Recent comments

  • Ask The Readers: Are You Getting Your Tax Refund this Year? (Answer to win $10!)   16 years 38 weeks ago

    I was taught that you want a big refund. Last year I adjusted my withholding and got more in my checks and less in a refund. It was kind of a bummer. I'm hoping for a refund this year. I use Turbo Tax (not the free one).

  • Going Short at Starbucks: Worth It?   16 years 38 weeks ago

    Hhhhhhha

  • Taco Tuesday: The Inner Mechanics of Budgeting on Vacation   16 years 38 weeks ago

    My Husband and I have been trying to figure out where to go for our anniversary, and I love your travel words idea! We cant figure out what we want and I think thats a great way to find out! Also, I like the comment "The amount of money spent on this night was in no way correlated to how much fun each person had." You made a great point here, this should be the case on any vacation.

    Take Care!

  • The ultimate frugal vacation   16 years 38 weeks ago

    No I haven't ever taken ime off to do nothing...but it sure sounds good right about now!

    ps- If you're looking for a Vacation and don't wanna spend a lot of money, check out http://www.tipsforcostarica.com !

  • 10 Hidden Costs & Rules of Pet Ownership   16 years 38 weeks ago

    Another grat post here. I have 2 Huskies and I totally agree with everything you said here! I experienced "#7. Guard the home office" today: I was in a business meeting over skype when my Husband came home and got the dog all riled up! SO I totally know what you mean! Thanks for the post!

  • Saving for Opportunity   16 years 38 weeks ago

    Wow I have never heard of having an "oportunity account" this is really a great idea! And you made it very clear with your story about your friend. Thanks for the tip!

  • 10 Unhealthiest Restaurants   16 years 38 weeks ago
    Huh

    Wow great post, a few of these restuarants I have never heard of, and I know Denny's is very unhealthy, but I didn't know about a few of them Thanks for keeping us informed!

  • Optimize Your IRA and 401(k)   16 years 38 weeks ago

    I have to admit I didn't read the whole thing (kinda long) but I liked the section on deffering taxes, you made some good points there. Thanks for the post!

  • netSpend: The Story of the Visa Debit Card We Did Not Apply For   16 years 38 weeks ago

    i was applying for a car loan a few months back online i i think ive been scammed. now ive recieved this netspend card with my name on it and i am really nervous. i am ony 18 and i am fearing to be a victim of identity theft. ive recieved the card about two months ago. today i tried to make a purchase online but my bank account of 600 is gone. i am going to get my statement and check in with the credit bereau. if i am a victim, i will request for a new ssn. i feel violated and this netspend company aggitated me soooo bad. any advice on furth action? -wes thanks

  • 10 Unhealthiest Restaurants   16 years 38 weeks ago

    In judging restaurants, I would rather like to know which restaurant allows me to choose something wholesome, not what their worst food is - I wouldn't buy it anyhow. Are Wendy's salads better or McDonald's? Do they offer low sodium food, etc.?

  • 10 Unhealthiest Restaurants   16 years 38 weeks ago

    You are totally right! Awful grammar error fixed.

  • Telling My Daughter the Truth about Her New 'Friend,' The Salesclerk!   16 years 38 weeks ago

    I don't think you can teach anychild too early. In our culture of predatory capitalism, the sooner a youngster becomes suspect of any relationship involving business the better. I clearly remember telling my 14 year old foster son that the clerk at GNC knew essentially nothing about nutrition & could care less if the suppliments he bought would work or were safe. He is now 20 and just starting to become a jaded consumer. Perhaps he learned his lesson with those "free" Extendz male enhancement pills that signed him up for a recurring charge that overdrew his checking account! I went through the roof that he got suckered financially by some slick con to make him think he should have a bigger pee pee.

  • 10 Unhealthiest Restaurants   16 years 38 weeks ago

    Hmmm.... That Carl's Jr. burger is one of my favorite burgers of all time!

  • 10 Unhealthiest Restaurants   16 years 38 weeks ago

    I can't believe I am reading "Most Unhealthiest" in the title of this post. That's terrible. It's just "Unhealthiest."

  • 10 Unhealthiest Restaurants   16 years 38 weeks ago

    From Yahoo Health...

    F

    Applebee’s, IHOP, Outback, T.G.I. Friday’s

    These titans of the restaurant industry are among the last national chains that don’t offer nutritional information on their dishes. Even after years of badgering their representatives, we still hear the same old excuses: it’s too pricey, it’s too time-consuming, it’s impossible to do accurately because their food is so fresh, or we have too much variety. Our response is simple: If nearly every other chain restaurant in the country can do it, then why can’t they?

