Earlier today, I put the Hoover SteamVac I purchased last week to the test. The SteamVac required assembly, but the instructions were straightforward. The parts are mostly plastic and they had a “cheap” feel, but when the SteamVac was assembled, the construction was lightweight and easy enough to move across the carpet, even with full ... Continue reading this article…

I’ve decided to join my colleagues like J.D. by taking the One Hundred Pushup Challenge. I started on Monday and I plan to continue with my second day of training Wednesday evening. I’ve been meaning to improve my health and fitness — I promise myself to do so every year but find it hard to ... Continue reading this article…

This week, I blasted through the remaining ING Direct Orange Savings Account $25 bonus codes and thanks to Consumerism Commentary readers, I have many more to give away. I sent out emails to everyone on the waiting list and I’m posting links in the order I receive them, two from every volunteer at first. These ... Continue reading this article…

Here are some articles I’ve enjoyed reading this past week. How Much Could You Have if Social Security Was Your Money? AllFinancialMatters shows what could possibly be the result if instead of paying into Social Security with each paycheck, employees were allowed to invest that money. It’s important to remember that Social Security is not ... Continue reading this article…

Here are some articles I’ve enjoyed recently from the Money Blog Network. AllFinancialMatters gets 5 to 10 calls a week from charities asking for money. He plans his giving every year and doesn’t like receiving these calls. In a recent post, JLP asked for suggestions for turning away cold calls from charities. FiveCentNickel asks what ... Continue reading this article…

Tomorrow morning, my girlfriend and I will be on a Virgin America flight to California. We plan on visiting my family and enjoying a week-long vacation away from our day-time jobs. Posting on Consumerism Commentary will be light during the week. Meanwhile, take a look at these picks from the MoneyBlogNetwork. The Same Actions Will ... Continue reading this article…

Here are several articles I’ve enjoyed this past week. What Do You Splurge On? My answer, as given in this article at Get Rich Slowly, is my preference for dining out with co-workers for lunch every day. Making Your Own Laundry Detergent: A Detailed Visual Guide. When I asked if frugality necessitates missing out on ... Continue reading this article…

The people behind NetworthIQ and Expensr invited me and a few other bloggers to San Francisco for a workshop to discuss online financial management tools. At this invitation-only event, six bloggers have been asked to present their history and talk about blogging in general. The blogs to be showcased include Consumerism Commentary, Get Rich Slowly, ... Continue reading this article…

Here are some articles from around the web that I’ve enjoyed lately. Free Money Finance’s co-worker reviewed H&R Block’s Tax Cut software, the same version that I am giving five Consumerism Commentary readers for free. “First impression is that the user interface is nice and easy to move around. Everything progressed in a logical sequence. ... Continue reading this article…