We made our second trip to the ponies in a week tonight, and I’m starting to think it might be our thing. It’s free to get in, and you can make bets as small as 10 cents. Most of the times I’ve gone I’ve broke even. We never spend more than $20 for a night out.
I tried out box wagering tonight, and I think it worked out pretty well. I won $16 the last race, and while it won’t buy me gold cufflinks, it did make me come out $2 ahead for the night. I feel like a winner!
We were in the unusual camp when my wife and I were married. We spent about 20 minutes planning the ceremony in Vegas (which was awesome by the way.) and had our reception dinner at In-N-Out burger.
We also didn’t have an engagement ring.
We stopped at Albert’s Jewelers about 6 months ago to get a nice big rock. Nice jewelry doesn’t come cheap, of course.
We’re paying a car payment each month for about 10 more months to pay this sucker off. Then it’s time to get a Prius to offset the $4 a gallon gas.
I am missing Vegas big time right now. We’ve gone twice this year and I could seriously go again right 
now. I miss the sun and the pool. The last 3 or 4 times we have gone, I’ve had good luck with the dollar slots. 2 visits ago I put a $20 in the dollar slots, and after 3 or 4 pulls it spit out $150. It’s not big money but it allowed us to go see Penn and Teller.
Our last visit we were losing money hand over fist, and just happened to put literally our last $5 into a dollar machine and it kicked out $70, so we left feeling like winners.
We’d probably save money by buying real slot machine games and just plunking our own quarters into them. I can imagine I just be just as excited to win in my own basement as I am winning at the Flamingo.
There’s a few places you can buy them online, so I’m gonna ask for an early Christmas present.
It’s no secret that I make money for writing some of the content on my blog here. I try to keep the things I write topical and informative. I’m signed up with a few different companies now and I’m not making a huge amount, but it’s enough for a night out every once in a while.
Bidvertiser is another way for people to make money online. Click Here to Signup as a BidVertiser Referral! When you sign up, the referrer makes $20 in free clicks. Bidvertiser lets you sell links directly on your blog and people bid on what they think your blog is worth. It’s a great way to monetize your blog without a lot of effort. They have a press release that can explain the referral program better than I can.
BidVertiser is used by tens of thousands of bloggers to make money from their blogs by showing the BidVertiser ppc ads. Anyone can join BidVertiser either as a publisher or an advertiser, but we would like to share a new opportunity that not everyone is aware of:
BidVertiser now opens the the opportunity for bloggers to join as a referral, and as a unique benefit - a $20 coupon of free clicks is included with every referral account! This coupon can be shared and passed on to anyone - by placing a referral button on the blog, by adding the coupon link to a newsletter or even to an RSS feed
Once you signup as a referral, you get your unique referral link which will give $20 in free clicks to anyone that clicks it, adding great value to your blog as well as being a great benefit to your readers. Referral earnings are tracked online in the referral control panel and payments are made monthly, via PayPal or check, with a minimum of only $10.
If you choose to also activate your publisher account, you will also be able to get access to a new set of referral links that will both give your readers $20 in free clicks and will enable them to advertise directly on your blog via BidVertiser, increasing your earnings even more!
Health insurance is more important thanever these days. When my dad had a kidney removed, it cost upwards of $50,000. If we didn’t have insurance we’d probably have lost our house and pretty much everything else. Health insurance can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Kaiser is a leading private health insurance company that strives to provide great coverage at a good rate. Go get a Kaiser insurance quote and see if it beats what you are paying right now. They specialize in small business, family and individual coverage. Don’t be left tens of thousands of dollars in the hole. Get covered. Go to their site and fill out an Kaiser Permanente online application. It’s quick and easy!
The annual 2007 Wealth Expo is coming, and it is less than a week away! I took a look at my (relatively new) 401k plan yesterday and found out I already have 3000 dollars saved towards my retirement. However, there is a lot about the investment market that neither I nor Corrin know. It’s scary putting money into the market blindly, so I am looking for a way to learn in a safe environment so I don’t make an expensive mistake. I’m sure a lot of youknow what I mean.
One of the keynote speakers is John Netto, who is a sucessful portfolio manager. He will be speaking about enhancing returns on investments you already made, and reducing volitility in your portfolio.
I am also interested in the DVD kiosk seminar. They will teach me how to make myself a fortune by setting up those hugely sucessful DVD rental kiosks you see everywhere nowaday. (4:30 on Oct. 21st.)
BP, whom we all know and love as Chuck’s employer, is putting on a show at 1:30 on the 20th, so be sure to check that out as well.
