Welcome to the March 2, 2009 edition of Kids and Money. It's been a while since our last carnival, so this is a BIG ONE. I've tried to put the submissions into logical blocks for easier reading.

Earning

Tisha Tolar presents Work at Home Discipline: Find Some posted at Empowering Mom.

jim presents Ten Recession-Busting Money Tips for Young Professionals posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity.

Pinyo presents Where To Sell Used Books And Textbooks posted at Moolanomy.


Spending

Matthew Paulson presents 8 Money Saving Ideas for Family Fun Night posted at American Consumer News.

Gary R. presents Traditional vs. Rustic Camp Sites posted at Camping Tips, saying, "An increasing number of campgrounds are offering visitors the choice of both traditional and rustic campsites."

Madison presents Money Saving Tips for Kids on Valentine’s Day posted at Kids and Money.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Lower Your Car Insurance Rates! How To Cut Insurance Premiums In Half posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "If you've got kids, driving safely and carefully is a must. And doing so will most likely lower your car insurance rates as well." 

Barry presents Tug Of War Between Retailers And Frugal Consumers posted at Associate Money. 

Annette Berlin presents Printable Toys For Pre-Teens posted at Craft Stew, saying, "Older children get tired of toys fast. Rather than spending a small fortune to keep them constantly satisfied, let them create their own playthings from cardstock and a printer." 

jim presents How to Strong Arm Your Way to a Better Deal posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. 

Savings Toolbox presents Tips to Save On your Summer Getaway posted at Savings Toolbox.


Saving

Deposit Accounts presents Savings Accounts for Children posted at Deposit Accounts. 

Mr. Banker presents High Interest Money Market Accounts (MMA) posted at Best Interest Rate Banks. 

Brian McKay presents CD Rates posted at MonitorBankRates.com, saying, "Finding a decent rate on a certificate of deposit account these days isn’t an easy thing to do. CD rates have been coming down so fast recently the average 12 month CD rate is nearing just 2.00%." 


Investing 

retirehappy presents Warren Buffett’s Metric Says BUY! posted at My Retirement Blog. 

The Shark Investor presents Strategies For Raising Funds: Borrow Your Way To Wealth posted at The Shark Investor, saying, "How and when to use loans for investing" 

Carrie presents Learning About Investing as a Child posted at Less is More. 

RJ presents The Case for Investing in Index Funds posted at Our Financial Planner, saying, "No matter the age and experience, index funds can be your greatest friend. Thank you for hosting." 

Kelly Sonora presents 25 Forex-Related Twitter Accounts Worth Following posted at Best Forex Brokers. 

PicktheBrain presents The First Investment a Beginner Should Make posted at Beginner Investing. 


Money Management 

Len Penzo presents Using a Ledger to Teach Kids Money Management posted at Len Penzo . Com, saying, "Even kids as young as 6-years old can learn personal finance management skills via this simple bookkeeping plan." 

Lisa Mitchell presents Teaching Your Children About Money posted at Let's Talk Babies. 

Jacquelyn presents The Wise Parent & Child Money Guide posted at WParent.com - Wise Parenting Guide, saying, "Give your child an introduction to the subject of money by reading this article together. This will give your child a general idea about money." 


Credit

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Best Cash Back Credit Cards: Your Rewards For Spending posted at The Digerati Life, saying, "Thank you!" 

jim presents Best Student Credit Cards posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. 

Finance Tips 101 presents Drowning In Debt? Bad Credit Loans May Need To Be Considered! posted at Finance Tips 101. 

Finance Tips 101 presents The Pros And Cons Of Personal Loans posted at Finance Tips 101. 

Finance Tips 101 presents Answers About Home Equity Loans posted at Finance Tips 101.

DebtLite presents What Are the Root Causes of Debt? posted at Debt Advice. 

Astrid Lee presents Suze Orman posted at World Healing, saying, "Article on advice by Suze Orman, the popular TV adviser on personal finance and about how get out of debt. Article also contains video show where she talks about how to determine how much to give to charities..." 

Finance Tips 101 presents Cash Back, Award Points, and Gas Cards posted at Finance Tips 101. 


College

Madison presents Midwestern Disaster Area Tax Impacts posted at Tax Gab, saying, "Expanded college tax credits for those affected by the storms last year." 

Finance Tips 101 presents Scholarship And Grant Information For Interested High School Graduates posted at Finance Tips 101. 

The Smarter Wallet presents Student Loan Programs To Pay For My College Tuition Costs posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, "Thanks!" 

Madison presents Ohio 529 College Advantage $25 Sign Up Bonus posted at My Dollar Plan. 

OnlineCollege presents Choosing a College: A Simple Guide for Undergraduates posted at Universities and Colleges. 


Preparing for Baby

jim presents Preparing Financially for a Baby posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. 

Concerning Kids presents Choosing The Right Pediatrician For Your Baby posted at Concerning Kids. 

Madison presents Our Family is Expanding… Financial Resources for Babies posted at My Dollar Plan. 

Pregnant Woman presents Identical Triplets - Three Bundles Of Joy posted at Pregnancy, saying, "Triplets occur in one of every eight thousand live births" 


The Stimulus 

The Smarter Wallet presents Will The Obama Economic Stimulus Check and 2009 Stimulus Plan Save The Economy? posted at The Smarter Wallet, saying, "How will your family be affected by the stimulus bill?" 

Brian McKay presents What's in the Stimulus Bill for You? posted at MonitorBankRates.com, saying, "We have listed all the benefits for individuals in President Obama's stimulus bill that was just passed." 

Ella Moss presents New Economy, or Buy American, Stupid! « Zodiac Times posted at Zodiac Times, saying, "So, the new stimulus package is passed, hopes are up, markets are down, and recession deepens. Everyone is blaming the housing market, unscrupulous bankers and inept previous administration. But very few seem to understand the true roots of our woes, and how deep our economic problems go." 


Miscellaneous 

KCLau presents Money Tips Group Writing Project posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "Calling out for contributors to an e-book about personal finance." 

nickel presents Should You Pay Your Kids for Good Grades? posted at fivecentnickel.com. 

Money Tipper presents Bring Proof of Age When Flying With Young Children posted at Money Tipper. 

Concerning Kids presents Tips And Idea To Help Child Proof Your Home posted at Concerning Kids. 

