I found out recently that our county is going to be entering the late-20th century in an important way: We’re getting a Walmart. This is important to us because it’s going to be built adjacent to a subdivision we’re considering purchasing a new house. But that’s a separate issue. The issue at hand for this … Read more
I do software development at work. A term that gets thrown around a bit is code smell. It’s a catch-all for any number of programming practices that indicate more serious underlying problems, or that indicate that quick fixes were made that will be more costly to maintain down the road. Basically, the code smells a … Read more
A few weeks ago I met “J” of BudgetsAreSexy.com, and Nicole of Breaking Even Communications, up in DC. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, and in the process I really got a feel for what generous hearts they both have. Subsequently J gave me a sneak peek at another charity project … Read more
It’s no secret that there are federal tax credits available for many people who are looking to buy a home. Both first-time and non-first-time homebuyers now can play the game. The people who are among most aware of the credits, of course, are people wanting to sell a home. It’s not difficult at all to … Read more
(If you have a true love, then you have thirty of them from last Christmas! Most people really only need twenty-nine French hens.) Regifting this year is up. Way up. A Consumer Reports survey found that a little over a third (36%) of American adults said they’d recycle a gift this year, which is a … Read more
This article on MSN Money misses a bit in the title: Banks punish perfect customers The article is another one on how credit card companies are hitting otherwise conscientious users with annual fees. The users that are being targeted now are those who pay their bills on time and don’t carry a balance. These are … Read more
I got suckered into reading this article on MSN from the title: A $10,000 Social Security hit There was a stock photo of two obviously very depressed seniors right next to that headline. At first I thought, “Man, the other shoe dropped fast!” but the article revealed the context of the $10,000: no cost-of-living adjustment … Read more
This economic downturn hasn’t been kind to a lot of people. Jobs that haven’t been taken away from people have had their hours cut, their workload increased, or their cost of living allowances taken away. Jobs that people used to be able to count on are on very fragile ground. If this US Debt Clock … Read more