Cool Stuffz - Updated 10/09/18

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  • AustinBR

    Make your own luck
    Staff member
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    15   0   0
    Oct 22, 2012
    10,791
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    You should have put your money in VLO 16 months ago. Its doubled. All energy stocks are good and most of the DOW index.

    I wish haha!

    I bought some HOS awhile ago hoping it would go up and it has yet to do much of anything. Fingers crossed though!
     

    Tanker

    Well-Known Member
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    4   0   0
    Oct 11, 2015
    207
    16
    Metairie, Louisana
    Keep posting this stuff! I appreciate you letting me know where to go for some propaganda free news sources. Thanks!
     

    AustinBR

    Make your own luck
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    15   0   0
    Oct 22, 2012
    10,791
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    Keep posting this stuff! I appreciate you letting me know where to go for some propaganda free news sources. Thanks!

    It's tough to find anything 100% propaganda free, but another good option is Need 2 Know.
     

    Pas Tout La

    Well-Known Member
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    2   0   0
    Dec 12, 2012
    1,302
    38
    Droite La
    I downloaded Grammarly on my iPhone and I'm not too crazy about it. I find there is a lag in the keyboard which causes me to make some fairly ridiculous spelling mistakes that I wouldn't have otherwise made. I do like it on my computer though. It works well with Outlook.
     

    Xenon

    Well-Known Member
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    22   0   0
    Jul 30, 2010
    1,021
    38
    Metairie
    Austin, thanks for the post. I really did enjoy your suggestions and comments on each. I'm very similar to you on the tech/finance side of things, but don't travel very much. I'll offer some reviews and other suggestions to keep this going:

    Chase - don't travel enough to reap the rewards, but do have the Amex Blue cash card for good rewards. I also plan to get the Amazon card, but hate to add yet another card to the repertoire.

    Grammarly - I've used it in the past and ultimately got tired of it correcting me when I'm using acronyms, abbreviations, (mostly work stuff) or jokingly chatting in group messaging. I don't feel like my grammar was bad enough to warrant continual use beyond the Chrome spell check, though I'm sure someone will call me out from this post. :p

    Honey - I liked, but don't remember why I got rid of it. I think it kept popping up on me with prices actually higher than what I was looking at. I ultimately uninstalled.

    Robinhood - been using it for a couple years now and even have have an auto withdrawal set up from each paycheck. I like the light user interface, the thumbprint login, and the "free-ness," though I wish I could see a little more info about a security if I wanted to drill down more. I also wish that they had a few more offerings, though they probably will as they are around a little longer. I am very pleased overall.

    Hustle - I subscribed and look forward to checking it out.

    I'll offer a few cool "stuffs" of my own:

    Kim Komando - She's a tech Guru that does a podcast and daily radio show. I recommend some of her newsletters that appeal to your interests. Easy to unsubscribe from if you don't like or if they come too frequently. I've picked up a LOT of tips from her through the years. Newsletters That will take you to the various options.

    MileIQ or Everlance - Apps that automatically track your mileage. Although some deductions are going by the wayside, some are still beneficial. Track business, charitable & medical miles and sort them at your convenience. Its fun to look back and see where all you have driven. I think Everlance is free for a few trips per month and MileIQ has a 20% promo code "CMON560A"

    Circle (by Disney) - If any of you have kids with "devices," at least take a look at this. It is a router that allows you to create profiles for different persons in your home, limit what they can access, limit the time spent on the web, and create bedtimes, all from your phone. There are other add-ons that allow you to do rewards for chores or add it to cellular coverage (monthly fee), but this has been great for our family and easy to use. We've had it for 2-3 years and only paid a one-time cost of $99. Here's a good review if you are interested [URL="https://www.pcmag.com/review/344240/circle-with-disney"PCMag review[/URL]
     

    AustinBR

    Make your own luck
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    Admin
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    15   0   0
    Oct 22, 2012
    10,791
    113
    I downloaded Grammarly on my iPhone and I'm not too crazy about it. I find there is a lag in the keyboard which causes me to make some fairly ridiculous spelling mistakes that I wouldn't have otherwise made. I do like it on my computer though. It works well with Outlook.

    Hey, I had the same problem with the phone app. I only use it on a computer (Browser and Word extensions).
     

    cbbr

    Well-Known Member
    Silver Member
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Apr 18, 2009
    179
    43
    Thanks!
     

    AustinBR

    Make your own luck
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    Admin
    Rating - 100%
    15   0   0
    Oct 22, 2012
    10,791
    113
    Thanks! I am planning on making this a monthly or bi-monthly thing. I also really like your suggestions, so anytime you see anything like that, please feel free to email me (Austin at this domain) or message here.

    I had the same problem initially with Grammarly, but once I added commonly used words to my dictionary it fixed it. I also only use it on Chrome / Word, not on my phone.

    Honey can be hit or miss. The times, from my experience, that it is hit, it is well worth it.

    You should definitely get the Amazon Prime card (5% back on Amazon) if you use any of their services. It is definitely worth it and there is no yearly fee.

    Austin, thanks for the post. I really did enjoy your suggestions and comments on each. I'm very similar to you on the tech/finance side of things, but don't travel very much. I'll offer some reviews and other suggestions to keep this going:

    Chase - don't travel enough to reap the rewards, but do have the Amex Blue cash card for good rewards. I also plan to get the Amazon card, but hate to add yet another card to the repertoire.

    Grammarly - I've used it in the past and ultimately got tired of it correcting me when I'm using acronyms, abbreviations, (mostly work stuff) or jokingly chatting in group messaging. I don't feel like my grammar was bad enough to warrant continual use beyond the Chrome spell check, though I'm sure someone will call me out from this post. :p

    Honey - I liked, but don't remember why I got rid of it. I think it kept popping up on me with prices actually higher than what I was looking at. I ultimately uninstalled.

