http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog Personal finance that makes cents. Common sense advice on topics from high interest savings accounts, frugality, cd rates, money market accounts, mortgage rates, how to get out of debt, money management and more. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:00:35 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This post is part of the new "reader stories" feature here at Get Rich Slowly. Some reader stories contain general "how I did X" advice, and others will be examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. Today's reader story is a little bit different; I ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/21/reader-story-i-bought-a-fire-station-for-my-first-home/ This article is by staff writer Adam Baker, who recently shared "3 Lesson I've Learned in 3 Years of Marriage." Technology is a double-edged sword: It has the power to revolutionize our productivity and allow us to achieve feats previously thought to be impossible; but it also has the ability to ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/19/march-20th-is-the-national-day-of-unplugging/ I love the sometimes-weekly Ask the Readers feature, even if I'm not great about sticking to my intended schedule. And usually I'm able to work with folks to condense their questions to a small space, which leaves me plenty of room to share my thoughts. This week, Martina sent me ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/19/ask-the-readers-sell-the-car-or-keep-it/ As many of you have noticed, my book is making its way into stores. Your Money: The Missing Manual is now shipping from Amazon, and should find its way into brick-and-mortar bookstores over the coming month. I'm excited (and scared) to have this let loose upon the world. I've done ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/18/daily-links-answers-and-myths-edition/ This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. Before I changed my habits, I spent money without much thought. In college, if I had a two-hour break between classes, I’d drive to the mall. Once I started working full time, my coworker and I would bring our lunches to work ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/18/the-balance-between-splurger-and-miser/ This is a guest post from Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the advisor for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new article to Get Rich Slowly every two weeks. To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, this article is all ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/17/how-to-turn-your-clutter-into-cash/ It's that time of year again! The annual auto issue of Consumer Reports landed in my mailbox last week, and I spent some time leafing through it over the weekend. (You can read my summaries of past auto issues here: 2007, 2008, 2009) Fortunately, I'm not a victim of the ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/16/consumer-reports-auto-issue-top-cars-for-2010/ For a long time, I've wanted to host another contest here at Get Rich Slowly. Not a "leave a comment to win" contest (those bring hordes of random people from across the internet, which means the winners aren't usually actual GRS readers), but a contest that rewards folks for doing ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/16/win-500-in-the-get-rich-slowly-video-contest/ Note: I'm afraid this post is long and rambling and doesn't have much of a point. So sue me. I've been meaning to write about this subject for a long time, and finally felt moved to do so. This article may be amateurish, but that's kind of the point... My father ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/15/made-by-hand-in-praise-of-amateurs/ This guest post from the redoubtable Tyler K is part of the new "reader stories" feature here at Get Rich Slowly. Some reader stories contain general "how I did X" advice, and others will be examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. Tyler is an ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/14/reader-story-how-i-ruined-my-credit-score-and-how-it-didnt-ruin-my-life/ It looks like The Personal Finance Hour, my weekly podcast with Jim from Bargaineering, is on permanent hiatus. Both Jim and I have other work that has consumed our attention over the past few months. If you're craving a similar financial podcast — and aren't opposed to higher quality — check ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/13/the-consumerism-commentary-podcast/ I keep intending to retain "ask the readers" as a regular Friday feature — and I keep failing. You folks send me tons of great questions, and I'd love to share more of them. This week, for example, Lisa wrote with the following. "Having kids has made spending choices much ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/12/ask-the-readers-how-do-you-figure-the-calculus-of-kids/ This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. I usually have an idea of what I want to accomplish once I get home from work. It goes something like this: Practice yoga. Get some writing done. Make a fabulous, healthy dinner. Work on my business. Read something thought-provoking. But I never seemed to accomplish all I set out ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/11/resisting-the-time-suck/ For years, I loved to get a tax refund. In fact, it seemed the only way I could save was by having extra withheld from my paycheck so that I'd get a big refund at the end of the year. Using this method, I was able to buy a new ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/10/how-to-check-the-status-of-your-tax-refund/ This article is by staff writer Adam Baker, who recently released an 83-page guide entitled Unautomate Your Finances. Courtney and I are big fans of what we call "mental filters". These are simple little tips and tricks that we can use