Making Money Online

Who are TV's highest paid actresses?

2011-10-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

Tina Fey and Eva Longoria are among the actresses raking in big bucks on the small screen.

The "30 Rock" and "Desperate Housewives" stars tied for the top spot on Forbes' list of the highest paid TV actresses. Both women earned $13 million between May 2010 and May 2011.

Longoria wasn't the only "Desperate" actress to make the list - Marcia Cross came in third, bringing in $10 million, and Felicity Huffman and Teri Hatcher tied with $9 million each.

Mariska Hargitay of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and Marg Helgenberger of "CSI" tied with Cross for third place, also earning $10 million each.

Others who made the list include Courteney Cox ("Cougar Town"), Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy") and Julianna Margulies ("The Good Wife").

All 10 women on the list earned a combined total of $94 million between May 2010 and May 2011, Forbes reports. But that's small change compared to what their big screen counterparts make - just the top three women in movies earned $88 million combined during that same time period.

Ways To Avoid ATM Fees

2011-09-30T23:55:00.000-04:00

Bank ATM fees will go up or have gone up in the last few months. Banks need to turn a profit. If loans made them worried, fees will make you broke. In shocking news Bank of America plans to start charging customers a $5 monthly fee for using their debit card to make purchases. The fee will be rolled out starting early next year.

The debit card fee isn’t the only unwelcome change for checking account customers are seeing either. The banking industry has been raising fees and scaling back on rewards programs as they adjust to new regulations that will limit traditional revenue sources.Starting Oct. 1, a regulation will cap the fees that banks can collect from merchants whenever customers swipe their debit cards. Those fees generated $19 billion in revenue for banks in 2009, according to the Nilson Report, which tracks the payments industry.

There is no similar cap on the fees that banks can collect from merchants when customers use their credit cards, however. That means banks may increasingly encourage customers to reach for their credit cards, reversing a trend toward debit card usage in the past several years.

So here are ten ways to beat ATM fees. Please add your own.

Here are some ways to think or plan in advance to try and avoid those ridiculous ATM fees:

Try to only use your bank’s ATMs- Obviously, this is where you want to start. If you can avoid using non-network ATMs and only use your banks, you can avoid fees on your ATM transactions.

Carry more cash/Take out enough cash or more cash when you do visit an ATM- Do you ever find yourself taking out just the minimum you think you will need, when you know that you will just have to make another ATM trip in a few days? I know I have done this maneuver many times. Instead, try taking out what you think you will need for a few days to a week- it will save you trips and from getting caught at a non-network ATM.

Look for a no fee ATM such as Allpoint Network of ATM’s- If your bank uses a network like Allpoint, you can avoid fees by using one of their locations, which are often in convenience stores or gas stations. I have an checking account at ING Direct, which uses Allpoint, so it comes in handy sometimes for me.

Get cash back when making a debit card purchase- I’ve been using this one more lately-stop in a local drug store, such as CVS in my area, make a small purchase, and get cash back. It works well when you aren’t close to one of your bank’s ATMs.

Change banks to ones that don’t charge fees- Some banks, like ING DIRECT Electric Orange Online Checking or Perkstreet Financial^SM Online Rewards Checking don’t charge fees to use ATM’s and have participating fee-free ATM networks ( like Allpoint, as mentioned above), making withdrawing money from a network ATM totally free. Also, Some online and and even some bricks and mortar checking accounts have started reimbursement programs to pay you back for the ATM fees you incur withdrawing money- although this is more common with online checking accounts.

Use your debit or credit card where possible- There are still places that are cash only, even some restaurants and other small businesses. But most places, you can use your debit card, so if you can, go ahead and do so.
Good luck and share your tips below.

How To Make Money With Google Adsense

2011-09-30T23:41:00.001-04:00

If you have a website or a blog, you should definitely sign up for Google Adsense. It’s one of the few programs you can truly ‘set and forget’ – once it’s there you don’t really need to do much else with it.

But there are ways and means to maximize your income from Google Adsense, and as you get to know more about it you can start to generate a decent income from it that will keep rolling in month after month. It’s a true passive income, which is why so many people are using it.

Most people have heard of Google Adsense, but not everyone understands exactly how to use it to its best advantage. So we’ll start with how to use it in its most basic sense and then progress to the more advanced benefits you can get from the program.

Basically if you have a website or blog you can sign up for a free account at Google Adsense and start putting contextual ads on your website. What do I mean by contextual? It means quite simply that the ads which appear on your site will be relevant to your content. So let’s say for example that your website is about tropical fish. The Google ads will then be related to tropical fish in some way. And because of the information that you give to Google, they will also display adverts that are relevant to your area. So if you are based in the UK the ads that appear will be relevant to UK buyers; if your site or business is based in Australia the ads will appeal to Australian buyers.

All of this is carefully worked out for you in order to attract the maximum click through possible for your website and your ads. Every time someone clicks on an ad you will get a few cents into your Adsense account, so it makes sense that the more attractive and relevant your ads are to your visitors, the more money you will make.

Let’s have a look at the appearance of your ads now, since this can affect the amount of click throughs you get. You can choose the color and borders of your ads to fit right in with the color scheme on your site if you wish, but it’s worth experimenting with having no borders at all around your adverts since this makes them blend in with your content more seamlessly and may encourage more click throughs in a subtle but effective manner.

