tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-374197352011-11-27T17:16:05.325-06:00No big ideas, simply sharing ideas and tips as a single girl.dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.comBlogger521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-39633546229257908992009-06-22T03:02:00.005-05:002009-06-22T03:22:02.273-05:00

As the wedding quickly approaching, and my fiance and I started teaching at the local university, things have been incredibly busy. On top of that, my fiance met a rat at Petco this weekend and decided he was going to get her because he said he could connect with her. The new pet ended up costing him:Rat $12Cage $120Excercise ball $20Hammok $20Running Wheel $10Water bottle $10Bedding $25Food/

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-13084891850453335902009-04-23T15:08:00.004-05:002009-04-23T15:24:47.556-05:00

So I ended up having to pay the Feds $4xx, got a $5xx tax refund from the State, which meant I actually still got a little money coming in, which is great at this moment. I'd like to adjust my Fed Tax deduction so the difference is smaller, but at the same time, it is nice to have some extra bucks now as I do need every penny. On the other hand, I am considering adjusting the State Tax

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-61358678089795230142009-03-04T14:21:00.002-06:002009-03-04T14:51:20.884-06:00

I went home in Mid-Jan and stayed for 3 weeks to be with my parents. The airfare was a bit under a grand, and of course I also spent additional few hundred dollars while I was there. Since I am saving vacation for wedding later this year, I took some vacation and some leave without pay to cover my trip. It was a bit rough with bills the second half of Feb, but I thought it would be OK until...

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-19500430359264829852009-01-03T14:48:00.003-06:002009-01-03T15:51:44.516-06:00

I've always wondered why I receive my 1040 forms and instructions packet in less than a week of the new year. I took a peek at my neighbor's mailboxes and no, they didn't have this packet sitting in their mailbox. Perhaps IRS knows that I like to send the tax forms in early (except last year, because I have to pay them instead of getting money back)?? I probably won't get my W-2 for another 2

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-47518440517307539932008-12-04T02:25:00.002-06:002008-12-04T02:29:49.644-06:00

So after a few good weeks/months of negotiating, we've decided to ditch the two wedding idea. It was not practical, and a bit awkward. We still will go and have wedding banquets, but the emphasis will be placed in the U.S. One the other hand, my parents want me to spend some time home with them, so it sounds like 2009 will be a big spending year with less work/income. I am OK with that idea as

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-12218371974666327072008-11-03T00:46:00.006-06:002008-11-03T01:18:06.369-06:00

We have a general wedding budget set for now, but nothing is set in stone yet, including the date. My family lives abroad (thousands of miles away...not just Canada), and right now we are planning to have two weddings so we can satisfy both families. Neither of them will be huge, and in fact we are planning to do the one here in the U.S. in a park. However, the airfare and hotel are expensive

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-17606616925697573502008-10-28T22:29:00.005-05:002008-10-28T23:02:25.431-05:00

MedicalI've had HSA for two years and I must say I'm very satisfied with it, especially I didn't use much of it this year. The thought of not dealing with insurance company is great. The problem, however, is my company kept switching providers! My first year was with Lumenos, now we have United, and next year will be with Aetna. I had to pay $25 to transfer from Lumenos to United, and I hope

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-21754149942117631562008-10-28T21:28:00.005-05:002008-11-03T00:43:21.156-06:00

The last time I posted an expenses pie-chart was May 08. Here are the updates:- Paid off my Auto loan, hurray!!- Rent has gone up, but luckily not as much as I was originally told. Picked a good landlord is important!- Terminated my Roth IRA at TDAmeritrade and moved the money to Vanguard's Roth IRA (STAR fund). Perhaps I should have left the money at TDAmeritrade earning interest as the stock

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-61461383417603912492008-10-24T23:46:00.004-05:002008-11-03T00:46:03.146-06:00

I used to only have one credit card, the one I got from my university credit union while I attended grad school.  There was no rewards whatsoever, but since I only had a part-time job and wanted to start building credit history, I felt pretty good about my very first credit card.  Then, my college sent me a MBNA alumni credit card that offer rewards.  I applied and got $500 credit line, and I

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-75124827053009848732008-10-01T20:56:00.002-05:002008-10-01T21:13:48.345-05:00

I am currently UA's Premier member and need around 9,300 miles to keep my status for 2009, so I have been paying a lot of attention on fares to see how I can get the miles with the least amount money. My original thought was it would take $750+ to do a few domestic trips (as a reference, ORD - LAX is 1745 miles one-way, 3490 miles round-trip), and I was not sure whether I want to do that because

