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Monthly Archives: December 2011

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The LAST Love Drop: A Mother and Son Need Our Help!

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Love Drop, charity, donations

It’s time for the holidays and that also means that it’s time to help out those in need who may be less fortunate than us.  Love Drop has successfully helped 10 families and given away over $80,000 to some very deserving people.  Last month Love Drop helped Jeff, Becca, and their Triplets by giving them a van full of baby stuff including toys, clothes, diapers, baby wipes, baby formula, and a crib.

This month Love Drop is helping Diomi and her son Nalee.  They have been through a rollercoaster of emotions including hard financial times, the loss of their Father and Grandfather, as well as Diomi losing her job.  Unfortunately they can no longer afford the basic daily necessities that we may all take for granted such as clothes to keep warm during the winter, and food to fill their bellies so that Nalee doesn’t have to go to school hungry.

Love Drop is asking for everyone to help this family not only so they have a great Christmas this year, but also to help this family improve their lives in the future.  Nalee wears the same clothes to school every day; they are forced to wash their clothes by hand because they can’t afford a washer and dryer or a trip to the laundry mat.

Diomi is currently looking for a job, so if you live in the Milwaukee area please try and help her out with a job offer.  Diomi wants to find a job but she doesn’t even have professional clothes to wear to her job interviews.  Come on DINKS I know that we can help out this family.  It’s time for the holidays and we have to get into the spirit of giving!

Here are some ways you can help Diomi and Nalee:

Donate Personal Products.  Unfortunately this family doesn’t have a lot so thankfully anything that you can donate will be cherished and greatly appreciated.  Please find it in your hearts to donate any type of personal products for the bathroom, kitchen, or bedroom.

Give a Dollar.  Love Drop is working with Diomi and Nalee’s Church Pastor to raise money for their basic necessities such as clothes, food, and shelter.  You can make a onetime lump sum contribution to Love Drop or you can sign up to give a regular contribution on a monthly basis.

Share Love Drop with Others.  Please Tweet about Love Drop and Like them on Facebook to spread the word.  The more people who know about Love Drop the more families they can help.

The Love Drop Team is taking a well deserved vacation over the next few months.  They will be back in February so stay tuned for a New Love Drop in the New Year.  Check out all their total Drops in the meantime!

Don’t Get Screwed By Big Banks: Tips for the 99%

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bank advice, bank tips, financial institution scoop

(Guest Post by Kristen from FindTheBest.com)

The earth is quaking with “movements” but these tectonic activities are not rumbling beneath the surface. They are happening right in front of us; they are happening on “The Street”- Wall Street, that is.  And the “occupiers”, currently embroiled and immutable in their habitation of urban economic centers across the U.S., are creating some visible ripple effects.

One of those shock waves was Bank Transfer Day (BTD).

Though not officially associated with the “Occupy” movement, the initiative represents a disillusionment of the “99%”, a self-titled meme that refers to the U.S. income distribution among the households with the lowest (99%) and highest (%1) incomes.   Kristen Christen, creator of the provocative BTD on November 5, called for a voluntary transfer of accounts from big, commercial banks to credit unions, in the face of, what she called “ridiculous fees and poor customer service.” Right or wrong, I’m guessing her grievances have a lot to do with the following banks and their recent behavior.

6 Banks Raising Fees and Eyebrows:

  1. Bank of America increased MyAccess checking monthly maintenance fees from $8.95 to $12.00 earlier this year. Also, don’t loose your debit card – that will cost you a 5-spot…or 20 bucks for rush delivery.
  2. Citigroup basic checking account fee increased from $8 to $10. (Most of these customers were not pervious charged any fees.)
  3. Chase quietly hiked their entry-level checking fees. raised the fee on its standard checking account to $12 a month.
  4. Citibank charges for switching out of a middle-tier checking account, which carries a $20-a-month fee, into a basic account, which doesn’t charge fees.
  5. U.S. Bancorp now charges 50 cents per check deposit via mobile phone.
  6. TD Bank, starting in December, will charge $15 for each incoming domestic payment.
  7. Note: Last year, a Pew Charitable Trusts study revealed that bank customers could theoretically incur 49 different fees on a standard checking account. (WTF?)

