Personal Finance Advice

Having A Bad Day? It could be worse. A lot worse. At least you didn’t just accidentally wipe out a disk drive (and all the back-ups) to a $38 billion dollar fund by pressing the wrong button…or you didn’t accidentally leave the case open that was housing a 220 pound gold bar worth $2 million [...]

The forever stamp has been getting quite a bit of press lately as it will likely become a reality come May. While the stamp itself will help to save people time (by not having to go to the post office to get small denomination stamps to make the current stamps they have meet new postal [...]

One would assume if you had a positive amount of money in a bank account, then you your be safe leaving it there. That is not the case these days as one member explained in the forums: I had a saving account that I had a car payment automatically withdrawn from a few years ago. [...]

Alternative Minimum Tax Nightmare: A sad story about a couple that will likely lose their entire retirement and house due to the alternative minimum tax for money that they never even saw. You May Be Paying More than Your Should For Gas: An interesting piece that claims that gas stations may be making an extra [...]

Last week, I wrote about the pitfalls of starting your own business. Now that we have discussed the potential downside, if you still want to take the plunge, here are ten tips for making your new business successful. 1. Set work hours and stick to them: When you’re self-employed, any time spent not working is [...]

83-Year-Old Builds Community Swimming Pool With Cans Collected Over 30 Years: Inspiration that shows that doing a little over a long period of time can add up. It’s also great inspiration that shows a single person can make a difference if they decide to act. Don’t Let CDs Automatically Roll over: I’ve noticed a lot [...]

The IRS website and many state government websites can provide information on the status of your income tax refunds. But at the same time, they request very personal information such as your social security number and your income, in order to verify your identity and disclose refund information. If you find yourself at the wrong [...]

10 Tips To Know For An Emergency: Some basic tips well worth reviewing in case an emergency ever happens from Frugal For Life. Can a good house design save money?: “Conventional wisdom suggests that good design is a frivolity, not unlike a home theater or in-ground swimming pool. Not so, says Connecticut-based architect and author [...]

Yes, you read that title correctly and I’m still shaking my head a bit. It appears that Turbo Tax has launched a tax rap contest worth $25,000 to the person that can come up with the best Turbo Tax inspired rap. The promo features Vanilla Ice with the title “R U a better rapper than [...]

It always amazes me that people want to invest their money in stocks when they are carrying credit card debt with double digit interest rates. Except for a few people that credit card arbitrage, almost everyone is better of investing their money into paying off their credit card debt than trying to invest somewhere else. [...]

This week’s Friday Freebies is all about free time. Spring is almost here, which means the lazy days of summer are right around the corner. When the yard work is done and the barbecue has been cleaned and put away, try one of these sites when you have some free time on your hands. Full [...]

Off The Power Grid With $0.00 Energy Bill: While this is something that is prohibitively expensive at the moment, one man did make the effort and succeed to get completely off the power grid. It’s an interesting read and a possible look into the future of where our power will be coming from. 7 situations [...]

Want to take your kitchen to a new level of “green?” Tried a compost pile in your backyard and had to hide from your neighbors due to the smell? Tired of finding your compost items brought out to your front yard by the neighborhood animals? Well, there is an alternative. Make a backyard food waste [...]

Why Your Home Isn’t The Investment You Think It Is: A must read article for all those that believe that their house is a fantastic investment from the Wall Street Journal. The problem with housing that you live in as an investment is that people forget the costs associated with owning the house – and [...]

By now, you’re probably well aware that you can Free File your federal taxes through the IRS Free File program. What hasn’t been discussed a lot is that which of the programs you should choose to do your federal taxes depends on what they charge for the state taxes where you live. Basically, the IRS [...]

By SA Forum Members It’s a meal that is sure to please the kids and a nice change of pace when you don’t feel like cooking a full meal. Just because it can be an easy meal doesn’t mean that you need to pay a lot for it. With a little foresite and planning, there [...]

20 Small Ways to Save Big: While you won’t find anything on this list that you probably don’t already know if you have been reading this blog for awhile, it’s a great reminder that taking small steps can pay off big for your bank account over the long haul. 5 Things That Should Be Taught [...]

You get into your car, start driving and find yourself in front of Starbucks before you are even fully awake. The morning coffee fix is a daily ritual for a lot of people. If you are having trouble giving it up, there is no need to pay full price for your cup of joe. Here [...]

Have you ever wished upon a star? Perhaps you should stop looking out the window and instead wish on your computer. The RobinHood Fund is an online community unlike any you’ve ever seen before. Members submit wishes: actual, honest to goodness wishes that are tied to a money value and classified as naughty ( i.e. [...]

When To Replace Common Items: Most items need to be replaced at some time or another. Her is information when the following items should be replaced: air filters, computers, cosmetics, fire extinguishers, mattresses, perfume, pillows, running shoes, smoke alarms, spices and toothbrushes. Five reasons to forget about money and focus on what makes you happy [...]