Music is a powerful tool in setting the ambience for whatever task I’m trying to tackle. And, sometimes, I just get sick of hearing the same songs over and over again so the advent of Internet radio was nice.

Whether it is writing a post, tweaking a website, working out, and plain old web surfing, I like that I have some great options available. Here are some of my favorite places for music:

• Pandora Radio
  My favorite Internet radio so far. I set a few stations with a song or artist that I like and it automatically plays music that are similar. Pandora Radio is great for discover new music that I would never have encountered on my own. I use it primarily to listen to ambient instrumental music for my writing sessions. There is a 40-hour per month limit but continue down the list for other options.
• Last.fm
  Last.fm is very much like Pandora Radio where you enter an artist or genre and it plays similar tunes. My next favorite option when I use up my time with Pandora Radio.
• nuTsie
  With nuTsie, I get to choose lists of songs in a specific genre or year. When I select the Top 100 Songs of 2000, I return to the days of middle school. There is no limit to how long you can listen but there is a limit to how many times of you can skip a song.
• iHeartRadio
  If I’m in the mood for listening to the good old radio, I switch to iHeartRadio for my local music station and listen to the hot new tunes that everyone else is listening to.

Now on to some great posts:

• Why do we want everything this instant? at Pop Economics. Ever wondered about the neurological behavior that drives us towards instant gratification? We are human after all – and there are just some things we cannot control such as the impulsive mishaps with money.
• How a Savings Account Expert Saves His Own Money at Bucks New York Times Blog. It is easy to see how many of us personal finance bloggers handle our savings but it’s not often that we get to delve into the money management styles of those who consider themselves experts in the field.

Yakezie Shoutouts:

• The Thin Line Between Minimalist & Moocher at Well-Heeled Blog. If we chose to live with less, there are time when we must turn to others for stuff we need. At that point, a minimalist lifestyle could intrude on the lifestyles of others.
• Dear Graduate, do you want to retire in five years? at Early Retirement Extreme. As a recent graduate, this letter-style post that evoked a motivational path that sets itself apart from the typical rat race. It shows that learning and growth should not stop after graduation. Continue doing so will allow us to reach our goals quicker.

Check out this awesome guest post I contributed:

• Sun Tzu’s Art of War Applied to Your Battle Against Debt at Financial Samurai

Recent carnivals in which Realm of Prosperity participated:

• Carnival of Personal Finance #272 – Yogi Berra Edition! at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff
• Festival of Frugality #245 – The Exorcist Edition at Canadian Finance Blog

(Photo credit: C.P. Storm)

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Something happened this week that reaffirmed my decision last month to start taking backups seriously.

So, I was making a small edit to an old post on WordPress. As I clicked “Update”, the “Posts” section went blank and my Dashboard showed that I had zero posts.

Apparently, all pages on Realm of Prosperity had disappeared!

I have no idea what happened but I logged straight into my web hosting server and restored the most recent WordPress database backup. I am so fortunate to have built a solid backup system just for occurrences like this.

Everyone Needs Backups
As a blogger, amateur photographer, and self-taught web designer, I’d like to believe that my digital content is very important. With our immense reliance on technology nowadays, everyone has some vital documents and files that require multiple backups.

My inspiration came from a blog post by world class photographer Chase Jarvis on his photography workflow (the video is very educational). He stresses redundancy and off-site storage so I tried my best to have multiple backups in different places.

Sure, I am no professional but my website and files mean the world to me so I treat all my files as if it were part of a professional business.

My Backup Procedure

1. Using the WP-DB-Backup plugin, I schedule a daily backup to my Gmail account.
2. When that email hits my inbox, I also download a copy of that backup to the Dropbox folder on my Macbook Pro.
3. At the end of each day, I use Apple’s Time Machine software to backup my entire laptop to an external hard drive, which is rotated weekly with another external hard drive.

Therefore, I have 4 backups of my blog, 3 backups of all my work, and 2 backups of my entire hard drive. Dropbox is great off-site online backup medium. I put one of the external hard drives on the other side of the house to be on the safe side.

Is my backup configuration too much? No, I like sleeping at night knowing that if anything happened, I wouldn’t have lost much. Besides, the whole process takes 5 minutes of my day.

