Al Franken the winner of the race

Al Franken, comedian, political commentator, and Saturday Night Live alumnus, has come to the end of the intense battle over whether or not he won election to the U.S. Senate from his home state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Supreme Court declared Franken the winner of the race, after it was contested by incumbent Norm Coleman that the election wasn’t conclusive. It isn’t known if Coleman intends to appeal the decision to federal courts, which could tie up the seat in the Senate for longer, but Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has declared that he will back the Minnesota Supreme Court’s decision, whatever it is, and Coleman will need a lot more fast cash to appeal his loss to Al Franken further.

FDA Considering Acetaminophen Ban in Cough, Cold Meds

Liver damage is possible

When people have a bad cold or cough, many resort to over-the-counter medications in order to feel normal again. I’ve done it before. I use cough syrup, Vicks, Sudafed, Advil and even whole room evaporators to stem the tide of  snot. Yes, it’s disgusting, and no, I don’t use all of those at once. And now, I’ll think twice about using products with acetaminophen (Tylenol, cold and cough syrups, et al). If I need to spend more on something else, I will. I’ll even take out unsecured loans for quick cash if I have to do so.

Considering that too much  acetaminophen can cause liver damage, I’ll take the safe route. Now that the FDA is considering banning it in cold and cough medications - for fear that people were ingesting too much - perhaps people will start to believe the warnings about acetaminophen. They’ve been around for years.

“A clear public health benefit”

Susan Heavey reports for Reuters that Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble and other manufacturers are all begging at the FDA’s doorstep. Their plea is to keep cough and cold drugs with the pain reliever acetaminophen on the market, despite the risk of overconsumption they pose. Too many people chug cold and cough syrup when they’re sick, which could be killing them. An Obama-empowered FDA may take the matter into their own hands. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "FDA Considering Acetaminophen Ban in Cough, Cold Meds"

Negative Credit Affects Auto Insurance Rates

Credit Checks for Auto Insurance?

You read that right—if you want to get the lowest auto insurance rates, you need to find a credit repair service to help you repair your credit. As odd as it may sound, auto insurance companies run credit checks on you now, on the theory that if you have less than stellar credit, you will be a more than average insurance risk. Meaning: they think that if you don't take care of your credit, you will not be a careful driver. This may be an unfair assessment, but that is their policy.

Is That Fair?

Unfortunately, it is completely legal to check your credit history while going over your application for auto insurance. While they look over your age, driving record, and health history, they can also look over your credit history. One of the reasons behind this is that if your credit history is bad, you will be more likely to file a claim. Some sources say that they can look up your credit history without your permission, while other sources say that you must sign an authorization form. Which is correct? Well unfortunately, both are right due to the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act that states that they may, "…adopt reasonable procedures for meeting the needs for commerce, personal, insurance, and other information…" http://www.ftc.gov. So, either way, know that your credit history will affect how much you will end up paying for auto insurance premiums, even though all other factors, such as your driving history, are up to par. What do you need to do to get a better rate then? ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Negative Credit Affects Auto Insurance Rates"

For the Love of Useless Junk, Adventure

A trash odyssey sorts it out

Are you a pack rat? Do you collect piles and piles of things that have no real purpose, other than to sit in their proper places and be yours? Sometimes people form sentimental attachments to their things that no garage sale can remedy. Once they run out of room in their homes, some even go to the expense of renting a storage unit for their useless junk. Some people are beyond hope, spending more money on trinkets than their budget can easily bear. Payday loans and cash advances become a part of their daily li ves, but for the wrong reasons.

If you’re in this situation, it could be that your possessions own you, rather than the reverse.  If you aren’t able to get it in check yourself, I suggest professional help. However, one of the benefits of being a purveyor of useless junk is that Karen Hawes might pay you a visit. She is a self-proclaimed “trashtronaut.”

Blasting off for adventure

Jeff Richardson of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that the 40-year-old Hawes decided it was the right time in her life to embrace trash. In an effort to see all the trash this nation has to offer, she opted to begin a great journey. Alaska, her state of birth, would be the jumping off  point into a filthy world of fascinating, useless junk.

So she loaded up her Honda Element and struck out north from California. This was in May. For the next 10 months, Hawes will explore dumpsters, landfills and salvage yards in order to learn about people and the things they leave behind. The journey will span two continents, ending in Argentina. Will that be in Maria Belen Chapur’s yard? Perhaps Mark Sanford left his sanity there. If so, a trashtronaut can find it. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "For the Love of Useless Junk, Adventure"

Death of Fred Travalena

This has been the worst week ever to be a celebrity, as the news reports the death of Fred Travalena. Fred Travalena was a comic entertainer, who specialized in lampooning public figures, and was a regular on TV talk shows and variety shows, but also featured in dramatic programs and also lent his voice to animated shows as well. Travalena had suffered from Non Hodgkin’s’ Lymphoma and prostate cancer, but after a five year remission the disease returned in 2008. He may not be well known to this generation, but his appearances were prolific in the 70s and 80s. Some may know more about fast cash than Fred Travalena, but his presence will be surely missed.

Evergreen Chapel: President Obama

It’s hard enough for most people to find a church that really works for them and you can imagine that it’s even worse for the President. However, President Obama has announced that Evergreen Chapel will not be the main church that he and his family attend, despite his love for the location. Evergreen Chapel is a non-denominational church located at the Presidential retreat Camp David. The majority of American Presidents have practiced the more liberal brands of Christianity – Episcopalians and Presbyterians are the majority – and some were outright deists. The religion of the President is as important to some as installment loans are to others, whether he worships at Evergreen Chapel or not.

