Welcome to Thursday, money nerds, and welcome to Apex Money. I did end up missing an installment yesterday, as I’d worried I might — but not for the reasons I thought.
You see, I got my COVID booster on Monday afternoon. And while I experienced few side effects with the first two doses last spring, this dose laid me low. Boy howdy! I was down with flu-like symptoms for 36 hours. I’m still not back to normal, but at least I have the ability to focus on stories about money.
So, let’s get to them.
Why you should always get multiple estimates on home repairs. [I Pick Up Pennies] — “It is a universal law that you should never go with the first bid on a home repair. And yes, you’d think it goes without saying. But sometimes even those of us who know better…don’t know better.” [This reminds me of a similar experience I had recently. I received a bill for a home repair that seemed high. I called to ask for clarification. The company had made an error and dropped the charge by 67%!]
Personal finance tips and tricks to manage your money. [One Frugal Girl] — “The birth of my first son coincided with a messy time in my life. In addition, to sleepless nights and new mom worries, I was reeling from my husband’s newly expanding small business and an unexpected pink slip. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we lost sight of simple money management tasks…The solution was easier than we expected. We designed an automated system to remind us of upcoming financial chores and events.”
Why everyone thinks the inflation numbers are wrong. [A Wealth of Common Sense] — “I know it can feel cathartic to complain that the government is manipulating the official inflation statistics but the truth is whatever the stated average inflation rate is it will always feel useless to the vast majority of households. When it comes to inflation, no one is average. Your personal circumstances will determine your true inflation rate more than anything else.”
Let’s close things out with one of my favorite videos in recent months. This is a 37-minute YouTube segment from Home Studio Simplified that breaks down how the Bee Gees’ smash hit “Staying Alive” was produced out of 22 individual recording tracks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1vok-EtAQw
I’m not saying that I want to watch this sort of thing all the time, but this one time was fascinating.
And that’s it for today, everyone. I’ll be back tomorrow to take you into your weekend. See you then…