Donation Receipt - Book Harvest: Fill & Download for Free

I actually live in the East Bay, across from San Francisco, but the cost of living all over the Bay Area is quite high. My mother used to say it was a good thing I was a “Starving Student” so long because it taught me how to live cheaply when I segued into being a “Starving Musician.”People whose income is not among the wealthy, help each other, and we share. It is not totally successful: there are lots of homeless, but I’ve noticed homeless people all over where I’ve traveled so homelessness is not specifically a problem of this area but a widespread, separate problem we need to address. However, that said, we try to share—we have coat drives, to try to help homeless people stay warm; neighbors collect donations of blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, tarps, etc. to give to the homeless. Some restaurants at the end of the day will give leftover food to homeless people; bakeries will donate also; people just have to know which ones and when to show up to get it. There is a newspaper, called Street Spirit, that some homeless people can sell—I always buy one, because the articles (about street issues) are well written and of concern, plus the policy is they don’t let anyone with a drug problem sell the paper so I know the money will not be spent on booze or drugs.We shop at Costco—-a group of my neighbors bring donations up to a church (I think it’s in Petaluma but might be Santa Rosa) for the fire victims, so periodically I bring them things from Costco: it’s amazing how much food you can get at Costco, for under $100.We watch for sales; shop at Thrift stores, outlets, flea markets and rummage sales; buy and sell things on Craigslist and E-Bay; patronize craft fairs, street vendors and taco trucks. We become habitual DIYers, and once we acquire a skill we can teach others as we learn other skills from them.There are free boxes, or just “curb alerts” where people put things they don’t need, for others to take for free. Sometimes they just put them out near the curb where they live, with a sign on them; there are also specific locations you can bring things and leave them for people to take—this also serves a purpose of keeping things out of the landfill—furniture, clothing, kitchen wares, whatever…and people do not steal, in general: a friend of mine did an experiment, putting a piece of furniture outside her house, where it sat for 5 days; then she put a sign on it saying “Free” and it was gone in 40 minutes.There are Book Exchanges at the gyms where people work out, and at coffee houses; there are Little Free Libraries all over (if you don’t know about Little Free Libraries, do investigate—I love the story, the idea, and its success! You could Google it)When people commute to San Francisco from Berkeley, besides the public transportation, there is a place where they line up and drivers will stop to collect riders so they can use the carpool lane (it requires 3 people in the car there). I assume there’s something on the other side too, so they can get home, but alternatively, they can take the bus back, because the place they line up is right near a bus stop.The Next Door App has been great for connecting people: want/give ads, advice, alerts, help asked or offered, opportunities for volunteering, recommending local businesses, telling past experiences, —I buy eggs from a neighbor who has chickens (in unincorporated county, there is no limit also people have goats and horses, but even in the city, up to 3 chickens is permitted) so they are multi-sized and colored (white, tan, brown, green), fresher than from a store, unwashed (commercial egg producers wash off the protective film that bacteria do not penetrate), and cheaper, besides which I save the containers for reuse (partly why I get a discount). Goods and services can be exchanged through neighborly goodwill, engendering a strong community spirit of cooperation, as well as a way to spend less money.There are Farmers’ Markets, Crop Swaps and other sources of free or cheap food. Tuesday afternoon, I can go to the Farmers’ Market in El Cerrito; Wednesday afternoon there’s one in Albany; Thursday afternoon there’s one in Berkeley on Shattuck and Saturday morning on Center in downtown Berkeley; Sunday there’s one where I live, in Kensington. San Francisco has Farmers’ Markets too—I’ve walked through or past one at International Plaza when I’ve been going to jobs, and I know there are others in other neighborhoods. People who have backyard veggie gardens can bring their produce to Crop Swaps, and take away veggies from other people’s gardens. Some are not just Crop Swaps, but Garden Swaps, so you can bring or take seeds, cuttings, tools, etc. anything related to gardening. At the Sunday Farmers’ Market in Kensington there’s a booth where you can donate or take books on cooking or gardening. People bring extra produce to work too—I brought apples for anyone to take (brought a paper bag full, wrote on it “unwashed but organic”, also brought extra bags for people to take some home) and a violist made me a pie out of some, plus one of the stage hands gave me 3 avocados from his tree.There’s a site (I forget what it’s called but it shouldn’t be difficult to find) for Oakland that shows where specific fruit trees are that anyone can pick the fruit and take it—these are mostly trees the city has planted, but sometimes if a homeowner has a fruit tree accessible to the public they will post it there and say it’s ok to take the fruit. Not all fruit trees