Narrow Bridge Finance » Free Stuff

Free eBook – Starting a Small Business

Eric — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:00:00 +0000

I have spent some time over the last few weeks putting together a new and free eBook for Narrow Bridge Finance subscribers. My small business post series was so successful that I decided to package it up into a free eBook.

At some point, almost everyone has an idea for a business. It is easy to get caught up in all of the complicated reasons to avoid it, so I decided to cut through the confusion and give a basic guide to starting a small business. Based on my successful small business post series, this re-packaged and free eBook gives you a quick guide to starting a small business. I have started three businesses myself, and this book outlines what I learned in the process.

Download it free when you join the email list.

Free eBook – Starting a Small Business is a post from: Narrow Bridge

Holiday Giveaway: Win A Copy of My eBook

Eric — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:00:22 +0000

Win a copy of the Personal Finance Arsenal eBook, a $27 value. Just use the awesome signup tools below to enter. That’s it! Consider it a Chanukah or (insert holiday here) give from me! If you don’t win, you could buy a copy for yourself. It also makes a great present.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Holiday Giveaway: Win A Copy of My eBook is a post from: Narrow Bridge

Giveaway: Favorite Frugal Tip

Eric — Wed, 25 May 2011 15:03:32 +0000

What better way to celebrate reaching 200,000 on Alexa than by giving away free stuff? Our friends over at UPrinting.com have offered to give Narrow Bridge readers two sets of business cards! You have one week to enter by commenting below.

To enter, simply answer this question: What is your favorite frugal tip?

There is no right or wrong answer on this one. If you read Narrow Bridge regularly, you know that I am not a fan of using frugal methods to get rich. However, there are some good ones out there. If they are easy things you can do to save money, even better.

So, just comment below and be sure to visit our sponsor, UPrinting, to learn more about their business cards and other great products.

For a bonus entry, follow me on Twitter and Tweet this exact phrase this week:

@DenverEric is giving away free business cards this week at @NarrowBridge! RT and visit http://www.NarrowBridge.net to enter.

UPDATE: The winners are Miss T. and Beating Broke. Congrats!

Also, a quick thanks to My Personal Finance Journey for including Narrow Bridge in this week’s Carnival of Personal Finance.

Giveaway: Favorite Frugal Tip is a post from: Narrow Bridge

No related posts.

When I Win the Lottery

Eric — Tue, 17 May 2011 17:52:48 +0000

In Colorado, there is no shortage of gambling opportunities. Just 45 minutes up the road in Blackhawk and Central City, we have large casinos that rival most Indian reservations. We have legalized bingo halls all over town. But the dream is to win the lotto.

Where the Dream Comes From

I think everyone has a list of “if I win the lotto” ideas. One of my friends told me that winning the Power Ball is his retirement plan. He also owes me a 1968 Cherry Red Chevy Camaro if he wins.

After recent epic winnings in the Power Ball, I got to thinking about my lotto list.

Dreams of Unlimited Money

If I had virtually unlimited money, what would I do?

Homes

I would buy a massive mansion in my hometown, Denver, or a giant Penthouse downtown. I would have a vacation home in the mountains, probably in Beaver Creek. I would buy a beachfront home in Miami overlooking South Beach. I would buy two apartments in the Old City in Jerusalem (one for Passover, one for the rest of the year). Oh yeah, and I can’t forget the Manhattan penthouse.

Cars

I always talk about my practical car, which I love, but who would want a McClaren F1? That is the top of my list. I also want a Tesla Roadster, 1968 Camaro, a James Bond decked out Aston Martin, a shiny new Ferrari Scaglietti, and a Bugatti (not too picky on the model).

Luxury

Honestly, my many homes would be empty most of the year. My real home would be the entire world. I want to travel and see every place that I can safely see that I have never been. I would love to be able to hop on a plane at my leisure to visit the most beautiful and cultured places in the world.

What I Would Really Do

If I really were to win a windfall lottery income, I would probably be a little more thrifty with my money than the list above.

I really would have a comfortable home in Denver and an apartment in Jerusalem. The others are negotiable.

I really would have to buy a McClaren F1 if I had over $100,000,000, but beyond that I would probably stick with a luxury sedan for my daily driving and an SUV for the Colorado winter.

I would really travel the world. I want to see everywhere, and having an extra nine figures in the bank would make that dream come true.

I would also donate generously to the organizations that have given me so much and ones that help people who really need it. I would also make sure my parents and sister lived incredibly comfortably for the rest of their lives.

Most importantly, I would invest and secure my fortune in a way that ensured I would have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life.

The Pitfalls of Instant Fortune

I have read stories of people winning $300 million jackpots and struggling with drug addiction and bankruptcy just a few years later.

The best example of this is Jack Whittaker. Whittaker was a successful construction manager with a great family life. One day, he walked into a store for a sandwich, gas fill up, and a lottery ticket. He won the largest lottery in United States history ($315 million) and took home a lump sum of $113.4 million.

