Money saving tips

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Lazy Portfolios seven-year winning streak

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

The turtle and the hare

Strategy keeps beating S&P 500 as well as popular actively managed funds

Guess what? Actively managed mutual funds are bad news, filching your hard-earned money.

Year after year they continue their dark legacy, proving what former Sen. Peter Fitzgerald said during his reform fight five years ago: “The mutual fund industry is now the world’s largest skimming operation, a $7 trillion trough from which fund managers, brokers and other insiders are steadily siphoning off an excessive slice of the nation’s household, college and retirement savings.”

The fund industry defeated the senator’s efforts. Back then Morningstar’s boss Don Phillips added that funds “lost their moral compass.” Today it’s far worse. Greed drives this industry. The “world’s largest skimming operation” has now lost over 50% of America’s savings in the decade since the peak of 2000. The track record of actively managed funds during the recent subprime-credit meltdown continues to prove that the industry is failing America.

The only way to invest is with index funds, which make up just 14% of the total. As “Kiplinger’s Annual Guide” once said about building index-fund portfolios: “If you’re picking from among the best funds to start with, then all you really need for diversification is three stock funds and one bond fund — and you can forget the other 9,111 funds.” Yes, forget about 99.9% of all mutual funds. (Read more at: MarketWatch)

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{Photography by Daquella Manera}

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Posted in Debt Management, Personal Finance | No Responses »
Tags: Investing, Money Management, Money Saving Ideas, Money saving tips, Mutual Funds

Save money, be healthier, and be friend with the environment

Monday, November 3rd, 2008

Recession or no recession, some ideas are great ideas no matter what the economic climate or your personal financial situation is. Today our money saving tip objectives are:

save you money;
simplify your life;
make your house a healthier place to live in for your and your family, especially if you have kids;
make the entire planet a better place to live in.

If you were to count how many cleaning products you have in the house, from kitchen cleaners to glass cleaners, how many different products do you have? If you are like the average US household you have 27 different cleaning products. How much do those 27 different cleaning products cost you in the span on one year? Hundreds of dollars for sure.
If you really want to get scared, how many of those products are ‘safe’ in the sense that they have no consequences if touched or ingested? Picture your kitchen countertop and the warning label on the cleaning product you use to clean it: chances are that sooner or later someone will place a sandwich on that very same countertop: what are you feeding your family?

We are not suggesting you to become and alchemist with a cauldron and make your own soaps, or set up a chemical lab in your basement; Karen Logan has done the work for you, and has put together what we call a recipe book for making your own natural and safe cleaning products for your house, using easily available ingredients like vinegar and lemon juice. Her Clean Home Clean Planet book is a must for everyone either concerned about saving money or living healthier or both, and simplify one’s life in the process.

$Dr. Bronner\'s Magic Soap Pure Castile Soap$

As a segue, you might want to discover Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap, used extensively by Karen in her book. Dr. Bronner’s Soap is a truly magic product, it is a ‘true’ castile soap, made with natural plant-based ingredients. It is versatile and can be uses as a body soap or shampoo, and it is such a great product that a movie was made about the product and the the founder: Dr Bronner’s Magic Soapbox, a documentary about obsession, compassion and all-purpose soap.

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Sponsored by:

Photo Credits: stephcarter (cc)

Posted in Debt Management, Personal Finance | No Responses »
Tags: Green, Money saving tips, Simplicity

Time to save money: how much is your checking account costing you?

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

Long gone are the days when banks used to pay interest on their checking account. Some of them still do, but they require a high minimum balance, and the interest rate that they offer is laughable.
Additionally, should the balance fall below the stated minimum balance, you might be hit with a maintenance fee, and using your ATM card at ATM machines that are not operated by your bank usually cost you $2.00 and up to $3.50.
As we approach the end of the year, everyone is re-evaluating where they spend their money, and make appropriate adjustments. We have a couple of suggestions for you:
Why not do so earlier this year? Instead of waiting for January, why not start saving money today?
Always look at your expenses on a yearly basis, not on a monthly basis.

Take a look at your bank’s checking account, how much do you get charged for maintenance fees? The average nationwide is $15 per month, not including ATM fees. On a yearly basis that is $180. Can you think of something better to do with $180 other than give your bank free use of your money?

There’s a better solution, ING Direct Orange Checking account to your rescue:

No minimum balance;
No maintenance fees;
Interest on your balance, currently 1.50% APR, (higher for higher balances);
Free ATM access at over 35,000 locations nationwide;
Free MasterCard Debit card;
Send money securely for free with Electric Checks;
Free bill pay;
Free online banking;
Fully integrated with other ING Direct accounts, and easily integrated with your current bank accounts;
FDIC insured.

Time to say goodbye to your old bank, and join ING Direct. Apply now at:

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Photo Credits: catatronic (cc)

Posted in Budget, Personal Finance | No Responses »
Tags: Budget, Checking Account, Money Management, Money Saving Ideas, Money saving tips, Personal Finance

Take good care of your pets and save money at the same time

Friday, October 24th, 2008

You know, we all know, they are not just pets, they are your friends, almost family members. And just like people, their health is the best investment available. So why not save money, time and gasoline and shop for your pets’ prescription online? You get the same medicine, name brands or otherwise, that you currently get, and the delivery is probably faster than you having to find the time to stop by the vet or the drugstore.
We recommend 1-800-PetMeds, America’s Largest Pet Pharmacy, well stocked, excellent pricing, unsurpassed customer service, give it a try:

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Photo Credits: blackangel (cc)

Posted in Personal Finance | No Responses »
Tags: Health, Money saving tips, Pets

A brilliant idea for people who love to cook (and their loves ones)

Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

No matter what you do, having the right tools is a great way to start. We have all struggled doing something, and failed miserably, only because we didn’t have the right tools. When it comes to cooking the same rule applies, and while the ‘right’ cooking tools are not cheap, professional cooks and chefs will tell you that you don’t need to buy every single tools that is advertised in those glossy cooking magazines, and surely you don’t have to take a second or a third mortgage on your house to pay for those fancy top name brands either.

