No jokes allowed! A lot of employed people like to complain around the water cooler that they are underpaid. That may or may not be true.

Too frequently people recklessly spend the money they earn. That’s not being underpaid. That’s akin to lacking “personal finance hygiene”. It literally stinks to listen to those sorts of people whine. These people need to learn how to prioritize spending and evaluate wants versus needs.

So who are truly the “working poor”?

The “working poor” is a phrase used by politicians but not really explored in depth. Here’s how I like to define the phrase. I would say a member of the “working poor” is someone who works full-time — or a combination of jobs that equals full-time hours — and cannot provide the most basic housing, food, and clothing for their families. (Let’s not even add “basic insurance” into the list — we all know how incredibly expensive proper insurance is for the average family if paying out of pocket).

So what is it like to be a member of the working poor? Not fun, that’s for sure. Family providers are deeply ashamed by their inability to make ends meet. Their children are afraid others will discover the truth. And everyone in the family is afraid by how easily the houses of cards will fall.

I speak from experience: as an elementary student I was a “school-breakfast/reduced-lunch kid”. I was lucky enough to have two college-educated parents who worked hard to get back on their feet. Compared to others in similar circumstances, I had it easy. So it is offensive to me when I hear people or politicians dismiss the “working poor” as economic “mooches.” In my opinion, the “mooches” are the ones who don’t work at all.

Sometimes, tough situations can grow worse when the economic climate is changing.

So, I was pleased to read this first-person account of what it means to work full-time and still struggle to make ends meet. If you’ve ever been a member of the so-called “working poor” you’ll recognize many of the emotions associated with this situation. For those of you who have never experienced this reality, ask yourself, how is it that our minimum wage is so outpaced by the cost of living that low-income working people cannot support the basic needs of a small family?

Salon’s series “Pinched”: Our cupboard was bare.

Related:

Is Yours a Top-10 Worst-Paying Job?
You’re Fired! Fixing Four Lingering Effects of Job Loss
Generation Debt: Take Control of Your Money, A How-To Guide

If you’re feeling stuck in your current financial situation but don’t understand why, the answer may lie in changing an unconscious belief or habit that doesn’t jive with your larger goals.  Check out some common thoughts/habits that can hold people back financially.

1)  Money isn’t important.  
Nobody wants to be a slave to money, but it’s almost impossible to live free of it.  Money doesn’t guarantee happiness but as the currency for surviving in this world, it’s pretty darn important.
Your subconscious mind is very powerful.  If money isn’t important - why bother going to work, getting out of debt, or building a nest egg?  Talk about mixed messages.

2)  I deserve nice things. 
What exactly are ‘nice things’?  My guess is most people want universally nice things like money in the bank, a home of their own, and free time to spend with loved ones.  Yet we easily settle for the temporary satisfaction of buying the stuff we want right now.  Yes, you deserve nice things.  Get clear on what that means for you then set your goals.   Geezeo lets you track and share your progress.          

 3)  I’ll never get out of debt. 
If this is your mantra don’t be surprised when (surprise!) your debt never shrinks.  The subconscious gets hooked by ‘never’ and its job is to help you cope, not find solutions.  Consciously replace this thought with something positive that requires action like  “I’ll be debt free in two years”.  Get ready for awesome results.  
     
4)  Closing doors before they’re open.   
This is a biggie when it comes to making career changes or taking risks so your money can grow.  Develop the habit of seeing opportunity rather than problems.  This one shift in thinking allows for so much creativity in improving your financial life.
Seemingly harmless thoughts like, “That won’t work”,  “They won’t let me do that” or  “I don’t know how”, send the message that it’s okay to give up before trying.

The road to financial freedom is hard enough, why stand in your own way?   Do some money soul searching on the Confessions page.

7 Counterintuitive Ways to Improve Your Finances
By Jeffrey Strain | MainStreet.com

Earnest attempts to save money here and there don’t always add up to much. When traditional methods fail, it’s time to consider a few counterintuitive options.

Spend Money

If you want to get the most for your money, you are going to have to spend. One of the biggest mistakes people make when they are trying to get their finances in order is to stop spending money altogether.

Not all spending is the same. You should limit unnecessary purchases, but spending on essential upkeep, preventive measures and items that will save money in the long run is vital for getting and keeping your finances in order.