Celebrity Pitchman Billy Mays is Dead

The death of a salesman

Farrah Fawcett. Michael Jackson. Now Billy Mays. The chain of death continues; we have lost a television celebrity whose infectious passion for what he did made something as insignificant as an infomercial worth watching. Billy Mays loved what he did, and his presence will be missed. No Billy Mays death jokes, please. The man used his personality to sell product and make money. If you learn to do what this man did, not only will you not need payday loans for fast cash, but perhaps you’ll grow a healthy dose of res pect.

Some heard that Billy Mays was dead via Fox News. I first read the news on TMZ.com, a site that is beginning to scoop all the other news outlets out there when it comes to news about celebrities. Sadly, TMZ has confirmed that Billy Mays was found dead in his Tampa, Florida home. His wife Deborah had discovered him morning and could not revive him. Billy Mays was 50 years old.

He sold it

As anyone who watches television for any length of time knows, Mays is a pitchman who has promoted products like Orange Glo and OxiClean. He also co-starred with Anthony Sullivan on the Discovery Channel program “Pitchmen,” where he teaches up-and-coming pitchmen and women how to sell, sell, sell. And Billy Mays did it with brio, enthusiasm, and a demeanor that suggested that he had a heart as big as the outdoors. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Celebrity Pitchman Billy Mays is Dead"

Consumers Opt For Debit Over Credit Cards

Americans are now spending more money with debit cards than with credit cards, but the fraud protections for the two types of cards aren’t necessarily the same. Some consumer advocates say they should be.

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How My Parents Saved $14,000 on Home Repairs

This is a guest post from MLR at My Life ROI. If you like this post, check out his website or subscribe to his feed.

One thing I love about reading Get Rich Slowly is that J.D. is always willing to get his hands dirty and throw on a different hat. J.D. is a do-it-yourselfer. From writing monthly updates on his garden progress to giving instructions on how to make homemade pumpkin butter and muffins, J.D. does it all! One DIY post caught my eye in particular, though.

J.D. mentioned that the best way to save money on home repairs is regular maintenance. He mentions in the article that he met with a series of contractors to get quotes on things he did not want to do, like painting the house. The point was not that he met with a bunch of contractors — it was that there is a lot of value behind regular maintenance.

J.D. did a good job making that point, so I would like to emphasize the other half of the equation: the value of getting a lot of estimates.

My parents’ situation
Now, my parents are a lot older than J.D. and not as able-bodied. Maybe once upon a time they were, but they are not DIYers anymore. They recently decided they needed a lot of work done on their house. What did they need done?

• Back deck — Our back deck was in slight disrepair. Back when I was in high school and college, I would do what I could to help keep the house up and running. I actually paid my way through college by running an exterior painting company. So with that skill set came the familial duty of power washing, scraping, sanding, caulking, glazing, priming, staining, sealing, and painting different parts of the house. One thing I never got really good at was wood replacement and wood repair. I normally subcontracted that kind of work out when I was running my company. A bunch of the slats and fencing were rotted on their deck. Underneath the deck, a few of the support beams were also starting to rot. Seems they had termites. On top of that they had a storage shed right next to the deck which was getting decrepit and was only storing old lawn chairs and Halloween decorations. Phew! Lots of work!
• Carpeting (full house) — My parents moved into their current residence in 1988, a full 21 years ago. The wall-to-wall carpets have not been changed since then. They made do with what they had and would steam clean them to keep them looking nice enough. But now that the economy is tumbling, they decided they would be able to find some good quotes on carpet replacement. The catch? They didn’t want to move any of the furniture, so any quote would need to include moving the furniture from the room, and putting it back after replacement.
• Kitchen Revamp — Similar to the carpets, the countertops and cabinets have been the same for the past 21 years. I stripped the wallpaper and painted the walls and cabinets about five or six years ago. The appliances have been replaced because of wear and tear. Other than that, nothing has really been changed in the kitchen. So my parents wanted a quote on completely tearing out and replacing the countertops and the back wall, repainting the walls, changing the cabinet hardware, repainting the cabinets, and tearing up and re-tiling the floor.

So there we have it: three huge jobs that my parents wanted done in the middle of an economic recession. Good thing they’ve saved money for opportunities like these.

A kitchen in need of a remodel — but not the kitchen in this article.

Getting the Estimates
My parents went through the normal routine in order to get estimates. They called people from the phonebook, they looked at the local classified advertisements for services, and they asked some neighbors for referrals. When all was said and done, how much were the estimates?

• Back deck — The highest estimate they received for the back deck was about $10,000. They had a few other estimates ranging from $7,500 to $8,800. The highest estimate they received was also the first estimate they received. If this isn’t a testament to getting multiple estimates, I don’t know what is. But they did not sign with the contractor who gave a $7,500 estimate…it gets better!
• Carpeting (full house) — Estimates for the full carpeting job were as high as $6,500 and stayed in the range of $5,500 through $6,500. Why? Each contractor stated that the estimate was a lot higher due to the request that they be responsible for moving the furniture. Understandable…that is a lot more work than they were probably expecting. But my parents did not sign with the $5,500 estimate.
• Kitchen revamp — For the kitchen work my parents also got an estimate from a Home Depot-certified contractor on top of the other contractors that came in. The top estimate wound up being $3,800 and the lowest was $2,900. Surprisingly the Home Depot contractors were in the middle.

Once my parents got all of their estimates, they figured that the maximum they would spend would be about $20,300 by choosing all of the highest estimates. If they chose all of the lowest estimates they would spend about $15,900. Not too shabby…that is a $4,400 cost savings, or 21% off!