  • Baby Carrots: The Frugal Idea That Isn't   16 years 38 weeks ago

    Good article. For myself I grow carrots during the growing season and don't think there is any better taste. Last year I went for a spell without eating any. I brought them in, washed them off, then put them in a plastic bag with just a little bit of water, and put them in the refrigerator. 2 weeks later I took them out and they were just as crisp and tasty as the ones I ate straight from the garden.

    I've tried the baby-cut carrots and would not go back to them.

    My biggest problem is, where do I get fresh carrots when the winter storms are blowing in?

  • 10 Unhealthiest Restaurants   16 years 38 weeks ago

    But let's be honest...sometimes you just gotta have it!

    How did McD's not make it???

  • "Cash for clunkers" bill passed by Congress - what does it mean for consumers?   16 years 38 weeks ago

    I see a lot of similarities and irony here.

    But the bottom line is that this is a tempest in a tea pot, since there isn't much that meets the criteria.

    How many people that have a car that is worth less than $3500/4500 that can afford to buy one costing $20,000 plus?

    How many people that can afford a car costing $20,000 plus have a vehicle worth less than $3500/4500?

    Odds are if you can afford to buy a new car, your current car is worth more than $3500/4500. And if you can't afford to buy a new car, the whole thing is irrelevant.

    As for buying American, that definitely limits your choice to almost nothing. Most "American" cars are not mode in America. Chevys and Fords are mostly made in Mexico. Chrysler keeps selling itself to various European automobile manufacturers. So "buy American" is just another meaningless PC catch phrase.

  • Will "forced frugality" last?   16 years 38 weeks ago

    Probably some will, some won't. It depends I think on whether the person's values have changed, or just their money supply.

    If you're forced to be frugal because you have no money and no credit, and you feel that you're suffering because you can't go to Starbucks and the HDTV is cut off, then you probably won't remain frugal after the money is flowing again.

    I was forced into more frugal habits, but my outlook has changed entirely, and I think I'll maintain those habits regardless. I'm trying to use what I've learned to build a better future. Saving has become a priority for me and teaching good habits to my children has as well.

  • Telling My Daughter the Truth about Her New 'Friend,' The Salesclerk!   16 years 38 weeks ago

    I think that you did it well, and tactfully, also. I don't remember a time when I DIDN'T know that salespeople were out to get my money first and foremost, however, if I HADN'T know this fact, I would have loved to have heard it said that well. I am making a note to tell my own daughter in such a tactful way (she's only 4 now, but it's never too early!) I say great job mom! :D

  • Ask The Readers: Are You Getting Your Tax Refund this Year? (Answer to win $10!)   16 years 38 weeks ago

    I own a small business, so my taxes are complex enough an accountant is worth the investment.

    I do a midyear and third quarter tax projection, and adjust to have withheld just a tiny bit more than we owe.

    Also, every month I put a designated amount into a savings account - which is eventually going to my retirement account, but would cover tax if it had to. At tax time (February), if I've estimated my withholding wrong, I take a little out of this account to pay the taxes. If not, it goes into an IRA, and I begin refilling the account.

    It's sort of a multitasking way to save for retirement, provide myself a safety buffer for the taxes, and earn some interest on the money in the mean time.

  • Telling My Daughter the Truth about Her New 'Friend,' The Salesclerk!   16 years 38 weeks ago

    End the illusion early and she'll be a smarter shopper when she's spending more than $15. Good job.

  • Telling My Daughter the Truth about Her New 'Friend,' The Salesclerk!   16 years 38 weeks ago

    My daughter is 13 now, and it doesn't get better with age, not the least of which since the marketing culture seems to target young girls especially hard. They seem to understand that if you can tap and cultivate the shopping bug early you'll have a customer for life.

    The only things we've found to work are avoidance (stay out of stores completely) and saying NO. Since we love our daughter as much as we do, any discussion beyond NO turns into a debate we're bound to lose.

    Our son went thru a bit of the shopping bug stage, but it seems less important to boys once they discover sports and girls. The stores don't seem to play up to boys as much either. There must be marketing studies on this that they all follow.

  • Latvians Mortgage Their Souls For Cash   16 years 38 weeks ago

    What a heck is this article? Do you check your sources? I'm an avid newsreader and haven't come acros anything like this in any of the media, neither printed, nor otherwise.

    A funny story though! =)

  • Ask The Readers: Are You Getting Your Tax Refund this Year? (Answer to win $10!)   16 years 38 weeks ago

    You must be kidding! We must pay on or before April 15 even though we claim 0 deductions/married but withhold at the higher single rate. I even considered having an additional dollar amount held out! Since an Insurance policy and Retirement account had to be cashed in to pay tax and other bills, this coming year will be worse. Also, with the "Incentive" less is being held out, so get ready to pay that back! Lots of Luck!