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When living on a budget, there are circumstances where it might make sense to move to a location that makes living more affordable. Living in Manhattan, for example, can be a struggle for anyone earning under six figures of income each year. It’s possible, of course, but other areas of the country offer better housing options for the same amount of money.

There are trade-offs. New York City is a world-class metropolitan area, offering the best in art, music, food, and finance in this country. To take advantage of these benefits, if they are important to you, you’ll need to pay up to live here. The average home listing price in the TriBeCa neighborhood of the city is $4.2 million, and that’s not even the most expensive neighborhood.

Would you consider moving yourself and perhaps your family to better secure your financial future through lower costs of living?

A dual-income couple without kids and an AGI of $74,443 in Milwaukee can afford a median standard of living, according to the Tax Foundation report. That still puts the couple in the top 20 percent of taxpayers, giving them a tax liability of 8,081, or about 10.9 percent of their AGI (otherwise known as their effective tax rate).

To afford the same standard of living in Orange County, California, the couple would need an AGI of $100,079, putting them in the top 10 percent of taxpayers with a tax liability of $14,506. That represents 14.5 percent of their AGI.

And if they move to New York City, they’d need an AGI of $162,974, putting them in the top 3 percent of taxpayers and giving them a tax bill of $31,139, or 19.1 percent of their AGI.

Is this reason enough to convince people to move away from metropolitan regions like Los Angeles and New York? Perhaps it is for some people. There are benefits to living close to international hubs, including exposure to diverse culture, proximity to the best music, art, and food in the world, and large, close-knit communities and subcommunities. For some people, this is worth the extra expense.

If you want to move to the place where your dollars can make the most of your living, consider these areas:

  • Brownsville, Texas
  • Pueblo, Colorado
  • Fort Hood, Texas
  • Fort Smith, Arkansas
  • Sherman, Texas
  • Springfield, Illinois
  • Waco, Texas
  • Fayetteville, Arkansas
  • Austin, Texas
  • Springfield, Missouri

CNN, Kiplinger

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There are many people who believe that the when choosing a career path and life direction, one should steer towards the highest paying career for which they could possibly qualify after several years of education, training, and 80-hour work weeks. To demonstrate, there is never a shortage of investment bankers looking for work. I have an alternate point of view: self-fulfillment usually has little to do with career choice or money earned, but having money (that is, not spending money) opens doors for more choices (for spending money among other things).

Did potential earning power play a role in your decision to pursue a career path? Let us know in the comments.

While I cite investment banking as a high-earning job, it’s not the highest according to data compiled by the government’s Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates from 2008 and published recently. If you are in search of the almighty dollar, it pays to go to medical school.

Surgeons top the list with an average annual salary of $206,770, up 8% since last year. Following surgeons, the next highest earners on average are anesthesiologists with $197,570 each year. Third on the list are orthodontists, who earn an annual $194,930 on average. Obstetrician and gynecologists earn $192,780. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons round out the list with an average annual income of $190,420.

I would have expected higher salaries for these jobs on the coasts, as many cost-of-living calculators adjust for high salaries in New York and Los Angeles. According to the survey, however, if you want to earn more money in these jobs it pays to move to the mid-west. Surgeons and obstetrician and gynecologists earn more in Wisconsin than in any other state. New Hampshire, the lone east coast representative, is lucrative for orthodontists, and oral surgeons do best in Michigan.

On the other side of the spectrum are the jobs that do not command high salaries. In fact, these jobs usually feature hourly wages and are often not full-time. They probably should not be compared with the other careers since they are in a class of their own.

The lowest earning job is the combination of food preparer and server, including the fast food industry. A worker in this job will expect to earn on average $17,400. Fast food cooks do slightly better with $17,620. The next rung on the income ladder contains dishwashers (of the human, not machine, sort) who earn an annual $17,750. If you are a dining room or cafeteria attendant or a bartender helper, your income averages $18,140. Shampooers deserve bragging rights among the low-paid with their annual pay of $18,300.

