They're BAITING you!

Are you being BAITED?At home, at work, in life, there are folks out there who want to bait you - to get you all worked up and aggravated or get you to think emotionally, in order to take advantage you one way or another. In some...

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Be Stingy - Help the Economy!

This has been an unusual year, to say the least.Gas went from a high of nearly $5 a gallon in some places (in some places more than that!) to a low of $1.50 in others (and even less than that!) all in the matter of a few months.When markets shift like that, it should make you nervous.What drove the price of gas up? Some say speculators. Some say demand. Others say low output from refineries, combined with problems associated with...

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A Trip to the Mall.....

A friend came by the other day and said "Let's go to the Mall!"To me, this is akin to saying "Let's have our wisdom teeth removed without anesthesia!"But I went anyway. What are friends for?As I noted in my earlier article, "Shop 'till You Drop!", one sure way to squander money is to "shop" for things you don't really need or want. And clothes is probably the #1 area you can squander dough. As I noted, one friend literally went...

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The Unwritten Social Contract

The Oxygen Mask speech is an example of the Unwritten Social Contract. Make sure your mask is secured before attempting to help others.The Unwritten Social Contract(or, Charity Begins at Home)I often refer to a concept I call the...

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FIGHT BACK!

Don't let banks and other financial institutions push you around!In America, many people are afraid of banks and other financial institutions. The reason for this irrational fear is the misconception many folks have about banks - misconceptions that banks would prefer that you have.Movies, television, and literature all perpetuate these myths. Chief among them is the idea that banks are all-powerful and that they control all the...

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Do We Really Control Any of Our Destiny?

One aspect of financial planning that is very disturbing, is the possibility that we, as human beings, are little more than pawns at the mercy of our own brain chemicals. Trying to plan for retirement or save money may be short-circuited by overwhelming impulses over which we have no control.In other words, all the best advice, seminars, etc. can't overcome a brain pre-wired to squander money. It is possible?Recently, it was discovered...

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Buying a Car, a Classic Example of "How NOT to!"

My previous post illustrated how you can purchase an automobile as a rational decision and end up with a decent looking car that provides you with reliable service at a minimal cost.At the other end of the spectrum, well, you can throw thousands of dollars down the hole with cars. Consider this (bad) example:Frank saw a Jaguar parked on the side of the road on his way to work every day. It was a green sedan, and Frank remembered...

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Buying a Basic Car, a Classic Example of "How To"

In the United States, it is pretty much required to have a car just to get around. Owning a car is a necessity for many. There are more cars than people in this country.Yet so many pay far too much for this basic need.The following example of "How To" buy a car is based on the real-life experiences of a friend of mine, who is "frugal" and willing to do the legwork and research to get more out of life on a given income. My hat...

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