It's Dai Time

Katie & Scott & Simon & Cecily.

Tag: money (Page 3 of 5)

Day 250: day care fsa

October 19, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Each year, the company makes us look over our work benefits and decide which benefits we want to keep, which pre-tax spending accounts we want to deposit money into, and things like supplemental life insurance.

This year is the first year that I’ve had to actually consider the Dependent Child Care FSA.  It would be a pre-tax account that I could put money into directly from my paycheck to help pay for child care.

From an informal poll of child care costs from my co-workers with children, the cost of actually sending a child to a day care is something in the ballpark of 20 hojillian dollars.  That’s a lot.  That’s way more than I’d be putting into a FSA.

So, I waived putting any money into it this year.  Our child will just have to deal with actually being cared for by us, I suppose.

Or we’ll just have to pay for it post-tax, if we sell our house.  And kidneys.  Or I can fake my own death and Katie can collect on the life insurance policy?  The options are limitless!

Day 237: credit card?

October 6, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Hello friends and family.

Are you in need of a credit card? That’s a serious question. Because if the answer is yes, I have an offer for you. It’s not a fabulous offer, but it’s OK.

So, here’s the deal: my main card is the American Express Blue Cash Back. I got an email that offers me $25 if I refer someone else to the card, as well as giving the new applicant a $25 credit as well after their first purchase.

So, if you are looking for a new credit card (or an extra one), let me give a brief overview of the card itself:

  • It’s a cash back card. Initially, it’s 0.5% on all purchases with 1% back on “everyday” purchases such as gas and groceries. After $6,500 on purchases within 12 months, those get bumped up to 1.25% and 5% respectively.
  • It’s an American Express card, so it won’t be accepted as many places as Visa or Mastercard.
  • I personally have always had pretty good customer service from the company, including my recent Xbox 360 extended warranty. They’ve also responded pretty well when any potential fraud charges showed up.

So, no pressure. I’m not even completely aware of what the APRs are like because I don’t carry a balance on the card from month to month. I also realize that in this economic climate, another credit card might be the last thing you need. But – if you’re looking for a decent cash back card and wouldn’t mind a $25 credit to go with it, shoot me a quick email (or comment) and I’ll send you a referral.

Day 207: call me a hypocrite

September 6, 2009 / / 0 Comments

…but I’m thinking of getting a PS3.

I know, I know.  Where was that man of just three weeks ago that detailed his list of reasons why a PS3 Slim held no interest for him?  Did I happen upon some Sony Kool-Aid while in Portland and take a swig?  Did I win one in some kind of online Google puzzle contest?

Well, no.  All that happened was that I found out that I can apply for a Sony credit card, order a PS3, and get a $100 credit back.  My net cost for a new PS3 would then only be $200, which makes it much more compelling for me.

Why?  I’m not exactly sure why the $100 makes such a big difference.  Maybe because it feels like a $200 price drop on a new slimmer system?  I haven’t quite figured out why my mind reacted so differently to thinking about a $200 PS3 compared to a $300 one.  The truth is, I could afford either.  But, at $200, it really feels like a deal; at $300, it still feels like it’s a bit overvalued.

The hassle, of course, is that I end up having to deal with a new credit card that I’ll probably never use for anything else (unless I buy other things from Sony for more rewards points) and the credit is more like a mail-in rebate because it’s not an immediate discount.  So I still truly send $300 on the system and then on the next credit card statement, get a $100 credit.

Also, all my arguments still hold some worth: will this push me to purchase more Blu-Rays, which I don’t need?  Will this be the start of a slippery slope of impulse PS3 game purchases that will put an even bigger dent into our pocketbook?  These are all things I’ll have to consider.

But I’m sorely tempted to apply for the card and get a PS3 Slim in my hands within the week.

Day 189: my thoughts on the playstation 3

August 19, 2009 / / 0 Comments

Yesterday, in Germany, Sony announced the Playstation 3 Slim.  It’s a PS3, retailing for $299, that’s approximately a third lighter and smaller.  For the first time since the console was released, it feels affordable and justifiable as an entertainment purchase.

In this age of spoilers and rumors, the PS3 Slim had been rumored for quite a while and the announcement yesterday felt more like a confirmation and the attachment of a release date than an actual surprise.

Still, it gave me pause.  Up until the announcement yesterday, I had considered and rejected the idea of purchasing a PS3 in the near future.  My reasons are, to me, pretty clear cut.

  • The PS3 is expensive.  This is a bit less true now; $300 is certainly more palatable than $400, but that doesn’t include game purchases to begin a new library.  Also, I wouldn’t be able to sell my PS2 to offset those costs while retaining my PS2 game library, as the PS3 doesn’t have backwards compatibility.
  • The PS3 doesn’t have too many games that are exclusive to it that I particularly want to play.  Most next-gen games come out for the 360 as well.  Aside from LittleBigPlanet, there’s nothing I’ve actually felt like I’ve missed out on by not owning a PS3.
  • More of my friends have a 360.  This is also slowly becoming less true, as more of my friends that only had a 360 before are now picking up PS3s.  But when I had to make my initial choice between the two, a lot more of my friends had 360s, meaning that if I wanted to play online with people, it made little sense that pay more for a PS3 and get a smaller pool of friends that I could play with.
  • I don’t really want a Blu-Ray player…yet.  The built-in Blu-Ray player is a huge point in the PS3 column, but it’s not something that I really want.  My eyes are not yet that critical of the quality in our DVD collection and a new Blu-Ray player would drive me toward buying new Blu-Ray discs.  That’s not something I feel like doing just yet.

Logically, there’s very little reason for me to buy a PS3 right now.  However, I will admit that when I heard the announcement of a slimmer, sleeker PS3 combined with a $100 price cut, I did feel a little…consumer-y.  The thought, maybe I’ll actually get one of these now crossed my mind.

Maybe I’ll wait and see if there are any killer deals on Black Friday.

Oh – and the Schwan man delivered fudgesicles and they’re delicious.

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