Archive for July, 2009

HP’s Back to School: Better Together Giveaway

By: Green Panda | Date posted: July 31, 2009 (8:33 am)

HP Back to School: Better Together Giveaway

As I just mentioned on my HP dv6 review, HP is having the Back to School: Better Together Giveaway.

HP's Back to School: Better Together Giveaway will be on 25 blogs!

This is a massive event with 25 blogs and sites each giving one winner a wonderful bundle, including:

  • a brand new HP dv6
  • an HP Mini 110
  • Syncables software that will connect your computers and share your school projects, academic papers, and personal stuff like photos and videos
  • a customized Green Panda Treehouse Timbuk2 bag (each site has it own bag)

The contest dates of each site participating in the contest are different, so use the list below so you will know when and which site to enter for this fantastic  giveaway.

If you’re interesting in increasing your chances of winning this fantastic bundle, here’s the complete list of sites participating:

Here is a list of the sites involved with the promotion (via OSNN):

Site Name

URL

Contest Launch

Award Announcement

Student Bloggers

 http://studentbloggers.org/

12-Aug

16-Aug

Geek Zone

 http://www.geekzone.co.nz/

13-Aug

17-Aug

Kill Jill Goes to College

 http://killjill.wordpress.com/

14-Aug

18-Aug

Study Successful

 http://studysuccessful.com/

15-Aug

19-Aug

Gear Live

 http://www.gearlive.com/

16-Aug

20-Aug

CampusGrotto

 http://www.campusgrotto.com/news/

17-Aug

21-Aug

Poorer Than You

 http://poorerthanyou.com/

18-Aug

22-Aug

Notebooks

 http://notebooks.com/

19-Aug

23-Aug

ThePrereq.

 http://theprereq.com/

20-Aug

24-Aug

Hack College

 http://www.hackcollege.com/

21-Aug

25-Aug

College Times

 http://collegetimes.us/

22-Aug

26-Aug

OSNN.net

 http://www.osnn.net/

23-Aug

27-Aug

Green Panda Treehouse

 http://www.greenpandatreehouse.com/

24-Aug

28-Aug

Building Camelot

 http://www.buildingcamelot.com/

25-Aug

29-Aug

Mocha Dad

 http://mochadad.com/

26-Aug

30-Aug

College Candy

 http://collegecandy.com/

27-Aug

31-Aug

Studenomics

 http://studenomics.com/

28-Aug

1-Sep

The 2.0 Life

 http://www.the20life.com/

29-Aug

2-Sep

Geeks room

 http://geeksroom.com/

30-Aug

3-Sep

Debt Free Scholar

 http://www.debtfreescholar.com/

31-Aug

4-Sep

One Day One Job

 http://www.onedayonejob.com/

1-Sep

5-Sep

Daddy Forever

 http://daddyforever.com/

2-Sep

6-Sep

Clinton Fitch

 http://www.clintonfitch.com/

3-Sep

7-Sep

Zen College Life

 http://www.zencollegelife.com/

4-Sep

8-Sep

Gear Diary

 http://geardiary.com/

5-Sep

9-Sep

Entering for all contests means you have 25 chances to win a free laptop!

I’ll announce the requirements for my specific blog’s giveaway a bit later. If you want to make sure you’re in the loop, please subscribe to Green Panda Treehouse to have the latest posts sent your inbox automatically. If you want to get tweets on the contest, then please feel free to follow me.

HP Pavilion dv6 First Impression Review

By: Green Panda | Date posted: July 31, 2009 (8:30 am)

If you’re like many college students, you’re getting ready for the new semester. New semester means organizing and buying your supplies. Perhaps you’re looking for a computer to handle your classwork and is easy enough to carry.

If so, you may be interested in HP’s companion bundle of a powerful laptop and portable netbook. I’ve been loaned an HP dv6 and an HP mini to complete a long term review to see how this can be a big benefit to all of you college students and new graduates.

I wanted to share a few thoughts of the computers with you. I’m not a technical person, so my review is just based on first impressions, not a battery of tests. As I work on several projects ,I’m hoping to test the computers in real world situations.