However well you integrate Google Adsense into your current blog or website though, there is obviously a limit to the amount of money you can make from one site. If you get thousands of people visiting your site every day then you can expect to get a good income from it but many people don’t get this number of visitors and that’s where you need a separate strategy to try and up your numbers.

In this case you can go to the advanced level of Adsense income and think about starting several sites, all based around a different yet popular subject. You should think of these essentially as being content sites, since they are often chock full of articles and useful content which is carefully keyworded to attract plenty of search engine traffic on that particular subject. The Adsense ads are then placed in the optimum positions to achieve the best click through (the Adsense pages will give you ideas on where to position them but it’s worth experimenting to see what works best for you), and the site goes live for people to find and read through.

You can also insert affiliate links for products into these sites in order to gain even more income if you wish, but they are often known as Adsense sites simply because they are set up to attract visitors and click throughs on a specific subject.

Some people end up with dozens of sites like this, and the beauty of them is that once they are built and you have bought your domain name and hosting plan you don’t really need to do too much with them except for promote them. Updating them fairly regularly is good if you want to get to a higher position in the search engine results though, which will gain you more visitors as a result.

You can also keep your site updated more regularly (and encourage repeat visitors) by inserting RSS feeds of news stories related to the subject of your website. Anything that will get people returning to read more – and possibly click on more ads as a result – is worth a try.

One final note here – choose the subjects of your Adsense sites wisely. It’s tempting to go for whatever is in the news at the moment, but once the stories die down so will your traffic. You want something that people will always want to know about – saving money, getting a better job, earning more, and various other more personal subjects such as skin care and successful dating for example. There are plenty of options to choose from; you just need to get your thinking cap on to find them.

In short the best place to start making money from Google Adsense is to integrate it into your existing website or blog. As you gain experience and discover the best ways to use it you can start thinking about adding extra sites into the mix. You might end up being an Adsense guru and raking in plenty of money for very little work indeed. That’s the best thing about it – the ‘set and forget’ benefit that keeps on working even when you’re not.

If you enjoyed this article or have any questions or comments about it, please leave them by using the form below. Once you’ve done that it will be time to visit Google’s Adsense site to get started! Good luck

The 7 Laws of Leanness

2011-09-30T23:31:00.002-04:00

Why do some people seem naturally thin—able to torch cheeseburgers instantly and never gain a pound? And why do some of us—okay, most of us—sweat and diet and sweat and diet some more, and never lose enough to get the body we want?

Because those “naturally thin” people actually live by a series of laws that keep them from ever gaining weight. And if you know their secrets, you can indulge and enjoy and never gain another pound as long as you live.

As the editor-in-chief of Men’s Health, I’ve spent the past two decades interviewing leading experts, poring over groundbreaking studies, and grilling top athletes, trainers, and celebrities for their health and fitness advice. And I’ve learned that what separates the fit from the fat, the slim from the sloppy, the toned from the torpid, is a set of rules. And what’s amazing is that none of them involves spending hours on a treadmill, eating nothing but grapefruit and tree bark, or having part of the small intestine replaced with fiberfill. Follow these simple rules and weight loss will be automatic.

LAW #1: Lean People Don’t Diet

What? Of course lean people diet! They’re just magically better at denying themselves than the rest of us are, right?

No. In reality, studies show that the number one predictor of future weight gain is being on a diet right now. Part of the reason is that restricting calories reduces strength, bone density, and muscle mass—and muscle is your body’s number-one calorie burner. So by dieting, you’re actually setting yourself up to gain more weight than ever. And a recent study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine showed that tracking your diet in a food journal can actually boost your stress levels, which in turn increases your level of a hormone called cortisol, and cortisol is linked to—you guessed it—weight gain.

FAT-FIGHTING FIBER: Get 25 grams of fiber a day—the amount in about 3 servings of fruits and vegetables—and you can boost fat burn up to 30 percent. For more tips on fighting fat and toning your midsection, follow me right here on Twitter. Or try any of these 50 Ways to Lose 10 Pounds!

LAW #2: Lean People Don’t Go Fat-Free

A European study tracked nearly 90,000 people for several years and discovered that participants who tried to eat “low fat” had the same risk of being overweight as those who ate whatever they wanted.

Fat doesn’t make you fat, period. Indeed, you need fat in your diet to help you process certain nutrients, like vitamins A, D, and E, for example. And many “fat-free” foods are loaded with sugar, and therefore have even more calories than their full-fat cousins. Even the American Heart Association says that fat-free labels lead to higher consumption of unhealthy sweets. Fat keeps you full and satisfied. Fat-free will send you running back to the fridge in an hour, hungry for more.

LAW #3: Lean People Sit Down to Eat

In fact, the more you sit down and enjoy your food, the leaner you’re going to be. Punishing yourself only makes you fat!

Greek researchers recently reported that eating more slowly and savoring your meal can boost levels of two hormones that make you feel fuller. And researchers at Cornell University found that when people sat down at the table with already full plates of food, they consumed up to 35 percent less than they did when eating family-style—that is, by passing serving dishes around the table.

FIX IT WITH FOOD! Check out our list of the 40 Foods with Superpowers—foods that, even in moderation, can strengthen your heart, fortify your bones, and boost your metabolism so you can lose weight more quickly.