that are near the sidewalk are offered for free however; I know two people who found strangers picking fruit from a tree in the front yard! They did cease and desist when confronted, but didn’t seem to have the sense that they were trespassing and stealing. They should check this website—there are lots of city-owned trees they could harvest from instead.I volunteer at the Oakland Museum Women’s Board White Elephant Sale, where we get donated things which we sell at rummage sale prices —it’s on a yearly cycle so not always available, but I save up my needs to look there: it is a warehouse that takes up a whole city block with 20-odd different departments, clothing, shoes, toys, sports, art, jewelry, linens, office supplies, housewares, hardware, furniture, music, photography, electrical,…donors get a tax deductible receipt for donation which they fill out themselves and everything is donated so we can keep prices really low.Some people also, are very creative in finding other sources of income. Now some drive for Uber or Lyft or both; as I mentioned, a neighbor sells eggs; people get paid for walking dogs—I’ve seen as many as six dogs being walked, some on bifurcate leashes, by one person; some people make things they can sell; some give lessons or tutor students; some fix computers. I used to have a friend who helped me with computer problems, but since he was a friend he didn’t want to charge me so I would get him gift cards from Trader Joe’s.

After inspired by this question and some great answers, I have written a blog post. So I decided to let you all know. Thank you for all the previous answers. Here is my best list..1. This modest 84 year-old grandma was embarrassed at wearing a nightgown in front of strangers, so her grandson wore one in solidarity.2. This young man with Down syndrome was so excited to meet his favorite band, Maroon 5, then he had a panic attack. He had to lie down on the floor until he felt better, so the band laid down right there with him.3. This man takes his dog to float in the lake each evening because the water eases the pain of his dog’s arthritis.4. These are brothers, Lucas and Noah. Lucas has Lissencephaly. Noah heard about a local youth triathlon and wanted to compete in it, but he wouldn’t take part unless Lucas could take part alongside him. He trained for three months to build the strength and endurance he would need to get them both through it, and get them through it he did. They completed the entire event in 54 minutes.5. Young girl shares a bottle of water to Bosnian police. Bosnia.6. October 2013, Pakistan – Muslims form Human chain to protect Christians during Lahore mass.7. Bogota, Colombia – A demonstrator embraces a riot police officer during a student protest against government plans to reform higher education.8. These two babies were complete strangers, but they decided to give each other a big hug at the airport.9. The young patient in the bed was an eleven-year-old boy who had an inoperable brain tumour. The medical staff bow to him in gratitude and respect because he made a request that his organs be harvested and donated to save the lives of other children after his death.10. A guy named Tully wanted to help this 46 year-old wheelchair bound man to take part in a hay ride, so he picked him up and cradled him in his arms during the ride. The guy was so thrilled to be on the ride that he peed, soaking himself and Tully. Tully stayed with the guy on the rest of the 40-minute ride, then cleaned him up and dressed him in clean clothes before changing his own.11. The kindness of stranger, who fed homeless people who could not feed themselves.12. Dashrath Manjhi cut through a mountain single handed for 22 years, day and night, to ensure no one dies from not being able to access medical care like his wife did. He reduced the distance from 70 km to 1 km from his village to the hospital.13. This young man became a human chair to help a disabled lady sit down and ease her arthritis after they had become stuck in an elevator.14. These two pals sit together at lunch every day, and one reads to the other who cannot read.15. This precious little girl tries to wipe away the tears of the man she sees weeping on the television screen.16. Nobody came to this little autistic boy’s birthday party, so his momma took to Facebook for help. Soon, firefighters, police officers, and local kids all turned up to help him celebrate his birthday!17. China - people save this young woman from committing suicide.18. Workers from memphis cleaning company dress up as superheroes to cheer up patients at children's hospital in le bonheur.19. Jacqueline Kiplimo helps a disabled runner finish a marathon in Taiwan, costing her a first place finish.20. Every sunday, this new york hair stylist gives free haircuts to the homeless.21. Officer talks man out of committing suicide. Eight years later, the now-father-of-two gives the officer an award at the American foundation of suicide.22. Man saves a drowning kitten with an umbrella.23. Two norwegian guys rescuing a baby lamb drowning in the ocean.24. Waiter at a restaurant buys food and feeds disabled beggar with his own hands.25. Norwegian guy plunges into frozen lake to rescue drowning duck.26. Free dryclean for jobless people.27. Christmas Elves Surprise The Homeless With Food And Gifts.28. People built swings for children in wheelchairs.29. Firefighter administers oxygen to cat rescued from house fire.30. A man gives his shoes to a homeless girl in rio de janeiro.31. A wall of donated clothes for homeless