Listen Money Matters - Free your inner financial badass. This is not your father's boring personal finance show.

Mary Lynn Schroeder is an entrepreneur with the #1 leather shop on Etsy. Learn how she turned her love of leather into a successful business selling on etsy. Today we go hell for leather with the founder of In Blue Handmade, an Etsy shop with eight employees and over 300 wholesalers.  If you’re unfamiliar, Etsy is a global online marketplace for handmade goods. Mary Lynn was failing at fabrics when her dad sent her a piece of leather and told her to give that a try.  She crafted some phone cases and journals, put them on her Etsy site, and they started flying out the door. But it didn’t come easy.  Mary Lynn was working on her own stuff during the day and working in a restaurant over night.  She can pinpoint the exact moment things took off, December 2, 2009.  She got a mention on Martha Stewart’s blog and woke up to eighty orders. Part of Mary Lynn’s success is down to not knowing.  Late 2008 was a terrible time to start a business but she didn’t realize that.  If she had, she probably wouldn’t have done it.  Sometimes being naive is an advantage, it means less fear and second-guessing. We know a lot of our listeners are DIYers and crafters.  Mary Lynn has advice for you.  Sign up for Etsy.  It’s a great platform with low start-up costs.  Also take your stuff to local craft fairs.  There is bound to be one near you and it gives you a lot of information on price points, what people like and don’t like, and if there is a market for what you have to offer. Remember last episode how we talked about finding your passion?  Mary Lynn is the living embodiment of that.  She tried, she failed, she kept trying and she succeeded in a big way at something she loved to do.  That’s what we want for all of you. Show Notes In Blue Handmade:  Mary Lynn’s Etsy shop. Betterment:  Start investing today.  

Finding your passion has become a hackneyed cliche but there is some merit in doing so, we just have to think of a less Oprah way of phrasing it. People say it as if it’s something easy to do.  What if you’re passionate about sitting around smoking weed all day?  How do you parlay that into income?  You don’t.  What it really means is to figure out what you like to do that can also generate income and do that to make money. It doesn’t have to make you a lot of money, not in the beginning, maybe not ever.  But being able to spend a part of your time doing something you really love to do is a big part of being happy in your life. Matt loves music and has even toured with his band.  But music super stardom wasn’t meant to be for him.  It doesn’t mean he can’t incorporate that love into other areas of his life.  For example, he created a music video for LMM and recently created one for a podcasting conference.   Maybe your passion won’t ever make you money. Or maybe you’re afraid that by turning it into a career, you might come to hate it.  Cooking a big meal for friends and family is fun.  Cooking in a Michelin starred restaurant is pressure. So you won’t be cashing the Jean Georges paycheck with the bountiful amount of zeros but seeing people you love enjoy your food is a reward too.  It doesn’t always have to be about the money. If you can’t name a passion, write down a few things you’re interested in.  And try them out.  Maybe you won’t like them all but you’re bound to find something that makes the time fly by.  The important thing is to keep searching when finding your passion.  A lot can happen in a life, especially nothing. Show Notes Betterment:  Start investing today. Mint:  Manage your money in a single glance.

Ever wish you had a TARDIS so you could go back in time to give your younger self advice?  We’ll discuss what we know now that we wish we had knows then. (I know that’s not a TARDIS in the photo but the TARDIS is cooler and the new Doctor Who is awesome, just an aside.) We can all look back on our lives and wish we had done things differently.  Maybe you regret college because you’re saddled with what seems like insurmountable debt.  Maybe you wish you had invested in Apple or even knew that you were supposed to be saving a portion of your pay every check. I feel sick when I think about all the money I should have saved in the last ten years when I have had virtually no living expenses.  But there was no LMM ten years ago and if I’m honest, even if there had been, I only started caring about personal finance a year ago.  That’s why LMM is so important to the whole team.  We want to stop people making the mistakes we made, so they don’t have that sickening feeling of regret. Credit cards are a big one.  Used properly, they are a powerful tool to give you rewards, cash back, purchase protection, lots of great perks.  But most people are told two things, credit cards are evil, never get one.  Or they’re told nothing at all and act like a drunken sailor on shore leave the second they get their first one. It is not helpful to beat yourself up for mistakes you’ve made and even worse to feel regret over things you didn’t know.  The best time to start doing something good for you was ten years ago, the second best time is now. Show Notes Maine Root Blueberry Soda:  soda that tastes of summer. Headspace:   Netflix for meditation. LMM Tool Box:  Everything you need to live without financial regrets in one place.

