tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32306787155693580742011-07-07T22:10:29.096-07:00MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.comBlogger441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-61887758531223895812011-03-11T12:03:00.000-08:002011-03-11T12:41:06.828-08:00

Hi all,It's been some time since a posted. I have been extremely busy and don't have much time. So I'll try to be as brief as possible (Yea right!).I stumbled across a wonderful idea about stashing your emergency fund where you have unlimited access, investment options and the ability to accumulate cash without the tax hog snatching a significant portion before you get a chance to enjoy it. The

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-8800683338205571892010-04-08T10:15:00.000-07:002010-04-08T14:03:18.711-07:00

Hi all!I have been witnessing a troubling trend in America. A trend that could transform the common person into a common slave. A trend that would erase society as we know it and replace it with anarchy. A trend that will (fill in the blank here)...Enough with the dramatic introduction! It is true that I am witnessing a troubling trend across the board in business, in every industry, thanks to

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-26287749373694116732010-03-19T08:29:00.000-07:002010-03-19T08:42:22.259-07:00

I just checked my E-Poll activity summary and realized that I have accumulated lots of prizes over the past 6 months. The prizes range from AMC Gold Movie Passes to $10 deposited into my PayPal account. This is how E-Poll works:First you must sign up for an account.Once your account is confirmed E-Poll will send you emails with rewards of 250 - 2000 points. Some rewards are for sweepstakes

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-35558362876936531812010-01-27T08:27:00.000-08:002010-01-27T09:05:29.993-08:00

Hi all,Since this is my first post in over a year I wanted to address a topic that would save money in this troubled time, cellphones.Since last year I have continued using Net 10 as my primary cellphone provider. And I must say that it has worked out great. My cellphone bill has been limited to $45 per month on average for three accounts. Compared to my contract with AT&T I saved nearly $55 (

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-37355144494448174752009-01-14T10:14:00.000-08:002009-01-21T10:34:55.555-08:00

As you know I have been experimenting with various Paid-To-Click websites to generate online income. Here are some of the results:NeoBuxEarnings since inception $4.94 (since 10/17/08)Note that most of the earnings were reinvested to rent referrals. No other cash was invested. The most that could be invested into the account is $30 every 7 days. That's $120 per month. With my current ROE of 35% my

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-68154008067619431672009-01-14T10:09:00.000-08:002009-01-14T10:13:45.820-08:00

Today I stumbled across a great sight called Giveaway of the Day. This site features one software program free to download for the day. Afterward you'll have to purchase the software. Make it a habit to check every morning and you could gleen some wonderful bargains.~MafiaDon

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-85565994375429590872009-01-09T08:44:00.000-08:002009-01-09T09:14:06.900-08:00

Hi all!First before I get into the cellphone switch I just want to say Happy New Year to all my readers!Now on to business. At the end of last year (2008) my son's 2 year contract with At&t finally ran out. I must say that I was eagerly looking forward to this event since I found out that my family contract was extended due to my son's "add a line" contract. I chronicled my experience here .After

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-15349004379645003242008-12-23T10:34:00.000-08:002008-12-23T11:18:46.790-08:00

I've been so busy with my holiday preparations that I haven't had too much time to post. This will be my last post of the year, thus the title "Year End Rap Up".This has been a very interesting year financially for everyone. We witnessed an Enron like financial meltdown, an 5.5 magnitude quake in Southern California, record braking bank failures, climbing housing foreclosures and numerous layoffs

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-16090515195297541112008-12-10T16:31:00.000-08:002008-12-10T16:41:18.828-08:00

While reading various posts on how to make money blogging I stumbled across a wonderful site called Snapbomb. Snapbomb is not a blog advertising or marketing site. It is a pay per post site that will pay a blogger to write a post on a specific subject listed on their website. Here are the steps.First, sign up for Snapbomb at http://www.snapbomb.com/bloggers.html?acp=7551Once you're signed up you

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-8496891075540043452008-12-09T10:45:00.000-08:002009-01-08T09:17:02.666-08:00

This is a list of all the PTC Sites that I visit on a regular basis. These are trusted sites that have not shut down or didn't pay. They are not in any particular order so feel free to click and join any or all of the sites.Have fun earning extra cash!!MYLOT

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-74070389038385431622008-12-04T13:43:00.000-08:002008-12-04T13:57:31.103-08:00

In this economy $10 can go a long way. Especially if your living paycheck to paycheck or if you were recently laid off. Here's an offer that may cheer you up.The current CVS/pharmacy circular ad includes an offer to buy 3 (three) American Express Gift Cards and get $10 in CVS Extra Bucks. The American Express Gift Cards come in $25, $50, $75, $100 & $200 denominations. For those that are not