Scrimp now on items and services that can help prevent larger expenses in the long run — such as routine car maintenance and energy-saving bulbs — and you could pay for it later.

Don’t Stay Home in Front of the TV

While staying home is certainly less expensive than going out with your friends, it isn’t likely to improve your financial situation significantly. In fact, it can cost you a lot of money.

Instead of staying home and lamenting that you can’t afford to go out, take the initiative. Sign up for some classes to improve your job prospects and learn new cost-cutting skills so that next year you don’t have to sit at home thinking about the things that you want but still can’t afford.

Don’t Spend Time Learning How to Invest

When you are first starting to improve your finances, don’t make learning how to invest a priority. Instead, put your investing on autopilot and follow the advice of Warren Buffett: “The best way to own common stocks is through an index fund.”

Once you’ve mastered your finances and have saved a nice nest egg, then you’ll have time to research individual stockts. Until then, your time will be much better spent on improving your finances through other means.

Don’t Leave Your Investments to Experts

Do your own investment research. This research should include getting experts’ opinion, but don’t rely on it exclusively.

You should make the final decision for your circumstances. Giving your finances completely over to someone else to take care of, no matter how much of an expert he or she may be, is asking for financial trouble.

Don’t Let Salary Determine Job Choice

One of the worst financial mistakes you can make is to base your job choice on salary alone.

For long-term earning and financial health, you’re almost always better off choosing the job you will find most satisfying.

Even if the salary is lower at the outset, you’ll be more productive — and more likely to advance — if you’re engaged and motivated.

Don’t Buy What Is Cheapest

“Cheap” rarely means “the best value.” To get the most out of your hard-earned money, you must think value rather than price. A car that is inexpensive, but costs a lot to drive and needs frequent repairs has less value than a car with a higher price tag but costs less to run and maintain.

This concept of buying value over price can be applied to anything and will mean that you rarely buy items which are the least expensive.

Don’t Buy Things That Are on Sale

Much like things that are the cheap, things that are on sale are rarely the best value.

There are two major problems with most items on sale: They are often something that you really don’t need, and even if you do need them, you can usually find an alternative with better value.

If it’s not something you’d buy even if it weren’t on sale, it’s a purchase you shouldn’t make.

When you find something on sale that you do need, don’t buy it without looking at other options. If you need the item and there aren’t better options, buy away.

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Finance Lessons Olympians Can Teach You
By Jeffrey Strain | MainStreet.com

With the Olympics now upon us and plenty of athletic drama ready to unfold over the next two weeks, you may completely forget about personal finance. But you can actually learn a lot about personal finance from top athletes.

Even better, it takes a lot less effort to successfully build your finances using the same principles as these athletes use to be successful.

Here are a few lessons to keep in mind:

You see the prize, not the training.

When top athletes qualify for big events, we get to see the result of a lot of hard work, but we are often unaware of all the dedication and hard work that went into the training that made getting there possible. We didn’t see the discipline that it took to get up every morning to practice even on the days that the athlete didn’t feel like practicing. We missed the injuries along the way (financial setbacks) and how they chose to fight through them and not give up, while working that much harder to make their goal a reality.

In the same way, others will look at your good financial situation and not realize all the time and effort that you put into creating it including the discipline and setbacks that you had to overcome to be financially secure.

Coaches help, but the individual has to perform.

Athletes have coaches who help them, give them advice and watch over their training, but it is the athletes who have to do the work to get there and perform along the way.

Your finances are similar. There are plenty of financial experts out there who can be your “coach,” and you should seek out advice from these experts. By taking the advice that applies to your financial situation, the coach can help you define the financial exercises you need to practice, but in the end, you have to put this information to use to achieve the goals.

It takes sacrifice.

In order for a person to become a top athlete, they have to be willing to give up other things that they might want do. It’s impossible for an athlete to do everything due to the amount of time that must be invested into training. They choose to give up time doing what other people their age are doing so that they can achieve their longer-term goals.

The same can be said with building financial stability. You can’t buy everything you want and still save money, so you will have to make decisions that will require you to sacrifice some short-term wants in order to achieve long-term financial stability.

It takes a plan.