LAW #4: Lean People Know What They’re Going to Eat Next

Planning your responses to hunger may help you shed pounds faster, say Dutch researchers. They posed their subjects questions like “If you’re hungry at 4 p.m., then . . . what?” Those who had an answer (“I’ll snack on some almonds”) were more successful at losing weight than those who didn’t have an answer.

One of the best things about the brand-new Eat This, Not That! 2012 is that it helps you find fat-fighting food no matter where you are: movie theater, coffee shop, vending machine. It also includes this list of foods that should never see the inside of your belly: The NEW 20 Worst Foods in America.

LAW #5: Lean People Eat Protein

In a recent European study, people who ate moderately high levels of protein were twice as likely to lose weight and keep it off as those who didn’t eat much protein.

A New England Journal of Medicine study looked at a variety of eating plans and discovered that eating a diet high in protein and low in refined starches (like white bread) was the most effective for weight loss. Protein works on two levels: First, you burn more calories to digest it. Second, because your body has to work harder to digest a Big Mac than, say, a Ho Ho, you stay fuller longer.

STEALTH HEALTH FOODS: Power up your diet by expanding your menu. Here areThe 7 Healthiest Foods You're Not Eating.

LAW #6: Lean People Move Around

I don’t mean climbing Kilimanjaro, breaking the tape at the Boston Marathon, or spending 24 hours at 24 Hour Fitness. I mean going for a short bike ride (20 minutes burns 200 calories), taking a leisurely walk (145 calories every 51 minutes), wrestling with your kids (another 100 calories smoked in 22 minutes), or fishing (there’s 150 calories gone in an hour—even more if you actually catch something).

Simply put, fit people stay fit by having fun. Scientists have a name for how you burn calories just enjoying yourself. It’s called NEAT: non-exercise activity thermogenesis. Sounds complicated, like something only policy wonks at a global warming summit are qualified to discuss. But it’s pretty simple: Pick a few activities that you enjoy, from tossing a stick for your dog to bowling with your best friend, and just do them more often. The average person makes 200 decisions every day that affect his or her weight. If you choose the fun option more often than not, you’ll see results.

LAW #7: Lean People Watch Less TV

Instead of calling it the boob tube, maybe we should call it the man-boob tube. About 18 percent of people who watch less than two hours of TV a day have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more—the cutoff line forobesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But of those who watch more than four hours of TV a day, nearly 30 percent have a BMI that high, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Look, I like TV. But all things in moderation: In a study at the University of Vermont, overweight participants who cut their daily TV time in half (from an average of 5 hours to 2.5 hours) burned an extra 119 calories a day. And a recent study of people who successfully lost weight found that 63 percent of them watched less than 10 hours of TV a week. Want more? A study in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine reported that lean people have an average of 2.6 television sets in their homes. Overweight people have an average of 3.4. Finally, researchers in Australia recently discovered that every hour in front of the television trims 22 minutes from your life. Yikes!

Breaking any of these seven laws occasionally is fine. Just don't make a habit of it. Likewise, make sure you haven't fallen into any of these 20 Habits That Make You Fat.

NBA 2K12 Commercial

2011-09-30T23:16:00.002-04:00

Eyes Wide Open or Eyes Wide Shut?

2011-09-27T23:00:00.002-04:00

Save or Earn $1,000 by the Holidays

2011-09-27T22:41:00.000-04:00

It's not too early to get a head start on the holidays — saving for the holidays, that is. By making moves now to cut costs or earn extra money, you can save up to $1,000 or more over the next two months to pay for holiday gifts with cash rather than credit. See: Stop Wasting Your Money

I've skipped several of the usual savings recommendations (such as dining out less) and highlighted some cost-cutting moves you might not have considered. The actual savings and earnings in the examples below will vary (especially depending on which ones you can implement). But they do show it is possible to generate an extra $1,000 over two months. Be sure to share your money-saving tips in the reader comments box below.

Ways to save

· Adjust your tax withholding. The average tax refund this year was nearly $2,805. If you got a refund, stop paying Uncle Sam too much throughout the year and keep that money for yourself (or gifts for others). You simply need to change your tax withholding by filing a new W-4 with your employer's human resources department. To find out how many exemptions you should be claiming, try our easy-to-use Tax Withholding Calculator. The changes will go into effect on your next paycheck. TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $467.50 (based on the average refund)

· Ditch the premium cable TV package. When I canceled my expensive premium cable package and opted for the cheap, basic service, I started saving $80 a month — more than $950 a year. See Budget-Friendly Alternatives to Cable TV for sources of free or cheap programming and movies. (Note: I kept basic cable service to score a discount on my phone and Internet services.) TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $160

· Increase your auto insurance deductible. Increasing the deductibles on your comprehensive and collision coverage from $500 to $1,000, or even $2,500, can reduce your premiums by 12% to 18%. For example, boosting the deductibles from $500 to $1,000 would mean a savings of $648 per year, on average, for a family with two teenage drivers in northern California (which has a competitive auto insurance marketplace), according to the database at InsWeb, an insurance Web site. TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $108

· Increase your home insurance deductible. My insurer recently sent me a letter stating that I could shave $300 off my annual premium by boosting my deductible from $1,000 to $2,000. That equates to a savings of $25 a month. TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $50

