Around the Internet

Why now might not be the time to invest in a mutual fund - An easily forgotten bit of information, in case you're looking to invest right now.

8 secret credit scores you don't know about and Beyond your FICO (via Chief Family Officer) - A couple of posts on Liz Pulliam Weston's article about the nuances to your credit rating. It's not just enough to watch your credit score because that's not the only information lenders have access to. Good information to keep in mind when evaluating your credit image with lenders

Trading in old electronics - Costco will pay you for your old consumer electronics, which might or might not be worth it. Whatever you do, make sure you dispose of your electronics responsibly (e.g., donate or take it to the dump).

Biodegradable Diapers via Sustainable Works - Really biodegradable, made with a corn based material. This also means they're breathable, less bulky, and soft to the touch. They are, however, pretty pricey ($15.99 per package or $59.95 per box of 4 packages), and they're hard to find. If the trend catches on, availability and pricing should adjust accordingly. Stuff to ponder. Do you want to lead or be led?

Contact lens case - Sure you can get free ones, but this one's plain clever. If you travel, or you misplace your case often, this might be your ticket to peace of mind.

Funny stuff on Craigs List via David Lebovitz - Examples (I could list dozens, but I'll keep it brief in an attempt to keep you on my good side):

• Clean Out My Mini-Fridge for $25
  
• Now with even lower standards!
  
• DICTIONARY FOR DECODING WOMEN'S PERSONAL ADS (e.g., 40-ish = 49...Free Spirit = Former Junkie...Outgoing = Loud & Embarrassing...Wants Soul Mate = Stalker...)
  
• I don't want to go out tonight
  
• ********ASS KICKING MACHINE*******

Costco's return policy

When you have a kid, not having a DVD player sucks. And having one that doesn't work sucks even more. It makes you bitter.

In November 2005, we bought a cheap Lite-on DVD player/recorder from Costco. We were so excited at the thought of (1) replacing our temperamental Toshiba and (2) having a recorder to burn some of our saved Tivo episodes to clear the hard drive. It was definitely an impulse buy. And it worked...at first. The recorder was strange in that it recorded not only the episode, but all of the Tivo activity (e.g., time bar). Then I bought a fitness DVD, and it wouldn't play, though it played in my computer. After that, it became even more selective and wouldn't play various DVDs the first time we tried, so we'd fidget with it until it finally cooperated. And then it struck us. We bought this lousy DVD player at Costco...wonderful, return-friendly Costco. We'd heard of people who had taken advantage of their more than generous policy, but we had never felt the need to return anything. So, after hemming and hawing, we went to Costco with the DVD player, cables, instructions, and receipt in hand, and held our breathe as we figured they'd tell us to buzz off with our boxless purchase from 19 months ago. But they didn't. We were refunded for the purchase price in full without any hassles. So we turned around and bought another plain old Samsung DVD player and a blender with what was left.

In February 2007, Costco revamped its return policy on its big ticket electronic items. Televisions, computers, cameras, camcorders, portable music players and cell phones, which represt 5% of sales for their prior fiscal year, must be exchanged or returned within 90 days. It's still a very forgiving policy though, and that's going to keep us coming back for more.