Want to start investing but a little nervous to get started?  We totally get it. Investing should be simple and easy and with Acorns you can get started with just some pocket change. Acorns is a great way to start investing and building wealth. We’re here to show how you how to get started investing without a lot of money, and then forget about it until you retire. What is Acorns? Each time you spend, Acorns rounds up to the nearest dollar and invests that amount for you.  So, if you spend $2.50 on a cup of coffee, Acorns will automatically invest $.50 for you. The pizza you just ordered that cost $15.05,  $.95 gets invested. All you need to do is download the Acorns app, connect it to your credit cards to get started. A lot of users are new to investing so the app provides a lot of guidance. There are also cool tools, that help you set and reach goals. By just entering your savings goals and what age you want to achieve them by and the app tells you how much you need to invest each month to get there. They also have found money partners program that rewards app users for shopping through certain retailers. When you making a purchase with one of their partners through the app or web portal, the retailer will send the rebate, cash back rewards, and loyalty programs cash into your account. What’s better than cash back? Cashback that is automatically invested. So, is pretty simple but let’s go a bit deeper. Advantages of Using the Acorns App They offer ETF’s, stock funds, and bond funds. The funds are chosen by a team of mathematicians and engineers who work in conjunction with Nobel Prize-winning economist Harry Markowitz. There are no commissions, the cost is $1 per month and a maximum of .5% a year on managed assets.  Once you reach $5000, the percentage drops to .25%.  There is no fee to add money or withdraw it from the account. Using Acorns is safe, your data is encrypted and they are working with “white hackers” to make sure that everything is private. You can maintain a high degree of control in Acorns but if you want to set it and forget it, you can choose auto roundups where each transaction will be rounded up. You can also have money auto deposited into the account via automatic transfer. Her are the top benefits of using the Acorns app: Fee exemptions The Acorns platform appeals to young people and those who do not have investment experience. It allows college students to register for Acorns for free for up to four years, so long as they sign up with a .edu email address. This makes it easy for students to focus on investing and building up wealth without worrying about account fees when they first start with Acorns. Cashback Investing your money little by little can really make a difference over time, especially when you have Acorns’ cash-back features to help you along. The app has more than 100 partner companies offering cash back on purchases you make with one of the payment methods associated with your Acorns account. These cash-back rewards will go into your investment account to help you move closer to your goals. Minimal upfront investment Some financial institutions require individuals to invest thousands of dollars just to open an account. With Acorns, you can start investing with just $5—and there’s no minimum amount required to open an account. This opens up investment opportunities to people who may not have otherwise had access to them.

