Kirby on Finance

New Rule: Cutting in line is okay!

We all hate people that cut in line. Nothing’s worse than working your way up to the front of the line, only to have someone jump in line right in front of you. It’s annoying, but if you’re at a theme park, they might have the right to do it!

I know it sounds odd, but I’ve seen several articles floating around lately about the best ways to “cut” in line at amusement parks without having someone tap you on the back letting you know that cutting in line isn’t okay. Some parks are now allowing you to hold your place in line, set up a particular reservation time to get on a ride, or even just cut right in front of everyone on a whim.

The cost of doing this varies from park to park. A few parks offer the service for free, and others charge. Some will also bundle their line cutting service with an entertainment package that includes food and lodging. It all just depends on which park you’re going to.

I live in Atlanta, so it’s Six Flags for me. Their passes would set me back an extra $10-15. That’s not too bad considering Universal Studios Hollywood charges an $89.95. However, Walt Disney World and Disneyland take they cake – the service is free!

I’m rich! Well, only if $530 makes me rich!

After a few weeks of patient monitoring of my checking account, I noticed that my federal tax rebate is finally in my pocketbook. I find this “extra” cash to be rather exciting, but it’s not. Really, I just gave the federal government an interest free $530 loan. Pretty stupid if you ask me!

Either way, I’ve got the money in my hands now and I’m debating between applying it to my student loans, investing it in the market, or just throwing it in my HSBC account. I’ll let you guys know what I decide!

Debt Consolidation may not be right for you!

Money Crashers has a great post regarding debt consolidation, that’s well worth the read. It does a good job of offering the pitfalls of debt consolidation and helps you determine if it’s right for you. I really like one of his quotes, “Debt consolidation is like Nyquil. It does not cure the illness, it only relieves the symptoms.”

Easy ways to lower your car’s value!

I’m sure that most of you financially savvy readers out there buy cars with the some idea of selling them down the road. If you’re like me, you mainly think about the brand of the vehicle when determining how well its value will hold. It stands to reason that a BMW will hold its value better than a Subaru (which really are great cars), but that’s not the whole picture. A recent CNNMoney article talks about common mistakes that we make with our car purchases that come back to bite us when we try to resale them a few years down the line.

Pick a wild color
“That metallic purple paint job may seem attractive on the sales lot, but many times car owners find it harder to sell those exotic-colored cars later on.” This just makes sense – there’s a reason why automakers don’t seem to have a lot of wild colors on the cars in the lot – it’s because they don’t sell as well! By picking a wild color, you’re taking a what may have been a mainstream car and making it a niche market vehicle.

Eat and go
“It may be unavoidable at times, but eating in your seat is a fast track to damaging the interior of your car. If possible, consider the mess potential of any foods you might eat in the car.” While I agree this would lower the value of the car, I’m going to continue being guilty on this one. Part of my car’s use is being able to handle me on the go. Breakfast on the run isn’t really an option for me – it’s a way of life!

Let the interior go
“Neglecting your vehicle’s interior is one way drivers can ruin their car’s resale value. Instead make sure the upholstery and mats in your car are in good shape.” This only makes sense. Generally speaking, a car is a horrible investment, but you’ve got to accept that protecting your “investment” will pay off for you in the long run.

Ignore those door dings
“That scratch or ding may not look like much from the outside, but they could have a lasting impact on your car’s value if not fixed in a timely fashion. Often those blemishes are the first step toward rust and could result in expensive damage to your car over time.”

Choose poorly from the start
“It’s tempting to pick the car that grabs your eye at the dealership, but make sure you pick a vehicle that has a good projected resale value.” Most of a car’s resale value is determined after you describe its make and model.

A Little Blog Post Collection!

I’m constantly amazed at how many great personal finance bloggers there are out there. The sheer mass of quality content that’s put out here for all of us to enjoy daily is just amazing. I’m working on a few other projects this evening, so I figured this would be a good time to show you a few posts by other bloggers that I’m sure you’d enjoy.

The Budgeting Babe has a great post on determining your net worth. She really goes through the basics of what exactly someone’s net worth includes and a few thoughts about the whole process.

Young and Broke offers up another great read with her post on the true cost of pet ownership. She arrives at the ultimate cost of $400 a month for a pet. Amazing! This, and all of her other posts are absolutely worth checking out.

Seattle Simplicity offers up some free personal finance tools.

Last but certainly not least, congrats goes out to Our Money, who reached a personal milestone of $80,000 net worth. Congrats!

Sticking your finger in a potato is a good thing?

I didn’t know this, but potatoes can take food stains right off of your fingers. All you have to do is just slice a raw potato and rub it on the stains and rinse. That’s easy!

I know you’re probably wondering where I got this information and as usual, it’s Dawn from Frugal For Life. She recently posted a few hints & tips for the kitchen on her blog and they’re worth checking out.

Some of them are a little too frugal for me, but a few really hit home. I love putting fresh grated cheese on my salads and pasta, but the problem is that I hate cleaning up the messy grater! Dawn suggests spraying the grater with non-stick cooking spray or brushing it lightly with oil. Thanks Dawn!