Archive for May, 2011

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Goodbye Citi Diamond Preferred Credit Card, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

May 9th, 2011

The Citi Diamond Preferred card and I have been going steady for more than 6 years, and I was very happy with the card, we had a great time together going on vacation and spending time and money on great enjoyable products such as new computers, TVs, and other life enhancing appliances and toys.  When my son was injured as a toddler, you (Citi Diamond Preferred Credit Card) were there to help me cover the cost.

So when I say that you were a gem (a diamond to be exact), it was no understatement.

Unfortunately, you changed your colors on me (from Black to Blue), and the way that you’ve been treating me, well, I can no longer tolerate!

It pains me that after 6 solid years, you now treat me like someone new just coming through the door to your house.  The fact that you now only reward me 1% (unlike the max of 5% when you were a diamond card) for the times that we spend money together.

After numerous calls to you trying to straighten our relationship out, you just bounced me around having people speak for you instead of you talking yourself, is very irratating.  My last attempt to resolve our spat, involved you transfering me to talk to people from Europe (I think), Asian, India and some other represenative that I couldn’t identify because they (mistakenly?) hung up by accident?

I’ve been good to you, Citi Diamond Preferred Credit Card, even writing love letters to and about you in “My Best Credit Card: Citi Diamond Preferred“  and “Citicard Diamond Preferred Card Update“. 

I’ve always paid you back after borrowing money from you, and always within a month’s time frame!  I’ve proudly showed off your black sleek looks to those that comment on what a cool card you were!  I really thought you had it going on in during those particular moments!

But the way you turned colors on my and the way you treat me like someone new, I can’t stand anymore.  So goodbye, we are no longer going steady and I will drop you after a few months, just enough time to get your out of my system!

Good day Citi, I wish you well…

-MR (Sad)

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Posted in credit card

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MR Cache: Going Back To Cali

May 8th, 2011

Weekly Thoughts:

Yep, it’s that time of the year again… Training!  This year I’m flying to Cali to learn and review some Microsoft products.  I’m actually excited about going, it should be fun since I’ll be in the San Francisco area.

I’ve recently heard that the seals at fisherman’s wharf are gone.  While I liked to see the seals, the smell wasn’t all that pleasant last time I was at the wharf.  I’ll have to check it out again to see if it was the seals or just the fish…

As you can imagine, I’m packing frantically!  This will be a short post due to time constraints!

My Short List of Favorite Reads of the Week:

 

Favorites From Money Reasons this Week:

  •  Pros and Cons of Building a House - I discuss the path that my wife and I took where it came time to go home shopping.
  • Mortgage Free versus Paying For 30 Years  – Another take on the pay your mortgage off early vs pay for 30 years discussion.  Really either path is correct, depending on how disciplined the mortgage owner is.
  • Paying Expenses From Dividends - This is part of my battleplan on how to become financially independent some day, but instead of waiting for day X in the future, why not now…  Starting with fun stuff like vacations, and other fun activities?  More on this in a later post…
  • Using Wasted Time To Your Advantage - I revisit this topic often because it’s a powerful way to squeeze more time out of the day!  And I do speak from experience!  I’m continually improving my game in this area!
  • Free Cars in The Future and High Gas Prices - This is a tongue in cheek discussion of the future of oil and alternative energy.  I left a lot of room open for discussion in the comments.  So far, Len from LenPenzo.com states in his comment that way that it really is.

Carnivals and Mentions:

Closing Thoughts:

Anymore, it seems like I am constantly learning things!  I’m almost looking forward to my business trip just so I can have some alone time to think and read.

Bests,

-MR

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Posted in Weekly Review

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Free Cars in The Future and High Gas Prices

May 7th, 2011

The year is 2021, and now cars are free!

Well, to be exact, fossil fuel powered cars are free.  The still growing electric car segment is still quite pricey.  Surprisingly, the Chevy Volt now cost $60,000, a 50% increase over the 2011 price of $40,000.  And the real shocker is that the Chevy Volt is now the most affordable of the wave  of electric cars on the market!

You see, gas prices are now $25 a gallon and the oil companies now provide free cars, as long as you use them, per the usage contract (daily for 5 years).  Of course any repairs would have to come out of the user’s pocket.

Seems like a good deal until you realize that gas prices are expected to increase another $5 before the year is up, and to accelerate at a higher rate every year after that!

