M-Network

My Two Dollars: Leaving My Bank – Comparing Online Bank Accounts.

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 06:30:46 -0800

Elisa Cundiff is the guest blogger today, she is the Outreach Coordinator at Thrive, a free online budgeting tool. Every morning I review all my financial accounts on Thrive, but last Thursday, I noticed something strange: a “$3 non-Citi atm fee”. This was an additional $3 that my bank was penalizing me with for not using a Citi-bank machine. This means that I’m paying upwards of $6 every time I withdraw money from an ATM, because I live in a town where there are no Citi-bank ATMs. I c...

Being Frugal: Budgeting is Easy with YNAB & a Giveaway!

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:00:53 -0800

Last week I mentioned that this time of year is when a lot of people let their budgets slip a bit. The easiest way to stay on track with your budget is to have an easy and effective way to keep track of your budget. My favorite budgeting tool is YNAB Pro. I’ve been using it for a couple of years now, and when I’m consistent about using it, I can see a positive difference in my spending habits. The Basis of YNAB YNAB (or You Need a Budget) is based on four rules. Live on Last Month’s In...

Cash Money Life: Difference Between Credit Score and Credit Report

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:47:13 -0800

It seems like you can’t turn on the television or the radio without hearing a catchy jingle about your credit score. And if you listen to some of the personal finance gurus like Dave Ramsey or Clark Howard you will hear frequent references to checking your credit reports for accuracy. While these two items both deal with your credit, they are quite different, and quite important. The difference between credit reports and credit scores Your credit score is a numeric value based on a weighte...

Mrs. Micah: What Is Money? — Nichomachean Ethics

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:00:41 -0800

My husband just finished teaching his Intro to Philosophy students Aristotle’s Nichomachaen Ethics. In that work (Book V, ch. 5), Aristotle launches into a discourse about money and goods. He considers money important not because you need a lot of it, but because it’s integral to just exchanges, or “reciprocity.” I decided to read the chapter because, hey, I write about money and I’m married to a philosopher. Aristotle proposes that a farmer and a shoemaker wish to ...

Gather Little By Little: Carnival of Money Stories – My Money Flaws Edition

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:00:42 -0800

Welcome to this edition of the Carnival of Money Stories! Since all featured posts reflect a money story, I decided to share my money flaws along with the articles. If you are new to Gather Little by Little, you should read the following articles: - How to build a compost bin - How to get your finance under control - Simple ways to make money online - zero percent transfer balance credit card Money Flaw #1: Having Spendthrift Moments The current recession and the recent read of In Cheap We Tru...

Cash Money Life: Berkshire B 50-1 Stock Split

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:11:10 -0800

Warren Buffett recently announced that the Class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway are going through a 50 to 1 stock split, which is the first time he has split Berkshire stock – something he has claimed for years he wouldn’t do. Buffett has stated multiple times that he prefers not to split stocks because the higher prices make it less likely that day traders will cause major price fluctuations. He changed his mind this week though, after Berkshire’s acquisition railroad company ...

Moolanomy: How the First Time Home Buyer Credit Can Create Economic Growth

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:00:29 -0800

Last week, when the President signs the expanded aid package, my husband and I (and many others) breathe a collective sigh of relief. The expanded aid package includes a seven month extension of the First Time Home Buyer Credit. While many people do not support the extension, I am grateful for it. Granted, my position is a bit selfish; my husband and I decided not to risk overextending our finances to close on a house before November 30th. In doing so, we realized we were giving up a great oppor...

My Two Dollars: Money Quote Friday – Tomorrow Is A New Day/Moving Edition.

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:30:13 -0800

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson It’s time to move on and start over. Today is the day I am moving to Colorado, so My Two Dollars will be offline for a few days until I get settled in up there (and get an internet connection b...

Being Frugal: Friday Linkfest: Savvy Shopping Edition

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:00:38 -0800

I used to buy my kids’ clothes a year in advance, on clearance. Then they both hit huge growth spurts and started skipping sizes. So this year I found myself needing to buy winter clothing for both kids…right before winter. I wasn’t too hopeful that I’d find a great deal, but I did. For my son, I hit The Children’s Place Online. Looking in the clearance section, I was able to buy 7 shirts, 4 pairs of pants, and a nice, heavy hoodie for $82. Then I applied a $20 off $80 code....

Gather Little By Little: Friday Gathering: Daylight Savings Edition

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:00:28 -0800

I don’t know about you, but I think Daylight Savings is dumb. Why not just let the amount of sunlight wax and wane naturally? I miss driving home when the sun is still up at 5 pm . . . not a big deal, but I would love to get rid of it. Here are some articles that I found interesting this week: Ron from the Wisdom Journal posted the top 10 consumer credit card events of 2009 – a good read. I am not sure that our current credit paradigm is going to last much longer. We’ll see . ...