Revisiting Starbucks

Maybe I was painting to harsh a picture with my first posting about how much money I was saving monthly by not going to Starbucks, but today I was shown that maybe Starbucks is not as a money pit as it may appear.

How many of you are avid Starbucks drinkers?

And, how many of you are aware that Starbucks offers a membership rewards program?

Well I for one, was glad to see that Starbucks was offering such a program. As a long-time Starbucks drinker it was nice to see that they had not forgotten about the customers. Sure, they are a business and we can't fault them for that, but $4 for a cup of coffee? That's where you start, or did, lose me.

However, in my never ending quest to not only find a way to tighten my budget down, while at the same time enjoy my life, and the simple pleasures, it was nice to hear that the almighty Starbucks had taken a look in the mirror and realized that they should offer their loyal patrons something more then just a friendly smile. Which as a side note, they have some damn good customer service. I mean at the height of my Starbucks endeavor, everyone in the shop new my order, and the time I would show up, and I was being treated like a celebrity by being asked to step to the front of the line, receive my order, pay and go, and yes sometimes, they would just say here you go, it's on us!

But, it was not until three week ago, when in a local Barnes & Noble I decided that I would treat myself to an in-house Starbucks. Now please keep in mind that this is a completely different store on the other side of town. Well, I walk in and there is the same Starbucks rep from the other store! And to top it all off he called me by name (which he learned by looking at my credit card over a year ago), and then said the name of my drink like no time had passed!

Now, if I drank a Coffee black with no sugar, that would something that caught my attention. But my drink is said, and follow me here, "An Iced Venti Solo Soy Iced Chai Tea Latte". Hell, it took me a month to learn how to order the thing, and this guy just said it like I had called it in only minutes ago.

But, back to my point. Had a been aware of the rewards program, I would not have spent as much, and maybe through spreading it out to only a couple of times a month, it would not have been such a big number coming out of my wallet.

So, with the help of a friend, I wanted to say that whether it is Starbucks or anything else, check to see what  they offer their customers.

And in a mention of serendipity, I was told this information today, and tonight I took at ten minute survey regarding, that's right, you guessed it, Starbucks!!! And it paid $2.50!!! Not bad for 10 minutes of mindless Internet play, huh?

So, my question to you is, were you aware of this program, and does this change your review of Starbucks?

As always, thank you...The Runner

A New Feel For a New Post, You'all Come On In Now Yah Hear!!!

I am guessing that at this point you are wondering< "what happened to the blog that I became so comfortable with, where did it go? Well let not your troubled hearts be worried, even for a second, because the only thing that has changed was the design. I threw in some more options that were presented to me and I decided that there was a lot to be gained by what was out there, so I did some mid-summer night cleaning.

Hopefully, you will awake rested tomorrow, and place your coffee mug next to your computer and be  WOW'd by the changes that have been made. And not just the use of banners and banners, but fun stuff like the about the cutest cat or dog of the day, feel free to have you friends spot by and take a look at what your talking about.

My favorite addition is way down at the bottom, were you see an overhead shot of a fish tank, and just by clicking, you will start feeding the fish. Let that be your daily moment of zen.

So, before I start posting some amazing things regarding finance and our daily lives. I was hoping to hear back from everybody about what they liked and did not like in regards to the changes.

As always...Thank you...The Runner

Welcome Back!!!

It has often been said that you don't know what you have till it is gone, and that could not have been more true when this blog was removed due to apparent spamming. Now, while I do agree that I write and post almost everyday, and I do know my initial ways around a computer, I still have no idea what spamming truly is, or even why my sight was flagged.

But as I just stated, you don't know what you have until it is gone, and I was actually pretty depressed that not only had the past month and a half had been removed, but so had all of the work. So, for all of us who hear all the horror stories about how the Internet has caused panic in the area of personal privacy, I would like to tell you a story of how the Internet has truly helped.

When the blog was removed I did not know where to turn. I felt as though my house was stolen while I was in it, and that there was nothing I could do. But, thanks to the use of forums and a poster named DarkUFO (which I will bring up again in a second), who reached out quickly after, I felt there was no other area to turn, but to ask other bloggers what do, so I posted my story of what had happened and hoped.

After a couple of steps provided by DarkUFO and a couple of days of needed waiting, the blog was restored, and I was, and still am so very, very happy.

But the amazing part doesn't just end with someone I didn't even know helping to reestablish the blog. It turns out that DarkUFO ran, and still runs a very popular blog for the show Lost. For anyone who got sucked into this outstanding show, his domain name is probably very familiar.