Of these top worst-paying jobs, you’ll do better by moving to Washington, D.C. Shampooers, fast food workers, and food preparers and servers earn the most there. Dishwashers earn more in Nevada, and dining room or cafeteria attendants, or bartender helpers maximize their income in Hawaii.

Did potential earning power play a role in your decision to pursue a career path?

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Consumerism Commentary Podcast

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The Consumerism Commentary Podcast is a weekly personal finance show, hosted by both Tom Dziubek, a former podcaster with the Wall Street Journal, and Jay Frosting, who started his first podcast in 2005 for fans of novelty rock music. Each week, the show offers commentary about money management, getting out of debt, budgeting, consumer issues, investing, and the economic issues that touch individuals in the United States and all over the world.

Tom and Jay are occasionally joined by Flexo, the founder of Consumerism Commentary.

You can subscribe to the Consumerism Commentary Podcast by adding the podcast RSS feed to your audio device or RSS reader. You can also subscribe and download the episodes from iTunes.

Interested in advertising on the Consumerism Commentary Podcast? We are accepting a limited number of targeted, relevant advertisers. More information can be found here.

Consumerism Commentary PodcastHere are the latest episodes of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast, with a list of guests and an overview of the topics covered, starting with the most recent:

Episode 161: May 20, 2012. Topic: My Mother Was a Mail Order Bride

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Episode 160: May 13, 2012. Topic: The Rich and the Rest of Us

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Episode 159: May 6, 2012. Topic: The 7% Solution

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Episode 158: April 29, 2012. Topic: Kimberly Palmer, Palmer’s Planners

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Episode 157: April 22, 2012. Topic: Credit Card Application Fees

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Episode 156: April 15, 2012. Topic: Financial Intelligence

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Episode 155: April 8, 2012. Topic: The Work Revolution

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Episode 154: April 1, 2012. Topic: The Psychology of Wealth

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Episode 153: March 25, 2012. Topic: Life Happens

More about episode 153.

 

Episode 152: March 18, 2012. Topic: LearnVest.com

More about episode 152.

 

Episode 151: March 11, 2012. Topic: ValueMyStuff.com, Double the Difference

More about episode 151.

 

Episode 150: March 4, 2012. Topic: The Big Retirement Risk

More about episode 150.

 

Episode 149: February 26, 2012. Topic: Trends in Financial Planning

More about episode 149.

 

Episode 148: February 19, 2012. Topic: Capital One merger with ING Direct.

More about episode 148.

 

Episode 147: February 12, 2012. Guest: Steve Repak, author of Dollars and Uncommon Sense.

More about episode 147.

 

Episode 146: February 5, 2012. Guest: MD, founder of the personal finance website Studenomics, talks about buying a house in your early 20s.

More about episode 146.

 

Episode 145: January 29, 2012. Guest: Jenny Kerr from The Jenny Pincher talks about how married women can better prepare themselves financially for a divorce.

More about episode 145.

 

Episode 144: January 22, 2012. Guest: Andrea Woroch talks about the smartest things to shop for in Winter.

More about episode 144.

 

Episode 143: January 15, 2012. Guest: Kathy Pickering of H&R Block’s Tax Institute dicusses tax law changes for last year and this year.

More about episode 143.

 

Episode 142: January 8, 2012. Guest: Flexo, founder of Consumerism Commentary, talks about New Year’s resolutions.

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Episode 141: January 1, 2012. Guest: Carl Richards, author of The Behavior Gap.

More about episode 141.

 

Episode 140: December 25, 2011. Guest: Rudy DeFelice, founder of Kidworth.

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Episode 139: December 18, 2011. Guest: Jonathan Zschau, author of Buying and Owning a Mac: Secrets Apple Doesn’t Want You to Know.

More about episode 139.

 

Episode 138: December 11, 2011. Guest: Scott Gerber, co-founder of Gen Y Capital Partners.

More about episode 138.

 

Episode 137: December 4, 2011. Guest: Dr. James Roberts, author of Shiny Objects.

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Episode 136: November 27, 2011. Guest: Paula Pant, founder of the website Afford Anything, talks about being a landlord.

