Do You Report All Your Income?

Posted by Madison on October 21, 2008

It came to my attention recently that one of the service providers of our family does not report all of his or her income. I’ve always “known about it” in a roundabout way, but it was actually stated to me directly. I’m in a quandary about what to do…. and I’m also mad about it. […]

Continue reading…



8 Tips for Saving Money at Halloween

Posted by Madison on October 20, 2008

Photography: Pumpkins by St0rmz What is it about holidays that causes us to ignore our budgets, talk ourselves into buying “just one more item”, and refuse to add up our overall spending? Halloween spending can set the pace for the rest of the holiday season, so reign yourself in during October and your December self […]

Continue reading…



Free Quicken Online

Posted by Madison on October 17, 2008

I’ve always used Microsoft Money. Why? Because it came installed on my computer back in 1997, when I started tracking my money really closely. Even since then, I’ve just continued with it. Good reason, right? MS Money Stops Yearly Updates I felt pretty confident with my setup until one of my fellow About.com guides, Shelley, […]

Continue reading…



Reshuffling My Whole Cash Back Credit Card Plan

Posted by Madison on October 16, 2008

It had to happen… I’ve had a pretty sweet deal come to an end. For a few years, I’ve had a Chase card that earned 5% back on gas, groceries, and drugstores. I didn’t talk about it much, since you can’t apply for it anymore, so there wasn’t much point. I got a letter that […]

Continue reading…



Free Money, Blog Action Day, Lending Club and More!

Posted by Madison on October 15, 2008

There is so much going on this week! Lending Club is open again (which is great since I have $300 in my Lending Club account after winning the PF Challenge) and Prosper is entering a quiet period to add a secondary lending market. In addition, Grocery Game notified me that chicken was at a rock-bottom […]

Continue reading…



Help a Reader: Save and Invest for Kids

Posted by Madison on October 14, 2008

Time for some reader input! Here’s a question from Jaynee. She and her husband have been doing a great job saving money for their kids. They diligently put gifts the kids receive into their savings accounts. However, now that the balances are growing, she knows a savings account isn’t the best place for the money […]

Continue reading…



15 Must Do Fall Finance Tips

Posted by Madison on October 13, 2008

Three months ago you worked on your Mid Year Checkup. How time flies! Another quarter later, and it’s time to prepare your finances for fall. Here’s 15 more tips to get your finances in shape: 1. File your taxes. What? Didn’t we do that back in April? Not so if you got an extension. Your […]

Continue reading…



We joined Costco! And we went there 5 times in 8 days! Here’s the catch with Costco, if you pay with credit, you need to use an American Express card. Lucky for me I keep a stash of credit cards handy for “emergencies” like this! Why does it matter which card I use? Because I […]

Continue reading…



September 2008 Net Worth Update: -5.6%

Posted by Madison on October 9, 2008

Our portfolio decreased -5.6% in September, bringing us to 862% total increase since the beginning of our dollar plan. In addition, our year-to-date total decrease is -16.9%. Reflections on my portfolio this month September was tough, just like most of 2008. However, instead of looking at the gigantic losses, it helps to focus on the […]

Continue reading…



The Impact of Marriage and Divorce on Your Finances

Posted by Madison on October 8, 2008

We joined Costco. And I’ve only been there 5 times in 8 days! Thanks for all your suggestions; we knew exactly what to look for. Now I just need to get my True Earnings Credit Card for Costco and I’ll be all set. Also on my checklist for today is tuning my TiVo for a […]

Continue reading…