    Robinhood - been using it for a couple years now and even have have an auto withdrawal set up from each paycheck. I like the light user interface, the thumbprint login, and the "free-ness," though I wish I could see a little more info about a security if I wanted to drill down more. I also wish that they had a few more offerings, though they probably will as they are around a little longer. I am very pleased overall.

    Hustle - I subscribed and look forward to checking it out.

    I'll offer a few cool "stuffs" of my own:

    Kim Komando - She's a tech Guru that does a podcast and daily radio show. I recommend some of her newsletters that appeal to your interests. Easy to unsubscribe from if you don't like or if they come too frequently. I've picked up a LOT of tips from her through the years. Newsletters That will take you to the various options.

    MileIQ or Everlance - Apps that automatically track your mileage. Although some deductions are going by the wayside, some are still beneficial. Track business, charitable & medical miles and sort them at your convenience. Its fun to look back and see where all you have driven. I think Everlance is free for a few trips per month and MileIQ has a 20% promo code "CMON560A"

    Circle (by Disney) - If any of you have kids with "devices," at least take a look at this. It is a router that allows you to create profiles for different persons in your home, limit what they can access, limit the time spent on the web, and create bedtimes, all from your phone. There are other add-ons that allow you to do rewards for chores or add it to cellular coverage (monthly fee), but this has been great for our family and easy to use. We've had it for 2-3 years and only paid a one-time cost of $99. Here's a good review if you are interested [URL="https://www.pcmag.com/review/344240/circle-with-disney"PCMag review[/URL]
     

    AustinBR

    Make your own luck
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    Rating - 100%
    15   0   0
    Oct 22, 2012
    10,791
    113
    I looked into it, and I'm just not sure it's worth it. If I were doing hardcore blogging or somehow profiting off of my writing, it may be worth it. But I just don't see the extra perks being worth the extra $.
     

    340six

    -Global Mod-
    Staff member
    Premium Member
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Apr 12, 2012
    6,499
    113
    Kenner, La
    I broke Grammarly.
    It stopped working an gave me a message. Said it was still here but parts were missing
    I guess it went on strike.
    I had to uninstall it and reinstall
    Or it thought I was a Monkey at a keyboard at a since lab
     

    wcweir3

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Apr 26, 2015
    1,191
    38
    Gonzales, LA
    I just installed Grammarly on my phone will see how it works.
    Wingate
     

    AustinBR

    Make your own luck
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    15   0   0
    Oct 22, 2012
    10,791
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    I've managed to make $1300 off of my Reserve in the past month and a half alone. Also, Robinhood will be rolling out their Bitcoin support soon and it's gonna be #Lit

    Also, I found a way to effectively save 16 cents off of each gallon of gas that I buy. Will be posting info later this weekend if I get in a book writing mood haha.
     

    John_

    Shooter
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Nov 23, 2013
    3,451
    113
    Hammond, LA
    I've managed to make $1300 off of my Reserve in the past month and a half alone. Also, Robinhood will be rolling out their Bitcoin support soon and it's gonna be #Lit

    Also, I found a way to effectively save 16 cents off of each gallon of gas that I buy. Will be posting info later this weekend if I get in a book writing mood haha.

    I'm surprised ur interested in bitcoin, or cryptocurrency. Have you researched cryptocurrency in detail? I would think/hope so as you either work in the banking industry or have a finance background from what I can recall. Bitcoin started by "mining", an interesting process in itself. Bitcoin is not regulated whatsoever, no one actually holds it, it is a peer to peer payment with no intermediary, no "banker" per se like Paypal. Bitcoin has been as high as $19000, then down to another low of $7200, in a 2.5 month window. Are you advocating investment in bitcoin?

    Bitcoin is gambling pure and simple. You have to have a screw loose to invest or purchase any substantial holdings imo. Seems to be the next thrill ride, or get rich quick scheme.

    At Marketwatch, change the graphic trend to 3 or 6 month scale: https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/cryptocurrency/btcusd
     
    Last edited:

    AustinBR

    Make your own luck
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    15   0   0
    Oct 22, 2012
    10,791
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    I have done a substantial amount of research into cryptos. I see your reasoning about it being near gambling, but there is definitely more to it than that. One could also argue the same for the stock market as you are essentially gambling that a few metrics will be met that will yield a higher valuation of the company.

    Regarding regulation...well, I am not the biggest fan of regulated items. The government touches so many things in our everyday lives. If they can keep their (greedy) hands off of more parts of the financial industry, I am SO okay with it.

    Like anything else, I don't think putting all of your financial eggs in one basket is a good idea. Bitcoin and other cryptos definitely have a place (in my opinion) in a modern portfolio. Cryptos certainly are not for everyone and I don't think anyone should be pressured into using them.

    The "mining" process behind how Bitcoin works - Blockchain - is awesome and will be the future of much technology that we know and use in our day to day lives. In short, the idea is brilliant and will propel many markets in directions that we thought never possible.
     

    John_

    Shooter
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Nov 23, 2013
    3,451
    113
    Hammond, LA
    Here are some excellent resources (explanations) on bitcoin and mining for those who are interested:

    https://www.bitcoinmining.com/

    Bitcoin itself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin

    Blockchain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockchain


    Now that bitcoin has been offered (and moving forward) to the public, its also greatly influenced by supply and demand. The primary reason for such drastic bitcoin valuations in the last 3 months. Supply, demand, greed, and emotion.

    Imagine purchasing bitcoin @ $18,000, then seeing its valuation @ $8000 < two months later. You can best believe somebody out there "rode on that boat". Probably more than a few. And the inverse, purchased @ $5000, then sold @ $15,000+.
     
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