· Eliminate bank fees. More and more banks are charging account holders a fee — as much as $30 a month — if they fail to meet deposit, balance or usage requirements. Some charge $1 to $2 to send monthly paper statements and up to $9 for interacting with a teller. To avoid bank fees, consider opening an account at USAA Federal Savings Bank, Perk Street, EverBank, Ally Bank or Zion Bank. TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $60

· Drop the gym membership. Gym memberships cost an average of $30 to $70 a month, according to PriceGrabber, a price-comparison site. So if you're not locked into a long-term contract, consider dropping this expense and trying free exercise alternatives, such as running or walking outdoors, for a couple of months. TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $60 (for the $30 monthly fee)

· Drop your land line. If you're paying $40 a month (AT&T's current rate for unlimited long-distance calling) for home phone service but rely mainly on your cell phone, eliminate this monthly expense. TWO MONTHS of SAVINGS = $80

· Buy regular, not premium, gas. This won't amount to big savings, but, hey, every little bit counts. A gallon of premium gasoline costs $3.85 on average (the week of September 19), while a gallon of regular costs $3.60 on average. If you filled up a 16-gallon car twice a month with regular rather than premium, you'd save $8. TWO MONTHS Of SAVINGS = $16 (for filling up twice a month) TOTAL SAVINGS = $1,001.50

Ways to earn

· Sell sterling silver for scrap. My husband recently took a few silver pieces that we never use to a local dealer and got $30 an ounce, netting us more than $1,000. EARNINGS = $240 for an 8-ounce piece

· Sell unwanted gold jewelry. With the price of gold at about $1,700 an ounce, selling unwanted gold jewelry also is a quick way to generate some cash. For example, if you have a gold ring with a melt value (the actual value of the gold in the jewelry) of $200, expect to get paid about 70% of the melt value — so $140. See Smart Ways to Sell Your Gold for tips on how to get a good deal. EARNINGS = $140 for jewelry with a melt value of $200.

· Sell unwanted gift cards. The average household has about $300 in unspent gift cards, according to Plastic Jungle, a Web site that lets you buy, sell, exchange or donate gift cards. With sites such as Plastic Jungle and Gift Card Granny, you can turn those cards into cash. You won't get the full value of your card (up to 92% at best). EARNINGS = $276 (based on a 92% return on $300 worth of cards)

· Get paid for your opinions. For a few hours of your time, you can get paid to participate in an in-person focus group, such as those run by Delve. EARNINGS = up to $200 per focus group

· Sell your stuff online. Kiplinger’s senior editor Jeffrey Kosnett and his wife made $200 selling flatware they no longer used through the popular online auction site eBay. Kosnett’s wife, Deborah, says the key to selling your wares on the Web is to research similar merchandise that has been sold recently through the site and price competitively. EARNINGS = $200 TOTAL EARNINGS = $1,056

Times Square Redesign Plan Unveiled

2011-09-27T22:27:00.001-04:00

MIDTOWN— Forget painted blue walkways and multicolored beach chairs.

The Times Square of the future will feature dark, concrete flooring punctuated by small metal rivets designed to bring some of the grit back to the Great White Way, according to a multi-million-dollar redesign plan unveiled Monday night.

The plan, which will officially cement the plazas as permanent structures, calls for the leveling of surfaces across the plazas from 42nd to 47th street to create a continuous pedestrian space, with no vestiges of the old curbs and sidewalks that used to mark the roadway.

"We want to remove the ups and downs and make it simpler and flatter," said Craig Dykers, an architect with Snohetta Design, who gave members of Midtown Community Board 5's Transportation Committee a sneak-peak at the $27 million preliminary plan on behalf of the city's Department of Design and Construction.

Snohetta is also the team behind the 9/11 Museum at the World Trade Center site.

Under the proposed design, the ground surface of the plazas would be made from two tones of dark concrete pavers, arranged in an alternating brick pattern to differentiate it from a regular street. Some sections would also feature embedded stainless steel "pucks" about the size of nickels, intended to add some pizazz by reflecting light off the marquees around them.

"They're very tiny, but they have a great effect," said Dyker, who said his team chose a dark color for the plazas not only to keep them clean, but to stay true to the square's history.

"There's that film noir quality that some people have about Times Square… and the grittiness of the street is a part of it," he said. "It's not taking its cues from pretty little things in Europe or something. It's kind of like the heart of New York City. It's a heavy, muscular thing," he said.

In addition to the surface changes, the new design calls for the installation of numerous large benches of different heights and sizes. In addition to providing more seating for large groups, the new furniture is part of a larger effort to create distinct spaces within the plazas, to make them easier to navigate and to keep throngs of milling tourists away from hurried office workers rushing to and from work.

"The larger goal is to create a situation and environment in Times Square that's friendly for both New Yorkers and tourists alike," he said.

Another benefit of the design, he said, is the inclusion of new infrastructure to cut down on the amount of equipment needed to stage large events.

While other visions for the square focused on adding new lights and new attractions, Dykers said he wanted to make the ground level as simple as possible to keep the focus squarely on the "frenetic" billboards above.

"What we have today is essentially a situation where there's a great deal of activity on all the surfaces," he said, arguing that the competition "is kind of sucking the energy out of the marquees."

