Here are a few articles I’ve spotted recently.

Are you superstitious? Superstitions can extend into your finances; the belief that the stock market’s performance on January 1 signals the performance for the entire year can be classified as a superstition. Frugal Zeitgeist offers a compilations of several superstitions and their origins.

I’m a customer of Amazon.com’s Prime service. It provides free two-day shipping on all items, not just those priced at $25 and above. A myth is circulating that Amazon Prime members are shown higher priced items by default, resulting in these customers spending more money than those without Amazon Prime. Money Beagle debunks the Amazon Prime myth.

Get Rich Slowly offers advice on fending off financial trolls. It seems like there are always some people who insist on attempting to sabotage your ideas, your reputation, or your finances. I like the way J.D. presented the idea that we have internal trolls, as well. Sometimes we must battle ourselves.

Krantcents explains how access to information and entertainment is ubiquitous.

My choices for the best credit cards in 2012 and thoughts on industry trends for the year was included in the latest Carnival of Personal Finance at Wealth Pilgrim. If you’re a blogger interested in hosting the Carnival, find out more here.

With the results of a customer satisfaction survey, Insure.com has developed a tool that lets you browse insurance companies to determine how they compare with each other from the customers’ perspective. The companies are rated on a five-star scale among several different criteria, including claims processing, customer service, and value. The tools covers auto, home, life and health insurance.

The original version of this article, Weekend Reading, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

I hope that my town is inland enough to escape the worst of Hurricane Irene, but living near a canal increases the likelihood of flooding. I live in a second-floor apartment, so I don’t need to worry about a flooded basement. I believe I am stocked for the possibility of power loss, though I ventured out last night for some last-minute errands. The supermarket nearby was packed, and they had run out of many supplies like bottled water. No local store had water in stock last night, and I may go out this morning to see if stores have been restocked. I have water in my home but I figure it can’t hurt to have more.

Several gas stations were out of gasoline, so I needed to travel farther than usual to fill up. At the time there was still a chance that the hurricane could come farther west to hit my town directly, but this morning, the likelihood of that happening is low.

Because of the hurricane, I’m extending the Plutus Awards nominations for another day. If you haven’t nominated your favorite personal finance blogs and products, do so now. After the finalists are chosen from the nominations, and after a period of voting in September, the winners will be announced at the Financial Blogger Conference.

Thanks to Sustainable Personal Finance, who hosted the Carnival of Personal Finance at the last minute when the originally scheduled host was unable. SPF included my article about retailers’ marketing tricks as an Editor’s Pick, and there are many fine articles included this week.

Those who follow me on Twitter and Facebook know that I was on a guest on WSRQ’s Talk Credit Radio yesterday, hosted by Gerri Detweiler, to talk about my financial mistakes, taking control of your financial life, and Consumerism Commentary. The recorded audio should be available soon, and I’ll provide a link once it is. Also, Gerri is an upcoming guest on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast.

Here are some personal finance articles related to or inspired by the hurricane.

• Wise Bread: Cooking without electricity
• One Frugal Girl: Easy ways to prepare for a storm
• MainStreet: Your hurricane grocery shopping guide

For those in the path of Irene, stay safe.

The original version of this article, Hurricane Irene Approaching, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Later this month, I will be traveling to southern California to visit my family. I usually travel to the west coast for vacation twice a year, once in the spring and once around Thanksgiving. During this time, I’ll still be working, but I often use this as an opportunity to feature a select number of guest writers. This year, I’m particularly in readers who have stories about their own financial experiences to share. If you have an idea that you believe would be a good fit for Consumerism Commentary, please contact me.

Here are a few articles I’ve enjoyed reading this weekend.

Why It’s Called “Personal” Finance. Amber and her fiance seem to be a good match when it comes to their finances; their interests complement each other. While Amber has a good attitude towards the wise use of money, she’s understandably not a fan of budgeting. To fill this need, her fiance, who has a similar approach to financial goals, enjoys budgeting and making investment decisions. This seems like a good combination. When it comes to finances, a couple is like a team. They’re working on the same goals, but each has different skills to bring to the table. This doesn’t guarantee success, but working together will have a positive effect.

The Lottery: An “Investment” for Fools. Playing the lottery is a losing proposition, despite the media hype surrounding winners, all who seem to have stories of leaving their day jobs for wealth and fortune. Many lottery winners declare bankruptcy because they are unprepared to handle financial windfalls, but fr the vast, vast majority of players, playing the lottery is a waste of money. On Get Rich Slowly, J.D. has a neat interactive graphic that will visualize playing the lottery every week for ten years. In my simulation, I won $90 over ten years, for a loss of 91% of my money.

Consumerism Commentary participated in a few Carnivals this week, including the Carnival of Personal Finance and the Carnival of Wealth. Revanche and I have announced the hosting schedule of the Carnival of Personal Finance through the end of September 2011. Participating in and hosting the Carnival of Personal Finance is a great way for personal finance bloggers to support the community, and for readers, the Carnival is an excellent way to access the highlights of the past week.

The original version of this article, Call For Guest Articles, the Personal in Personal Finance, and the Lottery, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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When I’m not busy with Consumerism Commentary, I have a small window for working on other projects. Most of these have stemmed from Consumerism Commentary or focus on the personal finance community, but every so often I get a chance to focus on my other interests. Here are some of the other projects I work on, though I still haven’t been able to spend as much time on them as I would like.

The Carnival of Personal Finance was the first of its kind in this particular community. Each week, a different blog reviews a hundred or so submissions from other bloggers to highlight the best in blog-based writing. Since 2005, this Carnival has been a great way for new blogs to receive exposure within the community while larger blogs have the opportunity to help others succeed. When done properly, the Carnival can be entertaining, informative, and worthwhile to everyone who participates. Last week’s Color Theory Edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance was hosted by Fiscal Fizzle.

I thank Revanche from A Gai Shan Life, who has been managing most of the weekly administration of the Carnival of Personal Finance.

The Ad-Free Personal Finance Blogs Aggregator (pfblogs.org) is an index of active blogs that focus on personal finance, investing, and real estate. Today, most submissions I receive for inclusion are for blogs that are written for search engines rather than human beings. Using this list, it’s easier to find quality personal writing about personal finance. If you are a blogger whose blog should be included, add it today. This site is overdue for an overhaul, and if you’re interested in assisting with the management of this service, let me know.

The Plutus Awards is an annual awards show highlighting the best personal finance blogs and articles. We accept nominations in a variety of categories, and the entire personal finance blogging community is invited to vote for their favorites among the finalists. This year, nominations will begin soon, voting will take place towards the end of the summer, and the winners will be announced at a live event this fall.

Although it’s directly part of Consumerism Commentary, the Consumerism Commentary Podcast is like a website unto itself. Producing the Podcast involves finding topics to cover, making arrangements with guests, working with potential advertisers, and handling public relations. While Tom Dziubek is on hiatus during tax season, I was fortunate enough to be able to work with Bryan J Busch, who has done a wonderful job filling in, including developing questions that get to the heart of every issue.

These projects don’t leave much time for other things in my life at the moment, but I have been trying to spend some time learning about photography. At one time, I was involved with music education in the area, as well, but that has not been a focus for some time, unfortunately.

In addition to the Carnival of Personal Finance listed above, there are additional, similar carnivals within the personal finance blogging world. I participate in these occasionally, and this past week, Consumerism Commentary articles were featured in The Best of Money Carnival, The Carnival of Traders and Investors, and The Festival of Frugality.

The original version of this article, Other Community Projects and Interests, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of getting together with some of my colleagues in the world of personal finance blogs. Six of us, representing My Journey to Millions, Free From Broke, Investor Junkie, and Money Crashers, met for dinner in New York City. My trip to the city allowed me to get in some of the exercise I missed this past week; with local trains running express, I found myself traveling twenty blocks past my destination and walking briskly back to the restaurant from 72nd Street. Aside from the exercise, it was great to get together with some like-minded bloggers.

Get to know your financial bloggers with some of these recent articles.

Setting your long-term financial goals. This article offers suggestions on how to succeed at the top five financial goals.

Should we hire a nanny? Investor Junkie mulls the additional $5,000 a year it would cost to hire a nanny over the cost of daycare for his children. One-on-one care is almost always the best solution, so if it is affordable, I think it’s a good solution. As Investor Junkie notes, the danger is becoming a stranger to your children in your own household. Although a nanny frees up a family to work on business, it requires harder work to maintain a connection with one’s own children.

Free museum days from Bank of America. Craig from Free From Broke offers this description of Bank of America’s program that provides an opportunity for their customers to visit certain museums for free. This article refers to last year’s program, but it has been extended into 2011. Bank of America’s website offers the list of museums and cultural institutions across the country that qualify.

Don’t complain about money if you do this. Evan from My Journey to Millions notes that people who spend their money on things that he doesn’t feel worthwhile don’t have the right to complain about their financial situation. For example, if you have a smart phone that costs $120 per month (mine costs $70 per month), you shouldn’t complain about being broke. There’s obviously logic to the argument that indicates that one wouldn’t be broke if they eliminated frivolous expenses. Logic never plays much of a role in finances.

Consumerism Commentary participated in a few Carnivals this past week: Carnival of Personal Finance, Totally Money, Festival of Frugality, Carnival of Credit Score and Debt.

The original version of this article, Blogger Dinner in New York, Nannies, and Museums, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Those listening to the Consumerism Commentary Podcast may have noticed that our latest episode, featuring guest David Bach, was hosted by a new voice. Our long-time producer, Tom Dziubek, is currently taking a hiatus from the show to explore a great job opportunity, and we wish him the best of luck. We’re happy to have an experienced podcast host and producer filling in for the next few months.

Bryan J Busch is an all-around, genre-agnostic content creator. He has been producing his own podcast for several years, and he produced a video for Consumerism Commentary last year, Television of the Future. Bryan was also an early guest of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, featured alongside J.D. Roth. In addition to his experience with audio and video production, Bryan is also a photographer. Bryan is at home whether behind or in front of the camera or microphone, with experience as a stand-up comedian and an improv comedy performer.

Meet Bryan.

To round out a busy week, consider reading some of the articles I contributed to other websites recently.

Saving for Retirement. The financial industry certainly wants us to use their services as much as possible, but the more of your income you lock away, the less you have to live your life today. What is the right balance? There’s always a risk of not living until you have the chance to retire. What will you regret not doing when you had the chance?

Save $1,000 on Your Tax Bill. There’s a little-known credit that offers low-income households an incentive for putting money away for retirement. The credit is a little elusive, because those who would qualify often struggle with making their regular household expenses, let alone invest for retirement.

Here are more articles I enjoyed this week.

I’m not a payday lender. But I play one on TV. Donna Freedman found herself financially helping her friend, despite her friend’s poor money management habits. It’s easy to say that financially responsible people should say no when friends and family who are struggling ask for help, but any compassionate person would find turning her back to a friend in need very difficult. There’s no perfect answer to these situations.

It’s a Jungle Out There: Spotting Fake Reviews. This article on Wise Bread brings attention to the fact that although many of us research products online before purchasing them, the information we find can be biased in ways we may not expect. I would have liked the article to go more into detail about spotting fake reviews, as they often masquerade as well as legitimate reviews on many of those opinion-based, user-generated content websites.

Consumerism Commentary participated in these carnivals this past week: Carnival of Personal Finance, Festival of Frugality, Carnival of Money Stories, Totally Money, and Stock Carnival Ecstasy.

