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Extreme Frugal Living and Farming vs. Hunting-Gathering

by Flexo

More accurately, it’s extreme poverty. That is the best way to describe living on one dollar a day in a pre-industrialized (farming) community. Now imagine this family, earning one dollar a day, has six children to support. Forget about television (much less cable) and internet. Forget about cell phones (or any phone, for that matter). ... Continue reading this article…

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Can’t Buy Me Happiness

by Flexo

Here is some common sense from Jeanne Sahadi: If financial success is important to you, and you are not as successful as those around you, you are not going to be as happy as someone who doesn’t care as much about financial success. In fact, setting financial success as a goal can make some people ... Continue reading this article…

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That Time Of Year

by Flexo

It’s gotten a little bland around here, I know. I’ve been working my ass off at work, and just about every other moment of my life is spent working on some random project, researching or writing papers for school, or spending time with my lady. I don’t get much sleep. I’m on the board of ... Continue reading this article…

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Entitlement Generation?

by Flexo

The latest term for those of us (though I will soon be abandoning this club) in our twenties is the Entitlement Generation. As the article notes, every generation has its period of negative labeling: “In their day, baby boomers were rabble-rousing hippies, while Gen Xers were apathetic slackers.” The crux of the Entitlement Generation is ... Continue reading this article…

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Frugal Anywhere

by Flexo

Another article on MSN offers 50 ways to trim your budget. The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a chart outlining the average household expenditures as a percent of income, much like I did earlier this month. In each of the categories, the article offers some suggestions for cutting back costs. Many of these I’m already ... Continue reading this article…

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Eminent Domain Rules Officially Changed

by Flexo

Let’s say you own a home, like many people in this country do. Let’s go further and say that you own the property completely. Maybe you had a mortgage, but it’s completely paid off. The property is yours. Well… as Jon Stewart is fond of saying, not so much. If your state government decides that ... Continue reading this article…

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Wednesday Reading

by Flexo

Forbes takes a look at what the good life costs, with the “good life” being a nice house, good education for the kids, and a summer home. In the Northeast, my region of the country, it will cost at least $215,000 a year (after taxes and savings). That’s enough to make most families give up ... Continue reading this article…

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0% Balance Transfers

by Flexo

The 0 percent interest credit card balance transfer game is a popular one to play. I had first encountered the trend on the Motley Fool message boards a few years ago. The credit card companies are making these quick-money ideas a little more difficult to navigate, with rules that differ among the many different offers. According ... Continue reading this article…

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