http://pfblogs.org/pf/ Delivering all the personal finance blogs you can handle -- and then some. contact@pfblogs.org en-us Copyright 2008 2008-05-13T12:42:28-05:00 http://pfblogs.org/ I wrote on Friday that I received the stimulus payment on the scheduled date that I was supposed to receive it. I received a letter in the mail today from the IRS that explained the payment that I was entitled to, and it explained why I received the $600.00 instead of the $1,200.00. [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100043 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100043 Money Crashers 2008-05-13T12:42:28-05:00 When I first started writing this blog I was in a pretty rough financial situation but things didn’t look all that bad because I was making a pretty good salary at $75K per year. A few months after that I took a 33% pay cut to take a great opportunity which meant I was [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099899 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099899 One Million and Beyond 2008-05-13T10:37:40-05:00 I tell you -- sometimes you just don't know what people are thinking... A couple weeks ago a friend and neighbor of ours (not a close friend or neighbor -- they live a couple blocks away, we have met them... ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099944 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099944 Free Money Finance 2008-05-13T11:15:00-05:00 As I have had lots and lots of time on my hands since my computer breakdown, I have been pondering whether buying another computer is an emergency.  I am torn because a computer is truly a need for multiple reasons, my website, my business, all my books, my taxes, etc are all done with or [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100038 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100038 Oh My Aching Debts 2008-05-13T12:13:32-05:00 As I was driving along today, I observed these two signs. Both of them were at the same convenience store. Curiously, the next gas station that I came upon, 12 miles away (yes, it's rural here..) the price per gallon for gasoline is $3.88. I didn't check on the milk... ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100040 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100040 Money And Credit 2008-05-13T12:27:39-05:00 Have you ever thought about getting an MBA? Apparently, when the economy is down, people go back to school—and BusinessWeek says there will be a flood of applications to MBA programs. Its article, “As Interest in B-School Surges, The Outlook for Grads is Mixed,” also reports current business students are “more pessimistic about their five-year career prospects than their counterparts were last year.” But looking at the numbers shows that pessimism should all be taken with a grain of salt. The article reports that the pace of salary increases for new MBAs is not as fast as past years—but the expected starting salary of a 2008 MBA appears to be over $85,000. Still healthy and robust. As for the five-year outlook, the survey seems to have covered ten highly-regarded business schools. The students at half of the schools expected their incomes five years after graduation to be somewhat lower than their counterparts had said, a year earlier. But who knows if they’ll be right—and at these numbers, who cares? In the 2007 survey, the students at these schools expected to be making $194,764 to $279,275, five years after graduation. In the 2008 survey, the ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100042 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100042 Can I Get Rich On A Salary 2008-05-13T12:33:01-05:00 This is the second of my three part series looking at myths around buying, running and owning a franchise based on my own personal experience. Following some comments I received on the first article of this series, I just wanted to clarify that I am not anti-franchising. I think it can be a very profitable venture if done correctly and you go in with your eyes open. That is the aim of this series of articles - to set your expectations and to ensure you are armed with the knowledge (truth) to make the right business investment decision.In the first article, I covered the first 3 of 10 myths of franchising which were:Myth #1 - Buying into a brand Myth #2 - One-sided contract Myth #3 - Turn Key OperationHere are the next three myths you need to be aware of:Myth #4 – I will form a corporation to protect me – It is always a good idea to form a corporation to protect yourself from creditors if things go bad. In addition, corporate tax rates tend to be lower than personal income tax rates; therefore there are some savings involved with a incorporation. The problem is not with the ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100166 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100166 Saving to Invest 2008-05-13T15:01:44-05:00 According to the IRS’s payment schedule for the rebate checks, we should have received our payment last week. It never came. So, today I did a little research and I think I found out why: Q. I filed my return on time, but I haven’t received my stimulus payment, even though the payment date [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100263 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100263 AllFinancialMatters 2008-05-13T17:03:32-05:00 Last week, I was flipping through our mail when I noticed an envelope stamped with “REMITTANCE” (or REMITTAL, I don’t have the envelope anymore). Capital letters intimidate me, so I opened it right away. It turned out to be from a collections agency. Lesson #1: Open all mail that isn’t clearly spam. My first thought was “WHA?” [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099976 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099976 Mrs. Micah: Finance for a Freelance Life 2008-05-13T11:15:59-05:00 I found a good video from Dave Ramsey that goes over the basics of his plan for getting your finances in order. It is pretty funny to watch him try to squeeze everything from his book Total Money Makeover into a 5 minute video. ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100489 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100489 Christian Personal Finance 2008-05-13T23:53:46-05:00 I’m a firm believer in choosing store-brand and generic products over similar name-brand items. That’s because, 97 times out of 100, the generic product is just as good as the more expensive fancy-label item. Nowhere is the similarity between generic and name-brand product quality more apparent than in soft drinks. Sure, some people insist that [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100175 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100175 Punny Money 2008-05-13T15:15:50-05:00 If you happen to live on Planet Earth, you're probably aware that gas prices have been going up lately. :) This has led to the proliferation of lots of "common sense" tips for saving money on gas.However, some of those hints you've been hearing aren't all they're cracked up to be. CNN.com debunks six of the most common fuel-saving tips in this article, "6 gas saving myths." Check it out before you waste time (or money) in a futile attempt to use less gas! ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100490 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100490 Frugal Fabulous 2008-05-13T23:52:53-05:00 My Mother! Not too long ago I was debating on what do do with my economic stimulus check should I get one. Well, just in time, $600 showed up in my bank account on Friday. When I gave a $600 check to my Mom on Sunday she said it was “the best mother’s day present I could [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100391 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100391 Debt Kid 2008-05-13T20:01:25-05:00 I stumbled on to this article about Greg Lasrado. He started an internet porn business when he was young and in college. At one point he had 100,000 people worldwide paying a monthly fee to access the porn sites he ran. He bought houses, many nice cars, traveled all over the world [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100190 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100190 Everybody Loves Your Money 2008-05-13T15:35:35-05:00 Over the next week, I’m going to be mostly off work painting my bedroom. It should also give me some time to do some blog tidying up - especially the blogroll. My blogroll consists of every personal finance blog that I read, or it’s supposed to anyway. If you’re not on there, and you’d like to [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100246 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100246 Plonkee Money 2008-05-13T16:42:18-05:00 Slowly but surely, the contractionary/deflationary tide is rolling in. Rich and poor, male and female, young and old -- no matter which segment of the population you are talking about, attitudes are changing, by choice or, increasingly, out of necessity.... ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100433 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100433 Financial Armageddon 2008-05-13T21:20:16-05:00 In anticipation of receiving our Economic Stimulus Tax Rebate Check on the May 16, we made a $1,200 contribution to our Roth IRAs. We've contributed $3,400 total so far this year, leaving us with $6,600 more to go to reach the 2008 max of $10,000 ($5K each) .During a BBQ with our neighbors over the weekend, we discussed what we were going to do with our stimulus checks. One of my neighbors said he has already spent his on various items, including $400 shoes. When I mentioned that we planned to deposit ours into our Roth IRAs, he asked why we bother to at such a young age. My response was, "Because I do not want to work after age 52". He said he did not want to work past 50 either. More power to him. ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100392 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100392 1MansMoney 2008-05-13T19:38:00-05:00 I stumbled on to this article about Greg Lasrado. He started an internet porn business when he was young and in college. At one point he had 100,000 people worldwide paying a monthly fee to access the porn sites he ran. He bought houses, many nice cars, traveled all over the world [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100188 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100188 Naked Net Worth 2008-05-13T15:35:35-05:00 photo credit: udt007us I don’t know why, but this image made me laugh. A “recession” special? HA HA Two hot dogs and a drink for almost $3? Are you serious? Or is it a “special” because tax is included? Maaan, this is BS! I can buy a pack of hotdogs, hot dog buns, and a 2 liter Dr. Perky for almost $3. LOL So what’s prompting these ridiculous marketing ploys? Gas is predicted to be $4 everywhere by this summer. Regular unleaded is over $3.75 where I live. People are responding. I see quite a few walkers and bikers in the morning. People are losing their homes left and right. Buy a house you can’t afford under normal lending standards and that’s what happens. Not really surprised. Responsible Savvy property owners are responding. Rental prices are going up. Grocery prices are skyrocketing. Bought any fresh produce, eggs, milk or cheese lately? Rumor has it, there may be a shortage of certain items. Farmer’s are feeling the pinch and nut cases are responding. It has gotten so bad, folks are trying to hoard rice. WTF! If you want a ‘big picture’ ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100058 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100058 Single Ma's Fabulous Financials 2008-05-13T13:00:29-05:00 Know what I won’t be spending my economic stimulus check on? The new Nine Inch Nails album the slip. Know why? Not because I don’t want to spend the money. It’s because I don’t have to spend the money! Nine Inch Nails is offering their new album for free. From [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100039 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100039 Free From Broke 2008-05-13T12:12:59-05:00 Someone questioned in the comments why I invest if I still have debt. That's a fair question, and there are several reasons.First, I think it's important to have an emergency fund set aside before focusing on debt. Unplanned events happen in everyone's life and having money that's fairly easily accessible means that you don't end up going further in debt when they do occur. I'm probably a bit more paranoid than most about this issue, given the experiences I've had so far, but I have 3 months of living expenses set aside. I invest 75% of this money in order to get a pretty good rate of return without significant risk. Second, my debt is not increasing. It's in the hands of collection agencies, and due to the laws in my state, they're not allowed to tack on additional fees and interest. I have legal representation in order to handle this in the way that will minimize the impact on my future financial outlook. Thus, while I will eventually pay everything I owe, it's actually not advisable for me to pay it off monthly or immediately. I'm putting aside a fairly significant ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099979 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099979 The Debt Hole 2008-05-13T11:33:00-05:00 Drive a more fuel efficient car. And it's better for the environment too! Let me give a personal example. I went from driving a 1996 Dodge Avenger to a 2008 Toyota Yaris. 1996 Avenger: 21 mpg (rated @ 24 mpg, but it's old) 2008 Toyota Yaris: 32 mpg With gas at $3.50/gallon and... ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099910 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099910 Finabguide's Personal Finance Blog 2008-05-13T11:01:13-05:00 This post originally published on Gather Little By Little. Extreme Savers Biking to work, cutting your own hair, growing your own veggies, buying your clothes on EBay. While most of us don’t live this kind of lifestyle, some people do go to these extreme measures to maximize the amount of money they can put away into savings. [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100708 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100708 Prime Time Money 2008-05-14T07:15:11-05:00 This is going just a little off topic from the natural order of this blog, but I hope that you will indulge me. Given the state of the economy and the fact that EVERYTHING is going up in price, I felt it was a prudent time to address this situation. Plus, I just had a [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100421 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100421 Master Your Card 2008-05-13T20:15:28-05:00 This was by far the highlight of my day yesterday. After 3 loooong days of work, I finally got to sleep in yesterday morning. Sort of. The pager kept going off for this, that, and the other. I didn’t even pay attention to what for (3 for a traffic light out and one for a [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100395 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100395 Debt Sucks 2008-05-13T20:00:04-05:00 Yes, it’s only worth about $1 to most people, but I’d bend over to pick up a dollar bill. Visit this link, log in, and then type in “CITICCI508IN” as the promotional code. Worked for me, but may not last long. I’m now 100 points closer to the 20,000 points [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100339 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100339 MyMoneyBlog 2008-05-13T18:33:35-05:00 A couple of weeks ago when I was whining about discussing how expensive groceries were getting, I mentioned that at least here in Texas we don't have to pay state or local sales taxes on food items, or at least what the state and localities deem as a food product. That money-saving circumstance looks even... ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100107 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100107 Don't Mess With Taxes 2008-05-13T14:16:25-05:00 If you have a loan serviced by Sallie Mae, there is a good chance that your FICO credit score dropped significantly recently. Consumers have identified an error in Sallie Mae’s reporting. Accounts in good standing have been flagged and notated with the wording, “Arrangements made with credit grantor to make partial payments.” [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100041 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100041 Consumerism Commentary 2008-05-13T12:31:06-05:00 Now that the red ink is flowing fast, firms are closely scrutinizing deals they probably never thought twice about while the going was good. They are also getting their lawyers involved, trying to figure out ways to turn bull market... ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100443 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100443 Financial Armageddon 2008-05-13T21:51:10-05:00 I was only eight years old when my girlfriends and I strutted proudly around our living room singing into hairbrush faux-microphones: "Oh yes I am wise But it's wisdom born of pain Yes, I've paid the price But look how much I gained If I have to, I can do anything I am strong (strong) I am invincible (invincible) I am woman" In 1972, Helen Reddy co-wrote the song I Am Woman, which became a worldwide #1 hit, feminist anthem, and cultural icon of the times. Here's a YouTube of the song: (Note: RSS and email subscribers - you'll need to click to my blog to view it) I am woman. 35 years later, what does this song mean to me today? What impact has being a woman had on my life? What kind of woman do I strive to be? "I am woman, hear me roar ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100413 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100413 Millionaire Mommy Next Door 2008-05-13T19:59:24-05:00 I'm so sorry I haven't been at my computer. I have been hectic the last few days. I blame it on 27 Dresses. I will explain that later, but in the meantime, please enjoy my pooch and the explanation of his name.LOVE YOU GUYS!! ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100202 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100202 Save Leigh Ann 2008-05-13T15:47:00-05:00 Have you had enough of recession-talk yet?  I’ve finally reached the point where if we are in a recession, or if we will be in a recession simply doesn’t matter.  U.S. economic growth has slowed down in many areas.  It may slow even more, or it may pick up a bit.  In either case we’re muddling along [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100053 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100053 Sushi Money 2008-05-13T12:47:38-05:00 I recently had dinner with a friend who is figuring out his next few career moves. It is the kind of conversation that turns existential in some ways, and introspective in others.He's been a good friend for over a decade and know each others troubles and dreams.But when he started down the "What If" road, I had to put up a detour sign.You know the "What If" road: What if they don't like me? What if the goof I made 5 years ago comes back to haunt me? What if my career is over? What if what if what if?It's ok to have some caution, but when you let the What Ifs get in the way, they win before you even try.He also voiced some concern about what other people have said about him or think about him.That would be the road The Bastards are on. I put up a detour sign for that one too.When someone says something mean to you, or when life throws a bad experience your way, by all means be gentle on yourself and give yourself some time to recover.But how much power do you want to give The Bastards and the What ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099994 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1099994 Financial Fitness 2008-05-13T11:49:47-05:00 Photo by: Señor Codo As people are beginning to receive and spend their economic stimulus checks, Democrats are already pushing for a second economic stimulus package. The Congressional Progressive Caucus is working to build support for the second stimulus package, arguing that the first package wasn’t enough. The Clinton campaign is also a strong [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100759 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100759 Gather Little By Little 2008-05-14T08:28:52-05:00 Freedom.  It’s a wonderful feeling making the final credit card payment.  Unfortunately, the way credit card payments are set up it takes a long, long time to pay off debt – longer than you might think.  The credit card companies want their customers to pay interest as long as possible.  