You may remember that I had been looking for a new apartment. At the time, my girlfriend and I were planning to live with each other. Since then, we have decided to delay cohabitation.
In any event, I searched for affordable one-bedroom apartments near my office, but I didn’t find anything that convinced me it was worthwhile to move from my current location. My noisy neighbors have moved out, and for the moment, my lack of overtime frees me up to take care of my chores during the week, such as laundry. This in turn will allow me to visit my girlfriend’s new apartment over the weekend.
I’ve renewed my lease for a year, but if I decide not to continue living here — either to move in with Amy or to transfer to a new job — I will break my lease. I’ve considered the implications, and it’s not horrible as long as I can plan ahead.
With the new lease, my rent is increasing to $901 a month. The photograph at the top of this post is a picture of the apartment complex where I live.
ING Direct raised the interest rate the bank offers on its accounts, resulting in a 4.35% APY. This is good news, hot on the heels of the Fed’s raising of interest rates yesterday. Millions of people will benefit from ING Direct’s move, as this particular bank is one of the most popular for “online savings accounts.”
If someone is starting a new savings account, I would suggest one of these banks instead. ING Direct has lagged behind the pack in terms of interest rates for along time now.
Meanwhile, HSBC Direct is up to 5.05% APY.
Here’s what’s been happening on the MoneyBlogNetwork and beyond in the past week.
Five Cent Nickel was on vacation but he opened his blog to guest writers. “Frugal” wrote about leverage, the secret of making big money. Mighty Bargain Hunter laments the loss of a discount grocery store.
AllFinancialMatters says men don’t know jack about retirement. Free Money Finance wants you to stop living paycheck-to-paycheck. Blueprint for Financial Prosperity agrees with Robert Kiyosaki regarding mutual funds and the real winners.
For another perspective, Moomin Valley says Kiyosaki is wrong.
Kira from Penny Foolish has $400 in her emergency fund, but she’s thinking of beefing it up after considering her employment situation. Three to six months of living expenses is a good target.
Amanda from Young and Broke writes about shopping for car insurance. My rates were lowered this year, by about $15 a month.
That’s it for this week’s wrap-up. It was a busy week for me, and unfortunately I didn’t have the chance to write as much as I like to. To those celebrating the American holiday this weekend, enjoy!
Luke Landes founded Consumerism Commentary in 2003 and has been building online communities since 1990. Luke, also known as Flexo, has contributed to PC World Magazine, US News, Forbes, and other publications. 
Your Friends Will Marvel At You
by Luke LandesYou will be the toast of the town! Stay up to date with Consumerism Commentary by subscribing to our full content via your RSS reader or email. With RSS, you’ll be the first on the block to be alerted about new posts here, and with email, you’ll have the content in your inbox waiting for ... Continue reading this article…