While not only did I follow all six seasons of the show very closely, but the little pieces of Lost that served as a constant point of interest for Lost Lovers, were always listed on the DarkUFO site.

So, here I was, following a site that brought out great conversations with family and friends for many years, and then when my site needed help, it was the head of that site that helped bring my site back to life. And we have never met or spoken before. Ever!

Let's remember this for the future. That there are good parts to the Internet, and for at least once, I can actually prove it!

Anyway, it's great to be back. Thank you all for sticking with me, and I will be back to posting again tomorrow!

As always, thank you...The Runner

SlickDeals, SlickDeals, SlickDeals!!!

First, thank you to our own Bunny for recommending the SlickDeals.net!!!

In between trying to increase my credit score, pay off student loans, increase my savings and evading my Piper's Wave, I must tell you that I am absolutely all over this site! It is enormous!!! Everything from coupons to freebies, too contest and sweepstakes!!! Prizes ranging from t-shirts to diamonds to iPads, and yes I want the iPad!!!

There are many reasons for starting this blog, and the suggestion of places like SlickDeals.net is exactly the saving sites that we should be using for everything, literally everything!!!

But I have to say that the best thing about this site is the sense of community that comes with it. There are many people all looking for the same thing,and that is to get it for free or at most at a reduced cost, and they are all willing and wanting to help each other!

Post after post people are thanking each other and helping by offering suggestions to just about any deal you can imagine! This place is a one stop stop!

So thank you so much to Bunny for your great addition to our community and helping us to pass along the same information we are all looking for, but rarely come upon!

So, I urge you all, check out SlickDeals.net and check it out today!!!

As always, thank you...The Runner

With All This Savings I Need to Buy Something Fun, Right?

So you pick it...there are four choices...and feel free to state why you think, what you think. Let's have some fun!!!

So here we go!

Choice One:














Choice Two:














Choice Three:














Choice Four:














I look forward to your responses!!!

As always, thank you...The Runner

"The Boss" Passes At 80

Less than 48 hours ago the voice of the New York Yankees past away at the age of 99. Today, the boss of the Yankees passed away as well.

Sure he was the boss and principal owner of the New York Yankees, but the nickname heard earned over the years was "The Boss", and that is how I believe he will always be remembered.

Loved by Yankee fans and pretty much hated by the rest of the professional sports world, George M. Steinbrenner the third was born on the forth of July and worked as thought his team was led by the Revolutionary soldiers themselves.

For me, The Boss changed the game. Sure, you can make the argument that the outrageous salaries baseball players are making today is due to George paying top players top dollars for years, and that in turn, forced other teams to due the same. But I say no.

First, players who came before The Boss were underpaid from the start. For me, Mr. Steinbrenner did for his team what any of us would want our employers to do. He invested in the business.

Millions of dollars for new players, top players, a new top of the line training facility, and a new stadium that because it included a subway stop cost 1.3 billion dollars. And you know what, the team won, the business made money, and championships followed.

If you are not yet convinced, then how about this for a well oiled machine, the team made it to the playoffs 16 years in a row! Sure, not all led to a World Series title, but the point is they were there because they were the best, with the best.

So with the passing of another Yankee legend today, I say thank you and you will be missed.

What is the Debt to Credit ratio?

As promised yesterday, the debt-to-credit ratio is something that anyone looking to improve their credit score should pay attention to. Let me paint you a small picture to help explain.

A young man goes off to college and has a credit card or two that are worth around, lets say, $2,000 total. After many years and a great deal of hard work this man graduates with a Bachelors and a Masters. Along with two diplomas. He also has $100,000 in student loan debt. And yes, that is, and was, his Piper and how his Piper grew his Wave.

So, now the man has a 98% debt-to-credit ratio, and this is not a good thing.

While the exact way that the FICO score is calculated is an ever changing, closely guarded secret, the debt-to-credit ratio plays as much of a 30% role in determining an individuals score. The reason being, or at least a number of books and websites have stated, that if this man was to be given a higher score, he would be able to gain more credit, and could use that credit to dig his debt hole even deeper.

Okay, so how do you fix this?

Well, basically you need to work it from both ends. If we continue to use this man as an example, the recommendation would be to pay down his debt as quickly as is possible (and we all know how easy that is, yeah right). But it is also important to start increasing your amount of available credit. Now, let's say that this man has a poor credit rating, and can not get approved for any credit cards of any limit, well the good news is he still has options.

