Generation X Finance » Friday Finance Findings

Friday Finance Findings for September 3rd

Jeremy — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:48:24 +0000

It’s been a while since posting a roundup of great finance links, but things have been pretty busy around here. Between trying to get the new website design launched, a funeral, having guests over, and preparing for a new baby in just 24 days it’s been a little hectic. By the way, if you are reading this via RSS or email, I encourage you to come to the site and check out the new design if you haven’t done so already. I’m still making some tweaks here and there and listening to reader suggestions, so if you have something that might help or see something wrong, just leave a comment or contact me and I can get it squared away.

But let’s not waste any time and get right to the links. If I don’t post them now, they will never get posted since it’s college football time!

The Pros and Cons of Being Self-Employed – This is something I obviously struggle with on a daily basis now. Being self-employed is great in many aspects, but with the good obviously comes the bad. Here’s a good breakdown of some of the pros and cons of working for yourself.

When Is The Right Time To Apply For Social Security? – We all know what the age is we can begin taking Social Security, but is that the best time? Should you take it a few years earlier than your full payout age or should you wait until you’re older and collect even more? Here are some things to consider.

Do You Have to Pay Taxes on Unemployment? – A lot of people are collecting unemployment these days, but what about taxes on that money? Is it counted as income and therefore taxable, or does the government give you a break since you don’t have a job? You’ll have to read on to find out.

5 Frugal Chicken Dishes You Can Make Out of One Chicken – They took this post right out of my mouth over at the Digerati Life. I love buying whole chickens and stretching the meals out because it’s quite affordable, but I never got around to putting together the recipes. Either way, here you go!

MonaVie Blackmails Lazy Man? – Those MonaVie scammers have gone too far. Now they are blackmailing Lazy Man just for spouting the truth. Go read the saga and see how low some people will go.

Why the Long Term Growth of the Economy is Not Relevant to Investing – Here’s an interesting take. We are obsessed with the economy. Just turn on the news for five seconds and you’re sure to hear about it. So it only makes sense that it’s important for our investments, right? Not so fast.

Top Bloggers with Books – A lot of bloggers go on to write books and Ben has put together a nice list to highlight some of the best. I’ll let you in on a little secret, but you can probably add me to that list next year. More to come at a later date.

Do Your Kids Have Too Many Toys? – We spoil our kids. If we don’t, their grandparents do. That can mean a lot of unnecessary toys sitting around the house. Is it possible for your kids to have too many toys? And what kind of problems could that cause?

How to Get Two Free Credit Reports a Year – We talk a lot about getting your free annual credit report, but can you get more than one each year? Surprisingly, the answer is yest for some people. Find out how.

5 Ways to Recession-Proof Yourself – The recession can take its toll on your finances, but instead of letting the economy control you, how about taking action ahead of time so you don’t feel the effects of the recession nearly as much? Here’s how to recession-proof yourself.

How to Support a Family on a Single Income – The reality of this recession and high unemployment rate is that some families are having to get by on a single income. That can be a tall order, but it is often doable. Here are some tips to help you ease the transition from two incomes to one.

About the Author: Jeremy is a retirement planning specialist and founder of Generation X Finance and the guide to Financial Planning at About.com. To learn more, follow Jeremy on Twitter.

Friday Finance Findings for September 3rd

Friday Finance Findings for August 13th

Jeremy — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:51:48 +0000

It’s Friday the 13th. Are you scared? I’m not. In fact, I’ve always viewed 13 as a lucky number, so I’m guessing it’s going to be a good day. Although, I guess there is one unlucky thing going on at the moment. If you recall last week, I mentioned the site had a new design in the works and should be up today. Well, as you can see, it isn’t. It seems that every time I mention something early like that it comes back to bite me, and this time is no different. So, I won’t be giving any further predictions as to when it will go up, but I can assure you that it will be soon. The new design is already up and working behind the scenes, but it needs a few tweaks before it’s ready for the prime time so I hope to get it ready to roll as soon as possible.

I thought I had some other news to share, but I guess not. So, I’ll leave you to this week’s articles. There’s nothing unlucky about them.