But Wait…ONE More Estimate
My parents were ready to go ahead and spearhead all three projects by going with the three lowest estimates. However, I would like to point out that they called the references for all of the lower estimates and all of them checked out as doing excellent work. I would never advocate just going with the lowest estimate to save money as you could wind up having to do a lot of “cleanup” work down the road. They asked me why there would be such a disparity, and in my experience from working in the industry, it is very whimsical.

Luckily for my parents, though, they decided to not squeeze the trigger yet. They knew the neighbor across the street was a big time DIYer. Over the years we have watched him build his front porch, repave his driveway, build an in-ground pool, build a two level deck in the backyard around the pool, cut down trees, plant trees, build a shed, repair his foundation, replace sections of his roof, etc. I said J.D. does a lot… but compared to our neighbor I would venture to guess J.D. is an amateur! [J.D.'s note: There's no question I'm an amateur. Very much so!] What line of work is our neighbor involved in? He is a high school teacher.

My parents decided to talk to him just to see if the prices were in line with the amount of work that was involved. They figured that he, of all people, would know how much time and equipment these three jobs would require. When they asked him they got a much better response than they imagined.

• Back deck — For the back deck he offered to do the job for $1,200, materials included, as long as he could spread the work out over a few weekends. He would also put a few more support beams in to be safe. Potential savings = $8,800 off of the highest estimate and $6,300 off of the lowest estimate.
• Carpeting (full house) — He didn’t offer to do this work. However, he did have a licensed contractor he has worked with before that came out and did an estimate. Their estimate? $3,800! After checking their references my parents found out they passed with flying colors. Potential savings = $2,700 off of the highest estimate and $1,700 off of the lowest estimate.
• Kitchen revamp — The neighbor offered the same deal as on the back deck. He would do the job for $1,200, materials included, as long as he could do it over a long weekend, like a Friday to Monday. Potential savings = $2,600 off of the highest estimate and $1,700 off of the lowest estimate.

They weren’t expecting this at all so it came as a very pleasant surprise. It also goes to show you that you can save thousands in places where you would least expect to look.

By talking to this neighbor they wound up paying him $2,400 for two of the jobs and $3,800 to the contractor he recommended for a total of $6,200. They saved anywhere from between $9,700 (61% off of the lowest estimates which were already 21% off of the high estimates!) and $14,100 (69% off of the highest estimates).

Applicable?
Is this anecdote applicable in your own life? Absolutely! Do you ever see one of your neighbors doing a lot of DIY work? When you talk to them do they talk about all of the weekend projects they have lined up for themselves? If so, would it hurt to ask them if they would be willing to do some side work for extra cash? If not, do they know anyone who would be looking for work?

As long as you are willing to be flexible with the schedule (as my parents were in letting the neighbor do the back deck work over the course of a few weekends), you may find a few thousand dollars in your bank account when all the work has been completed.

If you can’t find a DIYer in your neighborhood at least make sure to ask around for references from your neighbors and get multiple estimates done. If you can’t save roughly $14,000 like my parents did you might be able to save the $4,400 (21%) they were about to “settle” for.

As the weather keeps getting nicer, good luck getting your home maintenance projects completed!

J.D.’s note: Kris and I have had a LOT of work done on our house over the past five years, and I want to echo some of the things MLR has mentioned. Namely, the lowest bid is not always the best option. It’s very important to take into account references and your rapport with the contractor.

We have friends that always take the lowest bid and are then angry that things go wrong. Kris and I sometimes take the lowest bid, but sometimes we take the highest. It all depends on how well we think the contractor understands our objectives and on our assessment of his work. But would we ever hire a DIYer from the neighborhood. I guess it depends on how good her work was on her own place.

Kitchen photo by Yew Tree House. Deck photo by DNA Michaud.

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Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly:

• Why I Drive a 13-Year-Old Car
• Car Trouble: A Real-Life Lesson in the Value of an Emergency Fund
• Parents.com Stay-at-Home Calculator
• How One College Student Handles Credit Cards
• Frugality in Practice: Do-it-Yourself Home Maintenance

Read more about How My Parents Saved $14,000 on Home Repairs…

Coasting is Child’s Play

Some years ago, I had a next-door neighbor who dying of congestive heart failure. She was a single mother with two young boys. The older boy was six and didn't have a bicycle of his own, so every day for one whole month, he swept my patio and watered the flower pots to earn money to buy a bike we had seen at the local bike shop. From then until his mother died when he was 13, we rode our bikes around town several times a week. This was in the wine country of the San Francisco Bay Area where the weather is conducive to bike-riding almost year-round.

Today, I was telling a 50-something-year-old friend about this boy, who inherited his mother's heart disease and is having surgery tomorrow to insert a pace-maker and defibrillator under his 18-year-old skin. When I told my friend that this boy and I used to play a game called "see how far you can go without pedaling," he said that he – my grown-up friend — plays that game, too. But it's not at all an easy game, and I found that hard to believe, so I asked him, exactly what he meant. He said that when he rides his bike home from a certain friend's house he sees how far he can get without pedaling. He said it had taken him some time, but that he had finally found a route where he could "coast" all the way home – over two miles.

But I wasn't talking about "coasting;" I was talking about "without pedaling." For us the game was neither so simple nor so pedestrian as "see how far you can coast." Our game, I explained to my friend, was complicated. The rules varied with the day and who was dictating them, but on a given occasion "without pedaling" could mean:

Go as far as you can without pedaling and while standing up on one leg and sticking the other leg out straight behind you with your foot flexed and turned parallel to the ground and keeping one hand off the handle bars while singing the words from that cat food jingle to the tune of "rock-a-bye baby in the tree top" and coughing once every time you come to one of those seams in the concrete.

