Before you poo-poo the idea – consider that one share of Apple purchased some 15 years ago for $5 would now be worth in the neighborhood of $560. How do you like them apples?

My first foray into buying stocks was back in early 2000 – when I was working at my first full-time gig out of college. I had discovered this clever doughnut shop while living in L.A. where folks would stand in long lines, waiting for this “glazed perfection”. I knew it would take off if it ever went public – and sure enough – when I came back to the Midwest – Krispy Kreme doughnuts sold itself to the world. While I only had a handful of shares, it was amazing to see the rise in company earnings and the stock price. When I held it – it must have split some 2 or 3 times and I tripled my money. All in all – it was a good first experiment in buying stock.

So, what if you wanted to jump on board the Facebook IPO? How could you buy a single share?

It’s really not all that difficult. What you’ll need to do is to connect with a broker. The one that I’ve been with for over 10 years and am happy with their service is Etrade. They do have some requirements before you can open an account with them however. They include:

• Be a permanent resident of the US
• Deposit at least $500 – within the first 60 days of opening account (for it to remain active)
• Present an employers address

If you are more concerned with the novelty of owning a piece of stock – like the stock certificate itself – then I would recommend going through another online company called GiveAShare.com. They sell actual stock certificates with the purchase of any share – and will send you a certificate you can frame. The only catch with these guys is that you will likely pay a premium. For example – right now Amazon is going for $224 a share. If you were to buy one share with GiveAShare – you’ll pay about $444. But, it is a unique gift – that’s for sure. With Etrade – it’s whatever the stock is going for – plus about $10 in transaction fees.

So there you have it – are you still game to buy? “Like” this post if you are.

Other posts you might be interested in:

• 7 Actions that Endanger People’s Finances
• What Do Wild Dogs Have In Common With Investing?
• How to Invest in Nebraska Tax Liens – Part 2
• Investing in UK-Listed Companies
• Why Does Mitt Romney Pay a Lower Percent in Income Tax?

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I admired this about my friend. Although he hasn’t had to face the reality of it yet – I’m sure he will follow through with the commitment. I also hope to be able to provide and look after my wife’s mother – and mine – when it comes time.

Are you planning on taking care of your parents when they are unable to look after themselves? And what I mean by that is – will you take them into your home and attend to their needs? Or, will you send them to a nursing home?

According to AARP, over 22 million people in America already provide care to someone over 50 years of age in their home. And of those folks – 66% of them work full-time. This can present quite a challenging set of circumstances for all involved.

My grandma lives in a nursing home and my mother faithfully visits and ensures she is getting proper care there. When I visit her, I’m always a little sad to see some of the people there who have little or no visitors. They look pretty lonely. Wouldn’t they be better off (mentally, spiritually -perhaps even physically) if they lived with their family?

Now I realize most people are pretty busy. But, I often think that caring for ones elderly parents should be thought of as an honor – not a chore. I mean, consider the sacrifices they have made on your behalf?

Perhaps I’m old school here. And, there are loads of other concerns to consider here too – including health costs and their own physical/mental needs.

Still – I wonder if our default should be to care for our parents – instead of placing them in a home where we often know little about the goings-on and if proper care is taking place.

I’m interested to know what you are going to do. Are you planning on caring for your parents too?

By the way – here’s a few resources I came across while doing some research for this post. I hope it’s of benefit to you if you are / have been thinking about this:

• US News and World Report did a step-by-step story on helping you to decide if / when a nursing home might be a good solution for you and your loved one.
• BenefitsCheckup.org can help you to see what benefits your parents might qualify for if you are going the route of caring for an elderly parent.
• Eldercare.gov is a government website that will help you find resources in the community for your aging parent.
• Medicare.gov – another important resource for you and your parents, is now “easy to use”.
• AARP is a great organization that can help with any questions about this topic.

