Happy Financial Literacy Month!

In celebration of April as National Financial Literacy Month, I'll be posting some economic-themed over the coming weeks.  

I wanted to start off with where I find much of my information and inspiration to learn about money and the economy. On the surface, those may be some of the most dreaded topics to talk/learn/write about but especially with all of the economic upheaval over the past few years, I’ve taken a keen interest. I compare having a general understanding of economics, investing and money management to knowing how to use a computer, having an annual health checkup or getting your car's oil changed regularly--it just needs to happen.  

It's sometimes daunting with all that things one *should* know.  With all the chatter, advice, hysteria and Jim Cramer on CNBC--no wonder people feel overwhelmed.  But here are some resources I use to stay educated. They break it down, keep it applicable and make it interesting.

Favorite Financial NPR Radio Shows:
Marketplace (weekdays)
Marketplace Money (weekend)
Planet Money (podcasts a few times a week)
Freakonomics Radio (bi-weekly podcast)

Books:
The Elements of Investing
Freakonomics
Super Freakonomics

Websites:
Mint.com Helps you budget & track expenses by tying into your bank, credit card & loan accounts.
Google Finance Provides research on stocks, mutual funds, bonds with news from the companies

Deal-based websites and programs:
Groupon Do you love deals? Do you buy stuff or go out to restaurants or need a massage? Check out this marketing sensation if you have not already.

Living Social Groupon has spawned LOTS of imitators but who can complain? The more deals the better. This is another good offering of the group shopping phenom.

Offermatic The same promise of Groupon but without the redemption aspect. Plug in your bank info and it tracks your spending and if you spend a certain amount of money with a vendor they work with, they just issue you a rebate. Automatically. Very slick but still very new. I think we've received ~$40 back for not changing our spending habits at all. Can you tell I'm a fan?

New take on investing/lending/borrowing:
Lending Club Do you like the idea of 3rd world micro-lending but wondered if it could be done here in the US? We'll here's the answer to that. You get to play "bank" and put your own hard-earned money into the pot and choose people to loan it to. There are descriptions and analysis done on the folks applying for money. Sometimes it's for debt consolidation, sometimes it's for a wedding, sometimes it's for moving cross-country. You get a story, a credit rating and an interest rate determined on how risky the loan. The riskier it is, the higher the % rate. So you could score big with a return or you could have a default. With investment minimums of $25, you can spread the wealth around and see if you can loan better than the banks. It's like a game except it's real life.

Other Financial Resources:
Dave Ramsey Our friend Sean really likes this guy. He's all about eliminating debt.

If anyone has any other financial information resources that they'd like to share, please post a comment.

House Warmed (last weekend)

Yes, I am a week late posting this. But it's taken that long to decompress. Not from the party so much as the weeks gearing up for the event. Ken and I did this last time where we set a date for a Housewarming party very soon after moving in so it would FORCE us to get projects done, boxes unpacked, things organized, art up on walls and decorating done. It's a deadline that gives us an undeniable mandate to get sh** accomplished and then consume a whole bunch of wine with our friends.  But the pressure gets intense because we leave things (especially art hanging) until the very end.

Ken's mom was here for a week spanning the party (thank god) and she was able to referee help make suggestions.  Though I don't feel "decorating" is on my top ten best things I'm good at list, I do have good taste.  (This was in dispute a few nights before the party when we recreated the 'When Harry Met Sally' Wagon Wheel Coffee Table argument regarding good taste.  Substitute my WSU Cougar clock for the Wagon Wheel Table.)  The clock remains but it's in the far corner.  Winning!  I like sentimental art and possessions around even if they don't necessarily match or go with the house.  Ken appreciates "visual aesthetic" above all which does not consider sentimental value among an object's merit.  

While my Depeche Mode tour posters, shark photographs and inspirational sayings written in calligraphy will never see the light of day again, we are in a spirit of compromise so the much maligned WSU Cougar clock and a sequined WSU logo that my friend Amy sewed for me are displayed.  And my Mulan movie poster is up--that was non-negotiable.

So to the party, simply put, we have great family and great friends.  My Mom, Cindy, Dad and Ken's Mom were all here.  They helped with food, the baby, logistics, photography and drinking wine (well 3 of the 4 did that).  Our friends (some of whom we have not seen for awhile) filled this house with laughter and well wishes.  A surprise outcome of the event was discovering that we have a Toddler Thunderdome in our basement.  We moved all the toys down there and the 20+ kids who showed up had a blast.  We were thrilled to maintain an adult upstairs and a very kid-friendly area downstairs.  Bodes well for the future.

We chose this Ranma together at an Asian Antiques shop 2 days before the party.  We were amazed at how perfect it fit the mantle area and the tenor of the house.  I think this is the first art we've "picked" because usually art just "happens" to us.

Sidney was the belle of the ball and loved hanging out will all the kids who came to her house.  

Despite my best efforts to minimize a "shoe farm" from springing up, I guess it can't be helped when you have no actual foyer and people need to take off their shoes.  We need a "shoe valet" or something.

Note to self: more savory items next party and meat, definitely some meat.

The Moms--all smiles

Cheers to a great party!

Thanks to Karen for lending her serving tower and trays.

After party jubilation

Rainbow!

Yesterday's rainbow in Ballard!

Also featured on MyBallard.com.

The Power of Poop

I had to share this Freakonomics podcast because as a (fairly) new mom, a big part of my life centers around poop. This is a fascinating report on the topic. It makes changing a diaper and eventually potty training a little less “eww” and a little more “hmm.”  I will never look at poop the same again.   
Have you ever heard of a poop transplant?  Or did you know that the gut is a highly sophisticated ecosystem?  Crazy times.


Click HERE.