to increase our financial awareness. (J.D. likes to call these ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/10/the-hidden-cost-of-spending-while-in-debt/ Last autumn, I shared a list of essential personal-finance e-books. These books covered a variety of topics, and many of them were free. Today I want to draw your attention to two new e-books that you may want to consider. Consumer Action Handbook First up is the 2010 edition of the Consumer ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/09/2010-consumer-action-handbook-and-unautomate-your-finances/ This post is from new staff writer Sierra Black. Sierra writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com. Last week, J.D. wrote about Stuff; today, Sierra shares her thoughts on the costs of clutter. Do you have piles of papers lurking on your desk? Mountains ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/09/the-high-cost-of-clutter/ I did it! After months of struggling and hours upon hours of typing, I've finally reached that mythical state of Inbox Zero. My inbox is empty — or nearly so. (I still have a handful of messages about stuff I'm actually working on at this moment, such as publicity for ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/08/daily-links-inbox-zero-edition/ February was National Parent Leadership Month, which highlighted the role parents play in shaping the lives of their children. As a sort of tie-in, the most recent poll in the Get Rich Slowly sidebar asked: "Did your parents prepare you well for financial independence?" Over 1000 GRS readers responded; the ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/08/what-did-your-parents-teach-you-about-money/ This guest post from Andrea is part of the new "reader stories" feature here at Get Rich Slowly. Some reader stories contain general "how I did X" advice, and others will be examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. I am a graduate student, working towards ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/07/reader-story-how-i-paid-off-18000-in-student-loans-while-still-in-graduate-school/ This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. I've been thinking a lot lately about a quote from J.D.’s review of The Total Money Makeover: Printed on the bottom of every page...is the book’s motto: "If you will live like no one else, later you can live like no one else." My ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/05/living-like-no-one-else/ This article is by staff writer Adam Baker, whose own blog featured the hit post 42 Ways to Radically Simplify Your Financial Life. When I was 14 years old, I opened my very first checking account at Bank One. That's where my Dad banked and so that's where he drove me ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/04/what-does-it-take-to-make-you-switch-banks/ My pal Chris Guillebeau has a great interview up over at his blog, The Art of Non-Conformity. He recently profiled artist Tsilli Pines (who also happens to be a loyal GRS reader and a customer of my family's box factory). The interview discusses Tsilli's development as an artist, her initial ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/03/art-and-entrepreneurship/ This is a guest post from Robert Brokamp of The Motley Fool. Robert is a Certified Financial Planner and the advisor for The Motley Fool’s Rule Your Retirement service. He contributes one new article to Get Rich Slowly every two weeks. I find predictions, and the people who make them, fascinating ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/03/the-problem-with-prognostication-why-you-shouldnt-invest-based-on-expert-predictions/ It seems like every time I travel, I come home committed to win my war on Stuff. This time was no different. I lived out of a single carry-on bag while vacationing in Belize last week, and even that felt luxurious. Now I've returned to a house packed with doodads ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/02/how-much-stuff-does-one-man-need/ On Friday, I shared a guest response to a reader question about life insurance. Many GRS readers rightly complained that it didn't do a good job of answering the question. One reader — Mike from Four Pillars and ABCs of Investing — took it upon himself to write this response. One ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/01/how-much-life-insurance-do-you-really-need/ One of my core beliefs is this: It's more important to be happy than it is to be rich. My personal experience bears this out (though I'm fortunate to be both), as do the anecdotes I receive from GRS readers. In fact, of all my fourteen philosophies, this one is ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/03/01/book-review-the-happiness-project/ This guest post from Maria is part of the new "reader stories" feature here at Get Rich Slowly. Some reader stories contain general "how I did X" advice, and others will be examples of how a GRS reader achieved financial success — or failure. This story very much reminds me ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/02/28/reader-story-a-cautionary-tale/ Greetings, friends. I am back from a relaxing week-long vacation in the jungles of Belize (with a one-day trip across the border to Guatemala to visit Mayan ruins — or the rebel base on Yavin IV, if you're a Star Wars geek like me). I had a blast. I slept ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/02/27/back-from-belize/ This is a guest post from Sanford Ellowitz, a New York State licensed insurance agent. He has over 25 years experience in the insurance and financial services industries. He's also a Certified Financial Planner and a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist. Penny recently wrote with the following question: I'm interested to find ... http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2010/02/26/reader-question-how-much-life-insurance-do-you-need/