1. Why You Should Show Your Schedule The Middle Finger @ TFB.

2. Comparing Apples and Oranges @ PDITF.

3. When You Should Spend Some Money to Make More Money @ Studenomics.

4. What Will We Have Today? How About Rotten Chicken… @ BITFS.

5. Did Millionaires WANT to Be Millionaires? @ Budgets Are Sexy.

6. Good High Yield Dividend Stocks Are Better Alternatives to Bonds Today @ Free From Broke.

7. You’re Driving Me Crazy @ Financial Uproar.

8. “I’m Fine, Thanks” @ SPI.

9. Save Money, Buy a Chest Freezer @ Canadian Finance Blog.

10. Work-life Balance, New Challenges, and Thanks @ Get Rich Slowly.

How can you make huge purchases like a stud?

Be realistic about the full cost.

$999 is not a couple of hundred bucks. It’s one thousand dollars.

You have to be realistic about the full cost before you start to plan for any major expense. Don’t lie to yourself. It’s easier to save when you calculate the full price, including: taxes, insurance, and complementary costs.

Set an automated savings plan.

Now you need to start saving my friend! This is the fun part. You can steal, borrow, or beg for money to save up for this purchase. You can also work harder.

When I have a big purchase coming up I often pick up more shifts at work and find new ways to increase my income.

The next step is to set an automated savings plan with your bank account. Create a new sub-account, withdraw a set amount every week or so, and watch your savings build.

I love this part.

Set priorities.

This is where you realize that you can have anything that you want, but not everything. You can have the big purchase. You can go to Cancun this summer. You just need to set priorities.

How do you set priorities? Elimiante crap while saving for a specific goal.

This is the stuff I cut back on when saving for a huge purchase:

• Random nights out.
• Drinking for no reason.
• Eating out (hello cans of tuna).
• Subscriptions.
• Buying stupid stuff.

What will you cut out?

Negotiate like a champ.

If you don’t ask the answer is always no. This is why negotiating on the price is key.

I always ask for discounts. I always try to get a better rate. My friends get mad at me because they say it’s embarrassing. Then they save money and thank for me.

When planning a trip I use online travel sites against each other. I find the one with the “price beat guarantee” and I send them the lowest price. Even if they beat it by $10, that’s still $10 in my pocket. That’s an extra couple of beers!

When making any huge purchase, the biggest savings will come from negotiating like a champ. Don’t be a coward. Ask for a discount.

I want you to save as much money as possible on future major expenses. This includes that flat screen tv you plan on buying for the EuroCup and that suit you want to grab for your buddies wedding this summer.

Before you buy Facebook (or any other stock), you may want to review this post.

Why Buy?

Investing in the stock market can be a great boost to your long term finances and goals if done wisely. When you think you want to invest, take some time to answer a few questions:

• Why are you interested in buying stock? Have you heard an expert proclaim that this is a smart buy?
• Do you understand the company’s business? Can you explain to your grandmother the general business model?
• Have you read their financials? If it’s an IPO you’re looking at getting into, have you’ve read their S-1 that they filed?

Can You Predict the Stock Market?

If buying during an IPO isn’t a good idea, then when should you invest? The answer? I have no idea and neither do most people. Last week people were speculating that Facebook would jump. Some of the honest ones admitted that they had no idea how it would go and instead looked at whether or not getting in with an IPO is a move based on recent tech IPOs.  Not many saw that the first day would be fairly stagnant. And these are the professionals with the resources to do the research.

If you’re an average investor it’s impossible to predict the day to day volatility of the market. A better use of your resources is to have a well thought out strategy and have a system.The easiest way to stay on target for your investment goals is to go ahead and automate your  contributions, whether it’s at work with your 401(k) or with your IRA. Keep to the strategy you’ve taken the time to mull over and stick by it.

Besides having a diversified portfolio (which includes equities), I do believe that having a plan for your money is the best way to come out ahead. Many people find index funds to be a great fit – steady growth over the long term and less need to check the stock market on a short term basis.

Thoughts on Investing in Facebook

I’d like to hear from you. Did you invest in Facebook? Why or why not?

Good Morning Green Panda Readers.  The warm weather is here and it’s the time of the year when people like to get outside and have some fun.  So Green Panda is here to help you enjoy the warm summer weather without breaking the bank and going broke.  There are many ways that we can all get outside, enjoy the warm weather, take in the sunshine alone or with our friends and we don’t even have to spend a ton of money.

5 Great Ways to Get Outside This Summer, Have some Fun, and Save Your Money

1. Read a Book.  I personally love reading books and I really love reading books in the sunshine. I don’t really like tanning or lying in the sun while doing nothing, but I do like being outside and enjoying the sunshine if I have a great book to read.  If you have a library card then you have access to unlimited books at your disposal and at absolutely no cost.  If you don’t have a library card then you should definitely think about getting one if you love to read because reading is a great inexpensive way to enjoy get outside and enjoy the sunshine.

2. Go to a Park.  Fresh air and sunshine is a great way to spend an afternoon and spending the day in the park makes it a cheap way to have some fun.  There are many inexpensive and fun activities that we can enjoy in the park such as playing a sport like baseball or volleyball, throwing around a Frisbee, or laying on the grass and listening to your iPod.

3. Take a Long Walk.  If reading a book or hanging out in a park is not really your idea of a fun day then maybe you would like to get outside and take a walk.  Walking around is a great way to get some fresh air, enjoy the sunshine, get some exercise, and possibly even discover a new restaurant or neighbourhood.

4. Pack a Picnic.  I will always take part in an activity that involves food. I know that some people don’t like to eat outside but I personally love it. There is something about eating in the fresh air and sitting in the sunshine while eating that just makes meals so much better.  You can gather some friends and pack a picnic or if you prefer to fly solo you can pack a lunch and take in the sunshine alone.

5. Enjoy a Street Sale.  When the summer sun comes out so do the street vendors. Many cities have street sales on the weekend during the summer months, streets close down to traffic and they become a haven for pedestrians and local vendors.  The great thing about street sales (as opposed to retail stores) is that you don’t even have to buy anything in order to enjoy the ambiance.  Another great thing about street sales is that everything is usually really cheap, so if you do want to shop you won’t break your budget. Street sales also usually have great (and cheap) food and beverages.

How do you like to get outside and enjoy the summer sunshine?

Photo by Annie Mole

Time to move on to the Yakezie links:

1. Hilarious Hypocrisy @ BITFS.

2. Is Losing Your Job The Best Thing That Could Happen to You? @ TFB.

3. The Retire By 40 Value Proposition @ Retire by 40.

4. Is Social Security Really a Retirement Plan? @ Free From Broke.

5. Investing in Gold: A Pure Ponzi-Style Wager on Other Investors @ The College Investor.

6. Beat the bidding : Priceline bidding strategies for hotels @ Wealth Informatics.

7. Everyone Needs To Learn Financial Management @ Buy Like Buffett.

8. Negotiate Using the Lifetime Loyalty Card @ Invest it Wisely.

9. How Not to Use Credit Cards – 7 Deadly Sins @ One Cent at a Time.

10. 4 Reasons Why I Will Not File For Bankruptcy @ KNS Financial.