This may be handy advice to these bloggers who are pumping out such great posts:

• What’s Wrong with the Modern Personal Investing World at Redeeming Riches. Investing is considered essential to those who want to build wealth but there are many flaws in the system that makes it much tougher to achieve our financial goals.
• 3 Guerrilla Tactics to Get Rid of Clutter at 20 Something Finance. Accumulation of stuff is a prime evil that diverts focus and attention – leading to reduced productivity. I strive to keep my life simple with fewer things so these tactics would surely be useful.
• The Five Minute Rule at Bargaineering. Keeping your finances simple allows for more efficient money management. If something get to confusing for you to understand, then you probably shouldn’t delve any more into the matter – especially when it puts your money at risk.

A few carnival that Realm of Prosperity participated in:

• Carnival of Personal Finance – Getting’ Hot in Here Edition at NerdWallet
• Carnival of Financial Planning – Edition #151 at The Skilled Investor

(Photo credit: Sarabbit)

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Lately, I’ve been on the hunt for an affordable gym chain that does have really bad reviews when I type the company name and “scam” in a Google search. Most of the gyms around my area are notorious for smooth sailing up to the point where you want to terminate your membership.

For example, Bally’s gym scam revolves around a shady renewal/cancellation policy. Plenty of members have said that some gyms continue charging them despite no longer being a member or stating that their membership somehow was re-activated without their knowledge.

Many friends of mine are members of Bally’s and offered to refer me for a cheaper price. I’ve been skeptical and almost agreed at one time. But, I know that their content with the gym exists only because they haven’t tried to leave yet. That’s when the trouble starts.

Sigh. It is a fruitless endeavor.

The YMCA seems like a very nice place but it is definitely not one of the affordable options. I guess you get what you pay for in the fitness industry. But, the deceptive business practices of the popular chains are ridiculous.

Anyway, onto some more interesting stuff around the personal finance blogosphere:

• Earn more money. It matters more than everything else combined. at Pop Economics. We always ramble on about how to save, budget, and invest but the key component to our personal finances is income. Without it, we cannot save more or invest more. So why don’t we care about making more money?
• A Hypothetical Conversation Between a Stock Picker and an Indexer at AllFinancialMatters. This post offers a deeper look at the mechanics of the stock market that introduces an interesting reasoning for index funds. Great food for thought for every investor.
• Beware when trying to find deals at Clever Dude. Bargains are not bargains if you end up spending more than you intended. All too often do we search for great deals online and end up buying things we don’t need – and we did it just because we thought we’d be saving a bunch when we really weren’t.

Check out these carnivals that Realm of Prosperity participated in:

• Festival of Frugality at Wealth Junkies
• Carnival of Finance at Funny About Money

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This week’s hot topic wasn’t Apple or BP, it was Lebron James. Despite rapidly rising to become one of the elite players in the NBA, Lebron and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been unable to accomplish the great feat of securing a championship ring.

Now that he reigns loose from the confines of Cleveland, he chose the Miami Heat as the next team for which he’ll play – accompanied by Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

To fit all three superstars into the team, they’ll have to cut their salary and they’ve all agreed to do so if necessary. The team chemistry and roles are of the most concern at this point.

All the hype and media on Lebron’s decision is warranted as it will change the NBA league and the game of basketball. Right now, their goal is to win a championship – something money cannot buy. Many people are willing to take a job with a lower salary if they know that it’s what they love to do and want to do.

Would you take a salary paycut when an opportunity offers the chance to collaborate with great people who will help you reach your goals?

Some other thought-provoking articles around the blogosphere:

• Poverty or Simplicity: The Choice is Yours at Christian PF. Choosing to have less doesn’t imply your lack of wealth. Clutter has always added to worry and stress. Minimalism, whether it was result of poverty or not, is a choice that may lead to a more fulfilling life.
• Traditional vs. Roth IRA: Decide Which is Best for You at Good Financial Cents. This is a decision that troubles many people looking to build their nest egg. I’ve sounded out my reason for choosing a Roth IRA over a traditional IRA. You probably want to check out the beautiful infographic if you have this decision to make.
• Automate or Unautomate Your Finances? at Free From Broke. Personal financial management has seen a breakthrough with automation, but it has its own drawbacks. I automate part of my finances and actively manage the other. But, you may have your own method that works for you.

Check out the recent carnivals in which Realm of Prosperity participated:

• Carnival of Money Stories Independence Day Edition at Out of Debt Again

(Photo credit: Keith Allison)

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Over my many years of dealing with shipping services from purchases and selling on ebay, Amazon, and etc., I’ve had a flawless history of everything going smoothly. This week was the first time that I find that USPS.com indicated a package has been successfully delivered while my mailbox was empty.

