We don’t live anywhere near a flood plain; however, after this weekend, I’m tempted to get flood insurance. Nearby Lake Delton vanished [1] in two hours! When the 267 acre lake drained it took several homes and a huge amount of tourism revenue with it.
It’s completely unbelievable! The homes were not in a flood plain and were uninsured. It occurred to me that something like that, crazy as it might be, could happen to us. So yesterday I got a quote for flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program [2]. I probably won’t purchase it, but it was an eye opening experience to have an entire lake disappear.
Now onto my favorite personal finance finds of the week.
Pinyo at Moolanomy recently launched PF Buzz [3]. It features popular personal finance articles of the week. You can submit articles and vote for your favorites. So far I’ve had a lot of fun discovering new sites with it.
Gas Prices
Trimming Our Gas Costs, Plus Saving $5,500 a Year Off The Road [4]
See what they are doing to save money on gas. There’s a neat link in the article that can show you how fuel efficient your vehicle is.
Hybrid vs. Gasoline Vehicle Comparison – Are Hybrids Worth it? [5]
Great analysis to see the break even point on a few popular hybrid cars. We considered the Toyota Highlander when I was shopping for my new car, but the price was just too high to justify, even with the savings.
The Housing Market
How to Get the Most for Your Home When it is Time to Sell by Making a Good Impression [6]
Painting, cleaning, and landscaping. A little goes a long ways when it’s time to sell!
How to Sell a House in a Down Market [7]
Have you ever thought about hiring a home stager? We’ve watched the show on TLC (or is it HGTV?) where the stagers make houses more appealing. It never occurred to me to hire one!
Just for New Graduates
Have a new grad in your life? Check out Gift Ideas for College Grads for a Financial Headstart [8].
In addition, last week The Life Skills Network [9] had a whole series for new grads. In case you missed any, here are all the articles featuring tips for new graduates.
- 10 Financial Tips for New Grads [10] for New Grads at My Dollar Plan
- 7 Common Interview Questions For The New Graduate [11] at The Wisdom Journal
- Inexpensive Tips For A Greener Life After College [12] at The Good Human
- Tips for Furnishing Your First Place [13] at Frugal Dad
- 5 Do’s and Don’ts Of Living The Good Life For New Grads [14] at My Super-Charged Life
I also skipped the roundup last week to feature tips from readers in: New Grads: 29 Money-Smart Tips [15].
More Great Personal Finance Articles
Make money now versus make money later [16]
Would you take a job for free now if it offered the chance at a double payout down the road? What if the flip side was zero?
Amazon Kindle: Buy or Not? [17]
I mentioned the Kindle in my list of gifts for dad. Check out the review and find out if the price is right.
Five Jobs with Surprisingly High Salaries [18]
Hmmm, gaming managers? Is that the pit boss at the casinos? As a gambler, I find that salary a little low since the dealers could do the same if not better with tips.
TransUnion Settlement to Let You Get Free Credit Score [19]
I just missed being able to participate in this settlement. Although, I’ve found other options to use for reporting and score monitoring. Check to see if you are eligible for the class action.
Double Carnivals
There’s two weeks worth of carnivals to catch up on:
- Carnival of Debt Reduction #143 — The History of Debt
- The 156th Carnival of Personal Finance: Songs of Summer [20]
- 16th Carnival of Money Hacks
- Money Hacks Carnival #15 – French Open Edition [21]
- Festival of Frugality #128: No Debt Plan Edition [22]
- Carnival of Personal Finance #155 — Time With Family
- The 14th Money Hacks Carnival – Weird Golf Facts Edition [23]
- Festival of Frugality #129 – Try a Little Harder This Week Edition
- Carnival of Money Stories #63 – Gather Round the Campfire! [24]