Hack the planet(’s bank account)

It only took one game in the World Series for a base to be stolen and Taco Bell on the hook for free tacos.

You can get your free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco from any Taco Bell between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m today.

M&T Bank is running a bunch of promotions on their checking accounts in conjunction with their “Checking Built for Baltimore” marketing promotion. No mention of whether there are geographic requirements.

M&T Select™ Checking
Available with or without interest
Get preferred rates on M&T Select CDs and loans, free standard check orders and more
Free with qualifying relationship balances
$100 Cash Bonus

M&T Direct Checking Free with direct deposit
Free M&T Web Bill Pay**
$100 Cash Bonus

M&T Totally Free Checking
No minimum balance requirement
No monthly service charge
$25 Cash Bonus

M&T Classic Checking w/ Interest
Free checking for age 50 and over
50% off most check orders
Free M&T Web Bill Pay**
$50 Cash Bonus

M&T @College CheckingSM
Exclusively for students
No minimum balance requirement
No monthly service charge
$25 Cash Bonus

Did you know that Panera Bread offers free Wi-Fi? Or that McDonald’s does as well? They’re just two of many potential places you can get free Wi-Fi if you’re hankering to get your news or stock tickers and your phone is on the fritz. Free Wi-Fi is becoming more and more popular as stores and restaurants try to differentiate themselves. Locally, the Hard Times Cafe, a chili joint, offers free Wi-Fi to patrons as well.

Other options? Starbucks offers you 2 hours but you have to have a registered gift card that you use at least once a month.

Do you have a cell phone? Chances are you do. Do you have a landline? If you do, may I ask why? There are plenty of reasons why you should have a landline (they are required by most security systems so they can phone home, they are far easier to use for young children, etc) but if you can’t think of a reason why you have a landline, other than “everyone else does,” then consider canceling it and saving yourself the $30 a month they typically cost.

Need a replacement landline and don’t want to eat up minutes on your cell phone? There are many VoIP options that are cheaper than a landline and can follow your computer, rather than your residence (which won’t be moving). Skype is a popular option and for $10/mo you can get a phone number that anyone on Skype can call you from (and you can call anyone else) and that you can call anyone else from.

Every year, Taco Bell does their Steal a Base, Steal a Taco Promotion where they give away a free taco if someone steals a base in the WOrld Series. This year, the Tampa Bay Rays face the Philadelphia Phillies in what probably will result in at least a base being stolen.

Terms & Conditions:

If an eligible base was stolen during the Games, Taco Bell will make an announcement through selected media channels, including a press release and its Web site (www.tacobell.com), that eligible consumers can obtain their free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 (if base is stolen in Games 1-4 on October 22, 23, 25 or 26), OR Monday, November 3, 2008 (if base is stolen in Games 5-7, October 27, 29 or 30), (”Redemption Date”) only. To obtain the Free Taco, consumers must visit any participating Taco Bell® restaurant in one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. (local time) on the Redemption Date only and request a Free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco. Free Tacos will not be offered on any other date or time, regardless of circumstance. Limit one (1) Free Crunchy Seasoned Beef Taco per person.

First game is tonight!

Halloween is coming up in about a week and a half and if you’re like most families, you’re looking to save a few extra dollars on the costumed night this year. My Dollar Plan has 8 great tips for saving money this halloween. The tips include listing places to buy discount candy, some ideas on cheaper decorations, dinner, costumes, and party planning. Finally, there are even tips on pumpkins (carry your own!).

Trick or treat!

I haven’t bought a movie in at least three or four years. I don’t own a Blu-Ray player or an HD-DVD player (ha, or an HD upsampler, or whatever they’re re-marketing them as) either but I still enjoy watching movies from time to time. Buying movies has become nearly pointless as companies like Netflix will send you a dozen movies each month for the price of one movie. In fact, as internet enabled media devices become more popular, and thus cheaper, subscription services like Netflix and their downloadable content will make movies a thing of the past.

So rather than buy soon to be relics, skip the cost and just go with rental. Let’s say you buy a $20 disc every month, that’s $240 a year. If you were to choose Netflix’s cheapest option of 2 movies a month for $5, that’s only $60. You can save serious money and cut down on the clutter.

National City is offering a $150 promotional bonus for new customers who open a checking account with them online, with direct deposit. All you need to do is open an account by 10/22 with $50, direct deposit at least $250, use the Visa Check Card within 60 days and the $150 is yours. Typical T&C type stuff too, like one bonus per household, new accounts only, and of course, the $150 is subject to 1099 tax reporting.

Promotional details.

Want a great way to save money? Discuss each and every purchase with someone before you make it. Whether it’s a cup of coffee or a flat screen television, talk to someone first. It can be your mom or dad, it can be your best friend, it can be a random person waiting in line with you but talk to someone. It can be a complex discussion about the merits of what it is you’re buying or it can just be a perfunctory “Hey, how’s the coffee here?” Either way, talk to someone first.

Why does this work? First, it puts you in the position of having to do something first. That alone will stop a lot of your purchases. In the event you do get into a discussion, you can argue the merits of your purchase while your foil can argue against it. Finally, this makes the buying decision an active one. Far too many times you might find yourself buying something, like morning coffee, without really thinking about it. This bring the thinking back in.

Give it a whirl, you might make a new friend!

Are you getting confused which airlines are now charging you for your first checked bag? I know I am, that’s why I try to fly Southwest whenever I can because they don’t charge any of this mumbo jumbo. If you’re not sure who will charge you for the benefit of checking the first bag, check out this chart at FareCompare. It includes how much it costs to buy a reservation by phone, your first and second bags, seat selections, beverage/snack packet costs, meals, alcohol, oversized bags, overweight bags, pe travel, unaccompanied minors fees, curbside check-in, and .

As of October 15th, the only airlines that won’t charge you for the 1st Checked Bag are Delta, AirTran, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest, Midwest, ExpressJet, Virgin America, and Sun Country. Southwest an ExpressJet are the only airlines listed that won’t charge you for a second bag.