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-84216438446889724582008-09-25T22:25:00.004-05:002008-09-25T22:32:43.587-05:00

This game seems to come to an end, as there aren't any more 0% BT offers that is without the 3% fee. I received a 0% BT from BoA for 12 months on a credit card I have, and I have $12,900 credit line wide open on that card. Originally I thought even with 3% I could still make two hundred something with WaMu's 5% CD, an easy way to add money into the wedding fund, but now WaMu fails (and

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-2332813290977209492008-09-22T00:15:00.003-05:002008-09-22T00:47:48.040-05:00

My dad used to say to me "The problems that money can solve are not the biggest ones".  It is kind of difficult to imagine that my dad said this, because even though I cannot say he likes money, he is proud of making it.  My dad, however, is very bad at keeping money.  He doesn't have the idea of saving or investing them -- he thinks it's all risky to do.  All his money are in a checking account,

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-41589620462337126222008-09-07T13:59:00.003-05:002008-09-07T14:27:48.960-05:00

I've been living in my apartment (a studio with separate kitchen and bathroom) for 5 years, since my second semester of grad school. I continued to live here after I graduated as the rent is very reasonable, and it is in a nice neighborhood and a responsible manager.My first apartment in this city was only one block away from campus, so the rent was higher, and it didn't include utilities or

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-22545546393975073352008-09-03T23:25:00.003-05:002008-09-03T23:49:25.391-05:00

I read about Survey Savvy from Hustler Money Blog and decided to give it a try. I have joined two other programs and have taken some surveys, but one just seems lame and the other one is OK, but no cash rewards. In order to add a few extra bucks here and there, I decided to sign up at this new survey site to see if I can actually get something.If you are interested in checking this site out,

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-64745367403221922882008-08-30T02:18:00.003-05:002008-08-30T02:35:55.805-05:00

Wow, this good rate only lasted for a week. My 1 year ING CD recently matured (@5.35%) and the new rate is only 3.5%. Last year, I hesitated to put more $$ in the CD, because "I may need more liquid cash." Anyway, I asked ING to release the money back in my account for other opportunities...and this 5% deal came on broad last week. I started the application, and again fall into the thought of

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-17253740512395043802008-08-28T22:19:00.004-05:002008-08-28T22:46:15.214-05:00

Even though we don't have a date for wedding yet, I am starting to gather information on the cost of everything involved so we can come up with a budget and date. I am all about staying small & simple. No bridesmaids, no DJ, no fancy 5 layer cake. My ideal wedding is an outdoor wedding with a small 10 minute ceremony, reception area minimally decorated, then have a brunch catered so we get to

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-63979896859387526972008-08-22T10:59:00.002-05:002008-08-22T11:07:06.454-05:00

I went to the film screening of the movie "I.O.U.S.A" last night with my fiance, where it talks about how much federal debt the U.S. has right now and how change is needed NOW so that the future generations will have a quality standard of living. After the movie, there was the 5 people panel that discuss and answer questions after the movie, including Warren Buffett and Dave Walker. I am touched

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-16316352038786660272008-08-19T18:20:00.007-05:002008-08-19T18:58:21.254-05:00

Since I am newly engaged, I think it will be a good time to look at the financial side of things associated with the wedding down the road. We are looking to get married two years later, which is a more realistic time frame as my family lives very far away and my fiancé doesn't have much saved up at this point. Plan a saving plan for myself is easy, as long as I stick to my goal and follow

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-21063106117934056792008-08-13T12:16:00.000-05:002008-08-13T12:17:09.548-05:00

I have family around the world and it has been nice that we traveled together to Japan, but most of the time, I communicate with them over the phone. Then, when VoIP appears, I tried Skype-to-Skype, the quality was OK, but it started to get worse and worse lately. I could hardly hear the conversation, and after a few times, I gave up.I can't remember when or how I found Rebtel, but a few months

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-15750137876777683042008-08-10T22:36:00.004-05:002008-08-19T18:24:14.417-05:00

I got engaged on 08.08.08 on a beautiful island state park!Wedding date is unknown at this point, but it probably will take us a while, as neither of us is in a hurry and there are many things to sort out as my family lives very far away. Plus, my fiancé and I will need to prepare for the necessary wedding expenses, and right now we need to come up with a budget!

