On my flight the other day, I was pleased to learn that Continental Airlines reduced the price of its somewhat proprietary headsets for use when watching movies during the flight from $5 to $1 a set. I wasn’t too interested in seeing the movie offered, Transformers, so I just continued with my pattern of listening to my music, reading a book I’ll be reviewing later this week, and dozing off. This was not an easy task, as my seat was in the middle of a couple traveling to visit their son living in Los Angeles, a graphic designer who works on movie trailers. The father was constantly fidgeting and bumping into me.
Throughout this week, I will be featuring a small number of guest posts in addition to the regular blogging schedule. The guest posts will begin with one from Mrs. Micah, and articles from Brip Blap and Get Rich Slowly will follow. These will be original articles, never published anywhere else.
In addition to upcoming reading, check out these recent articles from the MoneyBlogNetwork and beyond:
Major in English If You Want. MightyBargainHunter has no problem with a college student majoring in a field of study not likely to make that person rich, though he wouldn’t suggest following a non-lucrative path without a cost-benefit analysis.
Saving for a House: 401(k) vs. Brokerage Account. Jim from Blueprint for Financial Prosperity lays out the numbers. If you you plan on buying a house and figure you’ll be able to withdraw money from your 401(k) to help make the down payment, the numbers will never be more favorable than saving for the house outside of the retirement plan.
The ABCDEs Of Planning For Debt Reduction. No Credit Needed is on his way to becoming a bona fide debt guru; check out his mnemonic for getting out of debt.
Direct Marketing Based on Guilt or Power. MyMoneyBlog shares a pet peeve. “Let’s say your boss’s son wants to sell you Cutco knives to “help pay for college.” Or your boss’s wife invites you to an Avon party and won’t take no for an answer. That’s an abuse of power…”
Going to University is Worth the Money. Why do people go to college (or “go to university,” as they say in most parts of the English-speaking world outside of America)? This ties into MightyBargainHunter’s post mentioned above. I think looking for *financial* return on investment for every decision will lead to an unfulfilled life. There are lots of variables to consider when deciding if something is “worth it,” and the possible financial return is only a small part of that.
Updated December 29, 2010 and originally published November 19, 2007. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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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. 
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for mentioning my post. I agree that financial return isn’t the be all and end all – but some sort of ‘happiness return’ probably is.
Wow…you weren’t interested in seeing Transformers? You are missing out, it was a great movie. Check it out.
RS: I’m sure I’ll catch it on some time… I wasn’t in the mood on the airplane. :-)