Kiva is a great way to give

Every day I realize that despite whatever personal challenges I'm facing, I live an incredibly privileged life. I feel it's also a duty and a privilege to give back. My family likes to give to worthy causes, and one of my favorite places to give is Kiva, http://www.kiva.org/. Kiva is a micro loan organization that helps people create sustainable businesses for them, their families and communities. You pick the person or group. You specify the amount. You make the loan. The thing I love the most is seeing what you can achieve with a simple $25 loan. You can join with others around the world to help create a small loan that can make all the difference in a family's life. You see exactly where the money goes.

Steve Recommends Dave Ramsey

My business partner game me a copy of Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness. I've found most books like that to be totally padded, half baked and written by people intent on making a buck. But somehow Ramsey's advice resonates. My wife and I easily put his simple plan in place and follow it. We have been on budget, increasing savings and paying down debt without any change in income. The best change for us was creating a new budget every month and then having a budget review every week. That keeps us on course.

Ramsey doesn't say anything new, but he says it really well.

Steve Recommends Sweet Potato Fries

Rumbi Island Grill has the perfect snack - sweet potato fries mixed with regular fries. And of course they include a special fry sauce. If Steve recommends them, you know they're good.

Steve Recommends Product Research Shopping on Amazon

Welcome to my first tip on an easier, less expensive life.

Whenever I want to buy a product, I check out the reviews at Amazon.com first. The difference between Amazon and other sites is the sheer volume of reviews. It's not uncommon to have hundreds of reviews on one product, and I think that gives me a pretty good idea of the product's strengths and weaknesses. Plus Amazon has reviews for everything, from Photocopiers to Teeth Whitening Strips to Fuel Injector Cleaners. Trust me, 10 minutes on Amazon will save you a lot of headaches, even if you don't buy it there.


The Toshiba has a better rating but only 5 reviews. Those are better than nothing but I like to wait for more than 10 reviews if possible.