Uploads

Someone wrote me to promote this website, which you can use to upload and distribute large (up to 100M) files to yourself and others. I don't quite understand the difference between the free version and the advanced ones, but if you need something like this you might have a look into it.

Savings and Loans

I know a lot of otherwise inteligent people who keep a savings account while maintaining a balance on their credit cards. What makes sense is that they want to save money. What doesn't is that a savings account is supposed to be a safety fund. But if you think about it, your credit card is a safety fund- you can use it to buy things in an emergency and you can also use it to get cash if you need it. So it makes more sense to pay off the debt you have with 20% interest than to save money in a savings account that pays only 1%.

Vegas, Baby!

Arthur Frommer has a great list of cheap hotels in Las Vegas with room rates as low as $40 per night.

Buy Nothing (New)

Here is an article I wrote for Frontiers Magazine on how to avoid buying anything new.

The real trick to saving money by buying used stuff is to stop and think before you buy anything. There are many things most people don't consider buying used but should. For me, it's kitchen stuff and sporting goods. I always think, "I need a new ladle so I need to go to Bed Bath & Beyond." I forget to stop and think about other options. Thrift stores have tons of pots and pans and pitchers and silverware and plates and glasses- and they're all dirt cheap. Same with sporting goods- lots of it in thrift stores but also in used sports stores.

Getting Gas

Here's a good article on MSN Money about how to save on gasoline. I haven't had a car in years so I'm clueless, but this will even save me money when I rent. Advice includes not going to any station visible from the highway and gassing up in the ghetto. Good stuff.

Touring Pods

Podbop.org links to mp3s of bands touring your city. So far it's only geared towards major metropolitan areas, but it's a start. The SF Chronicle's new 96 Hours section also podcasts samples of touring bands. I like this idea.

Caught in the Rain

For the last two nights I've been out drinking when it suddenly began pouring. Both nights I came home dry as a bone.

If you're like me, you've left behind and umbrella or five at various bars around the world. Therefore I have no problem with asking for a free one from a bar's lost and found box.

A friend of mine showed me the lost umbrella box at one bar. It had at least 30 umbrellas in there. So I tried several until I found one that was perfect. My friend was not happy that I was tempting bad luck by opening umbrellas indoors, but I find that the best response to other peoples' superstitions is direct insensitivity.