What is worse than buying something that is unnecessary? Buying something that will damage your health and cost you even more money in the future. All the things on the following list are obvious to everyone buy I find that we must continuously advocate for the non-use of these things to get the point across.

To compound the situation, they’ve been increasingly accessible to the younger generations. Quit buying (or buy less) of these items and it will mean major savings in medical costs in the long run.

Cigarettes. Without a doubt, cigarettes is the #1 most useless thing you can buy. You’ve seen the TV campaigns and they really have had an impact on the tobacco industry. Shelling out upwards $5 per pack for something that does nothing but harms your body makes no sense. At a pack a day, it’ll cost $1,825 for a year of smoking. Don’t forget the higher insurance premiums, teeth bleaching, and the medical costs when all those chemicals have finally screwed up your health.

Coffee. Sorry to the Starbucks fanatics but it had to be said. Did you know regular coffee drinkers can suffer from withdrawal when they stop? That is a clear sign that coffee can take control of your body and mind. Whether you brew it yourself or you visit the local coffee house, many people with find that they spend hundreds of dollars on coffee. And, those coffee stained teeth are truly going to make your dentist happy when you go in to get them whitened. Cheaper and healthier alternatives are tea, ice or sparkling water, and juices.

Alcohol. Wow, this coming from a recent college graduate! I see firsthand what happens because of this magical liquid that makes everybody “more fun”. Hey, let’s spend $50 tonight on alcohol and barf my guts out 2 hours later ($50 down the toilet?). The long-term effects include liver and kidney damage and weakening of the heart. But the most costly effect of alcohol is the dangerous activities that one would engage in such as drunk driving which results in even more costs and harm to health.

This small list contains the typical must-have’s for the busy, corporate personnel in the high stress business world. They wake up and drink a cup of coffee, take a smoke during breaks, and end the day at happy hour.

The amazing thing is that everything listed above can be replaced by dihydrogen monoxide – WATER. Yes, $3.99 for 24 bottles of Poland Spring is healthier for you and your wallet than any beverage or drug you can buy.

Photo credit: devlon duthie

Without a doubt, Bernard Madoff’s investment scheme did financial and emotional damage to all of his victims and whether his sentence does justice to the people he hurt is still up for debate. Now we question whether the people who directly [and indirectly] reaped the benefits of his scandal should have any repercussions for being affiliated with Madoff.

Ruth Madoff
The recent media coverage of Ruth Madoff have forced her to be accountable, to a certain extent, with the assets that she is in possession of due to the funds that Bernard Madoff had illegally acquired. As of last Friday, June 26, she has dropped her claims to $80 million in assets. Even after doing so, she is still under pressure to give up a remainder of whatever is left.

Ashamed of her husband’s deceit, she seems to want to mend the situation as soon as possible. With the victims of the scandal seeking redemption, they’ve turned to condemn Ruth for Bernard’s action although she appears to be innocent and unaware of what was going on.

Even with her willing to drop claims to a majority of her assets, should she be entitled the keep the rest? The victims would deem her as a partner in crime because Ruth has a part of their money and they want it back. If your spouse fed the family through unlawful activity, should you and your children be responsible?

The Biggest Winner
As investigators dig deeper, they’ve found a long time investor who truly received benefits that exceeded those of Madoff’s. The Picowers family is the alleged biggest beneficiary of the Madoff scandal. Although there seems to have been fishy activity, the Picowers have made large charitable donations to foundations and institutions. Will there be a lawsuit against the museum or the education center because their funds can be traced to the scandal?

Certainly, those directly involved should have consequences and they should lose whatever money they obtained through any illegitimate method but the victims of the Madoff scandal are on a relentless pursuit of any money that could possibly be returned to them. Next we’ll have to ask, how can you fairly return the money to the many investors if doing so is even possible?

These many questions won’t have definite answers but this event is a thought-provoking situation and readers should take the positions of both parties to understand but not to judge.

Photo credit: clementine gallot and sabeth718

Even after signing up for at eHow about 1 year ago, I never took it seriously until a friend recently signed up also about 2 weeks ago. Since then, I created a new account and started to publish articles there.

From the 6 articles that I have in my library so far, I’ve earned only $0.56. As everyone probably has heard, there are people popping up all over the internet saying that they make over $1,000 per month with their articles. Although I highly doubt that would be a typical experience of every writer, I do find that earning $20-$30 per month seems plausible.

Sometimes I feel like I can spit out a few How-To’s in a day but I keep thinking in the back of my mind that I should be concentrating on personal finance posts instead. Well, with my constant studying as of late, I’m not as involved in the personal finance realm while How-To ideas keep spilling out from my head.

Nevertheless, this blog is my primary concern and eHow will be a venture that I hope to pursue for the sake of finding out if this program really works and may be worthwhile to myself and others who are thinking of signing up also. I’ll be posting up results and earnings when possible to track my progress.

The world has become a place where everyone from 1st graders to senior citizens have cell phones. With this new age in telecommunications, companies can provide expensive phone plans and consumers will still pay it. Basic individual monthly charges can start from $39.99 for a few hundred minutes per month. You want data services? That’s another $20 on top. With a $60 phone bill before taxes, fees, and other charges a month, it is quite a financial burden for anyone.

Why I Chose A Prepaid Phone Plan
Three years ago, I was an active seller on eBay and sneaker forums. As with every person selling stuff on the Internet, I wanted to provide prompt responses and excellent customer service. I found this difficult since I would go to class or go out and not know what was happening online. This was the primary reason for my need of a phone plan with email and web browsing capabilities. After about a week of research, I found the perfect solution to my needs – a Sidekick III with a prepaid plan by T-Mobile.

My Costs and Savings
For $1 per day, I have unlimited text messages, email, instant messaging, and web browsing. Phone calls are $0.15 per minute. From the statements of previous phone bills, I find that I never use over an hour of minutes. So in a typical month, I spend about $40 with no additional charges. Compared to the regular individual plans, I save $20 because I do not need those extra minutes. The unlimited texting and instant messaging has also reduced the need for calls since many of my friends also have phones with the same capabilities. So with this prepaid plan I get:

• A nice trendy phone with QWERTY keyboard and MP3 player (another bonus).

• Unlimited access to my emails, text messaging, instant messaging and web browsing (unlimited tweets!).

The Secret To Saving Money With Prepaid Phone Plans
The true secret to saving money on prepaid plans is located at CallingMart. This site sells prepaid phone refills at a small discount but sometimes they give specials and coupon codes that give an even larger discount. Another great perk is that I created an account and built up points through my purchases over the years and can use them on future purchase. Discounts plus a rewards program?! Stupendous!

For those considering prepaid plans, make sure to visit that site. My choices may be a great option for parents who have teenagers who are addicted to texting and the online world. This is a great way to encourage independency and financial maturity.

(I receive referral commissions through CallingMart but I am a truly satisfied customer and proud to share it.)

Photo credit: alforque