Money Blue Book

When I read about the crazy sums of money football fans have been plunking down for a chance to watch the New York Giants play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII (42nd), I was shocked, but not surprised. Just for the record, no – I didn’t pay more than $4,000 for a pair of Super Bowl tickets to watch the two best football teams in the nation play this coming weekend. But I understand why feverish and passionate football fans would pay that kind of money to support their team (I’ve done it before, although not nearly to that level of degree).

If I were a Giants or Pats fan, I would have given some serious thought to shelling out the high scalper-driven prices to secure the coveted tickets and necessary hotel rooms for the chance to experience the event of a lifetime. Looking back at my earlier days, I wish I had jumped on the exciting opportunities when I had the chance. When my college alma mater made it to the men’s NCAA basketball championship game I was still in graduate school and didn’t have the financial means or the ability to take time off from classes to attend. Looking back I wish I had dug down deep and made the effort, because ultimately my school went on to win that national title game. I missed an opportunity that may not happen again for some time. Afterwards, I promised myself – never again would I give up such a once in a lifetime opportunity on the account of mere time or cost, in the absence of other considerations.

Money Spent On Memories Vs. Money Spent On Material Goods

While I personally am very wary about spending exorbitant amounts of money on material goods, I don’t seem to have the same aversion towards spending money on precious experiences that have the possibility of creating everlasting memories. Unlike the substance of memories, I view tangible goods as items with limited and fleeting lifespans that ultimately depreciate and wither away. Particularly with newly released electronic products like iPods and flat screen TV’s, they frequently become outdated within months by the time the new updated model rolls around. Technology prices drop fast and what was top of the line one day soon becomes yesterday’s news the next. At the end of the day, all material goods break down, wear out, and eventually become obsolete, but memories are forever. Memories and experiences are retained in the recesses of our minds, enriching our human experience and growing ever more valuable as time passes. As we age, those fond memories from years past become priceless treasures (it’s cheesy but true).

When I was little, I spent a great deal of money and time on buying and playing video games. But looking back, it wasn’t the computer technology, gaming systems, or game cartridges that brought me joy – it was the experience and cherished moments I had when playing games with friends and family. I think it’s important to practice a reasonably frugal lifestyle, but some expenditures are worth the financial price. There’s nothing wrong with living it up within your means on occasion – just make sure you are spending your hard earned money towards the things that have residual and appreciative intangible value.

The stores of wealthier diehard Super Bowl fans paying upwards of $20,000 for a pair of front row seats to the greatest show on earth is indeed stunning, but if they are sharing the experience with their friends, spouses, and children, I say – more power to them. I just hope they are living within their means and not doing anything financially crazy like putting the entire amount on a high interest credit card they can’t afford, just for a 3 hour thrill.

Opposed To Spending Money On a $5 Coffee Drink, But Okay With Spending $250 To Watch My Favorite Sports Team Play

I’ve noticed that I seem to have a selective form of frugality. I generally like to save on the little things in life by cutting back on smaller daily expenses like my old Starbucks coffee habit and by refraining from frequently updating my clothing wardrobe. However, I seem to have no problem spending larger sums of money on things like entertainment experiences that I truly care emotionally and passionately about. It’s an odd form of frugal living that I sometimes wonder if others share as well.

Updated Compilation Of All The Best 0% Balance Transfer Offers Below

If you are searching for a promotional balance transfer card, or if you are looking to eliminate some high interest debt by shifting your balance over to versatile credit cards that offer zero to low interest rates, then you’ve definitely come to the right place. The following list is a good starting point for credit card arbitrage and 0% balance transfer seekers looking to borrow interest free money or to make a profit. Below is my compilation list of the best no interest balance transfer offers available from all issuers. I am always on the lookout for new and better balance transfer credit cards so do check back for future updates.

As a general matter, taking on a 0% balance transfer goes beyond just requesting your balance transfer check. Getting the 0% credit card loan is relatively easy – the trickier part is learning to properly micro manage the transferred balance details from credit card application to promo expiration. But once you familiarize yourself with how to make a 0% balance transfer and understand the benefits and risks of balance transfer cards, you will find the procedure rather straight forward. As with all financial vehicles, the key is to understand the ins and outs before taking on the responsibility and assuming the inherent, but controllable risks involved.

Balance transfer offers are uniquely versatile in that they can serve numerous functions including balance transfer arbitrage and high interest debt reduction. For those struggling with high interest credit card debt but still maintain a decent credit score, shifting debt onto 0% APR balance transfer cards to hold back the burden of high interest rates while gradually working towards paying off debt is always a viable safety net option. Personally, I’ve taken advantage of balance transfer offers numerous times before, usually to weather through unexpected financial emergencies. Of course I always strive to pay back the full balance transfer amount at the end of the offer period.

All of the individual balance transfer credit card deals listed below offer introductory 0% APR interest with no annual fee. I have also listed the length of the balance transfer promotional period for each offer and indicated whether any balance transfer fee applies.

