They say there is a first time for everything, and today's post on college savings 529 plans is no exception. The "first" here is that our post's state, Wyoming, chose to close its 529 plans back in 2006. At that time, the state settled up the account balances with account owners, and since then, it has partnered up with Colorado to offer its residents the opportunity to participate in a college savings plan.

Basic Info

Once again, guest blogger Mitchell Pauly takes us on a financial definitions ride through his fun, funny and informative take on finance definitions! This week’s insight: Carrying Costs.

Life is back to normal for me now, and I’m enjoying my long daily walks with my tiny Great Dane. I am also loving the ability to run when I want rather than on some convoluted training schedule. My next race is the Turkey Trot, and it will be purely fun (and no pain!).

Obviously, I have a lot more time on my hands now, so I’ve had the pleasure of picking up a few more writing jobs and surfing the internet more. This week covers all the bases from politics to IKEA to tinsel-town dreams:

I love perusing savings/frugal/couponing blogs. There are tons of ways to save on everyday things and lots great ideas out here in cyberspace on how to go about it. These blogs are often very helpful and can point anybody with an interest to the right way to start saving.

My mom's young and vibrant. She can hike the Mississippi River bluffs and trails with ease, chase after grandkids with glee and run a 5K with energy to spare. But she has a secret: she's not getting any younger. There will be a day when I must turn the tables and care for her.

Have you or your child ever come down with the hand, foot and mouth disease? One of my daughters and I recently had the, ahem, pleasure of making close friends with this nasty virus. Itchy and painful blisters, an out-of-whack stomach plus a really swollen throat and mind-numbing fatigue were a daily ritual for the better part of a week before the immune system sent the virus on its way.

Once again, guest blogger Mitchell Pauly takes us on a financial definitions ride through his fun, funny and informative take on finance definitions! This week’s insight: Marginal Return.

Today I’m finally feeling really fantastic again. I can descend a flight of stairs without screaming. I can get up from a seated position with one grunt of pain rather than 20. I can finally look back on my marathon and say, “I could do that again.”

Not that I’m considering running a marathon this weekend. This month. This year. Honestly? I don’t think I could will ever do that again. Ever.

I have to tell you, even though my girls are only in kindergarten, I am coming to love the school uniform. So far, it has been time-saving and even decision-saving to have that kind of a boundary on what my girls can put on before heading to class. Though school uniforms vary greatly from school to school, families can still outfit their kids in those nifty polos and khakis without feeling like they're paying another full tuition. Here are some tips to get you started on saving moolah on school uniforms.

A Uniform Exchange

Do you always need to shell out some cash to get some in return? In the world of business, this is often the case. However, it doesn’t always take money to make money; some money-making schemes are just that: schemes. Also known as cons, scams, connivances or conspiracies, many fraudulent companies are in business simply to take your money. How can you tell the difference between a legitimate business transaction and a scheme? Let’s take a look.

Businesses Work on a Win-Win Mindset