Reality Upgrade

If you have ever wondered where money comes from, you are not alone. Until recently, I did not understand the theory of money at all. I knew that once upon a time, our currency was backed by a “gold standard,” and I assumed that this simply meant that if someone took a dollar to the Federal Reserve, they could get a dollar’s worth of gold out of the national gold reserve. I figured that it was just easier to carry around paper money.

However, for my whole life, there has been no gold standard. Our currency is backed by faith in the United States Government. I never really understood how that worked.

Until yesterday, when I watched the videos below. There are 5 videos, about 10 minutes long each, and they are by far the best explanation of the way money actually works that I have ever seen. In the last couple of clips, the video talks a little about monetary reform, and I try to stay away from anything political here, but the information is great whether you agree with the author’s ideas about reform or not.

Everyone should watch these videos. After all, you use money every day. You have a responsability to understand it.

Yes, it is only July, but now is the time to start planning for Christmas (or Hanukkah, etc.).  By thinking ahead, you can prevent the costs of presents and travel from overwhelming you when the big day gets closer.

After all, it may seem a little early for snow, but Christmas is only5 months away. Black Friday, the superbowl of shopping the day after Thanksgiving is only 4 months from now.

LaToya Irby from about.com has a great list of steps to help you prepare for the holiday season, minus the stress.

• Decide who I’m going to buy for
• Decide how much I’m going to spend on them
• Add it up
• Divide by the number of paychecks left until December 15
• Open a special savings account and save that amount each paycheck

Check out the full atricle here.

Ever wonder just how far your salary would go in another city?

Ever wonder how people are able to afford living in those expensive apartments in Manhatten?

Ever wonder how they make Raisin Nut Bran taste so much better than Raisin Bran?

Well, I can’t help you with the last one, but this is a great website for checking out how much you would have to get paid to maintain your current standard of living in another city. (continue reading…)

The economy is tough these days, and health care costs just keep going up. If you find yourself adrift and in need of health insurance, this is a great article on how to choose the right kind.

How to Buy Health Insurance by Yourself

Good luck!!

There are a ludicrous number of credit cards out there, and sometimes the choices can be a little overwhelming.

Now that there is a new law coming into effect nine months from now that will take many of the hidden fees, charges, and rate hikes out of the credit card business. It will also require contract terms to be in “plain English”. (continue reading…)