What Gives?

Banks are hoping consumers won’t see the surreptitious increase of existing and additional fees, or won’t do anything about it. “We’ll see if our customers complain and move, or just complain,” said Richard K. Davis, U.S. Bancorp’s chief executive. (Uhhh…Seriously?)

Davis’ patience might be strategically warranted. Despite the 79,000 “Likes” on the Bank Transfer Day Facebook event page, many people are sticking with their banks after being confronted with the onerous task of moving numerous online bill-paying arrangements elsewhere.

So What Can the “99%er” Do To Keep Bank Accounts Good?

  1. Credit Union: You’ll be in good company. Nonprofit, credit unions, often offer lower fees and better rates on bank services. Credit Unions are smaller, community-based organizations, they encourage clients to develop regular savings habits while promoting thoughtful borrowing for big purchases, emergencies or educational needs. Like traditional banks, credit unions offer a variety of different savings and checking accounts, credit programs and other services.
  2. Banks or thrifts: Institutions with deposit insurance from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. are also good options.
  3. Read the fine print: If you want to stick with a commercial bank, and all you need is basic checking, bill pay, ATM access and a debit card, then look for accounts that don’t charge fees for a minimum balance or checks written. Web sites like mybanktracker.com and FindTheBest.com are good resources for this information.
  4. Keep Cash Under Your Bed. Just kidding…Kind of.

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Guest post by Kristen Brophy of FindTheBest, unbiased data-driven comparison engine designed to help you find the best of anything from a checking account to credit card.

(Photo by jesse.millan)

DINKS may not be DINKS Forever!

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DINKs, advice before having a family, couples advice

Good Morning DINKS.  As you may know I am 31 years old and I live with my boyfriend Nick.  We have been together for a long time and when we were younger Nick did want to get married and have kids.  Now that we are older my boyfriend swears that he never wants to get married and/or have kids.  I am not sure if he doesn’t want to get married to and have kids with me, or if he doesn’t want to get married and have kids in general.

I can almost pin point the exact moment in our relationship when my boyfriend Nick decided that he did not want to have kids (with me).  A few years ago we were sitting on the couch one night watching Television and I mentioned that if we are going to have kids we should start the process soon because we want the kid to be out of our home by the time we retire.  This way we can go back to enjoying the rest of our life together.

My boyfriend’s response was “You aren’t even pregnant yet and you are already planning to kick the kid out of the house.” Ever since that day my boyfriend decided that he doesn’t want to have kids (with me).

I personally didn’t (and still don’t) see the problem with my comment.  First of all I like to plan ahead, that’s just who I am.  Secondly both my boyfriend and I moved away from home at 18 years old and there is nothing wrong with that, in my opinion.  We have been on our own for a long time and (once again in my opinion) we both turned out just fine.  I understand that kids need guidance from their parents, but that doesn’t mean that they have to be living under the same roof and be kept on a tight leash.  Life is all about trying new things and learning from our mistakes, right?

All this to say that my boyfriend Nick and I are not planning to have kids anytime soon but who knows what the future holds.  Maybe one day we will wake up, develop the parental gene, and want to have children together.  Being a DINK is definitely a lifestyle that we are both accustom to; however, we are getting older and our kid clock is quickly running out.

Are you and your DINK spouse planning to have kids anytime soon?

Just in case some of you DINKS are thinking about having kids, here are some things that you should do with your spouse before you decide to have kids:

– Travel.  It is definitely more expensive to travel as a family of four rather than as a couple.  When you have kids your family vacation destinations will be Disneyland and not Romantic Retreats. So take advantage of having less baggage and travel while you are a DINK.

– Enjoy Your Time With Each Other.  Families can be chaotic.  If you are thinking of having kids enjoy and cherish the time alone with your spouse because once you have kids your free time becomes all about them.

– Sleep. From what I understand parents are sleep deprived.  This alone is enough of a reason for me to keep taking my monthly DINK pills.  I love sleeping.

– Focus on Your Career.  It is best to work hard before having children in order to make sure that your dream job will still be there when you get back from having a baby.

– Have Some Money in the Bank.  If you can’t afford to live as a DINK then you should not think about having kids.  Enough Said!

