Anne and Matt February 2013 Net Worth + MORE

As many guys will tell you, we tend to get attached to our barbecue grills the same way we get attached to our dogs.Let’s face it, a good barbecue grill, like a good dog, is something to be revered, and as such it’s always tough for their owners to recognize when it’s time to finally say goodbye…

If you’re reading this article, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’ve already considered a number of inexpensive business ideas and are now ready to delve into the nitty gritty of what it’s like to work not only for yourself, but out of your own home. (See also: Budget Biz Strategies for New Entrepreneurs)
PERKS
If there weren’t perks to having a home business, so many people wouldn’t be striving to start one for themselves…

I’ve worked in financial services for the past 25 years, which has given me valuable insights into the importance of effective money management.
As a result, I’ve followed a very financially conservative lifestyle, committed to living within my means and not incurring any unnecessary debts.
However, the past few years have made it more challenging to maintain this status quo…

This is a post from staff writer Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the adviser for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. Financial success can be due to making good decisions or avoiding big mistakes. In many cases, the biggest mistakes happen after good decisions, because the stakes have become higher…

(Guest Post by Nick as part of our Side Hustle Series.)
One description of my age is that I belong to “Generation Y”, but I like to look at it in a different way. The way I define my generation is “The Video Game Generation”. I was born in 1985, the same year the first “main stream” video game console, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), launched in North America…

The following is the latest post in my “Reader Profiles” series. Each post in this series details the financial situation and challenges of an FMF reader. The purpose of this series is to help us all identify with people like us (in similar situations — not all will be, of course, but eventually I’m sure you will find someone like you here), get to know the frequent commenters on the site, and hear some financial wisdom/challenges from people other than me…

You need to take a good look at your CLUE.
But what is a CLUE report?
Most people are clueless about there CLUE report, hehe see what I did there.
CLUE stands for Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, and this report gives details dating back seven years history of claims with your insurance company…

Join our Tweetchat this Thursday at 12:00 p.m. Pacific/ 3p.m. Eastern for lively conversation and a chance to win a $200 gift card or one of two $50 gift cards! Use #WBChat to participate.
This week’s topic: All Things Retirement! Learn about retirement saving strategies, starting a second career in retirement, and juggling saving for retirement with other savings goals…

In the series Naked With Cash, seven Consumerism Commentary readers share their financial progress on a monthly basis. They are joined by Certified Financial Planners who provide feedback on their journey. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. Anne and Matt are twenty-seven years old, living in the Midwest, with two children…

“Online learning can be more than lectures. Another element involves presenting information in an interactive form, which can be used to find out what a student knows and doesn’t know” – Bill gates

Nowadays, the options to get a degree are growing. Online degrees are becoming more and more popular among students with increasingly busy lives…

Most people are use to going out to bars, going shopping, going to the movies or engaging in other expensive activities for enjoyment. These activities can be a strain on someone’s wallet. Having a good time doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot. With what’s happening to the economy these days, it’s important to be more careful with how we spend our money, but at the same time we don’t need to stop having fun…

Many of us like to help others. Charitable donations can be a great way to improve your community and give those in need a helping hand. On top of that, you can also receive a tax credit for your good efforts. While most of us don’t give just to get a tax benefit, it’s a nice bonus that you can take advantage of…

Reward card users are typically concerned with earning airline tickets. And while the prospect of a free flight is very alluring, travelers to major cities might find that their hotel bill actually approaches or exceeds their transportation costs. Therefore, using a hotel rewards card can be a great way to reduce the cost of your vacation…

Today I wanted to talk about an important topic: volunteering. Volunteering can come in many forms: time, treasure, and talents. You can volunteer your time at a local homeless shelter, going door-to-door for a local political candidate, or mentoring students. You can donate your treasure through one-time or ongoing monetary donations to a nonprofit…

When considering the currency markets and worldwide banking, many people don’t fully understand how tightly interconnected everything is in our global economy. The recent occurrences in Cyprus have highlighted this to me most dramatically.

Here I am…an American citizen living in Thailand…

As a blogger, I stumbled into a business idea that scales pretty efficiently. I can reach thousands of people each day with my words using the power of the Internet and search. When I say, “scales” efficiently, I mean my product/service (in my case, blog posts) can be served up to exponentially more and more people (as my site ages and I add more content) without incurring an exponential number of operating costs (other than the increased cost of web hosting)…

Every year there are many environmental events around the globe that one can take part in. The problem is knowing when each one of them are! With that in mind, we have put together a month by month list of events you can get involved in, along with the links to each one. Good luck choosing just a few!
January
Arbor Day celebrations – It’s been over 135 years since J…

Having visitors in your home is both exciting and stressful. It’s great to see your family or friends, but it’s stressful making sure everything is ready for them. My parents are coming to visit my wife and me soon, and we feel like we’ve prepared pretty well. Here are the areas we focused on…

Newspapers and television news reports have shrieked the appearance of new “superbugs” and the dangers they pose for humanity. “Deadly Superbug Scare: Flesh-Eating Germ in 31 of 63 State Hospitals” headlined the “Boston Herald” on March 7, 2013. ABC News Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr…

This is the third post in this series of energy-efficiency programs and financial incentives, this time with a focus on British Columbia.
BC Hydro Programs
Fridge Buy Back Program
BC Hydro offers the Fridge Buy Back Program to encourage residential customers to turn in their inefficient second fridges (the fridge needs to be between 10-24 cubic feet and in an operating condition) and get a $30 rebate, while helping to recycle and protect the environment…

I’ve been on a big HSA kick, since I made the move to an HDHP.
Tax-free (pre-tax) contributions and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses, employer contributions, and growth through investments for the win!
Unlike FSA’s, HSA account contributions roll over from year-to-year, and they are portable, meaning you can take them with  you from one employer to another or to self-employment…

Monica writes in:
At my new job, everyone dresses incredibly well. Everyone is wearing expensive – or at least expensive-looking – suits and other businesswear. My wardrobe is simply not up to snuff. Catching my wardrobe up to the level of everyone else is going to be really expensive…