Personal Finance Advice

My newspaper carrier puts a card in our paper every holiday season thanking us for subscribing, wishing us a Merry Christmas, and asking for a tip. At the bottom it reads, “Please tip your carrier. Checks for tips should be made out to, “Mr. Smith.” (Not his real name.) This appalls me because I was [...]

I’ve written before about my issues with concentration and productivity. One of my biggest problems is with the Internet. It’s a fabulous resource, but it’s also a huge time suck. If you’re a very disciplined person you may not find it to be a problem, but if you’re easily distracted it’s hard to “quickly” check [...]

I have a love-hate relationship with CVS. I love that I can get things there for free / nearly free (one of my goals for this minimum wage challenge is to try to get all of my personal care products for free this year, and using the CVS program will be a big part of [...]

It appears that the first week of the minimum wage challenge will begin on the right foot. I just got word from the parents of a friend that they would like me to house sit for them for a week beginning on December 30th. This isn’t a house sitting / pet sitting gig I would [...]

A news story caught my eye last week. This sad story made me realize that many people have no idea what they’re getting into when they agree to cosign on a loan for someone else. In this case, a mother cosigned her sons’ student loans and he died unexpectedly, leaving her to repay the debt. [...]

I’m an introvert. This usually surprises most people that I meet, but that’s because most people don’t really understand introverts well. There’s an assumption that introverts are shy, quiet and timid, but anyone who knows me knows that those descriptions are in no way how anyone would describe me. I can usually hold a pretty [...]

I don’t like to spend money. There, I’ve admitted it. Even when it’s for something that I know I’ll love and can easily afford, something inside me clenches up and I don’t want to spend. (I blame genetics. My father and grandfather were the same way.) That’s good from the standpoint of saving for retirement [...]

I have the distinct feeling that I’m going to get a few comments over and over again for this minimum wage challenge, so it probably makes sense for me to create a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) area. This will allow me to simply link to this FAQs section rather than explain again and again throughout [...]

Apparently I am already cheating on the minimum wage challenge even though I haven’t even started it. At least, this is the argument my sister has decided to make. I recently sent out a “Christmas wish list” to friends and family for what I would like this Christmas. My sister didn’t like my choices of [...]

We all worry about our finances to some degree. Even if everything seems to be going great in your financial world, uncertainties over world events, “fiscal cliffs,” and issues like healthcare and retirement can make you worry. If you have other stressors like an uncertain job or no emergency fund, your worry meter can go [...]

Making your own things, sewing your own clothes, or making gifts are often touted as ways to save money. After all, the thought goes, you can make something for less than it would cost to buy the item. Unfortunately, while making your own items can bring you many rewards, saving money isn’t always (or even [...]

So we’re in the thick of the holiday season right now. You’re busy and harried, so it’s too early to think about next Christmas, right? Wrong. Some common advice to prepare for next year is to hit the after-Christmas sales to get gifts for next year, to buy craft kits for next Christmas, or to [...]

It’s one of the worst feelings you can ever have. That moment when you see there is still a week left until you get you next paycheck and you have no money, little food and you have no idea how you are going to make it. Your mind starts racing trying to figure out where [...]

The fact that I really dislike driving would seem to make the choice here rather easy. If I had my choice, I would not drive at all (and quite frankly, it’s ironic the amount that I do drive with this attitude). I really miss the days when I lived in Japan where the public transportation [...]

Recently I was invited to a lunch at a very pricey, exclusive restaurant in town. I accepted because it was a professional thing and I felt like the contacts I would make would justify the price tag. I was right, to an extent. I did meet a lot of people that will probably be helpful [...]

With winter now upon us, many people are planning their weekend getaways or fun winter activities. There are so many different activities to partake in during the winter, but fortunately, not all of them are as expensive as skiing. If you’re trying to save some money and aren’t keen on the idea of spending hundreds [...]

When people start throwing around financial advice (and when you’re deciding which advice to take), one of the considerations that often gets ignored is the significance of income level. Advice gets thrown around about what to cut and how to save without realizing that how much money you’re bringing in is the biggest factor in [...]

One of the biggest decisions I need to make that will determine whether this living well on minimum wage challenge will be successful or not is my living conditions. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this and there is little doubt that renting would definitely be the safer, cheaper option. The first question [...]

I hate budgeting. I simply don’t like taking the time out of my day to run through the numbers when I could be doing so many more interesting things. One of the reasons that I think that I am relatively frugal is that by being so, I haven’t needed to budget for years. I don’t [...]

Financial gurus often talk about spending on experiences rather than stuff. The idea is that stuff will break, become obsolete, or never get used in the first place, whereas experiences will stay with you for a lifetime. Experiences are said to be more valuable than stuff. To hear some people talk, you should be able [...]