Finance Tips 101 presents Alarming Identity Theft Statistics Are Cause For Concern posted at Finance Tips 101. 

Relax presents The happy way to spend money posted at The Wise Curve, saying, "we are happier when we spend money to gain experience than buying material goods" 

jim presents Total Cost of Owning A Dog posted at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity. 

Concerning Kids presents Helping Your Healthy Child Stay Fit For Life posted at Concerning Kids.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Kids and Money using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: kids and money, blog carnival.

Yeah, this is a big post. I haven't written anything substantial in a while. As you may know, if you're a subscriber or frequent reader, I work for a company that's been -- ahem -- "acquired" and I'm going to be looking for a new job real soon. I could lament about the fact that it's the 4th quarter, nobody's hiring, the holidays are near, nobody's hiring, I'm a single-income family, soon to be zero-income family, nobody's hiring...but...

You didn't come here for that!

You, like me and thousands of others, either are looking for new jobs or soon will be. The economy tanking, the government doing its best impersonation of Sergeant Schultz ("I see nuuuthing!!!"), and companies increasingly getting by with less have all lead to higher numbers of unemployed, and an almost-never-uttered underemployed. That is to say, there are thousands, maybe millions, of people who have full-time jobs that don't pay much or they have several part-time jobs that -- again -- don't pay well. In any event, neither group is making ends meet nor are they counted amongst the unemployed (if you're not looking for a job, you don't count).

This post will cover three ways of earning an income. Mix and match, go solo, or do all three -- it's completely up to you. There's the "traditional" way, the "alternative" way, and the "passive" way. First, the traditional way. But with some unconventional twists.

Traditional

Most of us want a "job" where we trade our time and knowledge (otherwise known as "work") for money. We produce a product, sell a service, build a bridge, write a book, etc., all in return for a paycheck that either comes once a week, twice a month, or once a month.

Millions of people -- the majority, in fact -- who consider themselves "employed" (as opposed to unemployed or self-employed) have jobs. It's supposed to be -- and usually is -- a symbiotic relationship, in that both the employer and employee gain something from the relationship.

I've had lots of jobs. Too many in fact! If there's one thing I know how to do, it's how to get a job! And I've had many different kinds of jobs. Here's a short list:

• Concession stand salesman
  
• Yellow pages seller
• Retail store manager and salesperson
• School teacher
• IT help desk
  
• Systems Analyst
• Auditor
• Manager, credit card operations
• CEO, computer consultancy
• Print press operator

(not in chronological order)

With each job, save for one, I boosted my income considerably from one job to the next. However, that one set back killed my income growth for 3-4 years!

Nevertheless, here's what you need to do to get a job. It's a long list. The short list will come later.

• Make yourself employable. This means get a college degree if the job you want requires it, the technical certification if the job requires it, the law degree and BAR exam passage if you want to be a lawyer, the credential if you want to be a teacher, etc. This step requires the most planning, patience, and time. But short-cuts abound.
• Get a long list of references together. Get names, phone numbers, addresses, and emails. Get letters of recommendation. In short, network!
• Speaking of networking, sign up for LinkedIn. There are a whole host of things you can do here. Check out Guy Kawasaki's blog post about using LinkedIn to its fullest. Get LI "endorsements."
• Keep in touch with all of your classmates, teachers, co-workers, and employers (past and present). Talk to them long before you need to, lest your calls be labeled what they are -- job calls.
  
• Seek out companies you want to work for. Research them. Find out things about them that is not common knowledge (but make sure it's objective and flattering). Put together a list of companies that you want to target for job opportunities. Find out who works there (using LinkedIn or other resources). Talk to them!
  
• Be especially mindful of the Human Resources department where you currently work or worked. Use the recruiters there to find recruiters at other companies or headhunters / job search firms (they all talk to each other). If you're currently in school, utilize your Employment Opportunities folks. Turn an internship into a job!
• Open accounts at Monster.com, HotJobs.com, and CareerBuilder.com. Submit resumes and create cover letters. Update daily.
• Find local job and resume boards and post your resume there. 
  
• Use Craigslist.com for job opps. Post a "jobs wanted" ad (free) listing, using it as an announcement that you are available. It's another form of broadcasting your resume.
• Network!
• Be on the lookout for opportunities at companies that you didn't target. For example, you may prescribe a solution to a company that takes a real liking to you. Don't forget that the CEO of Craigslist got his job by posting his resume on Craigslist. Obviously not a common occurrence, but if him, why not you? Luck = Preparation + Opportunity
• Network!
• Don't be afraid to "go home." If you liked a job but left out of frustration or the need to explore other opportunities, go back if that's what your heart desires. We all get caught up in "you can't go back home -itis" but you can. It's your life. Do what makes you happy. Swallowing pride is not that hard if the outcome is what you truly want.
• Did I mention networking?
  

 The short list:

• Network
• Work the Net!

Nearly every good job I got through knowing the right people. I'd like to think that I got the interview because I had a good recommendation but that I got the job because I deserved it. Maybe. Maybe not. But whatever the case, knowing people and interacting with them bears fruit!

Alternative

This post is tied to several posts (Learning to Earn, Part 1 of ... Many?, Ten Commandments of Personal Finance, 7 Things You Must Do Financially) I wrote a long time ago about alternative income. You'll find "alternative income" all over the Personal Finance blogs; I implore you to read these articles first, and then come back. I'll wait.

(Tapping toes. Joyously waiting for your return. Here are a few more from very reputable sources.)

• 40+ Alternative Income Ideas and Resources : Moolanomy 
• My Sources Of Alternative Income And How I Make Them Work For Me ... 
• The Simple Dollar » Why Many “ Alternative Income ” Ideas Aren’t ...
• Alternative Income Idea: Stringing Tennis Rackets | The Passive Dad 
• my 2008 financial resolution
• Solo-preneuring™: Get Paid to Do What You Love to Do 
• The 8 Levels Of Income | Amateur Asset Allocator

The short story is that there are literally hundreds of alternatives to the traditional job. They all require that you start your own business, or at least require that you earn money outside the typical employer/employee relationship. Here's a short list of alternative income ideas:

• Self-employment -- service business. Can be lawn mowing, landscaping, computer repair, energy consultant, home painting, mobile car detailing, closet organizer, Tupperware, etc. Mostly labor-intensive.
• Affiliate marketing. Best done through having your own web site (or sites). You sell somebody else's product(s) and earn a commission or fee. (Warning: Affiliate links ahead!) Some good affiliate programs are Site Build It!, oneNetworkDirect, and ClickBank.
  
