Watching TV Could Cost You $1 Million

When people ask me what was the best decision I made when I decided to create this website, they are often surprised when I tell them that it was my decision to quit watching TV.

There is no doubt that TV costs people far more financially than they believe. For most people, TV is a habit that costs in excess of $1 million over a lifetime, or the equivalent of a healthy retirement account.

I made a conscious choice about five years ago to drastically reduce the amount of TV I watch. The average person now watches 4.5 hours of TV a day.

ExxonMobil Sends Man 2,000 Credit Cards

NEW YORK - He wanted a couple of credit cards. He got a couple of thousand. Manhattan accountant Frank Van Buren found himself flooded with plastic in recent weeks, as the ExxonMobil cards kept on coming. Van Buren, who said he has had an ExxonMobil account for his business for 17 years, had ordered two copies of his card because it was expiring.

He got the cards he requested -- and then got two boxes with 1,000 cards each. Van Buren said it took hours to shred the cards, which all had his name and account number.

Venture Capital Becomes Sexfriendly

SAN FRANCISCO, July 26 — Except for the sexual twist, Friendfinder Inc. sounds like the quintessential investment prospect for venture capitalists. The company, based in Palo Alto, Calif., operates social networking sites that boast 140,000 new registrants a day, and $200 million in annual revenue.

But the company’s main site, Adult Friendfinder, helps people meet for purposes of having sexual liaisons. The content, including explicit photographs and language, has put off mainstream investors.

Fat Is Contageous?

Having a friend, sibling or spouse who is overweight raises a person's risk of being obese too, US researchers say.

They said data on more than 12,000 people suggested the risk was increased by 57% if a friend was obese, by 40% if a sibling was and 37% if a spouse was.

They argued this showed social factors, such as the body sizes of other people, were important in developing obesity.

41 Weird Money Facts You've Never Heard About

Do you think you know a lot about money? Maybe you do. Maybe you don't. But let's see if any of the following facts are in any way surprising to you:

Typo Error Makes Every Lotto Ticket A $1000 Winner

ROSWELL, N.M. -- An advertising promotion for a Roswell car dealership has backfired.A direct mailing of 50,000 scratch-off games touted a grand prize of $1,000.

The small type said the odds of winning were 1 in 50,000.But it turns out all 50,000 scratch-off ads were $1,000 winners.The dealership's general manager, Jeff Kohn, blamed Atlanta-based Force Events Direct Marketing for printing the ads with a typographical error.

The Money Eating Dog

MENOMONIE, Wis. (AP) - Debbie Hulleman's dog Pepper has been known to gnaw on lipstick, munch on shampoo bottles and chew on toothpaste. But Pepper got Hulleman into a real mess after gobbling nearly $750.

"This is probably the worst," Hulleman said Thursday, recalling how she poked through vomit and dog piles left in the yard to recover the cash.

Rolling Stones get $50.5 million for private party

The Rolling Stones earned a staggering $50.5 million for performing at a private party.

The legendary British rockers raked in nearly $62,000 per minute for their 80-minute set when they entertained 500 guests at a Deutsche Bank party at Barcelona's Catalan National Art Museum.

Frontman Sir Mick Jagger finished the show by jokingly telling the crowd, "Thank you for having us. The best part is that it is coming out of your bonuses!"

Pizza Hut Waitress Gets $10000 Tip

The family — a mother and two sons — stopped in recently for their usual: two Mountain Dews, a cup of hot water for tea and a large Meat Lover's Stuffed Crust pizza. They requested Jessica Osborne, 20, as their usual waitress and chatted about their lives.

World's Most Dangerous Jewelry Store