One of the better options is what is known, or at least I know it, as a Secure Card. This is a card that you pay the money for a desired credit limit for up front. In this scenario let's say the man signs up for a secure card worth $500. With this he has done two things. First, he has established an additional $500 of credit, and raised his available credit to $2,500. Second, he now has another card reporting to the credit agencies each month, and as long as he is on-time with payments he is building a long, perfect, credit history, which carries a good deal of weight as well.

So, now, just like with savings, he wants to put more money into that card each month to raise the limit. If he puts in $100 for 2-years and pays off $10,000 of his debt, his available credit is now $3,700, and his debt is $90,000. This will give him a debt-to-credit ratio of 95.9%, which while it does not seem like a tremendous jump, it will help his credit score. After maybe another two or three years of this the ratio gets better, and so does his credit score.

This combined with everything we talked about yesterday, Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Credit Score, will allow the man to apply for and most likely receive credit without having to go into his own pocket.

Sure, this may look like a long way to go, but remember that the debt-to-credit ratio is valued around 30% of your calculated credit score. So, if you were to get this into a better range you would be making a bigger impact.

Is this something you all see as helpful, or something you already knew?

As always, thank you...The Runner

Bob Sheppard the New York Yankee Announcer Dies at 99

Whether you are a New York Yankee fan or not, the name Bob Sheppard was one that garnished personal respect from many. I am certainly one of those.

For those who do not know the storied career of Mr. Sheppard, here is a link to a great article from Sports Illustrated, Yankees PA icon Sheppard, 99, dies. But for a couple of lines I would like to pay my respect as well.

When I woke up on September 4th, 1993 I had no idea that by the end of the day I would see two truly phenomenal sites and hear another.

That is the date of my first game at Yankee stadium, which I can still remember the sense of "presence" while walking though the gate to our seats. The second was that by the end of the game, no only had the Yankees won, but their pitcher, a man named Jim Abott through a No-Hitter! A very rare site in most American sport. For as incredible as this already was, seeing a No-Hitter in my first game at Yankee stadium, it was made all the more special because the man who threw that No-Hitter only had one hand.

That's right, read it again. He only had one hand!

A true athlete and a day that I will never forget, which was bolstered by the third part of my overall experience. That part was Bob Sheppard.

As the PA announcer he would introduce the coming batters in a voice truly did have a magic to it. For that he was given the nickname, "The Voice of God".

Since you never saw him during the game but yet heard his voice echo throughout the stadium with a gentle timber, you could hardly disagree, that if Hollywood wanted to cast the voice for God, his would most certainly be the one.

I know that I will miss having his voice be part of the games in the future, but I am thankful that I was able to hear it on many, many occasions, in a place where magic happened often...the great original Yankee Stadium.

Five Ways to Immediately Improve Your Credit Score

Let me start off with saying this, getting your credit score back into a good range is something that takes time. Now, having said that, it doesn't take a millenium! But, be prepared for a couple of up's and down's along the way while seeing your overall score increase over the course of time.

In my experience, and it is extesive, I have searched every corner of the internet, and read many more books than I care to remember or admit to, and they all say the same thing. "This process is going to take time". So be comfortable with this, and remember to setup those small wins we talked about in a post such as Payday Bloody Payday...

So here we go...

1. Get your credit balances under control. - Keeping your credit limit around 15% of the overall credit card balance, for each card, will show that you are using credit, but using it wisely. So, try and pay everything down to zero, but if you can get within that 0 - 15% range, you are doing great!

For more on this check out The Debt Snowball.

2. Do Not Close Any Open Credit Accounts. The idea of cutting up your credit cards to help with over spending is somthing that will help, just as long as you are not calling to have that account and having them close out the account. This has a two prong approach. First, the more credit you have available, not the more credit you're using, just the more credit you show on paper, the greater you credit-to-debit ratio, which is a major boost to you report. The second is, the longer your credit history, the better.

3. Never miss a payment. Even if you are just paying the minimum, you are still showing as current on your credit reports. However, if you are to miss any payments, there are five things that will hurt your score, all at different levels. They are 30-days late, 60-days late, 90-days late, 120-days late, and Closed.

As you can imagine, Closed is the worst, because of everything stated in point two, and everything from 30 - 120 is progressively worse. But what you must remember is that if you are showing anyone of these, you will also have that showing on your report for at least 7 years. That's right 7 years!!!

The good news is that the further those remarks get from the present date, the more your score will increase.  So, get on track as soon as is possible. Paying the minimums is a great place to start.