He said he hopes the plazas will feel both bigger and less cluttered once the transformation is complete.

After the presentation, board members said they were impressed with the redesign.

"I think it's terrific," said member Daly Reville, who was among the majority of committee members who gave the plan a "thumbs-up."

"The dark color is very fascinating," agreed member Nancy Aber Goshow, who had concerns about a potential "heat island effect," but was assured the paving would be reflective enough to avoid absorbing heat.

Another point of concern was a new bike lane that will run through the square, traveling back and forth between Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Under the current plan, the lane would enter Times Square from the north on Broadway, switch over to Seventh avenue at West 47th street, switch from the west side to the east side of the street at 45th street, and then cross back over to Broadway at 42nd Street.

"That'll be tough," said member Alan Miles, an avid cyclist, who worried about a lack of separation between bikers and pedestrians.

Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, which has been working with the city on the plan, said he was pleased by the reception during the first unveiling.

"I'm glad that people feel positive about it," he said, noting that while 60 to 70 percent of residents tell pollsters they liked the idea of the plazas, 60 to 70 percent want them to look better.

Officials from the DDC said they hope to start constructional in the fall of 2012 and will make every effort to keep traffic flowing as the work. The project is set to be complete by 2014.

See more photos of the new plan at DNAinfo.com >

Jay-Z Announces Brooklyn Nets Arena Concert Series

2011-09-27T22:15:00.002-04:00

The New Jersey Nets will relocate to Brooklyn in the fall of 2012, and co-owner Jay-Z will headline an eight-concert series. The shows will take place during the arena’s grand opening, and Beyonce is reportedly going to perform, too.

Book Of The Week!

2011-09-27T21:39:00.001-04:00

Radio talk-show host and bestselling author Ramsey (Financial Peace) is less a financial analyst and more of a preacher, which explains both his popularity and the appeal of this book, which just might gain a wide audience. The bedrock of his system is simple: work hard, pay what you owe and stay out of debt. His main commandment is "Pay cash." He first exhorts the reader to take "baby steps," which are designed to build on each other: first, save $1,000 as an emergency fund; then, pay off all debts from smallest to largest; save a larger three-to-six-month emergency fund; finally, start to save for college and pay off your home mortgage. Ramsey understands the difficulty in putting these steps into action, and therefore packs his book with personal testimonials from everyday people who have used his system and have become debt free, with obvious struggles. The key is what Ramsey calls "Gazelle intensity," which is to live a financial life the way a gazelle saves itself from an attacking cheetah-"outmaneuver the enemy and run for your life." While Ramsey provides some helpful charts and graphs so readers can keep track of their efforts to follow his steps, the strength of this book is that it is a straightforward motivational tool. He provides the brutally direct truth about the hard work it takes to become free of debt, and his directness is a great part of the book's charm.

What It Takes to Become a Millionaire!

2011-09-27T21:31:00.000-04:00

The idea of becoming a millionaire may seem like a pipe dream.

When it comes to retirement, most Americans doubt they've saved or invested enough to retire comfortably, let alone reach that million-dollar milestone. A new AP-CNBC poll finds nearly one-third (31 percent) of U.S. residents believe they would need a minimum savings of $100,000 to $500,000 if retiring this year in order to be confident of living comfortably in retirement, and 22 percent believe the minimum is $1 million or more to retire comfortably.

Only one-fifth of U.S. respondents think it's likely that their net worth will total at least one million dollars in the next 10 years, while 62 percent said that is "very unlikely." The consensus from the majority of respondents (61 percent): It is "extremely" or "very difficult" to become a millionaire in the United States today.

But many are still trying to hit that million-dollar mark — and millions of Americans have already attained that goal.

The number of millionaires in the country is growing. The U.S. has more than 10 million. Despite the European debt crisis and worries about the U.S. economy, a May 2011 report from the Deloitte Center for Financial Services projects that the number of millionaire households in the U.S. will more than double to 20.5 million in 2020, with combined wealth of $87 trillion, up from $39 trillion in 2011.

Money makes money, but it can be tough to make that money grow in these rocky financial markets. The AP-CNBC poll found six in 10 U.S. residents (62 percent) say their confidence in investing has been shaken by recent volatility in the stock market. That sentiment has increased over the past 12 months. Today, 65 percent of those who own stocks, bonds and mutual funds are less confident about investing, compared with 61 percent last year.

Respondents in the AP-CNBC poll say they're making saving and investing a top priority. The survey asked people what they would do with a million dollars and found, on average, that Americans would spend 31 percent on saving or investing; 17 percent on giving to family; 14 percent on spending; 13 percent on paying down debt; 12 percent on buying real estate and 11 percent on charitable donations. Unfortunately, the reality is that mounting expenses, lower wages and job losses require many Americans to dip into those savings to pay for household bills or pay down debt.

The reality is that investors who stayed the course and did not pull their money out of the market in the last few months may actually have fared pretty well. Despite an almost 8 percent decline since mid-July, the broader stock market, represented by the S&P 500 Index, is up nearly 8 percent over the past 12 months. Certainly it's been a rough few years with the S&P 500, down 8 percent in five years. But over the past decade, the broader stock market is up by more than 10 percent.

