Bad seed is a robbery of the worst kind: for your pocket-book not only suffers by it, but your preparations are lost and a season passes away unimproved — George Washington

Today is the birth date for George Washington, the first President of these United States. Recently, I had the opportunity to read a brief biography of our first Commander-in-Chief and realized what a humble man that he was.

Unlike so many politicians of our day, George wanted to help people and live a quiet life. Certainly, he desired to free the colonies from British rule, but beyond that he wasn’t someone with strong political ambitions.

What I am about to share with you really has nothing to do with our first president other than offering you, the reader, some good links which may be of benefit to you. Please read on as I’ve compiled a list of sites worthy of visiting:

Gather Little By Little — Personal finance with a Christian Perspective.

Get Rich Slowly — Personal finance that makes cents.

The Dough Roller — Control your money, control your life.

Where Your Treasure Is — Merging faith & personal finance.

Being Frugal — Making every penny count.

ChristianPF — Save money. Make money. Give money.

Sense to Save — Join me on my journey to live a more frugal lifestyle. Here, you’ll find common sense and not-so-common sense on ways you can save money.

Money Saving Mom — Helping you be a better home economist.

The Simple Dollar — Financial talk for the rest of us.

Working For Financial Freedom — One Family. $58,000 in debt. This is how they pay it off.

Frugal Babe — A rich life without a lot of money.

I’ve Paid For This Twice Already — From financial imprisonment to financial independence, a penny at a time. This is one family’s story.

By George, I think that I’m done!

One of the better financial blogs I visit from time to time is Gather Little By Little, a site that discusses wealth management from a Christian perspective. For those of you who may think otherwise, money isn’t the root of all evil, but the love of money is. With that in mind, being a good manager (steward) of your funds is important.

Glblguy, the manager of Gather Little By Little made mention on his blog this week of a commercial that ran during this past Sunday’s Super Bowl (hooray, Giants!) where Wachovia Bank created a special savings incentive program to encourage people to set aside money called Way2Save.

Way2Save takes one dollar from your checking account every time that you use your debit card or make an automatic bill payment. Those funds are then deposited into a savings account that pays 5% interest for the first year. In addition, Wachovia will pay a 5% bonus for deposits for an effective yield of 10%.

I already bank with Wachovia so signing up was a snap. For everyone else, you’ll need to open a Wachovia checking account in order to reap the benefits of this program.

Glblguy does express a couple of reservations about the program, so read his blog to learn what they are. Personally, I’m looking forward to saving a nice bit of money, something that this plan allows me to do while rewarding me handsomely in the process.

Every single one of us knows how to spend money, but do we really know how to save our money? No, I am not necessarily talking about setting aside funds for an investments purposes – a good thing – but saving money on everyday items. Here are seven simple ways you can save money:

1. Use Appliances That Are Energy Efficient. Chances are your old refrigerator or washer is a pig on fuel. When shopping for a new unit, make sure that the energy rating is high. However, do not pay hundreds of extra dollars for a product if only a slightly higher energy rating is achieved. Instead, find out which model gives to you the highest possible energy rating for the buck.

2. Clip Coupons. You can save money on shopping by clipping coupons. Many stores will even double or triple manufacturers’ coupons up to a certain amount as an added “come on” to get you to shop.

3. Shop The Wholesale Clubs. BJs, Sam’s Club, and Costco all offer savings generally 10-30% lower than the supermarkets. They take coupons too.

4. Get Free Samples. Manufacturers enjoy giving away samples of their products. Sometimes all it takes is a letter or an email to the appropriate department and your freebie will arrive in the mail in the form of a product or as a coupon allowing you to purchase the item locally for free.

5. Go To The Library. Barnes and Noble and Borders offer a wide selection of books to their customers as does Amazon. However, you may be able to find that same title at your free public library. If not, ask a librarian if they would order the book for you. Hey, a free book is better than the $25 you will pay for a bestseller!

6. Shop And Compare. The internet allows consumers the opportunity to shop and compare on almost any product sold anywhere. Find the best price and order online if the items is cheaper than ordering in person. Don’t forget to take into consideration shipping, handling, and taxes when ordering via the web!

7. Reuse And Recycle. Chances are the item you are throwing away can be used again. If you definitely have no use for the item sell it at a garage sale and pocket the proceeds. In any case, you are contributing to a sound environment by not sending your unused good to the trash dump.

