Get smart about spending and saving –– and ride out arecession! Looking for practical ways to make every dollar count? This savvyguide gives you expert tips for tightening your belt and savingcash in every area of your life –– from your house and car todining and entertaining to banking and managing debt. You getrealistic solutions for making smarter choices and living well inthis time of economic turmoil –– without extraordinary sacrifice!Bump up your take–home pay–– spiff up your resume, find a good jobfast, explore telecommuting, or start a home–based business Getyour personal finances in tip–top shape –– create a budget, paydown debt, save on insurance, and protect your retirement fundsDevelop recession–proof habits –– use coupons and rebates, extendthe life of your wardrobe, utilize community resources, travel on abudget, and save on utilities and fuel expenses Decorate on a dimeand entertain on a shoestring –– plan parties, celebrate theholidays, and give
UNTIL THE SPRING OF 2001,THE HOUSTON energy giant Enron epitomized the triumph of the new economy. Feared by rivals, worshiped by investors,Enron seemingly could do no wrong, its profits rose every quarter; its stock price surged ever upward; its leaders were hailed as visionaries. Then a young Fortune writer named Bethany McLean wrote an article posing a simple question--How, exactly, does Enron make its money?--and the company's house of cards began to collapse. Though other business scandals would follow, none has had the shattering effect of Enron's bankruptcy, which caused Americans to lose faith in a system that rewarded top insiders with millions of dollars while small investors,including many Enron employees, lost everything. Despite enormous media coverage of Enron, the definitive story of its astonishing rise and fall comes alive for the first time in this gripping narrative by McLean and her Fortune colleague Peter Elkind.Drawing on a wide range of private documents and well-placed so
Every decision, from buying a home to grabbing a daily latte,has costs and benefits-personal as well as financial. The Real Costof Living helps you make better decisions, both big and small-decisions that involve money, but aren't all about money.Well-known personal finance expert Carmen Ulrich makespersonal finance personal and takes into account that we all havemotivations that go way beyond number crunching. From marriage andfamily to career, investing, and more, Carmen examines the "realcost" of the choices we all make every day. * Is deciding whether to go back to work full-time after you havea child really all about money? Should it be? * Is prepaying a mortgage a smart-money move, or is it reallyabout craving security and stability-and which means more toyou? * How much do your bad habits really cost you? And is savingthousands of dollars enough of a motivation to get you tostop? * Are college degrees really worthwhile? And if so, how can youmaximize the odds of gaining