In today's economy, after the real estate crash, it may seem strange for some people to even consider real estate as an investment opportunity. For most of us, the house we live in is enough real estate risk. You may wonder why anyone would want to purchase an investment house right now, especially if you were one of the many people burned by the housing crisis. Others may feel the same way about investing in the stock market. Why invest now, when our economy is still struggling?

Happy holiday weekend! I’ve enjoyed reading many great posts over the last week. I tried to include most of them here; although, there were quite a few of you who I considered added multiple posts for in this lineup. I can’t wait to find out what you have in store for us next week!

Money Cone had a rather exciting Friday in “So Someone Tried to Use My Credit Card to Buy a Laptop.”

Whether you are trying to get out of debt or are developing your nest egg, your first step to both is to pay yourself first. Lucky you, right? Well, this really can be just as easy as it sounds.

However, it is not nearly as fun as it sounds. The idea of paying yourself first simply means that you will work on a percentage basis to allocate your funds, not that you will spend money on whatever you please. Bummer? Not so much. When you pay yourself first, you are putting as much of your cash toward saving as possible to spend on bigger things (like retirement) later.

“How I Got My Body Back After Baby!!” the headline screams. The picture of a new celeb mom’s impossibly toned and tanned physique grabs your eye as you wait in the grocery store’s checkout line.

Yeah right, huh? You're right: to shed post-baby poundage, that celebrity probably had access to an incredible personal trainer and a fabulous private chef (who only prepared the yummiest low-cal diet food possible).

If you are ready to buy your first home, congratulations! Investing in your primary residence can be one of the smartest decisions you will ever make. However, buying a home can seem like one of the most difficult and daunting tasks of your lifetime. Especially when it comes to deciding how much house you can afford. No worries, though: buying your first home can be an excellent (but still nerve-wracking!) experience once you decide on a price point. Let's look at the best ways to accomplish this.

Figuring Out the Basics

When I first began researching finance and investments, the many finance websites I encountered beckoned me to "Buy Stocks Now!" through flashy advertisements. These banner, flash media and pop up advertisements sure were pretty, but they didn't explain what I was getting into. I needed a crash course in investments, not a pretty banner ad. So I took the time to figure it out on my own, and I would like to share what I found.

The Five Main Investment Options

If you ever bought something cheap that turned out to be junk, I bet you were sorely disappointed in the quality. That great deal on scrap roofing material may have landed you, literally, in the doghouse, or the reason behind that excellent price on a used car may have become apparent when you broke down on the freeway.

Whatever the case, when you find an unbelievable deal on anything, it is often too good to be true. Broker junk bonds are no exception. Let's take a look at this trick in the bond world.

What is a Junk Bond?

Welcome to another Round-up here at MomVesting. As always, you all added many quality posts to the blogosphere over this last week.

We at MomVesting are very grateful to have each of you as a part of our community. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. It's fun to map out our route to a wealthy future with each of you.

Here are some of your great posts from this week:

Money, Marketing, and Social Media

When I was in my teens, I had an unbelievable opportunity to go to France with my class. My classmates and I were able to experience a new world and a new culture at the bright young ages of 17- and 18-years old. This wonderous overseas adventure helped each of us become well-rounded and understanding individuals.

A little while back, we here at MomVesting took a basic overview look at college savings plans. Now we're revisiting the subject and delving a bit deeper into the vast array of 529 plans out there in an effort to help readers be informed and make informed choices.