I hope you enjoy the wide variety of personal finance articles that grabbed my attention over the past week.
I’ve been thinking more and more about all the little purchase and convenience related items. While $2 here and $1 there doesn’t seem like much money; it certainly adds up over time. I know, I know, you’ve heard that same story before. But, have you ever heard it from a real millionaire next door? If you really want to get out of debt (and make some changes in your financial life), you need to start acting like the wealthy and spend your money wisely. There’s a reason why they’re wealthy. Matt highlights a good example using a story from J.D Roth at Get Rich Slowly. [Debt Free Adventure]
Have you ever wondered how fraud protection works on your credit or debit cards? Well, learn what goes on behind the scenes as computer software and people are on the look out for fraud. This post explains why I recently got a phone call from my credit card company during an out of town business trip. [Consumerism Commentary]
Do you have excessive credit card debt? Certainly, people have their own opinions about how much is too much credit card debt. Personally, I think any balance carried past a month is excessive. This topic is a great example of where Biblical Finance can help guide our attitude towards debt. Proverbs 22:7 says the rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. 1 Corinthians says you were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. [PT Money]
There are some good ideas for saving extra money and then there are some BAD ideas for saving extra money. Check out this list of 28 ideas you’ll want to make sure you avoid. I love this one – A few decades ago, my Grandmother was appalled at how expensive caskets were when you only used them ‘the once. So she purchased two caskets and used them to store linens. A few years later, Grandma and Grandpa had to move but Grandma didn’t want her neighbors to know that she had two caskets so she forced my dad and his brother to move them in the middle of the night to the new house. She ended up selling them a few years later since they decided that they wanted to donate their bodies to science and then be cremated. [Consumerist]
Bob over at ChristianPF kindly shared a financial freedom checklistof steps he’s taken over the past 5-7 years to improve his finances. He’s identified some really good tips to apply to your situation. I’m all for using the Money Map as a road map, but sometimes it’s just nice to run down a checklist and see what you’ve done, or need to do to make some headway towards your goals. [ChristanPF]
I’m curious to know…do you practice math when you leave a tip? After reading this post I found out that I’m a nerd. Yes, I actually calculate the percentage tip I’m going to leave and use the exact amount. Worse yet, I use an iPhone app to do the work for me. Well, at least I’m not scribbling on the back of the receipt to calculate the tip (I used to do that 
). [WiseBread]
Who would of thought, but you can actually learn how to negotiate your rent. It’s all about having the right information and being prepared to ask the right questions. Figuring out the market rate for the rent and the demand for the area are key steps. Armed with all your information, you’ll be ready to negotiate a fair rent. [Software Advice]
