Photo by jenniferconley

Economists are saying the recession is over. Bull hockey! Maybe the stock market is recovering and bankers are smiling, but you and I both know America still has a long row to hoe before the little people see blue skies again (you should excuse the mixed metaphor). 

We all know people who've been unemployed so long they've given up. Our early enthusiasm for frugal living has turned into frugal fatigue. And it's been heaven knows how long since dining out didn't eat up our entire food budget. (Again, apologies for the bad pun.) 

So next time you hear the economy is getting better, just think about these 10 signs the recession is over. In fact, we had a hard time limiting ourselves to just 10!

1. Two Buck Chuck America's Best Selling Wine
Trader Joe’s, a specialty grocery store based in California, is a savior to cash-strapped wine snobs. The store's legendary Charles Shaw wines, lovingly nicknamed “Two Buck Chuck” have become something of a phenomenon in the wine world and are now the nation’s best-selling wines. That's not surprising when you consider the combination of great taste and low prices ($1.99 - $3.49 per bottle, depending on the region).

2. Unemployed Women Selling Their Wedding Rings on Craigslist
There are thousands of ads on Craigslist for things like used appliances, furniture, and cars from people who need a little quick cash to get by, with the seller frequently revealing a glimpse of the problems necessitating the sale. For upfront desperation, few ads are more poignant than the ones for wedding or engagement rings from people in financial straits. According to theHuffingtonPost, "Sellers typically said they posted their ads in an effort to take care of their children."

Photo by 3aodia

If you think your household finances are invulnerable to disaster, think again. Just one flood, fire, earthquake or tornado could wipe out your life savings. Before misfortune hits, it's vital to secure your finances from unexpected events of nature. 

Here are seven steps to protecting your home and finances.

1. Get the Right Insurance
Review your insurance policies to ascertain what they do and don't cover. Keep in mind there's a big difference between replacement cost coverage and standard coverage, which only pays the actual cash value of insured property. Be sure that you have enough insurance to cover recent home renovations or improvements. Learn more by visiting Fema.gov, and the Insurance Information Institute.

2. Purchase Flood Insurance
As many Hurricane Katrina survivors sadly learned, most homeowners insurance polices don't cover flood damage. Look for flood insurance that will cover both your structure and the contents. Renters and business owners also should purchase coverage. Nearly 100 insurance companies in more than 21,000 participating communities offer flood insurance at an average of around $500 a year. In low- to moderate-risk areas, lower-cost Preferred Risk Policies (PRPs) start at just $112 a year. Learn more about your flood risk and how to protect their property at FloodSmart.gov or calling 1-800-427-2419.

3. Inventory Possessions
Keep a written and video or photo record of all major household items and valuables, including those stored in your basement, crawlspace, attic and garage. Create files detailing serial numbers and store receipts for major appliances and electronics. Have jewelry and artwork appraised. These documents are critically important when filing insurance claims. For help in conducting a home inventory, visit KnowYourStuff.org. or the Insurance Information Institute.

Photo by Steve Rhodes

In the ever shrinking credit market, it's become more and more difficult for low-income consumers to obtain traditional forms of credit, such as credit cards and personal loans. As a result, more people have turned to “pay-day loans.”

These short-term loans allow consumers to almost instantly obtain cash, using uncashed checks or electronic access to a ban account as collateral.  

Most pay-day loans require repayment within a week or two, usually when the borrower receives their next pay check. The problem is that borrowers who can ill afford to do so must re-pay not only the amount of the loan but a hefty finance charge. Those who can't pay back the entire loan within the specified period,are charged additional fees until the loan is paid off in its entirety.

Pay-day-loan firms typically charge over 300 percent APR (Annual Percentage Rate), although many loaners usually advertise at a better rate. Add this interest to the balance of the loan and you might as well borrow from a loan shark. The only advantage of a pay-day loan is that Guido won't show up to break your legs when you can't pay. 

Thanks to the recession, pay-day loans have become big business. Here are some basic facts you should consider before taking out a pay-day loan.

