Here we go with the first round 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.)
I've listed each "game" (one post versus another) in segments along with the wording provided by the author when the post was submitted. I've also listed a keyword(s) after each post title to make it easy to vote (as a made-up example, you can just comment: Game 1 - Saving; Game 2 - Investing, etc.) Be sure to comment which one you like the best out of each set of two -- you will help determine the winner! Criteria for the best article is somewhat subjective, but you can use these factors as a guide: 1) practicality of the post 2) how interesting/provocative/unique it is, 3) the "personal-ness" of it and 4) its impact on net worth.
Here are today's games:
GAME 17
- 10 Things I Have Learned About Money (Learned) - Since I started writing about personal finance a year ago I've really come to realize a lot of things about money. Some of them are basic, but some of them are life changing. Here is a rundown of the top 10 things I've learned about money in the past year.
VERSUS
- How Much Should You Spend on on an Engagement Ring? (Ring) - An engagement ring can be a very large purchase for a new couple. The common rule of thumb cited for how much to spend on engagement rings is two months salary. Do people really spend two months salary and how much should you spend?
GAME 18
- How to Save on Gas (35 Tips Inside) (Gas) - I have always looked for ways to minimize my gas usage. This became more important than ever when gas prices neared $5.00 a gallon near my home in mid-2008. This post is may not currently as practical as the price of gas has eased, but the timing may have been helpful for many.
VERSUS
- Saving Money Cold Turkey Style (Turkey) - For months I was telling myself and everyone that I was saving money and paying down my debts, but that is all I was doing: talking about it. The results were not there and the numbers didn't support my words. Just like any other bad habit (Drugs, alcohol, gambling), extreme measures needed to be taken which lead me to cutting down my budget to the extreme and cutting out the problem areas of my life!
Game 17: Learned
Game 18: Gas
Posted by: Peter | February 06, 2009 at 08:02 AM
17: Learned
18: Gas
Posted by: Kacie | February 06, 2009 at 08:08 AM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: FFB | February 06, 2009 at 08:42 AM
17: Ring
18: Gas
Posted by: Monevator | February 06, 2009 at 09:30 AM
17: Learned
18: Gas
Posted by: Ben | February 06, 2009 at 09:30 AM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: Lynnae | February 06, 2009 at 09:58 AM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: Emily@remodelingthislife | February 06, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Ring
Gas
Posted by: tom | February 06, 2009 at 10:05 AM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: Steve C | MyWifeQuitHerJob | February 06, 2009 at 10:24 AM
Learned
Turkey
Posted by: The Happy Rock | February 06, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: Paul Williams @ Crackerjack Greenback | February 06, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Learned and Gas
Posted by: Pinyo | February 06, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Learned and Turkey
Posted by: Jeff Rose | February 06, 2009 at 11:03 AM
learned and Gas
Posted by: ChristianPF | February 06, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: Miranda Marquit | February 06, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Game 17: Learned
Game 18: Turkey
Posted by: James | February 06, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: Patrick | February 06, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Learned
Turkey
Posted by: PT Money | February 06, 2009 at 12:19 PM
17: Ring
18: Gas
Posted by: Christy | February 06, 2009 at 01:44 PM
Ring
Gas
Posted by: Tarah | February 06, 2009 at 02:57 PM
Learned
Turkey
Posted by: Arohan | February 06, 2009 at 03:00 PM
Ring
Gas
Posted by: Alison | February 06, 2009 at 03:14 PM
Ring
Gas
Posted by: doctor S | February 06, 2009 at 03:51 PM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: SanDance | February 06, 2009 at 04:03 PM
Learned
Gas (if I can vote for myself)
Posted by: Lazy Man and Money | February 06, 2009 at 04:04 PM
17: Learned
18: Gas
Posted by: finco86 | February 06, 2009 at 04:05 PM
17 = Learned
18 = Gas
Posted by: Paul | February 06, 2009 at 05:14 PM
17: Learned
18: Gas
Posted by: Jeffrey | February 06, 2009 at 08:40 PM
17 Learned
18 Gas
Posted by: Neal F | February 06, 2009 at 09:05 PM
Game 17: Learned
Game 18: Gas
Posted by: Empty Cabin Media | February 06, 2009 at 09:24 PM
Game 17: Learned
Game 18: Gas
Posted by: ABCs of Investing | February 06, 2009 at 09:59 PM
Game 17 - Learned
Game 18 - Gas
Posted by: Eric N. | February 07, 2009 at 12:06 AM
ring
turkey
Posted by: thomas | February 07, 2009 at 01:29 AM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: Ken | February 07, 2009 at 07:45 AM
Game 17: Learned
Posted by: headknocker | February 07, 2009 at 04:45 PM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: Karyl | February 07, 2009 at 09:40 PM
Game 17 - Learned
Game 18 - Turkey
Posted by: J. Money | February 08, 2009 at 08:28 PM
These games are now over. The winners are:
Game 17: Learned
Game 18: Gas
Thanks to everyone for voting. Another set of games is coming out tomorrow morning -- be sure to vote!
Posted by: FMF | February 08, 2009 at 10:31 PM
Learned
Gas
Posted by: | February 09, 2009 at 05:30 AM
Gas
Learned
Posted by: Ben | February 11, 2009 at 01:05 PM
Ring
Gas
Posted by: Mia | February 11, 2009 at 01:53 PM