Even the many times before that no one was home to accept and sign for a package, it eventually ended in my hands without too much of a hassle. Despite this package worth only about $15, it is still an irritable feeling to find that my stuff is being stolen (I assume). The one thing I’m hoping for is that it was delivered to the wrong address by an incompetent postal worker and that the kind person who received it would send it back and USPS would redelivered, correctly.

“Once disloyal, a hundred times unused.” Guess I’ve got to be more scrupulous with the shipping details when I order things online. Sigh…

My misfortune shouldn’t deter you from peeking at these interesting articles:

• Other People’s Priorities Don’t Have to Be Your Priorities at The Simple Dollar. Peer pressure and the feeling of being left out play a major role in the many folks who try to match the lifestyles of their friends when they can’t afford it. You are doing what they want to do, not what you want to do. Say “no, thanks” once in a while.
• How to Invest Like a Hedge Fund Manager at DoughRoller. Hedge funds, no matter how much people hate them, are powerful forces that affect the prices of many large companies out there. With the ability to move the market, why not take a look at how they are doing it and maybe get a piece of the action.
• Great Financial Advice From The In-Flight Safety Handbook at Enemy of Debt. It just goes to show that self-preservation should come before helping others. If you can’t help yourself, you won’t be able to lend a hand in the first place. This shouldn’t apply to just your money – apply it to all aspects of life.

Realm of Prosperity participated in these carnivals this week:

• Carnival of Personal Finance – Women in History Edition at SimplyForties

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A brewing desire to enter the world of photography has finally been fulfilled as I bought a new DSLR camera (the Canon Rebel XS). The first thing that hit me was – photography is an expensive hobby. An all-out photographer could have a camera hanging on his neck that is costs as much as a nice used car – with his gear bag worth even more.

I’ve got to admit that I’ve got the upgrade bug, where I’m constantly looking for new lenses and accessories. It is something is would devastate my bank account and I know it! So, knowing how dangerous it is, I’ve decided to get better at taking good photos and learn before jumping into something I’m not ready for – not like I’m looking to become a professional photographer (though I wouldn’t mind it as another source of income).

Maybe now, I’ll be using some of my own images for blog posts instead of having to rely on the great community of Flickr users.

Enough about photography, let’s check out some interesting posts from this past week:

• Can You Be Content While In Debt at Delivery Away Debt. Most of us got into debt because of the joy of shopping and the new stuff that we get – often at the swipe of a credit card. Now, many suffer the consequences. What’s done is done. But, have you realized that removing debt can make you happy too?
• Automation: Why You Don’t Have to Feel Bad About Spending Ever Again at Personal Finance Ninja. Automation of your finances has be a long renowned method towards financial freedom. When all the right things are done automatically, the extraneous (aka. the spending) should not become a part of a guilty conscience.
• Simple Investing Advice From Warren Buffett at All Financial Matters. Warren Buffett is the one person whose footsteps many aspiring investors want to follow. If you’d follow the advice that millionaires gives, why wouldn’t you take the advice from one of the world’s wealthiest?

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One year ago, I was able to use TurboTax to file my own tax return since it was quite easy because I was still in school. A small, simple W-2 form. A few trades. A few dollars in savings interest. And that’s pretty much it. Done in 15 minutes.

Now out of school, I’ve got so much more going on. In addition to just regular employment, there is freelancing, blog income, and student loan interest. This year introduced a big part of taxes that I had been mystified by – deductions and credits. With Realm of Prosperity picking up steam, I might have to seriously start considering this blog a business.

Even if you don’t plan on filing on your own I think it is a great educational experience to use tax preparation software to compare your results with those of a professional accountant.

On to some interesting articles from around the personal finance blogosphere:

• Is Paying Kids for Good Grades Wrong? at Darwin’s Finance. While any incentive to get good grades would have been great, I never got a penny for doing good in school. In fact, I studied so I wouldn’t get punished – not to make some money. Stereotypical of Asian families to beat their kids if they don’t meet the expectations.
• Take Your Competitive Resume and Tweak the He#$ Out Of It! at MyLifeROI. Unemployment rates haven’t seen any good signs lately and the world is becoming more dynamic, which means our resumes require more of a sparkle than usual. I’ve revised my resume a few times and you should too.
• In China, It’s Sexy To Save!! at Weakonomics. What a lovely article covering the harsh truth of how things work in China through the study of economics, relationships, and biology. I don’t know if it was a good or bad thing that I was born in the U.S because I’d be super sexy in China (since I like to save).

