Free Money Finance March Madness, Round 1, Posts 113-128

Whew! We're almost done with Round 1 of Free Money Finance March Madness (if you wonder what's going on in these posts, see my article announcing March Madness and/or click on my March Madness category link and scroll down to read all the posts involved in this subject.) Here is the last set of contestants. I've listed each "game" (one post versus another) in segments along with the wording provided by the author when the post was submitted. Be sure to comment which one you like the best out of each set of two as commenters have the chance to win a free book. Here we go:

GAME 57

• Bye

VERSUS

• What's the best deal that you've ever gotten? - This was my contribution to the AllFinancialMatters Question of the Day marathon.  It is indeed possible to get something for nothing.  The readers' comments also tell of great finds, so there are lots of ways to spend less for your purchases every day.

GAME 58

• Frugality And Ethics: Be Frugal But Don't Be An Idiot - Some people confuse cheating with frugality and do stupid things. This post is a critical rant on people who cheat in the name of frugality.

VERSUS

• Life Insurance Audit - Given the competitiveness of the insurance industry, increased life expectancies, and the consumer info available on the web, one might like to review their life insurance policies for better deals. This is a great way to save money and/or increase your coverages.

GAME 59

• Ask for a Pay Raise Discussion Instead of Demanding a Raise - Many times people go into their boss asking for a raise only to be denied because they did not approach the situation correctly.  Doing one’s homework not from how much I should be paid, rather “how can I be of more use to my company?” will have a better chance of getting a raise than demanding a raise.  Learn more about how to ask for a raise and what to avoid, in order to have a better chance of getting a yes rather than a kick in the ass.

VERSUS

• Never Choose A Loan (or a House) Based Upon Payment - Discusses why payment is a trap, and how the loans with the lowest payment often have higher charges and interest rates than you could get. Talks about the real costs of the loan, and how choosing loans by payment can cost you ten thousand dollars per year or more.

GAME 60

• Stop Overspending Now! 14 Ways To Conquer Binge Buying - This post received pretty good feedback and had an impact on those who read it.  I discovered several people who linked back to it who explained how this article had personally helped them understand some of their issues with spending.  I felt I was actually able to reach out to people through this post after reading what they had to say.

VERSUS

• Bye

GAME 61

• How to enjoy baseball games cheaply - With the baseball season nearly upon us, here are fifteen ways to cut costs while enjoying the ballgame.  With so many ideas, there's sure to be a handful of tips that work for you.  And most of the suggestions will work for other sporting events too, or even beyond.

VERSUS

• Verse of the Day: Don't Co-sign!! - My blog is about combining Christianity and Personal Finance. There are many financial nuggets straight from the Bible that just makes sense. Here the Bible warns against co-signing a loan for anyone, which is good advice, period.

GAME 62

• I Hate U-Haul Truck Rental (And So Does Everyone Else) - This is one of my most commented posts and it's about how badly UHaul tried to screw us on a move from NJ to MD a few years ago. With over 80 comments, this is basically a big bashfest on UHaul, how dangerous their trucks are and how poorly they do business. If you want to read the most vitriolic of comments (luckily not against me), this is the place to go.

VERSUS

• What Does it Mean to Be Rich? - What does it mean to be rich and how will I know when I've become rich?  This post ponders these two often overlooked questions.  Many people have the desire to be rich, but can we objectively define what it means?  Elizabeth suggests that by defining terms in accordance with our own personal goals we will be more likely to achieve the outcomes we desire.

GAME 63

• Pragmatic Personal Finance Tips for College Students: Part2 - This post looks at some specific practical tips for college students that can save them some money. What makes this post unique is that it picks up from where another blogger (English Major) left off and builds on the list to provide comprehensive info to the reader, based on different perspectives.

VERSUS

• Does your credit score matter? - Your credit score can affect your ability to rent a flat, the rate you get on a car loan, and can cost or save your hundreds of thousands of dollars. This post lists ways to boost your credit score, uncovers the breakdown of the score and identifies the interested parties in your credit score.

GAME 64

• Bye

VERSUS

• Cutting the Cable TV - This article breaks down some of the popular alternatives to paying for TV and not things like "watch YouTube" or doing anything quasi-illegal like "download episodes on BitTorrent."  It's just well written and full of ways that will help people save $50+ dollars a month.

Comments

[Jo]

57) Bye
58) Life Insurance (The other was fun to read, but not as useful)
59) Never Choose a Loan (Very good advice to looking at the whole picture rather than just jump in)
60) Bye (Good, I should follow that one a little more closely!!)
61) Baseball (I think it could apply to alot of other fun outings also)
62) U-haul (Good to know next time I move!!)
63) Credit Score (Both were great. This was one of the best credit score articles I read. Easy to understand and concise)
64) Bye

[Super Saver]

58 Ethics
59 Loan
61 Baseball

[TC]

58. Ethics
61. Baseball
62. U-Haul
63. Credit Score

[Dan Melson]

My votes
59: Never Choose A Loan (or a House) Based Upon Payment
61: How to enjoy baseball games cheaply

[Christian Finance]

I'm voting for my own post again!

58. Frugality And Ethics: Be Frugal But Don't Be An Idiot
59. Ask for a Pay Raise Discussion Instead of Demanding a Raise
61. Verse of the Day: Don't Co-sign!!
62. What Does it Mean to Be Rich?
63. Pragmatic Personal Finance Tips for College Students: Part2

[Nick]

57. What's the best deal that you've ever gotten?
58. Life Insurance Audit
59. Ask for a Pay Raise Discussion Instead of Demanding a Raise
60. Stop Overspending Now! 14 Ways To Conquer Binge Buying
61. Verse of the Day: Don't Co-sign!!
62. What Does it Mean to Be Rich?
63. Pragmatic Personal Finance Tips for College Students: Part2
64. Cutting the Cable TV

[Pete]

57 - bye
58 - ethics
59 - ask for pay discussion
62 - what does it mean to be rich
63 - college students

[emily]

58) Life Insurance
61) Baseball
62) U-haul
63) Credit Score

[justin]

57. What's the best deal that you've ever gotten?
58. Life Insurance
59. Ask for a Pay Raise Discussion Instead of Demanding a Raise
60. Stop Overspending Now
61. Verse of the Day
62. What Does it Mean to Be Rich?
63. credit score
64. Cutting the Cable TV

[shaw]

58. Life Insurance
59. Ask for a Pay Raise
60. Stop Overspending Now
63. credit score
64. Cutting the Cable TV