Other posts you might be interested in:

• Protecting Your Number One Asset: You
• How to Get the Most Out of Your Health Insurance Benefits

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• Couponing – since having our third child in 2009 we’ve started couponing to help save on our family a few dollars. A few websites I utilize are MoneySavingMom, iheartwags, CouponGal, and MojoSavings. I also used YouTube to find how other people were organizing their coupons.
• Buying in bulk – when I read Teri Gault’s Shop Smart, Save More I realized that coupon with buying in bulk with help compound your savings. The biggest take away I had from the book was that most products go on sale in 3 months cycles. This way you should buy enough of a certain product (i.e. toilet paper or cereal) to last you at least 3 months until the next sale.
• Making our own cleaning products – by watching my grandparents live I realized that a lot of expense cleaning products can make at home and a lot cheaper! Some products I make at home include window cleaner & all purpose cleaner, and Swiffer wet jet wood floor cleaner. I’m still looking for a good organic laundry detergent, so if you have any tips, then post in the comments!
• Detesting debt – after watching my dad go through bankruptcy and seeing my grandparents live debt, I knew I wanted a life not like the typical American. To the point where I detested debt like agent Smith detested ”reality” in the movie the Matrix. Agent smith “hates this place, this reality. It’s a zoo!” While you watch this Matrix scene think of the correlation to how people in debt are in bondage to the slavery of debt.
• Stop buying crap – I love how Aaron’s grandma put it in her 2010 interview when Aaron asked her what advice she had for people. Simple put she said, “Stop buying crap!” Buy things that last and not stuff that is cheaply made in China or that will give out in less than a year. I wish more people today would say obvious truths like Aaron’s Grandma, June!
• Learn new trades – don’t pigeon hole your self into only knowing one skill. Diversify you knowledge either through online training or shadowing someone (i.e. Mentor/Mentee). When tough times hit, then you’ll hopefully be in a better position to weather the financial storms.
• Buy used  (Goodwill/Garage Sales) – when I was in 7th grade one of my classmates stopped me on the playground, and said to me, “Charlie, I think you are wearing my old jacket. Ya, that is my old jacket! My mom sold it on our garage sale this weekend. See my last name’s on the inside liner.” Talk about a major embarrassment for a middle school student!! Regardless of what society says it isn’t shameful to buy used!

These are just a few ways that my family and I save money on a daily basis. I’d love to hear some ways you save money!

Other posts you might be interested in:

• 5 Ways to Save Money in College
• 2012 Personal Finance Challenge: Start a $1,000 Emergency Fund
• How to Save Money on Phone Bills – Ooma
• Interview with Jacob at EarlyRetirementExtreme.com
• Cooling and heating tips

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Other posts you might be interested in:

• None found

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Creative Mother’s Day Gifts – Post 1 and Post 2

• Groupon or Living Social – have you checked out either of these deal sites lately? They are offering a lot of Mother’s Day Deals, which might be a great last minute gift to save the day.
• I Love You because… (Picture Frame) - this idea I stole from my wife, but any of you can use it for your mom or wife. For valentines my wife bought a nice frame and inserted some nice text (printed out) behind the frame. Then bought a dry erase marker and now we have a wonderful way to say “I love you because…” to each other. It’s something small, but will go a long way to say I value you this mother’s day.
• Classic Flowers – if you need a quick save then you can always rely on the classic bouquet of flowers!
• Breakfast in Bed – what mother’s doesn’t want breakfast in bed? Just to have one day where you don’t have to get up with the kids, make breakfast, get the kids ready for school, or wake up to the morning chaos? Can I get a collective AMEN from all the mother’s out there?
• Amazon’s Mother’s Day Sales - Amazon’s Mother’s Day Gifts sales offers a great assortment of motherly gifts. If you order today, then you can still do next day delivery to get it by Saturday afternoon.
• Free Walgreen’s 8×10 Photo Development – have you been wanting to develop a nice 8×10 picture for your mom or bride? Well, Walgreens is offering a free 8×10 development until Saturday May 12th. Enter coupon code FREE4ME at checkout at Walgreens Online Photo Department
• Surprise Your Mom/Show Up at Her House – like Judy commented in one of our posts earlier this week, she just values quality time with her son or daughter. Does your mom live a couple hour away from you? Have you thought about taking a quick drive to see her on Sunday? Why not show up unannounced with a few flowers and an offer to go out to eat? May just be the best Mother’s Day ever for her!

Have you got any more ideas? We are giving away a $20 Amazon gift card for the best idea! Last day to enter is Sunday.

Letter to My Mom

Mom, I don’t know if you’ll ever read this, but I wanted you to know this mother’s day how much I appreciated you. When I wrote about watching dad going through bankruptcy earlier this year I couldn’t help but think of how much you did to hold our family together! You have had the most servant heart I’ve ever seen in a mom, and you never ask anything in return. Even now as you’ve quit work in the last three months to take care of Grandpa you continue to display your selflessness.

