Considering the cost of medical care and car repairs, and how an accident - by nature, unplanned - can wipe out your savings, scrimping on health and car insurance can actually cost you more in the long run.

Some companies will subsidize the health insurance of employees. But if it’s not included in your benefits, then start shopping for plans. Don’t be deceived by the lowest premium—instead, look at what coverage you get and how much you pay for it. Only then can you decide what the best deal is.

Be sure to look at fine print, like whether it will pay for doctor’s consultations or medical tests. A good place to look before taking out any type of insurance including buidlings insurance and life insurance is available at thriftyscot.co.uk.

I signed up for FriendFinder today and must admit I am pretty impressed with their service. I have actually heard about FriendFinder in the past and have seen their ads in a number of places but I never really bothered to check them out. There are so many dating sites on the internet that I figured there is no reason to sign up for another. I already have two other accounts and they all must be pretty much the same, no? Well, actually today I discovered that they are not the same and that FriendFinder is definitely a site to check out even if you have a membership at another site.

The reason is that FriendFinder isn’t only about finding potential dates online, but rather about getting to know your potential date even before you meet them. I think this ads a lot to the site. I signed up today and found the entire process very easy (I should have done this long ago). Besides an initial problem of not receiving my signup email with my password (which turned out to be in my spam folder), the entire signup process took less than five minutes. What I really liked about the search results I found and people’s profiles was that there were many possibilities to get to know the person right from the site. Many members actually run a blog hosted by FriendFinder which in my mind is a huge benefit in getting to know someone.

Recent property booms in Spain and Eastern Europe have drawn a lot of investors. Some are looking for cheap retirement or vacation properties, others want to buy low, then sell years down the road for as much as 200% profit. However, there are scam artists waiting to prey on foreign investors. How to avoid them:

• See it to believe it. The photos on the website can easily be manipulated, while the sales brochure won’t mention problems like flooding or the ghetto located right next door. So before you buy, arrange a property tour. It’s the only way to weed out the hype.
• Get credible local representation. Deal only with bigger real estate companies won’t risk their reputation to cheat you, and consult with a local property lawyer (remember their laws may differ from yours).
• Go to the land registration office. Make sure the property is not under contest, and that you’re buying from the legal owners. Remember documents can be forged.

If you are planning on attending the Microsoft MGX conference in Orlando, you will probably discover what thousands of other attendees have discovered before you. Big conferences equal large attendance equals higher hotel prices. Much higher!

The sad truth is that almost every hotel in the vicinity of the convention center wants to cash in on the conference’s turnout and have raised their prices considerably for the conference’s dates. There is a solution for this, but you have to act fast. The International Plaza Resort and Spa in Orlando are now offering conference guests to book using their Microsoft MGX special rate. The hotel is offering conference attendees a low price of $119 per night. This is a great deal, considering the hotel is within walking distance to convention center. The hotel offers guests to combine business with pleasure and enjoy their three swimming pools, hot tub, miniature golf and more. Just don’t forget to visit the conference every now and then…

You know, I see people using the internet for so many things. People claim to find jobs online, I’ve had a friend furnish his entire apartment with furniture he found online, people promote their businesses and services online and more. But to be honest, I always feel the internet is just too big of a place for me. After all, I live a local life and I am usually interested in local things. Sure it’s great that I can post something online and sell stuff to people in India, but the fact is that I don’t. I just don’t see the point in posting something online if 99% of the replies you get are irrelevant since they are not from your area. That’s why I liked Qwixo.com so much. They have created a system where people can access a page which is dedicated specifically for their zip code. People can post anything from babysitter jobs, things for sale, local announcements and more while all posts will be available only to people from their area. Now that’s useful…

We want to give our kids the best, but that includes a sense of financial responsibility, and “dollar sense.” If they keep screaming, “Buy, buy, buy!” then it’s time to put a few ground rules.

• Make them work for what they want. They can take odd jobs around the neighborhood or do extra chores at home. Don’t pay them for things they really should be doing—like washing dishes or studying—but they can take over services you’d be willing to pay someone else, like washing the car or mowing the lawn.
• Open a bank account in their name. You can agree to deposit a percentage of their allowance, or any money they receive for birthdays or Christmas.
• Let them handle some part of the budget. When they’re older, you can ask them to do the groceries (they’ll learn how to stick to the list and watch the budget) or deposit bill payments. It’s a good way of subtly letting them know the cost of running a home.