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It is the last three days for deductible items in your 2008 taxes. I am going to the bookstore today to buy my books for next quarter at school so I can use the receipts in 2008. I will have 3 quarters of school in 2009 and will have far higher expenses that can be deducted.

Are you doing any last minute donations or buys that will hit your 2008 taxes? Let us know in the comments.

Everyone keeps talking about how the economy is so bad and there is a big recession and the world is going to end. I would not say it is quite an apocalypse. All of the hype is half of the cause of problems. I don’t think we are in a traditional recession, I think we are in a transformation. The economy is going to emerge much different than it started. Banks are going away. Loan companies are becoming banks. Employers are slimming. Things are changing, but I do not think it will ever be the way it was a couple of years ago. That said, this is how I am dealing with the recession:

I am doing nothing different from before the recession. That is my secret.

I am working hard at work to keep up with everything. I am trying to make myself more important in operations so I am considered vital if layoffs do occur in my area of the company. Events in my department are actually on track to have an open supervisor position. I am going to try to get it.

I am still saving 10% for retirement. A few bad years in the economy will not derail my retirement plans. I want to retire young.

I am spending the same as before, as my situation has not changed. I still pay off my credit cards in full every month. I still take my girlfriend to dinner and movies. I still pay my rent and utilities on time.

The best way to whether a bad economy is to work hard to ensure your job is safe. Do not feel bad if you are the one still there after a layoff, that means you worked harder and were considered necessary.

If you lost your job, do not just sit and mope. You were probably given a severance. The end date should be your last possible date to get a new job. If you have to take a waiter job or retail job temporarily, do it. Keep an income. No job is below you. In between jobs I was a waiter. I made decent money and quit when I got my new job.

There is no excuse for you to not have a job. Any reason you give why you do not have a new job (if you were laid off) is just an excuse. There is some job you can get. You can make money, it just might be less than before. That happens. Deal with it.

So, as I said, do nothing different from before the recession. Keep going to work. Keep living your life. Spending like before is the only thing that can fix the recession. If you need a new car, go buy one (but not an American car). If you need credit, you can get it. If you have a bad credit score, read my posts on raising your score. Get on the right track. Rates are low, buy a house. Do something with your life, do not just sit stagnant like the economy.

ACH is a term thrown around in banking regularly. An ACH is essentially any electronic transfer to or from a bank account. A transfer from one of your accounts to another is an ACH. A direct deposit is an ACH. An online credit card payment is an ACH.

I found a great lesson on how ACH transactions work at ING Direct. Check out the video. It is a good, simple explanation for what happens each time you click “accept” for a transfer.

After my mom freaked out and thought she needed to buy a new TV, I thought you should all know the real deal. This February, broadcast television is changing from an analog signal to a digital signal. You do not have to know what that means or even that it is happening in some cases. This is all you need to know:

I generally pay my credit card balance in full twice per month. Why? There are several reasons. They include interest, fees, and liquidity.

If you are trying to be efficient and profitable in your life, one of the keys is to be on top of the best ways to do things and deal with your finances. I subscribe to somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 feeds using Google Reader, and you should be reading too. Aside from the premier finance blog, this one, I have a few recommendations for you. If you do not use a feed reader yet, it is time to get on board, go to Google Reader to get started.

To subscribe to a feed, visit the site and click on the orange RSS logo. That will allow you to subscribe using the reader of your choice. If it takes you to an html code looking page, copy the URL into the feed reader as the web address of the feed you are adding.

1. Narrow Bridge Adventures. A shameless self plug.
2. Lifehacker. A multi-author blog dedicated to making your life more efficient. They taught me about feed readers and got me started on Google Reader.
3. The Consumerist. Also part of the Gawker family (like Lifehacker), Consumerist is dedicated to protecting you from the evil corporations that want your money. (I subscribe to the “Top Items” feed due to the large volume of items)
4. The Mint Blog. This is the blog of my favorite money site, Mint.com.
5. Wise Bread. Wise Bread is a community blog that tried to help you spend less, earn more, and be more efficient.
6. Cash Money Life. Another personal finance blog, but one worth checking out nonetheless.
7. Fabulously Broke. A twenty-something finance blog with style.
8. I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Ramit teaches us tricks to make it big.
9. Millionaire Money Habits. Another good finance blog. Worth reading.
10. Poorer Than You. Another twenty something finance blog with style. This one is the tale of a former poor student who is doing quite well now.
11. Well Heeled. Another fun twenty something finance blog.

Honorable Mentions: Not necessarily about personal finance but fun to read.
12. The Israel Situation. Another shameless plug. My first big blog.
13. Problogger. A blog for bloggers to learn about blogging and writing blogs.
14. The Cult. Blog dedicated to my favorite author.
15. Wall Street Breakfast. A daily AM stock market update by Seeking Alpha.

DebtGoal has a great post on why to skip the store credit cards. I have a confession to make, my first job in high school was at Target and I was one of the top (the top part time) in the store for selling Target credit cards. Since I can do simple math, I just told people what the 10% they could save would be for large purchases. People would almost always take the savings on large purchases. If you could save $100, I bet you would say yes.

However, we have to remember the reasons not to take the card. The one I have been tempted by most is Kohl’s, as they generally have fair prices and sell what I wear to work. Their card holders are constantly sent coupons and are given discounts. I shop there enough that I have considered the card, but I have held out this far.

DebtGoal outlines these reasons to skip the cards. I have added my own commentary.

1. Fat Wallet – Simplicity is important in finance. I am a big advocate of automated and simple personal finance, and one less card just makes life easier.

2. Offers are a One Time Deal – At Target you save 10% one time. The reason I like the Kohl’s card is you save much more often. A one time deal is a good tool to pull you in, but is a short lived reward.

3. You are Encouraged to Spend More – Fairly self explanatory. If you can spend, you might do it.

4. Lower Credit Score – New credit lowers your credit score. It takes a while for that new credit to be “incorporated” into your credit report and for your score to go back up.

5. High Interest Rate – Again fairly self explanatory. Most store cards have rates well over 20%. That is a lot of interest.

6. Bad Terms – Most store cards have questionable terms at best. Congress has made a formal inquiry into store credit practices. The marketing is dirty. The interest rates are high. They are just not good for consumers.

For another take, visit DebtGoal.com. Now it is your turn. Do you have any store cards? How have they been for you?