1. Loan Terms and Fees
Typical loan terms range from as little as $100 to upwards of $2,000 dollars. State laws determine the size and terms of loans, but companies can charge additional fees above the interest rate. For example, a borrower often may end up paying $115 on a $100 loan; an interest rate of well over 600 percent.

Photo by Harm Wimmenhove

Gardening -- you should excuse the pun -- is rapidly growing into the number-one American hobby. Maybe we're trying to save money by growing our own vegetables or maybe gardeners are returning to the soil as a means of working off stress. Whatever the reason, gardening is one of the most "fruitful" returns on investment one can make. 

Unfortunately, novice gardeners can end up spending more on seeds, tools and the other doo-dads required for a start-up patch. The good news is there are a few tricks that can save you money while still turning out a good crop. Here are nine tips to get you going.

1. Plan Early
Plot out your garden before turning the first spade of earth. Several websites make it easy to plan your garden either at no cost or free for the first 30 days. I'm particularly partial to GrowVeg.com, which helps you plot out the amount of space you'll need for each plant and where each should go in relation to other plants. The Farmers' Almanac is still one of your best guides to when you should start planting and what kind of weather you can anticipate for the growing year.

2. Understand Your Land
Before you shell out a ton of cash for new plants, ask your neighbors what plants thrive in the soil of your region. Keep in mind plants appropriate for your growing zone might not work in your garden due to variations in soil composition, micro-climate, pests, sunlight exposure and water availability. Your local USDA Extension Specialist or Master Gardener can analyze your soil and recommend amendments and suitable plants.

Photo by Kevan Emmott

My neighbor installed a tankless water heater in his new house and loves to brag about how much money he's saving. 

Tankless water heaters, also known as instantaneous or demand water heaters, provide hot water only as needed; whereas traditional tank heaters electrically heat water at a consistent temperature to provide hot water on demand. A tankless heater uses a gas burner to heat the water, delivering a constant supply of hot water. As a result, you don't need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water.

Think of it in this way: You don't leave your home furnace running while vacationing. You only keep the heating running when you need it. In the same way, you only use a tankless water heater when you need hot water.

The problem is ascertaining the exact payback, or return on investment, for the average tankless heater. Since my neighbor never paid energy costs in his new home to heat a standard water heater, he has no true standard of comparison. 

Different tankless manufactures claim a wide range of savings, anywhere from 50 percent to 80 percent. What many fail to figure in is the cost of exchanging out a tank heater for a tankless heater. 

Consider the following nine factors and you may find yourself ready to go tankless.

Photo by Andres Rueda

The Federal Reserve's new rules for credit card companies mean consumers now enjoy increased protections. Happily, the Credit CARD Act requires credit-card companies make monthly statements easier to read with much useful information. The new statements will help consumers stay better informed and keep a close eye on any changes made by lenders.

Here are some key changes you can expect to see when your next bill drops through the mail slot.

1. Summary of Account Activity
This summary includes all transactions on your account, including payments, credits, purchases, balance transfers, cash advances, fees, interest charges and amounts past due. It'll also show your new balance, available credit (your credit limit minus the amount you owe), and the last day of the billing period (payments or charges after this day will show up on your next bill).

2. Payment Information
Here's where you'll find your total new balance, the minimum amount you can pay and the date your payment is due. A payment generally is considered on time if received by 5 p.m. on the day it is due.

Photo by jukebox909

After months of unemployment, work-at-home jobs can sound mighty tempting. Advertised on Internet job sites and in Penny Saver type newspapers, these jobs promise big money for little or no experience and allow you to work in your pajamas. 

Sad to say, most of these ads are frightfully blatant scams; as are ads promising to help you get a job in the federal government or as a movie extra, mystery shopper or envelope stuffer. The Federal Trade Commission recently filed seven cases against the operators of such deceptive and illegal job and moneymaking scams (see list at the end of this blog).

As a result of this investigation, the FTC has partnered with Monster.com, Bing and Craigslist to help job seekers recognize scams before they cause trouble. Until this campaign gets into full swing, here are six job-scams to avoid, along with a list of specific companies facing FTC charges.