Payments are determined by a [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100771 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100771 Master Your Card 2008-05-14T08:19:04-05:00 Lately I’ve noticed commercials for a special car buying incentive offered by Chrysler: a gas credit card that guarantees that you will pay no more than $2.99 for a gallon of gas for three years. The offer, good between now and June 2 on most Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles preys on our fear [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100731 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100731 Consumerism Commentary 2008-05-14T08:00:13-05:00 My dad, who is in his early 60s, is quite overweight. He needs to lose at least 60-70 pounds, maybe more. He's been overweight for as long as I can remember, though it seems he has gained even more weight in the last year or so.A few years ago, when my nephew was born, he decided to do something about his weight. He wanted to be around for his grandson, so he followed the Atkins diet and walked each day on a treadmill at home. During that time he managed to lose 50 pounds. Unfortunately that weight loss was short lived. Since that time he's gained back all the weight he lost plus some.I'm extremely worried about him. My grandfather died just after I was born from a stroke. The last in a series of three. The second one left him paralyzed; unable to speak or walk. I've feared for my dad's health since I was a child. I carve out time in every nightly prayer to ask God to watch over him.I would do anything to help my dad lose this weight, but I'm just not sure what to do. When family members bring up the topic he says ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100441 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100441 One Frugal Girl 2008-05-13T21:40:00-05:00 A few weeks ago, I made the decision to, for a short time, change our financial focus from primarily debt reduction to a mix of debt reduction and saving. Until our emergency fund is at $2000, all my snowflakes will be split evenly between our emergency fund account and our student loan payoff fund.  [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100220 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100220 I've Paid For This Twice Already 2008-05-13T15:42:56-05:00 Welcome to How I Save Money and tracking of income and expenses for the month. Income for the month to date: $754.34 Expenses for the month to date: $2317.62 Net effect: -$1563.28 Well I must say that things look a little better this month with regards to income because President Bush stimulated me. Get your minds out [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100781 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100781 How I Save Money 2008-05-14T08:55:56-05:00 As I discussed whether it’s our patriotic duty to consume our rebate checks, I started thinking that I didn’t fully understand what the ‘rebate’ check is anymore. Everyone calls it a tax rebate check, but it seems to have morphed into a handout or something else along the lines. Originally, it seemed [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100670 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100670 The Happy Rock 2008-05-14T07:05:22-05:00 I sure did wait to get approved. I think it was back in December 2007 when I applied but I needed 3 months because it was that month when I launched this blog. It needed to mature (to 90 days!)... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100625 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100625 Tasha Gets Money Smart 2008-05-14T06:00:26-05:00 Updated List Of the Best Instant Approval Credit Cards Below These days, with the emphasis towards quicker and more convenient methods of transacting business (contact-less credit card scanners, for example), credit card companies are always on the look out for ways to improve the speed of credit transactions and the expediency at which card issuers acquire [...] ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100588 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100588 Money Blue Book 2008-05-14T04:25:06-05:00 Right? I’m pretty sure that it will, on about a thousand levels. Of course, we’ll try to do things the frugal way, but I honestly don’t know what Baby will do to our budget. I’m going to keep track of everything we spend that’s pregnancy-related or baby-related, cuz hey, I’m a frugal blogger and I’ll get a kick out of that! Here’s what I know for sure: Our HMO will cover most of our expenses. We’ll have a $30 co-pay for our first doc visit, and the co-pay for labor & delivery will be around $200 or $250. I need to check on what they’ll cover in the event I’ll need a C-section, and how many days in the hospital they cover. We’ll be able to pay those with our flexible spending account, so it shouldn’t impact our regular budget. Neat side story: Around February or so, I realized that we were putting too much money into our FSA, but it was too late to change it. We would have about $300 left over at the end of the year, by my calculations, assuming we had regular dental exams and eye check-ups. Well…that’s conveniniently the amount of money we’ll need to cover prenatal care ... http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100117 http://pfblogs.org/entry/1100117 Sense to Save 2008-05-13T14:28:38-05:00