Instead of a traditional gift registry, my fiancée and I chose to create a charity registry where our family and friends can make donations in our honor. We chose three non-profit organizations, and we have been encouraged to see many generous friends.

This charity wedding registry was setup through I Do Foundation, a non-profit organization. It was fairly easy to set up. Once you create an account, you can choose from different options of what you want your wedding website to look like. After the website is setup, you can tell your family and friends to visit.

Being of Japanese descent, I grew up on short/medium grain white rice. Japanese / Cal-rose rice is still my favorite. But lately I’ve been trying a variety of rice and grains thanks to my new fuzzy logic rice cooker. I’ve tried brown rice, jasmine rice, Italian risotto, pilaf, steel cut oats, and even tapioca.

I gave away my rice cooker to my roommate before I moved to my new apartment, and so I was in need of a new rice cooker. I debated for a long time whether it was worth it to spend $100 for a fuzzy logic rice cooker, or if I just needed a plain rice cooker with a single on/off switch.

Ultimately, I decided to go with spending the money and I am very happy with my purchase. Since Zojirushi was so expensive, I went with a less popular brand and model: Sanyo ECJ-D55S. I paid a little less than $100 for it, but I am impressed with its features and capabilities. The best thing about it is the various cooking settings the rice cooker offers: white rice, brown rice, porridge, stew.

If you do pick up one of these rice cookers, make sure to also check out The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook. This cookbook covers a wide range of recipes and dishes you can make in a rice cooker. Many of the recipes require a “porridge” setting available on fuzzy logic rice cookers. I’ve made an amazing Takikomi-gohan (Japanese steamed rice with chicken and shiitake mushrooms) and I’ve also made a chicken and mushroom risotto.

I love the fact that you can make a whole meal in the rice cooker. It’s kinda like an Asian version of the crock-pot. I’ll keep trying different recipes to see what else I can make. But the best part about this fuzzy logic rice cooker is that my Cal-rose rice comes out perfect every time!

It’s no surprise that the price of gas has gone up over the years. Combined with gas thirsty vehicles and longer commutes, it’s no wonder that gas consumption is up so high.

So what’s a savvy consumer to do?  Well, here are some of my personal tips on reducing your spending on this area of your budget.

- Take public transportation to your work or school.  I’m saving a lot on gas by taking the train instead to work each day.  This isn’t an option for a lot of people, so check your company to see if there are any carpool / vanpool programs.  Or find a new buddy at your work / school that would be willing to carpool together.

- Walk to you destination.  I’m glad to live a few minutes away from the supermarket and drug store.  Sure, it takes longer to walk than to drive, but it’s better for the environment and it’s better for your body.  If you have errands to run and the stores are close enough, consider walking instead.

- Get a credit card that gives you cash back.  Check the citibank website for credit cards that give up to 6% cash back on your gas purchases.  6% of $2277 is $137 you could be saving each year.

- Finally, for something more drastic, switch to a more fuel efficient car.  Quit driving those SUV’s for goodness sake.  I love my Toyota Corolla.  The car is over 10 years old, but I still easily get over 30 miles to the gallon.  I’m guessing that in a couple years, more and more people will be driving hybrids or vehicles that run on bio-fuel.

Spirit Airlines will start charging up to $10 for every bag you check-in and they will also start charging $1 for every beverage. You might begin to see other airlines such as Southwest doing the same. We’ve already lost free meals on domestic flights and soon we’ll lose the free drinks. Too bad the airports won’t let us bring in any drinks or liquids.

The price of overweight and oversize baggage has also gone up over the years. You can expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $80 for bags that exceed airline limits.

Fortunately I’ve learned to pack smart and pack light over the years. My fiancée and I are only planning to bring one backpack each for our honeymoon to Greece. I picked up two Kelty backpacks for $28 at the last REI sale. This way, we don’t need to check-in our bags, and we will be the first out of customs.

Here’s one website that has been a great help in learning how to pack light: www.onebag.com
They have a lot of useful tips and advice about what you really need when traveling, and what you should leave at home.

Here’s a packing list I’ve used over the years: Packing List

I’ve moved in to my new apartment and I only have a 11” tube sitting on my coffee table. Granted I don’t watch that much TV, I want a new television because the one I have can’t even hook up my DVD player. My dad took my old TV to use in his bedroom.

I’d like to watch this Everest DVD documentary I just bought from the Discovery store. So I’d like a decent TV. I don’t need the latest, fancy, 1080i LCD with all the bells and whistles. I’ll willing to spend the money, I just want it to last for 5-10 years.

I’ve been shopping around and I realized that there are all these new electronics brands that I have never heard of. Should I buy a brand I’m more familiar with: Sony, Toshiba, Samsung, Panasonic? Or can I save money without compromising reliability and purchase: Olevia, Westinghouse, Vizio?

I’ve got 10% off at Circuit City through AAA that I’m thinking of using.  Otherwise I will purchase from Costco.  I’ll look into this more when I come back from my honeymoon.

My fiancée started putting together the programs and wedding favors.  Hopefully she can recruit help so that she can finish them soon.  We still have to work on the seating assignments for the reception.

Last night we were going over our wedding budget, and it looks like we are fairly on track with what we allocated.  I have to update it to reflect our latest purchases, but I think we should be fine.

I’m getting pretty excited, but I just want to make sure that I haven’t forgotten anything.  The posting in the next two weeks will probably be a little bit lighter as I run around and take care of miscellaneous items.

I found out about PaperBackSwap.com from The Simple Dollar.