Tax Refund Anticipation Loans – If you’re reading a personal finance blog then you’re probably not one to take out one of these loans, but did you know how bad they can really be? There’s also some possible good news that these may be a thing of the past starting next year.

How To Find Coupon Codes Online – I recently had a post about coupons, so this is a great followup. Not all coupons come in your weekly paper, so it pays to know where to look online. There are a lot of deals out there.

What to Expect When You File for Unemployment – Hopefully you never have to file unemployment, but what’s the process if you do? If you can prepare yourself and know what to expect before going in, it will make that transition that much easier.

What Wall Street Reform Holds For You – We’re hearing a lot about Wall Street reform in the news, but what does this really mean for you and me? We’re not fat cat bankers toying with millions of dollars in the market, so will we really see any changes?

How to Develop Good Habits – Developing good habits is at the root of making any change in your life. Whether it’s getting out of debt or saving for retirement, or changing your eating and exercise habits. It all starts with developing good habits.

What Will Retirement Look Like for Younger Generations? – Is retirement just sitting on the porch collecting Social Security while waiting for your number to be called? Hardly. Retirement has changed, and that also means we need to find new ways to fund it. So, what are the younger generations facing when it comes to retirement?

Why the Economy is Not Relevant to Investing – If you watch the news you’d probably think all of the economic news has a direct impact on your portfolio. Well, it’s interesting to note that in the long run it really doesn’t matter.

What Color is your Inflatable Slide? – I’m sure by now you’ve heard about the Jet Blue guy and the whiteboard girl hoax making a dramatic exit, but have you stopped to think about what you’d do? Or what you want to do other than work?

FHA Loans vs Conventional Loans – What is the difference between a conventional loan and a FHA loan? Good question. We found out last year when we were shopping around for a mortgage. Here’s the skinny.

How to Deal with Losing Your Wallet While Traveling – Talk about a financial nightmare. Can you imagine losing your wallet away from home? I haven’t lost an entire wallet, but I did lose a credit card in Scotland. Not fun, let me tell you.

7 HUGE Benefits to Downsizing into a Tiny Home – The McMansion days are over. Well, for the most part. A lot of people are now seeking smaller homes. But there are more benefits to a small home than just the smaller mortgage payment.

Friday Finance Findings for August 6th

Jeremy — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:41:26 +0000

Hard to believe August is already here, but that means kids are soon headed back to school and football season is right around the corner. Granted, we don’t have kids at school age just yet, but I can only imagine how most parents feel when it’s time for them to go back to school. If you do have kids headed back to school don’t forget to check out my back to school saving tips.

And a quick announcement. I’m trying to put the final touches on a redesign of the site, so expect some changes later next week. It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve put it off because if it ain’t broke, why fix it? This design has served me well for a few years and it gets the job done, but it is a bit dated and heavy on the code, so it’s time to freshen things up a bit. So, stay tuned for that later next week.

6 Ways to Invest in Gold – Some people just can’t shake the idea of investing in gold. Whether it’s fear of the market or simply looking for something new to invest in, gold hasn’t been more popular. That being said, there are a number of ways you can invest in gold, some better than others.

Buy or Rent – Which is Better For You? – Are you faced with the decision of whether you should buy or rent? You’re not alone. Especially in this real estate market, it’s often cheaper to buy in some places than rent, and in some cases it’s cheaper to rent and get even more living space. Here’s how you can help narrow down that decision.

9 More Ways to Maximize Back to School Savings – If my back to school saving tips weren’t enough, here are nine more ways.

Facing Debt Trouble? How I Deal With Debt Stress – Debt obviously takes its financial toll, but what people don’t realize is that it’s also emotionally draining. The burden of being in debt can actually force people into severe depression. Here’s how one person deals with the stress of being in debt.

New PineCone Research Paid Survey Signup Link – I’ve mentioned PineCone Research a few times on here and that’s because they are a legitimate way to get paid for taking surveys. In addition, they only open up the program to new people occasionally and on a limited basis, so if this is something you might be interested in, here’s how to take advantage.

Should You Invest in the Top Fund of the Decade? – How do you spot a good fund to invest in? Obviously you can go by past performance, but is that good enough? What about the best fund over the past decade? Surely they are doing something right.