If you want to learn how to get yourself out of a rut with a realistic approach, be sure to attend the Wealth Expo this year. It’s only $99 to pre-register, and that is a steal for a 3-day conference.
The conference itself is sponsored by MyWallSt.net: Your Financial Social Network so be sure to head over there to find out more about the conference and get some tips beforehand.
Clear your schedule on these days!
Friday, 10/19: 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. EDT with a cocktail hour to follow
Saturday, 10/20: 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. EDT with a cocktail hour to follow
Sunday, 10/21: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. EDT (no cocktail hour)
If you’ve ever returned a video game to GameStop or Electronics Boutique, you know that you buy a $60 game, play it, and trade it in a month later for $15 in store credit. Then you get the pleasure of watching them stick your game on the shelf for $49.99. Your other option is to rent a game, and be forced to return it 2 days later when you are just getting into the thick of it.
PlayerChain created an online network that allows you to trade games with other people for a fraction of the cost of renting or buying. You can put your game up for a trade as often as you want, and you get credits good for another game. It’s a cool system and you should definitely check it out since its free to sign up!
Every once in a while we will get called to a house for someone with a toothache. Most people realize that an emergency room won’t do anything for a really bad toothache except MAYBE giving you pain medicine. Even that is debatable because it was pretty common for addicts to roll into ERs not long ago and complain of tooth pain just to get a fix. So if an ambulance or the ER can’t help you when you break a crown, what are you supposed to do?
There’s some great stuff for sale now called Dentemp OS which is a really tough temporary dental cement (as the name implies.) It’s pre-mixed and each package contains enough cement for several applications. It stays put and you can eat with it on, so you can take your time in getting to the dentist instead of paying outrageous emergency dental work fees. You can cover up a sore spot or put a crown back in place. It’s easy to use too,so you don’t need to be a dental hygienist to put it on.
I’m always looking for products that help people NOT call 911, since I don’t like to work, and Dentemp OS is a great thing for people to keep on hand just in case, especially if you have a lot of dental work. Or maybe you really like taffy.
I wish I could find the pictures to show you, but back before my life saving days, I worked in an iron and steelworking mill with my uncle. This was back in 2001 or so, and I was in charge of dealing with purchasing new and replacement equipment, such as conveyors, cleaning supplies, welding equipment, safety equipment, and specialized tools for the coil slitters.
When you are in charge of spending the boss’ money, the quickest way to get on his good side is to spend less than the last guy for the same equipment. I’m an internet wiz, so I connected with suppliers online and was able to significantly reduce spending.
I’ll bet you didn’t think I was multi-talented.
My second favorite celebrity trainwreck is finally out of rehab! After what seem like ages of Britney Spears news, its nice to have LinLo out of drug treatment and back into being a mess. She already signed a deal with OK! magazine to make $750k on her first post-rehab interview. Did you know that your average drug detox stay costs over $13,000? To quote Sam Kinison:
“If you have $13,000… you don’t have a problem yet.”
Our company went through a major tech upgrade this year after 7 years of being a paper-based office and relying on traditional phone systems. We had 4 lines and that was that. Whenever I needed to get through I’d get a busy signal or get picked up by the wrong department. Earlier this year, we upgraded to electronic patient care reporting and dispatching, and a flexible VoIP phone system which brought us solidly into the 21st century. Finally.
If your business is looking into upgrading its phone system, check out the PBX Phone System which can be scaled to fit any small business. There are no major hardware installations and no large upfront costs, so it’s very cost effective and it has all the features you’ll need. You’ll get unlimited nationwide or global calling, an automated attendant to free up personnel, and the ability to add or subtract a line at any time based on your needs.
Packet8.net will work with you to get you set up quickly with a seamless transition. You’ll get all the features of a big-business phone system for a much lower price. Call them for a quote or visit them online and look at all their offerings to see what is best for your company.
In the world of EMS, a heart rate is 170 is grounds for medication. However, when you’re working out, that’s a good indicator that you are working hard. When we monitor your heart rate on the ambulance it means taking off your shirt, sticking 4-10 sticky electrodes on you, and make you sit still.
Numetrex has designed some really awesome clothes that simplify heart monitoring. All you have to do is throw on their shirt and it monitors your heart rate and sends it to a monitoring device. They make men’s and women’s heart rate monitoring shirts and a sports bra, among other heart rate training devices. Check it out here:
There are lots of good reasons to wear a heart rate monitor when you exercise. You can find your target zone for improving cardiovascular health or burning fat, spot a serious health problem or overtraining early, and push yourself further than if you weren’t monitoring yourself.
