personal finance blog

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Internet company AOL Inc., which separated from Time Warner Inc. late last year, reports its first-quarter results Wednesday before the market opens.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Signs AOL's online advertising business is getting stronger.

AOL grew up in the 1990s as a dial-up Internet company, but this business has declined for years as faster broadband Internet connections from cable and phone providers become increasingly popular. The company has been working to reinvent itself as a content and advertising business, operating websites like tech blog Engadget and personal finance site WalletPop.

This process has been difficult, with advertising revenue dropping throughout last year. But AOL's revenue fell less in the fourth quarter of 2009 than in previous quarters, as the online ad market began to bounce back from.

WHY IT MATTERS: AOL's performance will provide new information on how well the online advertising market is bouncing back from last year's slump.

So far this year, the market appears to be doing better. Google said earlier this month that its first-quarter revenue rose 23 percent, and Yahoo Inc. said its first-quarter revenue rose 1 percent. Both derive the vast majority of their revenue from online ads.

WHAT'S EXPECTED: Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters on average expect an adjusted profit of 69 cents per share on $679 million in revenue.

LAST YEAR'S QUARTER: AOL, which was then a part of Time Warner, reported revenue of $867 million.

Decrease Personal Spending Successfully in Small Increments

When you find yourself spending too much money frivolously, it can be difficult to cut down all at once. Personal finance blog The Simple Dollar recommends making incremental decreases so it's easier to adjust to the change.

Photo by Charlie Ambler.

If you know how much you want to decrease your spending from what's been typical so far, just cut that up into more manageable chunks:

So, in January, for example, I set a target of 75% of a typical month from 2009, capping my spending at $180. In February, I dropped it to 70% – $165. Each month thereafter, I've dropped it another 5%, leaving May at 55% of my spending from an average month in 2009. In June, I'll be at 50% and I'll stay there for a couple of months, then start dropping further, ending with November and December at 35%. For the year, the total adds up to 50% of my spending for 2009.

Making the changes small and incremental has, at least so far, made it much easier. Each month, I'm pushed just a little more to use the library instead of the bookstore. I'm pushed just a bit more to eat out less. I'm pushed just a smidge more to hold off on buying a new board game, holding off a month or two. I'm pushed to conserve money for things later in the year that I intend to do.

We already know how well this works for debt repayment, saving money, and achieving goals—in fact, this is pretty useful for changing any type of habit. Hit the link for the full article on incremental change, and if you've ever successfully achieved a goal this way, tell us about it in the comments!

surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters