The personal finance cyber presses are always on, churning out lots of ideas for using money well. Here are 10 articles from around the Web that caught our eye this week.
Identity thieves are targeting our kids (Daily Finance). Words of warning to parents, along with some advice for keeping kids safe from cyber crooks.
Planning for college? Start talking to your rising seniors (Washington Post). Got a high school junior in the house? Here’s how to prep him or her for what’s next.
Community college: how to avoid dropout factories (CNNMoney). It’s become common advice: to hold down the cost of college, have your kids spend two years at a community college first. But all community colleges are not alike. Here’s a resource to help you choose wisely.
Boomers giving away too much? (MSN). Giving to charity isn’t the issue here; it’s making your adult kids or parents your favorite charity. Sometimes the most loving thing to do is just say no.
Impulse purchases continue to bust budgets (MSNBC). Retailers pull out all the stops to promote spontaneous spending, which is why the most basic, boring advice still holds true: Make a list and stick to it.
And from the blogosphere…
What does it mean to become a ten-talent steward? (Christian PF). A challenging and encouraging reflection on the Parable of the Talents.
Double aisle duty (The Sun’s Financial Diary). For many parents, the advice to leave the kids at home when grocery shopping is easier said than done. Here are some ways to keep them occupied while cruising the aisles with you, keeping the “gimmies” to a minimum.
Square foot gardening 101 (My Own Advisor). We set up a simple 4′ by 4′ vegetable garden last year and got lots of zucchini out of it. This year, without touching the garden, some lettuce that got snuffed out by last year’s monster zucchini plants came up on its own and we’ve been enjoying lots of fresh salad already. We definitely don’t have the greenest thumbs on the block, but we’re sold on growing some of our own food. How about you?
6 ways to beat procrastination – on big and little tasks (Pick The Brain). Solid, simple ideas for getting stuff done. Try some. Now.
How to add 5 years to your life and $63,000 to your bank account (Faith and Finance). I don’t mean to give away this blogger’s punch line, but there’s other research that supports his idea. Boston College Sociologist Juliet Schor, in her book, “The Overspent American,” cites research showing the less TV people watch, the more they save.
Got a question or a response to any of the above? Be sure to leave a comment.
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By Matt Bell
Matt Bell is Sound Mind Investing’s Associate Editor. He is the author of three personal finance books published by NavPress, leads workshops at churches and universities throughout the country, and has been quoted in USA TODAY, U.S. News & World Report, and many other media outlets.
