Personal Finance Advice

Your grandparents (or maybe great-grandparents) were better than you at saving money. If you think long and hard about that, most of you will probably agree with that statement. There are a number of reasons why they were better and some things we can learn from those facts. Let’s dive right into those reasons. Awareness [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: International Central Banks Team Up Governement Planning to Transfer All Bad Bank Debt to Taxpayers SEC Plans to Temporarily Ban Short-Selling Government Buying Bad Debt Money market accounts not so safe Bernanke: “We [...]

Most of us recall what Ben Franklin told us in his Almanack. “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” In various forms, that proverb actually preceded Old Ben by about 300 years. The fact that we still quote it today tells us that it still has some truth [...]

I live in hurricane country and it’s the season for misery and anxiety for us. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve had two near misses with tropical systems. Others have had it far worse than us. When you live in an area that’s prone to natural disaster, whether it’s hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, floods, fires, [...]

I find budgeting unreliable. Whatever method you use to budget, there is a good chance you are wasting your time, and possibly money. Just to be clear, when I say “budget,” I mean trying to predict how much you will spend in specified categories over a certain period of time and allocating money ahead of [...]

Planning an effective date is both an art and a science. It is a science because successful planning requires both an understanding of your partner and an understanding of where you are in your relationship. It is an art because it must be creative and at times innovative. Moreover, a successful date must be planned [...]

If there’s anything designed to ruin a marriage, it’s money. Not only could tension be created by the amount coming in, but there could be different money styles – a hoarder vs. a spender. My husband and I, thankfully, have similar styles. He’s more of a tightwad than I am, but we can find the [...]

Have you poured a half finished glass of orange juice back into the carton? Have you taken toilet paper down from your trees after being TP’d to use for its original purpose? I have heard of people doing just that. Have you done outrageous things just to save money? Are you happy with this lifestyle? [...]

What I Know Among today’s financial headlines is the prediction that stocks will rise today because traders are optimistic about the Freddie and Fannie takeovers. The articles I read commonly noted this optimism, but none of them explained to me why government intervention was cause for optimism. Strangely enough, another headline noted that oil was [...]

With the holidays approaching, it’s time to think about Christmas shopping. We always talk about ways to save money on gifts, from hitting the sales to drawing names out of a hat. That’s all well and good, but these strategies only save money for the buyer. How about turning the savings around this year and [...]

You know you need to pay attention to your finances and create some kind of spending plan. So why haven’t you started? Are you just waiting for the right software, book, or moment? Maybe you feel overwhelmed. The reasons for not starting and maintaining your spending plan are endless, but your window of opportunity closes [...]

My kids tell me I am an old man and my wife still thinks of me as a young man, so that can only mean that I have entered into middle age and there is no turning back. Middle age is not so bad. I can look back on the vast majority of my adult [...]

It all started after my mother graduated from college in 1979. With a teaching degree in hand, a student loan to pay off, and a family to support, she began shopping at thrift stores. We had fun those Saturday mornings, going through our community’s small thrift stores. Over time we bought everything we needed: clothes, [...]

By Jason Lancaster of Accurate Auto Advice. As a person who worked in car dealerships for nearly 10 years, I can tell you that a lot of people make expensive mistakes when buying a new or used car. Fortunately, these common mistakes are easy to avoid – here’s what you need to look out for: [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week: 21% of those making over $100k are living paycheck to paycheck Earn an A? Here’s $50. C? Here’s $20 Woman Auctioning Her Virginity For College Tuition The Key to Wedded Bliss? Money Matters [...]

Kool-Aid. A fruity sweet, thirst quenching, ambrosia for 6 year olds. We all remember it. It’s famous and served all over the world. Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska, as a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack. In 1927, to save on shipping costs, it became the powder we all know and love. It was originally [...]

Our personal finances mirror many things in life, and fantasy football is no exception. Wittingly or not, we apply many of the same tactics to succeed in both. At the risk of using way too many football analogies in one article, here it goes: An Investment In Your Future First and foremost, fantasy football is [...]

I went grocery shopping today. I went to Publix, where I do all of my shopping. The store was well stocked. The produce was fresh. The employees were helpful and friendly. As I walked the aisles, I thought to myself, “this is fun.” Upon checking out, I was pleased with my savings (about 20%, despite [...]

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. – Benjamin Franklin The secret is a simple one: Education. I’m not talking about going to Harvard or some elite university. I’m not even talking about a Masters or a PhD degree. I’m talking about fiscal education. The rich are rich because they know how to manage [...]

There are many things you can do to improve your finances. We talk a lot about the various ways to cut your spending and increase your savings, both big and small. All the options can be difficult to sort out. There can be a lot to learn, particularly if you’re new to looking after your [...]