thrive » finance

Can you really save the earth with a credit card?

Ryan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:45:07 +0000

I’m a little skeptical of the green movement. It’s not that I don’t want to go green. It’s not that I don’t want alternative energy… What I’m skeptical of is the attempt to market anything and everything as “green” – in something you’d expect straight out of The Onion, there are now green credit cards which give you a magical superpower: they let you help the earth by shopping. Can’t we call BS when we see it? Think about it for a second. First of all, consumption of any besides natural food cycle consumption is environmentally disruptive. Anytime you purchase and consume a product, you are hurting the environment – and this fact doesn’t change when you use the magical green credit cards either.

The fact of the matter is that you will be much more helpful to the environment by cutting back on your shopping than by getting a green card. This is the height of marketing fraud and deception in my mind. And it’s what I hate about the green movement.

How to eat cheap

Ryan — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:17:13 +0000

Did you know that food can be one of the most substantial parts of the average American’s budget? Especially if you eat out a lot. Here are three tips to eat more cheaply.

saving money or wasting time

Ryan — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:46:53 +0000

You know how every once in a while you come across something that changes your thinking. Here’s an article that I read today that asks the reader to weigh savings with costs. For example, to save a few cents on gas, is it worth it for me to drive an extra 2 miles? I think the human mind has a tendency to oversimply things and just assume that all financial savings are good. However, if we think about things a bit, we can see that our time is our most precious asset and needs to be weighed against potential monetary savings.

Loving these t-shirt lists. There’s so …

Ryan — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:33:38 +0000

Loving these t-shirt lists. There’s something about the way a t-shirt exudes personality. Without talking to a person you get a glimpse into their soul. Here’s businesspundit’s list of 20 Annoying People You Might Meet in a Bank Line

Chris asks a really important question i …

Ryan — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:54:04 +0000

Chris asks a really important question in the current economic crisis: Could Your Family Survive a Month of No Spending?

US banks increasing overdraft fees

Todd — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:57:34 +0000

I got quite angry when I read this today. Firstly I was annoyed because banks played with fire and have been burnt, but seem content to make us pay for their mistakes. Secondly, it’s actually cheaper than the accidental overdraft fee I incurred yesterday from a large bank here the UK – £35 / $70! Unreal.

Banks: give them an inch, they’ll take a mile

Todd — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:41:03 +0000

I don’t think there’s much doubt left about the state of the flailing world economy. Driven to the brink of recession on the back of repackaged sub-prime mortgages, Wall St. is in chaos and , according to the Guardian, banks on the street borrowed an average $38.4bn every day of last week. In other words they’re hooked on the cheap credit crack pimped out by the Fed. I bet Bernanke is having trouble sleeping, or at least I hope he is!

The US Housing Market

Ryan — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:21:19 +0000

Wondering what $350,000 gets in today’s US Housing Market in various places across the country?