4. Payoff collections.  This is never fun, but the best idea is to get the name of the agency currently handling your debt, and send them a check with a short statement like, "As of the cashing of this check/money order, both parties consider this debt finalized". I have done this, and it worked perfectly! Plus you do not have to deal with any of these sleezy collection agents.

This information will stay on your report, and anyone telling you they can get it off in any amount of time, is flat out lying! And, most of those offers are illegal and can accutally have a negative effect on you!

Yes, you!!!

5. Secure Cards.  While this is not a final resort, it is something what will help you establish credit. Basically, it is a credit card that will require you to pay up front. The cool part is that your credit reports will reflect this card, and it will help your Debit-to-Credit ratio!

The Debt-to-Credit ratio is a bit more indept, and that is something we will go over tomorrow!!!

So tell me, did anyone find this information useful? Please feel free to leave your comments!!!

As always, thank you...The Runner

Warren Buffet...Bottle Caps, YouTube and Love

"When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen" was the saying throughout the 70's and 80's. Well who are we listening to today?

Sure, there are probably a ton of different answers to that question, but today, in this post, I would like to state the case that (with all due respect to Edward Francis Hutton) we update the slogan to "When Warren Buffett talks, people listen".

Mr. Buffett has long been someone I have taken a great interest in, but a recent article entitled, Buffett recounts the best advice he's ever received, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the man who built billions and in the name of positive social change, donated about 99% of that wealth.

That's right, read it again. He donated 99% of his worth.

I use the word worth with a purpose when speaking about Mr. Buffett's donation now, because after the following statement he gave in this article, I believe his idea of worth, has very little to do with fiance. Here is the standout quote that sparked the title of the article.

"The power of unconditional love. I mean, there is no power on earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to your child, I mean, you’re 90 percent of the way home. There may be days when you don’t feel like it — it’s not uncritical love; that’s a different animal — but to know you can always come back, that is huge in life. That takes you a long, long way. And I would say that every parent out there that can extend that to their child at an early age, it’s going to make for a better human being."

Do you see where I am going with this? What good is money if you have nothing to do with it, and what good is doing something with it if you are not really doing anything at all with it? You're not helping others, helping your community, helping the globe and so on. So worth, in a financial sense, it seems to a man who started off making his own way, has only 10% to do with a bank statement, and 90% to do with those around you. Those that you offer unconditional love.

Sure, we are all not billionaires, millionaires, or even living in the black, but throughout the ages we have given great credence to the tremendous "thinkers". Those that seemed to be able to see past their days, and offer a deeper insight that is proven true well into the future. Mr. Buffett needs to be added to that list.

I know that most people think that people today living the high life come from old money, but that is not the exact case with Warren Buffet. My favorite story of his, comes from when he was a young American trying to make a little extra cash. What he would do is by a six-pack of soda and sell them on a local corner. Every six-pack cost him 25 cents, and he would sell each bottle for 5 cents, and make a 5% return on each six-pack sold. Sure a nice profit for those days, but outside of that there is really nothing out of the ordinary there, but here is the part that sticks with me. After selling his six bottles everyday, he would go to the local gas station, which remember in those days, the vending machine sold bottles, and there was a catch and container for all of the bottle tops, and collect all of these tops.

He would then go home and count each individual one, so many for coke, so many for orange soda, etc, and based on that information he would make the decision of which six-pack to buy for the next day. Just Incredible! Here you have a young adolescent doing the selling, the market research, and the business development all for an extra 5 cents a day.

Well, after turning all of those nickles into billions, and a great deal of time learning the in's and out's of one of the worlds most complex financial systems, he has again taken his approach back to the most simple form, love.

So, I ask you, do you agree with his statement? Do you agree that "When Warren Buffett speaks, people listen"?

I can tell you that I do, and I can also tell you that another great part to the story is that Mr. Buffett hasn't lost his ability to "search through the bottle caps". Today he enjoys keeping his ear to the ground by spending a good deal of time on YouTube.

I think there is something endearing to Mr. Buffett's approach to life and finance, and would love to hear your thoughts! And when Warren Buffett speaks, are you listening?

As always, thank you...The Runner

From Coupons to Groupons, We've Got More Savings!!!

During the last couple of years I have done a great deal of my shopping online. Usually I am drawn in by some sort of sale that I am made aware of through an e-mail or a banner ad that offers a certain percentage off or free shipping or something else.

However, like as with this blog, I have learned through time that buying anything online without searching from a coupon, or the potential for an even better offer, is just plain insane!

