Personal Finance and Investing

Paying off debt is one of those things on most people’s to-do list, like doing taxes or mowing the lawn, that is painlessly easy to slack off on. But unlike other responsibilities you put on the back burner, procrastinating on paying off your debt will cost you time and money—and add up to a big chunk of it.

Thanks to the CARD Act, issuers are required to disclose on your credit statement how long it would take to pay off your entire balance if you pay only the minimum. Those numbers may be a real wake-up call to how much debt you’re carrying and for how long, but still hides the worst consequence of the amount of interest you end up paying over time.

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Spring is here and many people are contemplating starting a garden.  It’s a great idea – you can save money by growing your own food and it’s also great for the environment.  If you’ve always dreamed of starting a garden but didn’t know how or where to start – we’ve got 7 simple tips that can help you decide what kind of garden you want for your home, and how you can get started:

1. Picking the right spot – In urban environments, a gardener is usually limited to the amount of space available.  Vegetables generally need at least 6 hours of sun per day, however if your yard is mostly shaded there are still a lot of great options available for your garden.  Leafy vegetables can grow with as little as three hours of sun, or moderately spotty shade, per day.  Lettuce, arugula, collard greens and even broccoli and peas can all thrive in a semi-shady environment.
2. Choose what you want to grow – Based on the locations available to you, make some wise choices about what will grow in your garden.  Many new gardeners like to start small in order to get the feel for their newly acquired green-thumb.  Vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce and beans give a longer harvest and are wise choices for a novice gardener.
3. Raised beds – If you have the space, a raised bed can provide many benefits to your garden.  Raised beds are built on top of your native soil, so if your soil is not up to par, a raised bed offers the alternative of incorporating non-native soil into your garden.  Proper soil is a crucial part of having a successful garden and many people choose raised beds in order to have maximum control over this element.
4. Compost – Speaking of soil, nothing helps plants grow better than natural, organic fertilizer.  You can produce your own organic fertilizer by starting a compost pile.  Compost is a soil conditioner, mulch and fertilizer all in one.  Compost is created by layering equal amounts of kitchen waste and soil and periodically turning the pile. Kitchen waste can include: banana

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Let’s face it, debt has managed to earn itself a pretty bad name in most circles, but in many cases, this stigma is undeserved. Debt, when used properly, can help you secure your financial future. While no one is arguing that improperly used debt is a bad thing, good debt is possible. Commonly, good debt is synonymous with leveraged debt. This refers to the process of using debt in order to create multiple streams of income. Y

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Have you ever wondered what inspired certain people to become jewelry makers for an avocation or career instead of more common hobbies like woodwork or painting, or more common careers like engineering, teaching, or the law? Or have you admired a jewelry display and wondered what techniques the artists liked best and what they liked the least? Or have you ever thought about what jewelry of the past has influenced the jewelry you admire today? A Lapidary Journal survey reveals the answers to these puzzles and more.

We compiled a random sample of jewelry makers among our subscribers and sent them surveys ruthlessly interrogating them as to their experience, their preferences, and how they learned their craft.

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