Free Money Finance March Madness, Round 2, Posts 57-64

Whew! We're almost done with Round 2 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 29

• 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.

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 30

• 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

• 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.

GAME 31

• 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

• 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 32

• 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.

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

[Dan Melson]

My votes:
30: Ask for a Pay Raise Discussion Instead of Demanding a Raise
32: Does your credit score matter?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

29. What's the best deal you ever got?
30. Ask for a pay raise instead of demanding - really insightful
31. Does your credit score matter

[TC]

30. ask for a pay raise
32. does your credit score matter

[Spencer Hill]

29. Life insurance Audit
31. what does it mean to be rich
32. does your credit score matter

[Super Saver]

29. Deal
30. Raise
31. Baseball
32. Credit Score

All the posts are excellent. It's getting tougher to choose a winner.

[Jeff]

29. Life Insurance Audit
30. Stop Overspending Now!
31. What does it mean to be rich?
32. Does your credit score matter?

[Ben]

29. Best deal Ever
30. Stop Overspending
31. Baseball Cheaply
32. Cutting the Cable TV

[FMF]

Voting has now closed on this competition.