Today Money financial expert Farnoosh Torabi joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of Farnoosh’s TV appearance this morning.)

Raven asked:

“I’m a single mother of two, making minimum wage at one job. I usually don’t have extra money for anything like school clothes or anything or for emergencies if I were to get a flat tire or anything. I’ve been thinking about getting a credit card for these kinds of things. I also have zero credit so I thought getting a credit card might help for that too. Should i get one? If so what kind should I get? Or should I stay far away since I don’t make that much money?”

Farnoosh replied:

“I do think it's important to open a credit card to begin establishing credit. However, carrying a balance on a credit card is NOT good for your credit score. You want to get in the habit of paying off that credit card in full each month. Just promise you'll be responsible with the card ... yes, stick to a low interest card. Start by shopping at your local credit union or at bankrate.com.”

Here’s the full chat archive and Farnoosh’s TV appearance:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here. 

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

Dell

By Kara Reinhardt
Cheapism.com

On back-to-school shopping lists, "notebook" used to refer to something spiral-bound that would set you back no more than $5 or so. But notebook PCs are now essential equipment for many students and can easily cost upward of $1,000. Unless you need support for serious gaming and graphics, however — or prefer the image of a piece of fruit on the lid — you can pick up a solid machine for about half that price. A market analyst writing for Computerworld reports that laptop prices dropped about 7.5 percent in the most recent quarter, thanks in part to the emergence of tablets.

Even with a student discount, Apple’s most basic model, an 11-inch MacBook Air, still costs $949. That makes a PC the only option for frugal shoppers in the market for a new laptop. Most budget notebooks (not to be confused with smaller, less powerful netbooks) run Windows 7 Home Premium and have Intel CPUs. The most popular is the Core i3, the entry-level CPU in Intel’s latest family of processors. For better performance, look for a second-generation Intel Core processor, such as the i3-2310M, which you can identify by its four-digit model number (in this case, 2310). First-generation Intel Core CPUs, such as the i3-380M, have three-digit model numbers.

As for memory, low-cost laptops typically come with 4 GB of RAM; look for no less than 2 GB. Hard drives range from 320 GB to 640 GB of storage, more than enough for most users. You can find affordable laptops with up to six-cell batteries, but battery capacity isn’t the only factor that influences battery life, which can vary widely from laptop to laptop. Expect a low-cost notebook with a six-cell battery to run for at least a few hours.

Below are Cheapism’s top picks for affordable laptops, all of which run Windows 7.

• The 15.6-inch Lenovo IdeaPad V570 1066A9U (starting at $630) boasts an Intel Core i5-2410M processor, which is faster and more powerful than the typical Core i3. That, coupled with 6 GB of RAM, makes for a very fast machine, according to reviews. This laptop also comes with a 640 GB hard drive. (Where to buy)
• The 14-inch Toshiba Satellite L745-S4210 (starting at $500) offers impressive hardware for the price, with a second-generation Intel Core i3-2310M processor, a 640 GB hard drive, and 4 GB of RAM. Experts and users note its extra-long battery life, which totaled more than six-and-a-half hours in a test. (Where to buy)
• The 15.6-inch HP Pavilion g6-1a69 (starting at $500) packs a more modest Intel Core i3-380M processor and 500 GB hard drive, along with 4 GB of RAM. The first-generation CPU is harder on battery life, but experts and users alike are satisfied with this middle-of-the-road option. (Where to buy)
• The 13.3-inch Dell Vostro V131 starts at $500, but experts advise spending another $100 to upgrade the Intel Celeron processor to a second-generation Core i3-2310M CPU. Even then, with a 320 GB hard drive and 2 GB of RAM, this laptop may not stand up to the multimedia demands of home users -- it was designed with business users in mind. Mobile professionals and students on the go will appreciate its light weight, strong magnesium case, and marathon battery life -- more than eight hours in expert testing. (Where to buy)

More from Cheapism:
Best Cheap Laptops
Cheap Laptop Bags
Cheap Mini Fridges
Cheap and Free Online Dating

Monashee Frantz / Getty Images stock

The Economist recently took a look at three books dealing with a topic that is both uncomfortable and endlessly fascinating:  Whether attractiveness helps you get ahead in life.