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-15269928121988017982008-07-30T11:11:00.002-05:002008-07-30T11:19:34.232-05:00

Since the odds to win at least a $10 Amazon.com giftcard is better than any contest I've seen, I finally made a video yesterday and entered it into the contest.View and rate my video on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etnmgbX8RCU&hl=en

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-1359724165695741262008-07-09T22:13:00.003-05:002008-07-09T23:15:32.665-05:00

Finally, I got my $600 back from the Feds, a few days after their notification letter to tell me the check will be coming to me soon. The check is on its way to my HSBC savings account, and I am glad to see my Emergency Fund and Travel Fund are doing well for the year after my big trip in April to Japan. Originally, I thought to put the money into my new Vanguard Roth IRA, but the market seem

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-52119540711564623992008-05-26T11:00:00.009-05:002008-10-28T22:23:02.976-05:00

Here are some highlights:- Auto loan should soon be replaced by Auto Maintenance as I almost paid back myself on the money that I used to pay BoA off earlier this year due to their bad business practice.- I have designated a new portion for the Roth IRA but never set up a system for it. I currently have TDAmeritrade and I intend to withdraw and close the money in there as I never bought anything

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-62293286931082575032008-04-10T11:27:00.005-05:002008-04-10T12:50:27.485-05:00

If you have not visited my 30-day "A Dollar A Day" challenge blog, please visit it at:http://dreamfool.wordpress.com/**************************************************************My 30 days would be more miserable without my boyfriend’s support who fed me free food from time to time, so I’d like to give a big shout out to him here — Thanks QT!I have written some thoughts on this challenge here

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-61877114202213988322008-03-28T22:21:00.002-05:002008-03-28T22:25:55.611-05:00

I wrote a money saving tip on www.mydollarplan.com to win the SmartyPig $50 giftcard, wish me good luck!Go visit http://www.mydollarplan.com/50-smartypig-gift-card-giveaway/ to write your tip and see other people's money saving tip.

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-82082924170828416682008-03-22T18:48:00.003-05:002008-03-22T19:30:33.157-05:00

I'm sure a lot of people have heard that the best way to deal with credit cards was to use Automatic Payment, but I just had an incident happened to me that made me think twice.I did a 0% balance transfer with a 3% fee on my Bank of America credit card to pay off my car loan last Oct. I requested $2000, plus the fee, turned out to be $2060. That was still better than my car loan which was at

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-33275350065733828282008-03-12T00:13:00.003-05:002008-03-12T00:14:20.594-05:00

Please go to dreamfool.wordpress.com for my daily progress on the A Dollar A Day Challenge update!

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-27759354021741185412008-03-05T23:55:00.008-06:002008-03-06T00:36:13.123-06:00

I'm traveling to Japan in a little bit over a month for 10 days. Traveling internationally is tricky, especially to a place that I don't know the language; how to manage the trip cost can be challenging also.I have been tracking the airfare to Japan for 2 or 3 months. There are a lot of flights with plenty of seats, and the price has been very stable. Last week I finally decided it was time to

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-41234484667693437292008-02-13T00:50:00.003-06:002008-02-13T00:57:17.051-06:00

Not a super great rate, but with the $25 bonus, it may worth a try if one is looking for a checking account that pays decent interest.http://www.everbank.com/campaigns/TryUs001/Default.aspx?referid=12518On the other hand, I just checked the interest rates for my savings accounts, and noticed that a few have changed since last time I checked:ING 3.4%HSBC 3.55%Amtrust 5.11% (I locked into this

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-8573402413329469482008-02-04T10:45:00.000-06:002008-02-04T10:55:31.682-06:00

If you have a Amtrust e-Savings or e-MoneyMarket account, they are giving out $50 bonus if you trasnsfer $100 each month for 3 months using their 'smart save-up plan' (automatic transfer plan). Considering the low interest rates everywhere else, this is a pretty easy $50!Here is the email they sent me:Save Smart and Earn a $50 Cash BonusAs an AmtrustDirect.com customer, you know it’s smart to

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-80002871442766552402008-01-23T10:25:00.000-06:002008-01-23T10:43:57.582-06:00

I just got a letter from Citi Bank, wondering how they can help me use my CITI Driver's Edge Master Card more often. The letter threw out 'Lower Rate? Cash Rebate? Or ThankYou Points?'...well I must say that was tempting. There was a phone number on there, so I called them to see what was the catch.I told them that cash back sounds great to me, and they told me that they could offer me 5% up to

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-70783101738672001812007-12-27T22:17:00.001-06:002008-10-28T22:23:29.949-05:00