I have included some technical specs below for those that are interested.HP-Pavilion-dv6_5F00_Right-Rear-Open

Some Great Features of the HP Pavillion dv6

First off, it’s a powerful laptop that can replace my own desktop with its features. As you can see with the pictures, it’s very sleek looking.

Microsoft Vista Ultimate: I’ve been using Windows XP for my desktop, which is about 4-5 years old, and had not thought about upgrading. Trying out Vista has been fun and I really like some of the improvements. I found the Start menu a lot easier to find programs, the transparency of the windows, and I love how the windows allow you to preview the programs before clicking on them.

Touch Sensitive Volume and Wireless Access Controls: I found the volume control to be very useful. Please be aware that they are very sensitive, as I accidentally turned off access to the wireless network in our apartment and lost the majority of the original post of the review. Oops!

Portable Yet Comfortable: The HP dv6 has a keyboard and numeric keypad, yet it doesn’t seem like it takes up much space. It’s much lighter than our current laptop, but more powerful.

Syncables: Something that will be a huge asset for busy students and graduates is the Syncables software. You can run around campus with your netbook, taking notes in class, working with your group on projects, and then organize them at home, without a skipping a beat. I’m really going to try this feature out this weekend as I work on the blog while I’m out of town for the wedding.

Software for the HP Pavillion dv6

Here are some of the software that is included with the HP Pavillion dv6:

HP-Pavilion-dv6_5F00_Right-Front-Open

  • Microsoft® Works
  • Microsoft® Office 2007 Home and Student Trial Edition
  • Symantec® Norton Internet Security™ 2009 (including 60 days complimentary live update)
  • HP MediaSmart
  • Muvee Reveal
  • Cyberlink DVD Suite

Tech Specs for the HP dv6

• Intel® Centrino® 2 Processor Technology featuring Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor
• Genuine Windows Vista® Ultimate 64-bit
• 16.0″ Diagonal HD Display
• ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4650
• 4096MB DDR2 System Memory
• 500GB  Hard Drive
• LightScribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD±R/RW Double Layer
• HP Webcam with integrated digital microphone
• Intel® WiFi Link 5100AGN
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery
• 1-Year Free Hardware Technical Support

HP Back to School: Better Together Giveaway

If you’re looking at getting this beautiful and powerful laptop, then I got some great news.  I’m happy to announce that HP is having the Back to School: Better Together Giveaway. This massive events has 25 blogs giving away the following bundle:

HP's Back to School: Better Together Giveaway will be on 25 blogs!
  • a brand new HP dv6
  • an HP Mini 110
  • Syncables software that will connect your computers and share your school projects, academic papers, and personal stuff like photos and videos
  • a customized Green Panda Treehouse Timbuk2 bag (each site has it own bag)

Entering for all contests means you have 25 chances to win a free laptop!

I’ll announce more details of the contest in my next post. If you want to make sure you’re in the loop, please subscribe to Green Panda Treehouse to have the latest posts sent your inbox automatically. If you want to get tweets on the contest, then please feel free to follow me.

2009 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday Schedule

By: Green Panda | Date posted: July 30, 2009 (7:00 am)

The new semester is starting again and many college students and their parents are stocking up on supplies, dorm furniture, and computers for the new academic year. The good news is many states are having a sales tax holiday to celebrate going back to school.

If you’re considering to save some money, this may be a great deal for you. First check the list below to when your state has its sales tax holiday.

Check to see if your state has a sales tax holiday coming up.

Check to see if your state has a sales tax holiday coming up.

Participating states have already listed what items are eligible. Here are a list of the  states and some brief information from their respective sites.

Please check your state’s site for details and restrictions.

