October 2010

3 Ways to Tame a Yo-Yo Power Bill

Some of us can experience crazy swings in our power bills from month to month due to weather or other factors. Here are three strategies that will help you cope with a power bill that looks more like the stock market chart.

Planning for Second Year Child Costs

We’re doing a bit of micro-planning this month to estimate second year child costs for little Evan. Here’s what we’ve come up with.

It’s Rarely About the System

The latest or greatest tools rarely define how successful you are with your money. It’s all about…these few things.

Can You Name 5 Ways You Make Money?

Five is not a magic number of secret threshold, but it does represent a good degree of income diversity. What’s the ultimate goal with this approach? Find out.

The Most Dangerous Habit in Personal Finance…

…is swinging the pendulum too far and too often. Bouncing from one financial extreme to another can be hazardous to your finances. Here are a few ways to stop it.

10 Ways to Screw Up Your First Child (Financially)

There are lots of ways to completely screw the pooch when it comes to your kids, but here is my favorite list of the ten best. What’s yours?

Are You Spending 15% More Than You Want?

Most people can do a fair job at hedging against lifestyle inflation when things like raises or bonuses come along. But what about the everyday little “upgrades” that creep up?

5 Components of a Good Layoff Contingency Plan

Five things to include in a layoff contingency plan, including an emergency budget, income replacement, and a long-term plan. Write yours today!

Blog Action Day 2010: Water

October 15th is the 2010 Blog Action Day and this year’s theme is water. Help me raise $500 for charity: water with your donation!

Should Access to Emergency Services be an Option or a Right? Weigh In!

Why is access to emergency services treated as an option instead of a guaranteed right? Doesn’t it affect more than one of us when something happens?

You Can Use Being Surprised to Your Advantage

A story about turning surprise on its head and using it to our advantage when it came time to negotiate our rent. How can you take advantage of the next surprise moment?

Festival of Frugality #251: Seven Habits Edition

I’m hosting this week’s Festival of Frugality, set to Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits. See the best posts on frugality and strategies for saving money!

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October 2010

Selected Reading