Are Bundled Packages Really a Money Saver?

January 05, 2011
Photo: ShanMac / Flickr

Conventional wisdom suggests that buying things together in a prearranged package is better than buying items separately.  For example, if I’m hosting a super bowl party at my house, I could buy individual slices of meat, cheese, and vegetables, or I could just pick up a party tray.

If I’m tuning up my car I could buy the spark plugs, air filter, motor oil and everything else, or simply look for a tune-up kit.  The upside to the prearranged package is you generally get everything you need in a cost-effective way. On the downside, Continue reading “Are Bundled Packages Really a Money Saver?”

How to Budget when New Shoes are Needed

December 15, 2010
Photo: planetschwa / Flickr

I have four children, and as anyone with kids old enough to wear shoes will tell you, they don’t make shoes like they used to.  My kids go through shoes as though they were disposable.  My wife includes shoes on her grocery list, which kind of tells you what kind of shoes we usually end up buying.  The price for a new pair of shoes spans a wide range, so here’s what I think they should do to make buying shoes easier.

Continue reading “How to Budget when New Shoes are Needed”

Auto Expenses: Always Look for the Best Deal

December 09, 2010

My daughter texted me the other day (because that’s what they do) just to check in and let me know how college life is going.  Everything was fine with one little exception; all four tires on her car were officially like her Dad’s head, bald.  Now of course she told me that she would figure out a way to pay for new ones, even if it meant she would have to drive on “baldies” for another month.  I immediately let her know that while I appreciate her being financially independent, I also would like to keep her around for awhile (it’s okay to ask Dad for help!).  I think she actually texted back a sigh of relief. Continue reading “Auto Expenses: Always Look for the Best Deal”

Financial Blind Spots Can Come Back to Haunt You

November 26, 2010

Spoiler Alert:  Watch this video before reading this blog:

[YouTube video: Selective Attention Test]

There are a few reasons that I found this video particularly interesting (which means I’ll probably talk about it in a few blogs).  The first thing that struck me was the concepts of “blind spots.”  When I watched the video for the first time I didn’t see the gorilla.  How in the world can a gorilla walk across the screen, do a little dance, and go unnoticed?  I was so focused on the task at hand (counting the passes by the white shirted players – and I was able to correctly count the number of passes), that I missed something as blatantly obvious as a gorilla on the screen. Continue reading “Financial Blind Spots Can Come Back to Haunt You”