• Blogging. You earn money through ads, affiliate marketing commissions, and other sources (see How to Make Money From Your Blog by Steve Pavlina for a great blog post about this).
• Sell your own products, like books, eBooks, videos, newletters, photographs, drawings. Amazon, Lulu.com, and eBay immediately come to mind.
  
• Network marketing like Amway, Pampered Chef. Thousands of others. Many seem to place an emphasis on recruiting other salespeople. Not my cup of tea. BUT many folks have more than replaced their traditional income with income earning in Multi-Level Marketing (aka "MLM").

Passive

So-called passive income is derived from doing as little as possible. The classic case is income from investments, such as interest and dividends. Wealthy people can afford not to work because they have assets throwing off income. Generally, this comes in the form of cash dividends from stock investments and interest from bond investments. You, of course, probably don't have this luxury. That is to say, if you had assets like this, you wouldn't be reading a blog about how to make money (you already have).

But there something to be said about this, from an asset perspective. In any income-generating endeavor, whether it is from working for somebody else, generating affiliate income, or building your own business, all the income you derive comes from an asset. Your ability to labor is an asset. Your ingenuity is an asset. Your capital is an asset.

Strive to make as much as possible of what you own a performing asset. If you're at home sitting around watching TV, you're wasting an income-generating asset (your intellect, or your ability to create something). If you're delivering pizzas, you're using your car (an asset) to generate income. If you buy a new gadget like an iPod, ask yourself if it can generate any income. If it can't, think twice twelve times about buying it. See?

For most of us, it's our time that is our most valuable asset. Time is finite, too. We only have so much of it. But we can turn that thinking on its head and instead of trading time for money, we can use an asset to produce an income. Think about that a bit.

When you think in these terms, your future becomes limitless. Time doesn't matter any more. It's what you do in the time you have that determines whether you earn a generous income or not.

I hope that I've given you some food for thought. To summarize, most of us just want a fair wage for the time we put in. That's perfectly acceptable. However, I think I've given you some ideas about how to generate more than just a trade of your time for money. You can certainly enhance your monthly take-home pay by incorporating alternative and passive revenue streams into the mix.


Money isn't everything. It's the only thing. Wait. That's only for football.
Enjoy life. Spend time with your family.

There may never be a better time than now to establish a stock investing plan. With the stock market down 20 percent, everything is on sale. Be selective, though, because some stocks will surely move down.

Bet on staples, like food, water, and beverage companies.

If you open a TradeKing account today with $2,500, TradeKing will deposit $50 into your account when you make your first trade.

This is an easy way to make $50 without doing much. Take your $2,500 and open and fund your account today. Might be a good time to establish your Roth IRA...


Money isn't everything. It's the only thing. Wait. That's only for football.
Enjoy life. Spend time with your family.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Sears will rebound. It's not a matter of "If" but "When." That is, if the shorts don't kill it.

Eddie Lampert is, quite possibly, the world's greatest investor, better than Warren Buffett. He's less well-known than the Oracle of Omaha, but he's been at the top of the investment game for a long time. His investment (takeover) in Sears and K-Mart should have signaled the turnaround of those two entities, but such a turnaround has been absent thus far. Read this story -- What's Behind Sears's Sudden Rise? - Kiplinger.com -- for more. And pay particular attention to the last paragraph. This may indeed come to fruition. Not a bad idea...

Prime Time Money tagged me with the challenge to "Find one step you can take to make your financial system better or more organized."



Being the philosopher I am, I turn to Confucius,  who is rumored to have said (did I tell you I'm a skeptic, a cynic, and sarcastic?)

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

My single step was buying a little software program in the late 80s (I was still a kid! Really, I was) called Managing Your Money which led me to the inspiration and contributor to the software, Andrew Tobias. I found out that Tobias was a personal finance author (what are those? You mean there were experts before blogging?); one of his books was humorously called "The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need."



In this book, I can truly say that I learned at least 95 percent of what I know today about personal finance, investing, banking, and saving money. I also learned 100 percent of what I know about wine (which is still very little, by the way).



Tobias is an advocate of index fund investing, buying in bulk (he provides the ROI calculations, too), yet only investing money that you can truly afford to lose.



And he's lost a lot! He's lost his shirt in Broadway and off-Broadway plays, futures and options, commodities of all sorts, real estate, collectibles, and limited partnerships in oil and gas. You name it, he's invested in it, and he's lost money in it.



He goes through the various ways he's lost money to illustrate the idea that you just cannot win in the investing game by going for broke and paying tons of fees. The experts in commodities, for example, will always clean your clock. These speculative "investments" are zero sum games: One guy wins, you lose.



Contrast this with the stock market, where one man's gain isn't necessarily another man's loss. We can all win; or, in other words, a rising sea lifts all boats. The stock market, even though it's sucky now (financial term for "underperforming"), is your best bet for long-term growth of your money.



I still follow Andrew Tobias. Though he talks a lot of politics on his site, the focus still is on financial planning, frugality, and investing. He's funny, witty, and smart.



So that was my first step:



Finding somebody to follow.



Many choose "gurus" like Dave Ramsey, Jim Cramer, or Ric Edelman. I found Andrew Tobias. It's been a great find!



Now, whom shall I tag?



brip blap

Frugal Dad

How to Make 7 Million in 7 Years™

Quest For Four Pillars

Generation X Finance



Like what you've read here? Subscribe to Money Hacks by Email. You might find yourself with a free book from me if you subscribe (I will select "winners" in August).

From Steven Levitt, author of Freakonomics: Don't Save Too Much

The logic was simple: An academic's salary rises steadily over time, as do outside opportunities (like writing popular books!). The right reason to save is so you can even out your consumption. When times are good, you should save, and when times are bad, borrow. Most likely I would never be that poor again, which meant I should be borrowing, not saving. I didn't follow the advice as fully as I should have, partly because my wife insisted we save - she is not quite as good an economist as Milton Friedman.

Do you agree? It makes some sense to me. Love the last line!

Like what you've read here? Subscribe to Money Hacks by Email.