There are countless ways for you to save even beyond these seven. You need not be a skinflint to reap true benefits either, so start with these seven and come up with another seven ways for you to save too.

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We all know how to spend our money, but do we fully understand how to save it? I am not talking about setting aside a reserve for an investment or rainy day purposes – both of which are good things – rather, saving money on everyday items. Here are some simple ways you can save money:

Clip Coupons. You can save on your shopping excursions by clipping coupons. Some stores will even double or triple manufacturers’ coupons up to a specified amount [typically, one dollar] as an added incentive to bring you in.

Comparison Shop. The worldwide web gives shoppers the opportunity to compare prices and shop right online for almost any product available. Order online if the item is cheaper than ordering in person. Don’t forget to take into consideration shipping, handling, and taxes when ordering via the web, however many online retailers offer free shipping and taxes are not always universally assessed.

Energy Efficient Appliances. Your old refrigerator or washer is an energy eater. When you shop for a new unit, check to make sure that the energy rating is high. Do not, however, pay hundreds of dollars more for a product if only a slightly higher energy rating is promised. Learn which models produce the highest possible energy rating for the money.

Get Free Samples. Manufacturers enjoy giving away samples of their products. Sometimes all it takes is a letter or an email to the appropriate department and your freebie will arrive in the mail in the form of merchandise or as a coupon allowing you to purchase the item locally for free.

Shop The Clubs. Warehouse clubs such as BJ’s, Sam’s Club, and Costco offer savings that shave 10-30% off of supermarket prices. Many take coupons too!

Sssh! Go To The Library. The big book retailers offer a wide selection of books to their customers. However, you may be able to find that same title at your free public library. If not, ask a librarian if she would order the book for you. A free book is better than the $30 you would have paid for a bestseller, plus latte!

Use it Again; Recycle. Maybe the item you are tossing can be used again. If you definitely have no use for it, sell it at a garage sale [or online via an auction site] and keep the earnings. In any case, you are contributing to a clean environment by not adding to already overcrowded landfills.

There are many other ways for you to save even beyond those that I have mentioned. All it takes is a little bit of imagination and some initiative and you will soon find yourself saving money on in ways you previously did not think of.

Copyright 2005-2008 — Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of topics including: advocacy, automobiles, aviation, business, Christian themes, family, news, product reviews, travel, writing, and more. Samples from his portfolio are available right online.

Building wealth is as simple as saving a little bit here and a little bit there. You need not have great riches in order to accumulate wealth, but you need to have the drive, determination, and discipline to successfully increase your wealth. Let’s look at 6 proven wealth building strategies you can put to use today.

1. Pay Yourself First. If you do not set aside money before you start paying your bills, chances are you will never save any many after you pay these same bills. If your employer has a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, enroll in it and set up a reasonable percentage to invest. The money will come out before you see your paycheck, therefore the “loss” of discretionary income will be less noticeable to you. Maximize your contribution if you are able, especially if your employer matches your contribution.

2. Save Now. The earlier you start to save in your life, the more you will have later in life. Of course, if you aren’t able to save much until after your children are grown, you can step up your savings until you retire and still have a decent nest egg.

3. Get Rid of Debt. Even before you build up your savings it is best to get rid of your debt first before starting a wealth building campaign. If your credit card rate is 14% you will find it difficult to find any investment that gives you a return that exceeds that rate. It would be better for you to pay down your debt first and then implement an investment strategy.

4. Pick The Right Mortgage. If you plan on holding onto your home for a short period of time, select an adjustable rate mortgage as your rate will be lower than a fixed rate mortgage. Use the amount saved to pay down your mortgage quicker; refinance your home if rates begin to climb.

5. Build An Emergency Fund. Nothing wrecks the best laid plan more than an emergency, particularly one that costs you money. Set aside up to six months of your income to live on in case catastrophe hits. Without an emergency fund you will be tempted to take on debt, cash in your retirement accounts, and sell valuable investments. Try recovering quickly from this sort of hit to your wealth without an effective back up plan!

6. Protect Your Assets. You can have a healthy portfolio and see it disappear quickly if you are not properly insured. Make sure that your health/dental, homeowner, life, and disability insurance coverage is adequate to meet your needs. All it takes is one legal judgment against you to wipe out your assets.

Instant riches come to a few, but most riches are realized after careful planning and effective management of your resources. You can properly prepare for the days ahead by implementing these six proven wealth building strategies today.

Matthew C. Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on a variety of subjects including autos, devotional, and employment information.