Back in the day, my dad was pretty handy. He always seemed to do things backwards though, and it alway took twice as long as it should. We once replaced a double door in our old house. The thing was brown and yellow plastic and we wanted something modern. Surprisingly enough it’s quite tough to take out an old door. I remember my dad basically hacking away at shims and spinters forever until the new door fit in just enough to not fall out. Then he filled up the huge gaps with insulating foam. He didn’t believe in reading up on the project. Knowledge is power, you know.
He also re-bricked (is that a word?) our chimney one summer, which was his last home improvement project ever because it infuriated him so much. First of all, it took a month just to find bricks that matched, and then he basically self-taught himself to be a bricklayer. It took him an entire summer, 10 hours at a time.
That was before the internet. Now saavy people can go to DoItYourself.com or buy a DVD to leanr how to install ceramic tile or install a new garage door. (Also projects that ended poorly in my house.)
My dad now lives in an apartment. It didn’t have to end like this!
I’m always getting sore backs at work from lifting the stretcher, and I started working out recently so I can lose some chub. Unfortunately, when you start working out you are real sore for the first few weeks because your chub isn’t used to being exercised. I tried Freeze It on my sore knee and it worked wonders. This is a dramatization of what transpired:
So if you want some topical pain relief and not a bunch of horse pills, I endorse Freeze It. Seriously.
I’m trying to get back into blogging after much downtime. I’m wondering though, since I’m making money, can I deduct expenses from blogging on my taxes? Problogger seems to think so.
Don’t get caught leaving money on the table. Here’s a list of potential deductions that you might have overlooked. Consider:
- Monthly Hosting Fees
- Annual Domain Costs
- Design/Logo Fees
- Internet access fees - this clearly includes DSL and dial-up, but don’t forget charges that you might pay away from your home or office such as wi-fi charges in Internet cafes
- Paid blogging platform charges (such as Typepad monthly charges or “add ons” through WordPress)
- Cell phone usage
- Long distance usage related to your blog - remember that the IRS will not allow you to deduct the cost of your primary land line but you may deduct long distance charges
- Second phone line for business or fax
- Design or word processing software - this includes Photoshop, Illustrator, Word and similar programs for business use
- Computers
- Keyboards, mice and other periphery
- Web cameras
- Digital cameras - and memory cards
- Film processing for traditional cameras
- Costs paid to use or reproduce images
- Downloaded music or other audio
- Blackberry, Treo, iPhone charges
- Business cards
- Headshots for web site or promotional materials
- Letterhead - remember that printed materials not be professionally printed to be deductible!
- Promotional stickers and items - Frisbees, magnets, etc.
- Web advertising - text and banner ads
- SEO services
- Paid site submissions
- Prizes for giveaways and contests
- Postage - it’s impossible to keep track of every single stamp that you use in your business, so buy a sheet or two and keep them in a folder just for business use
- Post box fees - I recommend this if you’re working from home, it looks professional, it’s inexpensive and it keeps sales people from showing up on your doorstep late at night (trust me, MCI has seen me in my pajamas)
- Transportation - this includes mileage for car transportation, train and bus fare for public transit, cab fare, airline tickets
- Dining while away on business
- Hotel charges for overnight conventions and business travel
- Entertainment for clients
- Professional advice (from lawyers, accountants and tax preparers)
- Tax software
- Accounting software
- Copy paper, memo pads, photo paper
- Office supplies - pens, folders and post-its can add up!
- Books, magazines and subscriptions
- Professional affiliation and membership dues
- Professional informational sites (like imdbPro)
- Paid research sites (like LEXIS/NEXIS)
- Trademark fees and related costs
- Conference fees - such as for BlogHer and BlogExpo
- Promotional sponsorships - golf holes at tournaments, that sort of thing
- Charitable donations - limited to the cost of the production, not the FMV of the final product (in other words, if you blog about quilts and you donate a quilt, your deduction is limited to the cost of the quilt materials, not the FMV of the quilt)
- Backup tapes
- Zip drives
It is by no means an exhaustive list - you make think of more (feel free to add them below). The key is to make sure that the expenses are related to your business. They should also be both “ordinary” and “necessary” (a wide screen TV might feel necessary for your sports blog, but likely isn’t according to the IRS) for your business - if you’re not sure, ask other similar bloggers what they do. You can get some good advice and make great contacts at the same time!
