Buying In Bulk

With the cost of gas being so sporadic, it makes sense to stock up on meat or whatever else, you can find for a deal. If you have a stand-alone freezer, you would be even better off.

You don't need to have a membership to BJ's, Costco, or Sam's Club to reap the benefits. When you do your regular shopping and spot a deal, get as much as you can and you'll realize that you'll be saving since you won't have to drive back to the store to pick it up, and if you can hold onto it for months, years (sometimes) and still enjoy.

I learned this recently with laundry detergent. My wife and I had been really good about buying 6-12 bottles of Tide when it's on sale. We found out that we have been missing a lot. Not only have the prices gone up, but the bottles have gotten smaller!

You can read more about the growth of freezer sales, and buying in bulk over at Consumerist.

Mortgage Fraud

Mortgage fraud is hurting people all over. It has an impact that lowers tax revenue for cities and states, it drives down property values, and is partially to blame for the bubble we're currently in.

It all isn't bad, though. Many of the criminal that participated in these crimes are getting exactly what they deserve.

Here are some headlines from around the web:

-Mortgage fraud up 42% [Blogging Stocks]
-Mortgage fraud still soaring [CNN]
-Four charged in NC mortgage fraud scheme [Biz Journals]
-Man jailed in Miami over mortgage fraud [CaribWorldNews.com]

Mortgages In The Cloud

I usually don't tackle big overarching ideas here since the focus is on educating you so you don't die broke. But every so often there's an idea that just sticks out and demands commenting.

It was brought to my attention when I was reading up on how widespread mortgage fraud not only was but the consequences as a result. The title read "Click Your Way To A Mortgage."

Enough said.

Don't be so dismissive of the idea. It was only a few short years ago when people would have scoffed at the idea of banking online, or keeping your investment information online yet Mint.com is growing by leaps and bounds and you can sign up for an account almost anywhere with rates that embarrass tradition banks (Chase, Bank of America - I'm looking at you). The idea isn't that revolutionary, and in a time of such crisis - it may just be a win-win for all involved.

Hear me out here.

We're an online society. Everyone isn't, but a lot of people are. Those same people can buy a house using Redfin or Ziprealty and save on the commission. They can use bankrate to learn about trends, but when they want to seal the deal they have to go through the usual hoop jumping of going to an office or calling someone on the phone and taking it from there. There are no assurances from the person at that local office and they are just as likely to steal your identity as someone on the other end of a website. The benefits are that since the usual costs aren't involved rates can be more competitive. Since documents would all be scanned in, it would be almost impossible for them to be forged or lost. Presumably, this would mean faster processing and lower rates.

In the days of "sub-prime" mania... something has go to give and this sounds promising.

Carpe Diem!

Not the Latin phrase, but a great blog to read if you like to discover more about economics and how they play out in the global economy.

You can find it here.

Scam Report: Freecreditreport.com

Stop using this site people. It isn't free!



If you want more proof why you shouldn't - read this story on Consumerist: http://consumerist.com/5035512/another-consumer-scammed-by-freecreditreportcom



Source: Consumerist

Montauk Monster - Only A Cheap* Gimmick

A lot of blogs aren't into politics, so they've found something better to latch onto; the montauk monster.

Over at tvlampsnbulbs.com, they claim to have solved the Montauk monster mystery. It's pretty disappointing, but makes sense. When traffic is waning and you have revenue to generate, you have to find news anywhere it hides even if it's hiding in someone's imagination.

Cheap* - except for the advertisers that probably shelled out a lot of money to people looking at the story.

Signs of the times

There was a time when 6 or 9 month CD's were all the rage. Back then, banks had money to give and were generous with their rates. While that has definitely changed, banks have still found ways to try to drive people to sign up for CDs.

Capital One's latest trick is to get you sign up for the long, long haul. Most marriage may not make it to the 7 year mark but if you have faith in the recession (er... economic slowdown) continuing for a while and rates staying put for the long term this is a great idea.

If you aren't quite so sure, you should consider your options. The last thing you want to do is have to pay fees.

Ways To Get Through The Touch Economy

Despite us not being in a formal recession, the recent economic conditions are hitting a lot of people and hitting them hard.

One of the unfortunately alternatives is to take the things that you prized and cherished so much to provide entertainment and offer them up to a new home.

Craigslist is a great way to get people to buy your old things. It's free and gets lots of traffic. If your a stickler and want choices, you can also try out Oodle, and Kijiji.

Be sure to price your items competitively to get them to move quickly.

Lastly, the time honored garage sale is also a great idea if you want to move things in bulk. Just make sure to get the word out and have signs posted in the neighborhood to help increase foot traffic.

Living Green

Living richly can happen a bunch of different ways, but one of the best way that also helps the enviroment is to live green.

Living green can take a place in a lot of forms, whether it's green housing, a greener diet, or other eco-friendly decisions.

If you're looking for ideas or want to keep up with the latest in trends, feel free to checkout our sister blog GreenlyLiving.