The article, citing the research of experts including Daniel Hamermesh, notes that attractive people earn more than average-looking ones even in fields such as professional football.

This isn’t just pocket change, either: Over a lifetime, the article argues that an attractive worker might, on average, earn $230,000 more than a very plain worker.

Zillow

This house looks like it belongs in the lavender fields of Provence

By Zillow

210 Alvarado Rd, Berkeley CA
For Sale: $2,335,000

Situated in the hills of northern California, blue shutters and a red tile roof make this piece of Berkeley real estate look like it would be more at home among the lavender fields of Provence, rather than a half-hour drive from San Francisco.

California became a state in 1850 and it's pretty difficult to find homes for sale that date any more than ten years before that. In an effort to bring some history to real estate in the sunshine state, a homeowner in Berkeley incorporated 17th century French antiquities, making the home look like it was built in 1698 rather than 1998.

"It's a new house, it has a massive modern foundation, but because of all these old pieces — which are not just a little bit here and there but are prominent to the structure — it feels like an older house of great character," said listing agent Peter Damm.

The home is currently listed for $2,335,000, and the price does include numerous French antiques throughout the home, including:

• The metal gate at the entrance to the property
• Provencal roof tiles
• The iron railings
• Arched kitchen window
• Spiral staircase in the detached studio

The most significant antique part of the home is undoubtedly the floor tiles found in the living and dining area of the main home. Once a part of a 17th century monastery in Burgundy, France, one of the tiles has two unmistakable paw prints, a mark that neither Damm nor the current owners know the history of.

"My clients bought it from the person who built the house so some of these things are anecdotal," explained Damm. The story goes is that often when mud tiles were made, they would be placed in the sun to dry. Occasionally a wild or domestic animal would come by and step into the tile before the bricks were fully formed.

"We don't have explicit knowledge of the exact animal or how it happened," Damm said.

Rather than filling the home with historic pieces, the antiques in the home are integral to the structure. Even the wood ceiling beams, measuring nearly 12 to 16 inches thick, were reclaimed from an old barn in Canada.

"None of this is what you get at the local home-building supply store," said Damm.

With current low mortgage rates, this French piece of history will run a new homeowner $12,485 a month.

View the full listing at Zillow here.

Zillow

Look closely at the iron work above the fireplace and you'll see it's dated from 1697.

Zillow

The current owners of the estate aren't sure how the paw prints came to be in the centuries-old tile floor.

Zillow

Brick tiles and plastered walls lend to the Provencal feel of the home.

Zillow's site is filled with information on homes for sale and apartments for rent, plus we have data on more than 100 million homes in the U.S., so lots of homes catch our eye.

Sageworks Inc.

There's no question that many companies are doing more with less these days, and it appears that in some cases that's also extending to their profits.

Sageworks Inc., which provides financial analysis of privately held companies, crunched the numbers and  found that profit per employee at privately held companies has chugged substantially upward over the past couple of years.

That means that as companies have made do with fewer employees — and perhaps stretched those employees to do more work — they’ve also been making more money off them.

The profit per employee figure did dip in 2009, to $10,045.56, according to Sageworks. But it has since surged to $15,278.72 in 2011.

Even if sales are increasing, it’s not clear that privately held companies are eager to hire more workers any time soon. Small business owners have reported increased pessimism over where the economy will go in the coming year, according to the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

The U.S. jobless rate stood at 9.1 percent in July. August jobs data are due to be released Friday morning, and economists don’t expect the nation's employment situation to have improved much over the prior month.

Related:

A boom in corporate profits, a bust in jobs, wages

Why companies aren’t hiring more workers

It seems the gold bug has gone mainstream.

Hammered by a weak housing market and slammed by stock market losses, Americans appear to be putting their faith (and perhaps their nest egg) in gold.

 A new poll from Gallup finds that 34 percent of Americans think gold is the best long-term investment. Just 19 percent say real estate is the best investment, while only 17 percent think stocks and mutual funds are the best long-term bet.

The poll was conducted in mid-August, following a wild week on Wall Street.

Gallup says it’s never before included gold as an option when it asked Americans to rank the best-long-term investments. In previous years, real estate generally took the top spot until the housing bust and economic crisis, when super-safe investments like savings accounts and CDs briefly surged.

In this year’s poll, 14 percent of Americans chose savings accounts and CDs as the best long-term investment.