Health insurance is so complicated.  We deep dive into HSA plans so you can get the most out of your health care dollars. What is an HSA?  Simply put, it’s a health savings account that usually has an investment option and is tied to a high deductible plan.  The money goes in tax free, it grows, and when you withdraw it to spend on out of pocket health care, it remains tax free!  And it’s flexible. If you take it out to spend on non-health care purchases, it is taxed and there is a penalty but you do have that option.  And once you reach age 65, you can use it without penalty and at the prevailing tax rate which should be lower than it was during your prime earning years.  Not to be confused with an FSA (flexible spending account) which must be emptied by the end of the year or you lose the money. The numbers change year to year but currently, a single person can put $3300 into an HSA and a family can contribute $6550.  Our guests advise first funding the matching portion of your 401K, then fully funding the HSA, and finally going back to the 401K.  Your HSA is portable too, you can take it with you when you leave your job. If you’re self employed you can set up an HSA for yourself.  Just buy a plan that is HSA qualified and you can reap the rewards available to the rest of us wage slaves.  About 20% of the offerings on the HCE are HSA qualified so you’ll have several to choose from. Once you put money into the HSA, you can spend it on medical expenses for yourself, a spouse, or any tax dependents, for the rest of your life tax free.  You’ll generally receive a debit type card to spend the money with. Should you leave your job, get fired or laid off, you can use your HSA to pay for Cobra premiums and once you reach 65 you can use it to pay Medicare premiums. There are some unexpected benefits to this system aside from just the financial.  When your insurance covered everything but your $10 co-pay, you didn’t ask to many questions.  Now that it’s your money, you suddenly want to know the justification behind your doctor ordering you and MRI. You want the generic prescription at a fraction of the price rather than the name brand.  You might even start looking after your health a bit more carefully.  Insulin is expensive, maybe I should cut down on the carbs.  This has forced transparency is what has traditionally been a very murky world and sunlight benefits us all. Speak to your HR department and see if a high deductible plan with an attached HSA is available to you.  Take control of your health and your money. Show Notes Allagash Tripel:  an ale with a long, smooth finish. Ask MR HSA:  Todd’s site to answer all your HSA questions. Consumer Driven:  John helps break down the barriers for health care consumers. HSA Administrators: Awesome HSA side recommended by a listener that allows you to put your HSA contributions into Vanguard funds.

  Jim Wang became a millionaire through his finance blog Bargaineering.  He sold the site and started Microblogger.  Let’s hang with an internet millionaire. Jim could easily have quit working when he sold his site but that’s not what millionaires do.  His life also didn’t change much when he became a millionaire, something that all of our millionaires have had in common, they avoided lifestyle inflation. Whether Jim had $10,000 or $1,000,000, he treated his money the same.  Invest it in the stock market and know that over forty years, it will grow.  Looking at your numbers day to day can lead to poor decisions.  Set it and forget it.  He slow dripped his money in and bought when others were selling in a panic.  Jim monitors the number about once a month just to make sure things are where they should be. Jim keeps up the Joneses but not in the way you would expect.  He found success at a young age so when he reads other success stories, it helps to keep the fire alive.  Comparing yourself to others can hurt you but it can help you to continue to achieve too. Thirty four is too young to give up any kind of work for life on the golf course. Success didn’t land in Jim’s lap.  He was working a forty or fifty hour week job when he started Bargaineering in 2004 and would work an additional thirty hours a week on the site.  He did this for four years.  Four years of eighty hour weeks is not the definition of success being handed to you. A lot of people who have side businesses continue their day job even after the side gig starts to pay well or even better than the day job.  Because they think the job is more stable.  But that’s such a misconception and it’s holding a lot of talented people back.  The fact is, you aren’t privy to your day jobs finances.  Things could seem to you to be going along great and one day you’re fired because the company filed for bankruptcy.  When it’s your own thing, you know exactly where things are financially. If you’re thinking of taking the leap from your day job to your own thing, check out Jim’s site.  The man has lived the journey. Show Notes Microblogger:  Jim’s guide to starting your own blogging business. $5 Meal Plan:  Simplify food planning with a weekly plan and shopping list e-mailed to you. Betterment:  So we can interview you for Better Know a Millionaire.

Best selling author, world traveler, entrepreneur, Chris Guillebeau joins us to discuss his latest book The Happiness of Pursuit. Chris became an entrepreneur when he realized he was a terrible employee and never wanted to work for someone else.  He started his blog, The Art of Non-Conformity in 2008 and it grew into an empire.  He now travels the world speaking and teaching people how to start living their own unconventional lives. Chris attended community college before transferring to a four year school.  He graduated with no debt by financing his education through selling items on e-Bay.  Once he ran out of things to sell, he tried other small businesses, creating several small things rather than one large thing. It gave him enough money to avoid debt and do what he wanted to do and allowed him to sample a variety of things, seeing what worked and what didn’t along the way. Chris wrote an e-book on discount airfare in less than a week and it started selling.  This led to more books about travel and self employment.  The e-books led to his first published book, The $100 Startup which became a New York Times best seller. Chris now holds the annual World Domination Summit, a gathering of devotees to his living an unconventional lifestyle philosophy.  There are lectures, workshops, and vast opportunities for networking. Chris is about to embark on the tour for his latest which will be published September 9th.  You can find out if he is visiting your city here.  Go say hi and tell him LMM sent you! Show Notes Chris Guillebeau:  Chris’s website on the art of non-conformity. The Happiness of Pursuit:  Chris’s newest book documenting his travels to every country in the world and the art of the quest. Betterment:  Start investing today for your best tomorrow.  

Do you dream of retiring early? We interview the expert in early retirement, Mr Money Mustache. We must learn his ways. A Crisis Mr Money Mustache didn’t retire because he was making so much money from his blog. He had actually been retired for six years before he started writing. The blog was born when he looked around at his friends who had good jobs but were still living pay check to paycheck. They bought into what has long been sold as the American Dream; go to college, get a job, buy a house, fill that house with as much stuff as it can hold (and when it can’t hold anymore, rent a storage unit), have some kids, and get stuck in an unfulfilling job, dreaming of freedom that will always be out of reach. Retire, maybe at 65 if you’re lucky, and live out your days, just kind of existing, hoping your money will outlast you. The best years of your life long past. But what if you could be retired by thirty? Why is not spending so hard? It’s largely cultural. We believe it’s normal to borrow money for a car, to consider shopping a hobby, to order takeout every single day for lunch at work. We think it’s normal because that’s all we see. There aren’t any frugal people represented in the media unless you count those coupon shows but those people aren’t the norm any more than a Kardashian is a norm. But just because everyone is doing it, doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do or that you have to do it too. MMM started the blog out of frustration, he wanted to show them, and now us, that they could do what he did. And an empire started. So What’s The One Simple Trick? MMM doesn’t have some magical secret. The first and most important step is to keep spending low. Really low. MMM spends 50-75% less than his peers. He was saving about half of his income. He has shown that if you can save 50% of your take home pay starting at age 20 (a time when you probably aren’t making much, so this isn’t about having a big six figure salary), you could retire before you turn 40. It sounds impossible. Save half your income? You can. Name a category and you are spending too much on it. Your housing costs alone would probably go a long way to getting you to that 50% savings. Here’s why; the average house size in the 1950’s was 983 square feet. The average household size was 3.37 people. In the 2000’s, the average house size was 2,300 square feet while the average household size was 2.63 people. Do you see the odd inverse? We are buying bigger homes to house fewer people! Cars are another biggy. It certainly is a convenience to have two cars if there are two adults in the household but is it absolutely necessary? What if one of the cars were totaled and no replacement was available for a week? Would one of you just stay home from work or would you figure out a solution? Like many things in life, if you had to do it, you would find a way. Saving this way goes against societal norms for sure. If you’re saving this much, you aren’t living in a 3000 square foot McMansion, you aren’t driving a brand new car, and you aren’t eating only the most expensive, hand harvested, organic quinoa from Whole Foods. You are living in an affordable home, near your place of work. Because you’re so near to work, you don’t have a car at all. You bike or use public transit if you’re lucky enough to have it. Real Happiness But how will you be happy if you aren’t always buying stuff? Because stuff does not make us happy. It’s true.

