Dis Eez A Mouse

I’m a Luddite, which means that even though I work in the software industry, I do not rush out to purchase the latest and greatest gadget. Our family computer, for example, is running Windows 98, primarily because we purchased the computer itself in 1999. In human years that computer is like 432 years old. Maybe we’ll retire the old boy this year. The point is that I don’t like to churn through tons of gadgets. I want something to work. I want it to work well. And then I want to use it for a long time.

Recently, my mouse started acting up. So I went out and found a new one. I settled on a Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000. It comes with three parts: the mouse, an AA battery, which is supposed to last for up to ten months, and a tiny transceiver you insert into one of your computer’s USB ports. The mouse has a great hand-feel. The clicks are smooth. If you want to take your mouse with you somewhere, there’s an easy storage slot inside the mouse for the transceiver.

But the best thing of all is its BlueTrack technology. This is not an ancient mouse with a track ball that you have to clean every so often. It’s an optical mouse. But unlike earlier versions of optical mice (why do I have a terrible urge to use “mouses” or “meece”?) that didn’t work very well on a number of surfaces, this BlueTrack technology works like a charm on everything I’ve tried it on, including glass.

You need a new mouse? This is a good one.

Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money

If you’re like 70% of America, you are living paycheck to paycheck, which means that if you or your spouse (assuming you have one) were laid off, you would probably have difficulties meeting your mortgage the next month. If you didn’t go into default on the house, you certainly would on other payments and bills.

You also have very little retirement.

You probably have around $7,000 in credit card debt. Maybe a lot more.

You also have a car payment or two. Or, heaven forbid, a lease.

You might be house poor—the house payment is so large you can’t seem to do anything else.

You might have creditors hounding you.

You might be one of those folks throwing their money away on the lotto instead of investing it.

Did you know that if you invested $50 a month, an average of what many lotto players spend, in the stock market for 40 years, you’d very likely end up with $316,000 in the bank (over the last 40 years of ups and downs, the annualized return of the market was almost 10%). You would have put in only $24,000 over that time period, which means you would have made $292,203! But instead, if you’re a lotto player, you just throw all that out the window. (No, you’re not going to win; not even maybe in your dreams.)

You probably think your kids will have to take out loans to go to college. And you think that’s a good idea. In fact, you probably think it’s a good idea to have a credit card just in case there’s an emergency because you don’t have any savings to cover any emergencies.

The list goes on. The sad part of this is that our finances cause us average Americans a lot of stress in our lives and marriages and families (even if we’re in denial) and very often heartbreak.

I know that a lot of us look at our financial chains and throw our hands up in despair—what can I do? The mountain of debt and bills are just too high. Besides, this is how everybody lives.

But it’s not.

There is a way out. And it doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s not too late.

Dave Ramsey has written his hands-down best book ever, which will take you step-by-step through the process of turning a financial mess into financial peace. He’ll do it in a down-to-earth easy-to-read style. No confusing ten dollar words that make your head spin.

Ramsey himself went through financial hell. He was the guy that made all the mistakes with his money. Lost everything. Had collection agencies coming after him. Didn’t know how he was going to feed the family. He turned that all around. Yes, he’s a millionaire, but more importantly, he has been working for the last twenty years to teach regular people with regular jobs the simple principles that lead to financial peace. They’re becoming debt free and working their way towards huge net-worth.

You want a step-by-step plan? You want to educate yourself about money and family finances from one of the nation’s leading experts? Then go and purchase Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money today and start reading it. You will not regret it. If you already have his Total Money Makeover and don’t think this will be worth it, think again. This goes into all sorts of things the Total Money Makeover doesn’t.

Be free, people. Be free.