What Will Retirement Look Like for Younger Generations? – Retirement doesn’t mean sitting on the porch and watching the world go by after age 65. The game has changed, and young people have their eye on something different. But what does retirement actually look like with Social Security problems, uncertainty in the stock market, and everything else going on in the world?

infant swimming – This is something we’ve thought about now that we have a small child, but haven’t actually gotten around to it. We had the same ideas surrounding the benefits as Steve and his wife do and this serves as a good reminder to start looking for classes.

Shop Sam’s Club Free: August 6-8 – If you’ve ever thought about joining a warehouse club to save money on bulk items but couldn’t justify the membership cost, this weekend is for you. Sam’s Club is free starting today and going through Sunday. Give it a try if you have one nearby.

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) Vs. Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) – What is all this AGI and MAGI business? You’ve seen them mentioned when reading about taxes or filling out your tax return, but do you know what they really mean? More importantly, does it even matter?

Additional Reading:

Friday Finance Findings for July 30th

Jeremy — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:57:40 +0000

Happy Friday. It looks like most of the brutal heat and humidity has subsided somewhat across the country, so that means more of you are likely able to actually enjoy the outdoors this weekend. I know around here at least it’s been a huge improvement. Instead of being 95 degrees and incredibly humid it’s now in the 80s and not nearly as humid. It’s really nice to just be able to open the windows again and let some fresh air in!

In case you missed it, a few weeks ago I released my free Invest Like a Pro eBook. There’s still time to get your hands on a copy, so go check it out! And don’t forget that you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook where you can get additional updates, ask me questions, or otherwise just chit-chat. I love being able to interact with readers so be sure to add me to your social networks.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a picture of my daughter getting a head-start on her financial education. I was trying to stick to just learning how to count, but she keeps reaching for the heavy reading! And I don’t know if I ever officially mentioned it here or not, but we are expecting a son in just under two months now, so I’ll have my hands full this fall. Good thing I now work from home!

Daddy, will you read the article about Europe’s debt woes to me?

What Is Better from a Tax Perspective: A Roth IRA or a 401k? – By now most people know the general differences between pre- and post-tax retirement accounts, but which one is really better from a tax standpoint? It isn’t as simple as just saying the Roth IRA is better because it’s tax-free. Here is a more detailed look.

5 Good Reasons Buying a House Requires Planning – Planning is key if you don’t want to get burned when buying a house. Just ask me. We’ve bought two houses in just six years and the first one was rushed. Because of that we ended up in a house that didn’t meet our needs, didn’t hold its value, and we were left paying the consequences. So, here’s how to plan for your next home purchase.

A Primer on Bonds – II (Investing in Bonds) – For whatever reason, bonds just don’t get much attention. They obviously aren’t as exciting as stocks, but they are valuable components of any successful portfolio so it pays to understand what they are, how they work, and what role they should play in your portfolio.

Save Money on Razor Blades – Any guy who shaves regularly knows how expensive buying new razor blades can be. I actually stopped shaving completely and grew a full beard earlier this year but I found out it was just as much, if not more work than shaving regularly. You had to shampoo it, groom it, trim it, and took even more time than a quick shave. There’s just no escaping it, but at least you can save a few bucks on blades now.

A Frugal Daughter’s Guide to Back to School Shopping – It’s that time of year again, and the kids are soon back to school. That means parents everywhere will be spending a good deal of money on new clothes, school supplies, and much more. Here’s a frugal back to school shopping guide to ease the pain.

A Closer Look at a Lending Club Default – I’ve been a big fan of Lending Club and over the past few years now I haven’t had a single loan default and my rate of return is a little over 12 percent. It’s hard to beat that. But anyway, here is a closer look at Lending Club’s default rates.

Get Out of Business Liquidation Sales: Not A True Bargain – It seems like a business that’s liquidating all their assets when they go out of business will mean you can get all sorts of great stuff for pennies on the dollar, right? Not so fast. A lot of these sales aren’t much of a bargain after all.