From the founder of E-Loan and Prosper --

Starting my own business seemed so risky, but maxing out credit cards or even going bankrupt isn't so risky if you do it at a young age. You'll never regret taking those risks, but you might regret it if you don't.

CNNMoney.com



What do you think? It seems that the whole PF blogosphere reviles debt, especially credit card debt. Does it make sense to max out cards in the pursuit of a dream? People don't get fabulously rich by NOT taking risks.



And, trust me, one of the biggest risks you can take is putting your fate in the hands of credit card companies!



Short of borrowing money from the SBA, your family, or your friends, you could try prosper.com or your credit cards. If you have an idea that you know will succeed (and it will, if you never stop trying), you're taking a bigger risk NOT doing it than doing it.



So, keep your day job, use your available credit to fund your hobby-to-be-turned-into-a-business, and GO FOR IT.



Or, keep your day job, scrimp and save, and retire at 65 with enough money to eat dog food.



If you're lucky enough to have figured out life early on, you can have the best of all worlds -- well off, happy, and young. IF your parents taught you well, you saved most of the money you ever got, and you started really young, you can have it all.



It's your choice.



Want a daily digest of Money Hacks? Subscribe here and I may just give you a free book.

First in a series of 40 quotes from famous fund managers, sports stars, comedians, and other noteworthy folks.

The smartest advice I ever got - Stocks build wealth - with no work (1) - CNNMoney.com

Like what you've read here? Subscribe to Money Hacks by Email.

Nice list of documents to get you started in business. The Non-disclosure one is a great one to start with.

Like what you've read here? Subscribe to Money Hacks by Email.

One of my favorite conservative economists, Greg Mankiw, recently wrote a piece about corporate taxes in the New York Times. There are two basic schools of thought when it comes to corporate taxes: Either treat corporations like individuals, where they're obligated to pay taxes, or treat them like a pass-through entity, where they, in effect, pay zero taxes.


It is my opinion that the double taxation that currently exists because of the corporate income tax is onerous to the economy and to individual taxpayers. I think we should abandon both forms of taxation, both corporate and individual, and use a value-added tax (also known as a sales tax).


We are smart enough to figure out how to make this fair and equitable. But we won't because our system is so political that the special interests will fight it out until nothing happens.


It's too bad too, because this is the time when I think real change is not only acceptable, but sought-after.


Economic View - The Problem With the Corporate Tax - NYTimes.com

This is a great article, food for thought, about passive income.

The 8 Levels Of Income | Amateur Asset Allocator

Like what you've read here? Subscribe to Money Hacks by Email.

Welcome Stepcase Lifehack readers! I'm flattered that Money Hacks has been featured as one of 80 How-To Sites Worth Bookmarking; in fact, it was in the top 10 for "Hack Your Wallet and What’s In It" -- amongst such esteemed sites as

• Frugal Hacks 
• WiseBread 
• Get Rich Slowly 
• The Simple Dollar 

and -- GET THIS --

• The Motley Fool

Wow, I'm terribly flattered to be included in the same breath as any one of these sites!

This is an excellent list, too, not just because my humble site is mentioned, but because it's chock-full of great sites about all sorts of topics.

It may behoove you to open every single one of the 80 links and not only bookmark them, but add their RSS feeds to whatever feedreader you use (check out Google Reader, a free Google product).

Like what you've read here? Subscribe to Money Hacks by Email.

I thought I'd tell you the books I'm reading. What people read tells you a lot about them: Their preferences, interests, hobbies, fantasies.

I tend to read several books at a time. This keeps me interested but it can confuse me :)

One book I'm reading now is Thomas Friedman's Longitudes and Attitudes. It's a book that chronicles the events leading up to 9/11 and Iraq. But it's not just about politics and war. It's about the globalization (read: economics) that has occurred since the Cold War ended and how it has affected the global playing field. Rather than nation-states dictating how the world works, it's more about how the web created by globalization has empowered individuals and large markets.

Friedman sure knows how to turn a phrase. He's very good at getting complex points across. I've watched him on TV and enjoy him. This is my first read of any of his books.

Another book I'm reading, kind of peacemeal, is The Tom Peters Seminar, which is Peter's attempt at capturing the content, flavor, and enthusiasm of one of his seminars. There's a whole lot of information to chew on here. This book is a little long in the tooth, though, having been written in 1994. Some of the companies he highlights for revolutionary change didn't make out so well in the 2000s.

Nevertheless, the gist of the book, if I had to boil it down into one phrase or sentence, is that the new economy is about YOU, Inc. Become used to having multiple jobs and no security. Become an expert and become a free agent.

Finally, the third book I'm reading right now is not really a book, in that it's a guide on the web, called The Action Guide. It's about building a business on the web. I'm using it to build two new sites (in very early development) that I hope to publish this year. The idea behind the Action Guide is that each step of the business you're building is broken into easily-digestible and actionable chunks. During each step, you build upon what you learned in the previous chunks.

I want to build valuable web properties (hopefully, this is one of them!) and I think this process will help me get there. Take a look at the testimonials. They are what ultimately sold me.

What's to come? Well, I like re-reading books I've read. It's fun to compare what the author thought might happen with reality. So I think I may re-read The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias and Jim Cramer's Mad Money for Life.

I've mentioned that I'd review those books in the near-future. As sometimes happens in life, the near-future is turning into "next year." One day, I'll get to these reviews.

I don't want to be like the rest of the Personal Finance bloggers who do reviews -- they do an excellent job and they (and you!) know who they are. I want to bring my particular viewpoints and opinions to the discussion; I just haven't made the time to do it yet.


Like what you've read here? Subscribe to Money Hacks by Email.

Technorati Tags: Jim Cramer | Mad Money | Andrew Tobias | The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need | Site Build It | Tom Peters | Tom Friedman

When I was a kid, Lenny Dykstra was a baseball phenom. Small, but he could hit like hell and he fielded with reckless abandon. I liked him a lot. Always with that big ole cheek full of chewing tobacco, he epitomized the over-achiever. Turns out, he's great in business, too.

Brash. Opinionated. Smart. Caring. Those are the words that came to mind when I read this story: The Sporting Scene: Nails Never Fails: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker.

He's now trying to give back. His biggest endeavor at the moment is creating the Players Club magazine. In it, he hopes to guide athletes down the path of continued riches, rather than down the path many of them seem to take, like Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson.