The price of gold has skyrocketed in recent years, topping $1,900 an ounce earlier this month because people see it as a safe haven when the economy is on shaky ground.

But prices have been a little more volatile recently, and some have wondered whether the precious metal’s popularity could be its undoing.

"Gold was considered a safe haven for years because it wasn't popular, but now it's popular," Cetin Ciner, a professor of finance at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, said in a story that appeared on msnbc.com last week following a big drop in gold prices. "You can't have a fad and a safe haven at the same time."

The weak economy and tight job market has left many workers feeling a bit down in the dumps about their employers.

Luckily for you bosses out there, our readers have plenty of suggestions for improving employee morale, and productivity.

Tip No. 1: Turn the supply closet into a napping room – or at least look the other way when you see one of your employees taking a short snooze on the keyboard.

 More than 80 percent of Life Inc. readers told us that they think a short nap would make them a better worker. Some said they are already taking matters into their own hands by sneaking out for a short siesta or just sleeping with their eyes open.

“I'm snoozing right now as I type! :-)” one reader wrote.

Tip No. 2: Give those folks a raise!

OK, so this one may not be so easy to implement given the current economic uncertainty. But a post showing that some workers may get a small raise next year got many of our readers talking. More than four in 10 said that they’d been told budgets were too tight to increase salaries, although many said they were grateful just to have work.

Tip No. 3: Let them eat lunch!

Many workers are working harder because of the weak economy, and that can leave little time for things like a lunch break. About six in 10 readers told us they always eat lunch at their desk instead of taking a lunch break.

“Lunch and break: two words that are NEVER used together in my office. I eat when I can, where I can,” one reader wrote.

Insurance Information Institute

As Hurricane Irene races toward the Eastern United States, Americans should be bracing for high winds, pounding rain - and a costly clean-up bill.

Hurricanes and tropical storms have accounted for $153.7 billion in insured losses over the past nearly two decades, according to the Insurance Information Institute, a lobbying group. That adds up to nearly half of all private-sector claims payouts for natural U.S. catastrophes.

The insurance group tallied the total cost of all natural disaster insurance claims payouts in the United States between 1991 and 2001. The inflation-adjudsted $349.3 billion bill, calculated in 2010 dollars, included payouts from auto, homeowners and business insurance policies.

Tornadoes were the second costliest class of disaster, accounting for 30 percent of all payouts.

The III says hurricanes are especially costly because they can cover such a wide area. A hurricane that hits full force in Texas or Louisiana, for example, can still cause millions of dollars in damage as a bad rainstorm hundreds of miles away.

Terrorism also accounted for 6.8 percent of all payouts, mainly because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The figures exclude flood claims.

Did you know that some hiring managers will toss out your application just because you used a certain e-mail domain?

DailyWorth.com’s MP Dunleavey and Amanda Steinberg talked with TODAY.com and shared the surprising results of their research.

Getty Images stock

By Kimberly Hayes Taylor
msnbc.com contributor

When our colleagues don’t invite us to lunch, gossip about us, are condescending or otherwise rude to us at work, the impact can be so intense that we take our problems home, affecting our families and partners who in turn may also take the stress to their workplaces, a new Baylor University study reports.

“I didn’t expect to have such strong findings in this study. The research shows if we are treated poorly at work, we see the world as a less bright place and it’s hard to shake it off,” says study author Merideth Ferguson, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship at the Baylor University Hankamer School of Business whose research was published online in the Journal of Organizational Behavior. “When this happens daily or chronically, it eats away at people’s self-esteem and they are less optimistic about their lives and the future.”

A stressed employee often shares work frustrations with their spouse or partner, and the partner feels desperate to fix it, Ferguson says. But that’s unrealistic, and the feelings of helplessness can build more stress. Additionally, she explains, the stressed and distracted worker may neglect family responsibilities and the ongoing issue also can affect marital satisfaction.

“This phenomenon jumps workplaces,” she says. “It goes from the workplace to the home to another workplace.”

James Powell, 36, of Detroit, understands how deeply work incivility can impact a happy home. About five years ago, as he vied for an executive-level position at a national retailer, a co-worker competing for the same position spread rumors Powell was breaching company policy and shirking his duties. He became depressed when he couldn’t figure out how to stop the jokes and gossip.

