Articles Worth Re-Reading this Saturday Morning

Here are some articles that I enjoyed reading this week:

Latest Online Bank Savings & Checking Rates at The Sun's Financial Diary provides a list of the current rates from several online banks. As we build our emergency fund and other savings accounts, I want to make sure that money is working as hard as it can for us.

How to Deal with your Spouse and Get Out of Debt at Journey to Financial Freedom offers good advise for dealing with money matters with your spouse: Understanding your spouse's Character in Money, developing a communication style, compromising, and setting up a plan and taking actions. Since money is the leading source of marital discontent, any advice is always welcome!

Cash Money Life is Now a Member of M-Network at Cash Money Life announces the newest addition to the M-Network. I always enjoy the advice and lessons from the M-Network, and Cash Money Life will only improve the value of the M-Network.

http://www.thedigeratilife.com/blog/index.php/2007/12/23/beat-a-debt-habit-profit-from-cleaning-out-your-house-my-roundup/ from The Digerati Life is a roundup of the articles that Silicon Valley Blogger found helpful, as did I.

Do You Have a Will? Estate Planning 101 at Moolanomy provides the basics of Estate Planning and some questions that everyone should be asking themselves. Although we don't have any substantial assets right now, looking forward this is something we really need to do.

How to Fight with your Spouse about Money by Karen Datko at Smart Spending is another helpful article about money matters and marriage. She suggests examining your own attitudes about money, making sure you've identified the real issue, considering the place and time of the money discussion, being honest with your spouse, listening to your spouse, seeking compromise when possible, seeing the long term, and seeking help.

The Road to Becoming Debt Free is a guest post by Ryan of Uncommon Cents posted at Blogging Away Debt that offers more helpful advice for those of us burdened by comsumer debt. He suggests that we don't incur new debt, scour existing expenses for places to cut back, use free (or at least lower cost) services, ask for a reduction in interest and use balance transfer offers (with caution), make sure the unspent dollars from your cost cutting measures goes toward your debt, and find ways to increase your income. The advice is universal, and is a common theme across most PF blogs, but it always helps to see another perspective.

Zen and the Art of Item Replacement from The Simple Dollar provides sound advice for replacing property: (1) If it isn't broke, don't replace it, (2) When you do replace something, replace it with long term quality and reliability, (3) Upgrade before the end of the lifespan only if there is a clear and compelling functional reason for the change, (4) No item is upgraded unless all parties agree on the need, (5) Try to avoid things that have a steady "upgrade" cycle. Adhering to these rules will definitely help reduce expenses.

Everything You Want To Know About the Millionaire Mommy Next Door - And What She Can Teach YOU! at Millionaire Mommy Next Door provides a biography and FAQ stemming from her appearance on the Montel Williams Show. I've been reading MMND for a while, and have always found her to be a source of motivation and ispiration.



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Motivation and Inspiration for Saturday

Here are some articles that I found particularly helpful this week:

Manage Your Finances Together from Gather Little By Little suggests that couples manage their finanaces together, and recommends periodic budget meetings - seems intuitive, but not necessarily.

9 Financial Tips, by Patrick at Cash Money Life, is a part of the "12 Days of Christmas, Personal Finance Style" thread. Patrick lays out 9 basic financial tips: Set your financial goals, Spend Less then you earn, Increase your income, Pay down your debts, Invest your money, Find ways to save money, Make it automatic, and Give and ye shall receive. Tips we have all heard, for the most part, but nevertheless an excellent compilation.

Is an All-Cash Lifestyle Useful for Kicking the Debt Habit? by Trent at The Simple Dollar, points out that if the only way to avoid debt is to destroy all credit cards is not a true reform in financial behavior, but is rather like riding with training wheels. The goal should be learning how to use credit cards responsibly. I have to agree, and that's my goal.

Stop Asking Me If I Want To Apply For Your Silly Credit Card, at No Credit Needed, gripes about the incessant credit card offers pushed by ever retail clerk in America. "Woud you like to save 10% by applying for your card?" Just what I need - more credit inquiries, more available credit, and potential to pay that 10% and more on the exorbitant interest rates!

These People Must Know What They're Talking About, by Karen Datko at Smart Spending, is another source of inspiration and motivation, and one of the main reasons I love reading Personal Finance Blogs. Whenever I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and I'm doomed to a life of debt, it always helps to read success stories from people who made it work.

Another motivational post, You CAN Get Out Of Debt, by Ana at DebtFREE-Revolution, is a pep-talk for anyone struggling to get out of debt.

Don't Let Great Marketing Catch You Off Guard, by Pinyo at Moolanomy, discusses some of the advertising campaigns that impact consumers' purchasing trends. Only the most astute consumer is able to resist the marketing machine, and if you fall for the claims in every advertisement, you will no doubt pay for it.

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Some Saturday Afternoon Reading

As I read the various articles in my Google Reader, I star some of the articles that I find interesting and want to read again. On Saturdays, time allowing, I want to share links to those articles.

Six Streams of Income - Most people are familiar with diversifying investments, but Pinyo at Moolanomy talks about diversifying income. By generating income from several sources, losing one source will not lead to disaster.

A Talk With My Niece - Trent at The Simple Dollar writes about a talk with his niece where he gives some valuable advice about life - Listen to your heart above all else when deciding what to do, Debt will become your prison if you let it, You will make mistakes - don't make them into excuses, Be nice to everyone, even the people who seem "below" you, and The highest paying job is rarely the one you want. Even though this was advice given to a 15-year-old, it is definitely applicable to everyone.

51 Painless Money-Saving Tips - Karen Datko at SmartSpending gives 51 ideas to cut expenses and save money. Of course not all of the tips will work for me, but even if just a few work, that's a few dollars saved.

12 Investing Mistakes I've Made, and How You Can Learn From Them - Since I am just now learning about investing and considering my options, I had to read into the investing mistakes that Pinyo at Moolanomy made.



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