Junk mail has long been a sore subject with both consumer advocacy and environmental groups. Growing concerns over privacy and waste have caused some to call for an end to this nuisance altogether. I was surprised to learn that one of the most outspoken critics of limiting junk mail are the very ones saddled with having to deliver it: the US Postal Service.

An upcoming Newsweek article claims that Junk Mail Keeps the Post Office Alive. Direct mailing (a.k.a. junk mail) constitutes 52% of mail volume. The Post Office lost a staggering $1.1 Billion in the last quarter, so you can imagine what a reduction in their junk mail revenue would do to its finances. Those figures remove some of the glow of my praise towards the amazing low prices offered by the Post Office when I discussed economies of scale.

With 44% of direct mail being thrown out unopened, the environmental impact continues to be a concern as well. The concern is two-fold: not only are massive numbers of trees being cut down to supply the paper for direct mailing, but a significant portion of it ends up in landfills without having any consumer impact.

Significantly raising direct mail rates might allow similar revenue to be generated from a reduced volume of junk mail. Clearly, something needs to be done. It’s only a matter of time before a Do Not Mail list becomes a reality. When that day comes, the USPS’s finances are going to go from bad to much worse. In addition to jobs likely being lost, normal mailing rates will have to increase. As I mentioned when discussing why “investing” in forever stamps is a losing proposition, current legislation limits the rise in postal rates to be less than inflation. That basically means that even if rates are forced to go up, the inflation-adjusted income the Post Office receives will surely go down.

Another option would be to charge consumers to be added to the Do Not Mail list. If such a provision were in place, how much would you be willing to spend to eliminate your own junk mail? What other solutions can you come up with to solve this impending problem?

For some of the latest details on Lending Club including on the reactivated growth we’ve seen since reopening our platform last week (offering Notes by Prospectus), and thoughts on how our new secondary market now empowers people with even more ways to do things that previously only banks and other corporate financial entities could do, check out recent discussions Renaud’s had with Yahoo! Finance, The Wall Street Journal, NuWire Investor and Fox Business.

Mistakes in day trading can be downright brutal, and no amount of "Hail Mary"s can save a trading account when you commit these sins. How do I know? I committed them all.

With the new Lending Club secondary market open for trading, you're now able to trade your loan notes on a liquid marketplace.

Just make sure you avoid these 7 sins. The eternal future of your financial soul may well depend on it!

1. Over-leveraging

Over-leveraging can happen in multiple ways. First, with a margin account you can double or even 4x your purchasing power for intra-day trading. What really gets you in trouble isn't the leverage, it's when you try to quadruple your entire account on one trade. Use margin wisely, and never bet the farm on one trade, let alone the farm plus 3 other farms you don't even own!

2. No trading plan

Always have a trading plan! Just following "your gut" will lead to emotional trading, the fastest way to becoming another day-trading washout. Test or paper-trade a methodology for a few months before employing it in your live account.

3. Not tracking losses

I always logged my really good trades. My really bad ones? Somehow those ones never seemed to make it into my trading journal.

Always track your gains and losses to the penny! Don't forget commission and/or transaction costs. Most online brokers now offer free or cheap gains/losses tracking. In fact, paste a weekly profit/loss log to your bathroom mirror each week!

4. Not sleeping enough

Would you try and run a marathon on a few hours of sleep? Of course not. Don't try and trade on a few hours of sleep either! Especially for west coast traders, trading on little sleep is common. Get a full night's sleep so that you are alert and ready to make any quick decisions on a trade.

5. Borrowing money to day trade

What's the fastest way to lose money day trading? It's trading scared. When you're borrowing money to trade, you're trading with money you can't afford to lose. If you're going to miss your mortgage payment unless your next trade goes well, it's time to get some help.

6. Watching TV for trade ideas

I would not recommend watching or even having the TV on while you are trading. Once the trading day is over, sure, flip it on. But while you're trading, paying too much attention to a given show, however financially authoritative you might think it is, can seriously alter your trading routine. Stick to your plan, and avoid being influenced by any talking head on the tube.