Photo by EPsos

How to Talk About Money With Your Spouse

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marriage advice, couples advice, money tips

(Guest Post by Nick Charles)

Living and sharing your money with someone isn’t always an easy task. When you choose to share your life in close quarters with someone, you start to learn more intimate details about their life – their bathroom habits, the little eccentricities that drive you nuts, those you can live with, and even their more personal spending habits.

When it comes to a relationship, being in the same page as far as spending and financial goals is highly important. Unfortunately, it is a conversation that few couples have until it is too late. If you are wondering what some of your significant other’s financial plans are for the future, don’t neglect the convo. Simply approach it with the following in mind:

Don’t Be Aggressive

Money is always a sensitive topic for everyone, especially if you are the person in the relationship that makes less than the other. When approaching your significant other about the topic of money, be sure to be sensitive to their emotions. Don’t be accusatory or condescending. They have their reasons for spending and saving just like you do. The goal of your financial discussion is to get both of you on the same page, especially if you are in this for the long haul.

Find Some Common Goals

If you find that you and your spouse have joined finances, but don’t have any common goals in sight, then sharing your finances isn’t really necessary. You combine your finances to work towards a common goal generally, not so one person can benefit from the other’s higher salary. When you approach your spouse about spending, see if you can’t come up with common goals. Ask yourselves some big questions:

  • Do you want to purchase a new car?
  • Are you planning on investing in a home later on down the road?
  • Do you wish to retire by the time you are 50?
  • Will you want children later on?

These are the types of financial goals that you will need to discuss to determine if you are on the same page, because ultimately you will have to work together to achieve these financial goals.

Create a Financial Plan

Once you realize that you are on the same page as far as spending habits and financial goals are concerned, consider making a financial plan so that you and your spouse can actually see how you will reach your goals. Be sure to include dates and major milestones such as amounts you would like to have saved for retirement by the time you are 30, 35, etc, and other purchases like new cars or a home. This way you will actually be able to have something to celebrate as an achievement, and be able to actually see yourselves accomplishing your goals.

While it is never fun having to question some of the larger aspects of a relationship, it is often necessary if you wish to have a long and happy union. Finances are a leading cause of break ups and divorce, and if you wait until later to determine if you are financially compatible, you may catch poor spending habits or find that your goals are much different after it is too late to correct your habits. So before you let spending become resentful, have a conversation about finances with your spouse.

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Guest post by Nick Charles – a huge fan of personal finance

(Photo by HayleeBee)

Friday Roundup: Twitter, Tweets, and Followers

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cartoon typer
Good Morning DINKS and Happy Friday.  Today we are sharing some of our Favourite Posts with you from our Twitter Followers.  Just in case you don’t yet follow DINKS Finance on Twitter Click Here  to Follow us @dinks_finance.

Our weekly roundup posts this week include the volatility and gains currently trending in the market, how to save money during the holidays, as well as the importance (or unimportance) of a Prenuptial Agreement.

Check Out our Favourite Personal Finance Posts from our Twitter Followers:

Financial Samurai asks about the recent value of our investment accounts as well as current market trends in the post “Are the Bull Markets Back?” Follow Financial Samurai on Twitter @financialsamura

The Centsible Life helps us “Save Money While Holiday Cooking” with tips on how to cook for crowds on a budget.  Don’t be overcharged at the grocery store with these tips from The Centsible Life.  Follow her on Twitter @centsiblelife

Divorced Dad Frugal Dad wonders if we overpay for things because we are lazy as he asks readers “Are You Frugal or Convenience Loving?” I know that I used to be guilty of this, but now I don’t mind a little inconvenience in order to save a little money. Follow him on Twitter @DvrcdDadFrglDad

Beating Broke brags about her savvy shopping in the post “We Conquered Black Friday” It’s ok to shop as long as we are buying things we need and we are getting a good deal. Follow Beating Broke on Twitter @beatingbroke

Well Heeled Blog  is getting ready to get married and wants to know if she should protect herself.  Well Heeled Blog asks “Do We Need a Prenup? 7 Questions You Should Ask Yourself” Follow her on Twitter @WellHeeledBlog