Or:

Go as far as you can without pedaling and while standing on one leg with your other knee up on the seat and using your right hand to drag this willow branch along the ground behind your bike and smashing at least five of those stinky seed-head things with your front tire before you get to the end of the street.

There was a "pedal as few times as you can" variation of the game.

Thus:

"Pedal as few times as you can between Kitty Corner (so-called because you always had to ride kitty-corner across the intersection to a drain grate where feral cats lived under the street) and the post office and multiply the pedal strokes by two every time you start to lose your balance, and subtract three every time you run over a crack in the blacktop but only if the crack has grass growing in it.

The kind of "coasting" my neighbor brags about, you see, is mere child's play.

Sarah Jessica Parker Twins Born into Big Money

Actress, Matthew Broderick have two baby girls

Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker's twins were born today. After Sarah Jessica Parker's success, I don't think either these kids will ever need to apply for an online payday loan, but I guess you never know. What I do know is that despite keeping a lower profile than his wife, Matthew Broderick has been working steadily since his role in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" catapulted him to fame.

Famous family

Besides Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker's twins, they have a son together named James Wilkie, who is 6. The couple had their twins via a surrogate after they had trouble conceiving.

Thanks to the rampant success of "Sex and the City," both the television show and the movie, Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, the twins and James will likely be well off for years to come.

Money and the city

"Sex and the City" the movie brought in more that $150 million at the U.S. box office, which is excellent dough for a chick flick. Sarah Jessica Parker also has her own clothing line, "Bitten" which got plenty of attention thanks to her appearance on "Project Runway." Sarah Jessica Parker won four Golden Globe Awards for her portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw on the "Sex and the City" television series.

The man behind the money

Matthew Broderick was in two independent films last year, but he has been in some big-name productions over the years. He played a co-lead in the 2005 adaptation of "The Producers." He is well known for his role in quirky comedy "The Election." He also played opposite Nicole Kidman in "The Stepford Wives. Broderick has also done voice work for animated films, including "The Lion King" and "Bee Movie."

Sex and the future

As if raising twins weren't enough for Sarah Jessica Parker, she is now working on a sequel to the "Sex and the City" movie. Though Barbara Walters reported on the view that Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker's twins are girls, I couldn't find out their names just yet. MTV reported on Broderick and Parker's decision to have their children through a surrogate:

"After unsuccessful attempts to become pregnant again after giving birth to their son, James, the couple turned to the surrogate and were completely “overjoyed” once they received the news that they were expecting twin girls. “Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are happily anticipating the birth of their twin daughters later this summer with the generous help of a surrogate,” representatives for the couple said in a statement a few months back. “They had a lot of unsuccessful tries,” a friend told Entertainment Weekly, who first broke the news of the couple’s latest addition to their family. “They came to the conclusion that this was going to be the best alternative for expanding their family."

I'm interested to see what Sarah Jessica Parker's twins will do when they grow up, or even before they grow up. Will they aspire to be rich and famous like their parents? Will they grow up in the Hollywood spotlight like the Olson twins? Or will they take an entirely different path altogether?

Maria Belen Shapur: SC Gov. Mistress

Maria Belen Shapur is becoming a sensation. Maria Belen Shapur is the Argentine mistress of wayward South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, and multitudes of people would love to get a Maria Belen Shapur photo to see what the woman that led the governor astray looks like. Speculation on how to get a Maria Belen Shapur photo, or just how big the mountain of cash is going to be for the person who gets the Maria Belen Shapur photo has been rampant, and will likely continue until someone publishes a Maria Belen Shapur photo, and will likely get a huge cash advance for their efforts.

T20 World Cup Super 8

The sporting world is currently alight in anticipation of the upcoming T20 World Cup Super 8 cricket match between India and the West Indies. India vs. West Indies is a hotly anticipated match, as both teams are powerhouses of T20 Cricket, and West Indies power hitter Chris Gayle has put in dominating performances against formidable opposition, as he did against Australia. Many people are searching the web for a location to watch India vs. West Indies streaming online, as they don’t want to get quick loans to get the game off of a pay per view channel, or don’t have access to view it.

Eddie Bauer Files For Bankruptcy, Will Continue Operations

Personal Money Store Videos on Youtube

American apparel chains could definitely use more of the former, as bankruptcy cases have been popping up all over. Mervyns, Steve & Barrys, Goodys and Gottschalks have fallen under the axe. Now Eddie Bauer and bankruptcy will be spoken in the same sentence. Its a fact. Cost cuts, management and merchandise changes werent enough to save the outfitter from this legal action.

For more information on this article and others like it, please click on the following link:Personal Money Store: Eddie Bauer Files For Bankruptcy

Friends are so important

I don't know what I would do without mine. I would probably go crazy under all the pressure of being at home alone with my family. I would go crazy. Every so often I need to have a night out with my friends just to have a chance to breathe. There are actually tests that have shown that depression can be cured through friendships. People who only spend time with their family can suffer from depression severely. They can have that depression cured by having a friend they call at least once a week. I thought that was interesting. I believe that it is true.

I learned today what happens when you play a country song backwards

Rascal Flatts sings a song about it. I think it is hilarious that he talks about all the stuff you would get if you played the song backwards. It says that you would get back all these things. It is funny because country songs always talk about all the different things that you lose because you were drunk or whatnot. I think it is really funny that he recognizes what country songs are about. Most people don't recognize that. He even got to put it all into a song and make a bunch of money off it. That makes him a genius.