2009 Back to School Sales Tax Holiday Schedule by State

  • Alabama: ( August 7- 9, 2009) General use clothing – $100 or less; Computers, software, and school computer supplies -
    a single purchase with a sales price of $750 or less; School and Art supplies, Instructional material -  $50 or Less, per item; Books – Sales Price of $30 or Less, per book
  • Connecticut: (August 16 – 22, 2009) Clothing or footwear costing less than $300
  • Georgia: (July 30 – August 2, 2009 ) Clothing and footwear with a sales price of $100 or less per item; A single purchase of $1,500 or less of personal computers; general school supplies with a sales price of $20 or less per item
  • Iowa: ( August 7- 9, 2009) Clothing – $100
  • Louisiana : (August 7th and 8th, 2009) Consumer purchases up to $2,500
  • Mississippi: ( July 31 – August 1, 2009) Clothing & footwear – $100 each item
  • Missouri: ( August 7- 9, 2009) Clothing – $100 each item;   Computers – $3,500 ; School supplies – $50
  • New Mexico: ( August 7- 9, 2009) Clothing – $100; Computers – $1,000; School supplies – $15
  • North Carolina: ( August 7- 9, 2009) Clothing – $100; School supplies – $100 ; Instructional material – $300 ; Computers – $3,500 ; Sports equip – $50
  • Oklahoma: ( August 7- 9, 2009) Clothing – $100
  • South Carolina : ( August 7- 9, 2009) Clothing ; school supplies ; computers
  • Tennessee: ( August 7- 9, 2009) Clothing – $100 ; School supplies – $100 ; Computers – $1,500
  • Texas: ( August 21- 23, 2009) Clothing, backpacks, and school supplies- $100
  • Vermont: ( August 22, 2009) Personal purchase – $2,000
  • Virginia:( August 7- 9, 2009) Clothing – $100; School supplies – $20

I hope this list help you find a great deal. Let me know what you specials you find.

Psst….. I may be able to help you with getting a new computer! I’m really excited about this, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise yet.  Check back tomorrow and Saturday to see what I’m talking about. Better yet, subscribe to the site to find out quickly.

Photo Credit: Lordcolus

    »crosslinked«

    Check to See if Your Car is Still a Clunker

    By: Green Panda | Date posted: July 29, 2009 (4:00 pm)

    I was watching Good Morning America today and noticed something interesting mentioned. Last week the EPA changed the ratings on  a hundred models or so of cars, some with higher mileage reported and some with lower mileage. They added 86 models to the list that can now qualify and updated 76 models that no longer do.

    clunker

    10 of the Newly Cash for Clunkers Qualified Cars

    • 1987 Buick Regal
    • 1987 Cadillac Brougham
    • 1987 Chevrolet Caprice
    • 1987 Chevrolet G10/20 Van 2WD
    • 1987 Chevrolet R10 Pickup 2WD
    • 1987 Chevrolet T10 Blazer 4WD
    • 1987 Chevrolet T10 Pickup 4WD
    • 1987 GMC G15/25 Vandura 2WD
    • 1987 GMC R15 Pickup 2WD
    • 1987 GMC T15 Jimmy 4WD

    Source: USA Today

    See the rest of the list here.

    10 of the Newly Cash for Clunkers Ineligible Cars

    • 1987 Alfa Romeo GTV
    • 1987 Alfa Romeo Milano
    • 1987 BMW 5 Series
    • 1987 Chevrolet S10 Blazer 2WD
    • 1987 Dodge Caravan/Grand Caravan/Ram Van 2WD
    • 1987 Dodge Shadow
    • 1987 Ford Aerostar Van
    • 1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria
    • 1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria Wagon
    • 1987 GMC S15 Jimmy 2WD

    Source: USA Today

    See the rest of the list here.

    Here’s the government’s complete  list to see if your clunker still qualifies. As you remember from the post last week on the Cash for Clunkers and common questions, there are eligibility requirements for your car to be considered a clunker.

    You need to check to make sure your car meets the guidelines.

    • Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date
    • Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements)
    • Trade-in vehicles must be registered and insured continuously for the full year preceding the trade-in

    If your clunker was close to the 18 MPG threshold, you may have been affected by the EPA updates. Double check  your car’s mileage numbers with the EPA. Your car may now qualify even though you didn’t before, or it may no longer qualify at all. If you have more questions please check out the government’s website.

    There are over 16,000 dealerships participating as of today. Please be aware of any scams that involve your social security number. The Cash for Clunkers/ CAR Allowance Rebate System does not require your social security number. Call to report fraud or a scam at 1-800-424-9071. It’s a toll-free 24-hour hotline.