“I was consumed with work; it was my life,” he says. “I came home and complained about work every day. After a while, everybody -  my wife, sisters and the rest of my family got so tired of it, they started telling me to shut up. My wife was telling me to just quit and asking how I could let people treat me that way. It really affected her.”

He says his world came crashing down soon after a holiday party, where the co-worker and others teased his wife, saying she was too pretty to be with him. He says she internalized the stress and jokes, and their marriage started breaking down. As a result, she began missing work and having problems on her job. The couple separated and eventually divorced. He got the promotion, but the work problems remained so intense that he resigned his position.

“I’m still suffering from it,” he acknowledges.

Ferguson suggests employees facing work incivility contact the human resources department, seek help from an employee assistance program or get outside counseling to help manage work-related stress. She also advises finding ways to avoid taking the stress home.

“Counseling sometimes helps you keep from stressing your family,” she says. “Exercise, go out with friends who are not co-workers, then go home to your family and be relaxed. It’s a trial and error thing; you have to find what works for you.”
Unfortunately, says Ferguson, who is working on a similar study on supervisor abuse, being treated poorly at work may lead to a decision to cut ties with your employer.

“You may have to consider when it’s time to leave,” she says. “If the culture on your job supports incivility, it doesn’t help to go to HR.”

There’s clearly a big difference between what Wall Street wants from businesses, and what regular Americans want.

A new Rasmusson poll finds that 64 percent of Americans think the primary role of business should be to create jobs. Just 26 percent think their primary job should be to create shareholder value.

The survey of 1,000 adults was conducted just a few days ago.

So far at least, it doesn’t appear that big  business is heeding that call. The unemployment rate stood at 9.1 percent in July as the economy added 117,000 new jobs.

Related:

Why companies aren’t hiring more workers

Not working, or looking for work

It’s the economy, not the debt, stupid 

What do you think? Is a company's primary goal job creation? Or creating shareholder value?

Between the weak economy and the high unemployment rate, it’s not surprising that many people are choosing to eat at their desks rather than take a proper lunch break.

But there can be downsides to sharing your sandwich with your keyboard and spreadsheets.

The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday on the office annoyances that come with a cubicle farm full of eaters: The yucky smells, unappetizing sounds and potential for spills. (Some of our own TODAY.com staffers share their lunchtime horror stories.)

Is it worth it?

The Wall Street Journal quotes one expert who says taking a break might actually leave you more energized, boosting output.

Today Money financial expert Sharon Epperson joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of Sharon’s TV appearance this morning.)

Deb asked:

"How high do you think gold prices will go, and when do you think the stock market will turn around?"

Sharon replied:

“I think gold prices will continue to soar. It's the only hard asset that investors want right now as the value of the dollar and other currencies declines and U.S. and European debt issues mount. Very few investors own gold right now and that is another reason it likely has more room to run. Not sure when the stock market will turn around, but I do expect there will be extreme volatility for a while. A diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, real estate, and alternative assets (such as gold and other commodities) is the best way to go.”

Here’s the full chat archive and Sharon’s TV appearance:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here. 

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

By Kara Reinhardt
Cheapism.com

A big stack of books can make any student’s shoulders dread the start of school. The American Academy of Pediatrics even offers backpack safety tips. These include considering a rolling backpack, with wheels and a retractable handle for transporting the bag like traditional luggage. Familiar brand names such as JanSport, Samsonite, and The North Face charge $60 or more for this convenience. We found rolling backpacks with comparable features and quality for less than $30, about the same price as many conventional backpacks.

Most any budget backpack comes with compartments for all your supplies, plus a pocket for a water bottle. Pricey backpacks come in a wider array of styles and colors, but budget models still offer some variety. More important than aesthetics, though, is durability. Some backpacks are made with ripstop fabric designed to withstand high stress. You may see specs that refer to a fabric’s denier, a measure of the weight of the material (the higher, the better). Self-repairing zippers also help handle the strain of overstuffing.

If possible, try out a rolling backpack before you buy it. The handle should expand, retract, and lock into place easily. It should be long enough to keep the bag from hitting your heels when you walk but not so long that it becomes unwieldy. Inline skate wheels help a rolling backpack glide smoothly. Don’t forget to take into account the weight of the backpack, which is usually about five pounds. That will come into play on stairs, slushy sidewalks, and other surfaces that don’t take kindly to wheels. Look for padding on the shoulder straps to help cushion the load when you carry it.

