Abandon Nest

So I just got back from my first two ultimate frisbee games of the season and let me tell you, they were a blast. I was hesitant about joining a team with no coach and a serious lack of people I knew, but I think I made the right decision.

The people I met were great and they enjoy having fun playing sports, just like I do. No one on the field tonight was a pro athlete or anything like that. It was just a bunch of guys and girls enjoying themselves. Now, joining a rec league isn’t for everyone, but I think most people can benefit, at least in some way. What are some of the signs that you should join a sports team?

• You’re in your apartment way too much
• Your skin is the color of printer paper
• Your once firm body has degraded to something decidedly softer
• You played high school sports and are remembered as “the competitive one”
• You want to meet new people that are physically fit like you are
• You want to lose weight (frisbee would be great for this task, by the way)
• You find joy in competing with others
• Networking… always networking

Obviously these are just some of the many reasons to join a recreational sports team. So what are you going to do? There are plenty of leagues for things like softball, flag football, and frisbee for adults. Now, get out there and start kicking some butt!

Technorati Tags: Exercise, Frisbee, Ultimate

I was just browsing and found this fabulous resource for 20-somethings on MSNMoney. There are a lot of great articles, but here are the three you can’t miss:

• Top 10 Shocks for College Grads - Great article on the things that most college grads really don’t consider. Luckily I found out all about almost all of these things withing a few weeks of moving out and didn’t face any dire consequences. Mark this article as a definite keeper.
• How to not pay your bills - Bills are a part of life and 20-somethings need to get used to them. The worst thing you can do is pay your bills late because you’ll incur fees and basically be throwing your money away. Don’t do it. This article details the things you should avoid at all costs and gives some strategies for dealing with life’s expenses.
• Beginner’s Guide to Investing - Investing is not really something I have all that much experience with. This link is not to an article, per se, but to a collection of tools that will help you decide how best for you to invest. Quite impressive from the looks of it so have a look around.

MSN Money seems to be a great resource for everything financial, and I know I’ll be making a more concerted effort to visit the site more often. You might want to also.

Technorati Tags: Credit Cards, Money Management, Goals, Long-term, Credit Card, Money

In my last post on money I went a little off the deep end halfway through the post. I may have come across as a little harsh and I think part of that comes from the financial reality of my childhood. This isn’t an apology post, however. I’d just like to offer up a view of someone who actually seems to get personal financial responsibilty. Her name is Claire and she posts over at Tired but Happy (great blog by the way, check it out).

In one of her recent posts she discusses her credit card philosophy. In it she lists six goals that she uses when making credit card decisions. They’re all great and, while she doesn’t expand on them, I’d like to take this opportunity to do so.

• Pay balances off in full each month - The best strategy for anyone who uses credit cards. Why carry around a balance that you’re just going to end up paying interest on? You’ll be responsible for someone else making money. Don’t do it.
• Pay no annual fees - It is my personal opinion that paying fees is like throwing your money out the window or burning it. When there are so many feeless options, what would possess you to pay to give someone else your money?
• Keep cards with long histories to boost credit scores - When you find a card that you like, keep it around. Follow the above two points and build up a great credit rating with a long-term credit committment.
• Maintain at least one joint card with my spouse - I can’t really comment accurately on this one yet, as I’m not married, but it sounds like a great idea. Maybe someone with a little more experience can expand on why in the comments.
• Maintain one card in my own name only and make sure my spouse does the same - This I know is a good idea. It is important to maintain your own good credit history in case something bad happens. (Something bad includes divorce and/or death) If all the good credit is in your wife’s name, and she leaves you, how will you be able to get a credit line on anythign?
• Maximize rewards, prioritizing cashback over miles or other points systems - My girlfriend is a firm believer in cashback rewards. She prefers Discover but there are plenty of cards to choose from. In my own experience, cashback tends to build up faster than point or other reward cards.

What kind of goals do you have for credit card use? Do you have anything to add to this list?

Technorati Tags: Credit Cards, Money Management, Rewards, Credit