Blog
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Giving Circles part two: The dignity of housing
There’s something about shelter that reels me in and grounds me. I love our home. I’ve loved most of the homes I lived in. I love the concept of home. I love houses in general. And of course, I have money invested in a healthy portion of real estate. Shelter may mean different things to…
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The Pros and Cons of Marijuana Legalization, Part 1
The following article represents the views of the author and is not representative of Queercents, the site owner or its other writers. This week I’ve been examining the possible economic implications of marijuana legalization. Monday I talked about the tax benefits, and Tuesday I talked about the potential for job creation if marijuana is legalized.…
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Why the Love Affair with Gmail?
Gmail’”everyone seems to know what it is, and a huge number of people use it. Hands-down, it’s recognized as the best ‘˜deal’ in the free webmail scene. But why? In short, it comes down to Google’s core values. Among them are ‘œFocus on the user and all else will follow,’ and, parphrased, ‘œdon’t be evil.’…
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Femme Economics: Waking Up to the Recession
I’ve succumbed to the recession. I had a sign on a corkboard in my office for seven months that said ‘œI will not participate in the recession‘ and I just took it down. I finally have admitted to my little femme-housewife-wannabe self that the recession has affected my wife and I in these ways: 1.…
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Stretch Your Food Dollar: Dress Up Ramen Noodles
I’m going to admit a secret, ya’ll. During my first semester of college, I survived on $10 a week for groceries. I’m not proud of this. I subsisted on ramen noodles and butter sandwiches. But boy, could I stretch a food dollar! An entire semester of eating ramen noodles will teach you to get creative.…
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Clipping coupons: 5 ways to master the art of couponing
I’ve been couponing since January and I must say it’s addictive. In the right combination of sales and coupons you can get tons of stuff for free or cheap. Here are the basics on how to get started: Get lots of coupons At my house we get 2 newspapers every Sunday. You can…
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Will You Pay To Keep Up Your FICO Score?
Well, President Obama signed into law the CARD Act, reforming the Credit Card Industries practices. What he signed is amazing, but it still didn’t go far enough to corral some of the more abusive practices. I’ve read about possible responses by the card issuers, and two of them in particular perturbed me and made me…
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How to Start a Giving Circle
‘œNever doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.’ ‘“ Margaret Mead A couple of weeks ago on NPR, I learned about the concept of giving circles: Charitable donations have been declining, along with the economy. But one type of giving appears…
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Four things you need to know about Roth 401(k)’s
When I posted recently on how to choose whether to fund your 401(k), Roth, or traditional IRA, I forgot to mention another category: the Roth 401(k). The Roth 401(k) rocks. Like a Roth IRA, you put money in post-tax but then (in retirement) you take out the funds (plus appreciation!) without tax. Unlike a Roth…
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Take a trip to your local Farmer’s Market
Not to be confused with my earlier post about the Really Really Free Market… A Farmer’s Market usually involves monetary transactions. Sorry, no free food here folks. BUT, you can find better deals than the chain grocery stores that pop up on every busy intersection. My friends live and work on a farm and needed…
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