Tax Checklist
Time to start thinking about taxes. Planning early is a big step in avoiding the last minute rush. It also helps to speed the receipt of an expected refund check. But what does planning early mean? There was a time that I only had a vague idea. I went through the ...

How to bet on sports and the Super Bowl using game theory
The 2010 Super Bowl matchup is set. The Indianapolis Colts will face the New Orleans Saints. Already there is much speculation about who is the favorite, which quarterback will perform, which defense or offense will show up, and how these dome teams will play in an outdoor stadium. In fact, none ...

Bundle, the best site for how people spend and save money
How do people spend their money? Do you spend more or less than the average? Would it be cheaper to move to a new city? How would spending habits change if you got married? Or a raise? Previously all we had were guesses. They may have been educated guesses based on ...

Game theory in Mario Party
Nintendo's Mario Party is a series that is a video game equivalent of board games. Gameplay involves mini-games which might include chance elements like rolling a dice or tactical elements like positioning a character on the right square. These video games consequently include many strategic elements and useful examples of ...

Money lessons from art class
I didn't learn how to draw, or paint, or mold clay. I slightly improved artistically, if at all. But I still feel I learned a lot from my eighth grade art class. It all started with the first assignment. We were to create an art portfolio case from construction paper. The ...

How to avoid the winner’s curse using game theory
I've made a huge mistake--GOB and others from Arrested Development Strangely, in many auctions it is a huge mistake to win. Winning can either be unprofitable or less profitable than expected, kind of like a Pyrrhic victory. The tendency of the winner to overpay is more commonly known as the winner's ...

Amazon Subscribe and Save is great
One day I was planning to buy some personal care items. On a whim, I checked if they were available at Amazon.com. To my surprise, many of the items were listed. And to my delight, they were cheaper at Amazon. The good news turned out to be even better. Some of ...

Free budget spreadsheet and expense tracker
(To download, go to the "free budget spreadsheet and expense tracker" file in Financial Tools page) Last year a lot of people took a fresh look at their finances. And that meant starting with the basics of comparing income to expenses. I have long been recommending such expense tracking. For four years ...

How much does your girlfriend cost?
If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning--Aristotle Onassis Friday night was ending, and we asked our friend what we owed. He replied, "Don't worry about it guys--it's so little that it's on me. This is nothing compared to a normal Friday night when I ...

The bottle imp paradox
I can calculate the movement of the stars, but not the madness of men--Isaac Newton, after losing £20,000 in the South Sea Bubble in 1720 One of my first stock purchases was Lucent Technologies in the late 90s. It was an unusual buy. I only did casual research. And what little ...

5 extra uses for shot glasses
I appreciate shot glasses. They are classy and inexpensive souvenirs. And they are ultimately practical for weekend parties when making drinks. I have amassed a decent collection of shot glasses. One day it bugged me that the shot glasses primarily got used on weekends. They simply occupied cabinet space on weekdays. In ...