Most people are more willing to talk about sex, politics, and religion than about money.  Why is personal finance such a taboo subject? Your parents probably gave you the “birds and the bees” talk but did they ever talk to you about money?  A lot of parents don’t and that seems to carry over into our adult lives.  That personal finance is so taboo is handicapping a lot of us when it comes to knowing how to manage our money. It’s not polite to flash money around and to brag about how much you make or spend but it shouldn’t be shameful to discuss the opposite problem, how little money you have or, more importantly, how little you know about money.  Imagine being illiterate and not asking for help learning to read.  What a disadvantage you would be at in every area of life.  Being financially illiterate is no less devastating and if no one knows, no one can help you. There’s more openess now because of the internet and the anonymity it affords us but for a lot of people, money matters can be such a shameful thing.  It’s hard to admit that you’re drowning in debt or that you can’t fully take care of your family.  It’s also hard not to feel judged.  Everyone wants to compare themselves and if you tell someone who is a banker that you’re a janitor, it takes a superhuman sense of self worth not to feel looked down on. It can work the other way too.  Maybe you’re rolling in it.  But you don’t tell people because you’re afraid they’ll hit you up for money or that they will feel judged and lacking.  Or maybe you think people will resent you. But not talking about money can mean you lose money.  Especially in the workplace.  If you don’t know what others in your industry and especially, what your colleagues are making, how do you know if you’re being fairly compensated?  You don’t and that’s what employers want. Some even go so far as to tell employees they are forbidden to disclose their salaries. This is not true, in fact it is illegal.  Now I don’t suggest you post a spread sheet of what everyone makes on the bathroom wall because they’ll find another reason to fire you.  But it’s important information that you have a right to know. Next time you’re out with friends or colleagues, gently bring the subject around to money.  If you’re honest about where you are and your short comings, others might be willing to share their stories too.  If you have something to teach, teach it.  If you have something to learn, be willing to learn it.  You can talk about your sex life at the next outing. Show Notes Maine Root Blueberry Soda:  A summer beverage for all you teetotalers out there. Betterment:  The fast way to start investing. LMM Toolbox:  Everything you need to manage your money in one place.

“Never a borrower nor a lender be.”  We’ll discuss the pitfalls of loaning or borrowing from family and friends. You know the old saying, only loan someone money if you can afford to lose it.  It’s easier said than done.  Money is already a fraught issue, throw family ties into the mix and it can become down right volatile. Sometimes you lend money to someone out of sheer awkwardness.  It’s so surprising to be asked and so uncomfortable that sometimes we just agree to alleviate the tension. Then kick our selves immediately after. It doesn’t even necessarily matter if you’re mad about losing the money.  Maybe it was negligible  amount or maybe it was a lot but you had it to lose.  The borrower who doesn’t pay it back might feel so awkward or so guilty that they avoid you.  You aren’t mad and don’t want the money back, but the relationship is lost anyway. A loan doesn’t always mean money.  Has someone ever asked you to co-sign something with them?  It’s a slyer way of getting a loan from you than out right asking for money.  If the borrower is not responsible, it’s your credit that gets tanked. Sometimes this works out.  Usually it doesn’t.  There is almost always a solution through a third party that does not involve you.  Help them sell their stuff on eBay, steer them towards Lending Club.  Is there a job you could hire them to do, mow your grass, watch your kids (well, maybe don’t offer your junkie friends the babysitting opportunity)?  Coming to a friend or family member for a loan should be the last resort. Do you have any loan horror stories?  Share in the comments. Show Notes Long Trail Imperial Pumpkin:  September is here and that means pumpkin beer. Betterment:  Start investing the easy way. LMM’s Tool Box:  All the resources you need to manage your money.

Active trading is buying securities and holding them for a short time before selling.  We put the practice on trial and make a case against it. Remember, at LMM we advise you to stay in the market for the long con.  Active trading, or day trading is the exact opposite of that and a bad practice to get into. Jim Kramer, the big mouthed yelling “financial guru” advocates active trading.  Should you listen to him?  He’s on TV after all.  Let’s look at his record.  Between 2005-2007 he underperformed the NASDAQ by 2%, the S&P by 4% and the Dow by 10%. But what if you hire the best money manager out there?  Surely he or she can do it better than you.  No, they can’t.  Over a twenty year period, 80% of them underperformed the market.  And remember, no one cares more about your money than you. What if you pick a MorningStar Five Star rated fund?  It’s like Michelin stars, right?  The more stars the better?  In theory yes, in practice, the inverse is true.  Vanguard tracked funds for the first thirty six months after they received the Five Star rating and they all performed worse than the One Star rated funds. There are an unlimited amount of variables that drive the market.  More than anyone could ever account for.  Even if you had the best data at your fingertips, the vast majority of the time, you still won’t beat the market.  And unless it’s your hobby and passion, who wants to analyze all that data?  The most, maybe the only important thing is that you put your money into the market. Show Notes Arabier:  A pure malt beer. The 5 Mistakes Every Investor Makes and How to Avoid Them:  Learn what not to do in order to grow your wealth. Betterment:  The easiest way to invest.