The original version of this article, Meet Bryan, Host of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

In just the past few years, there has been an explosion of personal finance blogs, a niche that was vacant eight years ago. Those eight years feel like a generation or two, considering the way the Internet has changed since then. Now some might argue that the blog form is on its way out as the primary means of social communication online, with more efficient or sophisticated methods like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr taking charge. Nevertheless, what started out as a small niche community several years ago is now a thriving but noisy bazaar with more marketers and salespeople than good, old-fashioned information.

I’m not being judgmental. You see advertising here at Consumerism Commentary, and it’s allowed me to earn a living. I hope, though, that regular readers don’t come away with the feeling that I’m trying to sell them something, whether a product or my “brand.” In all that I do, I try to be genuine and authentic, so even if I’m writing about a credit card offer, I do so with readers in mind.

I like reading personal stories or articles with a certain “voice” — something that reminds me that there is a person inside, and that person is intelligent, thoughtful, and not maintaining a website just because she could earn a lot of money by publishing articles with certain keywords. I don’t like gurus, motivational speakers, or writers who assume their audience either needs a lecture or is stuck at a fourth-grade reading level. I don’t like being sold something when I read an article, even if the article was witty or helpful. I choose when I speak to a salesperson; I don’t like surprises.

I’m not normally a negative person, so that’s enough of what I don’t like. I do like knowing that the opinions and thoughts described in articles are not significantly influenced by commercial enterprises, even if they are earning money from the website. I prefer blogs that are still operated by their original owners, because there is a sort of passion that a blog often loses when its founder sells, if he or she doesn’t take special care.

I’d like to share seven blogs that I think, today, feel right for me as a reader. I’m excluding a few of the bigger excellent blogs that you may already have on your list or are now part of a larger corporation. The websites listed below are all, to my knowledge, still owned and operated by their founder. I’m also leaving out some great blogs written by financial columnists and authors, going for the truly independent, non-professional-writer voice, though I suspect one of the anonymous writers below moonlights as a professional financial columnist.

If you read other blogs about personal finance, feel free to leave comments about your favorites or disagree with my picks.

These are in no particular order.

Weakonomics. Philip’s background in economics and IT makes him an ideal finance blogger to me. Note that his background does not include marketing. His grasp on economic issues is more complete than I’d ever expect, or want, mine to be. I particularly like his recent open letter to James Dyson, the vacuum cleaner technology inventor who stars in his own company’s commercials. Also, check out his article here, The Greatest Loss of the Recession.

Pop Economics. While we’re on the topic of economics, let’s not forget Pop. No, he’s not Ben Bernanke in disguise. Pop often focuses on behavioral economics, which I find fascinating — much more than, say, macroeconomics. Check out his articles on Consumerism Commentary, The Wrong Reason to Dollar-Cost Average and Creating a Risk-Free Retirement Plan. Pop thoroughly researches and contemplates his articles, and this provides a lot of value to his readers. Read his article on 2011′s job market, definitely one of my favorite articles of January, anywhere.

Frugal for Life. Let’s switch gears from the economy to the personal. Dawn’s been writing about her frugality since at least 2004 or 2005. Frugal for Life started as a way for her to organize all the ideas she was reading about frugality, a concept she fell in love with after reading The Tightwad Gazette. Frugal for Life is more than just a compendium of tips for saving money, it has a personal touch, without the feel of most “frugal” blogs that are more interested in sharing “deals” (ie., ways to spend money), that make you wonder whether they’re being paid by Wal-Mart or some other company to encourage consumerism. Here are 41 things that Dawn has learned from living frugally.

Blonde and Balanced. You may think Amber is new to this scene, but she had been blogging about money under a different title (Carrie… on the Cheap) for a while before coming back to take the blogosphere by storm. Her writing flows naturally and her personality shines through. That’s a refreshing approach at a time I’m constantly reminded that “content farms” are taking over the Internet. I am not the only one who sees value in Amber’s writing; she has unsurprisingly picked up freelance gigs everywhere I look. Here is her excellent short article, Who Cares If Resolutions Don’t Work?.

Bad Money Advice. Unfortunately, Frank Crumudgeon has been spending most of his time lately looking for a new job, so we have not been treated to many new articles. When he returns, which I hope he does, readers will enjoy more of his critical look at mainstream financial advice, including stuff I write about here. He’s commented on and criticized a few of my articles and ideas on Consumerism Commentary, which is always welcomed and encouraged, and it got my attention. I like his criticism of The Millionaire Next Door and the discussion that followed, as well as his contribution to Consumerism Commentary, Thinking is Not Enough.

Well Heeled Blog. The author says she has a nerdy interest in personal finance, but her articles don’t reflect nerdiness at all. Even though she freely admits a love for “stuff” like shoes, she is taking a stab at minimalism. I have no criticism of either approach to living, and I think it’s great when people have an open mind and try new approaches, particularly when they can share their experiences publicly. Her recent article about non-traditional engagement rings inspired a good discussion, and here on Consumerism Commentary, she asked if men paying for dinner is more romantic. The intersection of relationships and money always fascinates me; while I’m not private about my finances, for the most part, I tend to keep my own relationship experiences to myself.

Psy-Fi Blog. I minored in psychology for two semesters in college until I realized that I had no time for a minor. I still find psychology fascinating, and I wish I knew more about the subject. That’s why I like the Psy-Fi Blog. Psychology plays a significant role in personal finance and the decisions we make, and I am interested in reading more about why human brains function the way they do. More importantly, the best information we can take away is how we can use what we know about psychology to make better decisions with our money. I have enormous respect for a writer who can work Schrödinger’s cat into financial decisions, as he did in his recent article, Quantum Consciousness is Market Uncertainty.

I know that when reading any of the above websites I won’t be distracted by the thought that there are ulterior motives at work. I don’t mean to say that other blogs are not trustworthy; I’ve picked just a few of my favorites to highlight a small number of blogs that I like and that I believe deserve attention. What are your most trusted personal finance blogs and websites?

The original version of this article, 7 Independent Personal Finance Blogs You Can Trust, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Here are a few articles to keep you entertained and informed this weekend.

4 Questions Before Buying Your First House. Here is my recent contribution to US News. “The decision to buy a house is about more than just mortgage interest rates, the Case-Shiller Home Price Index, and property taxes. Your home is more than just an investment, it’s also shelter, security and safety. That’s why you should think about more than just finances when making the decision.”

Business Opportunities Through Family and Friends. In this article on Money Reasons, the author talks not only about the direct opportunities we receive from those close to us, but the indirect opportunities that might be available if we make use of our friends and family as resources. When I was younger, some of my first jobs were those that my parents arranged — working in my mother’s research lab at an Ivy League university or working in my father’s office, but our friends and family can open opportunities for us as adults, as well.

Be a Man. Read a Poem. This directive comes from The Art of Manliness, where the guest author wishes to see poetry become mainstream again. There’s a stigma attached to poetry now, but not too long ago, poetry was a manly art form and part of every formal education.

How Warren Buffett Invests. Investor Junkie shares a photograph of the famous investor’s desk, featuring somewhat cluttered piles of paper and no computer. it’s clear the Oracle of Omaha isn’t constantly connected to second-by-second market data. He makes his decisions by slowly and carefully researching companies.

Consumerism Commentary participated in a number of Carnivals this week, including the Tax Carnival, Best of Money Carnival, Totally Money Carnival, Wealth Builder Carnival, and the Carnival of Wealth.

The original version of this article, Weekend Reading: Buying Your First House, Poetry, and Warren Buffett, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

One of my goals for 2011, like most people who make New Year’s resolutions, is to lose weight. Earlier this week, I started a training program that will lead me to be able to finish a 5K. To track my progress and to assist with training, I’m using an application for my phone, RunKeeper.

RunKeeper Pro is free during the month of January, and I used the opportunity to enroll in one of RunKeeper’s 5K fitness classes. The fitness classes are an organized way to train, with people following the same instructions on the same days. The social aspects of the application allows people to communicate with others in the class.

With GPS, the application tracks your speed, pace, distance, and elevation, and presents a number of charts that are shared with friends or with the public.

My class calls for alternating periods of running and walking three days a week; today will be my third day. Because I don’t have a treadmill indoors, I’ll be running outside in the snow.

Here are some articles for weekend reading.

How to Take Control of Your Money in 2011. The steps I’m following for my fitness mimic this philosophy for financial success, and are based on what has worked for me financially.

Congress Can’t Beat the Market, Even When it Cheats. You would think that the insider information that public representatives receive, they’d be able to invest their money in companies they know are going to skyrocket, growing their investment substantially. That is apparently not the case.

An Introduction to High-Deductible Health Plans. I’ve decided to continue my HMO coverage under COBRA rather than switch to a lower-cost high-deductible health plan. For me, the point of insurance is to cover unforeseen (or unfortunate) expenses, particularly those that would beyond the ability to pay without going into debt. I’d prefer not to pay a premium for the privilege of paying more money when medical coverage is needed. HDHPs can be good ideas for some people, though.

This week, Consumerism Commentary participated in the Carnival of Personal Finance hosted by Sustainable Personal Finance.

The original version of this article, Running in the Snow, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

The snow is falling hard in my corner of New Jersey. After Christmas in Queens, New York, I rushed home last night to stay ahead of the storm. The current weather reports are calling for 12 to 18 inches of the white stuff on the ground by the time the storm has passed. We’ve stocked up on food to make life easier for us. I’d like to avoid leaving the house if possible.

I’d encourage everyone in the area to stay safe, as well.

Here are some recent articles from the Yakezie for you to read, particularly if you are stuck in a snow storm.

NJ City Collects Over $1 Million in 3 Months From Red Light Cameras. As mentioned on KNS Financial, the town of Linden has contracted a company to manage cameras that automatically take pictures of cars whose drivers violate red lights. Is this about improving safety or about earning money? In the past three months, the contractor sent out 20,000 tickets for a town with 40,000 residents. I agree that towns should do as much as necessary to ensure safety at intersections, but I’m not comfortable with automated cameras and contractors doing the work of police. How do you feel about these traffic law enforcement cameras?

Why Choosing Debit or Credit is Like Picking Salad Dressing. Len Penzo often can’t decide which dressing he wants on his salad when he dines out. If you use a debit card, often a merchant will ask you if you want to use “debit or credit.” This is a misnomer, of course. The retailer really wants to know if you want to use a PIN to verify your transaction (over the debit or check card network) or sign to verify (over the credit card network, on which most debit cards can be validated). In some cases, when you choose “credit,” you don’t have to sign if the purchase is small enough. Both methods operate with your bank account the same way, but you might qualify for more rewards if you choose the signature option when using your debit card.

Is it time to sell year-end capital losses? If you want to use losses on your income tax return to offset gains, lowering your final tax bill, it’s not a bad idea. In the article, Money Reasons explains the rules for using this tax offset. I don’t think this is a good overall strategy for investing; buy when holding stock in a company will be better than not holding stock; sell only when the investment is no longer good (or you need the cash). Getting into the habit of looking to mitigate taxes even if it’s not a good investment decision could result in poor performance over the long run. Personally, I stick to index mutual funds and don’t plan to sell often.

Consumerism Commentary participated in these carnivals:

• Carnival of Personal Finance
• Carnival of Money Stories
• Carnival of Traders and Investors
• Best of Credit Cards and Saving Money

The original version of this article, Traffic Cameras, Salad Dressing and Capital Losses, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Saying goodbye to my salary and employer-sponsored benefits should mean that I should be looking to cut back my expenses for a little while as I work on making up for that loss through increased income. This weekend I had my last hurrah, spending money for a new professional-grade digital camera. I had been saving up for a new camera throughout most of 2010, transferring money every few weeks into an account at SmartyPig, until the goal was fully funded last month.

