Once again we scoured the web for our favorite posts in the personal finance blogging community. There is a lot of excellent information out there and it is getting harder to choose which posts to highlight here. Please let us know in the comments if there are any blogs we whould take a look at next week.
Cash Flow Mantra – Apple Vs PC – What Should You Buy?
Cash Flow Mantra offers a rundown of the differences between a Mac and a PC and hosts a surprisingly civil discussion on the matter.
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Whatever you prioritize when choosing your computer, go with your instinct for what will suit you best. Remember, you’re the one that will be stuck with either the Apple or the PC! When it comes down to it, what’s most important is that your new computer is one you’re happy with.
CashRebel – Something out of Nothing: Saving Green on Subscriptions
Cash Rebel gives an excellent example of negotiating with service providers based on his personal experience.
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Most giant companies want to price gouge you, but they’d much rather keep you as a customer at a lower rate than lose you all together. Being mentally prepared to walk away is your most powerful asset because that’s exactly the opposite of what they want.
Club Thrifty – Uncle Greg’s Tightwad Money Saving Tips
Club Thrifty is always a fun place to stop by and read. They make penny pinching fun. In our favorite post from this week Uncle Greg offers a long list of money saving tips to live by.
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Why? I’ll tell you why. Because it is FREE, you numbskull! Look, I enjoy my dime novels and talkies just as much as the next guy, but I could spend hundreds of dollars (or more) a year if I bought every movie and book I had an interest in. Using your tightwad library card is a great way to keep your expenses down while enjoying the written word or the cinematic arts. Huzzah!
Compounding Returns – How to Earn More Money
Pat S. at Compounding Returns offers us ideas on earning more money, especially through retraining for careers that may offer more financial rewards.
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A recent CNN article discussed the earning potential increase associated with attaining an associates degree. Especially within the medical and industrial fields, these technical and trade programs can make a huge difference in your earning potential over time.
KrantCents – Why You Should Think Twice About Paying Off Debt
At KrantCents there is an excellent discussion about what should be weighed before choosing to reduce debt over investing.
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Paying off debt or investing is not an either or choice. Using my example above, your weighted average for your student loans is 6.25% and the average stock market return on investment is an annualized return of 8.5% over the last 112 years. Remember, this is just an average and can be very different depending on when you enter or exit the market. Let’s presume the return is similar, but your employer matches a portion of your contribution. That would increase your return. The most important factor is the amount of time your money has to grow.
ConsumerFu in the Community
Bargain Babe – Last week Bargain Babe featured CheapSKate’s post on how to earn extra income using MTurk.
Blue Collar Workman – Today TD at Blue Collar Workman hosted my (CollegeMom’s) post on my experiences hiring a contractor and the lessons learned.