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Episode 135: November 20, 2011. Guest: Dinah Sanders, creator of Discardia.

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Episode 134: November 13, 2011. Guest: Ryan Bales, Founder and CEO of Budgetable.

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Episode 133: November 6, 2011. Guests: Chris Camillo, author of Laughing at Wall Street: How I Beat the Pros at Investing (by Reading Tabloids, Shopping at the Mall, and Connecting on Facebook) and How You Can, Too.

More about episode 133.

 

Episode 132: October 30, 2011. Guests: Kristen Christian, founder of Bank Transfer Day.

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Episode 131: October 23, 2011. Guests: Sarah of, The $60K Project.

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Episode 130: October 16, 2011. Guests: Richard and Linda Eyre talk about their book, The Entitlement Trap.

More about episode 130.

 

Episode 129: October 9, 2011. Guests: Phillip Taylor (PT Money) and Flexo talk about the Financial Blogger Conference; Jon Stein from Betterment talks about their new goal-based financial planning tool.

More about episode 129.

 

Episode 128: October 2, 2011. Guest: Robert Steven Kaplan and Bryan discuss the three questions any organization needs to ask itself before it can succeed, and the best ways to coach the people on your team.

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Episode 127: September 25, 2011. Guest: Mike Egan details several popular myths about social security, saving, and investments, and then explains the truth about each one, giving the reader solid knowledge and formulas about how much to save for retirement.

More about episode 127.

 

Episode 126: September 18, 2011. Guest: Truett Cathy, the founder of Chik-fil-A, discusses amassing wealth and giving it away.

More about episode 126.

 

Episode 125: September 11, 2011. Guest: Credit.com’s Gerri Detweiler talks about options for people with underwater mortgages.

More about episode 125.

 

Episode 124: September 4, 2011. Guest: Deloitte Consulting’s Deron Weston talks about their survey on first-time credit defaulters.

More about episode 124.

 

Episode 123: August 28, 2011. Guest: Mint.com’s Aaron Forth discusses Mint’s new bill reminder feature.

More about episode 123.

 

Episode 122: August 21, 2011. Guest: Clark Howard discusses some of the 250+ ways to save from his new book Living Large in Lean Times.

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Episode 121: August 14, 2011. Guest: Credit.com’s Adam Levin discusses the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

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Episode 120: August 7, 2011. Guest: Bryan J Busch discusses the impact of canceling cable.

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Episode 119: July 31, 2011. Guest: CPA Leslie Dawson explains the IRS’s “innocent spouse” relief.

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Episode 118: July 24, 2011. Guest: Andrea Woroch explains the consequences of extreme couponing.

More about episode 118.

 

Episode 117: July 17, 2011. Guest: Yaron Samid, founder and CEO of BillGuard, discusses the BillGuard service.

More about episode 117.

 

Episode 116: July 10th, 2011. Guest: Kevin McKee tells us what it takes to become a thousandaire.

More about episode 116.

 

Episode 115: July 3rd, 2011. Guest: LaFoy Thomas discusses his book Generational Wealth.

More about episode 115.

 

Episode 114: June 26, 2011. Guest: Steve Rosenstock, EEI, discusses summer cooling tips.

More about episode 114.

 

Episode 113: June 19, 2011. Guests: Scott and Bethany Palmer, also known as The Money Couple.

More about episode 113.

 

Episode 112: June 12, 2011. Guest: Megan Wurm, Money Matters ambassador.

More about episode 112.

 

Episode 111: June 5, 2011. Guest: Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, also known as The Money Coach.

More about episode 111.

 

Episode 110: May 29, 2011. Guest: George Hobica, president and founder of Airfarewatchdog. More about episode 110.

 

Episode 109: May 22, 2011. Guest: Dr. Maggie Baker, author of Crazy About Money: How Emotions Confuse Our Money Choices and What To Do About It.

More about episode 109.

 

Episode 108: May 15, 2011. Guest: Donna Freedman, columnist for MSN Money and staff writer for Get Rich Slowly. Donna also writes for her own blog, Surviving and Thriving.

