There is a term in cooking called 'Mis en Place'. What it means is to gather everything together before you start cooking. This will ensure that you don't leave any ingredient out, you don't burn anything while you go hunting for an ingredient, and it will also make the whole cooking process faster and hassle free. This is especially true when you're making stir fried dishes as we do in our house.

In the finance world, the term to get things in order is debt consolidation. Sometimes when you have a lot of debts making your monthly payments can get quite overwhelming. I hope you don't ever get to that point, but if you are there, then the best thing to do short of filing for bankruptcy which will ruin your credit for the next ten years, is to get your debts consolidated. Get them in order in other words.

When you consolidate, you can lower your monthly payments or better yet, turn it into just one monthly payment. You won't have to worry about which bill is due next, etc. Make your debt into one manageable one rather than ten debts all over the place. You will pay it off faster and you will be debt free sooner. Sort of like the same idea as Mis en Place, right?

When something goes wrong, when people start losing their jobs, when the economy starts slip sliding down, we are all quick to scream FIX IT! We immediately start moaning about how someone needs to do something. But which someone? And what's that something they are supposed to do? Are we ever as quick to offer a solution? Do we ever put our money in our mouths as quick as we put our feet in it? Probably not.

The Rebuilding of America provides us with a way to get involve in turning this economy around. Their purpose is to revive foreclosed construction projects that have defaulted and with the help of individual investors, turn those properties around into their initially intended purposes and also provide work for the thousands of construction related laborers displaced when the properties went into default.

Help rebuild communities by investing a mere $25, the cost of one dinner out. With $25 you can make a difference by getting these projects up and running again. There is no where else that a small investment can make such a huge impact. In return, your small investment will enable defunct constructions projects to be completed and ensuring jobs for the construction workers. Your investment is fully insured and guaranteed against loss via a certificate of deposit that is FDIC insured through a reputable financial institution. Rebuilding of America pledges a 100% return of all profits to the investor.

Be assured that your investment will not go to bail out huge corporate projects but rather focused on community projects that have been sidelined due to the economic downturn. For example, a couple of the projects being considered are:

1. Gulf Coast/ Katrina-stricken area. Low-income partially-built housing destroyed by the hurricane several years ago. Our goal is to rebuild a 20-unit residential property for occupancy.

2. Kansas City. 36-unit senior living patio homes. Incomplete when builder filed bankruptcy. Defaulted to bank. We will purchase, rebuild and turn this into another income-producing investment.

Debt Relief. Doesn't that sound good rolling off off your tongue? To be relieved of debt. Wouldn't that be nice? It would even be nicer if you didn't get into debt at all in the first place, but if you are already in debt then maybe relief is just what you need.

Freedom Debt Relief (FDR) claims they can help you find financial freedom. Here is how you accomplish this according to their website without resorting to bankruptcy, debt consolidation or credit counseling. They have what is called a "Debt Reduction Program". What that means is when you sign up with FDR, they will initiate negotiations with your creditors to settle your debts. It could be that your creditor is willing to reduce your monthly payment or forego interest charges. Which ever the case, you will be relieved of unrealistic monthly payments and bill collectors hounding you. After all your debts have been settled and paid up, FDR will request your creditors to make sure that your accounts are marked as 'settled' or 'paid-in-full' and that the credit reporting agencies are notified of this. This will keep you from having negative items on your credit report.

With the holidays coming up and fast, it's important to keep in mind that it is best to not get yourself into a situation where you would need debt relief. But if you ever do need it, it's good to know there are companies like FDR to help out.

No matter how loud politicians proclaim that our economy is healthy, you don't have to look very far to verify that fact. All you have to do is look in your own bank account. How secure are you about the amount you have in savings? Are you comfortable with the amount of debt you have?

If you are like most Americans who are living, literally, pay check to pay check, then you probably answered NO. Most of us, as some experts declared, only a paycheck away from being homeless. With the holidays coming up, it's even more important than ever to be conscious of our spending. Sure, we want the best for our family, but is it really smart to charge a $300 game or toy just so we can see their little faces light up for a day?

