We're now down to the Sweet 16 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 5
- 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
- What's The Point Of A Phonebook Anymore? How Do I Stop Getting One Every 3 Months? (Phonebook) - Who told the phone book company I actually wanted this? What percentage of the population even uses it anymore? Mine goes from my doorstep to my recycle bin as soon as I see 1 of the 5 that come every few months.
GAME 6
- Lost Money: How Money Drains Add Up To $175,000 In 10 Years (Lost) - This article gives us some numbers behind the "latte factor" -- how much money are we really frittering away on things we don't really need? I found the information here the kind of thing that has inspired me to improve my saving and spending patterns, enough to make me cut down our household budget by 25% last year! I hope this proves helpful to you as well.
VERSUS
- Why you can't trust real estate agents when buying a house (Trust) - I really liked this post because it was a lot of fun to write and I know it probably helped a few people rethink their relationship with their real estate agent.
Game 5: Learned
Game 6: Lost
Posted by: Green Panda | March 20, 2009 at 08:37 AM
Game 5: Learned
Game 6: Trust
Posted by: Bible Money Matters | March 20, 2009 at 09:38 AM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: Patrick | March 20, 2009 at 09:40 AM
Learned
Lost
Posted by: The Happy Rock | March 20, 2009 at 09:54 AM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: FFB | March 20, 2009 at 10:06 AM
Phonebook
Lost
Posted by: Aida | March 20, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: MarchMadness | March 20, 2009 at 11:32 AM
Phonebook
Lost
Posted by: josh | March 20, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: Pinyo | March 20, 2009 at 01:09 PM
Learned
Lost
Posted by: Millie | March 20, 2009 at 01:15 PM
Learned
Lost
Posted by: Alex B. | March 20, 2009 at 01:46 PM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: Glblguy | March 20, 2009 at 03:44 PM
Learned
Posted by: Cindy | March 20, 2009 at 03:52 PM
Game 6 - Lost
Posted by: Fischer | March 20, 2009 at 04:20 PM
Learned and Lost
Posted by: Cap | March 20, 2009 at 07:39 PM
learned
trust
Posted by: The Financial Blogger | March 20, 2009 at 07:41 PM
Learned
Lost
Posted by: RMStrong | March 20, 2009 at 07:58 PM
Learned
Lost
Posted by: jim | March 20, 2009 at 08:01 PM
learned
lost
Posted by: thomas | March 20, 2009 at 08:36 PM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: Emily | March 20, 2009 at 08:40 PM
Phonebook!
Trust!
Posted by: guinness416 | March 20, 2009 at 10:09 PM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: The Wild Investor | March 20, 2009 at 10:12 PM
Phonebook
Lost
Posted by: Eric | March 20, 2009 at 10:34 PM
phonebook
trust
Posted by: ObliviousInvestor | March 20, 2009 at 10:49 PM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: Joel | March 20, 2009 at 11:26 PM
What’s The Property Financing?
Property investment is a term that most people are familiar with. People usually invest money when they have a surplus or when they are planning for the future. The very careful ones opt for government securities and the adventurous ones go for stock markets. Where does the property investment stand on this line between the secure and the risky?
If anybody is thinking long term then property has no parallel as it has been seen that in a larger time frame land never betrays. Property can be used to get rental income or can be used to secure a loan for any business venture alongside the property. Property investment also requires detailed research before the deal is drawn. Bear in mind that if the property is upon a disputed land then there are risks of recurring loss. On the other hand, if the property is situated at a location where many facilities are accessible then the prices will appreciate significantly over time. Any kind of Property Investment has been and shall always be one of the best kinds of solid investment opportunities.
Posted by: Finance Entry | March 21, 2009 at 01:46 AM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: TStrump | March 21, 2009 at 02:08 AM
Phonebook
Trust
Posted by: Nicolas | March 21, 2009 at 07:38 AM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: Lee | March 21, 2009 at 08:36 AM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: Million Dollar Journey | March 21, 2009 at 09:09 AM
Game 5 - Learned
Game 6 - Trust
Posted by: tom | March 21, 2009 at 09:33 AM
game 5 - learned
Game 6 - Trust
Posted by: Zachary Scheidt | March 21, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Game 6: Lost
Posted by: Jacques Sprenger | March 21, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Phonebook
Trust
Posted by: CJ | March 21, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Trust
Posted by: Aaron | March 21, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: Mrs Pillars | March 21, 2009 at 01:22 PM
Phonebook
Trush
aww yeahhhhh.
Posted by: J. Money | March 21, 2009 at 02:02 PM
Phonebook
Lost
Posted by: Marina | March 21, 2009 at 02:50 PM
Phonebook Trust
Posted by: Ralph | March 21, 2009 at 04:26 PM
learned
trust
Posted by: Praveen Puri | March 21, 2009 at 11:12 PM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: WhereDoesAllMyMoneyGo.com | March 22, 2009 at 09:28 AM
Learned
Trust
Posted by: Brandon | March 23, 2009 at 08:36 AM
These games are now over. The winners are:
Game 5: Learned
Game 6: Trust
Thanks to everyone for voting. Another set of games is out today -- be sure to vote!
Posted by: FMF | March 23, 2009 at 12:41 PM
learned
Posted by: elementaryfinance | March 23, 2009 at 07:33 PM
Trust
Posted by: RateNerd | March 26, 2009 at 09:25 AM