Friends and philosophies of personal finance + MORE

Skyrocketing. Surging. Spiking.
Take your pick, because they’ve all been used to characterize price trends for something we can’t live without: food.
It’s all a bunch of baloney, though. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
And I’m going to prove it to you, too. So let’s get to it…

The third week of March was my Mother-in-laws 90th birthday. The family honored her with a family and friends celebration in the Missouri History Museum.
My sister-in-law did most of the planning, but I volunteered to help.
We wanted to make conversation piece centerpieces for each of the 10 tables, utilizing some of the many spring flowering daffodils we usually have at this time of year on our acreage…

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Mr. PoP from plantingourpennies.com. He and Mrs. PoP are amateur Real Estate investors living in Florida. Feel free to let them know what you think of their advice in the comments below!
Lately we’ve noticed a real increase in friends and family asking us about buying some real estate, either as a home, or an investment property…

Fracking is considered to be both a savior to the U.S. petroleum industry and one of the greatest threats to the environment. The process of injecting pressurized water and chemicals into newer and existing oil shale rock to break up rock formations to release trapped petroleum has created a new oil boom throughout the United States…

It’s great to shower your dog with affection. But when that affection takes the form of expensive treats and frequent visits to the vet, it can take a toll on your wallet.
Moneris Solutions Corporation, Canada’s largest credit and debit processor, announced in April that Canadian spending increased by 3…

The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) encourages entrepreneurship and minimizes youth unemployment by offering resources to convert ideas into viable businesses. Their programs target people aged 18 to 39 and assist them through their business cycle from conception through implementation to expansion by serving as mentors and offering financial assistance…

The housing market is in recovery, a slow and painful one, but a recovery nonetheless. And no, I’m not saying this because I’ve been obsessing over house prices, builder confidence indexes, construction permits numbers and foreclosure rates (ok, I’ve done that too), but because the hedge funds, where the smart money lies, are moving back into real estate…

Funk  a noun meaning a state of depression.  Synonyms include fright, fear, dread, scare, alarm  and how many of us feel on Monday mornings or when we look at our bank statements.
How much of the world is in an economic state of depression?   Can all 7 continents be in a funk at the same time?
Antarctica
Antarctica has no permanent residents and is filled with scientific research stations that are measuring the melting polar ice caps and other terrible effects of global warming…

There are certain things that I always assumed I’d automatically have control of once I became an adult. Like knowing how to apply liquid eyeliner without a shaking hand. Or getting my car washed regularly.  Or buying life insurance…

I just bought my first iPhone, and I’m already enjoying the features associated with it. I’ve already moved a decent chunk of my life to the iPhone. As a result, I would be rather put out if my device were lost, stolen, or damaged.
Your iPhone or Android device likely has photos, apps, and other information that you don’t want to lose…

It looks like a new Internet sales tax is headed for legislative success via a bill that would allow 45 States and Washington, D.C., to mandate that Internet retailers give Uncle Sam a cut if they earn more than $1 million a year in sales.
Here are some things you need to know about the proposed tax system:
Is there currently an Internet sales tax in place?
Currently, States can require only companies that have a physical presence in the State — such as a warehouse, factory or retail store — to pay a tax on online sales…

Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis, and April is “tax month.” I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series…

It may be hard to believe with the nasty weather some of us have had so far this “Spring,” but Summer is just around the corner. Summer can bring some very expensive activities with it: vacations, trips to the water park, nights out on the town, etc. There are alternatives, though! Consider trying one (or all) of the frugal summer activities listed below…

In my recent post about over-spending, a reader made the following comment:

Re spending, I am curious how much people spend for lunches at work each month (for people who work full time outside their homes). I hate brown bag sandwiches and microwaved leftovers with a passion, plus I need a break from the office…

This post is by staff writer Honey Smith. Recently one of my bridesmaids came to my city to attend a professional conference, and we were fortunate to be able to spend some time together as well. This is not a friend I had talked about money with before, despite having known her for over 15 years. It came up on this trip because she just quit her job in Boston to move to Atlanta with her fiance…

The Associated Press’ Twitter account posted this message on Tuesday afternoon: “Breaking: Two Explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured.”The message was fake, the account was quickly suspended, and the news organization quickly announced through other channels that it had been hacked — but not before some damage was done…

This is a tough question that will affect more and more of us every day. Pensions are becoming rarer and most people retiring today have very little retirement savings. Luckily, social security is still paying out, but that might change in the future. People are also living longer these days and it’s easy to see that more and older retirees will need help financially…

Saving money isn’t always easy, and it can be difficult to keep yourself on track. Especially in the world of the internet, where you are seeing pictures of all the highlights of your friend’s lives. You see them going on vacation, buying a new car, or eating out at that place you’ve wanted to try for a few months now…

 
 
A business plan is a necessity in any business. If you are trying to figure out how to start your own business, the first place to start is with a business plan. Every business needs some type of direction and focus to help it move forward in the right direction. It doesn’t need to be a perfectly polished document, unless you are looking for some type of financing…

I still fondly remember my first semester at college.
I was the first person in my family to go to college, and I was attending a reasonably prestigious university far enough away from home that it wasn’t feasible to go back with any regularity. I knew no one at all when I moved into my dorm room…

Let’s play a game shall we. We’ll call it “Let’s see how many pedophiles live by me”. Sounds like a blast doesn’t it!?
Since I am an investigator by trade, I like to gather information on people and my surroundings. Sometimes this means going to a courthouse and pulling public records on people…

Just when I thought I was a pimp with my taxes, I go and do something stupid like *not* paying them. I’m such a dummy!!
I was literally sitting on my couch on the 15th watching the horribleness unfold with Boston, when a friend of mine tells me it’s just a sad day overall. And indeed it was…

Having a good credit score is important for many things in life. When my wife and I bought a car a few weeks ago, our credit scores helped determine our interest rate. When renting a home, landlords can use your credit score to decide if you’re a viable tenant. When buying a home, it has a large effect on the mortgage for which you qualify…

I’ve got a question for you. When you hear the word “budget” do you cringe?
I can’t say that I’ve ever heard this word and thought happy thoughts. Why am I telling you this?
To let you know that if a hatred for budgeting is your mental barrier to paying off debt, you’re not alone! In fact, this is incredibly common…