Quick Takes
Welcome back Franco fan! Please share your thoughts and leave some comments!
A billion people in the world live on less than a dollar a day for food. Two social justice teachers recently set out on a journey to find out if they could do the same here in the US. What started out as “just a challenge” has now made international news and is bringing awareness to people on how little so many have for sustenance. They were recently interviewed on Fox News and are blogging about their journey at onedollardietproject.wordpress.com.
Franco
The Wall Street Journal published an article today detailing once famed stock picker and mutual fund manager Bill Miller’s recent demise. It is a well written story of how the highly praised mutual fund manager ended his 15 year out performance streak over the S&P 500 index in dramatic fashion.
Mr. Miller has profited from investor panics before. But this time, he said, he failed to consider that the crisis would be so severe, and the fundamental problems so deep, that a whole group of once-stalwart companies would collapse. “I was naive,” he said.
A must read for anyone considering active investing (stock picking vs. passive index investing).
Enjoy,
Franco
It’s that time of year again…time to camp out in sub-zero (unless you live in a warm weather state) temperatures on the rock hard concrete to grab the door buster sales at your favorite retailer. For those that haven’t partaken in this glorious ritual, I highly recommend it (actually, I highly recommend getting your little brother to do it while you sleep in a nice warm bed and then swoop in as the doors open to save big bucks on a new flat screen TV…thank little bro!). For those that would like to get a jump start on the process and map out the best deals at each store, check out this thread at Fat Wallet for scanned copies of all the upcoming Black Friday ads. Happy Thanksgiving!
Franco
In response to continued requests about recommended readings and websites, I’ve created a dedicated page for Franco’s Favorites. Check it out.
Franco
Anyone who has read Liar’s Poker (and even those who have yet to read it) will enjoy this recently penned article by Michael Lewis. In it, he explores the mortgage market meltdown through the eyes of a bearish hedge fund manager and revisits the synthesis he drew from his brief stint with Solomon Brothers in the mid 80’s. I recommend both the article and his book for a “colorful” look at some of the inner workings of the US financial markets.
Enjoy!
Franco
Warren Buffett recently penned an article explaining why he is investing in US companies during this hair raising credit crisis. Please take a couple minutes to read it and gain some perspective on the current market conditions in light of previous stock market downturns and the overarching goal to remain focused on long-term investment returns.
Franco
Forbes recently posted an article entitled 13 things you can get for free. If you can navigate around all the flashing ads embedded in the article on msn, I highly recommend everyone take a read. Some of my favorites included free (legal) TV show viewing, last minute cruises, and legal advice, but the most interesting by far had to be the “cyber grandparent.” Just check it out!
Franco
A quick note for those that like to shop online (and for those that don’t, you are not fit to wear the “frugal” name). Always remember to do a quick search for online coupons before you checkout. I was shopping at Sports Authority today after I found out that my local Sport Authority would still string my tennis racket for free if I bought my strings off the website. Normally, I purchase the strings at the store, but the website had a closeout deal on $18 strings marked down to $5 (needless to say, I bought a couple). I also found some fancy new Adidas golf shoes (on sale…of course) and an inflatable pool for the Frugal Family to escape the summer heat. Before you knew it, I had run up a triple digit bill. As I was getting ready to checkout, I noticed the little box for coupon codes. A quick search for “sports authority coupons” directed me to Coupon Cabin where I found a 15% off coupon. A mouse click later, I was back at the Sports Authority checkout with a slightly fatter wallet for my troubles.