The new lenses I’ve been eying will have to wait.

Here are some of the articles I enjoyed this weekend.

A 22-year-old MetaFilter user asks how he can get a credit card without any credit history, particularly after being denied by American Express and Citibank. The easiest cards to qualify for are secured (pre-paid) credit cards, but as an alumnus, he might also have success with credit cards marketed directly to alumni, branded with his former college or university. I’ve started getting new solicitations for credit cards branded with my former university, and this is after more than ten years since my graduation date.

One of my first credit cards was one of these branded cards marketed to alumni.

J. Money got fired! He was getting ready to quit his job anyway, but getting fired can sometimes be a better deal. His employer was in trouble, and he wasn’t the only employee to get laid off. Sometimes it’s easier when the decision to leave is made for you. I quit my job a few weeks ago, offering two weeks’ notice. I probably should have done it years ago, but it’s difficult to live life waiting for others to make decisions for you.

Have you finished shopping for Christmas gifts? A few weeks ago, I offered a number of gift ideas for under $100. Recently, Len Penzo shared three presumptuous gift ideas — gifts you shouldn’t consider. As Len points out, gifts should not cost the recipient money.

Consumerism Commentary participated in some carnivals: Carnival of Personal Finance, Carnival of Money Stories.

Enjoy the week!

The original version of this article, First Credit Card, Getting Fired, and Presumptuous Gifts, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

I overdrew my checking account about two weeks ago. It was a stupid mistake. I recently set up an automatic investment for my SEP IRA, $1,750 at the end of each month, transferred from my checking account at Wachovia to Vanguard, invested in VTSMX. On November 30, I checked my Vanguard account, and I didn’t see the purchase pending. Reviewing my automatic investment configuration, I saw the next transfer wasn’t scheduled until December 31.

I assumed I configured the investment incorrectly, so I initiated a transfer for that day, knowing I had a high enough balance in my checking account to cover the transfer. It turns out that although my automatic payment wasn’t visible anywhere, it was in fact scheduled for December 1, most likely due to November having only thirty days.

As a result, I transfered $1,750 twice to Vanguard within two days and overdrew my checking account. Wachovia pulled a few hundred dollars from my savings account to cover the transfer and charged me $10 for the privilege. $10 is more than the approximately $2 I’ve earned in interest from my Wachovia accounts over the past year, so that has been unsuccessful. It’s good that I leave hardly any savings in my Wachovia account.

Here are some articles of interest for this weekend.

My latest contribution to the TurboTax blog is an overview of the American Opportunity Tax Credit, a benefit for current and recently former students with expenses for tuition. While this credit is scheduled to end in 2010, President Obama has called for an extension of the credit for the next two years.

The Part-Time Money Podcast is a new audio show produced by PT Money. The first episode resonated with me, as it featured an interview with a freelance photographer, Justin. Justin, like me, is relatively new to photography and with his extra time, he has been able to build a business offering photography services for families. I’ve had a few clients so far, but my time for photography is still limited. Right now, I’m focusing on building Consumerism Commentary further, but in the future I may be at a point to slow down. At that time, I may be spending more time with photography — or some other interest that develops.

A while ago on Consumerism Commentary, I introduced what I’ve been calling the Debt Avalanche. Hacking the Bank looks at a comparison between the Debt Avalanche and the Debt Snowball popularized by Dave Ramsey. The method behind the Debt Avalanche has been around for a long time, and its strength is that opens the possibility to help followers of the method pay off credit card debt faster and with less interest over time. Any debt repayment plan needs to be tailored to an individual, however, but that’s only possible when they understand how the math works best.

Money Reasons offers the top ten reasons to telecommute during a snowy day. Some jobs don’t lend themselves to working remotely, but for those that do, stay home if the roads are dangerous. It’s as simple as that. You’ll save time, as well.

As of yesterday, Consumerism Commentary readers have surpassed last year’s tally for charitable contributions during the matching period! We still haven’t hit our initial target of $5,000, though. I’ve decided to extend the matching period for one more week, so if you’re waiting to donate to your favorite charity, do it this week to participate in our matching contribution. MoneyCrush will match donations between $5,000 and $6,000, so let’s aim for the higher target.

Consumerism Commentary participated in these carnivals: Carnival of Personal Finance, Carnival of Money Stories, Best of Credit Cards and Saving Money, Carnival of Wealth, Financial Independence Compilation, and Stock Carnival Ecstasy.

The original version of this article, My $10 Mistake and Articles of Interest, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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Don’t forget Consumerism Commentary is matching charitable contributions.

It’s official. Earlier this week, I offered my resignation to the large corporation where I’ve been employed for just under a decade. I have less than two weeks to wrap up my projects and transition work to the rest of my team. It won’t be long before I have more time to devote to Consumerism Commentary, but until then, my workload will increase substantially.

I feel great about this move. It has been coming for a long time. I’ve been earning more than enough income to supplant my day-job salary for several years, but I’ve been hesitant to make the jump due to the volatile nature of the source of my income now. I’ve come to the conclusion, after years of consistent revenue and a particularly good 2010, that it’s not as volatile as I thought. And, if there is a problem, I have enough cash ready to hold me over, and I’m highly employable.

Thanks to all the readers who have supported me. Without you, this would not be possible.

Here are a few articles for weekend reading.

Somewhat timely considering my current life change, I wrote about Doing What You Love and Deciding Never to Retire for Currency from American Express. Retirement is only for people who aren’t making a living doing something they enjoy (or are no longer physically or mentally capable). You can avoid the financial industry’s hard sell on retirement products and faith in the long-term benefits of the stock market if you earn an income from something you will enjoy until you die.

As a companion to my Christmas gift ideas under $100, I also described the Best Holiday Gifts for Travelers for US News & World Report.

Barb Friedberg doesn’t want an iPad. I don’t want one either; I’d prefer an equivalent Android OS-based tablet, but all those I’ve seen are not yet ready for prime time. If Verizon Wireless does support an iPhone within the next few years, I may switch from my Motorola Droid to Apple’s products, including the iPad. Having the convenience will be helpful to me as it will be much easier to manage Consumerism Commentary and other projects away from home.

As you know, I track my net worth on a monthly basis. Fiscal Fizzle has a better idea for that calculation: track your actionable net worth instead. Actionable net worth is limited to checking, savings, and other deposit account balances, credit card balances, and outstanding loan or credit card balances. This does not include hard assets like cars and houses or your retirement account balances. Wojo’s theory is that this gives someone a more accurate picture of what’s available.

As pointed out on Frugal Zeitgeist, NASA discovered a new life form recently. This both is and isn’t a big deal. It is big because it shows that life can thrive with a different DNA structure previously known in nature, but it might not be a big deal because replacing phosphorus with arsenic is not very far-fetched and the DNA still prefers phosphorus. I don’t think this will bring us any closer to discovering extraterrestrial life, but it is a fascinating look at how organisms can adapt well beyond what were previously thought of as limits.

Consumerism Commentary participated in a number of carnivals this week: Carnival of Wealth, Best of Credit Cards and Saving Money, and of course, the Carnival of Personal Finance. The Carnival of Personal Finance is looking for hosts, so if you’re a blogger interested in contributing to the community, consider hosting the Carnival of Personal Finance.

The original version of this article, Resignation Complete and Weekend Reading, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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As I mentioned a few days ago, Consumerism Commentary is matching your charitable contributions. Please take this opportunity to give to your favorite charity. Here’s how to make your charity count twice.

In other news, I have returned from visiting my family in California for Thanksgiving. I spent some time with my brother and sister-in-law, hiking, trying yoga for the first time, seeing a play in Los Angeles, and participating in two great Thanksgiving meals. I’ve included a photograph from a nearby lake I explored on Thanksgiving day before arriving at dinner.

Last week, in the midst of my travel, U.S. News published an appropriate new article of mine, The 3 Best Ways to Increase Travel Rewards. I expect to travel more in the future, so I’ve shifted most of my spending from cash back to travel rewards. Making the most of my miles has been on my mind lately.

The best time to start a health savings account is two years before you start having children, according to Money Reasons. I don’t use a health insurance plan that is eligible for health savings accounts (HSA), so I haven’t paid much attention to the rules.

Donna Freedman asks, Could Your Family Survive on One Salary? I have a family of one, so this question is most likely not directed at me. The answer to this question is unique to every circumstance. In a family where there are two salaries, perhaps one salary could support the family with minimal struggle while the other could not support the family without major adjustments. Some families will need both salaries to survive.

If you are interested in personal finance blogs, take a look at this collection of the 25 most influential finance bloggers from Redeeming Riches. I appreciate being included!

Consumerism Commentary participated in a number of carnivals this week: Carnival of Personal Finance, Carnival of Wealth, and Stock Carnival Ecstasy.

The original version of this article, Travel Rewards, Health Savings Accounts, and One-Salary Families, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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It’s not often I get a chance to travel to California to visit my family, but I’ll be flying today from east coast to west to spend quality time with my brother, sister-in-law, and mother for Thanksgiving. It will be a fast week; I have plans for just about every day I’ll be in California. My brother and his wife are big Harry Potter fans, so I plan on seeing the new movie. I haven’t read the books or seen all the existing movies, so I’ll need to be briefed so I know what’s going on in the story.

I don’t see movies in theaters often any more; there aren’t many films that look interesting to me, even if I were to have the time to go see them. Have you seen any good movies lately?

Here are some articles for weekend reading.

Even if you’re still paying down your student loans, you don’t have to be a slave to your debt. There are a number of opportunities for recent graduates to cut back certain expenses in order to both make those debt payments and have an enjoyable existence. This is my most recent article for Currency from American Express.

Investor Junkie shares his 2011 investment strategy. I’m still working on my 2010 investing strategy, as I haven’t been investing much this past year besides my 401(k) (into a variety of stock funds), my 2009 SEP IRA into the total stock market fund, and a portion of my 2010 SEP IRA into the same fund. Next year, I will have no new contributions for my employer-sponsored 401(k) and I’ll be looking for alternatives.

Evan from My Journey to Millions, who became 29 years old this week, offers some basic financial terms for children and teens. He critiques an article from the Wall Street Journal that declares the three need-to-know terms are direct deposit, dollar cost averaging, and index mutual funds. I agree with Evan that these terms are good but miss the mark; Evan suggests overdraft fees, ATM fees, and credit rating, all good replacements. If I had to choose three terms every child or teen should know about money, they’d be compound interest, amortization, and moderation — three things that if understood could vastly increase wealth over a lifetime.

Consumerism Commentary participated in a number of Carnivals last week: Carnival of Personal Finance, Wealth Builder Carnival, Carnival of Road to Financial Independence, Carnival of Traders and Investors, Best of Credit Cards and Saving Money, Financial Independence Compilation, Carnival of Money Stories.

The original version of this article, Good Movies, 2011 Investment Strategy, and Basic Financial Terms, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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A week from today, I’ll be on my way to California. I’ll be visiting my family in Los Angeles and Orange County for Thanksgiving and to get away. It’s not all personal, though; I’ll be doing quite a bit of work on Consumerism Commentary while traveling. I’ll be writing, assisted by a few guest authors, and planning some enhancements to the website.

