Personal Finance Advice

I once read that 1 in 10 people don’t use banks for saving money. That’s hard to believe. Hiding your money is unsafe and unwise. But people do it all the time. I’ve done it. You’ve probably done it at one time or another. When my son was young, he used to hide his allowance [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

My friend, Speedy, is quite possibly the best horse trader within a 200 mile radius. In all the time I’ve known him, he has never held a job and yet seems to do quite well for himself. No, he doesn’t actually trade horses. He uses a system of bartering. He has a knack for trade. [...]

My husband loves the movie, Forrest Gump. He can almost follow the script word for word. This is a football, beer and pizza loving man, we are talking about here. When I asked him why he liked the movie so much, he couldn’t explain it. So the last time it was on TV, I really [...]

We are under constant media barrage about checking our credit report and we all know it’s important to have a high credit score. With the new legislation, it’s possible that a great credit score will be more important than ever. But does the average Joe really understand what goes into the calculating of a credit [...]

As the economic decline slides further into uncertainty, we have to take a hard look at our own familial finances and begin to ask some serious questions. It’s time to take off those rose-colored glasses. First, we all need to understand what we, as individuals, can and cannot control. We can control how much we [...]

Are you left with more month than paycheck? Are you trying to stick to a budget, but can’t understand where all your discretionary income is going? Do you always end up searching the couch cushion and car seats for extra change to make everyday purchases? My husband and I had all of these problems and [...]

How does using cash or a debit card influence our spending? About a month ago, I watched a video on Yahoo about an ordinary couple who were challenged to use cash for everything they bought for one week. The idea was to find out if they would spend less when using actual paper money. How [...]

What is family entertainment? First, let’s take a look at the definition of these two words. Entertainment – Something that diverts, amuses, or occupies the attention agreeably. Family – A group of people living together and functioning as a single household. Seems pretty self-explanatory, doesn’t it? So why do we spend so much time sprawled [...]

Kool-Aid. A fruity sweet, thirst quenching, ambrosia for 6 year olds. We all remember it. It’s famous and served all over the world. Kool-Aid was invented in Hastings, Nebraska, as a liquid concentrate called Fruit Smack. In 1927, to save on shipping costs, it became the powder we all know and love. It was originally [...]

Ok, I admit it. I have a serious addiction. Two of them in fact. Everyday, I allow myself one soda and a pack of cigarettes. On Saturday, I have two sodas. My elixir of choice is Diet Mountain Dew. I’ve been downing them daily for over 20 years. My other addiction, smoking, I know I [...]

There is so much involved when you are getting a divorce. The emotional shock seems to outweigh all else. You certainly don’t want to think about financial matters. But you must. Many unscrupulous lawyers make their monies on quick and dirty divorces. They don’t tell you everything that you need to know. The following story [...]