Author Archives: David G. Mitchell

Are Restaurant Coupon Deals Worth It?

Posted on May 23, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

Eating out is often an indulgence, sometimes a necessity, and usually costly. It can also be a lot of fun. Where we choose to dine out is a personal decision but most of us can be helped in our decision … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Food / Groceries, Personal Finance, Saving Money | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Rules For Bulk Purchases

Posted on May 21, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

A couple of years ago, I bought two cases of drinking straws. When they arrived, I had something like three thousand straws taking up space in the back of my utility closet. My wife raised an eyebrow and wondered aloud … Continue reading →

Posted in Food / Groceries, Frugal, Personal Finance, Saving Money, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

8 Ways To Make Shoes Last Longer

Posted on May 16, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

If you have kids, chances are good that at some point you have been heard to say “Untie your shoelaces before your take off your shoes! Perhaps you have said it emphatically, even loudly, in the hope that your uncaring … Continue reading →

Posted in Frugal, Personal Finance, Saving Money | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Should I Buy An American Car?

Posted on May 15, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

Ah the frustrations of automobile ownership. My wife and I have two vehicles. She drives a 2003 GMC Envoy. From a cosmetic perspective, it is still in good condition and has only 60,000 miles on it. I drive a 2002 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, Personal Finance | Tagged , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Activities With My Kids I Should Have Photoshopped

Posted on May 9, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

I drove one of my sons to a birthday celebration tonight. I’ll ignore, for at least the moment, that the “party” was held about 20 miles from my home and that it included, eighteen holes of golf, lodging in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Personal Finance, Relationships | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Big City Coffee Stephan Iscoe Interview on Entrepreneurship

Posted on May 7, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

This month, I have the pleasure of bringing you the wisdom of Stephan Iscoe, the visionary behind Big City Coffee. Stephan is a Renaissance man — musician, author, business consultant, serial entrepreneur and CEO. His story is fascinating and his … Continue reading →

Posted in Food / Groceries, Personal Finance, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Free Product Sources

Posted on May 2, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

Most ice cream stores shops will allow customers to sample flavors before making a purchase. It makes perfect sense for ice cream stores to do that because it lets the ice cream sell itself. The same is true in cheese … Continue reading →

Posted in Food / Groceries, Frugal, Health, Medical, Personal Finance, Saving Money | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Box Tops For Education: Why You Should Participate (even if you don’t have kids)

Posted on April 30, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

If you spend more than a token amount of time either grocery shopping or cooking, you have probably noticed the Box Tops for Education and Campbell’s Labels for Education labels on certain grocery products. Box Tops for Education is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Food / Groceries, Personal Finance, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Overspending On Children’s Basics

Posted on April 25, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

The other day a friend mentioned that she was shopping for a new desk for her nine year old son. She mentioned that his current bedroom set was originally purchased at Ethan Allen and that she “did not want to … Continue reading →

Posted in Frugal, Personal Finance, Relationships, Saving Money, Shopping | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Are You Wasting Time In Bed?

Posted on April 23, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

I don’t need a lot of sleep. That does not surprise me because my father does not need a lot of sleep either. Usually about 5.5 hours is enough for me. If I go to sleep at midnight or 1am, … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Finance, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

How To Self Promote For More Success

Posted on April 16, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

Charles Baudelaire once said, “Anybody, as long as he knows how to be amusing, has a right to talk about himself”. Orson Welles advised that “Nobody who takes on anything big and tough can afford to be modest”. Anti-tax agitator … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Finance, Relationships, Work | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Tavalon Tea: John-Paul Lee Entrepreneur Profile

Posted on April 9, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

Over the years, I’ve come to realize that the best learning experiences are not usually found in classrooms. Experience is by far a better teacher than any textbook, but books and classrooms can make us better prepared to make the … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Finance, Work | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Point System For Kids

Posted on April 2, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

I have written about my elder son in the past. Readers may recall that he is less than industrious when it comes to academics and contributing around the house. By comparison, my younger son applies himself to his school work … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Finance, Relationships | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

How To Save On Museum Admissions

Posted on March 27, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

I enjoy going to museums. Art, history, science — if it is in a museum, I am going to enjoy it. Of course, if I were to buy a ticket to every museum that I encountered, I could run up … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Frugal, Personal Finance, Saving Money | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Is All Job Creation Good?

Posted on March 20, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

As the USA seeks to recover from its recession and to add jobs to a contracting economy, many political and civic leaders have invested energy and resources in an effort to develop jobs. Cities offer incentives to businesses to hire … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Finance, Work | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

What Do You Want?

Posted on March 19, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

What do you want? I don’t mean what fantastic things do you wish you owned or could do or could be. What reasonable things do you want in life that you do not currently have? Do you want to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Personal Finance | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Things I Wish I Had Kept

Posted on March 12, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

I live in Florida. Until recently, I would have said that I live in “sunny” Florida to distinguish my state from the cold places to the north. This year, however, cold weather came south for the winter along with all … Continue reading →

Posted in Frugal, Personal Finance | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

Get Over It

Posted on March 5, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

It is hard for me to believe that I have been writing here at Saving Advice for close to two years now. After about 150 columns, I am pleased to count many of you among my new friends! I’ve also … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, Personal Finance, Relationships | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Good Reasons To Spend Money

Posted on February 27, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

There are a lot of reasons to spend money and each of us has his or her own. Our attitudes and perspectives are forged over lifetimes spent earning and spending and enjoying and regretting. I can look at any number … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Finance, Saving Money | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Business Will Not Find You

Posted on February 11, 2010 by David G. Mitchell

Last night I met up with a crowd of restaurant reviewers from the local Yelp community. Yelp, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a community of on-line reviewers who contribute reviews of restaurants and other … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal Finance, Relationships, Work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments