Independence Rocks!
As a reminder, the Declaration of Independence - (highlights are mine)
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
5 Free (And Inexpensive) Ways To Reduce Your Debt
If you want to rapidly reduce your debt, the best thing you can do is make extra payments, as often as possible, to your creditors. But, there are some other things you can do - things that are free or inexpensive - that can help.
1. Make credit card payments as soon as possible. Most credit cards charge interest based on your average daily balance. The sooner you make a payment, the lower your average daily balance will be, and this helps to reduce the amount of interest you have to pay. (The exact formula for interest calculation varies from card issuer to card issuer. Contact your credit card issuer and ask them how they calculate your interest.)
2. Call creditors and ask them to reduce interest rates. Credit card companies want your business. Simply call your credit card company and ask for a reduced rate. Obviously, they might say no… but they might say yes! You’ll never know until you call.
3. Transfer balances (carefully). I hesitate to mention this one, but a balance transfer, if done correctly, can help to reduce your interest rates. But, you must avoid a few pitfalls. First, be sure that you understand the fees associated with the transfer. Second, be sure that you aren’t just “moving money around“. If you think you are ready to take the plunge, you might want to check out this list over at Five Cent Nickel (one of my favorite personal finance blogs) of credit card companies that are offering zero-percent interest on balance transfers. Be aware, most credit card companies charge a balance transfer fee. Be sure that you run the numbers before you make the transfer. Don’t pay the fee unless you will see a significant, long term reduction in rates. And, be sure that you can pay off the balance before the low, introductory period expires.
4. Sell your stuff and use the proceeds for debt reduction. I’ll admit, this one requires a little more work than the previous three. But, it works! Do you have “stuff” - clothes that no longer fit, electronics you no longer use, books you’ll never read? Instead of storing it, why don’t you spend a few hours going through your stuff and making a plan for selling some of it? Personally, I like to sell baby clothes on eBay and we also have an annual garage sale. Getting rid of clutter feels awesome - and the proceeds can go towards your debt reduction! (eBay charges a small fee to list your items.)
5. Have a plan. It happens over and over. You get excited about reducing your debt. You promise yourself that you are going to put the credit cards away, pay off your balances, and get serious about getting out of debt! But, inevitably, after a few months? weeks? days? you fall off the wagon, get discouraged, and fail to make progress. What’s the problem? What happened? Debt reduction requires three things - determination, money, and, a plan! So, sit down tonight and create a plan for reducing your debt. May I suggest the No Credit Needed Debt Reduction Guide? (Also available as a free E-Book.)
When it comes to getting out of debt, there are no shortcuts. But, if you work hard, focus, and use some of the ideas listed above, you can do it!
If you have tips of your own, I’d love to read them. Leave a comment and share!
Reworking My Savings Goal And Thinking About Buying A House
Currently, we live in a house provided by my employer. We love our house, but at some point in the future, we’ll want to buy our own house. To that end, I’ve created a new savings goal.
For the past six months, I’ve been tracking housing costs in our local area. We have picked out three or four subdivisions that we really like, and we’ve calculated our ‘maximum amount we’ll pay for a new home’. While I’d love to pay cash for the house, that may not be realistic. But, I do hope to put at least 20% down so that we can get a conventional loan and avoid PMI.
I have run several calculations, including pricing the loan for 15 and 30 years, raising and lowering the interest rate, and manipulating the down payment. For our price range, the ‘worst case scenario’ for our mortgage payments would be roughly $2,000 per month. (The actual payment would be calculated when we took out the loan, and would be based on exactly how much we borrow and rates at the time we take out the loan. According to my calculations, the monthly payment will be somewhere between $1200 and $2000.)
For the next twelve months, I’ll ‘pretend’ to have a mortgage. By paying myself $2000 a month - stashing it away in my ING Direct Savings Account - I’ll accomplish two goals. First, I’ll prove to myself that I can make these payments. And, second, I’ll rapidly build a substantial down payment. Win, win!
If I save $2,000 a month for 12 months, I’ll have $24,000. If I add that to the $7,000 already in my non-retirement savings, I’ll have $31,000. But, since I’m not a fan of the number 31, I’ll fix my goal at $33,000. My actual monthly goal will be $2166.66.
I’ll track my progress over at the No Credit Needed Network. Here’s my current chart - SavingsNCN. This new goal replaces my old goal (of saving $16,000 this year). I just never could get excited about that old goal, but I’m stoked about the new one.
Do you create goals? If so, how agressive are you? I like to set super-agressive goals and then push myself.
Resource Reminder - 33 Days And 33 Ways Series
A few months ago, I put together a series of posts, focused on helping readers save money and reduce debt. I called the series 33 Days And 33 Ways To Save Money And Reduce Debt. (Clever title, no?) Since then, the number of folks visiting my site and subscribing to its feed has grown, and some of you might not be aware of the 33 Days series. I hope you’ll check it out and read through the various posts. Not only did I write about saving money and reducing debt, but several other personal finance writers did, as well. Their posts are listed as ‘reaction posts’.
(You might ask, “Why 33 and not 30 or 31?”. I wish I had a better answer, but the truth is, 3 is my favorite number, so I went with 33.)
If you have a website and you write a reaction post to any of the 33 Days articles, contact me and let me know. I’ll be more than happy to add your post to the reaction section.
So, click on over, check out the 33 Days series, and prepare to start saving money and reducing your debt!
Looking For Inspiration When The Financial News Stinks
I don’t know how closely you’ve been paying attention to the financial news, but, apparently, stock prices are falling, gas prices are rising, and Larry Kudlow is still “right on America”. Frankly, while I watch CNBC and keep up with the stock market, I’m a “buy-and-hold” type of guy. So, while the news looks depressing, I’m hoping that the stock market - and the purchases I’m making right now in my retirement accounts - will rebound and move forward. (For a great pick-me-up in the face of current news, read this very inspiring article over at The Digerati Life. I’ve bookmarked it for future reference. You might want to, too.)
I realize, however, that we can’t just plan for the future - we actually have to live in the present. So, I’ve combed through my favorite sites and put together a list of tips and tricks that can help us all save a little money - right now - and in the future.
In his always unique style, Punny writes about the 9/80 work schedule. I don’t have office hours, so I don’t really work 9-to-5, but for those who do, this might be a great way to eliminate a travel day and reduce fuel costs.
Cap notes that 43% of Americans pay their credit cards - in full - at the end of each month. And, another 17$ ‘usually’ do. While Cap sees this as a positive (and makes some really good points in his post), that still leaves 40% who ‘do something else’ with their balances. To ensure that you save money, pay your balances in full, each month (or, better yet, just avoid credit cards altogether! 
)
The Happy Rock has some great suggestion for how to tipping the scales in your financial favor. By working hard to establish an emergency fund, he now has feels unburdened and energized.
How cool is this? Trent just finished writing a book - and he already has a publishing deal.
The Sun’s Financial Dollar reminds that some things in life are free - like a free razor (the kind you shave with, not the kind you talk on).
For those of you with a Bi-Lo in town, Thrifty Mommy notes that they have a new rewards program. While I prefer Kroger, I do shop at Bi-Lo from time to time, and will have to check this out.
We prayed, and GraceFilled’s automobile is going to be just fine!
Lazy Man is selling - and naming - his computers. I can hear it now, “Sarah Michelle crashed again!”.
Looking to sell your house? Money Smart Life has some suggestions, even in a down market. My wife and I have kicked around the idea of buying a house, but that would, at this time, require borrowing money. And, I certainly don’t want to do that.
My Open Wallet is looking for singles - and she’s not talking about dollar bills. If you are looking for love, and you love personal finance, check out My Open Wallet.
My Two Dollars lists 35 ways (pluse a few more) where you can watch TV for free.
My Money Blog notes that Vanguard now has new Global Stock Index Fund. Amazingly, the fund invests in more than 48 countries! Wow. (By the way, if you don’t read My Money Blog, you are missing out! It’s a daily must read.)
Paid Twice is reducing, nay, eliminating debt! Rock on! I love this post, and I love this attitude.
My Dollar Plan has launched a new service which tracks the popularity of personal finance blogs. That’s pretty cool.
2Million moved to China some time ago and has opened a checking account with a Chinese bank. Wow. I realize that people live all over the world, but for a rural boy from Georiga, China feels like it’s a world away. (Which, when you think about it, it is.)
Blueprint suggests (toung-in-cheek) that you get a divorce - and save money!
Blunt Money reminds us that getting out of debt is about personal responsibility and not silly gimmicks.
Boston Gal points out that several people are turning to ‘fake grass’ in order to save money. (Side note: It’s almost July and my grass has been mown exactly twice. That’s right, twice. It is so dry, here in Georgia.)
CFO is thinking about Christmas (and it’s just July). Frugal Dad is too! Time flies when it’s 98 degrees.
Clever Dude has a very interesting article about shutting off your card in order to save gas. Read the post carefully. There are lots of important details.
Ana rocks - and she’s still delivering pizzas for mad cash, even though gas prices have gone up, up, up. I’ll take a thin crust w/ pepperoni, please.
Hazzard sells some gym equipment, and then faces a moral dilema. Keep the cash, Hazz!
Frugal Babe bought a solar oven. I don’t even know what that is, but it sounds very, very awesome.
Gen X revies the book Beyond Paycheck to Paycheck. I’ve heard this is a great read.
Wow. I might spend a little too much time reading personal finance blogs! But, there’s just so much good content out there. I hope you’ll bookmark this page and comeback to it over the next few weeks. I like to limit myself to two or three ‘big’ roundups a month. If you visit one of these sites, tell them that NCN sent you. Rock on! (And, I realize that the news can be a bit depressing… Keep your head up, have a plan, and keep doing what you know to do!)
- Get quick short term loans in the form of a payday loan for the times when you need extra cash to cover emergency bills. Cheap loans can be found faster and more simply at CashNetUSA.
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- Home Loans - getsmart is a leading online financial marketplace, focused on smart consumers in a hurry.
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- Life Insurance Quote - efinancial term life insurance quotes - quick quote
- Credit Repair Company - Most Comprehensive Credit Restoration Company
- Structured Settlements - cash for structured settlements, sell annuity, lottery winnings, and more.
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