Within four years he was robbed several times, arrested, sued, and been implicit in the death of his Granddaughter and two of her friends (separate incidents) related to drug use. After a string of legal problems, nearly ending up in bankruptcy, and burying his grandchild, he said that “if he could do it all over again, he would have just filled up his tank, bought a sandwich and gone on his merry way.”

My Plan to Win the Lottery

I am going to win the lotto, I should probably buy a ticket. Doing the math, however, shows that putting money into an index fund has a much higher rate of return than the predicted average income from the lottery. I will put my dollars into a sound investment instead. I guess this is one dream that will never come true.

Fair Usage Image (c) The Walt Disney Company

When I Win the Lottery is a post from: Narrow Bridge

My First Travel Hack – 2 Free International Flights

Eric — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 18:52:03 +0000

Today I finally gave in and started my first travel hack. For those of you unfamiliar, travel hacking is the art of mastering the mileage and point systems of airlines and hotels to get the maximum possible value for the lowest possible cost.

The most famous travel hacker, of course, is Chris Guillebeau of the ‘Art of Non-Conformity.’

My First Hack

Today, I signed up for the British Airways Chase Visa credit card. (Yes, I signed up for a credit card, more on the impacts below.) I have an existing relationship with Chase, so signing up took about five minutes and I was approved instantly.

Signing up for the card gives you an instant 50,000 miles with the British Airways frequent flyer program. 50,000 miles gets you a free round trip ticket from the United States to any airport in the “Europe Zone One” list, which includes the Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. 60,000 miles or 50,000 plus a fee can get you to Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Gibraltar, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, or Sweden.

If you spend $2,500 in the first three months, you get an extra 50,000 bonus miles. That is another round trip to Europe!

So, to summarize 100,000 miles on British Airways, or two free round trip tickets to Europe!

The Good

A round trip to Europe from Denver currently costs well over $1,000. British Airways has a gate at Denver International Airport, so I can take BA the entire way from my home airport to Europe. I was already planning a trip to London this summer. This card has a major incentive.

I don’t usually spend $2,500 in three months, but if I plan out purchases I can buy in advance for the next month or so and will be able to reach it. Too bad my annual car insurance payment just hit my other card…

The Less Good

A new credit card means an impact to my credit report, a hard hit on my credit, and a lower average age of credit outstanding. According to the simulator at Credit Karma, my score will go down four points for getting this new card.

The card also comes with an annual fee of $95, but the first year is free. You can keep the card or close it after 11 months to avoid the fee.

Overall

This is totally worth it. I am excited to get two free flights to Europe. Flight one is London this summer. Who knows where flight two will take me!

Have you been successful travel hacking in the past? What have you done? Please share your experiences in the comments.

Photo by JamesZ. Also, a quick thanks to Barbara at the Upside of Money for including Narrow Bridge in this week’s Carnival of Personal finance.

My First Travel Hack – 2 Free International Flights is a post from: Narrow Bridge

Free, Legal Music Options Galore

Eric — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:48:27 +0000

I am proudly part of the “Napster Generation.” I remember they day in high school when I found a cool site that let you download other people’s songs for free. With my 28k modem, each song took about 45 minutes to download. How things have changed.

Laws have developed. Napster, in its original form, is a nearly forgotten memory. The only recent mentions of Napster relate to the founder’s character making an appearance in a movie about Facebook, The Social Network.

As internet speeds increased, college students and tech nerds flooded the web with alternatives to Napster. There was the virus and crapware haven Kazaa, there was Limewire, you could take neighbors songs with myTunes. There was no shortage of illegal music on the web.

Today, there are many legal options. Why steal music when we all have high-speed internet, many of us on our phones? There is little reason.

Pandora

Pandora was the first internet radio that I listened to regularly. The site allows you to create your own account where you can create “radio stations” that play music similar to your tastes. I have stations for my favorite bands and genres. I can listen to Tiesto Radio, Swing Radio, Linkin Park Radio, Metallica Radio, AC/DC Radio, Pop/Top 40 Radio, or make a station on the fly.

Benefits: Free music. You can discover new music similar to your tastes. Rating features work well and you will only hear music you like. Free mobile app. Has a Roku channel.

Downsides: Free music limited to a fixed number of hours per month (I have never passed the limit). You can get Pandora One for $36 per year to waive the limit. Free version has advertisements. You can’t pick your own playlist. Need a live, high-speed internet connection.

Last.fm

Last.fm is much more popular in Europe than North America, but I don’t know why. I love Last.fm. It is similar to Pandora’s music discovery engine, but has no advertisement interruptions. I often turn on Last.fm on my Xbox and play music when I have friends over or when I want to rock out cooking, cleaning, or getting ready for a night on the town.

Benefits: Free music. No interruptions. Well built music discovery engine. Free mobile application. No streaming limits.

Downsides: Only works from a live, high-speed internet connection. You can’t pick your own playlist.

Grooveshark

I am a huge fan of Grooveshark. Grooveshark is like iTunes for the internet. You can create an account that lets you save playlists and stream whatever song you want at any time without interruption. The library is massive.