people to take.32. A man carries kittens on a basket towards dry land.33. Teenage boy rescues a stray dog from drowning in a frozen lake (sofia, bulgaria).34. Man risks own life to save a wallaby drowning in flood waters.35. Krishnan was an award-winning chef, he quit his job to serve homeless and mentally disabled.36. The appearance of our fellow man can be, and regularly is, very deceptive.37. February 2011, Egypt Christians join hands to protect Muslims as they pray during Cairo protests.38. This sign at an awesome Subway restaurant.39. These photos of two children in Sri Lanka collaborating to rescue a dog who had fallen into a ravine.40. This marine finished the race last so he could help this little boy who got separated from his group.41. This employee decided to give an elderly gentleman a hand with tying his shoes.42. Wide receiver Andre Johnson decided to give some children in Child Protective Services ten seconds to get whatever toys they wanted from Toys R Us—and these are the receipts.43. This man burned his face in the process of rescuing dogs from his burning animal shelter.44. These bikers decided to stop and offer this thirsty koala a much-needed drink of water.45. Japanese senior citizens volunteered to tackle the nuclear crisis at Fukushima power station so that young people wouldn't have to subject themselves to radiation.46. Man Buys Turtles From Food Market And Releases Them Back To The Sea.47. Heroic Boy Risks His Life To Save A Drowning Baby Deer From Floodwaters In Bangladesh.48. These Guys Cut Lawns Only For Those Who Can't.49. During A Protest In Brazil, One Officer Said, "Do Not Create Episodes Please, Not On My Birthday." Shortly Thereafter, A Group Of Protesters Surprised Him With This.50. A Bus Driver Got Off The Bus Full Of People To Help A Crying Girl.51. Turkish Bride & Groom Spend Their Wedding Day Feeding 4,000 Refugees.52. Japanese Police Officers Helping A Duck Family Cross The Road.53. Man Turns Old Truck Into Mobile Shower For Homeless People.54. A friendly neighbor on the East Coast offered power to those who need it after Superstorm Sandy hit.55. A young boy puts himself in danger to keep his dog safe during a flood.56. A young passerby rescuing stranger's Shih Tzu who was hurled into the rough water by strong wind.57. Friends carried their 65lb friend who suffers muscular atrophy across Europe on their backs to give him the trip of a lifetime.58. An Afghan man offers tea to thirsty fighting American soldiers.59. This 6-year-old comforted a homeless man and gave him a few dollars from her purse.60. Woman covering a soaked man with her umbrella.61. Heart Surgeon Calms Weeping 2-year-old Girl Before Heart Operation.62. These kids in canada tied coats to street poles to help homeless prepare for winter.63. Dobri Dobrev, a 102-year-old-man, begs every day and gives away all he gets to churches and orphanages.64. Dozens of japanese train passengers pushed 32-ton train car away from platform to free woman trapped in gap.65. Girl sells her stuffed animals and donates the money to a local animal shelter.66. The moment in which this Ohio athlete stopped to help an injured competitor across the finish line during a track meet.67. Wendy’s employee removes umbrella from table to protect elderly man from rain.68. This man's wheelchair broke at Lowe's, and the employees stopped everything to fix it for him.69. This homeless man was seen reading the same book over and over, so a kind man gave him a kindle.70. Fans hold up handicapped friend at korn concert in moscow.71. Random act of kindness with request to pay it forward.Unfortunatley I cant update all photos in this answer. for pictures go through this link.

I don't know when you will be rich but according to various reports, articles and notable people, here are 365 ways to get rich!#1Sir John Templeton: “Invest at the point of maximum pessimism.”#2Don’t mistake a low P/E ratio for a value stock.#3Benjamin Graham: “Patience is the fund investor’s single most powerful ally.”#4Let your attorneys ride shotgun, but not in the driver’s seat.#5Remember Enron; reduce your employer’s company stock in your 401(k).#6Warren Buffett: “Rule No. 1 is never lose money. Rule No. 2 is never forget Rule No. 1!”#7Fund a Roth IRA if you’re eligible; your money grows tax free for retirement, and in an emergency you can take your contribution back without penalty.#8Barry Sternlicht: Pay attention to the big themes, because they are what will help you earn ten times your money.#9Back a friend or relative’s startup with a convertible loan, so you share in the upside.#10Use commodities as a hedge against inflation.#11Raise the deductibles on your auto and home insurance.#12Form family limited partnerships to transfer assets at a tax discount.#13Beat death taxes in 20 states by making big gifts while you’re alive.#14For simple federal tax-free wealth transfer, make $14,000 annual gifts to children and grandchildren. It won’t cut into your $5.25 million lifetime exemption from gift and estate taxes.#15Get tax advice before settling a lawsuit.#16Read Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin LeFèvre.#17To keep peace with both relatives and the IRS, document all family loans.#18Peter Lynch: “Never invest in any idea you can’t illustrate with a crayon.”#19View collecting as a hobby first and investment second; psychic returns can make up for a lower average return than in stocks.#20Add a personal items floater to your homeowner’s insurance to cover collectibles.#21When the bear charges, stand your ground.