In most cases, the road to financial security in retirement comes with steady savings, strategic investing, and probably a later retirement date than you may have envisioned at the start of your career. Keep these three rules in mind: First, you need to live within your means. Next, you have to commit to saving a certain amount every month and stick to that goal. Then, you have to make sure your investments are in a diversified portfolio — a mix of stocks, bonds, and alternative investments (commodities and real estate) and rebalance that mix to attain your goals for growth.

So how long will it take until you're a millionaire?

If you start with an initial $10,000 investment and your portfolio grows by 5 percent every year, here's how much you need to save each month to reach your $1 million goal by age 70, according to Bankrate.com's calculator.

• 25-year-olds have to save $450 a month. That's just $15 a day for the rest of your working years.

• 35-year-olds have to save $850 a month.

• 45-year-olds have to save $1,700 a month.

• 55-year-olds have to save $4,000 a month. (Of course, with an average inflation rate of 3 percent, that $1,000,000 nest egg will only be worth $642,000 in today's dollars. So that means you'll likely wind up having to save even more.)

Still, for those who start early and save often, becoming a millionaire doesn't have to be a pipe dream.

Are You a Gamer?

2011-09-26T08:01:00.000-04:00

Be a Tester – A paid game testing job is hard to come by, since so many people will do it for free, but they do exist.

Participate in Gaming Tournaments – If you’re good enough consider entering gaming tournaments. Several of them give away serious cash and prizes.

Be wary of public Wi-Fi

2011-09-25T08:05:00.000-04:00

What Smartphones Really Cost

2011-09-25T07:53:00.005-04:00

Component Cost: $187.51
Price Without Contract:$599
Price With Contract: $199
Lowest Available Price:$197 (Wal-Mart)

Unlike other smartphone manufacturers, Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - News) generally doesn't allow its devices to be sold for any less than in its stores, so $199 is almost certainly what you're going to pay for a new iPhone 4 with a two-year contract. Buying it at Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT - News) will knock that down a buck or two.

With component costs of nearly $190, the iPhone 4 is the most expensive smartphone on the market to manufacture, according to research firm iSuppli. The largest single component of that cost is the iPhone's Retina Display, which costs an estimated $30 to make.
But the real wallet wallop comes if you break or lose your iPhone 4 and have to replace it before your contract is up. Buying one without AT&T's (NYSE: T - News) subsidy will set you back a jaw-dropping $600.

Component Cost: $165
Price Without Contract: $399.99
Price With Contract: $199.99
Lowest Available Price: $39.99 (Amazon.com, Wirefly)

Samsung (KSE: 005930.KS - News) followed in Research In Motion's (NasdaqGS: RIMM - News) successful footsteps by launching what is more or less the same phone on each of the four major U.S. wireless networks.

The phone is Samsung's Galaxy S class, and The Vibrant is T-Mobile's version. AT&T's Samsung Captivate can be had for about the same price with a new two-year contract, but without a new contract, it will set you back $100 more than the Vibrant. Sprint's Epic (NYSE: S - News), the 4G version of the phone, can't be bought for less than $200, however. Verizon's Fascinate (NYSE: VZ - News) version hasn't yet gone to market.

With similar capabilities to other top-of-the-line Android peers, the Vibrant is bargain at $40 with a new contract. Without one, prepare to shell out $400.

Component Cost: $171.05
Price Without Contract: $499.99
Price With Contract: $199.99
Lowest Available Price: $99.99 (Amazon.com, Wirefly)

The $200 price point surprised a number of people, given that Research In Motion's top-of-the-line BlackBerry doesn't match up all that well with the features and app availability of its high-end smartphone rivals, especially the iPhone or Android alternatives.

But at $100 from retailers like Amazon.com (NasdaqGS: AMZN - News) and Wirefly, the Torch can be a pretty good deal. It's not quite as fast and doesn't have the screen resolution of some of its peers, but the BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard is a big plus for heavy e-mailers and texters.
The touch screen makes the Torch more expensive than most BlackBerry phones, but surprisingly it's not the priciest: Verizon's BlackBerry Storm sells for $540 without a contract, and the Bold goes for $510 on Verizon.

Component Cost: $163.35
Price Without Contract: $529.99
Price With Contract: $199.99
Lowest Available Price: $69.99 (Wirefly)

One of the most sought-after smartphones on the market, Verizon's Droid Incredible only recently became available for next-day shipping -- four months after it went on sale.

So with such "incredible" demand and high-end features like an 8 megapixel camera and Android 2.2, it's a surprise that it can be had for as little as $70 on Wirefly with a new two-year contract.

At $40 less than the Droid X and $10 less than the Droid 2 without a new contract, it's also the least expensive Droid-branded smartphone that Verizon offers. It doesn't have a keyboard like the Droid 2 or a 4.3-inch screen like the Droid X, but if you don't need those features, the Droid Incredible is competitively priced.

Quote Of The Day!

2011-09-23T01:54:00.000-04:00

"The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up."

- Paul Valery

The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence)

2011-09-23T01:50:00.002-04:00

Watch or Pass?

Who Sings The Best Hooks?

2011-09-23T01:42:00.003-04:00

Having the right person sing the hook of a song can take it from good to great, and there have been several singers who have helped make songs become hits. Chris Brown and Trey Songz got it in with guest appearances this year, but they aren’t the only ones.

