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Author Archives: Jennifer Derrick
The Discomfort of Being Frugal
I’ve noticed something about myself. I am uncomfortable in high-spending situations. And this is true even when I’m not the one paying. Not long ago, a potential vendor took me to lunch at a swanky restaurant. He was paying, but … Continue reading
Posted in Frugal, Personal Finance
Tagged frugality, high spending, inexpensive life, overconsumption, simple life, uncomfortable
5 Comments
Workplace Ethics
A couple of weeks ago, I came across a post on another message board from a person who admitted to spending forty percent of his time at work surfing the Internet for personal reasons. He was even going so far … Continue reading
Start Thinking
One of the things that gets people into trouble financially (and in a lot of other areas, too) is failing to actually think about what they’re doing. We’re all guilty of putting our lives on autopilot. We buy the brands … Continue reading
Posted in Food / Groceries, Frugal, Personal Finance
Tagged autopilot, financial decisions, financial rut, good choices, money decisions, thinking
2 Comments
The 97 Month Car Loan
Lenders rolled out an extra-long-term car loan last week: The 97 month loan. (That’s eight years, folks.) The lenders claim that this is because the average price of a new car has risen to $31,000 and extra-long loans are the … Continue reading
Posted in Cars, Debt, Personal Finance
Tagged 8 year, 97 month, auto loan, car costs, car loan, loan interest, low car payment
6 Comments
Earth Day and Frugality
Earth Day is coming. It’s one of those days I actually look forward to each year. While I get sick of the “greenwashing” that the big corporations engage in every year, I do enjoy some of the local celebrations at … Continue reading
Posted in Frugal, Holidays, Personal Finance, Saving Money
Tagged conservation, Earth Day, earthday 2013, greenwashing, recycle, reduce, reuse
1 Comment
Four Ways to Work from Home
I see plenty of people, both online and off, who are desperate to work from home. Despite the fact that working from home is definitely not for everyone, many people idealize the lifestyle and want it for themselves. It’s funny, … Continue reading
Posted in Making Money, Personal Finance, Work
Tagged at home sales, consulting, freelancing, wham, wonder job, work from home
5 Comments
Blowing Money on Grail Objects
I have a friend who has lusted after a certain board game for years, now. It’s out of print and if you can find it on the secondary market in good to mint condition, it usually sells for north of … Continue reading
Posted in Budgeting, Personal Finance, Shopping
Tagged biggest want, expensive stuff, grail objects, holy grail, memorabilia, rare stuff, wants
5 Comments
Control Your Personal Economy
If you’ve watched much TV lately or listened to the radio, you’ve probably heard some of Fidelity’s new ads that say, “Let us help you take control over your personal economy.” Their website explains, “Your Personal Economy includes the things … Continue reading
Posted in Budgeting, Debt, Food / Groceries, Frugal, Personal Finance, Retirement, Saving Money
Tagged debt load, employment, Fidelity, frugality, global economy, national economy, personal economy, savings, spending pattern
3 Comments
Don’t Fall For “The Advertising Will Save You” Money Gambit
Manufacturers, retailers, and advertisers love to tell us that advertising will save us money. They like to tell us that placing ads in and on everything from video games to toilet paper will save consumers money. The theory is that … Continue reading
Posted in Personal Finance, Shopping
Tagged advertising, book ads, display ads, gaming ads, menu ads, movie ads, save money, TV ads
3 Comments
Give Yourself the Gift of Time
We all have a finite amount of time to be on this earth. The time we have to spend with loved ones, to pursue fun hobbies, to do work we love, and to explore this world is limited. Time is … Continue reading
Posted in Health, Personal Finance
Tagged be active, have goals, improve health, improve life, live longer, stay healthy
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Don’t Dismiss Your Hometown Paper
I live in a rural community and we get three newspapers here. The first is our main, statewide paper. Though it’s a daily paper, I only subscribe to the Sunday edition of that one for the coupons and sales flyers. … Continue reading
Posted in Frugal, Personal Finance, Saving Money
Tagged community events, Coupons, grocery flyers, local news, local paper, local sales, rural newspaper, special offers
2 Comments
Rewarding Yourself Without Breaking Your Budget
We all feel the need to reward ourselves sometimes. Maybe we reach a tough goal such as losing fifty pounds, or we accomplish a significant milestone on the way to a larger goal, such as finishing the novel that must … Continue reading
Posted in Budgeting, Personal Finance, Saving Money
Tagged frugal rewards, goals, milestones, rewarding yourself, rewards, self improvement, self motivation, strive
5 Comments
We Are All Going to Die
A few years ago, I faced my mortality head on. An unexpected allergic reaction nearly killed me. Up to that point I, like most people, hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about death. Sure, I’d done the unpleasant task … Continue reading
Posted in Personal Finance, Relationships
Tagged death, junk, life challenges, mortality, stuff, what matters, what's important
7 Comments
Reflections on a Purge
This winter I have focused on purging my house of excess stuff. I’ve never thought of myself as having a lot of stuff (and compared to some I don’t), but a real dig in to the deepest recesses of my … Continue reading
Posted in Housing, Personal Finance
Tagged Cleaning, excess stuff, junk, memories, minimalism, purging stuff, spring cleaning, throw away, too much stuff
2 Comments
Seeing Coupons as Money
Some people hate to use coupons. Some can’t be bothered, some don’t see that the time required is worth the savings, some are embarrassed, some figure coupons are only for junk food (they aren’t), and some are afraid of being … Continue reading
Posted in Food / Groceries, Frugal, Personal Finance, Saving Money, Shopping
Tagged coupon clipping, couponing, Coupons, food, groceries, grocery shopping, save money
5 Comments
Complaining Just to Get Free Stuff
We all want to be treated fairly and receive the products and services that we pay for. We want things to match our expectations and the manufacturer’s promises. When things fail to live up to those promises or expectations, it’s … Continue reading
Posted in Personal Finance, Saving Money
Tagged blacklisted, complaining, complaint letter, fake complaints, free stuff, freebies, legitimate gripe, stealing
10 Comments
20 Free and Inexpensive Creativity Boosters
We all have times where we need to be creative. Creativity helps us solve problems at work or home, come up with new uses for old products, and entertain ourselves. Many people don’t believe that they are creative, that it’s … Continue reading
Planned Obsolescence: The Scourge of Frugality
If you’re a frugal person, the concept of planned obsolescence stinks. There’s no polite way to put it. Manufacturers create things to last a short period of time, forcing you to upgrade or buy a new one at regular intervals. … Continue reading
Cold Turkey vs. The Slow and Gradual Approach
When you’re ready to improve your financial life, how should you go about it? Do you immediately cease all unnecessary spending, slash expenses to the bone, and use all of your extra money to pay down debt? Or do you … Continue reading
10 Ways to Keep Your Belongings Private and Reduce the Risk of Theft
One of the easiest ways to prevent theft (aside from locking the doors, which is something too many people neglect but is effective) is to keep what you buy and what you own private. If other people know what you … Continue reading
Posted in Personal Finance, Shopping
Tagged bragging, conceal valuables, flaunt, lock doors, privacy, robbed, theft risk, valuables
5 Comments