Top athletes don’t get up each day and just decide to do whatever they feel like doing that day. They have a training schedule that they follow to peak for the major events athletic events such as the Olympics.

Your finances are the same. It takes a plan and executed schedule to achieve your financial goals that also should be based on life events such as sending kids to college and retiring.

If you have taken the time to create a short-, medium- and long-term plan on how you are going to reach each of your financial goals, you have a great opportunity to achieve them, just as does an athlete with a good training program.

It takes discipline

No matter what the sport, people rarely wake up one day to find that they are a top athlete. The same can be said that few people wake up one day to find that all their financial worries have been taken care of, and that finances are in perfect order.

In both cases, it takes discipline to achieve the goal. Athletes must have the discipline to work out, avoid getting lazy and improve their athletic ability to achieve their goal. You must have the discipline to save, avoid making financial mistakes and improve your earning power to achieve your financial goals.

It takes consistency.

Athletes make it to the top of their sport by consistently working toward their goal over a long period of time. If they made excuses or found reasons not to train before their races or events, they would not be heading to the Olympics.

People who made excuses or found reasons not to save on a consistent basis for their long-term savings would find they were not able to retire when they had planned. It’s consistent training, week after week and month after month, that helps athletes succeed.

In order to retire with financial freedom, you have to take the same approach.

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5 More Messy Money Mistakes and Quick Fixes
Farnoosh Torabi | MainStreet.com

To read part 1 of Five Messy Money Mistakes and Quick Fixes click here.

Few mistakes irk MainStreet more than those made with money. Good thing many messy money mistakes can be solved pretty easily. MainStreet rounded up some capital money managing minds to tell you what to do.

MISTAKE: Ignoring Bills
Even if you pay your bills online, you should still take a look at the paper copies before tossing them in the trash. A quick glance at your Verizon (VZ) bill may show you’ve been going over your minutes and paying extra every month. You could also catch extra promotions or gift offers.

THE FIX: Hire a Snail Mail Scanner.
If you’re out of town often, have a fear of paper cuts or just prefer doing everything online, Earthclassmail.com is one solution. It’s an online snail mail scanner that lets you view your mail as a PDF document. It then shreds or forwards your mail, upon request.

MISTAKE: Writing Checks
While the use of checks is declining each year, the Federal Reserve still recorded some 30 million check payments in 2006. We spend $22 billion on stamps each year, alone, according to the United States Postal Service. But that’s beside the point. “It’s not the money you spend doing them, it’s the reliance on snail mail and the exposure to possible theft that are the major downsides,” says Greg McBride of Bankrate.com.

THE FIX: Hire an E-Payer.
There are legitimate Web sites that keep tabs on your bills and help you e-pay. Check with your bank first, as it may offer a free service linking your bank account to creditors. Otherwise, comparison-shop for a third party bill payer. Checkfree.com is the chief middleman for online bill payments. Facebook users can also download the Pay Me application for free, which is powered by PayPal (EBAY), for peer-to-peer electronic payments.

MISTAKE: Buying Extended Warranties
An extended warranty is a cash cow for retailers. “At some stores, it’s most of their profit,” says Daugherty of Consumer Reports. Plus you rarely need to use these “protection plans” as electronics have become more reliable. “If they’re going to break, they’ll break during the original warranties,” says Daugherty. For example, just 10% of digital camera buyers needed a repair within three years, according to researchers at Consumer Reports.

THE FIX: The 90-Day Rule.
If the manufacturer’s warranty expires in just a few months, then that extended retailer warranty may be worth considering, depending on the reliability of the product and what the retailer’s warranty actually covers. Consumer Reports suggests getting an extended service warranty for Apple (APPL) computers, for example, because the tech giant only offers 90 days of free support. Products like three and four year-old computers, riding mowers and lawn tractors also need more repairs. If you think you might need more coverage down the road, Tod Marks, a senior editor at Consumer Reports, says you can sometimes buy additional protection directly from the manufacturer. “I’ve received solicitations from companies like Sears and Honda, giving me an ‘opportunity’ to continue coverage after the initial warranty expired,” says Marks.

MISTAKE: Mystery Spending
You hit the ATM five hours ago and already your cash is gone. Men are the worst at forgetting how they spent their cash. Visa (V) USA recently found men 34 and under lost close to 60 bucks a week, or a total of more than $3,000 a year. Women, meantime, lost an average $2,700 a year on miscellaneous purchases.

