ring and only charged me shipping!
I highly recommend Custom Ring Designs for any tungsten or titanium ring needs. They have a large selection and great customer service. Check them out!
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