Personal Finance Advice

Consider that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the 20 years from 1985 to 2005 energy costs have risen 108%, Medical costs 251%, and college costs increased 439% — but a college degree is worth it, right?
Not necessarily. While having a college degree does open doors, and increase the odds of earning a [...]

Did you know that buying with cash can actually save you money?
The old saying, “Money Talks” has never been truer than in today’s economy. Even big name retailers are open to negotiation; their sales are down and more people than ever are buying on credit. The holiday season is coming up and stores are desperate [...]

The company I worked for up until last Friday had been facing financial challenges for over a year. All of the employees knew that it was only a matter of time before the company resorted to drastic measures. We joked that one day we would arrive to work and find that our keys no longer [...]

A friend of mine was laid off from her job three months ago. Not surprising, given the current economy. Anyway, like many people, she’s in over her head financially. Without her salary her family is having trouble making ends meet. Since it looks like she might be out of work for awhile, she came to [...]

When traveling outside the United States, there’s a good chance you’ll need certain vaccinations in order to fully protect yourself from illnesses that are more common in other countries than they are here. These vaccinations may be ones that you would probably never need if you didn’t leave the United States (like typhoid and yellow [...]

There are many modern conveniences which we may not truly need but which remain quite useful. I would be lost without my computer, or the internet, or my television or a host of other gadgets and services. I value each of these things and use them every day, even though they may add [...]

The other day I stumbled across an advertisement for Bank of America’s new Brighter Planet credit card. The idea behind the card is that every dollar you spend earns points which are then converted to purchase carbon offsets. Bank of America is not the first credit card company to try to convince us that we [...]

Maintaining a beautiful lawn and other landscaping features can become a costly task. If you’re dedicated to the exterior look and feel of your property, but still determined to spend wisely, there are a few things you can do to accomplish both.
Plant perennials

Rather than spend money each spring and summer on expensive annual [...]

First off, we are in need of a coupon blogger to write at least 2 posts a week (more if desired). This is a paid blogging position, but it doesn’t pay a great deal. The position would likely only be of interest to someone who does a lot of couponing and would like to share [...]

It seems like every personal finance magazine I read reinforces the idea that our children are entitled to a college education. Beyond that - it’s the parent’s sole financial responsibility to provide a college education free and clear for their children. Don’t get me wrong, every parent would like their child to have a college [...]

When I was in college, my roommates and I didn’t think twice about picking sofas, coffee tables, and housewares out of other people’s trash. Don’t get grossed out. We always gave them a good scrubbing and disinfecting when we got home. We were definitely tried and true dumpster divers, mostly because we were too broke [...]

This past weekend the battery in my cordless phone died. I thought, “No problem. I’ll just run out and get a new battery.” When I got to the store I was disgusted to find that a new battery cost $18.99. My disgust grew when I turned around and looked at the phone display. I could [...]

As the child of people who lived through the Great Depression, I grew up on an “energy diet.” My parents encouraged us to turn off the lights when leaving the room, put on a sweater instead of turn up the heat, and walk to the store instead of drive.
My parents ingrained these habits into their [...]

In the previous article, I briefly described how I opened an internet Bakery. I didn’t go into the details on how I kept it running on a day to day basis or what products sold the best or even what kind of profits I made. Suffice it to say that my little domestic kitchen more [...]

I see many people worrying themselves sick over this economic crisis. Their worry is jeopardizing their health and happiness. They can’t sleep or eat (or they eat and sleep too much). They’ve stopped exercising. They aren’t taking care of themselves and their relationships. If their worry were a positive force for change, that would be [...]

At the beginning of this year, I was looking for a way to supplement our income. I do seasonal data processing and the spring season had not yet begun. I had prior experience with selling handmade jewelry on the internet and had all ready decided that I wanted to use the internet for my venue. [...]

I have a friend who is, shall we say, “crunchy” (in the best sense of the word). She and her family eschew many modern conveniences such as dishwashers, fast food, and big box stores in favor of doing things the old fashioned way. They are environmentally conscious to a fault and very outdoorsy. A few [...]

I love saving money. Ask my wife, she’d be the first to tell you. She thinks I’m a tightwad and that I wrote the book on skinning a flint. I like to think she is maybe a bit facetious. Maybe.
But then again, I am mature enough to see the grain of truth in such [...]

Weekend reading is a round-up of personal finance and money related stories that caught the eye of our forum members this week:

Americans finally start saving again
Tips for New Paupers
Searching For a Market Bottom? Keep Looking
10 more reasons you are not wealthy
Grain piles up in ports
Worst yearly slump for S&P [...]

I was chatting with a neighbor – Mike — over the weekend. Mike’s daughter is a senior in high school and looking at a lot of different colleges. Mike is a successful dentist but he is still worried about the economy and the costs of putting his daughter through school, even though he [...]