Samsung Galaxy S II – My First Smartphone

Sprint Epic 4G Touch

So I finally entered the world of the smart phone.  When I first started researching phones a couple of weeks ago I considered waiting for the iPhone 5.  Good thing I decided not to wait.  It doesn’t exist.

I came across the Android Samsung Galaxy S2 in my research [...]

Choosing a Hobie Kayak Cart

I just bought the Hobie Trax 2 kayak cart and I wonder if I should have done a little more research before hand.  I already own the standard Hobie kayak cart, but last summer I discovered that it is useless on soft sand!  I guess I should have realized this considering Hobie sells two completely [...]

CT Gas Stations Required by Law to Offer Free Air

Today I did a little research into why some gas stations charge for compressed air to fill up your car tires and others do not.  I found a couple of articles highlighting the fact that California has a State law that requires gas stations to provide free compressed air for customers.  The point of [...]

Should I choose a Roth or a Traditional IRA?

Roth vs. Traditional IRAs

Today I met with a Fidelity Investments account manager in order to talk about retirement planning and any other investment questions that I might have.  This is a free service from Fidelity and the whole experience ended up being quite positive.  We made a few account changes on the [...]

Would you like a tax receipt? I would.

From NPR’s Planet Money blog:

Taxpayers should get a receipt so they know what they’re paying for, a think tank called Third Way argues in a new paper.

Here’s a sample from the group. It includes federal income tax and FICA, which funds Medicare and Social Security. Details are here.

[...]

Magic Jack Charges Credit Card and then Claims Ignorance

We have recently been receiving complaints from Magic Jack users that Magic Jack “accidentally” charges credit cards and then claims ignorance.  Contacting customer support will generate blank stares and no record of such charges.

We have selected two recent customer comments.  You decide what’s going on here.

Reader Ann Marie writes:

BEWARE OF CREDIT [...]

How to Make Hand Lines for Kayak Fishing

I just finished making these hand lines for my son and I.  We want to try fishing from our kayak, and hand lines are compact, simple, and easy to make.  As far as I have read, they are a good option for kayak fishing because they are easier to transport and manage than rods, [...]

How to Make Your Own Hercules Hooks

Hercules Hook wire hangers are a great idea.  The concept works extremely well.  But I can’t believe that people actually buy them!  Isn’t it obvious that you can simply make your own?

When I first saw wire hangers advertised I looked for them at the hardware store.  They wanted $8.00 for a package of [...]

TracFone 1-Year Card with 400 Minutes, Double Minutes, and 250 Bonus Minutes

1-year TracFone card

Lately I’ve been thinking about how I use TracFone.  I always seem to be reloading my phone at the last minute every 3 months.  I normally hunt around for promo codes and hope to find something good.  Usually I’ll find a code that offers 30 to 60 bonus minutes on [...]

Tracfone Promo Code still gives 150 minutes on a 60 minute card

You can still get 150 minutes on a 60 minute card!

Well guys, I just added more minutes to my Tracfone, and once again I received a large chunk of bonus minutes.  In my original post about this code, some people have recently posted comments claiming that the code “no longer works”.  I just [...]