So online shopping it has been. I have tackled many a holiday, birthday and other occassion through my cunning use of coupons that have helpped to find some really great deals. In fact, I once challenged myself to do all of my Christmas shopping online, without spending more then it would have cost than if I went to the store and actually bought the items. In the end I came out a little bit ahead!!!

And it has been ever since then that I have both searched for coupons in all of my online, and even some in-store coupons, to do my shopping. I even got a little bit deeper into it, and signed up for a couple of these deals to be e-mailed to me, instead of having to go searching for them. If I must recommend one, I will recommend my personal favorite CouponCabin.com. Now, this is not the only one that I use, but it has probably saved me a small fortune over the years.

Having said that, be sure to let me know if there are any others that you would recommend!
With all of this I was pleased to see that the use of internet promotions has taken an additional step forward, and that step is called Groupons.com!

Now, I haven't used it yet, but I am absolutely in love with the idea. Basically, a company of the day will put an other up on Groupons.com each day (depending on region it my be every couple of days, or weeks). The offer is usually something that offers a great savings, the only catch is that a certain number of people also need to sign-up and pay for the deal. Luckily, many, many people buy these deals each day because they are just that good, and the savings are just as good, if not great!

So, today I ask that you give them a look through, and see if it suits your interest.

And, if any of you are currently using Groupons.com please let us know!

As always, thank you...The Runner

The Girl With The...The Girl Who...Blah Blah Blah?

Alright, I am all for a good book and a great story, but I am also very aware of the Twilight non-sense and the world domination of Harry Potter, but what the hell is with these books?

Who knows about them?

Who has read them?

Who has had them recommended to them?

Has anyone completed all three of these?

Is anyone looking forward to the forth?

And finally, can somebody, anybody, explain this to me?

I don't need the plot ruined, not that I might read them, but they are everywhere!!!

Since cancelling my Comcast, and falling for the allure of Netflix Wii, my book reading has also skyrocketed!

So, if you liked it, say so.

If you think it was a good purchase, say so.

And, if you didn't like it, say so.

But please, for the love of God, SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT THE CRAZE IS WITH THESE BOOKS!!!

As always, thank you...The Runner

Building Your Savings While Paying Off Debt?

According to an article at Yahoo Finance entitled, Put Savings (and Yourself) First With a Budget, it states, "Where does that money go? America, it seems, is in the midst of a savings crisis. Personal savings rates have dropped in recent years and remain low by historical standards as many people continue to spend beyond their means. If you're among those Americans who can't seem to save, it might be time to create a budget. A budget allows you to understand where the money goes and may help you free up cash for important savings goals, such as college and retirement".

Now, I am all for savings (for those of you just coming on board, please feel free to start from the beginning at my first post The First Two Weeks), but I think this brings up an interesting point, that I would like to turn into at least a two-part series.

Tonight, I would like to discuss Point Three in the Put Savings (and Yourself) First With a Budget article. Basically it states that "Less Spending = More Savings". Sure, I am sold on that, as long as the money you are saving, you are also putting into your savings! But, is that the truth?

Are we really taking the money we are saving and putting in a piggy bank, a savings account, a CD, or anything? Or, are we just considering that money for somewhere else?

And that is the question for tonight.

Are you making an active effort to put all money saved into some sort of savings account? And which ever your answer may be, feel free to explain the methods behind your thinking.

As always, thank you...The Runner

Little Did I Know, I Have Been On My Own Kind of Oprah's Debt Diet!

Incredible!!! For years now I have been reading many books Dirty Little Secrets From the Credit Bureaus, The Budget Kit all the way through Problogger, all for the reason of making life more affordable, and giving me the power to beat down my Piper's Wave.

I have signed up and utilized the abilities of ING Direct, and I have even pulled back in every way that I can. Outside of wearing Croc's to work to save on shoe costs, I am about out of ideas.

Until today!!!

I was told about Oprah's Debt Diet,and after looking into it, I have come to one clear conclusion, I AM ALREADY DOING THIS!!!

Is this what I get for not watching or reading Oprah? Is this a cost of not having cancelled my Comcast cable account? I do not know. However, I do have to admit, that instead of being upset by just finding this today, I am thankful for not only finding it, but realizing that I am actually on my way from step six to step seven, on the Oprah Debt Diet plan!

Again, incredible!!!I definitely suggest that you check this out if you haven't allready.