Who Do You Guys Think Does The Best Hooks?

Scarface Is Coming Back!

2011-09-23T01:36:00.001-04:00

Scarface is one of the most influential movies on hip-hop, and a new version is on the way. Be clear…this will NOT be a remake or a sequel, but a retelling of the film that was made in 1932 starring Paul Muni, and again in 1983 with Al Pacino as the star.

According to Deadline.com, the third version of Scarface will be about an immigrant pursuing the American dream by doing dirt. But it’s not yet known if it will focus on an Italian or Cuban like the first two versions of the film, or if the main character will have another ethnicity. Read more about the new Scarface here.

11 Golden Rules to Live By..

2011-09-23T01:31:00.002-04:00

1.Live Within Your Means

In order to be truly independent, it's imperative to live within your means. Your freedom is limited by owing money to anyone, whether it's a credit card company or a family member, so set yourself up for an unrestricted life by saving for the things you want and spending with a plan

2.Work Hard

Your job and the salary you command are your biggest assets in building wealth. Do your best at work and take the steps to make yourself indispensable to set yourself up for the highest level of success.

3.Research Before You Act

Whether you're comparing travel package and a la carte prices for a vacation or looking up a company to see if it's legitimate, research is almost always worth your time.

4.Avoid Buyer's Remorse

Feeling guilty just doesn't sit well. Avoid buyer's remorse by asking yourself these questions before making a purchase: Do I love it? How often would I wear or use it? Can I afford it? Could I find it cheaper somewhere else?

5.Avoid Saver's Remorse

There is such a thing as being too thrifty for your own good. What's the point of squirreling away so much cash if you can't splurge occasionally on yourself and others? Include an amount of discretionary money into your budget to spend on things that you might not desperately need, but would make you smile.

6.Strive For Happiness

Finding a job that makes you happy most of the time is possible, and it's worth taking risks to discover what fulfills you. If for one reason or another you're stuck in a position that isn't ideal, at least strive to end your day with something that does make you happy.

7.Go For Quality, Not Quantity

Stuffing your closet with items that will fall apart in three months is a silly way to spend your hard earned cash. Buy a smaller quantity of things that are made to last, and you'll be the owner of higher quality items that look and feel like they're worth your money.

8.Face Your Weaknesses Head-On

We're not perfect, but admitting that you have weaknesses and doing your best to improve will allow you to continue growing. Invest time in yourself to be the most well-rounded person you can be.

9.Save For the Predictable and the Unexpected

We're all going to face retirement someday, and the best time to save for it is now. The golden years are inevitable. On the other hand, we also need to be prepared for the unexpected, like job loss or a medical emergency, so that we can remain in control of our finances even when other things aren't going our way.

10.Negotiate

Doors aren't closed until you hear the word no. Negotiating things like salary and benefits can get you ahead of the game, and all you need is the confidence to ask.

11.Set Goals on Top of Goals

Cap the feeling that you're going through the motions by revising your goals when you've accomplished your old ones. Whether it's saving for a vacation to a place you've always wanted to visit or considering the next step in your career, there's always something to keep you moving and motivated.

Big changes announced at Facebook F8

2011-09-23T00:54:00.006-04:00

Thursday's the big day for Facebook. Following a trickle of feature updates to the site within the past few weeks, the company is expected to unveil at its annual F8 developer event some big changes to what has become the world's biggest social network.

Deep integration with music services

CNET has previously reported that Facebook has been in talks with music services to more deeply integrate them, and Thursday that's expected to be officially unveiled. Earlier this week, the company took the wraps off its lineup of speakers, which include music services Spotify, and Turntable.fm. A report this past weekend by The New York Times suggested those partnerships would be a larger part of allowing users to turn profile pages into "a primary entertainment hub," letting them share music, TV shows, and movies without leaving the site.

A big profile redesign

Among the other changes in store is said to be a "major" profile redesign. Mashable this week reported that profiles will be getting an overhaul, along with more ties to Facebook's Credits system to put e-commerce in the forefront.

A Facebook app store

Like Google's Chrome Web app store, Facebook too might be getting into the paid Web apps arena Thursday. The same Mashable report suggested that could be the case. Facebook's first F8 in 2007 was the launch pad for its third-party application platform.

A tablet experience

A report from TechCrunch in June highlighted something called Project Spartan, a version of the site designed to work on Apple's mobile Safari. Unlike its existing app, the idea of that project is to allow third-party applications to run through the tablet app, skirting Apple's in-app purchase requirements and giving the company a way to extend its Credits system to additional devices.

Like button joined by others

Will the iconic "Like" button soon be getting some new friends? That's the rumor from TechCrunch, which said that the iconic button will be joined by buttons for "Listened," "Watched," and "Read." Not to be outdone, there will also reportedly be a "Want" button for bookmarking e-commerce goods.

A new photo-sharing app

This is probably one of the most fringe possibilities, but Facebook is expected to be launching a standalone photo-sharing app. That's based on a TechCrunch report from June, citing photos the tech blog acquired of the project. Facebook's already broken out its messaging platform as a standalone iOS and Android app, so the possibility is starting to look a whole lot more likely. Is F8 the right place to take the wraps off it though? Probably not, unless it makes use of some new developer APIs the company wants to show off.