Bryan, Donna, and Flexo discuss extreme couponing. More about episode 108.

 

Episode 107: May 8, 2011. Guest: J.D. Roth, author of How to Build a Better Budget. More about episode 107.

 

Episode 106: May 1, 2011. Guest: Kate Levinson, author of Emotional Currency: A Woman’s Guide to Building a Healthy Relationship with Money. More about episode 106.

 

Episode 105: April 24, 2011. Guest: Paul Puckett, author of Investiphobia. More about episode 105.

 

Episode 104: April 17, 2011. Guest: Kim McGrigg, Manager of Community and Media Relations for Money Management International (MMI), which is sponsoring Financial Literacy Month. More about episode 104.

 

Episode 103: April 10, 2011. Guest: Geneen Roth, author of Lost and Found: Unexpected Revelations About Food and Money. More about episode 103.

 

Episode 102: April 3, 2011. Guest: Tom Dziubek. More about episode 102.

 

Episode 101: March 27, 2011. Guest: Dr. Guy Winch, author of The Squeaky Wheel. More about episode 101.

 

Episode 100: March 20, 2011. Guest: Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, President of The Charles Schwab Foundation, which is sponsoring the National Financial Capability Challenge. More about episode 100.

 

Episode 99: March 13, 2011. Guest: Preeti Vissa, Community Reinvestment Director of the Greenlining Institute. More about episode 99.

 

Episode 98: March 6, 2011. Guest: Mark Brundage, co-founder of Adaptu. More about episode 9.

 

Episode 97: February 27, 2011. Guests: Dr. Doug Hirschhorn, author of 8 Ways to Great: Peak Performance on the Job and In Your Life. More about episode 97.

 

Episode 96: February 20, 2011. Guests: Tod Marks, senior project editor at Consumer Reports, and Nico Willis, author of Death of the American Investor (The Emergence of a New Global eShareholder). More about episode 96.

 

Episode 95: February 13, 2011. Guest: Tom Dziubek, frequent host of this podcast and a recent customer service representative at one of the U.S.’s ten largest savings banks. More about episode 95.

 

Episode 94: February 6, 2011. Guest: Liz Weston, author of The 10 Commandments of Money. More about episode 94.

 

Episode 93: January 30, 2011. Guest: David Bach, author of Debt Free for Life. More about episode 93.

 

Episode 92: January 23, 2011. Guest: Carmen Wong Ulrich, author of The Real Cost of Living. More about episode 92.

 

Episode 91: January 16, 2011. Guest: Aaron Patzer, creator of Mint.com and Vice President of Intuit discusses Mint’s partnership with Scholastic. More about episode 91.

 

Episode 90: January 9, 2011. Guest: Stuart Diamond, author of the book Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World. More about episode 90.

 

Episode 89: January 2, 2011. Guest: Flexo discusses the concerns and challenges invovled with self-employment. More about episode 89.

 

Episode 88: December 26, 2010. Guest: Leigh Mutert, CPA and Community Manager at H&R Block, discusses the new tax laws. More about episode 88.

 

Episode 87: December 19, 2010. Guest: Jane Honeck discusses topics from her book The Problem With Money? It’s Not About the Money! More about episode 87.

 

Episode 86: December 12, 2010. Guests: Andrew Buckley and Jay Sheehan, members of the Hit and Run History documentary team discuss the costs involved with making a documentary. More about episode 86.

 

Episode 85: December 5, 2010. Guests: Nate St. Pierre, founder of the community building website ItStartsWith.Us, and Budgets Are Sexy founder J. Money talk about their new micro-giving endeavor, Love Drop. More about episode 85.

 

Episode 84: November 28, 2010. Guest: Stew Langille, Director of Marketing for Intuit Personal Finance Group talks about Mint’s new real time consumer spending tracking website Mint Data. More about episode 84.

 

Episode 83: November 21, 2010. Guest: Laura Rowley, columnist at Yahoo Finance and author of the book Money and Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life. More about episode 83.