Below are Cheapism’s top picks for affordable rolling backpacks.

• The Travelers Club Metropolitan (starting at $30) stands out with its separate, padded laptop compartment and two-year warranty, features you don’t often find in the budget category. Users also admire the roomy interior and quality construction, including heavy-duty, 600-denier fabric. The backpack has a T-shaped, single-rod telescoping handle, as opposed to the double-rod handles on our other selections (this is simply a matter of preference). (Where to buy)
• The CalPak Awestruck (starting at $24) is well-equipped to handle heavy loads, with ripstop fabric, self-repairing zippers, and two compartments for keeping everything organized. The backpack itself is a touch on the heavy side, weighing in at seven pounds. Users praise the inline skate wheels for easily rolling over curbs and other obstacles. (Where to buy)
• The Olympia 18-inch (starting at $27) boasts self-repairing zippers and “supreme polyester,” which reviewers deem durable enough for impetuous kids. Reviews also praise this rolling backpack’s maneuverability. (Where to buy)

More from Cheapism:
Best Rolling Backpacks
Cheap School Supplies
Cheap eBook Readers
Cheap USB Drives

By Jessica Mintz,
msnbc.com contributor

More parents are saving for their kids’ college educations before the youngsters even hit kindergarten. But between the pressures of a stalling economy and the ever-rising cost of higher education, those savings will cover just a fraction of the cost of a four-year degree, according to a new Fidelity Investments study.

This year, 67 percent of parents surveyed have started tucking away money for tuition. That’s more than the 58 percent Fidelity found in 2007, the first year it conducted the study.

More than half of parents with children aged 5 or younger are still paying off their own student loans, and nearly half are paying an average of $576 per month for junior’s preschool or day care. Yet 40 percent are juggling those financial obligations with a dedicated college fund for junior, too, up from 27 percent five years ago.

Even as parents grow savvier about saving, those college funds are projected to cover a shrinking portion of the cost of a degree, according to Fidelity’s calculations. Today, Fidelity expects the typical American family will be able to pay for 16 percent of college costs, based on current and expected savings. That’s down from 24 percent in 2007; over those five years, college costs have jumped 26 percent, Fidelity says.

(As a plug for the value of financial advisors, Fidelity Investments also notes that parents who work with an advisor are on track to cover 31 percent of college costs.)

Parents are far less optimistic than they were a few years ago about the amount of college costs they’ll be able to cover with loans. And more of them – a full 75 percent – say they don’t want their kids to graduate with a mountain of debt anyway.

Instead, a growing number of parents are asking their kids to work part-time to help pay for college. They’re encouraging junior to live at home and commute to school, to pick public schools over private universities and to graduate in fewer semesters.

The percentage of parents who believe they are responsible for footing the bill for college was higher this year than in 2007, and they are increasingly going back to work or getting a second job.

via Zillow

But it looks so ... normal ... from the outside.

By Erika Riggs
Zillow  

334 Lea Dr #1, West Monroe, La.
For sale: $629,000
Year built: 2011
Details: 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4,630 square feet

Forget the traditional homes found in Louisiana — stately Victorians or family-friendly split-levels. For the ultimate in custom real estate, how about a medieval-style home with velvet furniture, a sink made from a boat and other features that make it strikingly different from any other house on the West Monroe real estate market.

Everyone has hobbies, some paint, some play sports and some build custom homes. The current owner of a gothic-inspired mansion in West Monroe falls in that latter category.

"She’s just an individual that loves to build houses. This is just a hobby of hers," explains listing agent Shane Wooten. "(She) builds houses, lives in them a little bit, and then sells them."

Previously the owner built a French Country-style home and had no trouble selling the estate. This time around, Wooten thinks it may be a little more difficult.

"We live down in the south and (this house) it’s just a lot different than what people are used to seeing," said Wooten. "She likes stuff that is different."

