Oops...it makes sense to go back and read my own BLOG posts!

It never even occurs to me to go back and read my own BLOG for good ideas!

Well, I was looking back at postings from March and I found one reminding myself that the girls have some US Government Bonds that are in their name that they can get tax benefit from if they utilize them for education.

In fact, this is exactly why my mother gave them.....for college!

Now that Kim is a senior, she needs to spend them this year on school.....or pay taxes on them when she ultimately cashes them in. I will have to talk to our accountant (Terry Strout) and ask him how we have to document their use as being for education. (Can we cash them in and just dump the money into checking and then write checks of an equal or greater amount for education expenses....and how do they define those anyways?)

So I guess I've learned something by reading my own BLOG.......if others come out with even a small bit of insight, I suppose I am doing something good. (at least I would like to hope so)

Why do I Blog about Personal Finance?

I have NOT been tagged, but I decided to try to answer the question: Why do I Blog?

I Blog about money and Personal Finance because it lets me focus on these topics myself. It causes me to think about it each and every day....at least to the extent that I have to in order to post.

The personal finance topic helps me think about my own spending, and my home budget.

My posts about the economy and investment allow me to think about topics that help me focus my retirement and savings money into places that better enhance the growth of these.

I'm not a day trader...in fact, I am a buy and holder, but I do follow the principle that I need to re-balance my investments every year.

The thoughts in my BLOG help me with this re-adjustment.

Now for the $69,000 question....does this extra focus help me actually make better decisions?

So far, the jury is out on that.

Why do people BLOG about money?

I suppose people BLOG about money for the same reasons people BLOG about other things.

Some want to pass on a particular talent they have to others. Some want to further focus their own goals and aims...so if they force themselves to BLOG about it, they will tend to keep their eyes on the ball better.

Writing a BLOG can also create a sense of peer pressure as well, and this can keep people on the straight and narrow.

Over a year ago I found a Podcast that is quite simple in nature. It is called the Money Blogger Podcast, and it is a very simple format......a very simple interview format.

I love it, and I love it because it basically askes very similar questions to a number of Persoanal Finance BLOGGERS and finance authors. I love it because while we can read explanations of these same questions on most of these people's BLOGs, being an audio format, this Podcast adds all the audio inflection you get when you get people talking about things that they have a passion for.

Many of the BLOGGERS interviewed are a part of the PFBLOG list of money Bloggers.

Some Personal Finance Bloggers focus on simplicity, some on reducing debt, and others about how to invest or even very specialized topics like currency trading.

Not all people are alike....and neither are Personal Finance BLOGGERS.

The Wall Street Journal Does an Article on Saving Electricity

You may have remembered the BLOG entry I wrote about the Kill-A-Watt energy measuring device....on back a few months ago?

Well it seems the Wall Street Journal has finally found the device and one writer has gotten so excited about it he turned out an entire article on how to use it to save money.

Well, I love the device....and I bought one on Ebay for about $19.00....but you don't have to have one to do your own saving. Check out my past BLOG entry here that talks about a website you can use to learn and calculate your own savings. ( talked a little about mine in a BLOG post too)

Or even this Wisconsin Public Service web site that has a simple spreadsheet to help do the same.

It's all within reach...as with most things in life. We just have to get up off the couch and engage life....grab it by the horns as the Dodge commercial says!

Hey Money Bloggers....do you listen to Money Blogger Podcast?

Ok, so this might be a matter of preaching to the choir but there may be a few of you out there that have not heard of the Money Blogger Podcast.

This is an audio podcast where he this guy interviews a whole array of Money Bloggers....and gets there perspectives on money and why they BLOG. (You can check out tons of Money and Personal Finance BLOGs at:
http://pfblogs.org/)

It is interesting to see why people BLOG, and what they expect to get out of their writings themselves. To me it is very interesting to hear these bloggers that I have often read and hearing their voice is often gives me great insight into the personality and individual behind the thoughts and words.

Most of the shows I have listened to are very interesting.....I suggest you give it a listen.

Here is how this podcaster describes his Podcast:

Money Blogger Podcast

Welcome to the blog for the Money Blogger Podcast! I interview bloggers, authors, and columnists who write about personal finance and the meaning of money. To subscribe to the podcast enter the following in your podcatcher:
HTTP://BLOGGERPODCAST.AUDIOBLOG.COM/RSS/MONEY_BLOGGER_PODCAST.XML