In honor of the fact that its pretty much 2020 already, here is a classic Saturday Night Live skit with some timeless advice - don't buy stuff you cannot afford. A unique program for managing your debt. SNL skit featuring Steve Martin, Amy Poehler and Chris Parnell. So simple you can do it too! SNL- Don't Buy Stuff from Certell on Vimeo. Sometimes the hardest topics … [Read more...] about SNL: Don’t Buy Stuff You Cannot Afford
Savings Bonds RIP
(Guest post from James, original founder of DINKS Finance :)) As many of you long time readers of personal finance blogs will know, the U.S. Treasury department recently issued a press release saying they were eliminating paper sales of savings bonds, effective January 1st, 2012. This move comes as little surprise as some personal finance pundits noted it could be … [Read more...] about Savings Bonds RIP
You don’t have to be ready – just go.
So, a few days ago, I ended up donating a ton of my old books to the public library. The great thing about cleaning out your bookshelf is you are forced to make decisions about what’s important and what isn’t. Once book I kept was Loral Langemeier’s The Millionaire Maker.Langemeier’s work is great because she provides a rough draft on how to start a business. But it’s … [Read more...] about You don’t have to be ready – just go.
13 Ways to Save Money
Folks, It spring time in DC. The weather is beautiful here, it partly cloudy and nearly 80 degrees. Spring is typically a time to do some cleaning but its also a good opportunity to start saving some money. Why? People tend to get out and about more, so you might have some extra spring travel planned. Also, saving money tends to help your budget and accelerate your … [Read more...] about 13 Ways to Save Money
You Are What You Read
Folks,Main point of today's posting is: you are what you read. There is a ton of finance and investing information out there. Don't pollute your mind with bad investing strategies and philosophies. The quality of what you read and listen to is far more important than the quantity. So it makes sense to learn to evaluate the quality of what you read and hear.Regarding … [Read more...] about You Are What You Read
Taking Care of Business
Hello Folks, If you've been following this blog you'll know that we've been working on closing on another property in the district.Well last night we sold our stock to raise the down payment funds. The closing date is April 13th, but we wanted to have the funds in cash so there won't be worries about how the market does between now and the 13th. We signed the loan paperwork … [Read more...] about Taking Care of Business
Dealing with Competing Goals
Hello Folks, Lets face it, many people have aspirations that are often at odds with each other. For example a typical conundrum that many people are faced with is balancing their retirement savings needs with non-retirement financial goals.Since most people are constrained in their ability to do more than one thing with their money, you should prioritize. Common goals that … [Read more...] about Dealing with Competing Goals
Real Wealth Requires Sacrifice
Hello Folks,So, I was browsing through a copy of Felix's Dennis' How to Get Rich. If you haven't read Dennis, its well worth the time to do so.At any rate, whenever I come back to Felix's book it makes a ton of sense to me. For example, check out this quote:"Never yet have I met a self-made rich man or woman whose family or personal fortunes were not plagued by the burden of … [Read more...] about Real Wealth Requires Sacrifice
Investing In REITs
Its trite and tired, but if you want to invest in real estate and don't want to deal with directly managing your property, then your best option is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).If you feel your portfolio could use some exposure to real estate, here is a quickie from Kiplinger to get you started. … [Read more...] about Investing In REITs
Four Reasons Why Gift Cards Are A Bad Idea
Hello Folks,When it comes to gift cards, forget the card: give cash.There are a ton of reasons why you should give cash instead of cards. Here are four:1) People Don't Use Them: According to a 2008 consumer reports survey, nearly 1 in 4 Americans didn't use their gift cards. This is up from 2006 when only 19% of people didn't use their cards. 2) Fees & Restrictions: Some … [Read more...] about Four Reasons Why Gift Cards Are A Bad Idea