Out of Debt Again ponders one of life’s ultimate money questions in the post “Side Gig or Take Out a Title Loan on Your Car?” Since I have lived in debt before I would now prefer to work 5 jobs rather than getting into debt. Follow Out of Debt Again on Twitter @outofdebtagain

Budgets Are Sexy has a new financial plan and he shares it in the post “Gigs for Goals – My New Favourite Mindset!” This is currently how I live.  I have separate bank accounts for separate expenses. I even have a different Financial Institution for some of my financial goals; it’s just easier for budgeting and bookkeeping. Follow Budgets Are Sexy on Twitter @BudgetsAreSexy

Photo by Kodomut

DINKS Days of Book Giveaways: Day 4 – The Automatic Millionaire

Posted on by 11
book giveaways, book contests, free books

The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish RichGood Morning Everyone.  Welcome to Day 4 of the DINKS Days of Book Giveaways Contest.  Today we are giving away the 4th and final book in our weekly contest.  Today we are finishing off the week in the same way that we started….with a Book Giveaway from David Bach and DINKS Finance.  Today you can enter to win a copy of The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach.

The Automatic Millionaire is a helpful and important book for people in every type of financial situation because people often confuse Credit with Wealth.  I am not sure why people associate the two, because in fact Credit and Wealth are exact opposites.  If we have accumulated Wealth but we also have Credit that exceeds the amount of our accumulated Wealth then our Net Worth is negative.  However, if we have very little savings but no debt then our net worth can actually be positive.

This week we had a client who came into our bank branch to apply for a car loan because he wasn’t approved at the car dealership for financing (but that is a whole other story).  I asked him about his assets and debts and he said “What do you want? You want to know that I have money?” He then proceeded to open his wallet and pull out multiple credit cards (I guess we know why he wasn’t approved for financing with the car dealership) and place them on my desk while he said “Here, here is my money $5,000 $10,000 $15,000.”

People often think that having credit cards means that you have money, when in fact it only means that you have access to money.  Money borrowed on credit cards has to be repaid to the Bank or the Finance Company and therefore it is not our money.

We can be approved for a credit card based on our capacity to repay the debt aka our monthly income, as well as our credit score aka our history of making payments.  Having a net worth (usually) doesn’t have anything to do with being approved for credit.  In our bank branch we have actually declined clients with a high net worth and a low monthly income who applied for a credit card.  The logic actually makes no sense because the clients could always sell their assets to repay the debt or we could take a personal guarantee, but either way the high net worth client’s application was declined.

The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach is a “Powerful One Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich” and DINKS Finance wants to give away a copy to one of our lucky readers…right now!

You can enter two ways to win a copy of David Bach’s The Automatic Millionaire:

  1. Leave a comment on this post and tell DINKS about your ultimate financial goal.  Is it to retire at 45 or is it to retire in the South of France?
  2. Send a Tweet to your Followers and tell them that you just entered the DINKS Days of Book Giveaways Contest.  Use #TeamDINKS in your Tweet.

Don’t forget to check out our other posts this week to win a copy of The Fund by HT Narea, Get Growing: Keys to Unlocking the Potential of Your Small Business, and Debt Free for Life by David Bach.

All winners will be announced next Friday. Winners must reside in the US or Canada, and will have 30 days to contact DINKS Finance and claim their prize. Otherwise we will Giveaway your prize to another lucky reader.

Good Luck Everyone!

DINKS Days of Book Giveaways: Day 3 – “Get Growing”

Posted on by 2
book giveaways, book contest, free books

get growing bookWithin the last 3 days I have had some really great and some really bad customer service experiences and I really feel the need to rant and rave about them.  Customer service determines the bottom line for most businesses, and in one way or another we all work in customer service.

Even though I work in the financial services industry, at the end of the day if my customer service sucks clients will not choose to invest with me.  If clients choose not to invest with me, then I will not make any sales, my bank won’t make any money, and I will not earn my annual sales bonus.  Think about your job performance, how good is your customer service?