THE FIX: Watch For a Week
While some traditional financial experts preach keeping a strict budget and writing down monthly purchases to learn your spending habits, that’s not practical. David Bach, author of Go Green. Live Rich, says seven days of tracking should be enough monitoring. “It’s an honest snap shot of how you spend money,” says Bach. “The key is to not change the way you spend money. Don’t become a better person on the third or fourth day.” In his research, Bach has found that on average many people spend 50% more a day than they actually think they’re spending. Sites like Bach’s automaticmoneymanager.com and mint.com can help track your spending, too.

MISTAKE: Not Giving Enough To Charity.
Your housing and car payments are eating up most of your disposable income, leaving you with little to no money to donate to your favorite charities. Besides the tax benefits, giving brings good karma.

THE FIX: Donate on Autopilot.
Determine how much you can contribute weekly, monthly or annually, and then look for qualified charities on justgive.org or guidestar.com. You can have a specified amount deducted automatically every month directly through the charity, or through sites like networkforgood.org/donate and guidestar.org. Also, American Express’s (AMEX) GivingExpress program awards points for being charitable. Visit americanexpress.com/give for more information.

ANOTHER FIX: Be a Venture Capitalist.
There are a growing number of social entrepreneurship sites like kiva.org, microplace.com and villagebanking.org that link business owners in developing countries with individual lenders. However, you can’t deduct part of this charitable giving from your taxes, because it’s technically recorded as a loan. But you can earn interest, “and you get to see who you’re helping directly online,” says Bach.

5 Messy Money Mistakes and Quick Fixes
Farnoosh Torabi | MainStreet.com

Few mistakes irk MainStreet more than those made with money. Good thing many messy money mistakes can be solved pretty easily and MainStreet rounded up some capital money managing minds to tell you what to do.

MISTAKE: Loaning Dough to Your Deadbeat Friends
Out of the 800 people surveyed in the new book Isn’t It Their Turn to Pick Up the Check? authors Jeanne Fleming and Leonard Schwarz discovered more than 40% of lenders never got repaid in full from friends and family. Nearly one in three got totally stiffed. “A lot of people find themselves becoming someone else’s ATM,” says Fleming.

THE FIX: Sic Your Friend on Someone Else
The internet is packed with people willing to finance your deadbeat roommate’s latest get-rich scheme - even if his credit stinks. Help your friend set up an account on social lending sites like prosper.com and lendingclub.com, which link individual microlenders with eager borrowers, at interest rates much lower than traditional banks. If you can’t say ‘no’ put an agreement in writing, so there are no misunderstandings, says Schwarz. And for big loans, more than $500, you may want to hit up a third party intermediary like virginmoneyus.com, which helps draft a contract, set up an agreeable interest rate and facilitate the loan payments to take the pressure off your back to collect.

MISTAKE: Getting Suckered into a Store Credit Card
Sure, the 20% initial discount is tempting, but unless you can pay off your balance in full every month, don’t bother opening a store credit card. They’re notorious for their hidden late fees and higher-than-average interest rates of more than 20%. So if you don’t pay on time, “the discount can disappear,” says Carmen Wong Ulrich, author of Generation Debt. Psychologically, these cards also seem like a fake license to spend more, adds Gary Schatsky, a financial planner and co-founder of objectiveadvice.com. Just to clue you in - consumers owed more than $100 billion on these so-called limited purpose cards in 2006, according to cardtrak.com.

THE FIX: Nab a Discount Anyway, By Asking!
Face it - You just want the card for the immediate savings. So, just as you’re about to ring up a big-ticket item, ask for a discount or freebies. That’s right. Ask. “Often they’ll try to accommodate you in some way,” says Greg Daugherty, executive editor of Consumer Reports. If you’re about to buy a heavy item, like an entertainment set or a treadmill, ask for free delivery. “In some cases maybe they’ll throw in pillows if you’re buying a sofa,” adds Daugherty. For electronics and appliance stores he suggests asking if they accept competitors’ coupons. “You may get 10 or 20 percent off right there.”