The interior of the home may be different from what a lot of people are used to seeing — no matter what part of the country they live in. Inspired by medieval architecture, the house is outfitted in custom furniture in dark velvets. Details like a family crest above the fireplace, dark woods and gold leafed accessories give the entire home a very Renaissance vibe. That is until of course, you visit a few of the bedrooms — one of which is decorated for a princess while the other features a camouflage design, complete with a Army hideout bed and concrete floor stained to look like dirt and stone. In one of the bathrooms, the sink sits on a bow of a boat. The custom furnishings, says Wooten, are negotiable and can be included in the sale.

Although the home itself is relatively standard, it's details like the arched stone door and the angel statue overlooking the curved driveway that sends the home over the top.

Wooten thinks that perhaps the over-the-top custom  decor may be scaring off potential buyers, and has told the owner that if the home doesn't attract a buyer, they'll need to remove the custom furniture for something a little more common and buyer friendly.

As for the owner, after living in the home a few months, she's ready to move on.

"She's already picked out her next property," said Wooten. "It will be a castle."

The home is currently priced at $629,000, previously Wooten listed it for $10,000 more. With low mortgage rates of 4.041 percent, this home's estimated monthly mortgage is $2,716.

Full listing at Zillow.

Our site is filled with information on homes for sale and apartments for rent, plus we have data on more than 100 million homes in the U.S., so lots of homes catch our eye.

via Zillow

Perhaps you'd like to share a drink with me in the parlor?

via Zillow

Ahoy matey. Be sure to wash your hands.

via Zillow

We've taken the high ground, sir.

American workers may get a slight raise in 2012, but the weak economy will likely still keep employers from getting too generous with the pay increases.

That’s according to a new survey from Towers Watson, a professional services firm. The company found U.S. employers are planning to increase pay for salaried, nonexecutive employees by an average of 2.8 percent next year.

Employees who are paid by the hour can expect an average 2.7 percent increase, according to the survey.

That’s up slightly from an average increase of 2.6 percent this year and the year before, according to Towers Watson, which surveyed 773 U.S. companies earlier this summer to get the data. The results included those who plan no increases.

A separate survey from earlier this year, which was also conducted by Towers Watson but used a smaller group of companies, found that employers were expecting to offer slightly higher raises this year. Since then, however, many people have grown more pessimistic about the economy.

A similar study by another firm, Mercer, found that employees should expect a 3 percent raise next year — as long as they perform.

Even a small raise might be good news for many Americans who feel like they are working harder than ever. The push to do more has left many workers feeling pretty unhappy. 

The summer wedding season is winding down, and while Kim Kardashian may have spent more on her wedding cake than many people spend on their entire wedding, she has something in common with every other newlywed around.

Once the honeymoon is over and the thank-you notes have been written, every new couple is going to have to file taxes (although Kim likely has an accountant).

The Internal Revenue Service recently offered up seven tips for newly married couples.

Among them:  Check your withholding rate to make sure you aren’t either giving Uncle Sam too much or setting yourself for a big tax bill at the end of the year. Also, do a little research to find out whether it’s more beneficial to file jointly or separately.

In a post last year marking the occasion of a less successful celebrity match – Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston – our pals at Bankrate.com also offered up some tax tips for newly marrieds.

Among them: If you’re changing your name, let Uncle Sam know about it. And if you have kids already or are planning to, make sure you take advantage of all those child-related tax breaks.

We’ve all been there.

There you are, sitting at your desk, staring at your computer, when suddenly you feel your eyes start to close … Then comes the rush of panic as you jerk your eyes open and look around to make sure no one saw you nearly use your keyboard as a pillow.

Napping at work is still a no-no in most offices, but a new story from Inc. says some companies are starting to change their thinking on getting a little shut-eye during the work day.

The story cites companies who have gone so far as to install nap rooms and encourage the practice.

There’s also a body of research in support of a workday siesta. James Maas, who Inc. credits with coining the term “power nap,” tells the magazine a 15-minute can restore your energy. Still, the story says longer naps can leave you feeling groggy.

It’s August, not April, but you wouldn’t know it from to heated discussions we had about taxes this week on Life Inc.

We started the week with Warren Buffett’s no-holds-barred call for Congress to stop coddling him and his friends and make them pay more taxes. Many of our readers welcomed Buffett’s call – and not a few wondered why he wasn’t running for president.

“It's too bad congress isn't willing to take advice from one of the most successful business men of all time. To balance a budget, you need to cut expenses and increase revenue, it's a simple process,” one commenter wrote.

