Watering my Lawn had MULTIPLIED my Total Water Usage! + MORE

Money Quickies For Wedneday May 8, 2013 – solvingthemoneypuzzle.com/ This is truly a quickie today as I have to get ready for work in 44 minutes.  I have been up for hours but my allergies are making me crazy and it took 2 hours of news watching and tea guzzling to clear the fog from my brain. Puffs facial tissues with lotion are 1 of the best inventions in the history of the world (the self cleaning oven is the best invention)… Continue Reading On solvingthemoneypuzzle.com/ » Mutual of Omaha Bank Review – A Full Suite of Online Banking Options...

The Perfect Stock + MORE

Reader Profile: TW – freemoneyfinance.com 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… Continue Reading On freemoneyfinance.com » And we’re off! Time to get our house rented...

8 Common Tax Deductions for Job Search Expenses + MORE

What to Expect When You’re a Life Insurance Beneficiary – moneyning.com/ While we all know the importance of having life insurance to protect our families in the event of our death, the details of being the beneficiary of a life insurance policy are a little less clear. Here’s what you need to know about collecting life insurance benefits, so nothing comes as a surprise during a stressful time: Filing a Claim A recent troubling investigation of insurance practices has shown that insurers will often fail to pay death benefits to beneficiaries, even if they know that the individual who purchased...

How to Prevent Credit Card Fraud + MORE

Replacing Your Electronics The Smart Way – moneyning.com/ We live in an exciting era. New electronics with never-before-seen features are coming out all the time. My wife’s had the same computer for about four years, and it’s starting to show signs of wear and tear. It’s slowed down a lot and freezes occasionally. We’re nearing the time when she’ll need a new one, but how do we decide when? And where do we look? These are a couple of things everyone should carefully consider before replacing their electronics… Continue Reading On moneyning.com/ » Giveaway: Samsung 50-Inch 1080p LED HDTV –...

Stop Paying for Text Messages by Using Apps + MORE

Carnival of Personal Finance #408 – Disney World Edition – onecentatatime.com I am hosting a blog carnival after a looooong time here. This time it’s carnival of personal finance, which is a collection of personal finance related articles, presented in a parade style. All pictures used here are from our recent Disney World trip, enjoy the articles and enjoy the pictures! Carnival at Disney World It was a bad weekend for me while I was making this carnival ready… Continue Reading On onecentatatime.com » American Dream or American Scheme? – punchdebtintheface.com Over 80 years ago, James Adams said “life should be better...

Friends and philosophies of personal finance + MORE

Debunking The Food Inflation Myth In Two Charts – libertyinvestor.com 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… Continue Reading On libertyinvestor.com » How to Make a Two Dollar Seventy Five Cent Centerpiece – prairieEcothrifter.com 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...

I Am Not A Money Moron + MORE

The Challenge of Lifestyle Deflation – thesimepledollar.com It’s a pretty common story. Boy (or girl) wants something. Boy discovers that there’s easy credit available. Boy convinces self that they can just pay the debt later. Boy buys that thing on credit. Boy gets more credit and buys more things. Boy starts realizing the bills and interest are drowning him… Continue Reading On thesimepledollar.com » I Am Not A Money Moron – solvingthemoneypuzzle.com/ I have just watched the first 2 episodes of Gail Vaz Oxlade’s newest television show Money Moron.  Very sorry Americans but it is currently only available in Canada...

How I Lost $1,400 Today and Why That’s Okay + MORE

Feedback for FMF – freemoneyfinance.com It’s been some time since I’ve opened up a post for general feedback, so I thought I’d do so today. I generally write about what’s going on with me financially, what I’m thinking about, what I’m interested in and so forth. And in many cases, I believe these topics interest you. But not always, of course… Continue Reading On freemoneyfinance.com » Eight Reasons to Use an Electric Toothbrush – prairieEcothrifter.com All the time I was growing up in the fifties, I never used or heard about floss or electric toothbrushes (they probably weren’t invented yet!)....

Top 10 U.S. Dividend Growth Stocks for 2013 + MORE

10 Tools for Meeting Your Money Savings Goals – moneysmartlife.com Are you looking for a way to boost your savings goals? Thanks to technology, there are plenty of tools out there that can help you reach your goals – no matter what you are trying to accomplish. Here are some tools that can help you meet your money savings goals: Mint: If you want to see where your money is going, as well as set up a budget and track your progress, Mint is the free way to do so… Continue Reading On moneysmartlife.com » Create a Financial Bucket List...

Things On Your Tax Return That Can Get You Audited By The IRS + MORE

Facebook Wants Even More Personal Information – moneytalksnews.com The social network has over 600 million daily users who regularly post details about their lives and personal interests, but that’s not enough information for Facebook.The Boston Globe reports that Facebook is starting to buy data from more data brokers – companies that create massive databases of personal information by combining records from retailers and online tracking cookies… Continue Reading On moneytalksnews.com » Gassed Up And Ready To Go – libertyinvestor.com Resource markets can be tough markets in which to make profits consistently. The trouble is that most companies in the resource businesses, from energy...

How to Save $50,000 in Two Years After Getting Out of Debt + MORE

How to Save $50,000 in Two Years After Getting Out of Debt – youngcheapliving.com I thought that title might get your attention. It just so happens, I saved $50,000 in the first 24 months after becoming debt free. My average salary throughout that time period was….. well… let’s just say it was less than $55,000 per year. Can you do it too? Of course you can. Here’s how: Step 1: Track Your Finances – How do you think I came up with that $50,000 number and the 24 month timeline? The data is sitting in my Mint… Continue Reading On...