The key to success for any business is to have good customer service.  Whether you work at a Bank or you work at Wal-Mart we all work in customer service.  I know that everyone is entitled to have a bad day, but if you don’t want to deal with people then don’t work in customer service.  If you hate your boss and you take it out on your customers then don’t work for a boss, become self employed.  Keep reading because DINKS Finance is giving away a copy of the book “Get Growing: Keys to Unlocking the Potential of Your Small Business.”

Let’s start with my great customer service experience from GoDaddy.com.  I am not new to personal finance or to creative writing, but I am relevantly new to the online world of blogging.  I have been professionally blogging for various websites since 2009 and I recently started two of my own personal blogs.  I am in the process of re-designing both of the blogs and I recently purchased a new hosting plan and domain transfers with GoDaddy.com

As an impatient 31 year old and a control freak who doesn’t often like to step out of her comfort zone the whole blog domain and hosting transfer was overwhelming to me.  All 4 of the GoDaddy.com representatives that I have dealt with over the last few weeks have been both patient with my questions as well as very clear with their explanations.  Thank you GoDaddy.com

Every morning I go for “coffee” aka breakfast with one of my former colleagues since we still work in the same downtown area.  My colleague ordered the usual chocolate dipped donut which is a plain donut with chocolate icing on the top.  The customer service representative put the donut in a paper bag without one of those little wax paper pieces, he also didn’t fan the bag open first; he just shoved in the donut.  When my colleague pulled the donut out of the bag the donut came out but the chocolate icing stayed stuck to the inside of the bag.  My colleague asked for the donut to be replaced and the customer service representative replied “It will just happen again”.  This customer service rep was willing to lose two customers over a $0.85 donut; this is really bad customer service.

My second bad customer service experience happened at Best Buy.  We asked a customer service representative for some help regarding a TV stand for our new 3D TV which we bought last week.  The customer service rep was less than happy to help us and when my boyfriend Nick asked if he had a problem the customer service representative said “We are not paid on commission, so if I help you or don’t help you it doesn’t make a difference to me”.  This is really bad customer service.

OK now for today’s Book Giveaway.

You can win a copy of “Get Growing: Keys to Unlocking the Potential of Your Small Business” in one of two ways.

  1. Leave a comment telling us your best/worst customer service story.
  2. Send a tweet to your followers suggesting for them to follow @dinks_finance and use the hash tag #TeamDINKS to earn a second entry.

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Winner must reside in the U.S. or Canada

(Photo by Anna)

DINKS Days of Book Giveaways: Day 2 – “The Fund”

Posted on by 3
book giveaways, book contest, book raffle

The FundI started reading The Fund by HT Narea less than two weeks ago and I am proud to say that two days ago I finished the book.  I carried The 464 page book to work and back home every single day because I couldn’t put this book down for a single second.  I read The Fund during every free minute that I had of every single day over the last couple of weeks.

The Story of The Fund by HT Narea

The Fund is about modern day financial terrorism and how it affects the American financial system as well as the various financial markets around the world. Money is the Weapon in this book and in my opinion money is possibly the most powerful force in the world.  With money comes the power to buy what you want as well as the ability to influence the people who make important decisions.  Money is a common denominator between people of all races, religions, and beliefs.

The Fund by HT Narea follows a young financier named Nebibi from Italy to New York in his journey to avenge his brother’s death and fulfill his brother’s legacy.  However, Nebibi’s once clear path becomes clouded when his personal feelings for a certain US Defence Agent have him questioning his mission and his beliefs. Nebibi seeks dominance for the Islamic faith, but he is no longer positive that his beliefs are worth the cost of losing his long lost love (and US Defence Agent) Kate.

Nebibi accumulates wealth and launches a new Islamic Fund that follows Islamic laws and beliefs. During his mission for Islamic domination Nebibi has created a tangled web which involves several politically powerful countries around the world, a few terrorist groups (who have their own hidden agendas), as well as a biohazard chemical that makes cowardly soldiers fearless warriors.

Kate, the young US Defence Agent, has her heart broken by Nebibi in college and the wounds are reopened when they meet unexpectedly after many years.  Kate has herself asking if it is a coincidence that her former lover seems to be everywhere she goes, or is it fate telling her to give Nebibi another chance at love?

