Cars as Presents? Are you INSANE?

Buying a car without telling your wife is a stupid idea.  And the giant bow?  Designed to impress the neighbors no doubt!A friend of mine sent me this viral video recently, which is a take-off on the classic "Honey, I bought...

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Black Friday - Good Deals or Hype? (Hype).

I realize this posting is probably too late for this holiday season, but perhaps it may be useful to readers contemplating going to the mall this weekend - or next holiday season.As I noted in my Demilitarizing Christmas Posting, the entire concept of the Christmas Holidays has been hijacked by commercial interests. I will leave it to the religious sorts to make the faith arguments. I am only concerned here with the financial...

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How are Home Prices Determined?

Our tax laws have changed over the years to encourage incurring indebtedness. The tax break for home mortgage interest served only to increase the cost of homes (while keeping the effective monthly cost the same).Let me illustrate this last statement with an example. In a rational Real Estate market, the cost of renting a dwelling is usually higher than the monthly carrying cost. Otherwise, landlords would not make any money.So...

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Credit Card Balance Transfers - A good deal or not?

If you find yourself in a pile of debt, or with a high balance on a credit card with a high interest rate, the Credit Card balance transfer may look appealing. In this current economy, people are finding themselves in a pinch, financially, and credit card balance transfer offers look awfully appealing as a way out of trouble.Should you transfer high balance and high interest debt to a credit card? In most cases, the answer is...

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Should you be DEBT-FREE?

There are many websites, books, seminars and financial gurus out there who promote the idea of being debt-free. Is this a good idea or not? Should you structure your entire financial planning to focus on reducing debt, or increasing savings?The answer, like much in life, is "it depends". It depends on your income, marital status, age, and your goals and plans. Debt can be, at some points in your life, necessary. But there...

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Don't Drive It Like You Stole It!

Above: One of my 1997 BMW convertibles. Although it is worth only a few thousand dollars, it is in nearly like-new condition and will provide many more miles of good service, in style, before wearing out. Garaging it and taking...

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Money-Saving Tips

When I started this blog, I stated that I would not be talking about silly things like how to re-use pocket lint. Hints from Heloise and others have pretty much covered that waterfront.Nevertheless, here are some money-saving tips I have come up with in the last few years, that save hundreds of dollars a year, literally - if not thousands.1. Haircuts: If you are a woman, this is a very difficult and expensive personal item,...

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Understanding the Check Engine Light

Many people panic when the dreaded "Check Engine" Light comes on in their car. They are convinced that an expensive repair will be needed and the car needs to be taken to the dealer or a mechanic right away.  This is not always...

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The Great American LAWN

Mowing five acres of lawn sounds like fun. But it really is just an exercise in futility.Americans love their lawns. Billions are spent annually on lawn mowing machines, fertilizers, irrigation systems, pesticides, turf, grass seed,...

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The Great American SELF-STORAGE LOCKER

Above- the Great American Self-Storage Locker can be a useful thing to some folks, but a huge money-waster to most.In the early 1980's self-storage facilities started springing up all across America like dandelions after a rainstorm....

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