Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

Glen Craig

Rework – Book Review

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Rework Business BookI had the fortune to read Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson. I first heard of the book by seeing an ad for it in Inc magazine.  In the ad was a recommendation by Seth Godin, whose blog I occasionally read (I don’t read it near enough).  I looked up the book on Amazon to see what the book was about and check out some reviews.  I was intrigued to say the least.

Who wrote Rework?

The authors are from the software company 37signals.  The book is pretty much their business guide to what has worked for them as a company and why it will work for you.
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Platinum Card® from American Express Review – The Premium Card for You

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*Note – This particular offer isn’t currently available.*

The Platinum Card® from American Express has been around since 1984, but it has no problem keeping up with the changing wants and needs of its affluent customers.

The company’s goal is to ensure that the customer is taken care of, and that through benefits and points, the card will pay for itself.

While all the cards offer excellent benefits, the Platinum card’s Membership Rewards First program specifically focuses on making travel easier and less stressful (making it an excellent travel rewards card).

First off, understand that the American Express Platinum Card® is a charge card not a credit card.

This means you will be paying your balance off monthly.  That’s great since you won’t pay any interest on the card.  It also means there’s no pre-set spending limit (thought that doesn’t mean unlimited spending).
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Ditch That Spending Plan?!?

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Have you drawn up a detailed budget and are struggling to keep to it? According to an article in the NYT*, it would be best to just give it up.  Well, not exactly.  But it does say that keeping to a strict budget might not be the best way to go about spending less or saving your money.  The money and pyschology experts they interview say that a budget can be like a diet — it doesn’t often last long and may just end up with you standing at the freezer late at night devouring a quart of ice cream right out of the container.

It’s human nature, they say.  We generally have trouble following through with our “best-laid plans.”  And after a long period of focusing on restrictions — we binge.  Compounding the problem is the abstract nature of credit cards and such.  Watching cold, hard cash dwindle is far more painful and thus more effective in reigning in our spending.
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Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Credit Card from Chase – Miles and More – Review

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Do you fly Continental Airlines? If so then you need to look at the benefits of the Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus Card credit card!  Read on for our review.

This credit card, backed by Chase, is an interesting airline miles card, giving you benefits on Continental Airlines as well as airlines miles credit for United as well (they are merging).

[Please note: The Continental Airlines OnePass card is no longer being offered due to the merger of United and Continental.  The Continental card has been merged into the United MileagePlus® Explorer Card.]

Let’s take a look at what the Continental Airlines OnePass® Plus offers:

Bonus Miles

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Changes on the 1040 IRS Tax Form this Year…How Does It Affect You?

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It’s that time of year again! Sometime in the next few months you may be preparing, or having someone else prepare, a 1040 tax return form for 2010.  First be aware of some changes that have been made since last year, says “the tax guy” from Smart Money.

First of all, in case you haven’t heard, the deadline for filing IRS taxes is a smidgen later this year.  It will be April 18th because Emancipation Day, a holiday celebrated in Washington, D.C., falls on April 15th this year.

Your tax preparer may also file electronically this year.  Congress has passed laws that are pressuring them to e-file, and it’s safe to say this is the direction we are going as a country.  On that note, you may also have noticed that your annual year-end 1040 booklet from the IRS never showed up.  It won’t.  Ever.  Again.  2009 was the last year it was mailed out.  If you miss it, you can still find it at IRS.gov and at their walk-in taxpayer assistance centers or participating libraries and post offices.
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