Friday, June 5, 2009

Thursday, May 28, 2009

a wiki on how to travel cheaply

This is wonderful wiki, full of travel cheaply hints, including

1 Find Cheap Airfare
1.1 Go Local
1.2 Be Flexible
1.3 Pick up the Phone
1.4 Frequent Flyer Miles
2 Cheap Accommodations
2.1 Rent
2.2 Hostels
2.3 Home stays
2.4 House Swaps
2.5 Caretakers
2.6 Couch Surfing
3 Cheap Destinations
4 Alternative ways to travel
5 Conclusion

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Brains, Energy, and especially Integrity

Saw recently some Warren Buffet advice to "invest in brains, energy, and integrity, but be sure you've got the 3rd -- or the other two will work against you!"

Monday, April 27, 2009

Live longer with friends

A new study says that friends are more vital to your health than dieting, exercise, et all.

From New York Times :


In the quest for better health, many people turn to doctors, self-help books or herbal supplements. But they overlook a powerful weapon that could help them fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow aging and prolong life: their friends.

Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship and social networks in overall health. A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends...And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age...

“Friendship is an undervalued resource. The consistent message of these studies is that friends make your life better.”

Monday, April 20, 2009

Lower your cable and phone bills!

Great article on how the the cable and phone companies are, well, "flexible" in their pricing with inquiring customers.

Simply call and tell them you would like to cancel unless you can get a lower rate.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123248760842899491.html

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Earn from credit cards

Go to IndexCreditCards.com, a credit card news site, with all kinds of news about credit cards deals (flights, food, gas, and more).

Bargain Hunters Can Go All In (Las Vegas)

The Sunday NYT (1/11/09) says that Las Vegas has been hardest of any city in the U.S.

So hotels are offering outrageous deals (e.g. high-end Trump for $99 and new renovated downtown hotel, El Cortex, for $14/night). Even Cirque Du Soleil is now discounting for the first time ever.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Billshrink, service for the times?

Billshrink, based in Redwood City, CA, recommends cell phone plans and credit cards to fit the user.

When looking for a cellphone plan, for example,  Billshrink asks user questions about their phone use and texting activity. The service then searches through plans from all the major carriers and presents the best match, based on price and signal strength.

Use Yapta to find frequent flier opportunities

Everyone know it's really hard to use airline mileage to find free flights.

Yapta.com has launched a service to alert users when an award seat becomes available on a specific flight. Similar to the company's price-tracker feature, Yapta emails the user when a better fare becomes available after booking a seat on a flight.

Time for overstock.com and liquidation.com?

Seems like high-priced products may be on sale after the slow holiday.

"We would say it's aspirational brands, high-end deluxe -- that's what really taking the hit," said Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne. (San Jose Mercury News, 12/25/08)

"A lot of these Fortune 500 companies are trying to save costs and raise cash. This channel we have is a source of working capital for them," adds Bill Angrick, CEO of Liquidation.com.