Earlier this week, a new article of mine was published by US News. 3 Creative Uses for Frequent Flyer Miles will help you determine other ways to get value out of your loyalty programs without booking a flight. These points will eventually decrease in value, so don’t let them sit too long.

Don’t forget to check out Currency from American Express, where I’ve written a number of articles over the past couple of months:

• True Romance: Dating With Financial Attitudes in Mind
• Being a Philanthropist Without Being a Millionaire
• Renting Gives You More Freedom — So Take Advantage
• Snagging a Great Holiday Travel Deal

Here are a few other great articles I spotted this week.

Investing Advice: Just Enough Information to Be Dangerous. Pop takes a look at the typical strategies people use to time the market or invest in individual stocks and shows how using these strategies can devastate your portfolio. Common metrics, like P/E ratio and dividend yield, can prove to not reveal whether an investment will increase in value. Even Buffett’s advice can result in a terrible loss.

Make More Money: How to Supercharge Your Income. This überarticle takes a look at the often-ignored aspect of building your finances, earning more income in a variety of ways. Saving money can only take you so far, so if you want to grow your wealth in order to position you better for achieving your other life goals, you’ll need to earn more money.

Low Cost Methods of Stress Relief. These days, I am constantly busy. While I try to take time for myself, it’s difficult to find the time. For every half hour of meditation, there is an hour of business responsibilities not being attended to. I’ll be relieving some stress by making changes to my employment situation, and using some of the released time to focus on personal health (though the bulk will be earmarked for taking this website to the next level). Trent’s article at The Simple Dollar offers some options for reducing the effects of stress.

To all Consumerism Commentary readers: have a great weekend!

The original version of this article, Frequent Flyers, Dangerous Investing Advice, and Supercharged Income, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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It has been a long week and I haven’t completed as many things as I would have liked to; however, I did mention to my supervisor at my day job that I plan to take an extended leave of absence. It’s not quite quitting, but this is what works for me for the present.

This will, of course, allow me to focus on Consumerism Commentary. Years ago, I was able to write two or three articles a day, but when my writing style changed, the most I have been able to do, in addition to other writing responsibilities and administrative tasks, has been one or slightly more than one. With more time, I believe I will be able to take this website to the next level.

Here are some interesting articles for weekend reading, starting with one I’ve written as a freelance author. You’ll notice I’ve begun using a real name (insofar as it is a “non-cartoon” name) for some writing; expect to see more of that.

Snagging a Great Holiday Travel Deal. This is my latest contribution to Currency from American Express. Booking travel early, but not too early, is the key to finding the best fares. I lucked out this year and found a great deal on my flight to California for Thanksgiving, while in previous years I searched too early or too late.

Renting Gives You More Freedom — So Take Advantage. Here’s more from Currency. All of us renters out there should be celebrating some of the advantages we have over homeowners.

Actions Have Consequences. Investor Junkie talks about his family problems involving drugs and alcohol, and points out how every choice you make has an effect on the path your life takes.

Verizon Promo Code: FiOS Internet & Cable TV Deals. One of these days, FiOS will be available where I live. Then again, I may move before that happens. When it comes to watching television, the FiOS experience is significantly better than traditional cable or satellite service. Television itself may be a poor way to spend time, but it’s harder to argue that the past few years with the emergence of incredibly well-written shows (though the acting is often lacking).

Peter Thiel Wants To Give Kids $100,000 to Drop Out of College. This is a nice follow-up from the discussion of whether to drop out of college. Some people can drop out of college and be successful. Most people won’t. $100,000 is not nearly enough incentive to take the risk of a lower lifetime income, cognitive development, and all the other benefits that a college experience can offer. People should not be swayed by stories of outliers like Bill Gates who were successful after they dropped out of college; they were successful beforehand.

The original version of this article, Holiday Travel Deals, Consequences, Verizon Promo Codes, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Earlier this week, American Express published my second article for the company’s new community website, Currency. I used to think that philanthropy was an activity for the rich. Though anyone can donate a portion of income to charity regardless of their financial health, starting a foundation requires at least a million dollars. Some services offer similar benefits of a charitable foundation without the need for paying staff salaries or excessive administrative fees. Read about it here.

Also, on US News & World Report, I share 5 budgeting myths that prevent financial success.

Here are some more articles for your reading enjoyment.

Donna Freedman asks why physical education is mandatory in schools while personal finance education is not? Phys. ed. is required for a number of reasons:

• to develop psychomotor skills
• to encourage physical health, which is good for
  • society as a whole
  • building a strong national defense

It is in the country’s best interest to have a healthy and active populace. The same may not be true with financial responsibility. While saving money rather than spending recklessly may be a good plan for any individual person, it is sure to derail an economy on the larger scale. As we’ve seen with various personal economic stimuli over the past decade — in which the government sends its citizens checks or tax credits with the directive to spend, spend, spend — economists believe spending, even beyond your means, is how the economy expands.

While some may argue that saving money in a bank also expands the economy because banks lend out a multiple of every deposit they receive, that’s only true if banks approve loans and if the companies they lend to actually spend that money rather than using it to strengthen their balance sheet.

Furthermore, a full curriculum makes it difficult for schools to cover all the topics they should be covering without extending the school day or extending the school year. I’d like to see classes in personal finance management available as electives in middle school and high school, with some concepts of basic financial responsibility incorporated into other classes like home economics.

Lastly, Darwin’s Money takes a look at why there will be no cost of living adjustment for Social Security payments in 2011 and what this means for people relying on Social Security to pay their expenses. The CPI indicates cost of living has been steady and seniors have received bonuses recently, but real expenses may be increasing.

The Festival of Frugality included my recent article about the benefits of drawbacks of being an ambivalent person. For more articles about personal finance, check out the Yakezie list of personal finance blogs and pfblogs.org.

The original version of this article, Philanthropy, Money Curriculum, and Social Security, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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A few weeks ago, I mentioned that American Express launched a new community-focused website called Currency and that I would be participating as one of the writers. I’m proud to announce my first article was published yesterday. True Romance: Dating With Financial Attitudes in Mind takes a look at how you can survive early relationships in today’s world, focused more on personal finances.

As I announced yesterday, Consumerism Commentary is giving away four copies of Quicken 2011. Follow that link to find out how you can enter to win.

Here are some articles from throughout the Yakezie blog network, a motivated group of financial and lifestyle blogs threatening to take over the world.

I eat out a lot. It’s had not too as a single individual. Grocery shopping in general is somewhat designed for families. Even in normal quantities, food I buy will often spoil before I have a chance to eat all of it. But I’m not a good food planner. Mighty Bargain Hunter offers some tips for meal planning. I need to break that eating out habit; overall health, losing weight, and being fit are important to me, and I haven’t put the time in effort into doing the right things.

Couple Money presents a great primer for using Excel for saving money on phone bills. Excel is one of my favorite pieces of software since learning Lotus 1-2-3 in DOS in the 1980s. In the article, Elle shows how you can download your phone bill from your carrier’s website, convert it to Excel, analyze patterns using charts, and make decisions about changing your service.

Mind mapping is a relatively new name for an old concept. It takes the concepts of goal setting and idea creating and combines them with flow charts. In short, it is a visualization of related information. My Journey to Millions explains how you can use mind mapping to build an empire (or do anything else you would like, no matter how outrageous).

The original version of this article, Money and Dating, Meal Planning, and Mind Mapping, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Is it better to buy a new car, buy a used car, or lease a new car? If you ask personal finance writers, gurus, and bloggers, the answer is always to buy a used car without question — and without debt, if possible. Here is the problem with one-size-fits-all, mass-audience advice. In most cases, this advice would be correct, but there are special situations that could change the recommendation. This is often ignored by people whose job is to communicate with a broad audience.

Which commercial is the worst in America? Take a look at these poll results from the Consumerist, or just view Staples’ annoying “Wow! That’s a low price!” ad here:

Finally, there’s a new aggregator of personal finance blogs. Take a look at Money Index for the latest stories from a number of websites that focus on a variety of money-related topics.

The original version of this article, Car-Buying Options, Worst Commercials, and Money Index, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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For many Americans with typical jobs, this is a long holiday weekend. I could use the break from my day job, which is becoming increasingly stressful with many co-workers out of the office at various times this summer. Frankly, I’d rather be spending the time working on my own projects. As readers know, I’ve been very conservative about my decision about leaving a full-time corporate day job to strike out on my own.

How will you be spending the weekend? If you are looking for reading material I have a few suggestions aside from the articles at Consumerism Commentary.

Priceline Users Be Careful: Name the Wrong Price and You May Go To Jail. Not real jail, but Priceline will temporarily suspend your ability to bid if they determine you are trying to game the system. Unfortunately, as Len Penzo discovered, you could easily get trapped without acting nefariously.

The Billionaire Secret: Avoid Ordinary Income, Acquire Capital Gains. Jim from Bargaineering has discovered that income from investing is better than ordinary income. Here’s why: as of now, taxes on gains from investments are much lower than taxes on ordinary income. Also, ordinary income usually requires people to trade time and effort, and that can certainly get tedious if you’re not doing something you love. (See my comment in the first paragraph above.)

Here are two more:

• Condom Factory And Bonds: What Is The Connection?
• 5 Investing Lessons from World Cup

Don’t forget I am now writing a column for US News and World Report’s usnews.com. Yesterday, I increased my contribution there to two articles a week. Here are the highlights so far.

• How to Double Your Retirement Nest Egg
• Pay Off Mortgage Faster — Or Invest
• How to Manage and Unpredictable Income
• 10 Simple Steps to Freedom From Credit Cards
• When to Go Generic — and When to Pay More
• 10 Unusual Ways to Save Money

The original version of this article, Independence Weekend Reading: Priceline, Secrets, and Condoms, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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I am now providing a weekly article to U.S. News & World Report for their website’s “My Money” Blog, an online-only feature. So far, I’ve offered two articles. Here are the two articles I’ve written for this new blog as well as some other articles I’ve enjoyed recently.

10 Unusual Ways to Save Money. This article encourages people, perhaps those who believe they have already maximized their savings opportunities, to consider some additional actions that could take their savings to the next level. These are not typical savings tips, and the article seemed to stir much controversy.

Not every piece of advice is applicable to everyone, but I see why some people simply reacted with anger. I’ll address some of these concerns in a future article.

When to Go Generic — and When to Pay More. In some cases, store brand or generic items are indistinguishable from their more expensive, brand-name counterparts. There are several circumstances where saving money is not worthwhile, when the quality sacrifice is too great and when quality is important.

20 Things You Should Never Buy Used. This is a contribution to the US News My Money Blog by Wise Bread. This article also spurred a bit of controversy, though I only disagree with one of the items on the list: digital SLR camera lenses. I would consider buying used lenses if it meant I could afford a level of quality I wouldn’t be able to otherwise. It’s important to be able to evaluate any used lens to ensure it works properly and produces the quality image you expect.

Do Costs Have a Doppler Effect? If you’ve ever been passed on the road by an emergency vehicle with its sirens blaring, you might be aware of the Doppler effect. Sound waves compress as the source and the listener approach each other or one approaches the other, and the sound waves expand as the distance between the source and the listener increase. This results in a change of pitch. Read this article to understand how Abigail applies the concept to personal finance.

The original version of this article, Weekend Reading: U.S. News & World Report’s My Money Blog, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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It’s been a hectic weekend so far. I’ve spent many hours on the road between my home in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Queens. Friends of mine will be married to each other in a few weeks, and they wanted to have some wedding photographs shot including their pet guinea pigs. They were concerned about dealing with these pets on the day of the wedding, so I volunteered to put my photography skills to the test for a small assignment.