Best 0% APR Credit Card Offers For Balance Transfers – Unless Otherwise Noted, All Are For Balance Transfer Periods Up To 12 Months – Note That Some Are For Periods Of 15 Months

(Sign-up bonus offers are noted. Balance transfer fee percentages and maximum transfer fees are listed in parenthesis)

1. Discover More Card – (3% fee) – Popular balance transfer card deal
2. Citi Platinum Select Card – (3% fee) – Balance transfer offer for 6 months
3. Citi Forward(SM) Card – (3% fee) – 0% APR for 6 months on balance transfers and purchases (special offer: $100 sign up bonus)
4. Chase Slate Card – 0% APR interest on purchases for 12 months
5. Chase Freedom Card – 0% APR interest on purchases for 12 months (get $50 free cash back after your first purchase)
6. Citi mtvU Card For Students - (3% fee) – 6 months for both 0% balance transfers and purchases if you qualify
7. Miles By Discover Card – (3% fee)
8. Discover More Card – Clear – (3% fee)
9. Discover More Card – American Flag - (3% fee)
10. Discover More Card – Wildlife Collection – (3% fee)
11. Discover More Card – Sealife Collection – (3% fee)
12. Discover More Monogram Card – (3% fee)
13. Discover Escape Card – (3% fee) – 6 months for balance transfers and purchases

0% Balance Transfer Offers With No Fees (6-9 months Or Longer)

1. Simmons First Visa Platinum Rewards – No balance transfer fee, low interest balance transfer offer
2. Simmons First Visa Platinum Credit Card – No balance transfer fee, low interest balance transfer
3. IberiaBank Visa Platinum Rewards Card – 6 months (no balance transfer fee)
4. IberiaBank Visa Gold Cash Back Rewards Card – 6 months (no fee).
5. IberiaBank Visa Classic Card – 6 months (no fee)
6. Pulaski Bank Visa Card - 6 months (no fee)
7. Pulaski Bank Gold Visa Card – 6 months (no fee)

As I mentioned in an earlier entry posted a few months ago about myself, I own an African Grey Parrot as a pet. I’ve had him for several years now and although I wish he were better trained with more docile tendencies, he’s still a pretty adorable little guy. When he’s not hanging from his bird gym or busy grinding his wooden chew toys into grated wood chips, he enjoys whistling and mimicking speech.

He’s also a voracious eater, consuming and tossing around quiet a few scoopfuls of his favorite brand of nutritious Kaytee brand pellets everyday. Every 1-2 months I used to buy a new bag of somewhat pricey bird food to replace his dwindling supply, but lately I’ve chosen to do a different approach. Rather than buying smaller bags of food from Petsmart or Petco each time and paying a higher cost per serving unit, I’ve decided to go for bulk and order online.

Finding Deals and Purchasing Pet Food Online

Initially I considered buying bulk bird pellet sacks from my neighborhood pet stores but after browsing around I noticed that their selections were pretty limited as most mainstream brick and mortar stores catered to more popular animal breeds such as cats and dogs. Even dedicated bird stores seemed to not have in stock the bulk pallets that I wanted. Thankfully, there is much more one can find on the internet as the online selection is much more broad. After doing some price comparison shopping among the popular online pet stores, I finally settled on PetSmart’s pet food selection. Although I didn’t order enough to qualify, I did find a handy $10 off coupon for orders over $70 – just use coupon code SAVEJAN.

I ordered a large sackful of pellets and did a quick calculation to see how long the supply would last as well as my estimated cost savings. Based on my parrot’s rate of consumption, the bulk pallet should last well over a year. The one time cost was more than I’d like in one shot but the cost per serving by buying in bulk was clearly much lower than the cost of buying in smaller individual bags.

There are also a variety of other online pet store options out there as well. I recommend checking out some of the more popular shopping portals, where by clicking through their links to make your purchase you can earn extra cash back. With all of the deals and choices out there today, buying pet food online is definitely the way to go. Particularly if the item isn’t immediately urgent and can be used over a span of time, I recommend letting your mouse clicks do the walking.

Where Do I Stash All Of This Excess Pet Food?

Storage was no problem. I went to Target and bought a few large plastic Rubbermaid containers to house the huge pet food surplus and to help keep them dry and fresh. The simple locking clasps did a good job of securing the containers shut and keeping the food smells locked within.

This approach of buying pet food in bulk will certainly work with dogs, cats, and possibly fish as well. My only real concerns would be possible spoilage and freshness problems. After contacting the manufacturer, my understanding now is that bird food is usually good up to a year and a half, but I’m not as familiar with the expiration dates of dog and cat food. Regardless, remember to store the bulk food in air tight, moisture free, plastic containers and place them in a dry area free of contamination by roaches or other bugs. Clean food makes pets happy and happy pets create happy owners!

Drum roll please…presenting my very first edition of Money Blue Book’s Weekend Roundup, where I showcase some of the interesting personal finance blog articles I’ve come across during the week and days before. I always appreciate frequent commentators so I will try to make an extra effort to share some of the interesting tips they have to offer. I encourage readers to browse around the blogosphere. There’s a lot of good financial, frugality, and investment advice out there!

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