Back in February, I posted an article regarding the First Time Home Owner’s Credit. It gave a pretty thorough breakdown of the program requirements.  While doing my daily browsing to stay abreast on various topics, I ran across an article that’ s alarming to me!  This money is available, but only for qualified individuals.  No, the government isn’t giving away any free money or money that you were entitled to that someone didn’t tell you about……. (continue reading…)

• Marriage and Money: It’s Ours, Not Yours and Mine. Several million Americans including my self frequently listen to a radio show from 1 to 4 PM Eastern in the afternoon. Unlike most political and sports talk shows, this is actually a show about you, me and everyone else. The Dave Ramsey show discusses topics of personal finance largely,......
• Review of Stop Sitting On Your Assets Marian Snow’s book had a lot of promise. First, it discusses equity harvesting and how to get the maximum amount of equity out of your home without being taxed on it. Second, it discusses how to use that money to make more money. Sounds great on the surface, but this......
• Striving for a Mortgage-Free Life If you read much in the area of personal finance you will frequently come across heated debates about the merits of living in a paid-for house as compared to having a mortgage.  Some folks will argue that mortgage money is cheap and that taking into account the tax benefits, it......
• The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law on February 17th.   The act includes a number of different spending programs, with money going to infrastructure, healthcare, education, and energy to help stimulate and recover the economy -  but a  whopping $288 billion of the $787 billion......
• How we paid down our debt and saved money at the same time..it can be done! I have been reading a lot of posts at different financial websites lately about the trouble people are having paying off their credit card debt while trying to save a little extra money for themselves. First of all, anyone doing their best to pay off credit card should be commended,......

While over at Mediatakeout, I saw this pic and the sight of it left me wondering.  With all of the excessive spending and bailouts that’s occurred over the last few months, you would think  pics like this would be a thing of the past for some. Not that I ever laughed at anything like this  ,but situations such as these are really not laughing matters anymore.

Ever wonder what a Trillion Dollars look like? Here’s a neat break down!
Pic Source

Is it true that some Restaurants are using “fake” chicken and steaks? Some people call it fake, because it is grounded up chicken or beef that has been reconstituted. Darker meats, especially in chicken, have higher Myoglobin which is excreted in muscles that are used more, such as legs and thighs in chicken. Some people always look at darker meat less desirably because of the higher fat content found in it. The meat processors run the meat through a centrifuge which separates the Fat and Myoglobin from the meat. The remaining meat is whiter and then bloated with brine or some water and some fillers such as starches, cereals, or flours amongst other things. What you have is a moldable chicken product or beef product, but they won’t tell you they are doing this. Restaurants use these products in chicken and steak salads. They basically use them in places where the meat is less suspect and/or noticeable. (continue reading…)

• Roundup for week of 8 January 2007 Happy birthday to my daughter, who is now two years old!Happy weekend to everyone else!  Here are some links of interest from the folks at the MBN and elsewhere:Blueprint for Financial Prosperity plays the devil's advocate and says not to optimize your payroll deductions.Consumerism Commentary says that cutting back on......
• Prosper Release -- All Steak No Sizzle Prosper Andrew announced another Prosper release: Site Update – May 19, 2008 In his own words... One of the less glamorous sides to building web sites (or building anything, come to think of it) is that sometimes you have to stop working on the sizzle and get working on......
• How to Eat Healthy on a Budget I've been meaning to write about eating on a budget for some time, but one of my favorite blogs, LifeHacker has an article that repurposes an article at Get Rich Slowly. Even that repurposes yet another article. So of course, I'm going to break the rule of blogging and repurpose......
• Driving factors for recession proof Smartphones' sales‏ Today, Smartphones have become the daily necessity for corporate users and next generation. They are not only revolutionizing the mobile phone industry, but also changing the way we use computers. It is reported that Smartphone sales are expected to rise 22% in 2009. However, due to global recession, the demand......
• Football Party Food Ideas for College Bowl Week By now, everyone knows I'm something of a wannabe chef. Being that I have so many college football fanatics in my group of friends, it's not uncommon for me to host a few parties for big football games (Super Bowl, BCS National Championship game, or other Virginia Tech football events).......

So, I am out and about and I randomly hear conversations while standing in line about some Individuals not understanding where they fit into this equation of the Economic Stimulus Bill that President Obama signed on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. I especially hear the Elderly conversing about them having to tap into their savings to make ends meet. They are paying more money for health care and prescription costs. Yet, they aren’t receiving an increase in their fixed incomes. Some Elderly couples income are too much to receive assistance, but not enough to fully make ends meet; some are even having to apply for Food Stamps for the first time in their lives.