Even giving back, Dykstra is abrasive. But it works. Tough love? You be the judge. Speaking of pro athletes:

"You’ve got the ten per cent who are going to find their way no matter what,” Dykstra said of the athlete population. “And you get the ten per cent that are f---heads no matter what—we’ll paste an ‘L’ to ’em.” The rest need guidance, and Dykstra, who will write a regular column called “The Game of Life,” is prepared to give it. “This will be the world’s best magazine,” he said.

Give 'em hell, Lenny!

Technorati Tags: Lenny Dykstra | Players Club magazine | pro athletes
Like what you've read here? Subscribe to Money Hacks by Email.

KCLau wrote a post about wills that I thought I'd bring to your attention. I must admit, writing wills for both my wife and I has been on our list for about 3 years now. We started thinking about it before our first child was born.

Not taking the time to write our wills is more about denial (I will never die, nor will my wife, which is a ridiculous thing to think because we all die, one day, usually sooner than we want) than about time getting the best of us.

So this article actually has triggered something in me that is compelling me to really take on the task of writing our wills.

Now that we have two young children at home, it's more important now than ever to do this.

Here is the gist of the exercise:

Write a will for both my wife and me. List all our assets and how they are to be disbursed upon my or her death, or both.

We also need to determine who will care for our kids (we have). One of the keys here is to talk with the lucky future (potential) guardians and let them say "No," if they're so inclined. After all, taking on children that aren't yours at a moment's notice, for the rest of time, is a daunting, scary task.

For many folks, writing a will is fairly easy: We don't have lot of complex assets like real estate or partnerships and most of our assets, if not all, are in joint tenancy. There's software that will facilitate the endeavor, too. Quicken's WillMaker comes immediately to mind.

You'll have to get it notarized. Make sure you store it in at least three places. For example, one at home, one in the safe deposit box, and perhaps one with your nearest relative that doesn't live with you.

KCLau's post had an interesting illustration (to the left) that showed when a person ought to reconsider re-writing his or her will. This is a very good list to keep in mind as your life goes on. It's important to update your will whenever something changes materially that affects your property or beneficiaries.

Read KCLau's post for the full story ([Rockwills] Professional Will Writing Service: When Should You Rewrite Your Will? | Personal Finance Money Tips).

Thanks for piquing my interest in this crucial topic!

Look for a future post about estate planning that I'll be writing in the near future.

Like what you've read here? Subscribe to Money Hacks by Email.

Technorati Tags: will | assets | estate planning | Kids and Money

My blogging friend AJC, who authors the blog 7 Million in 7 Years, started a new site, called 7m7y, where he is going to share his extensive business knowledge and mentor 7 millionaires in the making for 7 years!

I don't know how he's going to do it, but he's serious. And he seriously knows what he's doing. He went from $30,000 in debt to $7 million in 7 years (hence, the name).

The result: I made 7 million in 7 years™ … and, I started out broke (actually, worse, with a failed business and owing $30,000!). Now, plenty of people have made (and then write books about) “how I saved myself to $1 Million”, “How I made $5 Million trading shares (OR insert the method of choice: buying property, OR starting an online business, OR ….]”. They can tell you how THEY (maybe) made millions and skim a few bucks from you for their “secret system”.

The difference is that I made millions in businesses (yes, a number), properties (some large, some small), joint ventures (a few), and in a few other ways, as well … I’ve saved and skimped my way to a fortune, but, I’ve also spent my way to a bigger fortune … I’ve been in good debt and bad debt. I’ve tried it all, done it all (OK, not all, but far more than most).

What I finally realized, after years of trial and error (more like trial and tribulation) is that there is a system to making money; most of the pieces are known, but have never been fully detailed and shared with the world … before.

Adrian is for real. And this is the real deal. Check out both of his sites and tell me you're not inspired.

Here's what the sister site, 7m7y is going to do:

Here, you will meet our 7 Millionaires in Training (MITs), and you will be able to follow along as they chronicle their own path/s to wealth. You will hear their stories and their problems, and - if you like - you will have the opportunity to offer your own advice (and, perhaps ask your own questions) along with AJC.

Best of luck to the 7 lucky Millionaires in Training!! I will follow along and see what I can learn. Will you join me?

Technorati Tags: 7 Million in 7 Years | 7 Millionaires in Training

Welcome to the Money Hacks Carnival #10! This is my first "guest hosting" of the Carnival and I'm excited to get things rolling. There were many submissions, lots of good reading, and all of them included below were very informative and entertaining. I'm calling this the "Your Money, Your Life" edition because money and life are inextricably intertwined.

Grab a good beverage, find a spot to read, and have an open mind. Now, let's get started!


Best Money Hacks (Editor's Picks)

The best of the best.

The Eclectic Female submitted How To Talk About Money With Your Partner posted at Women's Lifestyle Blog.

Instead of phrasing the conversation in terms of negatives – like his low credit score or her shopaholic tendencies – focus on your future goals. If you want to buy a home, a car or a business, talk about the positive action steps you need to take to make your dream a reality.

This is by far one of the most important conversations you'll ever have. Better to find out sooner rather than later. This is not to suggest that money trumps love; rather, you don't want the resentment caused by money problems to wreck an otherwise rally healthy and mutually beneficial relationship.

AJC presents How your hobby can set you financially free! « How to Make 7 Million in 7 Years™ posted at How to Make 7 Million in 7 Years™.

Do what you love and you'll never need a job. If you can begin dabbling in making earning some money from something you truly love and save as much as possible from that endeavor, you're way ahead of the game. Additionally, in the current economic climate, lots of us with "day jobs" are at risk of getting laid off. If you've begun building a client list, referrals, and a body of work, you've not only diversified your income, but you've laid the foundation for a new beginning.

Leaving The Folks brought us Creating a Budget posted at Real World Advice.

Another blog post about budgets! Ay! However, this post presents the concept in a really easy-to-implement way. Sometimes, we have to get back to the fundamentals, and creating a budget is one of the most elementary fundamentals.

Todd presents Financial Kung Fu posted at HarvestingDollars.

This is such an entertaining post, comparing the famous martial art with personal finance.

Writer's Coin wrote The Writer’s Coin » Blog Archive » Someone Else’s Money posted at The Writer's Coin.

Such a touching story. It reminds us that in the Your Money, Your Life, Life really comes first.


