Personal Finance Advice

Public libraries are great money savers for readers, but what can you do if your reading interests are more specialized than those of the general public? Many community organizations, historical societies, and places of worship offer small libraries of special-interest materials for their members. If yours does not, consider starting one of your own. You [...]

All of us have money secrets and it’s not often that we are able to share them. While giving a speech last month, I asked those in the audience to write down a money confession. The following is one that I received and is part of a larger series of money confessions I have decided [...]

One Student Does the Incredible: Gets Law Passed for State to Pay Off College Debts: If you are in need of some inspiration that shows that one person really can make a change, take a look at this article on how one student managed to get a state law enacted that pays off people’s college [...]

The old adage says that a toddler (or baby) would rather play with the box a toy comes in than with the toy itself. If the adage is true (which it usually is), why not save some money and give your young children what they really want? Make toys from the things you would normally [...]

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that many of us have money secrets. I asked for people to write down their money confessions at a speech I gave last month. This confession is one of those I received and is part of a series of the most interesting that I decided to share. This is [...]

Here’s a question: How much would it take for you to give up your TV for the rest of your life? A. Nothing B. $10,000 C. $100,000 D. $1,000,00 Here’s another question: How much should you be paid to continue to live the rest of your life as a black person? A. Nothing B. $10,000 [...]

In the do-it-yourself world, saving money is dependant on if you can actually get the job done without ending up doing more harm than there originally was in the beginning. Unfortunately, that is not always the case and this email from a reader wants to know how to discourage the problem: I have a big [...]

Everyone has one money secret or another. This post is part of a series of money confessions I collected from audience members when I made a speech last month. These are some of the more interesting confessions that I thought would be beneficial to share. This is number 7 in the series: “I hated my [...]

There is often confusion with bi-weekly mortgage plans. Many people hear about them for the first time and assume that all they have to do is pay their mortgage 2 times a month and they will get these incredible savings. The key, however, is in the subtle difference between paying twice a month and paying [...]

Have you ever wondered about other’s money secrets? This is part of a series of money confessions I gathered from audience members I spoke to last month. Everyone has money secrets and I thought it would be interesting to share some of them here. This is number 6 in the series: “I date men for [...]

You’ve finally done it — earned that coveted diploma. You’re feeling a bit cocky. Your parents are wondering why they had to pay for your expensive education when you already knew everything. Now it’s time to enter The Real World, the place that you have talked about for years as if it were a planet [...]

When someone has credit card debt and wants to reduce the amount they are paying on interest, there is always the question of what is the best way to reduce that interest payment. A lot depends on the particular circumstances of that person. One reader asked what is the best move to make for his [...]

The following is part of a series of money confessions I gathered from an audience I spoke in front of last month. I found many of their confessions to be quite interesting and decided to share some of them here. This is number 5 in the series: “I am the Joneses.” Other confession already listed: [...]

Something has struck me as very odd over the years. I have mostly lived my life with great disdain for car dealers. As someone who was well taught how to shop for used cars from private parties, I never really considered going to the dealership for an overpriced car as an option. My husband, on [...]

Sometimes the best ways to save depends on the number of people involved. That is the question that a single reader has about the cost of food: I’m single male and I keep reading that it’s less expensive to cook your own food. I would love to save money, but I find that it is [...]

I spoke at an event with an audience of about 100 or so people and asked them to anonymously write down a secret money confession. I found what they wrote to be quite interesting and shall share some of the more powerful of those confessions. This is number 4 in the series: “People think that [...]