Personal Finance Mistakes - Essay Example

As Yip puts it, “We commit those (financial) mistakes for several reasons: ignorance, fear, ego, a desire for immediate gratification.”

            This article is very crucial in fully understanding the rationale of studying personal finance. Throughout an individual’s life, his decisions, no matter how big or small irrefutably affect his financial status. Being able to know the most common mistakes that he cannot afford to make provides him with a guideline on how to maximize his financial resources. Since most of us spend money based on our emotions, it is also important to recognize that financial decisions should always be rational rather than emotional. Lastly, the article makes a good point in stressing the importance of sacrificing current consumption for future financial benefits.

SITE 2: PROTECTING YOUR PC NEEDN’T COST A BUNDLE

            Bertolucci’s Protecting Your PC Needen’t Cost a Bundle is an eye-opener by providing practical guidelines on ensuring that each PC is safe from spyware, viruses, and other malware.  According to the article, PC protection does not necessarily become a financial burden by investing in a whole software suite. PCs running on Windows and Vista typically require only three lines of defense: a firewall; antispyware; and antivirus software. A homeowner with only one computer can download a two-way firewall while free spyware is distributed by Windows Defender. Antivirus software is not free but cheap alternatives are Symantec Norton Antivirus which costs $40 and Norton Internet Security which can be purchased for $70.

            This article is very helpful considering that most of complicacies of data processing are made efficient by PCs. However, a typical consumer often lacks the knowledge of identifying what he needs to protect his PC and ends up buying a very costly software suite. It is irrefutable that investing in these high-priced software is a very common mistake. This article answers what matters thereby enabling customers to save a huge amount of money or spend it on more important things. It is enlightening and stresses the goal of managing personal finances—maximization of financial resources