Liz Palacios Earrings

My all-time favorite earrings are a pair by Liz Palacios that I've had for at least 20 years. They're black, heart shaped beads in scalloped and engraved silver settings on posts. They have dangles (of course!) about an inch and a half long made of tubular black plastic beads with little round silver spacer-beads. They're festive and light weight. They earrings were made in San Francisco, and I bought them from an airport vendor in Philadelphia when I was flying home to Vermont after visiting my family in Arizona.

One time after I wore them, without thinking, I put them in jewelry cleaner – the liquid stuff in a plastic jar that's made for delicate and porous stuff like pearls and turquoise. As soon as I realized what I'd done, I took them back out, but it was too late. The tubular black plastic beads were frosty white. Not willing to just let a pair of earrings like that go, I got out a fine-tip permanent black market and went to work. It took some time to color all the beads back in. I had to do all the edges without marking on the silver spacers and I had to do it evenly. And guess what! It worked perfectly. In fact they came out blacker and shinier than they had originally been.

Fixing things after you wreck them doesn't very often work out as well as that did. But that was at least 15 years ago, and they still look great. I always clean them with a jewelry-cleaning cloth, just to keep the silver polished and the beads shining. I get lots of compliments on those earrings, still. And every time I wear them I remember sitting on the edge of my bathtub, hunched over those earrings, working away kind of frantically with that permanent black marker.

I've always kept the earrings on the card they came on to keep the dangles from getting bent. That's the only reason I know that the maker is Liz Palacios. I was at the Nordstrom Rack in Washington just recently, and I think I found my second all-time favorite pair of earrings. I didn't realize they were the same brand as the black ones from Liz Palacios until I got them home. They're flower shaped earrings made of turquoise-colored plastic beads with bright pink crystals in the center and little turquoise-colored dangles. I don't know if these are really such great earrings or if they just remind me of my favorite pair, but it doesn't matter. I love wearing them.

My niece is dating

My niece went on a date last night with a boy she really liked. They went to a restaurant and got shakes because it was kind of late for dinner. While she was trying to eat her shake, he said something that made her laugh. She accidently spit the shake in his face. The waiters and waitresses all laughed really hard at the situation. This was my niece's first date with him too. I thought it was a pretty funny story she will remember forever. Luckily, he asked her out on another date. Maybe that means he didn't mind having shake in his face too much.

Have you ever used iMacros before?

If you are using Firefox as your internet browser, I highly suggest that you install the add-on for iMacros. It is a browser automation tool. You can record your actions on the internet and then re-play them over and over. It is extremely handy for all of you social media junkies that have to login to massive amounts of accounts on different websites. All you have to do is record the login process once and then from there on out, all you have to do is hit play and iMacros will login into the account for you. It is really sweet especially if you are using multiple logins and passwords, because iMacros will remember the login and passwords for you so you don't have to worry about forgetting your password ever again.

Summerfest Turns Milwaukee into One Big Concert

Summerfest: 11 days of music

Tim Armstrong of Rancid

This weekend is the weekend for “world’s biggest” festivals. Spokane, Washington, holds the world’s biggest three-on-three basketball tournament, Spokane Hoopfest, this weekend. Taste of Chicago, the world’s largest outdoor food festival, starts Friday.

Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival, starts today, in  Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Summerfest lasts until July 5, with live music every day from noon to midnight.

Summerfest prices

Of course, if you want to attend the world’s largest music festival, it’ll cost you. Prices aren’t too bad. It’s $8 to attend from noon to 4 and $15 after that. Certain concerts, like headliners The Fray on July 4, cost extra. Tickets to The Fray cost $20 to $50, and that includes festival admission.

Between food and concert tickets, this event could get pretty pricey. Budget carefully so you don’t blow all your money and end up needing quick payday loans. If you were to attend Summerfest all day, every day, admission alone could cost you up to $300.

The food

Summerfest has tons of food from local vendors available. Eat Wisconsin recommends these dishes:

• The Saz's Combo, fried cheese curds, mozzarella marinara, and sour cream and chive fries. Hands down the best Summerfest eats. The Saz's BBQ Pork Sandwich is also pretty decent.
• Crawdaddy's– Pretty much anything is good here. I remember when they actually served crawfish. I loved siting down with some beer, crawfish and corn.
• Usingers Sausage – Good but you can get their stuff anywhere.
• Sabor– Lenguica or other kebabs. They are overpriced but I found them pretty tasty.
• Venice Club Fried Eggplant Strips
• Martino's Chicago Dog - Martino's does dogs right. Just don't ask them to put ketchup on it or you'll be ridiculed, and rightfully so. If you add ketchup, its not a Chicago dog.
• The King & I – Spring Rolls and some of their entrees (especially Volcano Chicken)
• Mader's Sampler Platter - Bratwurst, knackwurst, kraut and potato salad.

The music

Summerfest features up-and-coming bands and musical acts as well as well-known, popular artists. Here are Eat Wisonsin’s recommendations, along with a little commentary from the online zine: ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Summerfest Turns Milwaukee into One Big Concert"

I wish I was at the lake right now

I really want to go wakeboarding. I used to go all of the time with my brother when he had his boat, but like everyone else during the recession, he had to sell it and I haven't been out at the lake since. Today would be a really nice day to go though because of the weather. Not too hot or humid and just enough clouds to keep your eyes from burning out of their sockets! I miss going a lot, maybe I should just break down and buy boat so that why my board will quit gathering dust in storage.