A little bit about Author HT Narea

HT Narea is a former financial guru from JP Morgan Chase in New York who decided to leave the world of finance after 20 years to pursue his passion for writing. He currently teaches International Finance at Georgetown University.

The Fund is HT Narea’s debut novel and (pardon the pun) he blew it out of the water.  He has received praise from other Authors as well as University Professors; and now he is receiving praise from an experienced Financial Professional as well as a Personal Finance Blogger.

Review of The Fund by HT Narea

Although the primary story of this book is financially based on the creation of The Fund and its influence over the worlds markets with Nebibi’s personal agenda, it also has very passionate secondary story lines about lost loves, lifelong friendships, and family bonds.

The Fund is scarily realistic.  It is an intriguing fiction story which could very easily someday become our frightening nonfiction reality.  While I was reading this story I couldn’t put the book down, I absolutely had to know what was going to happen next.  As a young Financial Professional I felt as if I was in The Fund, I felt that I was living this story first hand.  For the last 2 days since I finished reading this book I have been double checking all of my clients financial transactions with extreme due diligence. I have also been questioning the actions of all my clients who have asked to buy or sell specific investments.

This story shows how a little knowledge can become a huge asset with determination and passion. The Fund by HT Narea is a lot of things, but if nothing else it is passionate.  The passion between characters, the passion for personal agendas, and the passion (or should I say greed) for money in this story is overwhelming.

HT Narea explains his stories so well that even if you aren’t a financial geek, a historian, or a believer of the Islamic faith you can easily understand and follow what is happening throughout this book.

If you have not yet read The Fund by HT Narea I suggest that you go out and buy a copy as soon as possible, or maybe you should put it on your Christmas Wish List.

To Win a FREE Copy of The Fund:

DINKS please trust me when I say that I would love to keep this book in my own personal collection but The Fund is such as good book that I definitely want to share it with you.

There are 2 ways that you can Enter the DINKS Book Giveaway Contest to win your own copy of The Fund by HT Narea.  You can each receive up to 2 entries and here’s how to enter:

  1. Leave a comment on DINKS Finance and tell us why you love The United States of America.
  2. Send a Tweet recommending your followers to read The Fund by HT Narea (@AuthorNarea) and Follow DINKS Finance (@dinks_finance) with #TeamDINKS in the Tweet.

The winner will be announced next Friday so be sure to comment and Tweet about DINKS Finance and The Fund by HT Narea.

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Winner must reside in the U.S. or Canada

DINKS Days of Book Giveaways: Day 1 – “Debt Free for Life”

Posted on by 11

Debt Free for Life: The Finish Rich Plan for Financial FreedomGood Morning DINKS.  Today is an exciting day because today is the First Day in our DINKS Days of Book Giveaways Contest!

In the true holiday spirit all week long DINKS is giving away one book each day from Monday to Thursday.  We have some great books lined up from David Bach as well as a Financial Thriller by author HT Narea as well as a step by step guide on how to Grow your Business by two financial professionals.  So keep reading DINKS Finance all week and Follow us on Twitter @dinks_finance for your chance to win copies of these great books.

Today we are once again giving away a copy of Debt Free for Life by David Bach.  This is a great book that helps us (as consumers) become debt free by following a personalized step by step debt plan.  I like this book because it helps consumers understand why they got into debt and how important it is to get out of debt.  The mentality of becoming debt free is uplifting because the mental burden of having debt can be overwhelming.

David Bach’s Debt Free for Life helps us prioritize our debts to concentrate on paying off the most inefficient and costly debts first. David Bach has partnered with DebtWise.com to help us track our path to financial freedom as we pay off our debts. Chapters in Debt Free for Life by David Bach include “The Debt Free for Life Mindset” and “If You’re In a Hole, Stop Digging”.

My personal experience with debt is that it’s very easy to quickly accumulate, but it is very difficult to pay off slowly. David Bach tries to help consumers see the light at the end of the debt tunnel. When we are trying to pay off our debts there are several things that we can do to accelerate the process such as try to negotiate our credit card interest rate as well as set up regular automatic payments. Our monthly interest charges are calculated on our average daily balance, if we make weekly or biweekly payments instead of one monthly payment our average daily balance will be lower, and therefore we will be charged less interest at the end of every month. Debt Free for Life by David Bach will help you say Good Bye to Debt and Hello to Financial Freedom!

