Written by Adam Sullivan on June 16, 2011.
Over the weekend, I saw a commercial on TV about a ‘magical’ cream that removes scars. The commercial showed a mother rubbing the cream on her daughter’s face and the scar disappeared over a two week period.
I have three scars on my face – on my forehead, across my eye, and one that runs from my nose to my chin. Never once have I considered fixing these scars. To me, these scars serve as a permanent reminder of what NOT to do in life.
The scar on my forehead is from my brother. We smacked heads as kids while playing a game. My injury required a mass of stitches while his head was barely bruised. Lesson? My brother’s head is harder. Fighting with him, now or back then, is a waste of time.
The scar across was eye was from falling off a bench at the ripe old age of ten while trying to reach a graham cracker on the top shelf for a boy. Lesson? Trying too hard to impress boys will only get you hurt.
The scar stretching from my nose to my chin was from falling out of bed face first while dreaming about… falling. The floor ‘
Read more…
Written by Joseph Perry on June 11, 2011.
A lot of people ask me why I go by the name Lazy Man. I wanted to convey the message that managing your money doesn’t have to be a lot of work. If a Lazy Man like me can do it anyone can do it. It’s about thinking smarter, not working harder. I like to divide most money management into three areas: saving your money, growing your money, and protecting your money.
If you are like me, you have a friend who spends money everywhere… and then complain that they have no money. You see them buy a designer purse or fancy tablet computer and just shake your head. In the Lazy Man plan to being rich, the smart person watches his/her spending. I don’t budget every dollar. I just think twice before I make a purchase. The more expensive the purchase the longer I think about it. During this time, I’m able to research prices and pounce on the best bargain.
To help you save money, I created a page with links to literally hundreds of a ways to save money on just about anything.
Assuming that you are saving money from the first step, the next thing you want to do is grow the money. How are y Read more…
Written by Scott Barnes on June 1, 2011.
It used to be that retirement was an attainable vision for just about everyone in the U-S-of-A.
Definition of Retirement: sit around the home, read the paper, play some golf, drive around town in a Cadillac, catch the early bird special at the local diner, watch some TV, go to bed, and do it all over the next day. Mix in an occasional RV or European vacation to take some photos and all was right in the world.
Retirees had a simple financial formula for achieving that dream:
- Hit age 65.
- Stop Working.
- Collect your pension check, replacing the majority of your annual income before retirement.
- Collect your Social Security benefits to fill in the rest.
- Rely on your retiree health benefits from your employer.
- Collect your medicare benefits to fill in the rest.
Those days are all but over.
Read more…
Written by Adam Sullivan on May 31, 2011.
I’ve been a bit nervous about our missing rent safety net. On our own, we’d be fine. Add a kid, daycare, and extra health insurance and suddenly ‘fine’ isn’t the word I’d use to describe our upcoming budget. I expressed my concern to my husband who replied, ‘Everything will turn out.’
Yes, he’s the financial Bob Marley in our relationship. He never gets worried.
I clicked through our spreadsheets trying to make 1 + 1 = 47 but even with today’s modern math, it wasn’t happening. As I was about to lose my sanity, my husband strolled home from work. ‘Guess who’s up for a raise?’ he asked with a grin.
I stared at him.
He paused then said, ‘ME!’
I continued to stare in silence.
‘Hon?’ he asked.
More silence and a confused stare.
He snapped in front of my face. ‘Anyone home?’ he laughed.
‘Didn’t you JUST get one?!?’ I asked.
‘Well, yeah. But it’s time for another according to my boss’
Read more…
Written by Joseph Perry on May 29, 2011.
What do you get when you mix investing with the largest social media network in the world? Zecco’s new Wall Street app for Facebook. Zecco has been known for years as one of the leaders in inexpensive trading and now they are taking it one step further by fully integrating their platform with the ever-growing social media king.
The social aspect of trading stocks and investing isn’t a new concept, but this is the first true full Facebook platform. The app acts like a financial hub right from your Facebook page. It greets you with real time stats, quotes, and charts from the market, most actively traded stocks, and then you can dig deeper and get real time individual quotes. Obviously, from there you will have your traditional Facebook features: liking certain stocks, leaving comments on them, or sharing with your friends. But what makes this app really unique is the ability to place trades right from Facebook. That’s right, with a few clicks you can buy 100 shares of that new company one of your Facebook friends just recommended. I was
Read more…
Written by Scott Barnes on May 24, 2011.
We talk a lot about what you, as a well-informed personal finance enthusiast, can do RIGHT in order to reach your financial goals.
But
We dont often talk about what you can do WRONG, despite it being equally, if not more important.
So, I decided to compile a list of 10 of the most common (and harmful) young professional financial blunders.
I have seen a lot of friends and peers commit these financial sins and have even committed a few myself. Hopefully, I can save you the frustration and regret that comes days, months, or even years later.
1. Holding off on Saving for Retirement
It is common for many young professionals to hold off on saving for retirement in order to finance their present day lifestyle. With a tinge of arrogance, many of us believe that we can hold off because we have so many years ahead to focus on retirement. Read more…
Written by Adam Sullivan on May 21, 2011.
My husband is graduating from college this weekend and Im SOOOO proud. Im still not sure how he pulled off working full-time, going to school full-time, and working side jobs on the weekends, but he did.
He took his last final yesterday and were going out to dinner to celebrate. Sure, its not very Dave Ramsey of me to head out to our local steakhouse when we still have debt but
Im laying off the gazelle intensity tonight. Sorry Dave. ; )
Written by Scott Barnes on May 20, 2011.
To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question.
Many businesses have undoubtedly asked themselves the question as they try and determine the advantages to having a Twitter account.
According to research from tracking site Twopcharts.com, Twitter is closing in on surpassing the population of the United States, having recently topped 302 million accounts (estimated to reach 400 million accounts over the next four to five months). A 2009 Census report estimated the nation’s population to be at 307,006,550.
Now before Twitter throws itself a party to celebrate this milestone, keep in mind that many of those accounts (Twitter says it adds 9.1 accounts per second) are rarely and sometimes never utilized. J
Read more…