If you are Elderly, Disabled, or considered to be living in Poverty as more than 37 million and counting Americans are you will be happy to know that……. (continue reading…)

• Will there be another economic stimulus check? With the recent announcement of President Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus bill, there are probably at least 787 billion different questions.  One of the top ones is "Will there be another economic stimulus check?".  The answer is No, but... Tax Impact The President's new bill takes a different approach......
• Our Economic Stimulus Check Arrived I checked our ING Direct savings account today and the government was true to it's word - Our economic stimulus check came in! In total it was $1800. This is $600 each for my wife and I and $300 for each of our kids. Fortunately we had our tax......
• 3 Reasons Why You Need Multiple Streams of Income One of the hottest concepts right now is the premise of creating multiple streams of income. While everyone wouldn’t mind making a little extra cash, there are even more benefits that can be reaped from having more than one source of income. Let’s go over just a few of them.......
• Stimulus 2009: Our Tax Dollars are "Chump Change"? I try hard to keep pure politics out of my writing.  My hard truth concerns with the stimulus/spendulus bill are economic, not political.   Yet, it is hard to ignore some of the statements being made about the Obama stimulus plan by politicians.  Thus, my advice to Obama and his......
• Rally For Universal Health Care In Los Angeles. Just a quick little head's up...if you live in or around Los Angeles and believe we should all have universal health care, you might want to attend the giant rally that is planned for Saturday, August 11th in downtown. The rally is in support of Senate Bill 840, titled "The......

If you are one of the many of Homeowners who are not First Time Home Buyers, but you are seeking to save money in the future……….. (continue reading…)

• Home Energy Saving Tips Whether you are interested in doing your part for the environment or simply saving a few dollars on your utility bills, home energy savings tips can certainly help you. You’d like to spend less each month, right? I would, too, so I’ve devoted a little time this week to finding......
• First-Time Homebuyers $20,000 Tax Credit Being Discussed January 26th: Senator John Ensign (R-NV) and I [Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)] are urging our colleagues to act quickly to pass a new $20,000 refundable tax credit for first-time homebuyers to help jumpstart our nation's ailing housing market. I, a member of the Budget Committee, and Senator Ensign, a member......
• Senate Possibly Extending First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Did you want to use the first time home buyer tax credit but you couldn't get it to work for you in time (it's set to expire the end of November)?  You may be in luck!  Senate is considering extending the first time home buyer tax credit until Spring of......
• Simple Air Conditioning Cleaning Keeping your air conditioner clean is the best way to make sure it runs at its maximum capacity. Air conditioning cleaning will vary depending on the type of air conditioner you use, but all of them are relatively simple as long as you have basic tools and can follow directions......
• How to Install a Window Air Conditioner the Right Way As summer approaches, those of us without central air are getting ready to go through the annual ritual of installing our window air conditioners. However, were you aware that a bad installation can actually raise your electricity costs and make it harder to say cool? Here are some tips to......

As you know, this site was just created @ the end of December, but I officially started posting in January! I appreciate you guys visiting my site very much. I would like for you to Register at the bottom of my screen. It’s not a Requirement to view Comments or Posts just to clarify. I do encourage you to do so as it is a great way for you to view private messages that I don’t publish for everyone to see on the web along with a variety of other perks! You will be an EXCLUSIVE MEMBER of KJ’s Blogspot!!! OH, your email account will not be spammed!!!

Now, you can also subscribe to my RSS FEED. Just click the link on the side! It will automatically update you with my new posts! If you Register with my Blog before March 24,2009, I will send you a coupon for a free entree @ Ruby Tuesday with the purchase of one for equal or lesser value. Again, thank you for visiting my site!! kj@diverseneeds.com

• 5 Twitter Tools for Better Blogging Are you already familiar with the micro blogging platform known as Twitter, and what it can do for the online marketing world, especially when it comes to blogging? Twitter is taking off so swiftly that it offers its own language, with tweeps/tweeples being followers of tweeting, or making posts in......
• How to Setup Gmail as Your Email Manager for Multiple Email Accounts Image via Wikipedia If you have a gmail account and countless other multiple email accounts and you want your gmail account to be the primary email manager to all of your email accounts you can certainly do so. One way is by setting up each and every email account to......
• How to Get Blog Readers Many people start blogging and just assume their blog will have readers. They don't promote much, just with a few social networking and bookmarking sites, and maybe with a few comments in forums. They just assume that if their content is interesting, people will come to their blog. Those blogs......