6 Reasons Why You Have Belly Fat

2011-09-21T08:40:00.000-04:00

A Flat Contoured Stomach is a goal many people are striving to have. However, the battle of the bulge is

a reality many people have to face. Are you doing a lot of ab exercises and still no results? Maybe there’s a bigger problem you need to address.

Blackdoctor.org lays out six things that may be the reason you have belly fat. Check these out and see if you can relate.

1. Uninhibited Weekends

Researchers have found that people eat significantly more on weekends without even noticing it; especially on Saturdays when fat consumption is at its highest. Those extra weekend calories can quickly add up.

To avoid overindulging on the weekends, pay special attention to portion size and limit your alcohol consumption. Alcohol is full of empty calories and it lowers your inhibitions enough to cause you to eat foods and amounts you wouldn’t normally.

2. Eating On the Run

Who hasn’t walked and scarfed down lunch at the same time? When you’re in a hurry the first thing you sacrifice is usually time to sit down to a decent meal. Eating on the run can cause you to eat too quickly for your body’s hunger and satisfaction signals to keep up. If you take less than 20 minutes to eat a meal, you could be setting yourself up for cravings and overeating. To avoid this, sit down and slow down before you eat.

3. Plus-Sized Portions

Over the last 50 years, restaurant portions have grown out of control and so have our weights. We’ve become so used to the huge portion sizes that they seem normal now. Cook at home instead of eating out and use a smaller plate for your meals. Remember that half your plate should be filled with vegetables and one fourth with a lean protein. If you must eat at a restaurant ask for a doggie bag before you eat and pack up the excess portion to avoid digging into too much food.

4. “Luxury” Coffee Shop Beverages

Your daily coffee supreme with the works from the coffee shop may be adding a significant amount of calories to your diet. Those specialty drinks can cost you about 370 calories and 15 g of fat. Instead, choose a regular coffee with two tablespoons of sugar and you’ll cut about 17,000 calories a year from your diet, which is almost 5 pounds.

5. A Dieting Mindset

Food is essential to live. Food is not the enemy, and any diet that tells you otherwise is not good for you. Being stuck in the dieting mindset can cause you to go on a rollercoaster of losing weight just to stop dieting and put it back on. Yo-yo dieting is bad for your health. It causes your body to slow down your metabolic rate and initiates cravings. To get to and maintain a good weight, you need to follow a balanced and nutritious diet.

6. Skipping Meals

Skipping meals is another way to wreak havoc on your metabolism. Your body might store extra fat to prepare for other missed meals. Instead of skipping meals, eat small nutritious snacks such as a handful of nuts or fiber rich cereal when you can’t get to a complete meal. Try not to eat after 7 p.m. when your metabolism is at its lowest.

How To Survive Unemployment & Keep Financially Fit

2011-09-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

Most of the time, people don’t know in advance that they’re going to lose their job. The news comes as a complete, and unwelcome, surprise. If you know you are about to get an income reduction or lose your job, some advanced planning will transform a potential calamity into an opportunity.

Here are 3 strategies to prepare for an impending change in your finances:

1. Revisit Your Budget

Trim whatever you can out of your spending. Look at your cable TV subscription, your cell phone or home phone plan, your insurance, and any other monthly expenses to see what you can reduce or eliminate. You can usually save money by lowering the quality of your plans.

2. Pad Your Emergency Fund

Most experts recommend having six months of living expenses socked away in your savings. But in today’s economy, it’s smart to have enough for at least eight months.

3. Start Networking

Everyone’s situation is going to be different. Some of you will want to try and find employment as soon as possible. Others will decide to start a business, or even take some time off to pursue a personal dream, like traveling or volunteer work.

Losing or leaving your job can be an incredibly nerve-wracking experience, even if you have done everything you can to prepare. But keep in mind that your experience is up to you. That is, you can look at the situation as a catastrophe, or as an open door.

What about you? Are you facing a voluntary or involuntary job loss? Have you already gone through this? Please share any tips or advice you may have!

Battlefield 3 Beta Date Announced

2011-09-21T01:13:00.002-04:00

After months of speculation and anticipation, publisher Electronic Arts has finally announced when gamers will be able to get participate in the beta for DICE’s Battlefield 3.

The multiplayer beta for Battlefield 3 will be available on the PlayStation Store for all PlayStation Network members come September 29th, which is next Thursday. The beta is open to all platforms.

Gamers who have a retail copy of Medal of Honor, as well as those who pre-ordered the shooter on EA’s digital distribution service Origin, will receive an email delivering further instructions on how to play the beta a bit earlier than everyone else on September 27th.

The hotly anticipated beta will feature one game mode, Rush, that will take place on the map entitled Operation Métro. Additionally, the taster will see the introduction of Battlelog, the social network which gives players access to a slew of options: tracking specific stats, medals, rewards and much more. However, the Battlelog stats, etc, acquired for each player will not carry over into the full game.

Quote Of The Day!

2011-09-21T00:58:00.003-04:00

"There is only one success--to be able to spend your life in your own way."

- Christopher Morley

Translate Documents?

2011-09-20T14:12:00.000-04:00

Automated translation is no substitute for humans. If you speak a second language, translate documents and get paid.