2010 Census Won't Count Same Sex Marriages

And it will change survey responses

Plans for the 2010 Census are currently underway, and a great deal of controversy surrounds the matter. Since we know that the Obama administration has already taken a distressing, anti-human rights stance against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), is it any surprise that come the 2010 Census, same-sex married couples aren’t going to be counted? Perhaps if they became anti-payday loan, anti-cash advance advocates, then Obama would come forward and say we should recognized them…

As it stands now, the United States Government wants gay and lesbian couples to be invisible. If this is not what they desire, they should speak now.

We live together

Heather Gilligan writes that Iowa, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire all voted in favor of same-sex marriage, despite the colossal failing on the part of Californians. One might say that only liberal-dominant states support these unions, but research indicates that just isn’t true. The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law has conducted studies that indicate that Mississippi, for instance, has “the largest number of same-sex couples with children.” Furthermore, “registered same-sex couples live in just about every county in the U.S.” According to Gilligan, researchers discovered that 99.3 percent of counties in the United States have households head ed by same-sex couples. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "2010 Census Won't Count Same Sex Marriages"

Be Fit and Frugal with a Folding Bike!

The NY Times had a feature on folding bikes today. I bought one about 8 years ago, a Dahon that cost me about $400. It was the perfect bike for me because I was living in a tiny (cheap) studio apartment where I had limited storage space. I wish I could say I was cutting down on my commuting costs and quitting my gym because I was riding the bike to work, but for me, it’s a bit too long of a haul to ride all those miles and go over the Brooklyn Bridge… or perhaps I should say I a m too wimpy to ride all those miles and go over the Brooklyn Bridge. And I’d have to keep my gym membership anyway, so I could take a shower before work– there goes one part of my savings!

Nevertheless, a folding bike is a great option for people who commute in urban areas, especially if you need to use public transportation for part of your trip– many of these bikes can be stowed in the overhead rack on a train. Even if you don’t fold them, they are smaller than other bikes and will annoy other passengers less if you’re going to bring them on the subway. All the more reason I am a wimp. But if I still kept buying Metrocards for the subway, there goes the rest of my savings.

Not all these bikes are as cheap as the Dahons. The Brompton pictured above will set you back almost $1,200, but I think you get what you pay for– from what I’ve seen, these have a much easier folding mechanism than the bike I have. And since I’ve just determined that I can’t actually save any money by riding a folding bike to work, I’m even less willing to invest in quality!

Oh well– I will probably continue to let my bike gather dust in the basement in between my occasional recreational rides. But don’t let that stop YOU from becoming a frugal, fit and fabulous bike-folder!

Read more about Be Fit and Frugal with a Folding Bike!…

The First Three Steps to Financial Freedom

The hardest part of money management is just getting started. Once you have some momentum, it’s easier to make the right choices. Kay has been reading personal finance blogs for almost a year now, and she knows that she needs to make some changes, but she doesn’t know how to begin. She writes:

I want to get serious about being good with my money, but I don’t know where to start. I never developed good financial habits, and now I’m paying for it. I was married to a man who was also bad with money, and I’ve only been on my own for six years, but I continued those same bad habits. I’m 39, have no savings and about $28,000 in debt.

Next May, I will lose half of my child support when my son graduates from high school, and the rest the following May when my daughter graduates. Because of that, I feel like I should focus on getting rid of the debt, so I have less money going out. But if I don’t have emergency savings, then there’s no way to keep from incurring more debt. Of course, I don’t have any money saved for retirement, etc., which is another worry.

Basically, I have a list full of high-priority financial needs, but trying to do everything at once is going to get me exactly nowhere. (I know, because I’ve been trying and failing since last summer!) I did cut up my credit cards, but that’s about as far as I’ve got. Help!

It’s tough to get started because it seems like there’s too many things to do. Which choice is best? Should Kay eliminate debt first? Save for retirement? Build her savings?

Here’s the secret: There’s no one right answer. Some choices are better than others, it’s true, but the best way to take control of your finances is to do something. Action beats inaction. Taking any step in the right direction will help Kay move closer to financial stability.

All the same, some options may be better than others. As important as I think retirement savings is, I wouldn’t start there. Better to get the now under control first and then worry about the future. In Kay’s position, I would focus on three things:

Reduce expenses
Kay doesn’t mention what her expenses are, but if she’s like most people, she’s probably spending more than she needs in a variety of ways. When I was getting out of debt, I found that cutting expenses one at a time helped to create a better cash flow, giving me some breathing room.

I didn’t try to slash everything, but picked one expense after another. I:

• Reduced my cable bill.
• Cut my landline
• Canceled magazine subscriptions.
• Put myself on a budget for books and dining out.

Each of us spends differently. When you decide to get your finances under control, you need to examine your own spending patterns to find the areas you can cut. Focus on one item. Once you’ve trimmed that, look for another. This gets easier with time.

Build savings
As Kay boosts her cash flow by cutting expenses, she should use this extra money to save. Even when you’re struggling with money, it’s vital to set aside for future emergencies. If you can only afford to save $25 per month, then save $25. If you can afford to save $100, then save $100. Just get in the habit.

For many people, the best way to learn to save is by making the process automatic. I also found it necessary to create barriers so that it wasn’t possible to withdraw this money on a whim. In both cases, I recommend opening a savings account at a different bank from where you hold your regular checking account.

In my case, that meant opening a savings account at an online bank. I used ING Direct, but there are many other excellent options. It doesn’t matter which one you choose. Don’t overthink it; you can always change your mind later. Create a link between your existing checking account and your new online savings account. Set the new account to pull $20 or $50 or $100 a month automatically. Treat this like any other bill. Use this money for emergencies only.

