Blog
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WWYD: Profiting from the goodwill of others
It’s that time of year when I pull out the file to prepare for our tax appointment and I’m always amazed at the number of receipts in there from Goodwill donations. How do we accumulate so much junk? Years ago I vowed never to host another garage sale and now I donate everything and take…
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Shame in Finance
In finance, there’s always something to be ashamed of. If you live frugally, you have to reckon with turning down invitations and living with fewer or worn possessions; if your spending gets out of control you’re irresponsible. If you’re in trouble you’re ashamed to admit it; if you’re flush you’re ashamed to flaunt it. Broad…
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How to Go Shopping with Kids… Without Blowing Your Budget (or Losing Your Mind)
‘œBut Mommy, I WANT it!’ What parent hasn’t given in to that plea, when you know a tantrum will follow if you say no? Shopping with kids can be challenging. They’re bombarded with materialistic messages; they aren’t developmentally capable of understanding the concept of delayed gratification; and they want, need, have to have the latest…
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Why I Hate Federal Taxes
The other day on Sirius satellite radio, Howard Stern was complaining about the fact that the merger between XM and Sirius has not yet been approved by US government regulators. The National Association of Broadcasters, which is made up of companies such as Clear Channel who compete against satellite radio, has been lobbying against the…
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Plain Talk about Fancy Mortgages: Stick with old-fashioned 30-year fixed
This is a guest post from Jeff Hammerberg, the founder of GayRealEstate.com, the largest company in the nation representing the rights of queer home buyers and sellers. These are his words’¦ Plain Talk about Fancy Mortgages: Stick with old-fashioned 30-year fixed The word “candidate” derives from the word “candid”, and politicians running for office this…
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Freakonomics – The secret economy of everything
I’ve decided to start a new thread on Queercents where I review business books. I’ve decided that these books could fall into a few categories, including productivity, advice, retirement, economics, taxes, etc’¦ Fortunately, I have always been a fan of these types of books and I have plenty of them lying around the house. I’m…
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Tax Tidbit #5: Deductible Business Travel Expenses
My Aunt and Uncle are in town for a business trip and we just spent a lovely day on the California coast. In the course of our conversations, I reminded them to save their receipts from this trip for their taxes. Which brings me to an easy tax tidbit for this week. If you are…
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Extend a Life. Extend your Life. A Frugal Life.
Sometimes frugal living is just a decision away, a slight change in attitude, or a different view on the way we look at life around us. Right before you throw something in the trash or the recycle bin, can you let your mind wander and find another use for the item instead of buying something…
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Are You in Integrity? – FREE Teleclass
What is integrity? The word gets tossed around a lot, but do you know what it really is? Are you clear on what it means to be in integrity? Did you know that integrity is perhaps the most important part of your personal foundation and that without a clear understanding of what integrity means to…
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Countrywide suspending equity lines of credit
‘œIt is only the poor who pay cash, and that not from virtue, but because they are refused credit.’ ‘“ Anatole France I’ve always kept a home equity line of credit (HELOC) on our house in Newport. Jeanine and I never access it. It’s there for catastrophic reasons (the HELOC would buy us more time…
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