But others were more skeptical:

“Here's a question for you - if Warren is so gung-ho about paying his fair share, why doesn't he just write a check to the treasury? Nobody's stopping him,” another commenter wrote.

On the other side of the tracks are the nearly half of all Americans who won’t be paying federal income taxes at all this year, mainly the poor and elderly. A post on that prompted more than 100,000 of you to weigh in on what’s wrong with the current tax system.

It seems we can all agree on one thing: The tax code is way too complicatd. As one reader whistfully put it:

“The tax code should fit entirely within a pamphlet. This is what you earn, this is what you can deduct, and this is what you owe. Period,” one commenter wrote.

There’s more to Life Inc. than taxes, and readers this week also had plenty to say about a post noting that, even in this economy, some companies are having trouble finding workers who can show up on time.

A college education may not help you show up for work on time, but it could give you other advantages in the job market. However, it seems Americans think that degree is more important for women than men.

Our favorite comment from that post:

“LOL, I read the title and thought that 'college is more important for a woman than a man is'. Maybe I need to go back to school.” 

Reuters

“You *@$$%^ make me want to ride a bicycle!”

OK, so it wasn’t my finest moment. My husband and I had been shopping for a new car for months, and it seemed as if we were being waylaid at every turn by a combination of car shortages and dealer annoyances.

The first part was understandable: We began car shopping in earnest last February, and our indecision really hurt us when the tsunami struck Japan in March. After that, it was not only difficult to find the cars that we wanted, but nearly impossible to get a reasonable price for what few cars there were around.

The second part was not so understandable. It seemed as if we were constantly being misled.

A dealer would tell us he could get us the vehicle, only to call back or e-mail back a day or two later to say that, sorry, it would take longer or cost more or would just be a completely different vehicle than we’d discussed. We’d negotiate a price only to find that the price had risen, or the car had been sold out from under our noses.

I began to feel the same way I felt one time when I moved across country and my things were delayed because the truck driver’s grandmother died. Twice.

By the end of summer, months after our car saga had begun, my mother showed up for a visit. Her instructions were simple: If I didn’t buy a car this weekend, she’d never talk to me again.

OK, that wasn’t quite what she said. But her meaning was clear; she’d had enough of this particularly annoying version of car talk, and also had had her fill of being scrunched between two car seats and an endless supply of cracker crumbs in the back seat of my current vehicle.

Three days and hours of negotiations with about a dozen car dealers later, it seemed we had struck a deal. We came home Sunday evening triumphant, only to have the dealer call me Monday morning to say that, sorry, the price had gone up by $500.

I at least had the sense to walk into a sound-proof room, and close the door, before I let loose with my loud, expletive-filled tirade, which ended with me telling the car dealer I’d rather bike to work.

At that moment, I honestly could care less whether I bought that vehicle. But I knew one thing: I wasn’t going to spend $500 more for it. In fact, I wasn’t going to spend $1 more for it.

About an hour later, the car dealer called back. I let it go to voice mail. An hour after that, the manager called back. I let that go to voice mail, too.

By the time we walked out of the car dealership that evening, we had the car we wanted at the price we’d originally set.

I don’t recommend my version of shopping for a car. All that rage can’t be good for you, and I can think of many things I’d rather have spent those many hours doing than negotiating with car dealers. Like scrubbing my bathroom floor, or doing my taxes.

But the experience did teach me one thing: If you’re going to go to battle for a new car, it’s best to come with weapons.

Here are 10 tips for buying a new car. Thanks to Consumer Reports, Edmunds.com and others for providing me with these helpful hints.

1. Be prepared: Before you go to the dealer, read up on the car you are interested in and any competitors. Web sites like Edmunds.com and Consumerreports.org offer a bevy of information and reviews, as well as tips on pricing. Consumer Reports also recommends that you don’t wait until you are planning to buy to test drive the vehicles. The more you know about the vehicles you’re interested in, the less sway your dealer will have.

2. Take it one step at a time: There are lots of elements that go into buying a vehicle: Choosing the car, deciding on extras, working out the financing, selling your old vehicle. As Consumer Reports notes, many dealers will try to mix all these things together in the negotiation process. Their advice is to get the best price first, then work on other aspects of your purchase.