Savings1. ING Gift Fund2007 Contribution: $405Used: $330Rollover to 2008: $752. HSBC Travel Fund2007 Contribution: $1530Used: $1100Rollover to 2008: $4303. HSBC Auto Fund2007 Contribution: $1375Used: $1200Rollover to 2008: $1754. HSBC Emergency Fund2007 Contribution: $3725Used: $0Rollover to 2008: $3725This year has been OK financially. Having a mortgage certainly means I have less

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-58125312630225293162007-07-30T14:51:00.000-05:002007-07-30T14:52:52.245-05:00

Interested in opening up a new Chase Checking Account? They are giving away $100 now. Please see the link for details:http://www.chase.com/ccp/index.jsp?pg_name=ccpmapp/shared/marketing/page/100_Dollar_Checking_Offer&ID=0000007131&AD=%7C%7C%7C31581%7C%7C%7C

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-12652246370825376722007-07-03T16:06:00.000-05:002007-07-03T16:53:09.941-05:00

I have a part-time job, and I don't know if this is common among people who are in my age group, but I love doing it. I offer tutoring service to people who need them. I post ads on craigslist.org and every now and then, I will receive new requests. Some of them are long-term, some of them may just need me to help them with an exam/class. I meet the student in a coffee house/university campus

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-84388494190845164112007-05-04T21:28:00.000-05:002007-05-04T21:32:50.491-05:00

This plan sucks...or I should say TDAmeritrade sucks? I cannot invest $50/month in stock because it costs $10 per trade, and they charge $50 for no-load mutual fund purchase. Even though they charge nothing for No-Transaction Fee or Load Funds, but the choices are very limited. Right now, my money is sitting in their Money Market Deposit Account earning a miserable 0.1% interest. What makes

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-30909934705293369722007-04-11T14:17:00.000-05:002007-04-11T14:32:42.119-05:00

Inspired by this blogpost from Jonathon, http://www.mymoneyblog.com/archives/2007/03/100-tradeking-and-td-ameritrade-signup-bonuses.htmlI decided to open an Roth IRA at TDAmeritrade, but didn't notice this offer only applies to 'non-retirement' accounts only (read fine print). I emailed and they replied they are including IRAs now which is great news for me.

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-14849733337856690132007-03-06T22:03:00.001-06:002008-10-28T22:23:57.782-05:00

This month is not looking good. The house is suddenly hit with a big water bill of over $300 with only a few days to pay (details skipped), then the electric bill is at record high of $173. I miss those days that I don't have a house! On top of these, my dental procedure will cost me another few hundred dollars, and pay for some of the trips.I will be not making any payment on my car this month,

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-20839722121821843692007-02-23T12:27:00.000-06:002007-02-23T12:31:49.379-06:00

Traveling on Amtrak soon? Are you a AAA member? Read up on this...you have to buy the ticket before Feb 28 and travel by Mar 15, but what a great deal!AAA Winter Companion and Accommodations DiscountsUse Promotion Code H644Save 50% on one companion ticket.Save 25% on business class seats or sleeping accommodations.*Savings are in addition to everyday AAA 10% discount.Save 50% on companion fare

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-39573272138597866072007-02-22T21:46:00.000-06:002007-02-22T21:55:46.606-06:00

If you fund the account with at least $500 and trade twice before Feb 28, you can get a free keychain digital camera. If you fund the account with at least $2,500 and traded 6 times before Feb 28, you can get a free Apple iPod Shuffle. The account must be opened by visiting:http://www.forex.com/cnt/land-febpromo.html?src=chtSinanewsintextFebpromo

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-81029054706839489862007-02-20T20:41:00.000-06:002007-02-22T16:53:24.543-06:00

Just took a 3 day trip to Seattle, what a wonderful time without the snow and the rain!I have yet to track how much I spent, but a rough estimate is $160 cash and $300 on credit card (total $460). This didn't include the airfare I paid ($120) with a UA voucher redemption.Perhaps this doesn't look cheap, but look closer at my experiences and how I maximized my dollars:1. Ate wonderfully at some

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-67224302451817431312007-01-18T22:50:00.001-06:002008-10-28T22:24:59.941-05:00

I got my first paycheck with the new raise. As I predicted, the amount I actually get was not making too much of a difference as 401(K) and tax withheld also increased proportionally. Due to a HR glitch, this paycheck is not reflecting what a normal paycheck should look like, so my budget for 2007 is still in draft mode.Basically, my expenses stay pretty much the same, and my plan for 2007 is

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-39659193454487876432007-01-02T18:39:00.000-06:002007-01-02T18:56:30.350-06:00