We took sets of photographs outside their house in Pennsylvania, with the bride and groom in full dress and tuxedo holding their guinea pigs. For the sake of their privacy, I won’t include a photo of my friends, but I will share a photograph of one of their three guinea pigs.

My day job requires me to work for a few minutes on Monday morning, and after leaving Pennsylvania to go to Queens on Saturday, I realized I did not have the materials I needed. Sunday afternoon I trekked back to my home, stopping at my office to pick up a necessary slip of paper. Later that evening, I drove back to New York to be in town for Monday’s Memorial Day parade, a family tradition for my girlfriend.

While enjoying your holiday, take a look at these articles.

Should you let people know how well you’re doing financially? Although I share the intimate details of my bank accounts with dear Consumerism Commentary readers, I’m not nearly as forthcoming in person. I share to keep myself accountable, and I do so anonymously. Some of my friends and family read Consumerism Commentary, but from what I can tell, they aren’t too interested in the numbers.

I do not, however, act in person as if I am more well off or less well off than I am. There was a time, when I didn’t have a strong cash flow, that I would be mindful about my spending. By this I mean I would not spend much when out with friends, though when it came to splitting costs I would always submit my fair share. Now that my cash flow situation has improved somewhat, I’m not watching every cent, though I am still mindful and aware.

Oops! The world is coming to an end. Financial Samurai offers five suggestions for dealing with your money when the financial world seems to be collapsing. This is something you might believe is going on now, particularly if you are thinking as I was when I questioned whether it is time to give up on the stock market. I don’t believe it is, for the long term.

The Carnival of Personal Finance was hosted by Money Relationship earlier this week and featured my article, Should We Discourage Some Students From Attending College?, as an editor’s choice. The Yakezie Carnival was hosted at Free From Broke and this carnival featured The Best Cash Back Credit Cards.

The original version of this article, Memorial Day Weekend Reading: Guinea Pigs and the End, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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To all those who celebrate, have a happy Mother’s Day.

Jim from Bargaineering asks, “What financial lessons has your mother taught you?” Jim’s mom provided negotiation skills and some of his readers learned various lessons for dealing with credit cards, spending smartly, and being compassionate.

Here are five reasons the author of the Well-Heeled Blog saves for retirement. I don’t know what kind of form “retirement” will have in thirty or so years when I reach that age, and I don’t know if I’ll be on a traditional path that involves working for a company and then resigning when I am older.

But I am saving for the future in retirement accounts, so I suppose the future I’m saving for is related to retirement. I’m saving for financial freedom; at some point I imagine I don’t want to have to trade time and effort for money. At least, I want to have the choice to work or not. If, however, I’m doing something that I love and I’m still capable of doing it, I may not see the need to stop.

Financial Samurai suggests you pretend you have arrived so you can become. In short, act like the person you want to be. This is great, but sometimes dangerous, advice. It works in the workplace — dress and act like you already have a higher-level position, spend your time with people “higher up,” — but I’ve seen it go horribly wrong depending on the attitude. If you start treating your peers with a bad attitude or if you outwardly display a superiority complex, you’re doing it wrong.

What the hell happened to the stock market on Thursday? This article is from Weakonomics, winner of the First Annual Plutus Award for Best Economics Blog. The price for a share of Procter and Gamble (PG) tumbled in the middle of the day, taking the indexes (on which I invest) down with it.

The NYSE claims this was due to a typo; a trader executed a sale of 15 billion shares rather than 15 million. Computers apparently processed the trade without any kind of error or reason checking, and unable to find enough matching buyers, the stock price plummeted. In reaction, the NYSE “slowed down” trade of the stock.

While the NYSE’s remarks might have calmed the market, they might not be telling the full story, if it is true at all. The latest news presents claims that the trade can be traced back to a firm in Chicago that allows clients direct access to the NYSE without monitoring or management, inviting erroneous trade entries. Conspiracy theories are already flourishing.

The original version of this article, Mother’s Day Reading: Financial Lessons, Saving for Retirement, and Pretending, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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The Plutus Awards is an awards ceremony highlighting the best personal finance products, services and resources. After a nomination process, finalists are chosen from the top nominees and the public — mostly from within the personal finance online and social media community — votes for the winners in a variety of categories.

Here are some of the winners of the First Annual Plutus Awards. You can find the full list here.

Best savings account: SmartyPig – more best savings accounts)
Best overall bank:ING Direct (referral bonus)
Best credit card: Blue From American Express (more best credit cards)
Best discount brokerage: E*TRADE (more best brokerages)
Best personal finance management software: Mint (review)

Best frugality blog: Frugal Dad
Best deals and bargains blog: Wise Bread
Best blog for Generation X or Y: Budgets Are Sexy
Best personal finance podcast: The Consumerism Commentary Podcast
Best new blog of 2009: Man Vs. Debt
Blog of the year 2009: Get Rich Slowly

The community has recognized these companies and blogs, including other winners, for being the best in class. Each of the winners will receive a prize package if they haven’t already. For more of the top-rated resources, view the full list of finalists.

You can now stay up-to-date with the Plutus Awards in order to be the first to know about developments for the Second Annual Plutus Awards. Follow the Plutus Awards on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the First Annual Plutus Awards. The Second Annual Plutus Awards will return next year in a much more streamlined form to ensure the process from nominations to announcement of winners is quicker.

The original version of this article, Congratulations to the Winners of the Plutus Awards!, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

This weekend, I attended Communiversity 2010 in Princeton, New Jersey, an annual arts festival in town and on campus organized by the Arts Council of Princeton. The highlights included several collegiate a cappella performances and a Beatles tribute band. Look for a photograph of the Deaftones of Westminster Choir College, one of the a cappella groups performing on the Princeton University campus, a bit farther down in this article.

Here are some articles from other websites I enjoyed reading recently.

Cuts to Education and Teachers Salaries: Voting Day at Rainy Day Saver. Earlier this week, many residents of New Jersey voted to approve or reject their school district operating budget. Schools in this state are receiving less federal funding, less state funding, and are in danger of receiving less funding through property taxes. The crunch is making everyone a bit on edge. Most public schools are significantly underfunded, and the discussion will usually lead to salaries of administrative positions (such as principal and superintendent) and long-time teachers, often earning over $100,000 a year with better-than-average benefits.

I agree that the tenure system makes it difficult to eliminate teachers who no longer have any interest in doing in their jobs, just waiting patiently until they can retire and receive a pension. As a result of seniority rules and budget cutbacks, the teachers who may be eliminated might be younger, enthusiastic, and successful teachers rather than those more experienced but less effective. In addition, educational and extra-curriculuar programs important to the development of capable young adults will be eliminated.

8 Simple Steps of Having an Organized Life at Money Funk. At thirty-four years of age, I’ve accepted one weakness: organization. I make minor improvements to my ability to live an organized life, but after many attempts at major reform, I’ve come to accept who I am. Organization tips makes sense to me, and in theory they should be helpful. There are times when I believe time is better spent working on and cultivating our strengths than frustrating ourselves trying to improve a weakness whose improvement has limited benefits.

Regarless of Your Financial Situation, Don’t Forget to Be Happy, by Evan’s wife at My Journey to Millions. Don’t forget to look beyond money at the bigger picture. If you’re in a difficult financial situation, and you’re aware that you’re in that situation, being happy could be the last thing on your mind. Happiness is simply a choice. There is only so much in the world that you can control. While you can control a significant portion of your life, there are limits. What you can control is your reaction to those things you cannot control, so choose to react by being happy.

Finally, I’m sharing a programming note. Consumerism Commentary is participating in the Yakezie Challenge, a network of bloggers spearheaded by Financial Samurai, working together to bring their websites to the next level. I’m looking forward to working more closely with motivating colleagues. We introduced Sam from Financial Samurai to Consumerism Commentary in an episode of the Podcast.

The original version of this article, Weekend Reading: Education Budgets, Organization, and Happiness, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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The Plutus Awards celebrate the best in personal finance by rewarding the best products and services, with nominations and voting open to the public. The Plutus 2.0 Awards is a special set of awards designed to recognize the best personal finance writing on the internet, and each winner of a Plutus 2.0 Award will receive a gift from one or more sponsors.

The nomination phase will end tomorrow, Monday, January 11, 2010. If you haven’t already, nominate your favorite products and blogs for a Plutus Award.

Here are a few articles worth reading.

Money Crashers 2010 New Year Giveaway Bash. The Money Crashers website has assembled $7,400 worth of cash and prizes, and Consumerism Commentary is one of the sponsors. Over one hundred winners will be chosen randomly among readers who subscribe to The Money Crashers mailing list. You can gain additional entries in this giveaway by subscribing the Money Crashers RSS feed, participating on the Money Crashers website, and using Twitter to promote the Money Crashers website.

Contributing to a Roth IRA Versus Paying Down Debt. In response to a questions from a reader, Philip Brewer from Wise Bread argues that investing in a Roth IRA while you qualify is a legitimate reason for not paying off a student loan more aggressively. Student loans have recently been some of the cheapest debt available. You could reasonably expect the Roth IRA to pay off in the long run. You will always have a chance to pay off your student debt as long as your income increases. For the particular Wise Bread reader who asked that question, this answer works. Keep in mind personal finance advice is individualistic — suggestions for one person may not be appropriate for another.

Why It’s Worth Your Time to Meet Your Financial Advisors. If you deal with a financial advisor who you trust for making or help you make decisions with your money, then there is no doubt: meet them face to face. Trent and his wife met the “financial advisor” who represented their 403(b) plan. He was not so much of a financial advisor as he was a salesperson. This was someone who is paid to represent the plan, not the investor, so this encounter didn’t surprise me. I’m also not surprised that a bad experience with a representative encouraged Trent and his wife to remove their funds from the 403(b).

I am, however, surprised that the main reason for choosing to invest outside wasn’t something more material, like better investment options offered elsewhere. The “financial advisor” they met with was a salesperson employed by the company, not a fiduciary acting in the investor’s best interest. Their approach to walking into his office should have been like walking into a car dealership when you’re deciding whether to buy a Honda or a Ford. The salesperson’s attitude shouldn’t affect your decision, and you wouldn’t rely on the salesperson for vehicle advice.

Don’t miss these articles:

• Why I Don’t Want to Retire Early at Finance For a Freelance Life. If you love what you’re doing, there’s no need to rush to quit.
• Four Words in Personal Finance That Piss Me Off at My Journey to Millions. Click through to see what those words are.
• Tax Information Checklist: Get Ready to File Before the Deadline at Good Financial Cents. Don’t procrastinate and scramble, you’re more likely to forget something important.

Last Monday’s Carnival of Personal Finance was hosted by The Financial Blogger. Included among the submissions are five tricks to keep your New Year’s resolutions.

The original version of this article, Weekend Reading: Plutus Award Nominations End Monday, Roth IRA Vs. Debt, Meeting Advisors, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Happy holidays! If you’re like me, you are probably thankful that the holiday shopping season is coming to a close. Yes, after Christmas there are some sales that can’t be ignored: if you buy Christmas-related items, now is the time to find them for 50% to 90% off their regular prices. And as stores try to eliminate their inventory in preparation of 2010, you can find sales just about everywhere you look.

I think I’m done spending for the year.

Here are a few articles worth reading this weekend:

Save Money By Buying Sale Items in Bulk. Buying sale items at the grocery store in bulk can often save more money than buying bulk packaging at warehouse stores but will almost always save money than buying only what you need for the coming week. If you have storage space for non-perishable items and an extra refrigerator and freezer, this savings technique works to your advantage.

