Friday Finance Findings for February 19th

This week I wanted to kick off the Friday Finance Findings with a few fun pieces of trivia about money.

China was the first country to use paper money. Ancient paper money can be traced back to the Pai-Lu P’i-pi (white deer-skin money) of Han Dynasty (140 BC) and the Fei-Chien (flying money) of Tang Dynasty (618 AD). However, the Ming Dynasty notes are the earliest surviving paper money of which the 1 Kuan is the most common. Issued between 1368 and 1399, the note measures 222mm x 340mm.

The term “buck” relating to the slang for U. S. dollar originated from the Old West when buckskin was a common medium of exchange with Indians. Later as currency replaced the barter system, people still refer to a dollar as a buck.

The highest denomination note issued for public circulation in the United States is $10,000. The highest denomination currently in circulation is $100.

I hope you found that interesting, but if not, I’m sure you’re going to like this week’s links.

The Tax Filing Deadline is April 15th, but When Should You Mail Your Return? – A common question I get from readers has to do with taxes. Those who choose to mail in their returns are often confused by the deadline and whether that means when your return must be at the IRS office or if it’s just when it has to be postmarked. Here’s the skinny on the tax filing deadline.

9 Tips to Stretch the Life of Common Household Items – There are certain things that we all have to buy to keep things running smoothly around the house. Unfortunately, these things can begin to add up, so if there is a way to lengthen their usefulness it means less frequent purchases, and therefore money saved.

Wedding Invitation Etiquette: Should Kids Be Invited To Weddings? – This is a hot topic for those planning a wedding. Do you invite children or not? There’s no right or wrong answer as it will largely depend on what you’re looking for out of your wedding, but The Digerati Life has some tips on wedding invitation etiquette to help you weigh the decision.

Those Who Don’t A-S-K Don’t G-E-T – You’ve heard the phrase, “ask and you shall receive”, right? Well, it’s true in more ways than one. If you don’t ask for things you may have no chance in getting them.

New Mortgage Rules for Canadians – It isn’t just us Americans who are struggling with a tough real estate market and bad economy. Our neighbors to the north share many of our issues, and therefore they have some new mortgage rules as well.

2010 Federal Tax Brackets – Most of you probably just started to think about your 2009 taxes, but we’re already in 2010. Here are your tax rate brackets for this year so that you can plan ahead.

Frugal Living Could Change Your Life – Do you live a frugal lifestyle? If not, this post may make you think twice about it. Frugal living could literally change your life.

The Room that Craigslist and Yard Sales Built – I love Craigslist. I’ve found a handful of items for great prices. The problem is that I live in a very rural area so we don’t have the volume of people using the site like others have. But it’s still great. Here, Lazy Man shows us his room that Craigslist built.

How to Rise From Poverty – You don’t have to be stuck in poverty forever. Many of us have gone through tough times in our lives, but there is almost always a way out. If you look forward you can often find yourself in a better place.

Want to Work for Free? Start a Business – Having run a few businesses over the year I can completely relate to this one. Self-employment has many benefits, and working for free is often one of them.

How to Get Audited By the IRS – I’ve talked about how to avoid an IRS audit, but Flexo takes another approach and discusses how to get audited. Yikes!