Personal Finance Advice

Going out to eat can be an expensive endeavor and even though it’s generally cheaper to eat fast food, even that can get expensive if you are feeding more than one person. While it seems that the days of getting a complete fast food meal (sandwich, side and drink) for under $4 are gone, there [...]

I generally try to save money on everything I buy, especially groceries since they take up a large chunk of our budget each month. We usually try to shop at our military commissary or at a certain national chain that is known for their low prices on groceries and everything else you can think of [...]

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 [...]

It was recently announced in the news that Starbucks (SBUX) will be closing over 600 stores due to a phenomenon nicknamed “The Latte Effect.” This basically describes the actions people often take when economic times are tough and money is tight, which includes cutting back on extra expenses like coffee, manicures and hair treatments. While [...]

It seems that many businesses and stores these days are willing to fight hard for your patronage. I’ve noticed a lot more stores lately that now offer price matching on equal items from a different store. You simply show the ad or online printout showing the item that is less expensive at the rival store, [...]

I recently visited the dentist and learned that I had a cavity and needed a filling. My insurance would only pay a portion of what the filling would cost, so I would need to fork out $70 out of my own pocket. Paying money to sit through getting a filling is not something that made [...]

My husband and I are do-it-yourselfers when it comes to home improvement. This is mostly because my husband’s dad is a contractor and he often guides and helps us when we need it. That being said, we’re barely a year into owning our first home and are still newbies. We recently took on a larger-than-we-thought [...]

I’ve recently discovered the joy of belonging to a special club that gives you discounts at restaurants of half off (and sometimes more). I want to share this saving opportunity with those who are not yet aware so they can save money at restaurants too. It doesn’t cost anything to join and it’s not a [...]

I’m sure you have heard that there is a difference between “good debt” and “bad debt.” Bad debt is usually associated with credit cards, car loans, and other debts that aren’t secured by something that is growing in value. However, the term “good debt” is often given to such debt as mortgages and student loan [...]

I am simply amazed at how much money certain “business opportunities” can end up costing. I put the term “business opportunities” in quotes because what I’m really talking about are multilevel marketing plans that disguise themselves as “business opportunities.” I am most familiar with one particular company (though I won’t name it here) but I [...]

I once heard Dave Ramsey say that when it comes to getting out of debt and staying out of debt, it is 20% knowledge and 80% behavior. Just look at anyone who’s ever said “I know I shouldn’t (insert bad financial habit here) but I just can’t help it!” Anyone can learn all they want [...]

When most people think of the word debt, they immediately think of credit cards, auto loans, student loans and mortgages. Those seem to be the most common debts in our society today. But there is another kind of debt that doesn’t get as much attention as the previously mentioned, and that is personal loan debt. [...]

A few weeks ago I heard someone say this when teaching about finances: “When we change the way we think about money, it will change the way we handle money.” This statement made me stop and think because I realized that it is so true. I know that when I changed the way I thought [...]

The other day my husband and I went to a specific grocery store that we don’t normally shop at to pick up some ice-cream that was on sale. Normally this particular kind of ice-cream (my husband’s absolute favorite) is at least $4 for a half gallon — and that’s on sale. But this particular week [...]

“No interest and no payments for an entire year!” This statement can stop people in their tracks when shopping and often times is the deciding factor on a particular purchase. But this statement can be a dangerous one if you aren’t careful. No interest = no worries, right? Not exactly. I personally have taken advantage [...]

When setting up and running a household budget, the most important thing is that it works for you and your household. There are many good systems and practices that people may recommend, but the ultimate test of such a system is how and if it actually works in your personal finances. My husband and I [...]

Most people are probably painfully aware that gas prices have been rapidly increasing over the last couple of years (and especially months), thus also increasing the costs of any items needing to be delivered from anywhere, the most common being groceries. Many people are feeling the crunch in their budgets as they find themselves having [...]

I recently discovered a new website that has a wealth of information about saving money on fuel. I’m pretty sure the website itself isn’t new, but it’s new to me and it might be new to you too. The website is Fueleconomy.gov and it run by the US Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection [...]

Since I first became interested in personal finance a few years ago, I have been dead set against buying a new car. As a person who likes to save money, the thought of buying something that would depreciate tremendously as soon as I drove it off the lot made me shutter. Plus there was the [...]

You’ve seen them advertised, you had friends participate in them and maybe even you’ve been sucked in yourself: Get Rich Quick Schemes. If you buy this book about how to invest in real estate, you’ll be rich! If you join this multi-level marketing program you can quit your day job and have more than enough [...]