Well Played Mr. Jobs

I hate to hear about anyone having to take medical leave, because it usually means they are dealing with something quite significant. What a wonderful move that Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, did. When he announced the need to take a second medical leave in the last 3 years, it was bound to affect the stock price of Apple. This was the man that started the company and kept it going through 5 different decades.

When I look at a company, I look for management that is in it for the good of the company and shareholders. Steve Jobs announced his medical leave the day before Apple announced incredible earnings for the 4th quarter of 2010.

This will allow Apple to springboard off of this financial news and continue life without Steve Jobs as a daily presence.

This is a company move that makes me confident in having ownership in Apple.

Costco Gas: A simple cost-analysis

As I was leaving Costco today, I decided to grab some gas on the way out. It was only $3.11/gallon and I figured I was here and could cross two items off my list with one trip. I drove to the gas pump area and saw 4 lanes with 10 - 15 cars backed up per lane. I didn't need gas that bad and went on my way.

About 30 seconds after I left Costco, I ran across an Arco that was on the same street. They gas at Arco was selling for $3.12/gallon. I had to wait for one car, filled up and went on my way.

I did a little research and found out that it burns up to 1/10th of a gallon of gas to idle for 30 minutes. At $3.11 this is about 31 cents. There is also additional wear and tear on your engine(minimal, but still there), environmental consequences, and aggravation of sitting for 30 minutes. There is also the cost of 30 minutes of your life. What could do you for 30 minutes that would be more beneficial that sucking the SUV fumes of the vehicle ahead of you.

As you proceed throughout your day, don't get caught up in the hype of "Deals!!". Going 5 extra miles to save 10 cents with a coupon is not cost effective or worth the time.

Saving money is critical to long term financial growth, but sometimes that seemingly obvious savings have some "fine print" to think about.

From the "Just Plain Fun Read" File

Vicki Passmore over at Walletpop posted this great article about hidden meanings in popular brand logos. It is a quick and really fun read.

Hidden Meanings in 12 Popular Logos
by Vicki Passmore

Price of Gas Got You Down??

There is a great website call gasbuddy.com.

It basically uses members that have signed up to track gas prices. You can sign up and post gas prices as you see them throughout the day. You can even earn points and trade those in for chances to win prizes.

I haven't actually become a member, but I do use it to find out gas prices. I found that if I get gas near my workplace, I end up saving almost 20 cents a gallon compared to near my house.

It is another easy way to save a few bucks each time you fill up your tank.

If you use the gas stations that take cash or debit only, you tend to save quite a bit on gas.

I know...you are all whining "But they charge a 45 cent fee". This is true, but look at this for a moment:

If you put 15 gallons in your tank. It just takes a savings of 3 cents per gallon to cover that 45 cent fee. I am finding that I save at least 13 cents by going to Arco over the other credit card accepting stations.

I will admit that it is hard for me, because I am a rewards card addict. I love every mile I can get. Unfortunately I decided that the the 15 cents(1 mile = 1 cent in airline ticket value) is not worth missing out on a few dollars of savings.

Dow Jones Closed at its Highest Point since June 2008

The Fall of Bear Stearns occured just weeks before this point.

Only 8 months before, in October 2007, the market hit its all time peak of 14164.43.

We still have a long ways to go, but we are certainly heading in the right direction if you choose to use the value of companies as a barometer.

Unemployment is still 60% higher then it was in June 2008, so we certainly still have our challenges. It appears companies are learning to do more with less, which unfortunately doesn't help our unemployment levels to stay in line with economic growth. Eventually the growth in production has to bring new jobs to the people of America.

I am not a diehard Obama fan, but June 2008 was just the beginning of the Obama hysteria and the economy hasn't slowed down sense.

I think he can pretty much secure himself a re-election on that stat alone.

Exciting News From Southwest Airlines

For those of you that fly Southwest, they are changing their Loyalty

program. Instead of the credit system they currently use, it will become a point system based on ticket fare and miles traveled.


I love the service of Southwest and am excited to take advantage of this new program!

Check it out at: Southwest Airlines

Bargain Babe is celebrating 2 years by giving away some great prizes!!

Go Check out the Bargain Babe blog to win some really cool Prizes!! It is her 2nd Anniversary and she is sharing the celebration with us. There is a $250 Macy's gift card and several other great prizes.