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Posted
Aug 06 2008, 07:37 PM
by
Karen Datko
It's a jungle out there in the airports with all the new fees airlines are charging to cover higher fuel costs. It's a real public service that FIRE Finance has assembled the baggage fees and policies all in one place. Unfortunately, the list doesn't include those other charges that seem to pop up every day: JetBlue's new $7 charge for a pillow and blanket that you get to take with you, US Airways' charge for bottled water, and the like. And, thank goodness FIRE also provides links to the airlines' Web sites. Some of the baggage fees have already changed since FIRE Finance wrote the post, or are about to go up.
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Posted
Aug 05 2008, 07:11 PM
by
Karen Datko
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Lots of people are staying close to home as the price of gas makes long-distance travel prohibitive. A group of personal-finance bloggers is offering a collection of guides to low-cost fun in their own hometowns. These posts have lots of links and lots of prices. This is great if you live in one of these cities or are planning to visit. We'll start with the city we grew up near -- the venerable Steel City, home of a mighty football team.
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Posted
Jul 10 2008, 03:57 PM
by
Karen Datko
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Note to future self: If we're traveling on US Airways after Nov. 1, take a book. That's when the downsizing airline will stop showing movies on domestic flights. The decision to end in-flight films shouldn't be a surprise. The video systems weigh 500 pounds, a lot of extra weight -- particularly when they aren't paying their freight. Fewer and fewer people have been willing to shell out $5 for the headsets.
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Posted
Jul 03 2008, 10:21 AM
by
Karen Datko
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This guest post comes from Randall at Credit Withdrawal. If you work in a major metropolitan area, your daily commute probably eats up a significant part of your day. A half-hour commute (typically about 25 to 30 miles) can easily turn into an hour or more with traffic jams and congestion. if you travel farther, the frustration level just goes up from there. Now that gas has topped $4 a gallon, it's moving from frustration to major hurdle for many people. The combined cost in time and money is causing many people to reconsider their jobs. Add to this the cost of office space, and you would think it would be easy to convince most companies to allow telecommuting as a widespread practice. Not so.
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Posted
Apr 10 2008, 05:48 AM
by
Karen Datko
This post comes from Nora Dunn at partner blog Wise Bread. As a traveler, very little irks me more than walking into a store and paying $7 to $12 for passport pictures. You need them not only for passports, but also visas, international driver's licenses, and other miscellaneous pieces of photo ID. At about 10 bucks a pop, this cost of traveling can add up. And ultimately, all they do is sit you in front of a white background, take your picture with a digital camera, then crop and print out a few copies. Ta-da: $10, please. The good news is that with a digital camera, you can take your own passport photos and print them out for pennies on the dollar. Literally.
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Posted
Apr 07 2008, 07:17 PM
by
Karen Datko
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"Lazy Man" at Lazy Man and Money took a cruise on his honeymoon last year and figured it would be a bargain. He and the lucky woman who is now Mrs. Lazy Man, aka "Energy Gal," booked a seven-day trip in the Caribbean for $542 a person. "I could eat $400 or more of food alone in seven days at a restaurant," Lazy Man writes. Plus, he says, "Seeing Bowzer from Sha Na Na was worth the price alone." But was it really that cheap? Heck, no. Once you add in the cost of day excursions to the islands, Lazy Man's addiction to diet soda (which wasn't included in the price), plus the alcohol, you're paying a lot more. And don't think about sneaking hooch onto the boat. He writes: "The cruise's policy is extremely strict. They are happy to drop you off at the next port if you violate it." Lazy Man also noticed that the TV in his cabin featured a cruise ship shopping channel that urged passengers to spend, spend, spend.
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Posted
Apr 01 2008, 05:34 AM
by
Karen Datko
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This post comes from partner blog Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. It's been said that we Americans live in a world of instant gratification. We want the coolest gadgets and gizmos, the best food, the best cars, the best everything -- right this very second. We are impulsive, we are impatient and, most important of all, we fund our impulsiveness and impatience with lots and lots of spending. You know who else knows this? Stores. There's a very good and profitable reason why tabloids and candy bars are at the checkout aisles. (One of the reasons self-checkout kiosks haven't become ubiquitous is that you can't sell someone high-margin items like magazines and candy if they're busy checking themselves out. Plus, the machines always break for some reason.) Anywhere you go, you'll also likely see small items by the register like trinkets or votive candles or whatever. You know who else knows this? Salespeople. If you get a quote from someone to do work on your house, you'll often get a special one-day deal. You'll get an "awesome deal" that will be good only for the next three days. If you go into a store that sells furniture or other big-ticket items, you'll be offered six or 12 months of 0% financing if you buy today.
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Posted
Mar 17 2008, 07:37 AM
by
Karen Datko
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It seems as though everyone and their uncle have tips for saving on gasoline as prices inch closer to the $4-a-gallon milestone. Short of getting a car with better gas mileage, there are plenty of ways to use less gas. We've looked at lots and will pass on our favorites in an effort to save you money. Best possible tip: Drive less. You don't have to pay for gasoline if you don't use it.
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Posted
Mar 13 2008, 10:44 AM
by
Karen Datko
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We are among the four or five people in the country over the age of 12 who don't have a cell phone. Do we really want to be in touch with everyone all of the time? Why do we need to have a conversation about what the cat threw up, or what Oprah said, when we're driving, boarding airplanes or browsing in supermarket aisles? Admittedly, a cell phone would come in handy once in a while: When you break leg on a mountain, your car dies in the middle of nowhere, or you really need to make a call and there's no pay phone in sight. "Paidtwice" at I've Paid For This Twice Already says a prepaid cell phone plan is the way to go for the occasional cell phone user.
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Posted
Mar 10 2008, 11:03 AM
by
Karen Datko
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We're all for you making some extra income, so we're directing you to an innovative tool on the Internet. ParkatmyHouse.com could help you earn some cash from that underused part of your real estate known as the driveway. This British-based Web site has recently expanded its service to the good old USA. ParkatmyHouse.com connects people who need a place to park with those whose driveways or garages sit empty.
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