    Photo Credt: jamcp

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    Financial Guru Review: J.D. Roth

    By: Green Panda | Date posted: July 29, 2009 (7:30 am)

    This week’s Financial Guru Review is about J.D. Roth. He’s the personal finance blogger over at Get Rich Slowly. He’s very popular in the persnal finance blog niche and has been around for many years.

    His mantra for his personal finance is ” do what works for you”. He doesn’t have hard and fast rules. J.D. Roth shares some guidelines, but wants readers to see for themselves whats best for them.

    J.D. Roth on Getting Out of Debt and Credit Cards

    J.D. sees debt reduction as a step, not just a goal. He points out that being successful involves making incremental changes:

    Rather than quit cold turkey, I think the best way to begin a life of frugality is by taking small steps. Small steps eventually become big strides, but only after you’ve developed your frugal muscles.

    Like many financial gurus, J.D believes in having an emergency fund before you start reducing you debt. He recommends the following steps:

    • Stop acquiring new debt: Hide your credit cards and create a spending plan or a budget, whatever fits your personality. Reduce your expenses to ‘stop the bleeding‘.
    • Establish an emergency fund: Look at your expenses and see if you can ake some adjustments to increase the amount you can set aside for your emergency fund.  He has an idea on increasing the barrier to using your emergency fund for frivolus reasons and oening a savings account at a different bank.
    • Implement your debt reduction plan: He prefers to let his readers decide which method works for them: either a debt snowball or paying highest interest rate first.

    J.D. and Building Wealth

    Something fascinating with J.D. is that ,as a reader, you can follow his financial journey step by step through his blog. Now that he is out of debt, J.D. explored what to do with his money. Sharing his personal thoughts, he broke down how he is using his money to build his finances:

    Once my consumer debt was repaid, that $1000 a month was available for other uses. The old J.D. would have immediately used it for fun and games. The new J.D. was smarter. I used this money to begin saving and investing, to begin building wealth. Since the end of 2007:

    • Increased his emergency fund from $1000 to $12,000
    • Opened a Roth IRA and a 401(k) and max the accounts out

    Saving money each month is important to J.D. and he shared his views on what to shoot for:

    Something that I find fascinating is that J.D.’s blog also explores avenues of personal fulfillment along with personal finances. He talks about home gardening. He has a wonderful series of posts, not just  the frugality of it, but the enjoyment of it. He also has a wonderful post on affordable and great wines by Gary Vaynerchuk.

    What J.D. Roth About Buying a Home

    J.D. shares his thoughts on how much of a mortgage someone should budget for:

    I’m a strong advocate of being conservative here. I believe your housing costs should be less than 28% of your gross income, and your total monthly debt payments should be less than 36%. These numbers provide ample room but prevent borrowers from being trapped by too much debt.

    Again, J.D. stress that you should find something you’re comfortable with based on your budget. Being curious, using his thoughts, the price range we’re looking for in a house fits within his guidelines.

    My Thoughts On J.D. Roth

    I’m a huge fan of J.D. and agree that having a one size fits all approach is not practical. He has a great blog and his site’s forums is a wonderful resource if you have a question.

    If you haven’t already, check out J.D’s and Jim’s wonderful radio show Personal Finance Hour. I’m usually in the chat room following the show as it airs. As for bloggers, he’s an extremely nice guy and very helpful to other bloggers.

    What are your Thoughts?

    Do you listen to financial gurus’ money advice? If so, which one? If not, why? Is there a financial guru you’d like me to review?

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    The Most Powerful Force In The Universe: Compound Interest

    By: Green Panda | Date posted: July 28, 2009 (7:00 am)

    How Powerful Is Compound Interest?

    Albert Einstein is rumored to have said “the most powerful force in the universe is compound interest”. That is an incredible statement for anyone to make, especially the Nobel Prize winning physicist who developed the theory of relativity! Obviously, compound interest is very important to understand, and even more so because it directly affects you nearly every day.

    How Does It Work?

