How the 2011 Tax Changes Affected My Take Home Pay

income taxes
One of my many tasks for my employer is to process the payroll and print out checks.  Since we are all salaried and paid twice a month, this is usually an easy and –  dare I say – almost boring task since usually everything stays the same month after month. However, the first payroll run of the year added some excitement and was actually a bit of a challenge because of the 2011 tax changes, namely the federal income tax… Read the rest
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Carnival of Money Stories #89 Happy Birthday Dr. King Edition

Carnivals
Welcome, this is the 89th Edition of the Carnival of Money Stories! Today the United States observes the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In honor of Dr. King, I'd like to share some of the quotes he made over his lifetime starting with probably the most famous one: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by… Read the rest

Easy Baked Goods Recipes: Jumbo Banana Nut Breakfast Muffins

Recipes
How many of you buy a Starbucks coffee and one of those giant muffins every day?   Probably not too many of you, especially if you're into personal finance.  But I bet you'd like to buy one of those giant muffins every once in a while. Well, guess what? You can make them yourself, and they'll be fresh, cost less per muffin and be much healthier for you because you'll know exactly what goes into making them. I'm going to share… Read the rest
Love Drop Logo

Love Drop Is Starting With Jill in Chicago

plan of action
Love Drop Starts Now J. Money of Budgets are Sexy and Nate St. Pierre of It Starts with Us are the founders of a new project, a new way to make a change in someone's life – it's called: Love Drop. Love Drop is a micro-giving network of people banded together and donating to help one person or family each month.  The project officially launched on January 1, 2011 (1/1/11). You can help with this new project by subscribing as… Read the rest