On top of all that I credit you, first and foremost, for making me the thrifty man I am today! From the countless times I saw you trading coupons with our neighbors or going into town to buy 45 boxes of pudding for just $2.45 or buying my school clothes at garage sales. All these memories are firmly impressed in my Thrifty Guy brain, and I have only you to thank for it! Thanks for being a great mom, and showing me how to make my dollars stretch! Happy Mother’s Day Mom! Love ya!

Other posts you might be interested in:

• Creative Mother’s Day Ideas – Series
• How to Say Thanks After Christmas
• Creative Mother’s Day Gift Ideas – Series 2 of 3
• When Someone Gives You a Gift They Cannot Afford
• Thrifty Gift Ideas for the Thrifty Guy

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Do you have a desire to sell your own goods or other products online? Well, it’s really not as hard as you may think.

Starting an online store

The internet has truly opened up a whole new world to merchants everywhere. An individual living in Small-town, Iowa can sell directly to a person in Big-city India. There really are no limits to where you can sell now.

Here are some things you’ll need to keep in mind when you open up your own ecommerce website:

• Domain name
  Assuming you have already figured out your product’s unique selling proposition, start by obtaining a domain name. It’s best to include the product category – if you can – in the domain. For example, “acegreetings.com” or “acegreetingcards.com”. This will help you get found in online search.
• Organize
  Decide what which products of yours you will sell and then write descriptions for each. Your copy should be easy to read and inspire folks to purchase your product (without being too fluffy). You’ll also want to do some price comparisons online to see what others are selling similar items for.
• Where will you sell?
  There are a lot of online CMS (content management system) solutions to choose from. These will give you an edge in a very tight and competitive online marketplace. Just because you open up your shop, doesn’t mean anyone will come. You’ll need to start with a platform that is optimized and ready to perform in search. One that I have done some research looking into of late is called Shopify. They really make the whole online store set-up process very easy and have loads of benefits, including: customizable store design, secure shopping cart (very important to have when selling online), will host the store for you and provide you with ad dollars to promote your store. While they are not free – they do have monthly pricing options to fit each individual needs.
• Spread the word
  Once you have your online store operational – spread the word! Use your network of family and friends to help share your product. They will likely be your best ambassadors. Also, get social. Use social media to attract new followers. You may also want to provide a press release to your local newspaper, possibly with notice of a “grand opening” sale.

Money spent on online continues to grow every year – and folks are always on the lookout for something new and unique. Your product could just be what they’ve been waiting for! Good luck and happy selling!

Other posts you might be interested in:

• How Louis C.K. and Others are Revolutionizing Distribution
• 6 things you can do online to make more money

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Coupon book of freebies
You don’t have to get too carried away with how this is organized or anything. This is more about what’s on the coupons. You can get some paper together – cut ‘em to coupon-like sizes and then staple the sheets together (like shown). You could have coupons for a “lunch on you”, “three hugs”, “family portrait with mom” (my mom would love this), or anything else that is kind of clever and you think your mom might enjoy.

Canvas print
These have been fairly popular – and they look nice too. I’ve done a couple of them for friends and for myself. Once, I blew up a photo of when my mother was a little girl and she was hanging out with her mother, her grandma and brother. It’s a pretty neat picture that looks great on canvas. You could take any photo of your mom – maybe when she was younger – and bring it to a local printer and they’ll blow it up for you and print on any sized canvas you’d like. Then you can stretch it out on a empty stretcher from an art store. I’ve explained how to make one of these in an old post.

Frame a saying
All mom’s have their favorite quotes or saying. You could write it out by hand (if you have decent handwriting) on some nicer paper OR type it out in Word, print it and stick it in a frame.

Make a necklace or bracelet
You don’t even have to be good at crafting here- cuz your mom will love whatever you put together. Go to a bead shop and put together some beads and maybe include a trinket or two that might have some meaning to her. You could probably assemble the whole thing at the store too.

Make a CD compilation
Most computers have the ability to burn CDs with music. Grab some of your mom’s favorite songs and load em up on a CD. Maybe include a few that were popular when you were born? For extra credit, you could personalize the cover of the CD and even decorate the jewel case.

Have you got any more ideas? We are giving away a $20 Amazon gift card for the best idea!

Other posts you might be interested in:

• Creative Mother’s Day Ideas – Series
• Creative Mother’s Day Gifts – Series 3 of 3
• How to dress like a man on a budget
• Dethatching your lawn
• How to make your own window cleaner and all purpose cleaner

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