Everyone has something they're trying to sell -- especially their own skills -- so you've got to be prepared at moment's notice to pitch, pitch, pitch. We've been collecting some of our favorites. Rate them and then give us your best pitch! Read more!

WalletPop Wire

Layaway your vacation home? Give me a break!

Ann Brenoff Dec 11th 2009 @ 5:30PM EST Filed Under: Budgets, Debt, Home, Real Estate

Whatever happened to the idea that if you can't afford something, you don't buy it? Didn't living above our means get us into this recessionary mess in the first place? No, I'm not an anti-credit card fanatic; I just believe in paying them off each month. What I don't believe in is layaway. If you can't afford it today, why do you think you can afford it piecemeal or at all?

So this item got my ire: We are now being encouraged to use an installment payment plan to pay for our vacations. The writer in Realty Times says: Retailers are doing it, so why not vacation rental owners? Easy answer dude: Buying a washing machine may be a necessary expense and one you have to make on layaway. But taking a vacation, and I like to get away as much as the next guy, just isn't. Vacations are luxuries and in these times, luxuries are what we give up first.

Continue reading Layaway your vacation home? Give me a break!

Mike Daisey: The bard of personal finance - at the Public Theater

Amanda Gordon Dec 11th 2009 @ 5:15PM EST Filed Under: Extracurriculars, Charity

The glass bowl filled to the rim with dollar bills didn't look like any old tip jar. Resting on the wood table behind which Mike Daisey had just performed his monologue "The Last Cargo Cult" at the Public Theater in New York, the bowl of money seemed to glow.

The green never looked so green. The paper never looked so crisp. It was beautiful, really, the way the bills rested on top of each other. For those of us who worry about paying the bills every day, Daisey's show is a refreshing, laughter-inducing eye opener about money.

One point we all need to hear now and then (especially as we think about end of year charity gifts and buying presents for family and friends) is that the dollar value of money doesn't always matter. This was the meaning of the bowl of money, at least for me.

Continue reading Mike Daisey: The bard of personal finance - at the Public Theater

Trash or treasure? The price of junk mail

Gina Roberts-Grey Dec 11th 2009 @ 5:00PM EST Filed Under: Extracurriculars, Economizer

Tired of the endless stream of junk in your mailbox? You're not alone.

"I dread going to the mailbox," says Katie Hough, a Midwest mom. "It's rare that I get something that's addressed to me and not the 'current resident.'"

Hough's mailbox, like those across the country, sees an average 1.5 pieces of "personalized" mail (including bills) a week compared to the average 16 pieces of junk mail ending up in mailboxes.

Continue reading Trash or treasure? The price of junk mail

More deals Saturday at Sears

Laura Heller Dec 11th 2009 @ 4:30PM EST Filed Under: Shopping

It's week six of Sears' Black Friday Now promotions.

The number of items being discounted seems to have shrunk a bit, but not the caliber of the deals, which skew heavily to popular big ticket items like electronics and appliances.

Nearly half off on a Kenmore Dishwasher and Craftsman tool set is generous. And the Sony 52-inch LCD TV is a good get, if you get there Saturday.

This week's deals sent to Walletpop in an e-mail are available on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 7 a.m. to noon only and include:

Kenmore Dishwasher - $299.99; Reg $579.99 (Save $280)
Sony 52" class 1080p LCD HDTV - $1199.99; Reg $1599.99 (Save $400)
Craftsman 302-piece Mechanic's Tool Set - $199.99; Reg $399.99 (Save 50%)
Men's Sweaters from Arrow, U.S. Polo Association and Haggar - $19.99; Reg $54.00

Is skipping Christmas to save money a good idea?

Geoff Williams Dec 11th 2009 @ 4:00PM EST Filed Under: Debt

If you skipped Christmas this year, think of the money you would save.

That's the premise of an interesting story running right now on Forbes.com titled "How Much Money You'd Save by Skipping Christmas." The writer, Kate Adams, concludes that the average family would save $1,000, or $2,000 if they customarily traveled somewhere for the holidays, and then she offers several ideas on how you might invest that money.

It's an interesting, worthwhile financial exercise, adding up what you spend on the holidays and how you could invest it if you didn't, and I'm sure quite a few families this year are asking themselves that question: Should we skip Christmas this year?

Continue reading Is skipping Christmas to save money a good idea?

Mortgage deliquents in Philadelphia get reprieves -- and may get more

Amy Pyle Dec 11th 2009 @ 3:30PM EST Filed Under: Home, Recession, Mortgages

For those falling behind in their mortgage payments and other home bills, Philadelphia looks like the place to be, at least on the surface.

A special program requiring banks to sit down face-to-face with delinquent borrowers at the courthouse before they foreclose on their homes recently reached its one-year anniversary with an estimated 5,700 homeowners helped, 1,400 of whom were temporarily saved from foreclosure.

And now the city council is considering an amnesty for penalties related to past-due property taxes and perhaps water bills, to give low-income residents some temporary relief.

Continue reading Mortgage deliquents in Philadelphia get reprieves -- and may get more

Steve Madden 25% off and free shipping coupon

Julia Scott Dec 11th 2009 @ 3:00PM EST Filed Under: Bargain Babe

Get 25 percent off in store and online purchases of $59.95 or more at Steve Madden as part of its friends and family sale, going on through Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST. If you're in the contiguous 48 states, you'll get free shipping, too!

Use code FF25 online, or for in-store shopping, print this coupon. The code works on clearance items, too.

I've never understood the appeal of peep-toe boots like those above -- if I'm wearing boots it's either cold or my toes are gross. But I do like this gladiator wedge, for $48 (orig $80) in brown or black leather.

Caveats: coupon code excludes gift cards, taxes, shipping and handling.

Continue reading Steve Madden 25% off and free shipping coupon

New poll finds demand for job creation, tax hike on the rich to pay for it

Bob Cesca Dec 11th 2009 @ 2:30PM EST Filed Under: Career, Recession

So The results of a new Bloomberg poll about spending and job creation really comes as no surprise, considering the unemployment situation. 60% of Americans support government spending on job creation. And a full two-thirds of Americans want to pay for it by raising taxes on the wealthy.

And it's no wonder.

I popped into the hardware store the other day to summarily mow down the rack of replacement twinkle lights with an Uzi 9mm. It's a long story that involves the lights in the star ornament we traditionally mount at the top of our tree. But, suffice to say, next year we're transitioning to LED lights once and for all. 29,000 hours of life in an LED, along with never having to buy another packet of twinkle bulbs, is worth the higher price tag.

Continue reading New poll finds demand for job creation, tax hike on the rich to pay for it

Ask the Dolans: How do I get a copy of my credit score?

Ken and Daria Dolan Dec 11th 2009 @ 2:00PM EST Filed Under: Credit, The Dolans, Credit Reports

Ken and Daria Dolan, America's first family of personal finance, answer your questions every Friday.

Click here to ask Ken and Daria your question.

Your credit score has never been more important than it is today. In an economy where credit is ridiculously tight, credit card companies are ruthlessly raising interest rates and slashing credit limits, and competition for jobs is fierce, your credit score can make or break you. Today, Ken and Daria help WalletPop reader Sharon learn the basics of what her credit score is and how to get a copy of her credit report.

Dear Ken and Daria,

How do I get a copy of my credit score? Is "FICO" a credit score and how do I figure mine out?

--Sharon

Learn more about improving your credit score and debt management at Dolans.com.