What to Invest When You Are Young – Investment needs change as we age, and most of us today have a pretty good idea of what we need to be investing in. But what about the young people? Those just setting out, making money for the first time, and with decades of investing ahead of them? Here’s a good start.

How to Recover From a Lost Wallet – If you’ve ever lost your wallet you know how helpless you can feel. We keep so many important in our wallets, not to mention money, that when it’s lost or stolen we don’t even know where to start. Here’s your lost wallet recovery plan to get you back on track as soon as possible.

The Top Ten Cities for Young Professionals – Some cities are better than others. That’s just the way it is. But different cities are better for different things. For young professionals it’s all about finding a great job, great people, and an active social scene. Here are some of the best cities in the country for upcoming young professionals.

HSA Contribution Limits: Health Savings Account Rules – I’ve written about HSAs a few times, but never really dug deep into the contribution limits or other rules surrounding them. Here’s a good starting point that covers all the important details.

Are Debt Consolidation Companies Your Friend? – Consolidating debt sounds like a good idea, right? After all, you can turn many payments into one, get a better rate, and pay off your debt even faster. But is it really that easy? Here’s some information you may want to check out before calling up that debt consolidation company.

Are You Aware of the Most Common Credit Threats? – We all know failing to make a credit card payment is bad news for our credit score, but what are the other common credit mistakes? Here’s a list of things you absolutely must avoid if you want to maintain a good credit score.

Friday Finance Findings for July 9th

Jeremy — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:53:39 +0000

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend. It’s hard to believe that the year is already more than half over, but nothing we can do about it now. Before you know it we’ll be talking about the holidays, end of year finance tips, and taxes! But let’s not get ahead of our selves and just enjoy the summer. This heat wave is subsiding and it should be a great week coming up.

In other news, I wanted to drop a few hints about an upcoming eBook I have in the works. It’s chocked full of great information and will be completely free. I’m putting the final touches on it this week and hope to have it ready to distribute by the end of next week. Newsletter subscribers will get the first crack at it, so if you aren’t already, sign up at the bottom of the post. I send out regular emails every week or two covering a lot of different financial topics and I’m sure you’ll find some value there.

Finally, for those of you who may be interested in the back end aspect of blogging I did a short phone interview with Problogger and you can find it here. I spent some time talking about how I got started, where I am now, and some of the things that helped me along the way.

Last, but not least, I want to remind you that you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook where I try to interact with readers as much as I can and share some stuff that I don’t get a chance to here on the blog.

Emergency Fund or Retirement First? – This is a common question for people just starting out. Both items are important so how do you decide which one to put money towards first? Well, it isn’t always a simple answer.

average career salaries – Ever look back at your career choice and wonder if you’re making what you should be or wish you had chosen a different career altogether? Steve reminds us there’s more to overall career earnings than just starting pay.

Combine Credit Cards To Earn Up To 4% In Rewards – Credit card rewards are great, but combining cards to earn up to 4% on purchases is even better. Learn how!

Learning the Hard Way and Being Ready to Learn – Some lessons are best learned the hard way. We can read all the books and blogs we want, but it often isn’t enough. That’s when learning the hard way is the best way. Here’s a story for you.

Make-Ahead Meals to Save Money – Cooking at home is a great way to save money, but you can go one step further and start cooking meals ahead of time for meals later. It will save you money, time, and they can even be used to replace those expensive lunches at the office.

New Bank Account Overdraft Rules – I wrote about this a few times in the past, but the rules are changing for overdraft protection at your bank. Get the skinny on the changes here so you won’t be caught off guard.

Tips on Buying a Laptop… – If you’re thinking of buying a new laptop this is a good place to start. There are a lot of things to consider when you make that purchase so it can be confusing. Lazy Man breaks down his purchase.

Are You Spending Intentionally? – Check your spending habits and you may be surprised.

Are Losses on the Sale of a Home Tax Deductible? – Oh how I wish they were. At least I wish selling a primary residence for a loss was deductible. Here are the details about deducting losses from a home sale.

Gift Tax – Ever wondered about the gift tax? After all, the IRS loves to tax anything they can so how come we don’t hear more about the gift tax? Well, here’s a good introduction to the gift tax, when it applies, and how much it will cost you.