#22For protection from inflation and currency devaluation, buy the “gold you can eat”—farmland.#23Know your risk tolerance. Pick an asset allocation that lets you sleep at night, so you won’t panic and sell stocks at the bottom.#24Don’t keep too much in cash equivalents—over time, this “safe” investment barely keeps up with inflation.#25After setting an asset allocation, rebalance yearly; it forces you to take profits when stocks have surged and to buy more shares when they’re cheap.#26Benjamin Graham: “Adopt simple rules and stick to them.”#27Buy Bitcoin as a speculation or political statement, not a hedge.#28Be a tax-smart investor. Hold taxable bonds in a 401(k) or IRA. Put individual stocks in taxable accounts so you can sell losers to harvest tax losses.#29Pay attention to the IRS’ wash sale rule when harvesting capital losses.#30Don’t invest in a hedge fund unless its audited results are reported in compliance with Global Investment Performance Standards.#31Build an emergency fund outside your 401(k).#32For the biggest tax break when donating collectibles to charity, make sure they’ll be displayed and not sold.#33Put alternative investments like real estate (but never collectibles) in your IRA.#34Burton Malkiel: “All index funds are not created equal. Some have unconscionably high expenses.”#35Keep an eye on—but don’t obsess over—mutual fund fees and expenses.#36Even committed indexers should use actively managed funds to buy municipal and high-yield bonds and value stocks.#37Yield is nice, but total return is the metric that matters.#38Gold is overrated as an inflation hedge—historically, its price moves are unrelated to inflation.#39For inflation protection, buy floating-rate corporate bonds.#40Don’t let the mood swings of Mr. Market coax you into speculating.#41Beware affinity fraud; find God, not hot investments, at your church, synagogue or mosque.#42Sir John Templeton: “The four most dangerous words in investing are: ‘this time it’s different.’”#43Don’t put more than you can afford to lose into a crowdfunded deal; startups are always risky, and the new JOBS Act reduces both paperwork and investor protection.#44Don’t underrate the importance of liquidity.#45Use Quicken or a Web service to track all your finances and see your big picture.#46Use different passwords for each of your online financial accounts; add optional security questions whose answers can’t be found in your Facebook or LinkedIn profiles.#47Write down your passwords and hide them; tell one person where they are.#48Don’t fight demographics—allocate a portion of your portfolio to health care and biotech stocks.#49Diversify globally to boost your portfolio’s risk-adjusted performance.#50Benjamin Graham: “Speculation is neither illegal, immoral nor (for most people) fattening tothe pocketbook.”#51Cash in on companies with stealth dividends—meaning stock buybacks.#52Diversify, but don’t overdo it.#53Set investing rules for yourself that block impulsive decisions.#54Look beneath a fund’s name, with Morningstar’s Style Box and X-ray.#55Use software to track your asset allocation.#56Ask for a “brokerage window” in your 401(k)—an opening that allows you to invest in any mutual fund and even individual stocks.#57Bond laddering is good, but diversifying your income investments is important, too.#58Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) offer protection from inflation—not from rising interest rates.#59John Bogle: “Time is your friend. Impulse is your enemy.”#60Use salary increases to boost contributions to your 401(k).#62Defy conventional wisdom and increase your stock allocation after retirement.#63To make money in small-cap stocks, look for novel business methods and niches, not the next blockbuster drug.#64Don’t abdicate investment decisions to your spouse.#65Be suspicious—and investigate further—when a corporation changes its auditors.#66Carry a $2 million or bigger umbrella insurance policy to protect your wealth from liability suits.#67Warren Buffett: “Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”#68Invest to meet goals, not to beat indexes.#69Clarify your own objectives by writing an Investment Policy Statement.#70When you get restricted stock in a startup, make an 83(b) election; if the company takes off, you’ll save big on taxes.#71Consider your marriage tax penalty (or bonus) before setting a wedding date.#72Aim to have five times your salary in your 401(k) and IRAs by age 55 and eight times before you retire.#73Dan Ariely: “If you can’t save money, be really nice to your kids.”#74Put peer-to-peer loans in your portfolio using sites like The Leader in Peer to Peer Lending: Loans and Investing for monthly cash flow and yields of from 7% to 9%.#75Peter Lynch: “Go for a business that any idiot can run—because sooner or later, any idiot is probably going to run it.”#76Never take on a mortgage just for the tax deduction.#77Keep no more than $250,000 in any one bank.#78Buy an index fund weighted to fundamentals.#79Remain anonymous after winning the Powerball jackpot.#80Work for a charity for ten years and get your federal student debt forgiven.#81Beware personal finance gurus pitching products.#82The most successful investors spend many hours at it each day and have passion and patience. There are no shortcuts.#83Warren Buffett: “Diversification is protection against ignorance.”#84Like Captain Kirk, have advisors from different planets.#85Before funding college accounts make sure you’re saving enough in your retirement accounts.#86To avoid a tax penalty, tap IRAs, not 401(k)s, to pay college tuition.