Some clever neighbors will pool their money and buy a single car so they can carpool to work, but this is now illegal in the future because of capacity rules.  Oh it’s still happens and it’s hard to prove that this is what they are going, so most do it because they can’t afford the exorbitant prices of gasoline and diesel fuels…

Okay, the above scenario most like will never happen, but without a smooth transition period from oil to alternative sources of energy, it could really disrupt the lives of individuals, especially rural and suburban folks.

Back to 2011:

So this is why I think it’s best to drill oil for the time being.  Yes, let’s keep pushing alternative sources of energy (especially electric via solar and wind farms), but let’s not hurt the average American during our switch over!  After all, they are the segment that will get hit the hardest by higher fuel and food prices!

Higher food prices?  Yep, once gas prices go up for the farmers, they just pass the cost to the consumers.  Now you might think that’s wrong… but they have to make a living!  Both farmers and companies that aren’t profitable go out of business, and that means we all suffer!

Doesn’t it make sense to keep oil prices down by doing whatever is necessary until we get electric to be the main source of power for cars?  Not forever, but for a while…

Thanks for reading my soft rant!

-MR

15 comments »

Posted in Costs

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Treasure Hunting With Kids

May 6th, 2011

Geocaching is searching for hidden prizes using a GPS unit (like Garmin).  This is great fun, and my kids and I had a ball doing this in the past.  And while I still enjoy geocaching, the prizes in the cache wasn’t exactly a great find, in fact my kids were pretty disappointed!

So why not go old school and actually create a treasure map?  You could go big time and buy resume paper that has a yellowed marble look, this would make the paper look old-fashion (at least to the kids, especially if you burnt the edges after printing the map with the direction on it). 

Next go to the dollar store and find the cheapest container that looks wooden or like a treasure chest.  I would go with a toaster size container or smaller if I were you!!!

Now bury the mini-treasure chest in the woods with money or a valued toy in a ziplock bag, or some kind of weatherproofing (maybe it would be better to wrap it in plastic, just to keep it more authentic).  Kids most likely don’t know that pirates didn’t have plastic back then…

I’m going to make the map just like we see on TV, with landmarks (try to make them cool as possible),  and the number of steps to get to the landmarks…

I think it would be best if one child does this at a time, but if both do it and the prize is money, you should have them come to an agreement to split the money 50/50 before the treasure hunting starts!

Of course I personally wouldn’t wait too long before searching for the treasure after burying it!!!  Tell them the day before that you’ll have a surprise for them the following day, just to build up anticipation!

I’m sure your kids will get a treat out of this if it’s done well :)

Optional Step:  If you kids are a bit older, make the map so that part of the instructions are missing, then have a GPS coordinate as an X marks the spot kind-of-deal.

Bests,

MR

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Posted in Ideas

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Using Wasted Time To Your Advantage

May 5th, 2011

Lately, I’ve learned to take greater advantage of dead or wasted time periods!

Such “time periods” are when you are driving to work, waiting in a fast food line (or really any line), walking out to your car, waiting for the kid’s current sport practices to finish, waiting in the doctor’s office, and so on…

For most of these tasks, I try to find a book to read that isn’t to the point where I would have to take notes or need to think really deeply (so most of the books out there…).  I’m sure I look a bit odd reading my “book of the moment” as I walk through the halls on the way to my car to leave.  Or when I’m in the elevator reading a few sentences or two.  But it’s really a great way to go, walking/waiting/driving time would be wasted time for me.  Of course while walking and reading, I have excellent vision and know the terrain very well!!!  If I didn’t know where I was walking (or if I were going up or down stairs) I definitely wouldn’t be reading and walking at the same time.

For those times when I’m driving, listening to audiobooks is my favorite way to make use of that time!  It use to be listening to music, but with audio-books I learn stuff, which is great!  In fact, there is nothing better than listening to an exciting story while driving on a trip for vacation!  It helps keep me up while driving through the night!

Lately, I’ve been trying to think of blog topics while driving.  Surprisingly, it’s not as easy as it sounds, at least not for me.  Either it’s in the morning when I’m still groggy or traffic is too busy, so I’m constantly keeping my focus on my surroundings.  Definitely not the easiest was to concentrate.  But still, I get general ideas, and write them on the back of an junk mail envelope.

Do you know of any additional ways to use wasted time periods more efficiently?

Bests,

MR

 

 

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Posted in Lemons to Lemonade

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