Now that you know the importance of paying down your debt as well as the financial, emotional, and mental burdens of being overwhelmed with debt, it’s time for our First Book Giveaway in the DINKS Days of Book Giveaways Contest.

You can enter two ways to win a copy of Debt Free for Life by David Bach:

  1. Leave a comment on this blog and tell us what Financial Freedom means to you.  Is it being able to take a vacation every month if you wanted to, or it is watching your bank accounts grow with savings?  Tell us the definition of your own Personal Financial Freedom.
  2. Send a Tweet that tells your readers to follow @Dinks_Finance and @AuthorDavidBach on Twitter.  Use #TeamDINKS in your Tweet to register your entry.

We are giving away books all week and the winners of all 4 books will be announced next Friday, so be sure to enter as soon as possible.  Winners will have 30 days to contact DINKS Finance and claim their prize. Otherwise DINKS will give away your prize to another lucky reader.

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Winner must reside in the U.S. or Canada

Photo by Barnes&Noble

Friday Roundup: It’s Time for the Ladies!

Posted on by 3

lady shoesHappy Friday DINKS.  I hope that you have all recovered nicely from all of the Thanksgiving Festivities.  Last Friday we featured posts from our favourite male Personal Finance bloggers in our “It’s Raining Men” weekly Roundup.  This week it’s Ladies Night as we feature posts from some of our favourite female bloggers.

Check out all of these great posts from our favourite ladies and Have a Great Weekend.

– Lindy @ Minting Nickels talks about her previous no spending periods as well as ways that she saves money in the post “My Six Month Spending Fast”.  A Spending Fast helps people save money and spend less.

– Mrs. Micah @ Finance for a Freelance Life helps us be prepared in case we lose our jobs in the post “What to Do When Laid Off – 5 Ways to Prepare for Job Loss.” I don’t know if we can ever be prepared for a job loss, but this is a great step by step guide on how to get back in the game.

– Lisa @ Cents to Save is getting through the holidays and getting ready to start her new goals in the New Year.  Do you share the same goals as Lisa? Check out her post “Putting Together My 2012 Goal List (part 1)”.

– Donna Freedman @ Surviving and Thriving is promoting a giveaway from Retail Me Not.  Check out her post “Giveaway: 6 gifts from Retail Me Not”.  If you don’t get there in time for the contest you can always use the affiliate link on Donna’s site to take advantage of the savings all year long.

– Cait @ Blonde on a Budget is getting into the spirit for the upcoming holiday season. Check out her post “Holiday Spirit on a Budget: See the Lights”.  She helps us get in the spirit without breaking our budget.

– Red @ Girl With The Red Balloon talks about being happy on the outside as well as the inside in the post “Finding my happy weight.” Red has really inspired me to get happy and lose weight. So far I have lost 4 lbs in 3 weeks and I hope to be 20 lbs lighter by May 2012 for my trip to Italy.

– Ali @ Crazy Sexy Credit is giving readers a challenge to clean up their credit messiness.  Follow Ali through this 30 day challenge as she helps us feel good about ourselves and our finances.  Check out her post “Day 3: 30 Day CrazySexyCredit Challenge.”

– Amber @ Blonde and Balanced shares her favourite online stores with us in the post “Where I’m Doing My Black Friday Shopping.” Although many stores have great deals on Black Friday, they also have sales and deals all year long.

– Carrie @ Careful Cents helps us save money and make our debts efficient in the post “How to Get the Best Credit Card and Loan Offers”.

– Krystal @ Give Me Back My Five Bucks  asks if we prefer to make our own investment decisions or if we seek professional advice in the post “Financial Advisors: do you have one?” I love this post because as a Professional Financial Advisor I like to know what people think of my profession.

– Sandy @ Yes I am Cheap helps us find the best mortgage in the post “Finance 101: Different Types of Mortgages.”

– Money Crush helps us simplify things in the post “Don’t Make Things Harder Than They Need To Be.”

Photo by Jnissa

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Advertise With Us

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