Happy 2007!Taking 2 weeks off work was great, especially things went crazy before I left. I have yet to calculate all the money I spent for my trip from various sources, but it should not be too bad as I stayed with my friend's family most of the time. I need some NEW new year's resolutions. Here are my 2006 resolutions and their outcome:Excercise regularly - happened for a little while when I

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-42447212368889499262006-12-11T23:34:00.000-06:002006-12-12T00:07:25.807-06:00

I live in the part of the country that public transportation is just not adquate, and more than a year ago, I gave up my favorite car 99' Toyota Rav4 that is completely paid off. Instead, I got a 01' Toyota Prius that I have to make payments on. It was quite an adjustment that I have to make, but it was the right decision: the Prius doubled the gas mileage that the Rav4 gave, and considering

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-38224382447377844742006-12-11T23:24:00.000-06:002006-12-11T23:34:31.429-06:00

I received a bonus from work last week as part of the team award that our department got, with a gift card to Red Lobster for my participation in 5 workshops. It is only $250 though, and when taxes are taken out of it, I'm only pocketing half of it. Oh well, hopefully I'll get some of that back when I file my taxes. Little as this money seems, it helped me fill my Emergency Funds with $25 so

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-45023588381652708302006-12-05T22:37:00.001-06:002008-10-28T22:25:33.910-05:00

December is looking a little bit better than November. Unexpected purchase of the camera throws me off a little bit, but my tutoring part-time job keeps more cash around me. 1. ING Travel FundPurpose: Pay for travel related expensesGoal: $1,000Now: $480 (taken $420 for travel expenses already)2. ING Gifts FundPurpose: Pay for giftsGoal: $200Now: $10 (taken $180 out for gifts already)3. HSBC

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-61488797814576783432006-11-30T21:21:00.000-06:002007-02-28T08:55:01.053-06:00

I joined United Airlines's Mileage Plus in 1995 and have earned miles enough for a free roundtrip ticket to Asia a few years ago, and another one to Anchorage, AK last year. I was in school most of these years, but somehow I managed to bank up enough miles.Here are my advices if you want to start earning free tickets to travel the world. I am not trying to advertise for United, but its Mileage

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-184404628475130192006-11-26T21:10:00.000-06:002006-12-11T22:43:56.698-06:00

I finally bought a digital camera that I've been thinking of since last year. Originally, my plan was to get one of those pro-sumer ones priced at $800 with one or two wedding photo gigs, because I really could not stand the low resolution picture quality from the cheap ones. I'd rather use my old film camera and get a much better quality without spending that $100. However, I decided not to

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-76033165898391340322006-11-20T13:11:00.000-06:002006-12-11T22:59:44.137-06:00

I still have not bought my ticket as I thought I would this past weekend. For some reason the price went up $40 for a one way ticket over the weekend, and I wonder if it was just because it was the weekend like the gas stations? According to this theory, I should book my ticket on Thanksgiving day to get the best deal...

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-65231824897641920332006-11-18T01:19:00.001-06:002008-10-28T22:24:32.298-05:00

November is a tough month on my budget. There was a wedding that I bought new clothes for which was not part my original plan ($100), then I had to rotate my tires, do an oil change and get a new tire for the car ($200), plus cashing in the UA voucher and pay them another $130 to get a ticket to Seattle next year. This is one of the biggest credit card bill I've seen for a long time...yet

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-90650096478830162602006-11-17T10:45:00.000-06:002006-12-11T23:21:54.950-06:00

Valid only at Buy.com on the following product UPC$13 Rebate Offer # H410318 - 512MB JumpDrive FireFlyJDFF512-431 - UPC: 650590134342$20 Rebate Offer # H510319 - 1GB JumpDrive SportJDSP1GB-231 - UPC: 650590115679$25 Rebate Offer # H810320 - 2GB JumpDrive FireFlyJDFF2GB-431 - UPC: 650590140978Offer ends on Nov 19 so act quick!

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-1163486694580705712006-11-13T23:59:00.000-06:002006-12-11T23:22:47.173-06:00

Though I never understand why the Open Enrollment is so early every year, it is indeed that time to rethink about the benefits again.MedicalI had Lumenos HSA this past year and I must say I'm very satisfied with it, even though I have to use all my dollars in the account. The thought of not dealing with insurance company is comforting enough for me. Even though we are switching to United HSA

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37419735.post-1163095711358496432006-11-09T11:36:00.000-06:002007-12-27T22:11:34.032-06:00

Welcome to my home brewed financial blog!I hope to share all the interesting finance matters surrounding me with you, big or small, and I hope to hear yours too.

dreamfoolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16184492857625889988noreply@blogger.com0