Earn It

Here are some ways to earn "extra" money (note that there is never any "extra" money -- it all goes somewhere -- hopefully in savings or investments!)

Fitz Villafuerte gave us Top 8 Things You Can Sell Your Officemates For Extra Income posted at Ready To Be Rich.
Interesting ideas.

Bryce presents Treasure in the Garage posted at Save and Conquer.
There's always some hidden treasure in the garage.

Madison submitted Diversification of Income posted at My Dollar Plan.
Having more than one source of income is a fantastic idea.

Shanti presents Starting a Snowflake Business: (Part 2) The Materials posted at Antishay Ventenne.


Spend It

Let's face it: No matter how frugal you are, you will spend money. Here are some novel ways to minimize your spending.

Green Panda blogged about Cutting the Cable Bill posted at Green Panda Treehouse.
Do we need 500 cable channels?

Mike Leonard brought up an interesting perspective in Up to your eyeballs in debt – so what? posted at Until Debt Do Us Part.
A different perspective on debt. Read the whole article and I think you'll come away with a different takeaway than the title suggests.

Kaye presents Leaning from My Friends' New Purchase posted at Mrs Nespy's World.
Many people own cars that are out of their league. This is one of those stories.

Wenchypoo wrote about Inflation + Shortages = Stealth Tax Increase posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket.

S.B. shared some money-saving ideas in the post, Free Products at Drugstores - Rite Aid, Walgreens & CVS Explaination posted at Be Thrifty Like Us.

Amy @ The Q Family presents Be a Hero. "Save the Cash, Save the World" posted at The Q Family Adventure.

Silicon Valley Blogger showed us that Cheaper Toys ARE Better For Your Kids! posted at The Digerati Life.
Love the DIY robot costume!

Pinyo presents 34 Ways To Save Money On Car Expenses posted at Moolanomy.
Great list!

ChristianPF presented How to make a budget posted at Christian Personal Finance.
VERY comprehensive post about budgeting. The best pro athletes always practice the fundamentals.

Foxie gave us No Temptation, Just Motivation posted at Dreaming of Ferraris.
If you can't pay cash for it, don't buy it...great advice.

paidtwice presents With the Price of Everything Going Up, How Do You Budget? | I've Paid For This Twice Already... posted at I've Paid For This Twice Already....

Faron Benoit told us about Budgeting 101 posted at Financial Learn.

Lisa Spinelli presents Running the Gauntlet on Debt: A Debt Reduction Plan posted at Greener Pastures.
The most important concept in personal finance: Planning. If you don't plan for a positive outcome, you probably won't get it.

Chrysa showed how to Get a 10% Bonus on Your Economic Stimulus Check by Buying Groceries! posted at Thrifty Jinxy.
Not sure about the validity of this story, but if it's true, it's worth some investigation.

RC presents How to Simplify Your Finances-Start Small with Automatic Bill Payments posted at Think Your Way to Wealth.

FIRE Finance shared the Top 5 Freebie Websites! posted at FIRE Finance.


Save It

One of the keys to financial success is saving a good chunk of your income. Here, we find ways to save: Some old, some new.

Dorian Wales gave us the How to Make Saving More Rewarding and Tangible: 5 Practical Tips posted at Personal Financier.

Ray presents ING Direct Referral Links For New Accounts posted at Money Blue Book: Personal Finance Blog.

Ryan Taylor showed us how to build an emergency fund in 8 Ways to Build an Emergency Fund posted at Millionaire Money Habits.
Building an emergency fund is often difficult, but Ryan walks us through some relatively painless ways.

Will gave us a step-by-step guide to Switching Banks? Step By Step Guide and Tips posted at Your Finish Rich Plan.
I never really thought about switching banks in this way, but it does seem a bit complex, or at least very tedius.

GBlogger asked With Rates Dropping, What Are We Doing With Our High-Yield Savings Accounts—E*TRADE, ING Direct, and One United? posted at CAN I GET RICH ON A SALARY.
As the Fed targets a lower Fed funds interest rate, all other short-term rates will be reduced.

Ken Clark, CFP shed some light on college savings plans in Section 529 Review: Alaska T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan posted at Saving for College - About.com.
Not enough is written about college savings/investment plans. 529s are great investment vehicles.

The Dough Roller shared 11 Online Retirement Calculators posted at The Dough Roller | Smarter Money Management.
Great resource. Gotta love the plethora of online financial planning tools.


Preserve It

Insulating yourself from catastrophic loss is one of the more mundane, yet totally necessary, personal financial tasks. Here are some posts that touch on the subject.

Jonathan said in Divorce and Credit Card Debt don't mix! | Master Your Card posted at Master Your Card,

All joint credit cards will continue to be a joint responsibility until either the debt is paid off or until the lender agrees otherwise.

Very important consideration.

MoneyKing presents Sex With Your Ex???? It Might Cost You. posted at The Money Kings - RULE your money at home, at work, and at play!.

Mike asks Leaving town? Don’t waste money on car insurance posted at Living the Cheap Life.


Invest It

Investing your hard-earned money is fun. But you have to do all the other things to build a solid foundation for investing success.

Sally Thompson submitted Recession Proof Your Portfolio: 50 Best Blogs for Free Investment Advice posted at Currency Trading.net.
Big list of web sites with investing advice.

Barb A. Ryan presents Asset Allocation, Investment Asset Tax Location, and Emergency Cash Management posted at Pasadena Financial Planner.

Enoch Ko gave us a primer on Analyzing your financial statements at The Wealth Accumulator.

Don presents Pre Construction Investing posted at Tony Travis.
In today's environment, this is more risky, but if you have some expertise and a stomach for it, it's worth investigating.

Brice Hogan showed us how to set up a 6 Minute Retirement Plan posted at Financialzip.com.
Simplified retirement planning.

Michael Cohen presents his reasoning on Why I Sold My Apple Shares Today » Free Stock Market Investing Tips posted at Stock Tips.

TheWild1 asked What are you expecting from Microsoft? posted at The Wild Investor.

The Shark Investor gave us a little personality quiz in Discover Your Investment Style In 15 Minutes posted at The Shark Investor.

Joe Manausa wrote The Real Estate Market - When Will We See The Turn? posted at Tallahassee Real Estate Blog.