If you are trying to save money, consider dining-in instead of dining-out. Preparing gourmet meals at home is not that difficult, and you can find simple and delicious recipes very easily on the web or in your favorite cookbooks. And, if you haven’t done so already, you can cut down on the take-out dinner and start preparing quick meals at home. You will need good kitchen tools to save time and (almost) guaranteed results.

Recently we have come across a very interesting web site that has done the selection for you, in a way that we consider BRILLIANT!
The people at MyProKitchen.com have boiled down (pun intended) the quantity of tools that every serious cook should have, and then they have shopped around and put together a package with quality components, mostly professional tools, and they sell the 36-piece Professional Kitchen Set for Everyday Cooks for the very reasonable price of $ 279 (FREE shipping).
This set is ideal for:

cooking enthusiast
minimalist
bargainists
bachelors
newlyweds
second/vacation home
and with the holidays fast approaching, you probably have someone in your list that’s hard to shop for: this is one of the best holiday shopping idea for virtually anyone.

The 36-piece Professional Kitchen Set for Everyday Cooks includes:

12 ½ inch nonstick aluminum fry pan
8 ½ inch nonstick aluminum fry pan
8 ½ quart aluminum saucepan
2 ½ quart aluminum saucepan
Aluminum cover for the 8 ½ quart saucepan (will also fit the 12 ½ inch nonstick aluminum fry pan)
13 inch x 18 inch aluminum sheet pan
12 inch x 18 inch aluminum bake pan
8 inch chef’s knife
2 ½ inch paring knife
8 inch x 2 inch sharpening stone
12 inch x 18 inch polycarbonate cutting board
Vegetable peeler with carbon steel blade
Stainless steel box grater
3 quart stainless steel mixing bowl
5 quart stainless steel mixing bowl
8 quart stainless steel mixing bowl
8 quart stainless steel colander
6 inch stainless steel strainer
4 piece stainless steel measuring cup set
4 piece stainless steel measuring spoon set
Instant-read pocket thermometer
High-heat silicone spatula
12 inch heavy duty wooden spoon
12 inch nylon slotted spoon
12 inch nylon slotted turner
Stainless steel dough scraper
13 inch stainless steel pot fork (use it with the chef knife for caring that turkey )
9 inch stainless steel tongs
10 inch stainless steel piano whip (whisk)
4 ounce stainless steel ladle

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Money saving tip: get in shape at home

Friday, October 17th, 2008

Exercise is good for you, physically and mentally [mens sana in corpore sano], it is absolutely the best medicine for virtually every condition and it is great prevention as well. Can you think of a better investment than your health? Now, let’s face it, a lot of individuals have a gym membership but they don’t use it at all.
Our first advice is to curtail some non-healthy habits like watching TV (operating the remote control is not good exercise) and make time to visit your gym, get fit, and make good use of your membership.

If you can’t do that, our second advice is to cancel your membership in order to save money and some of your sanity.
If you choose this second advice and sever your ties with the gym you haven’t seen in years, there are ways to get your exercise without a gym:
The simplest thing is to go running: it’s a no excuse exercise, it’s inexpensive, and either you can go running where you live, urban or country setting, or chances are there’s park within 5-10 minutes from where you live or where you work. If you are lucky enough that your office has showers (it is more common than you think), start an office group and go running at lunch time, 20 minutes of running will go a long way, and still leave enough time for a quick shower and a healthy lunch.

You can also be creative and follow Steve Speirs’s program for 100 push-up. Push-up are very good exercise, and Steve has made it very easy with a simple program that, slowly but surely, will get you to do 100 push ups. Can you imagine telling your friends “yeah I can do 100 pushups” and while we don’t advocate to become a hustler, you can probably win a few bets from your non-believer friends.
Check out Steve’s site at hundredpushups.com .

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Money saving tip: order your Halloween costume online

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

Money saving tip: order your Halloween costume online, order early to save on shipping charges and avoid the last minute mayhem at the physical stores, the hassle of wasting time, and save gasoline and wear and tear on your car.

Add-on to your idea, sell your past years costumes on ebay or craigslist, and buy your new ones, for you and your significant one and kids at our affiliate eToys.com

Suggested Halloween order deadlines:

Standard Shipping: Tuesday, 10/21;
Premium Shipping: Sunday, 10/26
Express Shipping: Monday, 10/27

Posted in Personal Finance | No Responses »
Tags: Halloween, Money saving tips

Money saving tip: too early to plan your holiday shopping?

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

The holidays are fast approaching, and for those of you who like to plan and to get your hands on the must have toys, either for the kids or for the kid in you, it pays to shop early:

best inventory
excellent discounts
no shipping issues
best chance to snag that hot toy

This year one of the hot toys is the Elmo Live, which is already a hot commodity, already showing up on eBay at inflated prices.

Your solution: one we can think of that you can trust is Amazon.com where it is available for pre-order (as of this writing):

Posted in Debt Management, Personal Finance | No Responses »
Tags: Holiday Shopping, Hot Toys, Money Saving Ideas, Money saving tips

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Money saving tips

...now browsing by tag

Lazy Portfolios seven-year winning streak

Save money, be healthier, and be friend with the environment

Time to save money: how much is your checking account costing you?

Take good care of your pets and save money at the same time

A brilliant idea for people who love to cook (and their loves ones)

Money saving tip: get in shape at home

Money saving tip: order your Halloween costume online

Money saving tip: too early to plan your holiday shopping?