Friday Finance Findings for June 25th

Jeremy — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:51:43 +0000

If you live in the Midwest you can probably relate. Since about last Friday we’ve seen round after round of severe weather. Tornadoes, 90 mph straight line winds, and large hail. Of course, just one storm wasn’t enough. Instead, we had to get hammered with an incredible storm last Friday evening only to get hit again on Wednesday night. Most of the people who got hit by the first storm barely got their power back on before the next one came through and knocked it out again. Some have been without power for a week now. Thankfully, we only suffered a brief outage, but didn’t escape the wrath of the storms.

One day I was driving home and encountered a brief heavy rain shower. I didn’t think much of it until I popped through the other side of the rain and saw what appeared to be a class wall cloud. For those of you who might not understand what that means, it’s basically the telltale sign that a storm has rotation and often the precursor of a tornado. Well, as a Skywarn storm spotter I got really excited. We just don’t get a lot of the classic tornadic storms around here like you see further west. So, my first instinct was to chase it down.

Here’s the wall cloud from a distance of a few miles:

I had to backtrack a bit since I needed to get back ahead of the storm but that can be pretty hard to do in the middle of nowhere with only a few rural farm roads here and there. Fortunately, I was able to catch up and get really close to it as the funnel cloud began to form and drop down. Unfortunately, I got blocked by a dead end road and the trees obscured my view and that was about as close as I could get.

It was still pretty exciting! But what wasn’t as exciting was the storm that came later in the week where our house did get hit by 70+ mph winds. The whole house was shaking and most of our neighbors lost trees, some trees fell on houses, and it otherwise made a complete mess of the area:

If you ever wondered what it looks like to get hit with hurricane force winds check out the video I took when the storm rolled through. It went from completely calm to crazy in almost an instant. A few trees in that tree line got knocked over or snapped, but they happened off camera a bit. You can also see the flash of an exploding transformer in the second half of the clip. It was pretty wild, and as much as I like storms, I actually hope we don’t get anything like that again for a long time.

Ok, enough storm talk. On with this week’s links.

Choosing between Higher Education, Loans and Family – There are a lot of decisions to be made when it comes to getting an education. Things get even more complicated if you’re getting your education later in life and have a family to take care of.

8 Critical Steps Every Family Should Be Taking to Prepare for the Next Financial Crisis – Some would say we’re slowly clawing out of the most recent financial crisis, but you know what? It will happen again. The question is, will you be prepared next time?

The iPhone Sickness (2010 and Counting) – Steve isn’t hiding his feelings about Apple and points out many of the failings the new iPhone brings. You guys can have your iPhones. I’ll stick to my HTC Incredible phone.

Bill Includes New Student Loan Forgiveness Program – Student loans may be one of the next major collapses in our near future. More and more students are borrowing more money for school than they can afford to repay. Well, there may be some relief ahead.

Solo 401ks and SEP-IRAs: Which Wins for Me? – The self-employed have a number of retirement account options. So, Lazy Man walks through his options and tells you what is best for his situation. Maybe you can relate.

Paying For College: How To Reduce Student Debt – I just mentioned it above, but student loans are a big problem for many. If you do need to take on some debt to get through school you should at least follow some of these tips so you can keep it to a minimum.

5 Famous People Who Beat Bankruptcy – You probably know a few names of people who notoriously spent themselves into bankruptcy, but what about the success stories? A few famous people have done just that.

Gas Credit Cards Q&A – Gas cards can be nice because it allows you to pay for your gas right at the pump and earn cash back or rewards for doing so. But are they really such a great deal? Ben answers some common questions.

2010 Federal Tax Brackets – Plan Now Before It’s Too Late – We’re already halfway through 2010 and that means in just a few short months we’ll be closing the books on the tax year once again. Don’t get caught by surprise. Here are the new rates for this year.

Market Timing Works… Just Not For You – You may have heard experts say that market timing doesn’t work and you should stick to buy and hold. Well, market timing does work. Just not for you!

Fed Issues New Rules for Credit Card Fees – Credit cards are still in the news and after some sweeping changes earlier this year it looks like there may be some new rules for fees as well. Are these good for the consumer?