 1. Rebate Processing
A 2009 Better Business Bureau warning detailed problems with work-from-home jobs processing rebates. The ads usually claim you can earn up to $1,000 a day without leaving the comfort of their home. The BBB received hundreds of complaints from victims nationwide who never earned a dime and were, in fact, ripped off for hundreds of dollars in upfront fees.

2. Cash and Product Forwarding
This scam turns your home into a staging post for stolen cash or good. You agree to receive money or items and forward them to your "employer" overseas. In reality, the products or cash are the proceeds of a  fraud. The first time you realize it's a scam is when the cops come knocking in response to victim complaints. 

Photo by Laura4Smith

Thanks to changes in the industry, today's doctors spend on average of just 10 to 15 minutes with each patient. As a result, the experience can be both confusing and frustrating if communication is lacking.

Many patients leave the office not understanding the doctor's directions. Ultimately, however, your health is your responsibility. Because physicians can't read your mind, it's your responsibility to take steps to get the most out of your visit. 

Here are 24 tips to maximize the time and results of your doctor's office visit.

1. Find the Right Physician
Ask friends and other health-care providers for references. If you have the opportunity, grill the head emergency room nurse at the largest local hospital as these nurses see doctors at their best and worst and know who is best in their field. The heavily advertised AngiesList lists physicians with reviews from patients, but you'll have to pay for this service and it's wise to take these reviews with a grain of salt.

Photo by MarkKelley

If your cell bill comes in an 8-1/2 x 11 manila folder, you're paying too much for your monthly service. But even if your bill is just one or two pages long, you could be paying for stuff you don't owe.

Cell phone statements tend to give obscure names to the extras they charge so it’s not always easy to understand what everything means. If you don’t remember ordering or using all those "incidental" charges, it can be difficult to know whether you're being cheated or not.

Here are four things everyone should know about their cell-phone bill.

Agreed-upon Charges
First, check to make sure you're only being billed for services you requested. Some items are frequently listed as “recurring charges” because you pay the same cost each month. Refer back to the original contract or service agreement to identify any services charged under this listing. Most plans charge extra for text messaging, three-way calling, extended hours or additional minutes. You don’t want to be charged for a service you didn’t order.

 Before you sign a wireless service contract, ask for a detailed explanation of costs. Request a sample statement that details only the features you ordered to avoid any surprises when you get your first bill. You'll be locked into these fees for the rest of the contract, once you've signed. Contact your provider if you find charges not listed on the contract and sample statement.

Photo by Fugue

Look for a magic cure and you're bound to find someone willing to take your money. The same goes with magic diagnostic tests. 

The Internet has made it incredibly easy to promote and post validations of diagnostic methods that are highly questionable. The recent push for whole-body scans is an excellent example. While CT scans are an excellent way to diagnose specific problems, simply scanning for random potential problems means you're likely to find "something" wrong. Whether that something is actually a valid problem is another matter entirely.

The desperate, the alienated, the unsuspecting all make excellent targets for these fraudmeisters. Here are the top nine questionable diagnostic methods presently being pushed, according to the USDA Extension Service. 

1. Applied Kinesiology
The basic notion of Applied Kenesiology is that every organ dysfunction is accompanied by a specific muscle weakness. Practitioners claim to diagnose diseases by testing muscles but double-blind studies suggest nearly all AK tests are subjective, relying solely on the practitioner's assessment. AK has been characterized as pseudoscience and quackery and a review of peer-reviewed studies concluded the evidence to date doesn't support the use of AK.

2. Chelation Therapy
Chelation Therapy is a series of pills or intravenous infusions containing disodium EDTA and various other substances. Proponents claim it is effective against atherosclerosis, as well as many other serious health problems, and can replace coronary bypass surgery. However, there is no scientific evidence that this is so. CT also is used to treat lead poisoning, mercury poisoning and other alleged toxic states that practitioners diagnose with tests on blood, urine, and/or hair. Between 1963 and 1985, independent physicians published at least 15 separate reports documenting the case histories of more than 70 CT patients. They found no evidence of change in the atherosclerotic disease process, no decrease in the size of atherosclerotic plaques, and no evidence that narrowed arteries opened wider.