 

Episode 82: November 14, 2010. Guests: Adrian Nazari, founder and CEO of the online credit & loan analysis tool Credit Sesame and Jon Stein, founder and CEO of the online investing service, Betterment. More about episode 82.

 

Episode 81: November 7, 2010. Guest: Adam Baker, author of the Sell Your Crap series of guides. More about episode 81.

 

Episode 80: October 31, 2010. Guest: Farnoosh Torabi, author of the book Psych Yourself Rich: Get the Mindset and Discipline You Need to Build Your Financial Life. More about episode 80.

 

Episode 79: October 24, 2010. Guest: Bob Meighan, VP of Consumer Advocacy at TurboTax talks about potential income tax changes. More about episode 79.

 

Episode 78: October 17, 2010. Guest: Kimberly Palmer, author of the book, Generation Earn: The Young Professional’s Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back. More about episode 78.

 

Episode 77: October 10, 2010. Guest: Pam Lassiter, author of the book The New Job Security: The 5 Best Strategies for Taking Control of Your Career. More about episode 77.

 

Episode 76: October 3, 2010. Guest: Tara-Nicholle Nelson, from the real estate website Trulia, discusses Trulia and price reduction trends for houses that are listed in the U.S. More about episode 76.

 

Episode 75: September 26, 2010. Guest: Fred Williams, author of the book Fight Back Against Unfair Debt Collection Practices: Know Your Rights and Protect Yourself from Threats, Lies, and Intimidation talks about how consumers can protect themselves against debt collectors. More about episode 75.

 

Episode 74: September 19, 2010. Guest: NBC “Today Show” editor Jean Chatzky talks about her National Money Talk Night event and her new book, Not Your Parents’ Money Book: Making, Saving, and Spending Your Own Money. More about episode 74.

 

Episode 73: September 12, 2010. Guest: Consumerism Commentary founder Flexo talks about his tips on saving money while at college. More about episode 73.

 

Episode 72: September 5, 2010. Guest: Steve Siebold, author of the book How Rich People Think, talks about how “world class” people think differently than “middle class” when it comes to finances. More about episode 72.

 

Episode 71: August 29, 2010. Guest: Zac Bissonnette, author of the book Debt-Free U, talks about going to college without going into debt. More about episode 71.

 

Episode 70: August 22, 2010. Guest: Michael Gikas, Senior Electronics Editor at Consumer Reports, talks about tips to avoid cell phone bill shock. More about episode 70.

 

Episode 69: August 15, 2010. Guest: Keri Buster, Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Communications, World Service at American Express, talks about her company’s recent survey about customer service. More about episode 69.

 

Episode 68: August 8, 2010. Guest: Carol Fabbri, co-author of the book Personal Investing: The Missing Manual, discusses multiple topics related to investing. More about episode 68.

 

Episode 67: August 1, 2010. Guest: Ramit Sethi, author of the bestselling book I Will Teach You To Be Rich, discusses the importance of earning more money. More about episode 67.

 

Episode 66: July 25, 2010. Guest: Richard Rosso, CFP and financial consultant at Charles Schwab, discusses his tips on how to prevent a natural disaster from becoming a financial disaster. More about episode 66.

 

Episode 65: July 18, 2010. Guests: Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint and Rob Garcia, Director of Product Strategy at Lending Club talk about Mint’s new “Goals” feature, then Tom Dziubek and Flexo discuss ways to save money at a ball game. More about episode 65.

 

Episode 64: July 11, 2010. Guest: Flexo talks about his recommended steps for people to take control of their personal finances. More about episode 64.

 

Episode 63: July 4, 2010. Guests: Landy Ung, co-founder of coupon and deal-finding website 8Coupons talks about her site’s services and Flexo discusses factors homeowners with extra money should consider when deciding to invest in the stock market or to pay down their mortgage. More about episode 63.

 

Episode 62: June 27, 2010. Guests: Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, talks about Charles Schwab’s 2010 Families & Money Survey and Jim Kelly, COO of ING Direct, talks about bank overdraft fees. More about episode 62.

