10 Things People Buy All the Time That Are a Complete Waste of Money

What are you wasting your money on? See the list and change your life.In short :Condensed list for those too lazy to click through:1. Landline Phones2. A new golf driver every time they come out with the "the bigger/ different better driver"3. A new car4. Extended warranties5. A Soloflex.6. Hair Salon Shampoo7. Designer Jeans8. E-Books9. Premium Coffee10. Lottery Tickets

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Hate breaking out the caulk gun for a small job?

I know I hate the mess of dealing with a large caulk gun, especially for a small job. Check this out ... great idea, great product. Caulk Singles. Use what you need, toss what you don't. "Caulk Singles dispense effortlessly with one hand, require no tools, and leave essentially no waste in the package."

For a limited time, they are giving away free samples.

As an infrequent Do-It-Yourselfer, I see loads of potential in this simply elegant product.

Raleigh Ranked #2 Best City to Live, Work and Play, 2008 Kiplinger

With a reputation as a technology hotbed, and the strength of top universities (UNC, Duke, NCSU), the Research Triangle Park area had attracted growth in high-tech, bio-tech industries in the 90s. Along side the employment opportunities, there's been growth and revitalization in urban areas, new-urbanism projects and fresh cultural attractions.

According to Kiplingers.com (Source) Raleigh ranks up in the top 10 best cities to "live, work and play." They looked at attributes such as strong economies, abundant jobs, living costs, and recreation.

Raleigh is a work in progress, but 2008 should be the turning point. The city's new convention center will open this year, as will an adjoining Marriott hotel and the city's tallest building, RBC Plaza. The Royal Bank of Canada's U.S. headquarters is the kind of real estate Raleigh mayor Charles Meeker wants more of: a mix of office, condos and retail. "Our big challenge is more urban-style growth," he says.

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Are you a Raleigh renter? The City doesn't think you're paying enough taxes.

I found this bit of news a little disturbing -- apparently the Raleigh City Council is set to approve a tax on rental units (An annual charge of $30 for the single-family rental house, $10 per apartment unit), an additional tax that will be charged to property owners. This seems like a good thing, right? After all, we all need the roads, sewer, police, fire departments ... why shouldn't the people who use these things pay for them?

The thing is, they already do. For each property (and potential user of these services) ad valorum property taxes are collected that pay for these services.

These fees amount to nothing more than a tax on tenancy. Make no mistake--if this is passed, the additional costs will be passed onto the tenants. In contrast, homeowners will not have this additional tax burden.

Unfortunately, a majority of the City Council believes that renters in Raleigh are second-class citizens, and should be taxed simply because they are renters. The City Council thinks that you won't notice the tax, because they make your landlord pay it, but your rent will go up because of these new rules and taxes.

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The City Council vote is on July 1st. Please contact the Raleigh City Council and urge that Mayor Meeker and Councilmembers Thomas Crowder, Russ Stephenson, Nancy McFarlane and Roger Koopman join their esteemed colleagues, Councilmembers James West, Mary-Ann Baldwin and Philip Isley in opposition of this tax!