Did you ever want to become a DIY guru?  Bob Clagett from “I Like to Make Stuff” joins us to discuss how to make and fix things and be more self sufficient. Bob isn’t like those people on HGTV with every tool imaginable to hand.  He’s just a regular guy who makes stuff with what he already has.  He wants to inspire others to make the things they love for themselves. Bob learned a lot from his father and grandfather who both had wood working shops.  He even fashioned GI Joe accessories from Legos as a kid.  He attended art school and then started a web design company. If you need something for your house, you don’t always have to buy it and you don’t always have to hire someone else to make it.  No matter how little experience you may have, you are capable of doing some things yourself.  This saves you money and makes you less dependent on other people.  Things you make yourself are also likely to be of higher quality than the press board junk from Ikea, therefore will last much longer.  There is also the pride that goes with looking at something in your home and knowing you built that. If you’re a complete novice, check out Maker 101, it will teach beginners what they need to know to get started.  A drill and a circular saw are two of the best tools to get you started.  Harbor Freight Tools is a good, low cost source for beginners to purchase supplies.  Check out Craigslist for used tools as well. Bob does a lot of re-purposing, changing an old thing into a new thing.  It saves money, it’s good for the environment, and it has it’s own unique look.  You can create something no one else has and can’t be bought at Target. Shelves are good places to begin for new comers.  Just by taking pallets apart, not even cutting, them you can make some shelves.  If you saw the pallet in half, you have a wine rack. If you’ve always wanted to be a DIY person, watch a few of Bob’s videos and get started.  If you do it or have done any DIY projects in the past, post your photos in the comments.  Happy building! Show Notes Aura Beer:  A light, refreshing lager. I Like to Make Stuff:  Bob’s website where you can learn to make stuff! LMM Tool Box:  Resources to help you manage your money.

Five listener questions answered, establishing credit, monetary gifts, Betterment security, IRA migration, and the pros and cons of renting out a room. 1.  What is the best way to establish credit?  A secured credit card is a good start.  You give the bank a set amount of money and that amount is the card limit.  So it’s a bit like a debit card but it helps build credit.  It’s no risk to the bank because they have your money. Getting a store credit card is usually pretty easy and will build credit.  If your landlord uses something like Cozy.com to collect rent, you can build your credit by paying rent this way. 2. What is the best way to give my children financial gifts?  You can still buy savings bonds but no one knows what the hell to do with them.  A better idea might be to set up a trust account in something like Betterment.  You can set parameters, like the beneficiary can’t withdraw the money until they reach a certain age or the money can only be used to pay for college. 3.  How secure is your money in a Betterment account and how difficult is it to access the money in the account?  As a broker dealer, Betterment is required to keep their money separate from yours.  If they went under, the money would just move to another brokerage company.  If they were doing something illegal and lost your money, the money is insured up to $500,000 per customer through SIPC.  The money in the account is easily accessible.  You could have it back within a few days with no transaction fee. 4.  If I own securities in an on-line Roth IRA brokerage account and want to transfer them to Betterment is there a transfer fee?  And because Betterment has less flexibility with securities would I pay a fee for each security transferred?   If you move to Betterment, the securities don’t come with you. You’re buying into their strategy.  You would sell the securities with the original holder, the transfer itself to Betterment does not have a fee.  Betterment is recommended for those who want to be more hands off with their IRA’s. 5.  Pros and cons of renting out a room in your big house?  Extra money is a big pro.  The con is that you have a stranger in your house.  Just make sure to be safeguards in place if the situation goes south so you can get rid of the renter quickly.  Maybe give Air B&B a try to see if you don’t mind having someone living with you or if you just hate it.  This way you aren’t locked into anything. Keep sending in your questions and we’ll answer them during the show! Show Notes Build Credit without a Credit Card:  Andrew’s article for those new to credit. What Happens to My Money if Betterment Closes:  If you’re worried, read this and set your mind at ease. Tool Box:  Everything you need to manage your money.  

