With the abundance of online savings accounts that are typically offering over 4%, too many people are essentially leaving money on the table by keeping all of their cash at their local bank. There are benefits to using a local bank, but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t look at other options.

A local bank allows you to make in person deposits and withdrawals and gives you access to their ATMs which are most likely very convenient. Having someone to talk to when you have questions or concerns can’t be understated, but you can take advantage of these things without having to keep all of your money there.

Most online high yield savings accounts can be directly linked to your existing checking account so you can transfer money back and forth quite easily. If your main concern is that you need the availability of your cash, you can have it transferred within about 2 to 3 days. When you don’t need your money, it’ll be earning a nice rate for you that’s well above the usual 0.5%.

Your traditional bank is probably now best used as a way station to direct your money to better places. You’ll still be able to use your usual checking account and ATMs, but you’ll also be able to have the benefit of the best prevailing interest rates. So, do yourself a favor and look into an online high yield savings account.

One of my favorite sports is hockey. Having grown up in Dallas, I’m naturally a Dallas Stars fan. It was an especially cool time when they won the Stanley Cup in 1999 right after my senior year in high school. They haven’t performed exceptionally well recently, but as any fan will tell you (especially Cubs fans), there’s always next year.

There is also a site that’s got a lot of information on the recent nhl entry draft, since it’s now the off season. If you’re a hockey fan, this site has a lot of articles and commentary along with the complete results from the draft. It’s a great way to check out your favorite team’s prospects for the upcoming season.

It doesn’t look like the Dallas Stars had much action in the draft since they traded a lot of their picks, but hopefully they know what they’re doing. At any rate, I’m still cheering for another run at the Stanley Cup Finals.

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I’m going to post few pictures and thoughts about the baseball trip that I recently returned from with a couple buddies from college. It’ll be in no particular order; as you can see I’m starting with Day 2.

On Sunday the 15th, we were at the Phillies ball park in Philadelphia. It was a really nice day with great weather, albeit a little humid. We actually were a “little” late to the game (arrived in the 5th inning) because we were driving down from Boston and our navigator took us all the way into New York instead of around it.

The St. Louis Cardinals were in town, and it was an exceptional game since the Cardinals won 10-0. There were also 8 home runs in the game which always makes for some excitement. It was also a historic game because it was the 10,000th loss in the Phillies franchise history.

After the game, we headed over to Pat’s on 9th and Passyunk where we had authentic Philly Cheesesteaks. Needless to say, it was the best cheesesteak sandwich I’ve ever had which surprisingly didn’t taste much at all like any of the others I’ve had. We didn’t really have time for much else in Philadelphia, but it was a good time and a fun ballpark.

Having grown up in Texas, I’ve had more than my share of experiences with fire ants. When I ran across this website, Fire Ants Guide, it naturally caught my attention. There’s quite a bit of information about fire ants including basic information, how their colonies work, and how to tell if you have fire ants.

Having had quite a bit of experience with fire ants, I can tell you that it can actually become quite an expensive ordeal trying to deal with them and eventually get rid of them. You can spend a lot of money on exterminations, spray or granular poisons, and ant traps. My family tried a lot of different things and my brother and I finally found out one of the only things that actually works. When trying to get rid of fire ants and their mounds, pour gasoline on them. You’ll kill the grass as well, but you’ll also be rid of the fire ants. This should save you some hassle and some money as well if fire ants are giving you a problem.

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July isn’t a month full of caroling, snow, presents, stockings or gingerbread cookies. It can, however, be a great time to start planning for these things.

I’ve seen the Christmas scenario time and time again and for some reason it happens to people over and over. Christmas time rolls around and “all of a sudden” as if by surprise you realize that you need to go out and buy everyone gifts. The Christmas parties and family activities/meals are “shockingly” accompanied by larger than usual grocery bills. You also might want to take the family bowling, ice skating, or (if you’re adventurous) to the latest Tim Allen Christmas movie.

However the holidays play out, too many people spend the first part of the next year trying to catch up on bills that they incurred back in December. If one is fortunate enough to have an emergency fund, all too many see this yearly occurrence as a qualified “emergency”.

So, why am I bringing this up in July during barbecue season? Christmas (or any other holiday you celebrate) is an event that occurs every year and is something that can be planned for. It’s not all too different than bi-yearly car insurance premiums or your yearly car registration. Money can (possibly should) be set aside during the year to pay for these types of expenses.

A great way to tackle this problem is to label an envelope with the specified purpose and to treat it as a bill every month. If you put away $60 every month, you’ll end up with $720 at the end of the year to spend on Christmas in any way you’d like. People who have implemented this type of thing have also found that they usually don’t even need everything they’ve saved.

If you’re like most people and have those lingering memories of “Christmas debt”, now is a great time to start preparing for what you already know is coming. Trust me, your holidays will be a much happier time if you do.

CarGuyGarage.com is a website that specializes in cabinets, workbenches, flooring and storage for your garage. From the look of their website, they supply pretty much everything you need for the ultimate garage; however, they’ve posed an interesting question.

Would you put metal kitchen cabinets in your kitchen? While it’s not really your typical type of kitchen cabinet, I think there would actually be a market for it. A lot of people have, or want to have, stainless steel appliances. Aluminum cabinets would just be taking this one step further. Since you’re also able to get the cabinets powder coated to any color, there would be a lot of different options to choose from.

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After taking a week off from work last week, I was able to think about things from a slightly different perspective. My usual routine was broken and I was able to sort of step outside of my normal life for a while. It also provided an opportunity for me to take another look at my priorities.

I know that often on this site and most other financial sites there is a sense of frugality that is recommended and that we shouldn’t just be wasteful. Oftentimes this is taken to the extreme where one hardly spends any money at all.

Now, whether you’re just careful or someone who tries to minimize all expenditures, are you doing it at the expense of missed experiences and opportunities? I’m not saying that you should aimlessly go out and buy tickets for events or other activities, but are you falling into a rut because of an unwillingness to spend any money?

There are also many activities and things to do that are relatively cheap if not altogether free. Life should be lived and there are a myriad of things to do if you go out and find them. We shouldn’t waste away so much time on mindless hours of television for example. You’ll also find that you’ll meet new people and come across many different opportunities that you would otherwise never have noticed.

So, if you feel that you’re stuck somewhere, or that life just isn’t that exciting, actively seek out something new that you can do and experience. It may be a free museum, or a walk around a downtown area you hardly ever visit. Perhaps it’s just a walk around a local park. Whatever you decide, try something new and see if you can get yourself out of the daily grind of your usual routine.