Finding time to invest in yourself is smart, especially in today’s rocky job market. If you have a commute, as many do, listening to audiobooks is a straightforward way to make productive use of that time. Popping in some thought-provoking or inspirational material can broaden your knowledge and sharpen your effectiveness at work, which will … Read more
I was browsing the Bargaineering Forums and came across a question from Green Panda about Ramit’s new venture, The Scrooge Strategy. I doubt I’ll sign up for it — $2 or so per e-mail is a bit pricey for this kind of thing — but the selling page had some gems. He has two screenshots … Read more
Sun’s Financial Diary posted a graph on the uptick in the US national personal savings rate. It’s reached a 7-year high, breaking 3%. This is a far cry from the 1970s and 1980, when the savings rate was north of 10% of disposable income. Over the past fifty years we really haven’t excelled at saving, … Read more
Today I celebrate seven years of being married to the best woman in the world. (Even though the traditional wedding gift for the seventh wedding anniversary is copper, I decided against giving my wife a bunch of pre-1982 Lincoln cents.) I’ve certainly grown up a lot about how I interact with my wife regarding money … Read more
Once in a while I check on eBay to see what kinds of web businesses people are selling. One auction I ran across last night was for a couple of domains that provided free, ad-free php hosting. The guy bought a “free hosting reseller” package for $50/month, and this company provides most of what he … Read more
It shouldn’t be the only way you’re improving your bottom line, but it does give results, fast. Frugal Dad is concerned that frugal people spend too much time being frugal. And that may well be true: For someone who already has their finances under good control, some money-saving activities are simply too little payback for … Read more
Larry Winget, in his new book People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It! said that the easiest action plan of all is to do this: Do anything that’s different from the way you have been doing it. If things are not going the way you want, heading in a different direction can’t hurt. I … Read more
Circuit City is preparing to close its 567 remaining stores as efforts to find a buyer have failed. Liquidation of the remaining inventory will be part of this closure. Like most other things in business, a problem for one person is an opportunity for another. All-sales-final, everything-must-go sales can bring monster deals for entrepreneurs. I’ve … Read more