    Compound interest is relatively easy to understand. The concept starts with the principle that you have money ($1,000) which is earning interest (10%) each year. So the first year, you earn $100 in interest. However, the next year, you do not earn another $100—you earn $110.

    This is because your 10% interest is applied to both your initial principle and the interest you received. Thus, as time continues, your interest each year grows larger and larger because it is compounding on top of itself.

    Returning to our earlier example, after a little more than 7 years, you will have earned $1,000 in interest—doubling your original investment without having to do anything. If you wait another 7 years, your balance will be over $3,750—a 250% return on your initial investment.

    Compound interest is best explained visually. This chart continues our example of an initial deposit of $1,000 growing at 10% a year. As you can see, after 50 years the money has grown to just over $117,000—an unbelievable 11,639% total return on your $1,000, or roughly 233% average annual return.

    :Interest Picture.png

    Make Compound Interest Work For You

    The two most important factors for obtaining the benefit of compound interest are the interest rate and the length of time your money earns interest. The latter is the most important; your investment will grow slowly at first, but over the long term you will see dramatic improvements.

    Since time is the most important factor of compound interest, you must not put off planning your investments or retirement—this is especially true for young people who are decades away from retirement. While 40 years is a long time, the best time to start saving and investing is now in order to let compound interest work for you. Over time, you can make compound interest work for you.

    Silicon Valley Blogger points out how you can keep compounding interest working in your favor:

    • You make consistent contributions to your investments, thus continually growing your nest egg.
    • You live below your means.
    • You don’t get tempted into spending money as fast as it grows.
    • You don’t live in an area with an absurd cost of living.

    Compound Interest’s Effect on Debt

    It is important to remember that while compound interest is very powerful over the long term and can help you retire in style, it can also work against you. Interest works against you every time you take out a loan or have some sort of debt. The higher the interest rate, the faster the debt grows. Luckily, the effect isn’t quite as powerful if you are able to make payments on the loans, because the balance is decreasing.

    Paying Down Your Mortgage Faster Can Be a Smart Move

    While the negative effect may not be as powerful, interest expenses on debt can often add up to more than the value of the loan. For example, let’s assume you take out a typical 30-year mortgage for $150,000 at a 6% annual interest rate. By the end of the loan, you will have paid a total of $323,758.80—some quick math shows us that the interest paid on the loan was $173,758.80—more than the entire amount of the loan! It cannot be overstated how important it is to find the best interest rate on your loan in order to keep your interest expenses low.

    Paying off your mortgage earlier may be a smart move. You’d be making what’s called  principal pre-payment. If you have a 30 year mortgage, you can save thousands by making extra payments. One of the best ways to keep yourself on the plan is automating your extra mortgage payment with your bank.

    What Should You Do?

    Be sure that you allow compound interest to work in your favor by saving now and investing for the long-term. If you keep focused on your goal of long-term financial security you can ensure a great financial future.

    Guest Post Author: Jonathan is blogger who wants to help others get out of debt. He currently writes at Debt Loans.

      Carnival of Money Stories: Wedding Edition

      By: Green Panda | Date posted: July 27, 2009 (8:00 am)

      Welcome to the Carnival of Money Stories! This blog carnival is where we share our stories and experiences with money. This carnival theme is weddings in honor of my brother in law and friend’s wedding this weekend.

      Editor’s Choice

      Family and Financeslove ring

      Credit Cards and Debtsamurai wedding

      Investing and Finances

      Frugalityforks

      Government and the Economy

      News and Misc.

      Photo Credits: ToastyKen, fmc.nikon.d40, kevindooley, and lovelypetal

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      Weekly Round Up: Going Out of Town

      By: Green Panda | Date posted: July 25, 2009 (8:00 am)

      We’re out of town again. We visited family last week and this week we’re going out to the Western part of North Carolina for a day trip. We also have a wedding coming up for my brother in law and friend, s it’s been a busy summer. We’ll be using my iPod to keep the music going in the car.

      Let me know if you have any music recommendations for car trips. I have iPod I’m bringing with us for the trips.

      road trip

      Blog Carnivals

      Top Personal Finance Posts This Week

      I hope you have a great weekend!

      Photo Credit: kevindooley

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      • Movie Posters

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