The presents have been opened, and the bills to pay for them will follow soon.
Here's a useful list of financial Web sites.
And if you don't want to think about paying bills, you'll find some fun sites focused on Sports and History.
Click away!
www.nfcc.org
This Web site of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling helps users find a nonprofit credit counselor in the user's area. It also offers how-to advice, such as a how to request a copy of your credit report, and a budget calculator that compares your monthly spending to others. --Wall Street Journal
www.practicalmoneyskills.com/english/index.php
Geared toward teens but useful for adults, this site by Visa teaches the basics of money management in an engaging way. Test your knowledge with the Financial Football game. (If you know your stuff, you should have a Devin Hester-like return on the kickoff.) -- David Roeder
www.investinginbonds.com
You know how it is when you get older: bonds might be a better investment than stocks. But just figuring out bond prices is daunting. This service of the Bond Market Association lays it out in plain English, even if you don't know an ABS from an ATV. --David Roeder
cardweb.com
creditcards.com
bankrate.com
All things credit card oriented. Cardweb.com is where to go for third-party information about the credit-card industry, as well as news and commentary for consumers about individual cards and card issuers. CreditCards.com is sponsored by credit-card companies, and is loaded with offers broken down by rates, special offers and special needs. Bankrate.com is a major clearinghouse for consumer finance information. It includes credit-card basics and calculators that let consumers determine their credit and budget, and tally how long it will take to pay off debts. --Dan Miller
www.dinkytown.net
This amazing site offers calculators on any aspect of your financial life you want to know about, and some you may not want to know about. Various functions tell your net worth and estimate how much you need to save to retire without having to start a lemonade stand at age 75. --Mary Wisniewski
www.fueleconomy.gov
At this U.S. Department of Energy site you can search for the cheapest gas prices by city, and compare automobiles' gas mileage, greenhouse gas emissions, and pollution and safety ratings. The site also includes tips on how to get the best gas mileage out of your vehicle and information on hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. --Francine Knowles
www.InsureUonline.org
Skyrocketing medical costs are prompting fly-by-night insurance companies to offer too-good-to-be-true policies. This site will link to state insurance departments and their complaint databases. The databases show which companies are licensed to sell insurance, and whether a company has a history of complaints. --Sandra Guy
zillow.com
Want to check on the estimated value of your home, and also peek at the values in the neighborhood? Go to Zillow and plug in your address and watch the magic happen. You get a satellite or line drawing view of the 'hood with accompanying prices based on records from sales, physical characteristics of the homes and so on. You can use the My Zestimator tool to add information, such as about remodeling, that will refine the estimate. You also can request information on comparable homes, which could come in handy in doing research if you are considering appealing your tax assessment. --Howard Wolinsky
www.interest.com
Check this simple yet thorough source for information on mortgages, home equity loans and lines of credit. Calculate what you can afford to borrow, or look at what you gain or lose using an adjustable-rate loan vs. a fixed-rate loan. The site also explains financial terms. --Polly Smith
www.InsureUonline.org
Consumers who want to check out whether an insurance quote comes from a legitimate insurer, or to check how frequently their insurer gets complaints, can find what they need at this Web site. --Sandra Guy
http://cflbulbs.com/
I recently replaced a half dozen incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs that promise seven-year lifespans and lowered electric costs. I've already seen a drop in my electricity bill, though I can't say how much is attributable to the bulbs. Cflbulbs.com contends: "If every household in the U.S. replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulb, it would eliminate the equivalent of the emissions created by one million cars. And that's only one bulb per household! Most homes have 15-30 bulbs." --Howard Wolinsky
Sports
www.whatifsports.com
It doesn't matter which major sport is at issue. Its fans have wasted many hours arguing how the legendary teams of different eras compare. Here, you can play those games in seconds, and retrieve a box score. It's free, but you pay if you want to create your own teams from past players. Let your imagination go -- 1927 Yankees vs. last year's White Sox? Hey, we wuz robbed! --David Roeder
PicksPal.com
PicksPal.com is a virtual gathering place for sports fans to prove who really know their sports. For centuries, fans have made impassioned picks about impending sports events. Now, PicksPal says, "You think you know sports? Prove it." Each member's success is tracked like a stock fund's performance to determine the members with the greatest sports IQ. PicksPal honors the best with Wall of Fame designations and prizes. --Dan Miller
History
www.prairieghosts.com
At first glance, this page by author Troy Taylor offers links to some of the most famous crimes in Chicago. But scroll down and you'll see it includes details on Chicago's famous ghostly legends and allegedly haunted places. Well-known stories such as Resurrection Mary are covered, but did you know about Chicago's spookiest tavern and the stories connected with Beverly's "Irish Castle"? --David Roeder
www.ideafinder.com
"A man with an idea is a crank until the idea succeeds," wrote Mark Twain. This site is dedicated to successful cranks and their ideas, from the wheel to the Veg-O-Matic. Site features include invention timelines, and detailed inventor biographies. Did you know Ron "But wait!" Popiel got his start hawking his father's inventions on Maxwell Street? --Mary Wisniewski
www.ci.chi.il.us/Landmarks/YourHouseHasAHistory.html
This is the site to visit if you've every wondered about your old house and its history. Download a brochure the City of Chicago has prepared that guides you to government archives that can satisfy your curiosity. -- David Roeder
www.uncyclopedia.org
Everything is fake -- or a parody -- these days. The new reality is unreality. Let's make it up. Sure, you like the Onion and "The Daily Show." Check out the Uncyclopedia. It's basically like Wikipedia but without the whole trying-to-be-accurate part. This just in: The Un reports that Time Magazine was wrong: You aren't the Person of the Year after all. It must be true. I read it in the Uncyclopedia. --Howard Wolinsky