Benefits: Choose your own playlist. Pick any song for free. No streaming limits. Mobile app available.

Downsides: Ad bar on website and certain features are locked unless you pay $3 per month for premium access. Mobile application only available for premium subscribers.

Note: You can use the free mobile application TinyShark to access your Grooveshark account for free.

Podcasts

Don’t discount podcasts as an awesome music source. I am a big fan of electronic dance music, and all of my favorite DJs have their own podcast. I even have a Podcast at DJYofi.com. (Which you should definitely check out)

Podcasts can be hosted by any website. Many are listed in the iTunes store, many are not. If you find one you like, just add it to iTunes or your favorite podcast manager. You can download and listen to the majority of podcasts for free.

My favorites are Tiesto’s Club Life, my DJ Yofi – Yoficast, the Sensation Podcast, Armin Van Buren’s State of Trance, and Sydney Blu’s BLUcast. If you have different tastes, you can find almost anything with a quick web search.

Evil Option 1 – Ares

I couldn’t get the whole way through without mentioning a couple of illegal options. Ares is an open source peer-to-peer music interface that gives you access to a large file sharing network. Think of this as a new version of Napster or Kazaa. You can download the application for free from SourceForge.

Evil Option 2 – MP3Skull

If you want songs without having to download a program, MP3Skull is the site for you. MP3Skull is an audio file search engine aggregator. Just type in the song you want and you can almost always find a download link.

Evil Option 3 – BitTorrent

BitTorrent can be used for either good or evil, but most use it for evil. With a torrent program like the open source uTorrent or Azureus, you can download a .torrent file that gives you access to all of the seeders of a torrent. You can learn more about how torrents work at Lifehacker.

Disclaimer: I do not officially endorse the use of illegal download methods. Use them at your own risk.

Free, Legal Music Options Galore is a post from: Narrow Bridge

How to Read Premium News for Free Online

Eric — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:37:39 +0000

If you are a finance news buff like I am, you probably enjoy the Wall Street Journal. If you have ever spent time looking at articles on WSJ.com, however, you might have hit the subscriber wall more than once. This trick works on most news websites, but not all. The format of the URL may also be different on other websites.

I learned a sweet trick about getting through the subscription wall, and thought you might enjoy it. Just follow the steps below to see the entire article for free.

Copy the article URL (web address) from the address bar in your browser and paste it into a Google search. Click on search.
When the search results appear, look for the question mark after .html in the address you pasted into the Google search. Delete everything after .html including the question mark. Press search again.
Click on the result for the article you want to read from the Google results. That should take you to the full, unabridged article.

Why does this work? In order for Google to give the website search results, news sites allow the Google bots to crawl the entire contents of the article. If you click through within the website, you are given the truncated version with a subscription advertisement. If you come in from the search engine, which is given full results, you can read the entire article for free.

Enjoy!

How to Read Premium News for Free Online is a post from: Narrow Bridge

Win Stuff From Delivering Away Debt

Eric — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:29:57 +0000

Jeff is a delivery guy bloggingabout his successes and failures in personal finance. To honor his six month blogversary, he is giving away three copies of the eBook about “Unautomating Your Finances” by Adam at Man vs. Debt.

Jeff keeps a great blog and I suggest you visit the giveaway and try to win a copy of the book.

Win Stuff From Delivering Away Debt is a post from: Narrow Bridge

Swagbucks

Eric — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:51:08 +0000

I jumped on the bandwagon. I joined Swagbucks. A series of posts by Fabulously Broke inspired my jump into the search rewards program. A week in, I thought I would share my thoughts.

So far, it seems that the program works as advertised. I use the Swagbucks search engine, which is a Google/Ask.com mash-up, and I am awarded randomly with Swagbucks. You can also get Swagbucks using Swagcodes from “code hunts” on the site, Twitter, Facebook, or MySpace.

For your Swagbucks, you can get almost anything. The Swag Store has a long list of gift cards, collectibles, music, entertainment, or even a $5 cash through your PayPal account. I am saving for the Amazon.com gift card, because I love movies, books, and games.

My only complaint: finding the Swag codes on code hunts is a pain in the ass. Other than that, I switched my default search in Firefox to Swagbucks and get a few bucks a day.

If you have any questions about the site, I am happy to answer in the comments. If you do decide to sign up, please use my referral link so I can get a few bonus Swagbucks. You can also learn more about how Swagbucks work through my personalized Swagbucks site.

Swagbucks is a post from: Narrow Bridge

How I Make Money Online: Successes and Failures (Part 2)

Free Root Beer Float and Doughnut!

Eric — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:40:12 +0000

Wise Bread tipped me off to two offers too good to keep to myself. We all love free, artery clogging goodness such as root beer floats and doughnuts, right? Follow the links below for details.

Tonight Only – Free Root Beer Float at Sonic from 8pm-midnight.
Friday Only – Free Doughnut from Krispy Kreme

Like all of the college students and recent grads out there, I have a tough time turning down free food. Enjoy!

Free Root Beer Float and Doughnut! is a post from: Narrow Bridge