Target Date Retirement Funds – I’ve written about target date funds a few times in the past. They make it easy to gain instant diversification, but come with a few pitfalls as well. Cash Money Life looks at the pros and cons of these funds.

Friday Finance Findings for June 18th

Jeremy — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:47:12 +0000

Can you believe how low mortgage rates are these days? I was looking yesterday and was shocked to see rates well under 5% in some cases. That’s crazy. I remember last year when we got a 5.25% rate we thought that was pretty good considering our last mortgage was close to 7%, but what can you do? In our case, nothing, but those of you looking to buy a new home or refinance what you currently have are in a great position. Of course, you want to make sure you buy a house for the right reasons and don’t jump into it just because rates are low, but the low rates certainly help.

If you’re in a position like me and already have a home and refinancing isn’t much of an option there’s still a way you can help trim interest off that loan. According to this week’s poll regarding extra mortgage payments, it looks like over half of you are already making those extra payments so you can cut down on the interest owed and shave years off your loan. That’s great news! If you haven’t voted already, take a moment to do so. Otherwise, here are this week’s links.

Will You Get a $250 Medicare Donut Hole Check? – A donut hole? That sounds delicious! Unfortunately, the government isn’t mailing out donuts or even coupons for donuts. This has to do with Medicare, but this could be helpful if you have older parents.

Looking for Job Opportunities Overseas? Rent An Expat – The job market here may not be the best, so more people are looking overseas. But how do you even get started thinking about working in another country? Try renting an expat.

Capital One Aspire World MasterCard Review – If you’re looking for a good credit card you may want to consider the new Capital One Aspire card.

Get Your Car Ready for a Roadtrip – Nothing ruins a vacation more than breaking down along the way. Make sure your car is ready for that summer road trip. Or do like we do and just rent a car for the trip!

Schwab Reduces ETF Fees Again – Schwab does it again and reduces ETF fees even further. If you’ve been considering more ETFs in your portfolio it might be worthwhile to give Schwab a look.

How to Prepare Your House for a Baby – We just went through this last year and now it’s time to do it again in a few months. Having a baby is a big deal, and making sure your house is ready for the change will sure help.

Are You Celebrating the Sex and the City Movie? – No. Are you? I personally can’t stand the show and/or movies, and it looks like Lazy Man is on the same page.

The Dead End of Home Ownership – All this mortgage talk lately probably has people thinking about the dream of owning a home, but sometimes we need a reminder that everything isn’t as great as it seems on the surface. There are a lot of downfalls to owning a home and Steve brings to light a few of them.

Tools to Buy, Tools to Borrow – Every man wants a garage full of tools, but is that really practical? Not at all. It might be nice for impressing your friends, but there are a lot of tools you’re better off renting or borrowing rather than buy. Here’s a good list to get you started.

Turning a Layoff into a Business Opportunity – When you lose your job you can do one of two things: get mad and be negative about it or understand that things happen and try to make something positive out of it. Those who take the positive approach are more likely to turn a layoff into a business opportunity.

Understanding When it’s Right to Invest or Save – Is there ever a right time to begin saving or investing, or is any time the right time? Jeff Rose, explains what it means to begin saving when the time is right.

What is a Credit Freeze? – You may have heard this term before, but what does it actually mean to have your credit frozen? Is it a good thing? Learn all about it.

Friday Finance Findings for June 11th

Jeremy — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:42:40 +0000

I hope everyone has enjoyed the roller coaster ride in the stock market over the past month or so. If you don’t like excitement I hope you’ve turned the news off and don’t bother checking your account statements. Where we’re ultimately headed is anybody’s guess, but there’s never a dull moment. There is a lot of money that can be made in this volatility but it can just as easily be lost. I know all too well.

A while back I was following the oil spill news and after seeing BP’s stock plummet down below $50 and as they began to make their first serious attempts in fixing the leak I thought there was a good chance it would be successful and once cleanup cost fears were eased it would be revealed that the stock price was taken down far lower than it should have been too quickly and it would rebound. Boy, was I wrong! Granted, it was just some play money and was a pure speculation play, but either way it hurts. If I was smart I would have hedged it with some options on the downside, but oh well. Too late for that. Thankfully I made up for much of the loss by getting into natural gas when it was at its lows last month so it all evens out. But that’s why I primarily stick to index funds. I’d be broke or suffering high blood pressure otherwise!

