Resources

This page contains resources that I have found useful in my journey as a Family CEO.

Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning they will earn me a small commission (at no extra cost to you). You should know that I never recommend products unless I have used them personally and they have provided value to me.

Family Finance

• PerkStreet is an online bank that pays you 1% – 2% back on debit card purchases. PerkStreet accounts are FDIC insured. I have had a PerkStreet account since Fall, 2010 and I take my rebates in the form of Target Gift Cards. (Since September, 2010 we’ve earned $849 in cash back from our PerkStreet checking account.)

• I use Capital One 360 Savings Accounts for my different savings goals, including two college savings accounts and an emergency fund. You can see exactly how that looks here.

• Mr. Rebates is a great source for online coupons and you’ll earn a 1% to 30% cash back rebate on what you buy online when you go through Mr. Rebates first. I’ve used Mr. Rebates since 2006 and I never shop online without first visiting the site. It’s free to use and you’ll earn a $5 bonus just for signing up.

• Cash4Books is a site where you can sell your books online. There are no fees and the shipping is paid by them. (I’ve sold books through Cash4Books a couple of different times. I write about it here.)

• It’s Deductible from TurboTax is a simple way to keep track of and value your charitable donations. Better yet, it’s free to use. (See how I use it here.)

House and Home

• The New Dirty Dozen: 12 Foods to Eat Organic

• Top 10 Air Purifying Plants 

A Full Life

• Napking Folding Guide

• Charity Navigator evaluates and rates over 5000 charities based on their financial health, transparency, and accountability. I use it to track the charities we’re involved in, like Kiva and CFCA.

Recommended Reading

I read a lot of books so you don’t have to. The ones that make it to this list are the ones that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider is my favorite resource on simplifying your home and your life. Part 1 covers the big picture, like why we all have so much stuff, what simple living is, and why it’s so rewarding. Part 2 walks you room by room through your home with ideas on decluttering and organizing.

The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey – Dave’s book is the book to read on getting out of debt. Actually, it’s about much more, but Dave is known for debt reduction and for good reason. If you commit to Dave’s system, it will work.

Debt-Free U by Zac Bissonnette – The subtitle to Zac’s book is “How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off My Parents” and he doesn’t disappoint. Before reading this book I thought that the only way to a debt-free education — assuming you didn’t already have a ton saved — was applying for multiple scholarships. Zac has other ideas. (You can read my interview with Zac here.)

How to Go to College Almost for Free by Ben Kaplan. Scholarships are a valuable tool when paying for college and Ben has the scholarship thing figured out. He won more than 20 merit-based scholarships worth a total of $90,000 that helped pay his way through Harvard. This book explains how.