You are viewing an archive of articles by Luke Landes. Luke Landes, also known as Flexo, is the founder of Consumerism Commentary. He has been blogging and writing for the internet since 1995 and has been building online communities since 1991. Find out more about him and follow Luke Landes on Twitter. View Luke Landes's Google Profile.

Luke Landes

Unimaginable Material Wealth and Worshipping the Idle

by Luke Landes

Here is an article that discusses American materialism. The comments that follow the article are just as interesting. If guilt and materialism are two sides of a single very American coin, it’s a coin that has achieved new currency in recent years, as hand-wringing and McMansions vie for our souls like the angels and devils ... Continue reading this article…

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New Nickel

by Luke Landes

As reported here last November, 2004 would see two new nickel designs. The second of these designs has just been released into circulation.

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Danger Likely Ahead

by Luke Landes

I could count on five pairs of hands the people who have told me that there is no way to lose when it comes to investing in real estate. The most emphatic are those individuals who for whatever reason have had very little formal education, and yet some bright people also tend to think this ... Continue reading this article…

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Financial Update – July

by Luke Landes

I’ve been through many changes in the past few months. As you might have read below, I stopped working at my former corporate job and began working as a high school teacher, hence the pause in my 401(k) increases. During the summer, I am working part time at my old job and considering whether I ... Continue reading this article…

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Lack of Updates

by Luke Landes

Yes, it certainly has been a while since I’ve updated here. Since my last posting, I switched careers, albeit only for a few months. I started working as a teacher, which necessitated the purchase of a car. Over the summer, I’ve been working at the job I had prior to teaching, but only part-time. In ... Continue reading this article…

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Financial Update – February

by Luke Landes

Now it’s what you’ve all been waiting for. Here is my financial update for the month. I’ve been a bad spender, and I’m waiting for a tuition reimbursement check as well as my tax refund, a bonus, and a raise. Let’s see how we did. Remember, the credit card gets paid off every month. I ... Continue reading this article…

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Are You Saving?

by Luke Landes

MSN Money – 7 reasons Americans save so little This article makes us aware that Americans do not save enough money and throws us some statistics. Psychology, miseducation, and no consequences for being in debt seem to be the reasons offered. How much of your income (as a percentage) do you save?

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The Power of Residual Value

by Luke Landes

MSN Money – 10 cars that lose value fastest – Save on a Car Do you own a car that retains a good portion of its value over time or does your car depreciate fast? This article gives some insight and informs the reader about situations where depreciation doesn’t matter as much. An additional article ... Continue reading this article…

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Millionaires Revisited

by Luke Landes

An update on our Millionaires in the Making – Jan. 20, 2004 CNN/Money’s “Millionaire in the Making” feature is a favorite of mine. In this article, the columnist follows up with four previously-featured couples to see how they’ve progressed and to find out how many times they’ve been invited to be on Oprah.

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Financial Update – January

by Luke Landes

It has been a month of gift giving and trip taking, so I’m not expecting to see much progress. To the tape! January 17 December 17 Cash Accounts: $ 13,760 $ 14,621 Taxable Investments: $ 3,189 $ 2,974 401k (Pre-Tax): $ 8,919 $ 8,250 Roth IRA: $ 1,763 $ 1,416 Credit Cards: ($ 1,821) ... Continue reading this article…

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