So, here are this week’s links.

Job Junkie – When you hear the word junkie you probably think about someone addicted to drugs. But did you know it can be just as bad to be a job junkie? In fact, you may be a job junkie right now and not even know.

How to Stockpile Food for Survival – Stockpiling food seems kind of silly, right? Ask anyone who has been through a major disaster or emergency and they will tell you otherwise. Of course, there is a wrong way to stockpile food so here’s how to do it right.

Drive-in Theaters – A Money-Saving Movie Experience – Drive-in theaters are a blast from the past, but there are plenty of them still in operation today. I’m not that old but I even remember going to the Drive-in quite often during the summer back in high school.

How to Attract the Best Tenants – Renting your house or apartment? Well, having the right tenants will make your experience a great one or completely miserable one. Finding the right tenants from the start will save you a lot of trouble.

Save Your Marriage from Money Problems – Money is one of the top things couples fight about so if you’re having troubles in your marriage it may very well stem from money problems. Here’s how to keep your marriage going strong while you sort through your financials.

How Much Does a Funeral Cost? – Thankfully this is not a question I’ve had to find the answer to yet, but it’s something worth looking into, especially if you’re trying to determine how much life insurance you need. Covering those final expenses can help prevent placing a burden on your loved ones when you die.

How To Escape An Upside Down Car Loan – I talk about cars on here quite a bit and it’s for good reason. They are absolute money drains and one of the biggest problems is that people are almost always upside down on their car loans.

Advantages of Using A Credit Card Over A Debit Card – Credit cards are evil. At least that’s what people tell us. But it’s not the card that’s evil, but getting into debt that is. If you use credit cards properly they are a great tool and can have many advantages over your debit card.

Is Goldline A Scam? – Have you been bitten by the gold bug like many Americans? You’re not alone. Unfortunately, it can be hard to separate the legitimate gold opportunities from the scams. So, what’s the verdict on Goldline?

Does Nitrogen Tire Inflation Improve Mileage & Save Money? – I’ve always wondered about this. A lot of places tout Nitrogen as a way to save big money on your gas mileage but does it really work?

Friday Finance Findings for June 4th

Jeremy — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:12:20 +0000

Did you know that today is National Doughnut Day? That means many places are giving out free doughnuts and it’s hard to find something better than free food. Check out your local Krispy Kreme or Dunkin’ Donuts to see if they are participating.

If donuts aren’t your thing you can go ahead and read up on all of these great finance tips posted in the past week. You might not get a free pastry out of it, but you’ll probably still save some money.

The Importance of Paying Attention to Financial Statements – If you’re like most people you get a pile of financial statements in the mail each month. Most of them probably go straight to the trash or recycle bin, but paying attention to what’s on them could be a big deal. Find out what to look for and see how it could save you money.

Finding Self Employed Health Insurance – Being self-employed is great, but what’s not so great is trying to find affordable health insurance. So, here’s what you can do if you’re working for yourself and looking for health coverage.

Hire a Contractor vs Do it Yourself – I’m more of a hiring someone else kind of person when it comes to most things. Unless it’s something I know I can do quickly and easily I’d much rather spend my time doing something else so I usually pay someone else to do it. But how do you make that call and decide when that’s the best decision?

What is a Good Credit Score? – Whether you like it or not you have a credit score and more people are checking it today than ever before. So, what is a good credit score and what can you do to improve it once you find out it isn’t as good as it could be?

The First Step to Financial Success – We all want to be financially successful but it takes a lot of work. There is one step that cannot be overlooked and once you build that foundation everything seems to come easier.

Everything You Need to Know About Buying I Bonds – In turbulent markets like we’ve seen recently people tend to flock to safer investments such as bonds. I-bonds have been gaining some attention lately so if you’re curious about them here’s what you need to know.