#87Borrow from grandma at 4% for grad school; Uncle Sam’s Graduate Plus loans go for 6.41%.#88Marry a billionaire, or perhaps even more rewarding, divorce one.#89When buying a luxury condo, ignore superfluous amenities like massage rooms and pet spas; they won’t contribute to resale value.#90Add commercial real estate to your portfolio.#91Wait for inflation to rise before buying TIPS.#92Howard Marks: “Rule number one: Most things will prove to be cyclical. Rule number two: Some of the greatest opportunities for gain and loss come when other people forget rule number one.”#93Before remarriage, discuss estate plans.#94Track gambling losses to offset taxable gambling winnings.#95Confess any tax crimes to a lawyer, not a CPA.#96Deduct your yacht loan as mortgage interest on a second home.#97Don’t do deals between yourself and your own IRA.#98Don’t roll your old 401(k) into an IRA if you might face a lawsuit.#99When creating a trust or family limited partnership for asset protection, don’t give it your own name or one obviously identified with you.#100Profit from stock market volatility: Buy into a VIX futures fund and use wild, seemingly irrational swings as buying opportunities.#101Gary Shilling: “The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.”#102Beware dividend traps—fat payouts supported by declining cash flow.#103Bet against weak currencies, like George Soros.#104Back up your financial records using a secure cloud service.#105Before investing in your own state’s 529, compare its fees and tax breaks to New York’s rock-bottom cost plan.#106Buy liens on homes of real estate tax deadbeats.#107Know thyself: Read books like Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational and Your Money & Your Brain by Jason Zweig.#108Learn a lesson from each stock-picking mistake.#109Julian Robertson: “Buy into forgotten markets.”#110Join an angel investing club.#111Keep your own entrepreneurial options open by refusing to sign onerous noncompete agreements.#112Buy stocks of companies still controlled by their billionaire founders.#113Leon Black: Do your homework, but still don’t bet the ranch.#114Louis Bacon: “As a speculator you must embrace disorder and chaos.”#115Almost all great value investors look for market anomalies or disconnects that they can exploit.#116Warren Buffett: “Big opportunities come infrequently. When it’s raining gold, reach for a bucket, not a thimble.”#117Always keep some investment powder dry.#118Allocate investments against your life risks.#119Andrew Tobias: “A penny saved is two (pretax) pennies earned.”#120Deduct losses from your sideline/hobby by bunching your expenses and showing a small profit in 3 of 5 years.#121Postpone real estate gains tax with a 1031 exchange.#122Qualify as a “real estate professional” to save big on taxes.#123Be leery of investments sold for tax savings.#124Burton Malkiel: “Start saving now, not later: Time is money.”#125Before making a big discretionary purchase, calculate future cost—what the dollars you’re spending could grow to if invested for 20 or 30 years.#126Read How to Make Money in Stocks by William J. O’Neil.#127Buy designer goods at consignment shops; when you get bored with them, sell for a profit on eBay.#128Discuss any prenuptial agreement way in advance of your wedding.#129Hell hath no fury. Never cheat on your taxes and your spouse at the same time—exes are a big source of IRS leads.#130Don’t buy a large amount of a thinly traded stock all at once.#131Buy and hold at your own risk.#133Don’t be afraid to buy into strength.#134It’s okay to chase performance—sometimes.#135Burton Malkiel: “In the stock market, past is not prologue.”#136Start a 529 college savings plan for yourself before you have children. If you don’t use it for graduate school, transfer it to your kid.#137Make your kid rich by helping him fund a Roth IRA.#138Deplete Junior’s UTMA—you can spend it on a laptop, camps, private school and tutoring—before applying for college financial aid.#139Reduce your student loan interest rate with auto debit.#140Julian Robertson: Suggest your kid take an accounting course—“It was the course that helped me more than anything.”#141Robert Shiller: “If you want to get rich, go into finance or a related field. Finance is the technology for making things happen.”#142Identify companies that gouge you yet keep your business. Buy them.#143Buy stocks like socks—good quality on sale.#144Buy into big ideas just like a global macro hedge fund for as little as $1,000 to start.#145Use limit orders when buying small-company stocks with low trading volume.#146Don’t leave it all in the dollar. Invest globally for currency diversification.#147Dollar-cost average the whole stock market.#148Buy companies with high ratios of gross profits-to-total assets.#149John Neff: “Buy on the cannons and sell on the trumpets.”#150Monitor your individual stocks; set a Google news alert and watch for signs of possible trouble.#151Bone up on “risk parity” diversification.#152Always know how a financial advisor is getting paid and what if any commissions she’ll earn.#153Watch out for paid shills at investment seminars.#154Ken Fisher: “You know who didn’t have bad years? Bernard Madoff—until he got caught.”#155Buy a retirement annuity cheap by delaying Social Security until 70.#156If you need to tap retirement cash early, study up on the exceptions that let you avoid a 10% penalty, including taking “substantially equal periodic payments.”#157Burton Malkiel: “Tune out the financial TV channels. Watch the cooking channel or the gardening channel if you want useful advice.”