Credit cards that offer rewards have powerful incentives to use them irresponsibly. Rewards can take the form of points, redeemable for certain goods or cash offered in return for purchases.

For example, major credit card companies like Chase offer anywhere from .5% to 2% return on cash purchases. A credit card user who made a $1,000 purchase would therefore receive $20 at 2%. Small amounts over time add up to large sums.

Here are 3 ways to maximize the cash from this program.

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As a soon-to-be parent, I really like the idea of working at home. You save time and money when you don’t have to commute, buy work clothes, or buy lunch.

You can also do laundry during your breaks, get dinner started right after work, and be there more for your kids. There seems to be fewer distractions at home so you can focus on your work, depending on your situation. You’ll also have more energy after work since you won’t have to drive anywhere.

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One of the most popular articles on Living Richly on a Budget is about MTV's documentary show, True Life: I Can No Longer Afford My Lifestyle. Having watched the show myself, I was interested in observing how each of the people featured struggled to adjust to a new lifestyle. It made me wonder how different things would be if they had made the choice to pursue a less extravagant lifestyle, instead of being forced into a minimalistic existence by job loss.

Of course, everyone wants to make enough money such that they can live a comfortable lifestyle, go shopping when they feel like it, and enjoy a rich social life with friends and loved ones.

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On December 17, 2010, President Obama signed into law, the “Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010″. This sweeping tax package reauthorizes federal unemployment benefits for another 13 months, ending in January 2012.



Before this bill, unemployment extensions officially ended by November 30, 2010. That means if your unemployment insurance ended after that date, you would not qualify for further extension of benefits.

Luckily for you, if your unemployment insurance ended by that deadline, you would qualify for an extension of benefits.

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I just found a job! And I want to encourage you that you can find a job too!

I've been reading about Internet entrepreneurs. I learned about a 25 year old guy who was laid off, then managed to make $8,000 through passive income. Unbelievable! Read more about passive income.

Here are my favorite and least favorite job search websites.

I'm so excited that I sold some video/audio equipment and made $1500! I'm a former videographer so I have a lot of video equipment to get rid of. $1000 will go towards our goal of $1000 for emergency savings. The rest will go towards other goals.

I also sold some stuff on eBay and got $40. I'm motivated to sell more stuff. Having a lot of stuff that I don't use is overwhelming. My goal is to live more simply with less "stuff".