Tackle debt
After reducing expenses and building an emergency fund of $500 or $1000, the third step is to make a plan for tackling debt. For me, that meant drafting a spending plan:

My spending plan prioritized my debts and helped me allocate future raises and bonuses. Your plan will be different. It might be more elaborate or less elaborate than mine. The important thing is to establish one.

If you’re struggling with debt, I highly recommend Dave Ramsey’s debt snowball strategy. Here’s how it works:

1. Order your debts from lowest balance to highest balance.
2. Designate a certain amount of money to pay toward debts each month.
3. Pay the minimum payment on all debts except the one with the lowest balance.
4. Throw every other penny at the debt with the lowest balance.
5. When that debt is gone, do not alter the monthly amount used to pay debts, but throw all you can at the debt with the next-lowest balance.

Because it emphasizes paying down low-balance debt as quickly as possible, the debt snowball provides quick wins. Those who’ve never been in debt frown at this strategy because it costs a little more than starting with high-interest debt. But as somebody who fought debt demons in the past, I’m here to say that the psychological boost from the debt snowball is worth the extra pennies.

Conclusion
If, like Kay, you’re struggling to get started with smart money management, then break the task into smaller pieces. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed. Reduce expenses, build savings, and tackle debt. Yes, it’s important to save for retirement. But I believe that you need to start with the basics, to staunch the bleeding and heal the wounds before you begin gathering strength to face tomorrow.

In other words, don’t worry about a Roth IRA or a 401(k) at the beginning. Focus on building a strong financial foundation so that you can meet the needs of today — and next year. Once you’ve accomplished this, attack retirement savings with vigor.

What advice can you offer Kay? How did you get things turned around? What were your first steps?

For more on this subject, check out my recent article about where we’re starting from. Photo by Jurassic Jim.

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Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly:

• One Uncle’s Advice About Money
• Use a Freedom Account to Prepare for the Unexpected
• What Motivates You to Pursue Smart Personal Finance?
• Put Yourself on a Debt Diet
• How I Became a Millionaire While Working in My Pajamas

Read more about The First Three Steps to Financial Freedom…

Cowboys are awesome

It is too bad there aren't any real cowboys around anymore. They have all disappeared into the abyss of fake cowboys. It is very sad for me. Usually you can find real cowboys at the fairs and places where there are horse riding contests as well as bull riding contests. Of course there are a lot of fake cowboys there too. It makes me really sad. One day I hope I meet a real cowboy for my nieces and nephews to see and meet. I might have to resort to just watching old westerns with them as much as I really hate all of those old westerns. I think it is important for them to recognize the difference between real cowboys and fake ones.

99 Cent Store Cookbook a Big Hit with Frugal Foodies

Personal Money Store Videos on Youtube

One of Americas favorite daytime cooking show hosts, Rachael Ray, introduced viewers today to The 99-Cent Only Stores Cookbook. This method of cooking with items that the author found at a 99 cent store introduces multiple ways to make money. Author Christiane Jory says she started making gourmet meals from stuff she found in 99 cent stores after she got sick of a college diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

For more information on this article and others like it, please click on the following link:Personal Money Store: 99 Cent Store Cookbook

Some information on learning a foreign language

Schools everywhere agree that experience with a foreign language can help children succeed in their academic endeavors throughout life. That is why so many schools have foreign language programs. While most foreign language classes in the United States aren’t offered in schools until the high school level, there is an increasing number of elementary schools that are acquiring foreign language programs. In 1997, 31% of elementary schools had some sort of foreign language program (Branaman & Rhodes, 1998). Marcos says that "children may derive other benefits from early language instruction, including improved overall school performance and superior problem-solving skills" (1997). If children start at an early age they will have more time to study their foreign language before the SAT rolls around and because they would have been studying that other language for a longer time, they will be more likely to receive a higher score.

In science, we don't prove things

Rather, we try to prove that the opposite of our hypothesis is wrong. We try to rule out all other possibilities so that our hypothesis is the only option left. For example, let’s say that I think the refrigerator smells bad because of the old cottage cheese in there. If I take the cottage cheese out and it doesn’t smell bad anymore, I got my desired result. That does not prove that it was the cottage cheese making the fridge smell bad, but it proves that wasn’t not the old cottage cheese. If I had taken the cottage cheese out and the fridge still smelled bad, I didn’t get my desired result. This proves that my null hypothesis, that it was not the cottage cheese causing the bad smell, was correct.

New Smoking Law Approved

Personal Money Store Videos on Youtube

On Friday, June 12, the House of Representatives approved a bill passed by the Senate giving the federal government sweeping new powers to regulate tobacco. It has now been 50 years since the Surgeon General first warned about the hazards of smoking. In the wave of recent tax hikes, smokers who havent given up the habit are looking for fast cash to buy cigarettes. New government regulation of tobacco will inevitably result in further price increases and more boons for personal loan companies.

For more information on this article and others like it, please click on the following link:Personal Money Store:New Somking Law Approved

Snoring is so interesting

People can snore really loud or really quietly. Sometimes people don't snore at all. Sometimes people have really loud snoring like my dad. My dad snores so loud. Sometimes I think that the whole house is shaking because of the snoring that he is doing. It is pretty much awesome. Some people sound like they are choking when they snore. That is usually a little worrisome. You don't want people to choke and you are scared that they are dying. Sometimes people snore just breathing out or just breathing in. It is really funny to listen to people snore.

Payday Loan Store Robbery Involves Hostage and Police Chase

Personal Money Store Videos on Youtube

I have written a lot of posts about payday loan store robberies, and most of them go like this: Some guy robbed a payday loan store in some state. Police are seeking him. However, a robber in California recently was so determined to get away with an undisclosed amount of cash from a payday loan store that he took a hostage and led the police on a high-speed chase.