This website is basically a huge community where you can exchange books. When you first sign-up for membership, you are asked to list nine books you want to swap. After doing this you receive three credits that you can use to request any of the one million books that are currently available.

Any time a book that you have listed gets requested, you are given a label to print out and use to wrap and mail. It’s really quite easy. I just signed up for an account and listed nine books that I don’t want anymore. Within two days I already had a request for two of them. I printed out the labels and shipped them out at the post office this morning. So now I’ve gained two more credits that I can use.

Check it out and start trading books. If you have old books laying around your house, this is a great way to reduce the clutter as well.

Matthew 6:19-24 - “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Luke 16:10-12 - “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

1 Timothy 6:17-19 - Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Philippians 4:10-13 - I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Acts 20:35 - In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ “

So for the past few weeks, we’ve exchanged e-mails, and she has responded to some of the deeper questions I’ve had about this industry. Instead of making a sweeping statement that all these types of businesses are predatory, I thought it would be fair to give a voice to someone who actually works in this industry.

Here are two questions I asked:

- The biggest problem I have with this industry is the issue of financial carelessness on the part of the borrower. No matter what income level we are at, we can all learn basic finance management skills. I understand that a single mother desperately trying to make ends meet, or pay for utilities is going to need a little financial help. But for others that come into payday lenders, it is to finance a reckless living style, or a standard of living that cannot be maintained. I don’t want to necessarily make generalizations, but I’m assuming that a lot of people that come in would receive greater benefit from being taught responsible financial skills over borrowing $400 they need for the next two weeks. It is sort of the like the analogy of teaching a man to fish versus giving him a fish to eat. What is this industry doing to help people get out of a vicious cycle of debt?

- You say that your company offer loans to people who may not qualify for traditional loans. Well sometimes they don’t qualify for traditional loans because they have bad credit or no employment. What principles or guidelines does your company use to discern who can qualify for a loan. I guess what I’m trying to get at is this: does your company share in the responsibility to help protect borrowers from things like bankruptcy?

And here is the response I received:

Educating The Public On Payday Lending

Payday lenders online offer a valuable service to many people experiencing emergencies who may be blocked from obtaining credit due to poor credit histories. Without ready cash, or easy credit, medical conditions go untreated and late fees pile up. However, there are some people that suggest that payday loans are too easy and that too many people will be attracted to the high-interest loans not due to emergency situations, but because of a carefree and risky attitude about borrowing. Are there any guidelines that the payday lending industry uses to avoid catering to people who may be courting a tornado of mounting debt and bankruptcy?

Commitment To Customer Service

The payday lending industry does try to educate its consumers. Unlike many companies that do not even have a customer service branch that isn�??t an automated phone system by now, lenders like National Payday offer direct communication with customer service representatives who can help to educate clients on the pros and cons of payday lending. While they can�??t keep people from borrowing above what they can manage, they can make the terms of the contract very clear so that there are no surprises down the road they were not aware of to begin with.

Limits On Lending

An initial cash advance is typically limited to $300 or less. The customer is offered a free payday loan if they pay back the loan on time, stressing the benefits of paying it back within the appropriate time frame. By limiting the amount withdrawn initially, the lender makes it easier for the customer to understand through a dry run how the system works for them.

Full Disclosure of Interest Rates

Payday lenders do not hide the fact that rates of interest on these loans are high. However, when compared to late fees, they can save money if used appropriately. It�??s even been noticed that people are using payday loans to build their credit back up after a bankruptcy takes place. By having a lender willing to lend to people who have hit hard times, they get the chance to re-enter the system eventually with good credit. The cost of this is that with riskier lending comes higher interest rates. This is a deal that many consumers are willing to make for the chance to rebuild a good credit history.

While no agency can prevent someone from borrowing beyond their means, consumer education can go a long way towards discouraging poor borrowers from applying for a loan that is not right for them. The payday lending industry continues to be committed to educating their clients with good customer service, limits on lending, and full disclosure of interest rates and penalties.

I appreciated the dialogue I’ve had. It is true that these short-term loan companies thrive because of the high interest they charge. But the same thing can be said about credit card companies. There will continue to be discussion about how much interest is too excessive, and what restrictions are necessary on these companies. I’ll let the politicians figure that out. What consumers need the most is education and awareness about the risks that are involved. Proper due diligence is required if you are ever going to do business with a pay day loan company. Know what you are getting yourself into.

I have to disagree. Bach compares the average net worth of a renter (under $5,000) versus the average net worth of a homeowner ($171,00) and goes on to argue that nothing will multiply your wealth like owning a home.

The problem I have with this statistic is that Bach is not really comparing apples and oranges. For it to be a valid comparison, you would have to compare the average net worth of renters and homeowners in the same income range.

It makes me wonder why David Bach encourages homeownership so much. If you have ever read any of his books, most of his financial advice is pretty solid. He teaches readers principles such as: paying yourself first by saving 10% of your income, spending less than you earn, and watching our for those little purchases that can really add up.

When you compare owning stocks to owning a home, it is crystal clear which investment is the winner. According to this article from Smart Money, after considering inflation, stocks have returned 7% in the long-haul while homes have returned an average of 0%. Home values have skyrocketed in recent years, but the historical data shows that you have more to gain when you invest in stocks.

Is it a wrong move to purchase a house? No, not at all. Just don’t expect it to be a fast-track to great wealth. Building wealth is still achieved through sound financial planning. By starting early, diversify your investments, and being consistent in saving, you too can be on your way to great wealth. You don’t have to get so fixated on owning a home at the expense of all other things.