7. Trading the unknown

If you don't understand it, don't trade it. I jumped into too many high-risk trading vehicles (options, Forex, etc.) because I had some limited success in stocks. Needless to say, I got killed. Avoid trading anything you don't understand, or that makes you lose sleep at night! (see mistake #4!)

What mistakes have you made with your investments?

The concept of a no-spend day has been gaining in popularity. Rather than stocking up ahead of time or making up for it afterwards, the idea is to make do with what you have and live a day without spending any money. It seems as though doing just about anything for one day is possible, but can you imagine such an exercise being stretched out to a whole month?

That was the basic goal of David Hochman and his family. David described his experiences in an article titled My Family’s No Buy Experiment in the October issue of Readers Digest. The magazine has also established a No-Spending discussion board for anyone interested in taking the challenge. His motivation came as he approached the checkout line at Target and realized that he didn’t need a single item in his cart, though he was about to pay $300 for it all.

Instead of making that purchase, he and his family committed to go an entire month without spending. He did pay his mortgage, utilities, and son’s tuition as well as allow for fresh fruit and milk purchases, though that last item was quickly capped at $100. All other spending was simply not allowed. That included more than just the expected cutbacks of eating out and buying clothes. Even groceries, Internet access, and gas for the car were not permitted.

You may think that such an exercise is pointless, or not possible in your own situation, but I disagree. In our society of excess, using what you already have is an excellent way to reduce spending. Looking through your pantry, couldn’t you last at least a week without buying any more food? If so, then a month doesn’t seem like so much of a stretch. Even if David’s experience just causes you to consider alternative solutions before spending money, it serves its purpose. Faced with a backed up shower and a feeling of defeat, David thought that his no-spend experiment might be over. But thanks to a borrowed Internet connection and a home remedy he was able to solve the problem and avoid a call to the plumber.

The personal value of the challenge seemed to come through at the end of the month for the Hochman family. Rather than run out and spend money to make up for their “sacrifices,” they found themselves continuing to enjoy many of the free activities they had discovered or created during their month without spending.

I’m not suggesting that we all try to go for a month without spending money. Many less fortunate people are required to make do with even less than the Hochmans had during their experimental month. The lesson that we can learn from their experience is that not only can we survive on less, but our lives may also be better, not worse, as a result.

How long could you go without spending any money?

Having gone on many road trips, ranging from one-hour to 36-hour drives, I have picked up a few tips about road trips that might be useful to you on your next trip. Continuing with our vacation series, here are some suggestions:

• Rent a car instead of using your car. There are many reasons for renting a car instead of taking yours, especially if your car is older. One, you don’t have to worry about the maintenance of the car. And you don’t have to pay a mechanic for a tune-up if anything is wrong. If your car breaks down, which has never happened to me after many years of renting, the rental companies have roadside assistance and will provide a new car for you. Two, you won’t put too many miles on your own car; this will help when you want to resell your car. Three, because of the higher gas prices, the rental companies are dropping prices to attract renters.
• Fill up the car with four adults. With four adults, you can split the costs of the trip four ways and everybody still has a cheaper trip. You can also switch off on the driving and continue driving through the night. This will save on having to stop and reserve hotels until you arrive at your destination.
• Bring your own food and entertainment. On the way out of town, stop at Costco, Wal-Mart or similar stores and stock up on snacks and drinks. This way, you will not have to buy food at gas stations, which are usually overpriced, and you can also eat healthier. Also pack your iPod and laptop or DVD player. On longer trips this is a must for passengers. Make sure to bring an in-car power strip and headphones splitters so more than one person can listen to the same DVD or music.

Road trips are supposed to be fun, so from the beginning you should set the expectation that no matter what, everybody is going to have fun. If you get lost, need to take a detour or your car breaks down, it will not ruin the entire trip. Have you taken a good road trip lately, and if so do you have other tips to share?