Now, I know that a lot of individuals are wondering about the specifics of the First Time Home Buyer’s Refundable Credit for Tax Year 2009. This is the very first time the credit has been deemed refundable.  President Obama signed his first major bill on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. This is just one of the many components of his Economic Stimulus Plan. Interested?…….. (continue reading…)

• Your Credit Report – What’s in It? Your credit report is a valuable tool in your financial arsenal. Your credit report could help you negotiate a better rate on a home mortgage. In addition, a copy of your credit report could be your first clue if you’ve been the victim of identity theft. The first step in......
• Small Expenditures That Can Bust Your Budget It is amazing to me how people who are strapped for cash or just plain broke continue to purchase products and services that can cumulatively play a significant role in busting their budget.  Somehow, people have mentally morphed  these items from the "things I want" category to the "necessary" category.  Here are some......
• Why You Should Own Your Home. "I recommend that every man own the roof that sheltereth him and his." -Arkad, the Richest Man in Babylon. Translation: Own your home and pay towards building equity for yourself instead of your landlord. This is the 5th of the 7 cures for a lean purse as detailed in......
• November Prosper Marketplace Survey Released Prosper released the November marketplace survey and coresponding comentary from Chris Larsen... I particularly like the insight in the last paragraph... Of great interest is the anecdotal evidence of prime and near prime borrowers turning to Prosper for loans that would have historically been steered toward mortgage, auto, and home......
• Financial Planning 101: What To Do with Sudden or Unexpected Cash? A friend and reader of this blog posed an interesting scenario to me this week.  One that I, or almost anyone else for that matter, would be rather shocked to see waiting for them in their email inbox prior to their ritualistic 8 AM cup of java. Matt - What......

Ladies!! I know this topic is waaaay offff, but I just have to know. How do feel about driving along the dark country roads with no restroom in sight or riding with your significant other for extended periods of time with no restroom in sight. You just finished drinking an entire 64 oz bottle of Water and you have to go bad (Urinate that is)  .  Well, you can’t aim in a bottle like your Man, LOL, but I found was searching the internet the other day, and found this website that has made a product for a woman in desperate need.

You can view additional information about this product as well as a pic of this product after the cut….. (continue reading…)

• Multiple Benefits Of Carpet Cleaners With Low Flow Technology Using a prime-grade carpet cleaning machine is one in all the foremost reliable ways in which to deep clean carpets and to effectively eliminate food particles, dirt, allergens, and mud mites trapped inside the carpet fibers. If your carpet can face up to high temperatures, it might be a smart......
• Repairing the Tiles in Your Bathroom In this day and age, people seem to spend an ample amount of money and time working on the decoration of their bathrooms and bathroom tiles and fixtures. They spend a lot of time searching the internet so that they can find the appropriate tiles, enhancing the beauty of their......
• Why should you/we/us blog? As periodicals, companies, corporations, and individuals turn more and more to the internet it’s imperative that you do as well. Simply put blogging changes how people find and interact with information....
• Multiple Edges Of Carpet Cleaners With Low Flow Technology Employing a top-grade carpet cleaning machine is one in all the foremost reliable ways that to deep clean carpets and to effectively eliminate food particles, dirt, allergens, and dust mites trapped among the carpet fibers. If your carpet can stand up to high temperatures, it would be a good idea......
• Understanding Menstrual Period Symptoms In addition to understanding the phases of your menstrual cycle, and understanding the hormones that are involved in all of the myriad of changes that your body goes through on a monthly basis, it is also important for you to understand what symptoms are actually menstrual period symptoms so that......

There are a lot of Fraudsters out there that will market themselves as Magicians when trying they are trying to convince you that they can repair your credit IMMEDIATELY. They will charge you a sum of money, and you will more than likely never hear from them again. There are NO quick fixes to any credit situations. DON’T fall for it. I know that times are hard, but you should really look to reputable individuals for advice. Most of all, BE PATIENT.

I will post a follow up to this article in the near future to advise you on little improvements that you can begin to make right now that doesn’t cost a thing, but in the mean time, continue reading this article for some common tips that will help to ensure that you aren’t schemed out of any of your hard earned money…… (continue reading…)

• What Everybody Ought To Know About Preventing Identity Theft Identity theft is running rampant and one only has to read the headlines to find yet another case where someone’s personal information has been compromised.  The stories are heartbreaking and we all hope that we do not find ourselves in similar circumstances.  There are some things that you can do......
• How We Sold Our Home Ourselves (FSBO) A few years ago we sold our house on our own with no real estate agent, you know, with the big "For Sale By Owner" (FSBO) sign out front of the house. In preparation for this, we did a number of things to get our then 10-year-old house sold. Of......
• Sunday Money Madness - Blog Action Day Edition Rich Credit Debt Loan is starting off the roundup by presenting the wonderful finance bloggers that have participated in Blog Action Day on October 15th, 2008. It's great to see so many out there contributing funds and writing towards the issue of poverty and increasing global awareness. Did you do......
• How To Protect Your Personal Information In this age of technology and increased concerns of security, it is more important than ever that you protect your personal information, especially your social security number, from falling into the hands of someone else. It's important to note that online security concerns are not the only thing you need......
• Simple Ways to Prevent Identity Theft The burden of finding a way to prevent identity theft falls on each of us. It seems unfair that good, honest people have to go to great lengths to protect themselves, but the reality is that identity theft is quickly becoming one of the most popular types of fraud perpetrated.......