3. Arrange financing separately: You may be able to get a better deal on financing through your bank, credit union or other service. Make sure you at least explore those options before working with your dealer on financing.

4. It may not be worth it to trade in your old vehicle: Our dealer offered us a laughably low price for our old vehicle. When my husband said that he expected about double that, the dealer replied, “But that’s the retail price!” Well, yes. Use websites like Kelley Blue Book to figure out what your car is really worth, and then find a buyer who will pay you that.

5. Don’t be rushed: A friend sent me this great video of a Seattle man named Rob Gruhl offering tips for buying a car and not getting screwed. His advice is you should never, ever, ever buy a car right after the first test drive. You may want that car more than anything in the world, but make yourself walk away and think it over. Take a few days or even weeks. Chances are, you’ll end up with a lower price.

6. Get the best price:Insurance companies, consumer groups and auto clubs all offer services that help you negotiate the best price. Edmunds.com has a feature that tells you not only what the difference is between the invoice price and retail price, but also what the fair market value is in your area. Use all these tools and then talk to a number of dealers before you settle on price.

7. Pit car dealers against each other: Gruhl recommends calling a number of car dealers and asking each one to get you the best price. Tell them that whoever gives you the best deal will get your money that day.

8. Get your deal in writing: If you’re negotiating by phone or e-mail, ask the dealer to e-mail you all the vehicle details, including VIN, specifications and – most important – price. That will help you compare prices accurately and make sure that, when you show up at the dealership, you actually have a car to buy.

9. Beware of sneak attack fees: Dealers may throw in all sorts of last-minute fees. Make sure that your dealer includes the “walk off the lot” price in the bid, with all fees, taxes and licensing included.

10. Be skeptical: Remember, this isn’t a popularity contest, it’s a competition for the best price. As I told one dealer, “I don’t have to like you to buy a car from you.” Make sure you double-check everything they say, ask any hard questions that come to mind and be prepared to walk away, or hang up, if you aren’t getting what you think is a fair deal.

What are your tips for getting a good deal on a new car? Share them below.

It’s back-to-school shopping season, but retailers have reason to be singing the blues.

A new study from Britt Beemer of America’s Research Group finds that Americans continue to pinch pennies, even when it comes to getting clothes for their kids to wear in the new school year.

Beemer found that 55 percent of of parents are trying to get their kids to wear last year’s clothes, an increase from last year’s 51 percent.

In addition, nearly 20 percent say they’ll try to delay their back-to-school shopping all the way to the Christmas season. That’s also up slightly from last year.

Another problem: High gas prices, which are keeping some shoppers at home, shopping online instead.

Beemer's findings are based on a phone survey of 1,000 people conducted in July.

Today Money financial expert Carmen Wong Ulrich joined us for a live Web chat Wednesday to answer your questions.

Here’s one of her answers to questions from the live chat. (See below for the full Q&A and video of Carmen’s TV appearance this morning.)

John asked:

“I have two mortgages, crushing credit card and loan debt, and my daughter is starting college in the fall via subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS loans and some scholarship. Would it be smart to use my $150k in my 401(k) to get rid of a big chunk of this debt? I'm 53.”

Carmen replied:

“Oh John, Nooooo! Pretty please don't touch that 401k. Even in bankruptcy that money is protected. Continue to protect it. That's your future. Plus, if you just pull the funds you'll end up losing nearly 1/2 to taxes and penalties. Instead, let your daughter keep on what she's doing and you can focus on your debt. Have you talked to a non-profit credit counselor? Do that (go to NFCC.org) and see what your options are. But, promise me to keep that 401k right where it is ;-)”

Here’s the full chat archive and Carmen’s TV appearance:

If you have a question for our TODAY Money experts, submit it here. 

To sign up for an e-mail reminder for our next chat, click here.

Pew Research Center

Perhaps it’s a good thing young women are getting college degrees at higher rates than men, because Americans seem to think women need that degree more.

A new survey from the Pew Research Center finds that 77 percent of Americans think women need a college education to get ahead in life, while only 68 percent think that’s true about men.

The data was part of a survey looking at how men and women perceive the value and benefits of college, and comes as the gap between young men and women completing a college degree continues to widen.

According to Pew, in 2010 36 percent of women ages 25 to 29 had completed a bachelor’s degree. That compares with 28 percent of men in that age group.