Don't be one of those people who are whining about the number of bills they have to pay come January. If you are one of those who are already in trouble, then it's probably time to fix the problem before it gets any worst.

Bills.com is one of the many resources you can find online that provides you with the tools to get your finances in order. When you have numerous bills to pay, the first solution is simple. Make the numbers less. The best way to do this is to consolidate debt; and to do that you have several choices. There are several options offered by Bills.com: debt management service, debt settlement, or credit counseling to debt consolidation loans and mortgage refinancing. The best thing to do is consult with a professional debt counselor and get a free debt consolidation quote. You have then taken the first step to managing your debt and not let it manage you.

Financial experts say that when your expenses are higher than your income, you either cut back on the expenses or find more income. Makes sense, right? Then why don't more of us follow that advice? I am just coming out of a hole that I dug for myself fifteen years ago with credit cards. I've sworn to not get in another hole like that again.

If you are still in the stink hole wondering how to climb out of it, then maybe you should look into NetDebt. NetDebt has an online debt settlement solution waiting for you. Especially if you don't feel like airing your dirty laundry to just anyone, they have an online only application process that will walk you step by step through the process. You'll still have to face that monster in your closet and itemize all your bills and your inadequate income, but if you do face that monster head on, you'll come away with a solution for beating it. If you do need a real person to consult with, of course that too is available either via online chat. I kind of like not having to sit across from someone's desk with my pile of bills and wonder if they're thinking what I'm thinking... "how dumb can you be?" Well, they may not even be thinking that, but it could be very embarrassing when you know you created this hole yourself. If your looking up at the hole you've dug, check out NetDebt.

Remember that old Alka-seltzer commercial, plop plop fizz fizz what a relief it is? Well being in debt is a lot like having indigestion. It's like having that heaviness in your stomach that takes your breath away and keeps you from functioning like you want to. It's an uneasy feeling, nauseating at times. That's what it feels like too when you are buried in bills and collectors are hounding you. The moment your debts are cleared you get such a feeling of relief and lightness, it's like you just took a dose of Alka-seltzer.

In real life, you can get relief by visiting the Freedom Debt Relief website and get a free 10 minute consultation. They can help you lower your debt and be debt free in 12-36 months. If creditors are knocking on your door and collectors are calling you at all hours, don't resort to bankruptcy quite yet. A bankruptcy can stay with you for a long time. Ten years or more, to be exact and it could impact your creditworthiness for a long time. Try to not go that route if you can. Consult with Freedom Debt Relief and have them work with you. Rather than 5 or 6 big bills, they may be able to reduce you to one bill that will be more within your budget.

We are fast becoming a nation of fat people. Fat in every way. Living big is an American dream that is slowly spreading worldwide. While it is true that we are one of the biggest people in the world, we are also the biggest spenders and we spend money we don't have or only think we have.

From the same people who brought us Supersize Me, here's another look at our love affair with fat. A fat of a different kind, money. I.O.U.S.A. is a documentary that looks at our economic condition. Whether we all feel it or not, our country is in an economic crisis. This documentary, much like Supersize Me, combines archival footage, hard data and candid interview to paint a picture of how we look like economically. Possible solutions on how we can fix the problem and ourselves are also discussed in the film.

This is an important film that is a 'must see' for everyone, especially the young who will be inheriting our debts. For one night only, on August 21, Fathom and Roadside Attractions will present I.O.U.S.A.: Live with Warren Buffett, Pete Peterson & Dave Walker in select theaters nationwide. The film I.O.U.S.A. will be shown followed by a live discourse on the economic crisis and what steps we can take to start cutting some of the fat.

The panel, headed by Warren Buffett, Pete Peterson and Dave Walker also includes other notable economists and financial leaders. The panel will be moderated by Becky Quick, co-anchor of CNBC’s morning news show Squawk Box. This should be a very interesting discussion to witness. If you're interested, visit the I.O.U.S.A. website and see if there is a select theater near you that will be showing I.O.U.S.A.