MISTAKE: Feeding a Bar Tab
Consumers racked up more than $2 trillion on major credit cards last year, according to surveyors at cardata.com. That includes rounds of tequila shots. Michael Sinensky, owner of four bars in New York, including the famous Village Pourhouse, says about twice as many patrons are opening tabs these days, versus two years ago. That’s good news for his revenue stream, bad for your bank account. “When you put down a credit card you feel like you’re not spending any money,” says Sinensky. Plus, you’re forced to pay a minimum $10 to $25 at many bars when you pay with plastic, even if it’s a debit card.

THE FIX: Go One For One.
Better to carry a limited wad of cash and pay as you go. This way, says Sinensky, “you realize your wallet is getting lighter and lighter,” and you can budget. You’ll also spend less on tips this way, dropping the acceptable $1 per drink versus 20% or more on a total bill. And as Sinensky explains, the heat is on when you’re ready to finally close the tab. “A lot of people feel when you have a tab at the bar, the [bartender’s] going to notice what you tip right away.

MISTAKE: Paying For Awful Service
Just 9% of unhappy male customers ever complain, according to a new study by Technical Assistance Research Programs (TARP). “The exception is being delighted,” says Dennis Gonier, CEO of TARP Worldwide. “[People] expect bad service.”

THE FIX: Kvetch
With the right panache, you can get out of paying for subpar service and maybe even score freebies. Your food’s undercooked or it came a half hour late? “Talk to the restaurant manager right on the spot and make a stink then,” says Walter Brewster of the Better Business Bureau in New York. If that gets you nowhere, follow-up with a formal letter cc’ing the industry enforcers (e.g. the health department, the BBB) and see if that does the trick. Internet’s been down for hours? “You’re entitled to a partial refund,” says Ben Popken, editor of theconsumerist.com, a consumer advocacy blog. Same goes for most contractual services that bail on you, like your cell phone or cab. Make a phone call immediately to customer service. When possible, speak immediately with the manager or CEO in person. “You want to makes sure you’re talking to someone who can actually fix your situation,” says “Complaint Girl” Ami Woods, a marketing consultant with amiwoods.com. And finally, adds Gonier, remember to thank them ahead of time for helping you out. “Never underestimate the value of charm!”

MISTAKE: Pre-Spending
You bought a couch with your anticipated tax refund. You rang up a new plasma TV before the annual bonus arrived. Spending money before you receive it is basically a fast-track to generating more debt. Can you blame us? “We are culturally programmed to celebrate before we have our win,” says David Bach. “We’re marketed to pre-spend our money.”

THE FIX: Pay Yourself First.
It’s Bach’s tried-and-true money mantra. Automatically putting away just an hour a day of your income into a savings vehicle will come in handy as a reserve next time you’re tempted to book a trip to Hawaii with the spot bonus (that you think you’re getting).

Go to MainStreet.com for more messy money mistakes, and quick fixes, tomorrow!

Photo: Álvaro Daniel González Lamarque

Let’s begin with two questions:

1. Do you consider yourself financially literate?

2. If so, how did you get that way?

And now, a third question:

3. How important is widespread financial literacy to the health of a modern society?

These questions open a great article by Stephen J. Dubner (See: “Are We a Nation of Financial Illiterates?” Freakonomics blog, NYT).

I challenge you to read his essay and see if you can correctly answer the first three questions he poses. Or, listen to his brief discussion of the topic at “The Takeaway” podcast.

Here’s an excerpt from his article:

I am all in favor of a well-rounded education, but seriously: what good is it if high-school students learn about Flaubert, biology, and trigonometry if they don’t learn how to take care of their money? One bright side to the increasingly dark economic news these days is that more and more people will learn (albeit the hard way) Rule No. 1: Do not buy what you cannot afford.

How or why do know (or don’t know) about personal finance issues? It’s a question worth asking yourself as you work to change your behavior with money. If you need a refresher, check out our recent “back to the basics series”. It covers topics we all should know—or think we know—that directly impact our personal finances.

What about in your life? Who helped you learn about personal finance? Or, what situations forced you to educate yourself? What would you advise someone just beginning to take control of their financial lives? Share your experiences with us here at the blog or in a related Geezeo group.

The common desire among Geezeo users is the wish to master our financial lives. Thankfully Geezeo has the tools and community to help on every step of your financial journey.