Having extra storage space is a luxury that not everyone has available; living in a studio apartment in a city or renting a tiny apartment for a large family, space is a commodity. In this instance, the best savings opportunities are available for those who need them less, while those earning just enough money to survive or living in poorer conditions won’t be able to take advantage.

The U.S. Economy Needs More Nerds. This article mentions an interesting distinction: while the group of people who understand how technology is used seems to get younger and younger, like middle school students who can text faster than adults and high schools kids who can configure your wireless internet settings perfectly, there is actually less technology-related education in schools. Increasingly, students are learning how to use technology but not how to control it. Computer programming skills are in demand but fewer high schools are teaching computer science.

The article also points out the country needs more “cool nerds,” those with the computer science skills and the ability to apply those skills beyond the technology itself. Here is someone MSN cites as a “cool nerd:”

Kira Lehtomaki, 27, was an artist who loved animated film. She studied computer graphics in college and graduated with a degree in computer science. She’s now an animator at Walt Disney Animation studios, working on “Rapunzel.” Lehtomaki says her computer science education is an asset every day, less for specific technical skills than for what she learned about analytical thinking. “Computer science taught me how to think about things, how to break down and solve complex problems,” she told the Times.

Diamond Engagement Rings: Bling Bling! Here is an in-depth discussion of the concept of diamond engagement rings. It’s a shame that a marketing campaign created by DeBeers, a company that claims “DeBeers is diamonds,” has affected millions of women worldwide to believe that a diamond is a symbol of love, and that the clearer and bigger that diamond is, the stronger that love. This demand and perceived value has turned the diamond industry into what it is today, taking a fairly common stone and turning it into the product that a man must buy if he would like his girlfriend to stay with him forever.

Of course, not every woman in the developed world shares this need, but the concept has certainly permeated culture.

The original version of this article, Weekend Reading: Buying in Bulk, Cool Nerds, and Diamond Rings, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

As I found myself flipping through the high-definition television channels earlier today, I came across a special that originally aired a few years ago, Happy Days: 30th Anniversary Reunion. I never really watched Happy Days, but I am a fan of Garry Marshall, Ron Howard, and Henry Winkler. I enjoy hearing about what goes on behind the scenes in television, and Happy Days is television-turned-cultural icon.

Ron Howard has become an incredibly successful and talented producer and director, and I was interested to hear about his influences. Keep looking for a post, some time before Consumerism Commentary jumps the shark, about the advice Ron Howard received from Garry Marshall, how it can be applied to personal finance, and how I plan to apply it to my life.

Although I’m a little late in posting this for the weekend, these are some recent articles worth reading.

Personal Finance Lessons From Board Games. On the topic of pulling financial advice from unexpected places, My Life ROI uses Monopoly, Careers, and The Game of Life to extract money-related lessons. I’ve never heard of the game Careers. I’m wondering what financial lessons could be gained by looking deeply into Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, and Clue. Perhaps this should be a focus of a future article here at Consumerism Commentary.

5 Ways to Teach Kids True Spirit of the Holidays. As I mentioned while I played the role of Santa Claus for last Monday’s Personal Finance Hour, commercialism and secularism has always been a part of the holiday season, as has the tension between secularism and religion. Even when Christmas was established, at a time when birthday celebrations were considered sins, it had more in common with non-Christian festivals of winter than a holy day. Nevertheless, it is a good goal to steer those over which we have authority, like children, away from commercial influence.

The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good. Depending on the situation, I often fall victim to this concept. A desire to be perfect, to tackle a task in the most efficient or result-oriented manner without costly mistakes, can be so strong that it can stop someone from even starting while still in doubt. For example, you might want to start a business but given all the paperwork and opportunity for making mistakes, you delay the process indefinitely. Well, although perfection can be powerful enough to stop someone from taking action, I like to look at perfection as an ideal, knowing that it can never be attainable but that there is value in striving for it anyway.

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is branching out. Tom Dziubek and I are producing a podcast series for TurboTax. The first episode of The TaxCast from TurboTax and Consumerism Commentary is now available on TurboTax.com. In this short show (only eight minutes) Tom and I speak with Rafael Tulino from the IRS about e-filing.

Don’t miss these articles:

• Best Personal Finance Practices of 2009
• 6 Advantages to Renting Instead of Buying Your Home

P.S. The Carnival of Personal Finance is looking for bloggers who would like to host the weekly event in January, February, and March 2010. If you are interested, fill out the short hosting request.

The original version of this article, Weekend Reading: Board Games, the Spirit of the Holidays, and Perfection, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Yesterday, I signed up for my second photography class, meeting every Saturday afternoon for eight weeks starting in January. I learned much from the first class I took last summer, and I have been looking for a more advanced class. My photography skills have a long way to go, and with what I consider two full-time jobs it is difficult for me to find time to practice. My goals with the class are to work on finding the “art” in the world and capturing it the way I want in the camera.

Here are some articles worth reading this weekend.

You Can Negotiate Anything. The focus of this article on Get Rich Slowly, Herb Cohen, was interviewed in September for the Consumerism Commentary Podcast. The article focuses on the main ideas behind Herb’s book, You Can Negotiate Anything.

How to Cook More, Eat Out Less. This is a perennial goal of mine that never seems to gain much traction. I feel constrained for time now, and cooking seems to take time away from me. Ordering dinner in is always quicker, particularly when I can place my order online in one browser tab while I’m writing an article in another. On this topic, also check out Save Money: Dining Out vs. Groceries Analyzed at Debt Free Adventure.

Money CAN Buy Happiness. Travel and entertainment can be expensive, so having money helps build experiences that enrich you life. But happiness has many forms, and there are plenty of experiences that can bring happiness without breaking the bank. What makes you happy?

The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is being featured on Charles Schwab’s Roth IRA home page. The featured interview focusing on Roth IRA conversions in 2010 with Schwab’s Bryan Olson was published here in September.

Don’t miss these articles:

• Excess is a Liability
• How I Helped a Friend Make His Resume Competitive
• Sad People Spend More Money
• Gift Cards: Practical or Impersonal?

Have a great weekend!

P.S. The Carnival of Personal Finance is looking for bloggers who would like to host the weekly event in January, February, and March 2010. If you are interested, fill out the short hosting request.

The original version of this article, Weekend Reading: Negotiations, Cooking, and Happiness, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

The Carnival of Personal Finance has been running consecutively for 185 weeks. The latest edition is live at the Fraud Files blog, and every Monday this celebration of the week’s best in personal finance blogs is hosted at a new location.

For bloggers, hosting the Carnival of Personal Finance is a good way to increase your blog’s exposure in the personal finance community. The Carnival is currently seeking volunteers to host on Mondays in January, February, and March. Hosts will receive access to the week’s submissions and review the articles. Here is more information about hosting the Carnival of Personal Finance. If you’re ready to request a slot for hosting, fill out this quick form.

Besides the Editor’s Picks, here are some of the most interesting articles included in the 185th Carnival of Personal Finance.

• Is the Stock Market a Big Ponzi (Madoff) Scheme?
• Is Buying a Title of Nobility an Investment or a Scam?
• Building a Better Mood about Your Money

The original version of this article, Last Call: Carnival of Personal Finance Looking for Hosts, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Anheuser-Busch Cuts 1,400 Jobs. This shouldn’t be a surprise after the company was purchased by InBev and the company promised over a million dollars in annual savings.

Maybe It’s Time to Buy That First House. Don’t worry, there are no conclusions in this New York Times article. Maybe it is time, but maybe it is not. First time home buyers could find themselves with a loss by 2012 in several major metropolitan areas according to some sources. The more you look at a house purchase as a long-term investment, the better off you’ll be. Just keep in mind that the true cost of buying and operating a home is higher than you think and your return after “fees” might not even beat inflation, even in the long term.

Obama Sets Expansive Goal for Jobs. President-elect Barack Obama is set on a two-year plan to create or save 2.5 million jobs. It’s a massive public works project, rebuilding the country’s infrastructure. New roads, bridges, and schools are all part of the plan.

Carnival of Personal Finance #182: Don’t Go Broke Over the Holidays Edition. Free From Broke is hosting the latest Carnival. In addition to the Editor’s Picks, check out Why Investing in Stocks This Year Was Not a Financial Mistake at Money Ning, Turning What You Love to Do Into a Second Income Stream at Funny About Money, and Dave Ramsey Falters in a Crummy Economy at Saving Advice.

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Monday, December 8, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

JPMorgan Chase to Cut 9,200 Washington Mutual Jobs Nationwide. Chase notified thousands of WaMu employees yesterday that their jobs will be eliminated by the end of next year, many much sooner. 3,400 of the jobs will be cut from the Seattle headquarters and 1,600 more from California.

Self-Employes are Frozen Out of Mortgages. If I choose to leave my day job, I will have to pay attention to this. Self-employed individuals work to reduce their income for tax purposes, but that can have an unintended negative effect if they need to shop for a mortgage. Now that banks have tightened up lending, it’s harder for legitimate self-employed borrowers to find comparable mortgage offers.

FCC to Vote on Free Broadband Internet Across USA. We are already almost one decade into the twenty-first century, but we’re only just now beginning to live in the future.

Your Financial Network Map. This is a great way to visualize the way money flows in and out of your hands and bank accounts. As Jim points out, this network visualization can help to identify problems and create efficiencies.

Announcing My First Book: 365 Ways to Live Cheap. Trent from The Simple Dollar is selling his first book on Amazon.com. He says: “It’s a compilation of 365 of my best tips on personal finance and frugal living. Virtually all of the tips, if applied, can save you more than the price of the book itself.”

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Tuesday, December 2, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

More ING Direct $25 bonus links are now available. I’ve posted more referral codes received from Consumerism Commentary readers on the waiting list. In a few weeks, I plan on opening the waiting list again, so subscribe to the RSS feed so you can respond quickly to add your name before the list is closed again.

Holiday Shopping Bargains Reel in Big Sales. The National Retail Foundation says that despite low expectations for Black Friday, retail sales were up this year. According to NRF’s figures, shoppers spent an average of $372.57, up 7.2% from last year, and 172.9 million consumers visited stores, purchased items online, or through catalogs, up 17% from last year.

If Dad Can Do It Himself, Maybe He Shouldn’t. In the Wall Street Journal, a dad teaches his son about the role and responsibility banks hold when they manage your money. Watch out for invalid fees, and complain enough to get their mistakes reversed.

Stocks are Less of Your Net Worth Than You Think. If you are 65 and expect to receive $2,000 a month from Social Security, add $327,000 — the amount that converts to a lifetime monthly distribution of $2,000 — to your bond position. Taking this phantom inflation-adjusted bond into account, your stocks represent a lower percentage of your income-generating portfolio for retirement. Stay invested in stocks.

Carnival of Personal Finance, Cyber Monday 2008 Edition. Check out the latest edition of the Carnival. Some of the more interesting articles include What Should a Privatized Social Security System Look Like?, 3 Rules to Giving the Good Gift, and 6 Ways to Argue Less About Money.

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Monday, December 1, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Reminder: While I am on vacation this week, Consumerism Commentary is featuring articles by other writers. Please read Criminal Charges: Volume XVII, the first of this week’s guest articles.

Rescue Deal for CitiGroup. Citi is too big to fail, so the government is preparing an injection of $20 billion in addition to the $25 billion the company has already received. GM, Ford, and Chrysler are quoted as whining, “It’s not fair!”