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-85514817218700258122008-11-26T11:55:00.000-08:002008-12-04T13:41:47.366-08:00

Here is an easy way to earn 1% cashback on all your purchases by signing up with PayPal.com. Here are the steps:#1 Sign up for a merchant account at PayPal.com. I stumbled across the 1% cash back feature while selling my personal finance books on Ebay. #2 While you're at it sign up for an account on Ebay. Make sure to link your Ebay account to your PayPal.com account.#3 Request a Visa/MasterCard

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-18036849394861027552008-11-21T14:15:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:59:42.774-08:00

Months ago I stumbled across a site that allows you to send money to a friend or family member through your cellphone. That's right, your cellphone! The site is called Obopay.com.Once I heard of the service I signed up immediately but never used it. I wanted something in place just in case I needed to send money fast instead of having to use Western Union or Moneygram (which is very expensive).

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-46210466221269170872008-11-19T15:44:00.000-08:002008-11-19T17:02:31.270-08:00

Previously I wrote about MyPoints.com. In the last post I explained a possible way accumulate points quickly. Here is another way to accumulate points quickly using only your monthly shopping budget.#1 Get a MyPoints.com account by emailing me for a referral :) It's free to join. Once you get your account up and running they will send all sorts of email offers to your inbox. Sooner or later they

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-6513522462889321772008-11-10T11:40:00.000-08:002008-11-19T16:56:02.516-08:00

Reducing your expenses is a daunting but necessary task for the majority of us. The more famous personal finance gurus usually start with cutting expenses to the bone as a path to wealth. Cutting expenses is a fine but it's what you do with the savings that is the real path to wealth. That said, I came up with a short list of steps to effectively cut your expenses and to stay focused during the

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-78315830161587910322008-11-10T11:31:00.000-08:002008-11-10T11:35:53.678-08:00

The FDIC is reporting 2 more bank failures for 2008; Security Pacific Bank in Los Angeles, CA and Franklin Bank SSB in Houston, TX. These are the 18th and 19th banks to go under during the year. Of course the FDIC will not release a list of the banks still in trouble. However, If you have questions about your banks solvency then visiting TheStreet.com's Bank and Thrifts Screener will give you an

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-32788755549723640102008-11-07T09:15:00.000-08:002008-12-09T11:06:06.696-08:00

This is the very short list of the PTC (Paid to Click) sites that I regularly use. I'm going to use a letter grading system on 3 aspects, Reliability, Payout and Convenience.MyPoints (email me for a referral link)This is one of the first PTC sites that I used that consistently pays out. This site is very reliable. Mypoints works on the points system rather than paying out cash or in most cases

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-42100627506855614392008-11-03T10:56:00.000-08:002008-12-09T10:34:42.562-08:00

Assets: $80,112Liabilities: $48,900Net Worth: $31,212Before I started reading other blogs and seeing others Net Worth I didn't have a clue where I belonged as far as Net Worth was concerned. Now I have a relatively good idea where I fall in the Net Worth category. Here are some of the details of my Net Worth.I don't own a home. Yes I am a renter. While the housing

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-41082100791705094182008-10-23T13:42:00.000-07:002008-10-24T10:17:14.932-07:00

Here is further evidence that the economy is contracting.Mervyn's to file chapter 11.Linen N Things going out of business.Shoe Pavilion is running out of time.What do these businesses have in common? They are all retail orientated businesses. Usually when a recession hits the first type of businesses to go are the retail based businesses because consumers usually cut discretionary spending first

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-13266257000275303202008-10-20T16:15:00.000-07:002008-10-20T16:34:49.785-07:00

I have read several articles and posts about how AMEX is decreasing credit limits by more than 50% in some cases. It is speculated that AMEX is reducing it's exposure to the credit markets. Some have even suggested that AMEX may be getting out of the credit market as a whole. The original AMEX card was a charge card, not the credit card we see regularly today. A charge card is a card where the

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-27650124769649415572008-10-20T10:54:00.000-07:002008-11-19T16:13:49.209-08:00

This past Friday I stumbled across a site called MyLot that pays cash for each post. I was skeptical at first so I joined and posted a few comments just to see if it was legitimate. After doing a thorough search of the site I couldn't find the payout rates for the posts. However the minimum payout is $10 into your PayPal account. This is low compared to InboxDollars ($30). After signing up I

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-16010540301313100482008-10-15T10:14:00.000-07:002008-10-15T11:06:53.571-07:00

For those of you who continually get hit with overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees here are a few tips to avoid these predatory fees.Over the last few years banks have updated their practices to suck as much money from their depositors as humanly possible by switching their emphasis to fees rather than interest. In the not-so-distant past banks used to decline point-of-sale and ATM debits if

