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A Christmas 2013 Roundup

This is the last roundup before Christmas, so it seems appropriate to stay with the theme of the holiday in my highlighted articles this week.

With one exception – SEP IRA versus Solo 401(k)-Which is Better? This was the question Barbara Friedberg answered at her blog this week. An important question and timely for me as my freelance writing has picked up speed and I should take advantage of the tax benefits I can get by using these accounts. A nice write up on the different choices I’ll have.

Lazy Man wrote about Gift Cards: A Guaranteed 20% Return on Your Money? These deals are great if you can get them for stores or restaurants you already frequent. For example, Lazy Man buys his pet food at Petco, and when he found a 26% off deal on Petco gift cards, he was all over it. Nice discount.

charliebrowntree

At NarrowBridge Finance, John guest posted 4 Last Minute Christmas Ideas That Don’t Suck. I like his ‘homemade coupon’ idea – maybe giving a friend a free night of babysitting so he can enjoy a date night without needing a sitter. Check out the article for more ideas.

 

At One Cent At A Time, The Importance of Giving this Holiday. Giving is always important, but much giving tends to happen at year end. No matter when you choose to give, or how much you give, it’s a personal matter, not one that I’d get pushy about. My own priorities are reflected in the charities I focus on, listed to the right.

 

Your “Thoughtful” Gifts Are Suboptimal.  This was the theme at priceonomics this past week. An interesting, if not unusual view on how we choose gifts to give.

 

A guest post at Money Ning explained Why Americans Are Spending Less This Christmas. Unemployment and stagnant wages are part of the issue, no doubt. Have you pulled back on your gift list this year?

We’ll close this week with 6 Ways to Save on Holiday Get Togethers. You like a nice holiday get together, but the tab can be steep. Here are 6 great ideas how to trim the cost without trimming the fun.

And that’s a wrap this Holiday Season. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

{ 1 comment… add one }
  • Barbara Friedberg January 4, 2014, 8:34 pm

    Hi Joe, Thanks for throwing me in your xmas round up 🙂 And that gift card idea was sweet. I take my credit card benefits in gift cards and end up earning over $1000 per year in free gift cards to darden restaurants, shell gas, cvs, target, home depot etc.

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