Can you believe it’s already Sunday? It still seems like last week Wednesday to me. At this rate, it won’t be long and we’ll be celebrating a new year already! Okay, so maybe I’m getting ahead of myself a little bit.

Over the course of this last week, I read many great blog posts:

In today's Internet age, the concept of reading a book may seem positively quaint. It's still the case however that to get the kind of broad foundational knowledge you need as a beginner, a book can still be the perfect starting point. So what are the best books for investing beginners?

We love this list of best investing books for beginners. The first book on the list in particular is very useful for those trying to get their head around investing.

For years, I had heard about my brother, who is some years older than me, and his high school buddies meeting once a year for a long weekend guys' trip.  One year it was in Vegas, another it was skiing in Colorado, and another was the sunny shores of Florida.  Then, I heard that Nancy, my sister-in-law, did the same sort of thing with a group of her friends - an annual girls' retreat of sorts. 

As many of you know, I was raised by a poor single mother. What I have not yet mentioned is that my mother was in college during some of my most formative years, and she took an interest in feminism while I was still playing with dolls.

You'd be hard pressed to come up with a Work-At-Home job that can't benefit from having a website. Having a website is a great way to establish trust with prospective clients and present a branded image of yourself. Even if you're working for someone else, having a blog where you talk about your work ethic and your skills is a great way to market yourself for a pay raise or a better position.

What Do I Need?

It may seem intimidating, but to get started with your own website you really only need three things:

I recently had a conversation with a friend nearing retirement about her financial status after the market crash. She presented some of her finance concerns, and I would like to share her story -- and some advice -- about getting back on track after flailing in the financial crisis.

Anna’s Story

In an ironically titled post, “Delayed Gratification:  What Kids and Marshmallows Teach Us About Wealth Creation,” Money Cactus shared how linked our ability to resist sweets might be without ability to resist splurging.  It’s nice to have you back online, Shaun!

I have always been a self-reliant individual. As a child, I took care of myself and my little sister while my mother worked, and I was “cooking” — sandwiches, mac and cheese, fruit salad, cookies, etc. — since I was 12 years old. The teen years struck me with an even more independent nature, and the minute I graduated from high school, I was out the door.

Working from home can be compared to running a marathon -- you have dedicate yourself to your craft, train every day, learn how to overcome obstacles, and be comfortable with competition. Working from home and running are both investments you make in yourself, and you will have to commit to reach the ultimate goal.

In finance we hear the term "principal" quite a bit -- but we all know we're not talking about our favorite education professional. So when talking personal finance, what is principal?