My Back to School Savings Challenge [1] was a success! (The challenge was to save more than you spent this year getting ready for back to school.) I saved $25 from Etrade [2], $5 from Revolution Money Exchange [3], and $12 hitting a sale for a free lunch box.
Total saved: $42; total spent: $37; dropping my 2-year-old off at his first day of preschool: priceless!
My favorite article of the week is Are You Prepared To Handle The Unexpected Twists In Life? [4] Make it a priority to get the items on this list done. It’s one of those things that is easy to put off.
Investing
10 Reasons Why Buying Penny Stocks Is Nothing But A Mistake [5]
I don’t ever invest in penny stocks. If you are considering it, read this first!
4 Reasons Why Index Investing May Not Be for You [6]
It’s boring. I’m okay with boring! And I’m still for index investing even after reading the side of the devils advocate.
Credit Cards
Death of the Balance Transfer Arbitrager [7]
We all know I’m a big fan of credit card arbitrage. I don’t think it’s dead yet, there are still plenty of 0% balance transfer credit cards [8] available.
Authorized Users Will Be Allowed in FICO Score Calculation [9]
Interesting new twist in the 2008 credit scoring model. I’ll be following what happens with the authorized user situation and the new rules from Fair Isaac.
Should You Carry a Credit Card?
I’m always up for a good credit card debate! Maybe someday just for fun, I’ll see if I can challenge myself to go a year without credit cards… or something crazy like that!
Your House
How to Install a Programmable Thermostat [10]
You know you want one! Here’s a great step-by-step guide with pictures for those who are intimidated by do-it-yourself home projects.
How to Increase the Value of Your Home by 5% to 11% With Little Effort and Little Money [11]
Are you mowing your lawn too short? Is brown grass dead? Have you sharpened the blades on your lawnmower?
Weddings and Money
Guide to Budgeting & Tracking Money For Newlyweds [12]
Did you get married this summer? Sit down with your new spouse and figure out how to avoid any squabbles about money in the future.
The Reality Behind the Wedding of Your Dreams [13]
Asking yourself “will I care in 10 years?” really hits home. We’re about to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary, and looking back there are plenty of items that we spent money on that I could care less about today! If only you could see into the future.
More Articles I Liked This Week:
- Another Case of Spending More than You Earn [14] at Free Money Finance
- 5 ways to take time off work [15] at Brip Blap
- Are You Really Saving Money On That? [16] at Simple Mom
- What You May Not Know About Personal Finance [17] at Rich Credit Debt Loan
- 3 Money Decision Traps and How to Avoid Them [18] at The Wisdom Journal
- Qualifying For A Mortgage As A Freelancer – An Exercise In Patience [19] at My Two Dollars
- Dream to Reality: How I Quit My Day Job [20] at Think Simple Now
- Confession Time: How I Spent $2,350 a Year on my Starbucks Addiction [21] at The Passive Dad
- A Better Snowball Method Spreadsheet [22] at One Caveman’s Financial Journey