Kirby on Finance

Cheap World Series Tickets for Those Who Wait

I’m not sure how many of you are baseball fans, but getting to see a World Series game probably has some appeal to most of us. As a Braves fan, I never had the chance to make it to any of their previous appearances in the World Series, but I was lucky enough to catch several of their playoff appearances (those were the days!). Normally, I’ll do a quick check on Ticketmaster to see if there are any tickets available and if not, I usually resolve to find a scalper (where legal, of course) or a friend that might have a ticket to spare.

Well, if you’re interesting in seeing a World Series game this year, don’t worry - it’s a good thing you haven’t bought a ticket yet. Andrew Sweeting did some ticket price analysis for a research paper and determined that ticket prices actually decrease as game-time draws near.

Sweeting has meticulously crunched the data on baseball ticket sales for 2007 on StubHub.com, and he cross-checked his analysis with data from another (anonymized) online source. He documents a rather striking fact: the prices of baseball tickets tend to fall through time.

So here’s my advice: If you are looking to buy World Series tickets, you should wait until a day or two before the game. In fact, as the graph below shows, this may yield savings of 25 percent, or more!

When to Buy World Series Tickets [Justin Wolfers/Freakonomics Blog]

Save $15 off of a $100 Purchase at Target!

Thinking about making a purchase at Target’s website? Well, use this coupon code to save $15 off of a $100 purchase!

Target Coupon: FSHSAVE4

Google offers free alternatives!

Paul Boutin recently wrote an article for the Slate that covered four more obscure Google web applications that many people have yet to hear of.  The most notable are Google’s attempt to offer an alternative to Microsoft’s Word and their free RSS news reader.  I’d imagine that the readership of this blog probably has a pretty good handle of what Google has to offer, but the article is still worth a read.  I’m not sure I’m ready to move to an web based document creator, but I think this type of decision isn’t too far fetched for a lot of us out there who hate paying out the wazoo for Microsoft’s Word. The best part of these four applications is that they’re FREE!

Four great Google apps you don’t klnow about. [Slate.com]

Can you pass the money test?

Suze Orman has a really good money test for you to determine your money management skills.  It’s made for graduates, but works for everyone.

Graduates, Test Your Money Smarts [Yahoo]

Are you saving too much?

Lately I’ve seen a lot of news reports saying that Americans aren’t saving enough. I’m not here to argue whether or not those reports are correct, but there are some suggestions out there that they incorrectly value America’s true savings rate. Either way, they’ve caused me to do a little thinking.

I read a lot of other finance blogs and I certainly get a lot of e-mail from readers of this blog who tell me terrific stories about how they’re saving 10%, 15%, and even 40% of their income each year. I can’t help but be amazed at the dedication that these readers must have. To save 40% of your income is something that very, very few can achieve.

My fear is that some of us may be saving too much. There’s nothing more important than saving for your future – except maybe for actually enjoying the life that you have now. Of course, all of this assumes that you’re not in expansive debt, are fairly young and in a situation where saving 10-15% is rather easy for you to do. If that’s the case, I’m wondering if maybe we’re putting too much emphasis on saving and less on enjoyment of the life you have.

I’m not trying to discourage saving, but what if you don’t live to retirement? What if you don’t live past this year, next week, or even tomorrow? I know that’s a weak argument against saving, but I think it’s a strong one for putting your saving and even your spending in perspective.

It seems like to me, the best plan is one that strikes a good balance between enjoyment of today and a enjoyment for the future. I’m not advocating a life of shopping sprees and wasteful spending, but only a life that keeps in mind that your happiness now is just as important as your happiness in the future.

Of course this argument doesn’t address the systemic saving problem in America, but I think it’s safe to assume that if you’re reading this you’re not just an average American.

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.