One of the the first cooking shows I watched when I first started getting interested in cooking was the Frugal Gourmet. You remember that show? I liked what he said about good food not having to be expensive. He actually said that some of the best food in the world are those commonly labeled as 'peasant'. I guess that idea has always stayed with me because to this day I still get a kick out of finding a good bargain and make it a game to cook great meals without having to break the bank. My most memorable accomplishment in this game is when I fed my family of 5 for $20 for a week! Of course, the way prices are nowadays, that feat will be hard to beat.

While food still takes a big chunk of our budget, it's not to the point that we'd be needing Debt relief anytime soon. It's hard to believe, but there are people who have gone into debt for their eating habits. And no, they didn't have to eat caviar or lobster or go into five star restaurants to do it, some just couldn't balance what they love to eat and what their pockets could realistically afford.

Well at least if you ever find yourself in a bind that is not of the saucy kind, Debt help is not too far away. Like the trusty whisk and chicken broth, Debt consolidation can 'unbind' you out of a tight situation.

Seriously though, if you ever need to find out what your true financial status is or if you ever need to Consolidate debt, make sure you check out bills.com for ideas. For instance, they have a short quiz you can take to assess how financially savvy you are and will give you suggestions to improve your IQ if you aren't quite up to the level you'd like to be.

With today's rising prices from food to fuel and everything else, not only do we have to be more frugal with our spending and lifestyle, we also need to find all hidden income. One of those that are 'hidden', income we don't even realize we have, is the diminished value of your vehicle if you've ever been in a car accident. I'm sure you've been in accidents where you just took what the insurance paid on the damage to your car. Did you know you can also recover the diminished value of your car if you've been in a car accident within the last four years, that is not your fault? Check the AdvocateAutoClaims.com website to get a free quote of how much you can recoup.

Do you know your IQ? Your bills IQ? That's your intelligence when it comes to your finances. How smart are you with you money? Do you know?

I just took a Bills IQ test and I didn't do so well. I knew I wouldn't though. I got a C.

I know what the problem is, don't we all, though? We usually know why we're in trouble financially, we just don't know how to fix it. We don't know how to get out of the cycle we've gotten ourselves into. I know one of my problems is that I have one too credit cards with high balances and interest. I really should start paying them off starting with the highest interest first. Debt consolidation is also an option in order to get them all in one place with a lower interest rate. It will also mean one less bill to pay every month. That's also what the Bills IQ test recommended that I do among many other sound suggestions to increase my score. They are all good advice and I should follow them. I'm not getting any younger after all.

I need to get off my butt and follow through. Why don't you find out what's your debt IQ? It's actually a pretty interesting quiz to take.

When I first started hearing about Forex, I thought it had to do with a door-to-door shipping company catering to expatriates who wanted to ship items back to their home countries. LOL! I never said I was financially savvy. Heck, the only thing I knew about Wall Street was what I saw on the movie Trading Places. I thought all that was traded was corn and pork bellies.

Who knew money can also be traded! I found out that forex trading is the business of trading money. Forex = Foreign Exchange. Some investors speculate on pork bellies and some investors put their bets on world currencies. For instance, some savvy investor probably foresaw the rise in the value of the Euro and the British pound a few years ago and bought up a lot of those currencies. They hold them until the exchange rate changes in their favor, and they make a profit! Sounds easy, doesn't it? That guy is probably rolling in pork bellies now.

Well it's actually more complicated than that. Whether you are a longtime, seasoned investor or just testing the waters, you should check out eToro where they claim to make financial marketing simple. eToro, like many companies, has evolved to take advantage of present trends and technology by combining financial marketing with social networking. On the eToro site, traders can monitor their trades, simulate trades for practice, and carry out real trades in real-time. In addition to conducting business as usual, an added feature is the ability to interact with other traders and pick each other's minds and discuss what's new and what's hot. That feature is especially great for people who are new to the business. Imagine having instant mentors online!

If ForEx is your cup of tea, go on over there and check them out!