How do we take inventory of our financial lives? Are you 100% satisfied with your money situation? If not, what’s keeping you from having that satisfaction?

Suppose you are happy. Could you be languishing in a safe zone missing opportunities to earn, save, or give more?

I think we’ve got three basic stages in our financial lives. Managing, growing, and giving. Which stage are you living and how do you plan to move forward?

Stage 1- Managing Your Money.

Ideally we should learn the basics of managing money as children or young adults. The sad reality: Most of us learn ‘on the job’. And we screw up, sometimes hugely. In the management stage we need to develop the habits and knowledge that will allow us to create a basic level of financial security. Unfotunately, past mistakes can keep us on a financial hamster wheel if we aren’t careful. Using credit, understanding taxes, budgeting, paying debt, and having an emergency fund are milestones we need to reach before we can hope to effectively move on to growing our money.

Stage 2- Growing Your Money.

You’re a master at managing your money. Now what? Time to tackle investing and taking some risks so your money can grow. This can be intimidating. Remember you want to grow your money, not lose it. If you’re clueless don’t be afraid to admit it. It’s easier than ever to broaden your financial horizons. Check out TheStreet.com to beef up your knowledge of what’s happening in the stock market. Get over your fear of talking to a financial planner and clearly define your long tem goals.

Stage 3- Giving Your Money

Americans have a hard time with the concept of enough. We want more. I like that about us. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to amass a huge fortune. But aren’t we all here to make the world better in some way? When you have more than enough it’s thrilling to consider how surplus can be used to enrich the lives of others. Be an angel investor for a company that will create jobs. Give your grandchildren a secure financial future. Create your own organization to focus on the causes you care about. The opportunities to give are limitless and the rewards are priceless.

No matter which stage you’re living remember the point is to learn, grow, and move on. If you’re feeling stuck, hire these guys to follow you around. Apparently they’re very passionate about other people’s money.

A Tribute to George Carlin: His Seven Best Money Jokes
By Mellissa Seecharan

George Carlin was what every comedian wished they could be – outspoken, funny, respected, and successful. He was a counter-culture comedian who, at the age of 71, died late Sunday afternoon of heart failure.

Carlin rose to iconic status in the 1970s, and even hosted the very first episode of Saturday Night Live (GE) in 1975. Known for his wit and anti-authoritarian ways, Carlin not only changed comedy but this high school dropout from New York City also shook-up the broadcasting world. His infamous skit, Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV, resulted in a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court — a decision which defined the FCC’s power over broadcasting indecent material.

Click here to read The Seven Money Jokes George Carlin Said on TV.

I have always heard, that in order for us, as adults, to be able to truly enjoy life, we have to make sacrifices - sometimes, to our future.

And then there is the flip side, you have to sacrifice your current life to be successful, build wealth, and be comfortable when you are older - with the possibility of retiring when you are still young enough to enjoy it!

Is there ever a balance? Can’t we do both? Of course! But that in itself is a lifestyle change.

You need to rediscover what is most important in your life, and make a new list of priorities. Most of the time, when you do, you will discover that most of those things don’t cost a lot of money. Here is some of my list: Playing with my boys - regardless of where, enjoying peaceful time reading a good book, drinking some lemonade, or taking my dog for a walk. Those things cost little to nothing for me to do.

To go along with the above, we have to remember that people are what’s most important, not things. My focus from my list above includes doing things with my kids, having time for myself, and enjoying time with my pet. If we focus too much on the things we get for ourselves or the people in our lives, then we will definitely spend a lot of money.

Splurge - only sometimes. If you can force yourself to wait for something that you don’t really need, sometimes you will realize that you no longer want the item anyways. But remember that it is okay to treat yourself some of the time.

Slow down! If you look at how fast time goes by, you will realize that you need to really determine what things are most important. For me, I’ve realized how quickly the last three years have gone by. My boys are getting older every day. And it won’t be long until the oldest is in school. I won’t be able to spend as much time with him and so I need to make sure I am setting aside time now! He won’t remember most of the toys we have bought him over the last few years. But he will remember the time we spent together. And that really is priceless!

Utilize Geezeo to help get yourself on a course that allows you to be happy and content, now and in the future! Go ahead and set some goals so you can have a plan to make it all work!