Check out this guest post I contributed to Free Money Finance:

• What War Strategy Games Teach About Building Our Own Financial Empires

Realm of Prosperity participated in a carnival:

• Carnival of Personal Finance #242 – Fun Tax Facts at Cash Money Life

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I don’t know what came over me but I’ve been pumping out eHow articles for the past two weeks. Any ideas that I don’t see fit for Realm of Prosperity will somehow turn into a how-to article – and I’ve seen the rewards from doing so. Although it is just a few bucks here and there, I do see myself building a portfolio of about 100 eHow articles by this summer.

As of now I only have 20 articles earning about $6 per month ever since starting to use eHow last summer. Still a rookie here but my recent drive to write more for them will hopefully increase the number of articles and my earnings.

On to some interesting reads published recently:

• The Best Times to Buy Anything, All Year Round at LifeHacker. The best time to get a good price on something is when no one else wants to buy it – just like stocks. LifeHacker breaks down the categories of stuff and the times during the year when you can get the lowest prices. Great to know for all shoppers.
• Five Psychological Money Tricks That Work at Bargaineering. I’ve always believed that good money management doesn’t start with your finances but with your mindset. Often, we can’t control how we think but we can trick ourselves into doing things – a powerful way to handle money.
• No One Became Wealthy Worrying for Others at MoneyNing. This article is putting in our faces. Stop comparing what you have to what other people have and focus on what you can get. You are you and that’s the only person that should be concerned about.

Carnivals that Realm of Prosperity participated in:

• Carnival of Personal Finance – Support Haiti Edition at Million Dollar Journey

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Both my parents have Roth IRAs with Capital One Investment Services and I’ve been voicing my advice over how bad they’ve been managing their retirement accounts – no matter how small they may be.

They pay a $35 annual fee and own some weird investment fund that, I assume, was selected based on the advice of a broker. What lovely advice it was – for the broker – since he probably made some commissions for this recommendation.

I’ll be managing these accounts for them now. The first step would be transferring the accounts to Scottrade, where commissions are MUCH less. Then I’d be changing their investments to index funds, since they are less of a headache – especially for my parents.

Some interesting links from the personal finance blogosphere:

• 6 Smart Spending Questions To Ask Yourself Before Making A Purchase at Bible Money Matters. Controlling impulsive spending is so important to prevent debt accumulation. Stopping to ask yourself these questions could probably save you a lot of money.
• Don’t Flush Your Credit Down the Drain at SPENDonLIFE. An awesome infographic shows that path that your credit takes if you fail to pay your credit card bills.
• Maximize Strengths or Minimize Weaknesses? at Lazy Man and Money. I love taking a mental approach towards personal finance and this article suggests dealing with the weaknesses in our money management techniques rather than doing more of what we already do best.

Carnivals that Realm of Prosperity was featured in:

• Carnival of Personal Finance #239 – Hot Money Trends of 2010 Edition at Darwin’s Finance.

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As of this week, I am a contributing blogger for Money Under 30 – a personal finance blog maintained by David Weliver intended for (well, you know) everyone under the age of 30. So, whatever has been catching your attention here at Realm of Prosperity will also most likely interest you at Money Under 30. Subscribe to Money Under 30’s RSS feed to keep updated!

On to some articles worth reading this week around the personal finance blogosphere:

• Why Some People Know They Saved As Much as They Possibly Can at MoneyNing. This post uses a great analogy between a bar game and testing your limits. It suggests that we should save to the point where we cannot save anymore to determine how much we can push our finances for the better.
• Live Within Your Own Means, Not the Means of Others at Five Cent Nickel. A friend of mine is thinking of getting a newer car because he expects to be getting a raise soon. This article supports my advice to him that a raise doesn’t mean he has to spend more.
• Visualizing How Your Stuff Owns You at Steadfast Finances. A great post that points out how much of a person’s existence is occupied with “stuff” and clutter, which is accumulated by the spending of money. Don’t spend so much and enjoy freedom from materialism.

Here are some links to carnivals and mentions of Realm of Prosperity:

• Best of Personal Finance Roundup: How to Hide Naughty Credit Card Purchases at Wise Bread
• Carnival of Personal Finance #235: The Cinderella Edition at Well-Heeled, with a Mission
• Money Hacks Carnival XCV – The Tiger Woods, We Hardly Knew Ye Edition at Len Penzo dot Com
• Emily’s list: New faces edition at the CreditCards.com blog
• Carnival of Personal Finance #233: Welcome to Webcomics at A Gai Shan Life

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