 

Episode 61: June 20, 2010. Guest: Flexo, founder of Consumerism Commentary, talks about money saving tips for the summer. More about episode 61.

 

Episode 60: June 13, 2010. Guests: Mary Hines, Vice President of ZYNC Product Management at American Express, talks about the company’s new ZYNC charge card. Also, SmartyPig executives Bob Weinschenk and Mike Ferrari talk about their company’s recent affiliation with BBVA Compass Bank. More about episode 60.

 

Episode 59: June 6, 2010. Guest: Donna Freedman, personal finance columnist at MSN Money, discusses topics such as microsaving and emergency funds. More about episode 59.

 

Episode 58: May 30, 2010. Guest: Richard Lewins, founder of the LewinsLaw legal practice and author of the book, How to Keep From Going Broke with a Broker. More about episode 58.

 

Episode 57: May 23, 2010. Guests: Gerry Cuddy, President and CEO of Beneficial Bank talks about Beneficial’s two new education-themed banks in NJ. More about episode 57.

 

Episode 56: May 16, 2010. Guests: Preeti Vissa of the Greenlining Institute talks about bank overdraft fees and Atakan Cetinsoy, Vice President of Corporate Development and Personal Finance Products at the personal financial management website, moneyStrands discusses his company’s website. More about episode 56.

 

Episode 55: May 9, 2010. Guest: Kimberly Palmer, senior editor at U.S. News & World Report and author of the upcoming book, Generation Earn: The Young Professional’s Guide to Spending, Investing, and Giving Back, talks about tendencies of the typical Generation Y consumer. More about episode 55.

 

Episode 54: May 2, 2010. Guest: Schwark Satyavolu, co-founder and president of the service comparison website BillShrink, talks about how to save gas and money during the summer months. More about episode 54.

 

Episode 53: April 25, 2010. Guest: Flexo discusses his tips on how to explore the art of photography without taking a hit to your wallet. More about episode 53.

 

Episode 52: April 18, 2010. Guest: Adam Baker, creator of the Man vs. Debt website, discusses his new e-book, Unautomate Your Finances. More about episode 52.

 

Episode 51: April 11, 2010. Guest: Kara McGuire, personal finance columnist at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, discusses several topics relating to money and parenting. More about episode 51.

 

Episode 50: April 4, 2010. Guest: Cate Williams, Vice President of Financial Literacy at Money Management International, discusses several topics about financial literacy in honor of Financial Literacy month. More about episode 50.

 

Episode 49: March 28, 2010. Guests: Stacy Johnson, author of the book Life or Debt 2010, discusses ways to overcome debt and Murali Subbarao, founder and CEO of Billeo talks about charitable giving trends that his company has observed. More about episode 49.

 

Episode 48: March 21, 2010. Guest: Robert Pagliarini, the author of The Other 8 Hours, discusses how to eliminate wasteful activities from your life and better utilize your spare time. More about episode 48.

 

Episode 47: March 14, 2010. Guest: Lou Scatigna, The Financial Physician, discusses his book and his financial advice. More about episode 47.

 

Episode 46: March 7, 2010. Guest: J.D. Roth, author of Your Money: The Missing Manual, discusses his new book and how he went from blogger to published author. More about episode 46.

 

Episode 45: February 28, 2010. Guest: Gary Belsky, author of Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes And How To Correct Them, discusses the aspects of behavioral economics. More about episode 45.

 

Episode 44: February 21, 2010. Guest: Bob Meighan, VP of Consumer Advocacy at TurboTax, discusses income tax tips related to major life changes such as getting married and buying a home. More about episode 44.

 

Episode 43: February 14, 2010. Guest: Sam, founder of personal finance website Financial Samurai, discusses the Samurai Fund, retiring after 20 years, and the Samurai Codes of Honor. More about episode 43.

 

Episode 42: February 7, 2010. Guests: Jeff Bartlett, Autos Deputy Editor at Consumer Reports, discusses recent Toyota recalls and Flexo later discusses money saving tips for Valentine’s Day. More about episode 42.