For more information on this article and others like it, please click on the following link:Personal Money Store: Payday Loan Robbery

I love running

The other day I was trying to decide whether I like running on a treadmill or outside better. I really like running outside because you have natural hills that challenge the run. On a treadmill it is all easy to run. There is nothing that needs to be dodged on the course and nothing that makes your trip harder. When you are outside you get to see the beauty of nature and when you are on a treadmill usually you watch TV or movies. It is supposed to make the time go by faster but it just makes things happen slower. It isn't all that much fun. It is okay though. I will still run both courses.

Late last night I needed to pick up some medicine at Walgreens

It was about one in the morning. When I stopped in the parking lot with my friend I asked him what he thought was going on in the car next to us. Of course he said they were three teenagers in a car at Walgreens and were probably getting high. When we came out of the store the car was all smoked up and we could see them passing around something. I was very disappointed in them. I don't know why teenagers have to do this to themselves. I wish they understood what they were doing to their bodies. I hope my nieces and nephews aren't that unintelligent.

I went to London last week

While I was there I got to visit the Richmond Bridge. It was very exciting for me. I really like going and looking at old bridges. Bridges are one of my favorite things to look at when I go visit places. It is so cool. I love seeing the really old bridges that are still up strong as well as the ones that are about to crumble beneath your feet. You are very scared to walk across it but you have to do it for yourself. I love going with my spouse. My spouse loves the bridges as much as I do. It makes the whole experience that much fun.

Dreams are so weird

They make no sense half of the time. If you have a scary dream you tend to be in that mood the rest of the day where you are scared. If you have a happy dream you tend to be in a really good mood for the rest of the day. Sometimes you can have a really interesting dream that makes no sense and it will leave you flustered all day long. I am not sure how dreams work because I'm not into any kind of psychology stuff. All I know is that they make a really big difference to your well being. I think that maybe they are stored in a place in your brain connected to reality. It seems to be close enough to reality to make a little sense yet far enough away to not be considered reality.

My Sister’s Keeper: Sharing Financial Goals with an Accountability Partner

“Don’t you have any tips for single folks?” I’m often asked. Like any writer, I tend to write from my own experience — that of a married man. Fortunately, there are plenty of single people in the GRS community who are willing to share the things they’ve learned. Here’s a guest post from Kinley Levack about how she and her sister hold each other financially accountable.

Over Christmas 2007, my sister Michelle and I started chatting about our finances. We had independently come to the same conclusion: we each needed to get our act together. We decided that beginning 01 January 2008, we would help each other move in the right direction.

Sharing accounts and goals
We started by baring it all. We both made lists of our debts, accounts, etc. I had already spent about two years knocking down a credit card balance that had crept up to nearly $6,000. But I had virtually nothing in the way of savings, and had only recently begun contributing to a 401(k).

Michelle's goals were primarily related to debt reduction. She had accumulated a couple of store credit cards that she wanted to pay off, as well as an outstanding amount due for a class at a local university. She had fairly limited savings.

We each created a document listing:

• The amounts we contributed to our savings and investment accounts each month
• The amounts paid toward debts each month
• Our monthly goals
• Our major expenses each month
• And so on…

A simple Microsoft Word document with a page-per-month view worked best for me.

Performing a monthly review
At the beginning of each month, we send updates to each other with that month’s set of goals, the most up-to-date figures for each account, and a quick recap of how we did with the previous month's goals. My updates are never more than one page in Microsoft Word. They take about 20 minutes or so to pull together.

Some goals are very specific. One of my goals in January 2008 was to increase my 401(k) contribution from 3% to 6%. But other goals are more vague. Michelle noticed that her Starbucks spending was getting out of control, for example, so she worked to be more aware of what she was spending there.

Each January, we also develop year-long goals.

Over the past 18 months, Michelle has nearly paid off all of her debts. (She has a little left on her primary credit card.) She has also substantially increased her savings, and in the past five months alone has raised her credit score nearly 100 points. I have increased my savings to cover almost three months of expenses, fully funded a Roth IRA each year, and set up a holiday fund that I contribute to monthly to cover Christmas expenses. (That seems to be a budget-buster for me every year.)

Providing support!
This has been a great accountability system for both of us. As sisters, we have no problem calling each other out when we think the other one is being irresponsible. But we are also incredibly supportive of each other. We’re both in our twenties, so we have plenty of time before retirement, but we needed to get the ball rolling toward being financially fit.

This partnership also works well because we have similar mindsets about saving and investing; we have a lot that we want to accomplish, but we also want to enjoy ourselves now and have about the same tolerance level for shopping, dining, and travel. I think it's important to have a counterpart with roughly the same idea about saving versus spending. If one of us was a big shopper and the other super-frugal, we'd probably just irritate each other.

Michelle and I haven't ever discussed an end point to this system; we just keep learning as much as we can and making bigger goals. We'll see how it all turns out. So far, so good!

When you have a spouse or partner, you generally have built-in financial support. I think Kinley and her sister have discovered a great way to lend each other support, even while remaining single. Photo by Snippets 101.

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Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly:

• Budgeting: The Most Important Thing You Can Do With Your Money
• Ask the Readers: How Do Children Affect Financial Priorities?
• Ask the Readers: How Can I Get My Wife to Talk About Money?
• In Which My Sister-in-Law Decides to Get Rich Slowly
• 7 Tips for Money and Marriage

Read more about My Sister's Keeper: Sharing Financial Goals with an Accountability Partner…