Recent comments

  • How to Make Moonshine   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Getting ready to mix mash tomorrow. It will sit in its own fermenter, probably 12-13 gallons. Plan on cooking Saturday. Do I need to throw away some off of the first run? I have heard both ways. If your cooking anything no need to throw away. But then I have heard that methanol comes off first and is toxic. So is it better safe than sorry? If I need to throw some away how much should I throw out?

  • The Best and Worst Things to Buy in April   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Me and my friends have been looking to go on a cruise we found pretty good deals but we are still holding out for a deal that blows us out of the water. I think it might happen this month.

  • 25 Things to Never Pay Full Price For   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Actually, tap water is subject to more stringent regulation than bottled water. Most bottled water actually *is* tap water, in fact -- tap water that has sat in a plastic bottle, absorbing plasticizing agents from the water for months or years.

    If the water in your part of the country tastes bad, get a filter. But don't be roped into the bottled water scam.

  • How to Use a Computer More Efficiently   14 years 3 weeks ago

    I recently started using Dragon Naturally Speaking at work. It's awesome (or at least a whole lot better than typing). I can type much faster with far less typing errors. You still need to proof read. Where did I get it from??? QVC ($50.00 or so). Don't laugh at me. I'm a guy who watches QVC (and, no , I don't work for QVC). Good luck with typing

  • 22 Reasons to Stop Drinking Soda   14 years 3 weeks ago

    I gave up soda as of June 6, 2011. FEel better. Blood pressure dropped. too.

  • How to Use a Computer More Efficiently   14 years 3 weeks ago

    I'm a really fast typer and know most shortcuts - when I work with someone who types slowly or doesn't know shortcuts, I get sooo frustrated (even when that person is my boyfriend!). I have to remind myself that it's "normal" and if I'm honest, I'm the one who is abnormal. :) I do think it's something definitely worth learning though.

  • SpringCoin to Pay Off $500 Debt for One Lucky Wise Bread Reader   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Hi Kasey,

    I apologize if I wasn't more clear about why I trust this service enough to offer free accounts to our users. As I mentioned in the first paragraph, this service is a Y-Combinator project. Y-Combinator is a startup incubator founded by Paul Graham, and is responsible for nurturing famous startups like Reddit, Dropbox, Loopt, and Scribd. To be part of Y-Combinator is quite an honor and a sign that your startup is a good idea.

    To top it off, out of all the recent Y-Combinator projects, Mashable picked it as one of the top ones to keep an eye on, which makes it an even more promising startup. It also received a review from New York Time's Bucks blog.

    We've also worked with SpringCoin before. A few weeks ago they sponsored a TweetChat on Wise Bread.

    Finally, I signed up for the program myself to test out the system. And everything looks good so far.

    They use a secured https connection and has a current Verisign security certificate. So I think you are as safe using SpringCoin as you are with services like your bank's online banking or Mint.com.

    I hope that answers your question! It is my fault for not explaining this in more detail. I'll add more of this info in the post so people get a better idea. Thanks for the suggestion.

    Edited to add: Also the backend financial data is handled through a service called Yodlee, which is pretty much the industry standard for handling online financial data. You can read more about Yodlee here. I believe Adaptu and Mint (before they joined Intuit) both used Yodlee in their backend technology.

  • How to Be a More Positive Person   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Thanks for that link! I just came across that yesterday and it did succeed in making my day.

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    buying a new car.

  • How to Be a More Positive Person   14 years 3 weeks ago

    2 of my favorites - be thankful for the good that you've gotten, because there are definitely people A LOT worse off! And Smile, Smile, Smile! You'll look better, and feel better right away, like you said!

  • SpringCoin to Pay Off $500 Debt for One Lucky Wise Bread Reader   14 years 3 weeks ago

    I'm a little surprised to see Wise Bread essentially recommending giving your financial info without explaining how the site has been vetted or why readers should trust it - Kevin, I've seen your comments and I don't mean to imply that you're not trustworthy, I just mean that this post is out of line with what I usually expect from Wise Bread.

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Sorry - I didn't read that it was *financial* LOL. In that case, it's paying off my husband's $30,000 student loan in 2 years on one income, with a child. :)

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Getting a secured credit card and almost paying off my mortgage!

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    My biggest accomplishment was saving enough money to buy a 2-year old certified used car with cash!

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Well, we are still working on paying off debt - and the biggest thing on my mind is a large chunk of it we just got rid of, but our biggest is probably being car loan free for 6 years now...and my hubby has even bought 3 cars in that timeframe - but we did it all with cash.

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    My biggest financial accomplishment thus far has been paying off my credit card debt! Damn, it feels good. After that, saving up a modest emergency fund was much easier.

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    So far it has been to save back over $50,000 in our (mine and my husband's) retirement (we are in our mid-30's). This was only really up until 2007, b/c since then the recession has hit us hard and there have been stretches on no work, unemployment and underemployment. We haven't had to tap into that retirement account, though, thank goodness!

  • SpringCoin to Pay Off $500 Debt for One Lucky Wise Bread Reader   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Gosh, I'd kind of like to merge it with Mint. Mint is great for small-scale things. Seeing where your money goes, how much you spend on coffee. But I feel like it's bad at giving you the big picture. Springcoin seems to be the exact opposite. But I'll continue experimenting and see where I land.

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    As contrary as it sounds, my biggest financial accomplishment was declaring bankruptcy. I'd been living for years robbing Peter to pay Paul, using credit cards like they were cash and not having any type of budget or spending plan. When DH and I both lost our jobs within a month of each other it forced us to take a hard look at our money situation and face reality.

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    I'm particularly proud of the emergency savings cushion I've built, my ability to pay for cars (used) with cash, and my continued contributions toward my girls' college funds.

  • SpringCoin to Pay Off $500 Debt for One Lucky Wise Bread Reader   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Hi Chad,

    We only ask for the last 4 digits of your SSN and we use this information to get a birds eye view of all your accounts so we can create a roadmap for you. We use bank level security to make sure your information is safe and secure. If you have any security related question, please don't hesitate to reach out to me :)

  • SpringCoin to Pay Off $500 Debt for One Lucky Wise Bread Reader   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Hi Chad, did they ask for your whole social security number? I tested out the program myself last weekend, and it asked for the last 4 digits instead of the whole number.

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Ten years ago I pretty much had a negative credit score. The electric company wouldn't even sell me electricity for my apartment because of my credit. Today my credit score is 791. That is the result of many tough lessons learned the hard way, a lot of sacrifice, and self education. And now I am able to pass on that education to my daughter, who is about to begin college with her degree already paid for.

  • Ask the Readers: What Is Your Biggest Financial Accomplishment?   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Being able to pay our rent without being evicted has by far been the greatest financial accomplishment we've had. For years we struggled with not having enough funds to pay rent. But now I am proud to say that we have been living at the same residence for the last 5 1/2 years.

  • 25 Things to Never Pay Full Price For   14 years 3 weeks ago

    Ha! I soon as I read this article, I knew there would be someone who would insinuate that Mikey's living room is a den of sin. Sheesh, people. Condoms. It's not like good, moral people don't use condoms.