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Good websites/blogs/programs for managing money?

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MrCrispy:
This is not really a topic for the software forum, but in my short time here I've seen this site has a lot of members who are very knowledgeable, so I'm sure I'll get some help.

I'm a software geek who's clueless about money  :( I can spend days and weeks on tweaking programs and searching for the perfect utility, but not so when it comes to money. Even though I make a decent living, my savings do not reflect this because they don't grow like they should. I lost a lot of my savings a few years ago in the stock market and since then have been very hesitant. Currently I've put most of it in online banks such as ING which give me higher APR but thats pretty much it.

What are some good resources you recommend? There are way too many blogs out there, I don't know where to start. I also need some software to track my money and spending - I was going to get either Money or Quicken, but there are also some free web based alternatives like Wesabe, Mint etc which look very compelling (apart from having to trust a website with my account passwords). I'd also appreciate links to some good forums for personal finance.

Deozaan:
I went to a week-long financial seminar given by a guy named Scott Marsh who very clearly laid out info on finance. His website has lots of financial information. He also says that for the college course he teaches, The Millionaire Next Door is the "textbook" he makes the class use, and that's all they use.

One cool thing he told me about was a website called PowerPay.org that has lots of money stuff you can do. Like make a calendar to pay off your debt, and mess around with it until you can find out the fastest way to pay it off, or other options. I'm not sure of all the features of the site, but it might be worth a look.

Also, again when it comes to getting out of debt and building up savings, a really good book is The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. This book gets you excited about building wealth and lays out steps very clearly on how to do it. It's not a get rich quick book, so expect to work hard and have patience. Word of warning: In my opinion the first chapter or two mostly consist of Dave trying to convince you to believe the book is good and has good info, so it may come off as one of those infomercials where everyone says how great something is, which automatically makes you not believe it. Once you get past those chapters it really is great and has good info.

Okay that's all for now.

mnemonic:
I've used Acemoney for years and haven't found a better alternative yet (paid and free versions available):

http://www.mechcad.net/products

If I didn't have years tied up in Acemoney, I 'd move to Money Manager Ex, which is free, open-source and cross-platform and has *fantastic* support:

http://www.thezeal.com/software/index.php?Money_Manager_Ex

Not sure where you are in the world, but here is a great UK finance website (with a very active forum):

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/

Renegade:
Nope. You're all going in the WRONG direction...

The best money management web sites are all dating sites. Get yourself married & you'll quickly find your wife managing your money for you. :D

If you're a woman, you're probably already good at managing your money - still... Go to a dating site. Get married. Take all your husband's money so that you have more to manage. ;)

I got this stuff aaaaalllllllllll figured out!  :tease:

matt_man22:
Use http://www.mymoneyblog.com for advice

My personal advice is to not be scared of the stock market.  In the long run your returns will be better than any bank.  You just have to keep it there for a while.  The past couple years you would have made all of your money back.  Find low-expense etfs and index funds and let it coast for 10-20 years.

It is a good idea to use a high-yield account like ING for cash savings though.  Keep at it and don't follow any get-rich-quick schemes.

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