Archive for March, 2008


How to Start an Investment Club

Posted by Madison on March 14, 2008

How to start an investment club from start to finish. We had our monthly investment club meeting this week. We formed the club about five years ago and have come a long way. If you are interested in starting a club of your own, here’s some of the information from the handout at our first […]

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The Five Fundamentals of Financial Success

Posted by Madison on March 13, 2008

Financial success has little to do with money, stocks, bonds, asset allocation and retirement plans. Sure those matter, but let’s not confuse financial tools with the fundamentals. The foundation is based on preparation, planning and the relationship that money has with other aspects of your life. Photography: sweet_chicago1 Five Financial Fundamentals Set financial goals. What […]

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Saving on Insurance Premiums

Posted by Madison on March 11, 2008

Photography: ozzzie When we recently found out the insurance premium for my husband’s motorcycle was increasing by almost 400% we took action. He got quotes from four different insurance companies and also did some digging in forums he reads to see which companies typically had competitive motorcycle rates.





The Charity Buzz: Make Your Dollars Count!

Posted by Madison on March 10, 2008

I watched Oprah’s new show, The Big Give, and I am very inspired by the giving and the stories of the families receiving the money. It made me evaluate how we handle our charitable giving. Finding Good Charities To be perfectly honest, I get nervous about donating to charities that I’m not involved with directly. […]

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Eating Out The Wisdom Journal has a great article on tips for eating out as a family, but only paying for one. He turned me on to a great site: My Kids Eat Free. We like to eat out, so I found some new restaurants and which days to go. We also found that one […]

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Buying a New Car? Skip the Negotiations

Posted by Madison on March 7, 2008

In Save Money at the Pump a reader, Jim, mentioned that he could sponsor my purchase of a new car. That reminded me of some great discounts that exist when buying a new car. Many are hard to beat if negotiation makes you queasy. If you are a great negotiator you can compare the discounts […]

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Scholarships and Financial Aid: Plan Ahead

Posted by Madison on March 6, 2008

It’s the time of year that high school seniors have received their college acceptance letters, are waiting for their letters, or are doing the best to evaluate schools based on financial aid. Smart Money put an article together detailing 9 Ways to help you get more financial aid.





Reverse Strategy: Decreasing Contribution Percent

Posted by Madison on March 5, 2008

After my husband read our net worth update, he asked why our portfolio was declining and if contributions wouldn’t offset the declines. I explained that we had reduced our savings contributions significantly in the last few years, which alarmed him. Actually, the strategy I came up with is anything but alarming. Here’s an example of […]

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February 2008 Net Worth Update: -1.8%

Posted by Madison on March 3, 2008

Our portfolio declined by 1.8% in February. It brings our year to date total for 2008 to -5.6%. The total percent increase (not to be confused with total return) of our portfolio since the beginning of our dollar plan is 989.6%, dipping under 1000% for the first time since last July. The Good News Despite the declining […]

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Weekly Roundup: Car Shopping Edition

Posted by Madison on March 1, 2008

We might go car shopping today… depending on the weather. Not buying yet, but just looking at some of the cars mentioned in great family cars. Just in time for my car search is the Consumer Reports: 10 Best Cars for 2008 at My Two Dollars. I’ll consider adding some of these cars to my […]

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