Automate your finances

One of my favorite sites, Lifehacker has a post about how to automate some of the things you should be doing with your money, but always seem to forget. e.g. putting money into your savings account, deducting taxes (for you independent people) etc.

For example: you've got yourself a Roth IRA, and the contribution cap is $4000 this year. That's $333 a month, so schedule a monthly transfer of $333 to your Roth. That way you don't have to scramble at the end of the year to max your contribution, and you get the benefit of a monthly deposit, which will give your money more time to grow. Make sure you never miss a credit card payment and schedule auto-bill pay to avoid late charges. If you're saving up to go on a cruise in 2008, auto transfer X bucks a month to the "Cruise" account. If you've decided you're going to save 10% of your income, set up a weekly or monthly transfer to your "Nest Egg" account. Your mortgage payment, your electric bill, the car insurance - pretty much everything can happen automatically these days. Take advantage of it!

More here.

Cook at home to save money(even when you're tired)

Wanna take the easy way out and grab something on the go? The Simple Dollar lists some solutions so preparing dinner is not such a chore.

Prepare meals in advance.
Discover the crockpot.
Have regular “leftover” nights.
Use lots of items that require minimal preparation.
Eat extremely simple meals.

More after the jump.

Did you buy Tax Preparation software already?

If not, here is a helpful comparison of the various options available, with differences between the online and boxed versions.

A must read for anyone who uses Tax Preparation software.

GettingFinancesDone

10 Reasons You Need a Credit Card

Jeffrey Strain has written a nice article on TheStreet.com about why you need to have a credit card.

"10 reasons:

1. Boost Your Credit History and Score
2. Internet Purchases
3. Emergency Money
4. Rewards
5. History of Purchases
6. No Fear of Loss or Theft
7. Interest-Free Money
8. Merchant Protection
9. Insurance on Purchases
10. Convenience When Traveling

For those that have the discipline to pay off their credit cards each month, they are a great financial tool that can save and earn you quite a bit of money."

Link

Really simple investing

Interesting article on Kiplinger today for us lazy investors who do not want to get in and out of positions every day. I think I am going to try it out and maybe check back in a few months to gauge performance.
Link

The first post!

Welcome all! Just starting out here, but I will be posting regularly about personal finance topics that interest me, and stuff from around the web that I find interesting. Topics will include stocks, everyday tips to save money, and some other random stuff about topics of interest that tickle my fancy.