Personal Finance Advice

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: For Most People, College Is a Waste of Time One Third of New Owners Owe More Than House Is Worth Store closings – make sure you use your gift cards up for these [...]

We’ve heard the phrases, discussed our strategies, tried to forget about the money when we make a budget, and several other things pertaining to the vital emergency fund. Save up an emergency fund :: How much is in your emergency fund? :: Is an emergency fund necessary? :: Can I have an alternative emergency fund? [...]

We’re searching for a new contributing writer for this blog. This is a paid position on a per article basis (it’s not a huge amount, but probably more than the average personal finance blogger is currently making). We will consider anyone who has an interest in writing about personal finances, but it will certainly help [...]

I would rather go to the dentist and get a root canal before going to the grocery store, but sometimes there are major emergencies, such as running low on beer, that necessitate a trip. The other week I had one of these emergencies. The plan was to go in, grab the beer and get out [...]

I have a friend who has reached financial independence at the relatively young age of thirty-eight. He is completely debt free, having paid off his modest mortgage several years ago and owing nothing else. He has enough money invested to live quite comfortably, if modestly, from the earnings those investments produce. In other words, he [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: More than 80% of Americans want overhaul of health system Where the big jobs are Food Giants Race to Pass Rising Costs to Consumer 76% of bank websites have design flaws that can [...]

One reason that people have trouble with their finances is that they tend to be lazy about managing them. That is not to say that one should spend 24 hours a day making sure every little financial detail is in order, but when you begin to lose money in ways that could be solved with [...]

Al Gore offsets his carbon footprint. Volunteering for your community is offset for minor crimes. If you can offset those, you can definitely offset luxurious spending. The opportunity or the cost of that opportunity is a perceived value. Sometimes you even have to make a case to yourself for something you know isn’t the most [...]

We say it all the time: Life it short, make sure you enjoy today, you might not have a tomorrow, live like you were dying, make memories while you can, etc. Usually we throw these philosophical statements out as justifications for spending on something that we really can’t afford. Maybe we want a vacation to [...]

Beer guys shouldn’t date champagne girls. The party was out of my league. For the champagne girl, it was likely beneath her. Even though I knew this, I still approached her and struck up a conversation. In retrospect, I should have seen the car wreck coming 100 miles away, but there is something about beer [...]

Unless you’re very fortunate, at some point in your life you’re likely to have a job you hate. You might not hate it in the beginning but sooner or later, whether it’s because management changes, your responsibilities are shift, or your coworkers become morons, you’ll wake up one day and say, “I hate my job.” [...]

By Joseph Ganem Just about every financial decision we make involves comparing numbers. But, often the numbers shown are not the ones you should compare. The sellers of automobiles and related products are masters at leading people down the wrong financial road with misleading numbers. Whether buying a car or a tank of gas, it [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: CA judge rules early cell phone termination fees illegal Could you afford to be poor? Mortgage Help: Who qualifies and how to get it 7 ways to save on groceries w/o using coupons [...]

Summer is already half way over, but you still have at least one more month of fun in the sun to enjoy (depending on where you live). So whether you’ve already maxed out your summer budget, or are simply looking for some inexpensive activities to fill the rest of your summer with, here are some [...]