 

Episode 41: January 31, 2010. Guest: Samir Kothari, co-Founder of BillShrink, discusses credit card issuers’ compliance with the Credit CARD Act of 2009. More about episode 41.

 

Earlier episodes of the Consumerism Commentary Podcast

Episode Original Airdate Topics and Guests
S02E16 #42 Feb 7, 2010 Toyota Recalls (Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports)
Saving money on Valentine’s Day (Flexo)
S02E15 #41 Jan 31, 2010 Credit CARD Act (Samir Kothari, BillShrink)
S02E14 #40 Jan 24, 2010 Start Over, Finish Rich (David Bach)
S02E13 #39 Jan 17, 2010 Get Financially Naked (Manisha Thakor)
S02E12 #38 Jan 10, 2010 Eliminating Holiday Debt, (Peter Pham, BillShrink)
S02E11 #37 Jan 3, 2010 Financial Foul-Ups (Brian Scheur, My Next Buck)
S02E10 #36 Dec 27, 2009 Making the Most of Your Money Now (Jane Bryant Quinn)
S02E09 #35 Dec 20, 2009 Pay It Down!: Debt-Free on $10 a Day (Jean Chatzky)
S02E08 #34 Dec 13, 2009 Giving Stocks as Gifts (Dan Greenshields) and Kelly Whalen
S02E07 #33 Dec 6, 2009 The Complete Identity Theft Guidebook (Terri Cullen)
S02E06 #32 Nov 29, 2009 Gift Cards (Jim Sharvin, CPA) and Financial Reform (Heather Booth)
S02E05 #31 Nov 22, 2009 Peer to Peer Lending (Renaud LaPlanche and Rob Garcia) and Target Date Funds (Flexo)
S02E04 #30 Nov 15, 2009 Ask the Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job (Nick Corcodilos)
S02E03 #29 Nov 8, 2009 How to Live Well and Save Money (Sharon Harvey Rosenberg, The Frugal Duchess)
S02E02 #28 Nov 1, 2009 The Smartest Retirement Book You’ll Ever Read (Dan Solin)
S02E01 #27 Oct 25, 2009 War against debt, frugal traveling (Adam Baker, Man Vs. Debt)
S01E26 Oct 18, 2009 MAKE Magazine, Do-it-Yourself, Credit.com (Mark Frauenfelder, Boing Boing)
S01E25 Oct 11, 2009 Sandra Hannah (Smart Cookies) and Neal Frankle (Wealth Pilgrim)
S01E24 Oct 4, 2009 Path to becoming a millionaire (Jen Smith, Millionaire Mommy Next Door)
S01E23 Sep 27, 2009 Negotiating and bargaining (Herb Cohen, presidential adviser, and Teri Gault, author)
S01E22 Sep 20, 2009 Intuit’s Acquisition of Mint (Aaron Patzer, Mint) and Roth IRA conversions (Bryan Olson, Charles Schwab)
S01E21 Sep 13, 2009 How to survive on a teacher’s salary (Danny Kofke)
S01E20 Sep 6, 2009 You Need a Budget (Jesse Mecham) and PocketSmith (Francois Bondiguel and Jason Leong)
S01E19 Aug 30, 2009 Giving yourself a raise (Matt Jabs, Debt Free Adventure)
S01E18 Aug 23, 2009 Snap financial decisions (David Adler, Snap Judgment) and the PowerCost Monitor (Peter Porteous)
S01E17 Aug 16, 2009 Buying and owning a home in today’s market (David Crook, WSJ Complete Home Owner’s Guidebook)
S01E16 Aug 9, 2009 Financial planning (Jeff Rose, CFP) and Cash for Clunkers (Jeff Bartlett, Consumer Reports)
S01E15 Aug 2, 2009 Credit CARD Act (Dr. Robert Manning) and tips for dealing with layoffs (Flexo)
S01E14 Jul 26, 2009 We, the Savers (Jim Kelly, ING Direct) and Feed the Pig (Mackey McNeil)
S01E13 Jul 19, 2009 Tips for graduating seniors (Flexo) and Cash for Clunkers (Bob Meighan, Intuit)
S01E12 Jul 12, 2009 Myths of personal finance (Ramit Sethi, I Will Teach You To Be Rich)
S01E11 Jul 5, 2009 SmartyPig (Jon Gaskell) and new Consumerism Commentary contributor (Jeff)
S01E10 Jun 28, 2009 Frugal grilling (Jim Wang, Grillmaestro) and successful entrepreneurs (Erica Douglass)
S01E09 Jun 21, 2009 Maintaining careers in a recession (Penelope Trunk, Brazen Careerist) and minimalism in personal finance (Leo Babauta, Zen Habits)
S01E08 Jun 14, 2009 Yowza! and TalkAboutIt.org (Greg Grunberg)
S01E07 Jun 7, 2009 Quicken Online (Barron Ernst) and 10,001 Ways to Live Live Large on a Small Budget (Linsey Knerl)
S01E06 May 31, 2009 397 Ways to Save Money (Kerry K. Taylor)
S01E05 May 24, 2009 Following your passion to earn income (J.D. Roth, Get Rich Slowly) and a family budgeting system (Bryan J Busch)
S01E04 May 17, 2009 Financial advisory website Thrive (Matt Wallaert)
S01E03 May 10, 2009 Credit scores (Ken Lin, Credit Karma) and the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights (Liz Weston)
S01E02 May 3, 2009 Recession-proof your relationship (Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil) and Mint’s new features (Aaron Patzer)
S01E01 Apr 26, 2009 Recession tips (Flexo) and shrinking your bills (Peter Pham, BillShrink)

