Free Money Finance March Madness, Round 1, Posts 17-24

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. Here we go:

GAME 9

• Fed Cuts Rates Again: Here's Your Action Plan (Fed) - This post not only talks about the news, but it gives you an action plan on what to do with it! This is personal finance after all and this post gives you some practical steps and how it applies to your financial life! Lower rates mean cheaper money for borrowers! Lower interest rates on credit cards, mortgage rates, and more! But there's always a downside; it also means lower rates for your savings accounts. So what can you do about it? Read on to find out!

VERSUS

• Discipline and personal finance (Discipline) - Being successful with your personal finances doesn't happen by accident.  It requires lots of planning and discipline.  Which areas of your finances could you work on?

GAME 10

• Your First Million Dollars (Million) - To plan to be rich, it takes just that . . . planning. Becoming rich is hard work that requires a great deal of self discipline, basic money management skills, goal setting, focus and diligence. This post breaks down in very simple terms how to build wealth in an easy to follow step-by-step process.

VERSUS

• Using Pareto Principle to Improve Personal Finance (Pareto) - This post combines business tool with personal finance tool. Using information gather from budgeting -- or, just tally up monthly expenses if you don't budget -- and applying the Pareto principle against the budget could reveal tremendous amount of information. For instance, it could tell you about your priorities and values -- where do you spend your money? I could also help you identify areas where trimming expenses would yield the best result.

GAME 11

• The Ugly Payday Loan (Payday) - Why is it that these payday loan places are littered outside every front gate? I am wondering if people realize, when they go to a place like this, they are paying over 500% interest on a short term loan!!! You can get a better rate from your neighborhood loan shark for God's sakes. With that being said, there are some things you can do NOW to keep yourself from ever walking into such a place again. I promise.

VERSUS

• Dollars Before Cents (Dollars) - In personal finance, we sometimes focus on all the itty bitty, small details. When focusing on changing your life, on getting out of debt it is best to get the dollars right before the cents. Sure, the cents add up to a dollar. Cut down on the dollars first and you'll find yourself ahead a lot faster. It may even save you some effort!

GAME 12

• Unplugging to Save Money (Unplugging) - This post is hard evidence that one small step can save over $100 dollars and in this case it was $150 dollars off of one utility bill. The best part about this situation is that it could have happened to anyone and yet not everyone would think of unplugging this to save money. In the end by making this change in their electrical usage they cut their utility bill in half, immediately.

VERSUS

• A little-too-late advice on building wealth (Late) - Well, we're all stupid.  Some of us stupider than others, but mama always told me stupid is as stupid does.  If you can read this list and you haven't messed up all of these points already, you may find a way to destupidify.

Comments

[Millionaire Money Habits]

Game 9 - vote goest to Discipline
game 10 - vote goes to Million
game 11 - Dollars
game 12 - Late

[paidtwice]

Discipline
Pareto
Payday
Late

[Super Saver]

9 - Discipline
10 - Million
11 - Dollars
12 - Late

[Beth]

Game 9 - Discipline
Game 10 - Million
Game 11 - Payday
Game 12 - Unplugging

[Brenna]

Game 9 - Discipline
Game 10 - Million
Game 11- Dollars
Game 12 - Late

[Lily]

Game 9 - Discipline
Game 10 - Pareto (I was an econ major - can't help but vote for this one!)
Game 11 - Dollars
Game 12 - Late

[moneychallenge]

Game 9: Discipline
Game 10: Million (close call; I would have put Dollars vs. Pareto since they're talking about the same essential concept)
Game 11: Dollars
game 12: Late

[Tim]

Game 9 - Fed
Game 10 - Million
Game 11 - Dollars
Game 12 - Late

[Kyle]

9: Fed
10: Pareto
11: Dollars
12: Late

[Christian Finance]

I'm a little biased so I'm voting for my post from Christian Finance Blog!
9. Fed
10. Million
11. Dollars
12. Late

[No Debt Plan]

Game 9 - Discipline
Game 10 - Million
Game 11 - Dollars
Game 12 - Late

[Jeffrey]

Game 9: Discipline
Game 10: Million
Game 11: Payday
Game 12: Late

[Genia]

fed, million, payday, late

discipline
million
dollars
unplugging

[Tootie]

Game 9 - Discipline
Game 10 - Million
Game 11 - Payday
Game 12 - Unplugging

[CBaker]

Game 9 - Discipline
Game 10 - Million
Game 11- Dollars
Game 12 - Late

[bethh]

game 9: Fed
game 10: Pareto
game 11: Dollars
game 12: Late

[Matt]

1. Discipline
2. Pareto
3. Dollars
4. Unplugged

[Melissa]

9 - Discipline
10 - Million
11 - Dollars
12 - Late

[Helen]

1. Discipline
2. Million
3. Dollars
4. Late

[Andy]

1: Discipline
2: Million
3: Dollars
4: Late

[Ken]

9. Discipline
10. Million
11. Dollars
12. Unplugging

[PT]

9. FED
10. Pareto
11. Dollars
12. Late

[Eric]

9: Discipline
10: Million
11: Dollars
12: Late

[FMF]

Voting for this round is over. The winners are:

9 - Discipline
10 - Million
11 - Dollars
12 - Late