#158Warren Buffett: “Returns decrease as motion increases.’’#159Ron Baron: “Don’t waste your time short-selling. Show me the short-sellers’ yachts.”#160If you earn too much to contribute to a Roth IRA, fund a nondeductible IRA and convert it.#161If divorcing, get a “QDRO” from the court that allows you to split retirement assets without owing immediate tax.#162Claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit for your kid’s college—if you’re eligible.#163Don’t make multiple $9,900 bank deposits—the government might seize your money and keep it on the grounds you’re trying to skirt anti-money-laundering laws.#164Do a bond fund swap to harvest tax losses.#165Gain funding—and a market—on Kickstarter.#166Barry Ritholtz: “Never confuse investing with trading.”#167Don’t let the tax tail wag the investment dog.#168Hold illiquid assets in a Roth IRA, not a regular IRA.#169Be like Peter Thiel and put hot startup stock in a Roth IRA to make all gains tax free.#170Learn about your fiancé’s debts, before you walk down the aisle.#171Beware high-yield investments pitched as being like a bank CD.#172Watch out for stock hoaxes on Twitter.#173Be leery of pitches involving a self-directed IRA.#174Benjamin Graham: “It is absurd to think that the general public can ever make money out of market forecasts. For who will buy when the general public, at a given signal, rushes to sell out at a profit?”#175Avoid sudden lifestyle changes after a windfall.#176Automatically divert money from your paycheck into savings to the point where it hurts.#177Retire to a place without state estate or inheritance taxes.#178Benefit from 20/20 stock market hindsight by reversing a Roth conversion if stocks tank.#179Donald Trump: “Sometimes your best investments are the ones you don’t make.”#180Ben Stein: Don’t move into a neighborhood of poverty. Avoid any situation that could leave you with too much unsecured debt.#181Get an entrepreneur mentor from SCORE, an organization of retired business folks.#182Tap your ethnic community for business funding.#183To get the best effort and thinking from employees in your startup, give them stock options.#184Like Spanx’s Sara Blakely, solve an irritating problem.#185Larry Page: “It is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. …Since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition.”#186Don’t blindly rely on a target date fund in your 401(k).#187Don’t let your advisor manage you.#188Don’t rely on regulators to protect you from financial fraud.#189Warren Buffett: “What is smart at one price is dumb at another.”#190With large-cap stocks, focus more on cash flow than earnings.#191Strong stocks tend to stay that way. Buy high and sell higher.#192Don’t let family wealth become a curse on your children.#193Start your kid at the bottom of your business.#194Read Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits by Philip A. Fisher.#195Buy a gift annuity from your alma mater.#196John Neff: “When you feel like bragging, it’s probably time to sell.”#197Mine your closet for eBay gold.#198Mine your network for investment ideas.#199Warren Buffett: “The risks of being out of the game are huge compared to the risks of being in it.”#200Sell put options like Warren Buffett does.#201Buy stocks when a magazine cover declares “The Death of Equities.”#202Don’t count on an inheritance. If you get one, don’t blow it.#203Leon Cooperman: “Getting rich takes hard work, a passion for what you do and luck.”#204If you win the Powerball jackpot, hire a tax advisor before making any decisions.#205Hunt down pensions from old employers.#206If you’re 50 or older, with substantial self-employment income, use a custom-designed defined benefit plan to shelter $100,000 a year or more from tax.#207Max out your 401(k) contributions: In 2014 you can contribute $17,500, or $23,000 if you’re 50-plus.#208If your marriage is shaky, make a copy of all financial documents.#209If your spouse is shady, file separate tax returns.#210Burton Malkiel: “Never buy anything from someone who is out of breath.”#211Know when to fire your financial advisor.#212Be skeptical of “principal protected” products—ask how much is guaranteed and at what cost.#213Be wary of companies that have gone public in reverse mergers.#214Low-priced stocks aren’t necessarily cheap.#215Make sure a stock’s dividends are less than its cash flow and likely to remain that way.#216Warren Buffett: “Risk comes from not knowing what you’re doing.”#217Beware unlisted REITs.#218Save remodeling receipts to add to your home’s basis and cut gains taxes when you sell.#219Buy no more house than you can afford.#220Don’t accept a high property tax assessment of your home—you can appeal andtalk it down.#221Don’t assume you should buy a house. Start by calculating rent-versus-buy costs for homes in your market.#222If you have no time for complexity, diversify your portfolio with just three mutual funds.#223Buy a deferred fixed annuity to make sure you don’t outlive your money.#224Build your own ersatz retirement annuity with savings bonds.#225Boost income with closed-end, covered call funds.#226Burton Malkiel: “Trust in time, rather than timing.”#227Delay retirement as long as you can.#228But don’t assume in your planning that you can work full-time until 70.#229Compare insurance costs before choosing a new car model.#230Then go shopping for that model at month’s end.#231To save even more, don’t own a car, share one.#232Hold actively managed mutual funds—the kind that pass on the most-short-term gains—in tax-deferred retirement accounts.