The Four Uses of Money: How Well Are You Doing?

No matter how one earns or receives money, there are just four good ways to use money. If you can consistently practice all four uses, you rank as one of the few responsible money mangers in the world. Just in case you are curious to know, let me admit that I regularly wrestle to master these uses of money.

1. Spend it. This is the use of money most people have mastered. In fact, the typical person does such a good job at spending money we usually have very little left. Worse, we may spend all of ours, and then borrow other people's money to spend as well. Not a brilliant thought.

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What to Do When You Get Ripped Off by Smart Savings Center

All you wanted to do was buy a book or some other item on the Internet. You see a great price, and you jump on it. Then the deal gets sweeter, as you compare prices, using one of those price comparison sites. Along with the deep discount, you're getting free shipping too, and that's because you are a first-time buyer. Yes! Unlike your less informed peers, you are that tech savvy online shopper that pays $6 for a $19 book.

Perhaps you decided to to the transaction at Amazon dot com, or Hot Book Sale dot com, or another site, where Smart Savings Center lurks behind the screen. Approximately 8 days or more after the deal, you'll be sounding like one of these folks who got ripped off by Smart Savings Center, not to mention me and my wife who fell victim to Smart Savings Center's sneaky scheme.

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Should Obama Remain Silent on Middle East Conflict?

If you believe Israelis' claim, Hamas has been firing rockets into their homeland, and thus endangering, injuring, and killing Israeli civilians for more than 6 months. Accordingly, the Israelis say they had to respond to the national security threat posed by the hostile regime in Gaza.

If Israel is telling the truth in their claim, then, in light of such a severe security danger, one can't help but ask, "Why did Israel wait that long to take action against Hamas?"

One plausible answer might be that the Israelis were reluctant to endure a repeat of the Lebanon debacle, where the elite military all but got its butt kicked by Hezbollah in 2006, probably because Israel sought to fight a politically correct war, according to some pundits.

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Strategies, Tips for Making and Keeping Your New Year's Resolution

Let's start with a couple of definitions.

The word "resolution" is the noun of the verb "resolve", to reach or make a strong decision about something. You may have noticed "solve" in "resolve", as you see "solution" in "resolution". When we say "resolution", as in NYR, we're talking about solving a problem in order to change a chosen area of your life.

A New Year's Resolution or NYR is a vow, promise or commitment you make on New Year's Eve or on New Year's Day to change a habit or do something different that will benefit you. Once made, the NYR remains in effect until you achieve or abandon it.

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Having a Great Personality: Why Your Appearance Counts So Much

"It's what's in the heart that counts."

That's true … especially for the person saying it, and for few others who take time to look past the outside of the person speaking those words.

But for the vast majority of people, "what's in the heart" matters not much, not obviously. And it is these normal people that you may have to live with and relate to most of your life. So it matters what they think of you. If how they see you differs greatly from how you see yourself, you may have a serious problem.

While "God looks at the heart", people do not see your heart. People look at you, unless they are visually impaired or legally blind.

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