Bull Returns presents Stock Investment Resource: Stock Market Investing Tips - Is Small Cap Value The Key For 2008? posted at Stock Investment Information.

KCLau shed some light on a foreign stock exchange in Everything you are looking for about Bursa Malaysia posted at KCLau's Money Tips.

Eric presents Growing Money posted at Make Money Blog.
Another iteration of the magic of compound investing.

Jed Norwood presented What Forex Broker Should You Use? posted at Forex Strategy.


Miscellaneous

These posts could be placed in multiple categories, or they don't fit at all. Nevertheless, all offer sound ideas and advice.

FMF asked Do You Use Money to Discourage Bad Behavior? posted at Free Money Finance.

Warren Wong showed us Why Being Generous Makes You Wealthy posted at Personal Development.
Win-win.

Aryn gave us a great tip in When Are You Entitled to a Free Copy of Your Credit Report? posted at Sound Money Matters.

Heather Johnson presents 3 Lesser Known Factors Affecting the Forex Markets. posted at You Are The Worst dot Com.

Steve Faber presents Debt Relief – Do Settlement, Counseling, or Debt Relief Programs Really Work? posted at Debt Free.

Heather Allen shared her experiment in The Big £5 Project posted at The DebtFree Playbook Blog.

Joe D took a different approach in Credit Card Debt Can Be Good | Know The Ledge posted at Know The Ledge.

PT showed us how to Stop Junk Mail: My Earth Day Effort over at Prime Time Money.
Save trees, save money, save time.

FFB told us the tale of one scam, where a malicious web site was created to phish for personal information in Beware IRS Tax Refund Scams posted at Free From Broke.


And Now For a Little Humor

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Dear IRS posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog.
Me too!


Conclusion

We've covered a lot of ground in this carnival. We shared a wide range of blog posts about everything from earning, spending, saving, preserving, and investing.

Thanks to all for your participation. Until next week...

Technorati Tags: Your Money | Your Life | Money Hacks | Money Hacks Carnival | earning money | spending money | saving money | preserving money | investing money

Normally, I save these money-saving tips for Two for Tuesdays, a weekly feature post that contains 2 money-saving tips each week, delivered on -- you guessed it! -- each Tuesday. However, I thought this post should stand on its own.

The telephone is one of the technologies that we use every day and totally take for granted. It's like a birth right in this country (at least) and we simply rely on making and taking calls from all across the globe. We love voicemail, caller ID, and call forwarding. Local and long distance service is pretty cheap. In fact, with the deregulation of the telecomm industry quite a few years ago (24 years ago?), long distance prices have fallen through the floor.

I'm about to tell you how to save even more money on your phone service. It's called Voice over IP, or VOIP for short, and it uses the public internet to route calls. How does it do this? Does it really matter :)

My VOIP provider is Vonage, whom I truly love. If I could marry a phone service, I'd marry Vonage. Now, don't get me wrong, I would not divorce my wife, but I would consider bigamy.

It's that great.

Here's how it works (not a technological, but rather an operational issue). Trot on over to vonage.com and sign up (or email me with your email and I will send you an invitation where you could save money on your first two months, rather than just on your first month, which is Vonage's standard offer). Wait for the package to arrive in the mail. Follow the directions. Within minutes, you'll be making and taking phone calls over the 'net. You can even keep your existing phone number (note, however, that doing so will add days if not weeks to your ability to use the service, and it's not Vonage's fault, it's your existing phone company's fault. There's this thing that became law a few years ago, where you could transfer your phone number to another service, but all the phone providers drag their feet on fulfilling your requests).

Vonage offers all of the same features, and more, that your current "landline" provider offers, all at an all-you-can-eat price of $24.99. All calls within the US and Canada are included in the flat rate. Calls cost a few cents per minute to most countries in Europe.

Here's a list of features:

• Caller ID with Name
• Call Waiting
• Voicemail Plus®
• Call Transfer
• Enhanced Call Forwarding
• 3-Way Calling
• Caller ID Block
• Call Return
• Do Not Disturb
• Anonymous Call Block
• Repeat Dialing
• International & Directory Assistance Block
• Call Hunt
• Ring Lists
• Vonage Access
• Bandwidth Saver®
• Network Availability Number®
• Click-2-Call®
• Vonage Online Account
• 211 Dialing
• 311 Dialing
• 411 Enhanced Dialing
• 511 Traveler Information
• 811 Dialing
• 1-700-WEATHER
• 1-700-GREETINGS

Some pretty nifty features! Back when I worked for "the phone company" I would have paid over $100 for all of this (had I not been an employee). I have had one issue with Vonage in the last 4 years and it was Comcast's fault.

I highly recommend the service. But I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you about 3 possible negatives (and their solutions). The first is that when you call 911, you're not really calling the national or state-level 911 system, but rather you're calling Vonage's who then connects your call to the 911 system. I cannot tell you whether there's any delay.

The second is if your power or internet connection goes down, your phone service is down. The power situation is easily mitigated: Buy a backup unit. If your internet connection goes south, count on using your cell phone, provided you have one.

The third issue is that Vonage may go bankrupt. They're been saddled with numerous multi-million dollar lawsuits from the phone companies, over patent infringement, and they've lost. So they're paying tons of dough in fines, fees, and settlements. They also were bleeding cash before the lawsuits due to huge marketing expenses.

Time will tell if they go belly-up.

But since there are so many other VOIP providers, Vonage going out of business is not that damning to me; I can simply pick another provider. With the wealth of value-packed features VOIP offers, I will never go back to traditional phone service.

Technorati Tags: Vonage | Voice Over Internet Protocol | VOIP | Money Hacks | phone | telephone | AT&T | Verizon | Sprint

Empty Spaces presents US Economy Going South? posted at Adventures in Money Making, saying, "A depressing look at the hardships that American families are now facing. But there's no recession, right!"

Kelsey presents Family Finance - Family Budget Making, Planning, Creating, & Saving posted at Vanilla Joy - Family Fun and Education.

KCLau presents Financial Security: How you feel it? posted at KCLau's Money Tips, saying, "Article on acquiring financial security and how to increase or protect finances."

Frank Vertin presents Buy an S&P 500 Index Fund with Low Costs posted at NO LOAD INDEX FUND.

Realm of Prosperity presents Great Financial Aid Advice For College Students!!! posted at Realm of Prosperity, saying, "Useful information for all college students."