Lazy People (Like Me) Can Still Save Money + MORE

Face Retirement Head On – retireby40.org/ Message for RSS readers Sorry to interrupt, but if you are reading this on Google Reader, you will need to figure out a different way to follow us. Google is getting rid of Google Reader soon and you should switch to other RSS readers such as Feedly instead. Subscribe to have every article delivered to your inbox and you won’t have to worry about the RSS problems… Continue Reading On retireby40.org/ » Top 10 Canadian Dividend Growth Stocks for 2013 – milliondollarjourney.com Dividend investing is a popular strategy these days, especially with low interest rates, and not a lot...

Whoever told you “looks don’t matter” lied. + MORE

What to Do if You’re Having Trouble Paying Your Student Loans – moneysmartlife.com We’ve all heard it said that student loans cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, so what do you do if your financial situation is a wreck – or if you’re unemployed – and simply don’t have the money to repay? There actually are a couple of ways to manage the situation even if the bankruptcy option doesn’t exist… Continue Reading On moneysmartlife.com » Dirty Money Spends Faster – libertyinvestor.com If you’re looking for a creative way to save a couple of bucks each day, perhaps you should consider...

Happy Birthday to Me! + MORE

Net Worth: April 2013 – punchdebtintheface.com Well the last 30 days have been anything but normal  for the Ninja household. I don’t know if you keep up with MANteresting at all, but the media gods had favor on us last week. It started with this BuzzFeed article, which snowballed in to a few dozen more articles being written about us and a buttload of traffic… Continue Reading On punchdebtintheface.com » Have Huge Medical Bills? Get Crafty with Your Payments – moneyning.com/ How many times have you skipped a doctor visit you needed because you didn’t have health care coverage? After...

11 Tools Everyone Should Have + MORE

Quick Money Tips: Break Free of Materialism – ptmoney.com Are you swimming in a sea of “stuff”? In today’s edition, we take a look at materialism. It’s one thing to want to steward your money well so that you can live a comfortable life. But we need to deal with the root problem that got us into so much debt to begin with: our addiction to material goods… Continue Reading On ptmoney.com » 10 Good Places to Volunteer – Opportunities & Organizations – moneycrashers.com There are plenty of reasons to volunteer your time for a good cause. I do it because...

11 Tools Everyone Should Have + MORE

Does Paying Cash For A Car Make Me Crazy? – solvingthemoneypuzzle.com/ I drive a 2005 domestic sedan that is in good shape and has just under 100,000 kilometres on it.  It is in good  shape mechanically (I knocked on wood as I typed those words) and it’s only problem is the driver’s door.  The door freezes shut or open on really cold days.  On really cold days I just leave it shut and climb in through the passenger seat… Continue Reading On solvingthemoneypuzzle.com/ » The Best 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards – wisebread.com Updated March 2013 Those who live under a mountain of...

Save Money By Checking the Energy Star Ratings on New Appliances + MORE

Calvin February 2013 Net Worth – consumerismcommentary.com/ Naked With Cash is the year-long series on Consumerism Commentary where seven readers’ households share their financial progress on a monthly basis. I’ve partnered with financial planners who will offer some guidance along the way. Read this introduction to learn more about the series. Calvin is in his early 40s, earning a salary of $120,000 plus bonus as an IT project manager in New Jersey… Continue Reading On consumerismcommentary.com/ » What the Heck is the Alternative Minimum Tax? – moneyning.com/ Our country has a decades-long history of trying to make sure that high...

Improving Your Career by Going Back to School + MORE

5 reasons to refinance your mortgage – getrichslowly.org/blog This post is from staff writer Holly Johnson. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I refinanced my mortgage for the second time in a year. The second refinance wasn’t actually part of my master plan, but I ended up having to refinance in order to remove my private mortgage insurance. And although refinancing our home again proved to be a huge pain, we are now saving $135 per month by no longer paying private mortgage insurance premiums… 4 Things You Can Learn from Your Mortgage Statement – moneysmartlife.com Most of us, when...

7 Inexpensive Powerhouse Foods to Add to Your Diet for National Nutrition Month + MORE

Insurance: An easier way to comparison shop – getrichslowly.org/blog This post is from staff writer April Dykman. I had procrastinated until I could procrastinate no longer. I was in the middle of buying a house, and one of the many, many things on my ever-growing to-do list was to find a home insurance policy. My auto insurance policy also was up for renewal, and so I hoped to get a decent discount by buying both policies from one company… 3 Reasons You Should Blog – youngadultmoney.com/ I started Young Adult Money less than a year ago, but I’ve actually been...

Today’s Deals: Barbie, Tax Prep, and Kindle Fire + MORE

Negotiating for perks when raises are off the table – getrichslowly.org/blog This guest post is from David Lye. David is an expert on novated leasing, which is a “company car” type perk that many Australian companies offer their employees. In today’s uncertain economy, many employers are reluctant to offer raises to their employees. You may be lucky enough to keep your job, but chances are that you may not get a raise, or if you do, it could be a very small raise… Continue Reading On getrichslowly.org/blog » Overview of CPP Disability Benefits – canadianfinanceblog.com One of the scariest situations...