Has anyone been watching the HBO miniseries, John Adams? Although colonial America is not my favorite period of history, I’ve been enjoying the first episodes that have aired. However, during the slower sections of the program, you may want to take the time reading articles from Consumerism Commentary’s history.

From the first half of March 2007

By This Time You are a Seasoned Executive
What I Did With My Bonus
Problems With TIAA-Cref Continue: One Reader’s Issue
How to Withdraw Money From Upromise
Soylent Synvisc: It’s Birds!
Best Cars of 2007: Consumer Reports vs. Car and Driver
How Easy is it to Beat the Market?
February Heating Cost Way Up
Closing an Old Capital One Account
Shopping at Kohl’s and Being Granted Discounts
More Than $50 Wasted
The Cost of Buying a Home Over 30 Years

From the first half of March 2006

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Back From D.C. (and Blog Roundup)

by Flexo

I took a vacation from work this past week to coincide with my girlfriend’s winter break (she’s a teacher). We traveled to Washington, D.C. to see the sights and meet up with some friends. Thanks to the snow, the exhibits were not very crowded. Unfortunately, the weather had a negative effect on our health, and ... Continue reading this article…

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Ignore the Inflation Rate

by Flexo

Forget what the government tells you about the inflation rate, known to economists as the CPI. The CPI may come into play when dealing with economical issues, but don’t expect your real expenses to increase at a rate nearly as low as the rate quoted by officials. First of all, the CPI doesn’t include food ... Continue reading this article…

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Midweek Roundup: Roth IRA Limits, Baby Bonds, and Beer

by Flexo

Here are some articles I’ve enjoyed recently from around the blogosphere. Dear Politicians: Please Adjust Roth IRA Limits for Areas of High Cost Living. Lazy Man and Money: “We obviously make a lot of money, but, living here, we pay a lot of it too.” Strategies for Survival on an Entry-Level Salary. Penelope Trunk: “If ... Continue reading this article…

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This Week in the Archives: Cost of Living, Asset/Liability, Emigrant Direct

by Flexo

As you might now, I’ve been spending some time looking back at what I’ve written on Consumerism Commentary in previous years just in case any new readers happen to come by. Here are a few from March 8-15, 2006: * Mar. 8: Move Where the Cost of Living is Low (13 comments) * Mar. 9: ... Continue reading this article…

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