However, with all of that said, I do think that a lot of what we have covered in here can help alleviate some of the common problems when it comes to pulling back, and taking control of your finances. Things like NetflixWii, Krueger Coffee Makers and Crock Pots.

All of these things, and others found throughout this blog, have helped me feel that while I am cutting back, I am not cutting myself off from anything, and that has been the most important part of this, during what is now almost 2 months worth or wins and progress!!!

So at the end of the day, I am confident that personal growth goes hand-and-hand with financial success, and to that I say thanks Oprah!

And believe me, I never thought I would say that either, having never subscribed to as much as an e-mail from her massive empire, but thank you for putting a great stamp on what I taught myself to be a good idea!

So, be sure to check-out the Oprah Debt Diet and let us know what you think!

As always, thank you...The Runner

Do we only get one resolution a year?

You now what I mean. Its the famous or maybe now more accurately infamous "New Year's Resolution". Is that all!!! Why only one? Well right here today, I propose a "July Fourth Resolution". Who is with me?

Let the New Year's Resolution maintain what is and cover as much ground as it can, for our new July Fourth Resolution, I believe that our resolutions should focus around the idea of personal finance. That's it, just personal finance. I know it has all earmarks of something that the public will demand for in the future, but for now it is just us!!!

In my first ever post The First Two Weeks I spoke about how Starbucks, or more accurately, what I was spending monthly at Starbucks caused to be the first thing I declared my Independence against paying $200, and that is were we can all start.

Find something that will allow you to see a noticeable change in your spending and you my friend are declaring that with which is yours. You are in effect declaring your own Independence from wasteful spending!!!

So you tell me, can you do it? Would you do it? Share what you can!

As always, thank you...The Runner

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!!!

Sure, who doesn't. A couple of days ago I came across article called The Millionaire's Retirement Plan. Now that is a plan I would love to pieces if and when it comes together!!!

"If you're just entering the workforce, retirement probably seems like a lifetime away. A million dollars by retirement? That's someone else's dream, right? It doesn't have to be. Here is the millionaire's retirement plan. For these calculations, assume an average annual return of 8%, adjusted for inflation at 3% - a reasonable estimate of average market returns".

My only question is what does a million dollars get me when I am sixty five (which is now only thirty five years away!)

If we look back 35 years, sure a million dollar retirement might have been very nice, but seriously what does that get me. I know that it gives me piece of mind to at least be able to have that option, and I know that if I was smart enough to make it that long, then I should be able to make that million dollars sing and grow a little after I retire. Right? Who knows?

Wait, do any of you know? Are any of your nest eggs at where they were supposed to be 35 years prior and if so, did you have to do anything different to maintain that nest egg?

As always, thank you...The Runner

Indepence & Money...Yes Please!!!

Well I guess it has been a couple of money making and money saving days, so now what, celebrate?

While we all are going to celebrate the date of our Nations birth with cookouts, family and friends, but the running we are all doing will still continues. And this year their is much more to celebrate as well!!! ING Direct is offering reductions on their already outstanding offerings for everything from Savings, to Checking, to Home Loans, to Retirement & Investing with the year of that great day of American history, that's right, 1776!!!

This deal only goes on through for the next couple of days. But, I would urge you at least look at their options before deciding which one is right for you, but the Electric Orange Checking is coming with a $76 bonus. And I am in. Yep, seventy six beans in my pocket, just by adding a checking account to my normal checking account. Sure I have to make 4 purchases of any value with 45 days, but otherwise the cash will mine!!! ARR!!!! (Say it with me, like a pirate, ARR!!!!)

For me this also solves an additional issue. My former back was great, and I mean just great. Their customer service, their locations and their ability to work with a customer, were just great!!! Then around 9 months ago my bank was taken over by a new brand, with a different look, and a much different idea of what it really means to handle a customer. They have caused me nothing but grief, but this is not like a cable box that I can simply just cash it in, no, this is another of those "wins" we have spoken off, and important they are. When I originally signed up with my old bank, there were no fee, except for overdraft, but they would allow you have that charged reversed one time every year. This new bank however, has it completely wrong. Now, we are required to maintain a balance above $100 so to not have to incur a "cycling charge" Cycling charge? Does my Piper have a bike? And it so, how big is it? Non the less, every time you go under $100 limit the back charges you $15!!!!


So , thanks to our friends over at ING Direct, there is another game in town where the words free, actually mean FREE!!!

I hope you have enjoyed this post, and certainly hope you take the time to see it an ING Direct Option might not be a good option for you an yours!!!

I look forward to you replies!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

And, and as always, thank you...The Runner