#233Hold real estate in your IRA—but carefully.#234Don’t let the groupthink of investment clubs cloud rational investment analysis.#235Warren Buffett: “Diversification is a protection against ignorance.”#236Follow top money-manager moves. Even the great investors piggyback on other smart investors.#237David Dreman: “The time to buy is when there’s blood on the streets.”#238Beware superstar CEOs with weak boards.#239Compare benefits (including options) before switching jobs.#240Find out how your 401(k) rates at Financial Planning Advice, Find a Financial Advisor, and 401k Plan Ratings | BrightScope; if expenses are high or fund choices poor, lobby for a better plan.#241Don’t give Uncle Sam an interest-free loan; adjust your withholding so you don’t overpay your taxes.#242Even if you can’t pay, file your tax return.#243Take a cue from Mark Zuckerberg: Get maximum tax savings for your charitable buck by giving appreciated assets to a donor-advised fund or supporting organization.#244Read Market Wizards and The New Market Wizards by Jack D. Schwager.#245Warren Buffett: “Time is the friend of the wonderful business, the enemy of the mediocre.”#246Don’t chase yesterday’s winners unless they’re still winning.#247Purchase “own occupation” disability insurance.#248Remember that market underperformance—just like costs—compounds.#249Ramit Sethi: Set up systems to automate desired behaviors. Leave your gym clothes at the foot of your bed. Have contributions to savings automatically deducted.#250Open a spousal IRA for a stay-at-home husband or wife.#251If you work from home, get a rider on your homeowner’s insurance policy to protect you if the FedEx man slips.#252To maximize college aid, make Roth 401(k) contributions, not pretax ones, while your kids are in college.#253Like Warren Buffett, make concentrated bets in stocks that you have high confidence in.#254Live dangerously; invest your emergency fund instead of keeping it in cash.#255Barry Sternlicht: Study outliers rather than eliminate them. You can learn everything thereis to know about the industry or the player from the company that is performing better or worse.#256Don’t wait until expiration. Always look to buy back cheap options.#257Most stock market gains since 1950 have occurred in the November-Aprilperiod.#258Over the long run, small-cap stocks have outperformed big blue chips.#259Take only calculated risks on the smallest Pink Sheet stocks.#260Move inherited IRAs from trustee to trustee only.#261Name primary and contingent IRA beneficiaries so your heirs can enjoy the maximum years of tax deferral.#262Maximize your Social Security using a couples claiming strategy.#263Open all mail from the IRS.#264Don’t cheat the IRS and your business partner at the same time.#265Never ignore a 1099, even if it’s wrong—the IRS won’t.#266Don’t lie to your tax pro.#267After you hit 70, take the required minimum distributions (RMD) each year from your traditional IRAs or face near-confiscatory tax penalties.#268If you don’t need your RMD, consider rolling it directly to a charity.#269Sign a living will, health care proxy and power of attorney, even if you’re still healthy.#270Get a will. What happens to property if someone dies without one (intestate) varies by state and might not be what you would want.#272Warren Buffett: “No matter how serene today may be, tomorrow is always uncertain.”#273Insure your home for its replacement value; buy flood insurance if there’s a risk of water damage.#274Scan in your tax records, and keep a copy on the cloud or on an external drive at work; fires and floods happen.#275Keep business and personal expenses separate.#276Maintain at least some financial accounts separate from your spouse’s.#277Peter Lynch: “Know what you own and know why you own it.”#278Have your kid read The Little Book That Beats the Market by Joel Greenblatt.#279Don’t fall for cheap stocks that are really worth even less.#280Read the classic Where Are the Customers’ Yachts? by Fred Schwed Jr.#281Run from a pitchman “guaranteeing” high returns.#282Benjamin Graham: Speculate only with a separate small portion of your capital.#283Snitch on tax cheats and collect a multimillion-dollar IRS whistle-blower award.#284Learn what behavioral economists have found about self-destructive investor behavior—so you can try to avoid these common and expensive mistakes.#285Understand the risks of using leverage and inverse ETFs, which rebalance assets daily.#286Benjamin Graham: “Every nonprofessional who operates on margin … is ipso facto speculating.”#287Register for Medicare at 65, even if you’re still covered by your workplace insurance, to avoid having to pay a penalty later.#288Rob Arnott: “No strategy can make up for inadequate savings or premature retirement.”#289Start saving for retirement in your 20s to put the compounding winds at your back.#290Use the Rule of 72: Divide your expected percentage return into 72 to figure how long it will take you to double your money.#291Never sell a stock that keeps on rising in price.#292Warren Buffett: “When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever.”#293Ben Franklin: “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”#294Use ETFs to be your own international fund manager.#295Don’t try to impose your ego on the market.#296Set up 10% trailing stop-loss orders to avoid unexpected nosedives in your portfolio.#297Barry Sternlicht: You have to be willing to change your mind. If you are a stubborn mule, you’ll get killed.