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-66560435031739206102008-10-13T13:31:00.000-07:002008-10-13T13:54:01.117-07:00

While browsing through my morning emails I came across a Yahoo News article about a 90 year old woman living in Akron, Ohio who shot herself in the chest because her home of 38 years was going to be foreclosed. She was found by a neighbor and rushed to the hospital. She is now recovering from her wounds. However news of her condition is not being released.Once the story was covered by the media

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-53453389628779269482008-10-10T09:05:00.000-07:002008-10-14T12:16:54.045-07:00

There's been lots of coverage about the $700 Billion ($810 Billion if you count the secondary measures) and a few questions come to mind.Where is this money going to be spent?Who are we really bailing out?What are we going to "buy" from whom we are bailing out?When is the actual bailout going to take place?Who is going to benefit from the bailout the most?There are many more questions.

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-62343452565303981072008-10-09T16:34:00.000-07:002008-10-09T17:44:55.746-07:00

If you're like me you despise paying more than $20 for a cellphone plan. Currently I pay about $90 for a family plan. So what's the solution? Prepaid cellphones. Yes I know some of you are thinking, "You cheap bastard, just pay the $90 bucks!". But it irks me to pay $90 or so a month for a phone. It just doesn't make sense to me. Right now I'm just waiting out my contract and I will cancel.Before

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-39698252552949697782008-10-09T12:52:00.000-07:002008-10-09T16:34:06.124-07:00

**Rant Alert**I have to admit that other than the subprime mortgages and alt-a loans imploding, I didn't know exactly how the subprime mortgage failure was affecting the global markets. At least not until now. After watching a segment on 60 Minutes Sunday night I was thoroughly enlightened about the economic situation the U.S. banking industry has gotten itself into. According to 60 Minutes the

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-86483793832489059012008-10-06T12:51:00.000-07:002008-10-07T12:31:00.496-07:00

Since there has been massive coverage of the Financial Crisis by just about everyone I decided to go a slightly different route with a more personal angle. Payday for me was October 1st. I have my paycheck directly deposited into my checking account. Normally I would withdraw $100 - $200 for the week for gas, food and other essentials. This week I withdrew $400. By the end of the day I had $0

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-47471268594329530902008-09-22T15:45:00.000-07:002008-09-22T16:49:56.476-07:00

Last week we covered setting up your emergency fund. We also talked about how much your emergency fund should be and where to stash your emergency cash. The purpose of the emergency fund is to replace the credit cards as your primary source for emergency funding. In the past we would quickly use a credit card for emergencies promising to pay it off quickly. However, that promise never was

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-942010289298750672008-09-18T16:09:00.000-07:002008-09-18T16:57:11.431-07:00

Yesterday we covered those not so nasty credit cards and other "normal" loans. As I said yesterday it may take multiple years to get to a point where you are completely debt free. No crazy payday loans, auto loans, bank overdrafts or mortgages. Just cash in your pocket! How does it feel?Today we'll cover staying out of debt.Staying away from the debt monster can be a tricky act but it can be

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-78320330947601093402008-09-17T15:57:00.000-07:002008-09-17T16:43:38.547-07:00

Yesterday we covered those crazy payday loans and overdrafts in your checking accounts. It is imperative that you get a handle on these two debts before you attempt any other type of debt reduction. Remember from the first part that we are eliminating our liabilities so that our net worth will increase. With our new found available discretionary income we can begin to purchase income producing

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-55564690215522217982008-09-16T10:58:00.000-07:002008-09-16T11:41:39.883-07:00

Yesterday we covered how to set up your Supplimental Debt Schedule from your Net Worth Statement. These two schedules will answer the question "Where are you?". If you haven't done the work to complete these schedules I suggest you stop here until they are completed. It is vitally important to understand where you are financially to plan for the future. Remember this series is for the people who

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-72832555064468966702008-09-15T10:55:00.000-07:002008-09-15T11:55:14.699-07:00

Most debt reduction articles and books emphasize the importance of avoiding debt traps. Rarely do I see an article about climbing out of the financial hole you dug for yourself. The articles that do focus on getting out usually focuses on, in my opinion, mild cases where the subject has accumulated thousands of dollars in credit card debt, auto loans and/or student loans. And most of these

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-63546176157987065762008-09-12T16:02:00.000-07:002008-09-12T16:16:17.590-07:00

Ever wondered what your credit score was but didn't want to pay the $9.99 to $39.99 fee for it. Well help has arrived in CreditKarma.com (CreditKarma). CreditKarma is a website that calculates your average credit score using the credit reports from the three major credit reporting agencies, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.It's so easy I thought it was a scam. After signing up and logging on I