Got too much stuff?  Want to do a big purge before the cold weather sets in, maybe make a few bucks?  Take the LMMs’ Sell Everything Challenge! Are you a hoarder?  Not like the demented ones on those gross shows, but just a little bit of a hoarder.  We challenge you to clean out your life, toss, sell, or donate all that stuff and see how much better you feel. First of all, round up all your stuff from where ever it has been banished to.  Your parents attic, the back of your closet, the storage unit full of stuff you are paying to home. What you do with it next depends on a few things.  Do you have sacks full of ripped, stained clothes that are not nice enough to donate?  Recycle it!  The Council for Textile Recycling site lets you enter your zip code and find a facility that recycles things like old clothes and bedding.  Much better than filling up landfills. If your clothes are of a higher quality and still in good shape, maybe they just don’t fit anymore, donate them to an organization like Dress for Success.  They accept women’s business clothing for women who need a nice outfit for interviews or a new job. If you want to make some extra cash, there are a few options, depending on how much time or inclination you have to go this route.  A consignment shop is the least effort, you drop it off and get a percentage if it sells.  Some cities have eBay consignors.  The same principle, drop it off and they sell it on eBay which might bring in higher prices than a conventional consignment shop.  Craigslist is good if you like dealing with weirdos and tons of people who will flake but I wouldn’t recommend it.  If you want to keep all the money for yourself, you can DIY eBay.  This will probably make you the most money but it’s the most labor intensive.  Particularly if it’s a big item that has to be shipped.  It might be yard sale time for things like that. If you just want the stuff the hell out of your house, you can use a service like 1-800-GOT-JUNK.  You have to pay to have the stuff hauled off but it will be gone, gone gone.   So are you up for the challenge?  Sell as much as you can during the month of September, let us know how many items you should, how much money you made and what you plan to do with that money. Show Notes Mint:  The easy to use budgeting tool. Betterment:  Start investing your e-Bay gains today. LMM Tool Box:  Everything you need to manage your money, recently updated.

It’s Labor Day and most of us are not working.  We’ll tell you the reason you have the day off and the story of those who sacrificed so you could sleep in. Labor Day celebrates the American Labor movement.  It became an official holiday in 1887.  If you think you’re job is oppressive now, imagine what it was like before the concept of organized labor.  At least we get paid in money.  At some points, workers were paid with “company chit” that could only be spent at places that were conveniently owned by their employer. Once upon a time, workers labored as apprentices under master workers.  You then became a journeyman and eventually, a master yourself.  By 1815, journeymen began to outnumber masters due to migration patterns.  As a result, investors began building labor intensive businesses on a big scale. When the workers began to collude to raise wages, the practice was made illegal by the government.  Commonwealth vs Hunt made collusion to raise wages a legal activity.  That was the beginning of the modern labor movement. The 20th Century is when labor really gained ground as far as wages and hours were concerned.  Between 1890-1914, unionized manufacturing wages rose from $17.63 a week to $21.37 and hours fell from 54.4 a week to 48.8. In 1933 as a response to the Great Depression, FDR instituted the National Recovery Act to protect collective bargaining rights. It created the minimum wage and regulated working hours. Unions are increasingly under fire today.  Which company is notorious for it’s poor treatment of employees?  If your answer was Walmart, good answer.  Walmart employees are not unionized, in fact, it is actively discouraged and people have been fired for scurrilous reasons that were really to do with trying to organize fellow workers.  Would a union fix everything?  No, but it would go a long way to improving worker conditions in that shit hole.  Does your job offer a pension?  Probably not.  If you were a union member, you would have one.  You would probably have health insurance superior to what you have now as well. Fourth of July is honored as the holiday that exemplifies American sacrifice but as a Detroit girl, I think those who fought and died for the forty hour work week and a living wage are just as deserving of celebration, respect and gratitude. Remember  that when you toast at your back yard barbecue. Show Notes Imperial Pumpkin Ale:  It’s September and that means pumpkin beer! Facebook Beer Season: That magical time when the fall beers are in season.