Friday Finance Findings for July 10th

It’s been a while since the last roundup, but we’re going to get back into the swing of things this week. It’s been pretty challenging over the last few weeks trying to keep up with everything with the new baby around here. People always tell you how things will change once you have a child but you never fully understand until you actually go through it. It’s been a great few months and each day it’s like she’s discovering something new and exciting.

That being said, it’s also worth noting that we’re at the halfway point of 2009 already. It’s amazing just how fast time flies. If you haven’t already, I urge you to do your mid-year financial checkup. Sure, we still have another 6 months to go in 2009, taxes aren’t due for an eternity, and it seems like things might be on autopilot, but now’s a perfect time to review your progress and make changes if necessary. And here are a bunch of great financial resources to help you make the rest of 2009 a good one.

How to Organize Your Garage – This post comes at a perfect time for me. Last week we gutted our garage. Everything, and I mean virtually everything went to Godwill or the dump. We had boxes of stuff that was never unpacked from moves we made back in 2002! If we haven’t used it since they, we won’t miss now if it’s gone. Now we have a clean and organized garage. It’s great.

Quicken Online Mobile – This is another tool I’m going to probably get my hands on soon. I’m thinking about finally moving up in the world and getting the new Blackberry Tour that comes out on Monday. Obviously, with a fancy new phone I’ll want a way to track my finances on the go and Quicken Mobile might be a good option.

Best Travel Sites For Cheap Vacation Deals – For many people, summer means vacation. With money tight these days it’s even more important to make sure you’re saving as much as you can. Here are some of the best travel sites that can give you the most bang for the buck on your next vacation.

Learn the Financial Impact of Your Everyday Purchases – The stuff we buy daily usually happens without much more than a passing thought. A coffee, grabbing a quick lunch, picking up dry cleaning, and so on. These daily purchases can really impact your finances over time.

Trade Carbon Emissions with ETFs – I had to do a double take when I first saw this. You can get in on the whole carbon credit thing? Apparently there are a few ETFs already that will allow you to do just that.

How to Find a Virtual Assistant – Hiring a VA is something I’ve thought about lately. Between all of writing, a full time job, and a new baby, it might be helpful to get some help. This is a good start if you’re considering hiring a virtual assistant.

Seven Secret Places To Hide Cash In Your Home – While most people will use the bank, some people like to keep some cash at home. The obvious place is to put it in a safe or possibly joke about keeping it under the mattress, but there are really a number of ways you can secretly stash some cash at home.

Getting a Job on Wall Street, Circa 2009 – The times have changed and the jobs on Wall St. have changed with them. The employment landscape and expectations of Wall St. are different today than just a few years ago. Here’s a few thoughts from an insider.