How To Cook Rice With Flair: Simple, Creative Ideas For Rice – If you have been reading this site for any length of time you probably know that I love rice and strongly recommend people buy a rice cooker. That’s why this article caught my attention because I’m always looking for ways to jazz up this incredibly cheap and versatile ingredient.

How to Live Without Credit – Can you really get by these days living without credit? It can be hard, but it may be possible. Here are some tips to help you live credit-free.

How to Check Tire Pressure & Inflate your Tires – Did you know that driving around on under inflated tires can cost you real money? It’s true. When tires aren’t properly inflated they require more energy to roll, therefore using more gas and costing you more money. Don’t think it’s that big of a deal? Read on to find out how much it could be costing you and how to check your own tires.

Best Free Anti Virus & Anti Spyware Software – Getting a virus or having your identity stolen can be more costly than you imagine. That’s why it’s important to check your computer regularly because just one mishap can be devastating. Here are some free software tools that can help.

Who Really Needs a Financial Advisor – Need financial advice and don’t know where to start? You’re probably thinking about a financial advisor, but do you really need one? Here’s the breakdown of who should and shouldn’t get professional help.

We Sold Our Car on Craigslist – This is an interesting read because we’re getting to the point where we’re thinking about selling one of our cars and upgrading. We could trade it in for about $5,000, but if we sell it privately it’s worth about $7,500. So, it might be worthwhile to consider Craigslist.

Friday Finance Findings for May 28th

Jeremy — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:31:27 +0000

Hopefully most of you will be able to take advantage of the long weekend coming up. I know in many parts of the country the weather has already turned to summer so it could make for a good weekend to get outside. I’ll be doing my best to take advantage of the weekend myself, but I’ll be traveling to Kansas City to go visit my family. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been to 33 of the lower 48 states but never stepped foot in Kansas even though I’ve been to each of its surrounding states. So, even though they live on the Missouri side we’ll have to make a point to head across the river and spend some time in Kansas so I can cross another state off my list. Doing so would tackle pretty much all of the states in the southern two-thirds of the country and I can focus on a trip to the Pacific Northwest and New England and complete my journey.

So, I’m going to go pack my bags, but you should check out some of the great articles from the past week.

Affording Student Loan Payments & College Tuition – College tuition is out of control. I noticed that even tuition where I went to school has more than doubled in just 10 years. That’s absurd! So how can anyone afford these costs and escape the burden of pending student loan payments?

Comparing Different Types of Treasury Securities – As people flock to safety in turbulent markets there’s always renewed interest in Treasury Securities. But what are they exactly? Here’s a good primer to get you started.

Savvy Online Shopping Strategies – Who hasn’t bought something online these days? It’s pretty common and most of us don’t even think twice about it. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t additional ways you can save even more money when shopping online.

The Top 5 Best Android Personal Finance Apps to Save you Money – This is a timely piece because I just got an Android phone myself (and absolutely love it!) I’ve been looking for good money-saving apps and this has a few great ones.

Best Jobs for College Graduates – As college students prepare for graduation and enter the workforce they may be wondering how their jobs stack up. Well, they should have probably thought about that before choosing a major, but either way here are the best jobs for today’s new grads.

Are You Financially Sexy? – Finance can be sexy? I know, it seems hard to believe. But if you read this you just might be able to sex up your own finances.

Got Airline Miles? Maximize Their Value with these 8 Tips – I’ve honestly never had a card that generates airline miles. I might fly just once or twice a year so I tend to keep my rewards based on cash back. But if you do have airline miles there are some things you can do to make them stretch even further.

How to Have a Successful Garage Sale – Summer is here and that means garage sales! I love them. It’s great to dig through the stuff people are trying to get rid of and find unique or odd items for next to nothing. But if you’re having a sale you want to make money, so here’s how to go about it.

How Do You Count Cash? – What? There are different ways to count your cash? This is a pretty neat video illustrating how counting cash differs across the world. I count just like a typical American.

Preparing for Your First Post-Grad Interview: The Importance of Being Well-Read – Think getting a job after college simply means having good grades and a flashy resume? Not exactly. The art of the interview is probably even more important and being well-read can go a long way in helping you land that first job.