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-34576525942816476012008-09-12T15:45:00.000-07:002008-09-12T16:01:24.029-07:00

The 99 Cent Only Store has been a fixture for decades as a place where shoppers could purchase items for under a buck. Through the years they have consistently upgraded their products. I remember back in 1996, the first time I stepped foot in a 99 Cent Only Store, walking around the store and seeing all of the off brand items for sale. I also remember a rich oil smell in the aisles that contained

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-13278792246952707482008-09-09T12:25:00.000-07:002008-09-09T12:52:20.047-07:00

If you are like me, lazy beyond belief, here is a service that could save time and the expense of budgeting, Wesabe.com. Wesabe is an aggregation service that automatically links to your bank, credit card and loan accounts and displays them in a easy to understand format. And best of all it's F R E E!With a couple of clicks you can view your spending labels for the week, month, over several

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-7063967375658034642008-09-04T15:46:00.000-07:002008-09-04T15:57:05.736-07:00

InstantChess.com is a site that allows you to play thousands of players ranked from beginner to expert. Just click the link and choose a username. You'll get 25 free games with random players from around the world. After the 25 free games are played you have to join.InstantChess.com has two packages, the standard package and the premium package. The standard package costs about $5.89 and allows

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-46720037149786193162008-09-04T12:40:00.000-07:002008-11-19T16:18:07.915-08:00

Here is a wonderful site that I have used for about two years called InboxDollars. This site works similar to MyPoints.com only you get cash instead of points.Each morning I open my inbox which displays 3-5 emails from InboxDollars. Each email I confirm I get $0.03 per email confirmed. That's not a lot of cash but it does add up. You can also participate in surveys, offers, shopping and referrals

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-1248218731940282912008-09-03T14:07:00.000-07:002008-09-03T14:10:55.013-07:00

Finally the mainstream media is taking notice of At&t's policies. However, the article does not focus on the topics I outlined in yesterday's post but at least the chatter is starting.

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-41495764876971770962008-09-02T16:23:00.000-07:002008-09-03T14:27:24.915-07:00

If your like me, lazy and uninterested in filing important documents here is an easy way to file your important documents.Items you will need:One accordion file (legal size)At least 13 Manila file folders (letter size)First, label the Manila file folders by month (i.e. January, February, etc). Next, label the 13Th file folder "Other". Make sure to put the year on the accordion file.Each month put

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-33970437682908881942008-09-02T14:27:00.000-07:002008-09-03T14:11:25.041-07:00

About 2 weeks ago I received a letter from AT&T that said: "READ: CONTRACT FOR EXISTING AT&T SERVICES (W/ARBITRATION) INSIDE!".I remember reading an article about the slight of hand At&t pulled with their now famous "No Action is Required" automatic opt-in contracts. Being leery and wondering why I still contract with At&t I opened the letter.Inside, there was a booklet with 12 sections. Of the

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-71277176940574767772008-08-27T16:45:00.000-07:002008-09-04T15:57:54.360-07:00

Last October (2007) I had my first experience selling on Ebay. During that time I was finally getting around to clearing off my shelf of old personal finance books. I had at least 50 - 75 books.So one day I loaded all the books in a box and took them to work. On my lunch break I would list five or so books for sale on Ebay each week. I must admit my first experience was daunting. It took me 10

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-77462365596876657932008-08-27T10:06:00.000-07:002008-10-15T10:12:15.973-07:00

I have been a member of 2 credit unions for about 3 months. Both are small and located within my town. However, I spend most of my time at work 20 miles away and both my credit unions have no presence in the town I work, except through the credit union co-op network.The reason why I brought this up is a recent experience I had the other day.I arrived at work Monday morning. My usual routine is to

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-44635676429609284322008-08-26T10:41:00.001-07:002008-11-19T16:19:46.187-08:00

Hi all!I don't know how may of you have heard of MyPoints.com but "I'm lovin' it".My Points is a service that sends you emails with various offers. In most offers you receive 5 points. If you do the paid-to-do (PTD) offers you could get as much as 5,000 points or more in one shot. I usually do not take advantage of the PTD offers. I just click the link, get my 5 points and move on.However this

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3230678715569358074.post-42369998395676196812008-08-26T10:31:00.000-07:002008-10-14T12:06:26.116-07:00

Hi all!I'm Mafiadon. It's a nickname I chose while playing an online text game to represent my love of mob movies.In this blog I will post my experiences and thoughts on various personal finance topics. The sky is the limit so make sure you read every post because you never know what I will be blogging about. I will try to keep the rants down to a minimum. I will also try to post interesting and

MafiaDonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03898856961738814105noreply@blogger.com0