Wall Street versus Pennsylvania Avenue. According to the Presidential Cycle, the stock market loses ground during the first half of a new president’s term while increases significantly during the second half. Statistics prove this to be true, but here’s why you shouldn’t abandon stocks for two years.

Gift Cards: A Bad Idea Gets Even Worse. This is bad news for office Secret Santa exchanges. Now we’ll have to think about what trinket someone else may like.

180th Carnival of Personal Finance. Living Almost Large is hosting this edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance with pictures of foreign paper currency. In addition to the Editor’s Picks, check out Visualizing $10,000 Extra in Your Life, The Not-so-Easy Part of Personal Finance, and Financial Education in Schools.

The original version of this article, News and Blogs, Monday, November 24, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Happy New Year? Not For Some. At the beginning of 2009, employees who take part in a 403(b) plan, which is like a 401(k) plan for non-profit organizations, will have fewer investment options. This change will bring 403(b) plans in line with the expectations for 401(k) plans. The change will probably mean higher expenses and more paperwork for everyone involved: employers, employees, and plan managers.

Dow 8,000: The Psychology of Round Numbers. This is a short article that doesn’t get deep into the topic. It is interesting how psychology is attached to round numbers, whether it’s 14,000, 10,000 or 8,000 for the Dow Jones Industrial Average. These numbers are seen as triggers.

100 Money Saving Tips for the Holiday Gifting Bonanza. Do not shop for gifts this year without memorizing Jim’s list of 100 tips. If not, at least skim through. There are bound to be several dozen that could guide you this year with the economy in a mess.

Save Time and Effort With a Personal Shopper. This is often a free service clothing stores offer, and they may not even advertise it. Carson Kressley’s fee is too high, and apparently, it’s easy to get the same service. All you have to do is prepare a list of what you need, bring your measurements or have yourself measured in the store, and answer some of the personal shopper’s questions about your lifestyle and preferences, and he or she will bring you items to try on with no obligation.

For the “News and Blogs” features, which I plan to run almost daily as long as I have additional articles to share, I select some of the most interesting posts from my RSS reader and from pfblogs.org. If you don’t believe you blog is included on my RSS reader, please let me know to so I can add it. Thanks!

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Thursday, November 20, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

5 Money Mistakes in a Bad Economy. Here are the mistakes: continuing to use credit cards, withdrawing or taking a loan from your retirement funds, paying for college without loans, grants, or scholarships, neglecting to invest, and taking home-equity loans.

Bid to Ban Sale of Obama Tickets. Tickets to presidential inaugurations have always been free, but demand for the ability to attend Barack Obama’s ceremony early next year is so high that people are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the opportunity to go. Congress is working to make the sale of these tickets illegal and to penalize those who attempt sell the tickets with a $100,000 fee or a year in jail. Those who live in the Washington, D.C. area stand to make more money by offering their homes and backyards to visitors in exchange for a rental fee.

Consumer Prices Fall Record 1% as Energy Plunges. Thanks to the sharp decline in gas prices, the overall CPI dropped the more in one month than it has since the data were recorded. That’s good news in the short term, resulting in lower expenses for consumers, but could be a problem for businesses when profit margins are already thin.

Last Minute Gift Ideas and Shopping Tips For Holiday Procrastinators. I find myself running around at the last minute as the holidays draw near. Here are some ideas for gifts for those people for whom you might not know how or what to buy. I would stay away from gift cards this year. There’s always a chance your favorite store could have a hard time this year. In the past, stores that enter bankruptcy have not always accepted gift cards.

Vanguard’s New Self-Employed 401(k) Plan – Roth Option Included. Here is a superficial review of this new offering from Vanguard. If I ever give up new contributions to my company 401(k) by leaving the corporate workforce, I’ll be taking advantage of this offering. This is worth more research when the time is right.

For the “News and Blogs” features, which I plan to run almost daily as long as I have additional articles to share, I select some of the most interesting posts from my RSS reader and from pfblogs.org. If you don’t believe you blog is included on my RSS reader, please let me know to so I can add it. Thanks!

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Wednesday, November 19, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

I’ve added more $25 bonus codes for new ING Direct customers last night. If you have at least $250 to deposit into a high-yield savings account, use one of these codes to receive a small boost.

You’d Better Watch Out: Gift Cards Can Be Lumps of Coal. If you are considering getting someone a gift card this year, opt for cash instead. Businesses that declare bankruptcy — and there may be more to come — will probably not honor the cards. If you receive a gift card, use it as soon as possibe. Not only will that help the economy, but you may lose it if you wait too long. Many gift cards lose value over time now, even if the issuing company stays in business.

Seized Tanker Anchors Off Somalia. Somalian pirates siezed an oil tanker from Saudi Arabia, one of the largest man-made objects in the world. The tanker carries one quarter of Saudi Arabia’s daily oil output, two million barrels, and is thought to be headed towards the United States. The hijackers will most likely be asking for the highest ransom ever paid to free the oil and the crew. The biggest concern is obviously the lives of the hostages, but will this have an effect on the price of a gallon of gas here?

Things it’s Cheaper to Do Yourself. Hiring out certain tasks has an appeal because it frees your time (in exchange for money) so you can spend that time on more more important, and possibly income-generating, tasks. But there are some fairly simple activities that would save you enough money if you do them yourself.

No Debt Plan. This is a series, currently on Part Nine, that helps you set up a budget, get out of debt, and build wealth.

Best Year-End Move for Salaried Taxpayers. Maximize contribution to tax-deferred retirement plans. Last month, I increased my 401(k) contribution to 50% of my salary, split evenly between a before-tax contribution (matched up to 4%) and an after-tax Roth 401(k) contribution. Even doing so, I will not hit the $15,500 ceiling because I started the year too low.

Tip’d is a social media website that lets you share and comment on finance-related current events, and today is its official launch date. I mentioned Tip’d last month when it was first announced to early adopters. At the end of every article on Consumerism Commentary, I have included a link labeled “Add to Tip’d.” With this, you can share stories from Consumerism Commentary with another audience. Connect with me on Tip’d.

For the “News and Blogs” features, which I plan to run almost daily as long as I have additional articles to share, I select some of the most interesting posts from my RSS reader and from pfblogs.org. If you don’t believe you blog is included on my RSS reader, please let me know to so I can add it. Thanks!

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Tuesday, November 18, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Announcement: As a reminder, I am featuring guest authors next week. If you’re interested, please read my posts by following that link and contact me to discuss a topic. I’ll need all submissions by Friday. Thanks!

Americans are Digging Deep to Save Money. Frugality is the new trend, with a new USA Today poll that people are spending less money due to the state of the economy. The poll also showed that more than 55% of people surveyed are spending less for the holidays this year. My Twitter poll earlier this month showed that many of my people surveyed will be spending less money, but not necessarily due to the economy.

Gas price observation. I spotted $1.879 per gallon this morning at a location that offers a discount for customers paying with cash.

G20 Launches Ambitious Plan to Restore Confidence. The group of 20 leaders from developed and developing countries met this weekend in Washington and decided to change the rules. You can expect to see more regulations for hedge funds, more stimulus measures across the world, and a larger role for the International Money Fund. The group will reconvene in April 2009 with the new President of the United States.

I mentioned a few days ago that Citi might lay off 10,000 workers in addition to increasing interest rates on credit cards for all customers. Looks like they’ll be laying off 50,000.

Carnival of Personal Finance: Smile Edition. The 179th edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance includes a round-up of some of the best writing about personal finance from this past week. In addition to the Editor’s Choice articles, start browsing through the Carnival with 5 Proven Ways to Find a Job in a Recession, Money is 100 Percent Emotional, and Top 10 Reasons We are Not Frugal.

Christmas Shopping Tips to Keep Your Holiday Spending Under Control. This article is the antithesis of the piece I wrote for PC World in which I described how to find the best bargains on tech items this holiday season. When I originally asked a few colleagues for input, J.D. from Get Rich Slowly suggested I mention Buy Nothing Day. The blurb was eliminated by the editor. Rather than searching for bargains bargains on the “popular” electronics, maybe it’s time to cut back on shopping overall.

For the “News and Blogs” features, which I plan to run almost daily as long as I have additional articles to share, I select some of the most interesting posts from my RSS reader and from pfblogs.org. If you don’t believe you blog is included on my RSS reader, please let me know to so I can add it. Thanks!

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Monday, November 17, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

America’s 20 Best Health Plans. Unsurprisingly, my plan is not on this list from MSN and US News & World Report. The top award goes to Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of New England in Maine and Massachusetts. I should take advantage of my Aetna plan more by visiting a doctor for a check-up once in a while, particularly since the price of my plan is going up next year.

Aflac CEO Says He’ll Give Up Golden Parachute if Ousted. Aflac, which isn’t seeking bailout money from the government, would owe Dan Amos $13 million if a merger or acquisition results in the elimination of his job. Amos has graciously volunteered to give up this income if he leaves the company in these circumstances. He’s setting an example for other highly-paid CEOs who plan on taking windfall compensation even as their companies fail or ask the public for handouts.

76% Say Obama Can Fix Economy – Poll. No pressure, though. Meanwhile, Bush and 19 other world leaders from developed and developing countries are meeting in Washington to discuss the financial crisis. While expectations are probably too high for the meeting, it will be interesting to see if anything comes from it.

Citigroup to Lay Off Another 10,000 – Report. Even after Citi received $25 billion from the government, we can expect more lay offs and significantly higher interest rates on consumer credit cards.

For the “News and Blogs” features, which I plan to run almost daily as long as I have additional articles to share, I select some of the most interesting posts from my RSS reader and from pfblogs.org. If you don’t believe you blog is included on my RSS reader, please let me know to so I can add it. Thanks!

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Friday, November 14, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

I have written an article for PC World Magazine called The Insider’s Guide to Black Friday Bargains. Please read it, and if you are so inclined, give it a “thumbs-up” on the website.

A Hypnotic Answer to Financial Angst. It’s becoming increasingly popular for those who worry about money to treat their anxiety through hypnotherapy. The success of the technique is hard to measure, but those who have pursued this form of treatment seem to be happy with progress. Expensive hypnosis sessions may do more damages to your finances without much real benefit, but if participants feel better and come away with a better approach to dealing with money, it may be worthwhile.

Putting Santa on a Budget. If Santa Claus brings gifts to your house, bear in mind that his investments sank since last year, just like yours, and he’s dealing with the global economy as best as he can. He’s cutting back on some expenses, and I’d imagine these include reindeer fuel. He might have had to lay off a percentage of his elf workforce. And of course, he’s spending less on gifts for families across the world. If you explain this to children, they might just understand why Santa is not bringing them as many gifts this year.

Text of Paulson Remarks on TARP. Here are Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson’s comments on the Troubled Asset Relief Program (the Bailout) from yesterday, in full. To summarize: Bailout money will no longer be used to buy “toxic” mortgage-backed assets but it will be used to “prop up” banks. These banks must begin lending the money provided by the Bailout in order to get the conomy flowing again.

On Good Debt and Bad Debt. Is there such a thing? Like Trent from The Simple Dollar, my position is that debt is debt, and cannot be inherently “good” or “bad.” “Good” debt is debt that allows you to have resources that afford you returns in excess of the expenses of debt. For example, a student loan might be good debt. “Bad” debt is debt that traps you and offers you no or little reward, like credit cards and car loans. Circumstances change, and what is good debt for one person might be bad debt for someone else.