Ana presents Teenager on Food Budget - First Try posted at DebtFREE-Revolution, saying, "The first week of my experiment to put my teenage son on his own grocery budget"

Michelle Dawn presents 10 Ways to Save When Your Child is Hospitalized posted at Frugal Parenting, saying, "Let me know if you are accepting hosts!"

7million7years presents Should you pay your children to read? I don?t think so! posted at How to Make 7 Million in 7 Years™.

Zork Brauk presents UFO Recession Tip 41 - Play in Park for Free posted at It's the Recession, Stupid!.

Barb A. Ryan presents Your Family Financial Planning posted at Pasadena Financial Planner.

Heather Allen presents Childhood Money Lessons posted at The DebtFree Playbook Blog.

Richard M. Rothschild presents The Best Mutual Funds Have NO Sales Loads and NO 12b-1 Fees posted at Best No Load Funds.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of kids and money using our carnival submission form.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Trackbacks and/or links:
http://blogcarnival.com/bc/tb_19209.html
http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
http://moneyshaker.blogspot.com/2008/03/us-economy-going-south.html
http://www.vanillajoy.com/family-finance-part-ii-saving.html
http://kclau.com/wealth-management/financial-security-how-you-feel-it/trackback/
http://www.500indexfund.com/buy-an-sp-500-index-fund-with-low-costs-10.htm
http://www.realmofprosperity.com/2008/03/great-financial-aid-advice-for-college.html
http://www.debtfree-revolution.com/2008/03/24/teenager-on-food-budget-first-try/
http://7million7years.com/2008/03/24/should-you-pay-your-children-to-read-i-dont-think-so/
http://putinforpresident.typepad.com/itstherecessionstupid/2008/03/ufo-recessio-13.html
http://www.financialplannerpasadena.com/your-family-financial-planning-11.htm
http://debtfreeplaybook.com/blog/childhood-money-lessons.html
http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/2799890/26898612
http://debtfreeplaybook.com/blog/childhood-money-lessons.html/trackback
http://www.bestnoloadmutualfund.com/best-mutual-funds-have-no-sales-loads-9.htm

Technorati Tags: kids and money | Money Hacks | blog carnival

In a previous post, I outlined the Ten Commandments of Personal Finance, the first of which was to earn more than you spend. I went on to say that in order to do this, you need to spend less, make more, and/or do both. This post is about earning more.

You can only cut your spending to zero. There are limited gains from doing this. You have limited upside and a lot of downside. Like living in a box and eating cat food.

But your income potential is limited only by your creativity. There are thousands of people less qualified than you who are making considerably more money than you. How do they do it? They create it. Here's how you can create more income.

Ask for a raise, but only after you've earned it. There is a shortage of great employees, so endeavor to become your boss' right hand person. Be your boss. Be indispensable. Be a revenue-making machine for your employer. Show your boss, in monetary terms, how much you do for the company.

Take time off. It's good for your health, your soul, and it will show your boss how much she needs you. Don't leave your boss hanging, but give him the chance to experience business life without you. If he doesn't miss you, you're as good as gone next time there's a "belt tightening" or, in today's vernacular, "rightsizing."

Network. Join LinkedIn. Go to fundraisers and business lunches. If you own a small business, join your local Chamber of Commerce. Always be on the lookout for a better opportunity. And here's the key: Always give your employer the courtesy of keeping you. You really may not want to change jobs, but you do want to be a free agent. Look at professional sports: As soon as players could "shop" themselves around, salaries skyrocketed. Don't be afraid to test the waters.

Put your resume on HotJobs, Monster, and CareerBuilder. Every few months, update it. Don't ever take it down, unless you retire, and even then, you never know...


Sell on eBay


Sell assets you no longer use. It's amazing what people will buy and how much they'll pay for it. I sold a speedometer on eBay for $200. I paid $85 for it brand new 20 years ago. Granted, it's not readily available any more and it was for a very popular car, but still. Sheesh.

Sell books. Amazon, eBay, and half.com are 3 places where you can sell your "previously read" (or in my case, "never read") books. Sure, you'll make less than you spent, but those are sunk costs. The idea here is to get "extra" money for things you no longer use or need. Getting rid of stuff you no longer need also will make you less likely to think that you need a bigger house, which can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sell assets others no longer use. For example, collect cans. I'm not kidding. One year, a friend of mine wanted to take his young son on a fishing trip to Alaska, which is very expensive. He collected aluminum cans for a year, by going up and down the highway searching for aluminum cans. It's good for the pocketbook as well as the environment. You can go around to local shops and offer to take their cardboard. Businesses never have enough space or recycling capacity. Help them and then help yourself by turning it in to your local recycling center or waste management facility. You'd be surprised how much you can make just being the middle man.

Start a side business. Do you have a hobby that you can "monetize" (which is a made-up word that means turning something into a revenue or income generating method)? Are you a photographer? Sell your photos online; there are many stock photo agencies that will pay you for your photos. Are you a computer geek? Talk to local businesses about their technology needs. Many businesses are wholly inadequate when it comes to technology. Offer ways to help them by cutting their costs, raising their revenues, or becoming more efficient. Office automation, once a buzzword, is ever-elusive.

Perhaps you're a "crafty" person. Start a scrapbooking service. Or a basket making business.

Are you an expert at work? Parlay that expertise into a side business. Or a book. You can publish your own books now with the availability of PDF programs and the Internet. Or you can publish your own traditional paper book by working with firms like Lulu.com.

Are you a homemaker? Do you love the Food Network? Try a business like Amway or Pampered Chef or Tupperware or Mary Kay.

If you're reading this post, you've found a method for getting online. Now, turn that expense into a revenue stream. Become an affiliate. Sell your own goods or services online. Become a publisher for advertisers through Commission Junction, LinkShare, or amazon. Set up an eStore through Amazon. Sell on eBay.

Doing one or more of these things will increase your income. One of the best paths to increase income is creating multiple streams of income. Don't just settle for a "job." In your spare time, learn to create income. It is a surefire way to the path of earning more than you spend, the First Commandment of Personal Finance.

Technorati Tags: Learning to Earn, earning income, more income, increasing income, selling online, auction, hobby, selling unused assets, recycling, revenue streams, Money Hacks, Carnival of Personal Finance, Baby Education, Million Dollar Journey