#298Read Warren Buffett’s favorite book, Benjamin Graham’s Intelligent Investor.#299Be a vulture investor: Buy distressed bonds at pennies on the dollar like Marty Whitman and David Tepper.#300Pay attention to moving averages. When the 20- or 50-day average crosses below the 200-day average it’s bearish.#301Monitor the level of fear in the market with the CBOE put/call ratio and theVIX.#302Get tax help if you’ve got incentive stock options—they carry tax benefits but also a nasty alternative minimum tax trap.#303Pay public school tuition for your overachieving teen by getting steep discounts at great private colleges.#304Don’t treat your 401(k) as a piggy bank; you’ll regret it come retirement.#305Read Money Masters of Our Time by John Train.#306Never buy anything from a cold-calling broker.#307Be alert for the signs that a bubble is forming.#308Use sentiment indicators as contrarian tools.#309Don’t confuse correlation with causation in markets.#310Small-cap stocks with lower price-to-book values tend to outperform.#311Tap an IRA—not a 401(k)—without penalty for a first-time home purchase.#312Leave the dollars in a Health Savings Account growing tax free for retirement while you cover medical deductibles and copays from your current income.#313Use a “flight path” approach to asset allocation, raising your exposure to stocks as you become a more confident investor.#314Know your sell rules before you buy.#315Read letters of great investors such as Warren Buffett and Jeremy Grantham online.#316Become an online stock researcher.#317Beware of asset protection scams.#318When stuck paying AMT, accelerate some income.#319Rent out your vacation home for two weeks a year, tax free.#320Most people don’t need a whole life policy; buy a 20-year level-premium life insurance policy before your first child is born.#321Warren Buffett: “You only find out who is swimming naked when the tide goes out.”#322Save $40,000 or more by sending your overachiever to community college and then have her transfer to a top public university or the Ivy League.#323Save on a master’s—for yourself or kids—by earning it in Britain in one year.#324Have your eldest child take a gap year before college so that more than one child is in school at the same time—you’ll get more financial aid.#325Rothify—Roth conversions make sense in more cases than most people realize.#326Time 401(k) contributions to make sure you grab your full employer match.#327Factor your individual health and life expectancy into your decision on when to take Social Security.#328Use an online calculator to help you determine the best strategy to maximize your Social Security benefits.#329Put junk bond funds in tax-deferred accounts.#330If your spouse dies, file an estate tax return to preserve his $5.25 million estate/gift tax exemption (rising to $5.34 million in 2014) for your own use later.#331Buy master limited partnerships late in life to avoid their tax drawbacks.#332Only buy closed-end funds trading at discounts to net asset value.#333Invest in businesses with sustainable competitive advantages.#334Don’t fight the tape.#335Remember, three out of four stocks follow the market’s overall trend.#337Spend 25% less than you make—it will give you flexibility to pursue the big opportunity.#338Bruce Greenwald: To get really rich, copy the hedge fund, private equity and VC masters and “get your hands on somebody else’s money.”#339Warren Buffett: “Investors should remember that excitement and expenses are their enemies.”#340Watch out for high fees hidden in some tax-sheltered products like 529s and variable annuities.#341Protect your assets before there’s a claim against you; after-the-fact moves can backfire.#342Check your advisor’s ADV at www.sec.gov.#343Remember Bernie Madoff: Make sure your investment advisor keeps your money in an account with an independent custodian.#344Gary Shilling: Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, intelligently and efficiently apply what is already well known.#345Warren Buffett: “You don’t have to make money back the same way you lost it.”#346When selling a business, plan ahead and you may be able to save big on tax.#347Retire to a place where jobs are plentiful.#348Factor taxes into your retirement income strategy.#349Take $500,000 per couple in gains on the sale of your home, tax free.#350Don’t be afraid to deduct a legitimate home office—you can now claim up to $1,500 a year, with minimal recordkeeping.#351Review the assumptions an ex-employer has made in calculating your pension. Mistakes aren’t unusual.#352Keep 5% of your portfolio in gold.#353Own gold through ETFs like GLD.#354When pundits declare the death of “buy-and-hold” it could well be the sign of a market bottom.#355Warren Buffett: “It’s optimism that is the enemy of the rational buyer.”#356Burton Malkiel: “ ‘Efficient markets’ does not mean that the price of every security at every moment in time is correct.”#357Look for undiscovered stocks with market caps between $1 billion and $10 billion.#358Understand how the businesses you invest in make money.#359If the short sellers are swarming around your stock, investigate the bears’ thesis.#360When company insiders buy, you should, too.#361Benjamin Graham: Those who want “freedom from concern” must accept lower returns.#362Warren Buffett: It is “far better to buy a wonderful business at a fair price than to buy a fair business at a wonderful price.”#363Burton Malkiel: “Avoid the temptation to follow the herd.”#364Steve Jobs: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”#365Plan.I hope this helps.