Do-it-Yourself Christmas: 34 Great Gifts You Can Make Yourself. Already noting that Santa is cutting back this year, let’s put him to work rather than using the mass-production elven workforce. Here are many great ideas for adding a personal touch to gift-giving. It’s frugal, too!

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Thursday, November 13, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

If you enjoyed this article, follow @flexo on Twitter and visit Facebook for more updates.

Seeking Guest Authors for the Week of November 23. I’m looking for a few writers to provide a small number of articles later this month while I am in California. While I’ll be blogging somewhat regularly during this time, I like to use this week every year to feature writing by other authors. If you are interested, and you don’t have to be a blogger, please read this information.

Secrets of Their Success. Malcolm Gladwell talks about his new book, Outliers: The Story of Success. I’m adding this to my wish list, having liked Blink by the same author.

10 Things Hospital CEOs Won’t Tell You. Don’t forget that hospitals are businesses, not just a public service. Even non-profits need to make money.

American Express Asks U.S. for $3.5 Billion. AmEx is the next company looking to convert its corporate structure. It will become a bank holding company to take advantage of protections now offered by the government.

Banks Boost Customer Fees to Record Highs. Late last month, I provided some suggestions for avoiding overdraft fees and Consumerism Commentary readers provided additional suggestions. It’s not just the overdraft fees that are increasing. Banks are doing everything within their power to charge customers more for the same features. The Wall Street Journal has similar suggestions for getting around fees. I particularly like the suggestion to change banks if you don’t like your current bank’s policy.

Is It Crazy to Spend $1000 a Month Buying DVDs? Although we often try not to judge other people’s spending, it’s hard to avoid, particularly when the details are provided for everyone to read in the New York Times. If I purchased 50 DVDs every month, I may not be so willing to admit it in the New York Times.

Goodwill Adjustment Letters. If you ask nicely, petitioning your creditors, you may be able to have negative items removed from your credit reports! Here is a goodwill adjustment letter template that you can edit to suit your needs.

If you have suggestions for Consumerism Commentary or questions and issues you’d like me to address, please do not hesitate to email tips at Consumerism Commentary (dot com).

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Wednesday, November 12, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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Profit From the Obama Economy. Invest in biotech, green energy, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and information technology. These sectors of the economy are expected to grow during Obama’s presidency.

A New Way to Transfer Cash. New technology lets customers use ATMs to transfer cash from one person to another. You will be able to register your cell phone use text messages to receive passwords that allow you to retrieve money. No bank accounts are necessary. One person deposits cash into an ATM, sends the money using the controls, and the receiver accesses another ATM to withdraw the money. I would hate to see the fees.

Citi to Modify $20 Billion in Home Loans. If the press release reflects the action Citi takes, 500,000 Citi mortgage customers will be able to lower their payments to just a percentage of the interest due each month for a total payment of 40% or less of their income.

Announcing the Save $1,000 in 30 Days Challenge. Each day this month, I Will Teach You to be Rich is presenting one tip to help readers save money now. Ramit is guaranteeing that he will not include “stupid frugality tips.” One such tip that passed the test is to involve your friends with your savings goals.

What Circuit City Customers Need to Know. With the announcement that Circuit City is declaring bankruptcy, customers and investors are concerned. They are honoring gift cards, but you should use these as soon as possible. Warranties will be serviced by third parties (as they would have been otherwise).

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Tuesday, November 11, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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Circuit City files for bankruptcy. This store is the latest victim of the current economy. You can look through the remaining stores, but I don’t think this bankrupcty will lead to fire-sale prices on electronics as we head into the holiday shopping season.

Is It Time to Have a Money Talk, Child to Parent? Will you have to bail out your parents? Finance is always a difficult topic across generations within the same family. This New York Times article includes a sample letter you can use to help approach the subject with your parents.

Reinsuring A.I.G. The Treasury Department added $40 billion to the bailout for A.I.G., bringing the total assigned to this company $150 billion. In return for the additional $40 billion, the government will own a stake in the company. A.I.G. will also benefit from a lower interest rate on the money it is borrowing from the Federal Reserve.

Fierce Financial Tips: The Carnival of Personal Finance #178, Struwwelpeter Edition. Today’s edition of the Carnival of Personal Finance focuses on a strange collection of 19th century children’s poetry from Germany! In addition to the articles featured as Editor’s Choice, start with What Has Changed in Personal Finance, Living Frugal With Other People’s Money, and The Importance of Doing What You Know You Should.

News and Blogs sponsor: Open an account with optionsXpress for a virtual $5,000 portfolio to test your market-timing skills.

The original version of this article, News and Blogs: Monday, November 10, 2008, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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There’s no doubt that the banking industry has had a tough time over the past month. Interest rates have fluctuated. Most notably, ING Direct’s Orange Savings Account is now at 2.75% APY (1.5% as of May 29, 2009) and Washington Mutual’s Online Savings Account is now tun by JP Morgan Chase and offers 3.0% APY. Here are more updated interest rates.

Check out some of these articles from around the web. Jim from Blueprint for Financial Prosperity suggests several investments outside of the stock market. You may want to recover after this current stock market decline, and Five Cent Nickel offers some examples.

Million Dollar Journey looks at doctors’ salaries and isn’t impressed. Here is a selection of the worst gifts received by Lazy Man and Money. The Simple Dollar offers ten suggestions to keep in mind when buying a house. For some career advice, head to Money Smart Life, where you can find ten suggestions culled from the blogger’s peers.

Have a link you’d like to see included in a roundup on Consumerism Commentary? Email tips at this domain name with the subject, Roundup.

The original version of this article, Updated Latest Savings and Checking Account Rates (and Blog Roundup), is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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Here are a few articles from the MoneyBlogNetwork that I’ve enjoyed recently:

How I Live Without Borrowing Money
A Quick Look at the Dow Jones Sector Indexes (It’s Not Good!)
You Make HOW Much? Getting Paid What You’re Worth
What Politicians Give
Make Your Clothes Last Longer (Without Spending Big)
Back to Basics: Spend Less Than You Earn

The original version of this article, MoneyBlogNetwork Weekend Roundup, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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Once again, I’ve refreshed the list of ING Direct $25 bonus codes. This bonus is available to anyone looking to open a new account at ING Direct, one of the most popular high-yield savings accounts. These bonus codes are provided by Consumerism Commentary readers. Thanks to everyone who has helped another reader by sending in their codes!

Here are some interesting articles from around the blogs:

Career in Financial Services? It’s well known that a career in financial services can be lucrative. FrugalTrader looks at the pros and cons of this career path, one which I have considered.

Six Ways to Get Intense About Your Finances. Prime Time Money suggests reading personal finance blogs as the number one option. Luckily, pfblogs.org gathers the best in personal finance articles and presents them to readers in a number of different ways.

29 Steps I Took to Leave the Workforce at Age 29. Madison has exited the corporate workforce and is now living off “retirement” income and “alternative” income.

Behind the “We Deserve It Dividend” Hoopla. Smart Spending responds to a forwarded email making the rounds, purporting that the $700 billion bailout would be better spent if distributed directly to taxpayers, at a rate of $425,000 per person! The calculation is off — the $700 billion divided among all Americans works out to $425 per person. Many have already received more than this from the economic stimulus package.

JPMorgan Chase Owns Me! The Frugal Duchess responds to her friend whose home, credit cards, and checking account, once owned by Washington Mutual, are now owned by Chase. By the way, The Frugal Duchess published a book this year, The Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money.

Warning: Post Office Not Offering First Class Mail. If you use the United States Postal Service, it helps to educate yourself about the types of shipping methods available to you. Apparently, government employees are not providing the entire picture, favoring more expensive methods for shipping than may be required.

The original version of this article, More ING Direct Bonuses Available and Weekend Blog Roundup, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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On Saturday, I woke up before dawn to help out as a volunteer for a fundraising event to support the search for a cure for polycystic kidney disease, which affects 1 in 500 people. A friend of mine, whose father has this disease and who has a 50% chance on inheriting it herself, organized the event and I was happy to help out and donate to the cause.

Here are a few interesting articles from the Money Blog Network.

The Never-Ending War Against Advertising. “Mute television commercials, ignore magazine ads, throw away junk mail… When you make a purchase, ask yourself why you’re doing so…”

The Sky is Falling: Reacting to Recent Stock Market Turmoil. “Unless you’ve had your head buried in the sand, you’re aware that United States financial system is in the midst of an ever-worsening crisis, and that the stock market has gone a bit haywire.”

Why Use Donor-Advised Funds? Free Money Finance doesn’t see the point in charitable giving of this type. I wrote about this when I decided to route my giving through Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, a donor-advised fund.

Earning Power Trumps Return on Investment. “The market might take away some of what you’ve already earned, but losing your income might take away the rest of what you own. Protect your income streams.”

• Need a Game to Learn to Manage Your Credit?
• Debt Reduction Gurus: Clark Howard
• Discover Card’s Idea of “Hurricane Relief”

If you are a blogger with articles you’d like to be considered to weekly listings like these, please feel free to contact me.

The original version of this article, Weekend Blog Roundup, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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If money is the ultimate judge, it’s better to be a fake doctor on television than it is to be a real doctor, at least if that fake doctor appears on the show House. Hugh Laurie, the British comedian-actor who affects a usually convincing accent in the program, will earn about $400,000 per episode this season, totaling about $9 million. This salary makes him third among the highest earning television actors.

Here are some articles I’ve enjoyed recently.

The Great Debate Over Joint vs. Separate Bank Accounts. “I think that all married couples, new and old, should hold joint checking and savings accounts.” Money Smart Life offers this strong opinion.

Building a Home Entertainment Center – The TV. Million Dollar Journey is going through a process I went through about a year ago to buy a new high-definition television.

Would an Engagement Ring from Costco Bother You? Jim from Blueprint for Financial Prosperity asks this question which draws a number of strong opinions, as it did when I asked about Costco diamonds vs. Tiffany diamonds.

The Bottled Water Myth. “Most bottled water sold in the US is nothing more than repackaged tap water, bottled in an ergonomic container with a colorful label slapped on it.” I avoid Coke’s and Pepsi’s bottled tap water as much as possible. Smithee has written about his opinion of bottled water.

The original version of this article, Hugh Laurie (Dr. House) Will Earn $9 Million This Season (and Weekend Blog Roundup), is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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Consumerism Commentary readers have supplied more ING Direct bonus referral links to help other readers earn $25 for opening a new ING Direct Orange Savings Account. Additionally, I’ve sent emails to the first group of readers on the current waiting list to request more links. If you’re on the waiting list, start checking your email for a notification from me.

Here are some articles from the MoneyBlogNetwork.

How to Save Money on Prescription Drugs. Five Cent Nickel offers seven suggestions.

Five Essential Skills for Mastering Plastic. J.D. from Get Rich Slowly once was strictly against the use of credit cards, but he has recently changed his opinion and now sees credit cards as a financial tool. Tools can be used properly or dangerously, and J.D. offers suggestions on how to use credit cards properly.

• Why Does My 10 Ounce Silver Bar Weigh More Than 10 Ounces?
• Maybe Social Security Isn’t the Issue
• Rethinking How I Tip Restaurant Servers
• Start The School Year Off Right: A Few Frugal Tips for Getting Through the Fall

Bloggers should check out the MoneyBlogNetwork Forums for discussion and insight about blogging about personal finance and investing.

The original version of this article, ING Direct $25 Bonus Referrals Updated and MoneyBlogNetwork Roundup, is copyrighted by Consumerism Commentary.

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