As I’m scouring the web for great deals on computers, HDTVs, video games, etc. (I’m usually looking for stuff at least $20 less than the next best price on comparison sites like PriceGrabber but I sometimes find up to $100 off or more) I also run across some pretty ridiculous products and “deals” that I wouldn’t encourage Dealzon’s friends to buy. But they’re good for a few laughs and an always welcome reminder to “stop buying crap.” Here are five funny deals I saw last week.

Boxing Gloves for Nintendo Wii

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I gotta tell you, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen any account opening bonus offers from banks — or at least, one that doesn’t require you to jump through numerous hoops.  PerkStreet Financial is now offering a $50 sign-up bonus for any new PerkStreet Financial checking account with a minimum deposit of $25.  Deposit $25 and get $50?  No hard credit inquiry? Sounds like a decent deal.

PerkStreet has partnered with the Bancorp Bank, member FDIC, to provide several of its banking services, such as FDIC insurance.  The checking account, while lacking in any interest bearing capability, is actually quite decent.  It touts a 1% “cash-back” debit card, giving you cash-back in the form of a Visa Gift Card, or a gift card to some of the leading retailers (such as Target & Amazon).

If you’re a proponent of debit card over a credit card but occasionally harbor  hidden-jealousy for credit card rewards, then PerkStreet’s checking account with rewards debit card may just be what you’re looking for.

$50 PerkStreet Sign-Up Bonus Details

• Offer expires 2/28/2010.
• Open an account with a $25 minimum deposit.
• Keep the account active for three months
• You can keep account active by using your initial $25 deposit with your debit card
• $50 bonus will be credited into account within 15 business days at end of third month
• Valid for only first-time customers

Things to note:

• There is an account inactivity fee of $4.50!  To avoid this fee, you can do any of the activities: make a transaction with your debit card, write a check that clears the account, use online bill pay, initiate a withdrawal, or make a deposit to the account.
• There is no hard credit pull with the regular account, but the Plus account with overdraft protection may have a hard credit inquiry (via Fatwallet forums).
• If you want to milk things even more, you can fund the account up to $500 with a credit card, which will count as a purchase on your credit card, and not a cash-advance.  The initial funding will not cost you any fees from PerkStreet, but subsequent funding via credit cards will be charged 2% of funding amount.

PerkStreet Checking Account Features

• Visa Debit Card with 1% cash back, free music, or coffee
• Free checks, $25 deposit to open
• No minimum balance requirement
• No monthly fees when you use your account
• A large surcharge-free ATM network
• Free bill pay, switch perks without penalty

Look for a longer, in-depth review when I get a chance to test drive the account longer.

I don’t usually eat out (since I have no friends to eat with — haha), but when I do eat out, I generally try to be a fair tipper. Although there were plenty of times where I’ll ponder about how 15% became the standard gratuity amount, I usually just leave the 15% unless there was terrible service (and of course, more than 15% if the service was excellent).

The fact of the matter is, in the United States, many wait staffs rely on tips as their main income source — despite the fact that many people feels that a “minimum” tip standard has shifted the responsibility of paying wages from restaurant employers to customers. Depending on your region, culture, and background, you may find tipping to be a ridiculous notion or a fair custom.

Most restaurants will have a mandatory “gratuity” charge for a large party (6 or more etc.), and certain restaurants will have straight-up forced gratuity (eesh). On one hand, I can understand that dealing with a large party can certainly be bitch work; after all, you’re tending to more demands and needs — but on the other hand, its hardly considered gratuity when its mandatory (maybe all restaurants should just label them clearly as a large-party service charge instead of a gratuity charge).

To add more spices to the mix, a couple in Bethlema, PA, was recently arrested by the police because they refused to pay the mandatory tip for their party of six. Now before you think the two are complete cheapskate, apparently the party had to wait an hour for their table, and received next-to-nothing services during dinner. Some people might think its a bit trivial for the couple to get all huffed-up about a 18% gratuity that totaled $16, but I’m on the camp that thinks the restaurant owner is being silly to call the police over a $16 tip.

What do you think? Much ado about nothing? Are mandatory gratuity an abomination? Or are they a necessary component to ensure waiting staffs gets their due pay for their services?

photo credit: Vidiot.

If you have a Zecco Trading account, you can easily earn $75 by sending a referral to a friend. The gist of the Zecco refer a friend program is pretty straightforward, you send an invite by email to a pal that may be interested in opening an online discount broker account, your friend signs-up with the same invited email address, funds their account for $500, and you’ll get $75 cash deposited into your account (or a $75 Amazon gift certificate if you have an IRA). A cool $75 = a decent dinner for you and your friend; eight In-n-Out lunches with you and your friend; or you can just hoard the money and not share them with your pal — I’d suggest the hoarding (just kidding, you cheap bastard).

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Maybe you just got robbed by Zorro or maybe there’s now an unexpected child support payment (oh snap!?) — whatever the circumstances are, would you be able to live on half of your income?

A few years ago, I was reading a blog post by Trent at The Simple Dollar regarding living on half of your income, and at the time I thought to myself:  “Well that’s nice. So instead of thirty Cup Noodles per month, I get to eat only fifteen? That’s totally doable.*”

(*Cool kids often use the word doable back in the days).

But time has changed. I’m now a hard-working member of society (sort of) and I’m no longer a dreadful leech on my parents (again, sort of).

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Clearly, the credit crisis has done a number to the credit card industry, making the competition become a little tougher among credit card companies. In the past, credit card holders could earn substantial rewards with the kind of programs available through companies like Visa, MasterCard, Discover Card and Citibank. Back then, you could receive significant savings from online purchases when you register your reward credit card to earn points or from a cash back credit card that credits you a cash bonus on a regular basis.

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Some stuff are just better when served cold.  Ice cream. Sushi. Revenge.

There was a joke somewhere in there, linking cold stuff to freezing credit reports, but if you’re reading up on credit freeze because of identity theft problems, the last thing you’d probably want is a lame joke from an online financial nerd.

Fair enough. Here’s a complete breakdown on credit freeze, links to the major credit reporting agency (credit bureau) so you can request a freeze, and links to the fees for freezing your credit reports.

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Yeah grows on tree my ass.

If you like to waste money by being stupid, forgetful, and lazy, here’s five ways to do it.

DMV Registration Late Fee – $39

Why pay your car registration on-time? Live life “dangerously” by delaying your smog check and car registration. If you hold out long enough, the penalty fee along with your chance of getting car impounded increases exponentially!

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